caviar

International House of Pancakes! Buckwheat Blini with Caviar

05 Apr 2010
Buckwheat Blini with Caviar

Pancake. The word paints quite a picture. But what kind of picture may say something about where you live and eat.

So when I say pancake do you think of Sunday morning? Does your mind automatically go to maple syrup? Maybe blueberries?

If you just licked your lips and nodded 'yes'  then there is a good chance you are from North America or very well acquainted with our pancake culture. Because steaming stacks of hotcakes dripping with syrup and melted butter does indeed conjure up comfortable memories of hearth and home.

But traditional pancakes don't need to be homemade to be homey. Nor do they need to be American.

In fact the griddlecake we Americans so associate with special breakfasts probably has its roots in a similarly prepared Scottish pancake.

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Buckwheat Blini & Caviar with Traditional Accompaniments

Buckwheat Blini & Caviar with Traditional Accompaniments
By jgreghenry Published April 5, 2010
Prep time: 180
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 1.25 c milk
  • 1.5 t yeast
  • 0.25 c lukewarm water
  • 0.5 c all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 c buckwheat flour, plus a little more if necessary
  • 0.5 t salt
  • 4 T unsalted butter
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 2 T heavy cream
  • 4 hard boiled eggs, yolks and whites separated and chopped
  • 1 small red onion, minced
  • 1.5 oz caviar, per person
  • 1 c sour cream

Directions

Scald 1 cup of milk in a sauce pan set over medium heat, do not let it boil. Remove from heat and allow it to cool somewhat. Mix the yeast with the warm water, setting it aside for 5 minutes until it gets foamy. Sift the flours and salt together in a bowl. Make a well in the center of the pile and pour the yeast water and milk into that well. Gradually mix the flour into the liquid. Beat until smooth. Cover the bowl with a towel and set in a warm place for 2 or 3 hours until quite bubbly. Melt 1/2 of the butter, then let it cool somewhat. Add the melted butter, an additional 1/4 cup of milk, 2 egg yolks and the heavy cream, stirring to combine. The end result should have a consistency of heavy cream, you may need to add more milk to achieve this. Whisk the egg whites until medium stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter, trying to keep the mixture fluffy. Heat the remaining butter on a large non-stick skillet or griddle. Wipe out the extra with a paper towel so that the skillet is coated with butter. Pour the batter into small rounds about 2-inches in diameter. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes until golden brown, flip the blini and cook an additional minute or so. Serve warm or at room temperature topped with caviar, hard-boiled eggs, red onion, and sour cream

Notes:

serves 8 Source: Caviar- A True Delicacy

A Man, A Plan, A Canapé: Panama

15 Dec 2009
map of panama

You want to hear something funny. SippitySup has a rank of 4332 in Panama. It's my best rank per country in the world. Which means that SippitySup is a very popular site in Panama. It seems so random, but it’s true.

I start with that little fact because I have some exciting news; SippitySup has been invited to Panama to lead a cooking demonstration for a group called Boquete Gourmet. Somehow little tiny SippitySup has managed to catch the hearts of a group of food loving ex-pats living the high life near the border with Costa Rica. Boquete is a beautiful town adjacent to the mighty Volcan Barú, and I am very honored and excited to be invited.

Boquete is a peacful little mountain community that is often described as Paradise. In fact Forbes magazine recently rated Boquete as one of the top 10 places to retire in the world. Harper's Bazaar says, "Panama is the most beautiful retreat in the world and almost undiscovered."

Well Sup! is about to discover it in a big way!

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Plantains with Caviar and Black Bean Puree

Plantains with Caviar and Black Bean Puree
By jgreghenry Published December 15, 2009
Prep time: 120
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 1 c salad oil, or enough to fill a medium skillet to a depth of 1 inch
  • 3 medium-size plantains, peeled and diagonally cut into 1/2 inch slices
  • 4 heaped tablespoons sour cream or crème fraiche
  • 4 heaped tablespoons black bean puree (recipe below)
  • 2 T of black caviar
  • 2 T of golden caviar
  • 0.5 medium red onion, finely sliced tip to root
  • 1 large carrot, roughly diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 small ham hock ( 3 ounces)
  • 0.5 c dried black beans
  • 1 sprig of thyme or 1/2 teaspoon of dried
  • 2 c water
  • 1 medium onion, roughly diced (about 1/2 cup)

Directions

PLANTAINS AND CAVIAR Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat to 375 degrees. Add plantain slices, in batches if necessary, without crowding the skillet. Fry until lightly golden, about two minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and repeat until all slices are fried. Using the side of a cleaver or large chefs knife, gently flatten the slices to a thickness of 3/8 inch. (Can be prepared to this point up to 8 hours in advance and kept covered on a plate at room temperature.) Re-fry slices until golden, another 2-3 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. To serve, arrange 3 to 4 plantain slices on each plate. Spoon sour cream, black bean puree, and black and golden caviar over slices. Garnish with slices of red onion. BLACK BEAN PUREE Cook carrot, onion, ham hock, black beans, thyme and water in a small pot over low heat, covered until beans are soft, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain. Discard ham hock and any water. Puree beans in a processor until smooth, with slight chunks. Prepare beans no more than one day in advance. Reheat, in the top of a double-boiler for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Notes:

serves 6 Source: Lost Recipes of Legendary Hollywood Haunts