Feeling Dumpety…..and Thomas Keller's "Coffee and Doughnuts" Part I

Internet! I have been affected by malware, aka the human form of acute viral rhinopharyngitis. As you see below, my immune system has been portrayed by this poor tater pot. He was already broken and patched up once, then he makes his untimely return to surgery this past Saturday night.

Eureka! He has risen!

Missing a slight little chip, but that is the taterpot way! You never know when the farmer is digging for taters and the shovel comes THIS close to you. That's how we lost Spud Jr. in the great dig of '08.

Anyway, I spent the past 3 DAYS my friends, 3 days, constructing this next project of mine.

It goes a little something like this…..

2 weekends ago, Todd and I took a leisurely drive to Chelan so we could outfit him with a snowsuit. On the way back, we decided to stop at little shop on the Columbia River, called Orondo Cider Works. Now, I am not one to call a place cute just to be nice to whoever thinks its cute, or to save someone's "feelings." I am actually pretty judgmental and IF someone asks my opinion of something I will tell the truth even if that means a negative review, or "constructive criticism." A lot of times I will offer up this information even if someone does not ask me. So sue me.

Orondo Cider Works was a very cute place. I really do admire when a proprietor goes balls out and paints a place fire engine red. We need more of those old timey places!

The store sells lots of fresh apples varietals, apple honey, apple cider ice cream, apple butter, apple soap, apple cider vinegar, apple fountain of youth, apple cure to HIV the virus that causes AIDS….and so on! Also…..

Cider Works has fresh doughnuts and cider.

Cider Works has fresh doughnuts and cider.

ehhhh, gimme?

So then I decided to attempt to make Thomas Keller's famed "Coffee and Doughnuts" recipe from his book "French Laundry Cookbook", which is served at both FL in Napa and Per Se in NYC.

O how I wish to dine there some day soon!

This site was also a great resource for me as French Laundry recipes/dishes are notoriously intricate and detailed to recreate;

French Laundry at Home

The blogger does not provide the recipe…which irked me because I was having a HELL of a time trying to convert fresh yeast measurement to instant yeast equivalent. I ended up just using a teaspoon. I figure you cant go wrong with a teaspoon. hehhehe. we'll see.

Now, if you are under the impression that I am going to be "brewing some Folgers" and slapping a Krispy Creme down next to a mug of joe and calling it a day, then you are not the man I thought you were, Internet. Maybe you are just a server farm in Iowa.

Coffee and Doughnuts is actually a cinnamon and sugar dusted yeast risen doughnut accompanied by an espresso semifreddo (an italian frozen dessert that literally means, "half frozen") which is then topped with steamed milk:

LUSH.

Now stay tuned for the actual event. The GREAT FRYING of 2010!!!!

hhahhaah I only have like 5 doughnuts to fry but humor me please, it's all I have to hold on to.