Apple Pancake: Birthday Brunch

I'm very thankful for the Fall hues that I get to experience up here in the Northeast, something I really missed when I was living in Georgia.  I can't help but smile when I see the decorative Indian corn husks, signs pointing to apple picking fun, and large orange pumpkins taking over small shops on the side of the road...or at least that's how it is outside the NYC bubble. 

 

Since Fall (along with most things) is a little different in the City, I decided to escape to the Berkshires in Massachusetts with a couple of close friends for my mid-October birthday celebration.  It was good to take time to explore the scenic views before New York minutes swallow up the season.

Relaxation was of course a priority on the agenda, along with hiking Mount Greylock, and the farmer's market to pick up fresh produce and a hot, buttery cider doughnut (aka Heaven).  Then there was lots (and I mean stretchy-pants-lots) of cooking and wine "tasting".  To most people, cooking on your weekend getaway may not sound like the best of times.  But for someone like me (and hopefully you can relate so I don't seem totally crazy), I saw it as an opportunity to try new foods with people who were equally excited about it.

Making meals for friends and family brings new opinions and influences to the mix.  It means experimenting with no judgment, and getting to share that food experience with the people you are close to.  I have to say, it was quite a successful outcome, with 6 restaurant-worthy gourmet pizzas pushed out from the kitchen for dinner (courtesy of our amateur pizza chef and friend, Rachel) and an amazing birthday brunch using recipes from a favorite food blogger of mine, Love & Lemons.
The other brunch recipe we made: Sweet Potato and Brussels Skillet

 

 

The main ingredient for this dish is truly an iconic one and I don't think I could've picked a better one for this occasion.  Aside from the apple's association to all things Fall, it's the state fruit of both New York and Washington, the fruit that poisoned Snow White, and the name of probably the most popular tech gadget company in the world.  Oh, and my favorite one...the famous fruit that hit Sir Isaac Newton on the head. 

 

Apples have quite the reputation in our society and in our daily lives.  This apple pancake recipe is great for brunch with a small group, easy to make, and of course amazingly delicious.  You know that cider doughnut ecstasy you were drooling over earlier?  Yea, it's like that.
 

 

 

APPLE PANCAKE

(by Love & Lemons)

Makes: 2-3 servings as main dish or 5-6 servings as a side dish

 

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. butter

3 apples (I used red), peeled, cored, and sliced thin

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3 large eggs

1/2 cup milk (or almond milk)

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

 

Variations:

Gluten Free - Use a GF flour such as spelt or brown rice flour.

Local Friendly - Use as many ingredients from your local farmer's market as possible.  At the very least, you should be able to find brown eggs, apples, and fresh milk.

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Whisk together eggs and milk.
4. Mix together flour and baking powder and stir it into the egg/milk mixture.
5. In a large oven-safe skillet (I used a 10" cast iron), melt butter and add the apple slices and 1 Tbsp. of brown sugar mixture.  Cook, stirring until soft, about 5 minutes.
6. Pour the batter over the apples and sprinkle the remaining brown sugar mixture evenly on top.
7. Transfer the skillet to oven, and bake until it puffs, around 18-20 minutes.
8. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

*HINT: To dust with powdered sugar, use a fine metal sieve or strainer.  Place a small spoonful of powdered sugar in the sieve, hold over the pancake, and gently hit the sieve with your free hand.
Another technique?  Use a tea ball.  Any will work, but I favor this OXO tea ball.

Strawberry Basil Ice Cream

Other than the lengthening days of sunlight, the growing desire to wear shorter pants, and seasonal openings of the local amusement parks, what's the thing that truly signifies summer is right around the corner?  The first sight of strawberries.

Spotting them for the first time of the season at the local farmer's market will make the heart begin to race, followed by thoughts of "what will I make with them this year?" and "how many is too many?".  The answer to the first question is an easy one for me, after having been in this wonderful dilemma before (don't worry, I will share some of my ideas).  The second is usually not controlled by my brain but rather my craving level for strawberries at the time of purchase.  Let's just say that level is almost always high... So far this year I've purchased 3 pints from the farmer's market, received 2 pints in my CSA, and picked another 8 pints at a strawberry field in New Jersey.  Not to mention the ones my roommate brought home that were shared.

Strawberry picking is a fun and rewarding experience, for adults as much as children, and I think everyone should do it at least once in their life.  Not only does it teach you an important lesson in where your food comes from, but it's very relaxing and enjoyable to walk between rows and rows of strawberries searching for the perfectly shaped and deep-red colored, taking tastes of your gatherings all along the way.  I've spent hours filling up buckets or flats of these berries, and I look forward to my once a year strawberry picking.

I actually found this recipe after my first strawberry picking adventure, which yielded way more crop than I could ever hope to finish one at a time.  Now, it has become an annual recipe, which I try to only make from strawberries picked myself.  Yes, I could use store-bought, or out-of-season berries other times of the year, but trust me when I tell you that you need that fresh and sweet strawberry taste. 

