Cheese Blintzes – In a New York State of Mind

If you’re ever talking to someone who’s been to, or used to live in New York City, and the subject of cheese blintzes comes up, you will almost always see their face light up, like they just found a 20-dollar bill on the subway.

After they tell you where they’d get them, and how great they were, they usually turn a little melancholy, and tell you how much they miss them, and why can’t they get them around here. They’re not usually something someone thinks of to make at home, which is too bad, since they are pretty easy.

While there are several steps, they're fairly simple, and so totally worth the effort. In fact, you can prep everything ahead of time, and cook when you’re ready to serve. They also hold pretty well in a warm oven, so exact timing isn’t crucial, which is always nice when trying to serve a brunch.

I cook mine in clarified butter, which is simply melted butter with the white, foamy milk solids skimmed off the top. This prevents it from getting that nutty, toasted flavor, which some of you may actually prefer.

I also don’t like overly sweet blintzes, and use less sugar than many recipes, so taste and adjust. I hope you give these delicious cheese blintzes a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes between 10 and 12 Blintzes:
(depending on the size, and how much filling you use)

For the batter:

3 large eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup cold water

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling:

1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (drained in a strainer if wet)

1/2 cup cream cheese

zest from one lemon

pinch salt

2 tablespoons powdered sugar, or more to taste

1 large egg

After stuffing and rolling, brown in butter, and bake at 325 F. for 12 minutes.

Serve with this raspberry sauce, and fresh berries.

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Whole-Grain Blueberry Scones – Because a “Muffsconut” Isn’t a Thing

I was brainstorming some ideas for using up a cup of nearly perfect blueberries, and was waffling between muffins, donuts, and biscuits. I finally decided on a biscuit-like triangle, spiced subtly with essence of old-fashioned donut.

I’m calling it a scone because I cut it into a triangle. There’s just something un-American about a triangular biscuit, so you Brits will just have to keep a stiff upper lip about this not being an actual scone.

I used my new favorite, sprouted spelt flour, but I’m guessing this will work with whatever you roll with. You’ll also want to keep an eye on them in the oven, as the baking times will vary depending on the exact shape and thickness. They’re done when they’re well browned, and you see blueberry juices bubbling out through the top and sides.

These have that someone loves me look, especially if you do the recommended sugar-crust top, which is why I’m thinking these would be nice for Mother’s Day, or any other brunch/breakfast-in-bed type situations. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 Whole-Grain Blueberry Scones:

2 cups spelt flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp fine salt

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 tbsp white sugar, optional

4 ounces ice cold butter (1/2 cup aka 1 stick) 
1 cup blueberries

3/4 cup cold buttermilk

- 425F.for about 20-25 minutes, or until well-browned and blueberry juices start bubbling out through the top and sides.

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A Spring Vegetable Frittata for Mother

It always feels a little wrong making a frittata with freshly cooked vegetables, since the whole point of the dish is to use up leftovers, but seeing as we’re branding this as a Mother’s Day brunch special, we’ll make an exception.

If you want to play it safe, you can cook each vegetable separately, but that takes longer than the one-after-the-other method shown here. Like I said in the video, this is a great practice recipe for new cooks, since you really have to pay attention to what’s happening in the pan. I said to use medium heat, but you may want to adjust that up and down, depending on what you see happening.

Make sure all your vegetables are tender, hot, and well seasoned before adding your eggs, and not a lot can go wrong. Once those, and hopefully some cheese, get stirred in, turn off the heat, and pop the pan into the oven until the eggs are set. If your mom likes golden-brown, you can use the optional broiling step seen herein.

If you decide to garnish with edible flowers, make sure you’re actually using edible flowers. Nothing puts a damper on a Mother’s Day brunch like a trip to the emergency room. If you use nasturtium you’ll be safe, otherwise, do some research. I really hope you give this delicious vegetable frittata a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes 6 large portions:
2 tbsp olive oil

1 leek, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded, diced

1 1/2 cups sliced asparagus

1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini

handful baby spinach

1 1/2 cups sliced cooked potatoes

12 large eggs

1 tsp salt, plus more as needed to taste while cooking veggies

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

pinch cayenne

4 ounces goat milk feta, or your favorite cheese

350 F. for about 15 minutes, or until just set, then broil on high for 1-2 minutes for some color

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Scotch Eggs – This is an Easter Egg You Want in Your Basket

I’ve gotten so many requests for Scotch eggs over the years, I figured with the Easter holiday coming up, the timing was right to post this fried miracle of culinary engineering. In my version, I keep the egg soft, so when you bite in, you get that amazing contrast in texture between the molten yolk and the crispy sausage shell.

