Old Photo Friday: Rosemary, Sandra and Stacy @ E Street

Date: Circa early 1990’s
Location: @ E Street – Springfield, OR
Event: Christmas Eve (since we are all dressed up).
Who: Rosemary, Sandra and Stacy.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Enjoy!

Stace

Recipe of the Week: Christmas Breakfast Casseroles

Breakfast Casseroles

Okay….with Christmas just around the corner, why not plan an easy breakfast casserole for Christmas Morning! Many of these you can make the day before and pop them into the oven before the presents are opened.

My favorite is Rosemary’s famous Christmas breakfast casserole with goat cheese, artichokes and ham. I think she made it the year it debuted in Bon Appetit. It takes 3 days (or is it $300) to make (HA HA) – but it’s one of the best I have ever had.

Enjoy!

Goat cheese, artichoke, and smoked ham strata
Bon Appétit December 1997

Makes 8 servings (it’s so rich – I think you can stretch it to 10+)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup olive oil
8 cups 1-inch cubes sourdough bread, crusts trimmed
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet), crumbled (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
12 ounces smoked ham, chopped
3 6 1/2-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained, halved lengthwise (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup (packed) grated Fontina cheese
1 1/2 cups (packed) grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish.

2. Whisk milk and oil in large bowl. Stir in bread. Let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

3. Whisk cream and next 5 ingredients in another large bowl to blend. Add goat cheese.

4. Mix herbs in small bowl to blend.

5. Place half of bread mixture in prepared dish. Top with half of ham, artichoke hearts, herbs, and cheeses.

6. Pour half of cream mixture over. Repeat layering with remaining bread, ham, artichoke hearts, herbs, cheeses, and cream mixture.

7. Bake uncovered until firm in center and brown around edges, about 1 hour-1 hour 30 minutes.

(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)

Note: Don’t try and make this dish Christmas Morning. Make it the day before and just warm it up in the oven!


Cowboy Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

3 cups frozen, shredded hash brown potatoes
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese or any other preference
1 cup diced, fully cooked ham or Canadian bacon
1/4 cup sliced green onion
4 beaten eggs or 1 cup frozen egg product
1-12 oz. can evaporated milk
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Grease 2 quart square baking dish. Arrange potatoes evenly over bottom.

2. Sprinkle with cheese, ham, and onion.

3. In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.

4. Pour over potato mixture. Bake uncovered in a 350 oven 40-45 minutes (or 55-50 minutes if made ahead).

Serves 6.

Note: This may be made the night before serving.


Overnight Blueberry French Toast

You'll need to make this the day before!

Yields: 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

12 slices day-old bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup fresh blueberries (frozen works too)
12 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup fresh blueberries (or rest of frozen)
1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS:

1. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish, and top with cream cheese cubes.

2. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes.

3. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

4. Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

5. Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned.

6. In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes.

7. Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter, and pour over the baked French toast

This recipe appears in "Tried & True Thanksgiving & Christmas" cookbook.

Images courtesy of Google

A few “more” of my favorite Holiday things!

My favorite Rebecca Lane Ornament

1. Enjoying my Rebecca Lane Christmas tree every night.

2. Wrapping Christmas presents. Instead of bribing Sandra this year, I’ve decided to wrap them myself. Boy….it sure is fun!

3. Taste testing hot buttered rum mix! Sandra and I have become quite the connoisseurs this holiday season.

4. Adding to my holiday movie collection. This Christmas holiday - Brian and I will enjoy the 60th anniversary edition of “It’s a Wonderful Life”, Judy Garland staring in “Meet me in St. Louis” and “Love Actually” (maybe I can convince Brian it’s not a just a “chick flick” – it’s a Christmas “chick flick”).

Enjoy!

Stace

A Few of My Favorite Things!

My Favorite Westridge Ornament

Just a brief bullet point breakdown of the weekend including a few of my favorite things...

