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10 Legs in the Kitchen

~ Food. Dogs. Life!

10 Legs in the Kitchen

Category Archives: Breakfast/Brunch

Fireworks, Firetrucks, Pancakes and the Fourth!

05 Sunday Jul 2020

Posted by Stacey Bender in Breakfast/Brunch, family gatherings, holidays

≈ 3 Comments

Sleepy towns and big parades. The fourth of July is synonymous with fireworks, firetrucks and pancakes. At least it used to be before the summer of 2020. My brother and his Family used to have a vacation place in the seaside town of Manzanita, OR. In winter, a quiet place where you might not see a soul unless you were having dinner at the local pizza joint.

In the warmer months, it comes alive and is filled with the cries of happy children playing on the beach, racing their bicycles up and down the main drag or simply running amuck the way kids do when they are allowed to be kids.

The sidewalks are filled with people and strollers and dogs. Lots of dogs. The people stroll breezily along, dodging in and out of the many shops or carrying boogie boards and kites as they make their way to the beach.

The beach is at the end of the main street, right near that pizza place, which is also the doughnut shop and the coffee stop (next door). All three reside under the same roof with two or three manning the one cash register and a buzz of activity in the kitchen beyond. I have yet to have a better pizza elsewhere and don’t consider it an official start of the day until I’ve sat outside on the bench, with my dogs, my brother and a bag of breakfast. Sometimes a doughnut and cappuccino, other times the breakfast croissant and fresh orange juice. Either way, after a bike ride on the beach, stopping at Marzano’s makes me feel like it is the beginning of a glorious day!

On the fourth of July, all those people could be found at the firehouse, eating pancakes before the big parade. I have never actually eaten pancakes at the firehouse, but I couldn’t help but remember the many years of riding my bike past the sign that announced that particular big pancake feed. The night before, there were already chairs lined up and down the streets to await the parade that followed. It was tradition. I hope it still is.

Yesterday, I awoke to the sound of people walking by our house, in packs. I sat at my desk watching them carry folding chairs.  Some wore masks and some did not.  The chairs  were set up on the corner, just past our street.

Even our sleepy town has a fourth of July parade and this year, even though it was not the usual gathering, the firetrucks, the medics, the police and even the Mayor, did a drive by through the neighborhood, honking horns and sounding the sirens to the delight of the children, young and old.

I couldn’t help but make a stack of pancakes.

Happy Fourth (on the 5th)!

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Print

Pancakes & the 4th

Pancakes, hot cakes, breakfast cakes. Easy to make and perfect for a lazy Sunday morning or a quick bite before heading off to the Fourth of July Parade.

The batter can be used a day or two later as well. The cooked pancakes can also be frozen to pop in the toaster for that quick, off-to-work kind of affair too. Just add syrup, berries or both.

  • Author: Stacey Bender

Ingredients

Scale

1 1/4 cup bread flour (or all purpose flour)
1 TB brown coconut sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt

2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup cream on top, plain yogurt
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 TB maple syrup
2 TB butter, melted and cooled slightly

Blueberries, optional

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites to fluff and then whisk in the milk, yogurt, vinegar and syrup.

3. Whisk the egg yolks and then whisk in the melted butter.

4. Add the egg white mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just unit it comes together (lumps are okay).

5. Stir the egg yolk mixture into the other mixture.

6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

COOK

On a hot griddle wiped with some coconut oil or other non-burning fat, plop spoonfuls of the batter spaced an inch or two apart. If using berries, drop the berries onto the wet surface of the pancake now. Let cook, undisturbed, until bubbles form on top.

Using a spatula, flip the cakes over. The tops should be golden. If not, add a little butter to the pan and let it seep underneath. Continue cooking a few minutes more.

Serve with butter and a good-quality maple syrup, or topping of your choice. Grilled pork sausages or bacon and fresh peaches are a flavor explosion not to be missed in these lovely months of summer.

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Anatomy of a Smoothie

04 Sunday Aug 2019

Posted by Stacey Bender in Breakfast/Brunch, the kitchen

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

how to make almond milk, peach smoothie

peach smoothie in vitamin cup before being blended

There are several reasons I like to make smoothies for breakfast:

  1. They are tasty.
  2. They go together quickly.
  3. They can be healthy (notice how I didn’t say they are healthy? Excess sugar and fat, I’m talking to you).
  4. They are portable!

There are a few things I do the same with my smoothies almost each and every time.

