Blueberry sourdough cake

Simple and refreshing. Based on this coffee cake recipe. Note that the center of this cake will rise, creating a cute little hill at the center of a round pan.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups sourdough starter
  
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
  
• 1 egg, beaten
  
• 1 tsp. baking soda

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
   
2. Combine frozen blueberries and 1 tbsp sugar in a bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. If still frozen, stir and microwave for another 15 seconds or so.
3. Combine the sourdough starter, blueberries, egg and butter in a bowl; set aside.
   
4. Combine all remaining ingredients in a second bowl. Combine with the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
5. Pour into an 8" round non-stick cake pan.
6. Bake for 40 minutes or until center of the cake is set.
   
7. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Molasses pancakes

I woke up this morning hankering for some pancakes, but out of eggs. So I googled 'eggless pancakes,' found this, and crunchified it. Note that these cook pretty fast and don't really give visual cues of when to flip them, so be attentive.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup walnut pieces
• 2 tbsp. butter, melted
  
• 2 tbsp. dark molasses
• 1 tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. water
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla
  
• 1/4 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
   
2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Preheat a nonstick or cast-iron skillet to medium heat.
4. Pour 2 tbsp. batter onto the skillet for each pancake.
5. Turn over after about 45 seconds; turn again; serve immediately.

Sourdough pancakes

I briefly considered calling these "one pancake to rule them all." Seriously, I have only had pancakes this nice from one place before this: Johnny's Luncheonette in Newton, MA. (Their pancakes have become more variable in quality since the early 2000s.)

These delicate, crepe-like pancakes are out of this world. Thin, soft, just a hint of sourness to balance the sweet, with the caramel notes of the seared exterior--incredible.

This is basically this recipe, halved, with a couple of minor modifications. (I mean, olive oil? Seriously?) Also, I took my sourdough starter directly out of the fridge and it was fine. Finally, I used baking powder instead of soda and I think it was better.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 1 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp warm water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine baking powder and warm water. Set aside.
2. Gently mix all other ingredients in a small mixing bowl
3. Add the baking powder mixture and gently combine.
4. Allow mixture to stand while heating a skillet to medium-high.
5. Pour about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook for 60-90 seconds per side. (The pancake is ready to flip the first time when a number of small holes have appeared on the top.)

Serve immediately. Discard leftover batter.

Yogurt pancakes

Like many Sundays, I woke up this morning with the feeling that only pancakes could provide sufficient motivation to get out of bed. Also like many Sundays, I realized that I was out of milk. But I had yogurt. So I found a particularly delicious-sounding yogurt coffee cake, adjusted the ingredients for my purposes and proceeded to undertake the experiment.

WOAH. These inch-high behemoths have the interior consistency of a pancake and the crust of a muffin top. They're rich and moist and sweet and eating them with a big glass of iced coffee was enough to make me forget all my worries. Try them.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Add all of the wet ingredients and stir until smooth.
3. Warm up a non-stick griddle to medium-low, and apply non-stick spray or butter to make it doubly non-stick.
4. Spoon out the batter in heaping tablespoons onto the griddle. Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side or until just possible to flip. Cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side.
   
5. Serve immediately.

Fettuccine in yogurt garlic sauce

As the weather's been getting better, I have been getting back into bicycling. Obsessed, actually. That means carbo-loading the night before a ride and re-loading when I get home. Since it's hot, and I'm tired, I want things that are low-cook or no-cook.

This quickie that I invented last year is one of my favorites for that. It's served cold, so it's particularly refreshing. A word of warning: raw, fully crushed garlic will cause people to avoid talking to you. (Chewing on a cardamom pod helps, if you can stand it.)

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz. (1/2 package) dry whole-wheat fettuccine
  
• 1 cup fat-free yogurt
• 4 medium cloves of garlic, crushed (see previous post)
  
• 3 tbsp. ground parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. fresh dill, minced (optional)
• 1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook the fettuccine to taste. Allow to dry thoroughly in a colander or the sauce will not stick.
   
2. Combine all other ingredients in medium mixing bowl. Let rest for five minutes to allow flavors to develop.
3. Toss pasta with sauce; serve chilled.

Bollar (Egg bread with cardamom)

I had been fascinated by this recipe for bollar bread ever since I saw it. I always loved the taste of milk with cardamom, and this was like a chai challah.

