Popovers

Popovers are a uniquely simple and scrumptious treat that truly exemplify the magic of baking. A quick batter made from flour, eggs, milk, and salt rises up to 4 times their original size with no leavener other than water.

This style of sourdough bread is what opened my eyes to the aesthetic and transformative side of bread making. It’s biology, chemistry, engineering, pleasure and adventure all at once. The idea such a seemingly simple ingredient as wheat flour could grow into a culinary masterpiece enthralled me. This recipe uses a wild yeast and lactobacillus culture, recipe here, which gives it a chewy, bursting crust and a cool, moist, subtley tangy crumb.

The arrival of summer screams for the most classic of all backyard grillable foods – the burger! These buns are quick and easy (25 minutes) to make and keep well in the freezer. Golden brown on the outside, sweet and soft on the inside, these whole grain buns are the perfect base for a classic beef or bean burger, portabello mushroom or grilled chicken breast. top with LTO and your favorite condiments. The dough is quite versatile and can also be shaped into a loaf, hot dog buns, or a filled with custard or cream for a decadent Maritozzi pastry.

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 Cheesesteak was a winner. It was such a hit that by 1940, the brothers had made enough money…

Once you master the simple and ancient process of nixtamalization, it’s easy to whip up your own tacos, memelas (see recipe below!) sopes, tamales, or pozole. Masa (nixtamalized corn) is the base preparation for all your Mexican and central American favorites. The Nixtamalization process softens the corn and makes b vitamins (Niacin)nutritionally available. Warning, once you have the real deal, there’s no going back to the industrialized imitations found all over!