Breads, Breakfast/Brunch

Honey Cinnamon Sourdough Brioche Sweet Rolls

Alice in Wondoughland, my sourdough started, had gone into hiberation for a few weeks whilst I was in Germany, but she’s all thawed out and ready to rise again! First up: these super fluffy Honey Cinnamon Sourdough Brioche Sweet Rolls. Definitely something to have for breakfast, but not nearly as sweet or sugar-overload like a cinnamon bun (don’t get me wrong; I love those too, just in a different way. Great fresh out of the oven with a bit of butter.

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Breakfast/Brunch, General Reference/Tutorial

Honey Crisp Apple Jam

Honey Crisp Apples are my favorite apples. Pink Ladies are a close second, but I do like Honey Crisps the best. The dilemma with that is that often Honey Crisp Apples are HUGE — I’ve seen them the size of grapefruit and that is not so much fun. My solution is that I go apple picking, like I did this past weekend, and seek out the really small ones. IMO opinion, they are better for pies and in this case, jam. The jam is partially made of unpasteurized, from-the-farm cider, which was also mostly honey crisps, so double the goodness!

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Appetizers/Starters, Savory Snacks

Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Crackers

Well, here’s something different. I’m still on my “summer tomato kick” (because if you aren’t getting good tomatoes now, when will you get good tomatoes?!?), but these Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Crackers can actually be made year round because you’re using the dried variety. I know that these may not look like much, but they are packed with flavor and would go great with cheese or dip or as an addition to a rustic charcuterie platter. You won’t be disappointed!

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Dinner, Lunch, Pasta

Sprinkles & Curls: Slow-Cooked Cherry Tomatoes
with Garlic and Basil

The other day, we had Peas & Pearls! Now we have Sprinkles & Curls. Ok, so it’s just a cute way of saying tiny cherry tomatoes marketed as “sprinkles” and curly spaghetti, but I think that it’s funny. And if you don’t have either, you can make this recipe with cherry tomatoes and regular spaghetti as well. A super quick mostly hands off meal but also super delicious. The tomatoes are just bursting with flavor!

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Appetizers/Starters, Lunch, Salads, Savory Snacks

Bayerischer Wurstsalat (Bavarian-Style Sausage Salad)

More salad time …. and I have to say that I am prepared for the jokes …. this is Wurstsalat. Not the worst salad (it’s actually really good!), but Bayerischer Wurstsalat, Bavarian-Style Sausage Salad. Sure, might seem a little strange to make a salad out of sausage, but it’s yummy, refreshing and easy to make, something perfect for a Brotzeit (translation: savory snack or light meal), something that you would eat at a biergarten. There are actually many styles, predominantly from Bavaria and Switzerland, but also Austria, Swabia and even parts of France. Some include cheese as well, some have mayo. Load it only a piece of hearty bread or with a pretzel. In my part of the US, the sausage types are more limited (though that might not be the case with larger German-heritage populations) but I made do with German bologna. So bring on the worst jokes, I’ll keep eating!

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