Sarkis: The Greatest Place On Earth

It's almost embarrassing to admit this, but I have been eating Sarkis Lorettas for over 15 years.  And I don't mean every once and awhile, I'm talking several days in a row, every time I am back in Chicago and, sometimes, multiple times in one day.  That's just how good these things are.  Now, for those of you that go to Sarkis and order eggs sunny-side up or waffles, that's just pure armature play.  Put your big boy pants on and go for the original.  I've tried every Loretta but my staple has always been the ham with everything, special hash browns and a diet coke.  Feel free to steal my order.  Lucky for Chicagoans, there are two locations; one in Skokie and one on Fullerton and Clark.  They also deliver.  Run, don't walk.

Sarkis: The Greatest Place On Earth

Deep-Dish Ham Quiche with Herb and Asparagus

Easter is this weekend which means Cadbury eggs, jellybeans and brunch. Yes!

A great dish to serve for Easter brunch is an elegant quiche. With a quiche, you really don't need to stress. You can serve it cold, reheat it, serve it right away or make ahead of time. For any host or hostess, having these options is huge. You don't end up being a slave to the dish while you are hosting guests and people love eggs, ham and cheese. They just do.

If you really want to go fuss-free, buy pre-made crust. I won't tell.

Deep-Dish Ham Quiche with Herb and Asparagus

Tyler Florence

Pastry: 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon sugar 3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks 1 large egg yolk 3 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed Filling: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin-olive oil 2 large Vidalia onions, sliced 3/4 pound smoked ham, cubed 8 large eggs 1 quart heavy cream Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Salad: 2 bunches asparagus (about 1 pound each), stems trimmed 4 ounces Parmesan, shaved with a peeler 2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley, hand-torn 1 handful fresh mint, hand-torn 1 handful fresh dill, hand-torn Extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 lemon, juiced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions To make the pastry: combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat the egg yolk and ice water in a small bowl to blend, add it to the pastry. Work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together, if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the counter and a rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll the dough out into a 14-inch circle about 1/4-inch thick. Carefully roll the dough up onto the pin (this may take a little practice) and lay it inside a 9-inch springform pan. Press the dough firmly into the bottom and sides so it fits tightly; trim the excess dough around the rim. Place the pan on a sturdy cookie sheet so it will be easier to move in and out of the oven, this quiche is pretty heavy.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

To make the filling: Heat a skillet over medium-low heat, coat the pan with oil, and add the onions. Slowly cook the onions, stirring, until they caramelize and release their natural sugars. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to help the onions break down, if needed. Toss in the ham, cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes to get some color on it. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy, pour in the cream; season with salt and pepper. Arrange the caramelized onions and ham over the bottom of the crust and carefully pour in the cream and egg mixture; the filling should be about 1-inch from the top of the pan. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 15 minutes or until the quiche is set, puffy, and jiggles slightly. Remove to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. In the meantime make the asparagus salad.

To make the asparagus salad: In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch the asparagus for 4 minutes, or until they are just crisp-tender. Drain the asparagus, transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, and drain well. Slice the asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces and put them in a mixing bowl. Add the Parmesan and herbs, drizzle the herb and asparagus salad with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.

Loosen the quiche from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Carefully unmold the ring, and transfer the quiche (with the bottom base) to a serving plate. Cut it into wedges, drizzle with a little olive oil, and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with the asparagus salad on top.

Deep-Dish Ham Quiche with Herb and Asparagus

Blueberry Oat Scones

Mother's day is around the corner which means most women are going to hang up their aprons for a day and kick their feet up. Now, I'm not a mother but if I was I would start dropping some hints on how I'd like to spend my morning in bed munching on these delicious scones. Just a thought...

Blueberry Oat Scones
Epicurious

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (about 5 1/2 ounces)
• 1 3/4 cups chilled half and half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 teaspoons raw sugar*

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and coarse salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter. Using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Add 1 cup oats and blueberries; stir to blend evenly.

Stir half and half and vanilla in small bowl. Gradually add to flour mixture, tossing until dough just comes together (dough will be very moist).

