breakfast – The Salted Table

Morning Cake with Pumpkin, & Pistachio Streusel

Vegan Pumpkin Cake w/ Pistachio Streusel

Tell me all the things you enjoy about Autumn. And don’t worry, its okay if Autumn isn’t your season. No judgement here. But maybe there’s a characteristic about it that you appreciate. The golden evening light, the leaves changing colours, cooler weather, or maybe your a pluviophile like myself and love the rainy days. Either way you feel about it, it is indeed the season I prefer over the other three.

I feel rejuvenated in Autumn. Theres a feeling of newness in the air and I breathe it in deeply. Its so much more than changing of the harvest and what makes it to your dinner table. Its a season that exudes the joy of gathering together. Gathering together around fire pits, along porch verandas and the holding of hands down neighborhood streets. Its mornings met with slow sunrises that you’ll actually get to catch if you’re a late riser.

It doesn’t have to be Autumn for me to be in the baking mood. I know some refuse to turn on their ovens during the warmer months, but I’ve never been one to say no to my cravings. Especially when that craving is for cake. A baked good who’s presence I enjoy at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Which makes this Morning Pumpkin Cake with Pistachio Streusel the perfect cake to get your Autumn baking off to a good start. And I have every intention of trying this with butternut squash, and sweet potato puree. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Vegan Pumpkin Cake w/ Pistachio Streusel

Morning Cake with Pumpkin, & Pistachio Streusel (Egg-Less)

Prep: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 40-50 minutes

3-½ cups White Lily AP Flour
2-¼ cups White Granulated Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 tablespoons Pumpkin Spice
1 teaspoon Vietnamese or Saigon Cinnamon
2-¼ cups Canned Pumpkin
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
1 cup Coconut Oil
⅔ cups Lactaid Milk
1 teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar

Pistachio Streusel
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, chunked
1 1/2 cups White Lily AP Flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
Heavy smidge kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped pistachios

METHOD:
1. Streusel: combine all the ingredients together in a bowl. Coat the butter with the dry mix. Smush the butter between the side of your index finger and thumb while mixing it into the dry ingredients until you have a crumbly mix. Be careful not to over mix. Place back in the fridge while you make the cake.

2. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan or two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. If you use the 9-inch pan, there will be extra batter left. Make muffins with it, or refrigerate it up to 3 days.

3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice. Add pumpkin, oil, extracts, milk and vinegar to flour mix. Fold gently until just moistened. Be careful not to over-mix.

4. Spoon batter into the pan/s, cover the top evenly with the streusel. And bake for 45–50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean.

5. Allow bread to cool in the pan/s on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing.

Vegan Pumpkin Cake w/ Pistachio Streusel
NOTES:

I’ve only tried this recipe with the ingredients listed, so I can not promise you that substitutes will yield the same product that I was happy with. If you do try substitutes, and you’re happy with the results, please return to leave a comment and let others know.

Sweet Potato Pancakes with Southern City Flavors Sweet Potato Butter

Sweet Potato Pancakes with Southern City Flavors Sweet Potato Butter Autumn here in Nashville is settling in quite nicely and I’ve enjoyed the few Indian Summers we’ve already experienced (keep those coming mother nature). I believe this season is going to be a busy one and I’m not afraid of the challenge. Sometimes I find myself straddling the fence when it comes to major changes in my life but change is what keeps life interesting.

Lately, I’ve been contemplating ways to bring you guys more blog posts because I seem to be consistently getting the same feedback from my readers, “We love the blog, but we want more.” and I truly want to give you that but you must understand that working in the kitchen full-time plus my side projects doesn’t make it easy to find the time to sit down and process my thoughts not too mention take photos. So here’s what I’m proposing–I’m going to bring you blog posts that are shorter in photography in order to bring you more posts. Because it just so happens that food photography is the most time consuming part of preparing a blog post. My self-diagnosed OCD kicks in and all bets are are off–I could food style for hours and still not be happy with the final product.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Sweet Potato Butter Pancakes Here’s the first post that introduces this new format, less photos, more posts, boom! I’m sure it will work out better this way and I’ll be giving you more poetic posts about the seasons with still life and random food knowledge because that’s me in a nutshell–random, poetic, food-loving freak.

