Shakshuka- baked eggs, tomato and goodness

January 30, 2015 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in breakfast, Brunch, dinner, Eggs, farm time, Vegetables Tags: breakfast, brunch 29 Comments

This dish has been floating in my thoughts since Feb 2014 when Chloe and I visited Irving Street Kitchen in Portland and I ate their, quote “Moroccan Slow Poached Eggs and Grilled Garlic Rubbed Toast”.It was spicy, simple yet had depth and very good.

The house smoked Tasso side of bacon also rang my bell. I basically searched online tomatoes and baked eggs and Shakshuka popped up. But really it’s not a name that’s going to stick in my overcrowded mind. I also reached for the wonderful Jerusalem Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. They have a fantastic website as well.

I drew, as always, from a combination of recipes- Jerusalem, David Liebowitz’s Shakshuka and a simple version in the NYTimes.

Continue reading →

Grain free “Greens” pie and transitions

September 28, 2014 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Baked Goods, Brunch, dinner, farm time, Gluten Free, Nuts and Seeds Tags: GF, greens, Kale, nut crust, Otis 16 Comments

Quotations hug the word greens- just so you know it is not a green pie with an accidental s. It’s a nut crust stuffed with beet greens, green curly kale, lacinato kale, red russian kale, a fair amount of garlic, a little egg and a sprinkle of peppery goat cheese. Yes we do have a lot of kale in the garden.

A recent three day mini yoga workshop left me high on breath and thoughts. Trying to be present while practicing produces quite a large container full of ideas to be processed either drifting off to sleep at night or on an early waking morning with time to contemplate.Which means don’t reach for your phone. Let the mind percolate.

Continue reading →

sticky orange and almond cakes {gf}

March 28, 2014 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Baked Goods, Brunch, dessert, Fruits, Gluten Free Tags: almond, almond powder, eggs, gluten free, orange, orange cake, Paris 57 Comments

These little orange and almond sticky cakes and me go back.

Way back. Back to my time in Paris working in and out of a kitchen that I think two people could maybe stand in… if one of those people was a child at least. I’m going to have to dig out some pics of that adorable little kitchen that served me and my two kids well for two years- and quite a few others for whom I catered.

Continue reading →

kimchi bacon fried rice and eggs

March 14, 2014 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Asian inspired, breakfast, Brunch, Condiments, Fermenting, Vegetables Tags: bacon, Brown rice, eggs, fermenting, Firefly Kitchens, Irving Street Kitchen, kimchi 36 Comments

So this is far from Irish… but I’m not so on top of the calendar:)
Spring is so near I can practically touch it. The sun and cold do their dance like a strip tease that excites and taunts. You don’t know what’s coming next. I picked delicate new spinach and arugula leaves from plants in the greenhouse creating a bed for my baked salmon lunch today. This first minimal picking sparked a little excitement for the coming growing season. What I realize too, is I don’t mind the winter break and it almost takes a strong nudge to get me in the growing mood. Fresh garden food does not arrive without somebody’s hard work. My first little seeds, planted last weekend will become the seedlings for the first of spring planting. Brassica’s, lettuces, peas… the tomatoes and peppers will grow longer in the glass house.

What we relied on this winter besides store bought veggies was our fermented foods.

Continue reading →

cold brewed coffee with homemade vanilla almond milk

March 5, 2014 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in breakfast, Brunch, Drinks, Fresh and healthy, Gluten Free Tags: Beanilla, coconut sugar, Cold brewed coffee, vanilla almond milk 46 Comments

As much as we are enjoying our latest indulgence of cold brewed coffee and vanilla almond milk now… I can only imagine making this by the gallons in summer.It started with ummmm, let’s see, maybe an article from one of my magazines and/or just a few blog post readings such as Food 52 and The Kitchn. These are for iced coffee. I’m saving the ice for summer and just having it cold.

