Not Derby Pie » breakfast and brunch

Buckwheat Kumquat Muffins or Loaf

rivka — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:08:04 +0000

Every so often, I take a trip to New York for no reason whatsoever. Without a wedding or baby naming or conference to attend, I’m free to roam the streets of my former home off the clock, and with no particular destination in mind. I wake up early, lace up the sneaks, and head downtown in search of the cravable. I’ve got Sam Sifton’s app loaded on my iPhone, a couple Chowhound threads open in safari, and an appetite. On days like these, I’ve discovered Joe the Art of Coffee, Doughnut Plant, Thelewala, Ippudo, and more.

It happens less and less, as schedules have grown busier and there’s nary a day with nothing to do. But the last time it did, which was over a year ago, I ate my way through the Bowery. Only this time, I was so single-minded about a particular destination that I basically skipped the exploring and made a B-line for Peels, the beautiful bakery where Shuna Fish Lydon works her magic. And I mean magic.

I’ve been following Shuna’s blog, Eggbeater, for a long time. Many of her recipes are beloved in my kitchen – especially her leeks (aren’t they beautiful?). She’s doing amazing work at Peels; if you haven’t been, go. And when you do go, get the house muffin: a combination of buckwheat, lemon marmalade, and rosemary, it’s the inspiration for the recipe I’m sharing with you today, and it’s unforgettable.

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Mushroom Shallot Quiche

rivka — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:12:32 +0000

A couple weekends ago, our friends Meryl and Benjy came to town. We slept in for the first time in years, and then we hosted a late morning brunch. There’s nothing like nursing a cup of strong, steaming coffee, stirring eggs and cream, and soaking in a perfect fall day.

First to the table was my new cold-weather staple, citrus salad: peeled sliced grapefruit and oranges, a little honey, some mint, presto. Rebecca made French toast casserole, dripping maple syrup and topped with fresh blueberries. To round things out, I made this quiche.

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Fluffy Oat-Almond Pancakes

rivka — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 13:30:21 +0000

I seem to have become infatuated with almonds in every form. I’ve been nibbling tamari almonds, a fantastic recipe from Mrs. Wheelbarrow, in between meals at work. I’ve put the lovely Mandelin almond paste I received from chefshop.com to use in some seriously good almond cakes. My latest experiment: pancakes, with almond flour. And you know what? they aren’t even a little bit heavy.

Last weekend, the wife requested pancakes, and people, I’d have to be crazy to deny my lady pancakes even once. Usually, I make the best buttermilk pancakes, but lacking buttermilk, I used this as an opportunity to branch out.

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Triple Ginger Biscuits

rivka — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 13:08:22 +0000

Sunday brunch used to be my favorite meal. I loved standing over the stove in robe and slippers, flipping pancakes and stirring eggs over barely-there heat with Avishai Cohen serenading me in the background. Friday night was a time for big dinner parties that required hours of advance prep (sometimes even days). But Sunday was a time to mosey into the kitchen, cook something delicious, and feed people. Plain and simple.

These days, Sunday means errands. It means returning things at Bed Bath and Beyond, finding a framer to frame our brit (Jewish marital contract), and visiting my grandmother, who recently moved to town from Chicago. My Sunday breakfasts are even more harried than what I eat on weekdays. We’re talking oatmeal, toast with ricotta and avocado, yogurt and granola, the usual. I haven’t had a pancake in eons.

But then I read Molly’s post about biscuits, and it woke me up. Molly is a wonderful writer. Read her posts, and you’ll want to sneak into her world, be her friend. In this case, boy will you want to eat her biscuits.

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Meyer Lemon Streusel Muffins

rivka — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 15:44:23 +0000

I know, I know. It’s one sweet baked good after another around here. You’d think I’d go easy on the sugar — what with Valentines’ Day around the corner — but we’re busy as ever, and precious little time passes between when food is made and food is gobbled up. I thought to blog about a fantastic tortilla espanola I made for brunch this weekend – filled with oven-roasted tomatoes, yukon golds, and feta cheese, served with salsa-inspired tomato sauce – but honest, I didn’t get a single picture of the thing. Meanwhile, I snapped a whole series of these muffins, sturdy breakfast treats perked up with meyer lemon zest and sour cream. Hopefully you’ll survive Week-o-Sweets; next time, I’ll tell you about tortilla or something else savory, scouts’ honor.

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A Resolution About Resolutions. And Some Cake.

rivka — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 16:37:36 +0000

It’s a new year: resolutions abound. Taking my friends at their word, 2011 will see the end of lateness, the renewal of grammar anal-retentiveness, and loads of meat. I won’t complain about any of that. But I admit, I’m overwhelmed. So many promises! So much good intention! So much…pressure! That’s no way to start the new year.

When I posted about my kitchen resolutions last September, I was fired up. I figured that publicizing my goals would make them real, make me most likely to achieve them. Now, I take a peek at those resolutions hovering in the corner of this space, and struggle not to cower in their presence.

That duck prosciutto, for instance. No time like now for duck prosciutto; my friend Cathy has teemed up with Kim Forster, aka the Yummy Mummy, to launch Charcutepalooza, a celebration of home-curing. First up? Duck prosciutto, of course. And were it not for the fact that I’m working minimum 60-hour weeks, lacking any curing space (no yard, no garage, no wine fridge), and trying to keep up this blog in the meantime, I’d totally take the plunge.

Alas, duck prosciutto will have to wait. It’s still a resolution, and I do hope to do it, but today just isn’t that day. Perhaps this will be the year in which I finally learn to say no.

That’s the thing about resolutions. When they’re motivators, they’re great. When they’re threats, I lose interest.

Not to fear, though — I haven’t abandoned my duck ambitions entirely. I’ve got a full bird thawing in the fridge right now, and I rendered two pounds of skin this past week. Stay tuned for instructions on how to render that fat, how to use the cracklings, and — finally — how to confit the legs. One resolution: check.

For now, amid the crazy talk of more time at the gym and less food in the stomach and other bloated promises, I’m dreaming of simpler things. Like cake.

Cake! This here loaf is a total winner. For shock points, I’ll tell you that it’s from Food52. (Seriously, ya’ll should start taking bets on how many recipes I’ll make that aren’t from that site.) It’s a browned butter and butternut loaf whose modest appearance belies its complexity. The brown-butter icing, which I skipped for simplicity’s sake, would elevate this cake from plain jane to star of the show, and I think it makes the perfect host gift. I’ve got one on the counter for tomorrow, one in the freezer for another time, and I’ve already resolved to stick this recipe in my regular rotation. That’s a promise I’m likely to keep.

