Daring Bakers Challenge: Faux Filbert Gateau

Guess what, y’all!? I’m a Daring Baker! For over four months now, I’ve been jealous of the members of this tasty fraternity. I’ve seen cheesecake pops, breads, braids and cakes. I don’t bake much (except for my beloved biscuits) but when it’s time to bake great things, I think I do it well.



I’ve only made a cake once in the past seven months and I thought it time to brush up on my baking skills. I’ve heard that cooks don’t bake and bakers don’t cook, but I can do both, so here we are!

This month’s challenge was hosted by Chris at Mele Cotte. She chose a Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream from Great Cakes by Carol Walter. A filbert is a hazelnut, a gateau (Ga-TO; plural is gateaux but pronounced just the same) is French for cake, a praline is a caramel covered pecan and buttercream is a type of frosting.

Since I am deathly allergic to tree and groundnuts, this challenge really started out being a challenge. I don’t substitute or attempt to compensate my recipes with nuts. I simply go without. I shy away from sesame and granola because more often than not, their tastes and aromas are reminiscent of nuts.

I don’t like the feeling of my throat and mouth constricting. I can’t work in a restaurant or other food establishment because of my allergies. If I could find a generous benefactor, I’d totally start a nut allergen-free restaurant or bakery. My world is scattered, covered, smothered and chunked with nuts. Living in the Southeastern United States, nuts are a part of daily life. North Carolina is a lead producer of peanuts, (it’s actually a legume, but we’re not going to split hairs nor start arguments here) and they are listed on every menu in almost every restaurant. You find them in salads, drinks, desserts, and even thrown on the floor as decoration. It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world!

I think of my gluten/casein-free and vegan friends and I realize that they have to overcome challenges in every day life to enjoy food and the lifestyles they lead. If they can do it, I can do it, too!

I won’t post the original recipe as is because I had so many substitutions. I won’t post the procedure either, unless it’s germane to something specific. If you’d like the recipe, I’m sure 1000s of my fellow DBers have it on their blogs. I halved the recipe because A) it was allowed B) I wasn’t sure how the substitutions would affect the overall outcome C) I wanted to make a mini-cake. My mom’s birthday is on Friday and she is in love with chocolate the way I’m in love with bread.


This gateau recipe has many parts that have to work together to make the whole.
1 Faux Filbert Genoise
1 recipe sugar syrup
1 recipe Soynut Buttercream
1 recipe Apricot Glaze
1 recipe Ganache Glaze, prepared just before using
3 tablespoons soynuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

What? Soy nuts? What are those? They're roasted soybeans. I discovered soy nuts almost a year ago. A friend was snacking on them and gave me a small bag to try. They can be used just like nuts. They act like nuts, taste like nuts, and can even fool that most die-hard nut fan. They come shelled, raw, roasted, boiled, salted, unsalted, and in “butter or whipped” form. They’re available at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and other specialty retailers but you MUST be careful because many of the packages say: May contain wheat, eggs, nuts or parts of nuts, because they might be manufactured in plants that use those items.

If you’re allergic, sensitive or have any doubt to your allergen state, DO NOT eat/buy those products labeled as such. Too many times have I been tricked into eating such an item and I got a no-expense paid trip to the emergency room with an Epi-Pen stuck in my leg. Not fun. Not cool. Adrenaline rush, my ass. Adrenaline is no joke and not fun when it’s rushing artificially to your heart to prevent you from dying.
OK, sorry…I just want you to know how serious it is.

Faux Filbert Genoise
1/2 cups whole wheat flour
¼ cup oat flour
1/3 cup cake flour, unsifted
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
3.5 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, divided in half
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
2.5 lg. egg whites
1/8 cup warm, clarified butter (100 – 110 degrees)

I had no problems making, scaling, or baking the cake. It turned out sweet, uncharacteristically moist, and oh-so delicious. I was quite surprised. The oat and wheat flour gave it a textured mouthfeel that I assume is akin to a nut-made cake.

Sugar Syrup Makes 1 cup, good for one 10-inch cake – split into 3 layers
1 cup water
¼ cup sugar
In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the liqueur. Cool slightly before using on the cake. *Can be made in advance

Soynut Buttercream
1 recipe Swiss Buttercream
1/3 cup soybean butter

Blend ½ cup buttercream into the soybean butter, then add to the remaining buttercream.
Whip briefly on med-low speed to combine.

I am so glad I didn’t have to make the praline paste for the original cake. The only paste I’m comfortable making is garlic paste. I cannot tell you how glad I am. The only reasonable facsimile other than tahini (which I cannot stand; it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth) I thought I could use was soybean butter. It’s like peanut butter, but better because I can eat it! I had some Soybean Butter from Trader Joe’s and it was easy to use.

Well…it wasn’t easy at first. The soy nut butter is supposed to be refrigerated and so I had to warm it up a bit in order to blend it in the Swiss buttercream. I used the microwave, pressed the POPCORN button and went over to the mixer to fret over the buttercream. The scent of peanuts filled the air. “Oh, wow. The microwave is doing its job. Let me check on it.” This is what I found:


I’m slightly embarrassed about this. Go ahead, laugh. I did.
The soybean butter was burned with crusty bits in the middle, and had burned through the bowl. I thought it was microwave safe….I guess not. Or maybe I shouldn’t have pressed POPCORN. Fifteen seconds would have been suffice.

Swiss Buttercream
4 lg. egg whites
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm
1 tsp. vanilla
pan and with either the paddle or whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and sugar on med-high until its a thick, cool meringue – about 5-7 minutes. *Do not overbeat*. Set aside.



Place the butter in a separate clean mixing bowl and, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter at medium speed for 40-60 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. *Do not overbeat or the butter will become toooooo soft.*On med-low speed, blend the meringue into the butter, about 1-2 Tbsp. at a time, over 1 minute. Add the liqueur and vanilla and mix for 30-45 seconds longer, until thick and creamy. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes before using.
Buttercream is a precarious fellow. If it’s too hot, it melts; Butter contains water and the slightest movement can make those water molecules come gushing out, ruining your hopes and dreams. This happened twice this week. I used dried egg whites because I hate saving yolks for something I’m never going to use them for.




