Whole wheat buttermilk pancakes

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Well, it has been nearly six years since I’ve put down any words or recipes here. It’s not because there haven’t been words or recipes, there have been a million of each at least, but time just whizzes by like a too small sign on the side of a busy highway and before you know it you’re past 40 and you’re a whole different person (more on that later).

The short story is, we’re still eating and making space for connection around the table. It’s not always supper these days (and not always at the table), but more often than not it’s breakfast where we all find ourselves in the same room, eating mostly the same thing, together. We added an island to our already small kitchen and it has become the Grand Central Station of our home where any one of us (friends included) can pull up a stool and stay awhile, especially during the morning hours when all we can manage is getting ourselves to the kitchen where the coffee sits. Our dining room table has taken on a different role most of time, housing a giant puzzle, a chess board and a bowl of wooden puzzle pieces no one can figure out how to solve. Clearing, setting and dining at the table is still a thing from time to time, but we have migrated to a more casual way of eating together and it suits us and the moment we’re in. Someone throws a record on while I cook and the boys, especially Jack, our 7 (almost 8) year old, will help with the prep, if there is any. Turns out, he’s a whiz with a chef’s knife. Historically I have enjoyed an empty kitchen where I can be in the zone and disappear into the work of cooking, but recently it has been fun to share that space with the kids when they feel like jumping in or hanging out. I’m still working on letting my spouse help (or hang out), but that’s probably a topic for another therapy session.

Let’s get to pancakes, shall we? I don’t know how many pancake recipes exist in the world, but this one is my all time favorite. Marion Cunningham, in her wonderful way, wrote a small book in the 80’s called The Breakfast Book. In it you will find all manner of breakfast wizardry, including these pancakes, but you will also be given some very good advice. Below is an excerpt of her rules for dining with “civility and deportment.” Make these wholesome, snappy pancakes some morning and try them on for size.

Breakfast Table Civility and Deportment by Marion Cunningham

1. Clean up before you come to the breakfast table: wash your face and comb your hair.

2. You don't have to get dressed.

3. Clean fingernails, please.

4. Reading the newspaper at the table is permissible, but a pleasant word or salutation must be spoken to all present.

5. Sit up straight and try to be cheerful.

6. Talk to one another politely; talk and listen in turn.

7. Because everyone is defenseless at breakfast, there should be no contentiousness or crossness.

8. Don't ever mention food dislikes or criticize the food.

9. Don't lick your fingers or stuff your mouth with food.

10. Don't play with your food.

11. Don't talk with your mouth full.

12. Butter your bread one part at a time; don't put your uneaten pieces back in the bread basket.

13. And don't answer questions in a saucy manner.

14. Remember, guests always receive the choicest portions.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

from Marion Cunningham’s The Breakfast Book

Ingredients:

• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

• 1 egg, room temperature

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation:

1. Put the buttermilk, egg and melted butter in a mixing bowl. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and blended.

2. Stir the flour, salt and baking soda together in a small bowl until blended. Stir into the buttermilk mixture and mix only until all of the flour is moistened. Keep the lumps as Marion instructed—she knows best!

3. Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium-low heat (this prevents the pancakes from burning before they can cook in the middle). Grease the pan with butter and add about a 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter to the pan. I like to do one at a time in my 10” cast iron to make sure the shape is intact and the edges get nice and crispy. Although, this is a slow road to breakfast, so feel free to do as many at a time as you can manage, allowing at least a couple of inches between pancakes so you can flip ‘em when bubble start to form on the top. Cook for a few minutes more (Marion says briefly, which is about right) until golden and cooked through.

4. Serve with a warm pat of butter (not the cold slab I have pictured above) and a generous pour of maple syrup and don’t forget—no saucy talk at the table.

If you’re interested, and I hope you will be, here’s the record we put on while we ate these pancakes and sipped our coffee: John Lee Hooker, Travelin’. It’s a great blues record; just the thing we needed to get the blood flowing while the pancakes worked their magic.

black lentils with marinated beets + feta

Plans can be tricky. I really like to have them and I like to make them, but keeping them can be difficult. We’ve talked about menu plans which are notorious for needing flexibility. Things happen, people get tired, leftovers need to be consumed. I try to be open to change in our weekly menu and even build it in by having a free night or a night just for leftovers, however when we’ve got people coming to dinner, I really like to have a solid plan, which is to say, I need one to stay sane. Last weekend we had a flurry of visitors, all at the last minute which for me, is so much fun. I’m so happy that people feel like our house is a place where they can just drop in and crash for a night and they know they’ll be welcome. If you know me at all, you know that in these scenarios, I go a little overboard. I switch our toddlers room to a guest room (I set it up to function that way), I go into hyper clean mode and I always offer dinner. 

