Category: Breakfast Eats

Breakfast foods you can have any time!

Ashure Cereal
Crazy 8 Day: It’s Crack Not A Cookie but It Deserves to be on the List

Crazy 8 Day: It’s Crack Not A Cookie but It Deserves to be on the List

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This year I joined in on Food52’s Holiday Gift Swap. It was simple, all I had to do was  make a donation to their designated charity and promise to send a food-centric gift by Dec. 10th.  A couple of days later, I received my “Secret Santa” swapee’s name and address.  My swappee lives in Colorado, I already had a list of go to items I wanted to send her like Jule’s granola and my cousin’s spiced pecans.

My box of goodies came from Catherine of Salt Lake City.  Like a kid in a candy store, I quickly tore the box open and discovered a treasure trove of gifts, sweet and salty chocolate sprinkles, popcorn seasoning, salad toppings, a too cute kitchen towel and a delicious cereal mix- Ashure Cereal that I started munching on immediately.  Luckily, Cathy included the recipe by Saimin Nosrat in the NY Times. It starts with a base of puffed wheat, nuts, and sesame seeds.  Then spiced with cinnamon, cardamon and mahaleb, (a middle eastern spice from cherry seeds, think bitter almond) and finally toasted in the oven with brown sugar, honey and oil.  It is addictively delicious.

After scarffing down the bag, I knew I had to make my own batch.

This is where the search begins…

I head to my favorite market, International Food Bazaar.  I unwittingly thought that the spices would be the hardest to find. Surprisingly not true.  Most of the ingredients and spices can also be found online.

With Mahaleb in hand, I head to my neighborhood grocery for the puffed wheat cereal…

4 STORES later, I walk out empty-handed and dejected.  Not a bag or box of puffed wheat to be found.  Apparently it is really hard to find puffed cereals without sugar added.  Who would have “thunk” it?

I took to the internet, and found Vitacost, a supplement/health food site where I not only find Puffed Wheat, but Puffed Kamut (an ancient grain), Puffed Corn and Puffed Rice. You can find Puffed Rice by Quaker Oats in the supermarket, a great alternative for a gluten free version. I like Puffed Kamut. I would definitely cut a bit of the cereal and add more nuts and Mahaleb.  Watch carefully when baking as it browns fairly quickly.  I love it over yogurt and fresh fruit or straight out of hand.

So be forewarned, the most difficult ingredient to find will be the cereal.  But it will be well worth it, Ashure Cereal is absolutely delicious.

Here, for you to drool over, my Food 52 holiday swap gift  from Cathy!

Ashure Cereal
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Ashure Cereal

Course Snack
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Keyword cereal
Cook Time 15 minutes
30 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Author Adapted from NYT

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup /85 grams neutral-tasting oil such as canola
  • 6 tablespoons /110 grams honey
  • 1⁄2 cup /110 grams dark brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground mahaleb increase to 3/4 -1
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 10 cups /160 grams puffed wheat sub Puffed Kamut or Rice
  • 3/4 Scant cup /85 grams halved pecans increase to 1 cup
  • 1⁄3 cup /50 grams pumpkin seeds
  • 3 tablespoons /30 grams sesame seeds
  • 1⁄2 cup /85 grams almonds very roughly chopped, or left whole with skin

Instructions

Step 1

  • Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions. Heat to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

Step 2

  • Combine oil, honey and sugar in a medium saucepan, and set over medium-high heat. Whisk well, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.

Step 3

  • In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients, and mix well. Once the honey mixture comes to a boil, carefully pour it over the dry ingredients. Working quickly, use a large silicone spatula to stir, turning the contents of the bowl over until everything is coated evenly with the syrup. Transfer mixture to baking sheets, and use spatula to flatten out cereal into an even layer.

Step 4

  • Place baking sheets on prepared oven racks, and bake for 10 minutes.
  • Carefully remove 1 tray at a time, and use spatula to stir cereal around. Rotate trays 180 degrees, and switch oven positions to ensure even baking. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes longer, until golden brown and well caramelized. Remove from oven, and allow to cool entirely on the trays before breaking cereal into large clusters.

