Kalo Prama - Cypriot Semolina Cake #BakingBloggers

Kalo prama, καλό πράγμα in the original Greek, translates as “good stuff.” I can assure you that this Cypriot semolina cake is indeed very good stuff! The batter is easy and a lemon syrup adds even more flavor and a delightful stickiness that makes it hard to stop with just one slice.

Years and years ago, when I was in university, one of my best friends was a brilliant dark-haired girl with the widest smile and a wicked laugh. She was from Cyprus, a place I was completely unfamiliar with. Her small island nation was in still in upheaval after being invaded by Turkish forces in the mid-1970s, so she had been sent to study in the United States.

I’ve thought about her often over the years, especially just a couple of years ago when I planned a trip to Cyprus for a family holiday. I searched the student records at the University of Texas to see if I could find her whole name but without much luck. It is one of my deepest regrets that we lost touch.

While there is still a physical border between the Turkish held northeast and the Greek southwest, Cyprus is finally safe to visit. It is possible to cross over but we stayed on the Greek side in a gorgeous multilevel house built into a cliff, with a fabulous view of the sea. By day we explored the tourist sites, visited grocery stores and roadside stands (my favorite thing to do no matter where I go!) and in the evening we cooked tasty local ingredients for suppers at home and enjoyed the pool and view.

This special cake was on all the lunch menus, in all the local restaurants.

Kalo Prama or Cypriot Semolina Cake

I must confess: The pistachios are not traditional. Most recipes call for blanched almonds to decorate kalo prama. I’ve been trying to use the contents of my freezer and I could not resist adding the colorful pistachios instead of plain white almonds that I would have had to go out and buy. By all means use almonds if you have them. My recipe is adapted from one at SBS.au.

Ingredients
For the cake batter:
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
1/2 cup or 113g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup or 185g fine semolina
1 cup or 125g flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten

For the syrup:
1 cup or 200g sugar
1/3 cup or 90ml water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Optional to decorate: blanched almonds or pistachio slivers

Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line a loaf pan with baking parchment.

To make the cake batter, whisk the butter and sugar together until light and creamy.

Add in the semolina, flour, vanilla and salt. Mix well. Finally, beat in the eggs until completely combined.

Spoon the batter into your prepared baking pan and smooth out the top.

Top with almonds or slivered pistachios, if desired.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into middle of cake comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the syrup by warming all of the ingredients in a small pot, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

As I was researching recipes, I came across this piece of advice from the Greek Food Alchemist: “Another big tip when adding syrup to a Greek or Cypriot dessert is to always have one cold. So if your cake is hot your syrup should be cold and vice versa. If both are hot then the dessert will crumble before your eyes beyond salvation (based on personal experience!)”

When your cake is finished baking, pour a little cool syrup over the hot cake. Once it has soaked in, add a bit more and wait for it to soak in. Repeat until all of the syrup is absorbed.

Leave to cool completely, then slice to serve.

Enjoy!

This month my Baking Blogger friends are sharing Greek, Cypriot or Turkish recipes. Make sure you check them all out! Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm.

• Alevropita (Greek Thin-Batter Feta Pie) from Tara's Multicultural Table 
• Apricot Sekerpare (Turkish Thumbprint Cookies) from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Baked Kabak Mücver from Sneha's Recipe 
• Bougatsa from Simply Inspired Meals 
• Cypriot Lamb Tavas from Pandemonium Noshery 
• Flaounes (Cypriot Cheese Pastries) from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Kalo Prama - Cypriot Semolina Cake from Food Lust People Love 
• Kreatopita from A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Sekerpare from The Schizo Chef  
• Simit (Turkish Sesame Bagels) from Karen's Kitchen Stories 
• Tiropita (Greek cheese pastries) from Caroline's Cooking

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interested in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

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Beef and Smoked Sausage Cabbage Rolls #FoodieExtravaganza

Ground beef and smoked sausage cabbage rolls smothered in a rich tomato sauce are the perfect meal. Vegetables and protein, all in one neat and tasty package.

I’ve never done one of those DNA tests, but with one grandmother whose maiden name was Fleming, I always figured that I am at least one quarter Irish. And while most of the recipes I learned from that grandmother were of Cajun origin (Mo, as we called her, grew up in southern Louisiana after all) a few probably came more from her Irish heritage.

Her cabbage rolls, for instance. Definitely not a Cajun thing. The way I remember it, when I was growing up, my mom used to make cabbage rolls using both ground beef and pork because I’m pretty sure that’s how my grandmother used to make them as well. Mo was always one to mix meats. She would never cook a beef pot roast alone. She added a pork roast to the pot saying that together they made each other taste better.

