Happy Valentine’s Day!
Yes, I know. It’s been awhile since the red clogs have clacked their way into a new post. You may have been wondering -what’s the Red Clog Blogger UP TO? Does she have Blogstipation?
Being at a loss for words isn’t exactly my issue. In more than fifty years, there were precisely 2 times when I was on mute. The first was a random day at age 3 or 4 when I wore a fetching yellow dress and simply decided not to talk. At all. For an entire day. My parents were worried to pieces about this 180 degree shift in my behavior. One moment they had a loquacious little girl and the next, there were no sounds. I can’t explain what came over me then, but by the following day, I was back to my rapid-fire, incessant speech.
Fast forward a couple decades to December 1981. I was studying in Vienna, Austria and interning at the United Nations. I had just finished my very last final exam – a brutal assessment of the depth of my knowledge of Austrian Literature – when my father appeared, entirely unexpected, in the foyer of the stunning, baroque Palais Kinsky which housed my educational program. Then I was truly “speech-less.” But like a well-fed Alpine waterfall, the words have been flowing smoothly ever since.
So it wasn’t a loss for words that kept me off these pages. Travel? Well, yes, there was some– twice to Portland, then San Francisco, Seattle, Palm Desert. There was also a ridiculous amount of cooking – even after the ritual victuals of Thanksgiving and the annual holiday treat platters groaning with over a dozen different kinds of cookies, bars, truffles, barks, mini-loaf cakes, etc. Matter of fact, my cooking journal confirms that I made at least 50 different dishes between late November and Feb 10th.
Mostly I’ve been thinking. About life, death, why we are here, worthy work, being an only child with precious few relatives, and the legacies of those who I miss quite a bit. Heavy stuff. And while I didn’t come away with answers, it did occur to me that the season – Jan/Feb – typically does this to me. Like burrowing creatures everywhere, I lapse into a (mental) hibernation.
I’m now ready to emerge from my den and get back to the important matters at hand – food and travel! Today I am paying homage to the orange. It’s an orange homage! And it comes with a really fantastic recipe that you will wonder how you lived without. But first, let me say that I have seen first-hand, a similar respect of the humble orange in my travels this past year. In England, the favorite marmalade is made with “Seville” oranges from Spain. In Seville, orange trees are a common and abundant sight, whether in public spaces, grandiose gardens, (yes, you Alhambra), or even the most modest of family homes.
And in Morocco, orange trees are used in courtyards and foyers of family homes and riads to overpower undesirable odors as the sweet floral scent perfumes the air.
A typical Moroccan dessert is sliced oranges, perhaps garnished with a few dates slices, cinnamon and mint leaves.
As for my own history with the orange, the earliest memory occurred when I was about seven years old. I grew up in suburban Boston where winters could be fun; ice-skating, building snowmen, coming in red-faced from the biting cold for hot cocoa and cookies. But by Valentine’s Day, we were DONE. It was no fun walking to school in frigid temps, slipping on ice, and sporting crackly, dry hands and chapped lips. Also, everyone got sick; a cold, the flu or scarlet fever (me).
It was exactly at this point when a white cardboard box would arrive in our winter wonderland driveway. The outside of the package promised a bushel of “Florida Citrus.”
Dispatched from my grandparents in Jacksonville, it contained gorgeous orbs of sweet oranges, nestled within a soft bed of green “grass”. It was as if we had just been presented with the crown jewels, and trust me, no weather-beaten New Englander would have preferred a ruby or emerald at this point in the season. We meted out the consumption of these precious fruits and when the last one was finally gone, my mom would carefully set aside the box and re-use it for off-season clothing storage. Regardless of the contents, I always felt joy in lifting the Florida Citrus box lid to uncover what lay inside.
So it pleases me greatly that one of these boxes has survived, after nearly half a century. It also pleases me greatly that I now live in sunny California with my own prolific orange tree in the front yard. As if on cue, during my Jan-Feb mental hibernation time , this tree proffers an abundance of incredible oranges- huge, juicy, and delicious. We eat them over the counter with syrup dripping from our chins. We juice them. We squeeze them over vegetables. We add them to smoothies. Orange slices flavor our water. The zest is grated into countless dishes. And recently, I stumbled upon a killer recipe for orange almond cake. It’s easy (SO EASY!), fast (SO FAST!), gluten free, dairy free, loaded with Vitamin C, and insanely delicious. No kidding, I’ve made it three times this week already.
