Ms. enPlace

IHCC: January Potluck

2012-01-27T12:31:00.001-06:00

We're in the final stretch at I Heart Cooking Clubs. Roughy two months left with Tessa Kiros.

I've enjoyed her food so much that I decided to go big for Potluck Week. Pulled out one I've been dying to try, but haven't found the time.

Because I decided my time cooking from Tessa Kiros' Food From Many Greek Kitchens wouldn't be complete without a huge Greek feast.

And feasts take time to prepare, my friends.

Time as in all day.
Time as in this is the only meal I'm cooking today.

But everyone ~~enjoyed this~~ pigged out (let's just be honest here) so much that they didn't notice supper was never made.

Kebabs from Tessa Kiros

Our feast consisted of Cucumber Meze and Lemon Roast Potatoes--both will be featured at later dates.

And continued with filling Tessa Kiros's pita bread (which we're in love with) with homemade hummus, Tessa Kiros's Kebabs (which may be our favorite so far), tomato, and a lovely fresh salad of red onion and parsley.

This entire meal was truly a winner. Lots of lemon from the cucumbers, potatoes, and kebabs, lots of garlic from the hummus. Lots of just plain good.

Happy plates for all.

Still hungry? There's a potluck going on...

Also linking with Cookbook Sundays

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Kebab
adapted from Tessa Kiros's Food From Many Greek Kitchens
1 pound ground pork
1/2 lb ground beef
1 small red onion, grated
2 TBSP chopped parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
a sprinkle of ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon

for serving:
pita bread
1 small red onion, sliced in rings
handful chopped parsley
paprika
crumbled feta
chopped tomato
hummus
Mix the ingredients--ground pork through lemon juice--in a large bowl. Divide into 8 portions. Shape each portion into a tightly packed sausage about 6" long. (If using skewers, tightly pack the meat mixture around 8 metal skewers.) Place in the fridge to firm up while you prepare a grill for high heat.

Combine the onion rings and parsley. Place on a small platter and dust lightly with paprika. Prepare the rest of the ingredients for serving, having them ready for when the meat is done.

Grill the meat until crusty and slightly charred on the outside, but moist on the inside and cooked to desired doneness.

Serve in pitas with onion-parsley salad, chopped tomato, hummus, and a shake or two of paprika.

Getcha Gras On

2012-01-24T21:31:00.001-06:00

Are you counting the days? I am.
27 days until Mardi Gras.

As a child, I thought the time between New Year's Day and Mardi Gras took forever. Now it seems that Mardi Gras gets a move on right quick.

But back then King Cake wasn't available until January 6th (Twelfth Night). Now it's year round. The parade schedules also seem to start earlier and earlier.

So how 'bout we kick it off nice and easy.
With a party punch that's good for adults and kids alike.
Gerry's Favorite Punch comes from The Husband's aunt and has been made for family gatherings since he was a child.

It's sweet. Yet tart. Refreshing. Yet leaves you thirsty for more.
It's a mystery.
Kinda like who's behind these masks.

Let's also do things nice and slow with a traditional New Orleans second line.

A second line is a jazz parade, most often a street parade, led by a jazz band. Participants fall in line behind the band, and the procession winds its way around the streets of New Orleans--or through the VFW hall in the case of weddings. Second line members follow the band, dancing and waving decorated umbrellas or handkerchiefs to the beat of the music.

According to Richard Brent Turner, in his book Jazz Religion: the Second Line and Black New Orleans,

"For some a second line is 'nothin' but a party goin' on;' for others, however, it is a profound expression of New Orleanians' African Diaspora past, an experience of communal meditation or even trance that recreated the historic nineteenth-century performances in Congo Square*, where Black New Orleanians had reinterpreted the sacred music and dances of Vodou in weekly public African festivals every Sunday until the Civil War."

Turner, Richard Brent. Jazz Religion: the Second Line and Black New Orleans. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2009.

*Congo Square, in Louis Armstrong Park just outside the French Quarter, was a meeting place for slaves. Here they performed traditional and religious ceremonies, music, drumming, and dances.

Today, second lines are part of jazz funeral processions, festivals, Mardi Gras Indian performances, and often spontaneously snake their way through wedding reception halls.

Grab an umbrella. Or a handkerchief. And get your Gras on.

