To be completely honest, no one--before now--in my family or network of friends who has tried this cake has EVER called it by this name. 

I made it up for the purposes of this post because Mom always makes this cake on Easter, and the occasional birthday when I request it because it's my favorite of the family cake recipes. 

Resurrection cake has the best elements: spongy, Springtime-esque yellow cake, a custard-like filling, a layer of fruit, a light whipped topping, and the best way to finish off any dessert: coconut. Pastel M&M candies have been added for a "nest" effect on top of the cake because of Easter, but do not be fooled, this is not nor has it ever been a chocolate-based cake. 

This cake is light and refreshing and even good for the day-after-Easter breakfast; I am biased because I already mentioned it's a favorite, so try it for yourself.

Reminiscent of a pina colada sans alcohol (just like these beauties), this cake is just the thing to trick a very full holiday stomach into thinking it can come out of retirement and eat a couple more bites...a resurrection of the stomach, if you will.

Read on for the recipe...

This is no April Fool's joke. The Easter bunnies came to me via a picture of my adorable nieces; it's safe to say there's no cuter way to wear a fuzzy tail!

Having been raised Catholic, I was taught to appreciate the sacrifice that Easter represents; but as a kid, Easter also meant that I got a week off of school, a day of skiing with my family in Lake Tahoe, and the chance to eat as many chocolates as I could unwrap before being sent back to school. 

Easter also represents rebirth through the dead of winter into spring. Unfortunately it's still rainy and cloudy here in New York but I am told that the sun is shining two-fold for me back home in California. 

As an excuse to get together, eat too much food, and feel comforted by the love around you; most people celebrate occasions with an abundance of food. Although it was my first Easter living on the opposite coast away from my family and many friends, it didn't stop me from making a feast and inviting my friend A and her roommate J over for a bottle (or two) of wine and some lovely conversation...as well as shoving them out the door, happy, full, and bogged down with leftovers. I made the traditional spiral sliced ham with a honey and stone ground mustard glaze, mashed potatoes, garlic mushrooms, creme de cauliflower (a favorite creamy cauliflower with crunchy cracker topping, I just made up that name), and my friend A made a salad and J brought dinner rolls. I also made my favorite cake that my mother always makes on Easter, it's light, fruity, custardy, and satisfying without being dense and pant-button busting, as it's usually the last course of the day. 

As a new treat, I wanted to make a simple appetizer that my guests could nosh on (already picking up the NYC colloquialisms) while grabbing a drink and catching me up on their lives while I cooked. Since I love mozzarella but can't stand tomatoes (it's a texture issue) I wanted to make something easy like a Caprese salad on a stick, but I also wanted to enjoy it. Instead, I fell back on meat...I had given it up for Lent and it seemed the best time to bring it back into my menu.

I have included the appetizer recipe below; see Feaster #2 for the cake recipe. 

Enjoy!

Since I'm still pretty new to New York, I haven't had much luck with any take-out that doesn't rhyme with "mizza" and the places I've settled on haven't been very satisfactory to my taste buds. 

This week, however, I had exhausted all options of oatmeal, eggs, and cereal and licked my kitchen clean of crumbs due to my recent diagnosis of bronchitis. Thankfully, I now know what has been making me cough incessantly for three weeks and being cooped up in my apartment isn't fun; but my antibiotic twice a day requires lots of food and I was running out of ideas so I settled on Thai. I ordered chicken with peanut sauce and a coconut milk soup, neither of which were very appetizing. Instead of quick and easy food, last night I was delivered two large chicken breasts, whole, and a runny peanut-ish sauce a top of mushy broccoli and sour soup that didn't taste much like coconut milk. 

I ate as much as I could with half of the rice I was given and put the rest away for today's meal. Trying to be creative while muting my energy with strong cough syrup, I shredded the leftover chicken and added it to the soup broth to let it simmer on the stove, infusing the bland chicken with lemongrass and a hint of coconut broth. 

Next I strained out the broth and added the rice with the mixed vegetables to rehydrate and reheat. After is was heated through I stuck the lid on the pan and set it off the heat. I needed a little kick and the "peanut" sauce I was served last night was watery and sickly sweet, not at all like peanut satay sauces I've had before, so I made my own. 

Not only was my homemade peanut sauce and full of flavor, it heightened an otherwise boring dinner and not only saved my taste buds, but my wallet from having to buy more food and my lungs from having to make the trip during my illness. 

For years now, my mom has been making a white chili instead of the heartier red chili with beef and kidney beans, etc. as a family comfort food. Aside from comfort, it's also been an easy go-to dish to feed a large gathering, and since Mom and I have been hosting annual Oscar parties for over a decade, mom's chicken chili has been a welcome respite from the February cold. 

Not to say that where I grew up in northern California and living the last few years in San Francisco, are essentially "wintery" but they can be rainy and it's not hard to conjure up a slight chill during months when other states are witnessing much harsher conditions. 

Now that I live in New York, it was our first Oscar party on separate coasts and it was my first time making the Oscar chili in a place that gets legitimately cold. It came out a little watery because I used too much chicken broth, but upon sharing notes with Mom she assured me that hers never turns out the same but is always good. I haven't always taken Mom's advice over the years, but when it comes to cooking, she's usually right so I trust her judgement. 

There are two tricks to this chili, the first is time. The longer it sits and simmers, the better depth of flavor you'll get out of it. I thought I would boil the chicken overnight and shred it the night before but the frozen chicken breasts got the better of me and weren't thawed completely. Nevertheless I had five hours before my three guests arrived for my Oscar-viewing party and it was plenty of time to acquire the flavor I remember coming from Mom's stovetop.

The second trick is: Fritos. It may sound strange, but they are not to be forgotten. Unless of course there's a corn or gluten allergy and in that case, my sincere apologies to your taste buds. 

Legend has it that Dad could not resist eating just ordinary chicken chili and loaded his bowl with the usual suspect toppings: cheese, sour cream, salsa, and green onions and as he was walking down the line he poured a bunch of Fritos from the snack cupboard on top of his chili. They became an instant hit, as he persuaded a bunch of guests to do the same, and crunchy, salty Fritos fast became the cornerstone of our chicken chili repertoire. Some eat it with Fritos on the bottom, others with Fritos on top so they don't lose their crunch; all of us have different ways of dressing the chili, so feel free to find your own way.

Keep reading after the jump, you won't be disappointed in this comfort food. 

When I was a child our Sunday family breakfast ritual centered on eating a large meal, preferably carbohydrates, after church. If we didn't stop for donuts around the corner from our neighborhood church, we went home and usually made waffles or pancakes. 

For some reason, although I know it wasn't the case, I associate waffles with Mom and pancakes with Dad. We went to visit my aunt, my mom's sister, in North Carolina as little kids and I remember eating a lot of waffles with my mom and the relatives while we were there. My brother and I were so enamored with their waffle machine, Mom bought one when we got home. I'm sure that's how the differentiation came about. 

Also, my dad, having the same spirit as us kids, was always adding new things to the pancake batter: chocolate chips, berries, and his signature flavor: Cinnamon. 

As well as making them "his own," Dad also tended to make a game out of the pancakes, not just turning them but throwing them in the air as high as he could go, behind his back, and once...a cherished memory...thrown across the kitchen to my visiting uncle's awaiting plate. 

Due to not having a waffle machine of my own and having more of an affinity as a grown up for pancakes or french toast over waffles, I have been making a lot of pancakes lately. I decided that if it sounds like something I'd order at a pricey brunch, it's going to be good!

I raided my fridge and this is the deliciousness I came up with; who knows, maybe you'll make it one of your breakfast traditions.