Oprah’s chef shares his signature dishes

Art Smith presents two tasty recipes to try at home

Video: Make meals by Oprah’s chef

TODAY

updated 10/15/2007 10:27:07 AM ET

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After a 10-year stint with Oprah Winfrey, two-time James Beard award recipient chef Art Smith has just opened his own restaurant in Chicago. Table Fifty-Two serves handmade, organic foods gathered from some of the best farms right here in the Midwest. Try these two recipes from chef Art Smith at home:

Recipe: Hummingbird cake (on this page)

Recipe: Goat cheese drop biscuits (on this page)

Art Smith, chef, author and television personality, is also the author of “Back to the Family” (Thomas Nelson). He also serves as a contributing editor to “O, the Oprah Magazine,” the food editor of Oprah.com and is a regular tasting judge on Food Network's “Iron Chef America.”

Recipe: Hummingbird cake

Art Smith

Ingredients

Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped ripe bananas
1 cup drained crushed pineapple
1 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (4 ounces) finely chopped pecans
Icing
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

To make the cake, position racks in the center and bottom third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly butter two 9-inch round cake pans, sprinkle evenly with flour and tap out the excess. (If you wish, butter the pans, line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, then flour the pans and tap out the excess.)

Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, stir or whisk the bananas, pineapple, oil, eggs and vanilla until combined. Do not use an electric mixer. Pour into the dry mixture and fold together with a large spatula just until smooth. Do not beat. Fold in the pecans. Spread evenly into the pans.

Bake until the cake springs back when pressed in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the cakes to wire racks and cool for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks (remove the parchment paper now if using). Turn right side up and cool completely.

To make the icing: Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until combined. On low speed, gradually beat in the sugar, then the vanilla, to make a smooth icing.

Place 1 cake layer upside down on a serving platter. Spread with about 2/3 cup of the icing. Top with the second layer, right side up. Spread the remaining icing over the top and sides of the cake. The cake can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and stored, uncovered, in the refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

Serving Size

Serves 12

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Recipe: Goat cheese drop biscuits

Art Smith

Ingredients

2 cups King Arthur self-rising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) cold butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) goat cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk
Extra butter to grease pan and top biscuits
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Place one 10-inch cast-iron pan into the oven while it is preheating. Place flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder into a medium-sized bowl. Cut in the butter and goat cheese. Make a well in the middle of the ingredients and pour in the milk. Stir until the mix is moistened, adding an extra tablespoon of milk if needed.

Remove the hot skillet from the oven and place a tablespoon of butter into it. When the butter has melted, drop 1/4 cupfuls of batter into the pan (use a muffin scoop to drop the batter if you have one). Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter. Bake from 14-16 minutes until browned on the top and bottom. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Enjoy warm!