French Toast was probably my favorite breakfast growing up and recently I've been receiving lots of different variations of this popular morning food.  Some with different fruits and spices, some stuffed, some layered, the classic single slice and family casserole style.  It made me wonder, why do we call it "French" toast anyway?  I know it's not really French, or is it?

Wikipedia's etymology says the earliest use of the term was in 1660 and was bread fried with wine, orange juice and sugar.  I'll have to give that recipe a try!  After doing a little more digging through Google, I discovered in French it is actually called "pain perdu" which translates into "lost bread."  It was a popular recipe in many countries, not just France, as a way of making stale bread palatable.  The English call it "gyspy bread" and I think I'd like to adopt that term from now on ... sounds like breakfast with an adventurous edge!

While there are many different adaptations, the basics remain the same.  A simple batter of eggs and milk.  And I like to add a dash of vanilla, the way my Mom always made it.

This recipe comes from Diane Kenniston Hill Inn Bed & Breakfast in Maine. She likes to make her French Toast with shell or heart shaped homemade biscuits.  In lieu of biscuits I used some Texas sized bread.

Here's what you'll need:

The basics ... milk, eggs, bread, butter

Add to that a dash of vanilla, some sugar, walnuts, strawberries, and maple syrup.

You can do this same recipe with whole slices of bread instead of heart shapes.  Or, if you're like me, next time you walk through the baking section of your store and see all the cookie molds you'll dream of French Toast in the shape of flowers, butterflies, kittens, birds, musical notes and the State of California.  (That last one was random, I know)

If' you're going to make it into a shape, cut your bread first ...

Then add the milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla to a large bowl and mix well.

Pour mixed batter into a shallow bowl for dipping.

Then start layering into a 13x9 inch baking dish.

Slice your strawberries and layer on top of the bread.  Isn't this starting to look like a lovely Valentine's Day breakfast?

Next, put a layer of bread on top of the strawberries, sort of like a sandwich.

I poured the extra batter over top to fully soak them in eggy goodness.

Sprinkle with walnuts and add a dab of butter to the top of each toast.

Bake at 325 for about half an hour.

And you'll have plenty of left over crust to make bread pudding ... or feed the ducks.

When they're finished, slice around the edge of the hearts with a knife and serve individually with strawberries and maple syrup.

Doesn't it look like it's sticking it's tongue out?

That is, if French Toast could sass back and actually had a  tongue.

Mmm.  Delish.

Heart Shaped Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

If you ever wanted dessert for breakfast, and felt a little guilty popping a single Dove's Promise's Dark Chocolate piece to melt on your tongue with your morning coffee ... then I have wicked solution for you.  A muffin.  Because even though it's chocolate, the fact that it's a muffin still makes it breakfast.  And since the stores are filled with pink hearts, chocolates and forget-me-not's, I thought this treat would make the perfect cupid's arrow  ... either for your Valentine's heart or your own.

I have a full list of ingredients and directions at the end of the post ... but the main stars of this event are ripe red raspberries, dark chocolate chips and pink muffin cups to make them cute and girlie.

Sift together your flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.  Then sift the cocoa.

I should have sifted the sugar in with the flour ... but making these snow topped cocoa mountains was more fun.  I like to play with my food.

Add the brown sugar, then whisk/stir it all together.

Next start adding your wet ingredients.  Whisk your eggs together in a separate bowl.

Milk.

Chocolate chips.

Might I add that I almost had to run out to the store to buy another bag as Jim, the photographer, could not stop eating these.  What makes that even funnier is that he doesn't like sweets!  Liar.  These are bittersweet ... so I give him that credit at least.

My recommendation ... get an extra bag of chocolate and an extra package of raspberries for munching.

Here's a few facts that will take away the guilt ... raspberries are loaded with vitamin C ... chocolate is full of antioxidants and polyphenols ... eggs and milk give you protein and calcium.  Ignore the sugar and flour. They don't exist except to carry this wholesome nutrition into your body.  (wink)

Mix in the chocolate chips before the raspberries.  They're a little tougher, so you can really mix them in well.

Raspberries are fragile, so be careful when folding them in.  These were fresh, but I might even recommend freezing them for an hour so that they hold up better to mixing.

Serve on a platter for breakfast ...

Or as a single tasty treat with coffee or tea ...

Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

(recipe modified from Inn at The Park's Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe Below)

2 Cups all purpose flour
2/3 Cup cocoa
1/3 Cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 Cup milk
1/2 Cup melted butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 package of chocolate chips
1 package of fresh raspberries

1) Preheat oven to 350 and grease muffin pan or line with paper cups.

2) In a large bowl, whisk or sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3) Beat eggs in a separate bowl, then add all wet ingredients to flour/cocoa mixture.

4) Fold in chocolate chips. Next add the raspberries and spoon batter into muffin cups.

5) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool then dust with confectioners sugar and serve.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

from the Inn At The Park Bed & Breakfast, Louisville, Kentucky

2 Cups all purpose flour

1/3 Cup packed light brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 Cup milk

1/2 Cup melted butter

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 package of chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 350 and grease muffin pan or line with paper cups.

2) In a large bowl, whisk or sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3) Beat eggs in a separate bowl, then add all wet ingredients until well blended..

4) Fold in chocolate chips. Next add walnuts and spoon batter into muffin cups.

5) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve.

