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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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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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The Best Tomato Sandwich

Tomato Sandwich

It is almost time to leave.

“The sun crept down toward its setting place behind the Salinas River, and a bird began to sing wonderfully from the golden stubble of the field. It was as beautiful under the branches of the willow tree as anything in the world can be.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

I want to record a memory. Make a commitment not to forget. Let the time and place etch the grooves of the LP. It is a melancholy song I can’t chase away. The tune replays. It settles in, lingers, and yet I know there will be new words and music. Selfishly I write for myself. 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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Almond Breakfast Rolls with Amaretti Cookies and Amaretto

Almond Breakfast Rolls

Smile from the Inside Out

“He read slowly, moving his lips over the words. Everything is only for a day, both that which remembers and that which is remembered.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

I’m hoping almonds are a favorite. If so, this recipe will make you very happy. And happy is what we need to begin the new year. Resolutions and goals are perfectly fine, I made a few too. But I’m all for a big dose of being happy. I’m striving to be happier, to find joy in the present moment. Because really that’s all we’ve got. We know this, yet we don’t live as if we know this truth. We lost someone close to our family unexpectedly during the holidays. Our holidays are forever changed. With a basket of grief firmly griped in my hands I offer a gentle reminder to cherish each moment, smile from the inside out and find joy in each precious day. READ MORE . . .