Quick and Crispy Home Fries � Or as We Call Them at Home, Fries

It�s a kind of ironic that the only place many people enjoy top-quality home fries is when they eat out at a diner, but sadly that�s the case. Your average home cook�s home fries look great, and we�ll assume taste amazing, but they usually don�t get that nice crispy crust, like the ones at the local greasy spoon.

The reason is simple. There the potatoes are steamed or boiled ahead of time; then cooled, cut, and kept chilled until service. When you pan fry a cold starch, it gets a beautifully crispy surface, which is the secret to the world�s great French fries, polenta sticks, and Korean fried chicken.

To expedite this process, we�re going to microwave the potatoes for a few minutes, until just barely tender. This simulates steaming, which I think is the best way, since boiling can make them waterlogged. Once cool, all you have to do is keep cooking until you�re happy with your crustification. I really hope you give this easy home fry technique  a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large portions:

 3 large russet potatoes, peeled, quartered

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

pinch garlic powder

pinch onion powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

salt, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne to taste

fresh chives to garnish are nice

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The French Omelette � Soft, Shiny, and Superior

There is no more terrifying experience at culinary school than the French omelette exam. With your classmates rooting you on, and chef instructors watching intently, you head to the stove, with little more than three eggs, and a little butter�okay, a lot of butter�but that�s it.

It�s just you and the ingredients, with no way to fake perfection. A French omelette, or omelet, as we Americans call it, is 10% ingredients, and 90% technique. The good news is, the technique is really simple. The bad news is, it takes a little practice to perfect. But, after making a few hundred of these, you could probably do this half asleep, which is how many brunch cooks actually do it. Just be sure to start the folding as soon as the surface is wet, but not runny.

Feel free to stuff this with your favorite fillings, before folding up, but if you�ve never had one of these before, I highly recommend making one as shown. You�ll be amazed at just how delicious these few ingredients can be, when elevated using this method. Either way, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one omelette:

3 large farm-fresh eggs

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cold water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 for the pan, and 1/2 for when it�s done)

cayenne or white pepper to taste, optional

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Hot Cross Buns � Mother Goose Would Love These

Pretty much all I know about hot cross buns, I learned from the nursery rhyme, but thanks to a recipe I found on Anson Mills, I was still able to make a fairly decent batch. Including real crosses, not to be confused with dinner rolls on which an icing cross has been piped.

In addition to its eye-catching appearance, the dough-based �cross� provides an interesting textual contrast, as it gets sort of chewy, and crispy edged.

Like I said in the video, any sweet dough will work with this easy technique, especially rich, and fragrant examples, like our Italian Easter Bread dough. Times may vary, but regardless of the dough, simply wait for the dough to double in size, and proceed.

If you want to get all your buns the same size, weight your dough in grams before dividing, and then divide by 16. Then, weight each of your dough balls to that exact amount, and boom, your tray of buns will look like the ones you saw on that magazine cover. Or, just eyeball it and take your chances. Either way, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 15 or 16 Hot Cross Buns:

Recipe slightly adapted from this one from Anson Mills

1/4 cup currants, soaked in hot rum for an hour or two

3/4 cup milk warmed to 100 F.

1 package dry active yeast

1 tablespoon each orange and lemon zest

7 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

3 cups bread *flour, plus more if needed

* hold back a little of the flour until you sure you need it. You can always add, but can�t remove!

For the crosses:

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more to make a thin, pipe-able dough

- Bake at 425 F. for about 15 minutes

For the glaze:

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons water

- Cook syrup to 225 F., and brush over warm

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Fresh Strawberry Jam � Because Man Cannot Live on Clotted Cream Alone

Actually, I don�t think you can live on just clotted cream and fruit preserves either, but regardless, as promised, here�s my preferred method for making strawberry jam. While amazingly delicious, and quite satisfying to make, I�ll have to put this on the same list as homemade ketchup. This is fun to make once in a while, but due to the effort, and time involved, Smuckers has nothing to worry about.

This version features a lot less sugar than many recipes, which is kind of crazy, since we use over two cups, as well as a homemade pectin puree, to help tighten-up the texture. Feel free to use pectin powder or liquid instead, but I think I did a pretty good job explaining why I don�t in the video.

Strawberries should be sweet, and plentiful this time year, so if you�re looking for a fun project, especially if your last fun project was making clotted cream, I really hope you give this delicious, fresh strawberry jam a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 3 cups of Strawberry Jam:

For the pectin puree:

3 apples, chopped

1 lemon, chopped

1 cup water

For the jam:

3 pounds strawberries, rinsed, and trimmed

1 1/2 cups (or whatever you got) pectin puree

2 1/4 cups white sugar, added in two additions

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Please Note: To test without a thermometer, wait until the jam starts to reduce and thicken, and spoon some of the mixture on a plate, and place in the freezer for a few minutes, until the jam is cold. If it's jelled, you're done. If it's still runny, keep cooking, and testing. 

