Funky Fillings for a Breakfast Favorite

Growing up, Sunday breakfasts sometimes meant dad cooking pancakes or our favorite waffles (we have four different waffle makers, but the belgian Barnyard waffle maker got the most use - go figure) on Sunday mornings, mom's fruit salad, and yummy bacon or chicken apple sausages.

Now that we're all older, currently living all over the place, and with different breakfast preferences, those family breakfasts are few and far between (Christmas and Easter mornings, however, it's nearly almost always my coffee cake and mom's scrambled eggs, with dad's bacon and my sisters' fruit salad). After eating bacon and french toast last weekend, however, I was left with oh-I-want-some-more cravings.

Back in college, I skiied in the Stowe Derby one winter. The morning of the race, my dad, his best buddy Billy, Billy's son Willy, and I all met at a favorite family breakfast spot in Stowe: The Gables Inn. I knew I needed some serious carbs that would last the morning. I ordered a french toast dish there -- where the pieces of cinnamon raisin bread were stuffed with a cinnamon raisin cream cheese before being dipped in egg. Oh, it was so good -- but then again, I haven't met a cinnamon raisin anything that I haven't not liked yet!

After a rough night last night, I woke up famished this morning, and in serious need of a proper Sunday breakfast. With last weekend's french toast in mind, and both goat and cream cheese in the fridge, I decided to experiment a bit.

Bread: of course, my favorite Wave Hill Pain de Campagne

Filling #1: Goat cheese with cinnamon, maple syrup, chopped dried plums (I didn't have raisins!). 

Filling #2: Cream cheese with salted caramel (I still have tons of this on hand) and chopped calimyrna figs

These fillings are super easy to make. I mixed the ingredients, after warming up the cheeses for 15 seconds in the microwave, easily in little ramekins. I sliced the bread about 1.5" thick, and cut a slit partway through the center in each to stuff the slices. One was filled with filling #1, the other with filling #2. I pressed each slice together well to ensure they would stick shut.

I then dipped each slice into my french toast batter (below). I let each slice soak up the egg (especially the crusts) while I heated my griddle. When the griddle was ready, I added a bit of butter so that the slices wouldn't stick, and then cooked the eggy slices. While the first side was cooking, I poured a little excess batter over the other uncooked side, in case it wanted to soak up more egg (you can also make scrambled eggs with the leftover batter -- actually kind of good -- just pour the egg on the griddle, and be careful it doesn't burn!).

When each side was golden brown and the egg cooked, I served these with a bit of warm maple syrup and a dusting of confectioner's sugar. Which filling came out ahead? I did like the cinnamon goat cheese, but there was something just so creamy and salty-sweet perfect about the caramel fig cream cheese. It was the winner in my mind. 

French Toast Batter:

2 eggs

1/4 c whole milk

1/4 c heavy cream

pinch salt

large pinch superfine sugar

cinnamon and/or nutmeg to taste

optional: vanilla or almond extract

Entertaining on a dime, and in a kitchen that isn't mine...

As I'm moving out of NYC at the end of May, I have been subletting an apartment on the Upper West Side, near Lincoln Center. The apartment itself is amazing - a large layout with a new kitchen in a great full-service building. The location, too, is perfect - 15 minutes to my office, right near a huge Food Emporium, a block from one of my favorite wine bars (Barcibo Enoteca), and of course the UWS Magnolia Bakery (I've never been!). The best part? I'm on the 23rd floor, so the views over the West Side, Central Park, all the way to Roosevelt Island are amazing!!!

All this talk of mine had my friend, The LunchBelle, craving to come uptown for a girls night on the Upper West Side. Given the economy, and the fact I'm about to leave my salary

behind, we are two girls looking to save a penny or two here and there. So, instead of dining out, we were going to dine in! I was saving my bottle of Chandon Brut Classic from my California trip last November, and this was the perfect celebratory dinner to pop the cork! Having worked a lot in the past couple of weeks, I was also in need of some comforting indulgence - but, watching my waistline for an upcoming gala, I knew that I couldn't go over the top. Creaminess without the heft, nutrition, flavor and texture maximized, and the calories minimized.

