Best Yellow Cake Ever

This easy all-purpose yellow cake takes just a bit longer to make than one from a packaged mix, but is it ever worth it. An instant test-kitchen favorite, it is absolutely delicious and will rise to any occasion.

Cake

1 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus more for cake pans and parchment
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
5 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Related: 15 Kitchen Shortcuts That Will Change the Way You Cook

1. Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment as well. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs and beat well, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, beating until combined. Add milk and vanilla and beat until just combined.

2. Divide batter between pans; smooth tops with an offset spatula. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 33 to 35 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks to cool completely.

3. Frosting: Beat together butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium. Add confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add salt, milk, and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. If not using immediately, cover surface of frosting with plastic wrap. Frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week. Before using, bring to room temperature, then beat on low speed until smooth.

4. Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate and spread 1 cup frosting on top. Place remaining cake layer on top. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting, swirling to coat in a decorative fashion. (If frosting becomes too soft, refrigerate to firm up.) Cake can be covered with a cake dome and refrigerated overnight. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Orecchiette with asparagus and smoked salmon

Orecchiette pasta is a tiny disc-shaped pasta also known as "little ears." Use any pasta that will hold the sauce if you have a preference on shapes. Recipe from Kate Lawson.

1 pound orecchiette or corkscrew pasta such as rotini or rotelle

1 pound thin to medium asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 2-inch-long pieces

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 pound thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut crosswise into thin strips

Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water 8 minutes. Add asparagus and boil until asparagus is crisp-tender and pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes.

While pasta is cooking, heat cream just to boiling in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, then stir in zest and remove from heat.

Ladle out 1 cup pasta cooking water and reserve, then drain pasta and asparagus in a colander.

Toss pasta and asparagus with cream, dill, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup reserved cooking water in a large bowl (or in pasta pot). If pasta looks dry, moisten with some of remaining water. Add salmon and toss well. Serves 4.

Per serving: 606 calories; 18 g fat (10 g saturated fat; 27 percent calories from fat); 89 g carbohydrates; 61 mg cholesterol; 392 mg sodium; 22 g protein; 4 g fiber.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130516/OPINION03/305160309#ixzz2TTOAM7ZX

How to get crispy fried fish

USE A HOT PAN: Use a heavy-bottomed pan and get it very hot--let it sit over medium-high heat for several minutes before you start cooking. I usually use a black steel pan or my trusty cast iron, depending on the size of the fillets, but a quality stainless steel pan will work, too. A nonstick pan will guarantee that the skin won't stick, but you'll never get the skin to brown as well. Almost any fish that's sold with the skin on suits this technique--try salmon, bass, branzino, or red snapper. 

DRY THE SKIN: Fish skin sticks to skillets for two reasons--either the pan isn't hot enough or the skin isn't dry. Pat the skin with paper towel before seasoning it. And remember to season the flip side of the fillet as well. 

COAT WITH OIL: Use a neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed, and make sure there's an even coating on the pan. It should be just smoking when you add the fish. 

PRESS ONCE FOR CRISP SKIN: Add the fish to the pan, skin side down. The proteins will immediately contract, and the fillet will contract and curve upwards. When this happens, the skin is only in contact on the outside edges. Take a flexible spatula and press on the flesh until the fillet flattens out--a matter of seconds. This ensures the skin remains touching the pan and will give you crisp results. 

See more: Top 20 Best-Tasting Burger Recipes 

FLIP AT THE END: Let the fish cook. Don't mess with it. Don't flip it back and forth. Just let it go. When you can see a nice golden brown color on the edge of the skin, gently slide the spatula under and turn it over. The fish is most likely to flake and fall apart when it's cooked, so be nice to it. At this point, it is about 70 percent cooked through and only needs a couple of minutes on the second side. Admire the brown skin while you wait. 

Mothers Day Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

Cooking spray or margarine

3 cups frozen hash browns

3/4 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

1 cup diced country ham

1/4 cup diced sweet onion

1/4 cup diced green bell peppers

4 large eggs, beaten

1-1/2 cups whole milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with the cooking spray or margarine.

