Just when I thought I had popped my last popover for a while, along came Roberta’s popovers at Irma’s Finland House.
On Saturday my biking partners and I rode the steep hills and curves of the Mesabi Trail in Northeastern Minnesota. We parked the car in Buhl and pedaled about 16 miles to Virginia. That’s where we left the trail and wound our way through the streets of Virginia to get to Irma’s Finland House. I guess you could say Irma’s is a gift shop and kitchen store rolled into one. The simplicity and beauty of the Finnish iitalla dinnerware displayed on their shelves always sends me into the "I want that" mode. And once I enter the room loaded with gadgets, bakeware and tools that every person who loves to be in the kitchen dreams of, I become a kid in a candy store. I want everything. It was my bike that saved me this time, though. Next time I’ll take the car so I have a trunk to fill up with purchases.
The other thing you need to know about Irma’s is that each time I’ve visited the store, there are foods to sample in the "kitchen room." On Saturday there were delicious preserves that are available in the store to buy. And to hold the preserves? Irma’s Finland House employee, Roberta Felegy, had baked popovers from scratch. Chunks of the fresh popovers were arranged on a plate. They were an hour out of the oven and still tasted wonderful.
I met Roberta three or four years ago. We both love to cook, we both love to eat and we both teach cooking classes. I immediately bonded with Roberta.
Those of you who read my newspaper column know that I recently wrote about my experience making popovers. It seems I’ve had many more flops than pops. I asked Roberta to share her popover secrets. After all, these popovers still looked beautiful and tasted delicious and had been out of the oven for an hour. How can this be? And not only that, these popovers had some whole wheat flour in them. I would never consider adding heavy whole wheat flour to my popovers. For sure they would flop. Roberta said she’s never had a popover flop.
I expected Roberta to reveal a very unexpected tip. Maybe mix the batter a week before baking. Maybe use only organic milk and eggs. Or maybe she used a cast-iron popover pan.
Well, all I can do is share the recipe she gave me. She has no secrets. But maybe her best tip is one she didn’t mention but one that I gleaned from her as I listened to her talk about her freshly-baked popovers — just relax. Mix the batter and bake the popovers.
I plan to try the recipe this week. Let me know how they turn out when you try this popover recipe.
I’m expecting one more big pop in my kitchen this week. Then, my body needs to lay off the popovers for a while.

Roberta’s Popovers That Always Pop

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, or 3/4 cup all purpose flour and 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup milk (Roberta says it doesn’t matter what kind of milk you use. The ones I tasted that day were made with 1% milk)
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter

Start preheating oven to 425 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. When the oven is preheated, turn it down to 400 degrees. Coat popover pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place the empty pan in the oven to preheat. (I will probably preheat the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.) Remove the pan from the oven and add batter to each one. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Leaving the popovers in the oven, turn the temperature down to 350 degrees and bake 20 minutes more. Use a paring knife to poke a hole in the side of each popover. Turn the oven off but leave the popovers in the pan in the oven for 5 more minutes.

Note: If you’re ever in Virginia, Minnesota, stop in at Irma’s Finland House located at 625 9th Street North. The phone number is 218-741-0204. Be sure to say hi to Roberta.

I’ve had a box of Udon noodles in my pantry for quite some time. Pronounced oo-don,these Japanese noodles are thick and flat, similar to linguine. The 8-ounce box I used was Eden Organic and made of organic whole grain durum wheat, water and sea salt. I decided to unite the udon pasta with the last bag of fresh-from-the-farmers’-market sugar snap peas still in my refrigerator, some baby spinach leaves, red and yellow peppers and the shrimp in my freezer that I had just picked up at Morey’s Seafood Market a few days ago.
The directions on the box of udon directed me to cook the noodles for 10 to 12 minutes. I found, though, that 5 minutes of boiling time was plenty. The noodles were just al dente and I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about them disintegrating in the wok during the stir-frying.
I tossed the sugar snap peas into a pot of boiling water and let them cook for about 10 to 30 seconds. Then I quickly scooped them out of the pot and placed them into an icy bath to stop the cooking. After a short stint in the ice water, I trimmed the sugar snaps by grabbing the stem end with a paring knife and pulling it away with the string that runs down the side seam of the pods. This made it easier to split the pods open. For this dish that I would prepare stir-fry style, I wanted the little bright green peas all by themselves. I didn’t want to use the edible pods. The peas slid easily out of their jackets when I split one of the side seams open.
I cooked the udon noodles in the same pot of water the peas had visited for a very short time. When they were just al dente (about 5 minutes) I used my long-handled silicon-tipped tongs to transfer them from the boiling water to an ice-and-water bath, the same one that had shocked the peas. When the noodles were cool, I drained them using a colander.
Lots of peppers, peas and spinach offer loads of vitamins and nutrients, making this a very healthful meal.
If you don’t have to count the vegetable-chopping time and the pea-shelling time, the meal is done in just minutes.
I had a little bottle of sake which is why I decided to use it to add some wonderful flavor to the stir-fry. You could substitute dry sherry or white wine if you don’t want to get sake.
Making stir-fry is a little like making soup. You can toss in just about anything uhave in your refrigerator or pantry. But umust try the udon noodles. U-yum. (Sorry, just had to do it!)

