a nice breakfast

 

About two weeks ago someone in our household had a birthday, and requested this breakfast. Well actually, I didn't know it was going to be breakfast - we arrived at lunch time and ate what they made - which happened to be brunch. And it turned out to be amazing:  french toast with pecan butter and fresh fruit (and a mimosa for the birthday girl). The thing I love about this restaurant, in addition to the food, is that most of the ingredients are seasonal and local. Even the bacon. Which I also tried, thanks to my husband, who allows me to steal things off his plate quite frequently. Bananas aren't really local, so just ignore them, but see the orange slices up there in the photo? They're blood oranges, and the photo doesn't really do them justice. They are a beautiful, dark translucent red, and are in season right now. And thanks to where I live, they're also local. (It still amazes me to see oranges growing on trees in my own neighborhood). So, no new recipe for now, just wanted to share the experience. Happy birthday, whenever that is for you. Enjoy the day, and maybe some french toast as well.

saucy

Well. The holidays have come to a close. I - as you might have guessed - love to eat, and love the food that the holiday season brings. Cookies with raisins and sugar or mint and chocolate. Homemade jars of caramel corn or pickles. Turkey sticks and whoopie pies from the Lancaster farmers market. Vacation days are often filled with cooking or baking or eating, or shopping to buy food so that we can cook, bake or eat. And this year, I tried a new recipe from an aunt for cranberry sauce. It's fabulous, and you should try it. The texture is so much better than the jelly that comes in a can, and the pears add a sweetness that balances the tart cranberries. I believe that cranberry sauce can be used various other times of the year; however, if you only serve it once a year, tuck this one away in your recipe arsenal for the 2010 holidays.

• One package of fresh cranberries (about 12 oz)
• 3/4 to 1 cup water
  
• 3 -4 pears - (I used D-Anju)
  
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
  

Cook the cranberries, water and pears over medium heat in a sauce pan for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries pop. Remove from heat and add the sugar and the orange zest. Cool to room temperature or in the refrigerator if you prefer it cold.

digging up gingerbread

Every fall, I clean out the hall closet and usually end up finding some sweaters and hats and old bags that I drag out to use in the coming months. It's like discovering some old acquaintances that I got sick of last spring, but after a long hiatus, once again appear friendly. That's how I feel about gingerbread; it only seems appropriate to bake it in the fall and winter, digging the recipe out of my book like an old friend. Gingerbread, for me, signifies fall, the holiday season, cool air and wood stoves. Enjoy, with a cup of tea or hot chocolate. Some things are so worth the wait.

I got this recipe from one of my favorite bakeries. I love it so much, I drove two hours to buy bread there. And ate (with help) almost a whole loaf by the time I got home.

Gingerbread Cookies

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup light molasses
• 3 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ginger

Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices. In a separate bowl, add the butter (in small pieces) and sugar, and cream the two together (mix on medium-high) for about four minutes. Add eggs one at a time and stir in between each addition. Add the vanilla, stir, and add the molasses. Mix the wet ingredients well before adding the dry ingredients in four stages. When the dough is evenly mixed, place it in the refrigerator for about an hour to chill before baking. After chilling, divide the dough into two pieces and roll each into an eight-inch log. At this point you can begin slicing off the log to create the cookies, or wrap in plastic wrap, freeze, and save for a later baking. Bake at 350 degrees for about ten minutes. The thinner the slices, the crispier the cookies.