For the ultimate in “special” breakfasts perfect for the holiday season, I give you my recipe for Challah French Toast with Caramel Sauce and Crème Fraiche. Sounds fancy and tastes delicious, but is surprisingly simple to throw together.
This recipe became a fast favorite after a visit to see my best friend in Seattle for my 30th birthday. She and her husband whipped this up for my birthday breakfast and my husband and I couldn’t get over how impressive – and absolutely delicious – it was. I begged for the recipe and have now made it for my husband for breakfast on his birthday every year since.
Whether it’s breakfast on Christmas morning or another special moment this holiday season, you won’t be disappointed serving this at your breakfast table.
For the Caramel Sauce:
¾ cup honey
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons salted butter
1 cup (or so) of heavy whipping cream
Pour honey in a small sauce pan on medium-low heat. Pour sugar evenly over honey and let the sugar and honey cook to desired caramel color (about 10 minutes). Add the butter and stir until melted. Slowly add in cream in a steady stream, being careful as the mixture may boil up a bit at this point. Test the caramel’s thickness using a small spoon; it should be a slightly thick caramel consistency when cooled on the spoon. If it is thinner than desired, let cook a bit longer until desired caramel consistency is reached.
For the French Toast:
8 thick (1 inch) slices of Challah bread (or brioche)
4 eggs
Splash of milk or cream
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Lightly whisk eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon in a shallow bowl to combine. Submerge each piece of bread in the egg mixture for a few seconds on each side to absorb some of the liquid. Drop each piece of bread onto a buttered griddle at medium to medium-high heat and cook a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through.
Top each slice of French toast with the caramel sauce and a dollop of crème fraiche and serve immediately.
Leftover caramel sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container and warmed again to enjoy on desserts or with other holiday goodies (or just eaten cold out of the container on a spoon – yum!).
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Dungeness Crab Cakes and Saffron Aioli
Serves 6
Crab cakes
2 lb. whole Dungeness crab or 10 to 12 oz. cleaned crabmeat
3 oz. fresh scallops
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Fresh ground white pepper, to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. chopped cilantro
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
Aioli
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. champagne vinegar
1/2 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. saffron
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
For crab cakes
Crack and clean whole crab, removing all shells and keeping only the meat. Place crabmeat in a mixing bowl and keep refrigerated. A 2-lb. crab should yield approximately 10 to 12 oz. cleaned crabmeat.
Place scallops in a blender with 1/2 tsp. sea salt and a pinch of white pepper. Turn on blender and slowly add cream in a steady stream. Stop blender and scrape down sides with a rubber spatula. Blend mixture one more time to make sure the scallop mousse is a nice, homogeneous mixture; set aside.
Add mustard and cilantro to the bowl with the crab; gently toss to evenly disperse ingredients. Lightly mix in scallop mousse, taking care not to break up the crab. Season mixture to taste with sea salt, white pepper and cayenne pepper.
Form cakes into a free-form shape about 1 oz. each and place on a lightly oiled baking dish. They can be made up to this stage several hours in advance and kept in the refrigerator.
Before serving, turn the broiler on high and allow it to heat up. Lightly brush the tops of crab cakes with grapeseed oil and place under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until they begin to lightly brown on the top and are heated through. Remove from the broiler, and with a spatula, place on a serving platter or plate each serving individually. Serve with saffron aioli and a lightly dressed mixed green and herb salad.
For aioli
Place all ingredients in a blender except grapeseed oil. Turn on the blender and slowly add oil in a steady stream until all oil is incorporated and mixture is emulsified. Adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to use.
This recipe came from the December issue of “California Country.”
8th Day of Christmas – New Family Traditions
I was a bachelor for the past decade and my cooking efforts were basically limited to TV dinners, microwave popcorn and making coffee (scratch that last one, I pretty much always went to Starbucks.)
But happily, my diet took a healthier turn for the better when I got married last spring and moved in with my new wife and her daughter. While my kitchen exploits are still constrained — I’m the designated dishwasher — I am enjoying home-cooked meals.