This is traditionally a picnic item, so the hard-boiled egg makes sense in that setting, but as far as serving it as a snack, or for a first course, maybe with a salad, I highly recommend the softer approach.

If you use the exact measurements below, the times given should get you pretty close to what you see here, but there are variables. In a carton of eggs, depending on the source, you’ll notice small, but significant size variations. You may want to test your times on the soft-boiled stage before proceeding.

Another factor is whether or not you chill these before frying. If you make them the day before, then I’d add a minute to the frying time. Keep in mind that the frying is to cook the sausage, and just heat the egg through, so you should cook the yolk to the doneness you want when the Scotch egg is cut open.

Your best bet is to make a few extra, and test your frying time before service. Trust me, you’ll enjoy this step. By the way, I have no idea if this works in the oven. I’m guessing it could, but I can’t help you out with any specifics. I really hope you give these amazing Scotch eggs a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 Scotch Eggs:

6 large eggs, right out of the fridge

*steam 6 minutes as shown for soft yolks

3.5 ounces of Italian sausage meat per egg (about 1/2 cup)

*I did 6, and used exactly 21 ounces of sausage.

pinch nutmeg

pinch cayenne

1/4 tsp mustard powder

white flour, 2 beaten eggs, and enough panko breadcrumbs to bread 6 eggs
(I don’t measure such things)

Fry at 350 F. for 5-6 minutes to keep a soft yolk center. Add another minute for Scotch eggs that have been thoroughly chilled before frying. 

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Irish Soda Bread – Better Than a Pot of Gold

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than with a loaf or two of Irish soda bread? If made correctly, this is one of the best quick breads (those leavened without yeast) you’ll ever have. Subtly sweet, with a light, tender crumb, and not at all dry. 

Done wrong, it’s worse than not having any at all. I’ve had some that were not only dry and crumbly, but had such a strong chemical aftertaste, I wondered if I was being poisoned. Okay, so I’m a bit paranoid, but the point is, this is not one of those recipes loaded with spoonfuls of baking powder and soda.

We’re using just enough soda to react with the acid in the buttermilk, and then hedging our bets with a teaspoon of baking powder. That’s really all you need. Speaking of buttermilk, this is one of those recipes, where you can substitute with your own homemade equivalent. Just use the same amount of whole milk, but add 1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons, of either lemon juice or white vinegar to the wet ingredients. It’s the tanginess and acid we need, so that will work just about the same.

By the way, if you’re not into the more breakfasty version I did here, this is very simple to convert into a savory bread. Leave out the dried fruit, maybe cut down the honey a little, and you’ll have something wonderful to serve with soups and stews. I hope you give this a try very soon. Enjoy!

Makes 2 loaves of Irish Soda Bread:

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup quick-cooking oatmeal or regular rolled oats

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (make sure it’s fresh)

1 teaspoon baking powder (make sure it’s fresh)

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cubed

2 or 3 tablespoons honey

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1 large egg

2 teaspoons orange zest

1 cup dried currants

1/3 cup gold raisins

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Buckwheat Pancakes – Our Gang Loved Them

There’s nothing like a Little Rascals reference to make sure everyone knows you’re at least 50, but I just couldn't help it. 

I decided to do this video for buckwheat pancakes for a few reasons: I get lots of requests for anything breakfast; I’m trying to cook with more whole grains (see age reference above); and I heard someone say it’s almost impossible to make a great pancake using 100% buckwheat flour.

Conventional pancake wisdom says you need to cut this nutty, earthy flour with regular flour to lighten the texture and taste, but I’m happy to report that’s not true. It took a few days of experimenting, but I was really pleased with how these came out.

As I mentioned in the video, you can probably make this using regular milk, but I highly recommend using the buttermilk. Not only does its natural acidity add a nice tanginess to the flavor, it also reacts with the soda to create bubbles, which really helps the texture.

Sure these are gluten-free, high-fiber, and just generally more nutritious than something made with white flour, but that’s not why you should make them. You should try these because they're just really good pancakes. I hope you give them a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredient for 8-10 small buckwheat pancakes:

1 cup buckwheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups buttermilk (always shake the container first)

1 large egg

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

unsalted butter to grease pan, and top pancakes

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Happy National Pancake Day!

Since there is no National Mancake Day (yet), I decided to use today’s National Pancake Day celebration as an excuse to repost this mucho macho variation. 

These bacon and cheddar corn pancakes were created as a Father’s Day brunch special, and have been very well received. I hope you give these “mancakes” a try soon, like tonight. Click here to see the original post. Enjoy!

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Dutch Babies – Almost as Easy to Make as Real Babies!