Using 1/2-cup measuring cup for each scone, drop dough in mounds onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Sprinkle tops with remaining 3 tablespoons oats, then raw sugar.

Bake 15 minutes. Reverse sheets and continue baking until scones are golden and tester inserted into center from side comes out clean, about 12 minutes longer. Transfer scones to rack and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Blueberry Oat Scones

Crème Brûlée French Toast

When I was a kid, my Dad used to make the best french toast on the planet. And I really felt loved when he (or my Mom) would make 'breakfast for dinner'. I mean, what could possibly be better than breakfast for dinner as a kid? That's like staying up until 10 o'clock on a school night!

There are a million variations of this sweet tooth staple and Crème Brûlée French Toast should rank close to the top. Strawberries are in season so I would highly suggest that you grab a couple freshies and serve them with some homemade whipped cream on the side.

Crème Brûlée French Toast

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• an 8- to 9-inch round loaf country-style bread
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

In a small heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking dish. Cut six 1-inch thick slices from center portion of bread, reserving ends for another use, and trim crusts. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit.

In a bowl whisk together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, Grand Marnier, and salt until combined well and pour evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350° F. and bring bread to room temperature.

Bake bread mixture, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve hot French toast immediately.

Crème Brûlée French Toast

Quiche Brunch with Green Salad and Roasted Potatoes

I wanted to host a fuss-free brunch so the first dish that came to mind was quiche. I haven't made a quiche since college so when I went online to refresh my memory on recipe ideas, I was shocked that there were no silver bullet. Some recipes partially baked the crust while others didn't. The ratio of egg to cream (or milk in some cases) was all over the map. I panicked and wondered how this go-to recipe became so difficult over the last 10 years? Then, I had a brilliant thought: Julia Child. Of course she would know what to do!

I flipped through my first edition of Mastering the Art of French Cooking and found a Quiche Lorraine recipe and decided to use that and then tweak the recipe to do a vegetarian option with asparagus. Of course the dish turned out perfectly but it did take longer than noted. My quiches baked for 50 minutes until they were golden and puffed. I used frozen pie crusts and partially baked them for 12 minutes at 375 degrees before I poured in the filling. Setting is key so make sure you wait 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. These are quite rich so one slice per guest was plenty.

Quiche Lorraine
8 slices of bacon (thick cut), cooked and coarsely chopped
3 eggs (or 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks)
1 1/2-2 cups whipping cream or milk (or 1 1/2-2 cups half cream and half milk)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch pepper
1 pinch nutmeg
1/2-1 cup grated swiss cheese
1-2 tablespoon butter, cut into pea-sized dots
8 inches pastry shells, partly cooked

Directions

To partly bake the pastry shell:
Prick thawed crust with fork. Bake in middle of oven at 375 degrees F. for 9-11 minutes.

For filling:.
Cook bacon on medium heat and coarsley chop.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place oven rack in upper third of oven.
Beat together eggs, cream, salt, nutmeg and pepper.
Stir in cheese and bacon. Check seasoning.
Pour into pastry shell and distribute butter pieces on top. Place on baking sheet.
Bake 25-30 minutes or til puffed and browned.
Slide quiche onto a hot platter and serve.

Quiche Brunch with Green Salad and Roasted Potatoes

L'Arbre Croche Beach Grilled Three Cheese Sandwich

L'Arbre Croche, a private community on Little Traverse Bay between Petoskey and Harbor Springs, Michigan, is a special place that was inspired by Sea Ranch in Mendocino County, California. The beach at L'Arbre Croche is a great base for all ages in our family for planning activities, relaxing with a summer read, or checking out the magic cold springs. It is also a great place to have lunch at the beach house managed by Jane who delights in serving several comfort food items including my favorite, the Grilled Three Cheese Sandwich accompanied by a Half and Half.

I order mine with bacon which should make this a good post on "Everything is Better with Bacon".

The sandwich is made with tomatoes, grilled onions, bacon, and three cheeses, cheddar, American and Swiss, on French Bread thickly spread with mayonnaise and buttered on both the top and the bottom. This Midwest classic is grilled in a omelet pan with the weight of a small dish on the top slice on a gas burner adjusted to medium high heat.

