Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes with Peach Jam

The combination of lemon and poppy seeds is such a classic. And somehow, it makes every recipe it touches just a little bit better.

Maybe it's the brightness of the lemon
Or maybe it's the crunch of the poppy seeds.
Either way, it's a combination made in heaven.

These pancakes capture everything that's great about lemon poppy seed muffins or cake -- and bring it all to the breakfast table. They're tender and light, and if you use a bit of butter to cook them, you'll get those amazing ever-so-slightly crisp edges.

Most recipes for lemon poppy seed pancakes call for buttermilk. But you shouldn't worry if you don't have any on hand -- since you're using lemon juice in the recipe, you can just use regular milk for the pancakes, and everything will come out just fine (after all, you can make buttermilk substitute by mixing a bit of lemon juice with milk...).

And, while these pancakes are great with maple syrup, they really shine when matched with peach jam -- something I found out this morning when we whipped up a batch for breakfast.

Back in July, I found myself the happy recipient of two cases of Georgia peaches. I put some away in
the freezer for smoothies. But, I also managed to preserve about half of them -- in the form of peach mostarda and rosemary peach jam.

The rosemary peach jam was a stellar match for these pancakes, which are redolent with lemon flavor and crunchy poppyseeds.

Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

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Weekend Copycat Brunch: Breakfast Poutine

I owe a great deal of my home cooking inspiration to social media. Take for instance, the post from Milwaukee's Goodkind restaurant I ran across last weekend on Instagram.

💥 HELLO BREAKFAST POUTINE. French Fries | Trippe Sausage Gravy | Arugula | Goat Cheese Curds | Egg. GET INTO IT. 💥@goodkindbayview #goodmorning #brunch #summer #eatwelldrinkwell

A photo posted by goodkind (@goodkindbayview) on Jul 12, 2015 at 8:59am PDT

My first instinct was: "Whoa. I’ve got to get there and eat THAT."  

But, a quick look in my wallet told me that staying home was the more prudent thing to do (after all, it’s not like I would stop with poutine; I’d have to get one of their great brunch cocktails and then…)

I’ve made an occasional habit of recreating restaurant dishes at home. And I’ve had pretty good luck with both the artichoke a la mode pizza from Pizza Man (I was suffering from withdrawalwhen the original restaurant burned down) and the Stendler burrito from Comet Cafe (which is the best way -- ever -- to use up leftover corned beef).

Most recently, I replicated the salted honey pie from Honepie Cafe -- mainly because they don’t put it on their menu half as often as I’d like (OMG, so good).

So, I looked around my kitchen to see what ingredients I had on hand... [Keep Reading]

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Our Best Mac: Throwbacks for #‎NationalMacandCheeseDay‬

There are only a few things in the world that make us stop everything and pay homage. But, National Mac & Cheese Day is definitely one.

After all, how can you resist the ooey gooey goodness of a beautiful bowl of noodles smothered in delicious cheese?

We certainly can't.  And if you're looking for inspiration for tonight's dinner,  we're hoping one of these recipes might provide some cheesy, gooey inspiration.

Moussaka Mac & Cheese

If you love moussaka, you'll love this mac & cheese hybrid featuring layers of delicious eggplant, lamb and cheesy noodle goodness.

Benedictine Mac & Cheese with Caramelized Onions & Rosemary

There's nothing like a mac & cheese that's chock-full of slowly caramelized onions and rosemary. If you can't find Benedictine cheese, substitute another full-flavored variety in its place.

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni & Cheese

All the classic flavors of Buffalo Chicken right here in a mac & cheese. You know you want it. Recipe easily converts to a gluten free version.

Got a favorite mac & cheese recipe to share?
We'd love to hear about it!


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Today Everything Changes: An Homage to 15 Years at Marquette University

Today, everything changes.

I'm leaving my career of fifteen years at Marquette University and moving on to start a new chapter

MU photo from 10-12 years ago.

My office

My mantra.

Me now.

as a full-time food & dining writer for OnMilwaukee.com.

It's a bittersweet transition. I'm so very exciting to start down this new and exciting path where my passions for food and writing intersect. 

But, I'm also feeling ALL the feelings when it comes to leaving a career that has made the difference for me in so many ways.

So, here's a little homage to the past decade-and-a-half, including some secrets I'm not sure many people know about me.