I decided to make my favorite mac and cheese from my college days, when a trip to the cheese shop wasn't in my budget. Add to the fact that my sublet's kitchen is NOT like my kitchen - no baking dishes, no graters. So, I had to improvise. I really don't like boxed pastas, but given I now had to create my cheesy masterpiece on the stove, not oven, I knew the preparation from my college days would be the trick. I love whole wheat pasta, so I decided on whole wheat shells, combined with a bit of plain elbow pasta. While the pasta is cooking, I mix together two cheese packets (I like one white, one regular cheddar - good contrast later in the dish) with a cup of 2% milk - this is like my bechamel, the glue of the dish that brings things together - til smooth. To the fully cooked pasta, I toss in two tablespoons of good butter (European-style: Plugra is a favorite) and let it melt. I then pour in my sauce and stir. I then add about a cup of 1/3" cubed part-skim mozzarella to the pasta and stir. I let it sit covered over very low heat till the sauce thickens, and the mozzarella begins to melt. Then the most important addition - a drizzle of white truffle oil! I turn the heat off after about 5-10 minutes (it varies) and let it sit for about 10-15, so the cheese really melts.

I had been up early that morning for work, and wasn't going to make it out late that night, so we knew this would be a relaxing girls dinner. Lindsay arrived around 6:45pm, with a bottle of her favorite Moscato D'Asti in hand (Neirano Pitule) and our dessert - Haagen Daaz's Fleur de Sel Caramel bars (we're both in love with salted caramel and chocolate!) - plus a special surprise! Fresh and perfectly ripe avocadoes and cilantro! I popped open the Chandon, and we toasted to dinner, the UWS, and my upcoming job changes. While our pasta was...melting (??), Lindsay and I caught up and I prepared a simple avocado salad tostart the meal - sliced avocadoes, sprinkled with fleur de sel and fresh cilantro.

Once ready, Lindsay refreshed our glasses of bubbly while I served the mac and cheese. The lightly golden cheese sauce contrasted slightly with the white cheesiness of the mozzarella, and with a drizzle of truffle oil again on top, the meal-in-a bowl was complete! I first dove into the avocadoes, having already been mesmerized by its ripeness. The crunchy salt was the perfect compliment to the creamy avocado, and the cilantro added the perfect mexican touch. It also went divinely with the mac and cheese. I took a bite of the pasta - perfect. A rich flavor, thanks to the truffle oil, and a lot of cheesiness, thanks to the mozzarella. All without the heft of a lot of cheese or fat!

Plus, the whole wheat pasta rounded out the dish, adding the perfect nuttiness.

Once dinner was finished, we then popped open the cork of Lindsay's moscato for our dessert! I do love sweet wines, recently becoming obsessed with Chateau St. Michelle's riesling - not too sweet, but just perfect when you're craving a little sweetness without eating dessert. The moscato was just what I like - light bubbles, light sweetness, and easy to drink. My only complaint was that the flavor could have been a bit bigger for me (I love full bodied wines, oaky chardonnays, etc), but I was quite happy. Talking about travel and life, we opened up our ice cream bars and enjoyed the last part of our meal. What a treat! The salty caramel combined with the sweet chocolate shell, and the creamy caramel ice cream was just perfect. It was like a more sophisticated and refined version of one of my Ben & Jerry's favorites, Chubby Hubby. I will definitely have to take Lindsay's word and purchase a pint of this ice cream, where there is even more saltiness and caramel.

Our bottles empty, dishes cleared, and night fallen, the evening was coming to an end. Lindsay and I took a walk around the neighborhood before she got in a cab. Of course, we followed our noses to Magnolia Bakery. Unlike the one downtown, I swear this one never has lines (I walk past it daily!). Already warm outside, we walk in to what I likened to an oven with cupcakes baking - it was hot in there, with all the baking treats! Lindsay had to pick up a little gift for a friend, so I accompanied her down the line, thinking about what I was going to purchase later in the week as my sweet treat. Vanilla frosted chocolate? Chocolate frosted vanilla? Or a slice of coconut cake? I spotted a slice of my favorite - carrot cake - and paused. My old favorite from the Good Food Store in Darien, CT had recently been replaced by the amazing version of my current favorite at Two Little Red Hens. Could this be better?