Step 5

  • Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Happy holidays and happy baking!
“Bacon Up” Some Savory Scones

“Bacon Up” Some Savory Scones

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It is not surprising that I love scones.  Scones are the British version of biscuits and as you all know, I am obsessed with biscuits.  I will go in search of two things on my travels, BISCUITS and PIE. Yep, I have been known to detour far and wide for either.  I may not go out of my way for a scone (who am I kidding, yes I will), but if I happen on a bakery and they have scones, that’s what will be sitting next to my cup of joe.  At home, my favorite scone recipe is from Dorie Greenspan.  Tender, crumbly, buttery, a touch of sweetness-downright delicious.  Make it with currants for a classic cream scone, or change it up and add orange zest and dried cranberries or my personal favorite, lemon and wild blueberries.

But this post takes a walk on the savory side.  Recommended by my friend Mary, baker extraordinaire-Bacon, Cheddar, Chive Scones from King Arthur Flour are seriously addicting.  That first bite fills your mouth with buttery crumbs, chunks of golden cheese, flecks of green chives, and then…wait for it..sweet, salty, crispy, bits of BACON.  Hello?  Are you smacking your lips right now?  You should be.

bacon cheddar chive scone

These are quick and easy to make and you can freeze the unbaked scones, take them out in the morning, throw them in the oven and voila, 30 minutes later, you are enjoying freshly baked warm scones.

After cutting the butter into the flour mixture, add your flavor bombs.

Add cream and fold, smoosh the dough together and form a disc approximately 1 inch thick, cut into wedges.  Do not overmix, but the dough should come together when pinched.  Add cream in tablespoon increments if necessary.

Confession.  The first time I made these was on a whim.  I opened the door to my fridge, hmmm, no chives, scallions will have to do.  What? No heavy cream, you’re kidding… well, I do have half & half, why not?  The trifecta of substitutions, I had a medley of cheese, Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and Mozzarella no cheddar.

Last minute bakers cannot be choosy.

The scones turned out fine. Light, great bacon flavor, definitely a keeper and I saved all those calories using half-half. Not bad!

The next time I was prepared-heavy cream, pastry flour, chives, sharp cheddar cheese…you betcha’.  This scone was a bit denser and moister, I could taste the sharp cheddar and overall the scone seemed richer.

Both scones were delicious.  So I leave it to you.  For a richer scone use heavy cream, for a lighter scone use half & half but definitely use sharp cheddar cheese for flavor.  I might even add some chopped jalapeno next time to spice it up a bit.  Woohoo!

**Alert** If you are a purist do not read the next paragraph.  The recipe calls for approximately a cup of chopped bacon.  That’s a lot of bacon.  You COULD oven-bake or pan-fry (all that splatter, ugh) the half pound of bacon and crumble it into bits, OR you could go to Costco and buy ready to use REAL bacon bits.  We are not talking imitation Bacobits but real bacon.  Snap, So EASY.

 

 

 

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Bacon-Cheddar-Chive Scones

Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American, British
Keyword scone
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Pastry Flour Blend either works fine
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons cold butter
  • 1 cup very coarsely grated or diced cheddar cheese grated works well
  • 1/3 cup snipped fresh chives or finely diced scallion tops the green part
  • 1/2 pound bacon cooked, cooled, and crumbled (about 1 cup)* see text above
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whipping cream or enough to make the dough cohesive

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle to upper third. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.
  • Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Work the butter into the flour until the mixture is unevenly crumbly, with some of the butter remaining in larger pieces.
  • Mix in the cheese, chives, and bacon until evenly distributed.
  • Add 3/4 cup of the cream, stirring to combine. Try squeezing the dough together; if it's crumbly and won't hang together, or if there are crumbs remaining in the bottom of the bowl, add cream until the dough comes together. Transfer the shaggy dough to a well-floured work surface.
  • Pat the dough into a smooth 7" disk about 3/4" thick. Transfer the disk to the prepared baking sheet. Use a knife or bench knife to cut the disk into 8 wedges, spreading the wedges apart a bit on the pan.
  • Brush the scones with a bit of cream; this will help their crust brown.
  • Bake the scones in the middle or upper third of the oven for 22 to 24 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the pan.If they brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.   Serve warm, or at room temperature.
  • Refrigerate any leftover scones, well wrapped, for several days; reheat before serving. Freeze for longer storage.