This is a good order for all ages after an active morning of outdoor activities although I notice the younger members of our family still go for the mac and cheese or a hot dog.

I seem to always dip my sandwich in a pool of ketchup on my plate. The Half and Half is really an Arnold Palmer, a mixture of equal parts iced tea and lemonade.

When I was a cadet at West Point, special Sunday lunches sometimes featured the open faced version of this grilled three cheese sandwich, and I think this version at the L'Arbre Croche beach house is a pleasant reminder of those Sunday lunches after Cadet Chapel. The only casual meal of the week.

L'Arbre Croche Beach Grilled Three Cheese Sandwich

Green Onion and Artichoke Heart Fritatta

Who knew fritattas were so easy? I skipped the whole skillet-into-the-oven method and just whisked everything together and put in a pie dish and popped into the oven. It turned out great and you can use whatever ingredients you want. I chose to go with green onions and artichokes hearts.

Green Onion and Artichoke Heart Fritatta
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
4 green onions, chopped
10 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup basil
1/2 fontina cheese
1/4 Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk everything together and pour into greased pie dish. Pop into oven and cook for 40-50 minutes. Add extra Parmesan on top and place under broiler until cheese melts and is slightly brown.

Green Onion and Artichoke Heart Fritatta

Croque-madame

It really doesn't get much better than this. A french classic that's stood the test of time.

Croque-madame
Gourmet March 2007

Brunch or supper, this croque-monsieur with an egg on top has the charm of a small French bistro in each bite.
Active time: 35 minStart to finish: 35 min
Servings: Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 1/2 oz coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (1 1/3 cups)

8 slices firm white sandwich bread

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 lb thinly sliced cooked ham (preferably Black Forest)

4 large eggs

Preparation

Make sauce:Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Whisk in salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 1/3 cup cheese until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and cover surface directly with a sheet of wax paper.Make sandwiches:Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce evenly over each of 4 slices of bread, then sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese (1/4 cup per slice). Spread mustard evenly on remaining 4 bread slices and top with ham, dividing it evenly, then invert onto cheese-topped bread to form sandwiches.Lightly oil a 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan.Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, then cook sandwiches, turning over once, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes total. Remove from heat and transfer sandwiches to baking pan, then wipe out skillet with paper towels.Preheat broiler.Top each sandwich with 1/3 cup sauce, spreading evenly. Broil sandwiches 4 to 5 inches from heat until sauce is bubbling and golden in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off broiler and transfer pan to lower third of oven to keep sandwiches warm. Heat remaining tablespoon butter in nonstick skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then crack eggs into skillet and season with salt and pepper. Fry eggs, covered, until whites are just set and yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Top each sandwich with a fried egg and serve immediately.Cooks' note: The egg yolks in this recipe will not be fully cooked, which may be of concern if salmonella is a problem in your area. You can use pasteurized eggs (in the shell) or cook eggs until yolks are set.

Croque-madame

Huevos Rancheros

My boyfriend's family is from Santa Fe and he loves Southwestern food. So, last night I wanted to surpise him with a dish that felt close to home. My mom used to make us 'breakfast for dinner' as kids and we used to love that so I decided that Huevos Rancheros would be perfect. (Mrs. Smith, I know you must have a better recipe so feel free to share or comment!)

Now, there are a lot of varriations out there so feel free to mix it up. You can use canned salsa or add a few more chopped tomatoes. Try adding some chopped jalapenos to add some heat to the sauce. You can use black beans or refried. I choose not to fry my tortillas and on and on and on...

Huevos Rancheros
Olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped (about a half cup)
1 15-ounce can whole tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted, if you can get it (or 1 -2 large fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, when in season)
1/2 6-ounce can diced green Anaheim chiles
Chipotle chili powder, adobo sauce, or ground cumin to taste (optional)
4 corn tortillas
Butter
4 fresh eggs
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
1 can of beans (blk or refried)

1 Make the sauce first by softening the onions in a little olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Once translucent, add the tomatoes and the juice the tomatoes are packed in. Break up the tomatoes with your fingers as you put them in the pan. If you are using fresh tomatoes, chop them first, then add. Note that fresh tomatoes will take longer to cook as canned tomatoes are already cooked to begin with. Add chopped green chilies. Add additional chili to taste, either chipotle chili powder, adobo sauce, regular chili powder, or even ground cumin. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and let simmer while you do the rest of the cooking, stirring occasionally. Reduce to warm after it has been simmering for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste if needed.

