Rachael Ray's Blog, page 61

Get Inspired by Classic Beauty Looks

If time is a measure of success, than classic beauty looks that have lasted the ages are a great example. From a classic haircut to red nail polish, there are some beauty looks and products that work just as well in 2013 as they did in 1994. Here are some classic looks to take inspiration from today.

Brooke Shield’s Bold Brows

Bold brows have been having a moment on the catwalk for a few seasons now, and Brooke Shield’s was the original brow girl. We first got a glimpse of these famous beauties in Blue Lagoon, and while the ‘90s saw us all plucking everything we had, it looks like Brooke had the right idea all along.

Grace Kelly’s Nude Nails

Grace Kelly was (and still is!), an icon of beauty and style. She never followed trends or dyed her hair crazy colors, instead she favored a simple haircut, minimal makeup, and nude nails. One look at the Fall/Winter runways proves that although nail art will never go out of style, nude nails are back.

Lauren Hutton’s No-Makeup-Makeup Look

Lauren Hutton is known for her fresh-faced look. Think minimal blush, no eye-shadow, and a light coverage of foundation. Natural beauty never goes out of style.

Twiggy’s Spiky Lashes

Famous ‘60s model Twiggy was known for painting lashes along her lower lash line and piling on layers of faux lashes. The look was a worldwide hit, sparking dozens of copycats, and today, is just as popular.

Marilyn Monroe’s Red Lipstick

Marilyn Monroe had a few beauty trademarks: Her platinum blonde hair, her beauty mark, and her red lipstick. The starlet rarely went outside without lip color, and, year’s later, red lipstick is still an instant pick-me-up for women.

A MOTHER’S SURVIVAL GUIDE TO DEALING WITH COMMON SPRING STAINSSPRINGTIME STAINS

I love Spring and our kiddies love it even more then we since they can frolic to the heart’s content in the great outdoors.  So whether your child’s favorite activity is riding their bike, rolling in the grass, playing in the mud or enjoying a chocolate ice cream cone, when they come home smiling they also come home dirty from head to toe. Baths await, laundry looms and some tough stains remain. Here are simple ways to pre-treat some of spring’s most common stains that unite we moms coast to coast and child to child that will help save their clothes and our manicure.

Firsts a few stain removal tips:

o Treat ASAP

o Never rub, blot unless otherwise noted

o Test hidden area first to be sure stain removal tip won’t discolor

o If stain remains, DON’T put item into dryer or stain will set

PLAYIN IN THE GRASS IS A GAS: Rolling around in the grass or down a hill is tons of fun but the grass stain left behind can be challenging. Fill a spray bottle with equal parts of white vinegar and water and spray the stain. Use a damp sponge or a toothbrush (preferably not the one you brush with) to gently work in.

RUB A DUB MUD WITH A SPUD: Remove any mud remnants. Then take a raw potato and slice in half. Rub the inside of the spud onto the mud stain until it lightens. Microwave the remaining half for a tasty, quick and healthy snack!

BLOODY SIMPLE SOLUTION: Believe it or not if you spit on a bloodstain it will help remove it. Key is it must be your own saliva so your child will need to give it a spat! Alternatively, if the clothing is white you can use Hydrogen Peroxide both clean the stain and your child’s boo boo! Just be sure to test on hidden area first to be sure it won’t cause any color damage.

GREASE IS THE WORD: This is a true ‘who’d have thunk’! Break out the old Cheese Whiz and smear it on the bicycle grease stain then throw it into the wash and viola…Grease will be gone! Then, enjoy a snack and spread some on crackersJ If you don’t have any Cheese Whiz you can use liquid dishwashing detergent like Dawn. In this case it’s ok to rub it in right before putting in the wash.

STICK IT TO GUM: The easiest way to remove chewing gum on most fabrics (jeans particularly) is to put an ice cube on the gum so it freezes and gets hard: about 5-10 mins. Then scrape it off with a knife. On more delicate fabrics (other then denim) freeze, but then use an old toothbrush vs. knife to brush off gum.

HANDY DANDY SANITIZER: Our kids love to use their clothing as napkins so next time they finish eating that chocolate cone, gently scrap any excess off with a spoon then reach for clear hand sanitizer (with alcohol). Squeeze a bit directly onto the stain and dab with a micro-fiber cloth. And, next time buy them a vanilla cone.