Due to a mistake the first time I made this recipe--I forgot the butter--I discovered that this recipe makes a really nice bagel as well as its traditional braided bread. I've since tried it the traditional way, and the crowd went wild. (By "crowd," I mean lab pot luck.)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 packets (.5 oz) active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup + 1 tsp. sugar (divided use)
  
• 1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom (or seeds of 12 pods, crushed)
• 5 eggs, room temperature (divided use)
• 2 tbsp. milk
  
• 7-8 cups all-purpose flour (see below)
• 1/2 cup butter, melted (omit for bagels)
  
• Poppy seeds for garnish
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and 1 tsp. sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Bubbles should begin to form; if they do not, start over with different yeast. (This is called proofing the yeast.)
2. Heat the evaporated milk to around 110 degrees. (The easiest way is microwave for about 30 seconds.)
3. Add milk, four eggs, cardamom, salt, and sugar to the yeast mixture. Beat until combined. Add about half the flour and stir with a hard spatula until combined.
   
4. Add the melted butter to the mixture (if making bread). Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, kneading by hand, until the dough is firm but not dry. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
5. Dust a counter or board with flour and place the dough on top. Knead by hand until smooth, about 10 minutes.
6. Rinse the mixing bowl, grease it, and put the dough back in. Put somewhere warm and allow to rise until doubled, about one hour.

FOR BAGELS:

1. Remove the dough and cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece between your hands until you have a strand about 8" long, then join them at the ends.
2. Arrange the bagels on baking sheets, cover and allow to rise until doubled again, approximately 1 hour more.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
4. Boil some water. Drop the bagels into the boiling water for 3 minutes, flipping halfway through, then transfer back to the baking sheets.
   
5. Beat the remaining egg with the 2 tbsp. milk. Brush onto each bagel, then dust with poppy seeds if desired.
   
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

FOR BRAIDED LOAVES:

1. Cut dough into 9 even pieces. ("Even" is the operative word here, lest your braids be misshapen.) Roll the pieces into strands about 12" long. If you want a loaf that's thicker in the middle (like a challah), taper the strands at the ends.
2. Lay three strands at a time side by side, parallel to one another. Squeeze the ends of the three strands together. Braid as you would a hair braid: put the left between the middle and the right, then put the right between the "new" middle and left, and so on.
3. Arrange the three loaves onto baking sheets and allow to rise another hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
5. Beat the remaining egg with the 2 tbsp. milk. Brush onto each loaf, then dust with poppy seeds if desired.
   
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

Makes 12 bagels or three loaves.

Farfel Kugel

A kugel is a pudding or casserole, and while there are many different kinds of kugels, I generally divide them into two categories: sweet and savory. This kugel, made from matzo farfel (crumbled matzo), is a lot like bread pudding, except richer.

The traditional place of a dairy kugel like this one is on Saturday (shabbat) morning brunch; you could also serve it for any breakfast. Traditionally, it would not be served with or after a meat meal because eating milk after meat is prohibited. However, if you do not keep kosher, this makes a fine dessert.

By soaking the matzo farfel before using it, it mostly disintegrates and gives the kugel a smooth, pudding-like texture. I plan on posting another variation on farfel kugel that seeks to keep the matzo somewhat more intact.

I got this recipe from my mother, who got it from The Jewish Home Cookbook. I have made a couple of substitutions (in parentheses) to bring it from 'inconceivably high fat' to merely 'very high fat.' Mmmm....

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cup matzo farfel (or whole matzo crumbled into small pieces)
• 3/4 cup butter
• 5 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 tbsp. cottage cheese
• 4 tbsp. (lowfat) sour cream
• 8 oz. (light) cream cheese
• 3/4 cup golden raisins
  
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees; boil some water.
   
2. Combine matzo farfel and raisins in a bowl.
3. Cover farfel and raisin mixture with boiling water and let stand 15 minutes; then drain in a colander.
4. Meanwhile, beat eggs and then add sugar, salt, cottage cheese, sour cream and cream cheese, combining thoroughly. (Use a blender for this if you prefer.)
   