I had my first "Dutch Baby" in Chicago a few years ago, and have wanted to do a video on them ever since. I’ve always been fascinated by how many different breakfast foods you can create using just milk, eggs, and flour; and this is one of the more interesting examples. Especially considering the unusual, and borderline disturbing name.

Sometimes called “German pancakes,” these have very little to do with Germany, and nothing to do with the Dutch. Apparently they were invented by German immigrants who were referred to as “Dutch;” a corruption of the word “deutsch.” So, save your emails saying they don’t have these in Germany or the Netherlands. We know.  

As I mentioned briefly in the video, I like to use a little less batter than many recipes call for. I think this provides the best crispy-to-custardy ratio. I topped mine with butter, lemon, and powdered sugar, but any and all traditional pancake toppings will work wonderfully. I hope you give these beautiful ‘babies” a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 small or 2 large portions:

3 large room temperature eggs

2/3 cup room temperature milk

packed 1/2 cup flour (really pack the measuring cup firmly with flour)

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp clarified butter

- Bake at 425 F. 20-25 min
* garnish with melted butter, fresh lemon juice (Meyer if you can find it), and powdered sugar.

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Mancakes! A Father’s Day Brunch Classic

This amazing bacon, green onion, and cheddar corn pancakes recipe was originally planned as a “breakfast for dinner” post, but when I tasted how incredible they came out, I decided to do them as a Father’s Day brunch special instead. 

I realize Father’s Day Brunch isn’t actually a thing, but just in case it becomes a great tradition someday, I figured I’d get this into the search engines nice and early. Plus, I really wanted to call them “mancakes.”

Sweet/savory hybrids can be tricky sometimes, but I think this worked beautifully. We are talking about bacon, cheese, and onions after all, so it wasn't that big a shock. And the way the chipotle-spiced maple syrup brought everything together was a risk well rewarded.

As far as the texture goes, these were surprisingly tender, and fairly light for corn pancakes. My only regret is not cooking extra bacon to top these with. So, why not surprise the man in your life, and whip up a batch of these soon? Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 12 Mancakes:

8 oz bacon

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 tbsp baking powder

pinch freshly ground black pepper

pinch cayenne

3/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tbsp melted butter

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/3 cups milk

2 oz grated sharp cheddar (about 1/2 cup)

serve with warm maple syrup spiked with chipotle to taste

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Joe’s Special – A True Original

After the ominous, but delicious, “Hangtown Fry,” Original Joe’s “Joe’s Special” is probably San Francisco’s most famous breakfast. Unless you’re counting the Buena Vista Café’s Irish coffee as breakfast, and now that I think about it, you probably should.

This mammoth plate of food features three eggs, a half-pound of meat, and more than enough spinach. Apparently a late-night patron requested his spinach omelet include a hamburger patty, and this is what happened. In respect to good ol’ made-up “Joe,” I’ve kept the original portions, so feel free to share with a friend or three.

Speaking of mammoth, this should make all you paleo-diet people who keep emailing me happy. Skip the toast and you’re in high-protein/low-carb heaven. As far as the method goes; even a caveman could do it. Just be sure to season generously at each stage, and taste at the end, and you’ll be enjoying a truly delicious, San Francisco original. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one huge portion:
NOTE: This version is mostly meat and spinach, but if you want something closer to a classic scramble, then cup the beef and spinach amounts in half. This is how most restaurants that copy the recipe do it!) 

1 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup diced onion

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

8 oz lean ground chuck

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped, cooked spinach, squeezed very dry

3 large eggs

1 tsp chopped fresh basil

1 tsp chopped fresh oregano

Parmigiano-Reggiano to finish the top

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Simple Asparagus Tart – Sorry, Mom!

I don’t often buy puff pastry to make asparagus tarts, but when I find a piece in the back of the freezer, it’s one of my all-time favorite things to do. My only real regret with this video, was not finishing it with a poached egg, and calling it a Mother’s Day brunch special. As great as this was, it would have been even more so accessorized with a runny egg.

As long as you’re pretty good at making rectangles, and trimming things to the right length, this recipe is a breeze. By the way, I’ll give the specific ingredient amounts I used here, but this really depends on how much asparagus you have, and how long you want your tart to be.

The width of your tart is always going to be a little wider than the asparagus are long, as you see above; but the length is up to you, and you can use as many spears as will fit across your pan. If you’re not quite clear on what I’m saying, simply Google “asparagus tart” and you’ll see what I mean. They’re like snowflakes.