Brown Butter and Butternut Squash Loaf
adapted slightly from fiveandspice via Food52

2 cups pureed roasted butternut squash
1 cup unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (preferrably freshly ground)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Glaze (optional):
5 tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup or so of confectioner’s sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and grease two (9 inch) loaf pans.

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-high heat. It will melt first, and then start to foam. Turn the heat down to medium. As the butter browns, the dairy solids will start to stick to the bottom of the pan. Scrape these browned bits back into the butter from time to time. After about 7 minutes, the butter will have turned a nice brown color will smell rich and nutty; remove it from the heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugars on high speed for several minutes, until the color has lightened. Scrape in the browned butter and beat for another couple of minutes, starting on low and raising speed to medium-high, until the mixture is smooth.

Add the pureed squash to the wet ingredients and beat until smooth and uniformly mixed in.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and mix on low until fully incorporated. Do not overmix.

Divide the batter evenly into the 2 prepared loaf pans and bake for about 50 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Take the bread out of the loaf pans and allow to cool completely.

To make the optional glaze, brown and cool butter as described above (it will take shorter since there is less). Add cooled butter to a mixing bowl. Whisk vanilla into butter.

Sift the confectioner’s sugar to remove lumps and whisk it into the butter mixture until the glaze is spreadable.

Spread the icing onto the loaves, and allow to set for about 30 minutes before slicing.

Dutch Babies and New Years Day Brunch Ideas

rivka — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 19:03:02 +0000

updated from the archives: with New Years Day quickly approaching, I’m starting to think about breakfast in a serious way. Here’s a smattering of good ideas to make on my favorite lazy morning of the year.

December 31 is nearly upon us! I’m expecting thousands of drunken belligerent psychos to descend on my neighborhood next week, and if you think I’m excited, I’m actually going elsewhere. Nothing I hate more than Adams Morgan on New Years Eve. But New Years morning is another story entirely. The streets are quiet, the air is cold and still, the oven is on and the coffee is brewing. I love waking up on New Years Day to total silence, enjoying yummy but easy breakfast and hot tea in my bathrobe, and being altogether lazy.

Even if you’re like me and breakfast/brunch is your thing, I’m sure you feel me that cooking on New Years morning isn’t exactly an appealing thought. Especially if you’re hosting tomorrow morning, surely you want something easy to make, but with big wow-factor. A Dutch Baby is just the thing. It’s a big, floppy, eggy pancake that puffs up beautifully in the oven; pull it out, top with some stewed fruit and a dusting of powdered sugar, and ta-da! Perfect breakfast entree. It takes 20 minutes to bake and about 15 seconds to mix up. Can’t complain about that prep time, now can you?

Just in case a hot, fluffy, fruit-topped pancake isn’t your thing (but really, who are we kidding?) I’ve included links to some other good New Years brunch recipes below. Have yourselves a safe and rockin’ evening, and a very Happy New Year!

New Years Day Brunch Ideas:

Rich and creamy apricot-stuffed french toast
Lazy, boozy french toast casserole
Easy vintage breakfast biscuits
Ever-popular and dead easy shakshuka
Any kind of frittata, any kind at all
Blackberry and pear clafoutis — perfect for winter

There are plenty more where those came from — just run a quick search through my breakfast-and-brunch category and see what pops up.

Dutch Babies
basic recipe adapted from Lara at Cook and Eat
serves 2-4 (if it’s a main course for 4, double the recipe and make in two separate pans)

4 eggs
generous pinch of salt
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 T unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Whisk the eggs with the pinch of salt until they just begin to get fluffy. Gradually whisk in the milk and flour and continue whisking until there are no lumps.

Melt the butter in a 8-inch cast iron pan. Then, pour the egg mixture over the butter. Move the pan immediately to the hot oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until it puffs up over the edges of the pan and is a rich golden brown on the edges.

Top with any kind of stewed fruit, or even good-quality preserves, and finish with a dusting of powdered sugar. I used poached quince that I had leftover — delicious.

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Buckwheat Cornmeal Scones

rivka — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:16:25 +0000

Alternative grains are all the rage these days. Joy the Baker made some buckwheat pine nut biscuits from my favorite new cookbook. David Lebovitz had the scoop on some tempting Italian cornmeal cookies. And Deb made oatmeal pancakes from the cookbook that clinched a well-deserved win of the Piglet, if you ask me.

I haven’t yet bought Good to the Grain. Until I do, I’ll have to wait on those oatmeal pancakes. (Also Strawberry Barley Scones, Buckwheat and Pear Pancakes, Gingersnaps, and now you see why I’m buying this book). But I can be patient. Very patient. See, I’ve got Alice Medrich.

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Mozzarella in Carrozza

rivka — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:03:06 +0000

For food lovers, Hanukkah is an eight-day period in which to justify that guilty pleasure, deep-fried food. Latkes and sufganiyot (jelly donuts) might be the most traditional Hanukkah fare, but they are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things improved by a hot oil bath.

The reason we eat fried foods on Hanukkah is well-known, if not entirely logical. Because a one-day supply of oil kept the menorah in the Temple lit for eight full days, we have the tradition of consuming as much oil as we can, in remembrance of the miracle. So let’s fry some stuff, shall we?

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Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

rivka — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:00:48 +0000

Yes, I love chocolate. Just as much as the next person. I used to be the type that couldn’t resist a chocolate dessert. If chocolate cake/mousse/torte/souffle was on the menu, I’d kiss all else goodbye, turning my back on rhubarb crisp and panna cotta without a second thought. These days — especially these hot summer days — big chocolate desserts have taken a back seat. Back in May, at 2Amys, I had a flawless rhubarb-almond tart to chase the sardine, broccoli rabe, and tomato pizza I’d had for dinner. Two weeks ago, dining with old friends at Jaleo, we chose soft, tender flan and rich, vanilla-spiked basque cake to finish our meal.

Blame it on the heat, but not entirely on the heat: these days, it’s rare that I enjoy a chocolate dessert as much as I savor the clean snap of a piece of chocolate itself. Chocolate pudding is still a regular work snack, and I made a feathery, simple chocolate cake for a friend’s bachelorette party last week, but as a general rule, I’m just more excited by peach cake and sour cherry torte.

I haven’t written off chocolate altogether, though; I’m just incorporating it into baked goods in moderation. These muffins are an example. They don’t hit you over the head with chocolate, but good quality cocoa and (if you’d like) little bits of chocolate perfume and flavor the muffins just the right amount. “Just the right amount” = enough to eat chocolate for breakfast and not feel the least bit guilty about it.