Stir-Fried Udon Noodles with Peas, Please
1 pound fresh sugar snap peas
1 (8-ounce) package udon noodles
4 large cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili paste
1/2 of a large sweet red bell pepper, cut into julienne strips
1/2 of a large sweet yellow bell pepper, cut into julienne strips
8 ounces raw tiger shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 bunch green onions, trimmed, sliced diagonally
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons sake
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add sugar snap peas and let them cook for 10 to 30 seconds. Use a hand-style strainer to transfer to peas to a bowl of ice and water. When they are cool enough to handle, transfer to a bowl with a hand-held strainer.
Add the udon noodles to the boiling water. Cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Use long-handled tongs to transfer the noodles to the ice and water bath. When they are cool, drain in a colander. Set aside.
Split the pea pods and remove the peas. Discard the pods. You should have about 1 cup of peas.
In a small bowl, mix 3 cloves of garlic, minced, sugar, soy sauce, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil and chili paste. Set aside.
When all the vegetables are prepared heat an electric wok to 375 degrees or heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
When the wok is hot, pour canola oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil around the top, allowing the oils to run down the inside of the wok. Let the oil get hot. Add peppers and 1 clove garlic, minced. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add peas and shrimp. Stir fry until shrimp begins to turn pink. Add green onions, spinach and sake. When spinach is just beginning to wilt, add udon noodles and stir fry until noodles are heated through and spinach is wilted. Serves 4 to 6.

If you can’t get udon noodles, you could use linguine. Try a whole wheat variety.

The first time I ever made caramel sauce from scratch, it was absolutely exquisite. The sugar had darkened to just the right point, only moments before burning. The sauce was smooth, creamy and rich. It must have been beginner’s luck. Since that first time, I’ve had just as many failures as successes when attempting to make caramel sauce.
The second time I made the same caramel sauce I was planning to serve it to friends I’d invited over for lunch. The sugar cooked just a few moments too long, and the sauce tasted burned.
I’m sure with practice I could learn to identify the point at which to add the butter and cream to the caramelizing sugar in the pan. Not only is it tricky to make, perfect homemade caramel sauce takes a lot of time. It can take sugar 30 to 40 minutes to turn to a brown liquid.
When I was a student at Tante Marie’s Cooking School in San Francisco, we made homemade vanilla bean ice cream and two divine sauces for topping the ice cream. Preparation of the caramel sauce was assigned to two of the students in my class. Whew. I was relieved I didn’t have to make it, but then, maybe if I had I’d feel more confident making it at home in my own kitchen. Under the guiding eye of Mary Risley (founder of Tante Marie’s Cooking School and our teacher) the students created a deliciously rich caramel sauce.
So, sometimes I turn to the caramel sauce for cheaters. It’s still homemade, but it doesn’t have the sophistication or the depth of flavor that the real (homemade caramel sauce) deal has. But, in a pinch, it’s great. And it only takes 5 to 10 minutes to make. No waiting for the sugar to turn to a brown liquid. No need to watch it like a hawk to avoid burning the sugar. This Caramel Sauce is quick and easy and pretty tasty.
I love it drizzled over a warm wedge of Country-Style Plum, Peach and Almond Tart that I talk about in this week’s newspaper column. I like to add a little grated orange zest to the Caramel Sauce when I serve it with the Tart. Add a little dollop of sweetened whipped cream on the side. It’s also good drizzled over crepes that are filled with sliced bananas. Sprinkle some pecans over the whole plate. Oh, don’t forget ice cream. This Caramel Sauce is also ideal for cinnamon rolls to bake in. Just pour some sauce in the baking pan before laying the unbaked cinnamon rolls on top of the caramel sauce. Once out of the oven, flip the rolls out onto a large platter and watch that caramel sauce ooze over all the rolls.
Leftover Caramel Sauce stores well in a jar in the refrigerator for a week. Let us all know how you’d use the sauce by posting a comment at the end of this entry.

