traditional yeast-raised waffles

adapted from smitten kitchen's Essential Raised Waffles, where it was "adapted, only in language from Marion Cunningham's Breakfast Book, where it was adapted from an old Fanny Farmer cookbook" and so on.

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (just shy of 1 packet -- in fact, if you're using the packets, just use the full amount)
• 2-1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt (the smaller amount if you're using Morton's, all the way up to 2 full teaspoons if you're using Diamond Kosher salt) (and if you're using fine sea salt or table salt, start with 1/2 teaspoon and work your way up to taste)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (measured by spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling off with a knife -- the way you measure flour makes a big difference!)
• 3 eggs, yolks & whites separated
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• *optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla, a bit of grated lemon zest, or a few scrapings of fresh nutmeg -- I added a teaspoon of ground Tahitian vanilla bean and it was subtle and delicious; I highly recommend it! you don't want to actually flavor (overwhelm) the waffle batter; just enhance it -- the overnight fermentation gives these waffles plenty of delicious flavor of their own.

the night before you want to make waffles, fetch a large, heavy bowl (that will help keep the batter a consistent temperature through the overnight rise) and use it to proof the yeast in the warm water. add the milk, melted butter, salt, brown sugar, and 2-1/2 cups of the flour, whisking thoroughly to combine. this should yield a fairly dense batter that resists the whisk a bit -- less liquid-y than a pancake batter. if needed, add more flour in 1-tablespoon increments until the batter reaches the proper consistency: thicker than cake batter, much thinner than bread dough, but with qualities of each. as you combine it, you should see the gluten threads forming while you stir. once you achieve the perfect consistency, incorporate another tablespoon of flour, scrape down the sides of the bowl neatly and cover tightly with plastic wrap. you want that extra bit of flour because the batter will soften as it ferments and rises overnight. now it's time to get some sleep. don't worry about the batter being out on the counter overnight, unless you live in an inferno -- if you do, you'll probably need to ferment it in the refrigerator to keep the demons away -- but unfortunately, you'll lose some flavor from doing so. as long as it's below 80 degrees F in your kitchen at night, this dough will ferment safely and deliciously out on the counter.

the next morning, be happy that you used a truly large bowl, as your batter will no doubt have risen right to the top, bubbling away. get your waffle iron out, butter or oil the plates and get it heating. separate the egg yolks from the whites, and stir the yolks into your batter, along with the 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and any flavoring (vanilla!, lemon zest, nutmeg, etc.) you're adding. beat the whites to firm, glossy, but not stiff peaks, and gently fold into the batter. if you think the batter's too stiff/dense/heavy to accept the egg whites easily, you have a few options: you can whisk in a bit of milk first, you can take 1/4 of the beaten egg whites and whisk those into the batter (without fussing over deflating them) to lighten it, or you can both add the bit of extra milk and whisk in 1/4 of the egg whites, all to achieve a smooth batter to which you can then easily and gently fold in the remaining beaten egg white, yielding a gloriously light batter that you just know is right.

you, my friend, are ready to waffle. heat your oven to 200 degrees F. depending on your waffle iron, scoop up the appropriate amount of batter (for example, my Presto Flipside Belgian Waffle Maker utilizes a heaping 3/4 measuring cup of this particular batter per waffle -- you don't necessarily want to fill the waffle mold; you have to allow room for the batter to rise, and this one rises a fair amount). plop the batter into the center of the hot waffle iron and spread around just a bit, then close it and set the timer. if you have a waffle iron that flips (like mine), then go ahead and flip it just for kicks. I'm not convinced it has any real effect on cooking simple waffles like these, but it can't hurt and it makes me feel fancy, so what the heck. make note of the time, and cook the waffle until the steam is almost done coming out of the waffle iron. open the iron, gently dislodge the waffle with a fork, and cut through a piece to make sure it's done all the way through. if not, pop it back in and close it up for 30 seconds or so. once it's done, make note of the total time required to cook the waffle -- now, you can just set the timer for each subsequent waffle. just as each waffle iron is different, each waffle batter recipe is different, and what worked for last week's baking soda-raised cornmeal waffles (3 minutes 15 seconds in my waffle maker) might not be what this particular waffle recipe needs (3 minutes and 30 seconds) to cook them perfectly.

as each waffle is done, relocate it to a heatproof pie plate/baking sheet/etc. that you have cleverly put in your pre-heated oven. this is how you'll keep all the waffles warm while you crank them out; how clever of you! butter or oil the waffle iron every 2-3 waffles (more often if needed) as you go along and crank 'em out.

serve these delicious bits of heaven with unsalted butter, freshly-made strawberry preserves or sliced fresh strawberries, whipped cream or mascarpone or creme fraiche, maple syrup, honey, or anything else you'd like. sigh in pleasure as you enjoy them and accept any well-deserved and hard-earned complements.

