Gifting Bread

I was chatting with my dad last weekend and already being caught up on my news, he asked what was new with my friends. I went through one by one, telling the updates of my different girlfriends that are now collectively spoken about with their boyfriend or fiance, the weddings that are fast approaching, the move ins that are happening, and the new jobs being learned. It was nice to get my dad up to date, but at the same time there’s something a little sad in talking about all the things that are moving forward with your friends, yet realizing that you are pretty much in the same place that you’ve been for the past couple of years.

I think that’s part of why I’ve been trying something new every day the past couple of Junes, the reason I got a cat and the reason I look at buying a house (well let’s be clear – it would actually be a small condo)… At the end of the day, I am not the same person I was a couple of years ago either, there’s just not a big life moment to show for it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m terribly happy with my life and am confident that I have made all the right choices for me, but I have to admit that growing up is sometimes kind of a lonely process.

So what do to about this feeling of disconnect? Go forth. Continue doing things that excite me, challenge me, engage me, and make me happy. Continue finding new things to try, continue spending time with my closest friends (and their partners), continue traveling, dating and cooking.

There is something immensely comforting and homey in the smell of fresh-baked bread, which I think also makes it a very appropriate moving day present. I helped my friend and her boyfriend unpack their kitchen in their first shared apartment this weekend and arrived with half a loaf of bread and a bottle of champagne in hand – my kind of housewarming present! This bread is good! I’ve been wanting to make a no-knead bread for a while and finally got around to it this weekend. This one is just a little sweet and chewy because of the oats, but it makes great toast and I’d definitely recommend giving it go. It’s so easy and how could you not want to make your house smell AMAZING one weekend morning.

It was a perfect something new to help me realize that at this point in my life, my days are filled with simple pleasures and little new things, rather than one big thing on the horizon. Eventually I’m sure I’ll be caught up to the other people in my life, and until then I’ll continue to find joy in sharing their joy and find joy in my own little moments.

Maple Oat Breakfast Bread recipe here

Cook the Book: Brown Barley

Chapter: Cereals – Recipe: Brown Barley

Oh, Marion. She so crazy. Before browsing through this book, I would have never attempted, or even thought of barley for breakfast. My inital reaction was “Really? Isn’t it kind of like farro?” But, it’s in the book, there must be something breakfasty about it. And let me be the one to tell you that yes, it is like farro, and yes, with sugar, milk and butter just about anything can be breakfasty.

Most of the things in this chapter were dishes I’d made or had before: granola, grits, oatmeal, cereal in its many forms. Seeing as that I had never had or prepared barely, I was intrigued. I went to my local co-op, my go-to stop for anything bulk, and sure enough they had several varieties for me to choose from. Marion says she had “always cooked pearled barley, which is pallid in comparison” so I knew it wasn’t that, but then there was this purple kind and another hulled barley. Ends up that pearled barley has had many of its outer fibers and bran stripped away, making if faster to cook, but less flavorful with less texture – so which one? Purple? Tan? Well, purple just seemed much more fun.

Not to my surprise, the barley indeed does cook up as any other whole grain, as individual pieces rather than developing a creamy consistency like oatmeal. It is rather plain, but brown sugar, a dot of butter, almond milk and fresh fruits brought it to life. I scoped out the perfect peach at the farmers market and the strawberries are in the height of the season now. The barley itself is a bit nutty and chewy, so while Marion suggests a dash of cream, I actually thought the almond milk was the perfect liquid for this combination. Always a fan of trying new things, I am very happy to have chosen this random, yet pleasantly delightful, hot morning cereal.

As part of ‘cook the book’ Rachel, Aimee, Natasha, Sammy and Claudie have more cereals to share with you!

Brown Barley*

• 3 cups water
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup whole grain barley

Bring the water to a boil and add salt. Stir in the barely, turn the heat to low, and cover the pot. Cook over low heat for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking for doneness. It should be tender but chewy. Serve hot with desired toppings. Recommended brown sugar, butter, milk and fruits.

