Masterpiece Eat-a-Ter: The Troll Cookbook

The word "Troll" has developed a rather unsavory reputation as of late.  In the days when Brandy was young, a troll was a mystical, magical being that lived in small hovels in the woods or under remote country bridges.  Occasionally grumpy, but for the most part, rather charming beings that populated local legends and time honored fairytales.  In fact, Brandy quite identified with trolls, for some reason.

From The Troll Cookbook
Karima Cammell & Clint Marsh

From The Troll Cookbook
Karima Cammell & Clint Marsh

But these days, trolls are a whole different sort.  "I suppose I can understand how the unfortunate internet connotation has grown up around the word, but I have to say that it also makes me rather sad to see such lovely creatures associated with the worst kind of riff raff," Brandy lamented, "The fairy folk are supposed to remind us of the simplicity and magic of nature.  Trolls in my mind will always be that, no matter what the internet thinks!"


It's no wonder then that when Brandy became aware of a little publication known as The Troll Cookbook by Karmina Cammell and Clint Marsh, she was simply fascinated.  The book not only contains a host of different troll approved recipes grouped by season, but also features charming little legends and lore about the troll community and how they spend their days.  The Troll Cookbook is beautifully illustrated, more in the style of a storybook rather than a traditional cookbook, meaning readers are forced to imagine what the dishes should look like rather than simply copying a photograph.  There's all sorts of snippets detailing how one can live like the trolls by foraging for ingredients in the wild, making the simplest of things from scratch (like buttermilk, jams, and sourdough), and really having fun with cooking in the sloppiest, yummiest ways possible.

From The Troll Cookbook
Karima Cammell & Clint Marsh

Quickly, Brandy zeroed in on some recipes she thought would make for an excellent troll brunch.  She had great fun whipping up a batch of her very own ricotta cheese and then using the product for a Ricotta Tart, which had a custardy interior, a flaky butter spiked crust, and bright pops of fruit from some fresh apricots.  She also made up a batch of Sweet Potato Gnocci with a Pea and Mushroom cream sauce, and though she didn't forage the ingredients herself, she still thought the hearty plate brought up visions of eating from atop a wooden, moss covered stump with the sounds of twittering birds all around and the smell of earth in her nostrils.  Best of all were the Griddlecakes; crispy, oat infused pancake-like confections with a sophisticated sweetness that lent themselves to toppings like fresh fruit, syrup, or spoonfuls of fresh cottage cheese, and could even become vessels for savory foods, like ham and cheese (though, sadly, Brandy did not have the bravery to do as the book suggested and toss the Griddlecakes in the pan like the trolls would do).

Luckily, Brandy was granted permission from the troll powers that be to bring forth this magical troll brunch recipe!  To find out more about The Troll Cookbook, make sure to visit their website, or pick up your own copy from Amazon.

The writers of this blog were provided with a copy of this book by the authors in exchange for an honest review.  All recipes and illustrations belong to the authors.  

Griddlecakes

Greasy griddlecakes made from oats (or any rolled grain) are a favorite troll meal for breakfast or lunch.  The trolls show off by flipping the griddlecakes without a spatula.

1 1/2 cups of rolled oats (or any flattened grains)
2 cups of buttermilk or whole milk
2 eggs
1 spoon of vanilla extract
6 spoons of maple syrup
1/4 cup of melted butter or cooking oil (plus more for the pan)
1/2 spoon of salt
An open handful of flour
1/4 spoon of grated nutmeg
1/4 spoon of cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, stir together all the ingredients in the order listed.  Add more flour until the batter thickens to your liking but is still runny enough to pour easily.  A thin batter will give you crispy griddlecakes, and a batter that's too thick will make your griddlecakes doughy.  Add berries if you'd like.

Melt some butter in a griddle over medium-low heat and splash on scoops of batter.  Flip the griddlecakes just once and only after they are riddled with bubbles.  The second side of the griddlecakes cooks faster, but if it offer any resistant let it cook a little longer before lifting it off with a spatula.  Serve your griddlecakes as you cook.  If any of your fellow trolls like greasy griddlecakes, serve them the first few from the batch, as these will have soaked up more butter.

Cover griddlecakes with syrup, honey, chocolate, fruit, jam, yogurt, whipped cream, or anything you think tastes good.  If you'd prefer a savory meal instead of a sweet one, make larger griddlecakes and roll the up with slices of meat and cheese.

TOSSING GRIDDLECAKES
Cook like a troll by tossing your griddlecakes instead of flipping them with a spatula.  Once the griddlecake is loose and ready for turning (test it with a little shake of the pan), lift the griddle and flip the cake using a swift jabbing motion, strong enough to toss the griddlecake into the air but not so wild that it flies away.  This technique takes some practice, but trolls don't mind eating the dropped griddlecakes that end up on the stovetop or the floor.

