When I first started this blog, my idea was to write about, well, writing. Because I'm a wanna-be novelist. I want to write something good, and I want it to get published, and I want enough people to like it that I get to publish more. I don't really care about the money, and I can be flexible on how long it takes; I just want the quality to be there.
      Ok, you may be asking yourself, Where exactly does all this food come in? Because cooking (and eating) is my other passion, and I also believe that food offers great insight into characters, cultures, and even plot twists. So there are a number of scenes in my stories that involve eating. And sometimes my characters are eating things that I don't usually eat, or things I haven't eaten in a long time, so I get to make and eat those things as research!
      My current project takes place in mid-19th century California. At this point in history, the European gentry and American aristocrats were into the habit of breakfasting late and light, on buttered toast and tea. This was not an option for the pioneers, homesteaders and cattle ranchers--their lifestyle simply didn't permit it. Thus, the hearty American breakfast was born: eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, steak, cornbread with molasses, fried onions, bread, cheese, hot cereal, ham, biscuits, sausage, grits, gravy, hash...mix and match all of the above, and add enough coffee to kill a chihuahua. In those days, these meals made sense because the daily work was so intense people literally burned through that many calories before their next meal (also, their next meal might not be until dinner). For most modern Americans, a diet of this proportion would be an express, one-way ticket to obesity. That's why balance and portion control is key...and a few little flavor twists never hurt anything, either. Hence, our entry today on Sweet Potato Biscuits!
      This is a nice way to use leftover baked sweet potatoes (aka yams). Sweet potatoes are very healthy for you, and they're available all year long, but I particularly like them in the winter when their bright color presents a cheery contrast to the dreary view, and the long baking time for the tubers helps me heat my kitchen. These biscuits can be sweet or savory, depending on how you top them. The raw biscuits can also be frozen, and popped directly from your freezer into the oven, making them a good stand-by for weekdays when you want something fresh and hot, but don't have the time to go through the full hassle. My recipe is based on one from Dorie Greenspan (that goddess of baked goods), with a couple small twists to better suit my palate. I'm also including suggestions on what to serve with, since one biscuit does not a breakfast make.

Z.D.'s Sweet Potato Biscuit Breakfast

Ingredients:
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8th teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 Tablespoons golden brown sugar
1/2 Cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 Tablespoons salted butter, cut into small pieces
1 & 1/2 Cup baked sweet potato, finely mashed (but not puréed), divided

Directions:
 - Preheat your oven to 425º F, and place a rack in the center level. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground nutmeg. Sprinkle in the brown sugar, and whisk that in as well.

 - Using your finger tips, cut in the butter. When you have some pieces as small as sand, and the larger ones no larger than a lentil, you're done.

 - Using a fork, stir in 3/4 Cup of the mashed sweet potato. Keep adding heaping spoonfuls of potato until your mixture if fairly orange, and a handful squishes and holds together easily.

 - Turn out the dough (it will still be crumbly) onto a clean work surface, and knead it until it comes together. Don't worry about over-kneading, these biscuits will be surprisingly light. Pat out your dough to about 3/4 inch thickness. Use a 2" diameter biscuit cutter and cut straight down, then twist slightly to cut out biscuits. Pat the scraps back together, pat out into 3/4 inch thickness, and continue until all dough is used.

 - Space your biscuits very close but not quite touching. This will help them rise. Pop them into the oven for 16 - 19 minutes. They will be almost done when you start to smell them, and finished when the edges start to brown.

Space your raw biscuits almost touching--this will help them rise more as they bake!

      As I said earlier, these biscuits can be either sweet or savory depending on how you serve them. They are moist enough they don't really require butter, but of course that's a topping option. For sweet, I like these with a touch of honey, apple butter, or whipped maple cream if you have any on hand. For savory, these are great with a little melted cheese (I like swiss), or spread with a bit of honey-mustard and make ham sandwiches.
      Even if you're not doing the sandwich, of all the breakfast meats I do like ham the best with these. I like to serve them with a bit of ham, Company Eggs, and a few cherry tomatoes.* No breakfast is complete for me without tea or coffee, and I like this biscuits best with unflavored black tea. Also, breakfast requires fresh, seasonal fruit. I recommend no fruit in particular, because depending on when you make these different ones may be in season. If you're unsure, I recommend you ask the grocer stocking the produce department--the fresher and more in-season, the more delicious it will be!