2 Prepare the tortillas. Heat the oven to a warm 150°F, place serving plates in the oven to keep warm. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet on medium high, coating the pan with the oil. One by one (or more if your pan is big enough) heat the tortillas in the pan, a minute or two on each side, until they are heated through, softened, and pockets of air bubble up inside of them. Then remove them and stack them on one of the warming plates in the oven to keep warm while you continue cooking the rest of the tortillas and the eggs.

3 Fry the eggs. Using the same skillet as was used for the tortillas, add a little butter to the pan, about two teaspoons for 4 eggs. Heat the pan on medium high heat. Crack 4 eggs into the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes for runny yolks, more for firmer eggs.

To serve, spoon a little of the sauce onto a warmed plate. Top with a tortilla, then a fried egg. Top with more sauce, sprinkle with cilantro if desired. Serve either one or two eggs/tortillas per plate, depending on how much you want to eat. I'm a 2-egg 2 tortilla person myself.
Makes 2-4 servings, depending on your appetite.

Huevos Rancheros

Recipe of the Week- Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

I love salt but some mornings I wake up with a sweet tooth. When that's the case, I turn to this classic recipe to get my morning sugar rush.

Cinnamon Raisin French Toast
7 large eggs
2 1/2cups half and half
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 1 1/2-inch-thick slices cinnamon-raisin bread or French bread
4 tablespoons (about) unsalted butter
Maple syrup (optional)
Powdered sugar (optional)

Preparation
Whisk first 6 ingredients in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add bread to egg mixture and let soak 20 minutes, pressing down occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add bread to skillet. Cook until golden brown, turning once and adding more butter as needed, about 3 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake until bread puffs up and is firm in middle, about 30 minutes. Serve warm with maple syrup, if desired.

Recipe of the Week- Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

Cheese Dreamz

*From my co-worker Melissa via email...

Cheese Dreamz
Basically, just halve English muffins, place them face up, and pile on top:

Cubed sharp cheddar
Diced tomatoes
A little onion
A little green pepper
4 strips of bacon, crumbled
A little mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste

Throw them in the broiler... 5 minutes or less I think, just watch them...

And voila...Deliciousness. Cheesy, Bacony, muffiny deliciousness.

Cheese Dreamz

Recipe of the Week: Cranberry Cornmeal Quick Bread

I suggest eating a slice with a fresh cup of coffee in the morning before you head off to work.

Cranberry Cornmeal Quick Bread

Bon Appétit November 2007

Makes 1 loaf

Susan Reid

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour*

1 cup medium-grind whole grain cornmeal or regular cornmeal

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon maple extract

3/4 cup chopped pecans plus 10 pecan halves for garnish

3/4 cup dried cranberries (about 4 ounces)

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Spray 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan with nonstick spray. Whisk both flours, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, melted butter, maple syrup, eggs, and extract in medium bowl. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Stir in 3/4 cup chopped pecans and cranberries. Spoon batter into pan. Arrange pecan halves in row down center of batter.Bake bread until top is golden brown and paring knife inserted into center of bread comes out clean, tenting bread loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack; cool.

A LITTLE AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap bread in foil and store at room temperature.FURTHER AHEAD: Can be made and then frozen up to 2 weeks ahead. Wrap in foil, then place in resealable plastic bag.*White whole wheat flour is milled from 100 percent hard white wheat. It contains all of the germ and bran (and nutritional value) of regular whole wheat, but has a naturally lighter color and milder flavor. It's available at some supermarkets and specialty foods stores and from kingarthurflour.com.

Recipe of the Week: Cranberry Cornmeal Quick Bread

Charleston Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and grits. Yumm. This is a hearty dish that is great for brunch or dinner during the fall and winter seasons.

