After 14 years in the restaurant business, Barbara Juhan has learned. Mother’s Day will be her busiest day of the year. And she likes it that way.
“It’s an awesome day to work,” says Juhan, who owns the franchise rights for the Flying Biscuit Cafes in Sandy Springs and Roswell.
As a hands-on manager of both cafes, she says the highlight of the day is seeing people come out to thank this special person in their lives. “Few people are going out to eat if they’re not celebrating with their mom, and we find the moms love trying new things and being spoiled.”
Juhan thanks her own mom, Shirley Cobb, for her interest in cooking and her flair for biscuit baking. “My mother likes to tell the story that I was making my first biscuits solo by the time I was 3. She was a stay-at-home mom, and I grew up in the kitchen with her. She was the catalyst for my love of cooking.”
After those early experiments with biscuits, she began cooking in an Easy-Bake Oven, making apple turnovers and quiches. “My mother was not afraid to let me use real ingredients in my cooking. She had a garden and she prepared everything we ate. She was, and still is, an incredible Southern cook.”
Raised in Jonesboro, Juhan started in the restaurant business when she was 14 and went on to graduate with honors from what was then the French Culinary Institute in New York.
She salutes everyone who wants to make breakfast at home for their mom. “Just trying to make a meal for somebody is so special,” she says.
If you’re not accustomed to multitasking in the kitchen, pulling off breakfast can be a challenge. “The timing is hardest for breakfast because you want everything to be ready at the same time. Don’t complicate your menu. Don’t tackle everything you think your mom would like,” she suggests. And if you’re making eggs, make them the last thing you prepare.
But she also says it’s OK if everything’s not ready at the same time. “If you have the opportunity to be with your mom on that day, she really just wants to hang out with you. She’s going to worry about you worrying about your meal, and she’ll feel guilty if you’re stressed out,” she says.
Juhan is also a mom with two small children. “My husband recognizes I’m going to be working on Mother’s Day, so we do something special the day before. The last couple of years, they’ve surprised me with breakfast of yogurt and granola with berries and other fruit.”
When planning the menu for your own Mother’s Day celebration, Juhan suggests thinking “comfort.”
“Regardless of what else you’re eating, grits are so comforting and good for your soul. I think you have to have grits if you’re from the South,” she says. An advantage of serving grits is that once they’re cooked, they’ll keep warm and stay delicious while you’re preparing the other parts of the meal.
French toast, scrambled eggs, no matter what you put on the menu, Juhan says mom will be happiest if you keep it simple and have fun with it. “If you give mom a little bit of several things she loves, that will be the best gift of all.”
Recipes
The Flying Biscuit’s been serving breakfast to metro Atlanta since 1993. If this is the year to treat mom to a homemade breakfast, Barbara Juhan offers the recipes for several Flying Biscuit favorites as well as a few special creations of her own.
The Flying Biscuit’s Southern Style Biscuit Benedict
Hands on: 20 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6
To time this recipe, make the pimento cheese up to a few days ahead of time. Then when it’s time for breakfast, prepare the biscuits and get them into the oven. While the biscuits are baking, start the hollandaise and then prepare the bacon.
When the biscuits come out, top each half with pimento cheese and bacon, and set aside. Then poach your eggs. The hollandaise will be ready when the eggs are poached.
When poaching your eggs, use any white vinegar you have on hand. Plain vinegar, white wine vinegar, tarragon vinegar — any would be fine. Juhan suggests serving your Biscuit Benedict with Creamy Dreamy Grits, which can be made ahead of time and kept warm, or made a day in advance and gently reheated.
12 slices turkey bacon
6 Flying Biscuits, sliced in half horizontally (see recipe)
2 cups Not Your Mama’s Pimento Cheese (see recipe)
3 tablespoons vinegar
12 eggs
Easy Hollandaise Sauce (see recipe)
Chopped fresh basil, for garnish
Creamy Dream Grits
Prepare bacon according to package directions.
While bacon is cooking, arrange two biscuit halves, cut side up, on each of 6 serving plates. Divide pimento cheese between biscuit halves. When bacon is ready, break bacon strips in half and set 2 halves on each biscuit half. Set aside.
Bring a large skillet of water to a boil. Add vinegar. Reduce heat to a low simmer.
Gently crack 2 eggs into a wide, shallow bowl or cup and carefully slide the eggs into the simmering water. Poach until whites are set, but yolks are still runny, about 2 to 3 minutes. With a large slotted spoon, gently drain eggs and hold against a clean, dry kitchen towel to absorb as much water as possible. Transfer eggs onto bacon-topped biscuit halves. Repeat with remaining eggs, cooking two at a time. Spoon Easy Hollandaise Sauce on top of each poached egg, sprinkle with basil and serve.
Adapted from a recipe provided by Barbara Juhan.
Per serving, without hollandaise or grits: 669 calories (percent of calories from fat, 64), 28 grams protein, 33 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 48 grams fat (18 grams saturated), 511 milligrams cholesterol, 1,233 milligrams sodium.
Famous Flying Biscuits
Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes: 12
At the cafes, Flying Biscuits are served with Cranberry-Apple Butter. Leftover biscuits? They make a great base for strawberry shortcake.
