Up until COVID-19 hit in 2020, Ellen and her friend often dinner parties together at his house in upstate New York.
“He's a fantastic cook,” she said, “and we had a marvelous time.”
They made the menu together, each cooking half of the night’s offerings. He enjoyed preparing the main dishes, so she often took responsibility for the desserts.
“Each of us would invite friends that the other person didn’t know, so it was always very interesting,” she said. “We rotated the list often, so it was different every time.”
One of Ellen’s favorite treats to make for these parties was an impressive, most unusual clementine cake. The recipe was sent to Ellen out of the blue by a friend, and has been one of her favorites ever since.
She described its lush texture and sweet-sharp taste, saying, “You can do it with other citrus, but I never did because the clementines were so delicious.” She often served it with homemade rum ice cream on the side.
When it comes to cooking and baking in general, Ellen sees tremendous appeal in its benefits for the mind and soul, so to speak.
“I find it to be rather zen, if you’re not in a rush,” she mused. “If you know what you’re going to make—and I like to measure everything out and lay it out—I find that you’re only thinking about cooking and it’s not stressful.”
She paused.
“It’s really a kind of magic.”
Ellen Novack’s
Clementine Cake
INGREDIENTS
4-5 unpeeled clementines (about 1 pound total weight)
6 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 ⅓ cups ground almonds
1 heaping tablespoon baking powder
let’s bake!
Put the unpeeled clementines in a pot with cold water to cover, bring to a boil, and cook for 2 hours.
Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the seeds.
Then chop everything finely—skins, pits, and fruit—in the food processor (or by hand).
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and line an 8-inch springform pan.
Beat the eggs. Add the sugar, almonds, and baking powder.
Mix well, adding the chopped clementines. If possible, do not use a food processor; stir gently instead.
Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for an hour, or until a skewer comes out clean. You may need to cover the cake with foil after about 40 minutes to preventing the top from burning
Remove from the oven and leave to cool, on a rack, but in the pan. When the cake is cold, you can take it out of the pan. It’s even better the next day!