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‘30/30 WTF!’ Category

  1. 30/30 WTF! #30: Sweet Potato Pie Waffle

    March 9, 2011 by Cas

    Bittersweet.

    Not the waffle. The waffle is just sweet sweet. Bittersweet is our final — the 30th of 30 — 30 Waffles in 30 Days recipe.

    This one is inspired by the fact that I have this can of yams in my cupboard that seems to be in the way every time I go for the cereal or almond butter. It’s like a clown doll in the closet: every time you turn around, it’s there, and it’s staring at you, and no matter where you move it to so you can avoid unnecessary encounters, it seems to move right back to where it wants to be the moment your back is turned. So I guess this recipe owes equal credit to the can of yams and the movie “Poltergeist”…

    Funny thing is, I made this from fresh sweet potato, because as much as I mock and deride, I actually prepare yams often enough that I like having that can on hand for when my family and friends say, “we know it’s April but we really want Thanksgiving dinner tonight.” So I feel I should always be prepared to accommodate request such as this, as well the frequent and proverbial wild hare up my ass to make sweet potato muffins, pancakes, or biscuits (which I promise we will cover in cocktail foods soon, because if you’ve never had them, sweet potato biscuits with sugar-baked ham are reason enough to throw a party).

    About the mashed sweet potato: either open your clown can, mash them up, and use as directed. Or cut a medium sweet potato (don’t bother to peel it), into chunks, cover with water in a saucepan, and boil for 10-15 minutes until tender. Remove from heat, let cool in the pot and the water, and when cool enough to handle simply pull the skins off, place in a bowl, and mash by hand with a fork or masher, or with a hand blender.

    Oh, and for the record, I really fucking love clowns.

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: MEDIUM HIGH

    1/2 Cup mashed sweet potato (THE RECIPE CALLS FOR 1 CUP TOTAL)
    1 Egg
    1/2 Cup milk

    1 Cup Bisquick
    1/4 Cup brown sugar
    1/2 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice (or an equal amount of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and or clove, to taste)
    1/4 tsp. Salt

    2 Tbsp. flour
    1/4 Cup brown sugar
    1/4 tsp. Salt
    1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
    1 Tbsp. butter

    1/2 Cup  mashed sweet potato (yes, the OTHER half of the full cup)
    1/2 Cup brown sugar
    1 Tbsp. Butter
    Dash of salt

    Marshmallow Fluff, for garnish.

    Combine 1/2 Cup of sweet potato, egg and milk. In a separate bowl, mix the baking mix, brown sugar, salt and spice to combine; add wet ingredients and stir until mixed well. Set batter aside.

    In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and butter until crumbly. Pack firmly, and transfer to a small hot skillet or sautee pan over medium heat. Pan-bake the crumb topping until it loosens and starts crisping, breaking into crumbs as you go. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl or plate to cool.

    To make sweet potato jam, place remaining sweet potato, brown sugar, butter and salt in skillet, and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture boils. Cook one additional minute stirring constantly, and remove from heat.

    Grease waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray and spoon waffle batter onto griddle, leaving room for spread. Cook to golden brown, and remove to individual serving plates.

    Spread each waffle with Marshmallow Fluff (or see garnish note, below); spoon sweet potato jam over marshmallow, and sprinkle generously with crumb topping.

    As an alternate to the fluff, you can top the waffle with miniature marshmallows and microwave to melt slightly; or if the jam is still piping hot, you can spoon it generously right over the minis and let it do the little bit it can do to help them melt.

    High Altitude Directions: Follow recipe as written, but don’t look down or you may get dizzy.
    Dan Quayle Directions: Follow recipe as written, adding an “e” to the end of every reference to “potato”.

    Category 30/30 WTF!, Side by Side by Side Dish, Vegetarian (or Potentially So) | Tags: ,,,,,, | 2 Comments

  2. 30/30 WTF! #29: The VonTussel Value Menu

    March 8, 2011 by Cas

    Is it out of guilt that this 30 day culinary vacation in hell is coming to a close that I’m feeling the need to offer two-fers and three-fers in the daily recipes, or is it out of the realization that I’ve enjoyed our time in hell so much I will not only miss it but I’m going to attend that timeshare sales pitch conference not just for the all-you-can eat buffet but because I actually want to come here again, and often?

