George Hirsch's Classic Pancakes

In honor of Mother's Day, start the day off right this weekend by serving her breakfast in bed!

Pancakes are one of the earliest forms of bread and are served up geographically in many different ways. You can be-all-traditional with baking powder, or try prospecting with sourdough pancakes like the early pioneers. Flip’em with oatmeal or buckwheat when in Vermont; or for a Dutch style treat serve with lemon, powdered sugar and jam. Substitute the flour for cornmeal and you’ll be enjoying it as Native American speciality.

Go Pollack by designing your own pancake creations with sliced apples, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, chocolate chips, chopped nuts.  

George Hirsch's Classic Pancake Recipe

Makes eight pancakes | recipe by George Hirsch

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon pure cane sugar

1 1/4 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg, beaten

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl, mix together well with a whisk all dry ingredients the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl mix all wet ingredients the milk, vanilla, egg and melted butter. Yes, use two bowls so the dry and wet ingredients blend better when combined. Add the wet to the dry and just strip with a large spoon or spatula until the dry ingredients have absorbed the wet. There may still be a few lumps, thats OK. Do not over mix, or pancakes will become tough.

Pre heat a non stick pan or lightly grease a griddle over medium high heat at 375 degrees F. Test the temperature by dropping a drop of water on surface of pan. Water will dance across the surface when at the correct temperature. You can test one cake before proceeding.

Pour one 1/4 cup scoop of batter onto the griddle for each pancake. If adding any fresh fruit or creations add at this time. You will begin to see bubbles form on the top side when brown on bottom, flip and brown on second side. Serve hot with syrup or favorite topping eaten immediately right off the griddle.

Finish off your stack with honey, molasses, can syrup, preserves, Nutella, or maple syrup.

Mother's Day Wish

Incase you missed George Hirsch Lifestyle extra - To all Moms, have a very happy Mother's Day weekend. May someone in your family treat you to breakfast in bed. For my Spinach Frittata Recipe.

Best to you, George

Receive George Hirsch Lifestyle extra.

Mercato Al Minuto

One of my favorite activities when traveling is to visit the local markets. There you get a real sense of the surounding culture and get to be part of the local daily lifestyle. When in Cologne Germany, the wursts come to mind. In Paris, the pastries and cheeses. But of all the markets I enjoy most, the Mercato al Minuto in Venice is truly spectacular.

Here are a few of my pics from the local market in Venice, Italy. You must rise early to see the action. The fish market or the pescheria is the best display of fresh seafood, under one roof. The fruit & vegetable market is just across the way; with their bounty of fruits and veggies lined up like sardines. The Italians have their goods and product displays down to an art form; which makes perfect sense in the land of Michelangelo. A fun part of the whole experience is the constant loud vocals from the merchants adding a bit of excitement to the market experience. And, I restrain myself from replying. It's a feast for all the senses.

This photo trip is perfect inspiration for my Fritto Misto Recipe. Ciao!

all images: Hirsch Media

Old Kentucky Tradition

This Saturday is the Kentucky Derby and it will mark the 139th running at Churchill Downs. 

Part of the Derby tradition drink of choice is the Mint Julep. If you like a mojito, you'll probably take a liking to a Mint Julep.

Mint Julep Recipe

It's easy to make with only four ingredients; Bourbon Whiskey, mint, crushed ice and sugar. Simply muddle/pestle the sugar and mint; to release the oils in the mint, Add ice to top off highball glass, top with Bourbon. Traditionally served in silver cup with a straw. Hat, optional.

Benedictine Sandwich

If it seems like a busy week for celebrating, then you are spot-on. This is what's on the celebrations calendar; there's Cinco de Mayo, and this weekend is the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby, before wrapping on Sunday with the ever important grand finale, Mother's Day. 

To keep your entertaining true to form, here's a traditional Derby Day classic, invented by Jennie Benedict in the 19th century, The Benedictine Sandwich. This sandwich is to Churchill Downs as the Pimento Sandwich is to the Masters; and is one that John Montagu (The 4th Earl of Sandwich) would still be proud to eat.

To Make a Benedictine Sandwich:

In a food processor - mix 1 package softened cream cheese with 2 Tablespoons finely chopped watercress, 1/4 of a finely chopped Vidalia onion, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil mayo, a shot of hot sauce, and a pinch of sea salt. Pulse all ingredients until just blended smooth. Fold in 1 large peeled, seeded and finely chopped English cucumber. Spread cuke filling on thinly sliced white sandwich bread. Trim crusts, if desired. 