1. Getting not one but two trees decorated this holiday season. The Rebecca Lane tree and the Westridge tree.

WESTRIDGE TREE 2007

2. Spending the afternoon in Edmonds, especially at Christmas time. Brian and I just love this little waterfront community. All the shops were decorated for the holidays and Brian and I even had a bit of Holiday Cheer at Olives Wine Bar and Scott's (I call it Scotty's).

Brian at Scotty's

Downtown Edmonds

The Christmas Story "leg lamp" in Downtown Edmonds

The Space Needle

3. Baking Christmas cookies....and you know I hate to bake!


How easy were these? Thank you Ina!

I've got the Christmas Spirit....can't you tell!?

Stacy

Movie Time!

Happy Saturday!



My 2.5 hour train ride last night took me 4 hours so to fight boredom, I made a movie on my new laptop. Is this thing cool or what?!



The movie is about you-know-who! Now the possibilities are endless...

Oh.....it's got music so the best thing to do before you hit play is to scroll down to the jukebox on the right hand side of the page and click that thing off!

Push Play and Enjoy!



Stacy

Recipe of the Week: Pancakes and Everthing in Between

Christmas is just around the corner and I am still thinking of breakfast. This week I am focusing on Pancakes or variations of (some not so traditional).

Sundays have always seemed like pancake days to me. A few years ago I got Brian a griddle for Christmas so it's much easier to cook up a big stack and serve.

Enjoy!

PANCAKES

The Dutch Baby

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. sugar
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
Confectioner's sugar
Slices of fruit or berries

1. Preheat oven to 375º F. Melt butter in pan (oven-proof frying pan).

2. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, milk, eggs and salt. Stir until combined.

3. Pour batter into pan and bake for 30 minutes until edges have risen and are golden brown and center is set.

4. Remove from oven and dust with confectioner's sugar. Serve with fresh fruit.

Serves 6.


POTATO PANCAKES



Potato pancakes, also known as kartoffelpuffer or latkes or latkas, are shallow-fried cakes of grated potato and egg, often flavored with grated onion. Potato pancakes may be topped with a variety of condiments, from savory (sour cream, various cheeses) to sweet (applesauce, sugar with or without cinnamon), but traditionalists prefer them ungarnished.

Though commonly associated with the Jewish cuisine of Eastern Europe, they are not necessarily Jewish in origin. Areas like northeast Poland, for instance, know many varieties.

Potato Pancakes (Latkes)

Ingredients:

4 large potatoes - peeled & grated
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon flour
Oil

Directions:
1. Drain potatoes to remove most moisture.

2. In bowl, mix eggs, baking powder, salt & flour

3. Add potatoes and mix.

4. In frying pan, cover bottom with 1/2" oil.

5. Heat oil. (Electric skillet set heat to 400 degrees).

6. Drop mixture into hot oil by large spoonful.

7. Brown on both sides.

8. When cooked, drain on paper bags covered with paper towels.

Notes: Mixture will turn brown during preparation or cooking. No problem.
Best served with sour cream and apple sauce.


Crêpes



Crêpes are especially popular throughout France and in some other parts of the world. Crêpes are usually of two types: sweet crêpes or savory galettes (crêpes salées) While crêpes originate from Brittany, a region in the northwest of France, their consumption is nowadays widespread in France. It is said that crêpes were born in this region because they couldn't grow enough wheat to bake bread due to the poor land.

Spinach Crepes

Ingredients:

1/2 pound spinach, well washed
3 eggs
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
About 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut off and discard spinach roots and thick stems. Coarsely chop spinach.

2. In a blender or food processor, whirl spinach, eggs, and oil until smooth; add flour and blend.

3. Mix in milk; scrape container sides as needed.

4. Set a 6- to 7-inch crepe pan or other pan with sloping sides over medium-low to medium heat. When hot, add 1/4 teaspoon butter to pan and spread over bottom.

5. Add about 3 tablespoons spinach batter and tilt pan until batter coats pan bottom.

6. Cook until top looks dry, about 1 minute. With a wide spatula, turn crepe over and cook 20 to 30 seconds more. Turn out onto a flat surface.

