Rainy Day Cooking

Penne with Gruyere cream sauce, bacon and caramelized onions.

Cranberry Ginger French Toast with Honey Marscapone

 It's a bit chilly out today so I wanted something hearty and maybe just a bit sweet. I start with a loaf of cranberry ginger bread (I get mine at Whole Foods) and then I mix equal parts egg and milk. It's better the more fat in the milk, actually half and half or even heavy cream work best, but I've used 2% and it turns out pretty damn good. I sprinkle in some cinamon and a little agave nectar for good measure.

 

Then I fry it up (in Kerrygold salted butter. I'm sure it's no better than any other salted butter but it has nostalgic appeal for me.)

 Then I bake it off in the oven at 375 for about 10 minutes depending on how thick the bread slices are.

I'm not always in the mood for syrup, so a slightly sweetened marscapone is an awesome alternative. It's halfway between the sweetness of the syrup and the richness of butter. I just mixed about a tablespoon of honey into a quarter cup of marscapone.

I cannnot wait for christmas time. Panettone french toast is possibly my favorite breakfast item ever in the history of breakfast.

Casey's Pumpkin Donut? Yes please

Why yes, I am eating a burger and fries at 9:30am. The one bright side of 7 hour flight delay is getting to eat at places I didn't think existed anymore.

Currently Reading...

I've been harboring a not-so-secret desire to eventually own a small goat farm and make my own goat cheese when I grow up. I think I possess just the right mix of intelligence and enjoyment of manual labor. Whether or not I'll ever be comfortable watching goats go at it is another story...

Pear and gorgonzola tart

My first attempt so it looks a little "rustic". The reduced balsamic vinegar really makes it.

If the English call Stilton the King of Cheese and the Italians call Parmaseano Reggiano the King of Cheese, do you think cheesemongers from their respective countries get together and rumble? I hope so...