Pineapple Upside Down Cakes and Other Blogs...

I've taken to reading several blogs regularly. See the list to the left. I was reading Elaine Spallone's today about her cooking endeavors with Pineapple Upside Down Cake, which I adore. I'm not a big sweets person and don't really "do desert". I appreciate them but baking is so serious and you have to measure everything. I love to cook but baking is hard work. I guess that is why the best way to truly judge a restaurant is by the pastry chef. Good ones are rare.

Unlike Elaine, I've been cooking for over 40 years, well before I was 10 (save the calculators...I am 50) by helping my Mom, Grandmother and mostly my Dad. My first foray into cakes was in college where I tried to fix pineapple upside down cake. It would have turned out well except I forgot to put butter in the bottom of the pan and had to scrape the pineapple mixture out. Live and learn. It was like my first apple pie. I had seen a friends wife make an incredible apple pie with fresh and dried apples. I did not pay too close attention to all the steps. How hard could it be? Well, it was the worst thing I've ever fixed. Unfortunately I'd bragged about it BEFORE I cooked it so some neighbors and then had to explain what happened.

My wife still reminds me of those tragedies to this day. Humility is a good thing. Not nearly as good as a good cake or apple pie, but still good for us.