Deciding what to make for dinner guests can be a whole thing for me. I want to make something a little impressive, but not too difficult to execute and it needs to be something that won’t have me stuck in the kitchen all night (although, let’s be honest, with a toddler, those kinds of meals are basically a thing of the past). I usually give it a lot of thought, almost always falling back on some of the dishes I’ve made over and over like a roast chicken or lamb meatballs, but when it’s last minute, I’ve got to just make something. Sometimes, these end up being my favorite meals. Having to just use what I have and forcing myself to get creative sometimes pays off and occasionally it doesn’t. This time, I’m happy that it did. 

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This lentil salad was my favorite dish from our meal this weekend. I had already roasted and marinated beets a few days prior so all I needed to do was cook some lentils. It ended up being beautiful and even better, delicious. The recipe will give you more beets than you need, but they’re so good you might just snack on them out of the container. Put them on salads, chop them fine and sprinkle them over toast slathered with ricotta or make the best veggie sandwich ever.

Note: The beets need to marinate overnight so you'll need to start this recipe a day ahead. 

black lentils with marinated beets + feta // serves 4

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup black lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 2 cups water
• 3 medium yellow beets
• 3 medium purple beets
• 2 shallots, minced
• olive oil 
• sherry vinegar 
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• scant 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 6 ounces sheep’s milk feta, cut into 1/2” cubes
• 1/4 cup raw walnuts
• dill for garnish

Preparation: 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle. Remove the green tops from the beets and scrub clean under cool water. Place the yellow beets in the middle of a sheet of foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Wrap the foil up around the beets and secure at the top, making a packet. Repeat with the purple beets. Place the foil packets onto a sheet pan and roast for one hour. Remove the beets from the oven and let cool for about 5-10 minutes. Unwrap the packets and place each beet under cool water and rub off the skin. Set aside on a large cutting board, not letting the purple beets touch the yellow ones. You can use two separate cutting boards if you'd like. 
2. In a small bowl, add a 1/2 cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar. Add the shallots and season liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper. 
3. Slice the beets into wedges and place in two separate air tight containers (otherwise the yellow beets will turn red). Divide the vinaigrette between the two containers and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before using. 
4. Add the water and lentils to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and bring to a low simmer. Cook until lentils are cooked but still have a bite to them, about 20 minutes. Drain the lentils if there is still water in the pot and season with a small glug of olive and a splash of vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
5. While the lentils are cooking, toast the walnuts in a dry medium skillet over medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes. Be careful to not turn your back on them, they’ll burn quickly. Let cool and then chop coarsely or just break them apart with your hands. 
6. Divide the lentils among four bowls and top with both red and yellow beets. Add feta, red onion, sprinkle with walnuts and dill. Spoon over some of the vinaigrette left in the beet containers. 

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cherry, chocolate + almond scones

We are a bit spoiled living so close to San Francisco. We could eat every meal of every day at a new place and never reach the last restaurant. There are iconic steakhouses, out of this world oysters harvested right out of the bay and arguably the best bakeries in the state. The Mission, an uber hip neighborhood in the sunny part of the city, is home to a whole bunch of the best eateries in the city. Our church is located in the Mission which could be a coincidence, but it's entirely possible we chose the church we attend based on the quality and quantity of food options for after church brunching. Not really, it's an amazing community of the best people (but really though, the foooooood).

About a block from the front steps of our church is a little bakery called Tartine. It's a San Francisco staple. People line up 45 minutes before they even open the doors in hopes of getting a piping hot ham and cheese croissant and to snag a tiny table on which to enjoy said croissant with a cup of strong coffee. It's a small place but what they lack in space they make up in sugary carbs or flaky carbs with cheese or just straight carbs in the form of a loaf of bread that weighs more than a newborn human baby. The place is magical really. 

I try to hold myself back from going there every single Sunday. That takes a lot of self discipline, of which I am seriously deficient. The last time we went I had one of their buttermilk scones with currants. I already had eaten my ham and cheese croissant, but what could a little bit of scone hurt? Well, it was absolutely delicious, which caught me off guard because I was thinking I would just give it a taste, expecting just a normal, mostly boring scone. I mean, I'm comparing this to a ham and cheese croissant, a scone can't compare, right? Really wrong. The scone was awesome and we at the whole thing. AFTER we both ate a ham and cheese croissant. See why I can't go there every Sunday? 

If I thought that going to Tartine every Sunday was a bad idea, baking an entire batch of scones probably isn't the most brilliant idea either. Sure, I threw some whole wheat flour in there, but there's also butter and chocolate and they're drenched in a sugar and butter coating. Yep. Good thing my husband doesn't mind taking these types of things to work with him. 

