Gastroanthropology

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes + Blueberry Maple Syrup

It's wedding season again and in a few weeks I'll be heading back to the States for the East Coast to attend the first of four weddings this year. It's been two years since I've been to New York City, a.k.a. My Absolute Favorite City for Eating. When I go to NYC I do very little besides trying local favorites and hot new restaurants - its research! What other city has restaurants and eateries featuring every type of cuisine imaginable or businesses simply dedicated to rice pudding or macaroni & cheese? Unfortunately, last time my gluttonous indulgences had very serious consequences, including me spending a week in the hospital. So, I've had to tone down my NYC eating tours. 

While brunch is a must in NYC, its probably one of the first things I'm willing to give up. Why? Because brunch foods are so easily created at home. Not to mention the fact that as I get older I find I don't have the patience to wait an hour in line for much and certainly not for the first meal of the day.

In anticipation for missed brunches in NYC I'm getting my fix at home. Tender and rich ricotta pancakes with a touch of sugar and lemon, smothered in warmed blueberry maple syrup. And, no waiting in line.

This recipe is adapted from New York City's Five Points Restaurant, a popular spot for weekend brunch. This recipe serves 4 people.

LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES

• 2 cups ricotta, drained of any excess liquid
• 4 large eggs, separated
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3 Tbs sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 3 1/2 ounces butter, melted and cooled to room temp
• Extra butter for the griddle

METHOD

In a large bowl whisk together the egg yolks and ricotta. Make sure that any lumps in the ricotta are whisked smooth. Whisk in lemon zest, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Continue using the whisk and add flour. Use the whisk as if you are using a spatula and fold in the flour, then gently whisk in the melted butter. Take care not to work the flour too much as it will make the pancakes tough. Set aside. 

In a separate bowl whip the whites. For this size recipe I whisk them by hand...its a great workout for the arms. If you are doubling the recipe its probably better to use beaters. Whip them to soft peaks. Take half the whites and fold them in ricotta mixture. Once combined, fold in the remaining whites. Be gentle as to not kill the air in the batter.

Heat griddle to medium high. Add generous amounts of butter to melt on the griddle. Scoop pancake batter onto the griddle. This pancake batter does not spread much once it hits the heat. I keep the domed batter on till it creates a golden brown crust and can be flipped. Then I press into a more thin pancake shape. Once that side is golden brown, I flip again and brown any parts on the first side that weren't browned initially.

Serve with blueberry maple syrup. This is easily made by adding fresh blueberries and maple syrup to a small sauce pan. Once it comes to a simmer take off the heat and serve with pancakes.

With warm blueberry maple syrup is my favorite way to have these pancakes, but if you omit the sugar, and cook them in small silver dollar sizes, they are a delicious blini. With a hint of lemon they are the perfect base for crème fraîche + caviar or smoked salmon.

Halloumi Salad

After a whirlwind Easter Weekend in western Austria and southeast Germany that included some skiing and lots of bread dumplings... 

and Bavarian pork knuckles...

I needed something on the lighter side for lunch today. Simple and easy - Halloumi Salad. Halloumi is a cheese that comes from Greece and Turkey. When aged, the sheep's milk (or goat's milk) cheese is firm enough to be grilled and still hold its shape. I often pan sear a few thin strips of halloumi in a small pan and add to a salad for lunch.  

Here I have it with some beets and jarred marinated artichokes over lamb's lettuce. I find its not necessary to dress the lettuce because the halloumi is quite salty and the marinade dripping from the artichokes is flavor enough.

But, back to Austrian foods...we did sample plenty of apple strudel on our trip. Nate and I had lengthy discussions about the necessary characteristics of the best apple strudel. We agreed on ratio of apple to strudel dough, texture, and level of sweetness. We disagreed on the presence of raisins. He likes them, I couldn't care less of they never existed. So, of course, apple strudel recipe testing begins at home and posting should soon follow.

Summer's End in San Sebastian

It's been just over a year since we've made London our home-base. And what a year it has been. Certainly in the book of my life, this past year will be an interesting chapter. We've managed to visit nearly every place in Europe we've ever wanted to go, and made a commitment to do today, before we've even turned 30, what most say they might do when they retire. 

Summer has managed to slip through our fingers and its that time of year when days get shorter and I find myself pulling a sweater over my head as soon as I wake. Rather than totally succumb to fall we managed to squeeze in one last summer trip where beaches and food took center stage.

Angulas - Baby Eels 

Basque country in Spain is situated on the Bay of Biscay, borders France to the east, and sits just above La Rioja. Our time in Basque country was spent in San Sebastian. Mornings were spent exploring the town and hiking around, afternoons dedicated to wave surfing and sunning at the beach, and evenings were dedicated to Rioja and pintxos.

Pintxos are San Sebastian's answer to tapas. Most are littered along the bar and you pick what you like. Locals wash them down with cider, but we found we much preferred Rioja with our pintxos.

 

Others are chosen from a menu and cooked to order - like this calamari...

Or this squid, stuffed with meat and a whole shrimp!