7. Cover and keep hot. Repeat process; stack crepes as cooked.

Notes: Serve crepes folded or rolled; top with butter or sour cream. Makes about 16, enough for 5 or 6 servings.

My Lunch with Sally

Last week I kept a tradition going. Since my boss, Karen’s death in April I have been trying very hard to fill her shoes. One of the things she loved the most was people – and in particular her clients – so last week I took one of our clients, Sally to lunch.



Sally turned 70 on the 28th of November and I took her to one of her favorite restaurants out in Gresham called the Truffle Hunter. They make the best homemade bread, soups and salads around (not to mention some incredible desserts).



The best part of the day was listening to all of Sally’s stories. She is an incredible lady with an amazing memory and an eye for detail. Her and her husband, Sandy spend their summer’s back in New Hampshire out in a cabin in the woods with no electricity or running water (as Sally has since her youth). Every year I look forward to hearing Sally’s stories from “camp” as I keep Karen’s traditions going.

Stacy

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Despite Seattle getting all our snow – Brian, Sandra and I headed out last Saturday morning and found two perfect Christmas trees.



SANDRA AND BRIAN SEARCH FOR
2007 CHRISTMAS TREES

The weekend was almost perfect with the exception of our Ducks losing the Civil War (I guess they made up for it with a better bowl game).





The weekend ended with the start of an amazing storm. Luckily the power stayed on so we were able to finish decorating Rebecca Lane for Christmas!


The season has begun!

Stace

Recipe of the Week: Huevos Rancheros

Brunch Ideas

The next few weeks I’ll be taking a look at “international” brunch dishes in anticipation of Christmas (ideas for Christmas brunch). I’ve been hungry for Huevos Rancheros for a few weeks now so I thought this would be a perfect place to start!


Huevos rancheros (Ranch Eggs) is a classic Mexican breakfast dish which has become popular throughout much of the world. Huevos rancheros means "eggs ranch-style" or "eggs country-style" in Spanish. The dish traditionally was served at the large mid-morning breakfast, or almuerzo, on rural farms where workers had a much smaller meal at dawn.

The basic version of huevos rancheros consists of corn tortilla fried lightly, and fried eggs (although I see a lot of recipes using poached) with a tomato-chili sauce over refried beans (frijoles refritos), slices of avocado, olives, and extra chili peppers are common accompaniments. Scrambled eggs can be used instead of fried eggs.

As the popularity of the dish has spread beyond Mexico, variations have inevitably cropped up. The U.S. food writer, Clementine Paddleford found a version in the 50’s based out of Texas that called for the eggs to be poached in a tomato-bacon sauce, and served over toast or biscuits. More commonly, the variations involve flour tortillas instead of corn; pure chili sauce (or enchilada sauce) and garnishes of fresh tomatoes, sour cream and lettuce. The use of pre-made salsa and packaged tortillas makes huevos rancheros considerably less labor-intensive.

I’ve found two unique versions and am looking forward to cooking up one this weekend as we venture out to find the perfect Christmas trees.

Enjoy!

Stacy


Huevos rancheros
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002

Ranchero Sauce:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped white onions
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup chopped tomatoes and their juice
1 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

To make the Ranchero Sauce:

1. In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add the cumin, salt, cayenne, jalapeno, and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

3. Add the tomatoes and their juices and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

4. Add the stock and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes.

5. Remove from the heat and add the cilantro. Adjust the seasoning, to taste, and cover to keep warm.

To ensemble the rest of the dish:

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 large corn tortillas
1/2 cup warm refried beans
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups pepper Jack

1. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.

2. Add 1 tortilla and cook until warmed through and just starting to brown about 30 seconds. Turn and cook on the second side. Remove, cover to keep warm, and repeat with the remaining oil and tortillas.

3. In 2 medium skillets, melt 1 tablespoon of butter each, over medium-high heat. Break eggs into each skillet and fry until beginning to set, about 1 minute.

