Woman's Empowerment Retreat and I was the chef!

    Adventure!  Wilderness!  Beyond Burnt Pomegranate Cake!

YIKES!

 

Included in this blog will be a couple of killer recipes that were really well received.  Several of the recipes I used are in earlier blogs. All the retreat dishes were made meat free, dairy free and some gluten free. I promise you, my versions will make you doubt any ingredient alternatives were used. 

Fantastic help crew

Worst grill ever!

 I'm also going to share a recipe that is Nigella Lawson's from her cookbook Feast. Yup, it's for the pomegranate cake that burnt to a crisp. In my defense I used the kitchen timer on top of the range that was already in the kitchen. I set it and it ticked away. It just never buzzed. I think scientists might be able to carbon date this cake.
I have a Kia and my guys loaded it to the brim with food, table settings, my suitcase, bedding and the list goes on. (for pages) It's nothing short of amazing what that little car can hold.
The GPS was set and off I went. Every few exits, the GPS would tell me to take another exit and get on to another freeway.  This went on for about and hour only to find that It had taken me in a huge circle and I was right back to where I started!  How do you ring the neck of the voice in your phone? I shut the damn thing off and called my son MANY times along the way. 
The infamous Minnesota season known as road work didn't help matters. Let's all get into one little lane and go 25 on the freeway for a long, long, LONG time. 
Now, I was pretty much raised in New York City, so my idea of roughing it is no room service.Whitewater Start Park is so beautiful with cute tidy cabins dotted the area. I went right to the kitchen where I was immediately greeted by the nicest ladies.  They helped me unload everything and I already had to get the first evening meal underway. By now I was two hours behind.  My life in a nutshell.  I would also like to thank the show CHOPPED as one of my boxes of ingredients didn't make it. This is what I have, and this is what I can do.  When in doubt, make it into a sauce. LOL


 

By the time I was able to go to my cabin, it was pitch  black. I was using my phone to  find the door, which I found out was all the way around the other side. When I finally made it over to the door, I turned only to see the lights were still on in my car.  Baby steps on a gravel path with a step somewhere. For the next ten minutes I tried every button and switch to get them to go off.  They finally did go off, but I still don't know how I did it. It was when I went back to the cabin that I found out you have to bring toilet paper. I digress.
Anyway....it was an amazing, exhausting empowering experience.  They actually  called me out of the kitchen (blender still in hand) and applauded me.  l was so grateful and they were so  supporting and appreciative.  The future is definitely female.  The retreat was headed up by Laura Adrian.  SchoolofEarthMedicine.org
p.s. I am definitely dying my roots.

Now for some recipes!

Pomegranate Jewel Cake   ( Adapted from Nigella Lawson's cookbook Feast pg. 365 )

 Excellent for a gluten free diet

350 degrees. Grease and line (parchment) a 9" springform pan


8 eggs (you heard that right)! Separated
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
zest of one lemon and zest of one orange
3 cups ground almonds, ground (I used a combo of almond flour and almond meal and it worked great)
2 pomegranate

  Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff but not dry and then beat (or wisk) in 1/2 cup of the sugar and set aside.
Add the remaining sugar and zests to the yolks and beat until the mixture is light and airy. (a paddle blade on my KitchenAid works great.  Add the ground almonds.  This will be very thick and heavy, so lighten it up with a good dollop of the egg whites. Fold the remaining egg whites (using a third at a time) and gently but firmly combine so it doesn't lose the air.
Pour into the pan and bake about 40 minutes. Check it at 30 minutes so it doesn't scorch) If browned but not done in the middle, cover it loosely and bake in 10 minute increments. 

While the cake is baking, juice one of the pomegranates. I find it easiest to put the arils in a in a fine mesh strainer and push the juice through. If you must, you can use about 1/3 to 1/2 cup pure pomegranate juice. Knock out the arils out of the second pomegranate or if you take out a second mortgage, you can buy them already done.
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, leave it in the pan  (I like to poke a few places on the cake)   and pour the juice all over the top. Let the cake cool thoroughly before you remove it from the pan.  Finish with the arils sprinkled generously all over it.  Before serving, I like to dust it with a little powdered sugar.
This cake is so worth the effort and it may just become a tradition in your house too.