My body has been craving something with apples for weeks. Brent isn't a big fan of pie, so if I want things to get eaten around here, 2 tarts to be exact, it better be something that he loves.
Pancakes with Concord Grape Syrup
Because his family is a true-to-the-bone pancake family, I really wanted him to share with me the secrets to making a good pancake, thin and delicate, perfectly browned on the outside, soft on the inside. He gave me a recipe, one that he has memorized. A set of very specific instructions, the right temp, the right amount of time for frying. I followed it to a tee, and sure enough, the pancakes came out the way I had always dreamed they would.
The End of Summer Roasted Potato Salad with Créme Fraîche
Cheesy grits with buttery garlic kale, sweet corn, and roasted tomatoes
Heirloom Tomato and Avocado, Rice and Black Bean Bowl with Garlic Chive Créme Fraîche
These beautiful heirloom tomatoes that I picked up at the market, have been ripening on my windowsill for a few days. At their exact point of combustion, the point when the juice is at its maximum capacity, and as soon as you slide your knife through and it gushes, I chopped them up, along with some avocado, and thought about eating them as is.
Grilled Orange Teriyaki Tofu Skewers with Aromatic Coconut Rice
Summer salad with fresh blueberries, warm Mozzarella, and a Maple Cinnamon Dressing
Last weekend, while on our biking island tour, we stopped to pick some blueberries. I get pretty excited about picking most fruit, blackberries are the exception. Although, it was a bit different this time around, picking large juicy blueberries from a farm, instead of the tiny ones in Ontario, the ones that grow along the railroad tracks - and I was quite pleased that I didn't need to keep looking over my shoulder for bears.
Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Longing for cottage life and tranquil water, I devised a plan to recreate a bit of it at home. What I should have done was filled a kiddie pool with water on the balcony, but of course, I turned to the option that resulted in food. I thought about being super fancy and creative, and making some sort of wild and crazy ice cream sandwich involving elderflower and cherries etc. And then Brent said something to me that really resonated. He said "people like simple classics, done right. There is no need to overcomplicate things. I completely agreed 100 percent.
Southside Cocktail - The 21 Club Signature Drink
Prairie Spirits graciously sent me home with a bottle of their gin, handcrafted with a herbal blend of coriander, angelica, lemon, cassia, and juniper. The drink I am sharing today is pretty high on my list of grown-up drinks. It's a 'signature cocktail' from the historic '21' Club in Manhattan, a classy spot, which on a side note, was originally a speakeasy during Prohibition named Jack and Charlie's.
Homemade Yogurt, Pistachio Rose Granola and Vanilla Rhubarb Compote
I saw some bright red rhubarb at the market and got pretty excited, probably because I have been waiting for it for the past couple of months, and now it is here, as beautiful as ever. I love the color of rhubarb once it's been stewed, the beautiful shade of pink. I am super pleased with how this dish turned out. I am basically eating the granola and rose petals, standing in the kitchen, right out of the bag. Totally classy - not so classy.
Orecchiette with Peas, Asparagus and Mascarpone
We Be Grillin' Poblano Peppers and Corn
Chocolate Cherry Tarts
Date Newtons
Huevos Rancheros Scrambled
Growing up, my dad built the family a chicken coupe, complete with four rows of tiny individual chicken rooms, and a fancy zig-zagging staircase, so that the chickens could get to their rooms and out the front door whenever they wanted. We didn't eat them, we mostly just collected their eggs and tried to avoid stepping on their poop. We had a rooster named Lucy who was super annoying and woke me up every morning at the crack of dawn, a few ducks, and two geese - who were also really annoying and used to chase me around the back yard trying to bite my ankles. Each summer my parents grew a large vegetable garden with tomatoes, peas, beans, etc., and my grandma would come visit at the end of the summer and pickle the beets, cucumbers and make jam. She would also make us hike into the bush looking for fancy pieces of wood to put in her garden, which I never really understood. My family were modern day hippies. We lived in the country, far away from modern conveniences. I didn't have a lot of friends. I did however have chickens, and they were the best friends a girl could ask for. Each morning, I would put on my red rubber boots - as a preventative measure, and I would go out to the coop and feed them Cheerios, because clearly chickens like Cheerios. I would gather eggs, and my dad would scramble them up, or he would make French toast.
Now for all of you runny egg lovers out there, you should probably just skip to the last paragraph because I'm about to go on a rant. I wouldn't call myself a true lover of eggs. If you scramble them up, so that the white and the yellow mix to be a nice uniform consistency, with cheese, or top those scrambled eggs with hot sauce and queso fresco, sure, I can get behind that. I will basically eat scrambled eggs every day. I also have no reservations about using them in baking, and heck, I've even come around to the idea of quiche. I wont however eat eggs that have been poached, hard/soft boiled, or sunny side up. I can't even look at a
picture of an egg sunny side up
without gagging, which made it really difficult during that period of time, possibly last winter, when it was all the rage, bright green asparagus, pizza, everything that I love, ruined with a big old egg on top. Instead of runny eggs, can we just start putting avocado on everything?
I usually shy away from huevos when I'm eating out, because they're often served with an egg, cooked in a particular way that I don't care for. If there's an option, I'll ask for scrambled, but most of the time I am assaulted with a dirty look, and then I have to remind myself that indeed there is no huevos rancheros god, and I am totally fine eating this dish the way that I like. Last month I went to a super fancy restaurant in Seattle, and ordered a ridiculously expensive dish, and then they put a tiny quail egg, sunny side up, on top. Just because the egg was tiny and cute, does not make it awesome.
