Author Archives: Kirsten Vala Fong

Classic Cornbread Recipe

When Geoff says “chili,” I say “cornbread!” There’s nothing better with spicy, savory chili than a big hunk of soft, sweet cornbread. For our last game-day chili dinner, I went for a classic, no-frills cornbread, quick and simple.

I used to use box mixes to make cornbread all the time, but I don’t really know why, since recipes like this are pretty much just as easy as any mix would be. Even though I’m sure I’ll be experimenting with more embellished cornbreads in the future – sweeter, cheesier, cast-iron-baked – I’m glad to have this stand-by recipe in my back pocket, for days when I just want some cornbread, and fast!

And even after chili night is over, I love nibbling on cornbread topped with jam or honey for breakfast, an afternoon snack or even dessert. You just can’t go wrong. Continue reading →

A Pre-Thanksgiving Mushroom, Leek and Hazelnut Stuffing

I love stuffing (or “dressing,” as it’s technically called when cooked outside of a bird). It’s like a savory bread pudding, moist and tender on the inside with a crunchy, buttery top and nuggets of flavor tucked within. This time of year, when I’m flipping through turkey-focused food magazines and debating what recipes are going to make it onto my Thanksgiving menu, I always make a stuffing or two for weeknight dinners. Served with a big salad, or better yet, a roast chicken and a salad, it’s like having a mini-Thanksgiving starring my favorite dish. Devine!
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Oatmeal-Walnut Waffles (With Chocolate Chips for my Sweetie)

I’m happy to report that I’ve survived another pumpkin season, working at my family’s business Vala’s Pumpkin Patch in Gretna, Nebraska! One of the most fun things we did at the pumpkin patch this year was to host a pancake breakfast every Saturday in October. My sisters and I had to report to the farm bakery at 7am sharp, prep pancake batter, bacon and coffee for around 100 people and hope we could keep up with the flipping and serving. This event was a labor of love really – it was our Grandpa Ernie’s idea, back in the day, and we’re using our Grandpa Chuck’s from-scratch Buttermilk Pancake recipe, and well… our family just loves good pancakes, and we had fun sharing this passion with early-bird farm guests.

So naturally, my first Saturday morning back in Boston, reunited with my sweetie pie, I decided to switch up my delicious routine a bit (but not too much) and make waffles. I really like oatmeal waffles and pancakes because you get the extra texture and heartiness from the oats. I also added walnuts and a handful of mini chocolate chips to the batter (Geoff always requests chocolate chips in his pancakes). And mmm-mmm, these were just what we needed to kick the weekend off right. I may not have to whip up pancakes for 100 anymore (until next year!) but I’m happy to keep the Saturday morning pancake/waffle tradition going at the Fong house. Continue reading →

Salsa Verde: Feels Like Summer!

There’s nothing like a big bowl of herbs, mixed with tangy gherkins and salty capers, to make you feel like summer is here. G has made this salsa verde for me for years, an old-school Jamie Oliver stand-by from The Naked Chef (Jamie’s first cookbook and G’s favorite). You really can’t go wrong with this salsa, whether you’re serving it with steak, chicken, fish, or veggies — it makes anything and everything on your dinner plate pop with fantastic flavor. Continue reading →

Happy Doughnut Day: Old-Fashioned Doughnuts

Finally, a blog post about doughnuts! First of all, happy National Doughnut Day. You wouldn’t know it to look through my past blog entries (although the title of this blog gives it away), but doughnuts are my absolute favorite indulgence. And, as it happens, it has been quite a wonderful doughnut year for me.

Along with a couple other very important roles I fill at my parents’ business, Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, I am also the Chief Donut Maker (CDM?). Last September and October I woke up before dawn most mornings, trudged down to the farm and warmed up by the doughnut fryer, peeling off layers of clothing as the hot oil warmed up the barn where I worked. By 9am, when the pick-your-own farm opens up for eager families and children, I had delivered hot donuts to (ahhem) Kirsten’s Coffee House. Did I mention I also love coffee?