    Herewith, the last of our Fast Food waffle inspirations, all involving meat, and each to your particular taste. I won’t tell you which is my favorite — I’ll let you choose your own. But the neat thing is there’s no oil added to the waffle batter base because the (let’s call it) “juice” given off by the meat as it cooks is absorbed by the bread and rather imparts its flavor throughout.

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: MEDIUM (2 cycles)

    Waffle Base:
    1 Cup Bisquick
    1 Egg
    1/2 Cup milk

    Mix all ingredients, and beat lightly until smooth. Set aside.

    1 lb. Ground beef
    1 Egg
    1 Cup bread crumbs
    1/4 tsp. Salt

    1 Cup chopped onion (1 small white or yellow)
    1 Tbsp. oil
    Dash salt, to taste

    Place meat, egg, bread crumbs and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Crack the egg first and toss out the shell. Don’t just put the whole frigging egg in the bowl. Doing that would be almost as stupid as my feeling I needed to actually tell you that.

    Fry onion in oil until tender and transparent and just starting to brown. Add salt to taste, and add to other ingredients in bowl.

    Now the choices:

    For each version, add the following to the basic meat mixture, mix thoroughly, and get ready to waffle. And yes, with a little math and a little averaging up or down to taste, you can make all three at once from the same meat mix base. But these measurements are full batch.

    For the VonRIB Waffle, add:
    1 Cup bottled barbecue sauce
    1/4 Cup brown sugar
    1/8 tsp. Ground black pepper
    1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper
    1 tsp. Garlic powder
    1/4 Cup flour

    For the MEAT VonLOAF Waffle:
     1 Cup ketchup
    1 tsp. Onion powder
    1 Tbsp. dried parsley
    1/4 tsp. Ground black pepper
    1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
    1/4 Cup flour

    For the MAYOR VonCHEESE BURGER Waffle:
    1 Cup shredded mild cheddar (or diced American cheese singles)

    Spray waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray.

    Pat meat mixture down to fill only lower half (just above the dimples) of the waffle sections or wedges (depending on your iron, 1/6 to 1/4 of the mix). Close iron and parcook for 1 minute.

    Open iron, and smooth waffle batter over top of precooked meat. The batter will seep around the edges of the meat, filling any space, but leave a little room for the waffle to rise and spread.

    Continue cook cycle, until waffle top is golden brown. Remove from griddle, and place on serving plates, waffle side down.

    Serve with additional barbecue sauce and ketchup.

    Category 30/30 WTF! | Tags: ,,,,,, | No Comments

  3. 30/30 WTF! #28: Loaded Cornbread & Chili Waffle

    March 7, 2011 by Cas

    This is not only a delicious creation, here, this is a real go-to waffle when you’re on the go.

    There’s enough to deal with mentally when you look at the deceptively long list of ingredients (you’ll find it takes about as long to assemble in reality, though, as it does to read the lengthy itemization), without my throwing a homemade chili recipe at you. Plus, you may just want to bake up a batch of these delicious cornbread waffles to eat plain, so the chili I’m treating as a garnish, and recommending you use your favorite prepared variety, beans or no beans and meat or no meat and hot or mild or whatever the chili considerations are in your local market.

    When I say it’s a go-to, I mean it can be a phenomenally quick workday dinner — and an incredibly satisfying one — if you’ve made the waffles ahead of time, and just come home, pop one on a plate, ladle on the chili and top with some shredded cheddar. Pop it in the microwave for two minutes, and dinner is ready before you even sort the mail.

