Soused Apple Cake for the Fish Fry
It’s a three-day weekend, but I have things I need to do, so I am up at my normal time to bake while the day is still – well, not cool, but not so hot as later in the day. I need to make a salad; I need to bake a cake. We are invited to a fish fry – one of our favorite invitations. The host and his wife fry up a “mess” of fish, really good fish, and the rest of us are allowed to bring sides.
This cake, Soused Apple Cake, is easy, except for remembering to slice the apples a day before and soak the slices overnight in brandy. I could be like those famous cooks who tell you, “use a very good (olive oil, brandy, etc),” but honestly, here it would be a waste of good brandy because the brandy is a supporting actor and will be competing with cinnamon and nutmeg, so just use something you would use for cooking, not drinking.
It is also a very sweet cake. I have tried over the many years I’ve been making it, to make it healthier. It just isn’t the same. Today, I followed the original “can’t stop eating this cake” recipe.
Soused Apple Cake
4 cups sliced apples
brandy
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup salad oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
Peel, core, and finely slice apples; put into bowl and cover with brandy. Let sit overnight.
Combine sugar, salad oil and eggs. Set aside. Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add to oil mixture. Drain apples, mix in, adding chopped pecans. Mix well (it will be thick) and pour into a greased and floured 9”x13” baking dish. Cook at 330°F for 1 hour.
Let stand ten minutes while you prepare topping.
Pecan topping
1 stick butter
2 Tablespoons milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
Combine butter, milk, and sugar in a saucepan; bring to a boil, then boil for one minute. Add pecans, mix well, and spoon over apple cake while it is still hot.
The original recipe invites you to serve with whipped cream, but I find it to be overkill.
British Isles: Aberdeen Exceeds Expectations
We had low expectations for Aberdeen, but thanks to a truly great guide on our Aberdeen historical and architectural tour, we now see Aberdeen in a whole new light.
Our first impression as we drive around, is how very clean Aberdeen is. Our guide, Andy, told us that when COVID struck, and tourism dwindled to nearly nothing, the city took a very preemptive move to ask the oil and gas companies for funds to pressure wash and clean all the granite buildings. The difference is astonishing. The grey granite of Aberdeen sparkles!
The Historic Aberdeen tour started with a drive through the area with the private schools, leading to a visit at two universities where they had recently cleaned everything, and it was stunningly beautiful. We were able to visit the old library, classroom and chapel.
Continuing on, we go to Fitbee/Footee, a picturesque fishing village tired of all the tour buses coming through and taking photos into their windows (!). My great favorite at the beach in Fittee is the mobile sauna booths. Such creative enterprise!
We hit the high points of downtown, the shopping streets, and the architectural highlights.
Then we stop at Union Terraces, surrounded by the King’s Theatre, St. Mark’s Cathedral, The Andrew Carnegie Library, and a modern apartment complex built around an old church tower. We visit an impressive statue of William Wallace; Andy tells us to be sure to read the inscription and narrative at the bottom of the statue:
“Go back to your masters, and tell them that we came not to treat, but to fight and set Scotland free.”
(Answer of Wallace to the English Friars sent to negotiate a pacific treaty with him before the battle of Stirling Bridge.)
We end the day with our old friends, having dinner in Manfredi’s. AdventureMan and I had the Brodetto, an Italian seafood stew, tasty – some might call it spicy, but it was not hot spicy, just tasty spicy. We shared stories, talked about our time in Saudi Arabia and in Germany, talked about common family issues and advice columns, and we laughed a lot. It was a delightful way to end a wonderful day. Below is our sunset en route to Kirkwall, in the Orkney Islands!
Morocco Malta and The Med: Marseilles and Cassis and Calanques
It is very early morning as we approach Marseilles, so early the sun has not begun to rise. The infamous Chateau d’If, made famous in Dumas’ Count of Monte Cristo looms in the semi-darkness.
We quickly eat breakfast; we are on one of the first tours out today, to Cassis and the famous calanques. What are calanques, you might ask? Here is what the Marseille Tourism board has to say:
What are the Calanques?
A Calanque is a unique kind of geological formation made of limestone. They are big rocky coves forming a steep and narrow valley inland and are mostly found around the Mediterranean sea. Here, the Calanques National Park is a protected and highly regulated area, stretching over 20 km from Marseille to Cassis, with 26 Calanques of various sizes (25 in Marseille and 1 in Cassis). Some are easily accessible and others are a lot less, but regardless, the Calanques are an absolute must-see when you visit Marseille!
I have always loved smaller villages, especially fishing villages, having grown up in one. And it will be Sunday in Marseille, not a great day for a Marseille tour as many of the roads are closed to traffic this Sunday, only open to bicyclists and pedestrians. Great day to get out of town.
The daily question becomes what to wear? What to carry? It is cold in the mornings, but will likely warm up. We will be going out on a small boat. How small? How windy will it be? Will we have any protection? What do YOU think?
I chose a dress that is like a sweatshirt, only with a full length zipper and it has a hood. I carried a scarf as well, and a hat in a go-bag. On the boat, it was indeed cold, and windy, and I put up my hood and tied it tightly so only a small portion of my face was exposed. I suppose I looked like one of those TeleTubbies, but I was not cold.
Sights en route to Cassis:
At the beach in Cassis: “In the town, I wear clothes.” LOL it is forbidden to walk around nude or in a bathing suit.
We have time to roam while we wait for our boat ride, and the fishing boats are in with their haul. Locals (they have bags with them, too) are seeking out the freshest fish for today’s Sunday meal.
We find a table at a corner cafe where we can have a coffee and watch the world go by. A group of four elegant elderly French women settle in front of us, with great red lipstick.
One of the nicest things happened here. Another couple women from our ship settled in next to us; they had been shopping and found some great things. What I loved was the bag from the shop, and when I asked how to get there she laughed and emptied her bag and gave it to me saying she didn’t care about the bag. I love the bag!
The boat ride begins. I can’t believe how many people they got on one small boat – maybe forty people!
We saw people on beaches in swimsuits, and people swimming in the cold water! I am hardy, but this is Mid-November! I am wearing a sweatshirt dress! And my legs are cold!
A very old aqueduct / bridge:
On our way back to Marseille.
The Christmas Market opening down by the port.
Cathedrale La Major: “Huge 1800s neo-Byzantine cathedral featuring an opulent interior lined with murals, mosaic & marble.” (Google Maps)
Viking Saturn is parked right next to the Cathedral La Major.
Our view from our cabin:
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