Potato Filling

Potato Filling 1 lb. Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” cubes 1 onion 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter 2-3 tablespoons milk salt and pepper This is excellent for blintzes! Bring an inch of water to the boil in a large pot. Put the potatoes in a vegetable steamer and insert […]

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Blintz Fillings

Blintzes 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)

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Flat Rocks & Flapjacks

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 […]

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The Firm vs. Floppy Question

Why 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 […]

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Where do blintzes come from?

Like most really good questions, that one is hard to answer, reader Dennis. Pancakes come from pretty much everywhere. However the stripe of filled and folded pancake that goes by the name blintz is thought to have originated in Central Europe…Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, that general area. Blintzes were probably a traditional food item in that […]

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Blintz Recipe

Blintzes are pancakes, but they can be so much more depending on how you serve them. Here is a basic recipe for the articles themselves, fillings will come later. 3 eggs 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) fat-free milk 5 ounces (scant cup) all-purpose flour, sifted 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar (optional) 1.5 ounces (3 […]

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This Week: Blintzes

These were requested long ago, and oh how I’ve been looking forward to making them. Blintzes remind me of my father’s mother — not because she liked to make blintzes, but because she enjoyed eating brunch in the kinds of places where blintzes were popular in Chicago in the 70’s: grand hotel dining rooms, old-school […]

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The Barbie Cake

It was little Joan’s birthday this past weekend, and though she’s only four, she’s already into Barbie dolls (this compared to big sister Jo who’s six and digs cowboys and cowgirls). Mrs. Pastry and I have been trying to put off the Barbie thing, but when Joan asked not only for a Barbie doll for […]

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Making Dobos Torte II: Frosting and Decorating

Ooh…ahh…are the kinds of noises people make when this torte arrives at the table. It’s a show-stopper of a presentation, particularly good for people like myself who stink at piping. And while those caramel-topped “fan blades” may look difficult to produce, they really aren’t provided you have an offset icing spatula, a chef’s knife and a little buttered parchment paper. But we’ll get to that.

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