Whitefish at Molly Coopers, Ashland, Wisconsin

Dining at historic venues is wonderful. Dining by the water at an historic place is even better. The Hotel Chequamegon in Ashland, Wisconsin fit the bill. Check out the painted copper ceiling, Victorian furniture, and historic photo gallery. The checkers board was very inviting but we decided to bike around the town instead. The hotel burned but new owners salvaged it, moved and restored it to it's former glory on the waterfront. It is easy to imagine those days with the great ships docking in Ashland, transporting iron ore all over the Great Lakes and beyond. This once bustling town has found a new life with tourism, boating, biking and snowmobiling.

We enjoyed fresh broiled whitefish (no tartar sauce needed, thank you) served with sweet potatoes. The recipe from Tastes & Treasures page 122 for Sweet Potato Souffle would be a good option with this fish.

A different version of Pannukakku, Finnish Pancakes

Talk about presentation, this dish at the Northern Lights restaurant in Houghton, Michigan looked fabulous. But taste was lacking and it was a more bread like consistency according to Pannukakku connoisseur Brian Watts during the reunion at Michigan Technological University. He'd head back to Suomi Bakery and Restaurant for the more custard version.

Looking at Tastes & Treasures recipes, I would bet Cranberry Conserve on page 189 would be a great topping for Pannukakku.

Pannukakku, Finnish Pancakes

Login to email recipes.

Sign in or sign up now..

Pannukakku is the premier pancake of Finland. Visiting Houghton, Michigan for a Mich. Tech. Univ. reunion was a great excuse to sample the tastes of the Copper Country. The Suomi Bakery and Restaurant in Houghton has been serving Finnish food for 50 plus years. The crowds at the door every morning are a tribute to their popular cuisine. The formula of using 1/4 cup flour to 1/4 cup milk to 1 egg per serving is basic for Pannukakku but it can be varied with sugar and seasonings to taste. It is more like a custard than a pancake but try them yourself for a taste of the Old World.

Ingredients
1-1/2 cup flour (1/2 C whole wheat can be used)
1-1/2 cup milk
6 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter for the baking pan
heavy cream for whipping

Directions
In a bowl, whisk together first 5 ingredients until no lumps remain. Let stand 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Melt butter in a 9×13 pan by placing it in the preheating oven. (Remove pan when butter is melted to avoid scorching.) Brush entire pan with melted butter before pouring in the pancake batter. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until edges are puffed high and golden. Top with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Serves 4 – 6

Note There are so many choices to put on top Pannukakku. Experiment with fresh lemons and powdered sugar; raspberries or blackberries or blueberries in syrup. The Raspberry Puree recipe in Tastes & Treasures page 25 would be wonderful. It is an historic recipe from The Cottage Place Restaurant in Flagstaff.

Summer vegetables and grilling

It's summer with fresh vegetables at all the markets. This recipe makes a quick meal with no canned goods involved. It seems like an embellished version of Camelback Inn's Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes pg 67 Tastes & Treasures.

Grilled Chicken with Caprese Corn Salad
2 medium tomatoes, finely diced
8 ounces fresh mozarella, finely diced
2 large sprigs fresh basil, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 ears fresh corn, shucked

Heat grill to medium high. Combine tomatoes, mozzarella and basil in a medium bowl with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Season chicken with salt and pepper and grill about 10 minutes, turning once. Grill fresh corn on upper grill rack or furthest away from direct heat for about 5 minutes, turning often.
Move chicken to a cutting board and let rest. Cut kernels from corn and add to bowl with tomatoes and cheese, toss to combine. Slice chicken, and serve with the salad on the side.

Serves 4

Pancakes from Lons

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes with Huckleberry compote and Meyer Whipped Crème
From AZ Republic

The Hassayampa Inn gave us a wonderful Lemon Souffle Pancake recipe for Tastes & Treasures pg 52. This Huckleberry compote from Chef Jeremy Pacheco at Lon's at Hermosa Inn looks equally enticing.