Menu ideas:
Beignets
Calas
Milk Punch
Voodoo Bourbon Slush
Crab Dip
Crawfish Pies
Red Bean Gumbo
Cream Cheese Filled King Cake
Blueberry King Cake

Info on Mardi Gras:
King Cake & Mardi Gras origins
Courir de Mardi Gras (Cajun Mardi Gras)

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Gerry's Favorite Punch
1 quart cranberry juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup lime juice
sugar to taste
2 quarts ginger ale

Combine the juices. Sweeten to taste with sugar. Chill for at least an hour. Add the ginger ale just before serving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Looking for See Ya In the Gumbo? Link up here!

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See Ya In the Gumbo #15 (Potluck)

2012-01-22T20:00:00.004-06:00

See ya in the gumbo!

My great grandpa said this instead of "good-bye." It means see ya out there in the mix.

Gumbo is a mix of various ingredients. And no two people make it the same way.

To "make a gumbo" means much more than cooking. When someone says "I'm making a gumbo," it means family and friends are invited.

I invite you to join this POTLUCK PARTY every Sunday night.
Bring whatever mix of ingredients you'd like.

Thank you to everyone who linked up last week!

All featured entries will be Pinned here.
Last week's top-viewed links were:

Creamy Chicken Divan Over Rice @ Drick's Rambling Cafe

Easy Beefy Pasta One Pot @ The 21st Century Housewife

* Please link your post, not your homepage.
* In your post, please link back to my site or add a button.
* Try to visit 2 or more participants
* Food-related posts only, please.

Steel Trap

2012-01-20T10:38:00.001-06:00

When it comes to recipes & food ideas, my mind is a steel trap. Capturing. Ensnaring the details. I have a knack for remembering which page in which cookbook our favorite dinners can be found. Or who posted a certain recipe 6 years ago to the cooking forum I belong to.

Storing all this trivia...it's a gift.
(Or not that big of a deal at all. Just let me have my moment, ok?)

And don't go gettin' all jealous.
My steel trap is a selective one. Food trivia only.

How many times have I pitched a big ole hissy because I couldn't find my keys? (Which were in my pocket.)
More times than you need to know. Thankyouverymuch.

How many times have I ~~asked~~ accused, "who moved my shoes" because I couldn't find them? (Which were not on my feet, smarty pants.) Um...lots.

How often do I find myself stuffing my son's underwear into the dish towel drawer when I'm putting away laundry?
Way more than you'd think.

You're laughing, I know. Laughing with me. I know that too.

When I made Fusilli con Cavolfiore (Fusilli w/ Cauliflower) from Tessa Kiros's Twelve, so much food trivia swished around my brain (because not much else lives there).

I immediately thought of roasted cauliflower with 16 cloves of garlic and rosemary, shared by Barbara.

A chili oil recipe from one of our favorite Giada pasta dishes also came to mind.

And since I was skipping the anchovies and tomato paste from the original recipe, I'd better lift this dish up with something.

How about the spicy, lemony crumbs that topped a Spicy Roast Chicken from Food & Wine Magazine, January 2008? So glad I remembered those.

We're simply not going to discuss the fact that I forgot to toss some parsley on top.

Notes:
I enjoyed the dish, made for this week's I Heart Cooking Clubs "White as Snow" theme.

I thought the garlicky roasted cauliflower w/ rosemary, pasta, and lemony crumb topping all played nice together. This is a pasta. And roasted garlic. So The Boy was in heaven. When we sat down to eat, The Husband commented about the dish looking bland since it was so white.

Yeah, yeah. Little Miss remember everything forgot the dang parsley. Why does everyone keep bringing that up? This is White as Snow week. Just sayin'. Anyway, he couldn't get past the pale look of the dish to enjoy it as much as I did.

Also linking with:
Cookbook Sundays

For a version closer to the original recipe, visit Natashya.

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Farfalle w/ Roasted Cauliflower
adapted from Twelve by Tessa Kiros

cauliflower:
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
olive oil
16 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
salt & pepper

pasta:
1 lb farfalle pasta
about 1/8 cup olive oil
2 good pinches red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
cooking liquid

topping:
handful of Ritz crackers or breadcrumbs
1/2 Tbsp reserved olive oil & red pepper flakes
zest of half a lemon
chopped parsley, unless you forget (like me)

Preheat oven to 425. Toss the cauliflower with enough olive oil to coat in a large baking dish. Sprinkle in the rosemary, garlic cloves, salt, and pepper and toss again. Roast for about 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally.

