Hoppy Easter!
Sunday, April 8, 2012 -
Showing posts with label Brunch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brunch. Show all posts
A Brunch of China and Germany
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 -
I failed in taking photos, but two is better than none. We had prepared turkey sausage, bacon, a french toast bake (as pictured), an asparagus and tomato frittata, and fresh fruit. The baked French toast was ooey gooey and delicious. Plus, it is SO easy to make that it is a staple of brunch items for me when a large group of people are coming over. I have prepared this in a variety of ways, and this time was no different.
Oh, and cookies. We saved them for the movie. Which I chalk up to be our 2012 activity for March since a day off couldn't happen for all involved parties. But more to come on that.
Coconut French Toast with Grilled Pineapple
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 -
Ingredients
- 1 c. light coconut milk
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 1/4 c. skim milk
- 3 large eggs
- French bread, sliced (about 1/2 inch thick, though it says 1/4)
- Pineapple, sliced
- 1/2 c. sweetened coconut (I omitted this - didn't have any on hand)
While I was doing that, hubs sliced up the pineapple and grilled it until it had some great marks. I plated the French toast while hubs cut up the pineapple to top them. Since we didn't have any coconut, I couldn't flake this on top. Another great idea would be to add some toasted almonds on top, giving it a nutty crunch.
The French toast was great, subtly sweet with a nice crust. A light but extremely flavorful dish, a serving was only 394 calories (serving is three slices). This would also be a great brunch idea for the summer - outside on the patio - nom!
Hoosier Beer Geek's CBMTCBL
Monday, April 4, 2011 -
Here is a run down on the brews we got to sip:
New Albanian's Old Lightening RodA seasonal release, this is a smooth darker ale with molasses flavor. It was deliciously paired with a cheese from Goose the Market. The cheese was of a brie texture and taste, but very smooth. Creamy and buttery, it had been wrapped in wood, giving the rind a slight salty and earthy finish. I can picture the cheese oozing between the wood and huge grape leaves that were placed one on top and bottom. I apologize, being the cheese lover that I am, I really concentrated more on the cheese. But I can tell you that the beer complimented it well, not overpowering but cleansing the palate for each bite.
 |
| Black Coffee |
Brugge Black Coffee
Subtly sweet smell, also had a strong coffee backbone. Subtle chocolate taste to the palate.
Broad Ripple Brewpub ESB
Not carbonated like a standard ESB, but once warmed up a bit it was subtly bitter. A bit more hoppy than anything, but a decent brew.
Dogfish Head My Antonia
Sadly, Dogfish no longer sells their beer in Indiana. Which is unfortunate, because this was my first taste of this particular brew and I would love to try it again (and again...) A hoppy pilsner, I enjoyed how smooth it was. Very drinkable for being an Imperial - surprisingly refreshing for a hoppy beer.
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| Mmm...chocolate bacon... |
Sun King Baconator 2
Last year, we got to enjoy the original baconator beer, but this year, a slight twist was added. The bacon was infused with milk chocolate from Indy's Best Chocolate. So you had the sweetness taste from the chocolate, but a subtle smokey flavor from the bacon. It was very good - cheers Sun King!
Lafayette Brewing Bumpyface Agave Wheatwine
A thicker alcohol taste than I anticipated, and also more smooth. Not much of an opinion on this one, didn't really stand out to me or the hubs.
Schlafly Raspberry Coffee Stout
This may be my favorite of the day. It had a light raspberry smell, but a rich coffee flavor. It made me think of those chocolate covered raspberry jelly treats I ate as a child. But don't be thinking it was sweet, only subtle sweet because of the rich stout flavor. I really enjoyed it - and there is quite a story behind it involving a grocery store and how it is made just for them. Yum.
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| With poplar syrup addition |
Brugge Bad Kitty
We weren't originally going to be tasting this, but the scheduled woodruff wasn't delivered (it was stuck in Illinois somewhere). A sour beer, it wasn't something I loved at first sip, but this is because I'm not a sour beer fan. But, with a bit of their poplar syrup (which they mix in with their mustard normally...mmm...so good) added to the mix, it was pleasantly refreshing.
The food - oh yes, those frites that Brugge serves up. We were given three choices, and I got to taste a little bit of each due to some sharing friends (thank you friends!):
Steak & Eggs, served with frites. I've reviewed the steak & eggs time and time again and am happy to report it is still delish. For the first few bites, I thought my steak was over seasoned, but the more I ate, the more I disagreed with myself. Eggs were perfectly fried with a soft yolk for the frites and steak to soak up. And of course, the fantastic frites. I chose two different dipping sauces: hot curry and bleu cheese, this time around and both were phenomenal. Nom.