My new family likes the following dessert when they gather for holidays and any get together. My 11-year-old stepdaughter Julia (pictured) made wine cake this weekend from a recipe she got from her grandmother. It got rave reviews for moistness and flavor. Julia says it’s so easy that even I could make it…….but I’m not taking any chances. It’s yummy, though!
Happy holidays, everyone.
Wine Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1 package instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup cream sherry
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Mix together all ingredients and bake in a non-stick bundt pan at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. When cool, dust with powdered sugar.
Makes 8-10 servings
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New Family Traditions, Continued
By Melinda McRae
While harkening the spirit of Christmas past to write about family traditions, I was inundated with a variety of childhood memories, but not of any particular tradition, per se. Sure, we had some annual traditions such as going to “Cal Store” in Long Beach and picking our tree fresh off of a train, and my mom making yummy fudge each year from the marshmallow cream jar recipe, but what I think of most are Christmas adventures. I remember packing up our orange Nova for a three-day trek to where our people are from, Montana, sans DVD player, video games or iPod, heck, pre-Walkman days and not even a tape player in the car! (nor shoulder seat belts, just the painful lap belt that we had to keep buckled even when trying to sleep). Instead, we had stacks of books, word puzzles, Highlights Magazines and magnetic board games, and of course, the rite-of-passage “don’t make me pull this car over!” hand-waving warning from my dad when we got too whiney.
Me in front of the Nova, and dear lord, my outfit matches the car; that’s our dog Krissie whom we got on Christmas eve
Another year, my mom got a part-time job at the long-defunct Zody’s, a Target-esque chain in Southern California, to get my dad an eight-track tape player for our new orange van that supplied us with hours of Cat Stevens, The Beatles and my favorite one-hit wonder single, Melanie’s “I’ve got a brand new pair of roller skates, you’ve got a brand new key…” over and over again.
Then one balmy Christmas year, we went to the beach and made smores with crushed-up candy canes. And each year, my parents would tell the story of how when my sister and I were very young, my dad had to work on Christmas, so my mom kept us indoors on the 25th and we celebrated on the 26th and were never the wiser.
My dad, Christmas 1982, I got a spiffy Minolta camera and in addition to orange cars, apparently my parents were fond of orange furniture, too
My mom, Christmas 1982, I do believe we had turkey every year
It wasn’t until I met my husband, Johnnie Beer, that I embraced a Christmas tradition that we must do each year. I’ll turn it over to him.
By Johnnie Beer
December means many things to many people. Family, holidays, togetherness. And Dungeness crab. For many Northern Californians, the opening of crab season is a sacred time, an acknowledgment of the passing of the seasons. This year the Dungeness season was painfully delayed by an oil spill in the San Francisco Bay (which was also bad because of the environmental damage). But now that we’re in it, it’s time to grab a claw and start cracking!
I grew up in the Bay Area and my parents introduced me to Dungeness crab at an early age. For our family, eating crab in December and January was just a thing you did, like putting up and taking down Christmas decorations. Mainly we ate it straight up – steamed with everybody’s favorite dipping sauces (mayonnaise, melted butter or my favorite to this day, homemade 1000 island dressing). I also learned that there were other kinds of crabs out there, and some people actually thought they were better. This remains a mystery to me.
As I became a young man I never gave up the Dungeness habit. When I met Melinda (in October 1992) and our first late November came around I asked her if she was excited for crab season. She looked at me as if I’d asked if she was ready for bingo season – she knew there was such a thing out there but she had no idea people would get excited about it. Raised in Southern California, she missed out on one of the quintessential Northern California experiences.
I’m happy to say she’s now fully immersed in crab culture. When the season arrives we’ll have one immediately, with some white wine (Sauvignon Blanc preferred over Chardonnay which is usually too buttery for our tastes) and some crusty sourdough. We may enjoy four or five more over the next couple of months which usually satisfies the craving for the rest of the year. Another wonderful thing about fresh Dungeness is its seasonality. You can really eat all you want for a couple of months, and then its time to let it go, until the next season when you can barely wait to heat it up before pulling out delicious morsels.