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Pear Muffins with Pecan Streusel

rivka — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:07:08 +0000

Faced with the choice of a bells-and-whistles breakfast or more sleep, I’ll take the former, any day. (See “under-eye bags.”) On work days, I opt for something simple: eggs and toast, yogurt and granola, perhaps some fresh berries and a sprinkle of sugar. I save the real fuss for the weekends. But some weekends, after 5 early mornings at the gym, 5 full days at work, and 5 evenings rushing about all week long checking hundreds of things off my to-do list, I face a choice of epic weight between making something fancy and, um, doing nothing. You can see where this is going.

My laziness aside, I can’t let this empty belly go hungry. Also, I can’t completely neglect cooking, ’cause then what would I tell you about on Sunday night? Caught between the rock and the hard place of weekend breakfast that doesn’t kill the weekend, I often turn to muffins like these.

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Cheesy Scones with Ramps

rivka — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:00:15 +0000

Here’s a little something about me: I work in healthcare. Food is my hobby, my one love, but it’s not, eh, my bread and butter. What actually pays the bills is doing research about healthcare reform. So you can imagine that with the passage of the new law, my professional life has jolted into high gear, and I’ve been workin’ my little tuchus off like never before. Truthfully, work has been amazing lately. It’s invigorating and empowering to work on something so relevant, so current, and so important. But it’s definitely meant less time for the things and people I love. While I’ve tried to keep afloat posting new recipes, I probably haven’t been as frequent a visitor to this space as I wish I could. I hope my posts haven’t been too sparse; hopefully, things will calm down around mid-May, and I’ll be back in the kitchen like it’s my (dream-)job.

Meanwhile, let’s talk about these awesome scones I made this weekend. I’ll even share my foolproof trick for making scone dough, because I like y’all so much. That and more, after the jump.

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Chocolate Babka

rivka — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:57:50 +0000

When I was a kid, I couldn’t wait for Saturday to come. I’d like to say I loved the break from homework and the chance to spend time outdoors, but really, it was just the Babka. Green’s Babka, specifically. The chocolate came in the blue wrapper; if you wanted cinnamon, you went for the green. Inside were many countless sheets of paper-thin dough, folded accordion style as densely as could be, and protectively encasing layers of chocolate. A cross-section had the complex structure of brisket, with all those layers to cut through. I ate mine from the outside in, peeling the layers apart slowly and seeing how thin I could rip each piece. It was quite the treat.

The complex structure of the dessert was etched in my mind. So many layers! And so impossibly thin! However did they do it? For years, I (stupidly) assumed that homemade babka was out of reach. But after a brush with the old-school Green’s a couple months back, I was jolted from the romance reminded that Green’s is made with wow, so much margarine. And no butter at all. I was convinced that by using the real stuff, I could make an even better version of the childhood classic.

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Maple Yogurt Pound Cake

rivka — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:09:21 +0000

I rarely make the same thing twice. If something truly blows me out of the water — as this did — I’ll make something like it again. Something like it, mind you; never identical. I like recipes, but I don’t really like following them. I’d rather just take an old idea and riff on it. That’s what I do best. So when I take out my pen, when I actually skip over to the fridge every ten seconds to scribble how much maple syrup I’m pouring into the bowl, you better believe whatever it is I’m making will absolutely knock your socks off.

Such is the case with this cake.

Chalk it up to the weather, but I’ve been on a serious maple kick recently. I guess it all started two Sundays ago, when I was whacked square across the face with the world’s biggest craving for maple syrup. This was no small itch: I’m serious, people. I just wanted to shmear maple syrup all over my face. I could’ve tipped the jug and drunk it straight. It was that kind of craving.

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Raspberry Streusel Coffee Cake

rivka — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:06:27 +0000

So…yea. It’s been pretty snowy here, as you no doubt have heard. It’s not the kind of weather that makes you eager to jump off the couch and run to the grocery store. Fortunately, I subjected myself to supermarket hell before last weekend, when the first blizzard was on its way, and fortunately, I’m a typical Jewish woman and totally overshopped, so I’ve got plenty of food in the fridge.

If getting off my lazy derriere to go outside isn’t really in the cards, spending copious amounts of time in the kitchen most certainly is. The snow storm(s) provide an opportunity to make something complicated, something with steps, something luxurious, something you otherwise would flip past in favor of baked ziti. Raspberry streusel coffee cake was that thing for me.

I’ve been eyeing Rose Levy Berenbaum’s streusel coffee cake from her fantastic book The Cake Bible for quite some time. It’s easy to understand why: she’s an expert baker, and she says it’s one of her favorite cakes, so I assumed it’d instantly become one of mine. The recipe is a classic sour cream coffee cake that’s layered with a walnut streusel. It calls for 2 sticks of butter for the cake, another half stick for the streusel, 4 egg yolks, loads of sugar, and a few other things. Needless to say, this one ain’t gettin’ tagged “good for you.” But delicious? Oh yes.

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Caramelized Apple Crepes

rivka — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:17:00 +0000

As I write this, the view outside my window is largely white. It’s been snowing for 29 straight hours here in DC, and over 30 inches have piled up on the ground. The sky is blue for the first time in two days, and people are just starting to move about outside, however cautiously. But not me. I was out last night for dinner, and out again early this morning; twice is enough for the time being. I’ve got oxtail stew cooling in the fridge, my sixth straight loaf of weekly no-knead bread undergoing its first rise, and raspberry streusel coffee cake on the counter. Yep — I’ve been cooking up quite a storm in here. But I’ll have to tell you about those another time. Right now, I can’t get my mind off caramelized apple crepes.

I first made these crepes the morning D and I left for Israel, and I’ve been dreaming about them ever since. It’s well known in these parts that I have a bit of a romance with luxurious breakfasts. From blueberry hotcakes to Dutch babies to stuffed french toast and more, I’m crazy about the kind of edible Sunday morning projects that remind you, no — you’re not at work today. I’ve often overlooked crepes as an at-home breakfast option, but I won’t be doing that anymore.

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Granola with Tahini

rivka — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:25:52 +0000

Ahh lovely readers, I’ve missed you! I’ve been posting sporadically at best for the past month, because work has been absolutely insane and I haven’t had time to even enter the kitchen, let alone write about it. That last post on zucchini soup was my lame attempt to give you reading material while I was at work, so as not to abandon you completely — but I unwittingly passed along a post from last year, just before my Alaska cruise, and let you all think I was headed on a fabulous vacation. Not so! I spent Labor Day…..well, laboring. At the office. Until very late. But now all that should be behind me because we signed off on our research yesterday, and all that’s left to do is write the accompanying speech. I’m hoping today is the beginning of my re-entry into my favorite room of the apartment. Cross your fingers for me, will you?