Charleston Shrimp and Grits

1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups hot stock (shrimp, chicken, or vegetable)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup of parmesan, grated
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup stone-ground grits (These are REALLY hard to find in Yankee territory so get whatever grits you can but try to avoid instant. I always pick up a pack of grits when I am in the south to take back to Chicago so look for them when you travel)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and black pepper to taste
6 bacon slices
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper

If using quick-cooking grits (not instant), reduce cream to 3/4 cup and reduce stock to 3/4 cup.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine cream water, and hot stock; bring to a gentle boil. Add butter salt, and pepper. Slowly add grits, stirring constantly (so that the grits do not settle to the bottom and scorch), until all are added; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (be careful not to scorch mixture), or until the grits are tender. Add grated cheeses and mix.

NOTE: Grits should have absorbed all of the liquid and become soft and should have the same consistency as oatmeal (moist, not dry). If the grits become too thick, add warm stock or water to thin. remove from heat.

Sprinkle shrimp with lemon juice, salt, and pepper; set aside. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook bacon until brown but not crisp. Remove from heat and pat dry with paper towels; set aside. Coarsely chop bacon when cool. Reserve 4 tablespoons bacon grease in the frying pan. Add green onion, garlic, and red bell pepper; saute 10 minutes or until the onion is transparent. Add shrimp mixture and bacon; saute 5 to 7 minutes or until shrimp are opaque in center (cut to test). Remove from heat.

To serve, spoon hot grits onto individual serving plates and top with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with a little left over grated cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Charleston Shrimp and Grits

Shawsome Breakfast Skillet

In honor of my sister's birthday (Happy Birthday Lyd!), I am going to share a little concoction that I made up in college that has since become my most requested dish. She has always loved it and she is not the only one. When I visit my friends and family, I am asked to make this at least once. And it's always a crowd pleaser. It was designed to cure a hangover and, most often, requires a nap afterward.

Shawsome Breakfast Skillet

This is a hearty dish so don't skimp on portions or ingrediants. Your diners will be disappointed.

Baby red potatoes (About 4 per person)
Large Eggs (2 per person)
Mexican Chorizo (If you don't like chorizo you can (suprise!) sub with bacon
White onion, diced
Red pepper, julienne or cubed
Green pepper, julienne or cubed
Lots of chedder cheese, grated
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Bring a pot of water with a pinch of salt to boil. Add potatoes. Boil for about 7 minutes. While the potatoes are boiling, add some butter and add the peppers in a skillet. Saute for about 3 minutes and then add the onions. Saute for another 5 minutes.

Take the boiled potatoes and cut them into large cubes. I cut mine in angles so they are almost like little wedges or triangles. Spread potatoes on a cookie sheet. Add a couple tablespoons of butter and toss the potatoes until they are all coated (Still with me? Even dieters and health nuts can splurge every once and awhile...) Pop the cookie sheet in the oven and roast the potatoes. Toss them every 5 minutes or so and they will brown evenly.

Add Chorizo to peppers and onion and cook thoroughly. Should be about 4-5 minutes. I suggest that you tip your skillet into a can and get rid of some of the oil. Chorizo produces a lot of oil. But make sure to keep some because it's got some dang good flavor!

Once potatoes are looking browned, take out cookie sheet and spread chorizo, onion, pepper mixture all over the top. Add grated cheese on top of that (DO NOT, and I mean DO NOT, skimp on the cheese) and put back in the oven. Fire up the skillet and fry 2 eggs per person to go on top of each portion. Should only take a couple minutes and cheese should be good and gooey and ready to serve.

ENJOY!

*If you don't like chorizo, fry up some bacon. And if you don't like fried eggs you can scramble them.

Shawsome Breakfast Skillet

Somerset Club Corn Dodgers

The Somerset Club at 42 Beacon Street on the Boston Common is an elegant private club that is a pleasure to visit. Every morning at breakfast, each table is served a basket of remarkably delicious Corn Dodgers that are an Old Boston tradition. Recently, I contacted the club manager, and he sent me the Somerset Club Corn Dodger recipe. I tried it last week, and it is like a trip to the club for breakfast only you save the airfare. This is a classic Yankee winter breakfast bread treat served warm with butter.