While the cauliflower roasts, cook the pasta according to the package directions, reserving some of the pasta water.

In a skillet, warm the 1/8 cup of olive oil with the red pepper flakes over low heat. Reserve about 1/2 Tbsp for the topping. When the cauliflower and garlic are done, toss them, along with the olive oil & red pepper flakes and the pasta. If the mixture seems dry, add a small amount of pasta water. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the reserved oil back to the same skillet you used. Stir in the cracker crumbs to coat. Cook briefly to toast, then add the lemon zest. Sprinkle over individual servings of pasta. Garnish with parsley.

Some Days

2012-01-17T12:01:00.000-06:00

Some days.
Before feet meet floor, I just know.
It's a feeling.
That little tickle in my brain

telling me it's the kind of day for breakin' out the rum for breakfast.

If kids can have their captain cocoa puff crunch and coffee house junkies can have their grande iced liquid sugar with caramel on top and a pastry on the side, I'm having boozy, buttery rum sauce for breakfast. And I'm not apologizing.

Because...some days.

This breakfast came from bits of bread and cream cheese--leftover from other things.
My need to put a dent in the buckets of satsumas we picked this winter.
And an idea I saw in a cookbook for broiled brown sugar grapefruit & pineapple.

Funny how I always reach into the liquor cabinet when I goof around in the kitchen.

Rum syrup. Breakfast of champions.

While the rum reduced, I tossed satsuma segments in brown sugar and broiled until they browned a bit. Then they were tossed with the thickened rum.

Satsumas are the Gulf Coast's little jewels. Like tangerines, they are juicy, sweet, and come apart easily due to naturally forming segments. Satsumas were brought to Louisiana from Japan by Jesuit missionaries. The first groves were planted south of New Orleans in Plaquemines Parish, an area still known for citrus growing. When we drive down to Lake Hermitage to go fishing, it's citrus grove after citrus grove down there.

I combined cream cheese with some brown sugar and satsuma zest--not an easy citrus to zest because the peel fits loosely on the fruit--and spread it on toasted French bread.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the satsumas on top the bread. Spoon the rummy citrusy syrup over the top.

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Breakfast Bruschetta w/ Rum Syrup

1/2 c dark rum
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 cap full vanilla extract
1/2 Tbsp butter

2 medium satsumas, peeled (about 3/4 c of segments)
a sprinkle of brown sugar

4 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 tsp satsuma zest
3-4 tsp brown sugar, depending on how sweet you'd like
6 slices French bread, toasted

In a small saucepan, reduce the rum with the brown sugar until it has thickened. After the sauce reduces, stir in a cap full of vanilla and the butter. Keep warm.

Toss the satsuma segments with a sprinkle of brown sugar. Place in a broiler safe dish. Broil until the fruit has browned in spots. Toss into the rum syrup and let sit a few minutes while you prep the cream cheese and bread.

Mix the cream cheese with the citrus zest and 3-4 tsp brown sugar. Spread evenly among the 6 slices of bread.

With a slotted spoon, divide the satsuma segments evenly among the slices of bread. Spoon the rum sauce over the top of each and serve.

linking with:
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See Ya In the Gumbo! # 14 (Potluck)

2012-01-15T20:02:00.003-06:00

See ya in the gumbo!

My great grandpa said this instead of "good-bye." It means see ya out there in the mix.

Gumbo is a mix of various ingredients. And no two people make it the same way.

To "make a gumbo" means much more than cooking. When someone says "I'm making a gumbo," it means family and friends are invited.

I invite you to join this POTLUCK PARTY every Sunday night.
Bring whatever mix of ingredients you'd like.

All featured entries will be Pinned here.
Last week top-viewed link was:

Bookcase Foodie's Creamy Cheesy Potato Soup

* Please link your post, not your homepage.
* In your post, please link back to my site or add a button.
* Try to visit 2 or more participants
* Food-related posts only, please.

IHCC: Rice is Nice

2012-01-12T19:50:00.000-06:00

I'm surrounded by rice fields, which are now being turned over to crawfish ponds for the upcoming Spring.

When I tell you we eat a lot of rice, I'm not kidding.

Around here, rice is the vehicle of choice to transport dark gumbos & gravies, velvety Creole sauces, and beans & smoked sausage to eager mouths. And let's not forget jambalaya.

When I saw a recipe for Shrimp & Spinach Brown Rice Risotto in Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros, something about it made me think of jambalaya.