Now THAT's how to start the day!

*Tomatoes and eggs is a very British thing, and I picked up the habit when I spent a week at a B&B in London. Try it--it's a great way to add just a little more produce to your breakfast.

      We're celebrating my husband's birthday this weekend. Since he's married to, well, me, as you might expect, he's a man who appreciates good food. So I wanted to treat him this morning to a brunch of toasted pecan pancakes topped with some of the amazing caramel sauce my brother made for Christmas. Now, there are a gazillion pancake recipes out there, but here's the basic one I use:

Z.D.'s Basic Pancakes
(easily adaptable for fillings, flavorings, and - apparently - errors)

Ingredients:
1 Cup whole milk
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1 Cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
unsalted butter for greasing the skillet

Directions:
 - Stir together the vinegar and the whole milk in a small bowl, and set aside for 5 minutes to curdle slightly. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and monitor.

 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Crack the egg into soured milk and beat with the whisk until entirely combined. Pour into the dry ingredients, and gently stir until almost combined--you want it lumpy and with a few dry streaks.

 - Once your skillet/griddle has reached 375º F, grease it with a film of unsalted butter and pour on your batter by 1/4 Cupfuls. Cook until pancake is puffed, dry round the edges, golden brown on the bottom and with a few bubbles on the top, about 4 minutes, then flip. Cook another 3 minutes or so, until the other side is golden, then serve hot with plenty of butter and real maple syrup. This will make you a total of 6 good-sized flapjacks.

      If you mind your skillet temperature, these will turn out perfect every time. Why do I sour my own milk instead of purchasing buttermilk? Because the taste is the same, it's cheaper, and it's hard to find full-fat buttermilk with no weird additives, whereas it's easy to find organic whole milk from grass-finished cows.
      But if you will refer back to the title of this post, it says: The Accidental Pancake Muffin. Which implies two things: a) there was an accident, and b) the result was a muffin. And both are correct. Let me walk you through my groggy Saturday morning in the kitchen, and see if you can spot the mistakes before I did.
      First I poured my milk, and realized I only had 2/3's of a Cup. Not a problem, actually--I tossed in a drippy Tablespoon of white vinegar, then made up the difference in volume with half water and half cream. Seriously, I've done this trick before, it works just fine, and now I had a Cup of my souring milk. Mentally congratulating myself on my flexibility in the kitchen, I then measured two Cups of flour into a bowl, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/8 teaspoon of baking powder. I got out my skillet and my unsalted butter, stuck a couple plates into the oven to warm, put syrup on the table and started the coffee. Satisfied that my milk mixture had soured, I then poured it into my dry ingredients and began to stir.
      Did you catch it? I didn't--not until I was busy stirring my batter and thought, "Huh...this is turning out waaaaay thicker than usual...." And then it hit me: I had doubled my flour. And there was no more milk in the apartment. And I was unwashed, still in my robe and slippers, and it was - I do not exaggerate - only 3º F outside. Nobody was going to run to the store just for some freakin' milk.
      We had Tiger's Eyes for breakfast.* I'd like to say I rose to the occasion and whipped up something fancy and splendid and beautiful...but no, we had Tiger's Eyes and coffee. There wasn't even any fruit, which goes against my basic breakfast principles. However, being stubborn, flexible, and frugal, I wasn't about to throw out my batter, either. I wracked my brain to think, "What the heck does this resemble?!" It was too thick for pancakes, too thin for biscuits, and it would be too dense for cake. The closest I could think of was muffins. So I pre-heated my oven to 375º F and lined a dozen muffin cups with papers. Then I sprinkled a couple teaspoons of brown sugar over the top of the batter and barely stirred it in. I filled each muffin cup about 2/3's full, popped them in the oven, and set the timer for 18 minutes.
      I expected them to stick to the papers--after all, there was neither butter nor oil in the batter, the only fat came from the milk and those couple spoonfuls of cream. I also expected them to be tough, because I'd had to stir a little more than usual. Finally, I expected them to be dense, because there was no way, I told myself, that scant amount of leavening could stand up to that much flour.
      Will wonders never cease? They came out fluffy, tender, and they pulled away from the papers like a fresh stick of gum from a foil wrapper. Agog, I split one open and melted a bit of butter over the middle. I took a curious bite, and...pancake. It tasted exactly like a buttermilk pancake. I had - through a marvelous kitchen accident - invented the Pancake Muffin. And now I get to share the recipe with you.

