Crazy Englishwoman Cooks!

Golden Syrup is a British thing. A pale, amber sugar syrup that I'm not even going to pretend is healthy - that's not the point. As kids, we'd eat it in sandwiches, drizzled on toast, or in the tooth-decay inducing Gypsy Tart (little more than golden syrup and sugar in a pastry shell).

I brought a tin back from England on my last trip and finally got the chance to use some of it this week. Since I am pretty careful about my sugar intake now, I tried a spoonful of this and wondered how I ever managed to eat it, but in this wonderful ginger cake, you use just a couple of spoonfuls - enough to give the resulting cake a delicious stickiness.



Ginger Spice Cake (Courtesy of The Hairy Bikers)

7 oz self-raising flour
7 oz sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
2 oz butter
1 egg, beaten
2 tbs golden syrup
9 fl oz hot water

Preheat your oven to 350F, and grease a baking tin. The original recipe called for an 11x9 tin. I used an 8x8 with fab results.

Mix the flour, sugar, ginger, and baking soda. Then rub in the butter with your fingers. Add the egg, syrup and hot water and mix. The mix will still be very wet, not like your normal thick cake mix.

Pour into the tin and bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool and enjoy this sticky golden cake with your afternoon tea.

Time to 'fess up.

How many kitchen gadgets do you have that you never use?

My in-laws bought us an ice-cream maker ten years ago which we have never used. Every time we think about it, we remember how much easier it is to go out and buy ice cream. (Of course they also bought us 48 ice cream dishes and matching spoons, so perhaps they had hopes of an ice cream parlor).

There's the juicer. Very nice and I love it, but a pain to get out and clean.
The huge electric griddle that was a wedding present. Only used when my parents are visiting and I have to cook for more than 2 people.
The mandolin. Sounded like a great idea, and then I realized those things will take your finger off. Give me a good knife any day.

And the pasta machine. For years I wanted one. I had dreams of making my own pasta every day like some hot Italian mama. When some friends bought me one a few years ago, I was overjoyed. But it's time to confess, I've used it once. I promise myself I'll use it again but it's just so much hassle to get it down, make everything, clean it, etc. And it seems to be a learning process to get good pasta.

Yet at the same time, I've collected all these recipes and long to make fresh ravioli. But what do you know - it turns out there is an easier way. You know those cute little wonton wrappers you can buy in the store. Why deep fry them when you can use them to make ravioli? Which is just what I did to make these Shrimp and Goat Cheese Ravioli in a Basil Cream Sauce courtesy of www.food.com:

• 1/4 cup peeled garlic (Yes, you read that right. Don't worry about garlic breath - the oven roasting mellows the flavor.)
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 lb cooked shrimp - peel them, devein them, chop them
• 1/3 cup goat cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup cream
• 1 shallot, chopped 
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• wonton wrappers (about 24)

Remember how I said not to worry about garlic breath? Here's why: Toss the garlic with your olive oil in a small ovenproof dish, cover it and roast for 15 minutes at 350. After roasting, let it cool before chopping.
Mix the shrimp, cheese, egg yolk and garlic in a bowl.
Use the mixture to stuff the wonton wrappers, folding each one and wetting the edges to seal.Cook in boiling water for 3 minutes.


For the basil cream sauce:
Put the cream and chopped shallot in a pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Leave it to cool before blending with the basil. Return to pan to warm just before serving.

Serve the ravioli with the sauce.

My take on this? The filling and the sauce were both delicious and it was an incredibly easy but somewhat fancy dinner. Personally, the wonton wrappers didn't seem as substantial, flavor-wise, as regular pasta so I still fully intend to try making them with my pasta maker. But in the meantime, this is a good substitute.

Know anyone who wants an ice-cream maker? So glad I never gave in and got a waffle maker too!

