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Pineapple Guava Bread with Browned Butter and Macadamias

Pineapple Guava Bread with Browned Butter and Macadamias

Urban Foraging

“Wherever a trickle of water came out of the ground a house sprang up and a family began to grow and multiply. Cuttings of red geraniums and rosebushes were planted in the dooryard.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

I’m getting back to my old self again. I’ve been baking. And cooking for fun, not just because we need to eat. I’ve been working on my list of baking and cooking ideas. Lists are one of my most favorite things. My notebook has little drawings on the left hand side of the page to remind me of the idea— the colors, textures, setting and props. The sections for spring and summer are almost empty. It’s been months, early March, since I felt free enough to daydream. READ MORE . . .

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Browned Butter Banana Cupcakes with Salted Dark Chocolate Ganache

Browned Butter Banana Cupcake with Chocolate Ganache

Too Many Ripe Bananas

“Charles squared his chair around and put his elbows on the table. We’ll have to figure it out, he said nervously. We can put it off all we want, but we goddam well got to figure out what we’re going to do. I know that, said Adam. I guess I just wanted some time to think about it.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

There is a time when a decision must be made. We’ve all been there. What is the best thing to do with too many ripe bananas? When there are five ripe bananas a certain panic sets in. A massive amount of food waste becomes possible. I was ready to throw the bananas away when I saw this post. This is a genius recipe from Fine Cooking. READ MORE . . .

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Soft and Fluffy Flour Tortillas

Soft and Fluffy Flour Tortillas

American Wheat and the Wheat Safari 2014

“The supper would be delicious—omelets never fell and cakes rose to balloons of lightness, biscuits fluffed up, and no one could season a stew like Agnes Morrison.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Emerald green until the land meets the sky. If I had to describe August in eastern North Dakota in just one word, it would be green. American wheat is grown here, along with corn and soybeans. Sunflowers, sugar beets and hay are part of the landscape too. Celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, the gluten-free diet and the very popular books Wheat Belly and Grain Brain have left us searching to understand the implications of American wheat in our diets. I am fortunate that no one in my family has Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. I continue to bake with American wheat to feed my family and develop recipes. With so much media coverage I was more than interested in learning about how American wheat is bred, grown, harvested and processed. I learned all this and more. The different classes of American wheat and the baking performance in different types of recipes captured my attention. Wheat Safari 2014 offered a perspective on American wheat flour that begins long before the bag of flour is placed in the shopping cart. READ MORE . . .

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Yeasted Waffles with Whole Wheat and Maple Roasted Figs

Yeasted Whole Wheat Waffles

The allure of a famous recipe

“Gradually a perfectly natural thing happened.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Weekend mornings are made for Marion Cunningham’s yeasted waffles. With an easy prep the night before the batter can be finished while the waffle iron heats in the morning. I have made the recipe so many times that I now take short cuts, deviating from her famous recipe. Adding an extra half cup of flour to the original recipe makes a thicker waffle that still has the famous crispy exterior yet has a soft, pillowy inside. Simply voluptuous breakfast material. For the original crispy thin waffle, make a thiner batter with a total of two cups of flour. The nutty taste of browned butter stands tall in flavor with whole wheat flour and makes an appearance in these waffles. Dissolving the yeast in warm water and warming the milk are just extra steps in the original recipe. Mix cold milk together with the yeast and proceed with the recipe. It yields a batter with the same volume and texture as the original recipe. Make the recipe in a very large bowl as the batter at least doubles in volume. When the eggs and baking soda are stirred into the bowl the next morning a silky smooth batter is waiting for the hot waffle iron. READ MORE . . .

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Brioche Plum Tart

Brioche Plum Tart

Crusts and Perfection

“Adam asked, How is your mother holding up? Will leaned back in his chair and an affectionate smile came on his face. She’s a remarkable woman, he said. She’s like a rock.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

My mom is now in a local rest home. The journey from her home, the hospital and now the nursing home has devoured my time and energy. A failing heart valve leaves her often breathless and afraid. She is still mentally capable of making all her own decisions. Only last year, did she consider a heart valve replacement. In her weakened state it was too late. We ask so much of our parents. When we were children our expectations were defined by love, food, haven from a stormy world and if we were lucky a visit from Santa Claus. As adults we demand even more than when we were children. We expect perfection when we know we live in an imperfect world and our parents likely did the best they could with what they had. We hold our parents to a higher standard than we have for ourselves and refuse to consider the dreams and demons that propelled them through their lives. READ MORE . . .