Dungeness crab has now become a Christmas Eve tradition in our home, along with many others including my mother-in-law and wife’s baking marathon. Last year I decided to put on my chef hat and made “Crab Three Ways” – traditionally steamed, Chinese-style with hot chili and lots of garlic, and in a creamy gratin, along with some chilled Champagne. I’ll probably try the same again this year, but however we do it, one thing will be certain – it will be ridiculously good. And it will leave us looking forward to doing it all again next year!
Me again. We did indeed kick off crab season on Dec. 1 with a fresh Dungeness crab from Corti Brothers – they will crack and clean it with no additional charge. My friend Barbara Arciero from the CA Farm Bureau sent over the December issue of their periodical “California Country” that contained some great-sounding recipes. To kick off the holiday season, we made the crab cakes for our most recent Christmas tradition, a pre-Holiday Home Tour party, and they were yummy balls of crustacean heaven!
Dungeness Crab Cakes and Saffron Aioli
Serves 6
Crab cakes
2 lb. whole Dungeness crab or 10 to 12 oz. cleaned crabmeat
3 oz. fresh scallops
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Fresh ground white pepper, to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. chopped cilantro
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
Aioli
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. champagne vinegar
1/2 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. saffron
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
For crab cakes
Crack and clean whole crab, removing all shells and keeping only the meat. Place crabmeat in a mixing bowl and keep refrigerated. A 2-lb. crab should yield approximately 10 to 12 oz. cleaned crabmeat.
Place scallops in a blender with 1/2 tsp. sea salt and a pinch of white pepper. Turn on blender and slowly add cream in a steady stream. Stop blender and scrape down sides with a rubber spatula. Blend mixture one more time to make sure the scallop mousse is a nice, homogeneous mixture; set aside.
Add mustard and cilantro to the bowl with the crab; gently toss to evenly disperse ingredients. Lightly mix in scallop mousse, taking care not to break up the crab. Season mixture to taste with sea salt, white pepper and cayenne pepper.
Form cakes into a free-form shape about 1 oz. each and place on a lightly oiled baking dish. They can be made up to this stage several hours in advance and kept in the refrigerator.
Before serving, turn the broiler on high and allow it to heat up. Lightly brush the tops of crab cakes with grapeseed oil and place under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until they begin to lightly brown on the top and are heated through. Remove from the broiler, and with a spatula, place on a serving platter or plate each serving individually. Serve with saffron aioli and a lightly dressed mixed green and herb salad.
For aioli
Place all ingredients in a blender except grapeseed oil. Turn on the blender and slowly add oil in a steady stream until all oil is incorporated and mixture is emulsified. Adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Midweek Morsels
This week’s morsels include upcoming cooking classes and an olive orchard tour and luncheon… get out there and eat it up, foodies!
In honor of this post, here is a photo of olives from Nugget Market that I enjoyed last night…
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Upcoming East Bay Culinary Center Cooking Classes
Friday, Oct. 5th, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
The Food of Piedmonte
Experience Northern Italy with Dr. Giovanni & Dr. Sheri Gaudio of Gaudio Culinary of the Fairplay Wine Region.
Space is limited to 40 participants – the fee is $50.00
Saturday, Oct. 6th, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Men Can Cook!
Chefs Thelma & Louise (Chef Joan Lapuyade of Joan Lapuyade Catering and Sacramento & East Bay Chef Caroly Kumpe) will be teaching guys how to impress their sweethearts with a masculine, yet sexy, simple & elegant meal, including this delicious line-up:
*Salad of Autumnal Delights
*Savory Bread Pudding with Pancetta, Fontina & Sage
*Capellini Fritatta with Pecorino Romano, Cracked Black Pepper & Dressed Arugula
*Seasonal Fruit in Prosecco
Space is limited to 40 participants – the fee is $40.00
East Bay Restaurant Supply Inc.
