MNM - ask and you shall receive (and I bet it will be yummy!)

you're looking for breakfast recipes? here are a couple:

blueberry cornmeal pancakes

combine:
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup boiling water
and let sit for five minutes or more

beat together:
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
1/2 cup milk

stir in cornmeal mixture

sift together:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbs baking powder

stir into wet ingredients - do not over-mix!

stir in:
1/4 cup melted butter

toss 1/2 cup blueberries with 1 tbs flour and fold in gently

cook pancakes in a hot iron skillet with lots of butter & serve with maple syrup!

stuffed french toast

best bread to use is a slightly stale french loaf - slice it 3/4" thick, and then slice each slice almost in two, to make a pocket which you spread with jam (i'm partial to strawberry or apricot)

prepare 4 slices and dunk in a mix of 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tbs sugar, and a few good gratings of fresh nutmeg.

coat the slices in crushed cornflakes before frying in lots of butter in a hot skillet.

I use this recipe for Yeasted Waffles from Cook's Illustrated, and this is the one I sent MttM - you mix it up the night before in a big bowl, and it rises overnight. The next morning, just give it a stir and heat up your waffle iron! Excellent with Lingonberries or other jam and a dab of sweetened ricotta, if you want to get fancy.

1 3/4 cups whole milk , or low-fat milk, or skim milk
8 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 8 pieces
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. *Heat milk and butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until butter is melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool milk/butter mixture until warm to touch. Meanwhile, whisk flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in large bowl to combine. Gradually whisk warm milk/butter mixture into flour mixture; continue to whisk until batter is smooth. In small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla until combined, then add egg mixture to batter and whisk until incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 12 and up to 24 hours.

2. Following manufacturer’s instructions, heat waffle iron; remove waffle batter from refrigerator when waffle iron is hot (batter will be foamy and doubled in size). Whisk batter to recombine (batter will deflate). Bake waffles according to manufacturer’s instructions (use about ½ cup for 7-inch round iron and about 1 cup for 9-inch square iron). Serve waffles immediately or hold in low temperature oven.

*You can just nuke the milk and butter in the microwave, but give it sufficient time to cool, or you'll end up killing the yeast.

Yogurt basics - yogurt is really simple to make, it's tasty and good for you. So here is the basic breakdown of how to make it.

I use:
5 1/2 cups whole milk
1/8 tsp active culture (or up to 1/2 cup, plain nonfat yogurt)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla (optional)

I mix the milk and sugar together in a large 8 cup liquid measuring cup. I warm it up on my stove, not quite to boiling. If you are using a thermometer, bring it to 170-180 degrees. Pour it from the pot back into the measuring cup and let it cool to about 105-110 degrees.

Whisk in the vanilla and cultures until thoroughly combined. If you have a maker, pour your milk into the maker and let it 'cook' undisturbed for six hours. And by undisturbed that means don't move it or make it jiggle - it will ruin the set. After six hours you need to let it chill for at least three hours before eating.

If you don't have a yogurt maker, you can use a crockpot or the warming option on your oven.

With the crockpot, you will want to warm it up first with just water in the insert for a few hours on low. When your milk mixture is ready, unplug the crockpot, dump out the water, pour in the milk, cover and wrap in a heavy towel to insulate. You will need to leave it for about 8 hours, and then at least overnight in the fridge to set.

If you are going to attempt to make this in your oven, it would be a good idea to have a water bath for the yogurt to maintain a more constant temperature. Once you have the water for the bath at the right temperature, cover the container of milk tightly and put it in the bath for 8 hours.

I should note here that I have NOT tried the crockpot or oven methods since I have a maker. If you want to try out a test batch without using so much milk, use only two cups of milk, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1/4 cup of plain yogurt as your starter.

This is a yeasted rice flour and coconut milk pancake. Very, very good.

You need a very small wok or kadhai (which you can probably get at an asian or indian grocery) and a high flame (we use a propane camping stove) to make these.

In a large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/4 cup sugar, pinch salt, 1 Tb yeast, 1/2 cup plus 2 Tb coconut milk powder, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup water. Mix everything up, cover, and let sit overnight. If you don't have the coconut milk powder, use 1 1/2 cups canned coconut milk (reserve the rest for later) and 1/2 cup water.

The next morning, mix abut 3/4 cup of water with 4-5 Tb coconut milk powder (or use the reserved canned coconut milk), then add a few tablespoons of sugar and stir to dissolve. Set this aside. Whisk the risen batter until smooth. It should be just slightly thicker than crepe batter. If it's too thin, add a bit more flour and let sit for 10 minutes.

Heat the wok over medium/med-high heat, spray with nonstick spray (if not nonstick), then add a scant 1/4 cup of the batter. Swirl the wok so the batter forms a thin coating on the sides of the wok and the rest pools in the bottom. Add a couple of teaspoons of the sweetened coconut milk to the pooled batter, cover, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown and the center is just set. Remove from the wok and continue until all the batter is used up. You may need to make more sweetened coconut milk for the center. This makes about 18 small appum. You can eat them plain or serve with sambal or chutney.