4. Sprinkle the eggs with the cheese and cover to finish cooking, about 1 1/2 minutes.

5. Place 1 warm tortilla on each of 4 plates and spread each with 2 tablespoons of warm refried beans. Place 2 eggs on top of each tortilla and top with the warm Ranchero Sauce.

Serve immediately.



Black Bean Huevos Rancheros
ACTIVE TIME: 35 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 50 MIN

4 SERVINGS

Ingredients
4 large Anaheim chilies
2 ounces pepper Jack cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
8 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup drained canned black beans
1/2 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1 teaspoon chopped chipotle chilies in adobo or chipotle chili sauce
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
4 large eggs
1/2 small avocado, cut into 4 wedges
1/4 cup diced plum tomatoes
4 teaspoons finely diced red onion
2 teaspoons minced jalapeño

Directions
1.Preheat the broiler. Roast the chilies under the broiler for 6 to 7 minutes, turning frequently, until charred all over. Transfer them to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 5 minutes. When the chilies are cool enough to handle, peel and coarsely chop them. In a bowl, mix the chilies with the cheese.

2. Turn the oven to 375°. Very lightly brush the tortillas with oil. Spread the roasted chilies and cheese on half of the tortillas and top with the remaining tortillas. Transfer the filled tortillas to a baking sheet, cover with foil and top with another baking sheet.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a small skillet. Add the garlic and cook over moderately high heat for 1 minute. Add the beans, stock and chopped chipotles and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and keep warm.

4. Bake the tortillas for about 5 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is melted. Meanwhile, in a lightly oiled large skillet, cook the eggs sunny-side up or over easy.

5. Transfer the filled tortillas to plates. Top with the beans and then the eggs. Garnish with the avocado wedges, chopped tomatoes, diced onion and minced jalapeño and serve.

images courtesy of google

Thanksgiving 2007!

We had a wonderful “Turkey” Day! I hope everyone got enough food! I think we are down to the last of our leftovers. Bring on Christmas!

Here are some pictures of the three day celebration.




Thanksgiving Eve has become quite the “party” night at Rebecca Lane – mostly lots of prep-cooking, catching up and breaking into some of the holiday wine. Sandra and I also celebrated 10 years at Rebecca Lane. My how time flies!





Thanksgiving was wonderful...we had a beautiful sunny day (but cold) and the first ever, brined turkey (thanks, Spice Hunter) came out very tasty (and not at all salty). All the side dishes came out beautifully and the “new” roasted butternut squash with blue cheese and pecans (thanks, Nigella) was a huge hit! The best part of the day was being totally organized and having time to sit on my butt and watch some football, listen to some music and chat with my family.


Sandra’s tablescape – flowers courtesy of Dad and Rosemary






After dinner was digested and a few of us napped, we had a little friendly “Lou” game (for old time’s sake). Fun! We got fleeced by Mr. and Mrs. “card shark”. Too bad we didn’t have 5 or 6 more people playing (HA HA HA, Pop….you were a legend).




Friday we hit the Washington County wineries for our third annual wine tasting tour. Our first stop was Alloro Vineyards – beautiful Tuscan inspired winery. We drove all around Washington County (got lost only once) and enjoyed the scenery (thanks to Brian our designated driver 2 years in a row). Most of the vineyards had some yummy appetizers and really interesting wines (mostly Pinots). We had no problems finding Gypsy Dancer this year and also hit Lawton Winery where I bought a bottle of dry Riesling (go figure). All in all a good day...great weekend!





Enjoy the pictures!

Stace

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year I am extremely grateful that I get to spend my first Thanksgiving with my Dad in over 30 years. Dad and Rosemary are driving up from Springfield on Wednesday morning, Sandra’s office is closing at 3PM, Brian will arrive from Tacoma in the late afternoon and Uncle Steve flies in from Truckee, California after 9PM Wednesday. Thursday will be an abundant day of love and gratitude on Rebecca Lane.

For those looking for a little Thanksgiving history, check out the History Channel. Cool stuff!

