Last year, I took some food photos for my lovely and talented friend Alex, who runs an amazing bakery based in Chicago. After the shoot, she sent me home with a bunch of goodies, including a small, clear box of these truffles tied up with a pretty pink ribbon. Among all the things she gave me—we’re talking cheesecake, brownies, an assortment of kickass cookies—these were the last thing I got to trying. But once I did, boy did these go FAST! They’re a little creamy, almost like fudge or cookie dough, and they’re packed with nutrient-dense superfoods:

• Chia seeds: rich in antioxidants, omega-3s and fiber; great source of calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and manganese; contain all nine essential amino acids
• Flax seeds: high in omega-3s, B vitamins, magnesium and manganese; great source of fiber and antioxidants; contain all nine of the essential amino acids
• Hemp seeds: contain all nine of the essential amino acids, plus vitamin E and trace minerals; balanced ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats
• Cacoa nibs: even better than dark chocolate, they contain magnesium, fiber, iron, antioxidants and naturally mood-boosting compounds
• Cinnamon: shown to help improve cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar and boost cognitive function and memory
• Almond butter: high in the monounsaturated fats associated with reduced risk of heart disease; great source of vitamin E, antioxidants, magnesium and potassium

I’ve made these several times now since Alex gave me the recipe. They’re filling, portable, easy to make, and they come together in just 10 minutes. Yum!

Small but MIGHTY!

The post Super Seed Truffles first appeared on dramatic pancake.

Cassandra: “This cake is from an old, battered copy of the Settlement Cook Book, once owned by my grandmother, who passed away at a very young age. The cookbook was first published in 1907, declaring “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach!” on the opening page. It includes recipes for things like a “Noodle Ring” (fried noodles, butter and breadcrumbs in a greased ring mold) and “Frozen Vegetable Salad” (in which fresh vegetables are frozen with gelatin and served with boiled mayonnaise—whatever that means!).

Some of the dishes you would never make today, but others have stood the test of time. My mother loves the simple banana cake, and my father makes it for her every year for her birthday, frosting it with a smooth lemon buttercream adapted from Laurie Colwin’s gingerbread recipe. It’s delicious and so easy. Since spring is around the corner, I decided to decorate the cake with edible flowers (surprisingly inexpensive) and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.”

Lemon not your thing? The frosting from this cake would be a great alternative.

Three Quick Questions…and Cassandra’s Answers

It’s your last meal. What do you have?

Beef bourguignon and my dad’s apple pie with whipped cream.

Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?

A spoon, so I could eat ice cream.

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

Laurie Colwin’s Home Cooking.

*Cassandra’s a great baker, but she’s also a talented singer. Check her out here or, if you’re in Los Angeles, see her perform at the Hotel Cafe at 9 p.m. on March 28th (the release date for her new EP!).

The post Cassandra * Old Fashioned Banana Cake first appeared on dramatic pancake.

Astrid: “This healthy green smoothie is my favorite go-to breakfast and snack. I call it my ‘salad in a straw.’ It has a ton of vitamins and fiber, so it keeps me full for hours and gives me the energy to power through my day. I like to add Udo’s Oil 3-6-9 Blend, cinnamon, chia seeds, flax seeds and bee pollen for an extra nutritional boost.”

As a highly sought-after fitness model, celebrity trainer and Barry’s Bootcamp instructor, looking good is Astrid’s job—and I’ll take any tips she wants to give me. Thankfully, it didn’t take much coaxing to sip on this delicious, antioxidant-packed smoothie with a host of health and beauty benefits. Weight loss/weight maintenance? Check. Improved digestion? Check. Clear skin and increased energy levels? Check and check.

Cheers to getting your green on!

 Three Quick Questions…and Astrid’s Answers

It’s your last meal. What do you have?

Almond butter. It’s my chocolate.

Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?

My Vitamix. You can make anything in that thing.

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

It’s between Juliano Brotman’s Raw: The Uncook Book and Kimberly Snyder’s The Beauty Detox Solution.

*For more on Astrid and her work, be sure to check out her website: http://www.astridswanmcguire.com/

The post Astrid * Glowing Green Smoothie first appeared on dramatic pancake.

Alex: “When I was younger, my parents showed me how to cook a variety of breakfast items, but the one that really stuck with me was the “gashouse egg,” or egg in a basket. I liked the idea of cooking everything together in one pan with the egg becoming part of the bread. Over time, I began experimenting with putting meat and cheese on it, but it never felt complete. Then years ago, I began eating avocado and hot sauce with bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches and realized that those flavors could be applied to the gashouse egg.

The flavors of this dish came from several iterations over time, and the implementation is my solution to finding the most cohesive method for keeping the ingredients gelled together. The avocado spread not only adds a good California-style flavor, but also helps the ham and cheese stick to the bread. Also, I took a page out of my wife’s book by saving the circular bread cutouts. However, rather than placing the cutouts on top, I put them on the bottom to keep the ham and bread slightly elevated (ensuring it doesn’t stick to the skillet). Finally, baking makes everything taste better, and this recipe is certainly no exception.”