Z.D.'s Pancake Muffins

Ingredients: 
2/3rd Cup whole milk
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
2 Tablespoons full cream
2 Tablespoons water
2 Cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
2 teaspoons golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg

Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 375º F, and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners (I suppose you could grease them with unsalted butter for more of a pancake-cooked-in-butter flavor, but I anticipate this might give you mildly crispy bottoms). In a small bowl, combine the milk, vinegar, cream and water, and set aside for 5 minutes to sour.

 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Once your dairy mixture has soured, whisk in the egg until thoroughly combined. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Spoon into the lined muffin cups - filling each about 2/3's full - and pop into the oven. Bake 18 minutes, or until the muffins are just hinting at golden around the edges. Serve warm with butter, jams, Nutella, or - best of all - whipped maple butter.

You can see there are a couple missing. That's because I needed to test one before I knew if they were any good. Then I needed to taste a second one to make sure the first wasn't a yummy fluke. You know how it is.

      I suppose this begs the question, "Why would anybody want pancake muffins? Pancakes are tasty, and they're not that hard to make!" My answer? Something different. Something creative. Some way to enjoy a pancakey-thing when your skillet or griddle is incapacitated. A fun alternative to buttermilk biscuits (there are some days I simply do not want to deal with the mess they make on the counter top), that would go great with sausage gravy or chili. A way to make pancakes where you're not constantly wondering, "Do I flip them now? Now? Now?!" Or, simply a way to correct an ordinary culinary error--and come out looking like a star!



*These are also called "Eggy in a Basket" or "Toad in the Hole." If you don't know what those are, don't worry, they're coming up in a later post. Also, you're probably not British.

      As we enthusiastically glide into 2015: The Year of the Breakfast, I decided to take a few posts to discuss some building blocks of the meal, starting with the Incredible, Edible Egg!
      HEY! *snap snap* Pay attention! Oh, you think you've got this down? You think you know everything there is to know about cooking an egg? I derisively snort in your general direction, because the egg is an incredibly flexible food, my friend, and just a few variations in cooking temperature or time can change texture and flavor pretty strongly.
      Or maybe you cringe in fear at the idea of eating eggs because you let the ever-changing media ideas around food frighten you in the 1980's, and you haven't gotten over it yet? Let me tell you something: I eat an egg at least 360 mornings out of the year. My cholesterol is spot on perfect. This is partially because the rest of my diet is pretty solid, partially because I spend at least 30 minutes getting decent exercise every day, but mainly because of portion control. Note that I said I eat AN egg--not two, not three, and definitely not four. The LDL ("bad") cholesterol and the fat from a single egg will not break you. On the other hand, a single egg does offer plenty of protein, HDL ("good") cholesterol, and - best of all - a nutritious way to add a level of satiation to your breakfast. Better to eat a full, balanced, satisfying meal than eat a paltry one and sneak unhealthy snacks for the next several hours. So let's review some egg preparation.
      Scrambling eggs can be either the trickiest or the easiest way to cook them, depending on your preferences. Done wrong, scrambled eggs can be annoyingly rubbery to the point of toughness. Other errors can somehow create a puddle of water as they sit on your plate--ew! The solution to both lies in cooking time and cooking temp, and here I'm going to lay out two ways to go.
      Let me start with what I call "Company Eggs," because they take more time and effort. There's a little story that goes along with this: my grandmother was a fabulous cook, and she made these great breakfasts every time we visited, usually including these canary-yellow, flavorful, gloriously tender scrambled eggs. Alas, I was too young to appreciate what she was trying to teach me about making them at the time--all I could think was, "This is so boring! Are the waffles done yet?" Therefore, I lost her technique. Neither of her daughters (my Mom and Aunt) prepared their eggs in the same way, so they couldn't teach me the trick. I thought my Grandma's Scrambled Eggs were lost to legend. Then, years later, I was watching old episodes of "Good Eats" and was intrigued by Alton Brown's approach to making scrambled eggs. One lazy Saturday morning I gave his method a try, and when I tasted the results I was immediately transported back in time, my seven-year-old self in a pink quilted bathrobe and fuzzy slippers sitting at the formica table in my grandmother's kitchen.
      Thanks, A.B., for channeling my grandmother's ghost for me.

