Eggs Sardou

Monday is February 29th…leap year!

When I sat down to write this post, I had every intention of creating a menu only to be eaten every four years. The fact is, there are a lot of things that we should only eat every four years, and most of them involve butter, heavy cream, deep frying, fatty meats and/or all of the above. (No way am I giving up my avocado bacon burger…or the fries. Don’t mess with my fries.)

One recipe from my childhood kept popping up, and would not be ignored. It is the perfect recipe candidate for once every four years: Eggs Sardou. Or as we liked to call it, Eggs Lard-o.

Eggs Sardou is the creation of iconic Antoine’s restaurant in New Orleans, and consists of poached eggs, creamed spinach, artichoke hearts and hollandaise sauce. It is sometimes served on a bed of asparagus. I also love it on a crusty bread. Antoine’s serves it for brunch on Sundays. Now, I have never been to Antoine’s, or New Orleans for that matter (Bucket List!), but I have been to Rosie’s Café in Tahoe City, CA.

Anyone who has been to Tahoe City in the last 30 years has driven past Rosie’s Café, a favorite spot of my father’s. When I was a kid, we would make sure to go there at least once for breakfast while on vacation. Still do. Sometimes more than once.

I would order the Sopapillas, which were served warm with honey. They are, unfortunately, no longer on the menu. Dad would order the Eggs Sardou (also no longer on the menu), and we would watch in awe and horror. Mom had the cardiologist on speed dial.

While poached eggs, spinach and artichoke hearts may sound healthy, the addition of cream and hollandaise sauce take it in a whole other direction. Don’t get me wrong, it’s delicious—but at about a billion calories per serving, not something you want to eat on a regular basis. Every four years sounds about right.

Eggs Sardou is not for weekday mornings, so if you feel like celebrating leap year a little early, it makes a lovely Sunday brunch…

Eggs Sardou
Yields four servings
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Spinach Gratin

Thanksgiving Roulette
I admit. I am a Thanksgiving purist. There should be turkey. There should be mashed potatoes, gravy, and stuffing. There should be cranberries. And yes, let there be pie. Pecan and Pumpkin pie to be exact. I would prefer that this menu not be messed with. For most of my life things were as they should be…then I got married.

Once married, we made the decision to split the holidays amongst the two families—which means that we spend Thanksgiving with my In-Laws and Christmas is with my family. For the first few years Thanksgiving was an adjustment. I love my in-laws. They are awesome people, and my mother-in-law is a great cook. But they do Thanksgiving differently, and I had to learn to adjust.

Don’t get me wrong. The usual things are there: turkey, potatoes, stuffing, etc. But there were other dishes that were new to me. Sweet Potato Tsimmes with Pecans and Prunes is one, and has since become my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner. (Who’da thunk it?) It is the vegetable dishes that seem to be in a constant state of flux. Sometimes it’s broccoli, and sometimes it’s green beans… Just like Forrest said, you never know what you’re going to get. (Thank goodness it hasn’t been brussels sprouts ‘cause…no.)

I am pleasantly surprised to say that after 14 years, I enjoy this little bit of change, and if it were up to me, I would offer Ina Garten’s Spinach Gratin as the vegetable of choice this year. It’s rich, creamy, and very good. And on a day reserved for feasting, why not?

Ina Garten’s Spinach Gratin
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties Read more…

Jelly, Marmalade & Jam

Each of these recipes gives a different spin on delicious spreadable treats. Lavender and Lemon Jelly is a classic recipe with a flavorful twist, Red Onion Marmalade goes with savories, and finally, Fresh Strawberry Chia Jam can be prepared in minutes and left to set while you are making breakfast.

Never-Fail Biscuits and Strawberry Freezer Jam

Jammin’ Biscuits

My grandmother was a canner. Growing up, I remember every summer she would can her tomatoes and the fresh peaches that she picked herself in Brentwood. She also made an incredible blackberry jam from the bramble I once fell into as a child. (No es bueno.) Alas, that recipe has been lost. I’ve looked for it everywhere, but I am starting to think that she didn’t have it written down—and made it from memory. Gam did it the old school way, too, with melted wax on top of the jam. So good…

I started canning about 8 years ago, mainly because the apricot tree in the backyard of our old house produced so many apricots one year that I had to do something. I just couldn’t bring myself to throw them out. I brought some here to the store to share, but even that didn’t put a dent in the quantity. So I made jam. Lots of it. I was hooked on canning.

In the following years, I kept making jam, but I also started making pickles and chutneys and also canning the tomatoes from my garden. When those crops were exceptionally big I made salsas and tomato sauces. It was work, but tasting the flavor of my summer tomatoes in January made the hard, hot work worth it.

This year, sadly, I won’t be doing much canning or preserving— at least not as much as in previous summers for two reasons. The first is I don’t have a garden. With the water restrictions, I decided it just wasn’t worth planting a big garden and fighting that battle. The second reason is I just don’t have time. For the next five weeks, there is something going on every weekend, sometimes more than one event. I barely know what day it is most of the time.

I can’t just not do anything, so I’m going the quick and easy route. Freezer jam is great and you can do it if you find a free hour. (For me, that’s midnight). We are crazy for strawberry jam in my house—especially when you spoon it on warm, fresh (and really quick!) biscuits. Yum…

Strawberry Freezer Jam
Makes about 5 (8 oz) half pints
Adapted from FreshPreserving.com, the Ball website Read more…