Wash down with a cool Mint Julep! 

BTW: Each year, almost 120,000 Early Times Mint Juleps are served over the two-day period of Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby weekend at Churchill Downs Racetrack.

Queen of Dressing

Herb week continues today by paying tribute to a mix of green herbs, specifically parsley and chives. Prior to the popularity of ranch dressing, Green Goddess was the queen of dressings, gracing salads worldwide.

Let me get this out of the way first; Seven Seas did not create the original Green Goddess Dressing. It’s earliest roots stem from a classical French cooking cold sauce (dressing) called Sauce Au Vert; created for Louis XIII of France circa 1640. That's just around the time of the legendary Chef Vatel (more on him next week). This cold sauce gained popularity in the 1920’s with help of a theater production by the same name, The Green Goddess, which ran in San Francisco.  

Basically - all cold sauces are created equal, with just a few adjustments in the ingredients. For example, if you think Thousand island Dressing with a reduction of a few condiments and an addition of a larger quantity of fresh washed herbs; such as chives, tarragon, chervil or parsley - you’ve got Green Goddess!

The herbs should be chopped fine and squeezed dry in a cheese cloth or clean kitchen towel; while reserving the juice exiting from the herbs to color and more importantly flavor the cold sauce. The herbs are then added to the base sauce. Viola!

Green Goddess aka. Sauce Au Vert

Mix, 1 cup olive oil mayonnaise, 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1/2 cup sour cream, 3 pureed anchovy fillets, 4 cloves Caramelized Garlic, juice of half a lemon, dash of hot sauce and fresh ground black pepper. Add 1/4 cup each finely chopped chives and parsley, with squeezed juice into dressing.

image: Glane23

Spring Spears

I am reminded it's spring because the calendar says it's so. But, what do you do on those days when the weather says otherwise, like all this rain lately? I suggest bringing spring into your kitchen with ingredients that say spring flavor. What first comes to mind is asparagus. It's so versatile; you can steam, sauté, roast, and if you must, fry it - preferably tempura. 

Some conversational tidbits to keep in your pocket for your next dinner party or in a full elevator:

- The word asparagus comes from the ancient Persian word asparag, meaning a sprout. The ancient Egyptians cultivated asparagus and dedicated it as an offering to numerous Gods. It must have been considered very important back then. And the Romans had an expression, "Velocius quam asparagi coquantur" - meaning, faster than you can cook asparagus. 

- It was a rare and expensive vegetable in the 1890s in the United States, but then cultivation helped to tame the price. 

- It was inevitable that the asparagus should be considered as an aphrodisiac given its shape, which an Elizabethan writer remarked it 'manifestly provoked Venus'. 

- Asparagus is a young edible shoot, commonly known as "spear". The spear rises from an underground stem called a "crown", which is capable of producing spears for 15 to 20 years. Most asparagus is harvested in spring, when it is 6 to 8 inches high and has tender, fleshy spears and tight compact heads. Once they reach maturity, the asparagus stalks become woody and fernlike foliage grows from the heads, making them inedible.

Tips: 

Although grown in quite a large scale and in many countries, asparagus is available in abundance from March to late June. There are over 300 varieties of asparagus, only 20 of which are edible. 

They are divided into three main categories: 

Green asparagus. This is the most common type of asparagus. It is harvested at a height of about 8 inches. 

White asparagus. Grown in the dark (covered with soil to keep it from turning green), white asparagus is harvested as soon as it emerges from the ground. Although more tender than the green variety, it tends to be less flavorful, and is more expensive, since more work is required to grow it. 

Purple asparagus: This variety has a fruity flavor and is harvested when only 2 to 3 inches high. 

How to buy asparagus: 

Whether asparagus are thin or thick, choose them with firm, crisp stalks and compact brightly colored heads with no trace of rust or softness. The bottom of the stalk should be moist when squeezed, not dry and woody. Avoid yellowish asparagus with soft stalks that are beginning to flower, these are signs that it is old.

Store asparagus vertically in 1 inches of water in a container, stem-side-down in the refrigerator.

My Recipes:

Risotto with Asparagus

Grilled Asparagus

image, CAC