Caramel Sauce

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir over Medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is bubbling. Remove pan from heat. Stir in whipping cream and vanilla. Makes about 1 cup.

Chocolate. Coffee. Cream. Together.
That’s Mocha Log. It’s a dessert I rarely make, but when I do, each bite is pure comfort. It takes me back to my childhood days when I would sneak little sips from my grandma’s coffee cup. It was so full of cream. They were flavors that I thought only grown-ups could enjoy. My grandma knew very well that I was taking quick tastes from her coffee cup when she’d turn to the stove to mind the breakfast she was making. She just pretended not to see me.
Mocha Log came into my life when I was only about 12 years old while on a visit with my parents to the home of family friends. I was already a hopeless chocoholic. When I was introduced to chocolate paired with coffee and cream, I thought it was the best thing I had ever tasted.
Even at that young age I was already collecting recipes. I got the recipe for Mocha Log that same evening.
The thin chocolate cake can be filled with all sorts of tantalizing goodies. In this week’s newspaper column I show the cake rolled with strawberry ice cream dressed up with homemade fudge sauce. I’ve also used sweetened whipped cream studded with coarsely chopped fresh strawberries. The Almond Cream that I posted on this blog on 3/16/08 is another great filling for the rolled-up chocolate cake. You can get to that recipe by clicking here.
Once you start making this dessert, you’ll be on a roll as you come up with all sorts of filling possibilities.

Mocha Log

• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa plus extra for preparing pan
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 15- x 10- x 1-inch
jellyroll pan and line with waxed paper. Butter the waxed paper and dust with
extra cocoa powder. Set aside.

In mixing bowl, beat eggs until thick and lemon colored.
Gradually add sugar, beating until thick. Add vanilla. Sift flour, cocoa,
baking powder and salt together. Add to egg mixture and mix at low speed just
until dry ingredients disappear and mixture is smooth. Pour batter into
prepared pan, spreading it evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 to 12 minutes.

While cake is baking, place a large clean kitchen towel on
work surface. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of sugar in a 15- x 10-inch rectangle
on the towel.

Remove cake from oven. Immediately loosen from sides of pan
and turn out onto sugar-coated towel. Carefully peel off waxed paper. Starting
at long end, roll up cake and towel together. The towel will be inside the cake
roll, creating layers that will later be made of coffee-flavored whipped cream. Cool on a wire
rack, seam side down. This procedure will make the cake easier to roll up with
the filling.

Make Filling. Put all ingredients in mixing bowl and whip until stiff.

Unroll cake and remove towel. Spread half of Filling on cake and reroll (without the towel). Place on large platter and seal tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Slice to serve. Garnish with remaining Filling and fresh berries. Makes 12 to 15
servings.

There was just enough of a breeze to keep us cool and comfortable. Six of us sat around the table on a backyard deck enjoying dinner together last night. Sipping white sangria and eating a meal made of stone fruits. Our hostess had thrown out a challenge for us. Each guest was to bring any dish that included stone fruit in the ingredient list.
My first thought was that we’d wind up with a bunch of desserts like peach crisp, plum tart, cherry pie. What is stone fruit? A stone fruit has a pit in the middle, surrounding a seed. Most well known stone fruits include peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries and apricots. But olives, almonds, mangoes and even dates are technically part of the stone fruit family.
Our entree turned out to be BLATs, sandwiches made of crispy bacon, fresh lettuce, slices of creamy avocado, thick rounds of tomato layered on bread that had been brushed with oil and toasted on just one side in the oven.

