If you have been reading my blog for a while, you have figured out that I am a firm believer that butter, sugar and salt make the world go ‘round. Each, alone, is a magical ingredient, giving the Midas touch to whatever recipe you have in mind. But when you use all three together…there can be perfection.



I do hope you realize that these three magical ingredients are in everything from Toll House Cookies to Mama’s Lasagna. I have nothing against cookies or lasagna, heaven knows I’ve made and eaten more than my share! The point is,  there are recipes out there that contain this triple crown of ingredients, which are melt in your mouth heavenly. I am on a quest to find each and every one of them.


Another bit of information you have probably learned about me is that I read dozens of food blogs, cookbooks and magazines every week. As a caterer, Iong before we had computers, I learned if I bought a $35.00 cookbook and found just one recipe that I could use in my business, it was money well spent. Today, with the internet, every recipe in the world is at your fingertips. Oh how I wish I could speak a dozen languages! That would open up millions of recipes for me. I speak what I refer to as "cookbook and menu languages". Having read so much about cooking methods, ingredients, etc, I simply know what these foreign cooking terms mean…that doesn’t mean I know how to pronounce them correctly!


So, you are wondering where I am going with this, right? Let me tell you.


This morning’s email brought a link to another food blog that I read, Cream Puffs In Venice. http://creampuffsinvenice.ca/about It is written by Ivonne who lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She comes from a large Italian family that loves to eat. I have no idea what her age is, but the way she describes learning from her two grandmothers, I had an immediate connection with her. She had one advantage….her grandmothers lived in Italy…..mine? Missouri. Not that Missouri is bad, it just isn’t Italy!


Ivonne takes beautiful photographs of her food for her blog…the kind that grab you instantly, the kind that make you drool. Sure enough, first thing this morning, there it was....

Salt-Kissed Buttermilk Cake with Strawberries adapted from 101cookbooks.com
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup cake and pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
zest of 2 lemons
1 cup of berries (Ivonne used strawberries)
3 tablespoons large grain raw sugar
1 teaspoon large grain salt (Ivonne used Kosher salt)


Preheat oven to 400F degrees, racks in the middle. Grease and flour one 11-inch tart/quiche pan.


Combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar and salt in a large bowl. In a separate smaller bowl whisk together the eggs and the buttermilk, whisk in the melted butter, and the lemon zest. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined - try not to over mix. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, pushing out toward the edges. Place the berries on top of the batter, breaking them slightly with your fingers. Sprinkle with the large grain sugar and then the large grain salt. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until cake is set (or a toothpick in the center comes out clean), and a touch golden on top.


I hope you enjoy it, and Thank You, Ivonne, for passing this one on to us.