    It’s like having a husband who stays home all day, anticipating your every need. But if you walk into the bathroom to find lit candles and a steaming hot, scented bath drawn and ready, nice as it might seem at first I think someone has busted into your house and that’s why you should always keep a handgun duct-taped to the underside of the toilet tank lid. I’m just sayin’…

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: MEDIUM

    1 Cup corn meal
    1 Cup flour
    2 tsps. Baking powder
    1 tsp. Baking soda
    1/2 tsp. Salt
    1/4 Cup sugar

    2 Eggs
    1 Cup milk
    1/4 Cup vegetable oil

    1 Cup yellow corn kernels (canned, or frozen thawed)
    1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
    1/4 Cup chopped green chiles (or, for masochists, chopped jalapenos)
    1/2 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes
    2 Tbsp. dried parsley
    2 tsps. chopped (or dried) cilantro

    Prepared Chili, and additional shredded cheese, for garnish.

    In a mixing bowl, toss together first set of ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, milk and oil, and add to dry ingredients, stirring until combined. Fold in remaining ingredients (except for the garnishes, duh) and let batter sit to crown, 10 minutes.

    Grease waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray, and ladle batter onto iron. It will be thick and will spread and fill in when you close and cook it. When pale golden brown, remove to individual serving plates.

    Top with a generous scoop of chili and additional shredded cheese. Pop in the microwave if you want to melt the cheese (did I REALLY have to tell you that?) and nobody ever complained about a little dollop of sour cream on top for zing and additional eye candy.

    Category 30/30 WTF!, Entrees-Vous! | Tags: ,,,,,, | No Comments

  4. 30/30 WTF! #27: Matzo Brei Waffle

    March 6, 2011 by Cas

    I bet a great many of you are truly asking, “WTF?” over this one.

    This is another of my retooled faves from the “Pizza Bagel” files: an Italian Boy making traditional comfort food in the Jewish tradition.

    I cannot credit this one to my kids or my Baby Mama, the beautiful Ms. R. who allowed me to absorb a lovely family culture from her side of our association over the ten years we spent together.

    No, this one goes back to my gorgeous, talented, warm and smart and inner-light bearing friend, Synthia. Literally the only thing I don’t like about Syn is the fact that she lives on the opposite side of the country and if I get to see her once a year it’s a lot. I have been in deep spiritual love with this woman since our sophomore year of High School. Which is when she first taught me the wonders of Matzo Brei.

    Synthia was, in my world, the Amy Irving character of “Izzy” from “Crossing Delancey.” She was (and remains) a goddess to behold, with such a sweet and giving spirit that she was nothing short of captivating. And she even lived (sort of) on the Lower East Side like Izzy, and came from a very traditional Jewish family.

    OK. Back in your pants, weasel. Moving on.

    Syn taught me her family’s way of making matzo brei — a very simple combo of crumbled matzo and egg — noting the addition of a dash of seltzer, like her father always did.

    My first go ’rounds were in pancake form, flattening it and sticking it together in the frying pan. Later I started “scrambling” it. I was always made to think of it as a sweet breakfast, like a regular pancake or waffle, so I ate it either with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or my usual, maple syrup.

    At a recent brunch at a midtown Jewish deli (the sit down with a nasty waitress or old old man waiter kind, famous and worth the trip) the staff looked at me like I was ordering grape jelly for my nova lox. To a lot of people, matzo brei is savory, like an omelette, and salt and pepper or sometimes (egads) ketchup are in order.

    Since I don’t know which way YOU prefer matzo brei (and bonus points if you guessed I couldn’t give a fuck, either), and a great many of you won’t have a preference because you’ve never tasted (or heard of) such a thing, I offer here a Food Daddy Twofer: one recipe, slightly adjustable, for both.

    This will make four waffles. Ish.

    Ess ess, meine kinder!

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: HIGH

    4 Matzo
    4 Eggs
    1/8 tsp. Salt
    2 Tbsp. Water

    Crush matzo in a mixing bowl. They should be in bits somewhere in size between a Tic Tac and a Chiclet. Oh my God, remember Chiclets? And what about Dentyne? Do they even MAKE that stuff any more?

    Lightly beat the egg, the water and the salt. Pour over crushed matzo and toss vigorously to coat. Let sit 10 minutes.

