Selamat Pagi | Brooklyn

Instant Gratification

We received a beautiful All-Clad waffle iron, thoughtfully paired with waffle mix from Bouchon Bakery, as our first wedding present. Having arrived right to our doorstep, within 24 hours we broke down and whipped up our first satisfying batch.

Springtime Brunch in Gramercy

Spring has sprung! And what better way to enjoy the warm weather than with good friends and delicious food. Jake and Silka recently relocated to the Berkshires to pursue their agricultural and culinary endeavors, yet returned this past weekend to hold a brunch for a few friends. It was bittersweet, as it reminded us of what we are already missing without the Butcher & the Baker living around the corner. We miss our neighbors and good friends, the spontaneous get-togethers and of course, their incredible leftovers. We are thrilled to see what Jake & Silka cook up in their new home and hope they'll make room for two more at their table 'cause we're coming to visit!

Pop on Over

On Friday I received my December issue of Real Simple. As I flipped through I came across a recipe for "Secretly Simple Popovers" which inspired our breakfast for Saturday morning. We happened to have some bacon on hand, so I got to experimenting... and I have to say, the result was absolutely delicious.

Bacon & Parmesan Popovers
(adapted from a Real Simple recipe)
Makes 12

Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups whole milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 slices bacon, cooked, drained and cut into 1/2" pieces
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the bacon: Line the bottom of a broiler pan with foil. This will make for easy cleanup later. Arrange the bacon slices on the top broiler pan and place in a cold oven. Turn oven onto 400F. Walk away, and come back 17 to 20 minutes later. As soon as the bacon is golden brown and crispy, it's done. Drain on paper towels. Once cool, cut the bacon into 1/2" pieces and set aside.

Keep oven on at 400F. Brush the cups of a 12-cup non-stick muffin tin with butter. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, eggs, butter and salt until only a few lumps remain (do not overmix). Gently stir in bacon.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups and sprinkle each cup with a teaspoon of Parmesan cheese. Bake until puffed and a deep golden brown, 30-35 minutes. (Do not open oven door before 30 minutes or the popover will collapse. Serve immediately!

Building on Bond.

Summerlovin'

Our first morning in London we ventured out to Camden Town to have brunch at The Summerhouse along the Union Canal. Between the white-washed walls, blue pinstriped upholstery and warm breeze coming off the canal, the essence of summer vacations lives on here year-round.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Today Bonne-Maman, Arlette and Mom came over to our place for brunch. Since it was Bonne-Maman and Arlette's first time visiting we prepared a special menu for the occasion, starting up spicy and ending on a sweet note.

Bloody Marys
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Arugula, Bacon and Gruyère Bread Pudding
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Swiss Chard with Pomegranate Seeds
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Molten Chocolate Cakes en Cocotte
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Uncom-pear-able

8am. Awake early on a Sunday morning. A beautiful rarity for me. The city was sweepingly serene and quiet. As I pretended to still be asleep, I heard the usual sounds of rummaging in the kitchen. The master was prepping her instruments...

10am. Sara's family arrived and warmth suddenly filled the apartment. Théo's big blue eyes lit up the room. Everyone's laughter filled the air. Sunrays flooded our windows that day.

11am. Breakfast was finally ready! It was perhaps the best french toast all of us have ever had. Thinly sliced bosc pears, caramelized in sugar, tucked inside bread dipped in a pear-liqueur-spiked egg batter... then crisped to a golden brown, and topped with powdered sugar. As if it couldn't get any better, out came the crispy applewood bacon. The result was all smiles and a lot of "mm-mmming". A wonderful day for Rachel, Fabien and Théo to visit, for Sara's pear-ents to be there, enjoying the delicious pear-ing that was so ap-pear-ant (sorry had to to do it!).

Trader Jacques

Thanks to Trader Joe's, we don't need to go to a patisserie in Paris, or even leave the house to have freshly baked croissants.

JULiETTE

This past Sunday we went to Williamsburg to see Kristen run in the NYC Marathon. We cheered her on from Bedford Avenue, and spotting her among the thousands of runners felt like an accomplishment in and of itself. As she approached us there were mutual squeals of excitement, and even after she continued on, we couldn't shake the pride we felt from her amazing achievement.


All that cheering made us hungry so we decided to eat lunch in the neighborhood. We happened upon JULiETTE, a quintessential french bistro filled with red flea market chairs, vintage metal signs and Ricard Pernod bottles. How could we resist? There was a bit of a wait, but after one sip of their deliciously spicy Bloody Mary we were pacified. We ordered the Banana Stuffed French toast, and while it was good, it just couldn't stand up to our favorite recipe. We also had the Omelette of the Day, filled with kale & jack cheese. The crispy potatoes cooked in extra virgin olive oil were the highlight of that dish... Oh and another highlight, they served Stumptown coffee.

Hello Fada

Ron and I went to The Renegade Craft Fair on Sunday in Williamsburg. We met up with Jenny, Erik, & ellis and when our stomachs started growling we worked our way over to the charming French bistro, Fada, located on the north end of Driggs Avenue. I recalled having been there before many years ago when Jenny was still living on Bedford Avenue (circa 2002). It was nice to see that not much had changed.

Even though it was very hot out (with a chance of tornado), we opted to sit outside in the garden. We were happy that Jess and Matthew joined us there later after having missed each other at the fair.

The menu was simple, with standard french fare-- croque monsieur, moules, salade nicoise... We were too hot for anything warm so Ron and I split the caprese sandwich and grilled chicken salad. Tasty, but really the atmosphere surpassed the food: chipped enamel tables, worn flea market chairs, painted beams in a provencal cornflower blue... It was a mini-trip to Marseille just before the rain began to fall.

At Last...

The first time we pursed lips about Buttermilk Channel, it was a hot day in July. Jessica recommended it to Sara, then we went to the website and immediately the aesthetics won us over. And just like that, it was an addition to our list...

But no matter how hard we tried, our visit to Buttermilk Channel, in the heart of Boerum Hill in Brooklyn, kept missing us. Eventually, it slipped to the back of our subconscious. And with that, my chance arrived.... The opportunity for a surprise. I wanted Sara to enjoy the first meal of her 29th year with her family and a few friends. And the surprise worked out wonderfully...

A table for 14 in the bustling restaurant seemed chaotic, but when the bloody marys arrived, the chaos faded. The bloody marys were absolutely perfect, an impeccable production of fresh tomato, spicy horseradish and vodka, with a sour pickle. They served it four ways (one with an oyster on top). You cannot find a better Bloody Mary in NYC.

The Eggs Huntington was a nice variation from Eggs Benedict, but ended slightly dry. The scramble dishes were unique and well formulated, but the star of the menu was the Pecan Pie French Toast! With this dish, we were touring golden straits of bourbon molasses syrup and homemade cream, adorned with bits of toasted pecan, rafting around mountains of challah.

Almost like a foreshadowing for the future, Sara started her 29th year surrounded by love, and on a trip she never expected...

Zeus' French Toast!

If the Greek gods were eating breakfast after a rough night of celestial galavanting... THIS is what they'd eat. Food for thunderbolts & lightning rods indeed. The concoction is inspired by Martha, but designed by Sara.... a double layer of challah bread, stuffed with bananas, chopped walnuts and a brown sugar sauce... crunchy, sweet, soft, and savory all at once.

To me, this is a cure-all dynamo to soothe away all pains and make any Sunday morning feel like Saturday all over again...