20 Questions with April

Hello reader! On this day last year as I was driving my daughter Sara from Baton Rouge to the MSY airport in New Orleans, I ran an idea past her: Me: I’m thinking about a 20 questions blog series, one post each week for the year, and I’ll interview friends…” She: 20 questions is too long/will you be able to get that many people to interview?/will you be able to do this every week? 

Valid questions from a smart girl. While I drove, she wrote the questions as I thought them up. Then we brainstormed a list of cooking friends from the different chapters of my life and the blog series was born. The exercise was just what I needed after spending the second half-plus of 2019 in what I call trauma timeout with my daughter Reilly who had a life-altering accident in May. Having spent most of my life in the kitchen and much of it cooking with friends and family, that ritual was lost (temporarily!) while Reilly healed in three hospitals from May to September. 

Now she is healing at home and at 20 months and 21 surgeries and counting, the finish line is coming into view. Much of my healing has been in the kitchen where I can brew coffee in the morning, make meals around the clock, and every week, catch up with a friend and then cook their ‘20 minute’ recipe. Cooking is my therapy! I could keep going with interviewing friends into the next decade. For now, though, I shift my focus to a book to chronicle family and healing post-trauma. Of course there will be recipes to comfort and nourish!

I would like to thank everyone who played along with my interviews and all you readers for joining the fun. We now have a collection of simple recipes and some great ideas for restaurants, cookbooks, cooking schools, family traditions and more! Many many thanks and always Happy Cooking! ~~April

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Fresh squeezed orange juice. I was raised on it and the hum of the citrus juicer gets me giggling! I know a glass of sunshine is on the menu when I hear it. Living in Louisiana has the bonus of beautiful citrus all winter. When my husband challenged that this isn’t really a ‘recipe’ I reminded him of a quote he shared with me years ago from the great Spanish chef Ferran Adrià:

If you go home and you eat an apple, is that cooking? For me that's not because there's no aptitude as far as cooking goes. That might be gastronomy. Because if you want to eat it and enjoy it, make it pleasurable because it might be a really good apple, there might be some gastronomy aptitude there. But if you were to put that very same apple on a plate, for me that's cooking.

What’s your favorite city? Tough question! I love to explore and never dreamed I would leave my beloved Florida where I was born and lived until after college. It’s still home to me. To find myself now living just an hour from one of the world’s greatest food and music destinations is pretty dreamy! I’ll say New Orleans. Oh but I probably need an ocean so maybe San Diego where the weather is perfect and there’s sand, sunshine and saltwater, just a stone’s throw from Mexico.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever eaten in an airport? I had a HOT chicken sandwich with some pretty incredible french fries at Chicken + Beer in Atlanta, with iced tea. 

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Jar of pickled jalapenos from the farmer’s market. 

Who taught you to cook? My mom! She was feeding a big family and everyone helped in the kitchen. As the youngest, I was her shadow. I say I was born in the kitchen.

What’s your go-to dish for company? We love to do some good Mexican food and no matter the menu, call it a fiesta! People go wild for the simplest well-cooked black beans and rice. I make them per Rick Bayless. The beans start with some almost-browned onion and the rice first gets sauteed with onion and olive oil before the liquid goes in.

What’s on your cooking playlist? I am the worst DJ! There is a world of amazing music at our fingertips and I’m not that great at navigating it. I do love some NPR and am happy to wash dishes to the tune of The Splendid Table. Also, streaming Mountain Stage always makes me smile! And at this moment it’s Todd Snider singing Sanity and Madness. That sums it up!

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee! I’d rather not live without it. Brewing a pot in the morning is like stoking a fire.

Date night--at home? or out? Date night is almost always at home unless we’re traveling, and sometimes even then! Good bread, hunk of cheese, bottle of wine. When our girls were little, we would tuck them in by 8:00 and cook up a little storm together. 

Most stained cookbook? I have a well-loved copy of Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen. It’s a textbook of all the ingredients and regions of Mexico and I read it like a novel when Chuck gave it to me for Mother’s Day in….1997! Now I have all but one of Rick’s cookbooks. Yes I am obsessed. 

Surf? or Turf?. Surf! My love at first bite seafood was blackened mahi-mahi. I can pass on the mollusks unless it’s chargrilled oysters.

Indispensable kitchen tool? I have a tiny kitchen that’s well stocked with all the tools. I’d be lost without my collection of rubber scrapers and my long OXO tongs. When I moved to citrus-rich Louisiana, I got a Breville juicer that lives on the counter all winter long. It brings me such joy!

Staple childhood comfort food? Mom’s fried chicken.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? Long list. I’ll say Molly O’Neill who I have adored since long before she taught me to be a food writer. I’ve shared many meals with her which seems so implausible. She left us too soon. I am so grateful to have her voice in my head and for the community of Cook N Scribblers I met through Molly. I fantasize about a big reunion of all the people Molly could assemble at a never ending table.

Ideal grilled cheese? I’ll go with the classic white cheddar on good wheat with summer tomato. Cook it in the cast iron skillet with plenty of butter. 

Favorite pizza topping? We’ve been making a spinach and garlic pizza since we first tasted this combo at Star Pizza in Houston as newlyweds. It’s always a hit! We have the good fortune of living two doors down from an outdoor wood oven. Pizza night al fresco is hard to beat!

Where would you want to take a cooking class? Can I go on a one year odyssey and take classes all around the world?  

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Cook with kids. 

Three things next to your stove? My pretty butter dish from Anthropologie, Tabby’s fleur de lis spoon rest, big pitcher of tools.