To all friends and family –

As Thanksgiving Day approaches,
Our blessings we recall;
The things we are most thankful for,
We recollect them all.
You are really special,
In all you say and do.
You’ve made a difference in our lives;
We’re thankful now for you.

Enjoy!

Stacy

Happy Birthday - Deby!

Happy Birthday to my best friend, Deby Hygelund who enters the last year of her 30's today. Happy 39th - I am right behind you.



Deby and I have been friends for over 30 years. We met the day before we started the 3rd grade at Yolanda Elementary in Springfield, Oregon. Her parents, Byron and Roz and her sister, Tera moved in next door to our house on E street and we became best friends from that day forward.



Happy Birthday! I'll see you soon to celebrate!

Stace

Recipe of the Week: Thanksgiving Potatoes

Turkey Day Side Dishes - Potatoes

I hope you all liked the veggie dishes from last week. While I am still contemplating my menu, here are some yummy potato sides that will have your guests loading up their plates for seconds.
Try and push the envelope here.....cooks! Some of these are not traditional, but easy to make (many can be made ahead) and all of them travel well.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Enjoy,
Stace



Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Crispy Shallots

SERVES: 8-10
TIME: 45-1 hour (but you can make it a day ahead)

INGREDIENTS

5 pounds medium to large sweet potatoes
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
3/4 pound shallots, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

1.Preheat the oven to 400°. Pierce the sweet potatoes with the tip of a knife and bake for about 40 minutes, or until tender. Turn the oven down to 250°.

2.Slit the skins and scoop the potatoes into a large bowl. Add the butter and cardamom and beat with an electric mixer at low speed until smooth and fluffy. Season with salt and white pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.

3.In a large deep skillet, heat 1 inch of oil until shimmering. Add half of the shallots and fry over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots to paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining shallots. Scatter the shallots over the sweet potatoes and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store the shallots in an airtight container. Rewarm and rewhip the potatoes; recrisp the shallots in the oven if necessary.





Yukon Golds with Shallot Butter

ACTIVE TIME: 10 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 20 MIN

SERVES: 6

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 medium shallot, minced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1.In a saucepan, boil the potatoes in water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes.

2.Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast the mustard seeds over moderate heat until they pop, about 3 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the butter with the parsley, shallot, lemon juice and mustard seeds. Season generously with salt and pepper.

3.Drain and halve the potatoes lengthwise. In a large dish, toss the potatoes with the shallot butter and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The shallot butter can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week.




Asiago and Sage Scalloped Potatoes
SERVES: 8
TIME: 1 hour, 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 imported bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese (about 3 ounces), preferably aged
1 cup plain dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons finely shredded fresh sage leaves
2 1/2 pounds medium Idaho potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick

DIRECTIONS

1.Preheat the oven to 400°. Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan. Add the onions and cook over high heat, stirring, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves, nutmeg, 1 tablespoon coarse salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Add the heavy cream and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.

2.In a medium bowl, toss the cheese with the bread crumbs, olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon of the sage, 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

3.Remove the bay leaves from the onion mixture and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons sage. Put the sliced potatoes in a large bowl, add the onion mixture and toss gently. Spread half of the potatoes and liquid in a 2-quart nonreactive baking dish and sprinkle 2/3 cup of the cheese bread crumbs over the top. Cover with the remaining potatoes and press firmly to pack them down. Spoon the remaining liquid over the potatoes and cover with the remaining bread crumbs.

4.Bake in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden; if they brown too quickly, loosely cover the dish with foil.

MAKE AHEAD The potatoes can be baked up to 5 hours ahead; let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in the oven before serving.




Buttermilk-Bacon Smashed Potatoes

SERVES: 6
TIME: 30 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds red bliss potatoes, quartered
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 cloves roasted garlic, peeled and smashed to a paste
8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1.Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Drain well and place back in the pan over low heat.

2. Add the butter, buttermilk and garlic and mash until smooth. Fold in the bacon, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Recipe by Bobby Flay
Images courtesy of Google