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The Name's Cream...Clotted Cream

If you invented a cream preparation so incredibly delicious that you couldn�t bear the thought of anyone besides you, and the other dairy farmers in the area enjoying it, adding the word �clotted� to the name is a pretty sound strategy.

While the name doesn�t exactly make the mouth water, the flavor and texture are the stuff of legends. The long, slow cooking sort of toasts the cream, which imparts a sweet, nuttiness that I don�t think I�ve tasted in any other preparation.

Most modern ovens go down as low as 175-180 F., which is ideal for this technique. 200 F. will work, but maybe check after 10 hours, and see how things look. The other huge factor here is the cream. Be sure to get the best you can. It should be from grass-fed cows, and have a fat content of between 36-40%.

Avoid anything that says �Ultra-Pasteurized,� since it�s been heat-treated, and you�ll not get the same results. Other than this taking a day or two, the technique could not be easier, and I wasn�t exaggerating when I said it�s one of the most amazing things ever. I really do hope you give this a try soon.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 cups heavy cream

8 x 8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish

- Bake at 175-180 F. for 12 hours. Chill overnight before separating the �clots.� Use the reserved liquid for baking biscuits.

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Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, Again?

When Food Wishes was first getting started, and funds were scarce, I did some freelance video production for various outlets, and apparently lemon ricotta pancakes was one such recipe. I know this because I got a request for ricotta pancakes recently, and when I tried to refer them to the blog link, I realized there wasn�t one.

I�m looking at you, About.com. Anyway, as it turns out, this is a new and possibly improved recipe, featuring�water? Yes, I tried this recipe once, with water instead of milk, and I actually liked it more. Or I thought I did, which is really all that matters.

Most lemon ricotta pancake recipes call for the eggs to be separated, and the whites whipped to give the pancakes more �lift.� Feel free, but if these pancakes were any lighter, they�d float off the plate. Speaking of lightness, I prefer using self-rising flour for this, but if you can�t, I�ve explained below how to make your own. Either way, I really do hope you give these delicious lemon ricotta pancakes a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes 2 large or 4 small portions:

3/4 cold water, or milk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon lemon zest (just the yellow part of the skin)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon sugar

1 large egg

2 tablespoon melted butter

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons *self-rising flour, or as needed to achieve very thick batter

* To make your own self-rising flour (2 cups worth): Sift together 2 cups all-purpose flour, with 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon fine salt.

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Coconut Cream French Toast � It Only Sounds Like Pie

I try not to do recipe names that sound way better than they taste, but I went with coconut cream French toast anyway. I didn�t think �coconut French toast� did this justice, and while certainly not pie-like, the flavor profile was kind of close, and I was very pleased with the results.

I was debating whether to coat the soaked bread with raw coconut, and toast it while the slices were frying in the butter, but decided it would be smarter to do it separately. That way we get perfect golden-brown flakes, without having to risk it getting too dark in the pan.

By the way, I can� t stress how important it is to not use fresh bread. The drier the bread, the better the French toast, since you�ll be absorbing the maximum amount of our creamy coconut batter. So, the next time you have half a loaf of bread leftover from a dinner, slice it up, and leave it out overnight to dry.

If you want to cheat, you can lightly toast fresh bread beforehand, which, after cooling, will sort of simulate stale bread. Either way, I really hope you give this coconut cream French toast recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for two portions of 3 half-slices of bread:

3 thick slices very stale French or Italian bread (cut in half to make 6 pieces)

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/3 cup coconut milk (do not use low-fat)

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons butter for frying

2 tablespoons toasted coconut flakes

maple syrup, fresh mango, and lime to garnish

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Apple Fritters � Not a Raw Deal

Just a few months ago, making something like apple fritters would have seemed crazy, but this time of the year, it makes perfect sense. Whether it makes perfect sense to spend the extra time and effort cooking the apple pieces before adding them to the batter, is something you�ll have to decide.

I didn�t think I liked apple fritters, but turns out I just don�t like chunks of almost raw apple, surrounded by a doughnut. Maybe I�ve just been going to the wrong shops, but I�ve never enjoyed the texture, and always wanted to try them with cooked apples.

For all I know, this is sacrilege to apple fritter purists, if there is such a thing, but it sure worked for me. I also like to use sparkling apple cider, instead of the usual milk, or regular cider. I�m not sure how much lighter it really makes them, but it seems to help. I really hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!  

Ingredients for about 16 small apple fritters:

2 large or 3 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cut in 1/4-inch pieces

1 tablespoon butter to cook apples

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 large egg

1/4 cup granulated sugar, (plus 1 tablespoon for cooking apples)

1 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 cup sparkling apple cider, or as needed

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The Parmelet � Turning the Late-Night Omelet Inside Out

Like most late night, post-saloon culinary experiments, I wasn�t expecting too much as I attempted this crispy, inside-out parmesan omelet, so I was fairly thrilled with how it turned out. The caramelized cheese had formed a thin, but protective layer, and since the eggs had never directly touched the pan, they were moist and tender. It might have been the cocktails talking, but I started to think I had stumbled on to some sort of omelet hack, which improves both the texture of the surface, and diminishes the chance of dry, bitter, overcooked eggs. 