Favorite Sports Team? I love my Florida Gators! Living next to LSU is exciting and I’ve become a fan unless they’re playing the Gators. It’s really fun rooting for the Saints, too!

Squeeze a glass of vitamin C and sunshine! Satsumas from the neighborhood pictured here for an almost neon shade of orange and cut in half on my favorite cutting board, a gift from my daughter Emma.

Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Is it really a recipe?! Absolutely! It’s a day maker, a game changer, truly a luxury!

Gather some fresh citrus into a colander and give the fruit a good rinse. Cut in half through the horizon and squeeze with your juicing device of choice. Sip sunshine. Repeat. Refrigerate any extras in a mason jar for tomorrow morning. Happy Cooking!

20 Questions with Kim

Kim Dolan is a pastry chef and instructor, a home cook who loves feeding family and friends, a food writer and photographer, and an accomplished triathlete who could boast a long list of accolades but she’s much too humble to brag on herself. She unexpectedly became a vocal advocate for organ donation not quite four years ago. (Dear Reader, if you aren’t yet registered to be an organ donor, please do it now. THANK YOU!)

Instead of hitting the slopes with her kids as she had planned at Christmastime 2016, she went to the hospital to find out why she wasn’t feeling right. Fast forward eleven very long months, Kim’s failing heart was replaced at age 57 with one donated by Leanne, a younger woman whose life was cut short. Kim’s focus shifted from teaching to surviving and now volunteers with Donate Life America. She’s a walking talking testimony to the urgency of organ donation. 

We met at Molly O’Neill’s Food Media Bootcamp six years ago and again at Molly’s Longhouse Food Revival. Kim arrived with a windowed bakery box filled with too pretty to eat pastries she had made with her students at Johnson and Wales University. I was lucky to be her roommate! Her pretty pastries tasted even better than they looked.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Oh blueberry muffins for sure! Easy easy! No mix! 

What’s your favorite city? San Francisco, I just love the views, it’s so beautiful! I just love it there.

What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? It’s so hard to say because we haven’t been out! I live in Barrington, Rhode Island, close to Warren. In Warren it would be Eli’s. He actually won Chopped. We used to go there every Friday night. My go-to restaurant for special occasions is Nick’s on Broadway in the west end of Providence.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Strawberry rhubarb jam that I make. There’s always a jar of that!

Who taught you to cook? I’d say I had influences with my mom and grandmother, but I pretty much taught myself to cook. When i was a sophomore in high school I wanted to become a vegetarian (lasted 2 years until I craved a sausage sandwich!) and my mom said ok but you need to do the cooking. The Moosewood Cookbook got me through that.

What’s your go-to dish for company? I take bone-in chicken and braise it in the oven with a North Carolina barbecue sauce with cider vinegar and brown sugar, a little ketchup. Cook it until it’s falling off the bone and serve it with coleslaw and mashed potatoes. It’s so easy! Cook it 325 for about 3 hours. 

What’s on your cooking playlist? I listen to Pandora, the playlist is Hipster Cocktail Party

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee, lots of milk, no sugar.

Date night--at home? or out? Out. When the bans are lifted we will go to Nick’s on Broadway.

Most stained cookbook? That is a really hard one! I still go back to the Silver Palate cookbooks. I find those really great to get ideas from that one and take off from there. I also like Ina Garten’s books. These have simple recipes that can be adjusted to what we like. I love my French Laundry cookbook from Thomas Keller, but it stays on my coffee table.

Surf? or Turf? Turf. I love a filet! Just with olive oil, salt, and LOTS of cracked pepper, grilled medium rare. Makes my mouth water just talking about it.

Indispensable kitchen tool? Rubber spatula. I have about 4.

Staple childhood comfort food? Campbell’s tomato soup with shell pasta. Cook the shells separately and put them in the tomato soup.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? Julia Child.

Ideal grilled cheese? White Wonder bread with American cheese. That’s why I don’t eat them very often. Sautéed in butter. I first melt the butter and brush it on the bread and cook it with another skillet on top.

Favorite pizza topping? I like just plain ol’ cheese and pepperoni. 

Where would you want to take a cooking class? Tuscany. Mark and I were supposed to go to Italy and then this happened. That’s ok, we’ll get there.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Always use butter! In your icing, puff pastry, pie dough, cookies. It has to be butter.

Go to butter? I use Land O Lakes and I prefer the salted butter, even for buttercream.

Three things next to your stove? KitchenAid mixer, Kinfolk Table Cookbook and a Pennsylvania Dutch crock filled with my utensils. My cucumbers are on deck because I’m making pickles tomorrow. I also have my jars of tomato sauce and raspberry jam that I just made. 

Favorite Sports Team? The Patriots. My husband’s a real good football fan!

Kim’s blueberry muffins, always featured at girlfriends’ weekends. Kim awakes just a little earlier than everyone else so there are warm muffins ready. Photo credit Kim Dolan

Kim’s Blueberry Muffins

No weekend getaway is complete without a batch of warm muffins! Kim’s version is adapted from the New York Cookbook by Molly O’Neill.

WHISK all together in a large mixing bowl:

• 4 ounces melted butter

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 eggs

• ½ cup plain yogurt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

COMBINE in a medium bowl and add to the butter-sugar-egg mixture:

• 2 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

FOLD IN:

• 1 cup blueberries

LINE a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and divide batter among the cups.

BAKE at 350 until muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out with moist crumbs, about 18-20 minutes. Let cool briefly on a wire rack before removing from the pan. Enjoy warm. Happy Cooking!

