So, I could talk about these bean cakes, which really were beyond delicious little bites of savory, cakey goodness or, I could talk about the insanity that was yesterday morning trying to get here to Sonoma.
OMG.
3:40am alarm goes off. Get up, get ready, leave the house by 4:13am. Sweet, I’m on time.
Get 5 minutes down the road towards the gas station (since I had absolutely no foresight to fill up my car beforehand) and realize my left ring finger is bare. Spend 10 seconds debating how important wedding rings really are, this is a girls trip after all… Decide to turn around for rings.
4:23am pull back into driveway, run up the stairs, grab rings. Ginger gets very confused and starts running downstairs to be let out thinking it’s morning. Yell at her to go lay down, get back into the car 4:24am, pull out of the driveway again.
Get 5 minutes down the road, have a sudden freak out realization that my phone is not in my bag. This time there’s no contemplating going without (technology > marriage), turn around again, go back home. 4:29am. Run back upstairs, grab the phone from the bathroom where I put it down and told myself not to forget it while getting dressed (yeah, that worked well) and explain to Ulysses who is half awake and very confused that I’m a spaz. Yell at Ginger to go back to sleep again, run back to car. 4:31am.
Pull into gas station, get gas, get coffee (priorities), finally get on highway. 4:37am. I live about 1 hour and 25 minutes from JFK on a good day, I was supposed to be there at 5:45am in the long term parking lot.
(*Don’t read this part, mom*) Book it going 85-95mph the entire way through fog so thick I can’t see cars in front of me or hiding cops on the side of the road. Cross my fingers luck is on my side.
Get 25-30 minutes from airport, text Kat to tell her I’m going to be late, but should make it by 6am. We should still be fine for our 7:30am flight.
Or so I thought.
Her response:
What ensued was about 100 texts and multiple calls back and forth over the next hour. Long story short…jack-knifed tractor trailer 2 miles before the airport that shut the highway down and she was like the 3rd car from the accident, stuck there, not moving an inch. I avoided the accident going an alternate route, got to the airport and expected we’d need to go standby on the next flight. Then, with 57 minutes before the flight is scheduled to leave, I get this:
And respond with the best text cheerleading I can think of at 6:30 in the morning.
Bags checked with 43 minutes before the flight (after pleading with them since that was 2 minutes after the cutoff time), we sprint to the security line only to find out we’re at the wrong one and have to sprint across terminal 4 (not the smallest JFK terminal by any means) to the other side. Sweating, out of breath, bags strewn across our bodies like idiots, we were those people. Brightside? Our workout for the day was completed by 6:50am.
This crap never happens to me when I travel for work. I’m a sleek, organized, arrive on time kind of traveler, rolling my eyes at the disheveled vacationers holding up the security line with their “does thiiiiis have to come out of my bag too?” questions.
But, we made it, had 2 amazing tastings (more on those later), a kick ass dinner and somehow the memories of the craziness have started to subside.
I’ll admit this post is a definite injustice to these cakes, but talking about them and not the pyscho start to this trip just seemed impossible.
Here’s the rundown.
They’re kind of like a pancake but with the flavors of a savory Italian meal. A delicious side to a big, fat juicy steak or the perfect stand alone light vegetarian meal. Enjoy them with a nice glass wine on the side.
I’ll happily be doing that last part for the next few days…
- ½ c. chopped leeks
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for pan frying
- 1 15oz. can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
- ¾ cup oats
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon rosemary
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of ½ lemon
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 egg
- In a small pan over medium-high heat, saute leeks and 1 tablespoon olive oil until leeks are softened.
- While that sautes, combine remaining ingredients, including the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a food processor.
- Add leeks once sauteed and process until smooth and a ball just starts to form. The “dough” will be wet but should just start to form into some sort of ball shape.
- Transfer dough to a medium bowl.
- With wet hands (you will need to wet your hands after every other patty, dough is very wet & sticky) form into patty shape.
- Using the same skillet you sauteed the leeks in, add enough olive oil to be able to pan fry the patties over medium-high heat. Fry on one side for about 3 minutes or until golden brown, flip and pan fry the other side adding more olive oil as needed.
- Repeat with remaining patties.
- Serve warm garnished with plain greek yogurt, parmesan and leeks.
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
Airplane travel can be a horror show!
What a stressful morning!
The cakes look amazing though! I love new veggie side dishes.
Ohhh wow. That’s definitely some crazy-ass shit. I have the airport-thing down pat because of my previous job. I had to travel for work as well and yeah, I was “that business person” when I’d travel for work. When I travel with my hubby I tend to lose my patience a little too quickly because he isn’t as fast as I am LOL. But your experience is bound to happen to everyone! You always get there on time for work, but never when it’s for leisure. Um, those cakes sound de-freaking-licious, kthx.
Ulysses and I fight pretty much every time we travel together. He is the world’s slowest walker and it drives me insane in an airport so I hear ya!
