Daily Loaf

My most recent baking project has become creating the perfect crumb cake. There are so many elements that come into play here- texture, topping, density, and overall taste are all vital in formulating a masterpiece. I’m happy to say that I just may be onto something with this recipe.

Fall is high time for all things apple. Nothing makes your house smell better when baking or adds more moisture to your goodies. I choose Granny Smith as a rule, because they have a great tartness about them and retain their texture even when baking for substantial periods of time. Plus, if I have any left over they make the best snack when sliced and served with a baked round of brie, a drizzle of honey and some fresh baguette.

You are probably familiar with the classic pastry technique of incorporating very cold, cubed butter into streusel toppings, to create a divine crumb for these types of cakes. I’ve found amazing results instead, in melting the butter and using it to partially dissolve the sugars, bring out the essence of spices, and bind your crumble topping. This way, by the time you are ready to top your batter, the butter has semi-hardened once again, and it’s easy to crumble it into perfection. The pecans add fantastic crunch, and the richness of the brown sugar is the perfect companion to the buttery cake below. Read the rest of this entry »

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, no matter the time. For this recipe, my inspiration was the wonderful produce available this time of year and my deep affection for egg-based breakfast/brunch foods. I hit up my local produce stand, then got in the kitchen and got my frittata on!

This frittata recipe is super simple, even easier then making an omelet and without all the flipping and fuss. I love the array of colorful vegetables that are now available at the produce stands and just about all of them would be great in this dish. I used almost every color in the rainbow in my frittata: a yellow tomato, red cubanelle pepper (comparable to a bell pepper, but a bit sweeter), verdent spinach and arugula, and red (actually, purple) onion. Read the rest of this entry »

Having seen tons of pictures of delicious-looking pancakes last week on my food porn sites, it put me in the mood to make some. I am not a fan of plain ol’ regular pancakes, though, because I find them to be dry, dull, flavorless and only good as a vehicle for syrup.

While looking in my pantry for inspiration, I spotted my neglected (but not expired) box of yellow cornmeal. Ta-da! Thus, the cornmeal pancake idea was born and executed. They are a heartier, more substantial versions of a regular buttermilk pancakes, with a texture similar to buckwheat. They’re also pretty filling, so a few go a long way.

Read the rest of this entry »

Brunch is my favorite part of the weekend — I love making it and I especially love eating it (also because it gives me an excuse to drink a Bloody Mary before noon). Combining two meals into one is a genius idea because you can have your breakfast-type items (eggs, waffles, etc.) and more substantial lunch- or dinner-type dishes.

I’m always trying out fun new places for brunch or coming up with recipes for it. This brunch dish is one I came up with that combines two of my favorite cuisines: Southern and Southwestern. Shrimp and grits are a staple dish of the coastal South, and flavors like ancho and poblano are hallmarks of the Southwest.

Recipe after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Our favorite consulting chef needs to get her own place. Soon.

In the meantime, though, she’s been working with Gaspar’s Grotto to beef up its brunch menu:

“The overarching theme is laidback, pirate-pumped, Ybor-style fun, but with high-quality food (price: $29.95). They’ve experimented with a beignet recipe, the plan to shake them in a bag with sugar and pass them around the dining room (a tribute to the way Phil Alessi did it years ago).”

Aaargh! More details at Laura Reiley’s St. Pete Times blog.