Apricot Glaze Good for one 10-inch cake
2/3 cup thick apricot preserves
1 Tbsp. water




In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and preserves to a slow boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the saucepan, add water as needed. Remove from heat and, using a strainer, press the mixture through the mesh and discard any remnants. With a pastry brush, apply the glaze onto the cake while the cake is still warm. If the glaze is too thick, thin to a preferred consistency with drops of water.



OK, so I used strawberry preserves and I used the microwave again. This time I checked to make sure the bowl was microwave safe. It was. Thank God.

Ganache Glaze Makes about 1 cup
6 oz. (good) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, like Lindt
3 oz heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla




Set vanilla aside. Break the chocolate into 1-inch pieces and chop finely with a heavy knife. Transfer into a medium sized bowl and set aside. Heat the cream and corn syrup in a saucepan, on low, until it reached a gentle boil. Once to the gently boil, immediately and carefully pour over the chocolate. Leave it alone for one minute, then slowly stir and mix the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. Carefully blend in vanilla mixture. If the surface seems oily, add ½ - 1 tsp hot water. The glaze will thicken, but should still be pourable. If it doesn’t thicken, refrigerate for about 5 minutes, but make sure it doesn’t get too cold!



OK, so I didn’t do any of that either. My boyfriend for the evening, Microwave, came in handy. I put the cream in another microwave-safe bowl on high for about 3 minutes, added the chocolate, covered it with Saran, and waited 5 minutes. I then whisked in the vanilla to combine the chocolate and cream. I worked in a restaurant where I had to make ganache nearly every night and there was no microwave. I had to heat cream on the stove and then add the couverture pieces to it.


"I got the golden ticket!"

If all chocolate tasted like Ghirardelli, I'd eat it more often. Most American-made chocolate tastes awful.

Assembling The Cake

Cut a cardboard disk slightly smaller than the cake. Divide the cake into 3 layers and place the first layer top-side down on the disk. Using a pastry brush, moisten the layer with 3-4 Tbsp. of warm sugar syrup. Measure out 1 cup of buttercream and set aside.
Spread the bottom layer with a ¼-inch thickness of the remaining buttercream. Cover with ½ of the whipped cream, leaving ¼-inch border around the edge of the cake. Place the middle layer over the first, brush with sugar syrup, spreading with buttercream. Cover with the remaining whipped cream. Moisten the cut side of the third layer with additional sugar syrup and place cut side down on the cake.
Gently, press the sides of the cake to align the layers. Refrigerate to chill for at least 30 minutes. Lift the cake by sliding your palm under the cardboard. Holding a serrated or very sharp night with an 8-ich blade held parallel to the sides of the cake, trim the sides so that they are perfectly straight. Cut a slight bevel at the top to help the glaze drip over the edge. Brush the top and sides of the cake with warm apricot glaze, sealing the cut areas completely. Chill while you prepare the ganache.
Place a rack over a large shallow pan to catch the ganache drippings. Remove the gateau from the refrigerator and put it the rack. With a metal spatula in hand, and holding the saucepan about 10 inches above the cake, pour the ganache onto the cake’s center. Move the spatula over the top of the ganache about 4 times to get a smooth and mirror-like appearance. The ganache should cover the top and run down the sides of the cake. When the ganache has been poured and is coating the cake, lift one side of the rack and bang it once on the counter to help spread the ganache evenly and break any air bubbles. (Work fast before setting starts.) Patch any bare spots on the sides with a smaller spatula, but do not touch the top after the “bang”. Let the cake stand at least 15 minutes to set after glazing.
To garnish the cake, fit a 12 – 14-inch pastry bag with a #114 large leaf tip. Fill the bag with the reserved praline cream. Starting ½ inch from the outer edge of the cake, position the pastry tube at a 90 degree angle with the top almost touching the top of the cake. Apply pressure to the pastry bag, moving it slightly toward the center of the cake. As the buttercream flows on the cake, reverse the movement backward toward the edge of the cake and finish by pulling the bag again to the center.
Stop applying pressure and press the bag downward, then quickly pull the tip up to break the flow of frosting. Repeat, making 12 leaves evenly spaced around the surface of the cake. Make a second row of leaves on the top of the first row, moving the pastry bag about ¾ inch closer to the center. The leaves should overlap. Make a 3rd row, moving closer and closer to the center. Add a 4th row if you have the room. But, leave a 2-inch space in the center for a chopped filbert garnish. Refrigerate uncovered for 3-4 hours to allow the cake to set. Remove the cake from the refrigerator at least 3 hours before serving.
Leftover cake can be covered with foil and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

We were allowed to decorate the cake anyway we wanted and I was so happy about that. I could only find my #826 tip. I couldn’t my shoebox full of tips, needles, disposable pastry bags, and offset spatulas.
I could not get that buttercream on the cake fast enough. As a matter of fact, the piping was kinda shotty. I just wanted it to all be over at this point. I was still pissed about the soy nut butter burning up my little bowl.

Originally, crushed, chopped filberts are to be sprinkled in the middle. I took roasted soy nuts and did the same.

Here it is! My Faux-Filbert Gateau with Soynut Buttercream

Royal Foodie Joust: August

It's that time again: to bring out the big guns and creative faculties for the Royal Foodie Joust over at the forum presided over by Jenn the Left Over Queen.


Peter at Kalofogas was the first place winner of July's joust and chose seafood, cilantro (coriander), and sesame as the three ingredients on which this month's battle is based.

I vacillated over ideas for 3 weeks before settling. I still have many tricks up my sleeve, but you can submit only one entry. Which is perfectly reasonable, because like I said...I have many tricks up my sleeve. The only sure thing was my use of coriander seed and not cilantro leaf. In different parts of the world, the words are interchangeable.