20 Questions with Cary

It’s fun to reflect about that first encounter. Cary Charbonniez is certainly my kitchen cousin and our friendship began like an arranged marriage. Multiple mutual friends encouraged us to meet and our first hello was a phone call so long ago that the baby I was bathing when Cary called is turning 20 next month. We met in person a few years later when she was opening Lola’s, her instantly popular pizza restaurant in Charleston. 

Celebrating my 40th birthday on a shutdown Sunday evening at Lola’s is forever etched in my memory. We had homebrew and live music. For Cary’s 40th, it was a fancy impromptu potluck on my patio, a fete I wrote about for my very first newspaper column. Fast forward, Lola’s changed hands (over to Cary’s brother) and I moved to Louisiana. After some years away from the restaurant world, Cary is making a comeback with her upcoming Coco’s on Hale Street. She was scheduled to open last month, just as the stay at home order was shuttering many businesses. The delayed opening gives her some new perspective and optimism that everything will work out. “I’ll open with a limited menu with things that will travel well for takeout. Although we can’t hug each other right now, I want to create this feeling that our customers are being hugged. I’m excited to open, the space looks awesome!”

As we talked this week about pizza, raising kids and our shared love of cooking, we brainstormed for some collaborative Zoom cooking classes. It will be a blast to catch y’all in the kitchen! Virtual hugs and Happy Cooking!

What’s your 20 minute recipe? Frittata. You can vary the fillings with what you have on hand, I’ll tell you some of my favorite combinations. I make this easily once a week and serve alongside a nice simple green salad.

What’s your favorite city? I would go with maybe St. John in the Virgin Islands. That’s where I dream about living. If I wanted to sound sophisticated I would say Saint-Raphaël, France, it’s a sophisticated version of St. John.

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? Chow Thai. I get the same thing each time, Pad Horapa, stir fried vegetables with a delicious brown sauce served with jasmine rice.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Homemade chili oil. You can throw it into a stir fry or anything for a little heat.

Who taught you to cook? My mom definitely experimented with recipes. She was a very adventurous cook. My grandmother, too. We sat down to a set table every night, napkin rings and all. We traveled to my grandmother’s on Friday nights for a big meal, she would get her electric carving knife out. We would finish late and have tea. They both taught me the act of communing together over food.

Surf? or Turf? Surf for sure. I’m not a huge meat eater.

What’s on your cooking playlist? I’ve been listening to west coast hip hop.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee for sure. If I could walk around with an IV of it I would. My cup of coffee is like an extension of my arm.

Date night—at home? or out? Home. I’m kind of a homebody. I prefer to hang out on our front porch or in the backyard.

Most stained cookbook? I love Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything. You can find almost anything in there. The recipes are really simple.

Indispensable kitchen tool? My chef’s knife. I love my Global knives, I’m a huge Global fan. Or my Microplane.

Staple childhood comfort food? As a kid I was totally obsessed with the frozen Stouffer’s French bread pizzas.

Go-to butter? I always go to Cabot unsalted butter. Coming from my baking days, we learned that unsalted butter is usually fresher and to add the salt ourselves in cooking and baking.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? My mom. I have so many questions I’d like to ask her. Having lost my mom as a teen, I would just love to talk with her as an adult. Girlfriend to girlfriend. Talk about parenting and food.

Ideal grilled cheese? Definitely fresh mozzarella with basil pesto and a freshly sliced tomato. I love it on Charleston Bread’s ciabatta.

How do you like your toast? Very dark and crispy.

Favorite pizza topping? I’m a purist believe it or not. I’m a Margherita pizza all the way.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? I love California cuisine. Nothing too pretentious. I’d love to go to California and learn in a small independently owned restaurant. I’d volunteer my services for a week.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Don’t be afraid to use a recipe and don’t get stressed out if you are missing an ingredient. You can usually substitute.

Three things next to your stove? Olive oil, salt and pepper.

Best thing you’ve ever eaten in an airport? I gravitate to a sushi stand. It seems counterintuitive, but I’ve had some good sushi in airports.

Cary leans on frittatas for a quick weeknight meal. This one is Italian sausage, broccoli and parmesan, finished with a shower of fresh basil (from the garden!) For spring, I’m thinking asparagus, leeks and goat cheese.

Cary’s Anytime Frittata

Here’s a little outline for frittata fun: skillet, eggs, spoonful of dairy, cheese, veg’s of your choosing and sausage crumbles if you wish. Finish with herbs and Voila! Lovely for breakfast with a side of fresh fruit, or follow Cary’s lead and serve anytime with a simple green salad.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 3 to 5 cups filling—here I used 4 cups of sautéed broccoli florets and 1 cup cooked crumbled Italian sausage

• 8-10 eggs

• 3 tablespoons full-fat dairy (cream, sour cream, crème fraîche)

• 1 cup grated or crumbled cheese (1/2 cup if using parmesan)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• chopped or torn fresh herbs for tasty garnish

HEAT the oven to 350 and place the rack in the middle position.

HEAT the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat (if you have a beautifully seasoned cast iron, use this. If you are less confident about your skillet, go with an ovenproof nonstick). Add the raw broccoli florets and toss in the oil. Cover with lid ajar and let sauté/steam for a few minutes while you prepare the egg mixture.

CRACK the eggs into a large bowl and whisk to blend. Add the cream of choice and the cheese. Check on your broccoli—give it a stir. When the broccoli is just tender, stir in the crumbled sausage, if using, and add the salt to the egg mixture, whisk again to blend and pour the egg mixture over the broccoli and sausage in an even layer. Shake the skillet gently to distribute.