Z.D.'s Company Eggs
(this recipe is for two people, but you can simply double, triple, quadruple or quintuple as needed)

Ingredients:
two large eggs
approximately 1.5 Tablespoons whole or 2% milk
1.2 teaspoon butter
large pinch kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:
 - Break your eggs into a deep enough vessel that you can whisk them vigorously without splatter. Add the milk--eyeball it so that you're adding milk a little over the volume of one yolk per egg. In other words, for two eggs, add enough milk so that it looks like you've added a third, white yolk.

 - Place a small, non-stick skillet over low heat. No, really, I mean LOW heat--like, the lowest heat setting you've got. Add the butter--this is really only for flavor, so only about 1/4 teaspoon per egg is needed.

 - While the butter slowly melts, beat the dickens out of your eggs. I use a whisk, but you can use a fork if necessary. You want to break down the egg entirely, so that you have a smooth, even-colored liquid. You can't over-beat this, so keep going.

 - Once the butter is melted and the white milk solids begin to dissipate, spread the butter around the pan evenly. Add your salt to the eggs, beat a few more times to combine, then pour into the gently heated pan.

 - Using a rubber spatula that is good for high heat (don't make the same mistake as my uncle and use an old-fashioned one: they melt), gently stir the eggs, scraping along the bottom. It will take several minutes, but eventually you will see soft solids known as curds begin to form.

 - Once you see curds forming, up the heat to medium-low. Continue to stir the eggs, finishing each scrape with a light flipping motion. This is because the eggs will cook more on the bottom, so you want to move this part to the top to prevent over-cooking and rubberiness.

 - When you think your eggs are almost done, stop: they're done. Eggs retain heat, and will actually cook for awhile longer once removed from the pan--especially if they're being moved to a warm plate. They may still look slightly wet, but as long as they are between 80-90% done you're in the perfection range. Plate, sprinkle with pepper (or, to use my Grandma's touch, use Johnny Dock's Seasoning Salt), and serve.

That's what you're goin' for.

      If you end up with a puddle of water around your eggs, you were impatient and didn't cook over low enough heat. Long cooking over low heat evaporates the water and cooks the egg gently, making the result startlingly tender. Now, if you simply don't have time for all this, you can try my Week Day eggs, which is much faster, still very tender, and with a nice egg flavor--just not at all pretty.

Z.D.'s Weekday Eggs
(again, this recipe is for two, but you can increase it as you like)

Ingredients:
Two large eggs
1/2 teaspoon butter or schmaltz
Pinch of kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
 - Break your eggs into a cup or a bowl, but do not beat--you're only pre-breaking them as a time saver.

 - Place a small non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. You want this skillet to get pretty hot, but not so hot that it smokes or ruins the non-stick coating. Put your fat into the pan once it gets warm, and watch it. If you're using butter, it will just start to turn golden when the pan is ready. If you're using schmaltz (yum), look for a couple tiny bubbles along the bottom, like soda.