Strawberry and basil seems like an odd combination, especially in ice cream, but I've seen it pop up on menus a lot lately.  It's become one of my favorite pairings, and the reason I love this ice cream so much is because it's one of the rare foods that will give you not one, but two distinct punches of flavor.  Strawberry...then basil.  I can just imagine my taste buds celebrating as the taste hits two different sets of them.  Take your first bite nice and slow to give your mouth the full indulgent experience.       

**Other great strawberry pairings you ask?  Just follow the season...  First comes asparagus in late spring, which kicks off the green vegetable season (this combination is best in salads).  Rhubarb follows shortly after (mix with strawberries in pies/tarts, ice creams, or cocktails).  As the season moves into early summer, pair them with blueberries, squash, and of course in salads.  Strawberry jam is always a good option too.

STRAWBERRY BASIL ICE CREAM
(Adapted from eCurry's recipe)
Makes: ~5 cups (2.5 pints)

Ingredients: 

1 cup half and half

1/2 cup whole milk

1 pint fresh strawberries + 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed, and hulled

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves (no stems)
3/4 cup sugar
Zest of 1 medium lemon or lime
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup blanched and slivered almonds, slightly toasted

Variations:

Substitutions - Replace half and half with heavy cream and whole milk with half and half.  Or, for a healthier version, replace half and half with whole milk and whole milk with 2% milk.
Recommendations - Use milk and cream from a local source, such as the farmer's market, use fresh strawberries, and pick basil from your garden if you have one.
Gluten Free

Instructions:

*HINT: Save empty pint ice cream containers to store your own ice cream creations.  The plastic ones work best for multiple uses.

1. Blend half and half, milk, 1 pint strawberries, basil leaves, sugar, and lemon or lime zest, and salt.
2. Chop the remaining strawberries and set aside.  These will be used for extra pieces (optional)
3. Crush nuts slightly to release oil.  Set aside.
4. Combine all ingredients including nuts and strawberry pieces.  Pour slowly into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.

Mangosteen and My Shanghai Adventure

One of the perks of my line of work (one of the many) is that I get to do some international travel. Since moving to New York almost a year ago, I've already gotten to venture to China for my new job. The trip was an exhausting two weeks with what seemed like endless traveling and factory visits, but fortunately I was able to squeeze in some personal time to explore a new city.

 

 

It was my first time in Shanghai, and although it seemed to be overwhelming in size (and this coming from a girl who lives in NYC), I found the city to be very charming and European, with a lot to offer in terms of history, culture, and food. I was also very lucky to have a personal tour guide, a friend of a friend and 4 year resident of Shanghai. He gave me the "local" experience, which means less crowds and limited tourist attractions - Hallelujah! As I travel more and more, these are the experiences that I appreciate the most. Being able to do what the locals do and eat what the locals eat really gives you a perspective on how others in different countries or cities live their lives. It's a lot like getting a break from your own life to enjoy all the good in another's.

In an attempt to document my trip and to recommend activities and restaurants to those who may travel there in the future, I present to you my 27-hour whirlwind visit:

• Chinese lunch
• Quick tour of the French Concession (this is the area where I spent most of my time)
• Tian Zi Fang Market
• Tibetan restaurant in the market for tea and cold noodles
• Ex-Pat cookout on the roof of an old Shanghai-style house (They had made burgers and guacamole - 2 things I know I couldn't live without. Considering how difficult it is to find these foods in China, especially avocados, it just proves that where there's a will, there's a way.)
• Dinner at an Uyghur restaurant, called Yeli Xali aka "The Silk Road"

• Walk along the Bund during sunrise
• Massage on Dagu Road
• Lunch at a Thai restaurant, Qing Mai Heaven = best Thai I've ever had
  *Highlights: Green Papaya Salad, Lemon Fish

My temporary tour guide is actually who I have to thank for my introduction to this interesting fruit, the mangosteen. I know your first question is if it is related to the mango, but it is not, and a quick Google search will confirm that genetically they are totally different. It is both delicious and has health benefits, which makes me extremely jealous of its native locale.

The vast majority of the gems are grown and sold in Southeast Asia, and finding them anywhere else in the world, especially in the States, is very difficult. I have yet to investigate my Chinatown, so it's possible that I will find them here someday.

So what's the big deal? Well, they're certainly a different taste than anything I've had, and color too. You only eat the white, citrus-like sections inside, which are protected by a thick, bright pink layer. They are both sweet and tart at the same time, and remind me of a cross between, well, a lot of things; sections like oranges, sweetness of peaches, fleshy texture of plums. That perfect balance of acidity and sweetness left me craving more.

If you ever have the opportunity to jet set to that part of the world, this is one fruit you don't want to pass up.