Hanging with Lucas

Of the many fine attributes embodied by my cousin, Lucas, one of my favorites is his willingness to share culinary adventures with me. We try to meet at least once every week and talk about whatever happens to be happening. Whether it's a quick brunch at Wally Waffle grabbed between his classes at the University of Akron, or something more involved, like our trip to the Kosher butchers in Cleveland Heights and lunch at Jerusalem Grill yesterday, it's the food that brings us together. 

The quest for the perfect bagel dog, Part 1

I come from a long line of food-oriented folk. Not only are we fixated on cooking and eating, but we LOVE to feed people. As such, I was (and still am) understandably confused by my boyfriend's comment that while he likes food and all, he's just not that into it.

One night, we were out with his sisters and the conversation turned to foods we loved but couldn't find anymore. I was thrilled when Jim mentioned his love for the long lost bagel dog. Once a frozen-food staple, they are tough to find now, and I decided to bring them back, albeit for a limited audience. 

After a quick Google search, I settled on this recipe. Here's what they looked like:

 I liked the idea of making the dough in my Cuisinart, and the recipe left lots of room for improvisation. I topped them with a combination of black sesame seeds and sea salt. They were quite delicious, and froze and reheated beautifully, but we decided there was too much bagel. They satisfied as a stop-gap, and I made them several more times, adjusting the process. However, there was still room for improvement.

Back to the drawing board...

Gode Cookery

Check out this amazing site. It's a comprehensive resource for anyone interested in medieval and Renaissance-era food culture, history, recipes, and assorted oddments.

And so it begins...

Honestly, it's a bit shocking that it took me so long to start blogging. Anyone who's spent more than a few moments with me knows I can't stop talking, especially about food and books and food in books and...you get the idea. 

With that, away we go!