Enough about me, let’s talk pancakes! A couple of months ago I received an e-mail from Southern City Flavors asking if I would like to try some of their most popular products. I typically turn down these offers because the pressure of receiving a product and disliking it feels so overwhelming sometimes. The thought of people putting all their hard work into these products and for it to be wasted on me if I don’t like it, can be a little exhausting. But that’s not the case with these products from Southern City Flavors. Southern City Flavors, Franklin TN

I still have several items to dig through but I’m under the impression that if the sweet potato butter is any indication of what the other products are like then I’m sold. The recipe for these pancakes are an adaptation from Esquire Magazine and I’m pretty sure it’s one of my new favorite recipes. The texture of the pancakes are dense, not light which I like a heavier pancake–I like that it absorbs the syrup and still keeps body unlike light pancakes that fall apart due to syrup overload. I actually split the batter in half and mixed in three tablespoons of the sweet potato butter and the other half received half of a cup of mini chocolate chips. Those of course were for the Mrs., she likes chocolate in everything which is one of the reasons I married her. I’ll be sharing more about these products as I find time to test them out in the future. Now, make yourself some breakfast for dinner, you deserve it!

Sweet Potato Butter Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/4 tsp.. cinnamon
1 egg, beaten lightly
1 ½ cups milk
2 tbsp butter, melted
3 Tablespoons of ‘Southern City Flavors’ Sweet Potato Butter

Mix together first three ingredients with a wooden spoon. (typically you would sift it for a fluffier pancake but I didn’t for the more dense texture). In another bowl, mix egg and milk, then add it to flour mix, stirring until just smooth. Then stir in butter. Now is the time to add in your sweet potato butter, or chocolate chips. I used my Black & Decker griddle but you can use a non-stick pan with a little cooking spray if you wish. Heat griddle on medium heat (250 degrees) for about ten minutes. Ladle batter to form pancakes of whatever size you prefer. Cook first side until bubbles form on top, and there won’t be many bubbles because this batter is heavier than your norm so you’ll have to use your pancake intuition, probably about three minutes; then flip and cook other side until it, too, is brown, about two minutes. Serve immediately with butter and syrup or just dollop a little more sweet potato butter on top if you’re not a syrup fan. Serves four.

The West End Cafe

The Ambiance. The West End Cafe warranted a visit while looking for a light lunch snack . We saw the Grand Opening sign and said, Why not? You walk into the establishment which is vaguely reminiscent of a cafeteria but with trendy decor. The Cafe is fitted with earthy tones and wood beams to provide that contemporary rustic feel that is so popular at the moment. You can enjoy the news or sports while dining because there are several flat screen t.v.s and a small bar tucked in the corner. You can also enjoy the view of West End traffic on their patio space.

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The Food. The Cafe offers breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. They are moderately priced and offer soups, sandwiches and appetizers. We haven’t tried their breakfast so if you know anything about it let us know.

You won’t be writing home about the cuisine at The West End Cafe. It is simplistic food made for it’s business professional, college student demographic. The first time we visited the cafe they forgot the andouille on our pepperoni and andouille flatbread, bummer, because that probably would have elevated the uninspired pizzetta in front of us. We ordered the turkey & cranberry sandwich, which had hickory smoked turkey, havarti, mesclun greens, red onions & cranberry rosemary chutney on cracked wheat bread. It was good, but I recommend asking them to toast the bread. That would make the sandwich better. The Chipotle Chicken sandwich with white cheddar, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes & chipotle mayonnaise on toasted jalapeno cheddar bread which was actually better than I had intended. I’d reccomend trying the chipotle chicken sandwich and the hummus plate. They were the items I’d order if I ever crossed paths again.

They also serve Bongo Java so we grabbed an ice coffee to go. In all honesty, the West End Cafe is in a great location for the grab and go crowd of the busy West End area but it’s not something you’d go out of the way for. If you enjoy the run of the mill sandwich shop. The West End Cafe will be your joint.

dose. [coffee and tea]….’java nirvana’

I discovered dose. [coffee and tea] one day when I took a wrong turn. And I’ve been thankful ever since. I turned in and grabbed a vanilla machiato and realized that I would definitely be back. I am a sucker for warm welcoming environments with good views & eats. When I returned home I plugged into google to discover they were holding a coffee and chocolate tasting that I would refuse to miss. You say Chocolate to me and done deal. The whole experience of the tasting actually elevated the way I thought of coffee and chocolate as a whole. I definitely recommend checking out the next one .