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the biscuits
4 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 3/4 cups half-and-half, divided
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter and using your hands, break up the butter into the flour mixture until butter is the size of small peas.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in 1 1/2 cups half-and-half. Stir the ingredients together with your hands, circling the perimeter of the bowl to knock the flour mixture into the liquid. Stir just until dough comes together into a sticky ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 3 times. Do not overwork dough.
Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough to a thickness of 1 inch, no thinner. Dip a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter into flour, then cut the dough. Repeat until all dough has been cut. Do not twist cutter. Apply pressure straight down and then pull back evenly. Scraps can be massed together and rerolled one time.
Arrange biscuits on prepared baking sheet, leaving 1/4 inch between each. Brush tops with remaining 1/4 cup half-and-half and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown on top and flaky in center.
Adapted from a recipe in “The Flying Biscuit Cafe Cookbook” by Delia Champion (Gibbs Smith, $13.99).
Per biscuit: 227 calories (percent of calories from fat, 40), 4 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 10 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 29 milligrams cholesterol, 271 milligrams sodium.
The Flying Biscuit’s Not Your Mama’s Pimento Cheese
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Makes: 2 1/2 cups
1 cup grated yellow cheddar
1/2 cup grated white cheddar
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons finely chopped serrano pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
In a large bowl, combine yellow cheddar, white cheddar, feta, red peppers, tomatoes and basil. Stir until well combined.
In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, serrano, garlic, salt and pepper. Add to cheese mixture and combine all ingredients until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate. May be made up to 4 days ahead.
Adapted from a recipe provided by Barbara Juhan.
Per 2-tablespoon serving: 80 calories (percent of calories from fat, 86), 2 grams protein, trace carbohydrates, trace fiber, 8 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 13 milligrams cholesterol, 159 milligrams sodium.
The Flying Biscuit’s Easy Hollandaise Sauce
Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes: 1 1/2 cups
3 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
3 large egg yolks
In a medium saucepan, stir together shallots and mustard. Gradually whisk in wine. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and boil, whisking frequently, until liquid reduces to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat so mixture is simmering and whisk in cream. Season to taste. Working quickly, whisk egg yolks into sauce. Whisk constantly until sauce thickens and an instant read thermometer inserted in sauce registers 160 degrees, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm until ready to use.
Adapted from a recipe in “The Flying Biscuit Cafe Cookbook” by Delia Champion (Gibbs Smith, $13.99).
Per 1-tablespoon serving: 45 calories (percent of calories from fat, 87), 1 gram protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 3 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 37 milligrams cholesterol, 5 milligrams sodium.
The Flying Biscuit’s Creamy Dreamy Grits
Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Makes: 8 cups
Juhan says even grit haters will love these!
6 cups water
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 cups quick grits
1/2 cup sharp white cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
In a medium saucepan, combine water, half-and-half, salt and white pepper and bring to a boil. Slowly pour grits into boiling liquid, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and continue to whisk often, until grits thicken and are completely smooth, about 10 minutes. Add cheddar and allow cheese to melt. Whisk again to combine. Remove from heat and allow grits to rest 5 minutes. Add butter and stir until completely smooth and silky. Taste for seasoning. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Adapted from a recipe in “The Flying Biscuit Cafe Cookbook” by Delia Champion (Gibbs Smith, $13.99).
Per 3/4-cup serving: 243 calories (percent of calories from fat, 46), 6 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 12 grams fat (8 grams saturated), 36 milligrams cholesterol, 167 milligrams sodium.
The Flying Biscuit’s Love Cakes
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Makes: 8 cakes
6 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, cut in 1/4-inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup Maseca corn flour, or as needed
Tomatillo Salsa (see recipe)
Field greens, sour cream, feta, sliced red onion, for garnish if desired
In a medium skillet, heat 3 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, salt and cumin and cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Put beans into a large bowl. Use a potato masher to mash until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add reserved onion mixture and stir together until just combined. Gradually add Maseca to mixture, adding just enough so the dough binds together and does not stick to your hands. Do not add too much or the dough will be too dry.
Divide mixture into 8 balls and flatten to 1/4-inch patties between lightly oiled parchment or aluminum foil.
In a large skillet, heat remaining 3 teaspoons olive oil. Arrange cakes in skillet without crowding pan. Cook until crisp on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining cakes. Serve immediately with salsa. Garnish if desired with field greens, sour cream, crumbled feta and sliced red onion.
Adapted from a recipe provided by Barbara Juhan.
Per cake: 139 calories (percent of calories from fat, 29), 6 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 4 grams fat (trace saturated), no cholesterol, 594 milligrams sodium.
The Flying Biscuit’s Tomatillo Salsa
Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Makes: 2 cups
3 tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed (about 3/4 pound)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 bunch cilantro, stems removed, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 to 1 minced serrano pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add tomatillos and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain.
In the jar of a blender, combine boiled tomatillos, onion, cilantro, garlic, serrano and salt. Blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning. May be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.
Adapted from a recipe provided by Barbara Juhan.
Per 3-tablespoon serving: 14 calories (percent of calories from fat, 19), trace protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, trace fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 291 milligrams sodium.
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