Three Quick Questions…and Alex’s Answers

It’s your last meal. What do you have?

Bring me the heaviest, meatiest, red-sauced pasta dish.

Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?

My speakers.

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

Giada’s Kitchen: New Italian Favorites. Giada has a very good take on Italian food, and her recipes are always delicious.

*Alex is founder of the innovative and addictive plug.dj, a real-time, social media experience that combines music and video discovery in a fun and interactive online environment. Don’t miss it!

The post Alex * Gashouse Eggs, Cali-Style first appeared on dramatic pancake.

Dana: “With the help of my husband and the data I had collected on food remedies, I created a healthy snack loaded with nuts, fruit, oats, and flax seed. My diagnosis of breast cancer in 2004 when I was 4 months pregnant with my second child left me with few noninvasive treatment options. In an effort to reduce risk, I started introducing more natural foods into my diet that were high in fiber and antioxidants, and low in fat and sugar. My love of sweets made this a challenge, but these muffins satisfied my sweet tooth and boosted my health. I have shared the muffins with friends and family and everyone loves them. I am happy to be cancer-free and healthy!”

Three Quick Questions…and Dana’s Answers

It’s your last meal. What do you have?

An arugula salad with nuts, fruit and goat cheese topped with blackened tuna, plus a glass of chardonnay, chocolate-covered strawberries and a hot cappuccino.

Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?

My iPhone that is charging on the counter, and maybe a banana if it isn’t too ripe.

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

I don’t really have a favorite other than my personal collection of recipes I made in college. I tend to substitute a lot of ingredients with healthier options when I use a recipe, and I usually combine ideas using multiple sources.

The post Dana * Superfood Banana Nut Muffins first appeared on dramatic pancake.

Jason: “I started making this years ago whenever I needed something to bring to a party. People seem to like it, and now it’s sort of expected of me.”

There’s a time and place for complex, fussy food, but summer is certainly not it. The season of simplicity–of juicy peaches, crunchy corn on the cob, and flame-licked barbecue–calls for easy dishes you can pull together quickly. This is one such dish you should be adding to your arsenal of go-to party appetizers. Not only is it guaranteed to be a hit, but it’s barely even a recipe: just nutty, caramelized roasted garlic, creamy brie cheese, and chewy toasted baguette. With ingredients like these, a little work goes a long way.

Three Quick Questions…and Jason’s Answers

It’s your last meal. What do you have?

Pizza from Giardini in Brooklyn.

Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?

My dogs, Eddy and Bear. They’re always in the kitchen, especially when they’re not supposed to be.

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

I don’t use a lot of recipes but there are certain dishes I’ll make a lot–things like pizza, spaetzle, and goat cheese and tomato pasta.

The post Jason * Roasted Garlic and Brie on Baguette first appeared on dramatic pancake.

I love the idea of a taco salad, don’t get me wrong. But I’m often left disappointed by what is all too often a sizeable—yet flavorless—mass of meat and beans sitting on a mound of soggy romaine. I had just about given up on the zesty, spicy salad of my dreams, when I stumbled unexpectedly into a veritable jungle of flavor known as the Antique Taco Salad from Antique Taco in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. This is my recreation of the salad with just a few minor tweaks.

You’ll have to forgive me for forgetting to include what might be the most traditionally taco thing about this salad—the tortilla strips—and use your imagination to envision what it would look like had I actually remembered such a crucial crunch factor. Whoops! I would say this is more of a taco salad in the abstract, since you won’t see many of the usual suspects here (beans, meat, salsa), but you will find all kinds of other goodies with a Southwestern bent: spiced peanuts; diced red pepper and onion; crumbly, salty Queso Fresco; sweet fresh strawberries and sliced avocado; and a sparklingly light pomegranate dressing. The resulting salad is the perfect blend of both flavor (salty, sweet, spicy) and texture (juicy, creamy, crunchy).

In other words, my taco salad dreams have come true at last.

The post Antique Taco Salad first appeared on dramatic pancake.

Justin: “This recipe came about when my wife and I decided to grow Swiss chard in our garden. Chard grows really, really well, and we had so much of the stuff that we didn’t know what to do with it. We tried sautéing it with some garlic and olive oil, and that was pretty good. Then we used it on top of a pizza, and that was okay. And then one day, we landed on burritos. They turned out so well that we’ve made them over and over again and haven’t changed a thing.”

Last Monday after I finished work, I didn’t much feel like taking a train to Roselle, a suburb 45 minutes outside of Chicago. But when you hear talk of life-changing, mind-blowing burritos at the other end of that ride, you just don’t walk away. You drink a cup of coffee, you pull yourself together, and you go.