* Recipe from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham, 1987

Cook the Book: Bran Muffins – A VIDEO!

Chapter 3: Quick Breads – Recipe: Bran Muffins

When I was in college, my friends and I were obsessed with Mimi’s Cafe bran muffins. Mimi’s for those of you who don’t know is a super kitschy chain restaurant whose food is nothing to write home about, but whose bran muffins, on the other hand, are to die for. They are huge, light, and soaked with a honey syrup on the bottom. They are served warm with a whipped butter that melts all over and balances out the sweetness in the muffin.

Given these very fond memories, I had always wanted to attempt bran muffins at home, so this chapter and Marion’s recipe were the perfect start. They aren’t quite like Mimi’s but they are still great. These are dense and slightly molasses-y without being too sweet. I substituted currents and cranberries instead of the 1 cup raisins, and served with a whipped honey butter, which absolutely made the dish. Simply whip a stick of butter and add honey to taste – probably a couple of tablespoons.

Also, because I am slightly obsessed with developing my new-found video skills, I am happy to present this recipe to you as my second ever video:

As this is part of our ‘Cook the Book’ series, don’t forget to check out the other quick bread chapter recipes here:

• Rachel, Ode To Goodness
• Natasha, Claro Southwick
• Aimee, Homemade Trade
• Sammy, Rêve du Jour
• Claudie, Bohemian Kitchen

Tomato Jam BLT

So at this point I hope you all are familiar with my ‘cook the book’ project. As I mentioned in this post, I met my SF food blogger friends through a variety of events, one of which was an evening with Michael Natkin to celebrate his new book Herbivoracious. Michael is a vegetarian food blogger turned author and we noshed on a few of his dishes, including his signature Chevre with Sauteed Grapes – so good and so simple, while getting to know him and become familiar with the book. He’s are really nice guy and took the time to chat with each of us, listening to our passions while sharing his for vegetarian cooking. The event was held at Cookhouse, a spectacular kitchen space for rent in North Beach, which I would highly recommend for hosting your next culinary event. I went to the event with Natasha and Claudie and we met Rachel and Aimee there, and before we knew it, we were planning our next get together and the cook the book idea was born.

Cookhouse

Having tried some of the his dishes at the event, I couldn’t wait to flip through Michael’s book and decide what to make next. There were so many tempting options, it took me a while and some inspiration from Food Loves Writing, to finally land on tomato jam. My dad grows tomatoes among other things and as summer rolled around it was the perfect match.

This jam was just delightful. Akin to a sweet bruschetta, I’ve been eating it with cheese on bread, on sandwiches, with eggs on toast – there are so many options. The essence of the tomato remains, but it’s sweetened and spiced up a bit with herbs and pepper flakes. I think next time I would definitely use less sugar and add more herbs/pepper flakes, but it was definitely good as is and was a crowd pleaser as an appetizer on Saturday night. I served it on  sourdough with cheddar, and I think it would have been really amazing with goat cheese on crackers. The tartness of Chevre with the sweet jam would be amazing.

Of all the ways that I’ve used this jam, I enjoyed this grilled BLT the most. Sharp cheddar and salty bacon balance out the sweetness of the jam and I used fresh spinach instead of lettuce – yum! I basically made grilled cheese then opened it up at the end of cooking and inserted the bacon and greens, but really you could do whatever kind of BLT you like, and I’m sure you will love this ‘tomato’ on your sandwich.

Tomato Jam from Herbivoracious*

• 1 1/2 lbs tomatoes, cored, peeled, diced
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
• pinch red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a simmer and continue to simmer until reduced, thick and syrupy. Cool and serve at room temperature. Will store in the fridge for about 3 days. You can peel the tomatoes easily by lightly scoring an X in blossom end of the tomato and soaking in boiling water for 10 seconds.