Ummm! Just thinking about a ginger infused cappuccino makes me a happy man. Something about the smell of coffee beans alone I find to be therapeutic. I mean if there were scratch and sniff coffee scented t-shirts. I’d have one…true story. I mean I am infatuated with everything about that tiny little morsel that creates something so spectacular with the capabilities of curing my headaches, changing the state of my emotions and allowing me to like being around people at 6am in the morning. (sometimes its really hard… I kid you not)

dose. [coffee and tea], the awesome little coffee shop and cafe in the coveted Sylvan Park area of Nashville is serving up some of the best java you will find. Keith Steunebrink and Heath Henley, the owners of this hip establishment take true pride in all that is coffee. I sat down with Heath at dose., a cozy place decor-ed in vintage wood beams, hard-wood floors, trendy art pieces,high privacy booths and dim lighting that will make you want to camp out….Don’t try it! Somewhere between that euphoric state of fresh joe and the melodic swoons Otis Redding to Bon Iver you’ll become a believer and what I like to call a ‘serial doser’.

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dose. has been open for business for 2 1/2 years and is still cultivating ways to become a Nashville staple. I’ve encountered many who gaze at me with a look of bewilderment when asking where they get coffee and have they heard of dose. [coffee and tea]? The name itself is a bit confusing if one is not a savvy coffee drinker. But the name dose. Henley explains, “refers to a step in the preparation of espresso, namely when you transfer the coffee from the grinder to the portafilter, known as dosing the coffee.” Aaaah! It’s all coming together now isn’t it, I know, right?

In trying to discover the perfect name for the shop. The guys decided to make a list if 15 options that would be voted on by the people and dose. won the fight.

You might be thinking, OK, well dose. sounds like a pretty cool place to get coffee, but why should I go there? Well if the ginger cappuccino didn’t get you then back to Pilot for your sugary sludge. At dose. they brew coffee by the cup, none of that mass production of some unmarked silver bag that no one knows what the content holds. Just so know, you will be waiting for 4 to 5 minutes for that perfect cup of Joe. Oh! Yeah, if you’re a die hard fan of chocolate, the Omahene chocolate sauce is to die for. After you add it to your coffee ask for a bowl of it!…No, I’m serious, it’s that good. Heath & Keith (don’t you love that it rhymes) are both above and beyond knowledgeable about all that the coffee industry has to offer. Their mission statement embodies their passion for the bean.

‘Our goal at dose. [coffee and tea] is to share in the love of the products that we choose to prepare for our clientele. And to be passionate about the preparation of products and the consumption. The ability to be in control of production and the personal preparation. Lastly, to create an environment we are ourselves would hang out in.’

Heath hipped us to whats known as the ‘third way of coffee’ which is the preparation of coffee that is appreciated for its nuances. Those flavor profiles that are created as a result of soil, climate and location.

Henley told us they are inspired to do what they do by the producers.Their objective is to ensure that they are producing the best cup of coffee that you have ever experienced because they desire to pay homage to those farmers who put a great amount of love and passion into what they harvest. When on the hunt for new coffee the guys bring in several samples and hold ‘cuppings’ (the technical term for slurping coffee to look for quality and those nuances) to determine what they will sell or feature next.The guys are searching for exceptional quality, unique-ness, and appearance of the product. At any given time you can try 6 different single origin coffees exported from different countries or farms all with their own unique flavor profile. You can find the feature of the month on the website if you’re ever in the mood to step up your coffee game. http://dosecoffeeandtea.com/

I had the pleasure of grabbing some cuisine to go. I enjoyed the Turkey & Brie with caramelized onions on a delicious Brioche Bun made by The Bobby John Bakery. It was accompanied with a refreshing side of Caprese Salad. It was a delightfully filling meal to accompany my Ginger Cappuccino. And there was a not a patron in the room who didn’t agree the food was just as good as the java. Delicious bagels sourced from the Bagel Face Bakery and Yummy Cheese from Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese. We know it’s always better to hear from the source, so we bothered some people and here are there responses. When we asked.

Why dose. [coffee and tea]?

Brent from West Meade told us dose. has the “Best coffee in town. I typically order a vanilla latte with extra vanilla syrup.”

David, a Sylvan Park resident, said the coffee is so good. “I go simple black.” He patronizes dose. “because the atmosphere is not overwhelming and the food and drinks are great!”

I saw two women on the patio who seemed to be enjoying themselves and appeared as thought this wasn’t their first time at the coffee shop.

Lauren it turned out was a ‘serial doser’ who claims she practically lives at shop. She continues to return because “They serve a quality food product and the decor doesn’t feel hectic as compared to other coffee joints. It is also convenient to Sylvan Park.” She proved to be a huge advocate for the avocado and tomato bagel that she adds bacon to.

If you want to check out more on dose. [coffee and tea]. Check it out here:

http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/americas-best-coffee-bars/13

http://dosecoffee.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/imbibemagazine-