Notes

Want to make scones now, freeze and bake later?
Make scones up to the point they're on the baking sheet, cut and ready to bake; don't brush them with cream. Freeze, then remove from the sheet, and wrap airtight in a plastic bag. When you're ready to bake, remove however many you want to bake from the freezer, place on a baking sheet, brush with cream, and bake in a preheated 425°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.
Make mini-scones: Divide the dough in half, and roll each half into a 5" round. Cut each round into 8 wedges. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven till golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes; or for about 25 minutes if frozen.
Instant Pot Easy Jook (Rice Soup) Soul Food Breakfast

Instant Pot Easy Jook (Rice Soup) Soul Food Breakfast

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Last weekend Jamie played her version of NYT’s 36 Hours. We picked her up at the airport (SFO NOT SJC, grrrr) at 1:00 am Friday night (ok Saturday morning, delays) and dropped her off Sunday at 11:00 AM.  Her first words upon seeing her bleary-eyed parents? DID YOU BRING MY SUSHI WITH YOU?  I AM STARVING!  Lucky we like her.

Happy Hour Any Hour

With Jamie coming home, the call went out for a happy hour, which, due to schedules, morphed into a Saturday morning breakfast happy hour.  Any time of day is Happy Hour when it involves friends, food, and fun.  It just means tweaking the menu that’s all. We decided on a bowl of fresh strawberries and summer peaches, Belgium Waffles, candied bacon, Jule’s Granola and yogurt.  Jamie chimed in with “I want Jook (rice soup) too”  Rice Soup is soul food, comfort food, each bite reminds one of being home.  With its addition and the various toppings like shredded chicken, assorted sweet and salty pickles, and slivers of green onions to go along, our breakfast menu was complete.

A small stumbling block to this plan, who was going to make Jook (Rice Soup) in the morning? Ugh, the last thing I wanted to do was get up early after a late-night airport pickup.  Then it hit me, hello…you have an INSTANT POT, Deb.  A quick Google search yielded plenty of recipes so I decided on a mash-up of my Dad’s Jook and a couple of Instant Pot recipes I found online.  Yay, I’ll get forty winks and have rice soup ready for breakfast.

Jook in an Instant Pot is so stupid easy it’s a crime.  Saute a couple of slices of ginger in the Instant Pot add the washed rice, give it a few good stirs, add skinned chicken drumsticks, fill the pot with water and seasonings, seal it and set the timer for 20 minutes. That’s it.  Jook Time.  If you have chicken stock, use it for an extra rich and flavorful soup.

I have a confession, if I don’t have homemade stock or even low-sodium commercial chicken broth, I’ll add a tablespoon of a chicken stock base such as Better Than Boullion, or Chicken Powder by LKK or Knorr (a Chinese kitchen staple) just to kick it up a notch.  It’s not necessary but it will add some depth of flavor.  The soup will look thin when you first take off the lid.  Stir it a couple of times to combine the rice and stock, hit the saute’ function, and bring it to a boil. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the Jook is the consistency you want.

*Notes from a Thanksgiving Table

My favorite post-Thanksgiving meals aka “What to do with your leftovers”.

Turkey Rice Soup (Congee or Jook)

DON’T THROW AWAY THE BONES AND CARCASS. 

Get out your stockpot (or any really, really big pot).  Throw the carcass, wings, drumsticks (sans stuffing) in and fill with water. Add a smashed chunk of ginger (2-inch piece) 1/2 cup of rice wine, a bunch of scallions, a large pinch of salt and bring it to a boil.  Once it boils, reduce heat to a nice energetic simmer.  Cover and fuggetaboutit for a couple of hours.  You will end up with liquid gold to make any delicious soup you want.  For a non-Asian bent, omit ginger and scallions and throw in carrots, celery, yellow onions instead.  But honestly, it doesn’t matter, you could make jook with either stock.

I do make the stock separately so that I can strain the stock and remove all those little nasty bone fragments and seasoning vegetables.  They have all done their job and can now exit stage left.

The stock will keep in the fridge for about a week or longer in the freezer.

Now go back to the top or to the bottom for the recipe on how to make jook….you’ll thank me, so so good.

Hello….Turkey Sammies a la Dagwood style which means all your Thanksgiving leftovers in between two slices of bread.  Yep, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, and a couple of slices of cheese from the appetizer plate.  Don’t forget the leftover greens from the salad no one ate because WHO eats salad on Thanksgiving-puulease.  Oh man-so good.