Mmm...schmaltz

 - Dump the eggs into the pan and immediately kill the heat. Using your heat-safe spatula, break the yolks and loosely scramble the eggs. You should see the white cook within a second or two of hitting the hot pan.

 - Continue to stir frequently as the heat decreases, scrambling to desired doneness. Again, remove the eggs from the pan just before they are totally done, lest they get over-cooked. You should have very cobbled looking eggs. Top with a few grinds of pepper and serve.

      This technique also prevents puddling and toughness, and is relatively tender, but doesn't give that luscious texture that you get from Company Eggs. But I swear it takes less than three minutes from start to finish (unless you have an electric stove, then it might take a minute or two longer) and the flavor is classic egg. If you're really in a time crunch, you can slap these on top of a piece of whole-grain toast, eat as you get your last few things together, and follow it up with a banana on your way out the door, and you've started your day with pretty solid nutrition.

Hmm, what are those tasty things poking in around the margins? I'll give those recipes next week!

      Since 2014 was The Year of the Pie, it only makes sense that I would christen 2015 with some equally scrumptious title. I gave it some serious thought, and listened to several suggestions (my husband suggested "The Year of the Something-Deep-Fried" in the hopes that I would break down and purchase a fryer--it didn't happen). I wanted something that would push me farther without forcing me to sacrifice my painfully scarce time. I also wanted something that wouldn't add too many superfluous calories to my days, since guilt is a poor spice indeed. Finally, I hit upon what I believe to be the perfect solution. Therefore, it is with great pride, pomp, and salivation that I announce that to the friends and followers of Z.D, 2015 shall be known henceforth as:

      Ok...that holiday break was way more of a break than I intended. Here's the post I meant to post, well, two weeks ago...sorry about that....

      I still have turkey leftover from Thanksgiving. Some of you just finished yours--and you're about to get more from Christmas. Now I don't know about you, but I still wind up with plenty of leftover turkey meat long after the stuffing, the gravy, and the other side dishes are gone. But I stopped stressing about eating it all up right away years ago, because cooked turkey freezes really well--which is how I can enjoy every bite of leftovers without getting turkey over-load.
      Inspired by a wonderful woman and mother of a dear friend, I began looking for creative ways to give makeovers to my leftovers in my mid-20's. Every year I try to discover something new (this year's favorite is Turkey Ramen--I highly recommend it), but I almost always make pot pie at least once. Why? Because pie is the best thing to happen to meat since fire, that's why.
      Think about it: why should fruit get all the flaky pastry? Whether it's a Cornish Pasty, a potato-laden Piroshky, or spiced Dim Sum offering, when pastry meets meat my tastebuds get insanely happy.* And nothing - nothing - is a better winter comfort food than a rich, savory pot pie. Let's face it: all Thanksgiving turkeys hope they'll get made into one.
      There are lots of approaches to pot pies, ranging from the "stew-with-a-puff-pastry-hat" version to the "upside-down-chicken-a-la-king" variation. They all have their merits, and it's rare for me to find one that I don't like. My favorite, however, is a true pie with crust on the top and the bottom. The reason many people avoid this type is because they're worried about a soggy bottom, but we've got an easy trick for that, never you fear!
      Other common pitfalls for all types of pot pie include thin gravy, too much (or too little) salt, and disproportionate amounts of vegetables. I've even had some that were essentially turkey soup with a crust on top (tasty, but not really a pot pie, I'm sorry to say). My recipe yields a dense, meaty, satisfying stew with plenty of flavor, just enough moisture, and crisp, tender crust above and below; in other words, poultry pie perfection.

Did I mention, perfection?

      You'll need two rounds of my pie dough, and about 1 & 1/2 Cups of leftover cooked turkey meat, cut into bite-sized pieces (I include skin, because I like the flavor, but if you don't like the texture feel free to leave it out). I also recommend using homemade turkey stock, preferably made from the carcass of your Thanksgiving bird, which is ideal for thick sauces due to the bits of leftover stuffing that were cooked into the liquid.** Finally, you want herbs. I used fresh thyme, but feel free to substitute with rosemary or sage, if that's your preference--and there's nothing wrong with dried if they're good quality. And that's all there is to it, just follow the recipe and enjoy!