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I've been craving gingerbread this week and decided to try and make it into an acceptable breakfast ... other than a cookie dipped in coffee.  I've even been on the hunt for a gingerbread man pancake mold ... but I've only found cookie cutters which are a bit too small. Thanks to the Google Gods I did find eons of gingerbread pancake recipes.  So many I didn't know which one to try.  Some with raisins, some with currants, some with cocoa, but I just wanted to stick with a basic gingerbread pancake.

I eenie-meenie-minnie-mowed and clicked through on one of the first listings that came up.  I found one on CDKitchen.com and gave it a whirl (with a couple of my own modifications and additions  ... please take note).

So here's a holiday breakfast recipe that will be both memorable and delicious.

The full list of ingredients at the bottom of the post.  I later added an additional cup of flour, teaspoon of ginger and 1/4 cup of sugar.

Start with adding your dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl.

Next, add your wet ingredients to another bowl and whisk together.

During one of my health nut kicks a couple of years ago I had a nasty introduction to molasses.  You see, I thought it was syrup.  I was going to be healthy and low cal by adding that to my pancakes.  And I drenched my sweet little pancakes in the black, rust-flavored tar.  Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh.

My boyfriend was a champ.  He didn't complain. Ate them all.  Me ... I made some toast instead.

Molasses on milk.

My new art project.

Blend together.  Starting to look like chocolate milk, huh?   Don't drink it though.

Pour wet batter into your large  dry ingredients bowl with the flour, spices, etc.

You may have to scrape the bottom of the bowl a bit.  Molasses doesn't play nice with others.

Blend.

Well bah-humbug.  The batter was runny.  I dipped my finger in and took a taste. This was a no make-up-work-in-my-pajamas day, so I have no photographic evidence of the finger-licking.  But I'll tell you that it tasted like molasses.  Ugh. Now I'm feelin a bit scroogey.

I followed the recipe EXACTLY!   To a T!    (indecently, where does the phrase "to a T" actually come from?)

Anyway, it was a runny, molasses flavored mess.

So, I added a little more love that it needed.

An extra cup of flour.  That helped with the consistency.

Now to put molasses in its place and tweak the flavor.  I added an additional tsp of ginger and a 1/4 cup of sugar.

Mmm.  That helped a whole lot!  Dipped my finger again and now the flavor is more like a gingerbread cookie.  It's ready to go be made into round cake perfection.

A little butter.

A little batter.

A little bubbly.

Flip.

Now that's a leave-for-santa worthy pancake.  I could eat it like a cookie.  But instead of eating with my fingers I'll fancy it up with a bit of butter, maple syrup and festive star fruit.  And of course, a fork and knife.  Still in my pajamas though.

Enjoy!

Gingerbread Pancakes

Ingredients

2 1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1 1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg, beaten

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions

1) Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  (Flour, spices, sugar, baking soda and powder)

2) In a separate bowl, beat the egg  then add and mix together the milk, molasses and oil.

3) Add wet mixture to dry mixture and blend until combined.  Using a ladle or measuring cup, scoop 1/4 cup of batter onto  a hot greased griddle or skillet. You can use non-stick spray or butter. (I prefer butter for flavor)

4) Turn when bubbles form on the surface and the edges are golden brown.

5) Serve with butter, syrup and festive starfruit.

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Here's another great pumpkin recipe for the fall coming to us from the B Street House Bed & Breakfast in Virginia City, NV.   There are two things in this recipe that make your taste buds leap off the charts ... it's spicy like gingerbread ... and it has a gooey cream cheese surprise in the middle.

There was one particular spice that I didn't have in my pantry, and while I was shopping for ingredients my jaw it the floor at the price ...  Cardamom.  There was only one brand in our local grocer that carried it and the sucker was 12 bucks.  Sheesh.  Well, if it's expensive, it must be good, right?  This inspired me to do some research.  What's the story behind this pricey spice?  I googled it and found that my $12 bottle was a bargain.  Some spice shops online were charging upwards of $67.  I've just renamed this recipe Fall Harvest Food of the Gods.

Wikipedia says ... "Green cardamom in South Asia is broadly used to treat infections in teeth and gums, to prevent and treat throat troubles, congestion of the lungs and pulmonary tuberculosis, inflammation of eyelids and also digestive disorders. It also is used to break up kidney stones and gall stones, and was reportedly used as an antidote for both snake and scorpion venom." The spice includes volatile oils such as camphor, eucalyptol, and limonene.  Some sites reported it to be used in Ayurvedic medicine and also an effective aphrodisiac.

Well no wonder it's so dang expensive!  It's a absolute cure-all.  Next time I get sick I'm baking some of these babies instead of taking NyQuil.

On with the recipe ...

Hmm.  After taking a glance at this photo,  it looks like I went overboard with the cinnamon again.  Good thing it wasn't with the cardomom!  No ... wait ... it's the pumpkin pie spice that's the big mound in the middle.  They call it "spicy" pumpkin muffins for a reason!  There is almost as much spice as there is flour.  I have a full list of ingredients with the recipe at the bottom of the post.

The stars of this show ...

Cream Cheese.  Take an 8 ounce block and cut it into 12 little cubes.

And of course, the spices.  They even smiled for the occasion.

Add your dry ingredients to one bowl.  Starting with flour ...

The menagerie of spices ...

A whoosh of dark brown sugar ...

And then add your "wet" ingredients to a second bowl.