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Instant Pot Chicken Congee Recipe (Jook)

Jook or congee, the ultimate comfort food, when its cold outside, when you have a cold, anytime.
Course Soup
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Calories 140kcal

Ingredients

For the Soup:

  • 1 cup long grain Jasmine rice honestly you can use any kind of rice, long, medium or short grain
  • 1.5 Tsp vegetable oil
  • 3 Slices thinly sliced fresh ginger size of quarters
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3-4 skinless chicken drumsticks or thighs or 2 whole chicken legs, can also add pork such as pork butt 2-3 2 inch pieces
  • 8 to 10 cups water, fill to the 10-cup mark on your IP or use stock and water 1:1
  • 1/8 cup rice wine
  • 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon (optional) Skip if you are starting with stock

At the Finish Line

  • 2 tsp sesame oil toasted, Asian sesame oil
  • 1/3-1/2 cup scallions-sliced on the bias garnish
  • 1/8 Cup finely shredded fresh ginger garnish
  • Salt and pepper to taste preferably white pepper

Instructions

  • Wash rice. Add the rice to a bowl, and add enough water to cover the rice. Swirl the rice around. Drain and repeat a few times until the water is clear. Let drain and dry.
  • Turn on Instant Pot with Saute function.  When hot, add 1 -1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil and ginger.  Saute for 30 seconds, add rice and 1 teaspoon salt.  Stir to coat rice with oil approximately 1 minute.
  • Add chicken pieces, bouillon, and rice wine to the pot . **If you are in a rush or feeling lazy, skip sauteing the rice and ginger.  Just throw them into the pot, fill with enough water until it reaches the 10 cup mark in the Instant Pot.
  • Turn off saute, close the lid and make sure the knob is on "Sealing". Choose the "Porridge" button and set the time to 20 minutes.
  • While congee is cooking, shred ginger and slice scallions and place in small bowls for serving.
  • When the time is up on the timer, turn the Instant Pot off. Wait 15 minutes natural release before turning the knob from 'Sealing' to 'Venting'. Rice soup tends to splatter a lot, do not do a quick release.
  • Remove the chicken from the pot, when it is cool enough to handle, shred the meat and discard the bones. If the jook seems thin, turn saute' function on (without the lid on) and cook until desired consistency.  If it is too thick, add water or broth.
  • Add the chicken back into the congee or put it in a bowl and let folks add at the table. Taste, add salt if necessary.
  • Ladle into bowls and top with desired amount of ginger, white pepper, sesame oil and scallions. Let folks add their own.

Toppings and Fixins'

  • My Dad's Jook calls for potatoes, I love them in my soup. Any kind of potato will work, peeled and quartered for large potatoes. Add at the same time as the chicken when making the soup.
  • For meatballs, follow instructions under Dad's Jook. This can be added at the end after pressure cooking.  Remove lid and press saute function.  When the rice soup comes to a boil, add meatballs and cook until done 2-3 minutes.
  • Additional toppings include cilantro leaves, fried garlic slivers, shredded fresh ginger, salted peanuts, shredded lettuce (iceberg works well)...the list goes on. Anything you eat with rice can be added.  NO Rules!
A Toast to Bostock (Brioche aux Amandes)

A Toast to Bostock (Brioche aux Amandes)

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Our weekend ritual of going to the Farmer’s Market is a two-pronged mission.  After stocking up on fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables we turn our attention to the artisanal products that are peppered throughout the market.  Smoked salts, leaf lard from the meat guy, olive oils from family orchards, bread, and fresh tofu.  I invariably stop at the Manresa bread stall. I have a weak spot for their Kouign Aman and their Bostock.

Bostock?  Yep, glorified TOAST, 4-5 bucks a slice. Call it a guilty pleasure.  A slice of buttery brioche with a layer of orange marmalade or strawberry rhubarb jam, topped with an almond frangipane and a generous sprinkle of sliced almonds.  Baked, finished with a blanket of powdered sugar.  So good.

I probably won’t attempt to make Kouign Aman but Bostock, that’s a different story.  It’s toast on steroids when you think about it.  A recipe for Bostock from the blog The Little Epicurean looked delicious and sounded very doable.  Time to stop the 5 dollar toast madness and make my own. I love her photo and as they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery.  Making Bostock pictogram starts with brioche, slather with preserves, coat with almond frangipane and top with sliced almonds. Pop it in the oven. Badabing, badaboom, done.

Bostock

Ok, I did cheat a little, store-bought brioche (Trader Joe’s Brioche-thumbs up) makes this a quick and easy recipe.  I used a homemade strawberry-blueberry jam but feel free to use any jam you like. The almond frangipane is made of butter, almonds, sugar and an egg whirled to a smooth creamy paste in a food processor.  As I pulled the slices out of the oven the aroma of butter, sugar and almond filled the kitchen.  Life is good, especially if you have fresh baked Bostock.

