by Benjamin Lester | Sep 6, 2019 | Baking, Blog, Bread, Cooking, Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Uncategorized
Burritos and Quesadillas are another way an entire section of a cuisine has been organized around flatbreads. They are so versatile, delicious and practical there is no way not to enjoy them! Stuffed with beans cheese, vegetables and meat or flattened out for extra...
by Benjamin Lester | Jan 20, 2024 | Baking, Bread, Cooking, Dinner, Recipes, Uncategorized
Like many of the world’s most scrumptious food inventions, this iconic sub, born in the city of brotherly love, inspires passion and debate. From its humble origins in the 1930s as “frizzled beef and onions” at Pat and Harry Olivieri’s hotdog cart, the Philly...
by Benjamin Lester | Jan 20, 2024 | Baking, Bread, Dinner, Recipes, Uncategorized, Video
These rolls contain just enough oil and sugar to make the crust thinner and softer than a baguette or other straight dough (without sugar or oil) but not as soft as a hamburger bun or sandwich loaf. This type of roll was popularized by Italian American immigrants, who...
by Benjamin Lester | Dec 21, 2023 | Baking, Bread, Dessert, Pastry, Recipes, Uncategorized
(Scroll Below for Recipe Book preview followed by Ingredient list and directions in text only) This recipe transforms a basic brioche bun into a fancy Italian pastry. In Medieval Rome, Maritozzi were the one of the only sweets permitted during Lent, because they...
by Benjamin Lester | Dec 10, 2023 | Baking, Dessert, Pastry, Recipes
(See below for book spread and text recipe and instructions) Recipes for this and other “upside-down cakes” began appearing in America in the 1920s, America, and their popularity has continued into the 21st century, for good reason. Upside-down cakes are simple,...
by Benjamin Lester | Dec 2, 2023 | Cooking, Dinner, Recipes
This recipe showcases smaller, thicker tortillas with a hot, golden crust and a rich, creamy center that really let you savor the masa. Thicker tortillas are also more efficient to make at home. As they contain more masa per serving, you need less of them to make a...
by Benjamin Lester | Oct 27, 2023 | Cooking, Dinner, Recipes
After a long day of rock climbing in the Shawangunk mountains of Ulster County, New York, we found a traditional German restaurant, where we cozied up with some beer and a hearty bowl of spaetzle and meatballs. The name spaetzle – pronounced SCHPEHTZ-luh – means...
by Benjamin Lester | Sep 30, 2023 | Baking, Bread, Breakfast, Cooking, Recipes
Biscuits – from the Latin biscoctus, meaning “twice-cooked” – go back at least as far as the 1500s. The first biscuits were made from three basic ingredients – flour, water and salt – and cooked until they were hard, dry and tasteless. These compact bricks of bread –...
by Benjamin Lester | Sep 1, 2023 | Baking, Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Uncategorized
Harvesting leeks from my garden as the weather cools always reminds of the earthy, nutty flavors of this French delight. I first discovered this dish in my early twenties and was immediately in love with the strong, rich flavors. It’s also a quick meal as far as...
by Benjamin Lester | Oct 21, 2022 | Baking, Recipes
by Benjamin Lester | Sep 8, 2022 | Cooking, Dinner, Lunch, Recipes