2. Spread the hash browns evenly in the bottom of the dish and top with the cheese, ham, onions and bell peppers.

3. In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine the beaten eggs, milk, salt and pepper. (Be sure to taste for the saltiness of the ham before adding additional salt.)

4. Pour egg mixture over ingredients in baking dish. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

5. Remove casserole from fridge and let stand at room temperature while your oven preheats to 350 degrees.

6. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

7. Let set for five minutes before serving.

Variations:

* Turn this into a vegetarian casserole by substituting two cups of sautéed and drained mushrooms for the ham.

* Make a richer casserole by using only 3/4 cup of whole milk and adding 3/4 cup of sour cream.

* Spice up your casserole by substituting 1-1/2 cups of browned and drained Mexican chorizo for the ham.

* Give your casserole a crunch by spreading two cups of crushed corn flakes (tossed in three tablespoons of melted margarine) on top before baking.

* Sweeten your casserole by spreading two cups of crushed sugar frosted corn flakes (tossed in three tablespoons of melted margarine) on top before baking.

Lemon Ginger Soda

YIELD

1 soda (plus 1¾ cups ginger-lemon syrup)

INGREDIENTS

Cane sugar, 1½ cups (preferably organic)
Water, ¾ cup
Fresh ginger root, ½ pound (washed and sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds)
Large lemon, 1 (washed, half sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds and the other half sliced into wheels or wedges for serving)
Ice
Seltzer or sparkling water, 1 bottle (if not making your own seltzer)

EQUIPMENT

Seltzer bottle and siphon (if making your own seltzer)
Measuring cups and spoons
Medium saucepan
Wooden spoon
Blender
Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Chinois or fine-mesh sieve
Cheesecloth (if using a fine-mesh sieve)
Rubber spatula
Tall glass
Spoon

Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan and Bread Crumbs

1 head cauliflower, cut into 1/2 -1 inch florets
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs, (I USED GLUTEN FREE BY ALEIA'S)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (I CONFESS, I DON'T MEASURE AND I'M SURE I USE MORE!!!!)
1/4 cup olive oil (AGAIN, I DON'T MEASURE BUT MAKE SURE THE FLORETS ARE WELL COATED!!!!!!
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400º.
Toss florets with olive oil, bread crumbs and cheese. Spread in a single layer on jelly roll sheet lined with nonstick foil. Season with salt and pepper. (since I use a lot of cheese I often don't need the salt) Roast 30-40 minutes, until nicely browned!!!! (we like ourS verrrry browned!!!)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies 
From the New York Times, adapted from Jacques Torres 
- 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour (Jane note: I usually use pastry flour here…that's what my OTHER Jacques Torres cookie recipe calls for) 
- 1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour 
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt 
- 2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter (Jane note: If I only have salted butter on hand, I use 1 teaspoon regular salt instead of 1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt) 
- 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar 
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar 
- 2 large eggs 
- 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract 
- 1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (Jane note: you can use regular semi-sweet chocolate chips here, but if you can find disc shaped chips, it is pretty awesome…you end up with layers of chocolate in the cookies, which is heaven.) 
- Sea salt 

1. Sift both flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside. 

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours. (Jane note: I usually make the dough balls and THEN refrigerate the dough in a ziploc bag. I think the dough should ideally be refrigerated at least a day the texture comes out better, but if you really can't wait and cook a few cookies when you make the dough, they'll be good, just not best.) 

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside. (Jane note: I bake my cookies on my handy dandy Silpat.) 

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. (If you do smaller cookies, adjust cooking time accordingly.) Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. (Jane note: I never did the 'transfer sheet to a wire rack then slip to another' rack step.) (Another Jane note: one thing I DO do when they come out of the oven is slam the tray straight down to force the cookies to settle…makes for a nice even cookie with a great texture.) 

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.