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A Toast to Bostock (Brioche aux Amandes)

Glorified toast which you should definitley make!
Course Breads, Breakfast
Cuisine French
Keyword Bostock
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 thick slices of brioche challah, or enriched milk bread
  • 6 Tablespoons orange marmalade or your choice of jam
  • Almond frangipane spread recipe follows
  • Sliced almonds as needed
  • Confectioners' sugar to dust

Almond Frangipane Spread:

  • 1 cup almonds sliced or whole
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature, softened
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 Tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick silicone mat. Arrange bread on baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of orange marmalade over bread. Top with 3 tablespoons of almond frangipane spread. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes until almonds are golden and bread is toasted.
  • Transfer bread to cool rack to prevent bottom from getting soggy. Dust warm bostock with sifted confections' sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Almond Frangipane Spread:

  • In a food processor, pulse together almonds and half of sugar until nuts are finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl.
  • In same food processor, process together butter, remaining sugar, salt, vanilla, almond extract, egg, and cream until smooth.
  • Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing. Add ground nut mixture and pulse until thoroughly combined.
  • Use almond frangipane spread immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Allow to soften to room temperature before use.
Karma’s a Batch…of Meyer Lemon Scones

Karma’s a Batch…of Meyer Lemon Scones

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I got up this morning with scones on the brain.  A while ago I had come across a recipe on the blog Dessert for Two for Small Batch Meyer Lemon Scones. They looked delicious.  I filed it away under the “I should try these cause they look yummy” recesses of my mind.  This past weekend my goal was to clean and reorganize the fridge (inspired by Sam Kass’s new book). As luck would have it, squirreled away in the back of the crisper drawer I found a forgotten bag of Meyer Lemons from my baking buddy, Kathy.

Karma, I was Meant to Make These Scones.

The recipe makes four more-than-generous scones so my first change was to make six instead.  A nice size to accompany a breakfast plate or on its own as an afternoon tea treat. You can whip up a batch in no time flat and that’s without using a mixer. The keys are to keep everything as cold as possible and to not overwork the dough.  The mantra for any scone, biscuit, or pie dough.

I used a pastry cutter to mix the butter in the flour.  The butter should be in small pieces no bigger than petite peas.  Add the wet ingredients and blend together.  The mixture will not hold together but will be shaggy.  Pour onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Fold and compress the dough to form a disc.  The heat of your hands will help the dough clump together.  Cut the disc into four to six pieces.

Separate the scones and paint the tops with heavy cream.  Bake until golden.  I made the icing but it didn’t stand out on the scones. It did add a nice sweet-tart finish though.

Meyer Lemon Scones

These scones are tender, buttery, and lemony sweet.  The perfect beginning or ending to a day.  It’s a good thing this is a small batch recipe…I’d be tempted to eat them all.

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Karma’s a Batch…of Meyer Lemon Scones

A lovely buttery, light, lemony scone from Dessert for Two that is easy to make, a perfect weekend morning pick me up.
Course Biscuits and scones, Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword Cream Scones, meyer lemon scones, Meyer lemons
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Wet Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream plus extra for brushing
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • zest of 2 Meyer lemons* I'm thinking grapefruit or reg lemons would work well too.

For the optional glaze: Try not to skip it, it is a nice finish.

  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
  • In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
  • Dice the butter and add it to the flour mixture. Work the butter into the flour mixture until it's evenly distributed and smaller than peas. Use two knives, a pastry cutter, or your fingertips (quickly squeeze the butter pieces between your fingers pressing them into little flakes.
  • Whisk heavy cream, egg yolk and lemon zest in a small bowl. Pour ontothe flour mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Don't overmix, but incorporate things well.
  • Scoop the dough out, place it on the baking sheet, and use the warmth of your hands to fold and press dough together until it sticks together into a round disc form.
  • Cut the dough circle into 4-6 even pieces. Brush each piece with extra heavy cream. (Cut by pressing knife in one downward motion, don't use a sawing motion which will cause uneven rising)
  • Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and they lightly brown on the edges.
  • While the scones bake, whisk together the glaze ingredients.
  • Glaze the scones when cool.
Food Porn (Kristen Kish Cooking)

Food Porn (Kristen Kish Cooking)

