So, another explanation for those pesky pounds I gained might be all the sweets I’ve had in Portland. Basbousa, bachlava, and german pancakes. This was my first time ever having these fluffy things. You sprinkle them with confectionary sugar and drizzle lemon juice over that, to “melt” the sugar with the acid. [...]]]>

So, another explanation for those pesky pounds I gained might be all the sweets I’ve had in Portland. Basbousa, bachlava, and german pancakes. This was my first time ever having these fluffy things. You sprinkle them with confectionary sugar and drizzle lemon juice over that, to “melt” the sugar with the acid. That, coupled with some cooked apples, is awesome brunch/breakfast stuff. The credit here goes to Ryan’s mother Sharon who prepared the dish. And look! Cast-iron pan! The dish itself was very straight forward. She googled the recipe here to guide her on the exact measurements.

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup milk, room temperature
• 1 cup sifted bread flour or all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons butter

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and stick your cast-iron skillet or baking dish in there to heat up, while you mix your ingredients. This would be especially important for cast-iron so there would be no thermal shock.

Beat eggs until frothy and mix the milk, flour, vanilla, and cinnamon. Beat mixture for 5 or so minutes.

Pour butter in the hot cast-iron/baking dish and line the bottom. Then pour the mixture into the cast-iron/baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges fluffy up and golden. Serve immediately and cover slice with confectionery sugar and lemon juice.

]]> http://www.feedingumi.com/2010/01/german-pancakes-portland-pounds-take-ii/feed/ 1 http://www.feedingumi.com/2010/01/basbousa/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=basbousa http://www.feedingumi.com/2010/01/basbousa/#comments Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:23:05 +0000 umi http://www.feedingumi.com/?p=1473

(Ahem, our guest cook for today is Anthony Francis, picture to the left, and he will be making us some of his famous basbousa.)

The one thing Ryan keeps mentioning is his father’s basbousa. We would have basbousa elsewhere and it was never fluffy enough, soft enough, and delicious enough. [...]]]>

(Ahem, our guest cook for today is Anthony Francis, picture to the left, and he will be making us some of his famous basbousa.)

The one thing Ryan keeps mentioning is his father’s basbousa. We would have basbousa elsewhere and it was never fluffy enough, soft enough, and delicious enough. After trying his father’s recipe, I can safely say that there is nothing like warm basbousa fresh out of the oven. (I think you are suppose to let it cool.) The almonds offset the sweetness of the rosewater syrup, and if I had my way, the only thing I would change is that I would crush the almonds a bit and cover the whole thing with them. Maybe I would tone down the sweetness a bit and add the smallest bit of tartness to the syrup afterwards. Although, I would be a little afraid to take too many liberties, since Ryan might accuse me of perverting one of his favorite Egyptian snacks. Mmm I find myself wanting some now. It’s really soft and comforting with the nuttiness of wheat and almonds.

I was lucky that Ryan’s father Tony was willing to share his recipe with me. Almost everything is something you would find in the house… with the exception of rosewater and cream of wheat (for me). I guess I could go knock on Tracy’s door next door for some rosewater…

She actually came over last night to join Ryan and me for some dinner (We had some left over chicken cutlets, and we made some whole wheat penne with sun-dried tomato, olive, and garlic tapenade tossed with olive oil and pecorino romano for her. She’s a vegetarian. We watched some “The IT Crowd.”) and taste some sake we bought. I should have had her bring it over last night. :P

It’s actually surprisingly easy to make. You just mix together the following:

• 2 cups farina or cream of wheat
• 48 almonds for 24 pieces of basbousa (or more if you like)
• 1/4 cup of plain yogurt
• 1 stick of butter (microwaved)
• 1 and 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of milk
• Dash of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder

Preheat the oven at 375. Soak the almonds in a small bowl and microwave for 30-60 seconds, until the peels slide right off. Unpeel all of the almonds and drain. Set aside for later.

Mix the farina or cream of wheat with the yogurt, butter, sugar, milk, and baking powder and soda. Mix it lightly. Then, line a baking pan with shortening or the grease of your choice and pour the mixture in and even out the top.

Tony likes to put in little cutting lines with the knife and add two almonds per square.

