Boulder, Colorado topped a recent poll as “Happiest Place To Live.” Pollsters surmised fitness and healthy eating factored into why Boulder residents are ecstatic.

Perhaps, but I think it might have more to do with the breakfast fare at Lucile’s and Foolish Craig’s.

Sure, you can get a healthy bowl of granola at both places, but with miles of hiking surrounding Boulder, you might need a few more calories before hitting the trails.

Here are some picks for building up sustenance before lacing up your hiking boots.

Lucile’s

Porch seating for the cheery Victorian house one block north of downtown is at a premium on cool summer mornings, and by 8 o’clock on a Saturday, Lucile’s tiny patio is packed.

Inside, several dining rooms add charm to the Creole flavored dishes like pain perdu (below, left), a French baguette sliced at an angle, dipped in egg and seared on a griddle.

Lucile’s is just as famous for mile-high buttermilk biscuits (above, right), baked in a large sheet pan and cut into squares, served with foil-wrapped butter pats and homemade strawberry jam.

Eggs Pontchatrain, named after the lake that borders New Orleans, is two poached eggs with Béarnaise sauce served over spiced, pan-fried trout with thin grits. I love the old-school garnish of a sprig of parsley.

Foolish Craig’s Cafe

Artsy, funky Foolish Craig’s is all about crepes, and although crepes aren’t the only things on the breakfast menu, they caught the attention of the Diners, Drive-ins & Dives crew, who featured the Pearl Street icon last March.

The namesake crepe is stuffed with bacon (of course), sauteed mushrooms, potatoes, roasted red peppers, and topped with eggs your way (scrambled anyone?) and chunky salsa.

The green chile burrito may not get as much love as the crepes, but it’s respectable, if not nearly spicy enough.

Scrambled eggs, black beans and roasted potatoes fill the flour tortilla and a mild green chile pork stew is ladled on top of cheddar cheese.

The side of creamy grits is better than respectable, and in fact, Craig needs to teach Lucile the proper way to whip up a batch of grits.

Now, you tell me, what would make you a happy camper: one of these hearty breakfast plates or a bowl of granola?

Details:

Lucile’s
2124 14th Street, Boulder, CO
luciles.com

Foolish Craig’s Cafe
1611 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO
foolishcraigs.com

Tags: Boulder dining, breakfast, breakfast in Boulder, Foolish Craig's, Lucile's
Posted in Travel Eats | 5 Comments »

Native to the Southwest, specifically Arizona and New Mexico, blue corn is slightly higher in protein than yellow or white corn.

It is always dried on the cob and usually ground into meal. New Mexican cuisine uses far more blue cornmeal than we do in Arizona, but you’ll find blue corn in some variation at any Southwestern restaurant.

This pancake recipe is from my cookbook Par Fork! The Golf Resort Cookbook. Besides pancakes, I use blue cornmeal in mini corn muffins and as a coating for pan-fried trout. Anything you use yellow cornmeal for, you can use blue cornmeal instead.

This particular pancake recipe isn’t as gritty as other blue cornmeal pancakes I’ve tried, and that’s because there is a higher ratio of flour to cornmeal.

You can experiment with how much cornmeal you use, up to half of the total flour/cornmeal measurement.

If you use equal amounts of flour and cornmeal (1-1/4 cups each), you’ll notice a big texture difference and the pancakes will be less tender, but no less tasty.

Blue Corn Pancakes

Makes 12 (4-inch) pancakes

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/2 cup blue cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups buttermilk *
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (optional)

Method:

1. Stir the first 5 ingredients (flour through baking powder) together.

2. Beat the eggs with the buttermilk until well blended.  Pour egg mixture over flour mixture and stir until just mixed (small lumps are OK, and for tender cakes, it’s better to under mix than over mix).  Stir in melted butter.  The batter will be very thick.

3. Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Brush with butter or spray with nonstick spray.

4. Ladle 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto hot surface.  (Sprinkle with a few blueberries if using.)  Cook until edges start to dry and bubbles burst on surface, about 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Flip and cook on the other side until brown, about another minute or so.  Keep warm in a 200°F oven until all the cakes are cooked.  Serve with your favorite syrup.