Busy times at the office need to end with something restorative. Sometimes it’s a big bowl of pho, with its etherial broth and slurp-tastic noodles. Other times it’s a piece of good toast with some homemade jam. This morning, the first in a month that I haven’t had to start a 15-hour day at 8:30 am, I made my own granola.

I once was in the habit of making granola every week. It’s a good thing to have around for breakfast in the morning, and it pairs great with that super-tart yogurt in the fridge. But lately there’s been no time for such simple pleasures, and breakfast has consisted mostly of whatever I grabbed the night before at Trader Joe’s. Needless to say, I was more than ready to put my own labor hours back into the food I eat.

My usual granola has almond butter, which I find creates clumps better than water or oil and whose flavor doubles down on the granola’s nutty flavor. This morning, though, I was out of almond butter, so I went with tahini (sesame butter), which has a similar texture, instead. To balance the flavor of tahini, which can be overwhelming if not used sparingly, I added a splash of walnut oil, as well as a bit of chopped crystallized ginger, which paired well with the sesame flavor and gave a little punch. A generous pinch of cinnamon and a whisper of cloves brought the granola squarely into fall’s territory, which I suppose is appropriate, given that the weather is dreary and it’s dark when I wake up these days.

I was still concerned that the tahini might overwhelm, but it totally doesn’t: because the granola cooks until golden, the other flavors in there — almonds, oats, ginger, cherries, raisins — get a chance to toast and intensify, bringing the sesame flavor into balance. I LOVE this batch and plan on making another one, some other not-super-early morning.

Hope you all had great weekends, and I look forward to seeing you around here more regularly!

Granola with Tahini

2 1/2 cups oats
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup tahini
1 Tbsp walnut oil, optional
2/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), either salted or unsalted, depending on preference
2/3 cup sliced almonds
2/3 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup raisins, cranberries, or other dried berry (I like half raisins, half cherries)
2 Tbsp chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves

Preheat oven to 325.

In a small bowl, mix syrup, tahini, oil if using, salt, and cinnamon until incorporated. In a large bowl, mix all remaining ingredients until well-distributed. Drizzle the syrup-tahini mixture overtop, stirring with a fork until all dry bits are at least slightly wet and clumps have started to form.

Spread granola on a large rimmed baking sheet in a thin layer and bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven, stir with a fork to move pieces from edge to center and from top to bottom. Make sure pieces that have started to brown are in the center and well-surrounded. Return to oven and bake 10-12 more minutes, until golden brown throughout. Granola will not be crunchy when it leaves the oven; don’t worry — it’ll crisp up as it cools. Once cool, transfer to air-tight container; granola will keep this way for up to 1 month.

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Perfect Blueberry Buttermilk Hotcakes

rivka — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:41:54 +0000

The NDP kitchen is swimming in blueberries. They were a mere $1.25 a pint at today’s market, so I couldn’t resist buying just ~~a few~~ 5. I ate half a pint on the way back from the market, because they’re so sweet! And I’m a grown up so I can! So there! I’ll freeze 2 of the pints, and the other 2 (er, 1 1/2) will work their way into salads and crisps and maybe even some hand pies. After trying Sarah’s bourbon peach and sour cherry hand pies at our office bakeoff, I’m dying to try my hand at making them. I’m pretty sure her recipe was from Deb at Smitten Kitchen, and no surprise there — the crust was perfectly flaky, and the sprinkling of rock-sugar on top of the not-really-sweet crust made all the difference. And those cherries! I’m still mourning the end of sour cherry season, so you’ll have to bear with my whining. If anyone sees sour cherries this week, pullease leave a tip on the blog about where one can find them.

But I digress. Because here I go, planning where all my blueberries will find themselves, when in truth I’ve already put 1/4 pint toward a very noble cause: perfect blueberry hotcakes. I don’t make pancakes often, so when I do, I tend toward the luxurious end of the pancake spectrum. My go-to recipe calls for 6 Tbsp. of melted butter that are then incorporated into buttermilk and egg yolks for a tangy, rich batter. Whipped egg whites are folded in just before cooking to lift the batter and make the hotcakes uber-light, and fresh blueberries lend color and zing that contrast perfectly with the sweet, sloshy puddles of maple syrup. These hotcakes were the antidote to my very busy week. If Friday night partying isn’t your way to ring in another weekend, let these be the sign that Saturday is finally here.

Perfect Blueberry Buttermilk Hotcakes
adapted from Beltane Ranch, via Food and Wine

serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour — I use half whole wheat
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups buttermilk
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
1/4 pint fresh blueberries
maple syrup

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg yolks. Add butter and stir until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Add blueberries and fold into batter to incorporate.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a medium bowl using a hand mixer, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold in egg whites gently, and stir just until combined.

Heat a lightly buttered castiron or heavy stainless steel skillet over moderately low heat. Using a ladle or a 1/4-cup measure, put two-three pancakes in the pan.

Let hotcakes cook for about two minutes, or until top begins to set around the edges.
Flip and cook 1 minute longer, then transfer to a 280-degree oven to keep warm while you cook the rest of these beauties.

Serve with good maple syrup and a big appetite.
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Maple Walnut Oatmeal with Peaches

rivka — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:54:55 +0000

My breakfast habits usually vary from season to season. I tend to alternate between Terri and Kendall’s go-to oatmeal recipe (oats, water, agave syrup, wheat germ, and flax seeds) and toast with an egg and fake bacon during the winter. During summertime, though, it’s all about yogurt. There are few things I love more than yogurt — especially that uber tart and rich stuff that I make at home — and I eat it very, very often during the hot months. Until this week. See, I bought a little container of good organic yogurt and a gallon of organic whole milk, stepped up on a stool to pull down my yogurt maker from its above-the-fridge hiding place, and set out to make some yogurt, but for some reason, the batch emerged looking nothing like yogurt and everything like watery curds. My big yogurtFAIL kind of killed my buzz. That’s when I remembered the half tub of oatmeal leftover from wintertime, sitting on the fridge all by its lonesome. So I threw some in the microwave and called it a morning.

But then I decided, as long as I’m breaking my breakfast routine, I may as well go nuts. I remembered something a friend once told me, about how oatmeal can actually be a thoroughly luxurious food. Channeling her mention of luxury, I added a generous tab of butter I got at the farmers’ market last week to my oats and water. After heating the oatmeal through, I tossed in some fresh cut peaches, a glug or two of really good milk from the market, a teaspoon or so of maple syrup, and — wait for it — just a slight drizzle of walnut oil. The result was simply divine. The walnut oil played up the nutty sweetness of the maple syrup, while the subtly sweet richness of the butter and milk provided contrast for those perfectly bright peach slices. I don’t usually do double-flips over oatmeal, but this is one recipe that’ll have me reaching for that tub of oats, even when there’s edible yogurt in the fridge.
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The Makings of a Middle Eastern Lunch

rivka — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 02:51:27 +0000

Hard to believe it’s already Thursday and another Saturday is nearly upon us. I’m still thinking about last weekend’s 75-degree weather and super-chill Mediterranean style lunch. A trip to NYC will prevent me from repeating that meal this Saturday, but if I could, I would, in half a heartbeat. It’s the obvious way straight to my heart: breads, spreads, salad, and a glass of wine. Easy to please, no?

