Homemade Smashburgers

These smashburgers bring you the best part of a burger cooked on a griddle... the crusty, browned, caramelized, full-of-flavor surface of the meat. Yes! 

Instead of forming a quarter pound of beef into a patty and then cooking it on a griddle, you break the meat up into 2 ounce balls, and then smash (thus the name) the meat into the griddle to create the thinnest patty possible. The patties are stacked on top of each other with slices of American cheese set between them.  Check out how melty the cheese gets. Eating one of these will transport you to your favorite childhood diner.

A little happy dance may or may not have broken out on first bite.

Pizza Zucchine | Zucchini Pizza with Gruyère Cheese

This zucchini pizza with Gruyère is a crispy and crunchy treat, and is a delicious way to use up all of the zucchini bounty available this time of year.

The crust of this pizza is very thin, more like a flatbread than a traditional pizza crust. The dough is "no knead," in that all it requires is a little bit of mixing with your hands and a two hour rest on the counter, and then you have pizza dough!

Mini Fougasse with Sourdough Starter

These Mini Fougasse are so flavorful, and are perfect with dips, tapas, and sauces. 

Break them apart warm from the oven and drag them through your favorite stew or olive oil and balsamic.

Fresh Peach Muffins

These Fresh Peach Muffins are light, fruity, and just a little sweet. They are the perfect summer breakfast treat. 

I love the peachy flavor of these muffins. The peaches are slightly mashed to release just enough juices, yet, there are still plenty of peach chunks in the muffins to remind you that there are, indeed, peaches in them. 

Black Bottom Mini Cream Cheese Brownie Cups

These Black Bottom Mini Cream Cheese Brownie Cups are just about the best "poppable" little bites of gooey chocolate tastiness you will ever experience. 

These things are ridiculous, in a very good way! They are so rich and creamy, and with a "these things are calling my name!" combination of super moist brownie and chocolate chip cheesecake.

Traditional Onion and Poppy Seed Bialys

These traditional onion and poppyseed bialys are crispy and airy, and loaded with sweet caramelized onion flavor. 

 Sometimes the onions on the fringe burn a little bit, which just makes your house smell amazing.

Sea Scallops with a Jalapeño and Grapefruit Marinade

These Sea Scallops with a Jalapeño and Grapefruit Marinade are so sweet, tender, and succulent. 

These scallops were fresh, meaty, and dry, meaning they weren't soaked in phosphates to help them stay moist. Both kinds of scallops are perfectly fine, but the dry scallops are much easier to brown and develop a crust.

English Granary-Style No Knead Bread

This granary-style no knead bread is a take on a beloved English bread made with a special blend of flours, toasted malted wheat flakes, and barley malt. 

Granary flour is a proprietary product from an English company called Hovis, not available in US stores. The formula in the bread I've made here is an attempt to recreate the multi-grain combination in the Hovis flour.

My Favorite Baked Zucchini Fries

These baked zucchini "fries" are so crispy and light, and are a delicious way to get the kids to eat their veggies. 

This is the time of year when everyone you know who has a vegetable garden is harvesting summer squash of all varieties, especially zucchini. You may even know someone who runs after you waving a giant zucchini with lots of white flesh in the hopes that you will take it off of their hands. Don't turn them down. That giant zucchini is perfect for these "fries."

Mini Cheese Puff Crackers

These mini cheese puff crackers are made from a dough of equal parts flour, cheese, and butter. They are crumbly and cheesy, and are the perfect nibble with a glass of dry white wine. 

It's very hard to stop at just one. They are fabulous straight out of the oven, and pretty much melt in your mouth.

Shrimp and Veggie Summer Rolls

These Shrimp and Veggie Summer Rolls are so fresh and light, and are the perfect appetizer or light dinner. 

Besides shrimp, these summer rolls also include shredded cabbage, carrots, cilantro, Persian cucumbers, and chives.

These are so incredibly easy to make. Just don't tell your guests, because they are also elegant and delicious. All you need are freshly cooked shrimp, fresh vegetables, rice paper wrappers, and a good dipping sauce.

Bread Box Round Up for July 2016

Welcome to the Bread Box Round Up for July 2016, a collection of wonderful loaves, rolls, and flatbreads. 

Each month, I am posting a round up of homemade and artisan breads from around the blogosphere.

If you would like to add your bread to the Bread Box, see the instructions at the end of this post. Send me your breads, flatbreads, pizzas, buns... anything with yeast or sourdough.

To see past round ups, check out the Bread Box Round Up Page.

 Thanks to all who submitted their breads.