A variation on this is instead of the sweet appum, use the same batter, but instead of putting the sweetened coconut milk in the center when you cook it, crack an egg into the center, cover, and cook until the bottom is golden brown and the egg is cooked.

These are great by themselves for breakfast and the plain ones are also really, really good served with curry for lunch or dinner (they're amazing with crab curry).

This is a yeasted rice flour and coconut milk pancake. Very, very good.

You need a very small wok or kadhai (which you can probably get at an asian or indian grocery) and a high flame (we use a propane camping stove) to make these.

In a large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/4 cup sugar, pinch salt, 1 Tb yeast, 1/2 cup plus 2 Tb coconut milk powder, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup water. Mix everything up, cover, and let sit overnight. If you don't have the coconut milk powder, use 1 1/2 cups canned coconut milk (reserve the rest for later) and 1/2 cup water.

The next morning, mix abut 3/4 cup of water with 4-5 Tb coconut milk powder (or use the reserved canned coconut milk), then add a few tablespoons of sugar and stir to dissolve. Set this aside. Whisk the risen batter until smooth. It should be just slightly thicker than crepe batter. If it's too thin, add a bit more flour and let sit for 10 minutes.

Heat the wok over medium/med-high heat, spray with nonstick spray (if not nonstick), then add a scant 1/4 cup of the batter. Swirl the wok so the batter forms a thin coating on the sides of the wok and the rest pools in the bottom. Add a couple of teaspoons of the sweetened coconut milk to the pooled batter, cover, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown and the center is just set. Remove from the wok and continue until all the batter is used up. You may need to make more sweetened coconut milk for the center. This makes about 18 small appum. You can eat them plain or serve with sambal or chutney.

A variation on this is instead of the sweet appum, use the same batter, but instead of putting the sweetened coconut milk in the center when you cook it, crack an egg into the center, cover, and cook until the bottom is golden brown and the egg is cooked.

These are great by themselves for breakfast and the plain ones are also really, really good served with curry for lunch or dinner (they're amazing with crab curry).

I've never seen "yeast" used as a verb. It doesn't sound like anything I'd want to have happen to me--"Argh, I've been yeasted!"

Oh, yeah, a recipe...um...I made toast, popcorn, and jellybeans into a Thanksgiving feast one year.

Anyone have a good potato pancake recipe? I've got a bunch of potatoes and a craving...

Atomic - What kind of potatoes? I've got a good one that uses Yukon golds...it would probably work with russets too, but I haven't tried it like that.

Potato Roesti from Cook's Illustrated

2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (5 to 6 medium), peeled and shredded
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Ground black pepper
5 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions
1. Place potatoes in large bowl and fill with cold water. Using hands, swirl to remove excess starch, then drain in strainer.

2. Wipe bowl dry. Place one-third of potatoes in center of kitchen towel. Gather ends together and twist as tightly as possible to expel maximum moisture. Transfer potatoes to bowl and repeat process (twice) with remaining potatoes.

3. Sprinkle salt, cornstarch, and pepper to taste over potatoes. Using hands or fork, toss ingredients together until well blended.

4. Melt 2 1/2 tablespoons butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add potato mixture and spread into even layer. Cover and cook 6 minutes. Remove cover and, using spatula, gently press potatoes down to form round cake. Cook, occasionally pressing on potatoes to shape into uniform round cake, until bottom is deep golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes longer.

5. Shake skillet to loosen roesti and slide onto large plate. Add remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter to skillet and swirl to coat pan. Invert roesti onto second plate and slide it, browned side up, back into skillet. Cook, occasionally pressing down on cake, until bottom is well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow cake to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer roesti to cutting board, cut into 4 pieces, and serve immediately.

CPF - you don't want to be risen and puffy and full of gaseous air bubbles? Whyever not? ;)

ks - is that measurement for yeast correct? One whole tablespoon for only three cups of flour? Does this rise like crazy?

It is and it does. It rises up really well and then collapses. And you're meant to taste the yeasty fermented goodness--it's part of the flavor.

From what I understand, it's supposed to be made with some kind of really strong Sri Lankan/south Indian alcoholic beverage that isn't available in these parts (I'm not really sure what--I don't remember the name of it). And the yeast apparently makes a close approximation.

Oh, the rice and coconut pancakes sound delicious. They remind me of the little taro, scallion and coconut pancakes we used to get at the Thai Buddhist temple brunch in Berkeley. I love love love coconut milk. Bookmarked for someday, when the real cooking comes back!

ks, I'm writing it down...I don't have a wok, but I'll find something to make it work - it sounds like a fascinating recipe to try!

mnm, I've done it in a small nonstick pan (8 inches or so) and it's pretty good, but you don't get the pooling in the center or the crispy edges. It works well for the egg ones, but not so much the sweet ones.

But then my mother in law got me a small kadhai (the small wok) and it's been wonderful. I don't make them all that often, because it's kind of a production, but they are really good.