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Rice Paper Rolls

rivka — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:13:09 +0000

Lunch makes or breaks my day. If it’s good, I cruise through the whole afternoon on the contents of my midday tupperware, don’t get really hungry again til about 4 or 5, and by then, I can pop a couple almonds, some honey wheat pretzels, or a piece of the dark chocolate bar I stash in my first drawer (don’t tell), any of which will easily hold me over until dinner. If it’s bad, I’m hungry at 1:30 and every minute thereafter, until my next real meal. I’m fidgety and tired, fussy and hungry. The upshot? If lunch is bad, the day is, like, the total opposite of awesome.

It’s with this in mind that I’ve launched my impromptu Good Things for Lunch campaign. You know, the one that brought you zucchini tart, and edamame cabbage salad, and yam and chickpea salad too. What’s next, you ask? Good things.
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Apricot-Stuffed French Toast

rivka — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:08:25 +0000

The third installment of “what’s for [catered] brunch?” begins with a tip on cooking for a crowd. When cooking for a crowd — especially if it’s folks you don’t know personally — I always try to size up the guests during the menu-planning stage, so that I can be sure I’m cooking dishes that’ll go over well, even if I don’t care much for them. When Rocco DiSpirito was on Top Chef a couple weeks back, he announced (inappropriately, if you ask me) that he loves bacon; every chef but one presented a bacon dish. The chef that didn’t actually made something that sounded pretty tasty, but he lost because Rocco likes bacon. Also: my friend Julia regularly cooks chicken when she hosts lunch, even though she’s veg, because her guests like chicken and she aims to please. It makes sense: cook for the crowd, not necessarily for yourself.

While I don’t always follow this rule, I tend to stick with it when I don’t know the people I’m cooking for, as with the catered brunch from a few weeks back. And since I know that most people love creamy, gooey things, I opted for a (relatively) easy stuffed french toast recipe from Martha. It’s basically thick slices of french toast that are stuffed with a mixture of apricot jam and cream cheese. Not my cup of tea, nor my mom’s, but boy was it the crowd favorite. As usual, we made some key adjustments after tasting the filling, because we found the combo of cream cheese and apricot jam somewhat flat and lacking in character. A generous confetti of lemon zest and a fair sprinkle of lemon juice made all the difference. We made enough that there were three for each person; five courses notwithstanding, people did the job and polished off nearly all the french toast. Watching the guests rave, my mom and I took one of the end pieces, put it on a plate, sliced two little bites off, and each tried it. We looked at each other, bobbed our heads in agreement that it tasted as we expected, and then laughed as we acknowledged that neither of us particularly liked it. But hey, the guests were happy. More than happy.

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Homemade Granola — I’ve warned you.

rivka — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 14:50:37 +0000

Remember that time I catered a breakfast?
For a starter, we served greek yogurt and granola parfaits with a drizzle of honey and some fresh berries. This course took some time to plate up — what with all the layers, and making sure no smudges of yogurt got on any of the beautiful parfait glasses — but the only baking, of the granola, was done in advance.

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Steelcut Oatmeal with Peach Compote

rivka — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 20:30:29 +0000

Is it obvious I love breakfast? Between french toast casserole, cinnamon buns, vintage breakfast biscuits, shakshuka, and even simple bites like this one, I seem to have found my obsession. In keeping with my breakfast trend, here’s another maddeningly simple morning meal option: steelcut oats.

What are steelcut oats? They’re oats, really — but unlike quick oats, which are essentially slices of oats, steelcut oats are like large crumbs. They look more like Grape Nuts than Quaker. They’re also quite firm; they don’t crumble in your hand the way quick oats can. They take about 25 minutes to cook fully, which means you need to have a bit of time to cook’em up. But if you’ve got the time, you’ll be handsomely rewarded: cooked steelcut oats are like a thicker, homier version of grits or polenta, with a distinctly nutty flavor and lovely pot liquor. I also add a pinch of salt to the water for contrast, and a daub of butter at the end, a la Mandy, because it makes breakfast more luxurious. In my humble opinion, oatmeal is best topped with a splash of milk or half and half, and either a dollop of jam or a spoonful of fresh fruit compote. In this case, I used my very last summer peach to make a lovely quick compote that went perfectly with the oatmeal.
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lazy boozy french toast casserole

rivka — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:36:21 +0000

Since having surgery on my foot, my time in the kitchen has been severely limited. It pretty much hurts to stand still for more than a few minutes, and I can’t put much pressure on the foot yet. My left foot is taking a serious hit, what with all the hopping and limping, so standing on one foot to cook complex, multi-step dishes is also not an option. With this in mind, I’ve had to curtail my everyday zeal about being in the kitchen, and limit my cooking to practical dishes requiring little to no prep.

When at last Saturday’s lunch we found ourselves with a whole extra challah, I somehow got tapped to take it home. And people, I think we all know that there are few things better than day-old challah french toast on a lazy Sunday. With that said, soon as I woke up on Sunday morning, I realized that the absolute last thing I wanted to do was hover at the stove, waiting for all those slices to soak and fry up. It just wasn’t going to happen.

Enter awesome Deb of Smitten Kitchen, and her recipe for Boozy Baked French Toast. The perfect antidote to both hunger and laziness, baked french toast allows you to enjoy this fantastic weekend breakfast without all the prep work. The result? A cross between french toast and bread pudding; not your usual crunchy-all-around slices of fried french toast, but a lovely casserole with soft, custardy innards and a crisp crust, thanks to cinnamon sugar topping.

Of course, some of us procrastinate more than others; Deb had the foresight to make her casserole overnight, giving the bread time to soak up the milk-egg mixture. I’m simply not that awesome. I woke up Sunday morning wanting French toast casserole, having done absolutely nothing the night before. But hey — I made it work. I cut the milk by a third, so there would be less liquid floating around. I also dotted the top layer with butter, to ensure that the cinnamon sugar would get crispity-crisp. My last-minute game plan totally payed off. About 40 minutes after french toast casserole entered my head, it entered my mouth. Oh-so-tasty. Maybe I’m awesome after all.

