Elizabeth Street Cafe Cookbook

01.05.20

In the Kitchen

The Elizabeth Street Cafe cookbook by Tom Moorman, Larry McGuire and Julia Turshen was my selection for Cookbook of the Month during November, but from Thanksgiving forward, I barely had time to take a breath let alone find time to write this post. This French Vietnamese blend of cuisine felt like the perfect choice for a month that is normally all about classic comfort foods and traditional holiday dishes. We loved visiting the cafe when we traveled to Austin and I have been wanting to try more of the dishes we didn’t get to sample ever since.

The book is divided into the following sections:

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Dessert
Bakery
Drinks
Pantry

Even though November itself was quite busy, I was able to try a decent selection of recipes from this book. This book is one that I flip through often but haven’t cooked from much before I had this dedicated time with it. Many of the recipes have multiple components and what appear to be long ingredient lists, but I think once you actually take the time to try them, they aren’t nearly as complicated as they might seem. Also, a good number of the recipes share components so you already have things prepped for more than one dish when you prep for one. A few recipes I really wanted to make I was unable to find the ingredients called for, which can be frustrating. Overall though, this was a delicious month that we loved and there are still more recipes I am dying to try in the near future.

Sticky Rice Bowls with Pork, Bok Choy, and Mushrooms

Ham, Gruyere, and Butter Lettuce Bánh Mì

Scrambled Egg, Cilantro, and Jalapeño Bánh Mì

Sticky Rice with Ginger Sausage, Herb Salad, and Poached Eggs

Brioche French Toast with Blueberry Compote and Brown Butter Sauce

01/09

Vietnamese Vegetarian Stock

I made this stock as the base for the vegetarian pho. I loved making it because it was incredibly quick to prep and made my house smell amazing!

Spicy Vegetarian Pho

This dish was very good, though probably not my favorite. The woodear mushrooms had a really chewy texture despite being rehydrated, and I wasn’t crazy about the tofu in the soup. I will probably try one of the other pho recipes next time around.

Sticky Rice Bowls with Pork, Bok Choy, and Mushrooms

Rice bowls are always a hit with our family, and poached eggs make them even more delicious. This combo was really great, and I had leftover sticky rice to use in dishes later in the week.

Bánh Mì Rolls

I have made this recipe countless times and it is one of my favorites! These rolls turn out perfect every time and with so many filling choices, the possibilities are rather endless.

Ham, Gruyere, and Butter Lettuce Bánh Mì

This sad dark winter evening cell phone picture really doesn’t do justice to this awesome sandwich. A hybrid of the classic French ham sandwich and a bánh mì makes for a super quick and crazy delicious meal.

Scrambled Egg, Cilantro, and Jalapeño Bánh Mì

The breakfast items in the Elizabeth Street book are some of my favorites and this bánh mì with scrambled egg, cilantro, jalapeño, and ginger pork sausage is incredible. This hefty brunch sandwich will keep you full until dinnertime.

Sticky Rice with Ginger Sausage, Herb Salad, and Poached Eggs

Leftover ginger pork sausage from sandwiches and sticky rice from rice bowls meant that this particular salad came together incredibly quickly. I think this was my favorite dinner item that I made from the book, and just thinking of it now, I might add it to my dinner plan for the week.

Brioche French Toast with Blueberry Compote and Brown Butter Sauce

I’m normally not a big fan of French toast due to the texture, but this recipe sounded too good not to try it. I made the brioche loaves using the recipe from the book and it was okay but not my favorite and I probably wouldn’t make the brioche again. However, this recipe is KILLER. I made this as a special brunch treat while family was visiting and we all agreed it was the best French toast we had ever had. The fried basil leaves and brown butter sauce really take this over the top!

Everything Bagel Croissants

As much as I loved so many of the other things I cooked and baked, nothing tops these everything bagel croissants. With cream cheese in the center and the classic multi-seed topping, these are simply irresistible. I made them again for New Year’s Day breakfast. The first time I made these, I did half with and half without the cream cheese filling because I worried it would be just too much, but we all preferred these with the filling. I did modify the topping slightly, using the version I make with everything biscuits. One of my favorite things about making croissants is that the dough freezes beautifully so you only have to put in the effort once but can have fresh croissants twice or more, depending on how many portions you freeze.