Starting with canned pumpkin (plain, not the pie filling)

A little oil.  I had to hold this with two hands as I was starting to get messy and lost my "no slip" grip in my fingertips.

Molasses.  I have a funny confession about molasses.  During my go-green-all-natural-hippy phase (I'm still eco-friendly, but lite) I decided I was going to try molasses instead of syrup on my pancakes.  I had been using maple, which is natural but high calorie.  I thought this would make a low-cal natural alternative.  Buwhahahaahahahahah!

It was my first time trying the tar-like sap.  Took me a year to try it again.  But only in it's proper use as a "blended" ingredient.

Buwwwahhhahahahah!

I'm laughing so hard I'm crying.  Enough with the self-deprecating confession.  Needless to say I didn't lick this bowl.

Add two eggs, a cap full of vanilla and whip together.

Then add to your BIG bowl of dry ingredients and whip together some more.

Spoon into muffin cups.  If you know a non-messy trick to doing this, please let me know!

I usually just wipe down the pan with a wet paper towel to erase the splatter.  I know on TV and in cookbooks it always looks so neat and tidy ... but I bet the reality is there is someone just behind the camera wiping down the messy spoon drippings too.

Press the cream cheese cubes into the center of each muffin cup.  Resist the temptation to pop them in your mouth.  Resist!

Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and pop em in the oven at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes.

Voila!  Spicy Pumpkin Muffins. Fall Harvest Food of the Gods.

B Street House Bed & Breakfast

Spicy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese

1 1/2 Cups flour

1 Cup dark brown sugar

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 Cup cooked or canned pumpkin (not pie filling)

2/3 Cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 tsp molasses

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 Cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease or spray with butter-flavored oil spray 12 muffin tins or line with paper baking cups.

2) Stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix together the pumpkin and wet ingredients.  Stir into dry ingredients until blended.  Fill muffin tins 3/4 of the way full.

3) Divide cream cheese into 12 equal portions.  Put one portion in each muffin in the middle of the muffin batter, pressing down.  Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

4) Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the muffin part.  Let cool for a bit then serve!

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Biramisu Recipe

Portobello Country Italian Trattorria &

Orlando Brewing Company

FOR THE BEER REDUCTION

24 oz (vol) Orlando Brewing Blackwater Porter

16 oz (wt) Granulated Sugar

Combine the beer and sugar in a heavy sauce pan and reduce on low heat by approximately one half. The initial volume will be approximately 40 ounces which will yield 20 ounces. The consistency will be slightly syrupy. Chill and hold.

FOR THE CREAM

28 oz (wt) Mascarpone cheese

6 oz (wt) Confectioner’s sugar

7 oz (vol) Beer reduction (above)

5 oz (vol) Egg yolk (pasteurized)

Combine the egg and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk continuously over a boiling water bath to make a zabaglione. The egg and sugar mixture will gradually increase in volume by approximately 100% and the mixture will thicken and become opaque. This process will take about five minutes. It is very important to whisk the mixture or the yolks will solidify. The zabaglione should be chilled over ice.

Place the mascarpone in the work bowl of a stand mixer while the zabaglione is chilling. Whip the cheese on medium – high speed until smooth and soft. This process will take approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the beer reduction to the cheese while the mixer is running. Once the beer reduction is incorporated, add the chilled zabaglione and continue to work the mixture on low speed until the mixture is smooth (1 to 2 minutes more). Stop and scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure the ingredients are combining properly. Increase the speed back to medium – high and whip the mixture for one more minute. Chill and hold the finished cream.

THE ASSEMBLY

To assemble the biramisu, you will need six pint glasses and 24 lady finger biscuits cut into neat rounds which are smaller than the interior diameter of the pint glasses. You will also need the mascarpone cream and the remaining beer reduction from the recipes above.

Soak the biscuits in the remaining beer reduction for at least 2 minutes to allow the liquid to be absorbed. The biscuits should be saturated.

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In my previous post, I mentioned that I needed to get the story about the Blackwater Porter label over a brew.  I do love good tweetable trivia and a good beer!  Well, I got the story and my previous assumptions made for a pretty embarrassing moment!

This weekend, my friend, Janice, was in town and I wanted to share with her my passion for experiencing local flavor. She's typically a SoloTraveler, but was excited to catch up after our trip to Mexico and interested in seeing the side of Orlando that tourists usually don't venture to.  So I drove her off the beaten path a bit to the Tap Room at Orlando Brewing so we could taste some local beer.

Our flight included Blackwater Porter, Eminent Domain, Pompous Ass and Pelican Stout.  My favorite is still the Blackwater Porter.  Light, coffee scented and refreshing.  Janice had a hard time deciding which of the later 3 were her favorite.

Just as we were preparing to leave, John Cheek, president of Orlando Brewing strolled up to say hello.  This was impeccable timing as Janice had a lot of questions about the brewery that I didn't know the answers to.  Who better to ask than the man that started the establishment?

Since I had sipped a few beers, the "think-before-you-speak" part of my brain had been turned off.  I piped in and asked, "So, what's the story on the crazy looking bearded hillbilly on the label of Blackwater Porter?" John says, "Well, he's actually standing right over there.  He's one of the partners here at Orlando Brewing." I immediately bit my lip ... sank into the bar stool ... and tried to crawl under the counter.  (Open mouth, insert foot, chase with a beer.)