As I write this, I'm enjoying the little surprise thank you Lindsay got me at Magnolia - one of their peanut butter patties. Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE peanut butter! This hits the spot: graham crumbs combined with peanut butter (freshly ground, I think!) and covered in a dark chocolate shell. A definite home run! As for that carrot cake, stay tuned, as I'll be sampling a slice in the coming weeks.

California, Part Two

Ah yes, California. I had never been til November of 2008, but people have always told me I'm perfectly suited for the Bay Area...and boy were they right.

Day two of my wine country trip with my friend Flynne and her boyfriend Tyler began early. We had a big day ahead of us hitting up wineries and vineyards in Napa. Once showered and ready, we three, and Layla piled into the car for the trip.

Stop one - requisite Starbucks stop for the morning cappucchino and muffin. Gotta start the day off right.

Stop two - Pride Mountain. What a view! We drove over to the Napa Valley from Sonoma, and this is on the way over. I was first captivated by the spanish moss and pine forests on my right, then the mediterranean chaparral on my left...then we got to the top of the hill at Pride, and I was smitten by the views! Perfect way to start the day...oh, and their chardonnay definitely helped! 

Stop three - Now in the Napa Valley, we had many options in front of us. First up - Hall Vineyards. They had just opened a new visitor's center, so we had to check it out! I enjoyed learning all about the new construction going on, and their plans for their storage and wine-making  facilities out back. Moreover, I loved their Cabernet! 

Stop four - across 128 to a wine I've had before - Heitz. This may have been my favorite of the day, from the adorable stone structure that was the tasting room, to the pergola and wisteria covered patio overlooking the vineyards out back, to the lone California Poppy (a favorite!) that greeted me. Smitten before I even tasted their wine. Inside, big leather overstuffed chairs greeted us, and we perused the offerings at the monstrous tasting table. Definitely tastefully done - it felt more like a home than a retail outlet. I've had Heitz's reds before, but never their chards. I'm a huge CA chard fan, the oakier and butterscotchier the better. The Heitz chard was a definite hit. I also tasted their port - and was pleasantly surprised! Sweet, but not too heavy or sweet, this was a perfect dessert wine to serve with a hazelnut crusted tart, or even simply shortbread with berries and cream. I bought a bottle to take home to save for a special occasion - yay!

It's been a while...thinking back to CA, Part One

It's been a while since I've posted last, and I've been to many places, found new restaurants, tried new things, and made exciting decisions!!!

Last fall, I made my first trip to California, to visit my dear friend Flynne in Mountain View, CA and to check out Stanford/Palo Alto, CA. To say I immediately fell in love with the Bay Area is an understatement. It was the weekend before Thanksgiving, I was exhausted from work and happy to leave the gray and snow in NYC. I arrive in CA to cloudless skies and 90 degree weather. Incredible!

Friday, after work, Flynne and I trekked up to Santa Rosa with her boyfriend, Tyler for a weekend in wine country! Craving pizza, we had dinner at The Red Grape in Sonoma. To start the weekend off right, I enjoyed a glass of Viansa merlot - it is definitely a new favorite, but I'm having a hard time finding it on the East Coast. I then enjoyed a crisp and flavorful Cashew Steak Salad, with napa cabbage, romaine, carrot, red pepper, and - my favorite - cilantro - tossed in a sesame peanut dressing, and topped with the most tender and flavorful flank steak, and, of course, cashews! Everything about the dinner was perfect - something quick, simple, and easy, as we were tired, but the food was delicious and the service prompt and courteous!

Before retiring for the evening, we stopped off at the local Starbucks on the way home. I know, Starbucks when you're in Sonoma, but we needed a pre-sleep steamed milk fix. I'm quite happy we went, as it was my first time trying their special Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. I love chocolate and salted caramel (Barack Obama does too!!!), so when salted caramel and whipped cream are added to uber-chocolate-y european-style hot chocolate, I'm sold. My tall drink didn't last long, nor was it the last time I had that! I'm already looking forward to next holiday season when it hopefully returns to the menu!!!