This weekend I was excited and honored to have been asked to be the featured Guest Chef for a “Holiday Entertaining” culinary special event at the Macy’s at Oglethorpe Mall here in Savannah, GA.
I received the invite and request back in late August and it never occurred to any of us at the time that the Savannah Rock’n’Roll Marathon also happened to be the same day. Luckily, the mall isn’t near downtown and it gave me an excuse to escape the anticipated 80,000 people anticipated to be downtown for the marathon that morning. A little careful menu planning allowed me to take everything home with me on Friday so I could hit the mall directly and avoid the marathon mess. Unsure of what we might see as a turnout I was fully anticipating that it might be me and a handful of guests gathered around the demo station. What a pleasant surprise to find that we filled all of the seating and I believe even had to bring out a few more chairs (with some of the guests choosing to stand in the back).
With help from Karen, a member of the audience, I shared the wonders and mighty fine flavors that result from cooking in a pressure cooker as we made Chicken Cacciatore which was served over creamy polenta.
Next up it was time to discuss fruits & vegetables as I launched into the preparation of Apple & Celery Root Slaw with Cranberry Pecan Dressing. The quote of the day came from a young member of the audience. When I asked who knew the difference between a fruit and a vegetable he quickly raised his hand and explained: “Fruits taste good on their own but vegetables have to have things done to them to make them good!” Of course as we passed samples of raw celery root around the audience he seemed to eat it quite easily on its own without “something being done to it”!
The final item on the day’s menu was Cranberry Cornmeal Upside Down Cake. We didn’t actually prepare the cake in the presentation but it was a great opportunity to see the many interesting ways in which people tend to measure flour. Which, unfortunately, are not always correct!
Thanks to everyone that chose to come out and join me for a few recipes, cooking tips, and hopefully lots of fun!
Thanks to Kewan Smith of Macy’s Special Events and the many associates of the Savannah store that helped create a fun event and provide assistance to make it happen!
It’s not nice when you don’t laugh at Chef Darin’s jokes!
Cranberry Cornmeal Upside Down Cake
Cranberries were originally called “craneberries” by the early colonists because the blossom resembles a sand-hills crane. High in vitamin C, New England sailors started using them in the early 19th century to prevent scurvy while out at sea. Although pineapple-upside down cake has not been traced any earlier than the 1920’s, the idea probably stemmed from “skillet cakes” which were cooked in cast iron skillets on the stovetop by early western settlers. Their natural tartness makes them perfect for the caramelized sweetness of an upside down cake. I have deepened the “American” roots of this cake by using cornmeal for texture and flavor.
1 9-inch cake (10-12 servings)
12 tablespoons butter (1 ½ sticks), softened, divided use
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (no need to thaw if using frozen)
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated or chopped
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
½ cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place 4 tablespoons of butter in the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan. Place pan in oven and allow to heat until butter is melted but not browned. Remove pan from oven and cool. Spray sides of pan with vegetable spray once it’s cool enough to pick up and handle. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter in bottom of pan. Pour cranberries over butter and sugar (no need to thaw if frozen…use straight from freezer).
Place remaining 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of butter, granulated sugar, and grated zest of the orange in the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium mixing bowl. Begin beating and cream the mixture until light and fluffy, scraping bowl periodically.
While butter and sugar are creaming, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and allspice in a medium bowl and stir to blend completely.
When butter and sugar is light and fluffy, add the vanilla extract followed by the eggs, one at a time. Scrape in sour cream and mix completely. When sour cream is incorporated, add the dry ingredients and mix on low until flour is incorporated. Turn up speed to medium and beat about 2 minutes to develop cake structure. Scrape batter on top of cranberries in cake pan and bake until golden brown on top and toothpick inserted comes out clean or with only one or two crumbs, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before inverting on a serving plate.
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Hi Chef Darin
I enjoyed the presentation and usually I am afraid of new things but was so impressed with the dish I actually tried to cook it on Sunday for dinner. Well after going to 3 stores I finally found the Polenta and forgot that they don’t sell alcohol on Sundays used the chicken broth as a substitute and mine didnt come out as good as yours. But I enjoyed it anyway. Thanks for
The new lessons on cooking and we learned a lot.