I like this riff on Tartine's currant scones. The chocolate makes these a real treat and the tartness of the cherry balances things out. They aren't as airy as the original version on account of the whole wheat flour, but I like that they feel substantial. I cut these into wedges and after the fact, I really wished I had just cut them into squares or rectangles with a sharp knife. Feel free to do that if you'd like, I think it would be easier to get even sized scones. I'll do that next time. 

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cherry, chocolate + almond scones

makes 12

adapted from Tartine

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus more for dusting)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, very cold and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, cold
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 3/4 cup dried cherries
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate pieces (or chips)
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly

Preparation: 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. 
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if mixing by hand), sift both flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Attach the paddle to the mixer and spread the butter over the flour mixture. Turn the mixer onto low and break down the butter until it is the size of peas and the mixture looks more like wet sand. If you're mixing by hand, use a pastry blender or your fingers to break up the butter, working quickly to keep from heating the butter too much. 
3. Add the orange zest, buttermilk, dried cherries, chocolate and almonds all at once. Mix until just combined. The mixture will be moist. 
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press into a rectangle that is 18" by 5" and about 1 1/2" thick. Cut into 12 triangles. Brush with melted butter and top with a generous amount of sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately. 

tofu summer rolls

Summer is great isn't it? I mean, all that sun, late dinners on the porch, tomatoes. Sure, you're constantly dripping sweat, you can't find anything to wear because all you own are cardigans and black jeans and you keep buying butternut squash even though you know it just doesn't feel right. You are pinning cool ways to decorate your mantle with branches and pine cones and you know exactly how many days there are until Christmas Eve. Oh, by you, I definitely mean me. Don't get me wrong, there are certainly some endearing qualities of the season like al fresco dinners, pool parties and popsicles. I just think summer and I would probably get along a lot better if it wasn't so darn hot all the time and the sun decided to hide itself every once in a while. Just a little break, tiny really. After all, California has had so much sun this year (and so little rain) that the lakes and reservoirs are just about dried up. I'm hoping and praying for a long and wet winter. Wouldn't that just be absolutely glorious? We'll make soup and crusty bread and we'll sit by the fire, sipping tea in our oversized sweaters. Guys, it's gonna be amazing. 

There are still 19 days left of summer, so in the meantime, I promise I'll refrain from complaining about the fact that it's STILL summer and move that we pull it together and really take advantage and live it up. Let's boycott the oven, get outside and eat as many tomatoes as we can fit in our mouths. I'll stop pinning pumpkin recipes and hearty soups and really try to enjoy the moment and I won't even think about how many more days are left before I can legitimately start listening to Christmas music. Let's hit the pool, eat dinner outside until the sun is gone and make popsicles. Alright, that's the pep talk I needed. Thanks guys. Let's do this. 

As our first act of living it up, let's make summer rolls. I mean, it's in the name. So perfect, right? Summer rolls are a great dish for using up leftovers from the week. We nearly always have baked tofu around to use as a quick toddler snack or to bulk up salads and scrambles. It works perfectly here and since it was already in the fridge, it was super simple to throw these together. If you don't want to use the baked tofu option for these (which would require some oven action, but totally worth it), you can substitute about 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken or quickly grilled shrimp would be pretty great as well. I'd plan for two shrimp per roll if you go that route. 

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tofu summer rolls

makes 8 

Ingredients: 

• 10 rice paper wrappers (it's a good idea to soak a couple extra since it's easy to tear them)
• 4 green onion, white and light green parts only, split lengthwise, then sliced lengthwise again
• 3 oz cellophane noodles
• 1 cup pickled vegetables (alternatively, you can use regular carrot and daikon, julienned) 
• 16 sprigs cilantro
• 16 large basil leaves
• 2 cups mixed greens

• 24 baked tofu sticks, or 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce

• 2 tablespoons honey

• juice of one lime

• 1 teaspoon garlic chili paste

Preparation:

1. Cover the cellophane noodles with hot water and let them sit for 10 minutes. Drain them in a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside. 
2. Combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, honey, lime juice and garlic chili paste in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. On a large plate or a baking dish, soak the rice paper wrappers in warm water until soft and pliable, just a few minutes. 
4. Carefully separate a rice paper wrapper and place it on a plate. In the middle of the wrapper, add three sticks of tofu, a small handful of pickled vegetables, a small handful of cellophane noodles, two sprigs of cilantro, two basil leaves and a small handful of mixed greens. Roll one side of the wrapper toward the middle, tuck the top and bottom over the top and continue rolling until you meet the other side. Slice in half, dip it in the sauce and enjoy.