Jewish Apple Cake

16 servings

MAKE AHEAD: The cake can be made a day or two in advance. It freezes well.

3 cups unsifted flour, plus more for dusting the pan

5 medium apples of your choice, preferably those that are good for baking

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use nonstick cooking oil spray to grease tall tube pan, then dust lightly with flour.

Core the apples, then cut each one into 8 equal wedges. Place in a large bowl and sprinkle with the cinnamon and 5 tablespoons of the sugar, tossing to coat evenly.

Beat the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer, on low speed, until well blended. Gradually add the remaining sugar, then the oil, orange juice and vanilla extract.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt on a piece of waxed or parchment paper. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture to form a smooth batter.

Pour one-third of the batter into the pan. Create a second layer using one-third of the apples. Repeat to create a total of 6 layers, ending with apples on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or as needed; the top should be golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the cake should come out with a few moist crumbs.

Let the cake sit for at least 20 minutes before unmolding.

Pickled Shriimp

2¾ cups water
1½ cups white vinegar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 jalapeños, sliced crosswise into ½-inch rings
8 baby carrots, each sliced into quarters crosswise
2 lemons, sliced into thin rings
1¾ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon celery seeds
½ teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1½ tablespoons kosher salt
1 pound 16-20 count peeled and veined shrimp

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set aside. In a large pot, combine the water, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, onion, garlic, jalapeños, carrots, lemons, sugar, celery seeds, mustard seeds and salt. Bring to a boil, and then pour three-quarters of the brine into a large bowl and set into the ice water bath to cool. Once thoroughly cooled, refrigerate.

2. Place the shrimp in a large bowl and pour the remaining hot brine over the shrimp. Set aside until the shrimp start to turn pink, about 30 seconds. Strain the shrimp (discard the brine) and add the shrimp to the bowl of the chilled brine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

3. Drain the shrimp and vegetables and serve them in small bowls or mason jars.

Royal Seafood Bake

NORTHERN ATLANTIC

ROYAL SEAFOOD BAKE

INGREDIENTS 3 cups cooked Royal Blend ½ lb shrimp, peeled and deveined 6 ounces fresh or canned crab meat 1 (4 oz) jar chopped pimiento, drained 1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained 1 can mushroom soup 2 tablespoons butter 1 onion, chopped ½ cup celery 1 green pepper, chopped 1 cup slivered almonds Sauté onions, celery and pepper in butter, add to cooked Royal Blend with shrimp, crab, pimiento and mushrooms. Place in greased casserole and season with salt and pepper. Stir in mushroom soup. Cover and bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees F. During the last 10 minutes of baking, sprinkle almonds on top and leave uncovered the remaining time. Serves six.

Biscuits

YIELD

4 servings (2 biscuits per person)

INGREDIENTS

Biscuits
Cold unsalted butter, 1½ sticks (cut into ½-inch cubes)
All-purpose flour, 3 cups plus extra for rolling
Baking powder, 1 tablespoon
Baking soda, ¾ teaspoon
Salt, 1 teaspoon
Granulated sugar, 1½ teaspoons
Buttermilk, 1½ cups
Melted unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons
Thick-cut ham steaks, 2 (about ¾ pound)
Extra-virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 450°. On a small plate set the

• Unsalted butter cubes

Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Set the fine-mesh sieve (or use a flour sifter) over a large metal bowl and add the

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Granulated sugar

Freeze for 15 minutes. Remove both the butter and flour mixture from the freezer and use your fingers to pinch the butter into the flour mixture, working quickly, until most of the butter is worked in and there is a variety of small and large pieces of butter within the flour mixture. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add

• 1¼ cups buttermilk

Use the wooden spoon to stir the mixture together until it becomes hard to stir, then switch to using your hands to gently toss and turn the mixture until only a few dry spots remain, drizzling in the remaining ¼ cup of buttermilk a little at a time as needed.
2. Sprinkle a cutting board with some

• All-purpose flour

Turn the dough out onto the floured board and press it into a rough rectangle shape. Lightly flour the top and use a rolling pin to roll it into a 12-inch by 14-inch rectangle that’s about ½-inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter. Turn the dough so the long edge is parallel to the long side of the cutting board. Roll the dough into a ½-inch thick rectangle and repeat the folding. Roll again, this time rolling the dough only slightly into a 10-inch by 12-inch rectangle about 1-inch thick. Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut out as many biscuits as you can (you can gently push the dough back together and flatten it by hand, then cut out more biscuits. Discard the remaining dough. Place the biscuits on a nonstick baking sheet (or a parchment paper-lined baking sheet) and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the biscuits from the refrigerator and use the pastry brush to coat the tops with the

• Melted unsalted butter

Place the biscuits in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 425°. Bake until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet midway through baking. Remove from the oven and use the metal spatula to transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool.