The first time I ever heard of Zucchini bread, I thought is was rather gross sounding, but that was before I tasted it.  You see I’ve never been a huge fan of zucchini, besides in certain French applications like ratatouille.  This recipe was adapted from an old friend who swore by it (and by this, I mean typically made it like once a week).  So I’ve finally decided to try it for myself.  I couldn’t find Christina’s recipe, so I took the recipe from Smitten Kitchen and adapted it a bit to our tastes.

What I found through the process of making zucchini bread, is that it’s a lot like banana bread or other sweet breads like this blueberry bread recipe.  In all honestly, I messed up in making this a bit and actually added a little bit too much sugar, which made the bread a bit sweeter that I was looking for, but I’ve adjusted that in the recipe, so that should be good to go.

This is also one of those recipes that you can use with some of the larger zucchinis too, you know, the ones that are supposedly bad to eat.  Use this recipe for them.  Also, my zucchini bread always comes out a little darker – a direct result of using brown sugar instead of white.  The molasses gives it a good taste and texture.

Wet Stuff

• 2 medium zucchinis – around 1 1/4 cups – grated on the medium holes of a box grater
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2  cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Dry Stuff

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 2 pinches of salt
• Heaping 3/4 cup raisins (more or less depending on your taste)

This recipe is actually really easy.  Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Grab your trusty (non-stick if you have it) loaf pan (see the pick for what I’m talking about…) and lightly oil it with some vegetable or canola oil.

In a mixer with a whisk attachment or simply with a whisk and a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the oil and sugar until there are some streaks left by your whisk.  Add the zucchini and vanilla and continue mixing until the mixture is well combined.

Separately, add the raisins to a large mixing bowl and then sift in the rest of the dry ingredients listed above on top of the raisins – make sure there are no lumps left.  While stirring the wet stuff, add the dry ingredients in three parts, waiting until the last part is combined well before adding the next part.  Once all of the dry ingredients have been mixed in, pour the mixture into your loaf pan and cut a small line down the center of your batter to create a nice ‘crack’ in the finished cake.

Bake in the oven for about an hour, but check after 50 minutes – you want a small skewer stuck in the middle of the cake to come out just clean, with potentially a few crumbs still sticking to it.  Let your cake cool, cut and serve!  It’s delicious with some peanut butter btw…Enjoy!

Eggs are one of nature’s amazing food.  In terms of cooking them, eggs are both on of the most simple things to handle and cook and also can be one of the most scientifically complex.  Maybe that’s why I like them so much.  Sure, they’re high in cholesterol, but they’re also packed with protein and B vitamins – not to mention taste delicious.

When thinking about cooking eggs, most people can scramble, fry and hard boil, but cooking eggs with some finesse and seasoning them with things like fresh herbs and cream can really take your eggs to the next level.  This dish is straight out of Julia Child’s masterpiece Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and I like serving it for Christmas Brunch and on other special occasions, but it’s also great for dinner alongside a simple salad.

One thing I will say about eggs is that we really do like to advocate that you buy ORGANIC eggs.  It may cost you a little bit extra, but it’s something that is really good for the entire food community. Non-organic eggs are kept in tiny cages and fed a diet of mostly corn, treatment that produces a much worse product that hens that are allowed to roam free and eat mostly grass and organic feed.  For more information on this please check out these differences between organic and non-organic eggs.

It’s best alongside a crusty toasted piece of sourdough toast for you to dip into the soft yolk.  You can also season the eggs with other things such as prosciutto, caramelized onions or anything you might like.  My advice with this dish though is to keep it simple and you’ll be rewarded.  It’s a simple dish to begin with and keeping it that way is one of the most appealing things about it.  Here’s how to execute it:

Serves 4

• You’ll need to have 4 small ramekins that are oven-safe
• 8 organic eggs
• 8 Tbsp. cream (heavy recommended, though light cream might work too)
• 1 Tbsp. sage
• 1 Tbsp. rosemary
• 1 Tbsp. thyme
• Around 2 Tbsp. butter
• Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 F.  The preparation for this dish is pretty simple.  Start by making sure that the eggs are a room temperature, this will help them cook evenly how you want them.  Take a little bit of butter and simply butter the ramekins lightly on all sides and on the bottom.  Get a large baking sheet or pan that can go into the oven and add enough water to cover the pan by about an inch of water.  Place the pan over medium/low heat and bring the water to just a simmer.  Place the buttered ramekins into the pan and water.

Next add 1 Tbsp of cream to each ramekin, followed by a small amount of each herb (dividing each pile of herbs evenly amongst each ramekin).  Next, crack 2 eggs into each ramekin, being very careful not to break any of the yolks.  Once your eggs are in the ramekins, season them all with a bit of salt and pepper and then add the remaining 1 Tbsp. each fo cream to each ramekin.  Finally, top each with a tiny pat of butter and place the whole pan with the ramekins into the pre-heated oven.

Bake the eggs for 8-10 minutes and then pull them.  it may seem like they’re still runny, but trust me, you don’t want to overcook them.  Serve immediately with some toast and you’ve got an awesome gourmet breakfast.

When I move away from places I’ve lived, one of the things I always miss the most is my favorite restaurants.  When I moved away from the Bay Area earlier this year, I knew there were going to be countless places that Aimee and I were going to miss.  One of those places is one of the first restaurants we ever ate at while living with Russ up in the hills above UC Berkeley: Rick and Ann’s.

Perched just below the majestic Claremont Hotel off of Ashby Ave., Rick and Ann’s is a Berkeley institution.  Aimee and I would always really want to go there on weekend morning for breakfast, but were normally turned away by the typical hour waits and lines out the door.  Here and there though we got lucky and got a spot.

Who doesn’t love hash?  Chop a bunch of vegetables and meat, throw them into a pan, add a few eggs and presto, you got yourself an awesome breakfast (or dinner in this case).  This ‘Yukon Gold Plate’ that I’ve tried to re-create here is a classic example of the combination of sweet and savory flavors.  The apples and sweet potatoes married to the peppers, onions and fennel – combined with the poached egg yolk make this a truly luxurious breakfast.

At Rick and Ann’s, you’ll find this dish vegetarian, however I decided to add some sausage, but you can definitely omit that if you wish.  I was also making this in the late fall/early winter months, so corn was completely out of the question.  I instead added some mushrooms and fennel, but you can really go whatever direction you want with this.  This dish makes a great breakfast, but also served us very well as dinner (who doesn’t love ‘breakfast for dinner’?).

Ingredients for the Hash:

• 1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes (Garnett Yams are the best for this dish) – Cut into small 1/2″ cubes
• 3 Yukon gold potatoes – Cut into small cubes (1/2″)
• 1 medium bulb of fennel – End and stalks removed and sliced thin (reserve some of the fronds)
• 1 white onion – Sliced thin
• 3-4 cloves of garlic – diced
• 1 large apple – Cored and cut into small 1/2″ cubes
• 1/2 cup Crimini mushrooms – cubed off
• 1 large red bell pepper – Diced
• Sweet Italian pork sausage or chicken sausage of your liking (OPTIONAL) – Casings removed
• 6-7 stalks of thyme – Leaves removed
• 5-6 leaves of sage – Finely chopped
• Scallions – Sliced very thinly
• 2-3 Tbsp. butter

• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 eggs per person (so 8 total)
• Large splash of white vinegar

First of all, prepare a pot of boiling water to blanch the potatoes in.  Then go about chopping your vegetables.  You can really make your veg as big or small as you want, but I like making them pretty small so that I can get as diverse a group as possible onto each fork full.

Over medium heat, add your butter and olive oil to a heavy bottomed skillet.  Add in the onion and fennel and salt and cook slowly until they begin to caramelize – around 7-10 minutes (you can cook them while you prepare the rest of your vegetables).  Once the pot of water is boiling, add both types of potato to the water and blanch until cook most of the way, but not completely (they will finish cooking in the pan with the rest of the ingredients).

Once the potatoes are done, drain them and then fill up the pot again with water an a good splash of white vinegar to poach the eggs in.  You want to be sure that you’re using a heavy pot (dutch ovens are perfect) and only fill up the pot with about 3″ of water.  Bring this pot of liquid to a boil and then turn the heat to the lowest setting on your stove.

Next, add the garlic, peppers, mushrooms, thyme and sage and a little more salt to the pan with the onions and fennel and continue to cook, mixing the ingredients together.  Make a empty circle in the pan and put in the sausage (if using) and break it apart with your wooden spoon.  Once the sausage is cooked, add in the apple and cook for another 2-3 minutes and then add the potatoes back to the party.

At this point, all of the ingredients should be in the pan cooking together.  You want to mix them well and then let them sit over the heat for a few minutes to give them a little color.  Add some pepper and adjust the salt if you need to here as well.

To poach the eggs, crack each individual egg one by one into a small bowl and gently plop it into the water/vinegar mixture you heated before.  The egg should stay together and begin to poach.  If it’s not poaching, you can increase the heat again.  You want the water to be very hot, but not at a rolling boil.  Once the egg is done (it will become fairly white but the yolk will still be runny) remove it very gently with a slotted spoon being careful not to break the yolks.  Repeat until you have enough eggs to serve your party.

Plate 2 eggs on top of a pile of the hash, salt the eggs and top with you diced scallions.  Serve with toast too if you want.

Serves 4

Here are some other awesome looking hash recipes you should try!

What We’re Eating: Sweet & Purple Peruvian Potato Hash (Beautiful!)
Eating Out Loud: Quick & Simple Sweet Potato Hash
Suite 101: Sweet Potato Hash with Fennel Salmon
Simply Recipes: Ham and Potato Hash

Camellia Grill is a 70 year-old classy short-order diner, famous for its sandwiches, breakfast all day, pies and “freezes.”

Hurricane Katrina closed down this staple of the Uptown-Riverbend neighborhood. Luckily, its persuasive fan base (evidenced by the number of internet postings referring to the place, its wikipedia page, and the copious amounts of love letters left by patrons begging the grill to re-open) got it going again after Katrina. Power to the people! Camellia Grill was re-established in April 2007.

We waited in line about 30 minutes out front on a Saturday around noon, making conversation with other hungry New Orleanians in line who recommended the same dishes we had seen our foodie friends around town drool about. We sat on  spinning stools in a curved bar formation made of marble waited on by friendly, efficient, bow-tie wearing waiters. They brought cloth napkins and marked off our individual orders onto a pre-printed worksheet with a red pen. They then fetched coffee and blended up the creamy cool chocolate freeze drinks while yelling the orders to the cooks to fry up the tastiest omelettes and burgers around. (Click here for pics inside Camellia Grill & dining info).

We tried the Pecan Waffle, which came plain on a plate with three mini pitchers on the side filled with Cane Syrup, Maple-Flavored Corn Syrup and Liquid Butter. It was perfectly cooked, crunchy and warm all the way through. I liked that they skipped the dollop of butter or whipped cream that waffle houses usually plop on top- saving both the restaurant and patron time, money and extra Calories.

We also tried the Chef’s Special Omelette: a monstrous one with potatoes and onions inside, topped with a lot of chili (with turkey bacon, beans, ham and beef) and two types of cheese, with french fries on the side. That was tasty! Enough said!

The Chocolate Freeze Drink (a chocolate frappe with chopped ice) was sweet and delicious, reminding me of thick chocolate milk with crushed ice in it.

After eating, we took our individual forms and paid at the cash register by the door  (by cash or credit card), again saving the waiters and patrons time. This place knows how to do it. The only problem with Camellia Grill is that we didn’t allow our food to settle. That was it though, everything was delicious and pleasant.

Here’s the the recipe for the Chef’s Special Omelet as posted on the Food Network:

Printed from FoodNetwork.com on 09/25/2008 © 2008 Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Chef’s Special Omelet:

3 eggs
1/2 cup diced potato, boiled until tender
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced ham
1/2 cup diced bacon, cooked
1 slice Swiss cheese
1 slice American cheese
1 cup cooked chili (meat or bean)

Put eggs in a blender, and mix on high until egg mixture is almost white.
Put potato, onion, ham and bacon on grill pan and saute for 30 seconds. Then pour egg mixture over vegetables. Let eggs cook until
slightly firm around edges.
Add cheese slices. Then gently roll eggs over into omelet shape. Cook 2 minutes until firm.
Plate the omelet on a plate and pour 1 cup cooked meat or bean chili on top.

Recently, however, various trips and family obligations have kept me from this decadent routine.  This past weekend, I stayed at a friend’s house on Saturday night, and while I knew that the sleeping-in part would not be a problem, the breakfast was up in the air.

Most everyone who loves food and eating has some sort of routine that they hold sacred.  I have my Sunday Mornings, others have “Roast Chicken Thursdays” or make their salad the same way for every lunch.  Caroline, the friend with whom I was staying this weekend, has a breakfast routine of her own.  She pours cereal – usually mixing two or three different brands – into a pasta bowl and douses it with about a quart of milk, leaving it to sit for a bit before sitting down to the table with a carton of fresh berries and diluted O.J.  Far be it from me to cast aspersions on her breakfast – everyone has their own comforting food traditions – but I was craving my own form of Sunday Morning catharsis.

As we wandered into the kitchen that morning, she went into the pantry to grab her cereals, and I went into her closet to grab the Joy of Cooking.  She shook her head at me with a smile and we went our separate ways.  As she got out a bowl and a spoon, I took down her food processor from the shelf; as she grabbed berries and milk from the fridge, I withdrew eggs, lemons and apple cider.

Eventually, my friend’s husband wandered into the kitchen and I think I lured him to my side of the battlefield, because soon he was flipping crepes alongside me.  When all was said and done, however, and I took my seat at the breakfast table, Caroline passed me a big mug of steaming hot tea and all was right with the world.

Crepes with Apple Cider Syrup, adapted from the Joy of Cooking

For the Crepes:
2 eggs
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. lukewarm water
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt

For the syrup:
1 1/4 c. Apple Cider
1 Tbs. Light Corn Syrup
2 Tbs. Brown Sugar
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Add all of the ingredients for the crepes into the bowl of a food processor or the pitcher of a blender.  Mix until fully blended and a bit frothy at the top.  If using a food processor, pour mixture into a pitcher – or leave it in the blender pitcher – and let sit for 30 minutes so that the liquids absorb the flour.

In the meantime, pour all of the ingredients for the syrup into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir until blended.  Turn the burner on medium until the mixture comes to a boil, then turn down the heat to maintain a rapid simmer.  Reduce until mixture reaches a syrupy consistency.

When the syrup is where you like it, warm a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Wrap a tablespoon of butter in one sheet of paper towel, and rub the bundle over the pan to grease it.

Pour some batter into the pan (1/4 cup should be plenty, but it depends on the size of your pan) and immediately tilt the pan around in a circle to spread the batter across the surface.  If you have a wooden crepe-spreader-thingy, all the better. 

Cook for about 1 minute or until the edges of the crepe easily separate from the pan when you pass a thin metal spatula around the perimeter of the skillet.  Flip the crepe and briefly cook it on the other side.  The crepe should be lightly browned.

Remove the crepe to a plate and drizzle with the apple cider syrup and (if you like the crunch) some demerara sugar.  Other winning toppings: lemon juice and sugar; jam of preference; and sweetened cream cheese with cinnamon or finely zested orange peel.  Then, what I like to do is fold the crepe in half and then in half again so it looks like a triangle.  Top it with some berries or whipped cream and voilà – the perfect Sunday Morning!

(This post first appeared on my other blog: http://www.frommytable.com ) check it out!