All-In-One Holiday Bundt Cake

When I spotted this recipe in the New York Times last week, I knew I had to make it. Pumpkin, cranberries, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg-the ingredients were some of my favorites. The recipe was adapted from Baking With Dorie, a culinary app. I wasn't interested in the app but the cake sounded wonderful and it is. By the way, Dorie is Dorie Greenspan, the writer of fabulous cookbooks, especially on baking. Please try this one. It is not too sweet, keeps well and is perfect with tea or coffee.

1 1/4 stickes (10 tbl.) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg

pinch salt

1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp. ginger powder)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/1/4 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree

1 large apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped

1 cup cranberries, halved or coarsely chopped

1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Maple icing (optional; see note)

Heat oven to 350 with rack in center. Butter a 9-10 inch Bundt pan (12 cup).

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and ginger powder, if you're using it instead of the grated ginger.

Working with a standing mixer or with hand mixer in a large bowl, beat together the remaining butter and both sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat for one minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

Reduce speed to low and add the pumpkin, apple and grated ginger, if using it. Don't be concerned if batter looks curdled (mine did not). Add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. With a rubber spatula, stir in the cranberries and pecans. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a thin knife inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding, then cool to room temperature on the rack. Serve in thick slices.

Serves 12 0r more

Notes: For maple icing, sift 6 tbl. confectioners sugar into a bowl. Stir in 2 tbl. maple syrup. Add syrup little by little until you have an icing that runs nicely off the tip of the spoon. Put the cooled cake on wax paper and drizzle the icing from the tip of the spoon over it. Let the icing set for a few minutes.

Wrapped well, the cake will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days. It is then good for toasting. The cake can also be frozen for up to 2 months.

Since I'm trying to be careful about cholesterol, I used vegetable oil instead of butter. The cake was still fantastic. I did not make the icing but the cake is not overly sweet and the icing would probably taste wonderful on it.

Sea Bass with Garlic in Parchment

I have always wanted to try making fish in parchment since those cooking packets look so elegant in the photos. My latest favorite cookbook, Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume, by Silvena Rowe had a parchment recipe that I adapted to the ingredients I had on hand. The packets were fun to prepare and once assembled made for easy cooking. I can't report that the dish was exciting. The flavors were subtle and the fish succulent. Sometimes that is what you want.

I served the fish with brown rice mixed with sauteed fennel, mushrooms and sliced almonds.

4 sea bass fillets

4 tbl. lemon juice

4 tbl. olive oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 ripe plum tomatoes, sliced into 12 rounds

12 pearl onions, peeled

4 lemon slices

4 bay leaves

2 tsp. crushed sumac

4 tbl. raki or other anise flavored liqueur

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Have ready four 16 inch squares of parchment paper. For each serving, place a fillet in the center of the bottom half of a parchment square. Drizzle with 1 tbl. each of lemon juice and olive oil and 1/4 of the minced garlic. Add 3 tomato rounds, 3 pearl onions, 1 slice of lemon and 1 bay leaf. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. of sumac, then 1 tbl of raki or pernod. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the paper in half, then tightly crimp the three open sides to create a parcel. Transfer the parcel to a baking sheet. Follow the same steps for the three other squares of parchment.

Bake until the parcels look slightly puffed and the fish is opaque (open a parcel to check), about 20 minutes. Do not overcook. Place each parcel on a dinner plate and serve immediately allowing each guest to open a parcel and enjoy the aroma.

Serves 4

Notes: The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup finely chopped garlic scapes but I substituted a garlic clove. I had a package of frozen peeled pearl onions and used those. I used pernod for the anise flavored liqueuer but if you don't like anise, substitute white wine.

Halibut in Hazelnut Romesco Sauce

Because Mark Bittman raved about piquillo peppers, I bought a jar. It sat in my kitchen for a year. A few days ago I went to Epicurious.com and typed in "pequillo peppers". A few recipes came up and I chose this one. It is a keeper-tasty, a beautiful rosy color and not too involved. Two confessions, though.

Halibut was $30/pound in Citarella's. I bought hake.

I still have a half filled jar of peppers in my fridge.

1 large tomato

1/2 cup husked toasted hazelnuts

1/2 cup coarsely chopped drained piquillo peppers from a jar or can

4 tbl. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. Sherry wine vinegar or red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

4 6 ounce halibut fillets

1/2 cup low salt chicken broth

12 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved, steamed until tender or steamed rice

Chopped, fresh parsley (optional)

Preheat broiler. Place tomato on rimmed baking sheet and broil til skin is blistered and slipping off, turning once with tongs, about 3 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel skin off, then cut tomato in half and squeeze out seeds.

Chop nuts in processor; add tomato, piquillo peppers, 2 tbl. olive oil, garlic, paprika, vinegar, salt and cayenne, then puree. Transfer romesco sauce to bowl. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Add the remaining 2 tbl. oil to large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add halibut and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side(fish will not be cooked through). Transfer halibut to plate.

Add broth to same skillet and bring to boil; stir in romesco sauce. Add halibut; reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until halibut is opaque in center, about 2 minutes. Transfer halibut to plates. Place steamed potatoes or rice alongside. Spoon romesco sauce over; sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Serves 4

Notes: I used the toaster oven to roast the tomatoes. Canned fire-roasted tomatoes should also work well. If you don't have piquillo peppers, don't fret. Regular jarred roasted peppers will be fine. Ditto the smoked paprika-use hot paprika instead.

Romesco sauce would also taste good made with toasted almonds instead hazelnuts, which are harder to find in NYC.

This dish can be made in advance until the fish goes into the romesco sauce. That makes it a good choice for a company dinner.

Carrots with Coconut and Sesame Seeds

My kitchen is filled with interesting ingredients that I forget about until they are so old they have to be dumped. That makes me feel bad. I've been trying to remember what I already have on hand before darting out to get the next new spice, herb, etc. When I returned from the farmer's market with a big bunch of carrots I decided to jazz them up. I sliced and boiled them. Then tossed the carrots in some dried coconut, black sesame seeds and olive oil. Seasoned with a little salt and pepper, they were delish.

Thank you Deb for those black sesame seeds. They look great in the bright orange carrots and taste crunchy and intriguing.

Honey and Za'atar Glazed Chicken

Who could resist picking up a cookbook called Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume: Cuisine of the Eastern Meditteranean? Written by Silvena Rowe it is filled with exotic Turkish and Syrian recipes. I took the book home from the library and prepared a wonderful chicken dish that evening using the fabulous middle eastern spice za'atar, which I happened to have in my cabinet. Try this. It is easy to prepare and has a haunting flavor.

Ms. Rowe serves the chicken with salsify and cauliflower puree but I didn't. Rice pilaf with chickpeas, apricots and sliced almonds worked well along with a salad.

1 small chicken, about 3 lbs.

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup Za'atar

3 tbl. peeled and grated fresh ginger

1 tsp. ground cumin

4 tbl. unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Put the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and season inside and out. Combine the honey, za'atar, ginger and cumin in a bowl. Brush the mixture all over the chicken, drizzle with melted butter and add a little water to the pan. Roast for about 1 1/2 hours (basting at about 1 1/4 hours) or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh reads 170 degrees. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Serves 4

Note: I used about 2 tbl. of olive oil instead of 4 tbl. of butter.