Masterpiece Eat-a-Ter: Afternoon Tea at Home

Next to brunch, Brandy regards Tea Time as the most important meal of the day, or as Brandy puts it, "When I first came to the United States and realized that a proper four o'clock tea was not a recognized tradition, I almost turned tail and ran back home to Old Blighty."  But in recent years, there seems to have been a resurgence in the mid day snack, perhaps due to a few popular British television transplants, perhaps due to the changing landscape of the American work hours, or perhaps people have just finally wised up to how spectacular a good cream tea can be.

Afternoon Tea at Home by Will Torrent

Ryland Peters & Small, $24.95; www.rylandpeters.com

Photo credit: Photography by Matt Russell

Luckily, a new cookbook recently came to Brandy's attention; Afternoon Tea at Home by Will Torrent.  Chef Torrent, a world class patissier and chocolatier who has worked with the best of the best in the British culinary world, has set out to make the sometimes finicky and staunch world of high tea service a little less intimidating for the home cook.  The book is sectioned off into classics and essentials at the front, then recipes divided by season in the middle, and handy menu guides for designing tea service for different occasions at the back. Brandy found the photography absolutely gorgeous, showing off all of the detailed decorations and luscious fillings.  Though the pictures sometimes made the delicacies look complicated, the conversational tone of the writing combined with the clear directions made each recipe very easy to follow.

To design her tea service, Brandy had a few criteria.  "We must have a scone, a cookie, a cake, a sandwich, and something special," she sketched out.  She chose the Blueberry Buttermilk Scones with Honeycomb Butter, a nice little twist on the classic English treat.  The scones had the perfect tender texture with bursts of fresh berries and a little tang from the buttermilk, but the accompanying butter, which had been cut with crispy honeycomb candy, made these goodies very unique and extremely decadent.  For her cookies, Brandy couldn't resist making the Earl Grey Teapots.  These simple shortbreads were spiked with bits of actual Earl Grey tea, making them a fresh and sweet accompaniment to a hot brewed cuppa.  The cakes were a very easy Strawberry and Cream cake, made with clotted cream for an extra touch of Englishness, and came out rather buttery and crumbly, much like an American strawberry shortcake.  The sandwiches she chose were the Bloody Mary Shrimp sandwiches, which had a lovely creamy filling that packed plenty of punch to cut through the sweetness of the rest of the treats.  Finally, Brandy went full molecular gastronomist and made a batch of Lime and Mint Prosecco Jellies, topped with an infused foam.  Not only did these beauties make for a lovely presentation, they were actually quite easy to prepare.

"Oh, how I have missed having a good old afternoon tea!" Brandy exclaimed as she beheld the deliciousness before her, "And with these recipes being even easier than I had thought they would be, I now think I'm confident enough to attempt some of the more complicated goodies.  Now, to find a piping bag, some gelatin sheets, a few pieces of gold leaf and... on second thought, I should probably eat what I've already made."

Bloody Mary shrimp sandwich
The addition of some of the ingredients that make up a Bloody Mary cocktail to a classic Marie Rose sauce takes a simple prawn/shrimp sandwich to a whole new level. The crushed avocado butter elevates it even further, which in my opinion, when done right, is simply stunning.

400 g/14 oz. cooked north Atlantic prawns/shrimp
3 tablespoons
mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon paprika
a splash of Tabasco
1 tablespoon vodka (optional)
a dash of Worcestershire sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

AVOCADO BUTTER

75 g/5 tablespoons butter, softened
1 ripe avocado
juice of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

TO SERVE
8 thin slices brown bread
2 heads little Gem lettuce, shredded
celery salt, to taste

Makes 8

Pat the prawns/shrimp dry with paper towels and tip into a bowl. Add the mayonnaise, ketchup, paprika, Tabasco, vodka (if using) and a shake of Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and black pepper, and mix well to coat the prawns/shrimp. Taste and add a drop more Tabasco if you prefer the Bloody Mary sauce a little spicier. In another bowl, beat the butter until soft. Peel and mash the avocado flesh, and add to the butter with the lemon juice. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Lay the bread slices out on the work surface and spread with the avocado butter. Cover half of the slices with the prawn/shrimp mixture and top with a neat handful of shredded lettuce. Cover with the remaining bread slices and press gently together. Using a serrated bread knife, cut the sandwiches in half or into neat triangles or fingers. Arrange on serving plates and sprinkle with a little celery salt before serving.