PLACE the skillet in the oven and bake the frittata until the center is set but not dry and the edges are light golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.

REMOVE from the oven and let cool briefly before sprinkling with herbs and cutting into wedges for serving. (My C.I. tip: Place a pot holder over the handle so you don’t accidentally grab the oven-hot handle).

Cary’s other suggested combos:

• broccoli rabe, crumbled Italian sausage, parmesan

• spinach, shallots, cherry tomatoes, cheddar, parmesan

• zucchini and cheddar

20 Questions with Cameron

Whenever I need a therapeutic dose of laughter, I call Cameron Washburn. He could field calls on a paid line just to lift someone’s spirits. When he picked up the phone for this interview, he mused, “How did you get my number? This is supposed to be a closed line!” He went ‘off the record’ a few times when answering my simple questions. My husband met Cameron freshman year at University of Florida. where they were in the same fraternity pledge class. Then became roommates and brothers forever. He was in our wedding and hit the dance floor with another groomsman doing the Love Shack. I cry laughing at the memory.

Cameron and his wife Lisa live in Atlanta with their teenage daughters Abby and Sarah. We keep visits on a high frequency and most recently they hosted us spontaneously in their home when we invited ourselves for a weekend stay for the Peach Bowl. ‘Come ahead!!’ they said, not fully disclosing they were hosting Lisa’s family and her dad’s 90th birthday party. Friends + Family = Framily. They coined this term and it’s perfect.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? We are a family full of pasta-tarians so we often make pasta. I love a pan-seared chicken breast with some kind of cooking sauce. Also I like to get Lisa to think I can get the Weber going quicker than it actually happens. I’ll create some distraction and open a beer for her, then light the chimney starter for the grill. Or we order Thai. To be more honest about it, I grill a lot of stuff on Sunday to stock the fridge for the week.

What’s your favorite city? Right now I like where I am. I’ve come to enjoy Atlanta. My wistful city is Florence even though I’ve only been there once. Really it’s wherever you guys are.

What’s your favorite restaurant in your current city? EATS on Ponce. They have the BEST jerk chicken. It’s fall off the bone good! I go for the plate with black beans, collards and corn bread. There are some killer places on Buford Highway. Let people know it’s there, they should stop by.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Hot sauce. When I’m pretty sure I’m out of hot sauce and find some, it makes me happy. I was in that situation recently.

Who taught you to cook? My grandmother. If she was making something I didn’t like for dinner, she’d have me scramble some eggs for myself. More than teaching me how to cook, she taught me how to feed myself.

What’s your go-to dish for company? Depends who’s coming over. Typically a steak dinner. Lisa does a really good batch of chicken parm.

What’s on your cooking playlist? If it’s the whole family, we’ve been going with The Beatles. We just saw the movie Yesterday. Often it’s (Tom) Petty. I’d rather not get demographic’d but sometimes it’s ‘Alexa play alt country’ or ‘Alexa play the Wilco station’

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? I’m a coffee guy. I drink A LOT of coffee. First thing in the morning. In my house before I get out of my PJs

Date night—at home? or out? Are the kids home? We have two teenage daughters and if they’re home, we go out. Really it’s a mix.

Most stained cookbook? Your Keepers*. We made your enchiladas just last week. The oven fries are a staple. We make the vegetarian chili and add ground turkey. (*Note: I handwrote a cookbook Keepers a collection of favorites for Christmas gifts in 1992. Fun to see it’s still in use!)

Indispensable kitchen tool? I love my cast iron skillet, and the spatter screen in conjunction with it. Though sometimes it seems the spatter screen doesn’t work so maybe it is dispensable.

Staple childhood comfort food? Moon over Miami, you know the egg in the nest. It tastes just like it used to. You use plenty of butter on both sides of the bread. The circle of toast is the best part! Grill the bread on both sides before cracking the egg into the middle. Flip it over once it’s set and flip it again. It saves any kind of bread you have. When you use really good bread you’re just nailing it!

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? Jesus, as a historical figure. I have some questions. I’d say ‘hey what’s the deal?’

Go-to olive oil? First cold pressed extra virgin? I don’t really have one. I don’t want to pretend. I’m not that culinary.

Best thing you’ve ever eaten in an airport? That’s EASY! Popeye’s. There are two terminals in Atlanta. I don’t know why people go looking. I will get it way too close to boarding time. I’ll get on the plane with it. The beauty of it is you don’t even need to be in an airport to enjoy.

Ideal grilled cheese? I like it the same as the cheese on my burger. American. It’s ideal. I love the melt on it. Two slices of Kraft American singles. Butter on the bread AND in the pan. Use the best sliced bread you can get your hands on.

Favorite pizza topping? Crushed red pepper to sprinkle on top.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? At your house. You’re my favorite cook in the world.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Make sure you have your kitchen faucet converted to regular stream to prevent matrimonial unbliss. If it’s on shower spray and you have a stack of plates in the sink it’s just a mess.

Three things next to your stove? A spoon rest which changes depending on the season. We just put the Christmas one away. We have a spice drawer right there and the carb corner which is a basket of miscellaneous breads.

What’s your favorite sports team? Florida Gators

When I announced I was finished with the questions, Cameron interrupted, '“Hey Ape, you didn’t ask me how much I bench.”

Exactly 5 ingredients, significantly less than 20 minutes. Add seasonal fruit and you have a quick meal fit for a king or queen!

