The friendliest pan in your kitchen has a proposition for you
|
Version 0 of 1. A few weeks back, it seemed everyone and their Aunt Fannies were making Dorie Greenspan’s sunny yogurt cake, the recipe that accompanied the beloved cookbook authors’ biweekly #EverydayDorie column. It’s terrific and easy, but I’m thinking that part of the cake’s charm had to do with the receptacle it was baked in: the loaf pan. Cooks’ kitchens tend to have glass and metal loaf pans in a few sizes. Anybody can pick up a pack of disposable aluminum ones at the supermarket for a few bucks. It’s unfussy hardware that has the capacity to cradle a 1950’s-era Miracle Whip-fruit party loaf as well as icebox cakes and pound cakes; all manner of quickbread batters with pumpkin or bananas or beer or chocolate; meatloaves and pates, layered dips and lasagnas are a few dishes that speak to the pan’s savory side. And breads, of course! The current babka craze is all about the loaf shape with beautiful browned humps on top. [More Weekend Kitchen: Baking with the right chocolate; 7 winter soups you can make in less than 30 minutes] I’ve cracked a 9-by-13-inch Pyrex under heat but never a glass loaf pan. My straight-sided 9-by-5-inch metal ones are a little worse for wear at the corners, but I swear on a stack of scrubby sponges that I’ll tackle those on the next snow day. Whatever I make in them, it takes about an hour to bake, and flops are few and far between as long as I make sure the center’s fully done. And no matter what the recipe says, I line every loaf pan with parchment paper — a long, double-layer strip that’s just as wide as the bottom of the pan and long enough so I can use the overhang at each end to help lift out the loaf for cooling. A spritz of cooking oil spray holds it in place. Do you have a loaf pan song to sing? Share in the comments below. We’re sharing some of our favorite loaf recipes in a bit. But first . . . . Historic soul food and savory pies were among the most-viewed in our Recipe Finder: 1. African Soul Fried Rice. Food historian and TED fellow Michael Twitty’s vegetable-packed recipe gets its deep, earthy notes from a ground spice called soumbala. 2. Sorghum-Brined Braised Chicken With Cabbage. This tastes even better — hard to imagine — when cooked over a hearth fire, Twitty says. 3. Lentil Shepherd’s Pie. You won’t miss the lamb in this meatless version, from the #Weeknight Vegetarian. 4. Cod and Corn Chowder Pie. It’s #DinnerInMinutes, from Aviva Goldfarb’s new cookbook, “The Six O’Clock Meal Planner: A Year of Quick, Delicious Meals to Help You Prevent and Manage Diabetes” (ADA). 5. Slow-Cooker Garlicky Shrimp. Poached for a mere 10 minutes in a flavorful oil. Now, if you want to loaf around . . . Maple Sweet Potato Spice Bread Deep Dark Chocolate Loaf Oatmeal Batter Bread Passion Fruit Pound Cake Apricot-Almond Semifreddo Cured Tenderloin of Beef Vegetarian Meatloaf Carolina Rice Bread More from Food: Have questions about cooking? Join our live chat Wednesdays at 12. |