* I omitted the saffron in the original recipe – my budget has to draw the line at $18.00 spices 🙂

Cook the Book: JB’s French Toast

Chapter 2: Toasts, French Toasts, and Breakfast Sandwiches – Recipe: J.B.’s French Toast

With a name like James Beard associated with this French toast, how could I not try it? While this chapter is chock full of random things, like sausage and applesauce toast, Welsh Rabbit and strawberry sandwiches, I do love French toast and was drawn to the crunchy exterior of this recipe. Marion says that is her favorite French toast recipe and that James Beard once told her they used to serve it in the dining cars on the Santa Fe Railroad – I was sold.

I actually made this recipe in the Mile High City of Denver with my friend Kendra. She was good enough to put up with me for a whole week over the 4th of July, and I absolutely loved it. It was my second trip out there, and I do love the charming brick houses, the laid back feel and the heat of their summer vs. my blustery SF one. We did a breakfast for dinner one evening with one of her girlfriends, complete with mimosas and breakfast casserole too.

I liked this toast! It had a great crunch on the outside from Corn Flakes, and I especially loved the bites with a lot of sugar that had accumulated in the crevices. Her recipe does state to use a dense white bread – and I wish mine had been denser. I used a loaf of French bread that was just a bit too light resulting in a super custardy center. Not always a bad thing, but I do like a little more solidity to my french toast. Also, be warned that there is a lot of nutmeg in this one! Kendra loved it. Me, not so much. I’ll definitely balance with some cinnamon next time. But overall a nice variation on a classic, great texture, simple to make and paired with some berries, just right for summer.

Be sure to check out the other toast recipes here:

• Rachel, Ode To Goodness
• Natasha, Claro Southwick
• Aimee, Homemade Trade
• Sammy, Rêve du Jour
• Claudie, Bohemian Kitchen

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that Marion Cunningham so unfortunately passed away last week at 90 years old. This New York Times article is a nice snippet of her background and this piece by Michael Bauer is very touching about her, and their relationship. I had no idea she was from the SF Bay Area and had such a hand in the progression of home cooking. To be honest, I didn’t know too much about her before we started this project or her passing (it was all a little before my time) but I am now so happy that we have decided to test out this book and help bring some of her to life.

J.B.’s French Toast* (4 servings)

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups cornflakes
• 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
• 6 slices dense white bread
• 6 tbsp sugar

Stir the eggs, milk, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl until well blended. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a shallow bowl in which you can dip the bread easily [I skipped this step and it was just fine]

Crumble the cornflakes slightly (to make each flake about half its original size) and spread them on a piece of waxed paper [I used a shallow bowl, again, just fine]

Dip (don’t soak) both sides of each slice of bread into the milk batter. Then press each slice of bread on both sides into the cornflakes to coat the bread well.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and fry 3 slices of bread until golden on each side. When done, sprinkle about 1 tablespoon sugar on top of each slice and keep warm in a 250 degree oven while you fry the other 3 slices in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Serve hot.

*Recipe copied from The Breakfast Book, by Marion Cunningham, 1987

Cook the Book: English Muffins

I am so excited to announce a fabulous project that I am collaborating on with some of my food blogger friends. Together we are working out way through cooking (almost) an entire cookbook – The Breakfast Book to be exact.

The six of us have met through various blogger events, cook book launch and the such, and have found I them to be kindred spirits through food, writing and photography. We’re still getting to know each other, but when Rachel suggested this project, we all jumped on board as a way to expand our own culinary horizons and build a little community amongst ourselves. I couldn’t be more excited to be collaborating with them, so please be sure to check out all of them as well:

• Rachel, Ode To Goodness
• Natasha, Claro Southwick
• Aimee, Homemade Trade
• Sammy, Rêve du Jour
• Claudie, Bohemian Kitchen

So here we are, chapter 1, recipe number one of a project that will take us into 2013! Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month will bring you new posts from each of us about a different recipe from the same chapter. I hope y’all will get excited to learn all there is to know about breakfast.