With our sandwiches, we had Grilled Stone Fruit Antipasto Plate, a pile of sweet grilled peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots in a heavenly sauce. You will find the recipe by clicking here. It originally came from a Cooking Light magazine. We commented on how good this warm fruit would be as a topping for a hot bowl of oatmeal or mixed with plain yogurt and homemade granola for breakfast. And with a little dollop of freshly whipped cream, oh what a dessert it would be.
White Sangria was so easy to drink all evening long. This is a beverage just perfect to serve with dinner on the deck on a warm summer evening. It’s much lighter than sangria made with red wine. It’s totally refreshing. Our hostess made sure our glasses were always filled with the fruit-filled wine drink.
This is her recipe for White Sangria:

• 1/4 cup triple sec
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 (750 ML) bottle pinot grigio
• 1 lemon, sliced thin
• 1 cup frozen peach slices
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 2 cups Sierra Mist soda

Mix triple sec and sugar in large pitcher. Add wine and mix well. Cover and refrigerate. At serving time, add fruit and stir. Slowly pour in Sierra Mist soda and gently stir. Serve each glass of sangria with some of the fruit from the pitcher.

And finally, for dessert, our hostess grilled sugared nectarine halves on a piece of aluminum foil and served the warm fruit over little scoops of premium vanilla ice cream. And did you notice those cookies lined up on a plate behind the Grilled Stone Fruit Antipasto Plate? Those are the Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies that we ate with our ice cream and nectarines. The recipe came from "Big Fat Cookies," by Elinor Klivans. They’re simply irresistible.
Stone fruit. Summer evening. Friends. White Sangria. What a perfect combination.

I would normally wait until my return home from my first trip of the summer to the local pick-your-own strawberry farm. But I found some wonderful fresh organic strawberries at the food co-op this week and I just couldn’t resist their sweet fragrance and bright red color. I had to bring some home with me. I had to make Strawberry Butter.
My great find happened to coincide with my popover diet. I was eating popovers morning, noon and night as I mixed and baked and ate, searching for the Perfect Popover. After bringing home the strawberries, my next discovery was how delicious popovers could be for breakfast when slathered with a topping made of butter, powdered sugar and fresh crushed strawberries.
I’ve been making this Strawberry Butter for years, but had never thought about matching it with popovers. I guess I’d just never thought to eat popovers for breakfast.
When my seven-year-old granddaughter saw me spreading the curdled-looking stuff on my Hungarian pancakes this morning, she curled up her nose. "What is that?," she asked. I used words like sweet, delicious, buttery, full of fresh strawberries, to describe the mixture. She just didn’t buy it. There was no way she would even take a taste of it.
Strawberry Butter may not look good to some, but one taste and it lands on the "Must Make" list when fresh local strawberries are available.
I like to pack the butter into those cute little 4-ounce jelly jars. Stored in the refrigerator, they are ready for tucking into a basket of muffins or serving with hot popovers for breakfast.
Strawberry Butter is also very tasty on my favorite bran muffins. A little basket of warm bran muffins with a small jar of this strawberry butter is a wonderful surprise treat for your neighbors. Or for serving a surprise breakfast in bed. Or for taking to the office to share with co-workers. Oh, the list just goes on.
Make some Strawberry Butter and enjoy. Strawberry season doesn’t last long.
Oh, if you’d like to see the results of all my popover testing, you can find it in my newspaper column this week. Just click here.

Strawberry Butter

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup crushed fresh strawberries

Whip butter until light and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and whip until smooth. Stir in the berries a little at a time. Use as a topping on French toast, pancakes, waffles, toasted English muffins or Favorite Bran Muffins (see recipe below). Or make Perfect Popovers for breakfast and serve them with this Strawberry Butter. Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups of topping.

My Favorite Bran Muffins

• 3 cups All Bran cereal
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into chunks
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chopped dates

Pour boiling water over All Bran in a large mixing bowl. Add butter chunks and stir until butter is melted. Stir in sugar. Add eggs and buttermilk and mix well. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix just until dry ingredients disappear. Stir in chopped dates. At this point, batter can be covered and stored in refrigerator until ready to bake. I’ve kept it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins or line with paper muffin cups. Fill each cup about 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and cool on a rack.