Biscuits 'n Gravy

What's better than waking up to a breakfast of fresh biscuits, sausage gravy, and poached eggs? Not a lot. Especially when you wake up to good friends who are ready to assist you in cooking such a tasty meal!

While I got to work on the sausage gravy, my friend Molly prepared the biscuits using a recipe from the Betty Crocker Cookbook. With the oven preheating to 450° she mixed together:

2 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of sugar
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt

Next she cut a 1/2 cup of shortening into the flour mixture by pulling two knives through the ingredients in opposite directions. Once the mixture turned into small crumbs she stirred in 3/4 cup of milk.

Then the dough was placed on a floured surface and kneaded about ten times, rolled flat until 1/2 inch thick, and cut into circles using a water glass.

To finish, they were baked in the oven on an ungreased cookie sheet for ten minutes.

I started to make the sausage gravy by browning some breakfast sausage. When it was cooked through I removed the sausage and left the grease in the pan. Next I added a couple of tablespoons of flour to the grease and mixed it together for a few minutes until it was brown. Then I poured in a cup of milk and stirred it together until thick. After that I added the cooked sausage back into the gravy and seasoned it with salt and pepper. Simple yet delicious.

After the sausage gravy was good to go and the biscuits were almost done baking I poached some eggs. I filled a large pot with about an inch of water and a splash of white wine vinegar and set it to medium heat. When the water was just starting to bubble I would crack an egg into a dish then release the raw egg from the dish right onto the surface of the water, and used a wooden spoon to gently nudge the whites over the top of the yolk. This helps to keep the egg together as it poaches. After about four minutes I removed each egg using a slotted spoon and placed them onto the sausage-gravy covered biscuits, which we had cut in half.

The breakfast was absolutely amazing. It's a little heavy for an early-morning breakfast, but I guarantee that you will be full for hours. Enjoy! 

Morel Mushroom Egg Scramble

When I woke up yesterday I knew that I wanted to use the morel mushrooms in the dinner I was going to cook for my parents that night, but I just couldn’t resist trying them out ahead of time. I decided that a morel mushroom egg scramble seemed fitting, and I set to work.

Scrambled eggs are indeed simple, but it is often the simplest tasks that require attention and skill to create something truly spectacular. I started off by cracking two eggs, adding a splash of milk, and whisking them up with a fork. The milk helps them to become light and fluffy, and if you can get fresh eggs it will taste even better.

I set the eggs aside and sliced up some of the morels. I also grated a small amount of cheddar cheese. 

Next I heated up some butter in a cast iron pan and sautéed the morels for a couple of minutes.

Turning the heat to around medium to medium-low will help keep the eggs from cooking too quickly and drying out. Add the eggs to the pan and use a utensil to push the eggs around in the pan. I generally keep the eggs moving the whole time so that you don’t end up with certain pieces cooked too much and others not enough. When the eggs are almost done but still a little moist add the grated cheese and continue to scramble the eggs. Adding just a little bit of cheese gives the eggs more flavor but doesn’t overload them with melted cheese. It also helps to fluff them up a bit.

And voila! A dish that is satisfying and delicious in its simplicity. The morels (or other mushrooms if you don’t have access to these spring fungi) add a hearty, meaty quality to the eggs that is much lighter than something like bacon or sausage. I recommend a little crushed red pepper or hot sauce to accompany these tasty eggs.

Becky's Diner

Are you looking for the best blueberry pancakes ever? Then you need to head to Becky's Diner in Portland, Maine. Located at 390 Commercial Street, Becky's is serving up some serious, out-of-this-world blueberry pancakes. 

Basically that's all that I have to say. These pancakes are simply ridiculous. When they arrive, you think, oh these pancakes look pretty good. But then you look on the underside of the pancake and realize it's exploding with delightful, delicious Maine blueberries. Be sure to ask for real maple syrup to have a truly amazing pancake experience.

My other advice for Becky's is that if you want sausage, be sure to order the Italian sausage instead of regular sausage links. There's nothing like a nice piece of meat in the morning, and the regular sausage just doesn't compare to the Italian. It also tastes particularly good when doused in some of that real maple syrup.

Unfortunately I have no photos of my Becky's Diner breakfast, so you'll just have to trust me. Go to Becky's Diner. Eat blueberry pancakes. Be happy.

Mary Queen of Scots

When the Rooks recently converged in NYC we decided to try out brunch at the restaurant where our amazing pastry-chef cousin, Heather, has been working. So on a Sunday afternoon we headed to Mary Queen of Scots on the Lower East Side for a tasty meal and delicious desserts.