5. Melt the butter and combine with the matzo farfel so that it is coated. Then add the egg mixture and combine. Transfer the mixture to a buttered, nonstick baking pan or casserole.
6. Scald the milk in a saucepan, then pour it evenly over the kugel. Do not mix.
7. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees, then another 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Allow to cool slightly before serving. Makes great leftovers.

Mina (Passover Spinach and Cheese Pie)

My mother made this for me when I was a kid. I think it's pretty tasty, although I could go for a zestier flavor. The end product is like a cross between a Tortilla Española and spanakopita.

One tip: when I say 'drained' spinach, I mean really drained. Take the spinach in your hands and squeeze it. It's amazing how much water there is in a package of spinach.

An idea that I had as I struggled with the eggs was that perhaps it would be better to dip the upper layer of matzo in eggs first, and then pour the remaining eggs over that, thus creating what is in effect a layer of matzo brei on top. It would definitely make the results more even. Mixing an additional egg or two into the spinach wouldn't be bad.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 3 cloves garlic
  
• 4 eggs, beaten
  
• 4 matzos
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Bowl of water
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put 1/4 cup oil at the bottom of a baking pan. The pan should be slightly larger than a matzo--say 10x12 or 12x12.
3. Dip two of the matzos in water quickly (or they will become soggy) and then arrange them at the bottom of the pan, breaking them if necessary, so that the bottom is covered.
4. Mix the spinach, feta and garlic in a bowl; arrange on top of matzo.
5. Dip the remaining matzos in water and arrange on top of the spinach. Pour the eggs over this, attempting to apply them evenly.
6. Bake for 10 minutes. Drizzle remaining oil over the casserole and return to oven for another 30 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Hot Chocolate (and Friends)

I discovered LA Burdick in my second year of college, and found myself happily addicted to their rich, lathery hot and iced chocolates. I was less addicted to the several dollars that each cup costs. Fortunately, they do not keep their recipe a secret. I have halved this recipe, which is corroborated by several other websites, for the basic hot chocolate.

This is not to say that it's not still worth buying it from Burdick: they use shaved chocolate, a painstaking process that produces a more decadent result; and they have proper equipment for steaming and scalding milk to the perfect temperatures. If you've never been, you'd better try it.

I know better than to tamper with perfection: the hot chocolate keeps the original Burdick proportions. But for cafe mocha, below, I have tweaked things a bit to accommodate the coffee.

SPICED HOT CHOCOLATE

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 oz. milk
• 2 tbsp. dark chocolate (ground up is best, but chocolate chips will do)
• 1 1/4 tsp. cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of white pepper (optional)
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Scald the milk in a saucepan by heating to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce heat to low.
2. Add all remaining ingredients and beat together with a whisk.
3. Pour into a mug and serve immediately.
   

CAFE MOCHA

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 oz. double-strength coffee
• 3 tbsp. dark chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup milk

RECIPE:

1. In a small saucepan, combine milk, chocolate chips and cocoa powder. Heat over a medium flame, stirring constantly with a wooden or plastic spoon. Do not allow to boil.
2. Pour the chocolate mixture into a mug. Using a small whisk or electric frother, foam the milk mixture slightly.
3. Add the coffee to the chocolate and serve immediately.
   

Banana Spice Griddle Cakes

These are really cakes that are made in a pan, so calling them 'pancakes' doesn't get the point across. They puff up in excess of one inch apiece, and have a velvety cake texture. Made one fine shabbos morning when I discovered I had forgotten to plug in the slow cooker.

The trick to getting them to come out perfectly without raw centers is to begin flipping them over as soon as you can, and then to keep flipping them for several minutes. This might take some practice.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cup white flour
• 1 1/4 cup evaporated milk (nonfat is fine)
  
• 3 tsp. baking powder
  
• 1 extra large egg, beaten
  
• 3 tbsp. butter, plus more for frying
  
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 cup walnut halves
  
• 2 large, not-quite-ripe bananas, mashed
  
• Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, evaporated milk and beaten egg.
   
2. In a skillet, melt 3 tbsp. butter over medium-high heat.
3. To the skillet, add the bananas, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Cook for several minutes to blend.
4. Add the banana mixture and nuts to the batter and mix thoroughly.
5. Clean the skillet and heat to medium.
6. Butter the skillet when it is completely hot.
7. To the buttered skillet, add dollops of batter to meet your preferred size. (The cakes won't spread much.)
8. As soon as it is possible to do so (Maybe 30-60 seconds), begin to flip over the cakes. Flip them over every 30 seconds or so. They will be done after several minutes. (This depends on the heat of your stove, so try one and check to see how long it takes.)