*I keep a container of dried buttermilk powder in my refrigerator (find it on the baking aisle), but I do prefer using fresh buttermilk in pancakes that call for it. I just don’t always have it on hand, so I will use the powdered buttermilk in a pinch.

Tags: blue cornmeal, blueberries, breakfast, pancakes, recipe
Posted in Breakfast, Breads & Muffins, Recipes | 2 Comments »

National Oatmeal Day is in October. Seriously, is there any foodstuff that doesn’t have its own “National fill-in-the-blank-Day?”

In Phoenix, where the average daily temperature in October is 86 degrees, I rarely think about a warm bowl of oatmeal.

Now that we’re in our final stretch of cool days, I’m trying to eat as many warm bowls of oats as I can.

This recipe comes from my cookbook Par Fork! The Golf Resort Cookbook, and is adapted from The Sagamore in upstate New York. While there’s not a lot of golfing going on during these winter days, the resort is serving up plenty of steaming bowls of oatmeal with a twist: a brûléed top.

The crisp burnt sugar topping adds a pleasant bitter sweetness while the nuts and raisins add texture to otherwise dull, flat oats. In fact, feel free to double the amount of raisins and nuts for even more texture. If you don’t like raisins, try dried blueberries, cherries or cranberries.

Sagamore Oatmeal Brûlée

from Par Fork! The Golf Resort Cookbook

If you really want to get decadent, make a crème anglaise (vanilla custard) and spread a couple tablespoons on top of the oatmeal in the ramekins before you sprinkle with sugar and brûlée. I’ve included a recipe for creme anglaise below this recipe. It makes about 2 cups, and you’ll only need about half of it for the oatmeal. I’m certain you’ll find another use for this classic dessert sauce, like pairing it with a dense, rich chocolate cake, perhaps.

Serves 6

Ingredients
5 3/4 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 tablespoons brown sugar
Fresh fruit and mint for garnish

Method
1. Heat the broiler to high (see note). Bring the water and salt to a strong boil. Stir in the oats. Reduce heat and cook 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Remove from heat and cover. Let rest 5 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed and the oatmeal is thick and creamy.

3. Fold in the raisins, walnuts, applesauce, maple syrup and cinnamon.

4. Divide the mixture evenly among 6 (8-ounce) ovenproof custard cups. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of brown sugar evenly on top of each cup.

5. Place cups on a baking sheet and place under broiler (about 3 inches from heat) to caramelize the sugar, about 2 to 3 minutes depending upon the heat of your broiler. Watch carefully!

6. Remove from broiler and cool a couple minutes.

7. Using oven mitts, place hot cups onto serving plates. Garnish with fruit and mint.

NOTE: If you have a blow torch, you can brûlée the tops of the cups instead of using the broiler. I’ve tried those small torches sold at kitchen stores and they take forever to caramelize sugar. I bought a regular welder’s torch at ACE Hardware and I’m very comfortable using it to brûlée or to chase unwanted guests out of the kitchen.

Crème Anglaise

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients
1/2 vanilla bean, split, or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar, divided into 1/2 cup portions
5 large egg yolks

Method
1. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into a saucepan with milk, cream and 1/2 cup sugar. (If using vanilla extract, stir in at the end.) Stir and bring just to a boil over medium heat. Turn off heat when it comes to a boil.

2. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with the egg yolks. Whisk in a little of the hot milk mixture into the yolks to warm them, and then whisk the warmed yolks into the rest of the hot milk mixture.

3. Return the pan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes. Do not allow the sauce to boil. If you run your finger across the back of a spoon dipped in the sauce, the path your finger creates should stay clean. If the sauce runs through the path, it’s not thick enough and needs to cook a little longer. The term for this consistency is called nappe.

4. Strain the sauce into a bowl and then set that bowl in a larger bowl of ice water to chill completely. Store any unused portion, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Tags: breakfast, creme anglaise, oatmeal, oatmeal brulee, The Sagamore, vanilla custard sauce
Posted in Breakfast, Breads & Muffins, Recipes | 1 Comment »

The Great Ranch Cookbook

Spirited Recipes & Rhetoric from America's Best Guest Ranches

Par Fork! The Golf Resort Cookbook

Culinary Expedition Through World Class Golf Resort Kitchens

The Cool Mountain Cookbook

A Gourmet Guide to Winter Retreats