Brunch

Rosemary Pepita Granola

September 15, 2013 by Charles 2 Comments

“So what’s been cooking?” you might ask.

Well, for starters, I got married!

On June 22, 2013, Caitlin and I got married before our friends and family at the American Visionary Art Museum in downtown Baltimore. The ceremony took place in the wildflower garden outside of the Museum, and was officiated by the Judge for whom I clerked, and in whose chambers Caitlin and I met some five years ago.

The beauty of the ceremony was matched only by the radiance of my bride, and it was Caitlin’s months of efforts and DIY projects that made the day so touching and meaningful. Caitlin painstakingly designed (and sometimes redesigned) …

Homemade Whole Wheat English Muffins

September 29, 2012 by Charles 6 Comments

I love baking breads. There is a unique pleasure in stirring the yeast, watching it foam, and then kneading the tough flour in and out of your hands and across the cutting board. There is a certain magic to leaving the room and, returning an hour later, discovering that the small ball of dough has doubled in size, the yeast breathing life into the round.

One of the additional pleasures of baking bread is in the anticipation, as the smell of baking break slowly fills the kitchen, before settling over the entire apartment, building a sense of eagerness in the room’s occupants.

For better or worse, there is…

Sweet Potato Home Fries

July 9, 2011 by Charles Leave a Comment

These sweet potato home fries make a perfect side dish as part of a warm breakfast. They also go well with a…

Cheese and Chilies Pancakes

April 3, 2011 by Charles 2 Comments

If you know Caitlin and me, you know that we love a good pancake. You can find us at IHOP now and then, but for the most part, we prefer making our own. And boy have we: from gingerbread to butternut squash to lemon ricotta.

From the sheer number of pancakes we make, you might think that pancakes hold a special place in our relationship. You’d be right — I made banana sour cream pancakes for Caitlin on our first date (and in spite of my friends’ concerns about having a date in the morning).

So when Caitlin suggested …

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…