Upside-Down Apple Ginger Cake

 

This is a sponsored post. While I was compensated monetarily, all opinions are my own.

It’s been a cold, cold week here in Saskatoon. The temperature has barely crept over -30C, so yeah, that’s very, very cold. I’ve largely been hunkering down inside my little house, and the oven has been working overtime. There have been roasts with herbaceous veg snuggled up beside them; cookies with puddles of chocolate; muffins burst with bananas. But, my favourite thing to come out of my gas range has been this Upside-Down Apple Ginger Cake, made with beautiful JAZZ apples. I am super thrilled to be included with a group of talented creatives across Canada this year with JAZZ Apples to create recipes incorporating their delicious  apples. This year, we made a recipe based on a “mystery ingredient” chosen for us by another group member. Mine was ginger, selected by the incredibly talented photographer/stylist/blogger Debi Traub from @simplybeautifuleating from Toronto, Ontario. 

Keep Calm: Chocolate & Maple Caramel Squares

 

Well guys, I'm in the thick of it.  While everyone looks forward to the yuletide season, I heed it with great amounts of hesitation and dread.  I think only if you have ever worked in the food industry, and maybe retail, will you get where I'm coming from.  I loved the Christmas season a lot more before I became a chef.  And that's the truth.  December kicks my ass to the North Pole, and frankly I would rather be there than here.  The hours are long and incredibly busy - catering parties; cooking hundreds of pounds of turkey; up to my armpits in stuffing; and don't even ask me how many pounds of potatoes need to be mashed.  Most days when I get home I'm too tired to do much but stare at the wall for a few minutes, gather the gumption to shower and re-heat something for dinner.  There are no parties or festive functions to attend; no going out for drinks with friends and right now there is a stack of Christmas cards awaiting my message and I don't know when I'll find the time to do it.  Today is my only day off and the week ahead is a real doozy, with at least 50 hours of work ahead of me, and a turkey dinner for 1200 people that will need cooking - by me.  I might be a total grumpasaurus right now, but trust me, come December 21 at 5:00 pm (the last day of work for 11 days!!!!!) there will be lots and lots of merry going around here.  Right now it's that date and that time that is keeping me going.  Well, that and this. Jimmy Fallon + Tracy Morgan = Best bad mood killer ever.  Plus a hot-toddy-a-day doesn't hurt, either.