    FOR SWEET: add 1/4 C sugar.
    FOR SAVORY: fry 1 C chopped white onion in 2 Tbsp. of butter over medium high heat until browned and tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

    Mix your sweet OR savory add-in to the matzo brei mixture. Grease the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray, mound batter in each of the wells or wedges and spread slightly toward edges, and close to cook to golden brown.

    Move waffles to serving dish (or dishes if you decide as you should to make both), and serve with the following toppings:

    Cinnamon sugar, maple syrup or jam or preserves for the sweet; Sour cream, or more butter.

    Category 30/30 WTF!, Side by Side by Side Dish, Vegetarian (or Potentially So) | Tags: ,,,,, | No Comments

  5. 30/30 WTF! #26: APPLE FRITTER WAFFLE

    March 5, 2011 by Cas

    I think as many times in my life as I’ve made apple fritters — and I’m going back to my childhood kitchen roots here — I’ve made them in that many different forms.

    I’ve done them like funnel cakes, like miniature cobblers, like mini muffins or like a tempura. But when you walk into a Big Chain Coffee House and see what THEY’RE offering up as apple fritters, the things are as big as your fucking head and so calorically dense that it’s no wonder America can’t zip its jeans without laying on the bed and using a pair of pliers.

    But lest I sound judgmental and insincere (have I been even remotely calorie-conscious in the past 25 of our 30 days?) I offer this: a middle-of the road, “yes it’s indulgent but it’s not going to kill you immediately” waffle version of the apple fritter.

    The key here in likening it to the variety served at the aforementioned, unmentionable chains, is the glaze. And once you try making and using this stuff you’ll realize it can be brushed onto anything for heightened visual and edible pleasure. Brush it on the tops of muffins, pound cakes, cookies, on your cat, your pastor, a Volkswagon — it really doesn’t matter; it’s versatile and delicious. It will set up more quickly on a cooled baked product (or pet, clergyman or automobile) than a warm one, but the warmth will soak up some of this sugar juice and become more moist and flavorful, so you really cannot go wrong.

    1/2 Cup sugar
    1/4 Cup water
    Dash salt

    1 Cup Bisquick
    1/4 Cup sugar
    1/2 Cup milk
    1 Egg
    1 Tbsp. butter, melted
    1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
    1 Large apple, any sweet and tasty baking variety, diced

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: HIGH

    Mix sugar, water and salt, and bring to a boil in microwave or saucepan. Once the sugar is fully dissolved, continue to boil for one minute. Set aside.

    Mix all remaining ingredients but the apple, beating until smooth. Add the apple and stir to incorporate.

    Grease the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon batter onto griddle leaving room for waffles to spread, and cook until deep golden brown.

    Open griddle, and with a pastry or basting brush, quickly coat the top of the waffles with the sugar glaze syrup. Remove from waffle iron, flipping glazed side down onto a plate, and glaze the other side. Set aside to cool and let the glaze absorb a bit and set up.

    The longer these sit with the more glaze applied (it sounds like we’re refinishing frigging furniture here instead of cooking, doesn’t it?) the more of a sugary “coat” will develop. And that ain’t a bad thing.

    Break ‘em apart, pop ‘em in your mouth, and lick the rest off your fingers.

    Category 30/30 WTF!, Cakes, Pies & Pastries, Fresh Baked, Just Desserts, Vegetarian (or Potentially So) | Tags: ,,,,,, | No Comments

  6. 30/30 WTF! #25: CHICKEN & WAFFLES

    March 4, 2011 by Cas

    I know.

    I had never heard of such an animal in the culinary world either, until once upon a time in a former life which found me toiling as the Director of International Marketing for a toy company headquartered in Ohio. I would telecommute from my then-home on Long Island, but once every three weeks or so I’d have to spend several days to a week out at the offices with my staff and the Board. The CEO and I would road trip it — two City kids thumbing their noses at everything we passed once we’d crossed the Hudson, and openly declaring Pennsylvania as the “Gateway to Ohio.” In our defense this was spurred by a nasty billboard we had hoped to one night drunkenly deface on the way home — situated right on the PA side of the Delaware Water Gap crossing — proclaiming, “Welcome to Pennsylvania — America Starts Here.”