  1. Ice first.
    1. if I have a frozen fruit, I cut the amount of ice, subbing it for the frozen fruit, of course.
  2. Next comes fruit. This is my only source of sugar. No kidding!
    1. Part of that fruit is half of a banana, minus the peel.  his adds a little creaminess and body
  3. I add fresh ginger; because I like it a little spicy.
  4. I add lemon or lime, including the peel. It intensifies the citrus flavor and I hear the peel is good for the liver so, win, win!
  5. I add collagen powder (specifically Vital Proteins, unflavored). I find it frustrating that a lot of that expensive powder gets stuck in the bottom of the Vitamix cup when I am using the single serving glass to mix, so now I dilute it in a bit of water first.
  6. I add almond milk.
    1. If out of almond milk, I add regular milk.
    2. If out of milk, I add a dollop of yogurt and water.
    3. If out of yogurt, I just add water.

And those are the usual suspects.

peach smoothie blended in a drinking glass with straw

The unknowns are:

  1. What kind of fruit?
  2. Vegetables or no vegetables?
  3. A little extra something? Cinnamon, nuts, cocao…?

I like to add something green, but typically only if I am not using berries. Kiwis are perfect with pineapple, and regular apple if you want to go green.

I wonder if there is a pea under here or if it’s in the smoothie?

Sleeping alfresco always makes me dream of meat for breakfast, not smoothies. Although my food is a bit on the smooth side.

Print

A Smooth Smoothie

This smoothie has the sweet taste of summer with a peach from our neighbor’s tree (uh, shhh…) and gets its’ body from home-made almond milk rather than the typical banana. If you don’t have home-made almond milk, try adding 4 or five almonds in as well.

  • Author: Stacey Bender
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: none
  • Total Time: 46 minute
  • Yield: single serving
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: Healthy

Ingredients

Scale

3–4 1-inch Watermelon “cubes”

2–3 Ice cubes

1 Peach (peeled, seed and skin removed)

1/2 Red Apple (such as Gala, Braeburn, Honey Crisp…); core removed, peel left on

(1) 1/2-inch sliver Key Lime (or 1/4 sliver regular lime), skin on

(1) 1/2 to 1-inch knob of Ginger Root (depending on how much you like ginger), skin removed

1-inch top cut from a Wheat Grass plant, cleaned and patted dry

1 scoop Collagen Powder (diluted in a few tablespoons water)

4 TB homemade Almond Milk (thick)

Instructions

In the order listed above, add the ingredients to a Vitamix and blend in “smoothie” mode.

Pretty simple, right?

Notes

To make home-made almond milk, soak 1 cup of almonds overnight in a bowl of water.  drain and rinse.  Add to a Vitamix with 2 cups water and blend.  It will be thickish which you can dilute with water as you use it. For this smoothie, I like to leave it thick and get the extra liquid it needs from the diluted collagen powder.

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Operator, I’d like a German Oven Pancake please.

02 Sunday Oct 2016

Posted by Stacey Bender in Breakfast/Brunch, Ginger + Buddy, the kitchen

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Betty Crocker, breakfast, Brunch, Buddy and Ginger Bender, the Telephone Game

ps2_img_6734
fullsizerender-1
new-2

Do you remember the game Operator? It is now known as the telephone game (so I am told); a silly game that we used to play as kids where everyone sits around in a big circle (usually during a sleep-over or birthday party) and one person whispers something into the person’s ear next to them, and that person in turn, whispers the same thing into the next person’s ear, who then repeats it to the next person, and so on.  By the end of the circle, the last person is to repeat what they heard out loud.  The original statement might have started out saying, “Hey neighbor, your cat’s on our fence.”  But the last person to hear it might have heard, “Hey dummy, your elephant is in our backyard.” or some such nonsense.

The point is, as things get passed down, they get reinterpreted, mis-told or misunderstood.  The small details or misconceptions can end up having significant impacts on the final outcome.  I thought of that game this morning as I went to make brunch.  We were down in Hoodsport three weekends ago (as you already know), and my mother-in-law made a wonderful brunch.  It was a German Oven Pancake which came from the oven puffed-up and delicate.  We slathered it with a little butter then topped it with maple syrup (except silly Tom, who decided to make it savory by coating his in ground pepper).  We also had sausages and a plate of fresh fruit.  And mimosas, of course.  The pancake seemed almost crepe-like.  Oh and I do love a good crepe.  This was a good (crepe) pancake!

As we were leaving, Lois ran upstairs and copied the recipe for me, which she had  hand-written on a recipe card, copied from Tom’s cousin Karen.  I didn’t look at it but thanked her, folded it in half and tucked it into a magazine that I was planning to read on the road (home).

The following weekend, I decided I wanted to make the oven pancake for breakfast.  I pulled out the magazine (which I still haven’t read, because it had been in the trunk of our car) and unfolded the recipe.  The copy was very faint and difficult to read.  Tom sat in the daylight (aging eyes struggling), trying to decipher the writing, reading it off to me, stumbling over some of the words and I typed what he said (sic):

“German Oven Pancake – serves 2-4 (or is that a 6?)
1/2 cup flour, sifted, 3 slightly-beaten eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 2 tsp butter or margarine (what?!), melted, 1/4 tsp salt, something, something, confectioner sugar or lemon juice butter.

