Food Network Stars

Who is your favorite Food Network Star ?
Hands down for me, it is Ina Gardin (Barefoot Contessa) with Bobby Flay running a close second.

Ina Gardin simply has one show. How rare is that? Most everyone on Food
Network has several going at a time. I love her simplicity. She speaks to me when she decorates her table with flowers of all one kind and color. Remember, I am a clean straight line kind of gal.
Most of all she is an entertaining genius, practically everything she serves her guests is made ahead with the goal of enjoying her company when they arrive. How many have you been running around getting last minute dishes ready, stuck in the kitchen when the party is ready to start? Oh, yeah, me too...... Plus as much as possible on Food Network, she seems real to me. If something is not perfect she is quick to remind you that a party isn't just about the food, it is the people. Real is a breath of fresh air on FN.

I like all of Bobby's shows but Throwdown is the best of the best. Again, he seems more real on this show than contrived. As he says sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses......
I had the opportunity to have dinner at Mesa Grill in New York a year or so ago with Ragan, Lacy and Bashar. The food was wonderful and the restaurant was beautiful but not overdone.

So, today's recipe is one from the Barefoot Contessa herself.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 tsp. lemon zest, grated (zest of 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

For the glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 Tbsp.fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl.
In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.
Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set the lemon syrup aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar syrup over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool before serving.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

So, Until Tomorrow...............
S~~~