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I recently received Top Chef Winner Kristen Kish’s beautiful book, Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques from Blogging for Books. Right off the bat I am going to say I am torn. It is a DROP DEAD GORGEOUS book and I am in love with it…but from afar. This is like that “out of my league” guy I was never going to get and if he ever spoke to me, I would have sounded like a babbling idiot…intimidated by his awesomeness.
My first run through of the book, I literally drooled over every dish. All I could think was has she opened a restaurant yet? If so, where is it?  I’m making reservations.  Actually making one of her creations seemed daunting.
Each plate is a work of art, each plate reminds why she is a chef and I am a home cook with kids, a dog and a job that will pay for a visit to wherever she ends up creating her beautiful food.   Her presentation is stunning simplicity that belies the complexity and thought she puts into each dish.  Each recipe is accompanied by a story from her life or how the recipe came about.  I loved reading these little vignettes. Her description and use of a variety of techniques in each recipe will no doubt make anyone a better cook.
The second time I picked up the book I knew I had to gather up the guts to pick a couple of things to try, after all I needed to review the book. The book is divided first by snacks, salads, sweets and by protein-meat or from the sea.  Each recipe contains liners on what techniques are used in the recipe and ingredients in one column and directions in the inner column.  Very well organized.
Confession, I looked for the easiest recipe I could try.  A dish that didn’t require special ingredients or a multi-step process to make.
I decided on her Sour Cream Cake, Pecan, Malted Milk Creme Fraiche, baking is in my comfort zone. The batter was fairly straight forward, I have a 8-inch round cake pan and amazingly I also had the malted milk powder.
Things were going smoothly…right up until I put the batter in the pan. Hmm, it’s a lot of batter, it’s pretty dense, maybe it doesn’t rise that much.
WRONG. Though I knew better I wanted to follow the directions explicitly. Halfway through baking the batter oozed over the sides of the pan like the BLOB and dropped onto the floor of my oven. I quickly shoved some foil underneath, a little smoke but at least the smoke alarm didn’t go off, catastrophe partially averted.
I e-mailed Kristen and she was great.  She recommended a springform pan or extending the walls of my pan with a parchment collar. Mine took well over an hour and was still undercooked in the center. The edge was delicious, the cake was buttery and tender.  She texted me again after making the cake for her family.  Hers took 49 minutes to bake and she used a deep 8 inch springform.  Definitely going to try this again.

I tried a second time using a 9 inch springform and to prove you can teach an old dog new tricks I extended the sides with parchment. In my haste I used butter that was still cold, I thought I could get by. WRONG AGAIN. Mea culpa.  Ugh, the cake came out a little dense. It required around 50 minutes to bake despite the larger pan.

Note to self and everyone, use  a pan with at least 3 inch sides or taller and room temp butter! No shortcuts.

I will try again as the third time is always a charm. I think I would use light brown sugar instead of dark for a milder flavor.  I love the nuttiness and the crunch of the pecans and the hit of salt in the topping.

Whew.

I then tried her recipe for Cavatelli, Corn, Roasted Tomato, Thai Basil.

Full disclosure. I CHEATED.

I bought pasta instead of making the cavatelli. The sauce was easy to prepare and delicious. I love the roasted tomatoes and charred corn and the creaminess of the sauce. Much like a carbonara, egg yolks and hard cheese (Romano) are stirred together and hot pasta is added to the mixture which creates a silky lovely sauce. I added a splash of the pasta water to thin it just a bit. Yummy. The Thai basil added color contrast to the dish but just a hint of flavor. I hope it’s not blasphemous but I think I would add a bit of bacon or pancetta next time..yummy


I was about to try her recipe for egg pudding but for 8 eggs (4 servings) it calls for 10 tablespoons of butter, some creme fraiche and a brown butter drizzle on top. Luckily, within the directions I could only account for 7 tablespoons of butter, I’m ok with not using the remaining 3 tablespoons.  Decided to save this for a day when I work out first.

There are recipes I am definitely going to try. Even a couple that look pretty involved but sound deliciously worth making.  Roasted chicken thighs and Labneh (but first gotta get those Calabrian chilis), Braised Potatoes with Pancetta and Comte, the Potato Puree with Chicken Skin Crisps and the Hamachi, Sweet Onion, Bacon, Miso and Potato are on my bucket list.  Until then I will keep her book on my coffee table to salivate over and enjoy.
Jest Jammin’ (Strawberry Lime Jam)

Jest Jammin’ (Strawberry Lime Jam)

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From my weekly trip to the Farmer’s Market I once again came home with way too many strawberries…I should have bought one basket but noooo…I went bonkers and bought a HALF FLAT of strawberries.  That’s 6 baskets of strawberries between the two of us.