Some people cannot ingest cilantro (leaf) or it tastes of soap when they eat it. This is a genetic trait, like being able to roll your tongue or having double-jointed knees. I am not partial to people telling me my food tastes of soap, so seeds it is.

So whenever you're in doubt about what to cook, always go with what you know. I know Southern cuisine and so it goes...

Coconut shrimp and sesame grits with mango gravy

Coconut Shrimp Serves 4 to 6 (or one ravenous foodie)

1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 egg, beaten lightly with 2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp Sriracha hot sauce
1 pound shrimp(SIZE: 16/20 OR 21/30) deveined and peeled

Canola or safflower oil, for frying


Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish or Ziploc plastic bag. In an second shallow dish, combine egg, water, and Sriracha. Combine breadcrumbs and coconut in an additional shallow dish.

Place shrimp in the flour-filled shallow dish and dredge or coat each piece with flour. If using plastic bag, seal and shake the bag vigorously, making sure each shrimp is coated. Next, coat each shrimp with egg and then coconut mixture. It helps to press the coconut mixture onto the shrimp to ensure the piece is coated well. Place on a sheet pan or plate and refrigerate to firm up, 30 min to an hour.

While the shrimp are having a spa treatment, prepare the grits.

When ready to fry, heat oil to medium-high (350 degrees F) in a deep skillet or pan. Fry shrimp in hot oil until evenly golden and crispy. Remove from oil to a paper-towel lined tray.

TIPS: Sweetened coconut is not recommended here because the sugar caramelizes too fast and your shrimp might turn out overcrisped or burned.

Let me tell you a little bit about my friend, Grits. Either you love them or you hate them. There isn't much leeway or dissension from this fact. Grits are one of two things: Girls Raised In The South or coarsely ground corn and or in special instances, rice. Corn is the most familiar and popular.

They can be yellow or white, stone ground or milled, corn or hominy, quick or instant. The best part is the fact that they can be reheated. Do you know how to cook polenta? If so, substitute grits and you can produce the same recipes. Grits can be savory or sweet. For breakfast, milk, sugar, and or butter is added. For dinner, they may be paired with shrimp, ham, fish, or even a hot, crispy piece of fried chicken.

Where do I find such goodness, you ask? There are a plethora of online retailers. I wish I could suggest a brand, but there are so many that claim to be "best sellers" that I don't know where to point you. If you trust my judgement and authority, Quaker quick grits are just fine. Simply follow the cooking directions on the side of the package with the addition of the sesame, oil, and butter. For the recipe below, don't use the instant version. You'll be sorely disappointed.

Creamy Sesame Grits

1/4 cup sesame seeds
3 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup coarse stone-ground white grits
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Bring water and salt to a boil.

In a cold, dry skillet, add sesame seeds and toast on medium heat. Stir using rubber spatula and shake pan. Remove pan from heat and pour seeds into a heat-safe container when they become golden brown and become fragrant.

Slowly add the grits to the boiling water, bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook over medium low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (more often, than not). The grits will most likely bubble and splatter at this point, be careful. They are HOT! The grits might stick to the bottom of the pan, so make sure not to scrape the bottom of the pan. If the grits have absorbed all of the water, add more water (1/2 cup or so) to allow more time for cooking.

Stir in heavy cream, toasted sesame seeds and sesame oil. Turn off the heat and stir in butter.

Grits an be served at this point, or poured into pour into a greased or Silpat-covered pan to cool. Refrigerate several hours or overnight till firm. Cut into squares when ready to serve.

OPTIONAL: Fry cooled squares to make grit cakes: Dip each slice in 1 beaten egg mixed with 3 tablespoons milk, salt and pepper. Dredge or coat each slice with a mixture of flour and cornmeal (approximately 1/2 cup total)
Shallow pan-fry in oil until light brown on each side. Remove from oil and drain.

I had to squish my Silpat into the baking dish. I didn't have a pan deep enough for what I wanted to accomplish.

A crappy photo of my friend, Sriracha. He's cheaper in the Asian/Ethnic grocery. I found him at Wal-Mart for a mere $1.29.

Gravy is the ubiquitous sauce of the South. It can be white or brown, flour or cornstarch based, thick or thin, but it's always good poured over meat, starches, and vegetables. Every time I cook and there are drippings in the pan, I make a gravy or sauce. Even if I don't use the sauce on whatever I've cooked, I've got something I can add to a soup, stew, or another dish for another day. Gravy is another one of my lovers. Just don't tell Bread, OK?

Mango Gravy Makes 2 cups

3 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup water
2 1/2 cup mango juice or puree
2 Tbsp ground coriander (seed)
1 jalapeno, diced and seeded
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a wide skillet with jalapeno. In a small bowl, mix corn starch in the water to make a slurry. Pour into pan with butter and use a whisk to blend. Stir with whisk until the gravy begins to thicken. As it thickens, slowly add mango juice to the pan, stopping to stir occasionally. Add coriander and whisk/stir to incorporate. Once it bubbles, turn down the heat to low or remove pan to prevent breakdown or thinning out of gravy.

Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour and produces clear sauces. Flour thickened sauces are opaque and can be lumpy. Cornstarch lends its self to be smooth, satiny, and glossy. Corn starch is easier to use than flour because it does not absorb liquid until it is cooked.

If you've made it this far by reading (or skimming) this post, I appreciate it.

This is for you. You deserve it.

I talk a lot in real life and I feel as if I talk/write just as much in my posts. Can you, dear and wonderful reader, do me a favor? Please tell me how I'm doing. Did you/do you enjoy what you read? Too much? Not enough? I appreciate your readership and I want to do/be the best that I can and if you don't tell me, I won't know! :)

The Heat Is On... Or Maybe Not

Our power is back on! The (empty) refrigerator is running, the radio is playing, the stove is heating, and the oven is on!


But I didn't cook anything today.


Another creation from the unpublished annals of Nik Snacks shall follow:

I've got to make due with what I have on hand more often than not. As much as I love grocery shopping, I love trying to piecemeal things together. My grandmother was the empress of this.