Serve immediately.

Fauxlenta

I eat a lot of Cream of Wheat during the winter, but sweet Cream of Wheat gets kind of boring about two weeks after the snow starts to fall. But I don't really feel like making pancakes or hashed potatoes or steak and eggs at 6:30am.

So I took a cue from southern cooking and adapted an old grits trick to my favorite hot cereal. A pie made on Monday should last a good ways into the workweek, and you can heat it in the microwave. Prepare a Latin-American coffee in your French Press and suddenly being awake doesn't seem so bad anymore.

Based on this recipe and on a pie my mom used to make when I was a kid.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Cream of Wheat or grits
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup milk (or substitute both milk and water for chicken broth)
  
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 bundle of scallions, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup Parmesan
  
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere or Irish Cheddar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  
• Black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a nonstick baking pan with cooking spray or butter it to prevent sticking.
   
2. Bring the water and milk to a boil in a nonstick saucepan. Gradually stir in the cream of wheat and keep stirring until thick.
3. Remove from heat. Gradually add in all remaining ingredients.
4. Pour the mixture into the baking pan, using a spatula to get it all out of the pot. (Suggestion: immediately rinse out the pot or it will be impossible to clean later.)
5. Bake the grits for 45 minutes or until set.

Refrigerate. To serve, you have a couple of options: cut 1/2 slices and sauté with an egg or two (thus impersonating polenta), or just heat it up in the microwave for 60 seconds on high.

Russian Red Bean and Walnut Soup

This recipe came to me by way of an ex-girlfriend, who (while we were dating) found it in her grandmother's scrapbook and gave it to me. Years went by and I thought I had lost this delicious winter soup, but it surfaced while I was moving into my condo. Thank goodness for that, because it's hearty, well-balanced and great for a cold evening.

If you use vegetable broth, this can be vegetarian and kosher dairy.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. dried kidney beans
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 quarts broth (I use chicken broth)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 large onions, chopped
  
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• 1/2 cup fresh parsely, minced
• Sour cream or yogurt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse beans thoroughly in cold water, checking for grit or foreign particles.
2. Combine the beans and broth in a soup pot; bring to a boil.
3. Add bay leaf and garlic and simmer, covered, for two hours or until beans are soft.
4. Heat the butter in a skillet. Sauté the onions until soft (but not brown).
5. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture browns.
6. Add some liquid from the soup to the onion mixture and cook for another minute.
7. Pour the onion mixture into the soup.
8. Stir in walnuts, red pepper, parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Simmer uncovered for another 25 minutes, stirring often.
10. Remove bay leaf.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

PAIRINGS:

I suppose this would pair well with a brown ale, but I usually just drink water. That said, I once made a similar stew that played beautifully off Dogfish Head's "Raison D'Être" mahogany ale. Something about the yeasty, sweet ale with the nuts and the red beans...

Chocolate Coconut Pecan pie

This pie is unreasonably delicious, and extremely easy to make. Leave the pie crust frozen until you are ready to use it.

My mother got it from some cookbook and I inherited a xerox of a xerox. Whoever the original author is, my apologies for failing to provide an attribution. (Also, the original author will note that I've changed a couple of things, which of course means they must be improvements.)

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 medium eggs
• 3/4 cup raw shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup whole pecans
• 9" frozen deep-dish pie crust

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 350 F. The baking sheet is important! Without it, the inside of your pie won't cook properly.
   
2. Mix sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl. You will get a big, sugary blob, which is cool.
   
3. Beat eggs and mix them into the aforementioned blob of sugar.
4. Add coconut, pecans and chocolate.
5. Pour all of this into the frozen pie crust.
   
6. Shove the whole thing in the oven and leave it there for 50 minutes or until the top is brown and the inside is more or less set. (The recipe originally said 40 minutes, but I've found that it takes significantly longer than that.)
7. Remove from oven, cover in foil, let cool slightly. The inside will firm up a bit as the chocolate solidifies.
   
8. Serve warm.