His name is Gene and he is a real person, not just clip art used for a label.  Gene's in charge of beer distribution and gave Janice an I the history on all their beer labels.  His story about the gold panning was a fun one.  About 20 years ago he and some friends decided it would be an exciting camping trip.  After buying all the necessary supplies, taking pictures in the depths of some mines, enduring weather so cold that the pillows froze to the side of the tent, they found less than a palm-full of gold nuggets.  If this story were a credit card ad, it would have gone something like this ...

Camping equipment ... $3000

Emergency room visit for frost bite ... $1000

Spending time outdoors with your buds and only finding $30 worth of gold nuggets... priceless.

Well, here's the last little nugget you need to make Biramisu.

Starting with ... the cookie ...

They create almost everything by hand at The Portobello.  Remember the pasta from Biramisu Part 1?  I asked Chef Steve to tell me how much pasta they make every day.  He said it looked like a 50 1lb piece of chewing gum before they shape it.  My running buds and I could certainly put a dent in that.  We'll have to go there for a little pasta-palooza party before our next long distance run.  And since we're getting up to 18 and 20 miles, I think we deserve a little dessert!  Dessert!  Ah ... back on topic ...

The last part of the biramisu recipe is the lady finger biscuit which essentially includes eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, baking power ... and ... their secret ingredient, orange zest.  The orange zest really brings out the flavor of the beer.

Now, I can't actually *give* you the recipe for their lady finger biscuits.  This is the one part that remains a secret.  So you'll have to go to The Portobello to taste the real thing.  Chef Steve says you can save some time and substitute with store bought lady fingers.

One tip I can give you is to change the shape.  A round lady finger (biscuit) will fit quite nicely into a beer glass for serving.  Use a round cookie cutter to make them the size you need.

Next, play with your food and eat the left over o-rings ...

Using two different sizes helps the biscuits fit the tapered shape of the glass.

Now ... the beer!

Pour the remaining beer reduction into a wide, but shallow, bowl.   (Hopefully you didn't use it all as pancake syrup.)

Place the cookies into the reduction and let them soak for a bit.  They should start getting heavy with beer and start to sink.

When they start to sink, flip them over.

I know, I know, you're jealous of the biscuits that get to swim in beer reduction.

I can only imagine the grunts my beer-loving guy friends are making right now.

Layer the biscuits and cream into the dish you'll be serving them in.  Preferably, since it is BEER-amisu ... a beer glass!

Top it off with some whipped cream and skim off the top so that it looks like a frothy beer.

And there you have it.  Biramisu made with the incredible tasting Blackwater Porter ... slightly coffee tasting ... somewhat malty ... and definitely delicious.

If you're in Florida this month and interested in testing what I keep calling the  "coffee"  beer, then check out Oktoberfest at the Tap Room.  It's the kind of hidden gem that only the locals know about and is a great way to celebrate the Fall season!

I'll be there!  Will you?  If you go ... tweet me @TravelBlggr

If you want to print this recipe without all the photos ... click here:  Biramisu

Do you know which brewer does NOT supply beer for Oktoberfest?  Comment below ...

--Rachelle

I promise.  I did spell that correctly.  It's like tiramisu ... with a "b" ... because it's made with beer.  Yup!  So how does one actually combine beer with dessert? I know some of my friends would say that beer is a meal in and of itself ... or could be enjoyed as an after meal treat.  Last year I tried combining beer with breakfast in a savory way ... but this recipe is for a sweet dessert inspired by Orlando Brewing Company's Blackwater Porter. I have to confess, I'm not typically a beer girl.  Two sips from a bottle and I'm usually done.  I'm more of a wine girl.  And after Mexico ... a tequila girl.

So, how did I get lured in by a brew? Well, there are a couple of reasons.  In no particular order ...

A)  After chugging down a cheap cold brew in 5 minutes flat after the Key West Half Marathon ... I discovered that beer was an excellent way to recoup carbs after a run.

B)  During a TV pilot video shoot, Orlando Brewing educated me on the fine art of beer tasting.  From light to dark ... I lost count after tasting 6 beers.  I think there were 12 total.  John Cheek, President of Orlando Brewing (all around awesome dude with fun shoes), swears that beer has more range and depth of flavor than wine.  I tried to validate this data by researching it online, but could only find a really fun cartoon on Oatmeal.com that discusses 20 Things Worth Knowing About Beer.  So I'll just trust John and his infinite brew wisdom that BEER could possibly be more sophisticated than wine.  Who would have thought?  Guess I'll have to hold my pinkies up when sipping a pint.

C)  As if I needed only a smidgen of a healthy reason to take on a new habit ... such as beer being loaded with B vitamins ... eh uhm ... Orlando Brewing's Blackwater Porter has the scent and flavor of coffee.  So I've just transferred my morning vice for an evening vice with the same flavor.

I never did get the story on the label that has a crazed looking bearded hillbilly man panning for gold.  Oh well.  Something to discuss over our next brew.

So, now I'm am beer girl too.

Add to that dessert-girl and carb-girl and thank goodness I've got some long distance major calorie burning runs over the next few months!