Oh man, I hate those mornings where something starts going wrong and it just goes downhill from there. I’m glad you made your flight though!
As for these little cakes, they’ve made me realise that I basically want to move in with you. I don’t know how you always manage to combine my favourite things!
Your story is too funny! I’m a very organized traveler because I hate the stress and rushing, I would rather get up an hour earlier than I need to before a flight just to make sure I have everything organized.
The recipe looks great, I can’t wait to try it.
Oh my gosh your hilarious! When I saw the name of your recipe, I thought this is going to be weird, but it’s not. I love the idea of a cannellini bean pancake. Great idea!!
Ha! You would have rolled your eyes if you had seen my sister and I sprint across a busy DC airport (and slinging awkward gym bags) this past January. We were so late to a flight they called our names!
best story ever, your adrenaline must have been pumping the entire morning. Have SO much fun out there, I dream of visiting wine country (is that where you are?).
it is! We’re in Sonoma but spending today in Napa
It’s been on my “list” forever, so glad I’m finally doing it. It’s pretty much as amazing as I’d imagine, you definitely need to do it one day.
Your travel disaster makes for fun reading at least! I went to italy sophomore year of college and every time we had to catch a bus, plane, train, etc it was like this. Our professor was a mess. It was a great trip though.
Love love love this recipe. Can’t wait to try it. I kind of want them now please.
oh man, that must’ve been slightly more insane with the whole language barrier thing too!
I HATE air travel. Period.
But hey– you’re in Sonoma now
I agree – the psycho start to the trip needed to be addressed. That’s like straight out of a movie! Haha.
The cakes look delicious – leeks are something I love and definitely don’t use enough of.
Enjoy the trip!
What a crazy morning! But hey, you made your flight, got to your destination, and even have a crazy story to tell! Now, your drinking wine and loving life. Enjoy! These leek pancakes look great, I could eat these as a stand alone meal.
Ahh glad you made it on time! There are few things worse than accidents or flight delays that hold up travel, especially when it’s to somewhere you actually WANT to go! Enjoy your trip!
Sounds so hectic and stressful! I always forget stuff and end up going backto the house like three times. Haha
That’s so stressful! I despise sitting in traffic, and just driving in general. Going to the airport is always a giant, obnoxious production.
Have a blast in Sonoma! I’m sure you already have an itinerary, but if you happen to be near it, I highly recommend Gary Ferrell winery. It was some of the best wine I had while living in SF.
Omg mornings and travel days like that are the.worst. I swear airline travel is a series of hurry up and wait, and sprint or you’ll never make it, and how am I going to get this all repacked in my suitcase now that the contents of my life are spread over a conveyer belt in a screening area. Oh, so fun.
I hope you enjoy the trip!!!
That is crazy! So glad you made your flight though. I am the person that gives the stink eye to the “When did this start?” travelers who are in the security line asking “Wait, I have to take off my shoes?” “I can’t bring this opened water bottle through?”
Oh my gosh, those people drive me crazy too. I’m so tempted to turn to them and ask what big ass rock they’ve been living under for the past 10 years!
Recipe looks great! Will definitely try them. I like the rosemary addition.
Your experience reminds me of the time we were going to Vegas and almost missed our flight b/c of a dumb accident outside Boston at 5am. That feeling of helplessness and a spoiled vacation suck!
Ugh, travel can be such an anxiety-inducing pain. But these cakes – oh, these cakes. I’d like nothing more than to sop these cakes up with a ton of yogurt!
What a great workout! When I have a ton of carry on that I have to lug around, I always think that.
Awesome recipe — love that light color that the cannellini beans give the cakes. You usually see dark bean cakes made from black beans.
Glad you made it to my side of the country
Sonoma is a fun and gorgeous place…make sure you go to Healdsburg; there’s a lot of GREAT sushi there and a fun restaurant/bar that serves truffle fries but I can’t remember what it’s called (helpful, I know)…Can’t wait to hear/see how your trip goes. AWESOME savory pancakes, btw…pinned it in my “to try” board!
bahahaha, i LOVED reading that story. and yes, technology is clearly more > than technology. priorities, seriously. i mean, c’mon…we’re food bloggers, we HAVE to have our tech…they’d understand, right?? i’m glad you made the flight though!! i would’ve been freaking out, you seem like you took it like a champ! these pancakes on the other hand, look like the breakfast or lunch of champions! packed with flavor and filling protein from the beans!
It stinks running late, especially when you have a plane to catch! So stressful! I am pinning these and making them.
This was such an entertaining post I was totally visualizing you “running to the terminal” and I have been there before so I know what it’s like having people stare lol. I can’t wait to try this recipemitmwill be perfect make ahead grab and go meal for my chaotic life right now! Hope your having a great trip!
Sounds like an airport horror story! However those cakes look amazing. I love white beans and leeks, and these look absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to try them out.
Glad you made it! These look delicious. Very summery.
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