522 North 12th Street, Sacramento
MON – FRI: 8am – 5pm
SAT: 9:30am – 5pm
(916) 440-0620 – Main
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Saturday, Oct. 13 from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Pre-Harvest Tour & Feast at the Historic Wolfskill Ranch
UC Davis Olive Oil, Yolo Agricultural Marketing Initiative and Slow Food Yolo invite the public to attend a guided walking tour through the olive orchards, olive oil tasting and four course luncheon at the historic Wolfskill Ranch in Winters. The luncheon will be served outdoors, at a table set for 150 guests, beneath Wolfskill’s 146-year-old olive trees and Paul Vossen, UC Davis Olive Oil Sensory Expert will give a short presentation.
The Menu:
Appetizers
*Olives
*Rosemary & Sea Salt Almonds
*Walnut Stuffed Wolfskill Figs
First Course
*Salad of Local Greens, Persimmons, and Pomegranates with UC Davis “The Silo” Olive Oil Vinaigrette
Main Course
*Sheep Dreams Ranch Capay Red Lamb Cooked Three Ways
*Gratin of Leeks
*Roasted Mixed Peppers
*Braised Greens
*Stuffed Butternut Squash (vegetarian entrée)
Dessert
*Walnut & Almond Tarts
*Dried Apricot Tarts
*Coffee
With Cabernet Sauvignon donated by the UC Davis Department of Viticulture & Enology
Location:
Wolfskill Ranch
4334 Putah Creek Road, Winters
Tickets:
Tickets are $75 per person and $65 per person for Slow Food members and can be purchased in advance at Steady Eddy’s Coffee Shop, (5 Main St., Winters), by calling (530) 795-4995 or online. Seating is limited and reservations are necessary. Visit Slow Food Yolo for more information.
Weekend Round-Up
Here’s two coffee-cups up to Steady Eddy’s coffee house in Winters. We dropped in this weekend for a light lunch and got more than we bargained for – good food, friendly service and a pleasant atmosphere that fostered a gentle hum of conversation among locals and cyclists passing through on their way from Davis to Lake Berryessa.
The paninis, with clever names like Holy Cow and Sgt. Pepper’s Blue Cheese, were yummy, and we also recommend the pecan bar. Big enough for a three-way split between me, my husband and son, my husband’s comment was that it was “better than pecan pie.” And, he is right – lots of nuts and not too syrupy. We’ll be sure to make our way back to the “instantly comfortable” setting of Steady Eddy’s again soon!
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Dessert on Lake Shasta
Houseboating is the ultimate vacation. I had the pleasure of spending three lazy days with my family and dear friends who invited us aboard their houseboat on Lake Shasta this past weekend. We spent hours sitting on the deck telling stories, playing Rummikub, and plunging into the lake. It was heaven. But as a foodie, true heaven is measured by the food that is served in paradise. That said, I owe props to my mother, the best pie maker I know (besides Kira O’Donnell). She brought aboard two scrumptious pies – strawberry rhubarb and raspberry. Thanks mom!
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New “Midtown Taqueria” in East Sac
Housed in the old Sidewalk Pizza building, Midtown Taqueria on 37th and J has only been open for a few weeks, but already is a thriving outdoor eatery. After doing vigorous yard work, we decided to ride our bikes over and check it out. Even though I am very adventurous in dining, I pretty much always order the same thing with Mexican — bean and cheese burrito or carnitas — so those are my standards when judging a new place. The bean and cheese burrito was just the way I like it — not too much cheese and the beans not too saucy. My other set of criteria for judging a new place is the quality and variety of its salsas and Midtown delivered.
They had four full, fresh bowls with a salsa fresca, a mild tomato and onion, a medium poblano avocado, and a medium-spicy orange-ish salsa (not sure of the chiles used). We shared an order of nachos with carnitas, also yummy, but too much sour cream for my taste. My husband got a dang chicken quesadilla that was perfectly fine. The staff was very friendly and the interior and outdoor eating areas very clean. They carry Corona, Pacifico, Modelo (especial and dark) as well as Coors. We’ll definitely be back to try some of the yummy-sounding mariscos — nice to see they have seafood beyond shrimp, which is the case at most taquerias. Next time I’ll trade my bean and cheese burrito for either the bass filet or grilled tilapia.