Bake the mixture for 40 minutes. While you do that, mix the following in a saucepan over medium heat.

• 1 cup water
• 1 and 1/2 cup of sugar (I might dial this down a little bit)

Stir to let the sugar dissolve. Let this mixture simmer under low heat for almost the whole baking time. Around 35 minutes in, add:

• Around a tablespoon of butter
• 3tablespoons of rosewater

Once the basbousa has finished baking, take out of the oven and and place pan on a rack. Pour the contents of the saucepan into a pouring utensil/cup to SLOWLY pour over the basbousa. Let the basbousa cool and this liquid settle before serving. Tracy, Ryan’s sister likes to attack them while they are fresh out of the oven, though. I would say, let them sit for 15-20 minutes, then serve.

So, during my time in Portland, he also made some bachlava, which was pretty awesome. I didn’t get to learn how to make it, though. Something for next time…

]]> http://www.feedingumi.com/2010/01/basbousa/feed/ 0 http://www.feedingumi.com/2010/01/portland-pounds/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=portland-pounds http://www.feedingumi.com/2010/01/portland-pounds/#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:16:48 +0000 umi http://www.feedingumi.com/?p=1446 Or this entry should be titled, “how I gained 1 delicious pound per day in Portland.” On let me count the ways. Despite staying in Ryan’s parent’s gigantic house, for most of the time there, my exercise consisted of walking around Powells or going up stairs to get a snuggie to curl up [...]]]> Or this entry should be titled, “how I gained 1 delicious pound per day in Portland.” On let me count the ways. Despite staying in Ryan’s parent’s gigantic house, for most of the time there, my exercise consisted of walking around Powells or going up stairs to get a snuggie to curl up on the couch with. I guess I could have played tennis, but most of the time it was sprinkling or snowing.

Ryan’s mother, Sharon, took us to New Year’s lunch at the Allison. It was a beautiful rustic spa/hotel, with low buildings with solar panels, all wood and very elegant. It was very… Portland, Oregon. I find their architecture so completely distinct. Ryan even claims that Brooklyn is slowly trying to resemble downtown Portland. Still, even the ritzy hotels look very green, down to earth, and woodsy.

They had an amazing drink menu, filled with rare liquors, flights, and tons of wine for tastings, glasses, and bottles. Ryan and I both opted for the white wine flight. The food was pretty. Sharon lunched here previously with her friends and and had a delicious gourmet ham sandwich tasting menu. This time, the consensus was the food was very well prepared (the lamb was cooked to perfection and the crab had the perfect texture), but the taste was bland. The tasting menu was a crab stew, which I thought was hearty and delicious, crab cakes, and a radicchio salad. The desert was decadent and I enjoyed the little cup of hot chocolate the most.

Pok Pok 3226 SE Division Street Portland, OR 97202

Pok Pok is a place in Portland that we HAVE to hit. Their wings are to die for. Ryan and I have not found a single other place that does wings better than this place. I also love their drinks. Designated drivers [...]]]>

Pok Pok
3226 SE Division Street
Portland, OR 97202

Pok Pok is a place in Portland that we HAVE to hit. Their wings are to die for. Ryan and I have not found a single other place that does wings better than this place. I also love their drinks. Designated drivers can enjoy a full menu of drinking vinegar (a sweet and tart drink with soda). I love their Apple Gin Ricky, which features their drinking vinegar and gin. SO. GOOD.

One time, one of my first times there, we went there during the winter. All the other tables inside were taken, so they took us to a private room near the roof with three heaters. It was private, really cute, rustic, and one of the more enjoyable drining experiences.

The waiters are incredibly helpful, and they have a variety of vegetarian and vegan stuff that’s full of flavor. They made a vegetarian curry that had a hearty brother without using fish sauce, shrimp paste, or anything else. Coupled with that and various salads, we ordered a salad, cold noodle dish, a curry dish, and two orders of wings. Then we ordered these gigantic prawns with their heads still on. Amazing. They had an incredibly spicy cilantro dipping sauce, which was icing on the cake. I think Ryan found an additional thing he just “has to get,” now. (One time when we came here last summer with his parents, he just ordered a plate of wings… just for himself… and rice. That’s it. That’s how passionate he becomes about it.)