We first encountered petite stuffed bagels at a trade show, some 10 years ago.

Made by a Canadian company, they were a delight for the eyes. They were not the traditional two halves of a bagel with cream cheese, but a dome shape with cream cheese piped inside.

They tasted the same as a traditional bagel and cream cheese, with a bonus: the dome was more tender, less laboriously chewy than a New York-style bagel.

Sold frozen, we waited for them to come to the U.S. Alas, they never did.

In 2014, Bantam Bagels opened up a shop in Greenwich Village, selling the same idea freshly baked. It expanded to a nationally-distributed frozen business.

A couple of years ago, Nancy’s Petite Stuffed Bagels debuted, also frozen.

Now, King Arthur Flour has teamed with Milk Bar pastry chef Christina Tosi to create a kit version of her Bagel Bombs. King Arthur Flour calls them Stuffed Bagel Buns.

The dome bagels in the kit are stuffed with a cheddar and cream cheese filling and sprinkled with everything bagel topping.

The kit contains everything you need to make them at home. Along with the recipe, you’ll get:

 
The kit is $48.65; you can order it here.

You can check out the recipe for free.
 
>>> THE HISTORY OF BAGELS <<<

King Arthur Flour’s “Stuffed Bagel Buns,” available in a baking kit (photos courtesy King Arthur Flour).

[1] Spring asparagus can be served at every meal of the day (photo courtesy Good Eggs).

[2] Growing asparagus. It’s very labor intensive and back-breaking: The spears need to be cut by hand (photo courtesy Australian Asparagus Council).

[3] Simple but elegant: a grilled rack of asparagus (photo courtesy California Asparagus Commission).

In the U.S., asparagus is a spring vegetable. When you see it in other seasons, it is imported from abroad.

California asparagus is bursting onto the market. Low in calories—just three calories per medium spear—it is full of nutrients and contains no fat or cholesterol.

Asparagus is versatile to serve with about anything:

 
We have 20 recipes below for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Here’s the history of asparagus.
 

BUYING ASPARAGUS

Our friends at Good Eggs, a gourmet grocer in the San Francisco Bay area, point out that different widths of asparagus work best with particular recipes.

 
 
COOKING ASPARAGUS

Boiled Asparagus: Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil, then gently tip in your prepped asparagus. Boil for 2 minutes or until the asparagus are bright green and al dente. Take them out and lay it in a single layer to cool. Top with chopped hard boiled eggs and herbs for a light lunch, or puree with a little green garlic for a simple pasta sauce.

Grilled Asparagus: Asparagus will slip through the grill if you don’t use a vegetable basket or skewers. We actually like the skewer technique, which creates a rack of asparagus. Simply skewer four or five medium or thick asparagus together, brush with olive oil, season to taste, and cook on a hot, preheated grill Preheat grill for high heat for 2-3 minutes per side (depending on thickness), or to desired tenderness.

Before you add the oil, however, use the ice bath technique described above. When the asparagus come off the grill, they’ll be moist and crisp.

Raw Asparagus: After trimming, use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin below the spear. We like to slice it thinly on an angle to create ovals, to add to salads and grain bowls, but you can also peel it into delicious ribbons. Reserve the tips of the asparagus and mix them in with the rest!

Roasted Asparagus: Heat the oven to 400°. Toss prepped asparagus on a parchment-lined baking sheet with a glug of olive oil and a large pinch of salt and roast for 5 minutes or so—until crisped at the tips and slightly browned.

Steamed Asparagus: Simply steamed fresh asparagus at peak flavor is so delicious, we find it needs no embellishment—no salt, balsamic drizzle, butter, lemon juice or other seasoning beyond a pinch of salt. It requires just a quick visit to the vegetable steamer (or microwave) to be ready to eat. (Note: While some people love it, we think that a vertical asparagus steamer is a waste of space.)

But if you do have a bottle of balsamic glaze or balsamic cream, bring it out!

Enjoy asparagus every meal of the day!
 
Breakfast & Brunch

 
Lunch

 
Cocktails & Snacks

 
Dinner

 
First Courses & Sides

Sponge cake is a light and airy cake with no fat, traditional flour or leavening. The rise comes from beating air into egg whites.

Here’s the history of sponge cake.

The Jewish-style sponge cake—a Passover mainstay because it has no leavening—is not the same as génoise.

Sponge cake is a delight year-round, but is not the only type of sponge cake.
 
Check out the following, and plan ahead for National Sponge Cake Day, August 23rd.

PARTY IDEA: Get your friends-who-bake together and have a tasting of all of these for National Sponge Cake Day.
 
