This is one of the best cakes I've made, and I would rank it as one of the best recipes in The Vegetarian Hearth. I love gingerbread, and this is one is divine: moist, spicy, dark as night and sweet as sin. Even though there's a much molasses in this as in the molasses cookies, its heavy taste is transformed by the floral notes of all the spices. I ran out of cinnamon, so I used cardamom as a substitute, which worked out in the cake's favor. The recipe is so simple to put together, and the result is so damned good, it's almost ludicrous. It took me literally 5 minutes or so to throw all of the ingredients together, and it took me about that long to eat a third of the cake as soon as it was out of the oven. Oooh, my kitchen smells so special now. I could make this cake every day. Goldstein includes a recipe for a hot orange syrup to go over the cake, and I've yet to try it. I can't imagine improving on something that's already fabulously good. Obviously, I can't build a cake up this much without providing the recipe, so without any further ado... Gingerbread 1 egg 6 tbsp light brown sugar 1/2 cup dark molasses 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 1 tsp ground ginger 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon (I ran out of cinnamon, so I used cardamom instead, which made it taste even better) 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg pinch of salt 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp baking powder 1 cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup boiling water Preheat the oven to 350. Grease an 8 inch square pan. Beat the egg into the brown sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in the molasses, melted butter, and spices, mixing well, then add the salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour. Beat in the boiling water. The batter will be loose. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out dry. Allow to cool before cutting into squares. Serves 6-8.

This dish is so delicious it goes like wildfire. Very simple to make. Ingredients 1 large butternut squash (3? pounds), peeled and seeded (2? pounds) 1 teaspoon salt ? teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1? cups heavy cream 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Directions Cut off and discard the stem of the squash, then cut the squash into two pieces by cutting through it horizontally at the bottom of the neck. This will make it easier to peel. Peel the cylindrical neck lengthwise, removing enough skin so that the orange flesh underneath is revealed. (Under the outer skin there is a layer of green, which should be removed.) Peel the round part of the squash by cutting around it in a spiral fashion with a sharp knife; it is easier to peel a round object in this manner. Cut the rounded part in half lengthwise, and, using a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Then cut the squash into 1/8-to-?-inch slices, either with a knife or in a food processor fitted with the slicing blade. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash slices in a large saucepan, cover them with water, and bring to a boil. Boil over high heat for 1? to 2 minutes, then drain in a colander. The pieces will break a little in cooking. Arrange pieces in a gratin dish, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Pour on the cream, and stir gently with a fork to distribute the additions properly. Cover with the cheese, and bake for about 30 minutes. At serving time, brown the top of the gratin by heating it under a hot broiler for 4 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately. It almost tastes like potatoes au gratin, but the butternut squash is moister and better than potatoes. I had to be made to try this at gunpoint, but not anymore. It's one of my favorites.