Breakfast

Herb and Cheese Popovers

March 14, 2011 by Charles 10 Comments

Popovers are one of my favorite things to make – and eat. The only problem is that, right now, I’m usually cooking for one. And it’s just not safe to leave me alone with warm popovers. Indeed, the last time that happened, I wolfed down five vanilla eggnog popovers before noon. I think I was able to save one for Caitlin, but I may be wrong.

This past Friday, I attended a pot-luck “dinner.” Only instead of the usual dinner items, everyone was charged with bringing a brunch item. There were donuts, scrambled eggs, french toast, more french toast, smoked salmon, bagels, and the like.

My contribution, naturally, was popovers. Herb and cheese popovers to be exact. I had been meaning…

Arepas with Guasacaca

February 13, 2011 by Charles 9 Comments

Arepas may be the best dish I’d never heard of.

Arepas (ah-RAY-pahs) are half-inch thick corn cakes that are an absolute staple of Colombian and Venezuelan cuisine, their origins dating back to the original Indian inhabitants of the region.

Arepas are made from masarepa flour, sometimes called arepa harina. Unlike cornmeal, which is made from uncooked, ground corn, masarepa flour is made from precooked (preconcida) ground corn. As a result, you cannot use simple cornmeal to make arepas; you must use masarepa flour. I used Goya-brand yellow masarepa flour that I found at a Hispanic grocery store. Since then, though, I found that even the local Kroger carries PAN-brand white masarepa flour in its international section.

The beauty of arepas lies in their simplicity and adaptability. Arepas are …

Lemon Ricotta Waffles

February 8, 2011 by Charles 6 Comments

I must have read Shoeless Joe sometime in grade school, no older than eight or nine. At the time, I loved baseball and everything about it. But even more than watching it or playing it, I enjoyed reading about the game. Between all my baseball books, W.P. Kinsella’s debut novel held a special place on my young bookshelf.

Of all the great writers, from James Thurber to Ring Lardner, to have tried their hand at a baseball story, none captured the magic and drama of the game like Shoeless Joe. And as wonderful as the book was, the movie adaptation …

Gingerbread Pancakes

January 16, 2011 by Charles 19 Comments

Gingerbread pancakes are the perfect treat on a cold Winter weekend morning, when there’s nothing better than curling up on the couch, drinking your hot coffee, and folding over sections of the Sunday paper.

Caitlin and I grated some fresh ginger for these pancakes. For a little extra touch, you can add some Confectioners’ sugar and top with a piece of pickled ginger.

And if you do decide to brave the cold, well at least …

Granola Bars

January 3, 2011 by Charles 4 Comments

Ever since his clementine clafoutis, I’ve taken Mark Bittman’s suggestions for specific recipes with a whole heaping tablespoon of salt.

But when it comes to general ideas and cooking methods, he’s often spot-on. These homemade granola bars were a wonderful idea, and best of all, easily adapted to your own tastes and preferences. The original recipe called for apricots, which was a definite no-go for me. But sticking …