  1. Add flour to eggs, beating with rotary beater.  Stir in milk, melted butter and salt.  Thoroughly grease bakers joy baking dish pour into mold dish, bake at 450-degrees for 15-17 minutes.  It will get puffy.  Loosen at wide spatula.

     2.  Add butter to flour and eggs then add milk and salt.  Can pour over canadian bacon.”

Seriously, that looks better than what he said.  It mostly made sense, only because I had sat down to brunch with her as she explained that you could sprinkle confectioners sugar over the top, but she didn’t do that.  She also mentioned something about pouring it over Canadian bacon to make it savory.  Which, again, was not done.  If I had just taken the card and tried to follow the recipe, I would have had many more questions.  As it were, my only questions were these:

  1. Does this not use baking powder?
  2. What kind of dish do I bake it in?

I texted over those questions but was inpatient as I was in the thick of my execution and decided to Google, “German Oven Pancake” instead.  The first page that came up was from the Betty Crocker website.  Seeing that the only cookbook my husband, Tom, came to me with was a later edition of the original Betty Crocker cookbook that he had in college (and I don’t think ever used, but he claims Pete did), I suspected it was quite possible that Betty was the first person in the circle to kick-off our little game of Operator.

So it might have started out with Betty saying, “Operator, I’d like a German Oven Pancake, please.”  And I might have finished it by stating, “Operator, I’m a German with a Pancake to Please.”  Finally!  I’m ashamed to admit, it has taken me three tries.

German Oven Pancake (or so I am told)

Adapted from Lois (Bender) Casto via Karen (Bender) Lieberman, via Betty Crocker (maybe?)

Needless to say, my first attempt at this a few weekends ago was not a success.  I think it was because I used whole wheat flour since I did not have any all-purpose flour.  I used almond milk rather than cow’s milk, but it might also have been my choice of pan (Tom says sure, blame it on the pan).  I had not waited for my mother-in-law to respond to my email before heading into the kitchen.  Betty had told us to heat a cast iron skillet before pouring the batter in.  After I did this, I got the email from Lois telling me specifically not to use a hot pan.  I also decided to make it savory, using proscuitto.  Tom thinks it tasted more like a “real” whole wheat pancake.  Not what I had in mind, but edible.

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I treated it a bit like Margharita (not the best choice)

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The proscuitto was tasty.

The following weekend, I thought I might borrow a cup of all-purpose flour from my neighbor Piotr (who was away on job assignment; we were tending to his mail and his garbage).  Turned out he too was with whole wheat flour only (good boy).  So this time I used a cold pan, but still had the wrong flour.  Admmitablely, it looked prettier and (sort of) puffed up but it was a bit dense and not that great (BTW Piotr, your flour is stale).

ps_img_6742

Puffy, yes.  Flour, a tad stale.

So now this time, I did use all-purpose flour, but had to use Greek yogurt (thinned with water) instead of milk (yup, you guessed it, I had no milk).  My cake did not bubble up, nor did it get pouffy, like a soufflé (as Lois’ did), but the flavor was spot on!  More eggy than cake-like, fluffy, light and a perfect partner for maple syrup, butter and sausage (and not appropriate for pepper).

new 1.JPG

Ahhhh, success (even if the picture tells a different story).

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Prepare

Heat an oven to 450-degrees.

Butter a baking dish (preferably glass).

Whisk the milk, butter and salt into the eggs

Slowly, whisk in the flour being careful not to over-mix

Pour into the prepared baking dish and cook for 15-17 minutes.  It should puff up, but even if it doesn’t, it should still taste quite good.  Divide amongst four plates, put a dollop of butter on top and pour some warm maple syrup over.  Serve with fruit and breakfast sausage if desired.  A mimosa washes it down well (as often he case).

new-buddy-bdest

Can I have some too?

new-buddy

Anyone gonna’ eat that last bite?  I will, even if I’m about to lose a toof.  Did someone say toof fairy leaves treats?

 

 

 

Waffling about Waffles

12 Sunday Jun 2016

Posted by Stacey Bender in Breakfast/Brunch, the kitchen

≈ 11 Comments

I received my first waffle maker as a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law Laura, some 22 years ago.  I coveted that thing, but in all honesty, probably only used it a dozen times.  It was stored in a hard-to-access cabinet, along with, many other “need-to-have” tools that were rarely used, if only because they were out-of-sight.  Not “outta sight”, as in Issac Washington cool, but out of sight, as in, can’t see it, don’t even think to use it kind of way.

