Family Meal Plan: Swirly Sweet Potato Babka Crumb Mug Cake + Very Vanilla Yogurt Glaze + Steamy Vanilla Milk

Swirly Sweet Potato Babka Crumb Mug Cake

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• dip :

  to briefly put a solid food, such as chips, fries, battered fried fish, hot sandwich (French dip), or veggie slices, into a liquid, like beef broth or a thicker sauce, like ketchup, dressing, or a dip to impart moisture and extra flavor to the solid food.

• drizzle :

  to trickle a thin stream of a liquid ingredient, like icing or sauce, over food.

• juice :

  to extract or squeeze out the juice of a fruit or vegetable, like a lemon, orange, or carrot, often cutting open or peeling the fruit or veggie first to access its flesh.

• mash :

  to reduce food, like potatoes or bananas, to a soft, pulpy state by beating or pressure.

• measure :

  to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).

• microwave :

  to heat or cook food or liquid quickly in a microwave oven, which uses high-frequency electromagnetic waves to generate heat in the food's water molecules.

• mix :

  to thoroughly combine two or more ingredients until uniform in texture.

• pierce :

  to prick a food with a sharp utensil, like a fork, to create small, shallow holes in raw potatoes to keep them from exploding or in a pie crust to allow steam to escape and prevent it from puffing up when blind baking (pre-baking).

• scoop :

  to pick up an amount of food with a utensil to move it to a dish, pan, or container; utensils that can be used to scoop are spoons, dishers (small scoops used for cookie dough or melon balls), ice cream scoops, or large transfer scoops for bulk foods.

• slice :

  to cut into thin pieces using a sawing motion with your knife.

• stir :

  to mix together two or more ingredients with a spoon or spatula, usually in a circle pattern, or figure eight, or in whatever direction you like!

• swirl :

  to create a swirl design by lightly stirring a food with a toothpick, or other cooking or eating utensil, in a circular or other pattern.

• tear :

  to pull or rip apart a food, like basil leaves, into pieces instead of cutting with a knife; cutting breaks cell walls more, so herbs can discolor faster.

• whisk :

  to beat or stir ingredients vigorously with a fork or whisk to mix, blend, or incorporate air.

What is a Babka?

• Babka is a swirled or braided bread made from enriched dough filled with chocolate, cinnamon, fruit, nuts, or sweet cheese. 
• Babka originated in Poland and Eastern Europe, and its history is deeply rooted in Jewish culture. On Shabbat (Saturdays, the seventh day of the week and a day of rest), scraps of challah bread were often twisted with nuts and seeds, creating a less sweetened version of today's babka. Later versions of the dish incorporated chocolate, cinnamon sugar, streusel toppings, and raisins.
• Chocolate babka is sometimes served during Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday, although it is not specifically a Hanukkah dish.
• The Polish (or Eastern European) babka is typically baked in a bundt pan and served on Easter, but many people enjoy it throughout the year.
• In traditional Jewish babka, the dough is rolled into a log and then cut into two long pieces, which are then braided or twisted together before being baked in a loaf pan.
• This tasty bread comes from the Polish word "babcia" (Bahb-chya), which means "grandmother."

Let's Learn About Eastern Europe!

• Many countries make up the region of Eastern Europe, and some of those nations include Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, part of Russia, and Ukraine. 
• While this region is partially based on its geography, Eastern Europe has also been shaped by its cultural and religious history, which makes defining it a little complicated. 
• Many languages are spoken in Eastern Europe, almost too many to list, but a few include Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, and Ukrainian. 
• Foods like "pierogi" (Polish dumplings), "goulash" (stew), "borscht" (beet soup), and "gołąbki" (cabbage rolls) all have roots in Eastern Europe.  
• The gift of bread, wine, and salt is an Eastern European tradition of blessing a new home or marriage. Bread symbolizes the hope never to go hungry, wine symbolizes the hope never to thirst, and salt represents the hope to always have "flavor" in life, even during hard times. 
• The Eastern European landscape is full of forests, which have played an important role in the cuisine. For example, many dishes rely on wild mushrooms, strawberries, blueberries, and currants. 
• Vegetables such as beetroot, kohlrabi, and turnip are also popular in Eastern European dishes due to their ability to store well during the cold winter. In addition, foods that are easily fermented, like pickles and cabbage, are also popular for this reason.  
• In Romania, shaking your head actually means "yes," while most other cultures will nod their heads in agreement! 
• If you visit Bulgaria, you'll probably hear bagpipes playing! We usually associate bagpipes with Scotland, but the "gaida" (gay-dah) is Bulgaria's national instrument!