Blueberry and buttermilk scones with honeycomb butter
These are a weekend breakfast favourite of mine but are also perfect on an afternoon tea stand. Super simple to make and even quicker to eat… all of them! Serve warm from the oven with a dollop of honeycomb butter melting over the top – the perfect treat for a lazy weekend morning or leisurely tea. You can use frozen blueberries if you can’t find fresh.

350 g/2. cups plain/all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out
3 teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt
125 g/1 stick butter, chilled and diced
75 g/generous .⁄1 cup caster/granulated sugar
175–200 ml/.⁄1/2 cup buttermilk
150 g/1. cup fresh or frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons demerara/turbinado sugar

HONEYCOMB BUTTER
100 g/3. oz. honeycomb or 2 chocolate-covered honeycomb bars
175 g/1. sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
a pinch of salt
2 baking sheets lined with baking parchment

Makes 16

Start by making the honeycomb butter. Tip the honeycomb into a freezer bag, twist the end to prevent any escaping and crush the honeycomb using a rolling pin. Cream the butter and vanilla bean paste in a stand mixer until really soft. Add the crushed honeycomb and mix again until combined. Lay a piece of clingfilm/plastic wrap or baking parchment on the work surface and spoon the butter down the middle to form a rough sausage shape, wrap up the butter tightly to make a smooth log, twist the ends to seal and put the butter in the fridge to harden until needed. Alternatively you can make the butter fresh while the scones are baking and use immediately. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the chilled, diced butter and rub into the dry ingredients using your hands. When the mixture resembles sand and there are only very small pieces of butter remaining, add the caster/granulated sugar and mix to combine.

Make a well in the middle of the mixture, add the buttermilk and blueberries and stir to combine using a rubber spatula. Once the dough starts to come together, use your hands to form a rough ball. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Very lightly knead for about 30 seconds to bring the dough into an almost smooth ball but do not overwork the dough. Cut in half and flatten each half into a round disc each about 16 cm/6. inches in diameter. Using a long, sharp knife cut each disc into 8 triangular wedge shapes.

Arrange the wedges on the prepared baking sheets and brush the tops with a little milk, scatter with demerara/turbinado sugar and bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 12–14 minutes, or until well-risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack and serve slightly warm with slices of the honeycomb butter ready to spread on top.
The writers of this blog were given a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

Masterpiece Eat-a-ter: Ina's Kitchen Cookbook Review

If there is one person in this world that could deserve the title Queen of Breakfast more than Bunny or Brandy, it is most definitely Ina Pinkney.  Since Ina closed down her signature restaurant in 2013, there has been a hole in the Chicago brunch world that no amount of bottomless mimosas and make-your-own-Bloody-Mary's can fill up.  Her influence is still felt so strongly that other chefs have put her dishes on their brunch menus in memorial to that once sacred bastion of breakfast that was Ina's, but there really is nothing like the thought and love put into everything by the great lady herself.

This is why when Brandy heard that Ina's 2013 cookbook (published around the time she closed her restaurant as a sort of farewell to her fans), Ina's Kitchen: Memories and Recipes from the Breakfast Queen, was going to be re-released in paperback, she realized that this was the way for her to recapture some of Ina's magic for herself.  "I have one requirement of this cookbook," Brandy said as she handled the volumn, "I want the recipe for those Heavenly Hots!  Please, in the name of bacon, eggs, and all that is holy," and upon opening the book, the pages, as though turned by a divine hand, flipped right to that sacred recipe and Brandy was sold (or rather the book was sold...to Brandy).

The book, as Brandy found out, was actually half cookbook and half memoir with Ina spinning her life story, from her humble beginnings in Brooklyn in the 40's and 50's, learning a love of food from the men in her life (her father and both grandfathers), to her taboo defying marriage to an African American man in the 60's, and of course her move to and love affair with the city of Chicago in the 70's.

The casual way the recipes were written made Brandy feel as if she were actually following the hand written recipes of a friend rather than a polished publication, and the pictures, while gorgeous, weren't overly staged as to look unrealistic.  Brandy simply had a ball working her way through all of Ina's classic American comfort foods, from the Northeastern specialty that is Scrapple (a corn meal cake, sort of like polenta, that is browned in a skillet) to the decadent Baked French toast and the show stopping Pasta Fritatta, a dish so huge that it was cooked in a spring form cake pan.  The recipes were amazingly easy to follow with stunning results that actually looked like the pictures in the book, a feat Brandy has rarely ever managed to accomplish.  Best of all was of course the recipe for those treasured Heavenly Hots, which were so simple to prepare and so delicious that many didn't even make it to the serving platter, as Brandy kept repeatedly "testing" them.