I'm sharing with you my version of huevos rancheros, so all of the fried egg haters out there have something to look forward to. I like to make huevos using homemade tortillas, because I like any excuse to impress the people around me. Nothing says awesome like turning your kitchen into a small make-shift Mexican tortilla operation. I have learned over the years, if you want to impress your guests, make anything bread-like, tortillas, naan, rolls, English muffins. It works every time. Also, cheese, avocados, and hot sauce, people also seem to love these foods. Cilantro is a contentious topic though. From what I've gathered, people either think it tastes like soap and accept it, or despise it. Regardless, everyone loves a good huevos rancheros, and if you need to, leave off the cilantro.
The key to making a nice thin authentic Mexican salsa is canned tomatoes. Believe me, at first I shook my head in disbelief, but it really does work. Throwing some cilantro, onions, garlic, and canned tomatoes, along with some cumin if you like, into a food processor and whizzing, adding the tomato juice reserve to thin it out. It's a wonderful consistency, which tastes lovely poured over the huevos. Making your own refried beans is super simple. Again, beans, garlic, and salt into the processor with a bit of water, and then fry them in oil. This is probably one of my favorite breakfast dishes. Healthy, hearty, and delicious.
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HUEVOS RANCHEROS RECIPE
makes 8 / serves 4
If you have a
, I encourage you to make homemade corn tortillas. In my opinion, they really complete this dish. To make homemade corn tortillas, add 2/3 cup of water and a pinch of salt to 1 cup of corn masa flour. Knead until the dough comes together. Divide into 8 balls, and then press each flat in between plastic wrap in the press. Fry for 40 seconds on each side in a a cast iron frying pan. Keep them soft in a
until you are ready to serve. I like to provide a variety of hot sauces for the huevos, to add a little kick. Tapatío, Cholula, and Tabasco are my favorites. You can always make this recipe with a fried egg, rather than scrambled if you prefer.
INGREDIENTS
1 - 28 oz can of whole tomatoes + juice
2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
1/4 onion, diced
2 limes
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
hot sauce, jalapeño, serrano, or chipotle peppers for spice
1 - 15 oz can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 small shallot, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and diced
1/3 cup of water
1 tbsp oil for frying
salt to taste
8 eggs, scrambled
8 small corn tortillas
3 oz queso fresco
garnishes - avocado, cilantro, limes, hot sauce
Drain the juice from the whole tomatoes, and set to the side. Add the tomatoes, 2 diced garlic cloves, 1/4 diced onion, the juice from 2 limes, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1 tbsp chopped cilantro to a food processor. Begin to pulse the ingredients. Slowly add the reserved tomato juice, until you have a desired consistency. I prefer my salsa on the liquid side, therefore I add at least half of the juice. Remove from the processor, and store in a plastic tub until ready to use. Makes roughly 2 cups.
Add the rinsed pinto beans, one small diced shallot, and one diced garlic clove to a food processor. Turn on the processor and begin to puree the beans. Slowly drizzle in 1/3 cup of water until the beans are a thin consistency similar to apple sauce. You may need to add more or less water to achieve this. Even if the beans appear really thin, they will thicken up during frying. Add the oil to a frying pan, and heat on low. Add the beans, and fry for 10 minutes, or until they begin to thicken. Add salt to taste. Do not turn the heat up too high, or the beans will bubble and make a mess. Remove the pan from the heat and cover to keep warm.
Just before you are ready to plate the huevos, in a large frying pan, scramble the eggs with a tsp of butter. Warm the tortillas.
To assemble the huevos, smear a 1/4 cup of refried beans onto each warm tortilla. Top with scrambled eggs, drizzle the salsa on top, and then sprinkle with queso fresco. Serve with sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, and limes for squeezing. I also like to provide a variety of hot sauces for extra spice. The salsa and refried beans can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Apple and Fennel Salad
Since returning home, I've had little to no desire to turn on the stove. Even turning on the dishwasher seemed like a bit of a mistake, but we've got to be civilized, now don't we. Also, who wants to cook in totally abnormal, extremely awesome weather? I've mostly been throwing together salads, which has proved to be a great idea, because the markets are currently overflowing with beautiful and vibrant greens
Don't Underestimate the Amount of Time it Takes to Ice a Cake
The cake recipe I used is a good one - the best I've ever made. It always turns out so moist and chocolaty that I have a hard time even considering a different option. I used a chocolate ganache to layer the cake, and a chocolate buttercream frosting for the fancy decorations. I was in a bit of a rush when I iced the cake, underestimating the amount of time it would take to frost and take photos.
Vermicelli Tofu Noodle Bowl
Lately, I've been thinking about my travels. Recreating scenes, flavors, moments in my mind. Last week, I saw two tiny plastic chairs on the sidewalk, and I was overwhelmed with a certain feeling of nostalgia. Some days I just crave the chaos and unpredictability of travel, and today that craving was particularly strong.
Chili-Fried Butternut Squash Tacos with Mango Pineapple Salsa
I considered writing up a recipe for some sort of fabulous fish taco, smothered in a cilantro lime sauce, and topped with crunchy lettuce, but during the last minute, while on a quick run to the store, I saw this beautiful butternut squash and I knew what had to be done. I took it home, and almost cut off my left hand trying to peel it. And then for a short moment I kind of regretted my decision, but after frying it up in some salty chili flakes that I brought back from Istanbul last summer, I was confident with my decision.
Fennel and Farro Salad with Apple and Pinto Beans
Meet farro. She and I have developed quite the relationship. Our love sparked a few weeks back, at a local cafe here in Seattle. I ordered a fennel and farro salad and ate it so quickly, and with such enthusiasm, I am sure my fellow patrons deemed me to be insane. After inhaling the dish in less than a few minutes, I felt pleasantly full.
