Zucchini Cupcakes

I returned the copy of RLB's Cake Bible that Julia loaned to me. I decided I needed my own before hers ended up looking dog-eared. Over the weekend I baked a 9-inch, one layer Sour Cream Butter Cake. I planned to have creme fraiche and fruit with it, as Rose recommends, but I never got around to finding decent-looking, decent-smelling fruit. Both the peaches and the nectarines at HEB were hard as rocks. However, the cake is wonderful with no adornment. Sturdy but not dense. Very rich, but with the slight tang of the sour cream to take the edge off. I expect that all of the butter cakes in that section of the book will be delicious.

Today I baked a batch of Zucchini Cupcakes from the same book. I plan to freeze those. And maybe put some cream cheese icing on them someday. Of course I had to test one (naked) before freezing the rest. They have a delicate, tender texture, but I'm picking up a little bit of egg-y taste, which I'm hoping will dissipate. Rose's notes say that the flavor is even more delicious the day after baking, and I would imagine that is true.

In non-baking news, I made Corn Saute' with Ginger, Garlic & Fresh Cilantro from Fine Cooking #87, and served it over some fish in Asian marinade. I also made the Summer Bouillabaisse with Smoky Rouille from the issue. I loved the rouille and thought it "made" the dish, but someone on the Cooks Talk message board thought the amount of smoked paprika was overwhelming and recommends cutting back on it. I wouldn't, though.

I don't think anything else I've cooked lately has been new or noteworthy. The Thanksgiving issue of Fine Cooking arrived the other day. I gave it a quick look, but didn't peruse it. I saw a few things that look interesting, but I'm not quite ready to think about autumn yet.