Now that the weather has taken a definite turn toward fall, I am loving the fact that I finally feel justified in pulling out the pumpkin. And there are so many wonderful things to do with pumpkin:
* mix some pumpkin puree with ricotta for a creamy pumpkin pudding
* blend with some ice cream and crushed ice, plus a dash of pumpkin pie spice for a yummy smoothie

But one of my favorite things to do with pumpkin is to put it in a cake, and this one is everything a cake should be - tasty, moist, and decorate with lashings of cream cheese frosting.

Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cake

2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 3/4 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cup pumpkin, mashed
1 cup oil

FROSTING:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
3 to 4 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 Tbs milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix together the dry cake ingredients. Add eggs, pumpkin and oil. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans. Pour the mix into the pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

FROSTING: Mix the frosting ingredients together until smooth. Frost when cake is cool.

Sprinkle with some pumpkin pie spice.

I first heard of Danville in Japan of all places. I was dating Nic (now my husband) and he mentioned that his stepdad worked at the radio station there. Just a few months later, while perusing a book of the best 100 small towns in America, lo and behold - there was Danville again!

Summer evening in Danville

It seems we were fated.

Once I moved to the US, and eventually Kentucky, I became more familiar with the town, visiting the Pioneer Playhouse, Constitution Square, and other local landmarks. I decided the book had probably been right. Danville seemed like a very nice place.

Ten years later, and Danville has undergone quite a renaissance. It's become an even more lively town, thanks to liquor laws. Coming from Europe and a liberal, social attitude towards drinking, the concept of dry and wet counties is something of a bizarre novelty to me. It seems amusing to note which are the dry counties in Kentucky - you can always tell by the presence of a liquor store just across the neighboring county line.

When Danville voted to change its liquor laws a few years ago, I heard from relatives that this could bring a bad element into the pleasant, college town. On the contrary, it has led to the birth of a new Main Street. No longer do the doors all close at the end of the regular business day. Now, Main Street stays alive into the evening with a wonderful selection of new bars and restaurants.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to experience some of the new dining choices in Danville when the Kentucky Food Bloggers were invited to tour some of the local businesses. A huge thanks must go out to Adam and Amandalin from the Danville/Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau for being incredible guides.

Our first stop of the evening was V-the Market.


I thought that Lexington had some great outlets for buying liquor, wine, and gourmet cheeses, but this could put the best of them to shame. Mary Robin is knowledgeable about the products she has in store, and is quick to advise customers about suitable pairings. In addition to several ales, we also sampled a blue goat cheese, Lincolnshire Poacher (similar to a white Cheddar), and some prosciutto di parma that melted in my mouth. Goat cheese is something I have only recently come to appreciate, but this was delightful. I have already sent my father-in-law back to buy more of the delicious Life and Limb ale that we tasted.





I'm sure I'll be visiting again soon to see what cheeses are in store and to further explore their extensive wine and bourbon selections.

V-the Market has an extensive selection of craft beers and imports.

 

Some of the bourbons available at V-the Market

The new lounge area at V-the Market is nearing completion.

 

From V-the Market, we crossed the street to Mermaids. This charming restaurant may not have been open for long, but it is already making quite a splash on the Kentucky restaurant scene. Earlier this year, Mermaids won the Outstanding Dining Experience Award at the TourSEKY "Experience the Bloom" Awards.

Mermaids co-owner Kelly took the time to chat with us. Among the first to see the potential for a restaurant in Danville should the new liquor laws be passed, Kelly had his license application ready to submit as soon as the City Hall doors opened.



The menu celebrates locally grown and produced foods. We tried some local steak, shrimp in prosciutto, and Ahi tuna wrapped in greens and cucumber with a dash of wasabi. There were also drinks a-plenty - the restaurant's signature punch, sprinkled with nutmeg, and their Porch Punch - as we admired the fabulous blue-lit bar. The decor is particularly noteworthy. With ice blue and white, it would have been very easy for the resulting effect to be cold; instead, Mermaids manages to make the combo feel rather cozy. Mermaids is now on my list of romantic dinner locations, although it is equally suited to cocktails and appetizers with friends.