Moon over Miami

Some call it Eggy Toast, Toad in a Hole, I’m sure there are more names. My mom calls it Cowboy Toast. This one is Cam’s comfort food which doubles as a 20 minute recipe.

For each serving you will need: a slice of bread with about a 3-inch moon circle cut out of the middle, some soft butter, an egg, salt and pepper.

HEAT a medium skillet over medium heat and add a small pat of butter. Spread both sides of the bread and the bread moon with butter and place them in the skillet. When the bread just begins to brown, flip both pieces over and crack the egg into the hole. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. When the egg just begins to set, carefully flip and cook on the second side until the white and yolk are at your preferred degree of doneness. In all, just about a minute and a half per side for ‘over easy.’

SERVE with the moon rising or setting with a side of fresh fruit.

Morning Cup

“To me, the smell of fresh-made coffee is one of the greatest inventions.”--HughJackman

Walk into a coffee house and get swept away by the aroma.  Fresh roasted, just ground, and brewed to order. Walk into the home of Rob St. Jean and witness a guy taking the cup-of-joe concept to a whole new level.  This is aromatherapy like no other.

St. Jean, a father of three, house-husband, business owner and swim coach guffaws at the cash Americans shell out daily fueling their coffee habit.  “Outrageous. “You can make awesome, awesome coffee at home for a small fraction of the cost” and have a rollicking good time in the process.  This man loves his craft.

With youthful enthusiasm, St. Jean explains how he transitioned from ‘cream and sugar coffee’ to his home roasted brew about ten years ago when his wife Dr. Rebecca St. Jean gave him a DIY coffee roasting kit for his birthday. 

The rest is history.

He roasts green coffee beans, ordered from Sweet Maria’s, an online source for all-things home coffee roasting.  Each bean variety is accompanied by specific roasting instructions and intriguing flavor descriptions--”Caramelized sugar sweetness, roasted almond, tangerine.  Honeyed mouthful, layered chocolate.  Mandarin acidity”--is emblazoned across a bag of green coffee beans from Guatemala. Coffee. Just coffee, yet so complex and full of flavor.

On the Sweet Maria’s site, the roasting equipment fills the spectrum from small and simple to huge and expensive.  St. Jean uses a mid-range iRoast machine which he fires up every few days.  Once the beans cool, he lets them rest a day or so before grinding, then brewing.

For grinding his perfect roast, he recommends a burr grinder, a machine that dispenses the coffee as it is ground.  Though if money or counter space is a factor, he won’t chide you for buzzing the beans in the popular whirly bird grinder. 

Once you have expertly roasted and ground your beans, proper brewing is key to a cup of coffee with character.  

St. Jean’s brewing system is the gorgeous stainless steel Technivorm Mocca Master, which heats the water to the perfect 200 degree temperature.  The steaming brew flows into a thermal carafe which keeps the coffee at the ideal temperature for well over an hour.  

“I would stay away from combo grind-brew models,” St. Jean warns.  “Most don’t get water hot enough and have so many technical functions that they often break.  With the conviction of a sponsored spokesperson, he says, “the Mocca Master will beat every machine out there.  It’s the gold standard, a no frills workhorse.  Totally analog, nothing that malfunctions like some of the high-tech machines.”

St. Jean will convert even the most timid coffee drinker to his smooth home roast, loaded with the exotic flavors that the coffee bean label promises, no cream necessary. The sugar on top is that you can savor the intoxicating aroma without leaving the comfort of your own kitchen.

Cooking Therapy

"Shake the hand that feeds you"-- Michael Pollan

The checklist looked something like this: find a school, sell the house, buy a house. Jump through a thousand hoops and off you go. We were racing through the necessary steps of a mid-life relocation, check, check, check. We said our long goodbyes to friends, departing from a state that we called home for 24 years, just as this wild and wonderful place was cleaning up from catastrophic flooding. We landed in a friendly new city in time for our youngest daughter Emma's first day of school.

Left to right: Saying goodbye to West Virginia at a flood relief benefit with my friend Danita Nellhaus and Charleston native Jennifer Garner. Emma's brand new school Lee Magnet High

Baton Rouge, Louisiana. You've seen this precious place making headlines of every sort. On the third day of school, Mother Nature drew back her protective wing and allowed the rain to fall for days without ever stopping. The news became a different shade of grim. 

Before the storm even cast its shadow on the radar, this new girl went in search of necessities, starting with local growers. I discovered Iverstine Family Farms in one of the local magazines and started following their progress on Facebook. They were scheduled to open their sparkling butcher shop by the time LSU hosts their first kickoff, but instead of an opening day update, the Facebook post read:

“Anyone in the Central area who is working to recover and rebuild, Iverstine Farms will be serving hot meals at 18721 Magnolia Bend. Breakfast and lunch...Don’t bother your mind with what you’re going to eat while you’re cleaning up. Come out, take a load off, and hug your neighbors...” 

Left to right: beneath the tarp, a cooler for Iverstine's butcher shop ready for transport. Emma Hamilton, 16, flipping pancakes in her Tiger tee. Galen Iverstine's friends make shelter during a brief period of sunshine.

The ‘Call Now’ button seemed to be in neon. I pressed it and was greeted by Galen Iverstine, the young farmer-entrepreneur on the line. “My daughter Emma and I would like to help,” I said, and he welcomed us out to make breakfast for the neighbors whose homes had been ripped apart by the flooding. Emma and I packed up the car with pancake supplies, including a jug of West Virginia maple syrup that made the move with us. We whisked, flipped, and served stacks of pancakes, witnessing sadness healed by Iverstine family hospitality. Galen crowned us honorary Tigers and in the midst of tragedy, this new town feels like home.