Which means it’s JAM TIME.  I pulled up the recipe for STUPID EASY JAM I posted a couple months ago, grabbed the lime instead of the lemon sitting on the counter and less than an hour later I’m spreading homemade jam on toast to go with my coffee.  How easy is that? Yummos.  The lime is a nice change from lemon it gives it a tropical twist.

I think the best thing about regattas and long bike rides is guilt free carb loading. There is nothing better than a pb&j sandwich. I love the saltiness of the peanut butter and the sweetness of the jam smooshed between two slices of Wonder Bread.

Even though I didn’t row or ride today, a loaf of soft white bread reminiscent of Wonder Bread, a jar of just made jam and summer’s last hurrah heat wave was the perfect excuse for a pb&j sandwich and a tall glass of ice cold milk for dinner. Nothing like starting the day with jam on buttered toast and ending it with a pb&j.  Felt like a kid again.

So if you are like me and find yourself with too many strawberries.  Make some jam!
Ottolenghi-Ototalyummi Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake

Ottolenghi-Ototalyummi Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake

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I am a big fan of Ottolenghi’s cookbooks, the photos are mouthwatering and every dish I have tried has been delicious.  My favorite book is Jerusalem and not just for the recipes and photos but it’s premise. Two men who grew up in opposite ends of Jerusalem, one Jewish, one Arab create wonderful food together.

In today’s America we seem so divided…we should just have a ginormous potluck where everyone brings their favorite dish to share. The rule would be bring a dish your grandmother or your grandfather made for you.  Can you imagine that table?  It would be filled with dishes from every corner of the world.  Hard to hate on someone sharing a bowl of their grandmother’s mandu or kreplach. Mean words to a guy who hands you a plate of brisket perfectly smoked the way his dad taught him?  I hope not.  Food soothes the soul, heals the heart and sways the mind.

A girl can dream right?

A couple of weeks ago Ottolenghi posted a recipe in his New York Times column that looked absolutely scrumptious.  A Blueberry Lemon Almond Loaf.  Lucky for me I have a lemon tree in my garden (an endless supply of lemons makes me happy) and had ripe, sweet blueberries from my trip to the farmers market over the weekend.

Buttery goodness is brightened by lemon zest, with a generous amount of blueberries, and finished with a zingy lemon icing. Yep, making cake, then eating cake.

The batter comes together quickly. The addition of almond flour produces a tender crumb. The only glitch I encountered was adding a reserved portion of blueberries to the batter after 15 minutes in the oven.  At this point, the top of the loaf was brown and pretty set. I ended up throwing the blueberries on top and pushing them down-with a bit of success. Next time I’d check the loaf earlier and throw the berries on a bit earlier so they sink into the batter a bit. I love lemon so I pumped up the amount of lemon zest in the cake and added some to the icing. Bake this cake it’s lemonlicious and bluerrific.

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Ottolenghi-Ototalyummi Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake

Blueberry Lemon Almond Cake from Ottolenghi. Buttery, filled with citrus flavor
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword Apple Cake, blueberry, lemon, ottolenghi
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 43 minutes

Ingredients

Ottolenghi New York Times Cooking

    Creamed Mixture

    • 11 tbsp 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons(150 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the pan
    • 1 scant cup (190 grams) granulated or superfine sugar caster sugar
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 3 large eggs beaten

    Dry Mixture

    • ⅔ cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour plain flour, sifted
    • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup (110 grams) almond flour finely ground almonds
    • 1 ½ cups (200 grams) fresh blueberries Split into scant 1 cup for the batter and 3/8 cup for top of cake

    The Finish

    • ⅔ cup (70 grams) confectioners’ sugar icing sugar, powdered
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice (or more juice as needed)

    Instructions

    • Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. Grease a 9- or 8-inch/21-centimeter loaf pan with butter, line it with a parchment paper sling and butter the paper. Set the pan aside.
    • In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and almond flour. Set aside.
    • Place butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light, then lower speed to medium. Add eggs in three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times as necessary. The mix may split (look curdled) a little but don’t worry: It’ll come back together once you add the dry ingredients.
    • With the stand mixer on low, add the reserved dry ingredient mixture in three additions, mixing just until no dry specks remain. Fold in about 3/4 of the blueberries by hand, then scoop batter into the prepared loaf pan.
    • Bake for 15 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining blueberries over the top of the cake. Check the cake at the 10 minuteReturn to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes, until cake is golden brown but still uncooked. Cover loosely with foil and continue to cook for another 25 to 30 minutes (less for a 9-inch pan, more for an 8-inch pan), or until risen and cooked, and a knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
    • Remove from oven and set aside in its pan to cool for 10 minutes before removing cake from pan and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
    • When cake is cool, make the icing: Add lemon juice and icing sugar to a bowl and whisk together until smooth, adding a bit more juice if necessary, just until the icing moves when you tilt the bowl. Pour over the cake and gently spread out. The blueberries on the top of the cake may bleed into the icing a little, but this will add to the look.
    • Let icing set (about 30 minutes), slice and serve.