Lazy Boozy French Toast Casserole
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 loaf Challah bread in 1-inch slices, any kind will do
2 cups whole milk (3 if letting sit overnight)
3 eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Your choice of flavorings: I used Deb’s recommendation of 3 tablespoons Bailey’s and 3 tablespoons Cointreau, but she also suggests Frangelico (hazelnut), Chambord (raspberry), Creme de Cassis (black currant) Grand Marnier or just a teaspoon or two of vanilla or almond extract. You can add a teaspoon of zest for a citrusy kick, add a half-cup of chopped nuts such as almond slivers or pecans between layers or on top or a similar amount of raisins or other dried fruits. And of course, let’s not forget chocolate chips for over-the-top indulgence.

1. Generously grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with salted (Deb’s fave) or unsalted butter.
2. Arrange bread in two tightly-packed layers in the pan. Cut one slice into smaller pieces to fill in gaps, especially when using braided Challah. If using a thinner-sliced bread, you might wish for more layers, though Deb finds that over three, baking can be uneven. If you are using any fillings of fruit or nuts, this is the time to get them between the layers or sprinkled atop.
3. Whisk milk, eggs, sugar, salt and booze or flavorings of your choice and pour over the bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and dot with butter.
4. If making at night, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The bread will absorb all of the milk custard while you sleep.
5. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes, or until puffed and golden. This will take longer if you have additional layers.
6. Cut into generous squares and serve with maple syrup, fresh fruit, powdered sugar or all of the above.

Serves 6 as main course.
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Cherry Almond Tea Cakes

rivka — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:56:21 +0000

Just peek out the window and you’ll know it’s officially fall. The sky in Washington is a crisp blue today, and the air is breezy and cool. Knowing DC as well as I do, I was sure that the cool front would pass quickly, making way for just a little more of that lovely summer humidity that you can slice through with a knife. Classic DC to dangle fall in front of us before heading squarely toward summer weather. But so far, I’m proving wrong: it’s been a week since the air changed. Summer may truly be over.

Summer produce is also starting to disappear. A couple weeks ago, I scored a fabulous box of “second” tomatoes — about 8 pounds for a mere 2 bucks! With some olive oil, onions, garlic,salt, pepper, and a splash of wine, I transformed them into easy tomato sauce and jarred the sauce for winter.

Before memories of summer fruit have completely faded, I want to share one last recipe. It’s another Martha recipe — thanks, Jana — and it’s super easy and tasty. The recipe is for tea cakes, rich and nutty from almond flour, zingy from kirsch, with a whole cherry — pit, stem, and all — in the center. I brought them to a poolside picnic hosted by Rebecca, Robbie and Sarina earlier this summer. I took off the foil and set them out, and Robbie looked at them suspiciously and asked what they were. When I told him, he said, “What if you accidentally swallow the pit and choke? Basically, they’re like death muffins.” I really wanted to title this post “death muffins” but visions of spam comments from morticians and funeral homes scared me off.
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Shana Tova!

rivka — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:18:26 +0000

To all those celebrating the Jewish New Year (and to all of you, regardless of whether or not this happens to be the start of a New Year for you)…

May this be a year of happiness,

a year in which we take time out to enjoy the small pleasures,

a year in which we do not hesitate to try many new things,

a year in which we find new ways to love our families, friends, and significant others,

a year in which we use our strength to help those more in need than we,

and of course, a year in which we eat wonderful, wonderful food.

Shana Tova, Bria, U’Metuka: a happy, healthy, and sweet new year!

(Also, between my recent foot surgery and the upcoming holidays, I actually missed the first anniversary of NDP!! I can promise a celebratory post after all these holidays pass and my foot heals…but for now, happy blogiversary to NDP!)

Ima’s Challah
link to recipe
On Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, we have a custom of making the challot round, to symbolize the cycle of the year that renews on this day. Braid each loaf extra long, then, starting at one end, wrap the braid around itself, lifting the braid slightly on top of itself as you go. Tuck the end under, brush with eggwash, and bake as normal.

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Sticky, Gooey Cinnamon Buns

rivka — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:30:27 +0000

If you’ve gone this long without making cinnamon buns (which, shockingly, I have), it’s likely not because you’re skeptical that they’ll be worth it. What other foods smell ridiculously appetizing, even when what you smell is usually a corporate chain version loaded with high fructose corn syrup and other delicacies? No doubt they taste fantastic and are worth the effort, so that’s not the cause of hesitation. More likely, you’re just a bit daunted by the task. To me, cinnamon buns have always sounded like a very work-intensive, time-intensive project, possible only for those with half a day to devote to the task. I just figured that with a project as seemingly complex as cinnamon buns, I should hold off until I had an occasion to do them. Perhaps you did, too.

Such an occasion arrived last Sunday, when a bunch of us threw a bridal shower for our friend D, who’s getting married in November. D’s not so into the gush-gush-rip-the-wrapping-paper-ohh-ahh stuff, so when B suggested a book shower, D readily agreed. It’s really right up her alley. We pitched the shower as a chance to get D a book that belongs on every shelf, a book you especially love, or a book that you thought D would love — and, considering we got lots of oohs and ahhs and no doubles, I think it was a success!
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The Simplest Breakfast

rivka — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:12:51 +0000

Lazy Sunday morning here in localsville. Since localseasonal September started, a Sunday morning routine has developed. I wake up, make myself a cup of coffee, drink the littlest bit of it and make D mad by letting it cool to room temp, assure her that I meant to let it sit as I stick it in the fridge for ice coffee later, and then trot over to the farmers market, lots-o-canvas-bags in tow. By the time I’m back from the market, I’m warm (it’s a bit of a hike from Dupont with all those groceries in hand) and I’m hungry. So I take out those beautiful yellow cherry tomatoes, that Keswick creamery spreadable herb cheese, those farm-fresh eggs, and that lovely, tart cows milk yogurt, and I whip us up a little breakfast. Nothing fancy — wonderful, in fact, in its sheer simplicity. These pics are from our breakfast 2 weeks ago.

Happy lazy local Sunday, everyone!
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Cherry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

rivka — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:27:31 +0000

I don’t know if trashy is your cup of tea, but when I was a kid I absolutely loved Entenmann’s ultimate crumb cake. The ratio of crumbs to cake on that thing was approximately 8:1, the little bit of cake base wholly overwhelmed by a thick coat of streusel. Still, I hardly ate the cake. Frankly, I just liked those crumbs.

While Entenmann’s isn’t exactly my thing anymore, I still have an uber-softspot for crumb cake. Something about that combination of brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon, and (of course) butter makes almost any cake better. I’ve outgrown my habit of picking crumbs off the cake (ahem, almost), but to compensate, I’ve taken to putting in twice the amount of streusel called for in the recipe. In case you’re not so inclined, I’ve recorded the original recipe here.