Then those damn Eggo Waffles that I used to crave as a kid kept showing up in my freezer somehow.  Until, of course, those healthy versions of “Eggo” waffles kept showing up in my cart (and then into the freezer).  How easy was that?  Pop into toaster, butter, syrup and then eat, yum!  Now that’s convenience.

Then the whole gluten-free fad took hold, convincing even the most unconvincible (Me) to think about not eating gluten.  Until.  Until!  Until…I realized, (yes, me, I figured it out) that gluten is only bad for you, if it is actually something your body can’t handle.  For instance, if you have, (oh) say…Celiac disease.  Not if you have… “I-need-to-stop-eating-gluten-because-everyone-says-so disease”!!!  I didn’t want to catch THAT virus!!!

A few years ago, I began wanting to make waffles again.  Previously-mentioned waffle maker was no where in sight (yes, pun intended).  I think it had made it’s way to the garage during our kitchen remodel, over 10 years ago, never to re-surface again.  In any case, I wanted a waffle maker!  I needed a waffle maker!  I did a little research.  Tom did a little research.  And one year later, I still didn’t have a waffle maker!!?

One weekend, while at “the cabin” (my in-law’s vacation spot in Hoodsport), we discovered a waffle maker in the far-back reaches of the pantry.  We decided to make waffles!  Turns out, this might not have been the best idea?  Well, actually, it was a good idea, it just was not a good waffle maker.  What seemed like a solid piece of classic, old school kitchen equipment, began quickly to appear more like a medieval torture device.  Two burns and no waffles later (all the batter stuck to the grids, which simultaneously came out to attack me) I decided to seriously re-think buying a waffle maker; they were dangerous.
V e r y ,  very dangerous.

I continued to dream about waffles; sometimes with blueberries and maple syrup, sometimes with fried chicken and champagne.  Finally, I decided that while I had always been more partial to waffles, pancakes were equally good.  I would continue to make pancakes.  Yes! pancakes were good enough for me.  And safer.

 

As I shut the door to waffle making, Tom opened his secret quest to find a waffle maker that I would love.  Christmas morning, I said hello to my new friend, the waffle maker.  It too was stout, was friendly to the eye, it was easy to understand, and most importantly, it did not attack.  Waffles are now in solid rotation on the weekends at Chez Stacey.

On a recent weekend, we were at “the cabin”; this time, my in-laws were there too.  As we discussed plans for food, the subject of waffles surfaced.  How perfect for a forest escape?  But I let it be known that we would not be making waffles with their waffle maker!  Lois and Bill both looked at each other perplexed.  “What was wrong with it?”, they wanted to know.  “Well let me tell you”, I said, and boy I did say.  In fact, I said quite a bit.

They continued to defend it,  so I curiously encouraged Lois to show me what I was doing wrong.  The next morning, we awoke to the happy site of a busy kitchen.  Coffee in hand, I took my place at the counter to watch the show; the batter was mixed and ready to go.  Lois went to the pantry and pulled out a waffle maker that was compact, on a stand with a handle and looked nothing like the one I had described.  “Where did that come from?”, I asked.  “That’s certainly not the one I was talking about”.  “Oh”, she replied, “you must be talking about that old one that was stuck back in the corner”.  Yup, circa 1965 we’re guessing.

 

WAFFLES
Makes approximately 6

The first few attempts at making waffles on my new iron were fine but a little too heavy; perhaps I was trying to be a little too healthy with the type of flour and lack of oil; sorry Tom!  I did hit gold on pass three though.

These are made with whole wheat pastry flour but yet are still light, fluffy and with the perfect amount of crisp.  They freeze exceptionally well, which makes for a great way to enjoy an easy Sunday brunch the following weekend.  You can scatter a handful of blueberries over the batter after it is poured in, or for another variation, try mixing in a TB of cocao powder to the batter and serving it with bananas and creme fraîche.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or sprouted spelt flour)
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (or 3/8 tsp baking soda)
2 TB raw sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, yolk and white separated
1 1/2 cups whole milk (or almond milk)
4 TB butter, melted (melted liquid should fit into a 1/4 cup dry measuring cup)

PREPARATION

Mix the dry ingredients together.

Mix the butter with the milk.  Whisk the egg yolk to mix and add to the milk mixture.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff (or nearly stiff if doing by hand).

Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until well mixed.

Fold in the egg whites.

Let sit for 10- 15 minutes while you heat up the waffle iron.  I use the Breville waffle maker which I put to “Custom” and cooked for 5 minutes.

I'm feeling a little hungry

I’m feeling a little hungry

Hey Ginger, want to go get waffles?

Hey Ginger, wanna go get waffles?  Ok, Buddy, but I thought we weren’t supposed to have gluten?  Oh well, we’re 16, I suppose we can do whatever we want.