Yield: About one dozen

5 cups water
2 cups corn meal
1/4 pound butter (1 stick)
1/2 tablespoon salt

Combine water, butter and salt and bring to a rolling boil.
Remove from heat and add cornmeal all at once, whisking constantly.
Whisk until a thick mixture forms.
Spoon mixture onto greased cookie sheets. (A heaping tablespoon works well and results in an elliptical corn dodger about 4 to 5 inches long, 2 to 3 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick)
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Turn each Corn Dodger and cook for an additional 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool slightly.
Serve warm with butter.

Somerset Club Corn Dodgers

Potato Pancakes at Frances' Deli

Occasionally, after a fly casting practice on the North Pond near Fullerton and Lake Shore Drive, I have walked a couple blocks north on Clark Street to Frances' Deli for a taste of their terrific potato pancakes and cheese blintzes. At home, I have been trying to make potato pancakes as good as the ones at Frances' without success until I discovered this recipe in the Bon Appetite Cookbook:





Potato-Apple Pancakes

"Apple and celery root bring subtle sweetness to these potato pancakes. Since potatoes will discolor soon after they are grated (from exposure to oxygen); onions are added to mix their juices and prevent the discoloration. The key to great potato-pancake texture is squeezing out as much moisture as possible from the grated potatoes. Wrap them in a dish towel and squeeze hard, then do it again. The drier the potatoes, the crispier the potato pancakes. When frying the pancakes, press down a bit; that will help them brown and fry. [Serve these as a side dish, or turn them into an elegant appetizer by topping them with creme fraiche, smoked salmon, and chives.] Makes about 16.


1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 /2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, peeled, quartered
1 2-inch cube peeled celery root (celeriac)
1 medium unpeeled Granny Smith apple, quartered, cored
1 large egg
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
Vegetable oil (for frying)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place baking sheet in oven. Place colander in large bowl. Line colander with kitchen towel. Using processor fitted with grating disk, coarsely grate potatoes, onion, celery root, and apple together. Transfer potato mixture to towel. Gather towel tightly around potato mixture and squeeze out as much liquid as possible into bowl; discard liquid. Place potato mixture, egg, green onion, marjoram, salt, and pepper in same bowl; toss to combine. Mix in flour.

Pour enough vegetable oil into heavy large skillet to cover bottom, and heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop 1/4 cup pancake mixture into skillet for each pancake. Using bottom of metal spatula, flatten each mound to 3-inch round. Fry until cooked through and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels, then transfer pancakes to baking sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining pancake mixture, leaving behind any liq­uid that collects in bottom of bowl."

My interpretation of Bon Appetite's recipe is pictured above along with some Mott's apple sauce, a dollop of sour cream, and a wedge of fresh Michigan melon wrapped in Prosciutto (Costco's, of course).

Potato Pancakes at Frances' Deli

Champagne Brunches

Ahh, champagne brunches. I miss these. When I lived in New York, sunny days were spent brunching at Cafe Felix, Balthazar, Country Cafe, Pastis and others with good friends. Saturday morning, I woke up and decided to recreate this New York tradition in my Chicago kitchen.

I made a variation of Eggs Benedict. I added tomato, spinach and artichoke hearts to an English muffin with Canadian bacon and poached egg. Each bite was washed down with a sip of Veuve.



My mother gave me Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume 1 and 2 for Christmas two years ago. Her Hollandaise recipe is full-proof and so easy "an 8 year old" can make it.


Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients
3 egg yolks
2 tb lemon juice
4 oz butter
Salt and pepper

Step 1: Put in the electric blender the egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Step 2: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Blend it manually and VERY slowly
Step 3: Add the hot butter to the hollandaise sauce in the blender. Blend at full speed until the sauce get thick.
Step 4: Serve immediately.
Bon appetit!

Champagne Brunches

Scrambled Eggs by Michel Roux

With my mild diet these days, some of my favorite meals have included eggs (From Costco of Course). My guide has been Eggs by Michel Roux (John Wiley & Sons), the Chef at Waterside Inn near Windsor, England. He has earned three Michelin Stars for the past 23 years. The book has lots of egg recipes (With pictures thank goodness) including those that depend on eggs such as pastas, desserts, and pastries. His scrambled eggs recipe is very tasty. Chef Roux states that chefs judge each other on their scrambled eggs. The only problem with making them this way is that you can never go back to Denny's.

