“Why do it yourself when it’s so easy to eat out or buy the package item? My answer to that question is quality, nutrition, and economic.” – “The Hip Girl’s Guide to the Kitchen”
I used to ask the same question over and over again when I was younger, career-minded, didn’t really think about starting my own family, and simply thought doing it myself was totally waste of time, not to mention I didn’t have the clue how to do it.
As I’ve become more mature, family-oriented and budget-conscious, I started to explore cooking at home. And now although I may not be a kitchen veteran, I am definitely not an amateur. And the transformation process has made me enjoy cooking so much that I started this blog, and let me come across with so many talented foodie friends across the Internet.
Today I came across with Kate Payne who wrote this great book called “The Hip Girl’s Guide to the Kitchen”. What I found this book really amazing is how it sums up all the cooking knowledge and techniques that I’ve obtained over years in the kitchen. I was reading this book, and I thought why it wasn’t created like 10 years ago. That is how long I spend in order to have myself equipped to become a confident cook.
I truly believe Kate is a genuine kitchen veteran. Read her book and you will know that. Not that her book is going to cook dinner for you, but she shows you how to master basic cooking by giving you advice and instructions that you really need in your kitchen. Nothing fancy but practical and useful. You will need this book if you decide to start and enjoy your relationship with your kitchen.
Because this book is such a keeper, I’d like to give one lucky reader (US residents only) the chance to win a copy of “The Hip Girl’s Guide to the Kitchen” by Kate Payne. To enter to win, simply leave a comment on this post telling me what cooking technique you would want to master, and why! All comments must be received by midnight on June 24, 2014 (Tuesday). Winner will be notified through a valid email address.
If you want to go ahead and buy a copy of “The Hip Girl’s Guide to the Kitchen” for yourself, you can do so here. And hop over to Kate’s website, follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Now let’s talk about this buttermilk cake, first it doesn’t require any mixer, blender or machine to make, except the oven of course. The whole process takes less than 20 minutes. And the result is an amazingly moist and flavourful buttermilk cake. The original recipe from the book is the basic buttermilk cake that lets you improvise. Bake it with fruits, nuts or chocolate chips. Top it with buttercream, glaze or ganache. Or simply eat it plain. I just love its versatility!
Ingredients (one regular loaf or 3 mini loaves):
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, room temperature
1 cup pitted fresh cherries, halved
1/2 cup chopped walnut
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan or three mini loaf pans.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix oil, buttermilk, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla and egg until smooth. Then add to the flour mixture, and mix until combined.
Pour batter into the prepared cake pan(s). Cover with cherries.
Mix the walnuts with a teaspoon of sugar and sprinkle over the top of the cake.
Bake the cake for 30 minutes for a regular sized loaf or 20 minutes for mini loaves, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let cake cool completely before serving.
30 comments
can I use frozen cherries?
I would like to master using my own milled wheat. I can make bread with purchased flour, but I want to learn the adjustments to using my own flour. Sometimes, I think the adjustments need to be my own expectations!
I’ve done this recipe but it is way to much olive oil…but it was full of flavour :)
I think I need to learn to know the best fried chicken!
I’d like to learn how to use yeast to make a special yeast cookie!
Cinnamon rolls never come out right.
Love steak out.. at home, not so much. Is the bigger failure in the kitchen, or at the meat counter? What choices improve either?
I’m attracted to this cake! I’d like to master cooking fish.
There’s so much to choose from, but I think I’ll go with the baking of bread of all kinds. If I could make any one bread perfectly, I’d be a happy camper :)
I would love to learn how to make a perfect souffle.
I would like to master cinnamon rolls. I have tried and tried with no luck!
I want to master French macarons. Tried MANY times… no luck.
I am in need of learning how to cook salmon on a grill. :)
I would love to learn how to master the grill!
I would want to master sauteing different types of vegetables
I would love to learn how to bake a cake that is moist and tasty throughout.
I would like to learn hoy to have good pizza dough all the time, some times I do, some times not really…
Yum! I’d like to master gutting and scaling a fish because I love cooking fish.
i’d like to learn how to successfully butcher a chicken. the thought alone gives me nightmares but it would be so handy!
I would love to learn to make bread!
Would love to have a copy for my daughter who is an amateur cook! Despite the fact that I’ve been cooking for so many years, I still have a hard time making a perfect pie crust!
Delicious cakes! I would love to learn to flatten a chicken before grilling!
it looks yummy!
I want to make a layer cake properly.
I would love to master baking croissants and french pastries, I would never get tired of eating them and share them as well. I want to get that free book for me and my daughter. Thanks!
My all time cooking failure is to have a consistent result of making macarons. I really hope I could master it. :)
Great book! I would love to have one!
I want to be able to make a bowl of chicken stock from scratch with full flavour.
I would love to master baking breads. I want to be able to understand the science of it and how to get it just perfectly light and airy with a nice crispy crust.
This book sounds really great! I can’t win, because I’m not from the US, but I wanted to let you know the cake looks amazing!
Sounds like a wonderful book there. And of course wonderful cake! I think I would be very happy if I could manage how to bake a level cake. Mine have been always doomed! :P