German Cheese & Meat Platter. Kyle had ordered this, and there was a variety of fruits, meats, cheeses and spreads. I nibbled on some dragon fruit, which was very bland and some mustard cheese. That cheese was fantastic, mustard seeds popping with each bite. Nom again.
Another successful event, we had a great time with our friends while noshing on some treats and sipping some brews. Unfortunately, we had to take off rather quickly for another event that afternoon (more to come) so we missed out on the misc. tastes offered by HBG and their collection. But I'm sure it was a grand time.
Thank you HBG's for another great event, and the Brugge for being a fantastic host location. The servers, the cooks, and all those involved - cheers to all of you for a great morning. I look forward to next year's event (and word to the wise, if you missed out, make sure to your ticket early!)
Baked Blueberry & Pecan French Toast
Monday, January 3, 2011 -
As mentioned, one of my New Year's resolutions is to focus this blog more on 'in the kitchen' fun, as well as events and daily happenings. What better way then to kick it off with our New Year's brunch item - baked blueberry french toast!I had half of a loaf of french bread leftover from the week, some frozen blueberries and eggs. So I thought, why not make blueberry french toast for our NYE brunch? But I knew that I wouldn't want to get up and have to prep it that morning. So instead, it turned into one of those lovely overnight breakfast prep items.
I cubed the french bread and prepped the egg mixture, which contained eggs, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. I then reached for the brown sugar...
...and kept reaching...
...insert a huge sigh here......because I didn't have any brown sugar.
What to do? Improvise. I knew I had some molasses and regular sugar, so I made my own brown sugar and added about half a cup to the mix. A tip for you all - a cup of sugar and about a teaspoon of molasses will make you a cup of, you guessed it, brown sugar. So next time you find yourself in a situation like mine, I hope this tid bit helps you out!Then, I poured the egg mixture over the bread, covered it and let it sit in the fridge while I enjoyed the evening (you see that beer in the background, yup, I moved on for the night...)
The next morning, I gathered up some items for my topping. I sprinkled some blueberries over top and added some pecans I found in the freezer after thinking "why not?" I sprinkled on some more of the homemade brown sugar and then dabbed it with a tablespoon or two of butter before popping it in the oven for about 45 minutes.
I then reached into the drawer for aluminum foil...
...and kept reaching...
...insert another sigh with a tad bit of frustration - I mean, how did I let this happen?! In this case, I covered the dish with a cookie sheet for the first 45 minutes. And for the remaining 15 minutes, I removed the cookie sheet so the bake could get that crisp topping and color I was looking for. And then, heaven on a fork. It was crisp on top, and tender in the middle - just like french toast should be. I love the crispy edges mixed with the soft blueberries and crunch of pecans. The cinnamon was great in the mix as well, and the homemade brown sugar gave it the perfect sweetness. I served it with syrup, but I bet a blueberry syrup would make this dish even more divine. I'm sure it would work with other berries as well!
So friends, what is a great substitution that you've done recently when you discovered you have overlooked an item in your pantry?
Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins (aka Heaven)
Monday, November 22, 2010 -
I gathered the ingredients (though I ended up doubling the recipe - I decided to make two batches so that we could munch on a few for breakfast and so I could bring them to work for when we decorate the office on Wednesday.)
I prepped two muffin pans and the mixing began! Dry ingredients in one bowl, which consisted of flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and allspice (don't have allspice? Use equal portions of cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper - pretty similar in taste - though for something like this, I would use all cinnamon instead.) Wet ingredients in another bowl and this included the pumpkin puree and buttermilk.
I then creamed together butter and brown sugar until it was fluffy. I heart my KitchenAid mixer (though no, they didn't give me anything to write this blog, I just like their stuff and happen to own a lot of it in red!) and it works well for things like this.
Next up, add eggs. I break these prior to adding them to ensure no shells get into the mix. I also bring them to room temperature - I don't bake with cold eggs. Oh, butter tip. If you forgot to bring your butter to room temperature, cut it up in small pieces and leave it out while you prep the dry and wet ingredients. It will be softened and at room temp in no time! Once the eggs were incorporated, I then added the dry and wet mixes. I alternated between the two to ensure all ingredients were incorporated.