"Allow two medium eggs per person for an appetizer or light snack, or three eggs per person for a main course.

Melt 3 tbsp butter in shallow, heavy pan set on a heat diffuser over low heat, or in a bain-marie. Break 4-6 eggs into a bowl and beat very lightly with a fork. Tip into the pan with the hot melted butter and stir.

Cook over low heat, stirring gently more or less constantly with a wooden spoon.

It will take 3 to 4 minutes for the eggs to become just set, but very creamy. (If you use a bain-marie, allow about 6 minutes.) If you prefer firmer dryer eggs, cook for another two minutes.

When the eggs are scrambled to your liking, add 2 tbsp light or heavy cream or a little bit of butter, and season with salt and pepper. Scrambled eggs are best served immediately. "

Note: My breakfast this morning after returning from Clark's wedding.

Brunch

This weekend I hosted brunch for my book club and whipped up three quick recipes that were super easy and really, really tasty. I'd have taken pictures but my camera is dead and it was like, a monsoon here anyway, so it would have looked all grey and bleary and decidedly un-brunchy, so I'll just tell you about them instead and you can just imagine them. :)

First I made a recipe that I found in the Sun-Times actually for a knock off of those ridiculously delicious Red Lobster Cheddar Bay biscuits, and they turned out perfect!! They're probably Red Lobster's only redeeming quality, and now I can make them at home so I'll never have to set foot in one again. They're really quick and easy, too. Take 2 1/2 cups of Bisquick, mix 4 Tablespoons of cold butter in it up with a fork until the butter's kinda pea-sized. Then mix in 1 and 3/4 cups whole milk, one heaping cup of grated cheddar, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. I just used my hands cause the Bisquick gets all sticky and it's pointless to try to use a fork. Don't over mix them. Then put golf-ball sized dollops on an ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. When they come out, melt 2 Tablespoons butter with 1/2 tsp. garlic powder and some parsley, and brush it on top of the biscuits. I made 10 of them, and the five of us ate all of them, they were so good.

Next, I made a sweet potato hash. The only downside to this was that the chopping took forever, but so it goes. It was also supposed to have twice as much bacon in it as it did, but since unattended bacon always disappears, Jamie ate half the bacon before I finished cooking the potatoes. Anyhoo. Cook up about 10 strips of bacon and set aside. Cook 1 diced red onion,
1 diced red bell pepper and 1 diced green bell pepper with a couple of cloves minced garlic in the bacon fat (you only need about half of it, so pour it off before you put the veggies in. Come to think of it, I poured it into a coke can so it didn't screw up my sink and then I set the can outside on the porch cause it was making all sorts of crazy noises and i kinda thought it was going to explode, and I just realized it's still sitting out there. I'll have to dispose of that when I get home. Oops!). I digress. When veggies are a little wilty, add 4 large, peeled and diced white potatoes, and 2 large peeeled and diced sweet potatoes. I imagine you could mix up that ratio however you like, but this worked out pretty well for me. Now cook, cook, cook till the potatoes are browned and mushy and everything is soft, hashy goodness. Mine took about 30 minutes or so in a big wok-like saute pan, stirring occasionally throughout so nothing burned. Salt and pepper to taste. Yum!

And for the requisite egg portion of the brunch I made baked eggs in their own little edible cups, an idea I got from 101 cookbooks. I made mine with a goat cheese, parsley and rosemary base, but you could get all sorts of creative with the filling. So what you do is quarter a pita pocket (i used whole wheat) and open it up and shove it into a small ramekin. It's okay if it breaks, you're just making a little cup to put the rest of the stuff in. Mix up goat cheese and herbs, put into the pita, then crack an egg or two over it all, salt and pepper, slide it into the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes, top with some creme fraiche, and voila! Tasty baked eggs. Almost no work at all.

And of course, top it all off with several mimosas. :)

Brunch