Chapter 1: Yeast Breads – Recipe: English Muffins

Let me tell you, after attempting this recipe, I have a new found respect for Thomas and his nooks and crannies. The first time I tried them, my math was off and when I split the recipe in half, I didn’t add enough flour. And the second time, only a couple came out truly muffin-y. That said, they did taste good! I just had to eat two at a time though because they were pretty small.

The special thing about English Muffins is that they are cooked on the stove top in metal rounds or biscuit cutters. The metal ring is essential so that they cook up rather than out, giving them the air pockets which become the nooks and crannies after they are toasted. All good in theory, right? Well yes, except that this recipe has you make a dough and cut out the rounds, let them rest, then place them back in the rings. Which got a little complicated. Also, because it just says to flatten the dough, rather than roll it out, I had some pieces that were too pinched together in the middle to rise. I found that if I took the rounds I cut and placed them in the ring one size smaller for cooking, they puffed up much better and actually rose, yielding a true muffin, albeit a little bit smaller one.

I checked out some other recipes, and the muffins were made from more of a batter, rather than a dough, which is something I think I would attempt next time. Nonetheless, I did love this experiment and the way they tasted. I can officially check it off my bucket list and possibly attempt some eggs benedict next time!

Be sure to check out the other yeast bread recipes in the links above.

English Muffins*

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 package dry yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup milk, warmed
• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil or melted shortening
• 1/2 cup cornmeal

Pour water into a large mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast over, and stir. Let stand for 5 minutes to dissolve. Stir in the salt, sugar, warm milk, 2 cups of flour and the oil. Stir briskly with a spoon for a minute to mix well. Add the remaining flour and stir to blend smoothly. This dough will be very soft. Cover and let the dough double in bulk (it will take about an hour)

Flour a board and your hands. Put the dough on the board and add a little flour if it is too sticky to manage. Knead dough three or four times. Pat and push the dough out so it is about 1/4 inch thick [I would recommend using a rolling pin, so parts of the dough are not too pinched, and rolling it a bit thicker than 1/4 inch, up to 1/3-1/2 inch]. Using a 3 inch ring (or tuna can with top and bottom cut out) as a cutter, cut the dough out and place the muffins 1 inch apart on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with the cornmeal [I used flour, didn’t seem too terrible]. When the muffins are all cut, cover them lightly with a towel and let them rest for 30 min. [I have qualms with this whole step. I might roll it out and let it rest, then go from cutting directly to the cooking. It was a bit of a hassle for the next step to put the muffins back in the rings…]

Heat Griddle until medium hot and film it with grease. Grease the inside of the rings and place on the griddle [I recommend using one size smaller than you initially cut, to make sure they grow up]. Put the muffins in the rings and cook for 10 minutes on one side and 5 minutes on the other [use your judgement, it may not take this long]. Before serving split the muffins in half with a fork and toast them. Butter generously and serve warm.

*Recipe copied from The Breakfast Book, by Marion Cunningham, 1987

Mushroom Polenta with Zucchini, Crispy Shallots and an Egg

The Italians sure like to take a lot of time with their grains. Risotto. Polenta. Need I say more? I’ve actually made versions of this dish with the quick ‘cornmeal mush’ recipe on the back of the cornmeal box, and dare I say, it’s not that bad! But in one of my last Foodzie boxes, I got mushroom polenta and made it with the real thing this time – man, was it tasty.

The polenta ended up not being a huge deal. Yes, you have to stir it frequently, but it was easy, and I was multi tasking, so I didn’t really feel like I was slaving away. And of course, the finish of parmesan and butter made it ultra creamy at the end. Though I will say that polenta sure firms up as it cools down, so I can see why there are all the ‘day after’ preparations of polenta ‘cakes’ etc.

Normally I make this with asparagus, because asparagus and eggs are BFF, but this time I had squash so I crisped up a shallot in the frying pan and added the zucchini til cooked through. And because I’m not really into poaching eggs yet, I just made a soft boiled one. My fool proof recipe is this: boil water, slowly add the egg (so it doesn’t crack under the temp change) cook for 6/7 min, remove from water, submurge or run under cold water and crack. Yum yum yum, I loved this combination.