The most memorable though may have been this Tarta de Queso from a pintxos bar in Old Town called La Viña.

Light, smooth and deliciously caramelized edges - we couldn't get enough.

We had multiple slices, every single day we were there. Nate even told me to take smaller bites and to slowly savor each bite. We've contemplated going back to San Sebastian just for the cheesecake. 

Rumor has it that the recipe includes goat cheese curd and yogurt. Now on a mission to recreate.

Korcula + Burek

On our recent visit to Croatia we spent most of our time on the island of Korcula. A lot of the foliage and sounds reminded me of home. Home is around the inland base of the Santa Cruz mountains, which sadly on the other side are in flames right now! During the summer months the cicadas can be deafeningly loud. It was the same noise I heard on Korcula and it reminded me so much of home. Wine grapes also flourish in both locales...

as do fig trees...

But the thing that reminded me most about California was this ...

There was a time in high school where I spent more time in the water than in class! It's been a long time since I've seen a water polo cage. The Croatians are very good water polo players and with cages littered all over the coast its easy to see why. 

I mentioned in an earlier post that we weren't that impressed with the food in Croatia which was a huge disappointment. They certainly don't do breakfast or much in the department of baked goods ... with the heat its understandable, but I was determined to find something! And, I did. Burek. It's cheese wrapped in phyllo and baked. There are lots of things that can be added to it. We had one for breakfast one day with meat so I recreated my version today.

BUREK

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 pound ground lamb (beef or pork)
• 1 cup chopped cooked potato (3 small or 1 medium)
• 1 Tbs finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 tsp finely minced fresh rosemary
• salt + pepper to taste
• 1 c cottage cheese
• 1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 c melted clarified butter
• 1 box phyllo dough

METHOD

In a large saute pan with olive oil, sweat onion. Add ground lamb and cook through. Add pre-cooked potato, parsley, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that feta will be added and is often quite salty. When all is heated and cooked through set aside to cool.

Once cooled add to a mixing bowl and add cottage and feta cheeses. Set aside. Cut 1 sheet of phyllo in half. One half should be cut in half again. Start with one of the smaller pieces. Brush with butter and put a heaping 1/4 c of the mixture in the center.

Then start with one corner and fold the dough over. Add another bit of the mixture on top and place on the other smaller portion of the phyllo. 

Brush the initial, larger half with butter and wrap the entire package. Brush the tops with butter and bake for about one half hour at 375 F or until golden brown. Serve warm.

It's great eaten cooled too. Perfect for taking the little parcels to the beach for lunch.

Norwegian Geitost

My Korean-American union with my Norwegian-American husband has created an extended family that might put the UN to shame. We've got family members from all over Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa. With my dark brown hair and his blonder than blonde we are definitely melting the pot. Our move to London has definitely deepened the Norwegian connection as it's a quick flight to Oslo. My husband's family summer home on the coast, 2 hours from Oslo, near Sandefjord, is quite possibly the most relaxing place ever. Steps away from the beach and 20+ hours of sunlight per day require just a few things: towel, good book, snorkel, eyeshades, and Nordic food. Bathing suit optional. For days we just woke up (early - no sleeping in when the sun's rising at 3 am!), drank coffee, ate, sunned, rowed around in a little boat, swam, went for walks in the woods, picked Norwegian berries, attempted to fish, and fell asleep at who knows what time. We felt no sense of time as this was the scene at 10 pm...

The house sits back on rock at the edge of Norwegian woods, just hugging the coast. The actual home is hundreds of years old and was moved to the coast from the north when wartime made lumber scarce. Little wild strawberries were in full bloom and blackberry bushes were full of flowers and bee activity. 

We had bowls of Norwegian strawberries with cream for dessert. They are so intensely full of flavor that you almost feel like your getting drunk off strawberries.

Besides smoked salmon I had little experience with Norwegian food until I met my other half. The first Norwegian food I was introduced to was a block of Ski Queen Gjetost that Nate found at Whole Foods. Geitost, sold as in the Gjetost in the US, is a brown cheese (brunost). Goat's milk, cream, and whey are boiled until the sugars in the milk and cream caramelize and water evaporates. What's left is a semi-hard brown goat cheese that's a bit sweet and really creamy. 

The cheese is getting easier to find in the US, and if you happen to get your hands on some, make sure you use a cheese slicer. Using a knife is a futile attempt against this cheese and screams amateur. 

For breakfast we had geitost on toasted rye, and for lunch geitost on lefse...

Lefse, is a traditional Norwegian flatbread, often made with potato flour. It's usually eaten with geitost, butter with cinnamon sugar, berry jams or tyttebær (Norwegian mountain cranberry) jam, or used to wrap hot dogs - a childhood treat that Nate must always have when back at the homeland. 

Honestly, the days in Norway absolutely refreshed me. We came back to London with the tiles ripped out of our shower, a broken toilet, phone line malfunction that has cut off broadband, and heavy rains - but whatever, life is good. More on Norway and Nordic treats in the weeks to come...