Featherbed Eggs

Featherbed Eggs At least one of the mornings each weekend, I try to make up for all the cereal and bagels we have eaten for breakfast during the week by making a big breakfast. By big I mean anything that doesn’t require a bowl and a spoon, and actually takes some effort. Sometimes I make pancakes, sometimes it’s scrambled eggs and bacon, and other times I make all three.

This past weekend, we had our Cookbook Club dinner, but this time around, we turned it into brunch because the book we chose was The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham. While I was not totally blown away by the book, I did like the Featherbed Eggs recipe that I made for the group. And there are a few other recipes in it that I would make again.

Featherbed Eggs are basically bread pudding with cheese, that you start the night before, and bake when you get up in the morning. It’s a good basic recipe that would stand up to some of your favorite additions. Personally, I would go with some green chilies or bell peppers, but you could do bacon or ham as well. It’s so pretty right out of the oven, and super easy to make. I doubled the recipe (cause 4 servings wouldn’t be enough), and alternated bread and cheese layers like you would for lasagna. It worked out well.

So if you are feeling like you’re in a breakfast rut this weekend, invite some friends over and give this recipe a try.… It goes well with some spicy Bloody Marys too! Read more…

Our Favorite Honey Cake

Our Favorite Honey Cake We found this recipe on the wonderful Smitten Kitchen blog. And, with it is a funny story of skitting critters, Hollywood thriller screams, and fallen honey cakes, the post is well worth a bookmark—it is a good read.

Our Favorite Honey Cake
Adapted from Marcy Goldman’s Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup warm coffee or strong tea
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup rye or whiskey
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (optional)

Directions
Fits in three loaf pans, two 9-inch square or round cake pans, one 9 or 10-inch tube or bundt cake pan, or one 9 by 13-inch sheet cake. You can also use two full-size loaf pans plus two miniature ones.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease the pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray. For tube or angel food pans, line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper that has been cut to fit.

Make the batter
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Make a well in the center, and add oil, honey, white sugar, brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee or tea, orange juice, and rye or whiskey, if using. (If you measure your oil before the honey, it will be easier to get all of the honey out.)

Using a strong wire whisk or in an electric mixer on slow speed, stir together well to make a thick, well-blended batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom.

Bake the cake
Spoon batter into the prepared pan(s). Sprinkle top of the cake(s) evenly with almonds. Place the cake pan(s) on two baking sheets, stacked together. (This will ensure the cakes bake evenly,)

Bake until the cake springs back when you gently touch the cake center. For angel and tube cake pans, this will take about 60 to 75 minutes, for loaf cakes, about 45 to 55 minutes. For sheet style cakes, the baking time is about 40 to 45 minutes.

Allow the cake stand for fifteen minutes before removing from pan.

The Great Waffle Debate

Waffles Two Ways or The Great Waffle Debate Breakfast is a big deal in my house. At least one morning each weekend, sometimes two, we will have a big breakfast. By big it means doing something more than pouring milk over cereal, or pushing down the lever on a toaster.

Breakfast on the weekend means breaking some eggs, scooping out some flour and stirring in some milk. Omelets are good, and my husband is the Omelet King. Pancakes of all kinds are always a hit, but I think waffles are by far the family favorite.

I have one of those waffle irons that spins two at a time. It was my favorite present from Christmas a couple of years ago. I LOVE it. Being able to produce buttery, crispy goodness quickly is the key to a happy Sunday morning.

At our last Cookbook Club dinner, one of the kids suggested that the next book we choose should be about breakfast. We chose The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham.

As you would expect, the book contains a number of tasty breakfast recipes and, of course, there are a few for waffles. The Classic Waffle recipe which is the version that most of us are used to, but a few recipes might be challenging to those who see themselves as “waffle purists”. Last weekend I tried the Raised Waffle recipe which uses yeast to make the waffles fluffy. I got mixed reviews.

The boys thought they were great. My daughter, who is a staunch waffle purist, likes the other version better of course. My husband liked the fact that the Raised Waffles were really light and crispy. For me, I thought they were good but I’ll stick to the tried and true, old school waffles.

I have listed the recipe for you give them a try, and see where you fall in the great waffle debate. Read more…

Oriental Barbecued Ribs

BBQ Ribs The Fourth of July brings to mind many things. Freedom, of course. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, definitely. Fireworks, heck yeah. Food? You better believe it, Sister!

Fourth of July food means corn, potato salad, slaw, melon and ribs…always ribs. Well, at least for me.

In my family there are any number of ways to cook ribs. The Cherry Coke Ribs (See 6/27/12 post.) from last year are probably my favorite, but my grandmother’s Oriental Barbequed Ribs are a close second. We used to enjoy these during the summer for Sunday dinner with some Southern Spoonbread (addictive!), and some Chili Cheese Rice on the side (See Green Chili and Rice recipe from 4/24/2013.)

The original recipe came from Bon Appetit Magazine way back in the dark ages, which probably accounts for the name of the recipe. I remember my Mom’s copy written on a piece of folded, yellow, ruled, legal paper that lived in the back of her recipe box. God help us if anyone lost that paper!

The ribs are tasty, fall off the bone, and are a nice change from the usual “saucy” ribs. Make sure you marinade them overnight. It makes all the difference. And definitely save some of the marinade for basting while they are on the grill.

This year I will be spending my Fourth of July in a pool, because we are apparently now all living on the face of the sun, and will not be cooking the traditional festive meal. Instead I will make some 6th of July ribs to celebrate the weather’s return to “normal” after a week set at nuclear.

No matter what your food and party plans are this Thursday, I wish you all a very happy and cool Fourth of July! Read more…