Chocolate Matcha Babka A.K.A. Cake for Breakfast

I was inspired to bake babka because of the Seinfeld episode, The Dinner Party. In the episode, the gang is going to a dinner party, and Jerry and Elaine are attempting to purchase a chocolate babka to bring.  When the bakery runs out of chocolate, they are forced to purchase cinnamon, which, according to Elaine, is the lesser babka.  Jerry disagrees, stating that “cinnamon takes a backseat to no babka.”

So, being tempted by this debate, I had to have a taste-off.  But first, I had to find out what the heck babka is.

How To Shape a Babka

Making babka? Don’t be afraid! Here is how to shape it so it looks beautifully swirly:

Recipe Duo: Lemon Orzo with Tomato & Asparagus

I love a good pasta salad, and this one is is a favorite of mine. There are a ton of variations of this particular salad floating around the food blogs, but the basic ingredients are orzo, grape tomatoes, asparagus, and lemon.  I add arugula for extra volume and a bitter bite.  But even though it is simple, this salad is special.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Pancakes with Brown Butter Apples

As you may remember, John and I like to make a big breakfast on Saturday mornings.  We take this first weekend morning as an excuse to wake up late (7:00 am instead of 5:00), drink coffee in bed, and take some time to make a more time-consuming breakfast dish. This is our lazy time before our Saturday workouts. This week, we decided, was a pancake week.

Recipe Duo: Great Grapes!

As part of my healthy eating plan, I pledged to eat fruit every day.  Surprisingly, I’m not a huge fruit fan, unless they are the more exotic fruits that my grandmother has lovingly plucked from the fridge, prepared, and presented to me on a cutting board in the middle of her coffee table.  Then, I love them, but most fruit from the grocery store is not as appealing.  I do, however, hold a few common fruits in high regard, grapes being one of them. Red grapes are amazing little fruits.  They are full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, plus they taste delicious and are much more versatile than you may think!