Food Between Friends: A Cookbook

brunch: not just a sunday thing

Can we please start a petition to make brunch the new most important meal of the day? We all love that special Sunday meal, so why not extend it to the other six days of the week? These recipes are going to take a little more effort than scrambled eggs, but we assume you are up for the challenge because you bought this book. From a potluck gathering to a decadent midweek treat, these delectable dishes will have your friends and family saying, Thanks a brunch!

green shakshuka

Blue Cornmeal Pancakes with Blueberry Butter

Little Grits Soufflés

Deep-Dish Chorizo Quiche

Sweet & Sticky Orange Cardamom Rolls

Green Shakshuka

Baklava French Toast with orange-honey syrup

Apple-Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Buckwheat Waffles with Poppy Seed Lemon Curd

Oatmeal Cream Pie Muffins

Christmas Chilaquiles

Potato-Parsnip Hash-kes with Cool Garlicky Sour Cream

blue cornmeal pancakes

with Blueberry Butter

Makes 14 to 16 pancakes

I wish I could say that I always knew about blue corn, as it’s indigenous to the Southwest and was an option in virtually every New Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque, but here’s the truth: Disney’s Pocahontas first exposed me to it. I had never heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon, but my interest was piqued! Blue corn? What, where, when, why, and how? I learned that blue corn can be traced back to the Pueblo Native American Indian tribes in New Mexico, and with its slightly sweet flavor and dusty blue hue it is one of the region’s most beautiful and cherished ingredients. The next time I noticed it on a menu, I went for it. It felt fancy and it was referenced in an Oscar-winning song. There is a whole scientific explanation as to why blue corn is blue, but I seem to have used up all my space talking about my love for Pocahontas. Just know that these crunchy pancakes are a tribute to that unique taste from my childhood—and to Judy Kuhn*. ~Jesse

1½ cups blue cornmeal

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1½ cups buttermilk

¼ cup canola or grapeseed oil

Nonstick cooking spray

Blueberry Butter (this page)

Maple syrup

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and oil until smooth.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to fold together until just combined. Do not overmix. Allow the batter to rest for about 5 minutes.

Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and grease lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using 2 heaping tablespoons of batter for each pancake. With the back of the spoon, gently spread the batter into a 3- to 4-inch circle. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown and the center of the pancake feels slightly firm to the touch, another 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve the pancakes hot with the blueberry butter and maple syrup.

*Judy Kuhn is a brilliant Broadway actor who also just happens to be the singing voice of Pocahontas. It should also be noted that Vanessa Williams did a great job with the pop version of the song, which played over the closing credits.

little grits soufflés

Makes 12 little soufflés

Chef Frank Stitt is a legend in Alabama, and his signature appetizer of individual ramekin-baked grits are out of this world. When I think about grits, I think about Frank. Even though my hometown of Cullman, Alabama, was a mere forty miles from his Birmingham restaurant, Highlands Bar and Grill, in my eyes it might as well have been as far away as Paris. I adored how he celebrated the food I grew up eating while lovingly lifting it up.

In this recipe, I literally (and lovingly) lift grits up by making a bowl of cheese grits puff up in the oven with the help of some whipped eggs. Living outside of the South makes it a little harder to find real stone-ground grits, so I love that these little soufflés work best with the quick-cooking variety, which can be found almost anywhere. I’ve even seen them at larger drugstores that sell pantry items (like premixed margaritas). I know, I know—any self-respecting Southerner should stay away from quick-cooking grits, but sometimes that’s all you can find. Please forgive me, Frank Stitt!

Like many delightful things—party balloons, air mattresses, and good moods—these soufflés will eventually deflate, so enjoy them while they are fluffy and fun. ~Julie

Nonstick cooking spray

2 cups whole milk

½ cup quick-cooking white grits

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese (3½ ounces)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 large eggs

Equipment

12-cup muffin tin or 12 small ramekins

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin or 12 small ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.

Bring the milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and whisk in the grits, a little at a time, until incorporated. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy, about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the salt, pepper, cheese, and butter until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, separate the egg yolks and whites. Add the egg yolks to a small bowl and lightly beat with a fork. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they hold firm, stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes.

Gradually add the beaten yolks to the grits, mixing well between each addition.

Gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the grits mixture, rotating the bowl, until incorporated. Repeat with another third of the egg whites, and then the last third. Use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups or ramekins almost to the top with the batter. Bake until the soufflés rise and are golden brown on top, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

deep-dish chorizo quiche

Makes one 9-inch quiche

When I was growing up, gay characters on TV (of which there weren’t many) would always be making quiche, for some reason. I don’t know if Mitch and Cam actually ever made one of these custardy, savory treats, but I am 100 percent sure we referenced it at some point. So, as part of the graduating class of Gay Television Characters, I feel it is my duty to share my favorite quiche recipe with you.

