Inn Cuisine

Where does the time go? Ever find yourself wondering? I do, and while the calender may say July 1st, for some reason I had it stuck in my mind that today was June 27th—imagine my surprise!

Luckily there is still plenty of time to plan a few, homemade treats for this weekend’s 4th of July celebrations—and perfect for any gathering is this foolproof method for creating a fun & festive Independence Day Celebration Cake. Easy to make and assemble, this cake lets you take the credit for serving homemade (versus store bought) while saving oodles of time and frustration in the kitchen…something every baker needs during a holiday meant to be spent outdoors with the company of family, guests and friends.

Enjoy! Click to access Easy Independence Day Celebration Cake, from the archives.

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There is no better way to top off a serving of Banana-Praline French Toast Casserole than with a few delicious spoonfuls of Easy Summer Berry Sauce. But don’t just limit this sauce to French toast, its sweet, berry flavor is perfect for topping pancakes, waffles and crepes too!

Preparing Easy Summer Berry Sauce is a simple 2-step process that consists of warming up your favorite blend of summer berries, adding a complementary jam, and serving to appreciative family and guests. It really is that good, and it really is that easy.

Enjoy!

Easy Summer Berry  Sauce

(recipe from Inn Cuisine, idea inspired by Diana, one of the best home cooks I know)

What you’ll need

• 12-16 ounces fresh or frozen blend of summer berries (I typically use frozen because I always have some on hand and find a blend of blackberries, blueberries & raspberries works nicely)
• 1 medium-sized (approximately 17.5 ounce) jar of your favorite, complementary jam (blackberry is a favorite in this sauce)

If using fresh berries, simply warm desired amount of jam in a small saucepan over low-medium heat, adding fresh berries as jam begins to bubble. Cook for 3-5 minutes over low heat, stirring often. As berries begin to break down, remove sauce from heat and pour into serving dish. Serve immediately.

If using frozen berries, pour desired amount of fruit into a small saucepan and warm over low-medium heat. As berries begin to soften and break down, add desired amount of complementary jam and stir gently for 3-5 minutes or until sauce is warmed through. Remove from heat and pour into serving dish. Serve immediately.

Berry to Jam Ratios:

Because you are relying on the sugar in the jam to (slightly) thicken the juices from the berries, you’ll want to use these approximate guidelines until you discover what combination works best for you:

• 12 ounces fresh or frozen berries to about 12-15 ounces of complementary jam
• 16 ounces fresh or frozen berries to 1 full jar (approximately 17.5 ounces) complementary jam

To create a thicker sauce, use more jam. For a thinner sauce, add more berries.

Q. What do you get when 1 crowd-pleasing, enthusiastic cook combines 2 overnight, French toast casserole recipes?

A. Blue Ribbon Banana-Praline French Toast Casserole, that’s what!

Extraordinarily delicious, Blue Ribbon Banana-Praline French Toast Casserole (the 2nd recipe in Inn Cuisine’s Going Bananas! series) is the epitome of textural balance and even flavor. Harmoniously perched between crunchy and smooth, moist but not soggy, fruity and sweet (but not too sweet—I promise), there is no reason this dish can’t become your go-to recipe when feeding & pleasing a crowd: simply layer ingredients (as directed) in a 13×9″ baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate overnight, top with cinnamon & sugar the following morning, then bake to perfection. What could be easier than that?

The star of any leisurely breakfast or weekend brunch, Blue Ribbon Banana-Praline French Toast Casserole is a dish with perks: because you’ll have more free time to enjoy the morning as you see fit, you can squeeze in that early morning walk or AM run, spend a few moments leafing through unread magazines, or relishing your extra time to visit with family, friends and guests. Who says morning meal preparation has to be a hassle? Whether you try this recipe soon or save it for an upcoming holiday celebration, one bite and you’ll discover why Banana-Praline French Toast Casserole will be a blue-ribbon recipe in your home (or inn) as well as mine. Enjoy!