Nestled on a shady street that turned into a wrathful river, Galen's family's home was spared, perhaps a miracle. In between tending his hogs and herds, raising flocks and wrapping up the build-out of the new butcher shop, he and his friends rolled out their smokers and fed the community of Magnolia Bend. Banquet tables heaped with hearty plate lunches of farm-fresh chicken and salads, cold drinks and snacks to go. And every Saturday until his butcher shop opens, he is selling the bounty of his farm at Red Stick Farmer’s Market. Stop by and shake his hand.

Buttermilk Pancakes, Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

No need for a mix!  Homemade pancakes are so easy and the perfect comfort food—this is my most requested recipe and a fun one for kids to master at an early age.  When my daughter Emma was very small, she dragged a stool over to the stove and started pouring the batter on the griddle.  “OOPS!  Those are a little too close,” I warned.  She knew exactly what she was doing, making a Mickey Mouse shape.  I created a little song to help my girls remember the recipe:  “Flour, sugar, soda, salt.  Milk, egg, oil,” sung with a fun rhythm.  Next they have to recall how much of each.  One step at a time! I like to encourage kids to make an “X” and an “O” with syrup to help as a ‘serving size’

• ½  cup all purpose flour
• ½  cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk*
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Additional oil for greasing griddle
• Butter and maple syrup for serving

COMBINE the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Add the buttermilk, egg and oil to the dry ingredients and whisk together until smooth.

RUB a little oil all over a griddle or large frying pan using a paper towel. Heat the griddle or large frying pan over medium heat.  Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter onto the heated griddle or frying pan for each pancake. Flip when the pancakes begin to bubble on the top and the bottom is golden brown.  Don’t rush the flipping or you’ll just end up with a big mess.  Cook the second side for about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

*Some buttermilk is very thick.  You may have to add a few tablespoons of regular milk if your batter is really thick. To make your own buttermilk combine 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of milk.

• To make blueberry pancakes, sprinkle a few blueberries on each pancake immediately after you have poured the batter on the griddle.  Continue as above.
• To make apple cinnamon pancakes, add 1 peeled, shredded apple and ½ teaspoon cinnamon to finished batter.  Cook as directed above.

Makes 12 4-inch pancakes

95 Days to chez Julia--Welcome Home Cinnamon Rolls

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James A. Michener

Anticipation. This waiting for a traveler to return. Sara wrapped up college in what seemed like a blink, and before the ink was dry on her diploma, she jetted off to Russia, then Israel with college pals. She is almost home. The proper welcome is the family favorite Cinnamon Rolls, warm from the oven. The dough is rising as I write, the airplane will arrive in the morning. There will be a never let go hug, then we will race home to savor our treats. We may never leave the kitchen, sharing untold stories from our time apart.

Cinnamon Rolls

For the dough:

• 4 cups unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons ‘instant’ yeast (Rapid Rise)
• 3/4 cup butter at cool room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup milk at room temperature

Whisk together the flour and yeast in a medium bowl. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt together in a large mixing bowl, preferably using a stand mixer and the paddle attachment. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour in the eggs and milk, then add the flour/yeast mixture. Mix together on low speed until well blended. (Draping a kitchen towel over the whole mixer will help prevent the flour from flying out).

Scrape the bowl down to the bottom to ensure everything is well incorporated. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and allow it to rise until doubled, about one and a half hours. Fold the risen dough with a large spoon or scraper. Transfer to a one gallon size zip-top bag and chill at least 6 hours or up to 3 days.

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup ground pecans
• 1 1/2 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs

Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Remove from heat. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, pecans and breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Set aside and let cool while you roll the dough.

Roll the dough out on a large well-floured cloth into a 9” x 20” rectangle (about 1/4-inch thick). Spread filling out evenly over dough, leaving a half-inch border on the far long side. Wet your fingertips with a little water and lightly dab a bit of water along the half-inch border.

Starting with the long edge next to you, roll up the dough into a long log shape, gently pressing the wet edge to the log to seal. Slice the log into 1-inch pinwheels. Place on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, leaving about an inch between each roll.

Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, about one and a half hours. OR refrigerate overnight: Wrap the pan in plastic wrap and chill overnight. Then let rise at room temperature and bake as directed

Preheat the oven to 350. Uncover the rolls and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown (edges may brown more quickly than center--be sure rolls in center of the pan are at least golden). Let cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes before glazing. Serve warm.

For the glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add additional milk if a thinner glaze is desired. Drizzle over the warm cinnamon rolls.

makes 20

Croissants from Scratch, Sunshine on a Snowy Day

We interrupt the regularly scheduled simple recipes for everyday blog posts to bring you this. Anything but simple, a muscle-building, thought-provoking multi-day baking event. Croissants, from scratch. 

Looking out the window, the air is vibrating with fresh snow, falling an inch an hour into a beautiful landscape that locks everyone indoors and hopefully safe inside their well-stocked kitchens. When the Governor’s mandate comes to ‘stay home!’ I celebrate, break out the recipes from the ‘baking events’ file, and pick one. 

Croissants have been on my list since the moment my sister gave me the TARTINE cookbook ten years ago. I told her we should make them. She only laughed at me and boasted she could drive her car from Santa Cruz to San Francisco, search for a parking spot, wait with the dozens of bakery-goers, at the famed Tartine, and drive back to Santa Cruz in the time it would take to make them.

