Some old and new favorites are on the menu this Spring and Summer!

Hopeful optimism with a big dash of confidence is my mood right now. The pandemic stops and starts of the past couple of years have been challenging for all of us, but now, we are set with learning how to live with Covid.  It’s here to stay but so are we!  The challenge is how exactly to carry on.  Well at LA Food Works, we just keep moving forward, one day at a time.  And this day I’m happy to present our new Spring-Summer 2022 Menu!  You may recognize some old favorites (I'm so excited to be making those chocolate bourbon cupcakes again!) but there's some new dishes too like Thai Turkey Burgers, Chicken Adobo, S'more's Picnic Cake!  When you come back to cook with us, I'm confident you will find whatever you make mouthwatering and delicious!!!

As a little teaser, check out our fusion of a few summer favorites - picnics, cakes and campfires!  The recipe for our S'mores Picnic Cake is below.  It's a festive, easy way to celebrate the best of spring and summer right now, even if the weather isn't cooperating quite yet.

As the weather inevitably will warm, and you start thinking about getting together with friends, family or co-workers, I hope you think about coming to cook with us again.  We have lots of outdoor dining and cooking areas!  And our kitchen and prep rooms are flanked with French doors allowing an abundance of fresh air wherever you are.  If you want to know more about our classes, click here to request a quote.  Let me know when you would like to come and I'll get you all the details.

Wishing you all health and happiness as we welcome lots more sunshine in the coming days,

Rose

What’s a picnic cake you may ask?  Well, it’s a cake you take on a picnic and specifically, it’s a cake you bake, cool and frost in a pan so it’s easily transported.  This is a fantastic dessert for a camping trip, bbq or a picnic in its construction and  flavoring.  Fun to make and easy to frost, the hardest part is toasting the marshmallow top.  I used a chef’s torch, but you can quickly pop it under a broiler and give the top a little roast.  This cake is a real crowd pleaser because who doesn’t like s’mores?!?!?

S'mores Cake

For the Cake:
cooking spray for baking pan
1/3 cup flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk

For the Chocolate Ganache topping:
4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
pinch salt

2 cups miniature marshmallows, to top cake

For the cake: Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 13x9" baking pan, glass or metal, with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the egg, then the egg white, beating between each addition. Mix in the vanilla

Add the flour mixture and the milk a little bit at a time, alternating between each. Mix thoroughly but be careful not to over beat.

Pour the batter in the prepared pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes (or until golden brown and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan).

Place on a rack and cool completely in the pan before frosting with ganache and adding marshmallows.

Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate ganache topping: Place ganache ingredients in heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until ingredients are melted and smooth. Do not over stir and do not refrigerate.

When cake is cool, warm ganache gently over simmering water if it is not spreadable. Spread ganache over the cake using an off-set spatula or knife to the edges of the pan.

Sprinkle the top of the cake with marshmallows. If you have a chefs torch, toast the top of the marshmallow for an authentic s'mores flavor. Alternately, you can run the cake very briefly under a broiler to toast the marshmallows.

Chill the cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve or transport to your picnic.

Serves 12.  Per Serving: 233 Calories; 15g Fat; 3g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 40mg Cholesterol; 234mg Sodium.