what's in the cake stand - why the dietitian eats dessert, too

Since launching this blog I've struggled to find a way to properly portray the place that sweet, yummy, calorie-rich eats have in a healthy diet. It's not that I struggle personally with where they fit. It's that I struggle with where they fit in this blog format, which ultimately gives equal weight to every post. It's difficult to illustrate that a recipe about a caramel sauce isn't equivalent to grilled chicken with fruit salsa, in judging which one is a better choice for overall health.

Many people who visit a blog hosted by an R.D. expect to find nothing that even resembles a calorie-rich indulgence.

Mine is not that blog.

After more than a decade of working in the field of nutrition I have learned this - for the most part, the people who are most successful in achieving an overall healthy diet are the ones who learn to approach healthy eating as a lifestyle, NOT a quick-fix diet. For me, that lifestyle includes dessert. Beautiful desserts. Yummy desserts. Real desserts... on occasion. 

Don't misunderstand. I don't eat dessert after every meal. I don't even eat dessert every day. But I do believe in really savoring, enjoying and celebrating sweet confections when the time for dessert is right.

That's where my "cake stand" comes in. The name says it all. It's a very unassuming, display dome that's a fixture around my house... and has been for years. When I first married, my boss (and dear friend) would ask nearly every Monday morning, "What's in the cake stand?" It was almost a joke. I like to bake sweet yummies that much... she knew then, and it still applies, that there's almost always something in our cake stand.

And here's what's in the cake stand right now - Strawberry-Fig Bars.

These are based loosely off the Apricot Bars* in Very Merry Cookie Party. The main difference was my filling- I cooked down a cup or so of fresh strawberries with sugar until thick, added dried figs and let re-hydrate, then pureed with hand blender (rather than re-hydrating dried apricots).

They are buttery rich and look beautiful in the cake stand (although admittedly, I'm questioning now why I didn't photograph them that way. But I'm a sucker for a white plate). I hope shortly to post a picture of this old family friend... with something new behind the glass. I may not visit the cake stand every day. But when I do, it's always a tasty treat.

What about you? Do you eat a "healthy" dessert daily or save calories now to savor something decadent later? Any suggestions for something delicious to bake next?

~Regan

 *Out of respect for cookbook copyrights, I avoid publishing recipes from cookbooks that aren't reproduced online. I would suggest these as a good substitute for those wanting to try their hand at this type of bar cookie.

How to Make a Mistake, Great - Strawberry ChocoChip Shortcake

Wanna know how to turn a Strawberry Tallcake into a strawberry shortcake? 

Invite the two little guys shown below playing in my cabinets into your kitchen one Saturday morning and you may quickly find out. 

 

I awoke Saturday morning with the grandest of intentions to produce a dessert that would please my husband... who has been asking for a cake all week... and my son... who has been asking for chocolate chip cookies all week... and me, who could eat a good fruit dessert 365 days of the year.

I should have known that my kitchen karma was off. It started off without me being able to find my second "good" cake pan. 

One thing led to another and in my haste to dodge little hands that were destined to reach into a hot oven while I was checking the layers for doneness, I apparently checked more of the edge of the cake, rather than center. Fifteen minutes into cooling I saw the center sink on one of the layers. I made a mental note: gonna need to frost that section a little more (c'mon... tell the truth... you've done it, too... right?) 

Still hoping for the best, I turned the layers out onto the cake rack for further cooling. 

Then I noticed the layer with sunken top, also ended up with stuck bottom. Next mental note: that trick of sugaring a pan for a quick bread rather than flouring does NOT work with cake layers. Apparently, I don't bake well when I have "companions" in my kitchen. 

As for the cake itself, in my baking world, two strikes and you're out. A sunken top and a stuck bottom just don't yield the kind of cake layer worthy of Saturday afternoon praise. So I regrouped and this is what I ended up with.... 

 

...Strawberry ChocoChip Shortcake.

Honestly, it was more than enough sweet goodness any of us were prepared to enjoy. I constructed using fresh whipped cream (yes, I'm an R.D. who uses whipped cream. This is a dessert... it's not the basis of my diet); a pint of fresh strawberries that I quartered and macerated with a touch of sugar and a splash (and I mean little splash since the kiddos were enjoying, too) of vodka; and layered with the one surviving cake layer, which was just a basic yellow cake with about 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips stirred into the batter. 

I make a lot of things in my kitchen. And sometimes, I make mistakes. Luckily, this mistake was great. 

Artfully eating well, 

~Regan

Strawberry Gelato... finally

 

Fruit of the Earth

In case you haven't heard (um, yeah... right... you're obviously not living on Mars or you wouldn't be reading this blog, eh?) it's Earth Day. Among my friends, family & colleagues views about the merits of such a day differ... especially as it relates to issues of climate change, vegetarianism, etc. 

I'm not about to touch that here... discuss among yourselves and I'll listen in.

What I do want to touch on is the one concept I hope we can all agree: farmers feed this country and without them, where would our plates (and palates) be?

That in mind, I'm sharing these images of a recent trip to a local strawberry patch with my favorite strawberry picker. If you don't celebrate Earth Day in any other way today, at least enjoy the fruits of the Earth as seen below.

 

Update on Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 7:13AM by The Professional Palate - Regan Jones RD

I just read this awesome recipe this morning for a Strawberry-Mint Jam from Flamingo Musings. If you're like me, you need some inspiration like this when you find yourself with a basket full of freshly picked strawberries (although I'll confess that the Strawberry Cobbler I made with my son did the trick quite nicely.)

If you get a chance to make these, leave a comment on her site. I'm sure she'd love the feedback!

~Regan

Update on Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 7:25PM by The Professional Palate - Regan Jones RD

Oh... I just HAVE to share this link to Ezra Pound Cake's Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp.

1... Because Strawberries & Rhubarb are such a classic spring fruit dessert combo

and

2... Because I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED (yes, shouting) Funny Girl when I was growing up.

This makes me smile ;-)

~Regan

http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/5839?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ezrapoundcake+%28Ezra+Pound+Cake%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Cobblers are coming!

I recently had the pleasure of sharing a "Strawberry Pickin'" with my favorite berry eater... he's nearly 4 years old and is the other half of a sibling twosome that occupies every corner of my heart. Can't wait to share the pics of that day. 

In the meantime, I'm totally inspired to put the berries to work with this: Cobblers In a Jar. (Disclaimer: I anticipate a plentiful "blueberry pickin'" later this summer off of our family farm... so if I don't quite make it for these strawberries, I'll be back with that post later.)

Anyway, I hope you'll consider visiting a u-pick in your area. Or at the very least, head over to the local farmers' market and pick up a basket of your local faves. Your farmers (and your taste buds) will thank you!