Because she wanted to share a little bit of the joy in Ina's creations, Brandy selected for her readers the Gingerbread Pancakes, a dish so comforting that it tastes like Christmas on a plate.  Try out the recipe to see just how easy and amazing Ina's recipes are, and then make sure to pick up the book in its original hardback or the new paperback version.

The writers of this blog were sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Gingerbread Pancakes

Yield: about 20 - 3" pancakes

Preheat oven to 200 F.

INGREDIENTS

Dry Ingredients

5 oz. Flour, all purpose

½ c. Sugar

½ c. Potato starch (see note below)

1 oz. Flour, whole wheat

1 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. Ginger, ground

1 tsp. Cloves, ground

1 tsp. Dry mustard

¼ tsp. Pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp. Salt

Wet Ingredients

2 c. Buttermilk

½ c. Sour cream

2 Eggs, large

¼ c. Vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. Molasses

PREPARATION

1. Sift all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and stir vigorously.

2. Combine all wet ingredients and mix until well blended.

3. Stir wet ingredients into flour mixture and blend well without overmixing.

4. Heat non-stick pan or griddle over medium-high heat and brush with oil.

5. Pour ¼ c. of batter onto the griddle for each pancake.

6. Cook until bubbles appear on the tops—about 3 minutes. Turn over and cook about 1 minute more.

7. Place pancakes, uncovered, on an oven-safe platter in the oven until all pancakes are made.

8. I serve these with a lemon cream. Fold your favorite lemon curd into whipped cream until you reach your desired level of tartness.

NOTE: You can find potato starch (not flour) in a box in the Jewish food section of your supermarket. It might also be in the natural food area.

Reprinted with permission from Ina’s Kitchen by Ina Pinkney, Agate Midway, 2015.

Masterpiece Eat-a-ter: The Joy of Ballpark Food Book Review

There are many days Brandy looks forward to through out the year, and this year two of those days are combining into one wonderful, magical day.  For a brunch maven like Brandy, Easter is the single most high holy day, and for Chicago residents, Opening Day at Wrigley Field might as well be Christmas, so the fact that this year both of those events are happening on the same day means that Brandy has quite a lot to prepare for.  "If I wear a red and blue Easter bonnet, can I then wear the same hat to the ballgame?" was one of the many quandaries Brandy was pondering as she arranged the details of her up coming Sunday.

While tying to take her mind off of roasting hams, dyeing eggs, and salting peanuts Brandy settled down with a very interesting book that had arrived in her mail box.  The Joy of Ballpark Food: From Hot Dogs to Haute Cuisine by Bennett Jacobstein turned out to be a delightful tour of every major league ballpark and the culinary delights to be found in all of them as well as a fun and informative history of ballpark food, like how hot dogs and Cracker Jacks became associated with America's favorite pastime.

Brandy got absolutely lost in reading about the amazing and surprising variety of foods available at all of the ballparks, like Cheesey Corn in Kansas City, Sushi in New York, and Poutine in Toronto just to name a few.  Each ballpark section also featured detailed descriptions of the various specialty hot dogs, sausages, and brats for sale, such as the The Venom Dog with habanero sausage in Arizona, The Bacon Wrapped Dog in St. Louis, and The Beast in Milwaukee, which is a bratwurst stuffed with a hot dog, the very thought of which made Brandy giggle uncontrollably.

Of course, the book highlights both of Chicago's teams.  For the Cubs, many of the offerings from last year's 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field are featured, such as the various Decade Dogs (hot dogs tailored to fit each of the 10 decades Wrigley Field has been around) as well as staples of the ballpark like Giordano's Stuffed Pizza.  For the White Sox and U.S. Cellular Field, the traditional Chicago style hot dog is discussed as well as less traditional ballpark fair like buns from Wow Bao and a Pork Chop Sandwich from the Southside Hitmen Grille.

The author of the book, Bennett Jacobstein, certainly knows what he's talking about, as he visited each of the major league parks personally during the 2014 season in order to investigate their offerings.  Bennett is a life long San Francisco Giants fan who regularly works the concession stand for one of their minor league affiliates.  “The new food era has brought such a wonderful gustatory experience at the ballparks with chef-prepared masterpieces, vegetarian and kosher delights, as well as amped up riffs on the hot dog and sausage," as he points out.

Brandy became so engrossed in the casual and delightful tone of The Joy of Ballpark Food that she nearly forgot all about planning her Easter brunch.  "Maybe those boys working out there on Wrigley Field found copies of this book too," Brandy supposed, "Which would most certainly explain why they haven't finished putting up those bloody bleachers!"

The Joy of Ballpark Food  is available on Amazon and Kindle.

The writers of this blog were sent a copy of this book in order to facilitate the writing of this post.