Speaking of carbs, Chef Steve at The Portobello, created a pretty awesome dessert inspired by the coffee notes of the Blackwater Porter ... beer tiramisu ... Biramisu.  I'm pretty impressed with The Portobello.  Not only do they use local ingredients as much possible (independently owned local organic beer from Orlando Brewing, produce from Plant City), but they also make their pasta fresh daily ... by hand ... I swear!   In a world of franchises and fast food over by the Disney area, I was pretty impressed to drive off of I-4 and feel like I was transported to a kitchen in Tuscany.  But I guess Disney is magic like that.  Here is photographic evidence that their pasta doesn't come from a box ...

And their shredded cheese is not from a bag ...

This is as close as it gets to walking into a  family owned bistro on the streets of Sorrento in Italy.  Except no passport is needed.  The Portobello has to be best place for pasta and Italian in Orlando, FL.  I'll be there for the Disney Princess Half Marathon with all my running peeps for sure!

So ... back to the beer. Chef Steve gave me a lesson in making a beer reduction.  Easy ... because it's really just two ingredients.  Tricky ... because you could quickly have a boiled over mess.  Watch Chef Steve and learn ...

Pour the beer into a sauce pan.  If you take a swig of beer ... be sure to measure it.  Chef Steve is pretty precise.

Combine the beer with sugar (precise measurements below) and simmer on low heat until the volume is reduced by approximately one half.  You can take visual note of this by the line of liquid on the inside of the sauce pan.  The whole process should take about an hour.  Be sure to keep it on LOW heat, otherwise you'll have a beer volcano eruption all over your stove.  And that's just wasting perfectly good beer.

You'll know it's done when the texture and consistency is like syrup.  And, yes, this would also be excellent on pancakes.

Beer with breakfast.  Just sayin.

Chill the beer reduction in your refrigerator.  I'll share Part 2 of the recipe with you tomorrow.

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Portobello Country Italian Trattorria's

"Biramisu"

FOR THE BEER REDUCTION

24 oz (vol)     Orlando Brewing Blackwater Porter

16 oz (wt)

Granulated Sugar Combine the beer and sugar in a heavy sauce pan and reduce on low heat by approximately one half.  The initial volume will be approximately 40 ounces which will yield 20 ounces.  The consistency will be slightly syrupy.  Chill and hold.

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Tomorrow: We'll have an Italian word of the day for you to learn, try, and taste ... "zabaglione"

--Rachelle aka @TravelBlggr

<Disclosure>

If heaven on earth existed ... in my mouth ... it would be this.  The land of milk and honey.  Sinfully sweet and smelling of roses.  I encountered this delightful desert during a dinner at a trendy Indian restaurant, Nirvana Beverly Hills, with other bloggers ... so they didn't mind at all when I whipped out my phone at the dinner table to tweet that I was having some sort of delicious Oh-My-Gawd experience.    It was like falling in love for the first time and I wanted to proclaim it to the World.  You must be thinking that I'm over-reacting to a simple meal.  I admit, it could have been the sensual atmosphere of Nirvana which is candle-lit and oozing not-so-subtle hints of Kama Sutra with their artwork and menu descriptions.  Appetizers are called "Foreplay."  Entrees ... "Loss of Innocence."  And dessert ... "Sensuous Pleasures, Sin committed, but quickly forgotten."  Whoa.  I have to remember, this is Beverly Hills.

But I do believe that even if I wasn't under the glittery influence of LA, upon savoring this treat I still would have closed my eyes, left the earth and had a moment.  The taste of sweet roses ... not the scent of a flower, but it's flavor.  By the time I regained my senses the menus had already been lifted from the table and I didn't know my new lover's name.  I tweeted that I was having a sweet honey and rose flavored dessert.  Someone immediately responded, "you must be having Gulab Jamun."

I tried saying that out loud, but it sounded like I was trying to speak with a mouthful.  (Try it.  Right now.  Go ahead.  Say ... Guuuulaaaab Jaaamuuun.  See?)   So I just made a mental note of the roses and honey.  Later when I went to post about it again, in my insecurity of the language, I described them as honey rose donut holes.  Big mistake.  HUGE!  My Middle Eastern friends quivered at the comparison.  "Gulab Jamun are not donut holes!" they proclaimed.  But ... uhm ... they certainly look like donut holes?  Fancy rose scented ones at that!  Wikipedia describes them as waffle balls.   I once called them O.M.G. balls.  That didn't quite sound right either.  So let's just learn how to pronounce it correctly.  According to MacMillan Dictionary, it's /ɡʊˌlɑːb ˈjɑːmən/.

And here's how to make them ...

Start with some honey, powdered milk, and roses.

I actually used the roses to make tea.  Nirvana did give me a recipe for making rose water at home (posted below).  But I found it at my local grocer in the spice section as a natural gourmet flavoring ... or perfume?

The dry milk I was a little iffy about.  One of my chef friends suggested using  all whole ingredients (i.e. nothing powdered or dried).  So I looked up other recipes online for gulab jamun and all used powdered milk.  So I decided to stick to the recipe.  Doesn't look appetizing ... but works like a charm!

Add a little baking powder ...

As if the powdered milk wasn't enough ... add to that 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream.  Yeah ... these donuts ...I mean .... gulab jamun, are rich and creamy little cakes.

Mix together with a wooden spoon.  It gets a little sticky.

I was unprepared to have my photo taken ... against the only wall in my kitchen that is unpainted and undecorated.  Hair tossed in a clip and 70's ring-T on.  Ew.  At least the apron is flirty.  I'm actually standing on a stool to gain some leverage on this counter island for mixing.  Increasing my height by 8 inches also helps me channel my inner Julia Child.  But I digress ... back to the recipe ...

