The ingredient I am working with this week is cherries. And since I love baking, the first recipe post for this week is a cherry and almond loaf cake, from  Nigella Lawson. The recipe is simple and uncomplicated and calls for candied glacè cherries.

I have eaten lots of glacè cherries as a child- there used to be a bakery near my grandmother’s house that sold them in little sachets, and I’d sometimes pick them up on the way back from my math tutor’s house and eat them in secret. Sometimes, to the point of being sick. They are pretty wonderful. BUT since I bought desi cherries, I had to make do.

The cherries were sweet, but not sweet enough for my liking- so I decided to let them macerate in a some sugar and lemon juice for a bit. I always wondered what ‘macerate’ meant…I mean, it sounds like a…

I’m an asshole to sleep with.

I steal the sheets. Sometimes I snore. I drool. Excessively. And I totally hog the bed.

On several occasions Roo has found me in…

the “diagonal,”

the “L,”

the “Vitruvian Man,”

and what Roo likes to call, “the Captain Morgan.”

Did I mention that I’m notorious for shoving people out of “my space?” Like, onto the floor?

Yup, Roo is lucky to be with me.

And by lucky, I mean I bribe him with waffles for breakfast. Waffles totally make up for being pushed out of the bed, right?

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These waffles take on the weight of coconut whipped cream and loads of strawberries with ease, so be generous with the toppings. They can take it. The batter is quite thick, but it puffs up as it cooks, making a crisp, nutty waffle.

Adapted from Lunch Box Bunch

Makes About 8 Waffles

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Equipment

I recently got a spaghetti squash in my CSA box. I’ve only ever cooked a spaghetti squash once before many years ago. That must not have turned out well since I have not cooked another one until today. I’m happy I got to give spaghetti squash another go. One of the things I have enjoyed most about being a CSA member is being provided produce that I wouldn’t normally buy. It has expanded my culinary horizons and that is a good thing.

One of my favorite quick pasta meals is zucchini and tomatoes sautéed with garlic in olive oil and tossed with some pasta. Why not try it with spaghetti squash? I have been on a capers kick lately, so I tossed some into the mix. I was happy with the results. The spaghetti squash really is a lot like pasta (but without the gluten and simple carbohydrates). What a healthy and satisfying meal. Next…

I was at the grocery store, and I saw a pre-packaged dish called Bombay potatoes and chickpeas.  Its an Indian dish where the potatoes and chickpeas are cooked in a rich tomato sauce.   It looked so good, but of course the sodium was 28% of the recommended daily allowance, so I passed it up.  (Not to mention all the added preservatives and whatnot that are also lurking in it!)  But I had to try it, so this is my attempt to make bombay potatoes.  Amchur powder is a bitter mauve powder made from green mangoes, and it goes really well with potatoes.  The chili pepper that  I used is from Kashmir (hence the name), a place in Northern Indian.  It is VERY hot, so only use a pinch of it in recipes, or exclude it completely if you don’t like spice.   So I have no idea if…