Julie Edelman aka The Accidental Housewife is the go to gal for easy; real life time, money, and energy saving tips that maintain our home, family and manicure. She appears regularly on the Today Show with Kathie Lee ‘n Hoda, Rachael Ray, and The Doctors.  She is a New York Times best-selling author and her next tome for the home: The Ultimate Accidental Housewife: Your Guide to a Clean Enough House is the sanity saving editor forBeautiful Design Made Simple Magazine; has a webisode series for Fox News Magazine, and hosts her siteJulie’s Tips with her goal to empower, educate and engage fellow housewives along with a daily sanity saving libation.

Salmon Fish Sticks With OOOOMPH

Sometimes, you just don’t want a full on dish for dinner. Whilst tucking in to a meal works well most nights, there are some nights you want a little freedom. Perhaps a beer and some think that doesn’t require a fork and knife. Last Wednesday was an evening like that for my husband. He wanted to chill and munch on something right form the couch. Salmon was already on the cards, only, instead of doing my Asian preparation, which involved oyster sauce and sticky rice, I decided to make fish sticks. These were no ordinary fish sticks that were flour-dredged, egg-dipped, bread-crumbed and fried. These sticks had so much oomph that he didn’t even need ketch-up or hot sauce on the side.

Since the meal was so basic, I was determined to make a stellar crust that would take this fish stick over the edge. My ingredient to achieve this; rice flour. Rice flour is used extensively in Asia and it produces a skin that is light and crunchy. The flour was seasoned with crushed red chili flakes, coriander powder and a generous helping of black pepper. Once the fish sticks were fried, they were given another layer of seasoning by being tossed in a spice mixture of chaat masala, salt and chili powder. The result was finger lickin’ good.

Recipe for Salmon Sticks

Ingredients

1 lb. salmon (cut in to 1 ½ cm wide strips)

¼ cup rice flour (elephant brand)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. red chili flakes

1 tsp. coriander powder

oil for frying

Handful of cilantro

Dry Spice Mixture

1 tsp. chat masala (MDH brand available at Indian grocery stores or ethnic stores like Kalustyans)

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. chili powder

Method

1) Heat oil for frying the fish

2) Combine all the dry ingredients and layout on a large flat plate. Coat the fish on both sides and fry in to the hot oil

Dredging in spiced rice flour

3) When the fish is golden and almost cooked through, remove and drain on paper towels (it should be opaque in the middle)

4) Toss the sticks gently in the dry spice mixture and throw fresh cilantro strands over the top

Saira Malhotra, is of British–Indian descent and is a chef, food writer and cooking instructor based in New York City. Raised in Hounslow, U.K, or rather ‘Little India’, where the air is aromatic with roasted spices, little did Saira know these moments would follow her from being a student in France and Italy to residing in NYC with her husband and kids and parlay themselves unexpectedly in to a culinary career. She is a graduate of the International Culinary Center in New York City. Come visit her at her food blog: www.passportpantry.com where she shares approachable and international recipes

7 lunch duty lessons I learned the hard way

Lunch duty is a trial-and-error (and trial by fire) sort of thing. Sometimes you just need to try things and hope you learn something along the way. So in that spirit, here are seven highs (and lows) I learned last week over at LunchBoxBlues.com.

