How to Make Johnny Cakes, Fried Heaven on a Plate

Back, by popular demand – here is my world famous (OK, only in my house famous) Johnny Cake recipe! Johnny Cakes are fried heaven on a plate, or a napkin, or just balanced hot on your fingertips, because you couldn’t wait to find either a plate or a napkin before you tore into it. It is one of our MOST traditional island favorites.

There are some foods that are strictly breakfast, lunch, or dinner foods. Johnny Cakes are that rare breed of food that defies those rigid boxes. You can enjoy them any time of day! Quick and easy, they fry up fast and are gone just as quickly! Tooooooo good!

This recipe requires you to bring something a little extra to the kitchen in addition to the ingredients. You will have to walk with an extra little bit of patience and intuition. You’re going to have to let the dough tell you what it needs. Sounds weird but that is what the kitchen does…it gives you opportunities to test your skills through the best teacher of all–trial and error. It took me some time to perfect my Johnny Cake skills, and I only got better with each new try. That’s my wish for us all in the kitchen and in life–TRY!! As they say, you never fail from trying, either you win or you learn!

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Contessa Sunshine Oatmeal

Nothing compares to the scent of cinnamon, orange zest, and almond extract in the morning. And oatmeal creates the perfect blank canvass to paint those warm sunshine flavor pictures. Substitute the most tropical flavored milks–coconut milk, and you have one of the best tasting versions of otherwise boring oatmeal you’ve ever tasted. This is my favorite way to prepare and share it with friends. The creamy cozy comfort of this breakfast treat is beyond beautifully balanced and flavored.

I make my own coconut milk, so, it doesn’t have all the thickeners found in canned milk. You can simply dilute the amount called for in this recipe with half coconut milk and half water, or use a lite coconut milk.

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Contessa Porridge

Food can take on many different personalities. Everyday Food. Celebration Food. Breakfast food. And sadly but necessary “Sick Food”. Growing up in the Caribbean there is one food that seemed to capture almost all of the above qualities– a good, hot, steaming, bowl of Porridge. I remember a fellow Caribbean friend using the word “Porridge” instead of cereal, and an American friend of her’s laughed at the foreignness of the sound. She said, “Porridge? What are you in an orphanage!” I guess (hilariously) the word for her conjured images of gruel and desperation! Read More

Contessa Brown Butter & Coconut Granola…

There is something very seductive about darkness. Dark starry nights, dark roasted coffee, deep dark chocolate. For me, darkness in food translates to something touched by fire, scorched, flavor packed, and intensely rich. Some of my favorite desserts are what I call “Dark” desserts. Meaning it is made with either smoked, or darkened colored ingredients. Read More