Beet and cornmeal cake

I was up all night! Usually when I say that, I mean that I was up most of the night, but that I got a few hours of sleep towards dawn. Not last night!! No sleep at all! I’m tuckered. I’m likely to spew uncommonly inarticulate gibberish, if I try to put a sentence together. And I’m late for work, I have a long day ahead of me, sadly, because it’s a chilly, rainy, perfect-for-napping day. So I’ll just share a few things that I like.

One is this poem by Basho

Awake at night

Awake at night–
the sound of the water jar
cracking in the cold.

One is this photo of a Parisian kitchen by Atget. I love to look at this and try to figure out what’s in all the little bags and tins, and imagine the life of the people that cook here.

And finally, this recipe for a cheesy cormeal roasted beet cake. I felt like a warm, soft comforting meal, the other night, so I made this slightly odd dish. It’s savory, a little sweet, soft, slightly crispy, and delicious. The boys liked it too. We ate it with a tangy tomato sauce, but any kind of sauce you like would work here.

Here’s Lose this Skin, by the Clash, which was in my head all night. I love it, but it’s a doozy when you can’t sleep.

Cornmeal beet pancake

3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1 t salt
1 t baking powder
2 t rosemary
1 t thyme
3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 large beet – peeled and grated (olive oil and balsamic for roasting)
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar
2 T melted butter, plus 2 T for the dish
lots of freshly ground black pepper

Spread the beet on a baking sheet. Mix in about 1 T olive oil and 1 t balsamic, and then spread in a smooth layer. Toast in the toaster oven (or roast at 425 in a regular oven) until dark and starting to smell like burnt sugar.

IN a food processor combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, beets, eggs, herbs, cream and melted butter. Process until you have a smooth batter. Stir in the eggs and plenty of black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400. Melt 2 T butter in a cake pan or baking dish. Pour the batter into the hot dish, and bake until brown and crispy on top, about 20 minutes to half an hour. Serve with the sauce of your choice.