Continue reading →

new york 2/14… first part

February 4, 2014 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Asian inspired, Brunch, Chez Chloe, Eggs, NYC Tags: cassoulet, Edward's nyc, new york city, NYnow, Paula Wolfert, The Dutch, Travel 25 Comments

I left Seatac airport over two hours late last Friday, due to the arrival plane’s mechanical difficulties. Under the notion I’d be spending the night in Chicago, IL left me a) disappointed to think I wouldn’t even have time to make it downtown for a look around and b) that I truly wished to have a dash more enthusiasm for the Super Bowl in which case I could have at least been able to partake in the mass craze of blue and green jerseys and paraphernalia. Go Seahawks… and we all now know they did.

Flying out of Seattle and over the mountains…

Incredible patterns we never consider when we are within them. Such a different perspective.

Continue reading →

savory galette: ham, chèvre, leeks

January 21, 2014 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Appetizer, Baked Goods, Brunch, dinner, Orcas Island Tags: chèvre, Hempler's ham, leeks, Polar Bear Plunge, savory galette 30 Comments

We rang in a quiet but lovely New Year’s Eve this year here on Orcas Island. A little food and drink at our local favorite wine and tapas bar, The Barnacle, in Eastsound and then a drive past a couple options of music and dance. Pausing near the front entrance, with the music escaping and small groups of people laughing, milling in, out and about, filled our social card for the night. A movie and a split of champagne would fulfill our needs.

Continue reading →

spiced applesauce cake

January 14, 2014 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Apples, Baked Goods, breakfast, Brunch, cake, Canning & Preserves, dessert, farm time, Fruits Tags: apples, Applesauce, applesauce cake, cake, Fat Toad cinnamon caramel sauce, Gourmet magazine, tea cake 21 Comments

So you might be thinking this is a little more fall like and it is similar to the apple quince crumb cake but to me it’s more of a grab and go slice. I’d eat this after a workout. And it is a great little cake for January when you want to feel like you are eating on the lighter side. When you still want something sweet but not like cranberry cheesecake or chocolate mousse sweet. This easy to make and easy to eat cake can double as a breakfast cake or afternoon tea cake. OR if you want, slap a little cinnamon cream cheese or buttercream frosting on it, or spiced caramel sauce or how about Fat Toad’s cinnamon caramel sauce… and call it dessert. You can find this amazing goat caramel sauce at Chez Chloe but to buy now visit Fat Toad🙂

This works:

Continue reading →

Apple quince crumb cake

November 12, 2013 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Apples, Baked Goods, Brunch, cake, Fruits, Seasons Tags: Apple quince crumb cake, apples, buttercreamblondie.com, cinnamon, crumb, sour cream, streusel 34 Comments

I’m still enjoying the last bits of Germany. I’ve walked the architecturally divine streets of the small town of Detmold, the location of the Hochschule für Musik where O is officially finishing up his last semester as Professor. And we spent several days in Babblesburg with my Schwiegermutter (mother-in-law) and Schwägerin (sister-in-law) and family in Babelsburg, which lies just outside of Potsdam, (which lies just outside of Berlin:) But before I share photos on my days here, I must get this cinnamon apple crumb cake recipe out to you. If you ever happened to search the Internet with the not so original words apple crumb cake, you might have already stumbled across this recipe from buttercreamblondie. It is a go to this fall for apple cake. I researched quite a few recipes and am not sure how this one was developed but I very much like the ratios. I followed the recipe exactly except for the addition of about a cup of honey poached quince. Ok I’m lying a little because the first time I had to cut in 1/2 cup full fat yogurt cause I didn’t have enough sour cream. Anybody out there watch the sitcom The Middle? Imagine me tucking my head to my chest and whispering “I’m lying”.

Continue reading →

Good eats in New York City

April 1, 2013 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in breakfast, Brunch, dinner, NYC Tags: Fleurs et Vin restaurant, Minetta Tavern, new york city, Prune 17 Comments

I’ve been dying to get my NYC food pics out. Bone marrow. There I said it. I had been a little leary to try it. I’ve tasted a fair amount of off the grid foods- brains and tongue included, which never made my list of must have again. But this bone marrow with salty, delicate gherkins, fresh parsley, moist (and there’s the m word) grey salt with perfectly toasted bread- my guess under a salamander, was divine indeed. My friends are tired of hearing me talk about. It’s my dinner party topic. But I just can’t help it. And no, this is not an April Fools!