The cake hails from Tuscany and we (the cake and I) became instant best friends at a recent dinner party. On this occasion, I met a group of women who had recently travelled together to Italy. While there, they participated in a cooking class and this was the grand finale of their home-cooked meal. Luckily for us, it was also the grand finale of our meal that night.
Now ORANGE you glad you can enjoy it too? Click here to view the recipe!
So regardless of where you live, whether the Groundhog has forecasted accurately, and how chapped your lips and hands are right now, I promise this cake will make you feel warm and wonderful.
28 Comments
This cake sounds fabulous — looking forward to trying it using those lovely oranges. Thank you! Love your blog, Alysa. So many great recipes and stories. ❤️
Btw, does it keep better at room temp or refrigerated, and have you ever tried freezing it?
Teresa, believe it or not, this cake has barely lasted long enough to have any left to freeze- however, i did tuck away a slice to test its freezability and I’m pleased to say it was absolutely fine after a couple weeks in the freezer.
I am pretty much a fresh-ness freak, but you can freeze it and it will be fine. It’s fine at room temp for a couple days, then i would put it in the fridge just to extend shelf life. Let me know how it goes!
Thanks, Alysa!
This may need to make an appearance at game night!!
a sure-fire winner!
At about 330 PM, together with a cup of tea, this cake can’t be beat.
You are my favorite baker!
and thanks for being such a patient and open-minded taste-tester. I couldn’t agree more with the 3:30 timing, although I’ll take a coffee..:-)
Dearest Girl,fabulous narrative but can hardly wait to try the cake. No, you do not have to deliver.
this one is so easy…truly!
Yum yum! Thanks for sharing and for all the wonderful thoughts and ideas! Go Red Clog Blog!
Thanks for the support! Stay tuned for possible Milka recipes after a July visit to Bludenz!
I have had the pleasure of enjoying this cake on 2 separate occasions; it was delicious both times! I remember opening the annual winter gift box of citrus from FL or TX too. Nice memory…thank you.
Thanks for writing! Nice to hear that you too experienced the gift of sunshine from the sunshine state (or the armadillo droppings state!)
Looks great. Our little orange tree had lots of fruit this year. Would have been great for your receipe.
well, now that you got to sample a bit of the cake, you are all set for next citrus season! or..there is always the grocery store in the meantime. 🙂
We love reading your blogs; you’re a fabulous writer & it’s exciting to hear about your life adventures! The recipe sounds amazing & easy (the only way) so it will be on our list of “must try.” Keep writing!
thanks so much for the comments! intending to keep at it, so really appreciate the cheerleading!
Uh?? Do you have any left for immediate consumption? If yes, we will rush over for a slice or two?
?
Bob n Viv
Done!
I have SOOOO missed your blog……..I feel mesmerized when I read your blog. Keep at it! Your oranges are the bomb! If you have a few extra, I trade you some oranges for fresh organic eggs when we get together on Wed. Looking forward to a fun day!!!! Can’t wait to make this cake!
thank you so much, Jocelyn! yes, the oranges/lemons for egg deal is ON! 🙂 heck, if only we knew someone with an almond grove and a sugar plantation, this cake would be ready to go with our own ingredients!
That looks amazing and I will try it when the kids are here in June!
That works for me! 🙂
not sure they could love you any more than they already do, but baking this might actually have that effect!
Glad to hear from you! I LOVE your blog?
I love reading your blog posts. Reminds me of mornings spent over a cup of coffee at work. HOWEVER, I really liked it more when you just brought the goodies into work and shared. If this is an easy recipe, I’m doomed because I don’t even own a spring form pan, although it sounds amazing and I’d love to try it. Can you ship to PA? Can you also include Cherry Hamantash in the care package? Please and Thank You. Miss your face.
thanks for your note, and yes, i agree- it was way more fun in person. let’s plan something for 2018. with hamantaschen!
So glad u blogged again!!thoroughly enjoyed it and tomorrow will make cake and plan to thoroughly enjoy that.