15 Things About My Career at Marquette University:

1. In 1999, when Dr. William Pink called to offer me the job, he asked me (in a very charming British accent): "Are you interested? You know, you're very over-qualified."
2. My hiring salary was $23K, a whopping $5K more than my prior position with an area non-profit.
3. 15 years ago, parking on the Marquette campus cost full-time employees $58/month. Today it costs $63.
4. A week after being hired at Marquette, I got a job offer from Cardinal Stritch University.
5. Although I maintained a professional façade while she worked for me, I eventually became good friends with my very first student worker, who was just a few years younger than I was. Still so glad I met you Caitie!
6. For the first number of years, I kept my personal life very separate from my work life. This point is illustrated by a scenario around 2005 when a colleague I worked with asked me if I had children.
7. I was once (accidentally) locked in a stairwell of the Schroeder Health & Education Complex. On a weekend. Before I owned a cell phone. Yes, it was scary.
8. Confession: I once peeked at Scott Walker’s transcripts.
9. In the early 2000’s, I completed course-work for Marquette’s post-baccalaureate teaching certification program in secondary English (electing to stay at Marquette, rather than leave my job to student teach)
10. Subsequently, I was also admitted to master’s programs in both English and communications.
11. I built the first web site ever presented to NCATE (the National Council for Teacher Education) as part of a university accreditation visit.
12. I spent many years frustrated by the hierarchy inherent in the university environment, often finding myself feeling “less than.” Working for Dr. Bob Lowe was a game-changer; he taught me to recognize the power I had.
13. I once received a $15K raise. And an office with a window (gonna miss that office).
14. In 2010, my passion for food and writing was outed to the Marquette community in an article by Tim Cigelske for Marquette Matters featuring myself and Dax Phillips and our secret lives as food bloggers.
15. My position at MU saved us on at least three occasions -- in 2003 and 2008, but even as recently as 2014. And I'll always be grateful for the stability it provided.

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4 Recipes In Honor of #InternationalWaffleDay

It's International Waffle Day.  So, there's no better time to think about... waffles. And, lest you think they're just for breakfast, we'd like to help to change your mind.

If you're a fan, you definitely want to check out these recipes.

Cornmeal Waffles
Let's start off with the basics -- a good solid waffle. These cornmeal waffles are light. And crisp. And flavorful. And the cornmeal gives them just the right amount of "oomph" to push them right past "good" and so far into "fabulous" that we have to just take a moment, right now, to reflect.

Fried Chicken & Waffle Sandwich
This beauty was inspired by a sandwich we sampled at Roots Restaurant & Cellar in Milwaukee. We took hot sauce-infused cornmeal waffles and sidled them up right against pieces of fried chicken, which we topped with finely shredded kale tossed with a deliciously refreshing dill ranch dressing. Another waffle on top, and all of a sudden we had a pretty spectacular waffle sandwich.

Fried Chicken & Waffles

When you combine leftover fried chicken with waffles and mushroom milk gravy, it's a match made in heaven. 

Waffle Brownie Sundaes
Yeah. Waffles for dessert. It's a thing. And it's one of the best things you've ever tried.These unique brownies take just minutes to prepare in your waffle iron, and they’re perfect served up fresh and warm with a dollop of ice cream and any number of your favorite sundae toppings.

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Chicken Apple Meatballs with Bourbon Sauce

We're not here to sell anything.
Nor are we here to tell you what to eat.

OK -- maybe take that last part back. We are totally here to tell you what to eat. And these meatballs are it.

Tender. Savory. And Bourbon!
What more do you need to hear?

I could sell you on the fact that grated apples add both moisture and a bit of flavor to the meatballs, ensuring they aren't dry.

If I tell you they are brushed with butter and baked, does that make them additionally tempting?

AND they have cheese in them!  Cheese, people. Delicious Parmesan cheese.

What if I told you they keep nicely in a crockpot and are perfect for parties? Like your SuperBowl party?

Still not convinced?
Wow. I'm not sure we can be friends.

After all, I could eat a whole batch of these by myself.  And maybe I will.

Recipe:  Chicken Apple Meatballs with Bourbon Sauce

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Best of Burp! Top 5 Posts of 2014

It's become a tradition for me to sit down for an hour or two, after the new year dawns, and glance through posts from the last year.  It's a good way to review where we've been and start to think about where we'll go in the new year.

This year was tough. We were busy with our new business, and there were times when our posts were few and far between.  But, as I looked over posts from the last year, I'm both amazed and grateful to see how many of you kept on coming back to see what we were up to.

So, as I lift my glass to 2015, I also lift my glass to YOU, readers. Thank you for sticking with us, sharing your ideas, and making Burp! what it is!

Best of the Burp! Blog 2014
These are the posts you came back to again and again, in reverse order of popularity.

#5
Preserved Lemons and Six Great Ways to Use Them

#4
Bloody Mary Brunch Burgers

#3
Salted Honey Pie

#2
Pomegranate Cheese Ball

#1
S'mores Brownies

Share in the Comments

As always, we're always listening and open to your feedback.  What was YOUR favorite post? What would you like to see more of in 2015?



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