No matter how small a piece of something would be, she'd wrap it in foil, plastic wrap, or wax paper to save it. I'd open the refrigerator and there would be no less than ten UFOs (unidentified foil-wrapped objects) on the inside door tucked between the ketchup and salad dressing. I'd be afraid to peel them open to see what was inside. Sometimes it would be one or two slices of sausage, a half-eaten corn husk, a scant bit of collard greens. Or a pilfered roll from Golden Corral.

The contents of these UFOs always appeared at breakfast or lunch. The sausage would be mashed into bread cubes for dressing, the corn husk would help thicken oyster stew, or the greens would simply be microwaved an eaten with a piece of salt fish.

I would always complain as to why she couldn't label the balls of foil. If looks could kill, I'd be dead because Grandma wasn't going to label a thing. She knew what she put in the refrigerator. That was her kitchen. All I had to do was wash the dishes after every meal.

So today I made a muffaletta from ingredients that I have UFO'd during the past week or so. I made quite a few Creole-inspired recipes back in March including the original recipe for this sandwich.

How To Build A Muffaletta

The Base: Crusty French or Italian loaf

The Moistening Agent: Lemon Aioli with sliced olives with pimentos stirred in

The Filling: Oven-roasted turkey breast, pepperoni slices, provolone cheese, romaine lettuce slice.

Today, I added some microwaved sweet potato chips from Uncle Bill's recipe. He's not my uncle, but if he were, he'd be a contributor to this blog, for sure. They really do crisp up and crunch when you eat them. I used a mandoline on the 1/16 inch setting.

Any thicker and the chips turn out soggy. Only make them in small batches because the steam produced in the microwave can make them soggy. I sprinkled mine with sea salt, garlic powder, and dried rosemary. That bit of pasta next to the chips? Ignore that. My favorite dining partner scooped that onto my plate from a Whole Foods container. For shame...

This is my submission to Frugal Fridays. Jerry's doing a great job over there, as is everyone else on the FF blog roll!

Power Hour... Or Maybe Not

A huge storm blew through my area in North Carolina and we've been without power for over 24 hrs. Last night after work, we decided to wait it out. Some friends decided to brave the storm and tripped over massive piles of debris to get to our apartment with beer and smokes. We sat on the front porch laughing and talking, well into the night.



Duke Energy told us the power'd come back on around 11 PM. Then it was midnight. Then it was "the morning." By 11:00 AM today, I was tired of waiting and went foraging for food. I live within walking distance of everything (including Starbucks) and I walked to the grocery. No power. I walked to Wendy's. No power. I walked back up the hill, down the street and around the corner to McDonald's.

They were open, but their computer system was down and the were writing down orders on paper and asking people for exact change, cash only. The drive thru wrapped around the building. There were only 2 people in line ahead of me, so the wait wasn't so bad. I felt sorry for people with credit cards. I felt sorry for the people in their cars thinking this was a normal lunch rush. I haven't felt this hopeless about food in a long while. I got some fries, a diet coke, and a yogurt parfait. How nutritious!

I went back home to take a nap. Walking all over is tiring. By 3:00 PM...no power and no hope of power in sight.

BAD NEWS: All of my food in the fridge and freezer is spoiled.

GOOD NEWS: I have a backlog of food I have yet to post because I take a picture of EVERYTHING I eat. Kinda like Tucker Shaw, but better...

So, here I sit in my neighborhood Starbucks, lulled by the promise of cool and icy drinks, air conditioning, and an outlet to plug my cell phone and lap top. Ain't life grand?

OK, let's talk about food some more.



I've decided that summer is my favorite season. Everything good that has ever happened in my life has happened during the summer. I love the hot days, the cool nights, the late sunsets, the holidays, the clothes, the pool, no school, sleeping in late, a reason to go on a vacation. I love it all. The Ice Cream, You Scream event really was an extension of my love of summer.

Along with hot summer days and cool summer nights ...

comes hot yummy food and cool yummy bites!

Even though I don't have a grill, I do have a stovetop smoker and I haven't pulled it out in a while. It's a beeyotch to clean sometimes (I HAte washing dishes) and there are only two people who live here (and a puppy). Sometimes it's not worth it to bring out the big guns.

Simple Juicy Burgers
1 lb ground chuck
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
4 tsp Worstershire sauce
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients, marinate for 1 hr up to 24 hrs. Form patties and grill, pan fry, or stove top smoke. Let rest for five minutes before assembling burger or serving.

I baked a few buns from my whole wheat bread made from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day. I toasted the bread under the broiler with some hand cut fries, added a thick slice of fresh mozzerella, roasted red tomatoes, red onion, and classic yellow mustard.


The tomatoes were a little mushy and detracted from the crunchy bread and the juicy burger. I had to take them off mid-meal.



I'm still in Ice Cream, You Scream mode and I had to whip up another ice cream....



Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
3 overripe bananas
2 cups non-fat milk
1 pkg (1 oz) Sugar Free/Fat Free Vanilla Pudding
1/4 cup Z sweet sweetener (granulated or confectioner's sugar can be used as well)
1/2 cup mini milk chocolate chips

Mash bananas with milk and Z sweet to combine. Add pudding mix and whisk until dissolved. Optional: Strain mixture using mesh strainer or tamis to make a smooth, uniform base with no lumps.

Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Five minutes before the end of the freezing cycle, add mini chocolate chips a few at a time to incorporate into the mix.




I wish this picture was a little better (OK...a LOT better) but this ice cream was one of the creamiest yet. The pudding allows for the ice cream to be thickened and creamy without heavy cream or egg yolks.

So...hopefully the power will be back on soon so I can at least microwave some popcorn (i.e. the only thing in the kitchen that isn't spoiled, I think)

Two Guys, A Grill, And A Pizza

I've been hearing great and wonderful things about Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day and I was a bit skeptical until Kat at A Good Appetite posted about some hamburger buns she made. I tried them and fell in love. Little did I know that the same recipe can be used for buns, rolls, loaf bread, pizza dough, and more! I finally picked up the book this weekend and I've been in bread heaven.