All my life, that’s what I’ve always done too, until just the other day when I decided that smoked sausage would be an even better idea than plain ground pork in cabbage rolls. And since I was trying to go low carb when I made them, I also left out the traditional rice my mom and grandmother would have added. If you'd like, you can add a 1/2 cup or 50g of raw rice to the filling mixture. But I promise you won't miss it if you don't.

Beef and Smoked Sausage Cabbage Rolls

Back in the day, my mother and grandmother would have blanched the cabbage leaves in hot water to soften them. By accidentally freezing lettuce at the back of my too-cold refrigerator, I discovered that freezing them does the same magic with way less fuss and bother.

Ingredients - serves 4: 2 cabbage rolls each
For the rolls:
8 whole cabbage leaves

For the filling:
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1/2 smoked sausage link (8 oz or 225g), cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic
2 large eggs
1 lb or 450g ground beef
1/2-1 teaspoon ground cayenne
Few generous grinds black pepper
Salt to taste
2 cabbage leaves, finely chopped (hard ribs removed and discarded)
Optional: 1/2 cup or 50g uncooked rice

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 anchovy fillets
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
1/2 cup or 120ml dry red wine
4 cups or 1 kg canned chopped tomatoes with their juice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Parsley to garnish

Method
Put the whole cabbage leaves in the freezer to soften them.

Pulse the sausage chunks, quartered onion and garlic cloves in a food processor till they are turned into small pieces.

Add in the two eggs and pulse again until just combined. In a large bowl, combine the sausage/egg with the ground beef. Season with the two peppers and mix well.

Fry a couple of teaspoons of the mixture in a small pan. Taste and add more pepper, if necessary. I put more cayenne because we like things spicy. Here’s where you can add some salt if needed as well. My smoked sausage added enough saltiness to the mixture for my taste. You may want more.

Add in the finely chopped cabbage (and optional rice if using) and mix well again. Chill the filling while you get the sauce ready to go.

In a pan big enough to eventually hold 8 cabbage rolls, sauté the garlic and the anchovies in the olive oil until the garlic softens and the anchovies turn to mush. Sprinkle in the paprika, cumin and fennel.

 Give it all a quick stir then add the wine. Pour in the chopped tomatoes. Bring the pan to a boil and then lower it to a simmer. Sprinkle on some freshly ground black pepper.

Cook for about 10-15 minutes with the lid removed. Add in the baking soda. Stir till the bubbles stop. Adding baking soda to a tomato sauce was a trick I learned from an Italian mama. It sweetens the sauce slightly by reacting with (and reducing) the natural acidity of the tomatoes.

Pop the lid back on and turn the fire off while you stuff your cabbage.

Remove the cabbage leaves from the freezer. As they thaw, they should be soft and pliable.

Use a sharp knife to cut out the hard ribs in the middle and discard them. Stuff the cabbage leaves with the filling, folding the leaves around it.

 

Fit the cabbage rolls into the sauce pan.

Spoon sauce over the tops. Put the lid of the pan on and cook over a low fire for about 50-60 minutes. Check from time to time and add a little water if the sauce looks like it's drying out.

My grandmother never considered a dish finished without some parsley for garnish. Sprinkle on a little chopped parsley before serving.

Enjoy!

This month my Foodie Extravaganza friends are celebrating National Irish Food Day, or National "Eat Like an Irishman" Day (March 17th) early, by cooking and sharing Irish recipes. Many thanks to our host Karen of Karen's Kitchen Stories for her behind the scenes work and this fun theme.

• Beef and Smoked Sausage Cabbage Rolls from Food Lust People Love
• Colcannon from Sneha's Recipe
• Colcannon (Irish Potatoes and Cabbage) from Caroline's Cooking
• Cold Irish Day Cocktail from Our Good Life
• Dublin Coddle - Irish Bacon, Sausage, and Potato Stew from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Instant Pot Dublin Coddle from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Irish Cheese and Walnut Biscuits from Simply Inspired Meals
• Irish Coffee from Tara's Multicultural Table
• Mushy Peas from Pandemonium Noshery
• Traditional Shepherd's Pie from Cookaholic Wife

Foodie Extravaganza celebrates obscure food holidays by posting delicious recipes your family will love. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a home cook looking for tasty recipes, check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

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Fresh Rhubarb Steamed Sponge Pudding with Rhubarb Sauce

This fresh rhubarb steamed sponge pudding is a light springtime recipe, highlighting the gorgeous pink tart rhubarb that is available now. This sticky dessert takes a while to cook but it's mostly hands off time. Wait till you bite into its soft sponge with tart topping! Totally worth it.