    Like my property taxes were being paid on a chunk of land that was just floating way the fuck off the coast of Mother England, and New Jersey was still awaiting colonization.

    But one thing for which we HAD to give Pennsylvania credit was it’s stick-to-your ribs, down-home, Dutch-inspired foodstuffs. It seems in their culinary vernacular, the four basic food groups were meat, vegetables, doughy things, and sauces in such abundance you cannot see the other three food groups beneath.

    Fucking love it.

    On one trip home, we stopped at a roadside diner which I can from flagging memory promise you boasted colonial wooden furnishings versus vinyl and Formica banquettes, gingham textile appointments rather than paper place mats, uniformed and apron-adorned waitresses who said “yes, sir” and brought requested items promptly, and a business name no doubt thought incredibly clever when devised by the original owner, which through inclusion of the word “Kitchen” was converted to contain “K”-substitutions for its forced-in “C” words — like “Kozy Kountry Kitchen”.

    I freakin’ kan’t even.

    But I did. I saw — and almost choked on my promptly fetched glass of water — “Chicken and Waffles” on the menu and, inquiring as to what sort of entity I might expect, was told (as the waitress thumbed through her “Pennsylvania English to Evil City Folk” dictionary) that it was rather like a chicken pot pie or a chicken a la king, only with a waffle instead of biscuits or pastry crust.

    Lemme at it.

    I was delighted and have been making some version of this ever since.

    But for this new recipe I wanted to try something different. Instead of making it just like a chicken a la king, or the traditional filling you’d find in a pot pie, I took the vegetables out of the stew part, so what remains is basically just chicken in a cream sauce. But the vegetables are still present, here in what I like to call “Veggie Ice Cream” though there’s no cream and it’s not cold — its just the visual texture of ice cream and I serve it up with the rest of the dish from an ice cream scoop. The vegetable flavor is more savory and intense (I found myself dipping into it way too often as I waited for the rest of the dish to come together) and it just makes it prettier and more interesting.

    The waffle itself is pretty basic, though a bit heartier than a regular waffle, with a bit more egg and a bit less liquid.

    This, again, was one of those recipes which, once I’d made the whole batch, had to be quickly packed up and frozen, lest I eat the whole load of it and then made you people read a lengthy blog about regret.

    I find these best if after cooking the stew you take it off the heat and let it cool; it will thicken a bit. The waffles should be piping hot off the grill, and then they’ll be looking to suck up the liquid, and ugh… now I’m craving one again.

    I think they’d look at me askew for this, but ultimately the chef and staff at the Koffee Klatch Kafeteria would approve.

    4 Cups frozen mixed vegetables
    1 Cup water
    2 Tbsp. butter
    Salt and Pepper, to taste
    1/4 Cup mashed potato flakes (optional)

    1 lb. Boneless chicken breast (and/or thigh meat), cubed
    2-1/2 Cups water
    1/2 Cup chopped onion (or one small onion)
    3 Tbsp. powdered chicken or vegetable bouillon
    (or 3 packs or cubes, or two large-variety cubes)
    1 tsp. Parsley
    1/4 tsp. Thyme
    1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
    1/8 tsp. Ground black pepper

    1/3 Cup flour
    1/2 Cup milk
    1 Tbsp. Butter
    1/2 Tbsp. sugar
    Salt and Pepper, to taste

    2 Cups Bisquick
    1 Cup milk
    2 Eggs
    2 Tbsp. butter, melted

    OK, folks… fasten your seat belts…

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: MEDIUM

    To make the Veggie “Ice Cream”: Bring frozen vegetables and water to a boil in a saucepan. Stirring occasionally, allow to boil until all the liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add butter, and puree with a hand mixer (or transfer to food processor). Add salt and pepper to taste, and if the mixture is too loose to form a nice, firm “scoop” when spooned out, add up to 1/4 cup of the mashed potato flakes to stiffen it. Hee hee… I said “stiffen”…

    Set aside the vegetable mixture, and your disdain for my adolescent non sequiturs.

