I feel bad for dentists. No one likes them. Well, I guess their families must. I meant no one else. No one I know likes the dentist.

I used to go to a dentist that billed himself as “the dentist who caters to cowards.” I used him not so much because he was good (he may have been) but because I was his target audience.

It all started when I was a kid and had a cavity (16 of them actually) and the dentist told me that the drill wasn’t going to hurt.

He lied. I bit him. He kicked me out of his office. It happened again, all before I was 8 years old, after which my kind and very wonderful 3rd grade teacher took me to her dentist who, at least, was honest about what was going to happen.

And so on, throughout my young adult life until finally one day I matured and stopped being afraid. That, plus the fact that novacaine helped (they didn’t use that on kids back in the day) plus the fact that after a certain age you more or less don’t get as many cavities anymore.

My high-cavity years were when all breakfast cereals (even Cheerios) contained sugar, plus our parents let us add extra sugar (and whole milk of course).

It was also before the authorities put fluoride in the water. I still vaguely remember the fights over whether fluoridating the water was a Communist plot and whether allowing it in the water was going to turn us into Commie robots.

It wasn’t and it didn’t.

But the cavity rates did plummet.

And so this morning, I went to the dentist and behaved myself. No cavities. Just a checkup and cleanup.

Whew!

So now that my teeth sparkle, I should really refrain from drinking tea or wine and eating stuff like blueberries that might stain.

But I needed to test out a recipe for Blueberry Streusel Cake.

It was yummy. And I brushed my teeth again right after I ate a piece, so it’s okay.

You can eat this for dessert or as a snack or even for breakfast.

Blueberry Streusel Cake

Streusel:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 3 tablespoons white sugar

• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 4 tablespoons butter

Place the brown sugar, white sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter in the workbowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (or work the butter into the other ingredients by hand). Set aside.

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 6 tablespoons butter

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 cup blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch square or 9-inch round cake pan. Mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and lemon peel in a bowl and set aside. Mix the milk and vanilla extract and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed, cream the butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the egg and blend it in. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the milk mixture, beating ingredients until smooth. Stir in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into the pan. Top with the streusel. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool.

Makes 8-10 servings