Out with the old and in with the new

Jen finally took down her Raspberry Poppyseed Cake with Lemon-Mint Granita last Friday as it was time for a refresh. It was also one of those rare, fortunate days, Jen brought home the rejects for me to taste. It didn't have the full plate up and was missing the granita entirely, but man, the cake as Mmm...mmm...good and so moist and flavorful. I am not a cake person, either, but balance of sweetness and tartness and the depth of the flavors was very enjoyable to me. Jen did have a friend complain that the cake was too dry, but I think he was off his rocker that day. However, that dessert is no more, and for those who missed it, you better get into Salt House before you miss Jen's other creations.

To replace the poppyseed cake will be a Basque Cake with Honey Plum Sauce served with Earl Gray Ice Cream. For the uninitiated, the cake is named after the Basque region of France where it is a specialty that has pastry cream encased in a light shortdough pastry. The Earl Gray ice cream should be a nice contrast to the sweetness of the honey plum sauce as well serve to highlight one of Jen's favorite drinks in the world, Earl Gray tea.

---

Culinary Word of the Day: Basque Cake
A.K.A. Gâteau Basque. An invention of the French Basques from the town of Cambo-les-Bains, but with the Basque passion for pastry-cream filled confections, it reflects tastes on both sides of the border, France & Spain. While always distinguished by the presence of a filling, a Gâteau Basque can have a spongy cake or a crisp pastry exterior, and the filling can consist of pastry cream (plain or almond-flavored), fruit preserves (cherry is common, but other fruits can be used), or ... both. Source: The Traveler's Lunchbox