I hear there is a good diner just ahead

I hear there is a good diner just ahead (here we go a waffling…)

Those were good but Mom's are better

Those were pretty good but Mom’s are better

 

Luna – a love story

21 Sunday Feb 2016

Posted by Stacey Bender in Breakfast/Brunch, Eating Out, the kitchen

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Curried avocado toasts, London Plane, pickled radish

PS_hana and luna with toast

I first met Luna at a most wonderful eatery in Pioneer Square called London Plane.  We had curried avocado toasts for lunch (or at least her mom and I did).

PS2_luna in window 2

I have now known Luna for 5 days.  I hope to know Luna for 50 more years.  I think she will do great things.  How can she not, with that smile that lights up a room, and those eyes, that convey her ability to know all that surrounds her?  I looked at her innocent little face; at that moment, her binky dropped, her eyes looked straight through me and she smiled, a very happy and honest smile.

It makes me realize that time goes quickly and ever on as the lives of those we cherish go on without us.  I am too easily distracted from the happenings of their lives, only to try and catch up with my own.

September of 2015, on a sunny afternoon, I finally caught up for lunch with my friend Hana.  She stood to hug me and I noticed that she looked as radiant and stylish as ever.  It wasn’t until midway through our meal that her pregnancy was revealed; she was due in less than 2 months.  How is it I didn’t notice?  She is a small woman, whose bump was barely visible but yet still…?

Hana is part of a story we all know; boy meets girl and both boy and girl fall in love.  Like most stories though, their’s too is unique.  They came together against small odds and become a couple that we all root for.  They are cute together and are made for each other so we are all thrilled that it has worked out.  Ups, downs, tiny (but beautiful) houseboat and all, they are a creative couple that are well suited for one another.  Now, along comes Luna.  Lovely Luna. Two, soon became three and what fun that will be.  Luna.  She came along and…life is her song….  Jon, marry that girl and finish the Love Story.  I’ll finish (with) the toast!

hana and luna with toast 3

Curried Avocado Toast with Pickled Radish, Melted Cheese, Roast Chicken and Fried Egg 

This version is not actually on toast but rather on Summer House English Muffins, brought to me by my travlin’ Tom.  This is also somewhat my brunch version of what Hana and I had at London Plane, but from what I hear, you can order it there with an egg too if desired.  We (Hana and I) quite liked it as it was served, cold and with no egg.  My version, made over a weekend, was gearing toward brunch.

The curry in the avocado is lovely (like Luna), make sure it is fresh.  The pickled radish is key to an explosion of flavor and crunch.  Cheese or no cheese, egg or not, hot or cold, English muffin or toast, all choices to be had but do what you will, and perhaps, try both (or all) ways.

ingredients 2

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

1 avocado
1/2 shallot, chopped
pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

3-4 small radishes, stemmed and sliced very thin
2 TB amber vinegar or rice wine vinegar
1 TB water
pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tsp raw sugar
a sprinkle of chili flakes

1 English muffin, slit in half
1/2 cup roasted chicken, shredded
2 thin slices swiss or gruyere cheese
2 eggs

PREPARE

In a small bowl, mash the avocado with the shallot, pinch of sea salt, pepper, curry and lemon juice.

In a separate small bowl, mix the radish slices with the vinegar, water, a pinch of sea salt, pepper and sugar.  Let sit for at least 15 minutes.

Toast the English muffin halves.

Top them with the avocado mix, then some roasted chicken and then slices of pickled radish.

avocado toast 1

You could stop here and just enjoy, or keep going for a warm meal.

Top this with a slice of the cheese.  Broil for a few minutes in the oven until the cheese melts and the muffin warms through.

no egg

Top with a fried egg and enjoy.

with egg 2

Meanwhile, my precious babies nap.

my babies napping

 

A zen moment

11 Saturday Apr 2015

Posted by Stacey Bender in at the holidays, Breakfast/Brunch, family gatherings

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

Easter, lemon cake, lemon curd, lemon curd cake, moments of zen, recipes

PS2_lemon cake

Sometimes, life happens around us.  We are there too, experiencing the life but not participating in it, other than observing.  I am looking out at the Arizona sky, from Grandpa’s backyard.  The wind is whipping warmly across my face and I am an observer rather than a participant.  For this moment I am zoning out the requirements of life.  The cooking temperatures or timing.  The dry or moist feel of my skin.  The lizard that may be crawling toward my leg.  I am unaware of the savory waft of smells from the kitchen.  These smells, I set in motion.  Subconsciously, they add to this moment of zen.  This zen that is now.  I breathe in the air.  Through my nose.  I release through my mouth.  Thanks to Cristina for teaching me this life altering move.  All of the noise is shut out…momentarily (seconds, or minutes or for whatever you make time).  I actually see the beauty, not just hear about the beauty.  I feel it on my skin.  I smell it wildly tickling my nose.