One of the authors has a food blog: Zoe Bakes. And the book has a blog too: click here. You can see the recipes at work, ask questions, and get updates on the authors' appearances. It is so wonderful to see good people have good things happen to them. I mean, this book has taken the food world over by storm. I can only dream to have a book some day...

I made pizza and salad last night. Nothing special, nothing spectacular, but I love eating at home. I love knowing exactly what was put into my food. Two guys weren't involved (unless you count my neighbor and his friend; even if I'm not cooking "It smells good in here...")

And I can lick the spoon when nobody's looking...

Original bread recipe from Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day

2 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbl granulated yeast
1 1/2 tbl salt
1 tbl sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Mix the yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil with the water in a 5-qt bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container
2. Mix in the flour without kneading, using a large wooden spoon.
3. Cover (not airtight) and allow to rise at room temperature for about 2 hours. You can use the dough at this point, or refrigerate and use over next 12 days. If you refrigerate at least overnight, you’ll develop better flavor in the dough.

If you're using refrigerated dough, shape into a ball and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.

You're supposed to use a pizza peel, cornmeal, a 500 degree F oven...
Yeah...I didn't do any of that.

350 degree F oven, non-stick pizza pan sprayed with Pam, loaded on the toppings and 15 minutes later: Voila!

Yes, I'll admit it! The sawdust that they call parmesan cheese has been sprinkled over my slices. Forgive me. Please...

For my salad, I used my neighbor's grill!

I sliced a romaine heart lengthwise, brushed olive oil, sprinkled salt and pepper on it and placed it on the grill until it got wilted and a little bit charred. After it cooled, I chopped it, added some cukes, chickpeas, diced red onion, tomato, roasted red, yellow and green peppers, a healthy grind or 12 of black pepper and some dashes of Kraft Free Italian Dressing. Yum!

Almost two months ago, I started reading and listening to Concious Eating and my outlook on food really has changed. I still live to eat instead of eating to live, but what/how/when I decide to eat has changed.

I made a new pact with myself about food: If I want to eat it, I have to make it myself. No more fast food, convenience foods, or going out to eat unless it's for work or by invitation.

I can cook any and everything, so this shouldn't be a problem. The night I made my pact, a friend came over with Wendy's and had my favorite: Spicy Chicken Sandwich. I couldn't...and didn't refuse. I'll start again tomorrow. Then, someone brought oatmeal cookies from Trader Joe's to work. I told myself I was allergic and didn't eat any.

Jenn the Left Over Queen went on a rant about how she's not buying anymore bread from the store and she's making it at home now. I have since decided to follow suit. No more Nature's Own or Merita for me.
I love bread more than almost anything. But I hate baking bread that involves yeast. And I don't believe in bread machines. My hands and dough hook in the Kitchen Aid (well, mine is a Sunbeam) work just fine.

Ice Cream, You Scream: National Ice Cream Day!

Yay! It's finally here! National Ice Cream Day! Thank you, Ronald Reagan for giving America such a wonderful reason to eat sweet treats in the middle of the hot hot summer!

I decided to host this event for two reasons. First, I am in love with ice cream. We have a beautiful, loving relationship that has lasted nearly 15 years. My first job ever was at an ice cream parlor named Mayberry's. I scooped ice cream, mixed Italian sodas, and assembled banana splits; served hot dogs, ladled bean and bacon soup, and whirred milkshakes. Our first summer together was blissful, memorable, and signified the end of my weekly allowance for doing nothing, from my parents.


Secondly, last summer I got the fortunate opportunity to lead an ice cream demonstration at Williams-Sonoma. Since then, they've stopped having outside chefs come in (much to the denegration of the demonstrations of the high-quality gear and foodstuffs they have there) but I came out with a Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet & Ice Cream Maker with a FREE additional ice cream freezer bowl. It came with a little booklet but that thing was lost long ago. It's probably in the same place as the booklets to the stove, microwave, and washing machine.



Even though we're all (hopefully) celebrating this day in America, I received a great number of entries from abroad. I've gained some new blogging friends. I've gained some knowledge. This event confirms my suspicions that food is universal and it brings us all together for one reason or another.



Smita of Smita Serves You Right in Rochester, New York, gives us our first churn-free dessert, Passionfruit Sherry Sorbet . She uses a simple syrup that she heated in the microwave and says," I didn't have to turn the stove on or heat up the kitchen. Yay!"...One of the reasons why I thought this event was perfect for the summer!
Jenn the Leftover Queen in Saint Augustine, Florida gives us Mango Coconut YoCream.
Jenn did what she does best and made the YoCream from leftover ingredients from her freezer. Mango, lime puree, Greek yogurt, and shreds of coconut make for a beautiful, creamy dessert. Thanks, Jenn!

Mansi of Fun and Food in California brings us a Mango Marscarpone Kulfi. You learn something new every day and I learned: Kulfi, is an indian version of mousse, without eggs. Mousse is one of the easiest desserts to prepare, without compromising on the taste and indulgence factor.

Kazari of I Think I Have A Recipe For That... in Canberra, Australia gives us Lemon Delicious Ice Cream. "It's the best ice cream I've ever made," she says. "I should have title this 'Heaven on a spoon'. It's really that good." I believe her. Look at that. If you go her blog today (July 20) wish her a Happy Birthday! Tell her Nik sent you!
Hetal of Isha's Kitchen in Houston, Texas gives us Fat-Free Frozen Mango Yogurt
Her recipe is a churn-free version that also contains a bit mint and starwberry jam to add to the mango's flavor.


Marija of Palichinka in Belgrade, Serbia sends us FOUR different flavors of ice cream: elderberry, chicory, chocolate, and Nescafe (coffee). "This is my favorite ice cream recipe," she says. "It's actually a recipe for the base and you can use whatever flavoring you like..."


Katie B. of Other People's Food in Herndon, Virginia made cute Pistachio Ice Cream Sammies
Katie cracks me up: "Because we'd nibbled away at a couple of cookies and slurped down so much ice cream, I was only able to put together four sandwiches - which is really sad, because they rocked. For serious."