Continue reading "An Overnight Success! Recipe: Blue Ribbon Banana-Praline French Toast Casserole"

I love red wine, but on hot summer days and evenings, its deep, berried, spiced and sometimes peppery flavor can seem a bit overwhelming.

When wanting to enjoy your favorite red(s) despite the summer heat, particularly when pairing with breakfast, brunch, lunch and light evening dinners, consider serving this delicate and well-balanced Red Wine Lemonade. It’s just what the (drink) doctor ordered!

Discovered in a 1984 cookbook, The Southern Heritage Breakfast and Brunch Cookbook (that I just happened to pick up while browsing a local antique shop), the original recipe, entitled Claret Lemonade, called for the use of Claret or other dry red wine to assume the prominent role. While I  prefer a dry wine 99% of the time, I’m quite certain a sweeter red wine would work nicely here as well. For that reason, if you prefer an Argentinian Malbec, an Italian Merlot, a French Cabernet Sauvignon, an Australian Syrah or or even a smooth and mellow American Pinot Noir, all would substitute nicely.

Note - When preparing this recipe most recently, I tried a red wine by Epicuro, a 2006 Sicilia Indicazione Geografica Tipica Nero D’Avola, bought for a song at my favorite Trader Joe’s location in St. Louis, Missouri—delish!

Red Wine Lemonade

(from Inn Cuisine, adpated from The Southern Heritage Breakfast and Brunch Cookbook, circa 1984)

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (may increase up to 1/3 cup)
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (may increase up to 1/2 cup), plus lemon slices for garnish
• 3/4 cup dry red wine (may decrease to 1/2 cup)
• 28 ounces club soda, chilled
• crushed ice

Combine sugar, lemon juice and your favorite red wine in a medium to large pitcher; stir until sugar dissolves. Stir in club soda; pour over crushed ice in desired serving glasses. Garnish with lemon slices and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Yield: approximately 1 quart.

Fact: I am bananas for bananas!

Naturally high in potassium, loaded with vitamin B6 and a tasty source of dietary fiber, did you know bananas also contain tryptophan (an amino acid which helps the body produce serotonin), magnesium and vitamin C? Couple bananas’ rich nutrient content with their sweet flavor and moist, somewhat creamy texture, and I can hardly think of a reason to avoid this popular, tropical fruit.

Banana Basics - There are two main varieties of banana: the sweet (or dessert) banana, and the plantain (sometimes referred to as the vegetable or horse banana). The dessert banana has a soft, sweet pulp that can be eaten raw out of hand as it ripens and turns yellow, while the plantain is a firmer banana with a lower sugar content—often requiring cooking or other type of processing before consuming.

True, the quickest (and most obvious) way to enjoy a sweet banana is to simply peel ‘n’ eat, I’m delving a bit deeper—indulging my appetite and expanding my repertoire with various recipes for serving and enjoying the cream of the banana crop.

The first recipe featured in Inn Cuisine’s Going Bananas! series comes courtesy the web site of The Cedars Bed & Breakfast of Williamsburg, Virgina. Easy-to-make and featuring just a few, basic ingredients you likely have on hand, Baked Brown Sugar Coconut-Topped Bananas are our first stop on this banana tour.

About the Going Bananas! tour:

How do you judge a recipe’s appeal? When personal tastes and preferences enter the picture, it can be difficult to maintain an objective opinion, even for the most seasoned taste tester. For that reason, Inn Cuisine is including both his & hers opinions with each, featured Going Bananas! dish. Straight from the palates of Mr. & Mrs. Inn Cuisine, we’ll be sharing our (somewhat subjective) opinions on each banana-inspired recipe.

First up, we made and taste tested Brown Sugar Coconut-Topped Baked Bananas from The Cedars Bed & Breakfast, Williamsburg, Virgina…

Continue reading "Going Bananas! (Recipe: Brown Sugar Coconut-Topped Baked Bananas)"