As quickly as I allow it to begin, it ends.  And off I go to make sure the kitchen is not burning.  Make sure the food is happy.  The people are eager to partake.

PS_mtn from dad club

Lemon curd cake

This cake is dense and slightly dry without a nice spread of lemon curd on top.  It is based off of a rosemary olive oil cake that I love to make, but I changed it up to try and utilize as many lemons as I could from my Grandfather’s plentiful lemon trees.  There is little fat or sweetener in the cake, but the curd makes up for the lack of fat with its wealth of egg yolk and butter.  It makes for a light dessert, a “zen moment” mid-day snack, or a prelude to brunch.

The lemon curd will keep a week or two, covered tightly, in the fridge (if you don’t use it all up on the cake).  You can add fresh strawberries, cooked into the center, or leave it plain.  Either way, it is best warmed, then sliced and spread with a healthy layer of the lemon curd, which unless short of time, you hopefully have made

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup reserved lemon curd batter – recipe follows
2 TB honey
1 egg yolk
2 oz goat cheese (chèvre)
1/3 cup milk (or yogurt)
5 egg whites (4 reserved from the lemon curd and 1 from this cake)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 TB chopped fresh rosemary
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt

10 strawberries, diced (optional)
Lemon curd for glazing

PREPARE

Combine the uncooked lemon curd, honey and egg yolk.  It is best to use an electric mixer for several minutes.

Add the milk and goat cheese.  Continue to beat the mixture until creamy; a few minutes more.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff.  Stir into the yolk mixture then add the olive oil and blend with the mixer until well combined.  Stir in the rosemary.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, slowly mixing it in 1/2 cup at a time.

For a moister cake, you can add in the cooked lemon curd, reserving 1/4 cup to spread on the top and on the cut slices for serving.

Butter 1 loaf pan (or two mini-loaf pans) and pour in the batter.  If using the strawberries, pour in half the batter then add the berries.  Pour in the remaining batter.

Cook for approximately 30 minutes at 350 or until a toothpick poked in the center comes away clean.

Brush some lemon curd over the top and let cook another 5 minutes.

Let it cool slightly in the pan.  Turn it onto a rack.

Serve warm, sliced, slathered with lemon curd…and perhaps, a cup of tea or a crisp glass of Albariño.

PS_curd

Lemon Curd

House-made lemon curd is far more delicious than that from a jar.  I like mine on the tart side so I use just enough honey to keep me from crinkling my nose.  Leftovers can be used to spread over your morning toast instead of jam, or an english muffin and a slice of ham.

I used freshly-picked lemons from the lemon trees outside my Grandpa’s house in Tucson during our Easter weekend with my Mom.  They were large and juicy and produced thick zest.  Oh how I wish I could grow a lemon tree!

INGREDIENTS

4 egg yolks (whites reserved for cake above or another use)
1/4 cup honey
The juice of 4 large lemons (approximately 1/2 cup) plus their zest
1 stick of butter

PREPARE

Bring some water to simmer in the bottom of a double boiler; it should not be able to touch the saucepan that sits on top.

Using an electric mixer, in the saucepan of the double boiler (or in a stainless steel bowl), beat the egg yolk and honey together until smooth.

Add in the lemon juice and zest, continuing to mix.

Set the saucepan over the simmering water in it’s counter-pan and whisk briskly until the batter becomes pale yellow and smoothly cooked, 6-8 minutes.

Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 TB at a time, as if making a butter sauce.

Transfer to a clean jar or container and cover tightly once cooled.

cactus bloom
It’s all zen until you come across a little prick…

PS_lemon tree
but when life gives you lemons, make lemon curd!

our happy place

22 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by Stacey Bender in Breakfast/Brunch, Ginger + Buddy, the kitchen

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Dog Beds, English muffin, Happy Places, LL Bean Dog Beds, Summer House

PS_muffin cover

There comes a time of day where nothing feels quite as good as the heaviness of blankets, mixed with fluffy pillows, soft cotton sheets and a familiar smell.  In the wee hours of the morning, I can burrow myself in and feel as if I never have to leave.  In the late hours of a long afternoon, I can dream of the moment I will be cocooned once again.  As I shed my clothes at the end of a day and finish going through my usual bedtime routine, I anxiously await the moment I will fall into bed, snuggle between the sheets and feel (safe) as if the burdens of the next days can wait.

Ginger, sleeps in our bed too, but she has always had a bed (or four) of her own.  I think it must be a similar kinship that dogs have with their beds as we have with our own.  Her first bed was three sizes larger than her small, 8-week-old puppy self.  She was in it so much though, that we used to pick her up while she was still laying on it, fold her up and take her with us to the next room or in the car.  For that reason, it became know as “the taco”.  If she was not in “the taco” and it was time to go in the car, all we had to do was set it near the door and she would jump into the bed, waiting for us to fold her up and be whisked away to another adventure.

