Tips-n-tricks: salad and cheese.

SALAD:
Just before serving, tear--don't cut--the greens into bite-size pieces. Cutting greens with a knife will turn the edges brown with time.

CHEESE:
Cheese can be frozen for longer storage time. Because the freezing process changes the cheese's texture slightly, it is best to use it in cooking or baking. (It makes it crumble when you try to shred it, but I deal with it and use it for all things anyway. The taste is still the same.)

the best buttermilk syrup (+ german pancakes)

So apparently I'm on a breakfast theme here. We just had breakfast for dinner again and it was pretty much heaven-sent. I have THE BEST homemade syrup recipe in the world (thanks to my cousin Tanys!), and I challenge ALL to try it. I PROMISE it will be love at first taste, just as it was for me. (Oh and we love to put it on German pancakes...so I threw that recipe in here as well). Enjoy!



Best Buttermilk Syrup

1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 stick of butter (not margarine!)
2 Tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla


Instructions:

In a medium (not small...or baking soda will overflow it!) saucepan stir sugar, butter, milk, corn syrup, and soda. Boil. Reduce heat, cook for 7 minutes. Remove from heat, and add vanilla.


German Pancakes

6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
Dash of salt
4 tablespoons butter (melted on cookie sheet)

Instructions:

Melt butter on a cookie sheet in oven as it's pre-heating to 350 degrees. Once melted, add batter. Put back in oven, cook for 20 min.


Serves: 4
Time: 25 min

glorious french crepes.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, melted for batter, plus about 1 tablespoon softened for pan

Instructions:
(These instructions look intimidating, I know. But you only need to read it once, really, to get the idea. Then you'll remember for future crepes.)

1. Combine flour and eggs in a mixing bow and add just enough milk to allow you to work the mixture gently into a smooth paste with a whisk. Don't overwork the mixture, which would activate the gluten, and don't worry about a few lumps (they will be strained out). Gently whisk in the rest of the milk. Strain batter, then stir in the salt and melted butter. (If the butter is added before straining, it congeals in the cold batter and gets strained out.) If you have time, cover batter and let it rest in a cool place or in the fridge for at least two hours or up to 24 hours.

2. Put the pan over medium heat. When butter foams and the foam begins to subside ever so slightly as in making an omelet, ladle in enough batter to just cover the surface with a THIN layer. If you add too much, pour excess out of pan. (After a couple of crepes you will be able to judge how much to put in pan.) If the batter doesn't stick to the pan, it isn't hot enough...if the batter sizzles as soon as it hits the pan, it's too hot.

3. As soon as you add the batter, quickly lift the pan and gently rotate it and tilt it at different angles at the same time to coat it with the batter as quickly as possible. Put the pan on the stove for about 1 minute until the batter loses its sheen. Then flip crepe over with a big spatula, to cook other side.

Topping ideas:
*chocolate &/or caramel syrup
*bananas
*strawberries
*jam
*sugar & butter
....anything really.

Serves: about 4
Time: 20 minutes