Farro Risotto & A Cookbook Review

A while back I went to a food blogger meet up coordinated by America’s Test Kitchen – you know them for their informative TV show and magazine, Cook’s Illustrated. It was great fun to meet up with other SF food bloggers as well as some food industry peeps. And it was also really fun that after the event ATK graciously offered to send me one of their cookbooks to try out and review!

So – what did I choose? Well, none other than Cooking for Two. You may be thinking to yourself “Wait a second… Emily, aren’t you single?” Why yes, I am, but all the better to have recipes so fit for 1 +a leftover meal. Genius!

I’ve made just a few things from it so far, but already I can’t wait to make more. One of the things that I love about to work America’s Test Kitchen does is that they explain the nitty-gritty of the hows and whys of what makes the recipes the best. I absolutely love having this kind of knowledge and so appreciate knowing why a little of this and a little of that is going to make a big difference. The book also provides info on what the best store brand products are, how to use the other half of whatever you may have used in just one recipe and other tips hat I found really helpful. As I flipped through, I marked a good chunk of the recipes, noting that the wide variety of American and international cuisines, a bit of breakfast and dessert, and even a section about how to make multiple meals for two from one big roast. I was particularly taken with the recipe for a farro risotto with tomatoes, arugula and lemon. It reminded me of a delicious pasta dish I’d had with the same flavors and I just happened to get farro in my Foodzie* box this month!

It ended up tasting great. Despite my stirring the farro didn’t exactly turn into a real creamy risotto, but the flavors were fantastic and after adding the cheese and butter it really did resemble risotto. I think the lemon is what I liked best and how it adds a burst of freshness to an otherwise dense, rich dish. I’d also hadn’t had farro like this before and it was such a nice mix up from a farro ‘pilaf’ – the same nuttiness and texture came through in a much creamier way.

So far so good on the cookbook. I made this risotto and the oven ‘fried’ fish that I served it with AND took inspiration from one of the recipes for this scrumptious meal a while back. The food has been delicious, the recipes are simple and well explained, and obviously it takes the guess-work out of cooking smaller portions, which can always be a challenge. I can’t wait to cook my way through some of these other stand out dishes:

• Beef Satay with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
• Chicken Cordon Bleu
• Chicken Pot Pies
• Thai Red Curry with Shrimp Bell Pepper and Snap Peas
• Beef Hand Pies
• Coffee Cake Muffins
• Cream and Current Scones
• White Wine-Poached Pears
• Key Lime Pie

Farro Risotto, from Cooking for Two

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion
• salt & pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme
• 3/4 cup farro
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 6 oz (abt 1 cup) cherry tomatoes, quartered (I used grape tomatoes halved)
• 2 oz (abt 2 cups) arugula
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp grated lemon zest

Abbreviated Directions:

Heat oil in medium pot, cook onions until softened, abt 5 min. Add garlic and thyme until fragrant, abt 30 seconds. Add farro until toasted, abt 2 min. Add vegetable broth and water to pot and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until farro is tender (directions said 20-25 min, but mine took closer to 40-45, I added a little more water towards the end so it didn’t try out as I cooked it longer). Add tomatoes and arugula until softened, about a minute or two. Finish by stirring in cheese, butter and lemon juice and zest.

NOTE: The more you stir it, especially at the end, the more creamy and risotto like it will be. Though don’t be fooled b/c it’s not really as creamy as risotto – a lot of that comes from the cheese and butter you add at the end

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*Foodzie is a company based out of San Francisco that curates artisanal products into one of 3 themed boxes each month. For only $30 you get to try new foods from specialty producers that you normally wouldn’t try. I’ve been getting if for a few months now and it’s been really fun. Kinda like a CSA box without the produce!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

There are some days where I just can’t leave good enough alone. Just home made pulled pork would have been good enough. Store bought buns probably would have been good enough. Best Foods mayo would have been good enough. And certainly, prepared BBQ sauce would have been good enough. But is ‘good enough’ the best? Is a labor of love? I don’t think so. So I present to you, my ‘everything made from scratch’ BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich (save for souring my own cream and developing my own yeast culture).