Apple Cider Doughnuts at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch

So naturally, during the off-season, my job is to scout out, search out and try out the best doughnuts around, all in the name of research. It’s a dream job, even if it is tough on the waistline.

When I got the chance to travel to Seattle in February, I was thrilled to visit the famous Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts. Small doughnut shops are the best, but this one hit it big time when their popularity in coffee-obsessed Seattle grew and grew. Now they’re super successful and, amazingly, they make doughnuts for Starbucks stores everywhere.

And their store did not disappoint – Top Pot Doughnuts is a doughnut lover’s paradise. I was overwhelmed, ate far too many doughnuts, drank a ton of excellent coffee and was completely happy the rest of the day.

I use their coookbook, Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts: Secrets and Recipes for the Home Baker as my doughnut-making bible. If you have a chance, check out this little essay about the making of the cookbook (how freelance writer Jess Thomson tested 50 doughnut recipes in 5 weeks!) – Tales from the Doughnut Queen.

Make sure to sample a piece of doughnut after your first batch, to make sure it’s cooked just right.

My favorite type of doughnut is the classic, simple old-fashioned cake doughnut. This one adapted from Top Pot, is made with sour cream, for extra flavor and moistness. It’s also fried at a lower temperature than most doughnuts, which causes the characteristic cracks and crevices. Give it a try for national doughnut day!

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On the Road: Homemade Granola Bars

I’ve watched enough food documentaries to be anti fast food. But in the midst of hectic travel days, with my tummy rumbling, airport fast food places always suck me in with the promise of a quick food fix. It’s sad really. So, inspired by a few recent blog posts (which I pinned for future reference), I decided to bake a batch of nutritious, homemade granola bars for traveling.
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Whole Wheat Pancake Recipe for Two

My Mom doesn’t really enjoy cooking, but she always makes pancakes. Maybe that’s why all the sights and smells of pancakes cooking – an electric griddle sizzling with oil as it pre-heats, scoops of delicate globby batter (don’t overmix!), the pancakes lightly frying as batter touches griddle – they all envelop me in a comforting blanket of childhood, with memories of loving, sweet mornings with family.

But even if I’d like to pretend that pancakes made with love and caring and lots of heart have to be calorie-free, I crave them way too often to turn a blind eye towards nutrition. For my little family, just G and me, I make a small batch of Whole Wheat Pancakes that really hits the spot. The whole grains give the pancakes a hearty, wholesome texture and flavor. And to cut down on sugar I serve them with yogurt and preserves (usually lingonberry preserves, if I have them), along with pure maple syrup.
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Cauliflower Curry Dinner

Mmmm, curry. . . I’m pretty sure I have a curry addiction. Sometimes I just crave it, and then, nothing satisfies me more than reaching deep into my spice cabinet for mustard seeds, turmeric and fenugreek seeds, and whipping up homemade Indian food like a pro. And recently, I was thrilled to discover a local Asian market that carries fresh curry leaves. There’s nothing better!

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Family Recipe: Lemon Bars

Me: Which cookbook is the recipe in?
Grandpa: [hesitates. . . then very clearly] Yes, you may have the recipe.
Me: [confused] But what cookbook is it in?
Grandpa: [shakes his head and smiles] This always happens!

Of all the cookbooks in Grandma Hazel’s old collection, this unfortunately titled one, “Yes, you may have the recipe,” is the most marked-up and well-use. This cute little cookbook was self-published by Chicago author Maria Baker in 1981, and Grandma had the third printing which came out in 1983. At that time my Grandma and Grandpa were living in the Chicago area, so Grandma must have bumped into it somewhere locally and started cooking from it regularly.

Lemon bars are a classic American sweet which became popular in the 1970’s. With a crumbly shortbread cookie crust and a tangy, rich lemon topping, they’re especially popular for Easter and Mother’s Day celebrations (although they’re so delicious and easy, you can bake them year-round). Some variations have you make a lemon topping that’s a custard or a curd, but I think Grandma Hazel’s version is the most pure and simple style of lemon bar – it doesn’t use cream or butter, just egg, sugar, flour, baking powder and lemon juice.