I turned in my first grad paper this last weekend. The assignment was to review any peer-reviewed journal related to librarianship or information science. There were a number of things that we (the students in my class) were suggested to consider, including things like the journal's peer reviewers and their credentials, the types of articles included in each issue/volume, and basic "stats" like frequency of issues and where the journal is indexed.
Previous to last week's class meeting, I started looking into a journal that I would want to use for the assignment. I found one on a list of journal that were related to the subject of LIS (Library and Information Science). There were a few listed there that looked moderately interesting, but one in particular caught my eye: Progressive Librarian. Here is the abstract from my paper that I posted on my class's online forum:
"Progressive Librarian is a peer-review journal that is published by the Progressive Librarians Guild twice a year. The journal addresses the political, cultural, social, and economic trends that the PLG and others have noticed regarding the profession and library institutions. The articles, book reviews, bibliographies, reports, and other documents published in each issue focus on advancing librarianship through progressive thought and critical review of the system. The Editorial Board for the journal includes individuals who have experience with human rights and social change related to librarianship. Those who would like to submit works for publication may do so either digitally or physically. Articles from the issues can be found in several databases, including the Alt-PressWatch database."
I found out during my research into the journal that my instructor for the class is actually on the Editorial Board for this journal. Out of all the journals that exist that are related to LIS, I had to choose this one. Talk about a small world.
Now for this week's recipe. It's another dessert recipe, but this one (if made according to the recipe) is an adults-only dessert. There is a bit of alcohol that's not cooked off in it, but it's easy enough to omit this part of the recipe if you want to make it more child-friendly. So today, for your eating pleasure, I am posting the Rum Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. This recipe will take a little planning, as part of it is done the day before you put it in the oven. A quick note about pineapple before the recipe: this recipe calls for fresh pineapple rather than canned. If you're not sure how to pick out a fresh pineapple, you do it mostly by smell. The skin should have yellow and orange in it (not mostly green), and it should have that wonderful sweet smell of fresh cut pineapple. If it doesn't have the smell, choose another pineapple. Ok, on with the recipe!
What you'll need:
1 12-oz. package of frozen pitted cherries, thawed OR 1 14.5-oz can of tart cherries in water
3/4 cup spiced rum
1/2 a fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, quartered, and cut into 1/4-in. thick pieces
3/4 cup spiced rum
2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
5 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbs. dark brown sugar
1 pint creme fraiche OR 1 pint of whipping cream, lightly whipped
What you'll need to do:
1. The night before you plan to bake the cake, put the thawed cherries and 3/4 c. spiced rum together in a bowl. If you used canned cherries, drain them before adding the spiced rum. In another bowl, add the pineapple and the other 3/4 c. spiced rum. Cover both bowls and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a large bowl, add all but 2 Tbs. of the softened butter. Set the last 2 Tbs. aside for later. Add in the sugar and mixing together with an electric mixer until creamy. Add in the eggs one at a time and continue mixing. Add in the vanilla extract and mix until all ingredients are completely assimilated.
4. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients slowly into the bowl of wet ingredients, mixing until a smooth batter forms.
5. Heat up a 10-in cast iron skillet over medium heat, then add the last 2 Tbs. of butter you set aside. After the butter has just melted, add the brown sugar and mix together. Using a slotted spoon, add in the pineapple. Reserve the rum and set aside. Saute the pineapple pieces until they begin to carmelize and turn a nice golden brown. Add the cherries and the rum they soaked in. Remove the skillet from the heat and light the rum with a long kitchen match or a long lighter. When the flames disappear, return the pan to the heat and cook until most of the alcohol has evaporated.
6. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it sit to cool between 6 and 10 minutes. Remove half the fruit (I suggest mostly cherries) and put it in the reserved rum for garnishing. If you want to make child-friendly cake, just set the fruit aside without adding it the reserved rum.
7. Add the batter to the skillet and put it in the oven. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until a toothpick into the center comes out clean.
8. When the cake is ready, take it out of the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes before getting it out of the skillet. After 5 minutes, run a knife around the edge to loosen it, then cover the skillet with a large plate. Gently flip the skillet over so the cake unmolds onto the plate.
9. Cut into slices and serve with creme fraiche (or lightly whipped cream), and the reserved fruit.
This recipe was originally found on Food Network's website. Scooter was watching tv, saw this being made, and found the recipe to try. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
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