Sad news...RIP, Marion Cunningham

I met Marion twice; once at a James Beard cooking class in San Francisco(more)

once at a class in Sonoma county.
She was a classy, wonderful woman; finding and giving joy through sharing cooking and food.

 
Dinner tonight will be from her "The Breakfast Book." One of the best breakfasts

we ever had was at Bridge Creek Restaurant in Berkeley. John Hudspeth was the chef/owner and he designed the breakfast/lunch menu with Marion's help.

Best. Ever.

 
I have her "Lost Recipes" and just took it down from the shelf. It is

full of wonderful old dishes we all used to make but maybe have forgotten about. I made green beans and potatoes the "southern" way last night and I notice it is included in this book. I also smiled at the inscription in the front. It was given to me by a dear friend who died several years ago.

 
She seemed like a wonderful woman--you of my favs-REC: Zepplin Pancakes...

Zeppelin Pancakes


Recipe By: Marion Cunningham
Yield: 18

Ingredients:

2 eggs, separated
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt*
1/2 stick (4 TBSP) butter, melted, plus additional for pan
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
salt
warm maple syrup
sliced bananas or other fruit, optional

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, buttermilk and sour cream or yogurt until well blended. Add the butter and stir just until mixed. Add the flour, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and beat until smooth. In a separate bowl with an electric mixer or rotary beater, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff but still moist. Gently fold the whites into the batter.

2. Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat and grease it with a little butter. Scoop about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto the pan. Cook until little bubbles appear on top, then turn over and cook briefly on the other side. Serve immediately, topped with syrup and fruit to taste.

Notes:

note: per Cunningham," this batter keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days; it will however lose some of its airiness, so just fold in another beaten egg white before cooking."

 
Not sure. Book is at home. But we love breakfast any time of the day.

I made up a batch of New Mexico red chili sauce last weekend, so whatever it is it will be napped in red chili sauce.

 
I had the good fortune to meet her once.

I was teaching a cooking class at one of the Williams-Sonoma stores (newly opened in St Paul, MN) and she came through with Chuck Williams. They stopped and watched for a few minutes while I cranked pasta through an Atlas. She poked her nose into my sauce, grabbed a spoon and tasted it and proclaimed it "delicious". What a fun day that was for me!

 
REC: Bridge Creek Heavenly Hots (sour cream silver-dollar-size hotcakes)

I adore dollar size hotcakes. I often have to order from the kids menu in restaurants because I don't like pancakes, I like the dollar sized hotcakes.

From “The Breakfast Book,” by Marion Cunningham
In her headnote Marion writes, “These are the lightest sour cream silver-dollar-size hotcakes I’ve ever had — they seem to hover over the plate. They are heavenly and certainly should be served hot.”

Bridge Creek Heavenly Hots
According to Marion, this recipe yields fifty to sixty small pancakes!

4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cake flour
2 cups sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar

Put the eggs in a mixing bowl and stir until well blended. Add the salt, baking soda, flour, sour cream, and sugar. Mix well. All of this can be done in a blender, if you prefer. Heat a griddle or frying pan until it is good and hot, film with grease, and drop small spoonfuls of batter onto the griddle — just enough to spread to an approximately 2-1/2-inch round. When a few bubbles appear on top of the pancakes, turn them over and cook briefly. Makes 50 to 60 silver-dollar size pancakes

 
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