As some of you know, my “day job” (because I haven’t yet figured out how to become comfortably wealthy as a full-time blogger…not that it’s all about the money!) is that I work as an editor at Glamour magazine; and today’s post is a happy marriage between my life as as a woman’s magazine editor and my life as a passionate food blogger…
Because this week Glamour has published a new cookbook geared towards the enthusiastic young woman who wants to master some essential new recipes. It’s called 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know: Engagement Chicken and 99 Other Fabulous Dishes To Get You Everything You Want In Life.
Now if you’re not yet familiar with the legend of Engagement Chicken, then I will direct your attention to this helpful little video from the Today Show, which featured the book and our editor in chief earlier this week…CHICKEN VIDEO.
But to summarize: awhile back, a contributor to the magazine gave a recipe for a perfect roasted chicken with lemon to her assistant who was pining for an engagement ring from her boyfriend. The girl made the chicken, he ate it, he realized he needed her to continue making this chicken for him for the rest of their lives, he popped the question, she said yes, bliss ensued.
And since that first chicken, there have been many engagement chickens prepared for many unsuspecting boyfriends and they have universally all found themselves at the Tiffany’s counter the next day.
The new cookbook contains not only the famed chicken recipe but also many others contributed by the magazine’s staff and contributors, including things to make when you had a bad day at work or you’re meeting the in-laws for the first time. I was asked to give one of my favorites as well and I chose my all time favorite pancake recipe: raspberry ricotta pancakes (see recipe to follow), or “I Love You Pancakes” as they have been rechristened.
I also wrote a little something about it HERE on yourtango.com (not a ballroom dancing site, in case you’re wondering).
So if you’re looking for that perfect cookbook gift for a wedding shower/graduation/friend who burns everything she makes, then look no further.
And if you happen to have a perfectly lovely but hapless boyfriend who’s dragging his feet…you know what to do.
Raspberry-Ricotta Pancakes
**Frozen raspberries work well if fresh are not in season**
1. Working over a medium bowl, using a box grater or a microplane, grate the zest from the lemon, being careful not to remove any of the bitter white pith. Cut the zested lemon into wedges and set them aside.
2. Add the raspberries to the bowl with the lemon zest. Stir in 1?3 cup sugar, gently crushing the raspberries with a wooden spoon. Set aside to macerate while making the batter.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, and baking powder. In another bowl, beat the ricotta with the milk and eggs (or see the Glamour Girl Tip below for instructions on how to make the pancakes fluffier by separating the whites and yolks). Add the ricotta mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes. Gently fold in the raspberries with their juices.
4. To cook the pancakes, follow steps 3 through 5 for the classic pancakes recipe on page 35.
5. Serve the finished pancakes with maple syrup and lemon wedges.
1 lemon
1 pint fresh or frozen raspberries (thawed)
1?3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1?4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
11?4 cups milk
4 large eggs
Maple syrup, for serving
glamour girl tip
My Belgian grandma, Mamy, was a brilliant home cook who made everything from sorbet to rabbit stew in her tiny Brussels apartment. She taught me the following make-