This is one of those rare, wonderful recipes that is not only savor-every-bite delicious, but also quick, balanced and flexible. The pinto beans are really the foundation of the burritos, and they deserve more credit than they’re typically given. They’re inexpensive. They’re hearty. They’re healthy. And they pair really well with bacon, another key component of these burritos. Toss in a handful of rainbow chard in vibrant electric hues, plenty of spice, and a sprinkle of salty Cotija cheese, and you’ve got yourself a winning combination.

Three Quick Questions…and Justin’s Answers

It’s your last meal. What do you have?

These burritos. Definitely some chips and salsa, some guacamole. And beer.

Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?

I’d probably grab our big cast-iron skillet because we use it for everything…then again, it’s probably the one thing that would be totally fine in a fire. But we use it every single day.

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

We don’t use cookbooks all that often.  If I really need to figure something out, I’ll look it up on the internet, but otherwise, we’re pretty experimental with our cooking.

*Justin is a professional photographer who does incredible work. If you’re looking for inspiration, I highly recommend browsing his site: www.justinbparis.com

The post Justin * Swiss Chard, Pinto and Bacon Burritos first appeared on dramatic pancake.

Jess: “Last school year I was saving money to go to Italy for a 5-week cooking program. I didn’t have a paying job and if I wanted to keep baking after school, I wouldn’t have time for one anyway. That’s when it hit me: why not sell what I was baking to kids at school? For six months I became a walking bake sale. After a while though, I got tired of rolling out cookies and cutting out Rice Krispie treats. One day, I decided to change it up. I’d never liked cupcakes, but what if I made mini cakes? Mini rainbow cakes! Two of my best friends came over to help make the new dessert. The minute the cakes were done, we knew they’d be our signature treat. To name the cakes we combined the first letters of our names (Maisie, Tiff and Jess), and called them EmptyJay’s (for M, T, and J)! High schoolers are used to paying change for bake sale items, but these were the first item I could price at $2 each and sell out of completely! By the time summer rolled around, I had reached my goal of a little over $2,000, and I got to take that trip to Italy.”

The fact that these multi-colored mini cakes paid for a trip to Italy should tell you something right away: these are some seriously awesome sweets. And if you’re still not convinced, consider the source. Jess Dawson is only 17 years old, and while most high school students spend their afternoons surfing the web or chatting on the phone (and maybe doing some homework?), Jess can be found baking up a storm for two of Chicago’s most renowned chefs, Gale Gand and Sarah Grueneberg. The girl is a rockstar.

EmptyJays combine three colorful layers of vanilla bean pound cake, held together with a smooth and creamy vanilla frosting. This is the chance to let loose your inner child…or make an actual child very, very happy. Get creative. Mix and match colors. Go for an ombre effect. The options are endless, and baking these adorable little cakes is almost as thrilling as eating them. Enjoy!

Three Quick Questions…and Jess’s Answers

It’s your last meal. What do you have?

Gale Gand’s pea dip, pig face (yes, pig face) from Stephanie Izard’s Girl & the Goat, sushi, coconut cream pie, and Gale’s banana cream pie.

Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?

If I were being nice I’d say the fish…but I really enjoy my red stand mixer with a clear glass bowl that Gale gave me for getting good grades.

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

Our family cookbook. It’s a compilation of favorite recipes, some from my grandmother, some from my mom, and now some from me.

*To see more of Jess and what she’s baking these days, be sure to check out her website: http://livininthekitchen.wordpress.com/

The post Jess * EmptyJays first appeared on dramatic pancake.

Jonathan: “Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my extended family in South Africa. This rusk recipe, from my aunt’s mother, “Granny Rae,” reminds me of the fun times of my childhood. I can vividly remember my aunt and uncle always having a huge round tub of these rusks sitting on top of the kitchen cabinet.”

Here’s the thing about these rusks–these unassuming, rather plain looking buttermilk biscuits. At first bite, you probably won’t think much of them at all. “Hmm, they have a nice crunch,” you’ll say, and you’ll think you’ve had enough. And then, without even realizing it, you will find yourself reaching for another. Dipping it into your coffee, turning it sweet and cake-like. And then you’ll have another, because that crunchy, faint sweetness, the softening to the hot coffee is totally addictive in the best possible way.

When the rusk batter comes out of the oven, it looks like a giant cake…

…The “cake” is then sliced into pieces and baked a second time until crisp, crunchy and golden.

Three Quick Questions…and Jonathan’s Answers

It’s your last meal. What do you have?

An ‘everything’ bagel with lox. And definitely coffee.

Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?

My grind and brew coffee maker. Everything else in there I can live without.

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

That’s tough–I’d say Joy of Cooking is probably the one I reference the most.

The post Jonathan * South African Buttermilk Rusks first appeared on dramatic pancake.