I am cooking so my daughter doesn’t have to.

This doesn’t really make a lot of sense, since she lives in California and is a terrific cook. In some ways, she is better than I am. She is an intuitive cook, has few cookbooks and gets only one magazine, Food magazine from the Food Network.

The reason I am cooking for her now is because she will visit me between June 28 and July 6 this year. For the first weekend, we will probably eat at Ford’s for seafood, 2Wives for the salads we both love, and then to Fairfield for my boules game at Michael and Lori Nischan. Michael is one of the best chefs in America and their boules party is always culinary heaven.

After that, Darcy will become my nurse, caretaker and cook, since I get my new hip on July 1. Since she is spending her “vacation” with me, I want to make a few things I know she will enjoy. She doesn’t bake as much as I do, so I know she will love this pound cake, which goes so well with the local fruit that will be available. And, in case we have some visitors, she will be able to be “hostess,” too.

Cruze Farm Buttermilk Pound Cake

Adapted from Field Report by Christine Muhlke, “Got Buttermilk” (New York Times Magazine, April 26, 2009, page 43)

Serves at 10 to 12

For the cake:

3/4 cup butter, plus more for greasing pan

3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring pan

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup solid shortening or coconut oil)

4 large eggs

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup cultured buttermilk

juice of 1 lemon, strained

For the glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1. Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt pan, tapping out excess flour (I use Pam instead of butter).*

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. Make sure sugar has no lumps.

3. In a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and shortening, stopping to scrape down sides. Slowly drizzle in sugar; cream the mixture well (at least two minutes). Beat in eggs, one at a time, adding the next when the last has been incorporated. Mix in vanilla. On low speed, mix in a third of the flour mixture until just combined. Add a third of the buttermilk, maxing until just combined. Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk. Add lemon juice and mix together.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester, inserted, comes in clean, about 75 minutes. The top of the cake will be lightly browned, and the sides will shrink slightly from the pan. Cool for 20 minutes before inverting onto a cake platter.

5. Before serving, stir together the glaze ingredients and spoon over top and sides of cake. It’s even better the next day.

*I have also made this cake in loaf pans. I bake for about 50 minutes, then check for doneness with a wooden skewer. If still wet, bake for another five minutes and check again. Do this until the skewer comes back dry.

On the Side: Luce

Middletown rocks on Saturday night. We had gone to the city's cinema to see "Booksmart," and didn't think we would have a difficult time having dinner at Mondo. Oh, yeah? They don't take reservations, and the wait would be at least an hour. So we drove down Main Street, wondering whether it would be Japanese, Mexican or Thai. We were hungry. We got a parking place right in front of Luce and I remembered that one of my doctors loved the place.

It is a big place, really beautiful, and they had a table for us. It is very Italian and very luxe, very luxe. We had wine, gorgeous salads, three different entrees and shared tiramisu. From this big menu I chose mushroom ravioli with herbs in a black truffle cream sauce. I ate every single bite. What a lovely birthday dinner.

Luce, 98 Washington St., Middletown

(860) 344-0222

Lee White lives in Groton. She can be reached at leeawhite@aol.com.