Purchased crepes only sound like a good thing. You know the ones I’m talking about. The grocers sell packages of them in the produce section. Got me thinking how creative and delicious it would be to wrap a few of those around some fruit and pop them in a lunch container. Except they act like sponges when wrapped around anything moist. Which means you end up with a big pile of mess by lunch. If you want to pack crepes for lunch, be smart (unlike me) and pack them and the fillings separately, then assemble at lunch.
Graham crackers rock. Seriously. Last week I put them to use in all sorts of ways that won approval from both my son (the dude forced to eat my many lunch creations), as well as readers. Start by using them as a stand-in for bread with PB&J. Then turn them into a strawberry “cheesecake” — sandwich low-fat cream cheese and strawberry jam between two crackers. You get a graham cracker crust, creamy filling and strawberry topping in every bite. They also are a great addition to yogurt parfaits. I did layers of fresh fruit, plain nonfat Greek yogurt and crumbled graham crackers. This let me create all sorts of dessert-inspired parfaits, including banana cream pie.
Frozen fruit can be your friend. Turn bagged frozen fruit into easy sauces that can be packed cold or warm (in a small thermos) for use with pancakes, waffles, yogurt, applesauce, or even be used for dipping pretzels. Just dump a bag of frozen fruit (I like mango chunks, but any berry is great, too) into a saucepan with a tiny sprinkle of sugar and a splash of lemon juice. Simmer until tender. You can use it as is for a chunky sauce, or puree it for a smooth consistency.
Eggs — if McDonald’s can wrap them, so can you. I made Parker a pretty basic omelet. Beaten eggs cooked and folded over cheese and ham until melty and yummy. I gave him half for breakfast, then plopped the other half onto a whole-wheat tortilla and rolled it up to make an egg, ham and cheese wrap. You can do this with just about any egg, no matter how it’s cooked.
Popcorn is a whole grain. Even when it’s coated in caramel or “cheese” powder, it’s still a better choice than most potato chips. So embrace popcorn as a fun and filling lunch treat you can feel good about. Pop a bag in the microwave during breakfast, then let it cool and dump it into sandwich bags. Or turn it into trail mix by adding some nuts or seeds and dried fruit. Or take the easy route and buy sweetened or “cheesed” popcorn. No shame in whole-grain convenience.
Novelty matters. I got a sample this week of sugar that pops in your mouth. Think Pop Rocks, but without the chemical flavor and colors. Parker was blown away by the stuff and begged to bring some in his lunch to “freak out” his friends. Normally, I’m not a big fan of packing a baggie of pure sugar in anyone’s lunch. But 1 teaspoon of sugar has about 15 calories. And packing that 1 teaspoon got him so excited he didn’t care that I also packed shrimp in the same lunch. Give a little, get a little.
Cheese masks many sins. Like popping sugar, a little bit of cheese can go a long way to winning approval for unpopular lunch items. Parker is no fan of spinach. Shocking for an 8-year-old boy, I know! But once I’d chopped it up and mixed it with egg and feta cheese, then baked it in his favorite mini phyllo pastry cups, he was willing to eat it. It’s the same reason a salad — or salad wrap — is way more likely to be eaten when cheesed up. Ham and chicken help, too.


J.M. Hirsch is the national food editor for The Associated Press. He blogs about the trials and tribulations of his son’s lunches at LunchBoxBlues.com. His upcoming cookbook, Beating the Lunch Box Blues , will be the first to be released by Rachael’s new publishing venture, Rachael Ray Books. Hirsch’s previous books include High Flavor, Low Labor: Reinventing Weeknight Cooking and Venturesome Vegan Cooking. He lives in New Hampshire with his son, wife, and too many cats.

Maple Syrup from Circle C Maple Farm, + Gluten-Free Pancakes

I just received my yearly batch of maple syrup from Circle C Maple Farm, a small family business run by Joe and Cathy Cicero on their farm in New York State. I’ve been ordering their organic maple syrup for the last few years, and as soon as my order came in, I knew what I needed to do: make pancakes.

Before I get to the recipe, here’s the backstory on the maple syrup that inspired me to make them. Circle C Maple Farm is nestled in the Shawangunks Mountains “The Gunks.” My friend Jen Ward is Joe’s niece, and she spread the word about Circle C to all her fancy friends (like me) in New York City, and that’s how I first got ahold of some.

The story of Circle C is that 18 years ago, owners Joe and Cathy looked around their land and realized they had an abundance of maple trees. They started “sugaring,” siphoning the syrup from the trees and cooking it down to make a useable product, but they they only gave it to friends and family. In 2010, they stepped up production and made enough to sell to other people.

Luckily for Joe and Cathy, Mother Nature offered up two very bountiful maple seasons, so these days there’s plenty of syrup to go around. The syrup can be purchased directly from Circle C, in sizes from 1/2-pint to a gallon. The syrup comes in three grades: Grade A Medium Amber, which has a light color and delicate maple taste; Grade A Dark Amber, which is a darker brown and has a robust maple taste; and finally, my favorite, Grade B Extra Dark, the strongest and darkest grade of maple, that’s good for both cooking and table use. I’ve tried all three grades, and they pack a buttery, caramel flavor, which transformed my pancakes into magical discs of flavor.

Now, here’s that pancake recipe. In honor of Joe’s niece, Jen, who’s a health coach and student of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I made these pancakes gluten-free. I think she’d approve. The sweetness comes from roasted sweet potatoes, coconut oil, vanilla, and cinnamon. There’s no sugar in the pancakes, so the taste of the maple syrup poured over them at the end can really shine through. Give them a try!

To order maple syrup, and get in touch with Circle C Farm, visit their website.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Pancakes with Maple Syrup

Makes 8-10 silver dollar-size pancakes

Ingredients

1/4 cup buckwheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dash of cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup roasted sweet potatoes, cooled and mashed

1 egg, whisked

7 tablespoons milk (any kind)

2 tablespoons coconut oil, plus extra for cooking the pancakes

Maple syrup, for garnish

Instructions

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then add the wet ingredients and whisk to incorporate.