    To make the “Stew”: In a saucepan, bring chicken, water, chopped onion, bouillon, and all the herbs and spices to a boil. Allow to boil, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes.

    In a separate cup or small bowl, mix the flour, milk and sugar until smooth, working out any lumps.

    Remove the boiled stew from the heat. Add the flour mixture quickly, stirring continuously to incorporate fully. Add the butter, return to heat, and return to a full boil, stirring for one minute once it bubbles. Remove from heat, adjust salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.

    To make the waffles: I know, right? We totally forgot by this point that this recipe had anything the fuck to do with waffles! Mix the Bisquick, egg and milk, then pour melted butter in and beat slightly.

    Putting it together: (Thank you, Mr. Sondheim) Grease the waffle iron with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Spoon waffle batter onto griddle, leaving room for it to spread, and cook until golden brown.

    Remove hot waffles to individual serving plates. Top each waffle with a scoop of the veggie ice cream. Portion out the chicken onto each of the waffles, then spoon the remaining creamy sauce over the whole dish. Serve it up, y’all! Them’s is some fine victuals!

    What I like to do is take a bit of the veggies on my fork first and then dig into a few pieces of the chicken, and finally fork off a bit of waffle and then wipe the whole mess in the sauce and rush it into my mouth. Or you can smear the veggies over it before eating, which will look so gross to your dinner mates but insures EVD (Even Veggie Distribution).

    But come now: I taught you how to make the damned thing. How the frig you choose to eat it, though, I totally leave up to your discretion.

    Category 30/30 WTF!, Entrees-Vous! | Tags: ,,,,,, | 1 Comment

  7. 30/30 WTF! #24: REUBEN SANDWICH WAFFLE

    March 3, 2011 by Cas

    Reuben, Reuben, I’ve been thinking…

    About how to turn your namesake sandwich into a delightful waffle. This is UBER delightful, and worthy of any delicatessen menu. Well, any delicatessen that features a long list of savory waffle creations on its menu.

    The final step can be a little tricky, melting cheese directly to the iron’s top. But I learned that if it sticks, it sticks, and it pulls off in a snap, and creates a lacy little garnish for the top of the waffle that tastes the same as the times it comes completely loose, but looks even cooler than normal.

    The batter is jazzed up a bit. You’d encounter this in the wild on rye bread, but I didn’t want to get everyone started on that whole task (I’ve got other things to bust your chops over) so I just made a really interesting bread base I think you’ll enjoy as a substitute.

    1-1/2 Cups Bisquick
    1/2 Cup instant mashed potato flakes (such as Hungry Jack)
    1/4 Cup whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)
    1/4 tsp. salt
    1-1/2 Cups water
    1/4 Cup vegetable oil
    2 Tbsp. brown deli mustard

    1 Cup Sauerkraut, drained well
    8 oz. Cooked corned beef (or pastrami), shredded
    1 Cup shredded Swiss cheese

    Additional brown mustard OR
    prepared thousand island dressing

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: MEDIUM HIGH

    Mix Bisquick, potato flakes, flour and salt to combine. Add water, oil and mustard and mix thoroughly. Add kraut and shredded meat and stir to combine.

    Grease waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray, and spoon waffle mixture onto iron, leaving room at edges for spreading.

    When the waffle is golden brown, spread each section with a dab of additional mustard (if mustard is the preferred serving condiment).

    Top waffle sections with a portion of the shredded cheese, grease the top iron again, and close to melt cheese and brown it slightly.

    Open iron, and if cheese needs a bit of coaxing, do so carefully with a fork or some other pointy utensil, being very careful not to scratch the cooking surface.

    Transfer to serving platter, and serve with additional brown mustard, thousand island dressing, and of course… pickles.

    Half sour.

    Category 30/30 WTF!, Cocktail Party, Entrees-Vous!, Finger Foods | Tags: ,,,,, | 5 Comments

  8. Where Do We Go From Here?

    March 2, 2011 by Cas

    OK, Food Daddy Foodies: 30 days of Waffles is almost a done deal.

    Now what?