Joelen of Joelen's Culinary Adventures in Chicago, Illinois created a yummy Watermelon Sorbet
A beautiful rendition of Alton Brown's melon sorbet, Joelen really makes it look good. BTW, Joelen hosts and participates in a myriad of cooking & blogging events, so you should really check her out sometime.

Angie of Miami Mojo in Miami, Florida whipped up some Samoas Cookie and Dulce Leche Ice Cream Samoas are just one of the delectable options Girl Scouts tempt us with every spring. As an Adult Girl Scout, I was ecstatic to see Angie enter this creation. "More delicious than my sweet tooth or taste buds ever dreamed!," she boasts.

Rachel AKA The Short (dis)Order Cook of The Essential Rhubarb Pie in Mamaroneck, New York churned up some Dark Chocolate Toblerone Crunch and it "Satifies my love of dark chocolate ice cream and chewy and crunchy bits," she says. And I believe her wholeheartedly.
Dita of My Culina Sanctuarium in Salmiya, Kuwait stirs up another churn-free creation with Pomegranate Ice Cream. I agree with Dita when she says, "Homemade ice cream is a real kids pleaser." She serves up the sweets with delectable seseme cookies, too. Yum!




Michelle, the Baroness Tapuzina in Israel amazes us with a Roasted Apricot-Almond Ice Cream and Tehina-Pistachio Ice Cream. Michelle dared to experiment with apricots, seseme paste and date honey. A true reflection of some of her country's best ingredients, this ice cream is a winner.

Jessica of Fearless Kitchen in Braintree, Massachusetts fearlessly entered Honey Ice Cream from The Ultimate Ice Cream Book by Bruce Weinstein. Using soy (my personal new favorite ice cream-making milk) and a bit of almond extract, "This is one of my favorite ice creams to make," she says. "It has a light taste but is still powerfully sweet, and matches well with fruit." Can't wait to try this one, too!


Cathy of aficionado from Sydney, Australia entered a chestnut gelato. She uses instant or freeze-dried chestnuts which are incredibly convenient. Now you can have chestnuts churning over an open pire any time of the year!

Natashya of Living In The Kitchen With Puppies from Canada created a Cardamom Banana Ice Cream with her puppies Merlin and Bella by her side. The caradmom is what makes this ice cream special. Never have I ever heard cardamom described so eloquently: "If you haven't tried it - it is a woody, earthy spice that behaves much like cinnamon...once you try it you will be wondering why it is cinnamon that is so popular."



Manuela of Baking History:A Taste for the Past in Massachusetts made a Malt Honey Ice Cream "This ice cream is simply wonderful, not too sweet and with a pleasant, slightly bitter aftertaste—great on its own or paired with other flavors such as chocolate or vanilla," she says.

Michelle of Big Black Dogs in Barrington Hills, IL tempts us with Frozen Hot Chocolate. "A luscious chocolate dessert that will knock your socks off!" she says.

Anali of Anali's First Amendment in Quincy, Massachusetts constitutes a great ice cream: Coffee Chocolate Chip! Another creation made with a soy product, her recipe was created in her kitchen. As with all of her recipes, it's a work in progress that she thinks we'll still enjoy.

Kara of What's Kookin in Falls Church, Virginia rocks out with a Traditional Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.

*Kristen of I'm Right About Everything in Arlington Heights, Illinois is definitely right about her Chocolate Oreo Ice Cream: "The ice cream is so creamy and delicious, too."

Kiriel of The Papillon Pantry in Geneva, Switzerland so graciously entered an Indulgent Vanilla Bean ice cream. "This gloriously simple ice cream can't be beaten. All the complicated fancy ice creams out there, the cookie cream confections and english toffees are just blown out of the water. Creamy, rich, pure... sublime." Yum! Yum! Yum!

I'd like to thank everyone for their time, care, and attention given to the entries. Thanks to you, the reader for coming by and getting a taste of what good frozen confectionary items the blogging world has to offer! So, eat up! National Ice Cream month last for only a few more days!

My African-American Kitchen

Yes, I have an African-American kitchen. I'm American and my husband is African (that's where the Ka [pronounced ka as in "the ca' is in the driveway] comes from in my hyphenated name). Our children will be African-American. My husband will be, too, once he becomes a naturalized citizen. That being said, we have two sides to our kitchen, too.

I like how this picture looks old and blurry. A contrast to our youth.

Before I got married, I was told that I'd have to learn how to cook classic Senegalese dishes and do them well, because we'd be having lots of guests over.

I was confident in my ability to do so, because I'd received a few cookbooks for Christmas, and I'd mastered homemade mayonnaise a mere 2 days before our nuptials. Every man I've ever cooked for is still in my life. I made one of my first boyfriends a pair of hotdogs and some potato chips nearly 13 years ago and we're still good friends to this day.

You know the classic story of the housewife being told the boss "is coming to dinner" a frustrating 15 minutes before he (or she, these days) is to arrive? All you planned was a pair of flatiron steaks, ranch beans, and a simple side salad with chantilly dressing made from the homemade mayonnaise made 2 weeks ago?

So, this was me a month after we were married. My husband's boss at the time was Senegalese, too and since this was the first visit to our house, steak and beans weren't going to cut it.

Our steak dinner got put in the refrigerator and wifey went to work.

I decided that I'd combine what I knew with the flavors of my husband's favorite foods. In my limited experience (at that point) of Senegalese food, everything I'd tasted was not just spicy, not just hot...it was BLAZING. I couldn't taste the food for the capsicum! Rice, fufu, crackers, milk, nothing could save my mouth. Lots of dishes had peanuts (groundnuts, as they're called, are the #1 export of Senegal). I'm allergic, so those recipes were a no-go. No, no beautiful husband, you will not be getting spicy, peanutty food from this kitchen. Sorry.
Husband and bossman were coming in the door, and I had to think very quickly...