    My Tweaks

    • I added another teaspoon of lemon zest to the batter and 1/2 teaspoon of zest to the icing. I ❤️ lemon
    • I did not use all the icing, I drizzled the icing on instead. Not a big fan of lots of icing.
    (Blueberry Hand Pies) Girls Just Wanna Have Pie

    (Blueberry Hand Pies) Girls Just Wanna Have Pie

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    I am a pie kind of gal.  It is common knowledge, I will search for pie at every opportunity-family vacations, weekend jaunts, regattas, anytime, anywhere. Yes, some serious hunting for a slice of some “damn fine pie”.  A family trip years ago in a rental car did not deter me (our Suburban died in Salt Lake City on our way to Yellowstone for a bike trip) from stopping in Logan, Utah just to eat huckleberry pie…we had to drive through Utah to get to Yellowstone anyways, why not? Then there are my crewmates who have come to realize I don’t row to row, I row to eat pie.  Luckily they like pie too.  A 4-hour detour to Underhill Vermont for pie NBD, right?

    Hand Me a Pie

    I have been eyeing a recipe for blueberry hand pies from King Arthur Flour for awhile and just hadn’t gotten off my duff to try it.  A little nudge was all I needed, which happened when a post on Ipso Fatto (on my FAV blog list) for that very recipe arrived in my inbox. Coupled with blueberries that have been so good lately….made it a no-brainer to finally try it.   I’m glad I did, these hand pies are SUPER DELICIOUS!  The crust is flaky and buttery with a touch of tartness from the sour cream. The filling is simple and straight forward, blueberries with a bit of lemon like Fred and Ginger, the perfect duo.

    Cold Cash, I mean Dough

    The dough is fairly easy to work with so I would recommend this for pie crust novices.  Use a food processor to combine the dry ingredients and the butter.  Use quick pulses to break up the butter into the flour.  When the butter is about pea size stop and proceed by hand.  Out comes my wooden bowl, in goes the butter-flour mixture.  Add the sour cream to this and using your hand or a wooden spoon, stir to incorporate the sour cream.  You will end up with a shaggy mess that does not stick together (see above photo with blueberries).  Pour this mixture onto a flat surface and using a dough scraper or hand “smoosh” the dough together until it comes together.  Form into a disc and chill.

    The Pi Golden Rule (I just made that up) if the dough gets soft or sticky and difficult to work with, throw it in the fridge to CHILL.  This will save you lots of tears and frustration.  Roll dough out between parchment and transfer it to a baking sheet so it can chill again before cutting.

    The extra step for this dough is folding it like an envelope and rolling it out a couple of times.  Much like the puff pastry process, this creates layers of butter in the dough and makes the crust FLAKY.  SO YUMMY.  The recipe calls for an egg wash and coarse sugar sprinkled on the pies.  Me, meh, sugar on my pie crust is not my thing so I skipped it, up to you.  Dust the pies with powdered sugar to add some sweetness.  I adore lemon and blueberry together so I kicked it up a notch by adding a teaspoon of lemon zest to the filling.  La la la….love it!

    So the name of the game is don’t overwork your dough, chill it if gets too soft, work quickly.  Ta-dah! Blueberry hand pies that will blow your family and friends away.

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    Let Them Eat Pie

    Ingredients

    PASTRY

    • 2 cups 81/2 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
    • 3/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 cup 16 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
    • 1/2 cup cold sour cream

    FILLING

    • 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch or 1 tablespoon Instant ClearJel*
    • 1/3 cup sugar
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt a large pinch
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • *For frozen berries use 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch or 1 1/2 tablespoons ClearJel.

    TOPPING

    • 1 large egg beaten
    • 2 tablespoons white sparkling sugar for garnish

    Instructions

    • The directions can be found here on the King Arthur Flour site.
    • Optional changes include:
    • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the blueberry filling
    • Omit sparkling sugar and egg wash, dust with powdered sugar before serving.
    • I'm sure this would work with any seasonal fruit including strawberries and lime, or peaches with hint of almond extract...go for it!