Well, almost the original recipe; I happened to have some of the last of summer’s sweet cherries, which I pitted for this cake. If you have sour cherries lying around, they’d be even better.
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Endive, Orange, and Avocado Salad

rivka — Sat, 03 May 2008 22:47:56 +0000

Now that farmers’ markets are fully stocked and hot weather is creeping up on us, I’ll be kissing my oven goodbye and putting it to sleep for a few months. I don’t know about you, but it costs us an arm and a leg to pump the A/C into our apartment enough that I don’t faint from oversweating; the last thing I want to do is make it harder for our little cooling engine that couldn’t. So long as I can hack it, I’ll be making salads regularly. Summer’s produce is fresh, juicy, flavorful, and tasty without any heat applied. Why make stew when tomatoes are perfect, yes perfect, with just some olive oil and salt? And when I’m making salads, I’m using avocados in almost every one of them.

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Vintage Breakfast Biscuits

rivka — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:46:43 +0000

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that everyone loves a good buttermilk biscuit. What’s not to love? buttery rich flavor and mouthfeel, flaky texture, piping hot innards, and now I have to stop because I’m salivating. Back in Israel, D used to get super excited at the prospect of biscuits for breakfast. Now that I’ve discovered my absolute favorite buttermilk pancake recipe, biscuits get less airtime in our house, but I haven’t totally forgotten about them.
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Shakshuka

rivka — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:50:35 +0000

To say I love shakshuka is both a huge understatement and slightly misleading. How’s that? Well, I more than love shakshuka; it’s one of my absolute favorite breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, and hell, snacks. When D and I can’t agree on what to put in the omelet or pancakes, I just say “shakshuka?” and everyone shuts up. (Usually.)

However, I like shakshuka my way. And my way is… well, my way is delicious, but it’s not really shakshuka. Traditional shakshuka is an Israeli dish comprising sunny-side-up eggs in a spicy, onion-y tomato sauce. That’s how I make it for D, but not for me. Please don’t yell or scream or call me a fake foodie, but I don’t like runny eggs. I know they’re delicious and wonderful and life-changing for many-a-gourmet, but I’ll have my eggs rubbery as leather and burnt on the outside, thank you very much. Scoff if you must.

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It’s Frittata Time

rivka — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:57:48 +0000

D and I were in New York over New Years, and our hostess, Meryl, made a lovely pajama brunch. (Let’s face it; what else do you really want to do on New Years day besides lounge around in your pjs eating great food with friends? Yea — it was pretty fabulous.) Meryl picked out the recipes in advance, and she and I did most of the cooking that morning. Now, if it’s not clear from reading this blog, I’m a darn lazy cook. I mess up recipes all the time, burn things almost chronically, and rarely even read through a recipe before reaching into the flour jar. Meryl=exactly the opposite; she couldn’t have read through the recipe more, or have been more exacting in her measurements. It was slightly hysterical. But dare I say our different approaches yielded some pretty excellent food? All morning long, people swooned over the frittata, which really couldn’t have been easier to make. The recipe originally came from Real Simple magazine, and basically had you mix a whole boatload of eggs with spinach, tomatoes, onions and feta cheese, pour it into an oiled pyrex pan, and bake for 40 minutes until firm. Real simple, indeed — and real delicious.
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Lawsuit Muffins with Mango

rivka — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:01:16 +0000

I worked from home on Monday morning in exchange for taking Friday off. Ahh, the wonders of working at home: no commute=less time wasted= more time spent baking delicious things in the kitchen= one more post to entertain you! I’d say the equation works out in everyone’s favor, don’t you think?

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Baked Oatmeal

rivka — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 16:58:27 +0000

By now you all know that Sunday morning breakfast is practically an institution in this house of mine. Usually, it involves some form of yeasty, delicious bread, from apricot couronne to challah french toast to the fall-favorite, spiced pumpkin bread. This morning, D and I and our house guest Eric somehow managed to sleep past the crack of dawn, and when we rolled out of bed at 10, making bread for breakfast was totally, like totally, out of the question.

Sprawled horizontally on the couch, I started thinking about recipes that take little-to-no effort. Baked rice pudding instantly came to mind: I remember marvelling at how fantastically easy it was to make such a flavorful and luscious (and not all too unhealthy!) dessert. Inspired by the laziness of my rice pudding adventure, I decided to try the same technique with oatmeal. Granted, oatmeal doesn’t require the stirring and monitoring that rice pudding does — just zap it in the microwave and voila! you’re good to go. But nuked oatmeal lacks the crust that I was so craving this morning (being without my bread and all.) Baking oatmeal would likely create a crisp exterior, which, when cracked, would yield soft, plump oats. And all it would involve was mixing everything together, transfering to a pan, and tossing in the oven. The whole thing sounded really promising.
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Blackberry-Pear Clafoutis

rivka — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:42:28 +0000

Our apartment building overlooks a charming little street packed with bars and restos that’s bustling both by day and by night. While it’s wonderful to live where things happen, sometimes that means 3am powows and lots of “hoot….rah! hoot…rah!” from drunk frat-boy types. Last night’s “visitors” were loud and rowdy, and I got precious little sleep. Needless to say, it was a slow, slow weekend morning chez nous. And slow weekend mornings call for some serious kitchen therapy.

Enter the clafoutis (pronounced cla-FOO-tee), a cross between a pancake and a custard (or, as D. put it, “kind of like a crepe but a little more runny.” Yum.) Simple to prepare, beautiful once cooked, and rather fun to eat, a clafouti is where comfort food and luxury meet. It’s often served as dessert, but I love it for breakfast on those days when you need more than a spoonful of sugar to wash the previous night down.

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Apricot-Cranberry Couronne

rivka — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:51:00 +0000

D. had some law school buddies over this weekend for a study marathon, and I thought it only fair that if D. study her butt off, I cook my butt off. So I started brainstorming ideas for brunch food that could be served room temp (since I’d already be gone by the time they came over, and D’s not much in the way of kitchen activities that aren’t dish-washing.) I settled on a frittata and apricot-couronne — a hole-in-one, if you ask me.(...)
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Spiced Pumpkin Bread

rivka — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 16:52:00 +0000

Quick-breads are a winter staple. I always make two at a time and stick one in the freezer; it’s the perfect thing to pull out last-minute on a Friday afternoon and eat that night for dinner. As I understand it, a quick-bread is basically a of bread/cake that uses baking soda or powder as the main rising agent, instead of yeast. This means quick-breads do not need to rise for long periods of time — hence quick-bread. yea.