I also tried this with cheddar, and it works pretty much the same. There is one catch, in that you need a nonstick pan for this to work, but other than that, not much can go wrong, and so much can go right. Like what to stuff in the middle. As long as you heat it first, a reasonable amount of any classic omelet filling would shine.

This will also work whether you use one or three eggs, depending on the texture you�re going for. Using a single egg is kind of a cool trick, since the cheese layer is almost as thick, and you can really appreciate the crispness even more. I hope you give this great new omelet technique a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one Parmelet:

8-inch non-stick pan

1 teaspoon olive oil

25 grams (just shy of 1-ounce) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1,2, or 3 large eggs, beaten

1/8 teaspoon water per egg

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

pinch of cayenne

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Chocolate Energy Bars � Looking Good�Maybe Too Good

If you compare these chocolate energy bars to similar fruit/nut bars sold at the store, I think they taste better, are nutritionally superior, and probably cheaper to make at home. The only problem is they look so good.

These look like fudge brownies, and so it does take a millisecond for the brain to process that they�re not going to taste like fudge brownies. Having said that, they really are delicious, and satisfying in a non-decadent, but still chocolaty way.

Try your hardest to find Medjool dates, but if you can�t, any dried date should work, as long as it�s soft and sticky enough. If the ones you�re using seem too hard and dry, simply soak them in water until they soften up a bit.

Beyond the advantages I�ve described already, you also have the freedom to use any combination of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits you�d like. There�s about a million ways you can go, and I expect to hear about any particularly brilliant combinations. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes about 12 Chocolate Energy Bars:

2 cups chopped, pitted Medjool dates

2 cups raw cashews

1 cup raw or roasted unsalted almonds

3/4 cup high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Guittard Cocoa Rouge)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 to 2 tablespoon cold espresso coffee or water,

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon fine salt)

very small pinch cayenne

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Bacon & Asparagus Dutch Baby, Baby!

I�ve been seeing savory, non-breakfast versions of Dutch Babies pop up on menus lately, and while I�m not sure that means it�s a hot new trend, I figured I would get in on the ground floor with this amazing bacon and asparagus version, just in case.

Above and beyond the ingredients, the most important thing here is using a cast iron pan similar to, or better yet, exactly like, the 12-inch example seen herein. These relatively cheap and indestructible pans are one of the best kitchen investments of all time, but if you don�t have one, there is a Plan B.

You�ll have to do the bacon and asparagus steps in a frying pan, and then transfer everything to a similarly sized casserole dish. Make sure the sides are coated with your bacon fat, and then pour in your batter, and bake as shown.

It will take a few extra minutes in the oven, but just simply bake it until it�s browned, and properly puffed. It won�t work as well, but you should get similar results. Either way, I really hope you give this wonderful bacon and asparagus Dutch Baby a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large or 4 small portions:

3 large eggs

2/3 cup milk

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/4 cup if packed, but don�t pack it)

freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste
1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 cup all-purpose flour *packed 
*push and pack as much flour as you can fit into the 1/2 cup measure)

1 tbsp olive oil

6 strips bacon

1 generous cup sliced fresh asparagus

- Bake at 475 F for about 12-13 minutes, or until browned and puffed

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Easy One-Bowl, One-Step Hollandaise - A Miracle of Modern Science

I'm not sure what specifically that would be, but I assume there�s some kind of science behind this amazing, and possibly modern method I happened to stumble upon. I once saw a chef make hollandaise buy adding chucks of cold butter instead of whisking in hot melted butter, and it intrigued me.

Not enough to actually try it, but enough to make me wonder what would happen if we dumped everything in the bowl at once, and just cooked it all together. No one was more shocked than I was when it worked. And worked beautifully. By the way, I�m guessing I�m not the only person to have thought of this, but until I see proof, I will claim to be it�s inventor.

The only way this doesn�t work is if your heat is too high. I don�t have to tell you what will happen if it is. However, over a low flame (or double-boiler if you�re scared) this will come together very gradually, right before your eyes, and you�ll be able to stop anytime you see fit.  

Eggs are cheap, so give it a try, and see what happens. Being able to just dump everything into the bowl, and make hollandaise in one step is well worth the investment, especially with Mother�s Day coming up. Hint, hint. I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 portions (this can be scaled-up to how ever much you need):

1 large egg yolk

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

2 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (you can always add more to taste)

salt and cayenne or hot sauce to taste
NOTE: If sauce gets too thick, just thin with a little hot water.

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