Dosas in Amagansett

My work often takes me to the Hamptons, NY and when I am there I stay in Amagansett, a great town halfway between East Hampton and Montauk. I always find myself there on Wednesday mornings, when every shop in the town is closed, except the Hampton Chutney Company, where for breakfast we eat dosas with warm chai tea.

A dosa is basically a gigantic Indian sour dough crepe, made with rice, so its gluten free.

When the question of portion control rears its unwelcome head at my meal, I always look at my plate and think, okay all that has to fit in my stomach. What is the rule? Your stomach is the size of about a fistful of food. But stretchy? At easily a foot long, dosas are rule breakers, and when we opt not to share one to get it closer to that fistful, we justify it with, "but are really light." 

The warm crispy dosas are filled with anything from traditional spicy potato masala to calamata olives, tomatoes, onions, arugula and goat cheese. There are 14 dosa combos on the menu and each are served a choice of the following fresh chutneys: cilantro, curry, mango, tomato, peanut or pumpkin. Cilantro, my favorite, so fresh and mildly sweet is also sold in a to-go tub so I can take it home and put it on everything from rice to apples. 

Pictured above: Mike, Yui, Miguel and the "Charlies" enjoying some Breakfast Dosas, filled with scrambled eggs, spinach, roasted tomato, jack cheese and avocado.

If you're not out east, there are two in locations NY. Go to Hampton Chutney Company for more info.

Thanks, Miguel for letting me borrow your amazing Canon 5D to take these photos!

DAIRY FREE CREPES WITH LINGONBERRIES

We can all agree that food poisoning equals the worst couple of days of your life. The one and only time that I was rendered incapacitated from food was when I had crepes at a place that I now call, the Crapeteria. For a while the very idea of crepes made me nauseous, until I went to Paris. I took a break from my five croissants a day habit and opted one afternoon for crepes. Instead of ordering sweet, I ordered savory and was very disappointed. So I made myself feel better with another croissant. Then in Moab, Utah, of all places, I discovered the wonderful Lingonberry, served to me at the Jail House Cafe as a topping for my pancakes. This Swedish berry jam is sweet and tart and perfect for crepes. One weekend I found some lingonberries in Honesdale, Pennsylvania at the Alpine, a German Butcher. When I got back to the house, I tried to make them. I hit another bump in the road. Butter.  I should have known better than to follow a Paula Dean recipe: "All right ya'll, we're gonna start with a whole stick a butter." The crepes came out really well, buttery, and I think I had a mini heart attack. For the record, we ate them all. After adjusting the butter content, omitting the sugar, and making it dairy-free, I figured out this easy recipe, that I make almost every Saturday morning.  And, after searching the local farmer's market in Union Square for more lingonberries and not having any luck, the lovely lady at Beth's Farm Kitchen, which offers a variety of local jams, told me that they sell lingonberries at IKEA, near the swedish meatballs. I haven't tried them yet, because I seriously stocked up at the Alpine, but when I get some curtains, I will let you know how they are.

DAIRY FREE CREPES

3 Eggs

1 1/3 C. Soy Milk 

3/4 C. Flour

2 TBSP. Earth Balance Buttery Spread

1 pinch Salt

Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl. Don't over mix. Its okay if its lumpy. Let the batter sit for 20 minutes. Melt a little butter in a round non-stick pan heating on medium. Ladle about 1/4 C. of the batter onto the hot pan and roll the pan around so the batter spreads so its  thin and even. When it starts pulling from the sides, flip it, using your fingers or a spatula. Serve with lingonberries or any jam.

Other toppings: 

Sugary lemon butter (juice of 1 lemon, 1 TBSP sugar, 1/2 TBSP butter - melted) 

Maple Brown Sugar Bananas (1 banana, 1 TBSP maple syrup, 1 TBSP brown sugar - sautee until melted and gooey) 

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