Daily Loaf

When you take the flavors of classic french toast and marry them with the techniques used to make bread pudding, the result is quite magical. It’s also super convenient, as you can prepare it the night before then bake and serve hot from the oven in the morning without any fuss. All you need alongside is a good cup of coffee and some crisp, salty bacon to start your day off with a smile.

Although many recipes turn to french baguette when making a bread pudding-style dish, my preference is for a richer and more delicate selection in the bakery aisle. I used buttery brioche for this batch, however I typically reach for challah bread if I’m able to find it. Your bread selection will make the difference between a more flaky, puffed result vs. a more crumbly and dense pudding.

Here are some ideas on how to add another dimension to the dish, and customize it depending on what you’re in the mood for:

~Mix in chopped pecans or walnuts before baking to add some crunch

~Toss julienned apples in with the bread mixture and serve with cinnamon infused whipped cream

~Macerate fresh strawberry or peach slices with a sprinkling of sugar, and spoon over the top after baking

~For a rich topping, whip mascarpone cheese with vanilla bean and sugar until sweet and creamy

The recipe: Read the rest of this entry »

Do you hear the bag pipes in the distance? Or was that angels singing? What ever it was, you will hear glorious music when you bite into this casserole.
Many a years I have been completely drunk at the Irish Pub for St. Patty’s, insisting on eating the shepherd’s pie they plop on my plate. And to be honest it is usually bland and nasty. But I still feel the need to order it. I suppose it is some sort of tradition.
A few years back I was on a mission to make a more flavorful version of the gruel. And I think I hit the nail on the head with this one, folks. Try it and I think you’ll agree, it is fabulous. And if you don’t agree, well, then you have serious issues!

Recipe after the break:

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Mexican and Tex-Mex definitely top my list of favorite cuisines. Their use of spices elevate and enhance simple ingredients to create delicious, comforting dishes. One of my favorite Tex-Mex dishes is Tamale Pie, which is a casserole that is supposed to mimic the flavors of a traditional Mexican tamale: shredded or ground meat encased in a masa (cornmeal) mixture, wrapped in corn husks and then steamed.  Tamales are very time consuming to prepare, so I decided to take the easy road and make tamale pie.

The following is a recipe for tamale pie I “Katie-fied” from one I saw on “Simply Delicioso with Ingrid Hoffman” on Food Network. Most tamale pie recipes I’ve seen use ground beef, but you can use ground pork, chicken, turkey, boar, ostrich, whatever your heart desires. I don’t usually use canned items but I decided to in this one, just to make it easier for those of you at home to save time. Read the rest of this entry »