I forget now what that was exactly.

The tomatoey shrimp stock that starts the recipe smelled amazing.
The Husband was ready for dinner before dinner was even close.
(Oh, little did we know how very far away dinner was.)

I like a recipe with a stock built in.

Risotto is also something I like. Making risotto from brown rice intrigued me. But what was supposed to take about 50 minutes of stirring and simmering nutty brown rice in that fabulous stock, took 80. At that mark, I threw my hands up. Said some things. Pulled the plug and served. Even then, the rice was still on the hard side. Boo.

Last week, The Mom Chef featured a brown rice risotto from Cooking Light. The brown rice is par-cooked for making risotto. Coulda-shoulda-woulda!

As delicious as that stock smelled, I was shocked that the overall flavor here was so bland.

So...the first recipe from Tessa Kiros that we didn't like.
I know the clip we were going wouldn't last forever. It was surprising, though, that a shrimp & rice dish ended the streak for us.

I can tell you that I've made 2 more TK recipes (cauliflower pasta & creamy spinach w/ feta) since and we're back on track.

This is part if I Heart Cooking Clubs, cooking the recipes of Tessa Kiros. This week is all about rice.

Shrimp & Spinach Brown Rice Risotto

adapted from Apples For Jam by Tessa Kiros*

3/4 lb raw shrimp
5 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
5 cups hot water
4 parsley stalks, plus about 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 slices lemon
1 large bay leaf
salt, pepper, and Tony's
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 cups packed spinach, chopped

Peel the shrimp, reserving the shells. Leave the tails on 8 shrimp and butterfly them (for garnish). Chop the remaining shrimp. Set both aside in the fridge.

Put the shells and half the oil in a pan and cook on high for a minute, stirring, until the shells turn pink. Add half the garlic and saute for a minute. Add the tomato sauce and saute a few more minutes. Pour in the hot water and add the parsley stalks, lemon, and bay leaf. Season with salt, pepper, and Tony's. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer about 20 minutes. Strain and keep the liquid warm over low heat.

Heat the butter and remaining oil in a shallow, wide pan over medium heat. Add the onion and the rest of the garlic. Saute until softened. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat. Cook for a few minutes then add a ladle of the broth. Stir until the liquid has been absorbed. Turn heat to low and add another ladle of broth, stirring until it is absorbed. Continue this method for about 40 minutes (took longer!). Add the chopped shrimp, chopped parsley, and spinach. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender, but still a bit firm in the center. If you run out of broth, hot water can be used.

Season the rice with salt, pepper, and Tony's. Also toss the whole raw shrimp with salt, pepper, and Tony's and sit them on top of the rice. Cook until the shrimp are pink. Cover and allow to sit about 8-10 minutes.

*The changes I made to the original recipe are:
3/4 lb shrimp instead of 8 shrimp
extra garlic
used a bay leaf in the stock
used Tony's in the stock & risotto
used onion instead of shallots

Catfish Divan "down at da camp"

2012-01-10T20:29:00.000-06:00

Every fall my whole family goes "down to da camp" where Louisiana splays her webbed feet into the Gulf.

It's really something to wake up to this.

And end the day with this.

You might remember (if you've been here a while) last year's trip was after the BP spill. It hurt me to see what I saw. And the mess and sludge had already been cleaned up by then. It was more about what I didn't see: life. Wildlife. Mainly birds. So quiet and still and eerie last year. So different and troubling.

Normally I look forward to this annual trip. This year I found myself on edge the closer it came. Almost dreading it. Not knowing what I'd find. Or wouldn't, rather.

The pelicans were back! I couldn't stop taking pictures of them perched on pilings and flying overhead. Other birds, like egrets and blue herons had returned too (although not in the numbers I saw before BP).

This year we outdid ourselves, throwing in some extra activities.
Like crabbing in Lake Hermitage w/ grandpa.

And a crab boil.

And BB gun mania.

Dahlin', you know you passed a good weekend when
"fun & exhausting"
sum it up.

