Breakfast - Brunch

There are a few recipes for this on the net and one in Secrets of a Jewish Baker by George Greenstein. The main elements are the same: potatoes, flour, yeast, eggs, and oil but the proportions differ substantially. I distilled this recipe down from all those I researched. To say this is outstanding, foodwise, is to say that the Mona Lisa is passing fair, as far as dabbling with oils go. This tastes like a potato latke, cuts like a quiche, and is a side dish wanting to go center stage. This is great hot, warm, or cold. Slather it with sour cream, or serve a thin wedge with a green salad and a BBQ chicken or grilled rib eye steak.

A herb filled, mouth-wateringly tender tart is home to a zesty filling. This is as sophisticated as you expect from quiche but as fun and flavorful as a pizza.

A pull-apart yeasted coffee cake that is a classic. Make the dough in the bread machine and finish up by hand.  Basically, balls of dough are dipped in butter and sugar before being piled up in a pan. They rise, they fuse, they baked into a little bit of heaven.

There’s just a bit of spice in these unbelievably tender, crisp, light, simply amazing pancakes. If the beautiful golden hue doesn’t seduce you, the flavour will be your undoing. One of the best recipes to come out of my test kitchen in…..days.

A comfort food classic that is so good you'll want these both weekend days, causing you to wonder if like Bill Murray of Ground Hog Day movie fame, you're living the same breakfast twice? Worst things can happen. Pancakes or waffles are just the thing for a brunch or a lazy morning. Saco Cultured Buttermilk Blend (or soured milk, or diluted yogurt can replace the buttermilk). For a sweeter milk pancake, use regular milk and forget the baking soda. I add a touch of corn flour and malt to this recipe but if you don't have either - they're still delicious.

 

This makes a unique loaf style quiche that is quite tasty. Not your regular "ladies who lunch" fare. Serve it hot, warm or cold, with a homemade or store-bought salsa.

Isn't Hanukah the time to make something special? Isn't cheese a traditional Hanukah food? Come on. Go for it! This really makes any sort of Danish you want. It is a superlative (and easy) real, butter, real Danish Dough – the sort delis and bakeries used to make. As family bakeries bit the dust and/or bakers started scrimping and the buttery (and best) part of Danish began to disappear, the need to make it yourself became clear. This is so outstanding. Why? It tastes like the real McCoy(stein), the dough is supple and a pleasure to work with, the taste is incomparable; the fine delicate/bready pastry is addictive.  You can fill this with the sweetened cheese filling called for here or make it with chocolate or cinnamon smear, or prune or apricot filling. (Recipes for the Chocolate or Cinnamon Smear Danish are in the Complete Recipe Archives; prune or apricot fillings also in the archives or you can opt for a quality prepared filling). Aside from this amazing dough, real bakery style Danish calls for a brushing or two of syrup (it’s included in this recipe) as well as (but this part is optional), apricot glaze. This makes the not-too-sweet pastry just a touch sweeter but also keeps it fresher longer and offers that stickiness you are going to have to lick off your hands once the Danish is a memory. I make batches of this dough and freeze it – which you can do or freeze the whole pastry (a large one or smaller ones) and let it rise in the fridge and bake it fresh for a brunch, breakfast or coffee klatch the next day. If you wonder if real Danish is hard to do, don't. It's easy. If you wonder why do it? Because...where are you going to find real Danish, with real butter, anywhere, anymore. Baker's cheese is also called hoop cheese, dry cottage cheese, old-fashioned cottage cheese. If you cannot find it, use ricotta cheese well drained (overnight, cheesecloth/strainer deal).

Yes, that old chestnut -that recipe that is everywhere and that they tell you you can bake a bit of it each day, ultimately holding the batter for 6 weeks. Ummm, no thank you. The notion of raw eggs handing around has no appeal not to mention, 6 weeks in a cold, wet environment tries the patience of even Clabber Girl's outstanding baking powder. But that stuff notwithstanding, you know –these are rather good.  Bake it the whole batch (double the recipe if you want), and freeze the muffins. These have been respun with a touch of honey and banana chunks. You could even use half peanut butter to replace the oil.

Rhubarb is a favorite food of mine but now it's finding mainstream fans. Blood oranges seem to be the kiwi of the 21st Century. Together, they are a perfect union. This is a new spin on something old but ambrosial: stewed rhubarb of oven compote. Rhubarb marries well with sweet blood oranges (who also do their best to tint the rhubarb a deep rose colour). A touch of brown and white sugar and pomegranate molasses (honey is a fine substitute) make this rustic and sophisticated all at once. Serve over ice-cream, pound cake, with scones, or on with yogurt or Scottish oatmeal for a sweet, tart banquet. I tend to slice two of the blood oranges called for and grind up the last one but just slicing all three is fine.