On Dutch Babies, Failure and Butter

Let's talk about pancakes. I can't make one to save my own life. I just wanted to let you know that there are other options out there. My favorite of which is called a Dutch Baby.

You're probably sick of hearing my "love child" analogies by now. Too bad. A Dutch Baby is the love child of a pancake and a popover, baked in one pan with lots of butter.* It requires little time and effort, aka, two of the things I dislike most about making pancakes. The thing I dislike the very most about making pancakes is failure. I always fail at making pancakes.

In fact, I fail quite a lot in general. And that's okay. So it's okay if you fail, too.
Good, now we both feel better about it.

Pictured above is my first Dutch Baby, a complete failure. Looks pretty, tastes like what I imagine flan's poop might be like, if flan could make a poop. One big mistake: not reading/following directions.

My second Dutch Baby: light, crispy, buttery success! The instructions mean it when they say "make sure the butter is hot" and "use a blender or food processor." Melted butter and a hand mixer just won't do.

To make a Dutch Baby, follow this recipe.

Tips:
1. Sift your flour (All-Purpose, please).
2. Make sure you use a dry measuring cup for the flour and a liquid measuring cup for the milk.
3. Use large eggs.

I topped mine with Greek yogurt (1T cane sugar for every 7oz of plain yogurt, also whirled through my food processor), Trader Joe's salted caramel sauce, and strawberries. You can also go minimalist and use only a dusting of powdered sugar. BUT if you discard the browned butter at the bottom of the pan, you bring shame to me and your entire family!

*Every time I use the word "butter," I would appreciate it if you inferred that I mean "glorious butter." Because it is what it is.

Easy is Delicious: Kale Stew

I never thought I liked kale. In the '90's it was very trendy in restaurants to use a piece of raw kale as a garnish. Even as an eight-year-old, I loved its deep green color, earthy smell and curly edges. Why would something be on my plate if I wasn't meant to eat it? I always wondered. Naturally I'd try to eat it. Let me tell you: raw, garnish quality kale is NOT meant to be eaten. It's awful. Just don't do it.

But fate brought kale and I back together 14 years later. My friend Sarah was singing at the East Nashville Farmers Market one afternoon and was paid for her services with a basket of vegetables. Nestled in the basket next to green onions and a few zucchini was a giant bunch of purple kale. We sauteed it with olive oil, garlic and a little bit of sugar and ate it alongside fresh spinach fettucini. To my surprise, I loved it.

Now I can't get enough kale. There is no other vegetable that is quite as hearty, nutritious and versatile. My favorite way to eat it is in a one pot meal, kale stew. It has less than ten ingredients and is ready in half an hour. I serve it with a big hunk of bread, over rice, quinoa, mashed potatoes or as picture here, with goat cheese polenta.

Kale Stew:
-serves 4-6
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1/2 t red pepper flakes
3 links sausage (I used Trader Joe's chicken andouille, loose or cased both work)
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 can roasted tomatoes
1 can white beans (such as cannellini or garbanzo), drained
1 bunch or bag of kale, chopped
1T raw honey
about 1/2 cup to 1 cup chicken stock

In a large pot (I used a six quart French oven), sauté onion in olive oil with kosher salt and red pepper flakes until translucent. Add sausage (break up if using loose, slice if using cased). Let cook over medium, stirring occasionally until onions are caramelized and sausage is brown.

Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add tomatoes, beans and 1/2 cup of stock. Simmer for five minutes. Add kale, honey and a little more salt (you may need to do this in batches- the kale will cook down a lot) and let kale cook for at least ten minutes with lid on. You can let this simmer for up to 20 minutes longer to let flavors meld or serve immediately.

*Add more stock as needed. I used a little extra after I added the kale.

Ice Cream is Delicious: Blueberry Coconut

As the saying goes, the heart wants what the heart wants. The other day I was buying a new food processor online. It was turquoise, one of my favorite colors. When I put it in my "cart," Amazon interjected, "You may also like this: Cuisinart ICE-21TQ Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker, Turquoise." As you can imagine, I am now the proud new owner of an ice cream maker.

So now I feel obligated, ahem, I mean inspired to make ice cream. I decided that my first endeavor should be something simple. It's blueberry season here in Tennessee. Have you ever read the poem "Blackberry Picking" by Seamus Heaney? Well that's how I feel about blueberries- greedy, like a pirate hoarding treasure. They're just so good!

I found this recipe for blueberry coconut ice cream on Roostblog.com. It only has three ingredients: blueberries, coconut milk and raw honey. And since I just read "Ratio" by Michael Ruhlman, I will explain it to you in ratios: two parts blueberries, three parts whole fat coconut milk, honey to taste. Can you believe something so plain can be so delicious?

We had one perfect afternoon this week. It was 75, sunny and not too humid. I can't imagine a better time to eat ice cream (that's not saying much; I've been known to eat ice cream during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade). I felt so lucky to work in an office that has a balcony!

Easy is delicious: Bean Bake

Yesterday I was thinking about coming home. Coming home always calls for food. Whether you're coming home for Christmas, from a late movie or from vacation- isn't it the nicest feeling knowing that someone cares enough to have something ready for you?

Last night my boyfriend went to the Predators game right down the street from my house so I decided to have something ready for him afterwards. I didn't have a lot on hand.

Every week when I go to the store or the Farmer's Market, I am completely entranced by the produce. This past week I bought parsnips. Why? Because they are the beautiful, off-white earthy color of a set of plates I want; I know, it's a girl thing. I also grabbed some vidalia onions; they remind me of summer. I have little patience for the gentle art of sautéing, so I threw everything in the oven together with salt and olive oil.

I remembered a post I had read by Jules Clancy of Stone Soup called Onion and White Bean Bake and I decided to make a similar dish. When my boyfriend came over, I heated up the bake. He told me it was delicious three times last night and once already this morning.

Easy Bean Bake:
2 vidalia onions, roasted and chopped
1/2 cup vegetables, roasted and chopped (I used one large parsnip and one small, raw carrot for crunch)
1 can white beans, drained
1/2 cup cheese, grated (I used goat milk gouda, my favorite)
2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
splash of chicken stock
pepper to taste (you don't really need salt; the vegetables and the cheese are already salted)

Roast vegetables at 400 degrees until slightly caramelized. Give onions a fine chop and vegetables a rough chop. Mix everything together and place in a greased gratin dish. Top with a splash (1/4 of a cup or less) of stock and a little cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Broil the top until golden brown.

The best part of this story is that having food ready for him last night means that it is ready for me for lunch today!