rhubarb cake
I got a request for a coffee cake recipe a little while ago, and while I’ve never labeled this as a coffee cake before, I think it fits the role quite nicely. Simple, crumbly cake, topped with a sugar and cinnamon crust. Perfect for breakfast with a nice cup of coffee, fresh out of the press. And this recipe is extra special. It’s a family recipe that I have the pleasure of sharing with you all from the kitchen of my papa. He gave permission to post it for the world to see. (Or probably more accurately, for the 10 or so people who may be reading this to see.) It is one of my favorite springtime recipes and I hope you like it too.
It was only three weeks ago that the rhubarb in my backyard garden was beginning to break through the soil and now it is huge! This particular plant was a piece of one of the plants at my grandpa’s cabin. I think that this is super cool, especially because not only do I have a piece of this plant, but so do my parents and my dad’s two brothers. So it’s a little piece of my family from Minnesota, growing at my home in Montana. I can (and will) nerd out on this kind of stuff that I derive great sentimental value from all day.
So, Miss Michelle, this is a “coffee cake” for you (sorry it’s on the late side!) with hopes that baby will come soon. Continue Reading →
heidi swanson’s black sesame otsu
Ok. I admit it. I am obsessed with this cookbook. But you should be too. Everything in it is SO GOOD! I have yet to be disappointed with something I choose to make. And call me old fashioned or what have you, but I love how I am trying new combinations of ingredients,or even just plain old new ingredients — things I haven’t even heard of before — when I make some of these recipes. This recipe was even up there on the “Andy approval scale.” My meat eating husband was giving this tofu filled, cold noodle dish rave reviews, even going so far as to say it wouldn’t be as good made with chicken instead of tofu. I take this as high praise.
When plugged into an online Japanese-English dictionary (yes, this was one of those things I hadn’t heard of before and no, Wikipedia does not have a satisfactory entry), I found that Otsu is a city in Japan and also means strange, quaint, stylish, chic, spicy, or queer. What a funny little word: otsu. I like the sound of this, almost as much as I like the taste.
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elk bourguignon
This post seems very fitting today. Happy May everyone! Chances are many of you who are reading this today had the pleasure of waking up to a winter-y wonderland (yes, I said May). Wasn’t it just last weekend that I was riding my beautiful new mountain bike in 70 degree sunshine? (Yes, it was.) Oh springtime. What would so many upper midwesterners have to talk about if it weren’t for your seemingly bipolar ways?
It must indeed be springtime, though. The first bright red nubs of rhubarb have begun to poke their little heads through the garden soil, loving this heavy, late season moisture. Rhubarb is like kale in that way. They both thrive in less than perfect conditions, which is a huge reason why I love both. They’re hard to kill.
Anyway, the bourguignon! This isn’t exactly an it’s-warm-out-so-lets-turn-on-the-oven-all-day-to-heat-up-the-house kind of meal. But given this recent cold, it’s perfect. Plus I couldn’t have thought of a more perfect and classic meal to make for my new dutch oven’s maiden voyage. (Thanks Mom and Dad. What a great birthday gift!) This is the first time I have made “boeuf” bourguignon and I figured it had to be ultra classic. So I turned to the one and only (while my inner 1950’s housewife grew giddy): Ms. Julia Child.
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egg salad tea sandwiches
Happy spring, everyone! It has been so beautiful here the last few days. ‘Tis the season of getting outside when it’s sunny and dreaming about playing outside when it’s rainy. Unfortunately, we are probably looking at lots of that (rain) for the next couple months, which leaves lots of time for inside fun. Like cooking. And blogging about said cooking. In the spirit of springtime, I wanted to make something light, fresh, and fun. Being a child of the Midwest, I’m used to mayonnaise in tuna, egg, and potato salads. To lighten and brighten, I instead decided to use Greek yogurt for this version of egg salad sandwiches.
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blueberry cottage cheese pancakes
If you are going out for breakfast in Bozeman, the place to go is the Nova Cafe. If you go on the weekend (which you will because most people, except this girl, have those “jobs” that require you to be there weekday mornings) you will have to wait for a while. But it’s OK that you have to wait. It is worth it. They serve veggies from local farms, meats and cheeses from local producers, feature local art, and have homemade baked goods. And they make the best cottage cheese pancakes that they serve up with sour cream and (real) maple syrup. Naturally, I had to try to recreate these at home and they are fantastic!
On a side note, has anyone seen that ridiculous infomercial about the perfect pancake pan? “You flip, and they flop.” I’ll never be able to make pancakes in peace again.
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