Cover your hands in flour and roll dough into 1 inch balls.

Confession: here's where I went wrong the first time around.

I'm a runner, so I don't cook/eat/prepare fried foods.  Ever.  I don't have a deep fryer.  I'm also the kind of cook that sometimes just throws from the hip and says, "let's try it!" without properly researching.

Google is at my fingertips.  I should have looked up "heating" and "boiling points" of oil.

But instead I followed the advice of Julia Child, "The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a 'What the hell?' attitude."

So, "what the heck!"  Let's pour some oil in a pan and turn the temperature up to high!   (By the way, I don't recommend this!)

And the first one goes in ...

(See ... that oil doesn't look hot, does it?)

Pop!  Crack!  Sizzle ...

Insta-Burn!

This happened in all of 3 seconds.  Seriously.  The recipe calls for them to reach a "rich mahogany color."  But somehow I don't think this fits that description.  Especially since it happened so fast that I doubt the inside cooked.  So ... we turned the heat to medium and waited a bit.  Learn from my mistake.

After the oil was at a sufficient "cook-instead-of-burn" temperature , we started getting some golden brown results.  PS ... my whole house now smells like fried gulab jamun from the burn experiment.

Meanwhile ...

The syrup is being made.

This is similar to a simple syrup used in drink making ... only with rose water and honey.  Bring sugar and water to a boil, then add 2 tablespoons of rose water.  I also added two tablespoons of honey after it cooled.

Pour the sugar water over the gulab jamun and let it soak in.

Gulab Jamun

Rose-Flavored Cakes in Sugar Syrup

from the kitchen of Nirvana Beverly Hills

Makes 25-30 Balls

The Sugar Syrup:

2 pounds sugar

2 quarts plus 1 pint water

2 tablespoons rose water***

The Dough:

3 cups dry milk

1 cup flour

3 tablespoons baking powder

2 ½ cups heavy cream

3 pints of oil for deep frying

Make the sugar syrup first: In a heavy saucepan bring the sugar and water to a boil, then let it thicken by cooking over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Add the rose water and keep the syrup warm at a low simmer.

In a large bowl mix the ingredients for the dough thoroughly to make a still batter. Let mixture sit for 10-15 minutes to set. Take a pinch of dough a little smaller than a golf ball and roll it between your palms to round it into a neat ball.

Repeat with the rest of the dough.

In a wok or heavy skillet, heat the oil over high heat until a haze begins to form, just before it begins to smoke. Carefully add the balls until the surface is covered. (If necessary cook the balls in more than one batch.) With a large spoon, start turning the balls just as they begin to take on color. After about 3 minutes, turn the heat down to medium-low, and continue to turn the balls until they acquire a rich mahogany color.

When the sweetmeats have achieved a luscious, deep color, turn the heat up to high for 2-3 minutes to add still more color and to firm the crust. Drain onto paper towels.

When drained, put the balls into a large bowl and pour the sugar syrup over them. Let them rest until the syrup reaches room temperature. They can now be eaten – but they will taste even better if allowed to “tighten” until the next day.

NOTE: Gulab Jamun will keep a week or more, stored in the refrigerator.

***How to make Rose Water:

5 large roses

2 quarts cool (not iced) water

Wash roses thoroughly in cold water. Pick off all the petals, reserving a few for garnish; put the remainder in a large ceramic jar. Pour the cool water over them and set them aside in a dark place (away from any sunshine) for at least 4 hours. Strain the rose water and discard petals.

--Rachelle

a.k.a. @TravelBlggr

###

Rachelle with the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento and Mt Vesuvius in the background.

The Amalfi Coast is often described as breathtaking.  Now, having been there, I could argue that it's not the scenery that takes your breath away, but the insane way that Italians drive while ignoring any form of lane boundaries and taking cliff-side curves at high speeds.  It's enough to turn your hair white.

I arrived in Naples by plane and Sorrento by bus ... and I have to say ... next time, I'll go by boat.  I'll skip the chaos of Alitalia and the "oh-my-gawd-this-bus-is-going-to-tip-off-this-cliff" moments.  In Italy, there really are no road rules. The bigger your vehicle, the more people will get out of your way.  Unless you're in the smallest of vehicles, in which case you'd be a cuckoo kamikaze ridin a Vespa at top speed weaving in and out of

Which way to go?

traffic defying the laws of physic the whole time.  At least the other tourists would get out of your way as they gasped, "are you insane?"  Personally, I'd feel safer arriving to the Amalfi Coast by boat.  But then again, I wouldn't have such fun stories to tell.  After all, it's not an adventure unless your risking your life, right?  So it's no wonder they serve limoncello in Sorrento ... at the end of the ride there you need a little something hard and sweet to calm your nerves.  And I'm not talking about Italian men.  Well, maybe.  Okay, just a little.

Soooo, back to transportation and Italian men.

Stepping out of the airport in Naples and walking to find the bus that would take our group to Sorrento, there was a man whose frame I swear was chiseled right out of a  Roman God statue mold.  Tall and tan, jet black hair slicked back in true Soprano's style with a little curly cue brushing his forehead. He had on a tight pair of designer jeans, white "wife beater" tank top, a gold chain with (you guessed it) a gigantic hunk-of-a gold cross, Italian leather shoes (of course) and big girlie-like Prada sunglasses. This man was our bus driver. Oh lord, help me.  The stereotype in flesh and blood.  I giggled and then hoped that no one noticed.