As an expat parent raising two daughters in foreign lands, I felt a great responsibility to make sure that they learned about the culture and traditions of the countries where we were lived. After all, one of the most valuable lessons we can take away from living overseas is that our way of doing things is not the only way; it may not even be the best way. We learn and we grow as we expand our borders.

I also considered it of grave importance to teach them about their own American heritage and cultural roots from the sweet joys of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to the reasons we value the democratic system and should always exercise our right to vote. This challenge was further expanded by our mixed origins. My husband is British, which meant that, as the person who cooks most of the meals in our family, when it came to passing on food traditions, it fell to me to cover both.

A typically British dessert, steamed sponge puddings were not part of my childhood menu. For that matter, neither was rhubarb! I remember seeing it first in a fruit and veg market in Sydney when I was 24 and wondering to myself, what sort of strange celery was this? My husband, on the other hand, grew up with both.

The first steamed pudding I ever made, and still make to this day, is one we call Granda’s Dumpling. It was shared with me by a dear friend and it is her father’s specialty. It's perfect for Christmas, a pudding full of mixed fruit that reminds me of a very moist fruitcake. For spring, a lighter sponge pudding with rhubarb is more appropriate.

Meanwhile, I've also made up for lost time on the rhubarb front. If you have ready access to rhubarb, you might want to check out some of my other rhubarb-y recipes:

• Rhubarb Nectarine Puff Pastry Tarts
• Apple Rhubarb Strawberry Pie 
• Rhubarb Fool Cocktails 
• Fresh Rhubarb Muffins
• Rhubarb Apple Ginger Crumble 

Fresh Rhubarb Sponge Pudding with Rhubarb Sauce

The glossy pink rhubarb on top of this steamed pudding is a welcome bit of color on a dreary cold day.  My recipe is adapted from .delicious magazine, (UK) March 2009 issue. In all, you will need 14 1/2 oz or 480g of rhubarb but I have given the amount divided below to make the recipe easier to follow. No rhubarb? Substitute whatever seasonal fruit you have on hand and adjust the sugar accordingly. This pudding with serve four greedy people and six with more restrained appetites.

Ingredients
For the pudding:
2 1/2 oz or 70g rhubarb, trimmed
3 tablespoons golden syrup (See Note)
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
7 tablespoons or 100g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the pudding basin
3/4 cup or 95g flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup or 57ml milk
2 large eggs
Grated zest 1 lemon
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

For the rhubarb sauce:
12 oz or 340g rhubarb, trimmed
1/8 cup or 28g sugar – or more to taste
Grated zest and juice 1 orange
Good pinch salt

To serve: pouring or whipped cream

Note: Golden syrup can be purchased in the international aisle of most large grocery stores. Substitute a cane syrup or amber corn syrup if you cannot find any.

Method
Rinse and dry the rhubarb.

Cut your choicest pieces of rhubarb into lengths that will fit nicely in the bottom of a 4+ cup or 1 liter pudding basin. Cut the rest of rhubarb into bite-size pieces, put it in a medium-sized non-reactive pan and set it aside.

Butter the pudding basin and then add the rhubarb to the bottom, curved side down. Drizzle the golden syrup over it.

Note: If you don't have a pudding basin, you can substitute a stainless steel mixing bowl. It should have a small lip.

Using your electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter together until they turn light yellow and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.

Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla.

Sift in your flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. then add the milk. Fold them both in gently.

Spoon the batter into your buttered pudding basin.

Cover the basin with folded parchment paper and secure it with kitchen string. Tie the ends of the string together to create a handle with which to lift the basin and trim any excess parchment.

Put the covered basin in a large pot. Add hot water to the pot till it comes two-thirds of the way up the side of the basin.

Bring the water to a gentle boil then cover the pot and lower the flame to simmer. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Check the water level occasionally and add more as needed.

Meanwhile, make the rhubarb sauce. Add the caster sugar, the orange zest, orange juice and a pinch of salt to the pan where you've saved the cut rhubarb.

Gently cook for 5-10 minutes over a medium until the rhubarb softens and turns saucy, stirring from time to time. Taste the sauce and add a little more sugar, if necessary. Set the rhubarb sauce aside to cool.

Once the pudding steaming time is up, carefully remove the basin from the pot, using your string handle. Set it on a wire rack.

Remove the baking parchment and leave to cool for five minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the sponge pudding. Isn't it amazing how a steamed pudding browns?

Turn it out on a serving dish.

Serve with rhubarb sauce and, if you'd like, pouring cream.

Enjoy!

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