The following recipe is my first-ever fusion creation. It combines the original recipe with techniques and ingredients I know well. Today I served it with some leftover whole wheat linguni tossed with some butter and chopped garlic. Usually I fluff up couscous with the same accoutrements. This is a staple on the Miller-Ka family menu. Maybe it will make an appearance on yours.

Stuffed Chicken Yassa Serves 6 to 8
The mustard accentuates the lemon, making the stuffing bright and flavorful.

2 Tbsp butter or margarine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 leek, thinly sliced
10 slices Hormel Turkey pepperoni, sliced in thin strips
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 preserved lemon, rinsed
1/4 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives
1 1/2 tsp dijon or spicy mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/8 teaspoon fresh habanero pepper, finely minced or 1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 cups day-old bread, cubed or fresh croutons
8 to 10 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 cup Fiber One, pulverized or seasoned bread crumbs


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large skillet, melt butter/margarine and add minced garlic. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add leeks, turn heat to low and cook until leeks get soft and creamy. Add pepperoni, preserved lemon, lemon juice, and mustard, Stir to combine. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Add olives, habanero or pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Add cubed bread and just enough water to slightly moisten the bread. Take skillet from heat, fold to incorporate all ingredients, moistening and coating bread with the skillet's contents. Let cool. Prepare chicken for stuffing.

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper; Spread stuffing over chicken breast. Fill with even portions of the filling mixture. Roll up and secure with toothpicks or keep breasts seam-side down. Coat roll ups on all sides with Fiber One/breadcrumbs. Place chicken on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Spray a light mist of nonstick spray on top of chicken and place in oven. Cook for 20 minutes.
Serve over cool, crisp salad or lettuce and hot couscous or white rice.


Original Chicken Yassa adapted from The Congo Cookbook

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 large onions, thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/8 teaspoon minced fresh habanero chile, or to taste
5 tablespoons peanut oil
1 frying chicken (2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds), cut into serving pieces
1 habanero chile, pricked with a fork
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed olives
4 carrots, scraped and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1/2 cup water

In a large nonreactive bowl, prepare a marinade by mixing the lemon juice, onions, salt, pepper, minced chile, and 4 tablespoons of the peanut oil in a large bowl. Place the chicken pieces in the marinade, making sure that they are all well covered. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat the broiler. Remove the chicken pieces, reserving the marinade and onions, and place the chicken in a shallow pan. Broil the the chicken until it is lightly browned on both sides. Remove the onions from the marinade. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a flameproof 5-quart casserole or Dutch oven and cook the onions slowly until tender and translucent. Add the reserved marinade. When the liquid is thoroughly heated, add the chicken pieces, pricked chile, olives, carrots, mustard, and water. When the dish has reached the desired degree of hotness, remove the chile and reserve. Stir to mix well, then bring the yassa slowly to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve hot over white rice.

In Senegalese households, the food is served from one communal plate and there is no cutlery except maybe spoons. Rice is scooped up with the hands and everyone has his or her own place around the platter of food. Also, seating is usually arranged on the floor.photo courtesy of kariborders.blogspot.com

We have a beautiful dining room table, but most nights, spread out on newspaper or an old bedsheet, we sit on the floor to enjoy our food. We don't eat African food every night either. My husband loves American food, so I'm off the hook about 300 nights a year or so.

Well, we all know I'm off the hook every night, but you know... :)

This Is How I Hop, Skip, Jump, And Roll

I've been getting outside more as of late. I've been walking in the mornings or late afternoons, taking in nature and taking off some pounds. My new We-Have-Nothing-To-Eat-Because-Food-Costs-So-Much Diet is really paying off. I had a check-up today and I got an emphatic thumbs up from my physician.

To celebrate, what did I do?

Eat!

I didn't go overboard and attack a smorgasbord at a local restaurant or that feeding trough they call a buffet. A celebratory mood calls for celebratory food!

Hoppin' John is a dish of black eyed peas (or crowder peas), rice, ham hock or bacon, onions, and sometimes bell peppers and vinegar. Traditionally eaten on New Year's Day, the peas are to give good luck and collard greens are to add wealth in the new year.

Every year I either forget which one means what or forget to eat black eyed peas and collard greens. Hoppin' John and its components can be eaten any time of the year and I felt it apropos to make these rolls because they're quite economical, easy to make, and something new to display a great Southern dish.

Hoppin' John Eggrolls

1/4 pound ground chicken or turkey
1/4 pound bulk sausage, casings removed & chopped fine
1 medium onion, small dice
1 jalapeno, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup black-eyed peas, drained & rinsed
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup white rice, cooked

3 Tbsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
10-12 Nasoya egg roll wrappers
water of egg wash for sealing wrappers


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and turn heat on medium-high. Add chicken/turkey and onion. Brown over medium heat and use wooden spoon to break meat up into small pieces. Turn down heat and stir in jalapeno, tomatoes, peas, and seasonings. Add rice, vinegar and cook until heated through.
On a clean, flat surface, lay out egg roll wrappers in a diamond shape with the triangular-shaped corner facing you. Put 2 Tbsp of the hoppin' john mixture in the center of each of wrapper.

To assemble each of the rolls, take the bottom point of the wrapper and fold it over top of the filling. Fold the sides in towards the middle and roll the filling towards the top point of the wrapper.

The bottom and sides of the wrapper have been folded to encase the filling. I'm getting ready to roll it upwards and then seal it with water.

Seal the egg roll by dipping your index finger in a small bowl of water and running it over the top point of your wrap and any openings where you feel the wrap needs to be glued together.

Place all rolls (seams down) on a baking pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 12 minutes, flipping rolls over about halfway through cooking.

The following dipping sauce is the only way I could incorporate greens on my plate without them being a side or taking 5 hours to cook. Gremolata is usually served as an accompaniment with osso bucco or other meat dishes to brighten them up.

Gremolata Dipping Sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 lemon

1/4 cup canned collard or turnip greens, drained well
1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Using vegetable peeler, remove peel in long strips from lemon. Mince lemon peel. Transfer to small bowl. Mix in parsley, greens, garlic, and sour cream.