For the Huckleberry compote
3 pounds huckleberries, frozen
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
2 lemons, zest and juice
Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer until reduced to a syrup consistency, stirring occasionally.

For the Meyer whipped crème
1 quart heavy cream
zest and juice of 2 Meyer lemons
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients. Whip with mixer until stiff.

For the pancakes
4 cups cake flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
zest of 10 lemons
2 cups buttermilk
3 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup lemon juice
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
10 egg yolks
¼ cup butter, melted
10 egg whites
butter for cooking
Combine the flours, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and zest in a large mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, combine buttermilk, ricotta, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla and egg yolks and mix well. Whisk in melted butter. Add wet mixture to the dry ingredients and slowly whisk until smooth.’
In a separate bowl, whip egg whites to stiff peaks. Gently fold egg whites into the batter. Do not over mix. There should be some white streaks of egg whites left in the batter.
Preheat a non-stick griddle or large sauté pan on mediun-high heat and coat with butter. When butter is melted, place a small circle of batter in the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until batter is stiff enough to flip. Flip and allow pancake to cook for 2 more minutes. Top with huckleberry compote and Meyer whipped crème.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Note: The Meyer lemon (Citrus × meyeri) is a citrus fruit native to China thought to be a cross between a true lemon and either a mandarin or common orange. It is not as tart as a lemon.

Granola time

Went to the freezer for my favorite snack and it was gone. Thank goodness this wonderful food is easy to make and stores so well in the freezer. This time I visited Sprouts, the local bulk and organic food grocery store. So many choices in the barrels for nuts, barley, grains, candies and more. And very good prices. For the granola I chose shelled pistachios, pecans, coconut, sunflower seeds . . . oh my goodness. I bypassed the chocolate candy bin but filled a bag with yogurt covered cranberries. They were too tempting.

Try this recipe for the kids or grand kids. They will love you. Even fun to let them make it with you. Measuring all those ingredients can be a learning experience.

Granola page 196 in Tastes & Treasures cookbook

4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups pistachios
1 1/2 cups pecans
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups sunflower seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup honey
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup finely chopped assorted dried fruit (raisins, apricots, cranberries, dates)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the oats, coconut, pistachios, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds and cinnamon in a bowl. Combine the honey, brown sugar, molasses and butter in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until blended, stirring frequently; do not allow to boil.
Pour the honey mixture over the oats mixture and mix until coated. Spread the oats mixture on a greased baking sheet with edges. Bake for 15 minutes or until the oats are golden brown, stirring frequently. Spoon immediately into a heatproof bowl and stir in the dried fruit. Store in airtight containers or sealable plastic bags in a cool environment for up to 2 months. Freeze if storing for longer than 2 months. Makes 16 to 18 cups.
Hint - Do not let the granola sit on the hot cookie sheet.

Quiche all dressed up

Store bought quiche is often plain and simple. Try this idea with crisp bacon pieces for a lovely presentation. Just add the bacon prior to baking and serve with a smile.

Another option is to make Southwest Bacon and Cheese Strata from Rancho de La Osa, page 118 in Tastes & Treasures cookbook. A little more labor involved but well worth it.


Southwest Bacon and Cheese Strata
10 cups cubed trimmed white bread
14 eggs, beaten
4 cups milk or half-and-half
16 slices hone or mesquite-flavored thick bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard, or 1 tablespoon Dijon mustaard
1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeno chile
2 cups (8ounces)shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Mix the bread, eggs and milk in a large bowl and let stand for 20 minutes. Add the crumbled bacon, white pepper, dry mustard, jalapeno chile, Cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese and mix well. Spoon into a 9X13-inch baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 8 to 10 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking and place the dish on a baking sheet for ease in handling and for catching any spills.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the strata for 45 to 60 minutes or until the center is firm and the top is golden brown. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a drizzle of salsa.

Serves 8