Cut them oats like blue steel.

Steel cut oats.
Kimchi.
Scallions.
and I put an egg on it.

Tuesday

1. A Year of Mornings: 3191 Miles Apart and a Dutch caramel cookie over my morning coffee. 

2. Baker Bri's latest cake experiment: zucchini cake w/lemon & rosemary buttercream. Sexy. 

3. Todd Thrasher's test run for tomorrow's Pop Up Paella to benefit Fit for Hope. 

4. Vinyl and pasta with Steph after a long day of identifying food shots for Chef's cookbook. She fed me bocconcini and German chocolate pie. It was most enjoyable. 

Breakfast of sad champions.

me: We're good for meeting next Friday.
Mark: What time? Can I get there in time for breakfast sandwiches?
me: Yes. Oh man, I haven't had one of those in ages.
Mark: Uh, that's silly. I think if our lives were switched I would eat that every day.
Mark: If our lives were switched then what would I be eating for breakfast?
Mark: Tears...and ketchup.

vinstagram: mainly work things

They let me girl up the dinner table at Virtue's DC Brau beer dinner. Let's see them try to stop me from doing it the future. 

My bar boys in the February issue of Southern Living! 

Peach pie for breakfast. Shoe paperweight. 

Reunited and it feels so good. 

Must learn how to make latte heart. 

I may have a slight crush on Emerson, Chef Dan's son. Here he is touring the kitchen with Baker Nathan.

Chef Doug and Chef Josh in napkin drawing form. Not sure if toques or crowns. 

pancakes and pink champagne

The first meal I ate in 2013 consisted of savory pancakes and pink champagne. Already this year is off to a good start. Well, aside for the fact that my 2012 recap video is going to be about two weeks late. Sorry.  

Side note, I love making pancakes, and am forever trying to create fancy schmancy “ooh, let me put ricotta in the batter” pancakes. Not that those are bad, they just don't have the simplicity of a fluffy pancake. Here is the recipe for fluffy pancakes. It's not just for you, this is also to serve as a personal reminder not to froufrou up pancakes. 

Basic (Though we shouldn't call them that, they are damn delicious) Pancake Batter

3/4 c. all-purpose flour 

1 c. cake flour (I ran out of APF. This worked out very nicely). 

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 1/2 c. milk

2 large eggs, room temp

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil (You can, of course, use butter.)

juice of half a lemon, or two tablespoons of white vinegar

Make buttermilk: Mix lemon juice with milk, and let sit for five minutes.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. 

Whisk together wet ingredients in another bowl. 

Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients. 

Whisk until just combined. (Translation: Don't you dare overmix the batter, fool. You want it lumpy.)

Make pancakes. I'm just going to pretend that you know how, so I do not have to continue this recipe. 

On a savory note, I topped these pancakes with smoked salmon, fresh dill, yogurt that I mixed with chopped scallions and red pepper flakes, capers, red onion, and thinly-sliced lemon. Hey, if the pancakes can't be fancy, then the toppings can. It was, after all, a brand new day in a brand new year. 

Happy 2013, everyone. I wish you only the very best.

I photographed. I designed.

and then I made myself hungry.

Bread, butter, jam. Heaven.

Batch loaf from Society Fair. The best.
Oh, you mean the Society Fair where I'll be designing signage for the next week or two?
Surrounded by pastries, green sausage, and Julien's oh-so beautiful pâté en croûte?
Wonderful.

My toast speaks with a French accent this morning.

French toast with sliced strawberries tossed with raw sugar and topped with Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and fresh mint. That mint/lemon/Greek yogurt combination is pure money. I'll drizzle some honey next time.

*haughty laugh

side note,

a. It actually is raining.

b. I can't stop listening to Mayer Hawthorne. That boy good.

c. Remind me to teach you the accompanying dance. Don't do it in the car during your morning commute unless you want people to stare, think you have odd emphatic road rage, or think you're singing itsy bitsy spider to yourself. 

So sappy that my breakfast is all Valentine's Day tricked out.

“Nothing to get hung about. Strawberry Fields forever.”

