Child's Play - Raspberry Mazurka Bars

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These homespun and tasty treats will set you dancing. The cookies are loosely based on Maida Heatter's Polish Wedding Cakes and more about their creation can be found at the Cake Spy, which you can find HERE. I wanted to post this recipe before Mother's Day, because this is another treat that the kids can make for Mom or Grandma. It, obviously, is a simple recipe and the only problem that you might encounter is that the cookies can be hard to cut and very crumbly if the bottom layer of the bars is not firmly packed into the pan. I have used raspberry preserves in this rendering of the recipe, but strawberry, peach, apricot and blueberry can also be used with delicious results. If you have never tried a Mazurka I hope you will give this simple version of the recipe a try. Here is how the bars are made.

Child's Play - Old-Fashioned Peach Coffee Cake for Mom

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I wanted to include at least one cake that Dad and the kids could make to surprise Mom on her special day. This old-fashioned cake is best served warm for breakfast, but it makes a great evening snack if served with a scoop of really good ice cream. It is simple to make and almost foolproof. The only problem I've ever had with it was the result of little fingers too eager to see what they had wrought. Slammed at the wrong time, an oven door is a weapon of mass destruction that can cause the cake to fall. I speak from bitter experience and prefer not to dwell on the experience. While the cake is best made with fresh peaches, the canned variety can be used, making it easier still for the kids to make this cake for Mom. This is a cake that I treasure for the memories it invokes. It is a nice cake, especially if viewed through that prism. Here is how it is made.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Citrus Glaze

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I find it next to impossible to bypass recipes for cheesecake or pound cake, so it was a given that when I stumbled on this recipe I would have to give it a try. The recipe comes from Bon Appetit magazine and I thought the citrus flavors would make a wonderful base for macerated fruit. Fresh berries have made their way to our markets and I wanted to sample the cake with berries to see if it would work as a simple Mother's Day dessert. Fortunately, I read the comments others had made, here, so I knew there were some problems associated with the recipe. I, who have grown too soon old and too late smart, decided to try it anyway and see what would happen. I'm glad I did. This cake has wonderful flavor and if you enjoy layers of citrus in your desserts, I suspect this recipe will quickly make it to your permanent rotation. I am, however, only cautiously recommending the recipe to you. While I did not experience the difficulties some reported, the fact that so many reported the same problem makes me leery to endorse it. Apparently, the cake has a tendency to sink as it cooks and that is more than mildly off putting if yours is the one that falls. I do hope, however, that some of you are adventurous enough to give this recipe a try. The cake is delicious and out of the ordinary. Here is how it is made.

Yellow Layer Cake with Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This week belongs to Mom, yours and mine. I thought the days leading up to Mother's Day would be a great time to experiment with some new desserts and resurrect a few from my childhood that you have not yet seen. The first feature this week is a yellow layer cake that appeared in Bon Appetit magazine several years ago. It is a large, almost obscene tower that uses cake layers to hold a sinful amount of chocolate frosting. You will love it, especially if you have a gang to feed on Mother's Day. The cake is not difficult to make, but frosting it can be a problem if you do not let the icing sit until it is spreadable. You will need more time than is suggested in the recipe for it to reach that point. I also had to sacrifice the sixth layer of my cake. The cake was so tall that it started to lean like the Tower of Pisa and common sense dictated it be staked or sacrificed. I chose the later. If you decide to make this cake, use the best bittersweet chocolate you can get your hands on. The frosting is the star here and it makes no sense to stint on it. Later this week, I'll be featuring a really old-fashioned version of this cake that is less voluptuous and more budget oriented. If, however, you are looking for a basic yellow cake that can be made special by using a delicious frosting, you'll love this one. Here is how it is made.

Cinco de Mayo Round-Up

Cinco de Mayo and St. Patrick's Day have one thing in common. While both are celebrated in the United States, they are not major holidays in their countries of origin. Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that commemorates the battle of Puebla, a fight in which Mexican troops were victorious over French forces, and that's really important — if you live in Puebla or love an excuse for a party. I'm a party girl, so tomorrow this Irish lass will be setting a colorful table and serving Mexican inspired food to commemorate the day. I hope this round-up of Mexican inspired recipes will give like-minded souls some ideas for their own fiestas.

Menu for the Week of May 4, 2014

Weekly Menu at One Perfect Bite... 

Frugal Foodie Friday - Slow Cooker Moo Shu Pork

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is another simple dish that is as easy on the pocketbook as it is on the cook. This recipe was developed for the slow cooker and while it takes six hours to cook, it requires only 15 minutes to prepare. In all fairness, and to avoid the ire of my Asian friends and readers, this dish really should be called Moo Shu-ish Pork. It is similar to the genuine article, but some real shortcuts have been taken in its assembly. The most prominent of them being the substitution of flour tortillas for the Mandarin pancakes with which the dish is usually served. Does it make a difference? Sure, but when you are hurried, harried and hungry, a lot can be forgiven. This is a nice family meal that's perfect for those days when you are on the run and cannot tend to pots simmering on the stove. If money is really tight, you can, of course, shred the carrots and other slaw components yourself, but the packaged varieties add only pennies to the cost of this dish, so the savings will not be significant. The pork can also be served over rice if you wish to completely eliminate the pancakes. I hope you'll keep this dish in mind for some of your busier days. It will neither make nor break your reputation as a cook, but you'll win points for your budget acumen and ability to deliver a timely meal on a dime. Here is how this version of Moo Shu-ish pork is made.

Baked Ravioli

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple preparation is a godsend for busy cooks who feed teenage athletes or youth groups. It is almost effortless to make and it always pleases its target audience who are generally more hungry than discerning. This is a can't fail recipe, much like a lasagna, but with a looser appearance. The recipe relies heavily on prepacked ingredients that make it possible to have a pan of baked ravioli on the table in a little over 30 minutes. You can add a bit more flavor to the casserole by using ravioli that is stuffed with something other than plain cheese. I favor the cheese and spinach combination that is usually available in supermarkets in my area. I also use Romano rather than Parmesan cheese. I think Romano is more assertive and it is an easy way to boost flavor in this type of casserole. This is not a dish that will have universal appeal, but if you are very busy and have to feed a group of kids, this is the way to go. Here is how this version of baked ravioli is made.