My Madison Bistro

On a snowy and blustery day, I like nothing more than to sit back with a hot beverage, the scent of something baking wafting through my little condo.

This past weekend, it was icy, rainy, snowy, then blustery, so I decided to bake bread. For awhile now, I’ve wanted to try Challah, the non-buttery counterpart to brioche. Both are egg breads, but Challah uses oil rather than butter, and water rather than milk (though I’ve been known to use water in my brioche due to that lactose issue). I’m not even going to touch the Jewish law that dictates why this is done, as I will likely get it wrong, and I don’t want to offend anyone. (That said, I’m aware that in the picture my bread is buttered.)

This bread was an absolute pleasure to make. I had just opened a new jar of yeast and had half a bag of bread flour just calling out to me. For the recipe, I turned to Sherry Yard, whose baking recipes rarely fail me; this one was no exception. In fact, the instructions in this recipe could not have been better. Not only are they clear, but I found the timing for the various stages to be spot-on. Perhaps the conditions in my kitchen were perfect that day, but it was rather unusual for me to not have to make any adjustments to a bread recipe.

Continue reading “Challah”

Tags: bread, comfort food, Sherry Yard

Today, we’re celebrating.

We’re celebrating family, friends, and good news. I had an appointment today that went very, very well. So well, in fact, that I’ve been on the verge of tears several times throughout the afternoon. So well, that I wasn’t tempted to swear at other drivers who have forgotten how to drive in the winter.

Today, the little irritations just don’t matter.

So we’re celebrating with my new favorite cookie, Martha’s Chocolate Peppermint Cookies. Think thin mints meet white chocolate and even more peppermint. They are delicious. Thankfully, they are so satisfying that they really aren’t addictive.

Continue reading “Chocolate Peppermint Cookies”

Tags: chocolate, cookies, Martha Stewart, peppermint

I blame Starbucks.

From the very first peppermint mocha I ordered years ago, I was hooked on the combination of peppermint and chocolate.

I also blame Benny. One day, he arrived at work with a new Starbucks beverage, a white chocolate peppermint mocha. He said it was delicious.

I responded that I didn’t like white chocolate. He merely held out the cup and gave me a look that plainly said, “I dare you.”

Continue reading “Peppermint Bark”

Tags: candy, chocolate, peppermint

I have fond memories of Perkins. In high school, it provided a place for my friends and I to go at night, hang out and drink coffee. Of course, we had to order something else, because at the time they enforced a $3 minimum order. I tried to order 3 pots of coffee for myself, but they didn’t bite. Those of us who were hungry ordered normal food, the rest of us ordered side dishes to get to that $3 mark. But in the grand scheme of things, it was an inexpensive way to have fun while staying out of trouble, something I’m sure our parents appreciated.

In college, Perkins became to the go-to place for going for breakfast, especially if we had family in town. Sure, there are local breakfast establishments that are amazing, but the draw of the chain is that everyone knows what to expect and often has a favorite dish. And really, if you’ve ever eaten breakfast there, you know how much food you can get for not much money – perfect for broke college students.

Then finally, I was in the working world with an hour long lunch break. When going out, we had to select a restaurant with fast service that was nearby. My friend Christine and I always ended up going to Perkins for their bread bowl salads. I always alternated between the chef’s salad and teriyaki chicken salad, both satisfying, both simple and familiar. I was definitely not very adventurous back then when it came to food.

Continue reading “Chef’s Salad”

Tags: Cheese, comfort food, cucumbers, lettuce, turkey