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I have to say, I am NOT a fan of pancakes due to trauma endured at one Catholic school that only served pancakes every. single. Wednesday. To boot, they were the worst pancakes imaginable and to have school lunch of cardboard pancakes. Blech!

Rule of thumb is that I normally don't enjoy pancakes unless they are blueberry (because, of course, my Bampa made the *best* blueberry pancakes, ever) or corn fritters (also kudos to the Bamps for that one).

If you try it, let us know how it works out.

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Soufflé Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Cream Topping

(Recipe & Photo courtesy of Chef Ryan Scott & Bed Bath & Beyond)

Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint of blueberries

Preparation:

1. Place all the dry ingredients together in one bowl and mix well. In another bowl, add the melted butter to the egg yolks and mix well, then slowly add the buttermilk, milk, and vanilla.


2. Whip the egg whites in a third bowl until stiff (but not dry). Add the dry ingredients to the buttermilk mixture and blend until everything is moist and lumpy. (Do not overmix—this is very important for tender pancakes.) Fold in the whipped egg whites with a rubber spatula until blended. (Small specks of egg white are good).


3. Let the batter rest for 20 minutes.


4. On a lightly oiled griddle, pour one ladle of batter and spread lightly.


5. Sprinkle a small amount of blueberries on top and cook until the underside is light brown.


6. Flip and cook until the other side is light brown.


7. Keep all pancakes warm in a 200ºF oven until ready to serve.


8. Enjoy with Blueberry Cream (see the following recipe), butter, and maple syrup, if desired.

Blueberry Cream
Ingredients:
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup Pastry Cream (see the following recipe) or vanilla instant pudding
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation:

1. Combine ingredients.


2. Beat until light.

Pastry Cream
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup milk
1 egg yolk
1 egg, whole
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter

Preparation:

1. Beat sugar, cornstarch, egg, and vanilla.


2. Bring milk to a boil, then add to the egg mixture.


3. Boil and whip until thick.


4. Add the butter and place plastic wrap on top until cooled.

Serves 8.

Labels: Bed Bath and Beyond, Brunch, Recipe

Posted by Lys :: 4:18 AM :: 0 comments

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Monday, July 21, 2008 Le Creuset Has Done Did It Again...

Yet another color :::sigh::: Le Creuset hits us with a Slate color.

Erin you might need to put them on blast. Apparently, from the way they are acting with their cookware selections, pink is not forthcoming anytime soon. Perhaps they might reconsider with a gentle prod (or taser).

While it's pretty in person, the Slate is much better than that Dijon color but I still am not rushing to Williams-Sonoma to fondle like I had to when I saw the Caribbean color.

If LC's Dutch Oven in Slate is something you might enjoy, check it out HERE.

Labels: Cookware, Williams-Sonoma

Posted by Lys :: 4:11 PM :: 3 comments

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Wednesday, July 9, 2008 Fast & Fresh: Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad...

I'm a sucker for corn, especially when it is during the hot summer months. Couple that with some grilled chicken and a curry dressing, I'm game.

So you can guess what will be on the menu this weekend...

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GRILLED CHICKEN & CORN SALAD

Recipe [and photo] courtesy of Cooking Club of America

DRESSING
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

SALAD
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 ears corn, husks and silk removed
2 green onions, thinly sliced
3 cups loosely packed baby spinach

1. In small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the dressing.


2. Heat grill. Brush chicken and corn with reserved dressing. Place chicken and corn on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium coals; cover grill. Grill corn 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned and tender, turning to brown all sides. Grill chicken 8 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink in center, turning once.


3. Place on cutting board; cool 5 minutes. Slice kernels off corn; slice chicken into strips. In large bowl, toss together corn, green onions and spinach; top with chicken. Drizzle with dressing.

Makes 2 (1 3/4-cup) servings

Labels: Cooking Club, Recipe, Salad, Seasonal

Posted by Lys :: 6:13 PM :: 3 comments

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Saturday, July 5, 2008 Tried & True: G. Garvin's Stuffed Pork Chops With Ricotta and Spinach...