While zucchini and carrot variations are both in my repertoire, pumpkin is my all-time favorite — especially this version. My mom and I found this recipe on Epicurious a while back, and haven’t tried a new one since. It’s an oil-based recipe, so not only is it healthier than those butter-heavy pumpkin breads, it also develops a wonderful, sizable crust that most quick-breads don’t have. (Check out the crust on this sucker!)

Other recipes call for cranberries and walnuts (this recipe lists walnuts as optional), but having made it with both and other things, I can tell you it’s best just as is. It’s the perfect “serve one, freeze one” treat.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread from Epicurious
makes 2 loaves

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Beat sugar and oil in large bowl to blend. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Mix in walnuts, if desired.

Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using sharp knife, cut around edge of loaves. Turn loaves out onto racks and cool completely.

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Challah French Toast

rivka — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

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Ima’s Challah (now with whole wheat instructions!)

rivka — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 15:46:00 +0000

Growing up, there was one option for challah in town: that was Shalom’s, the kosher supermarket in Wheaton, MD. Every Friday my mom would swing by Brookville supermarket and pick up two challot, which were delivered from Shalom’s that morning. The challah was truly uneventful: it was never dense enough, far too airy, not sweet or eggy, and usually even a bit crumbly. A lame excuse for challah, if you ask me.

My mother started making her own around the time I left the house, and she’s never gone back. Before she had the kitchenaid, she did it all by hand, which is actually less time-consuming and labor intensive than one might think. Now that she has the kitchenaid, challah is a snap to make.
Over the years, I’ve collected three fantastic recipes for challah. I make each with some regularity, but my mother’s recipe is a standout. First off, the basic recipe makes 2 very small challot, or 1 very large one, which is perfect for me, since I often cook for two and don’t need all that extra bread lying around. (Not that D or I would object to Sunday morning french toast….) Second, it’s just sweet enough without being cloying. Third, it’s very easy to substitute some whole wheat flour and wheat gluten for white flour, which makes for a healthier, more rustic loaf of bread. And finally, she’s my mom. Moms’ recipes are best.

A warning about this challah. Once, I was bringing challah to a meal for 17 people, and I made three loaves; traditionally, the challah is served at the beginning of the meal, while everyone’s still hungry, so it tends to go quickly. Sure enough, we sat down to dinner and within an instant, both loaves were entirely devoured. I offered to bring out the third, but everyone said they had had enough and didn’t want more. They continued to resist at my urging, so I left well enough alone. After dinner, people had moved toward the couch to schmooze, and I went into the kitchen to help clean up….and found three girls holding the third challah between them, ripping off big pieces and devouring the loaf as though dinner had never happened.

Yep, this stuff is pretty addictive. It ain’t no subwayeatfresh, but it’s close.

Ima’s Challah
makes 2 small challot; double if you’re having company
directions for a kitchenaid are in italics
see end of post for whole-wheat substitution instructions.

1/2 cup warm water
tsp. sugar
1 packet (2-1/2 tsp.) yeast

3 c. flour
tsp. salt
1/4 cup plus a few Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs

1. Put 1/2 cup warm water in a small bowl. Add the tsp. of sugar, sprinkle the yeast overtop, and leave it to proof for five minutes (just to make sure the yeast is alive).

2. Mix flour, salt, and 1/4 cup plus few Tbsp. sugar in a large bowl (or in a kitchenaid bowl fitted with the dough hook.) Stir to incorporate or blend on low speed.

3. While yeast is proofing, mix wet ingredients together.

4. Add yeast mixture to the flour; add wet ingredients to the bowl, and mix or blend on low-medium.

5. Knead the dough for about ten minutes, until everything is well incorporated. Add flour by the Tbsp, with a light hand, until dough is stretchy but not sticky. Blend on low-medium until dough comes together. Make sure flour at the very bottom of the bowl gets incorporated as well; this usually entails some incorporation by hand.)

6. Cover the dough, in its original bowl, with a moist towel. If you have to, use plastic wrap and cover loosely.

7. You have two choices for the rise: either leave the dough to rise for one hour, or (as I do) let it rise twice, for 45 minutes each, with a punch-down between rises.

8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

9. After the rise(s), the dough should be soft and more flexible than before. Separate dough into three (six if using a double recipe). Roll each ball into a log almost 1-foot long. Braid the logs together to create your loaf. Trick: I start in the middle and do not pinch the top ends together before starting. After I’ve braided from halfway down to the bottom of the loaf, I turn the loaf over and upside down, and braid the other half. This way, both ends look identical. Tuck the ends beneath the loaf when braiding is finished.

10. Put each loaf on its own baking sheet; brush with egg wash, if desired.

11. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes, until challot are golden and baked through.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

**For whole wheat flour, use the same amount as white, but add one Tbsp. wheat gluten for every cup of flour. This ensures that the bread will have that same chewy but soft texture as with white flour. You can find wheat gluten at wholefoods or Trader Joes — and perhaps at your local supermarket as well. As for which whole wheat flour, my mom recommends King Arthur organic white whole wheat flour: in her words, “it gives the white bread consistency with whole wheat nutrition.”

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The simplest, most delicious breakfast

rivka — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 20:52:00 +0000

Leftover homemade challah + one egg left in the crate = breakfast, on the go…
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The best buttermilk pancakes

rivka — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 14:45:00 +0000

It’s hard to believe that I’ve spent the last 20-something years making whole-wheat, no-fat pancakes. I won’t tell you that they taste bad, because they taste quite good. Especially with some homemade raspberry preserves. But they’re the kind of things you can just pick up and pop in your mouth; they’re pretty firm, pretty small, and pretty…eh. Let’s put it this way: they’re not in the same ballpark as the buttermilk pancakes I’ll be making from now on. These are totally indulgent, not only calorie-wise, but time-wise as well. They involve three separate bowls, which is a definite downside — but even as I’m such the one-pot cook, these pancakes are worth every last moment in the kitchen or at the gym. And the best part is that they taste no less wonderful when you substitute whole wheat for half the white flour, which is my preference. And about the buttermilk — I admit, it’s not something I keep in my fridge on a regular basis, but after today, I’ll certainly be stocking it more often.

The Best Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe
adapted from Food and Wine Magazine, taken from Beltane Ranch
serves 4-6.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour — I use half whole wheat
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups buttermilk
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
maple syrup

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, mix milk, butter and egg yolks.
Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in egg whites gently, and stir just until combined.
Heat a lightly buttered castiron skillet over moderately low heat.
For each pancake, use 1/4-cup batter.
Let cook for about two minutes, or until top begins to set around the edges.
Flip and cook 30 seconds longer, then transfer to a 280-degree oven to keep warm while you cook the rest of these beauties.

Serve with good maple syrup and a big appetite.

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