I absolutely love BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. My mom is a super picky eater and does not eat ANY condiments besides BBQ sauce, so I learned to love it at a young age. I did quite a bit of research after landing on this as my main course for hosting dinner club this month, and even though I’m a thick, sweet BBQ sauce kind of gal, I decided on a couple BBQ sauces to make. And while I was researching options I came across the Not Without Salt post where the blogger does indeed make her own buns and I thought “why not?”. Finally, with all these beautiful things coming together why, oh why, would I dress my hand cut cabbage with ‘lite’ mayonnaise taken from my parents’ house? That’s right, I didn’t.

Even though I’m a Kansas City BBQ sauce fan, I really liked both of the sauces I made. The other was a bourbon sauce with lots of acid, less tomato sauce and a nice viscosity & tang. I let both of them set over night to let the flavors mingle and really get to be BFF, then strained out the onions before serving. They both were rich, thick, a spicy and a bit sweet so it really comes down to your personal preference. I slow-cooked the bone in pork shoulder for over 9 hours, and at the end it really did fall of the bone, was succulent and left behind a commingling of juices, some of which I mixed back into the shredded pork. After shredding it, I dressed the meat in a bit of both sauces and brought the squirt bottles to the table for everyone to add more of her favorite.

I’d also been wanting to make bread for a while. I bought yeast not too long ago and since I was on a roll, this seemed like as good a reason as any to break out the dough hook. I was taken with how beautiful these buns were. They are light, fluffy, just the slightest bit sweet that really do make them buns rather than bread. I let my Kitchen-Aid do all the work and only had to touch the dough once. It couldn’t have been simpler, or more tasty.

While I am NOT a coleslaw person, I did fall in love with it a bit when I was in college. The Buckhorn Steakhouse was only in Winters, CA at the time and would come to the Davis Wednesday Night Farmer’s Market and serve their thinly sliced steak sandwiches with an apple, raisin slaw that was to die for. It turned me on to slaw as a sandwich topper and it’s an essential piece to a good BBQ pork sandwich, in my book. I stuck with a traditional cabbage coleslaw this time, but did hand whip some mayo at the last minute. I made it for the first time when Bon Appetit came out with their egg issue and it was delightfully simpler than I expected. It’s so rich and creamy and loaded with flavor that you just don’t find in store-bought mayonnaise. Not to mention, I’m not as grossed out about eating it knowing that it’s only eggs and oil.

And that’s it. The simple thoughts and hard work behind just wanting to turn something so basic into something hand crafted with love. The hard work did pay off, as everyone at dinner club was really pleased with their sandwiches and the choice of two sauces. Not to mention my friend and I who had leftovers today for lunch decided that it’s even better when you let it all sit a night – if you can wait that long.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

SESAME BUNS from Not Without Salt, recipe available here

PULLED PORK: rub down a 5 ish pound pork shoulder with the rub in the above Not Without Salt link. Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit in fridge overnight. Place in slow cooker following day and cook on low for ~9 hours until fork tender. Remove from cooker, shred and dress with BBQ sauce and cooking liquid to taste. If you are just making one sauce, you can probably get by with one recipe of the below Kansas City one, but will maybe want two of the bourbon sauce.

• Bourbon BBQ Sauce, recipe available here
• Kansas City BBQ Sauce, recipe available here

COLESLAW:

1/2 small head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced. 1/4 head red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced. 1 carrot grated. 2-3 spring onions very thinly sliced. Mix together with dressing. Can be done a couple hours ahead of time. But the longer it sits the softer it’ll get. Overnight will yield a tasty, yet watery slaw.