This recipe is one that never fails to garner some rave reviews. G. Garvin's show on TV-One, Turn Up The Heat, was one of the first ones to give me some inspiration to pick up the spatula again. I highly recommend his cookbooks, Turn Up The Heat with G. Garvin and Make It Super Simple if you are looking for some fabu recipes.

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Stuffed Pork Chops with Ricotta and Spinach

Recipe courtesy of G. Garvin - Turn Up The Heat

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons chopped garlic
4 teaspoons chopped shallot
16 ounces spinach
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
4 bone-in pork chops (at least 1-1/2 inches thick)
Wooden toothpicks

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a sauté pan melt butter and 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons each of garlic and shallot; sauté until soft. Toss in the spinach; cook until wilted. Remove from pan to a bowl and let cool.
3. Finely chop spinach; return to bowl. Add 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper, the remaining garlic and shallot, and the Parmesan and ricotta cheeses; mix well.
4. Season chops on both sides with remaining salt and pepper; pat seasonings into meat.
5. In a sauté pan heat 1/4 cup of the oil over medium-high heat. Brown chops on both sides in hot oil until golden brown. Remove from pan.
6. Lay chops on their bone sides and cut down the middle of the meat sides.
7. Open chops and stuff with spinach mixture.
8. Close chops; use toothpicks to hold sides together.
9. Tuck spinach back in with a fork, if necessary.
10. Coat a baking sheet with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place chops on prepared baking sheet.
11. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked well.

Labels: G. Garvin, Recipe, Tried and True

Posted by Lys :: 11:35 PM :: 4 comments

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Friday, July 4, 2008 Free Culinary Demonstrations From Williams-Sonoma

The schedule for the Culinary Technique Classes at Williams Sonoma has been published and I can say that I will be attending each and every one of these. I've always wanted to make my own pizza, paella fascinates me and I'm a sucker for using summer fruits and veggies.

According to their website, Technique Classes are free of charge but space is limited. Check out your local Williams Sonoma and sign up.

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JULY CALENDAR

PIZZA - Sunday, July 13

Not all pizza comes in a box. We'll show you how to make a pie from scratch in the kitchen and on the grill and how to get family and friends in on the fun. You'll learn how to make a pizza dough in minutes, how to bake it to perfection and how to wow 'em with toppings.

PAELLA - Sunday, July 20

Originating in Spain's Valencia region, paella is a dish of saffron-infused rice cooked with various meats, seafood and vegetables. A classic Spanish one-pot meal, learn how to make this delicious dish to enjoy with friends and family this summer. We'll provide several paella recipes to please all crowds!

SUMMER FRUITS & VEGETABLES - Sunday, July 27

Make the most of summer's bounty as we guide you through our fruit and vegetable garden. Learn the basics of fruit and vegetable handling and storage, and take away exciting recipes that showcase our summer produce.

Plus, Williams-Sonoma always holds a Demonstration Class daily. Check out their calendar of demonstration events for July.

Labels: Cooking Classes, Williams-Sonoma

Posted by Lys :: 11:00 AM :: 1 comments

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Thursday, July 3, 2008 Sunny Anderson Is All Over The Dial...

Ok - those that read Sunny Anderson's blog are hip to her new show, How'd That Get On My Plate and, of course, Cooking For Real and this gal is making some serious moves.

Sunny's gonna be all over the TV and Radio dial doing some major media and hitting one of the top of the line morning shows - Good Morning America - TOMORROW, Friday, July 4th. Make sure to tune in and, if you are in NYC, drop by and say hello!

Also, Cooking For Real starts the second season this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and, the new show, How Did That Get on My Plate has a preview ep on Sunday night, July 6th at 11 p.m. followed by its' show premiere on Monday, July 7th at 9:30 p.m. Set your TiVo!

Much congrats to Sunny!

Labels: Food Network, Sunny Anderson, TV

Posted by Lys :: 1:23 PM :: 1 comments

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