No Worries

As I was posting the cookbook section to this blog, I was reminded of my trip to New Zealand.

My friend Susie and I joined a tour that included a stay in a private home near Christchurch. Our host, Graem, picked us up in his 1960 Armstrong Siddeley Star Sapphire and drove us to his estate for the evening. This was a planned event on our itinerary, so luckily, I remembered to pack a hostess gift. As a token of my appreciation I gave them a North Carolina Bed & Breakfast Cookbook.

No worries. Sue and Graem didn't need it. Accomplished cooks in their own right, they served us the most wonderful dinner. Roasted lamb with root vegetables and broccoli. For dessert, Pavlova baked to perfection! It was the traditional New Zealand meal, one that I'll always remember on this cold winter night in August.

After returning home from the trip, I went to catch up on my emails. On it was a request for information from my previous hostess, Sue. She'd been reading the cookbook and found a recipe she liked, but had a question, "How much is a stick of butter?"

Isn't it funny how we take things like this for granted. It never occurred to me that a stick of butter wasn't a universal measurement.

Again, No Worries! I provided the needed information and hopefully averted a baking disaster. Below is the recipe in question. It appears on page 81:

Macadamia Nut French Toast

1 (16-ounce) loaf Italian Bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices

4 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg plus extra, for garnish

2/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 stick (1/2 cup!) plus 3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup copped macadamia nuts

Powdered sugar, for garnish

Maple syrup, for serving

Fit bread in a single layer in a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking pan. Mix eggs, sugar, nutmeg, orange juice, milk and vanilla; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning bread once.

The next day, preheat oven to 400. Pour butter in a 15x10-inch jellyroll pan. Place bread in a single on top of butter. Bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with nuts and bake for 10 minutes more. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and nutmeg, if desired. Serve immediately with maple syrup.

Footnote: This cookbook is a great reference tool, as well. Not only is it a great cookbook, but a description of the featured inns accompany each recipe,