Bubbles the Mermaid

The next stop was where Adam reminded us of his earlier warning to pace ourselves. There was food and lots of it at 303W on Main Street. The rich wooden interior of this pool hall and bar reminded me of a 1920s
speakeasy. Whether you want to watch the football game, play pool or darts, hang out with the locals or meet friends for a beer, 303W is the perfect place. Relaxed, laid back - what more do you need from a bar?



And there's food. Good, simple bar food. Wings. Pretzel bread sticks with pimento cheese. Beer cheese. Cheese sticks. It was hard not to just eat everything here. In fact, I think we all staggered out, wondering how much more we would be able to eat. But still three more stops....

Yummy Pretzel Bread

Appetizer Selection

On to Bluegrass Pizza and Pub. Much as I like pizza, I am pretty picky about it. I don't mind if it's deep-dish, thin crust, hand tossed, etc, but I do dislike most of the chain pizza places because they are so greasy. On the few occasions when I go out for pizza, I tend to go to the smaller, privately owned places where I can enjoy good quality, handmade pizza. Bluegrass Pizza and Pub is now on that list.

Cheesy Bread

Mediterranean Pizza from Bluegrass Pizza and Pub

It is small, and therefore it gets crowded very quickly, but if you want a friendly place with beer and absolutely divine pizza, this would be my first recommendation.The pizzas are huge (and grease free). We split a Mediterranean, piled high with artichokes, olives, red onion, and chicken, and some bread sticks. There was still plenty for our hosts to take home as leftovers.

And what could be better after pizza than beer? Danville is developing a bit of a reputation as a spot for craft brewers, thanks in part to the Beer Engine. If you didn't know it was here, it would be all too easy to miss pass this bar completely. It's back off the street, in a secluded parking lot. Take a close look at the tables and you'll see why. This used to be a bowling alley (the former floorboards were used to make some pretty spiffy tables).

The owners offered us samples of several beers, some brewed on site. Although the Nut Brown was a bit strong for my beer tastes, I adored the honey ale and the Dogfish Head Peche. Everything is available on tap; no bottles here. With the variety available, you are sure to find a brew to your liking.


And finally, we all collapsed in the comfy chairs at The Hub, Danville's favorite coffeeshop. We had eaten; we had drunk; and we were merry after a jolly evening of tasty treats and fun conversation. Yet despite our full bellies, we still managed to find room for cupcakes from The Twisted Sifter.

Champagne and Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Then, laden with gift bags of goodies from Burke's Bakery and Karamel Kreations, I made my way home. But I can definitely say I will be back. After all, I still have a whole lot of eating to do in Danville!

Today definitely feels as if we've jumped from summer to fall. It's wet, windy, grey, and chilly, as opposed to 98 degrees on Saturday. On the bright side, that means I can now turn to fall foods: apples, pumpkin, squash and so on.

The change in weather also marks the end of my deck harvest. I didn't plant much this year and sadly my Japanese eggplants rotted on the plant. I did have some lovely Roma tomatoes though, and my favorite thing #1: Thai chilis.

I planted four little Thai chili peppers, and all four bloomed like crazy. The pot was overflowing with bright red peppers and I have a large plateful drying. Once they're dried, I'll be making sauces with them. Nic, a lover of all things spicy, asked if he could try one and the language that followed was not polite.

Favorite thing #2: these delicious Cookie and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes. My pictures did not do them justice and a mini cheesecake pan would be ideal for making these.

And favorite thing #3: cupcakes from The Twisted Sifter in Danville. A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to be a part of a tasting evening in Danville. I still have to write up and share photos of the many wonderful places we visited, but I will tell you all to get down to The Twisted Sifter and try some of their divine cupcakes.

Champagne and Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes from The Twisted Sifter in Danville.