    So many of you have been so supportive and so interactive — and so inspired — that I want to keep up the trend.

    While I cannot promise (or rather, threaten) continuing on a strict daily schedule, I CAN promise the frequency won’t be curtailed that heavily, and that the party will indeed go on.

    I also want to promise bringing new “wow, I never thought of that” flashes of brilliance to you in your own kitchens.

    So what would you like to see happening on Food Daddy?

    I don’t think we should lock ourselves into “30 Days of….” because to be honest, this experiment became so vast it literally took over my life. I’d love to have a set stable of “categories” you’d like to see addressed from time to time, and then supplement with stuff that strikes ME as I continue to explore in my own kitchen, and in the restaurants and markets of New York City, as well as always looking for interesting and inspiring stuff online and in my vast collection of cookbooks.

    Just as the 30/30 Waffle Challenge — and Food Daddy itself — were spawned by a discussions on my Facebook status one day, I never know wherein lies inspiration and a burning motivation to create, or deconstruct and recreate, something magical. And like an above-the-title porn star hired to shoot a mass orgy scene…

    I can’t do it alone, folks.

    Ideas — both those that have been presented to me by you fabulous people, as well as some that just sort of came to me in my dreams or delusions — have been rattling around in my head for a few weeks now. Sweet and Savory swaps — where the stuff you’re used to tasting in a sugary confection is presented in saltier forms, or vice versa… a cavalcade of appetizers, so for the next cocktail party you host you’ll be armed with a full arsenal of delicious possibilities… Pie-a-Palooza, featuring baked and no-bake and cobbled and crumbled and upside down… Muffins out the wazoo… Gluten-free… Vegan… “From Fat Farm to Gym Floor: Classic ‘No No’ foods slimmed down and shaken up for a healthier lifestyle”… The “Do-it-to-Me” challenge: you tell me my task, and I fulfill it — like “make a fat-free butter cream frosting” or “vegan-up a Pot Roast dinner”… Hand-crafted liqueurs, like grandma used to make and pretend were “medicinal”… Gifts from the kitchen and the heart…

    Endless possibilities. Endless dreams.

    And now: your endless suggestions?

    Ah, look! The rest of the gang-bang just showed up! Lights… camera… baby oil… and…

    Action!

    Category 30/30 WTF!, Food Daddy Says..., Tips & Tricks | Tags: | 38 Comments

  9. 30/30 WTF! #23: NANA KITTY’S CHERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING WAFFLE

    March 2, 2011 by Cas

    Food Daddy Foodie Shannon wrote from Colorado to say her mother — too young and hip to be a run-of-the-mill Granny, thus known as “Nana Kitty” — was very fond, having grown up in Cherry territory, of that local fruity favorite. I thought to incorporate cherries into something moist and sweet, and came up with this, pairing it here with white chocolate.

    Now… cherries are a problem, seasonally. You won’t be surprised to learn that the cherry trees on my rooftop just steps off Times Square hadn’t, in this cold and horrid February, bloomed yet. Likewise, you won’t be surprised to learn that I don’t actually keep fucking cherry trees on my roof in midtown Manhattan.

    The Food Emporium will have them in season; the fruit stores and the Farmers Market on Saturdays in Hell’s Kitchen will have them in a few months. But alas… not now.

    Not now.

    So here’s what you do: if you can get fresh, get fresh. And get ‘em ripe and sweet. Measure out your two cups and chop them up for this recipe. If you have to use canned, make sure they’re a brand that won’t be too limp and disappointing. Limp and disappointing… that reminds me I have to return a message from my ex-boyfriend…

    Or if you get dried — the tart Bing variety from Trader Joe’s did VERY nicely in my trials — cover about three quarters the amount you need in EXCRUCIATINGLY hot water to plump them to the two full cups.

    In either of the last two cases, be sure to DRAIN THE HELL OUT OF THEM before adding to the mix or they’ll make it too wet. And in the case of plumping the dried, rinse them in cold water and THEN drain lest you add hot fruit to a mix containing chocolate, and come up with a melted, gooey mess.