Heat a skillet over medium heat for a minute or two. Add the coconut oil, and when it starts to shimmer, drop the batter into the pan in large spoonfuls, leaving a few inches of space in between. When the tops of the pancakes start to bubble, leaving behind tiny holes, gently flip the pancakes with a flexible spatula. When they are browned on the second side, transfer to a plate.

Serve warm and top with maple syrup.

Louisa Shafia is the author, most recently, of The New Persian Kitchen, a book of healthy Mediterranean and Silk Road-inspired recipes. See Louisa’s cooking videos and her schedule of upcoming events at www.lucidfood.com.

Make Ahead Chilled Oatmeal

It’s no secret that I love oatmeal. I literally eat it all year round. I do however like to mix it up a bit as the weather warms up and make a chilled version of my favorite breakfast food. The best part is, it’s not only super quick to toss together, it can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This recipe is wide open to interpretation. In fact, I encourage you to play around with your favorite dried fruits and nuts and even spices. The possibilities are endless and only limited by your imagination, so go wild!!

Every  ingredient in this recipe is wholesome so it’s the perfect way to start your day. You’ll feel full without feeling stuffed and it will provide you with plenty of energy thanks to the combination of protein, carbs and fat. I love to store my chilled oatmeal in glass mason jars. You can eat this right away but I prefer the flavor and texture best if the oats are allowed to soak in the yogurt for at least an hour before eating. It’s great to make a few in advance and have them at the ready for whenever I need a quick breakfast or snack. With these babies on-hand you’ll never need to reach for cold cereal again! Weeee!!

Make Ahead Chilled Oatmeal

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1/2 non-fat Greek yogurt

1/2 cup rolled oats, raw

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

*optional-1 teaspoon honey, brown rice syrup,  agave nectar or maple syrup

1 tablespoon almonds, coarsley chopped

1 tablespoon raisins, cranberries or your favorite dried fruit

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl stir together yogurt, oats, cinnamon and honey. Fill mason jar (or any small airtight container) with mixture.

2. Top with nuts and raisins. Tighten lid on jar and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 3 days in advance. Serve chilled.

A Meaningful Dinner with Army Friends in DC

Half the fun of discovering a new restaurant is sharing it with people you know will enjoy it. As Rachael Ray’s resident restaurant guru, here’s an inside look at what I report back to Rach about some of my favorite restaurant finds and food experiences!

From: Kappy

To: RR

Sent: Friday, May 10, 2013 10:42am

Subject: A Meaningful Dinner in DC

Hey Rach -

As you know, I went from your high school alma mater’s fundraiser in Lake George to DC to visit my good friend, Jason. He’s the one I told you about - we went to culinary school together in New York and then on to hospitality school in Miami. And then? He joined the Army. He’s been around the world, most recently returning from Afghanistan a little over a year ago. He’s headed back in a few weeks, so I went to visit him before he takes off. I know he appreciates some good eats, so we hit the town to some places most of his Army buddies don’t appreciate quite as much as he does, though he did bring one fellow soldier who was ready for a real meal.

Now, I like to think I’m a pretty mindful eater, paying attention to flavors, textures, atmosphere and, equally as important, the people I am dining with. Food means a lot to me, and meals make memories from an early age throughout a lifetime. These were some of those meals. Eating quality food with two guys who have traveled to Afghanistan and fought the fight for our country and sitting with them discussing things like their MRE meals they eat while overseas… It felt a little surreal. And I felt grateful.

We had a fantastic meal at one of Richard Sandoval’s restaurants, El Centro D.F. We started off with some margaritas and then did the whole chips and guac thing on our way to diving into some real Mexican comfort food. We started off with the Grilled Skirt Steak Huarache. A corn masa flatbread with caramelized onions, cilantro, black beans, Mexican cheeses, crema and salsa roja, in my opinion, it was the winner! However, the Duck Alambre Tacos with rajas, cotija cheese and roasted corn, along with the Shrimp and Crab Enchiladas that we shared, were worthy contenders. For dessert? Another margarita!

The next morning, we headed to Founding Farmers for brunch. This is a pretty hardcore local and sustainable spot, with an attractive menu that made it hard to decide what to get. So what did we do? We got a lot. We started with the Devil-ish Eggs sampler, going for the combo so that we could try the lobster, crab and smoked salmon flavors along with the classic version. We added the Classic Eggs Benedict because we both love it, and the Pastrami Hash (pictured up top), which came with shredded leek hash browns and Creole mustard hollandaise. We also ordered the Bacon Lollis with a cinnamon-brown sugar glaze because…well, you know why - you would, too! Next time you’re in DC, be sure to pay this place a visit.