Buffy’s last bed was only a few months old when she passed and Ginger wanted nothing to do with it; perhaps because it was monographed with Buffy’s name?  At one point, (obviously) unable to throw the bed out, we decided to see if Ginger would at least use it outside.  For similar reasons as her first bed, this bed (aka the blue bed) became known as “the outdoor taco”.  Next came “the raft” (her new inside bed with high sides and cute pinstripes), then the replacement “raft” (which really just meant that the first “raft” went to the bedroom and second one replaced the first in the living room.

Then, along came Buddy.  His first steps in the house (before he was even “ours”) led him straight to the “living room raft”.  Ginger must have set him straight early-on when we were not home, because he didn’t make himself comfortable in that bed again, for many years.  Buddy did however, resurrect the taco.  It had long-since been abandoned by Ginger.  It had not been removed from our office however.  Once Ginger realized how valuable the “taco” still was, she decided she liked it again too.  Buddy was again without a personal bed.

I was at Mud Bay one day and saw a little teeny bed with tall fuzzy sides and a goofy (but appealing) bone design in the middle and it was on sale for all of $14.00.  I thought it might be nice to bring home, just to see if Buddy might like it next to our bed since we noticed he jumped off in the middle of the night. We usually found him laying on the floor, all alone, no bed, (which broke our hearts as he was our family now).

I brought it home, set it on the open end of our L-shaped couch, where Buddy always laid (because of a rookie move I made, placing him there in the first days he was in our home, before he knew his boundaries); he hopped right in.  Problem was, he didn’t want to leave and he didn’t want the bed to leave the couch, ever!  We were stuck with that bed (not pretty either or frankly, even meant for permanent use), sitting on our couch, for over a year.  Ginger had her “raft” and now Buddy had his “dinghy” (very appropriate in a Gilligan sort of sense).  It was his and his alone.  Ginger let him have it and he held on as if it were bringing him to shore, no matter how long the journey.

PS_Bud in dinghy

The “dinghy” was finally replaced by “sheep” one Christmas, who is large and apparently a pretty cozy friend (plus much more chic on the Italian couch).  Still, Buddy had no bed.  No real bed of his own, that is.  We paraded many new beds into the house and set them on the floor next to “raft”; all were rejected and returned.

Sheep makes an obligatory visit outside.

Sheep makes an obligatory visit outside.

As for the “outdoor taco”, Buddy hopped off of it the second we put him on.   One summer, I am not sure which, maybe only the second Summer, Buddy began using “outdoor taco” when Ginger was sitting elsewhere on the deck, basking in the sun.  We had bought another outdoor bed for him, which Ginger took control of too.  When we saw Buddy laying on the “blue outdoor taco”, one sunny afternoon, our hearts melted from love.  He was so small on it that he looked lost in a pool of comfort.  “Buffy” was monogrammed above his head; it was then that we started calling him Budfy.  He fell in love with “outdoor taco”, so Ginger fell back in love with it too.

A long time coming!

A long time coming, Buddy finally wins a spot!

Ginger shared the new bed too...

Finally, in an attempt to retire “outdoor taco” for good, after many, m a n y years of excellent service, we ordered a new outdoor bed.  It was from LL Bean (excellent, long-lasting rough-and-tumble beds).  It was the same exact bed as “outdoor taco” except it was one size smaller and had a cuter outfit.  We planned to let Ginger and Buddy share the most recent outdoor bed with this one and retire “blue outdoor taco” to a needier home.  The new monogram for “orange taco” is “BuG” (Bud (ff) y  +  Ginger).

blue bed

That was last summer.  Since then, as Fall came around, then Winter, and currently into Spring, Buddy finally, now, has his bed.  There is no catchy, silly name attached (other than the rarely-used “orange taco” when clarity is needed); It just belongs to Budfy.  In it, he sits alongside his sister, in her “raft”.  Side-by-side (something we never thought we’d see to this extent).  When Ginger leaves her raft, he often jumps from his bed to hers, depending on his mood.  He hops from bed to bed, around the house and in the car.  He is never scared or shy and Ginger let’s him have his way.  It is this new orange bed though that he has claimed to be his own.  He has not only found his bed, he has found his happy place, his forever home.

This is not a recipe.  Because there are no recipes in my Happy Place, just good food + love.  I found some love, in these English muffins. I did not make these English muffins.  My lovely friend, Paula, hand-carried them to me from North Bethesda, Maryland, where some clever people at Summer House made them.

They blew my mind.

Wow.

Yes, really.

