I’m planning on doing a NOLA-style kings’ cake for mardi gras next month, and am trying to locate something close to a definitive recipe. I have it on good authority that the real deal came from a bakery called McKenzie’s that is now out of business. Anyone who knows where I might be able to […]
READ ONBabas are not unlike brioche: light, rich yeasted breads. However the formula has a little less butter. Fat tenderizes any dough that it’s added to, and that’s usually a good thing. Babas, however, get soaked with alcoholic syrup. Breads that are very, very tender will tend to fall apart under those conditions. That’s especially true […]
READ ONCentral Europe is a cozy place to be this time of year, so the way I see it, why not stay? But wait, you might say, isn’t baba au rhum a French thing? Indeed it has come to be known as French, but in truth the baba (babka) originated well to the east of there. It took the French to completely soak the baba in alcohol, and for that we shall be forever grateful. But we can’t allow that to distract us from the truth:
READ ONSeveral questions and comments came in over the weekend on cheese for blintzes. Isn’t “real” farmers’ cheese the best? Can you use ricotta? Can cottage cheese really be considered “authentic?” Personally, the main thing I look for when choosing a cheese for blintzes is texture. I want something that’s flavorful of course, but even more […]
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Ah Blintzes. How do I love thee? You know, I’m willing to bet Elizabeth Barrett Browning never tasted a decent blintz in her life. But had she, I expect she would have described the experience along poetic lines.
READ ONSweet Potato Filling 1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” cubes 1 medium onion, sliced 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons milk Salt and pepper to taste A great New-World twist on a classic potato blintz filling. Preheat your oven to 350. Toss the sweet potato cubes with the olive […]
READ ONBlintzes can be filled with just about anything, really. Here are a few of the classics. Some people like their cheese fillings (and blintzes) sweet, some like them savory. I’ve tried to present options for both, but use your own imagination. Blintzes are terrific receptacles for all sorts of interesting leftovers.
Cheese Filling
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1 cup farmer’s cheese or 1 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
Yesterday’s posts sparked a very interesting discussion on the subject of pancakes. Where did they come from? Who were the first to make them out of wheat? How did they spread? It’s my opinion that we’ll never have definitive answers to those questions, since pancakes are far too old. Pancakes (or something not entirely unlike […]
READ ONWhy can you roll up some kinds of pancakes but not others? That’s exactly the kind of question that I love, love, love reader Tori. Indeed, why are some pancakes thin and roll-able while others are fluffy and crumbly? Aren’t they made of the same things? It’s true, they are made of mostly the same […]
READ ONNo. Yes. Well…sort of, reader Alison. But all culinary roads need not lead to France, right? And anyway, crêpes are usually bigger. See? Not even close to the same thing.
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