Vacation Baking

I'm visiting family and friends in California this week, and will eventually end up in San Francisco for a work-related convention. I really wanted to bring some baked goods with me, but didn't have the time or the space, so I refrained. My first night here, however, my brother and uncle cooked dinner, so I offered to make dessert. My cousin has a Meyer lemon tree in her back yard -- in her back yard! -- and a vegetable drawer in her refrigerator full of them, so I decided on lemon upside down cake from Luscious Lemon Desserts.


This is the first time I'd used a microplane grater. It just moved to the top of my kitchen gadget wish list.


Cooking lemon slices with butter and brown sugar.



My cousin collects vintage dishware. These belonged to her grandmother...


This 1930s platter belonged to my uncle's mother, who used to serve his birthday cake on it.


The cake was good, and I was pleasantly surprised with the caramelized lemons. However, the 50-year-old cast iron pan I used tainted some of it with hints of savory flavors, so I made some lemon curd to mask mask the mystery flavor.



I'm not sure that I'll get another opportunity to bake while I'm away from home, but I'm glad I was able to bake for family I rarely see.