Season 2: Ep 1 – Alana Chernilla

Before you listen to this podcast, please know I have a confession. I have long been a fan of Eating from the Ground Up, the no-nonsense love-your-garden blog by Alana Chernilla. I was happy to host her in my kitchen (back when you could do that sort of thing). Her first book, The Homemade Pantry, was an instant classic. I admit, I’ve made about half the recipes; my husband, Mike, loves the from-scratch pop tarts. Since then, she has followed with two more books, The Homemade Kitchen and Eating from the Ground Up. (All Clarkson Potter)

We covered a lot of ground (pun intended), including an inspirational chat about why home cooks should be kind to themselves. She also shared some great tips for using up kitchen scraps you might otherwise throw away. In these days when so many people are cooking – and perhaps tired of it – I found her message particularly encouraging.

As always, I made a recipe from one of her books to snack on while we chatted. I have made many recipes from her books, so choosing one was a challenge. Yet another batch of homemade pop tarts? Or the from-scratch goldfish crackers that I have made at 1 a.m. while on a writing binge? The easy yet addictive roasted potato salad?

I the end, I chose dill popovers from The Homemade Kitchen. My choice, in part, stems from my ongoing adoration for the late satirist Dorothy Parker. Popovers were a fixture of the famed boozy lunches at New York’s Algonquin Hotel. (Read more about that here.)

Recipe: Popovers from ‘A Homemade Kitchen’

Alana Chernila

I have one back-pocket recipe that can save any breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Special birthday breakfast on a school morning when we have to get out at 7:00 a.m.? Popovers. A soup pulled from the freezer that’s not quite as delicious as I remember it? Serve with popovers. Friends coming over with picky kids? Anything + popovers. Of course, I wish all my meals were flawless and delicious, and all my experiments came out cookbook-worthy. But for the meals that do n’t quite make it, popovers save the day. This is also a great recipe for kids, because once it’s in your blood, you can rely on it for life. The blender, along with the hot oven, creates a lofty popover with a hollow center. Although you can buy a special fancy popover pan, this recipe works just fine in a regular muffin tin. If you prefer a more custardy popover, mix the ingredients by hand and bake in a 375°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 28 mins

Total Time 38 mins

Course Baking

Cuisine American

Servings 12 popovers

Ingredients

  

• 3 large eggs
• 1½ cups 360 ml whole milk or buttermilk (for homemade, see page 34)
• 1½ cups 180 g all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons ½ stick/56 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• Safflower oil or melted butter for greasing the pan
• Optional: ¼ cup fresh herbs; 4 ounces 115 g chèvre

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Combine the eggs, milk, flour, salt, and butter in a blender. Blend until you have a smooth batter, 15 to 20 seconds. Let the batter rest for about 10 minutes.
• Generously grease a 12-cup muffin or popover tin with oil. Divide the batter evenly among the cups, filling them most of the way. Add a pinch of fresh herbs and a dollop of chèvre, if using, to the center of each muffin cup. Bake until puffed and golden, WITH OUT OPENING THE OVEN, 25 to 28 minutes. Serve immediately.

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