The Eaten Path

 
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Brioche French Toast with Strawberry Cream Cheese and Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote

Chef Kevin Hickey of Seasons at Four Seasons Hotel – Chicago, IL
www.fourseasons.com/chicagofs/
Adapted by StarChefs.com, May 2008

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
    Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote
  • 2 cups sliced strawberries
  • 2 cups peeled and chopped rhubarb
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split

    Brioche French Toast:
  • 12 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 1 cup sliced strawberries
  • 8 slices brioche
  • 12 eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 vanilla beans, split

    To Assemble and Serve:
  • Halved strawberries, for garnish
  • Mint sprigs and leaves, for garnish
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting
Method:

For the Strawberry Rhubarb Compote:
Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan and place over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

For the Brioche French Toast:
Combine cream cheese and strawberries with a spoon until blended (you want some chunks of strawberry to remain in the mixture). Smear cream cheese mixture onto one side of four slices of brioche and top with the remaining slices. In a wide bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla seeds; set aside.

To Assemble and Serve:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Soak French toast in egg mixture for one minute, or until bread has soaked up egg mixture. Brown French toast on both sides in a buttered pan; then bake in oven for five minutes. Use a serrated knife to cut each French toast into four triangles. Arrange toast pieces on a plate, spoon compote into middle, garnish with strawberries and mint, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
 
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Lemon Ricotta Hotcakes

Chef Kevin Hickey of Seasons at Four Seasons Hotel – Chicago, IL
www.fourseasons.com/chicagofs/
Adapted by StarChefs.com, May 2008

Yield: 12 Servings

Ingredients:
    Sour Cherry Preserves:
  • 4 cups frozen sour cherries
  • 1 vanilla bean, spilt
  • 4 cups sugar
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • Zest of 1 lemon

    Lemon-Ricotta Hotcakes:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 14 ounces sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • 6 ounces butter
  • Zest and juice of 11 lemons
  • 3 pounds ricotta cheese
  • 6 eggs

    To Assemble and Serve:
  • 4 ounces butter, or as needed
  • Lemon curd
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting
Method:

For the Sour Cherry Preserves:
Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan and place over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

For the Lemon-Ricotta Hotcakes:
Combine dry ingredients and stir; mix in wet ingredients.

To Assemble and Serve:
Cook pancakes on a griddle with butter. Smear hotcakes with thin layer of lemon curd just before stacking on plate. Spoon sour cherries and sauce over top and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
 
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Sky Full of Bacon is a series of video podcasts from Michael Gebert, author and co-founder of Chicago's LTHForum.com. In these podcasts, he introduces viewers to interesting folks in the world of food.  His goal is "a format which allows for thoughtful conversation, but also offers the sensory satisfactions of great-looking food."  We like it!

http://skyfullofbacon.com/
 
Hi.  Welcome to the blog.  In the future, this will be the place to come to see reviews and photos after each months' brunch.  I will also post restaurant news and brunch-related topics as we go along.  Enjoy!