I was happy to spend time with Jason and his friend over some good food and good conversation. I’ll be raising a glass to him often over the next few months. If you’re so inclined, I hope that you will, too.

And that’s what’s on my plate!

~ Kappy

El Centro D.F.

1819 14th St NW

Washington, DC 20009

202- 328-3131

www.richardsandoval.com/elcentrodf

Founding Farmers Restaurant

1924 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Washington, DC 20006

202- 822-8783

www.wearefoundingfarmers.com

Andrew “Kappy” Kaplan loves food. A professionally trained chef, by day he runs Yum-o!, Rachael Ray’s charity focused on kids and cooking, and keeps special projects running smoothly for her. By night he hops course to course, place to place, all across the country. He’s Rach’s own personal dining guide! You can also follow Kappy on Twitter to see what’s On Kappy’s Plate in real-time!

Supermarket Score: Cinnamon

If ever there was a spice more stereotyped by “one trick pony” status, cinnamon would take top honors.  We all know it as the backbone of Sunday morning French toast, the bit of lovin’ that makes snickerdoodles so delightful, or even that inedible stick floating in your warm apple cider.

Cinnamon is so much more than all that!  It’s used the world over as an ingredient in cleaners and mouthwash and even makes a great alternative to moth balls in keeping critters out of your wardrobe.  Cinnamon is also highly acclaimed as an addition to savory foods in many types of cuisine all across Asia and North Africa.  Check out these three unexpected places to incorporate cinnamon that will give your jar a life beyond coffee cake.

CHINESE FIVE SPICE

Chinese Five Spice powder is typically - as the name would imply – made up of five different spices: fennel, peppercorns, cloves, anise, and cinnamon.  In this equation, the cinnamon lends a hearty base of flavor that complements many of the other ingredients found in Chinese cuisine (soy, black bean paste, sesame, etc).  If you want to add an east Asian flavor boost to your cooking, try incorporating a combination of these spices - and don’t hold back on the cinnamon.

PICKLING

When I was growing up, my grandparents had a beautiful garden that they’d always pickle the vegetables from.  While my grandma generally liked the store bought “pickling mix” from her supermarket’s spice aisle, she’d always add a stick of cinnamon to her jar of cucumber pickles.  Not quite sweet, not quite savory, the “spiced” undertones it provided were a delicious and unexpectedly great match for a pulled pork or crispy chicken sandwich.

MIDDLE EASTERN INFLUENCE

Lots of North African and Middle Eastern cuisines use a broad variety of flavors in their cooking.  You’ll often find dried fruits added to a pot of stewed meats or – in sticking with our theme – spices like cinnamon used to “wake up” a dish and give it a partly sweet, partly savory depth of flavor.  To steer your dishes in a more Middle Eastern direction, try starting with a base of supermarket curry powder and adding in a bit of cinnamon and cumin.  Use this mixture where you would any other to season meats, burgers, broths, dips, and more.

Patrick W. Decker’s life revolves around food. Always has, probably always will. As a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and past member of the culinary teams for Food Network stars Rachael Ray, Sandra Lee, Bobby Deen and Paula Deen, he now works as a food stylist and producer in NYC by day and a food writer and recipe developer at his home in New York’s Hudson Valley by night. You can see what he’s up to by following his latest tweets on Twitter at @patrickwdecker, following him on Instagram (@patrickwdecker) or visiting his website at patrickwdecker.com.

International Day

My children attend public school in New York state, not too far from New York City, so it shouldn’t surprise me that we have a diverse student body.  But when we sent out a survey asking where the parents of the students were born, we heard of 35 different countries!  We sent the survey as part of something we call International Day-every other year we dedicate a whole Saturday to celebrating foods and cultures from around the globe. We wanted to make sure as many countries as possible were represented, so we sent out the survey and then of course asked the parents to volunteer on International Day to cook and serve foods from their native lands or ancestry. The response has been phenomenal.

This year I am on the committee and wanted to step things up a bit so I am adding a performance element.  I asked around, informally, to see if any of the students were studying any dances or other traditional practices from their heritages.  I was excited to have a few kids step up and volunteer to perform.  I have three girls who will perform Irish Step dancing, one girl will do a karate demonstration, one child will perform a Peruvian dance, another will perform Kathak, and Indian dance, and then we have a few singers and a ballroom dance troupe.  It will be a great day!