Now that I have made the leap into quasi-croissant master, I can declare her wrong. She could do this two days in a row, possibly three, and still have me ‘beat.’ I’m claiming victory, though. I conquered something outside my comfort zone without having to play in the snow, decoding a task that’s been on my list for an entire decade.

Before diving in to the croissant project, I studied the recipe, all eight pages, and pondered. I had enough butter, 5 1/2 sticks. My courage wavered. I consulted my friend Libby, our local bakery rockstar, and she answered in three words.

“Go for it!” I broke a sweat just thinking about the endeavor. I hoped that Libby would steer me away, but no such luck.

My adventure-seeking husband escaped ahead of the storm, racing to the mountains for a weekend of fresh powder. I opted to stay behind and flex my muscles in the kitchen.

Saturday afternoon, I brewed a pot of espresso and mixed the preferment, a combination of flour, yeast, and not-cold milk. It was a grapefruit sized jagged ball of dough. The book referred to it as a batter which made me question if mine was right. I stashed it in the fridge downstairs for an overnight rest and proceeded with my day, periodically inspecting my little ball of dough. I thought it might flow out of the bowl considering the amount of yeast, but it just stared back at me, unchanged.

Sunday morning brought sunshine! and with it, the temptation to head outdoors. The snow shovel outside my kitchen door caught my eye with a wink, reminding me to keep cozy inside. My mind returned to the preferment. Surely it had ballooned into an unruly mass. It was time to face my fears. Descending one step at a time to the basement, thinking about my husband winding his way down the powder-packed slopes, I reached the fridge to peek at my dough. This was the moment of truth, I might be off the hook if I discovered a disaster instead of a puffy pillow of starter.  I lifted the cover from the bowl, relieved. Just as the recipe promised, I had a soft dough that had doubled in volume. Confidence restored, I forged ahead. 

‘Mix the preferment with yeast, add half the milk...’ the instructions continue for three paragraphs which I followed to the letter, until I had a satiny ball of stretchy dough. After the yeast works its magic, the dough gets pressed out into a rectangular shape and chills again for a 4 to 6 hour rest. I had to do some math here. The steps that follow would require more hours of hands-on and off and I had somewhere to be at 6:00 and 20 inches of snow obscuring the truck and driveway (Tickets to Mountain Stage, the phenomenal radio show that is performed and recorded just minutes from my home. This one featuring The Westies, Robert Earl Keen, Rhett Miller, and Guster. Nothing was going to keep me from my coveted seat at this sold out show). I cued up The Old 97’s and kept focus on my croissants.

The French are fascinating kitchen wizards, discovering hundreds of years ago that if you wrap cold butter inside a yeast dough and fold and roll and layer and turn and roll some more, the two become one with impossibly flaky layers of crisp, buttery pastry. There is little margin of error in this process which fueled my apprehension. As instructed, I whipped my cold butter in the KitchenAid and then smeared it into a sheet on plastic wrap, covered the sheet of butter with more wrap, and into the fridge.

It was 3:00 and I was racing to get the dough and butter properly united before the show. Rolling pin engaged to the tune of the music, I did the rolling, the folding, the turning, all the while questioning if I was doing it right. My creation looked like a neat book, waiting for a title to be inscribed on the front. Just like a fairy tale, my husband appeared from his powder weekend and kept beat with the snow shovel, digging out the driveway and his truck, our way out. 

Monday morning, another snow day for my high school student and more rolling pin sessions for this intrepid baker. I messaged my friend Allison from our bakery for a last shot of courage and a few hours later, 16 croissants were born. The dough performed as promised and the kitchen boasted the perfume of browning butter. I watched them cool just long enough, selected one from the pan and uncoiled the layers, savoring my first bite. Eyes closed, the days of work validated, I recognized the danger of being snowed in with homemade croissants. I spread the cheer, inviting friends to stop by if they were un-stuck, then delivered two for Libby and Allison who responded, “Love the layers! And flavor -- the preferment adds some oomph. Good bold bake adds structure and flavor also. Big thumbs up!” 

Let it snow! When the next blizzard threatens, I’ll be ready with my butter and flour, with rolling pin and courage intact. I hope you’ll join me.

Croissants

adapted from TARTINE by Elizabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson

Preferment

• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 1 1/3 cups unbleached flour
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast

Dough

• 4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 3/4 cups whole milk (plus extra if needed)
• 6 cups unbleached flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
•  

Roll-in Butter

• 2 3/4 cups unsalted butter, cool but pliable (5 1/2 sticks)

Egg Wash

• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• pinch of salt

Make the preferment:

Warm the 3/4 cup skim milk in a small saucepan over low heat just to take the chill off. The milk should not feel warm or cold to the touch, 80-90 degrees.

Combine the 1 1/3 cups flour with the 1 tablespoon yeast in a mixing bowl and add the milk, stirring to create a soft dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture rise until doubled in volume, about 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

Make the dough:

Measure all the ingredients for the dough (like the French do -- mise en place!). Transfer the preferment and the 4 teaspoons of yeast to the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the yeast is incorporated, stopping the mixer to scrape the bowl as needed. When the mixture is well combined, increase the speed to medium and mix for a couple of minutes, then slowly add half of the whole milk and mix well.

Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually add the flour (to prevent the ‘whiteout’ flour explosion), sugar, salt, melted butter, and the remaining milk. Scrape the dough from the paddle and switch to the dough hook. Mix until well combined, about 3 minutes.  Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Turn the mixer on to low and mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding additional milk one tablespoon at a time as needed. Take care not to overmix, about 4 minutes is all it takes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a cool place until volume increases by half, about 1 1/2 hours.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and press into a 2-inch thick rectangle. Wrap the rectangle in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 4 to 6 hours.

