Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake

I've been wanting to try making an olive oil cake for awhile and finally stopped waiting to have enough time and just made one before the blood oranges I bought just got eaten.

For my first try at this Italian classic, I tried this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. It was easy to follow and produced a subtly flavored and not too sweet cake.

I used a non-stick loaf pan, which I'll skip next time as it resulted in the edges cooking too quickly. I'll also take the time to make the suggested whip cream or a blood orange syrup to dress up this rustic cake.

Try This at Home: Mini PearTarts

I want to try this recipe at home during my Thanksgiving break and enlist my four year old to help. I think it seems like a pretty fool proof recipe and a four year old's touch should prove interesting. Even hilarious.

See the full recipe at Oh Joy.
Photos by Michael Graydon. Styled by Nikole Herriott.

Orange Crush

Sunday night I actually took time to make a decent meal as we unpacked the groceries.It was a recipe that I had bookmarked in a copy of Bon Appetit that focused on Italian Food. There was a really nice article on pastas with several recipes I'm planning on working my way through.

I chose to start with Tagliatelle with Prosciutto and Orange. The combination of orange and prosciutto seemed risky but it all worked out deliciously. It was like a delicious Carbonara with a citrus twist. I love when I find a recipe I want to cook again.

I'm copying the recipe here in case I lose it.

Tagliatelle with Prosciutto and Orange

Ingredients
•Kosher salt
•12 oz. egg tagliatelle or fettuccine (preferably fresh)
•2 Tbsp. (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
•2 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into 1" pieces
•Zest and juice of 1 orange
•1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
•Freshly ground black pepper
•1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Preparation
•Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt; add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until 1 minute before al dente, about 2 minutes for fresh pasta, longer for dried. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water.
•Meanwhile, melt butter in a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto; sauté until browned, about 3 minutes.
•Add reserved pasta water, orange juice, half of zest, and cream; bring to a boil. Add pasta; cook, stirring, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cheese and divide among warm bowls. Sprinkle remaining orange zest over pasta.