    These are really, really good. And I think served warm you’ll find these an ideal dessert.

    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: HIGH

    8 Slices white bread
    2 Cups cherries, chopped
    2 Cups White chocolate (morsels, or bar form, chopped)

    1 Cup sugar
    2 Tbsp. flour
    1/2 tsp.  Salt
    1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

    1/2 Cup orange juice
    4 Large eggs

    Tear the the bread into chunks and place them in a mixing bowl. Add cherries and white chocolate.

    In a separate bowl, mix sugar, flour, salt and nutmeg. Add juice and eggs and mix thoroughly. Pour over bread mixture and toss to coat completely. Let soak 5 minutes.

    Grease waffle iron well with nonstick cooking spray. Scoop waffle mixture onto waffle iron sections or wedges, and close to cook. Check for doneness: waffles should be cooked through and dark golden brown on the outside. You should be able to remove them with minimal fuss; if there is fuss, don’t be a drama queen and just deal with it. A spatula will help and I’m sure you’ll be able to cope.

    I originally thought, “Hmm… powdered sugar for a garnish? Whipped cream? A glaze of some sort, or pastry icing?”

    And then I tasted these and said, “leave perfect alone.”

    To quote “Steel Magnolias”, though, you might consider a scoop of vanilla. In discussing a recipe, Clairee says of the decadent “Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa” dessert, “Sounds AWFULLY rich,” to which Miss Truvy responds, “It is! So I usually serve it with vanilla ice cream — to cut the sweetness.”

    Perfect idea, Truvy.

    Category 30/30 WTF!, Breads, Rolls & Muffins, Cakes, Pies & Pastries, Fresh Baked, Just Desserts, Vegetarian (or Potentially So) | Tags: ,,,,, | 12 Comments

  10. 30/30 WTF! #22: STUFFED PIZZA WAFFLE

    March 1, 2011 by Cas

    These work best using the yeast batter, but again, you can use a substitute of 2 Cups Bisquick, 3/4 Cups water, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

    I find these best when cut into triangles and served warm, but not hot, giving the ingredients a chance to set in the center. And so you don’t scald your mouth when diving into them.

    I’m also giving you a variety of options here, to adress the fact that if we went out for actual pizza, none of us would order the same slice given a variety of choices. Get imaginative, but don’t overstuff.

    2 Cups Batter
    1/4 Cup Bisquick
    1/2 tsp. Salt

    1 Cup prepared pizza sauce (or, if you’re like me, your own homemade)
    1 Cup shredded mozzarella (or sliced fresh, or sliced mild provolone or fontina)

    OPTIONS:
    Sliced Pepperoni
    Sliced Ham
    Thinly sliced Tomato
    Whole fresh Basil leaves
    Waffle Iron Setting/Cook Time: MEDIUM (and, admittedly, to be largely ignored)

    Mix Yeast Batter or Bisquick Batter with additional Bisquick and salt.

    Grease waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray.

    Spoon just enough batter onto waffle iron so you can spread it evenly with the back of a spoon or with a silicon spatula to fill the recesses but just barely the tops of the dimples. Close iron and let this bottom layer go through one medium cook cycle. Open to check for doneness; batter should just be set, with no more wet spots.

    Spoon sauce over waffles, leaving about a 1/2 to 3/4″ border from the edges of the individual waffles or wedges. Add cheese and optional fillings, then top with another spoon of batter, smoothing it to the edges and sealing in the filling. Spray top iron again, and close to finish cooking.

    Check for doneness. When waffles are golden brown, leave the iron open for a minute to let them steam off, then carefully remove to a plate to cool.

    Cut into wedges if desired, and serve with additional sauce, shredded or grated parmesan, and if you’re from Brooklyn, it’s customary to have shakers of dried oregano, red pepper flakes and garlic powder on hand.

    Ayyyy, ohhhhhh… dat’s what ah’m tawkin’ ’bout, yo.

    Category 30/30 WTF!, Cocktail Party, Finger Foods, Side by Side by Side Dish, Vegetarian (or Potentially So) | Tags: ,,,,,, | 2 Comments

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