About 1 hour before you are ready to start laminating the dough, put the rolling-in butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until creamy, but not soft, about 3 minutes. Spread the creamy cold butter out onto a sheet of plastic wrap into a rectangle about 12 by 18-inches. Lay another sheet of wrap over the butter and place in the refrigerator to chill but not resolidify.

To laminate the dough, lightly dust a large work surface with flour. Remove the chilled dough and butter from the refrigerator. Unwrap the dough and roll it into a rectangle 28 inches long and 12 inches wide. Unwrap the sheet of butter and lay it over the dough, covering two thirds of the dough from the left side. Fold the uncovered third over the butter and then fold the left-hand third over the center, as if folding a tri-fold brochure. You now have a plaque. With your fingers, push down along the seams on the top and the bottom to seal the butter in the plaque.

Give the plaque a quarter turn so that the top and bottom seams are now to your right and left. Again, roll the dough into a rectangle 28 inches long and 12 inches wide and fold again in the same manner. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 1/2 to 2 hours to relax the gluten in the dough before you make the third fold, or ‘turn.’

Clean the work surface, dust again with flour, and remove the dough from the refrigerator. Unwrap, place the dough on the floured surface, and again roll out into a rectangle 28 by 12 inches. Fold into thirds in the same manner. You should have a plaque of dough about 9 by 12 inches, and about 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick. Wrap in plastic wrap, place on a sheet pan, and place in the freezer to chill for at least 1 hour. If you plan to make the croissants the next morning, leave the dough in the freezer until the evening and transfer to the refrigerator. In the morning, the dough will be ready to roll out and form into croissants, proof, and bake. Or you can leave the dough in the freezer for up to 1 week, just remember to transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw overnight before using.

When you are ready to roll out the dough, dust the work surface again. Roll out the dough into a 32 by 12 inch rectangle, about 3/8- inch thick. Using a pizza wheel or chef’s knife, cut the dough into long triangles that measure 10 to 12 inches on each side and about 4 inches along the base. Using the pizza wheel or chef’s knife, make a 3/4-inch split in the center of each base.

Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper. You are now ready to shape your croissants. Starting at the split base, gently pull the base apart at the split, then roll the base toward the point. Grab the point with one hand and stretch it slightly and continue to roll, tucking the point underneath the rolled dough. Place it point-down on the prepared pan and continue rolling and shaping the remaining dough. Space the croissants evenly on the 2 prepared pans, leaving a few inches between to allow room for rising. Lightly drape a sheet of plastic wrap over each pan and set the pans in a draft-free area to let the pastries rise until they are puffy and doubled in size, about 2 to 3 hours.

Heat the oven to 425 for 20 to 30 minutes.

About 10 minutes before baking, prepare the egg wash. Whisk the egg yolks with the cream and salt until you have a pale yellow mixture. Gently brush the egg mixture onto the pastries, being careful not to allow the egg mixture to drip onto the pan. Let the wash dry for about 10 minutes before baking.

Place one pan of croissants in the oven and reduce the temperature to 400. Rotate the pan, front to back, after 10 minutes to ensure even baking. Continue baking for 6 to 10 minutes longer, until the pastries are deep golden brown on the top and bottom, crisp on the outside, and feel light when they are picked up, indicating that the interior is baked through.

Remove the croissants from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.

Increase oven temperature to 425 and repeat baking instructions for the second pan.

Enjoy the croissants warm from the oven or at room temperature. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 3 days. Recrisp them in a 375 degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes.

Makes 16 to 18 golden croissants

Crazy Good Breakfast Sandwich

Mornings can be crazy (we call it Pandemornium sometimes), so add some goodness to the crazy and you're set up for a perfect day. Eggs are a staple at our house. And bread. Our favorite bakery is closed on Sunday and Monday, so a Tuesday bakery run is a must. In case it falls off the to-do list, I try to keep some English muffins in the freezer, just in case.

Yes, I prefer the crusty multi-grain loaves from Charleston Bread, but in a pinch, the darkly toasted muffin is a fine canvas for my bed of arugula and egg over easy--enrobed with habanero jack. Tidy enough to eat in traffic, if necessary, but better at the kitchen table. Set the alarm, brew some coffee. Read the paper. Happy Cooking!

Crazy Good Breakfast Sandwich

2 slices whole grain bread 

1 teaspoon pat of butter

1 egg

Sprinkle of grated pepper jack cheese

Pinch of salt and ground pepper

Handful of fresh greens (I keep arugula and spinach on hand)

Additional goodness of your choosing--roasted bell peppers, tomato slices, avocado

TOAST the bread while you cook your egg.

HEAT a small skillet over medium heat and melt the butter, swirling the skillet to coat.

CRACK the egg into the skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

COOK until the egg white looks set, about 2 minutes. Here comes the fun part...

FLIP the egg over and sprinkle with cheese (As Julia Child says,  "you have to have the courage of your convictions!") You can also flip it the old fashioned way with a spatula.

COOK until the desired degree of doneness, about 1 minute for 'over easy' or a little longer for 'over medium.' Crank up the heat if you like a crispy edge.

PILE some greens onto one slice of toast and slide the egg onto the greens.

TOP with the other slice of toast (or serve open-face if you prefer).

Makes 1, but you can easily make a dozen.