Dressing: 1/4+ a little more to taste, sour cream. 1/4 cup mayonnaise. 1-2 tsp lemon juice. 1-2 tsp apple cider vinegar. 3/4 tsp sugar. 1/4 tsp salt. Pepper. – Mix ingredients adjusting quantities to taste.

Mayo/Aioli: 1 egg yolk, 2 tsp water, 1 small garlic clove grated, pinch of salt, 1/2 cup grapeseed/canola/olive oil or mixture of two (use no more than 1/4 cup olive oil,  as the olive flavor can be too powerful). Whisk the egg yolk, water, garlic and salt together. Continue whisking vigorously while drizzling in the oil.

Easter Tree & A Strata

I had never heard of an Easter tree until I moved to Germany. I think it may be a tradition for some here, but for me growing up Easter was all about Easter baskets, egg hunts, matching dresses with my sister and a few family get-togethers. However, when we grew out of the candy and filled plastic eggs, there wasn’t much celebrating done.

The year I lived in Germany, celebrating Easter returned with two small kids in the house and I learned about the easter tree. SO cute! Hanging dyed eggs from fresh spring branches is so festive and adorable, I had to continue the tradition when I returned home. Of course, it is essential to have a good egg recipe on hand to make use of all the blown out eggs. A frittata would be perfect or perhaps some soft scrambled eggs, but this strata is one of my favorites.

I’ve been making this strata for a few years, and usually reserve it for Bay to Breakers, but it has also made an appearance on New Year’s morning, at my birthday brunch one year and Christmas morning. It’s a fantastic option for hosting morning events, including Easter brunch, because it can be made the night before and just popped into the oven the morning of. I love the eggy bread on the bottom and crispy texture on top, and the fact that it’s loaded with flavor from sausage, mushrooms and spinach. I made it along side with a bacon and cheese recipe, one time for a larger crowd, and this one won out by a mile. It’s a must try the next time you need a hearty breakfast!

And now for the Easter Tree! I made eggs a few years ago, when I first moved back to San Francisco, and decided this year was the year to make some new ones. I have a lovely bunch of twigs in my apartment that make the perfect tree and made the dyes on my own with food coloring. It’s all the rage to be making dyes with natural foods, beets, etc, but I used what I had on hand and am really pleased the result. I went with just off primary colors, simple linear designs, some over lapping colors and left bits of white for contrast, resulting in an elegant Easter Tree. I love love love it.

The process:

• To blow out the egg, I poked each end with a push-pin, and cracked the holes a bit bigger so my needle would fit through
• Let them rest and dry out for a period of time before dying
• Dye per the instructions of the dye you are using – note: the eggs do not sink! You have to submerge with pressure from a spoon or something to get the whole egg one color
• When they are dry, you can begin threading per the below image instructions.

After this point, tie a knot in the end and rotate the string so that the knot ends up inside the egg

Final result: simple, elegant Easter eggs

Sausage, Spinach, Mushroom Strata

• 4 links mild Italian sausage
• 1 pkg (~10 oz) crimini mushrooms
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 pkg (~9 oz) baby spinach
• 8 cups sourdough bread cut in 1-2 inch cubes
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 7 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• Salt & Pepper

Coat 13″x9″ baking dish with cooking spray. Heat a bit of oil in a skillet and brown sausage, transfer to a bowl. In the same skillet brown onions and mushrooms until mushrooms have released their liquid. Add spinach and cook until wilted, season with salt and pepper. Add spinach/mushroom/onion mixture to sausage and mix to evenly distribute. Place half of bread on bottom of pan. Top with sausage mixture and 1 cup cheese. Place rest of bread cubes on top. In a separate bowl mix eggs and milk, season with salt and pepper. Pour liquid over bread. Press down to make sure all bread is submerged. Cover and refrigerate 8 hrs or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 50-55 min until top is slightly brown. During last 10 minutes of cooking sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese over strata. Let cool 10 min before serving. Serve warm.