First we delved into a tray of various baked goods—scones and muffins galore. And they were served with clotted cream. Oh, clotted cream! How I love thee. It was perfect to spread on the lovely scones and muffins. These treats were gone within minutes, and we were primed for the rest of the meal.

We also indulged in some cocktails and coffee throughout the meal. We ordered bloody mary’s, which were off the hook with just the right blend of tomato juice, spices, and fresh grated horseradish. What a great way to start off a lazy, winter's Sunday.

 

I opted for the Black Pudding Benedict with Meyer lemon hollandaise and arugula salad. I had never tried black pudding before, and I was intrigued. Basically the black pudding (also called blood pudding) is a type of sausage made from cooking blood, spices, and oats. The flavor was reminiscent of regular sausage but had a different kick to it, and the texture was more crumbly. There was also something in the flavor that just popped in a way I’ve never experienced before. The initial taste is great on it's own, but then after a moment it builds in complexity and there’s just a Pow! on your taste buds. I don’t know if it’s the blood or some kind of spice, but either way it is awesome. And the eggs were perfectly poached, oozing luscious yellow yolk over the black pudding and accompanying bread.

All the other plates were scrumptious as well. My mom opted for the House Smoked Scottish Salmon with a potato bap bun, horseradish crème fraiche, and caper berries. Sonya ordered the Corn Crumpets with Peekytoe crab, apple piccalilli, and shaved radish. And my dad opted for the French Toast au Fromage Blanc with chipolata sausage, maple syrup, and fruit.

Patrick (our resident Scotsman...well, kind of. I mean, he likes scotch but he's not actually from Scotland) of course ordered the Full Scotch Breakfast with Ayrshire bacon, chipolata sausage, grilled tomato, great northern beans, free range eggs, and a potato scone. Lucky for us Pat likes to share, so we all got to try the phenomenal Scottish bacon that came with his breakfast. It was amazing, and every mouth got to savor a little bit of the thick, hearty meat.

After our fabulous meal it was time for dessert. Heather’s desserts were seriously out of this world. I mean, I always knew that I had an awesome cousin, but I had no idea that she could kill it like that in the kitchen. We tried four amazingly scrumdiddlyumptious desserts, and even though were already stuffed from brunch we still devoured every bite. These desserts were not only visually stunning (as you can see) but also decadent, delicious, and perfectly executed. You’ll need to hit up Mary Queen of Scots if you want to experience these exceptional treats yourself.

Chocolate Stout Tres Leches Cake 

with stout foam, chocolate pretzels, dulce de leche, and malt ice cream

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

served with sweet potato curd, poached cranberries, and topped with orange sherbet

Acorn Squash Cheese Cake 

with a maple emulsion, walnut brittle crumble, acorn squash seed tuile, walnut sorbet, and toasted acorn squash seeds

Peanut Butter Sandwiches

These peanut butter sandwiches were probably my favorite of the desserts. The soft chocolate cookies are filled with milk-chocolate-and-peanut-butter cream and served with caramelized bananas that are flambéed with Wild Turkey American Honey Bourbon, caramelized honey ice cream, and chocolate cookie crumble. What? Can you say "amazing"? I was very impressed with all the desserts, but this one definitely stands out for me as I recollect our fabulous meal.

Mary Queen of Scots was a great place to grab brunch and devour some delicious desserts. I can't wait to go back and check out their dinner menu sometime. It's definitely worth a visit to the Lower East Side, so enjoy and don't forget dessert!

Breakfast for Dinner

While staying with Sonya last week I discovered that she makes killer french toast. That shit is serious. She prepared a delicious breakfast-for-dinner feast of french toast stuffed with cream cheese and fruit preserves and served up with whipped cream, strawberries, bananas, and real maple syrup. Of course she grilled up some bacon and sausage to accompany the french toast. And what says breakfast better than a gin and tonic cocktail?

Preparing the Bacon

Eggs and Milk to Soak the French Toast

Stuffing the French Toast

Sausages

The Finished Product

Meat

Gin and Tonic

'Tis the Season

A weekend of good holiday eating...

Seared Sea Scallops

Wild Rice with Garlic and Shallots

Steamed Snow Peas

Braised Pork Belly

Coffee with Egg Nog

Breakfast Sausages

German Apple Pancake

Beef Tenderloin

Green Beans and Carrots

Roasted Red Potatoes

Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Dark Chocolate, Blackberries, Raspberries, and Whipped Cream