It’s also worth noting that my friend Danielle thought quiche was pronounced quick-ee. I learned this when I was having brunch with her and she told our (very handsome) waiter, I think I’ll be fine with just the quickie today. ~Jesse

Crust

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into dice and chilled in freezer for at least 20 minutes

4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

Filling

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

8 ounces raw chorizo sausage (3 links), casings removed

6 jarred mild Peppadew peppers, drained and chopped (about ¾ cup)

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

7 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

½ cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon celery salt

¼ teaspoon celery seeds

⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper

Pinch of ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ to ¾ cup grated 3-month-aged Manchego cheese, or Monterey jack, cheddar, or mozzarella

Equipment

9-inch deep-dish pie pan (see Note)

Make the crust: Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse until incorporated and the flour looks like coarse meal, about 15 pulses. Drizzle in 4 tablespoons of the ice water and pulse until the dough just comes together, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, as needed. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and shape into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use, at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Roll the dough out to a 13-inch round. Using the rolling pin, carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan, gently lowering the edges of the dough so it falls flush against the bottom and sides of the pan. Crimp the edges as desired. Line the dough with a sheet of foil or parchment paper. Fill with pie weights or dried beans and bake until the edges feel firm and are just turning golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully remove the pie weights and foil, and let the crust cool while you make the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until hot and shimmering. Add the garlic and shallot and sauté until soft, about 1 minute. Add the chorizo and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add the Peppadews and cook for another minute, until warmed through. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, celery salt, celery seed, white pepper, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in the cheese.

Place the pie pan on a baking sheet. Scrape the chorizo mixture into the crust, then pour the custard over the top. It should come to just below the crimping.

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the quiche is just set and no longer jiggly in the center, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Slice and serve, or keep covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. (To reheat, bring the quiche out of the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Place on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and heat in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes, until warmed through.)

note

If you don’t have a deep-dish pie pan, stop panicking and get ready for some good news. You, lucky devil, will have some filling left over. Store it in the fridge and scramble it in a skillet the next morning!

sweet & sticky orange cardamom rolls

Makes 12 rolls

The All Steak Restaurant—which first opened its doors in 1938—is famous in Cullman, Alabama, but not necessarily for their steaks. With a cigarette vending machine that was always well stocked and located conveniently by the entrance, the All Steak was where people congregated at 7:00 a.m. to smoke cigarettes and discuss politics, and it was where friends and couples met at 6:00 p.m. to smoke more cigarettes and forget the day’s troubles—and to eat orange rolls, which were on the house! I guess the cigarette vending machine at the entrance made them enough money that they didn’t need to charge people for their orange rolls. Eighty-two years later, the orange rolls still taste just as delicious today. I love them so much that I cold-called the restaurant and spoke to Dyron, the current owner, about the original recipe. I created this recipe to carry the spirit of the rolls I grew up eating. Plus, it’s cheaper than buying a round-trip ticket to Alabama. Few things in life are free, but the orange rolls still are, thanks to Dyron! ~Julie

Dough

1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon (½ packet) instant yeast

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

¼ cup whole milk

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice, strained to remove pulp

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus some more for greasing

1 egg, beaten, room temperature

Filling

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ tablespoon finely grated orange zest (from ½ large orange)

⅛ teaspoon (2 pinches) ground cardamom

Glaze

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

¾ teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1½ to 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Equipment

12-cup muffin tin

Paper liners

Nonstick cooking spray

Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and cardamom. In a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and orange juice. Microwave until heated to 100° to 115°F, about 20 seconds. Add the 3 tablespoons melted butter and the egg to the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Fit the hook attachment onto the stand mixer and knead the dough on medium-low speed until it just comes together, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the bottom of the bowl, another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and gently shape into a ball. Lightly grease the bottom of the stand mixer bowl with some melted butter and place the dough back in the bowl, flipping the ball of dough to coat it on all sides with the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled in size, 60 to 75 minutes.

Make the filling: In a medium bowl, mash together the butter, sugar, orange zest, and cardamom until well combined.

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray the liners with nonstick cooking spray.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to ⅛ inch thick, about 12 x 12 inches. Spread the filling evenly over the dough. Roll the dough up as tightly as you can into a 12-inch log. Using a sharp, serrated knife and a light touch, trim about ½ inch off of either end and discard. Then slice the dough into 12 pieces, each just shy of an inch thick.

Place the rolls in the muffin cups, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until puffed, 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven.

Bake the rolls until light golden brown and the dough is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

Make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, melted butter, orange zest, and 1½ tablespoons of the orange juice until smooth and pourable, adding more juice as needed, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach your desired consistency.

Remove the rolls from the oven and spoon 1 tablespoon of glaze over each roll while still warm. Let cool for a couple of minutes before serving.

flossin’

When slicing delicate doughs that you don’t want to squish down too much, even better than a serrated knife is to use dental floss! You can loop it around the dough and give it a firm pull, and it slices cleanly. Just make sure you’re using unwaxed and unflavored floss, though!

green shakshuka

Serves 4 to