Grand Entrance

The ride to Sorrento from Naples is about an hour and well worth the car sickness.  I think this little seaside town gets overshadowed by some of the more popular destinations like Naples, Pompeii and Positano.  Sorrento is small and can easily be walked through in a day.  It's full of shops peddling handmade linens and Italian leather goods with little family owned restaurants piping the scents of fresh lemon, basil and seafood to lure you in for a leisurely Italian lunch.

Just a short uphill drive (literally ... and somewhat like an extended version San Fran's Lombard Street) you'll find my other two favorite Italian towns, Santa Agata and Massa Lubrense.  This is where my second adventure began.  First, my goal was to survive hurling while being driven around the Amalfi Coast ... and I don't get car sick.  The second test of my sense of adventure was the entrance to our bed & breakfast.  I have it pictured here, because I know you'd think I was exaggerating.  It was a dirt pathway leading to an unfinished building under construction.  Seriously.  Are you looking at the picture?  The cab had already driven off in a cloud of dust and I'm surrounded by olive groves so there is no where else to go but down this road.

Balcony & View

When you've traveled all day, when you've had nothing to eat but airport food, when you're feeling grimy and craving a clean shower, when you can still taste the vomit in the back of your throat from fear that your life was going to end in a tour bus rolling down a cliff side into the Mediterranean ... this is not the entrance you envision schlepping your luggage through.

I gulped.  Then I tilted my head to the side and said, "for real?!" Then I chuckled.  Then I laughed so hard I wheezed, couldn't breathe, and my gasps for air turned into snorting through my nose ... I do this when things go wrong when traveling.  I'm fun that way.  I put on my best zen-like yoda face and pulled my luggage through the dirt.  Wheels on the bottom of the bag didn't matter since they weren't built for bumpy back roadin.  I deliriously smiled from ear-to-ear thinking, "this is either going to be really interesting or I'm going to have to pick some olives from these trees for dinner."  Thankfully, the house at the end of this dusty road was spectacular!   Italian tile tubs, big kitchen, and a balcony with a view of the coast. Aaaaah.  I like happy surprises.  Pass the limoncello now please.

Other delightful surprises I found in Santa Agata?  Well, for starters, they produce one of the most divine white wines that have ever touched my lips, Mustilli, made with the Falanghina varietal grape.  And I was even more amused that they use a glass cork.  Nifty.

Just down the road a bit from Santa Agata is Massa Lubrense.  This town has a special place in my heart for the 8 course family made Italian meal we enjoyed for about $30 Euros per person.  Two of  the most memorable meals in my life took place at Lo Stuzzichino and Fattoria Terra Nova.  I had the pleasure of celebrating a friend's birthday on this occasion and this particular year ended in a zero so it was a special one.  Lucky for us, he speaks Italian and is major foodie, so we went on quite the gastronomic ride.  He recreates these same mouth-gasmic dishes at his B&B in the States, The Adora Inn.

John with Stuzzichino Chef

.  I may be of French descent, but I  have to give the Italians credit for really knowing how to make dinner a slow food event.  First they start with a antipasto, then pasta, then fish, then beef, then more antipasto, then a cheese plate, then desert, THEN salad, and then ... the limoncello.  Limoncello is actually just one of a variety of after dinner liquors they serve.  Among the choices, I remember one called "rocket" that was a lettuce liquor.  Radicchio.  It was delish.  But I'll stick to making limoncello at home since I'm not too confident in what would happen if I stuck a bunch of lettuce in a liter of vodka.

So, next time you're driving home from a long day and you've done the equivalent of schlepping heavy baggage down bumpy dirt roads ... and then traffic is bumper-to-bumper... and the guy in the lane to the left of you is picking his nose ... and you glance up in the rear view mirror and notice the lady behind you putting on mascara while driving ... and some annoying song that you've heard 100 times is playing on every radio station available ... just think, "I could be in Italy right now and the traffic would be 10 times worse.  Though, there would be the decedents of Roman gods driving vespas shirtless weaving in and out of traffic passing you by as they said, 'ciaoooo bellaaaa.'" And after that thought you get even more ticked.  You let out a sigh.  Then, go home and make some limoncello.

Let us begin ...

The recipe came from a kitchen towel I found at the open air market in Sorrento.  I have it posted at the end in both Italian and in English.

You'll need to peel approximately 8 lemons.  I found it easiest to use a bar tool called a channel knife since it gives you nice long strips of lemon peel.  Still haven't figured out yet how bar tenders get the little curly cue thing with it ... but I tried.  Aim the peel at the opening of the container so that it will catch the oils released.  Be warned ... your hands and nails will be sticky and yellow, but they'll smell citrus clean!

Add your lemon peels to glass containers that can be hermetically sealed.