View as a List

Vietnamese Vegetarian Stock
I made this stock as the base for the vegetarian pho. I loved making it because it was incredibly quick to prep and made my house smell amazing!
Spicy Vegetarian Pho
This dish was very good, though probably not my favorite. The woodear mushrooms had a really chewy texture despite being rehydrated, and I wasn’t crazy about the tofu in the soup. I will probably try one of the other pho recipes next time around.
Sticky Rice Bowls with Pork, Bok Choy, and Mushrooms
Rice bowls are always a hit with our family, and poached eggs make them even more delicious. This combo was really great, and I had leftover sticky rice to use in dishes later in the week.
Bánh Mì Rolls
I have made this recipe countless times and it is one of my favorites! These rolls turn out perfect every time and with so many filling choices, the possibilities are rather endless.
Ham, Gruyere, and Butter Lettuce Bánh Mì
This sad dark winter evening cell phone picture really doesn’t do justice to this awesome sandwich. A hybrid of the classic French ham sandwich and a bánh mì makes for a super quick and crazy delicious meal.
Scrambled Egg, Cilantro, and Jalapeño Bánh Mì
The breakfast items in the Elizabeth Street book are some of my favorites and this bánh mì with scrambled egg, cilantro, jalapeño, and ginger pork sausage is incredible. This hefty brunch sandwich will keep you full until dinnertime.
Sticky Rice with Ginger Sausage, Herb Salad, and Poached Eggs
Leftover ginger pork sausage from sandwiches and sticky rice from rice bowls meant that this particular salad came together incredibly quickly. I think this was my favorite dinner item that I made from the book, and just thinking of it now, I might add it to my dinner plan for the week.
Brioche French Toast with Blueberry Compote and Brown Butter Sauce
I’m normally not a big fan of French toast due to the texture, but this recipe sounded too good not to try it. I made the brioche loaves using the recipe from the book and it was okay but not my favorite and I probably wouldn’t make the brioche again. However, this recipe is KILLER. I made this as a special brunch treat while family was visiting and we all agreed it was the best French toast we had ever had. The fried basil leaves and brown butter sauce really take this over the top!
Everything Bagel Croissants
As much as I loved so many of the other things I cooked and baked, nothing tops these everything bagel croissants. With cream cheese in the center and the classic multi-seed topping, these are simply irresistible. I made them again for New Year’s Day breakfast. The first time I made these, I did half with and half without the cream cheese filling because I worried it would be just too much, but we all preferred these with the filling. I did modify the topping slightly, using the version I make with everything biscuits. One of my favorite things about making croissants is that the dough freezes beautifully so you only have to put in the effort once but can have fresh croissants twice or more, depending on how many portions you freeze.

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Recipes I Have Made from Elizabeth Street Cafe

Sticky Rice with Ginger Sausage, Herb Salad, and Poached Eggs
Scrambled Egg, Cilantro, and Jalapeño Bánh Mì
Brioche French Toast with Blueberry Compote and Brown Butter Sauce
Ham, Gruyere, and Butter Lettuce Bánh Mì
Spicy Pork Meatball Bánh Mì with Quick-Pickled Carrots and Daikon
Spicy Vegetarian Pho
Sticky Rice Bowls with Pork, Bok Choy, and Mushrooms
Bánh Mì Rolls
Brioche Loaves
Everything Bagel Croissants
Shady Blonde Brunch Punch
Vietnamese Vegetarian Stock

Recipes I Can't Wait to Try from Elizabeth Street Cafe

Spicy Breakfast Fried Rice and Fried Eggs
Chicken and Rice Breakfast Soup
Nutella and Banana Crêpes with Candied Hazelnuts
Croissant Beignets with Raspberry Lychee Jam
Fresh Crab and Glass Noodle Spring Rolls
Kaffir Lime-Fried Chicken Steamed Buns
Crispy Pan-Seared Gulf Snapper Bún
Short Rib and Spicy House Kimchee Bánh Mì
Chilled Dipping Noodles with Crab, Scallion, Bonito, and Black Vinegar
Ginger-Chile Oil Dumplings
Singapore Noodles with Gulf Shrimp and Roasted Pork
Vietnamese Coffee Pots de Crème
Pineapple Tarte Tatin
Toasted Coconut Cream Puffs
Salted Lemonade

A note:
While the Amazon links in this post are affiliate links which help me offset a small portion of the costs of running this site, I highly encourage you to seek out and purchase this book from an independent bookstore. They need your business more than Amazon does.

Previous Cookbook of the Month Posts

Now & Again by Julia Turshen
Smitten Kitchen Every Day by Deb Perelman