Wow!

Mind-blowing English muffins.

Really!  Take my word for it!?

I have no photos, of the muffins.  Because I (we) ate them (and it was one of those opportunities where the moment(s) didn’t need interrupted with fussing with a camera).

The first, just toasted, near midnight, slathered in butter and a little bit o’honey.

Next, as a bun for hamburgers (thanks Pete, for the tip).

This morning (er…afternoon), we brunched on a most exquisite breakfast sammy (AKA – sandwich).  It had procuitto, crisped to just the proper crisp.  It also had an egg, organic, farm-fresh (like, actually, really farm fresh…makes a difference, yes!).

The egg, fried.  Just.  Not too fried, but just fried.  There is a difference!

It also had cheese.  Beecher’s Flagship cheddar.  This doesn’t slice well so it was partly sliced and partly just chunked on.  Makes no difference in the yumminess factor.

Chunked on = thick, gooey cheese (yum!).

But, back to the muffin.  Oh my.

Paula, thank you!  Next visit…pleeeeese?

Happy place

our happy place!

 

 

Happy discovery: #1

08 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by Stacey Bender in Breakfast/Brunch, cooking basics

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Brunch, pancakes, tapioca pancakes

 

PS_IMG_1375

PS_IMG_1370

Yesterday morning for brunch (a somewhat late brunch), we resorted to pancakes and bacon.  Not to say that we don’t like pancakes and bacon because we really do.  I say “resorted to” because once again, even after buying the obnoxiously large 24 pack of (organic) eggs, I found myself this Saturday morning, left with only one egg.  I didn’t even get around to thinking about brunch until much later than usual because Tom and I woke up, showered and each went to our computers to work with a mug of coffee in hand.

Next thing we knew, it was 2:00 pm and I was starving (not Tom, I think he might be part camel??). Lunch-like foods were not sounding that good to either of us; it was Saturday and we felt deprived of brunch!

So, knowing what I could do with one egg, I began to make pancake mix; only to discover that I was without dairy. I rarely have milk, unless it is buttermilk, but I had no plain yogurt or cottage cheese either.  I eyed a suspiciously empty jar of Wildwood aioli (our substitute for mayonnaise) and decided that adding water to the jar was a bad idea, for many reasons.  I quickly moved on, scanning the fridge one last time before giving up, when I spotted a possibility.

My eye had stopped at the tapioca pudding from Trader Joe’s (TJs).  I had choices here; I could just drive down to TJs and buy milk, but then I would also buy eggs… which would make me question what I had already decided to prepare.  Pancakes, because I only had one egg.  It was only minutes away though.  Yet I knew that I would not stop at buying milk; I would obviously buy eggs too (well, not obviously) and then it would snowball from there, arriving home an hour later with just as much time needed to put everything away.  Then I would begin making dinner instead. Okay, okay, tapioca!

I looked at the label and the first ingredient was milk; this was promising.  I decided that it had enough sugar to not need more and it was also flavored with vanilla; this might actually be good.  Turns out, it was!  Really good!  Happy discovery #1 – enjoy with a glass of prosecco!

Tapioca Pancakes

main image PS

INGREDIENTS

1 (not quite full, packed or fussed over) cup of whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda

1 TB butter, melted (I like to do this in a Pyrex measuring cup put in the microwave, because then I can just whisk in the egg and stir in the dairy without fussing too much).

1 egg – whisked into the butter
A glob (technical term, no?) of TJs tapioca pudding – I had about 1/4 of the package left so I estimate it was about 1/2 cup – whisked into the butter and egg.

Water – whatever is needed to bring the consistency to a good pancake batter (I probably added 1/4 cup)

SIDES and GARNISH

Strawberries, cleaned, hulled and quartered to go alongside
Maple syrup and butter for serving

Bacon –  2-3 slices for each, preferably thicker cut (we like apple-smoked from Whole Foods the best, but there are many good ones to choose from).

PREP

MIX all of the dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl.

WHISK TOGETHER the melted butter, egg and tapioca, adding just enough water to make it fluid.

PREHEAT THE OVEN to 400-degrees.

PLACE THE BACON, on a baking pan lined with foil.

COOK

HEAT A CAST IRON SKILLET over medium heat.  Lightly DRIZZLE with olive oil and spread evenly over the surface.

MEANWHILE, POP THE BACON into the oven for about 10 minutes.  Be sure to turn on the fan, and don’t forget that it is in there and pull it out when done.

DROP DOLLOPS OF BATTER onto the skillet and cook until it starts to bubble.  Flip and cook until cake-like and done.

SERVE

Pile the pancakes into a stack of three or so per plate.  Butter and drizzle with maple syrup.  Serve sliced strawberries and the bacon alongside.

PS_IMG_1376

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