Z.D.'s Leftover Poultry Pie

Ingredients:
Two rounds of pie dough
3 Tablespoons schmaltz, OR olive oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 Cup small Crimini mushrooms, thickly sliced
1/2 Cup cooking sherry or white wine
1 Tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, OR 1 teaspoon dried
2 Tablespoon flour
1 & 1/2 Cups stock, either turkey or chicken, divided
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground pepper
1 & 1/2 Cup chopped leftover cooked turkey (or chicken)
1 Cup frozen peas

Directions:
 - Pre-heat your oven to 375º F. Roll out one of your two dough rounds, and fit it to the bottom of a 9.5" pie plate. Line the dough with aluminum foil, and fill with dried beans, or pie weights. Make sure your aluminum foil covers the edges of the pie crust. Place the lined pie plate directly onto the floor of your oven, and bake for 10 minutes. This gives the bottom crust an early start on baking, so it doesn't get soggy when laden with nummy gravy goodness! Remove from the oven, discard aluminum foil and set aside while you prep the filling.

Easy as...

 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt one Tablespoon of schmaltz or oil. When hot, add the onion and onion, and sauté until carrot is softened and onion is just getting golden on the edges. Scrape vegetables into a medium bowl and set aside.

I actually forgot and had to cook my carrots separately--but you don't!

 - Melt another Tablespoon of schmaltz/oil to the pan. When melted and hot, add the mushrooms and spread out in a single layer. Allow to cook, undisturbed, until the tops begin to sweat and the underside is getting golden, about 3-4 minutes. Stir to turn them over and cook and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the other side is golden. Scrape the mushrooms into the bowl with the onion.

 - Deglaze the pan with the sherry or wine, stirring to scrape up the fond (better known as "the tasty brown bits"). Once the liquid has evaporated to only a couple spoonfuls, reduce the heat to medium, and melt in the remaining schmaltz/oil and butter, and stir in the thyme. Once the foam has subsided, sprinkle in the flour and stir vigorously to create a roux. Stir for a minute or two so that the flour loses its "raw" taste.

You're not cooking the herbs so much as flavoring the liquid.

 - Using a whisk, slowly pour in a cup of the stock, stirring vigorously all the while. Allow to cook a minute or so until thickened. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the meat until coated, then add the rest of the veggies back to the pan, and stir in the frozen peas. At this point, if you feel you need more sauce - keeping in mind that the peas will release some more liquid into the filling as the pie cooks - up the heat slightly and stir in the remaining stock, cooking until the gravy is slightly thickened.

Just looking at this is making my stomach rumble....

 - Pour the mixture into the bottom crust of your pie. Roll out the top dough, fit it over your pie, and crimp the edges (this will be a little harder than usual because of the lightly pre-cooked bottom crust, but just remember that pies don't have to be pretty to be delicious). Cut slits in the top of your pie to release the steam, then place back on the floor of your oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Note how this looks like sauced meat & veggies, rather than a more liquidy stew.

 - Remove the pie from the floor of the oven onto the lowest oven shelf, and bake for another 30 minutes (if you feel your top crust is baking too quickly, you may reduce the heat to 350º and cover with foil). Pie is finished baking when the top is golden and the filling is bubbling. Remove from oven, and allow to rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.

After 15 minutes of waiting, you'll get a little leakage when you slice. Wait longer - say, 30 minutes - and you'll get relatively little as the gravy "sets." But no worries--your gravy will never turn to paste with this recipe!

*I am literally salivating as I type this--no joke.

**Yeah, that's right, I said STUFFING, as in something you put inside the damn bird. Don't give me any of that "oh, no, samonilla-diptheria-turkey-poison" nonsense. It's called a thermometer, people--you stick the stuffing in the bird and the thermometer in the stuffing and when it reaches it 165º F you know that all the germs are dead! Science: effectively saving people from disease since the invention of fire.