Okay.  Now imagine me at the liquor store looking at the 50 different options there are for vodka.  Not only are there a bajillion different brand names, but vodka is now available in every flavor under the rainbow!  You name it, they've got it.  Pear vodka. Chocolate vodka.  Raspberry Vodka.  Espresso vodka.  I called at least 2 or 3 of my guy friends (being a little stereotypical there ... as if guys know more about vodka then women, eh?) and asked for some advice on brands and they were all nodding their heads (yes, I could see this over the phone.  Or sense it anyway) that brand does indeed matter.  Apparently the *cheap* stuff will give you a headache.  Not in my life have I ever had enough vodka to analyze the morning after effects.  But what I DID want to experiment with was flavor.  Will the citrus flavored vodka create a limoncello with more zing than a regular plain vodka?  That is the question.  This all of a sudden felt like a 7th grade science fair exhibit sans the 3 paneled poster board, and, well, obviously that I wouldn't be testing vodka in 7th grade.

I labeled each container appropriately so we'd know for sure which is which.   And then I realized my insatiable curiosity created us wonderful reason to plan a  limoncello tasting!

Let the "games" begin.  On this side of the ring we have Absolut Citron.  Smells citrus-y.  Looks clear.

And our next contender is just plain Absolut.  Plain, but strong.  Puts hair on your chest.  That's why I'm adding lemon and sugar because I don't need hair on my chest.

Pour them separately into the appropriately marked containers with lemon peels.

Now ... the not so fun part.  You've got to let it marinate for a couple of days.  What to do while you wait?  Drink wine.

Seal the containers tightly and let it sit in a cool dry place for a minimum of 4 days.  The longer you wait, the stronger the lemon flavor.  Some recipes call for letting it sit for up to 3 months.  I wasn't that patient this time.  On the 4th day ... we made limoncello!  This is where it gets just a little messy ... so stand at your sink.  You want to strain the peels out of the liquid, so we poured them through a fine strainer into a large bowl, and then poured the lemon infused vodka back into their appropriate container and added the sweet simple syrup.  Look how yellow that vodka turned in just 4 days!

Chill.  Serve. Drink.

Pour into fancy bottles and give away as gifts.  Enjoy.

In Italian & English ...

Limoncello

Ingredienti

un litro d' acqua
un litro d' alcool
un chilo di zucchero
otto limoni

Prendere degli 8 limoni solo le bucce tagliandole sottili e mettendole in infusione dentro l' alcool.  Il tuuto in un barattolo ermeticamente chiuso.

Aspettate quattro giorni ed unite l' infuso d' alcool con lo sciroppo che avrete preparato con un Kg di zucchero in un litro d' acqua tiepida.  Mescolate e lasciate riposare il tutto una decina di mimuti, filtrate ed imbottigliate.  Si Serve molto freddo.

Lemon Cello

I guess I've gotten to the point now, after creating many a recipe (and screwing up a few dishes to boot) where I can take a peak in my fridge, throw together some ingredients and make something good.  Of course, one can never go wrong with bourbon.  It just sounds good.  Even better with a slow southern drawl ... go ahead and try it ... I'll wait ...

buuuuuuh bon.

That's right brath-ah's and sist-ah's ... this is my sweet tooth revival.

This got me thinkin about a good old southern accent.  I used to work with a girl from Alabama that could insult you seven different ways to Sunday, but her tone would have you tricked into thinking she just invited you to her house for coffee.  And then there are guys out there like Matthew Maconahay, that even without his devilish good looks could talk a girl he just met into doin somethin she woudn't wanna write home about.  Just sayin.

Out of sheer curiosity, I Googled "southern drawl" and this is what I found ...

They actually label it "Southern American English" or SAE.  It's characterized by R-dropping, use of the circumfix -in' (as in hootin' and hollerin'), and my favorite ... "yonder."   They also describe gliding vowels as a diphthong.   My thought was, "ah whaaaht?  A dip-a-thong?" I'm just gonna leave that alone.  But we'll make today's post fun by writing in an SAE accent.  It will sound sweeter.  And will probably make you hungry.  Play along with me now y'all and read it aloud.

The weekend of the Kentucky Derby, some friends-o-mine were makin mint juleps an had a gigantic bottle of whiskey on hand.  It was so enormous, that, despite the fact there were at least 10 people at their derby party garage sale coolin off with a mighty minty drink ... I'm sure they'll be plenty left that'll last until next year's derby.  I didn't think they'd mind (or even notice!)  if I stole their normal sized bottle of Jim Beam for some recipe experimentation.

On to the experiment ...

Grab y'all some peaches and a big ole loaf a bread and start layerin it all in a large bakin dish or pie pan. (This reminds me of my former boss and friend that would say "pah" instead of "pie."  She said I pronounced it "pye" instead of the proper "pah."   I do admit though, the way she said "pah" sounded like it had less calories and tasted better than pie.   Potato ... potahto ... )

Then whip togethah about a dozen eggs, a cup of milk, a cap of vanilla, some sug-ah ...

And a splash of bourbon ...

okay ... maybe a little more than a splash ...

Pour the whisked whiskey egg-y mixture over the bread and make sure all the dry ingredients get good and soaked.  You can even make this ahead of time, cover it, and let it sit in the fridge to allow the bread to absorb every last drop of the egg-y mixture.

If you are pressed for time, press the bread down with your finger.  *wink*

Sprinkle with some brown sugar.  Oh, wait ... I meant brown "shug-ah" ...

Bake at 350 for 55 minutes ... let cool ... then serve!

Several friends had texted, Facebooked and tweeted me about entering the Paula Deen recipe contest, and this is one dish that could definitely get better with cream cheese!

See how I made it in the video at the top of the post.

Bourbon Peach Bread Pudding

from Inn The Kitchen

Ingredients