The Beatles

Five minute French toast
sliced strawberries (that I let macerate overnight in raw sugar and lemon zest)
1 egg, beaten with a splash of milk, a dash of cayenne pepper, and cinnamon
1 slice of whole wheat bread
Greek yogurt

- Let bread soak in egg mixture for a minute or so. Scramble a couple of eggs for your sister.
- Cook over medium high heat until golden on each side. Decide between tea or coffee.
- Top with strawberries and Greek yogurt.
- Eat French toast while listening to The Beatles and cruising Tumblr.

Ginnie: We should live together so you can make breakfast every morning...especially since you wake up early puahaha.

toast and tomato

whole grain toast topped with tomato, fresh sweet basil, olive oil, s&p, red pepper flakes and feta cheese. oh, with peach tea and Libby Burns's lady bones.

This is basically a breakfast bruschetta.

winner winner waffle brinner

 

Scary movies and eating all the waffles. I love AVT get togethers. <3

I don't even know what to title this post but it made me giggle for so many reasons.

me: buttermilk pancakes and orange-mango juice in 20 minutes - come over! (OR I will photograph and you can live vicariously)

Meekus: man, I just woke up. How do you have timing like that?

me: last time I was there I installed a camera from the corner of your closet or I'm just that awesome. YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHICH ONE

Meekus: I'll bet awesome since I don't here gasps about all the nasty horrific stuff I do when I think I'm alone.

Pa: You crashing here? You need clothes to change into?
Aaron: Nah, I'm fine, I've got this couch.
Pa: And tomorrow I'll cook breakfast!
me: (turn around, raise eyebrow)
Pa: SHE'LL cook breakfast! And I can clean!

Savory oatmeal and raspberry breakfast smoothie

I'm going to tell you about savory oatmeal. No lie, I've had it for breakfast for the better part of five months.  It's healthy, filling, and pretty damn tasty. It also takes less than five minutes to make, bonus! (especially when I have to get ready on hyper speed after morning gym times) Contrary to the previous and lazily-written recipes on Lemonade Lists, my recipe for savory oatmeal is specific. Hey, I have it for breakfast at least four days in a week. I hope you enjoy. Side note, the squeeze of lemon at the end is key. I can not stress this enough. 

- 1/4 cup raw oats
- 1 egg
- handful of raw kale
- 1 plum tomato or about five/six cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- chopped scallions
- dried or fresh oregano (fresh is always best but sometimes I'm lazy or running late to walk outside in my pajamas for fresh herbs)
- wedge of lemon (or lime when you live in an Asian household and do not always have lemons but always always have limes)
- cayenne, cumin, paprika, cracked black pepper, and kosher salt

1. Cook oats in medium bowl in microwave.  I like making mine slightly softer/mushier for a more porridge-like texture.
2. Heat medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, skin side down and sauté for a minute. Throw in the kale, sauté for a minute or so until mostly wilted.
3. Add kale, tomatoes, scallions, and spices to oatmeal and season to taste. Squeeze the lemon wedge over the oatmeal.
4. Wipe skillet clean and place back on heat. Cook egg sunny side up until whites are set. Put egg over oatmeal, sprinkle some kosher salt over yolk.

Note: I occasionally throw in various leftovers like roast pork, sausage, and other vegetables (zucchini and corn are good). Fresh oregano and thyme are my favorite. I think I once tried with sage and roast pumpkin.

Also, I totally chose that book because the purple matched the smoothie.

Raspberry breakfast smoothie
frozen raspberries
almond milk
coconut milk
blender
done.

As promised, Jessica: What I ate on my 28th birthday

Tomato and cheese omelette with whole grain toast. Coffee.

Fish stick tower because I'm an adult and make wise food decisions like that.

Epoisses cheese, sliced baguette, pistachios, lemon curd and strawberries

Crème brûlée (with chocolate on the bottom!)

Toasted English muffin with schmear, cracked black pepper, and grape tomatoes

Tasty AND prepared in less than two minutes.
I will call this my "the meeting is in half an hour, you live forty minutes away, but you need to eat" breakfast.

I see how it is, Heidi.

Poached egg over slow-roasted tomatoes with fresh oregano

Cousin Larry is in town! Let's watch Community and stuff our faces with waffles and quiche.