Nathalie's Passover Nut Cake

Since tonight is the first night of Passover, I thought I'd share a fantastic recipe for a nut cake that my cousin Nathalie makes. Although it's kosher for Passover, she makes it all year around because it's so delicious and fairly easy to make.

6 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons matzo meal
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Glaze:
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1/3 cup chocolate chips
water or cream or butter


Beat egg yolks and sugar well until creamy. Add matzo meal...


...nuts and lemon juice, mixing well between additions.


In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until VERY stiff...


...and gently fold it into the batter. Do not overmix.

Bake in a greased 9" springform pan at 350F for 55-60 minutes until cake is dry. Pass a knife around the sides and remove springform pan. Once cooled, take a large spatula, remove cake from bottom pan and put on serving dish.

You can finish cake off in various ways. One way is to sprinkle icing sugar over it though a fine seive. Additionally, melt the chcolate chips with enough water, cream or butter to give it runny consistency and drizzle it over the icing sugar. If desired, add chopped nuts.


I used a bit more of the chocolate/butter combo and covered the whole cake.

Susan's Garden Cake

I brought this chocolate mayonnaise cake to the potluck which took place after our exercise class, to say goodbye until next fall when the classes resume. As it happens, it's also our exercise teacher Susan's birthday, so we had a little celebration.
Susan is an avid gardener so I made her a garden cake. The veggies are of marzipan, the dirt out of chocolate cookie crumbs, and the sunflower is a chocolate lollipop.

Evlyn the Blogger

My friend Evlyn has joined the world of blogging. Here are some of her wonderful drawings which sold at our local museum's annual art show, Art Fayre a few years back.


Evlyn spends part of her week as a busy worker for the Canadian government in Ottawa and weekends at her country place along the Ottawa River.


As an artist, Evlyn has a quirky view of living on both sides of the fence. Be sure to check it out at: City Mouse/Country Mouse.

Mossy Woods Walk

Last Sunday, I came across the remnants of my late father's now water-logged bridge under the depths of the Mighty Mogelon.


It's just north of the newly placed bridge, which is a single step, two-piece lumber affair. Nothing as highly engineered as Dad's version was!


The woods are brown and beige with very little foliage this early in the spring. Not much green except for all the moss-covered wood that lies on the forest floor making intricate designs.


I love this perfectly round moss top growing on an old stump.


This moss doesn't differentiate between living and dead things. It grows on everything. At the base of trees...


...and small trees and bushes...


...on rocks and fallen branches.


Moss is starting to creep all over this old stump. Mushrooms are growing out of its side.


This stump is totally engulfed in a mossy coat...


...while this one is totally decked out in a mushroom outfit.


If you look up, you'll see that forest creatures have been gathering some of this moss and making a toasty bed for themselves. Squirrels possibly?

Portrait of a Snack at Work

My co-worker Joan's better-half works as a cook at a truck stop. Luckily for us, every once and a while, he sends Joan to work with a container of his specialty: rice pudding. I have a bottle of cinnamon in my desk drawer ready for the occasion. Yum-o.

Spring's A-Comin'

The snow shovels have been put away for another year.


The crocuses are popping up in the lawn.


The yellow ones appeared a few days ago...


...and now the purple ones are up, these ones even had a busy bee amongst its petals.


My Oregon lupins are poking up too and in a few weeks will be waist high.


Even my oregano is anxious to see the light of day.


These crazy bulb onions come up and year-by-year are spreading across the lawn.


I saw my little phoebe for the first time this year. She's back to her old nest and has touched it up with fresh mud and lichen.


And its rhubarb crisp time too. I made this yesterday afternoon with frozen rhubarb from last year, making room for this year's crop.

Oreo Chiaroscuro

My ten-year-old Oreo loves to catch some rays shining in from one of the skylights.


She follows the sun as it moves across the sofa.


But eventually, she gets tired from all that activity, so has to lie down and have a snooze.

Here's Benny!

I visited my friend Janet last week for lunch and there was her adorable dog, Benny, basking in the sun.


What I love about this little boy is his enthusiasm...


...and of course, his great beauty!

Osso Buco

I don't often eat veal but this recipe was in the newspaper so Richard and I decided to give it a try. We served it with polenta and some fresh bread. It was absolutely delicious! It made enough for 6, so we had it more than once! Lucky us.


You'll need:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
6 veal shanks, cut in 3" lengths
salt and pepper
1 large onion, cut into 1" pieces
1 rib celery, cut into 1" pieces
2 carrots, cut into 1" pieces
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
4 cups homemade chicken broth
1 (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
zest strips from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon sugar


Heat oven to 350F. Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium-low until hot. Place flour in a shallow dish. Season veal shanks with salt and pepper; dredge in flour shaking off excess.


Working in batches, brown shanks in pan until meat is nicely coloured. Set aside.


Add diced vegetables to pan and cook, stirring until softened and lightly browned, 8-10 minutes.


Add garlic and cook for 5 minutes.



Add thyme, parsley, bay leaf, broth, tomatoes, 1/2 of lemon peel and the sugar.


Cook stirring 3 minutes and return veal shanks to pan.

Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover pan and transfer to oven. Braise until meat is very tender 2 to 2 1/2 hours, checking occasionally to make sure liquid is simmering.


Remove pan from the oven. Transfer shanks to a platter and cover with foil. Simmer sauce over medium heat until thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Return shanks to pan to reheat and coat with sauce. Garnish with parsley and remaining lemon strips.


Serve with hot polenta and enjoy!

Bathing Beauties

Ahh...spring! Time to take a bath together in a nice, big puddle.


Wait a second. And now there's only two. Maybe there was too much splashing...?


One last birdie in the puddle, all by himself. More room for me, I say!

Happy 13th Anniversary

Greenfield Services, a market research company located in Alexandria, celebrated their 13th year in business on Friday and their owners, Doreen and Heinz asked me to make them a cake.


"Helping you grow your business" is Greenfield's raison d'etre, so I figured a cake that seemed very much alive with flowers and vines fit the bill.