Do you ever see a book and realize it’s the book you would have liked to write? Sometimes it happens to me with non-fiction, but the occasional children’s book slips in there, too. I’m not saying could have, just would have.
“Part cookbook, part travelogue,” Sunset’s Eating Up the West Coast follows Brigit Binns on a 42-day culinary adventure to “some 75 hidden eateries that showcase local flavors, then provides easy-to-follow recipes for over 125 of the very best dishes.” Wouldn’t you like to write that one, too?
I’ve been paying particular attention to the spots she visits in California: dishes are shared from Ojai to Los Olivos (where we got married), Point Reyes to Bodega, and in and around Big Sur.
This dish, a “Garden Goddess Breakfast ‘Burrito'” from the Seaside Cafe & Bakery of Shell Beach, has been on repeat ever since the book arrived.
Garden Goddess Breakfast “Burrito”
From Eating Up the West Coast, by Brigit Binns (& slightly modified). Serves four.
Make a Sweet Potato-Garlic Mash: Cut a large sweet potato into chunks and steam until tender. Add 4 cloves of roasted garlic and 2 Tbsp olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Mash with fork.
Warm 1 cup of refried beans and set aside.
Fry 4 eggs sunny-side up in a saucepan coated with 2 tsp of butter.
Warm 4 tortillas over flame or in oven and place one on each plate.
Top with greens (they suggest spinach but I used arugula), followed by sweet potato mash, and a spoonful of beans.
Sprinkle with a 1/4-cup grated cheese (I used extra sharp cheddar).
Place a fried egg on top.
Finish with salsa (preferably tomatillo salsa), sour cream, and cilantro.
Salt and pepper to taste. (As in, don’t skimp.)
I have a feeling this will be your end-result.
Tell me, is there a book you would have liked to write? (Remember that Mario Batalli cookbook where he drives around Spain with Gwyneth Paltrow? For example.)
P.S. Driving up the California Coast.
This is not a sponsored post, however I was sent a review copy of the book. (I just really loved it.)
10 Comments