Urban Spatula

Do you love the cozy smell and taste of a spiced pumpkin dessert in the fall?

Here’s a recipe that makes it so simple to create this crowd pleaser anytime.   I first learned about this dessert from a Williams-Sonoma kitchen and it’s proven itself to be a winner everytime.

Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter Dessert Squares

1 package yellow cake; set aside one cup
1/2 cup butter, MELTED
3 free range eggs
1 jar of Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup butter, SOFTEN
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350° degrees F.

There are 3 easy layers to create this fall favorite.

BASE LAYER: Crust
Divide yellow cake mix.  Place all but one cup in a mixing bowl.  Stir in MELTED butter and one egg into the cake mix.  Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9×13″ pan.

MIDDLE LAYER: Pecan Pumpkin Butter
Mix the jar of Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter with two eggs and milk.  Pour this result over the crust batter in pan.

Top Layer: Stir the reserved cup of cake mix with the flour, sugar, SOFTEN butter and cinnamon.  Mix together until crumbly.  Sprinkle over the top of the pumpkin layer.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool.  Cut into 2″ squares.  Serves 24.

Here’s a fun gadget to add to your kitchen.
Kuhn-Rikon makes a kitchen tool to quickly rake corn off the cob. It is called the Corn Zipper.
A safer alternative to a knife, this tool has a pair of extra-sharp teeth slides that slides between the kernels making it super easy to remove corn off the cob.

It is made of heavy-duty stainless steel and is top-rack dishwasher safe. 6″ long. Cover guard included.
Currently sold at Williams-Sonoma online or in their retail stores for $12.95.

Buttery pancakes filled with a warm gooey surprise?  I’m sooo in!
I was introduced to the Danish Ebelskiver a few years back and since then I’ve been considering picking one up for Sunday morning breakfasts.
Up until now most Ebelskivers that I have come across were  made from cast iron or cast-aluminum with a single or double thin layer of nonstick coating if you’re lucky to find it.  Because of the concerns about nonstick coatings and the link to carcinogens, I had delayed my purchase until recently.
Now we have an attractive alternative.  Williams-Sonoma and Nordic Ware had recently revamped the Ebelskiver.  The results are a newer version made from a more durable cast-aluminum and enhanced premium nonstick coating.

So what’s the gooey suprise?  How does nutella, apple pie filling, mashed banana, peanut butter, almond butter, pumkin butter or blueberries sound for starters?

Congratulation goes out Mariam and Paul who have recently become engaged! To celebrate the announcement, the crew went out and broke bread together at Farm Stand in El Segundo, California.
This was my first visit to Farm Stand “Urban Country Food” and I really enjoyed my lunch. I’ll describe the menu as food prepared with influences from Europe and the Mediterranean. The restaurant is clean and inviting and is a place I’ll definitely take my family to.
To the left is an image of my actual lunch today, the Lemon Chicken Breast (lunch portion), which came with sweet & sour cherry rice pilaf & roasted vegetables….yummm and no guilt.
Thanks for lunch John and Paul thanks for giving us reason to toast again.

Spook up your kitchen this Halloween with a Bat-n-Cat Spatula from Sur La Table.

It is made from food grade silicone which is heat resistant of up to 900 degrees…(900 seems rather intense since I’ve never gone past broiling in my oven…maybe it’s a witchcraft sort of thing)?

Is the glass half empty or half full?

Sur La Table says, “Conservative if you don’t fill your glass; liberal if you let it flow”.

Something tells me that our current President wouldn’t necessarily agree with this example.
~Cheers!

The Artichoke…
I think artichokes are interesting.
The Artichoke plant produces flower buds. If you pick them before they bloom, you can have yourself a delicious and healthy vegetable.
As an alternative to preparing the artichoke by steaming them, try halving them vertically and grill them with olive oil and salt & pepper. The grilling smoke complements the woodiness of the vegetable nicely.

Here is an image of an artichoke plant growing in Cynthia’s Garden in Redondo Beach, CA.
The second image is Tigone and an artichoke in full bloom.

In case you haven’t figured out yet, I love spatulas.  Within this site, I’ll address various kitchen gadgets (tools), food topics, and random thoughts I feel that would be related to this space.

For now, I’d like to address the basic spatula.
This basic stainless steel spatula can be found in many restaurants and kitchens. Handling a grill or griddle is made simple with this basic spatula.  The design makes it easy to flip your food and transfer it to its destination.  The thin blade is helpful for cutting servings or clearing the browning treats created from searing meats.
When buying this type of spatula, look for one with a broad flexible stainless-steel blade.  With good-standard care, this tool should last many a meals.

Hi, Hola, Bonjour, हैलो, An-nyong Ha-se-yo, Kon-nichiwa, Hallo, , مرحبا, Ciao, Ni hao, Olá, Hej, привет, Ahoj, Witaj, Mirëdita, Vitayu , Parev, Halo,

Ahalan, Halló / Góðan daginn, Goede dag, Hei, Dia dhuit, Zdravstvuyte, Salut, Guten Tag, Gia’sou, Aloha, Sa-wat-dee , Jambo / Hujambo, Shalom, Merhaba, Dobrý den / Ahoj , Bunã ziua, Jó napot, Namaste, Meow, Ruff, Nhayyy, Oink, Ribbit, Moo, Cluck, Bahhh, Roar, SSSsss, Sqeak, Blurp Blurp, Greetings, Na-noo Na-noo, Hey.

This is the first official amazing post on UrbanSpatula!

I can’t wait to write about spatulas and other related subjects.

E