I initially thought I would make typical Sicilian food, being that my parents are both from Sicily.  However, we had a few other Italian tables and since my fellow blogger, Louisa Shafia, had just come out with her book on Persian cooking, I volunteered her to come and man a table featuring this food.  I guess I shouldn’t have signed her up without asking first because as it turns out, she will be in San Francisco!  I had gotten the community kind of excited for this, so I am going to brave it alone and make a few recipes from her book. I am nervous because this is not a food I have made too often before and the various sour flavors don’t come naturally to me or my palate.  However, I love this food and am excited to stretch my abilities by trying something new. If you are interested in what I might make, check out the page we launched for Louisa here.

Additionally, we decided to make a “Recipe and Memory” book.  This is not just a cookbook, but a book of family recipes, submitted by the students’ parents, but also stories of immigration or memories of ancestors.  The book was not terribly hard to assemble-I just had everyone send me the recipes and stories, I edited them a bit and then compiled them into a large Word document that I will bring to a printer to print.  We will use it as a fundraiser, but the point of it is much more about sharing a very personal side of our community with each other and others.

Here are some recipes that I will be contributing or making myself:

Sicilian Rice Balls also called Arancini are a great dish to make for a crowd.

Chocolate Cardamom Cake with Coffee Whipped Cream is from Louisa’s new book on Persian cooking.  I plan to make these into mini cupcakes for easy eating.

Mexican Wedding Cakes are little almond-anise cookies that are super delicious and easy to serve

What would you make if you had International Day at your school?

Rosemary Maggiore is our Last Minute Lady. A single mom of two kids plus a full time job (she runs this website!) keep her busy and usually pushing things to the last minute. Somehow she manages to keep her cool and her sanity while she enjoys good food, wine, friends and most importantly, family.

For more Ro, see:

Mom Talk

Follow me on Twitter at @lastminutelady

A Fun Sleep-Over Breakfast - Cookie Crusted French Toast

Last weekend, we hosted a sleep-over. All I could hear was giggling, little feet tip-toeing when they should have been tucked in a blanket, and lots of giggling. It was late, but why would I challenge their pixie moment? In keeping with their spirit, I decided to make a fun little breakfast for them. Cookie-Crusted French Toast. Since I also had a moral obligation to their mothers for being somewhat nutritious, I felt this was a good middle ground.

This dish works with any cookies you have at home. All you needs is a few crushed cookies, bread, butter, milk, eggs and vanilla essence. Whilst the cookies add a playful edge, not to mention texture, there is another ingredient that takes this toast over the edge; beurre noisette. Beurre Noisette is French for ‘hazelnut butter’, in other words, butter that gently browns on a pan until it is toasty and nutty. This butter is whisked with the egg-vanilla wash and permeates throughout the toast. Did I mention fun? Yes, fun for the kids and fun for the grown-ups too. Once these toasts are cooked in the skillet, slice up some bananas and drizzle some sweetened heavy cream (or Cointreau for you) over the top for just a splash of moisture – the kids will think its melted ice-cream.

Recipe for Cookie-Crusted French Toast

Ingredients

4 slices white bread

1 tsp. vanilla essence

1 pinch salt

2 tbsp. heavy cream

2 eggs

1 cup crushed cookies

1 tbsp. butter

Method

1) Combine the eggs, salt, vanilla, heavy cream in a plate

2) Lay out another plate with the cookie-crumbs

3) Heat a skillet and melt the butter on a gentle heat. As the butter turns golden with light brown flecks, remove from the heat, cool for a couple of minutes and combine with egg mixture. Increase the heat of the skillet to medium heat

4) Soak the bread in the egg mixture, then coat with cookie-crumbs (you may need to press them in), and transfer to hot skillet. Cook covered for on medium heat so the egg can cook through, turn the side and continue to cook. Increase the heat and cook covered for the last minute to crisp up

5) Serve immediately with sliced bananas and cream or ice-cream

Saira Malhotra, is of British–Indian descent and is a chef, food writer and cooking instructor based in New York City. Raised in Hounslow, U.K, or rather ‘Little India’, where the air is aromatic with roasted spices, little did Saira know these moments would follow her from being a student in France and Italy to residing in NYC with her husband and kids and parlay themselves unexpectedly in to a culinary career. She is a graduate of the International Culinary Center in New York City. Come visit her at her food blog: www.passportpantry.com where she shares approachable and international recipes