The Biscuit, The Baker, The Memory Stick Maker

One of the first things I ever learned how to make was a biscuit (well, I'm sure there were at least eight of them, but you know what I mean). My grandmother let me peer over the counter as she sifted flour, cut up butter, and rolled her way across the counter.

I got to pat dough.

I got to play with yeast (cake and granulated).

I got to use real butter, margarine, and trans fat-free buttery spreads.

One time and one time only did we use Crisco. It was butter flavored and it could have been sawdust-flavored for all we cared. It was gross. Yuck.

I have a hard time referring to cookies as digestive biscuits because I've only known biscuits to be ethereal bundles of flaky, fluffy, luxurious joy.


Every night Grandma made dinner with a meat, two vegetables, and a bread. 90% of the time it was biscuits. It was a special treat to get Jiffy cornbread, topped with butter, studded with corn and diced jalapenos, or swirled with fresh herbs. But the biscuit ... Oh! The biscuit. High upon its pedestal, to this day it stands high above the rest.


When it comes to baking, it's an exact science. That's why many cooks say they don't or can't bake. Honestly, it takes skill, dedication, and pure concentration to measure, weigh, and calculate ingredients. When you cook, you can literally throw anything in a pan, turn on the heat, stir it, and it's done. It's easy to master the science of coagulating and denaturing of proteins or the breaking down of cellulose.



The Chop Shop of Biscuit Making

Flour: Unbleached all-purpose flour is the trademark of American baked goods.


Whole-wheat flour will make us all heart healthy, but it will also make your biscuits heavy and dense. I'd rather be light and fluffy. Sorry. LOL. The bran in the whole wheat flour cuts the gluten strands and makes it short (the premise behind shortbreads and shortcakes), causing the bread to be dense.


The best combination of flour for biscuits is one part all-purpose and one part cake flour. Cake flour is soft and has a lower gluten protein percentage. It clumps in your hand when you squeeze it. Swans Down is my favorite. To make your own: Add 2 Tbsp cornstarch to 1 cup all-purpose flour. It's a reasonable facsimile, but only do it if you must must must.



Self-rising flour is one of the most wonderful inventions ever. In any self-respecting Southern woman's cabinet, there are two bags of flour: regular all-purpose and self-rising all-purpose. You never know when you'll need one or the other. Preferred brands include: Gold Medal, Martha White, and White Lily.

I'm going to be honest, my grandma really didn't like having huge bags of flour with little white girls on it, so we usually had Gold Medal.

Self-rising flour sometimes tastes salty, so that's when adding your own baking powder and baking soda comes into play.

Leavening: This is what separates the women from the girls. It's what makes the biscuits rise and get fluffy. Whichever leavening agent you use, it works like this: it reacts with the moisture, heat and acidity in the dough to produce carbon dioxide--which then becomes trapped as bubbles within the dough. Yeast, buttermilk, sour cream, baking soda, and baking powder all all acceptable agents. Using them correctly is key.

If using self-rising flour, skip this step. The baking soda and powder are already included.

Yeast is a beast. It's living, real, and unkind in foreign lands. Sugar feeds it. Salt kills it. Potato starch nourishes it. Heat inhibits it. One wrong move, and it's over. Yeast is why I don't bake bread. It makes me want to cry. I like kids, but I don't want to babysit any yeast.

Buttermilk is simply soured milk full of cultured bacteria. It gives biscuits a slight tang in taste. To make your own, add 2 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup milk. Let sit for 10 minutes e voila, you have buttermilk.

For baking powder, I prefer Clabber Girl. There is a lip on the inside that you can scrape your measuring spoon against to level your powder. Ingenious!

Fat: Cutting the fat means something entirely different when it comes to biscuits. As we all know, fat equals flavor. My preferred fat is ice cold cubes of salted butter. Shortening (Crisco), bacon fat, margarine all can be used. Cooks will swear by shortening, but I don't like to use it because it changes the mouthfeel of the biscuits to something more akin to plastic than biscuit. I've used oil in a pinch, but butter makes it better. For sure.

The less the dough is worked, the more tender the biscuits will be. Knead the dough just until it comes together in a ball. Gently rework the scraps and use those, too. It's hard times right now--waste not, want not.

Placing the biscuits close together helps them rise and stay fluffy. Placing them apart makes them crustier.

To cut biscuits, a biscuit cutter isn't needed. If you have one, that's great, but the floured rim of a drinking glass, shot glass, or the top of a Mason jar will do. Use a knife if you want square or diamond shaped biscuits.

Stacked, crusty biscuits waiting to be buttered.

Buttermilk Biscuits Yield 12 to 16 biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp butter
1 cup buttermilk

Basic Biscuits Yield 12 to 16 biscuits

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp butter
1 cup milk

(Follow instructions for either recipe)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Sift dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut butter with your fingers, fork, or pastry cutter until the mixture looks like course crumbs. Pour in the milk and stir it with a fork until the ingredients are moistened. Lightly flour the counter or another work surface and turn out the dough. Pat into a circle between 1/2 and 3/4 inches thick. Cut biscuits into desired shapes. Rework scraps and cut them into shapes as well. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Sweet Potato Biscuits Yield 10 to 12 biscuits

2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Stir yeast into 1/4 cup warm water (no more than 118 degrees F) and set aside to proof. Warm milk, butter, and sugar in a pan or bowl in the microwave just until butter has melted. Pour liquid into bowl with sweet potatoes, salt, 1/4 cup of the flour, and the proofed yeast. Cover for 30 minutes until foamy.

Stir in remaining flour, then knead dough until smooth and elastic. Cover again and let rise until doubled in size, nearly 45 minutes to an hour.

Turn out dough, pat into a circle, cut biscuits into desired shapes. Cover, let rise until doubled in size, another 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake biscuits 20 minutes.

THIS is why I'm glad to be Southern. A fluffy, buttery biscuit with a fried egg, bacon, and pepper jack cheese. Thank you, Jesus, for small miracles.