variation: reduce the brown sugar to 2 teaspoons (just enough to keep the yeast happy) and leave out any sweet flavorings like vanilla, lemon zest, etc. instead, in hot butter or bacon fat, saute 2-3 de-seeded, finely diced fresh jalapenos and 3-4 finely chopped green onions until peppers are softened, onions are translucent and both are browning around the edges. stir that into the batter and add a nice cupful of grated sharp cheddar cheese. if you want to gild the lily further, throw in the freshly cut kernels from 1-2 ears of fresh corn. cook the waffles the same way as above and serve alongside roasted ham or fried chicken, with chipotle honey butter on the side. now you're livin' the good life.

honey-ginger barbecue sauce

oh, this is one of those recipes that's more than the sum of their parts. my father used to make his own barbecue sauce and it was so delicious. I decided to do a variation of his recipe that includes fresh ginger and honey, but the basic recipe is his. it smelled so heavenly right that I wanted to eat dinner the moment it was done!

this sauce can be brushed on meat before/after grilling (I tend to think it's best to do a dry rub before grilling, then brush with sauce during the last few moments), used in a crockpot or French oven with a roast to make shredded BBQ beef (that's what's happening with mine right now -- in the oven with a 2+ pound chuck roast at 300 degrees for 3-4 hours; when it's done I'll shred the meat into the sauce), or served alongside grilled/barbecued anything. it will keep in the fridge, in a jar or covered container, for at least a week or two.

• 1 stick butter, divided into 2 pieces: a 2-tablespoon chunk and the remaining 6 tablespoon piece
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup ketchup (the simplest kind you can find is best; either regular or unsweetened will work fine)
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons Pickapeppa sauce (if you have it on hand -- it's good stuff)
• 1 cup red wine vinegar (apple cider vinegar will be good here, if you'd prefer)
• 1 large clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 2-3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

in a large, deep saucepan or French oven, saute the onion in the 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat until browned. add all the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low (just enough to keep it bubbling). continue to simmer, uncovered (stirring from time to time) until thickened and glossy. remove from heat to allow to cool for a moment, then puree -- easiest to do with an immersion blender; if you're using a regular blender, be sure it's fairly cool so the heat doesn't blow the top off! do be sure to puree -- it brings out the ginger flavor and makes this beyond good.

spinach-mushroom enchiladas suizas

filling:

• 3 bunches (1-1/2 pounds) spinach, trimmed of stems
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (cremini or white button mushrooms)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (or grated on microplane)
• 1 pound swiss cheese, grated (set aside half for sauce & garnish)
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced thinly (use half of them in the filling; set aside the rest)
• salt and pepper

place the spinach leaves in a large bowl of cold water and wash thoroughly (change the water if spinach is particularly sandy). lift the leaves out with your hands, letting the water drain back into the bowl, then place in a large stockpot. when it's all in there, cover the pot and place on the stove over medium-high heat. check after a few minutes to stir it down as it wilts, and remove from heat as soon as it's all done -- this only takes a few minutes. pour the cooked spinach into a colander to drain and run a little cool water over it so you can handle it. when cooled and drained, take handfuls and squeeze them until relatively free of liquid, then chop roughly and place in a large bowl. in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter, and saute the onions over medium-high heat until translucent. add in the mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms release their liquid and onions are turning golden brown. turn the heat to medium and add in the garlic; cook for another 2-3 minutes to cook off most of the mushroom liquid. remove from heat and add contents of skillet to the spinach. add the grated cheese and green onions, combine well, then add salt and pepper to taste.

sauce:

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• half of the remaining sliced green onions
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup full-fat sour cream (or Mexican crema fresca, or creme fraiche)
• 1 6-ounce can mild green chilis
• the remaining grated swiss cheese (set aside 1/2 cup of the cheese and combine with the remaining green onions to garnish)
• salt and pepper

in the same skillet in which you cooked the onions and mushrooms, melt the butter over medium-low heat and add the green onions. cook for a few minutes to soften, then stir in the flour and cook for another 3-4 minutes. whisk in the milk and raise heat to medium; continue cooking & whisking until thickened and bubbly. whisk in the sour cream, green chilis and cheese and cooking, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted. salt and pepper to taste.

assembly:

• 12 white corn tortillas
• small amount vegetable oil
• the combined swiss cheese and sliced green onions from above

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. clean out the skillet and lightly oil. brush one side of each corn tortilla lightly with oil, then cook over medium-high heat in the skillet, one at a time, flipping each one once, for just a minute -- until soft and floppy -- and stack them on a plate as they're done. butter a large casserole pan (or two -- you need enough space for 12 enchiladas) and pour a little of the sauce into the bottom. now you're ready to roll! fill each tortilla with a few tablespoons of filling (I divided it into 12 portions before starting, which made it easier), and nestle  them closely together so they retain their shape. when done, pour the remaining sauce over all, and top with the reserved grated swiss and sliced green onions. cover the casserole with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, until thoroughly heated through and bubbly. raise the heat to 400 degrees F, remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes to brown the top a bit. serve with rice (I made brown rice with a bit of chopped cilantro, lime juice and lime zest stirred in just before serving) and refried beans.

I can't say enough good things about the microplane zester/grater. I use mine to grate fresh garlic, zest citrus, and to grate harder cheeses (I used a regular box grater for the swiss cheese, but it's fantastic for harder cheeses like parmigiano, etc.).