What you are left with is some pretty thick batter. It is gorgeous in color and smells divine, but don't be threatened by the thickness. It will rise (I was worried, but just went with it to find that it was perfectly fine!)
I used a scoop to put batter in pans - it helps make them uniform in size which then helps them bake together. In the oven they went, and I continued to drool as the smell of them baking was intoxicating. When they came out, they had kept that beautiful orange color and I couldn't help but try one.
Oh gosh, it was so good - I knew it would be better once I coated it in butter and sprinkled (okay, I really just dipped it, no sprinkling was done in this recipe) it with cinnamon and sugar. Divine.
I only coated enough for hubs and I to snack on for breakfast (and for Monday as well.) The rest went into the freezer (sans butter and cinnamon/sugar) for another day, more specifically, Wednesday and Thursday. I plan on reheating them in the oven, then coating them the sugary mix so that I (and others) can indulge on them.
I can't wait. So. Good. If you love pumpkin, these are a must try. So march yourself to the kitchen and get baking - these will be perfect for any brunch, snack, potluck, dinner, midnight snack....
Bub's Cafe - Not Just a Place for Burgers
Sunday, September 19, 2010 -
It is a smaller restaurant, as it was a house at one point converted into the cafe it is now. But don't let a small wait discourage you, there is always coffee waiting for those who have their name on the waiting list. Hubs and I sipped our coffee and waited on this adorable red bench in the parking lot for my parents. And yes, parking is limited in the lot (just like Bub's Burgers,) but there is plenty of road space available. Or, you could just walk on the Monon like we do if you are able - knowing what treats lay ahead, you may want to get that walk in before diving in. Once inside, we were greeted by our friendly server who warmed up our coffee and delivered ordered juices. I adore sitting outside on the patio with a warm cup of coffee in my hand - and this experience did not disappoint as I sipped and enjoyed the company I was with. We ordered our food and enjoyed the morning while we waited.
I always order the famous "Bub Holes" when I dine here - they are just too good to pass up (thus, the walking...) You can place an order for three or six homemade donut holes (I say go for the six, you can mix the different kinds so why not!) They come as glazed, powdered sugar, chocolate or cinnamon sugar. And if you are there during the fall - sometimes you can get them as pumpkin! Unfortunately, pumpkin wasn't available, so I ordered us six to enjoy: half cinnamon and sugar, half chocolate. When they arrived, they were warm and perfectly fried up to order. All were crisp on the outside, and cakey but light on the inside. The dough they create is perfect in texture and density when fried. Rolled in cinnamon and sugar, you can't beat that combination of sweetness with the fried dough. Unless you are a chocolate lover, because the chocolate donuts are covered with a luscious sauce that is smooth and warm - just delicious. Let's just say I'm happy not all were eaten so I can have a few later on this evening for dessert!
For our meals, hubby ordered one of his faves (and a special of the day) - eggs benedict. Perfectly poached eggs adorned a crisp english muffin and pan fried piece of Canadian bacon. Over these simple yet satisfying elements was their amazing hollandaise sauce. Hollandaise sauce is basically egg yolks and butter cooked (but not scrambled) over a double boiler. From there, you can add a mixture of ingredients, jazzing it to your hearts content. Bub's has a simple flavor of lemon and a hint of mustard, seasoned with salt and pepper. These simple flavors pair perfectly with the open face egg sandwich - always a good choice.
I ordered another special they were offering that day - snow crab stratta. I was extremely excited to see it on the board and yet curious to how they would incorporate the snow crab. Upon receipt, I couldn't help but to be extremely happy with the portions as I knew it would be great leftovers. Strattas are similar to a quiche or frittata, mostly an egg dish that would be filled with flavors and ingredients and then baked into a delicious entree for breakfast, lunch or dinner. In this case, snow crab was incorporated and did not dissapoint as each bite had the rich essence of the shellfish. In addition, spinach and tomatoes were baked on top and their hollandaise was dribbled over. These flavors were fantastic together, and I can't wait to have it again (maybe for dinner tonight or lunch tomorrow, oh the possibilities!) Plus, I was given a generous serving of fruit - watermelon, pineapple, cantalope and grapes. A nice touch with the simple mixed greens that I nibbled through.My dad enjoyed his omelette with a mixing of great ingredients and thick slices of sourdough toast while my mom ate her eggs (over easy) with sourdough toast, potatoes (though they did look a little dry) and bacon. They always request to visit Bub's, whether it is burgers or breakfast, and the result is always a happy one.
Where is one of your favorite brunch spots on a Sunday morning?