While we got a surprisingly positive response on our raw asparagus salad recipe (I really should have more faith in you), I did want to do a more classic, hot preparation as well. Asparagus is bountiful and beautiful right now, and I really hope you pick some up, possibly along with some eggs, and give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

6 x 9 inch rectangle of puff pasty, thawed

6 asparagus spears, blanched in well-salted wated

2 tsp melted butter

grated Parmigiano-Reggiano as needed

For the mustard sauce:

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tsp crème fraiche

freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste
- Bake puff pastry shell at 400 F. for 10-12 minutes, or until puffed and golden-brown.
- Fill and bake another 10-12 minutes or until the pastry is browned and asparagus are tender (but not mushy!).

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Homemade Cream Cheese – The Labneh Way

This recipe video is inspired by a Lebanese yogurt cheese spread called Labneh, but I decided to call it homemade cream cheese because my sources deep inside Google tell me that “cream cheese” is searched for more often than “labneh.” In fairness, and with apologies to my Lebanese fans, it really is almost identical in texture and mouthfeel.

Like I say in the video, the taste is a bit bolder and tangier than that stuff from Philly, but when is that ever a bad thing? Michele found some amazing sheep’s milk yogurt at a local farmer’s market, and it was incredible in this, but I've used regular yogurt and it works wonderfully as well.

You can use it as you would any commercial cream cheese, but the honey and pistachio variation I tacked on to the end would make for a memorable holiday brunch addition. On the savory side, you can’t beat simply drizzling over some olive oil and eating as a spread with crispy bread or pita chips.

Most recipes for this say you can eat it after one day, but I really think the two-day “aging” and pressing process does great things. The taste mellows out a bit, and the texture gets even denser and richer feeling. Besides, if you don’t press it, you won’t get those signature, and ultra sexy cheesecloth fabric marks! I hope you give this homemade cream cheese a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about two heaping cups of cream cheese:

1 quart yogurt, try to get something really nice from a dairy, or use Greek-style

1 tsp kosher salt or to taste

cheesecloth
*If needed, use a paper towel to blot off any additional moisture that come to the top during the 2-day pressing in the fridge.

Note: I’ve only made this one way, so I’m not sure what happens if you deviate from the recipe and use low-fat yogurt, etc. Let me know if you try something different!

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You Can Count on Monte Cristo Benedict for Mother’s Day Brunch

I always get a ton of food wishes this time of year for creative brunch ideas, and I was thinking about doing some new type of eggs Benedict, when I happened to see a photo of a Monte Cristo sandwich. At first, it just made me want a Monte Cristo sandwich, but after that wore off, I started thinking about how I’d seen these topped with fried eggs before.

Long story short, I decided to simply make an open-faced version of the famous stuffed sandwich, and top it with poached eggs, and hopefully a new American brunch classic was born. Of course, I'll let you decide, but there was nothing I didn’t love about this plate of food. Okay, the salad was kind of phoned in, but the rest was awesome.

The base is a variation of our famous Restaurant Style French Toast recipe, which marries perfectly with the ham, cheddar and havarti. It was so tasty you really don’t even need the poached eggs. Actually, forget I said that. Do the eggs. If only so you can pop those yolks, and watch them run. Besides the eating, that has to be the best part.

I’ve also re-posted a poached eggs demo below, since poaching your eggs ahead of time is the only way to go, especially if you have a larger group. By the way, you can hold the Monte Cristo bases in a warm oven while you pull the rest of the meal together. I hope you give this new Benedict a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

For the batter:

2 large eggs

1/4 cup cream

1 tbsp sugar

pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

4 thick slices of French bread
1 tbsp butter

8 slices ham

4 slices cheddar cheese

4 slices havarti cheese

8 poached eggs

chive to garnish

How to Poach Eggs 

 

View the complete Poached Eggs recipe

View the complete Monte Cristo Benedict recipe

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How to Blueberry Pancakes

Breakfast items are one of the most popular food wishes around here, and while this isn’t technically a recipe, it is a critical technique to learn if you want to enjoy blueberry pancakes at their most delicious. 

Not only does this simple method ensure even distribution, but instead of dry, barely warm fruit, your blueberries will be hot, sweet, and bursting with juice. As far as the batter goes, you are on your own, but if you get stuck, try this old fashioned pancake recipe we posted a few years ago. It gets great reviews!

This video was actually inspired by a recent visit to a diner where I heard someone nearby order blueberry pancakes. That sounds pretty good, I thought to myself, momentarily regretting my corned beef hash decision. Well, good thing I stuck with the hash, as what came out was not blueberry pancakes, but pancakes with a handful of fresh blueberries tossed over the top.

Sorry, but those aren’t blueberry pancakes. No, the blueberries must be cooked inside the batter…but, just not too inside. By “throwing down” you’ll guarantee perfect cake/fruit integration every time. Of course this will work with other berries or cut up fruit, so feel free to try with anything you can grip. I hope you give this great technique a try soon. Enjoy!

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