 
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPONGE CAKE

 
 
RECIPE: PASSOVER/JEWISH SPONGE CAKE

This recipe is from our mom. Although she is no longer here to bake it, she would be pleased if you did.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 325°F. Separate the egg yolks from the whites, being sure not to get a single drop of yolk mixed into the whites (otherwise the cake will not rise properly).

2. BEAT the yolks; then add the sugar, lemon and orange juices.

3. SIFT the matzoh meal and potato starch together, then add to the yolks. Using a clean bowl and beaters with no trace of the other ingredients…

4. BEAT the egg whites with a dash of salt in a large bowl, until they are fluffy and stiff (the peaks should separate from the sides of the bowl). Fold in the yolk mixture a bit at a time. Pour into an un-greased tube pan (photo #3) and bake for 50 minutes.

5. TURN the pan upside down to cool. Be sure the top of the cake does not touch the surface, or it will mash in.
 
 
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SPONGE CAKE

Mom served this cake as a strawberry shortcake, with whipped cream, berries and the sponge instead of biscuits.

This cake is so versatile that you can serve plain, fancy or in-between.

Mix and match as you like:

 
 
>>>CHECK OUT OTHER CAKES IN OUR CAKE GLOSSARY<<<

[2] Fraisier, a “strawberry shortcake” made with genoise (photo courtesy G Bakes).

[3] Jewish-style sponge cake (photo courtesy Chicago Metallic Bakeware).

[4] In addition to other uses, ladyfingers are an ingredient in tiramisu (photo of tiramisu cake courtesy Mackenzie Ltd).

[5] Pan di spagna. The name is often used synonymously with a genoese sponge, but there is a difference (see bullet point). Here’s the recipe from Easy As Apple Pie.

[6] A Victoria sponge or sandwich comprises two sponge layers filled with jam and buttercream, popular at tea time (photo Primo.co.uk).

[1] Otra Vez is a gose-style beer from Sierra Nevada (both photos courtesy Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.).

[2] Sierra Nevada’s Session IPA.

April 7th is National Beer Day. If you’re a beer drinker, you likely have your favorite style(s).

But what’s trending in beer?

Here it is, adapted from Flavor & The Menu for the facts.

There are four emerging beer styles in the U.S. (and more new styles are always under development).
 
BELGIAN-STYLE IPA

IPA originated in England centuries ago, an extra-hopped beer created to make the long ocean voyage to the British residents of India. Over the past few years IPA has surged in popularity in the U.S.

This sub-variety is fermented with Belgian yeast. The result is a fruity and bitter style, malty and with textural richness.

It has what is called “the characteristic funk of Belgian yeast,” with the floral aromatics of the hops.

GOSE

An old German beer style, Gose is an unfiltered beer made with lots of malted wheat.

A cloudy brew with moderate alcohol and a refreshing crispness, it’s less bitter than many other styles: dry and tangy from the addition of coriander seeds and salt.

Like fruit beer? As with Berliner Weisse beers, a Gose can be served with fruit or herb syrups.
 
SESSION IPA

“Sessionable” beers are those with moderate levels of alcohol. These are made to be easier to quaff (i.e., less alcohol means you can drink more without “effect”).

The increased popularity of hoppy pale ales has led to the creation low-potency session ales that are 3% to 4% ABV, and have more aroma and flavor from hops. Some are brewed to be less bitter, as well.
 
SOUR BEER

Sour beers are an ancient style, with a flavor profile ranging from a gentle tang to a powerful dry astringency—more like Champagne than beer.

The brews use added or naturally occurring yeasts. Ready for some horse blanket?
 
 
BEER TRIVIA: Beer is the third most consumed beverage in the world, after water and tea.
 
 
>>>CHECK OUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BEER IN OUR BEER GLOSSARY.<<<

Flavor & The Menu, a magazine and website for chefs that reports on food trends, has recommended a new one: breakfast pizza.

You may have encountered breakfast pizza, but it’s far from ubiquitous.

“The explosive growth of fast casual [dining] has helped elevate pizza to new heights and has kept this exciting category on fire,” says the magazine.

“Consumer acceptance of new flavors, textures, forms and … dayparts [times of the day] has expanded the menu opportunities for pizza even further.”

What does the publication find in the breakfast pizza category?

Look not just to breakfast, but to brunch favorites.
 
 
IDEAS FOR BREAKFAST PIZZA

Here are some ideas, but what do you like for breakfast? Make your own breakfast-centric pizza creations.

 
Plus, the basics, with eggs of choice—or no eggs, if that’s your choice:

[1] Bacon and egg pizza. Here’s the recipe from Damn Delicious. If you don’t want bacon, how about sliced, roasted fingerling potatoes and chives? Or salmon caviar?

[2] Scrambled egg pizza with cheddar and chives. Here’s the recipe from Clean Eats Fast Feets.

 
Bon appétit!