Strawberry Shortcake (but No Cannoli) #FoodieReads

Okay, I'll admit that this isn't really a foodie book. But Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me by Ralph Macchio was a great read and did inspire me into the kitchen.

To give a little context though I watched all of the Karate Kid movies when they came out in the 80s. But it was really the current Cobra Kai series on Netflix that made me buy this book - that and the interview of Macchio on NPR when the book came out.

On the Page

This book is a monument to the first movie’s influence on pop culture. Macchio details the casting process and anecdotes from the film's production. But I think the strength of the memoir is how much the movie changed the lives of teenage underdogs everywhere!

Macchio also candidly discusses the dismissal of Elizabeth Shue (who he calls Lisa) for Karate Kid II and how Karate Kid III was actually detrimental to his career. But overall Waxing On is a positive, uplifting memoir that is a treat for anyone who grew up during that era...and for those of us who, now as parents, are watching Cobra Kai with our kids.

Speaking of Shue, I was inspired to make some strawberry shortcake based on this passage:

"'You have no business being with this girl'"—his laughter grew some more—'but you two are perfect together and look terrific—like a strawberry shortcake and a cannoli.' When you think of it—this pastry analogy, I mean—it is acutely accurate. LaRusso and Mills. Macchio and Shue. One ethnically Italian: crispy and hard-shelled on the outside with a concentrated, dense sweetness on the inside. And the other so visibly all-American, with the airy softness of sophistication, natural and organic as the fruit and whipped-cream combination it represents. Both delectable. Both probably displayed on opposite ends of the bakery case. As if they need to cross the tracks to the other side of town in order to meet. I have always loved that description that John gave us. A clear visual definition of our couple-ness that also begs for a double espresso macchiato (my hot beverage of choice these days). Suffice it to say, Elisabeth Shue sailed smoothly through the screen test process and was officially The Karate Kid’s Ali with an I—her first major movie role in what has been a long and impressive career in film and television."

So, here we go...strawberry shortcake, but no cannoli. Maybe one of these days I'll brave cannoli. Today is not that day.

Ingredients

There are so many versions of strawberry shortcake. This one has a sour cream pound cake as its base; it's moist and delicious.

Ingredients

Sour Cream Pound Cake

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened + some for buttering baking pan

• 3 cups organic granulated sugar

• 6 large eggs

• 3 cups flour

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 cup organic sour cream

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste

Macerated Strawberries

• 2 cups organic strawberries, hulled and sliced

• 2 Tablespoons organic powder sugar

• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Sweetened Sour Cream

• 1 cup organic sour cream

• 1/4 cup organic powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste

Procedure

Sour Cream Pound Cake Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together until lightened and fluffy, Approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk in the sour cream and vanilla paste. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Beat on low and slowly add the flour mixture. Beat until just moistened. Spoon batter into a buttered pan; I used a 10-inch square.

Bake for 75 minutes - or until the cake top is firm to the touch or a toothpick comes out clean. Run a butter knife along the edge and let the cake cool completely before slicing. Macerated Strawberries Place all of the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Toss until the sugar is completely moistened. Let stand for, at least, 20 minutes. Toss one more time before serving Sweetened Sour Cream Whisk all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. To Serve Place slices of pound cake in individual bowls. Add a dollop of sweetened sour cream. Top with macerated strawberries. Serve immediately.