And no one shot their (or anyone else's) eye out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A couple of years before he died, my grandpa gave me From Woodstoves to Microwaves...Cooking with Entergy, a cookbook published in 1997 by the electric company in New Orleans. It's more than a cookbook, it's New Orleans food history. The cookbook is a collection of recipes that Entergy mailed alongside it's customer's bills and used in cooking demonstrations (to show people how to use modern appliances). Recipes that reflect what the people of New Orleans eat and have eaten for many years. The introduction to From Woodstoves to Microwaves explains:
"...this cookbook is a reprint of...many recipes that are, in many respects, the essence of this city. These are as much an archive of New Orleans' culture and community as any work of history or anthropology. And with the history comes a little lagniappe--the opportunity to taste New Orleans."

I love to flip through this book, reminding myself of meals eaten on Sunday afternoons at my great-grandma's house, or dishes my grandpa experimented with.

Today's fish recipe, Catfish Divan, is an adaptation of a recipe found in this book.

I absolutely loved this dish! So much that I made it twice last month. The fish is first poached in white wine and green onions.

Wate not want not...the poaching liquid is used in the sauce. The tasty, tasty sauce.

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Catfish Divan
adapted from From Woodstoves to Microwaves
1 pound catfish fillets
1/2 lemon
3-4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup half & half, room temp or warmed
1 tsp salt, divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
about 8 oz frozen broccoli spears, thawed (roughly 1 package)
black pepper to taste
1/4 sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350.

Rub the fish fillets with the cut side of the lemon. Add green onions and wine to a shallow pan large enough for the fish to fit in one layer. Place the fish in the pan. Simmer over low heat, basting occasionally, until the fillets begin to flake.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour and stir. Cook for a few minutes, then stir in the half & half, about 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Stir while cooking until the sauce thickens and bubbles, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and squeeze the remaining juice from the lemon half into the sauce.

Grease a casserole dish large enough to lay the fish flat in one layer. Place the fish in the casserole and season with the remaining salt (or to taste) and with black pepper. Top with the broccoli. Pour the sauce over the broccoli, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and the sliced almonds. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until bubbly.

linking with:

Cookbook Sundays

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See Ya In the Gumbo #13 potluck open until Friday, Jan 13th

See Ya In the Gumbo! # 13 (Potluck)

2012-01-08T20:02:00.003-06:00

See ya in the gumbo!

My great grandpa said this instead of "good-bye." It means see ya out there in the mix.

Gumbo is a mix of various ingredients. And no two people make it the same way.

To "make a gumbo" means much more than cooking. When someone says "I'm making a gumbo," it means family and friends are invited.

I invite you to join this POTLUCK PARTY every Sunday night.
Bring whatever mix of ingredients you'd like.

All featured entries will be Pinned here.
Today's spotlight is on:

Marguerite from Cajun Delights for her Praline French Toast

* Please link your post, not your homepage.
* In your post, please link back to my site or add a button.
* Try to visit 2 or more participants
* Food-related posts only, please.

Plain

2012-01-05T09:33:00.003-06:00

If I hadn't been there, I would think he wasn't mine.
The Boy and I have very different tastes in food.
I like potatoes. He chokes the bare minimum down.
I like pecans in everything. He likes "smooth food."
I like sauce and gravy. Love sauce and gravy. Oh, how I love sauce and gravy. He likes his food plain.

He eats pasta plain--no sauce, just salt.

I like muffins with fancy tops. Loaded tops. The Boy? Plain. Jane.
A minimalist to my ultra.
The Felix to my Oscar.
Ernie to my Bert. But without that annoying voice and unibrow.

His favorite muffins are these:

Vanilla Muffins.

Yep. Vanilla. How tame can you get?
I once tried making these a little more lively. Added chocolate chips. The Boy looked at them and asked, "what did you do?" Not amused.

Truth be told, these muffins don't need anything to make them outrageous. They really are good plain. As is.
Let's not tell Mr. No-Frills.

You know how people say
use the good olive oil
use the good chocolate
use the good vanilla

And it's kind of annoying?
Well...
use the good vanilla here.
When I have a good, strong Mexican vanilla, I'm in heaven.

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Vanilla Muffinsslightly adapted from Jessica

2 cups flour (can use half whole wheat and half AP)
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 TBSP vanilla (good vanilla!)
4 TBSP melted butter

Preheat oven to bake at 350ºF.
Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners, or grease them, then set aside.
Blend the first four ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
Blend milk, egg, and vanilla in a small bowl.
Add milk mixture to the dry ingredients, combining just until moistened.
Add melted butter and stir well.
Spoon batter into muffin tins, and bake 18-20 minutes, or until tops begin
to brown. *Check muffins after 15 minutes

Linking with:
Muffin Monday
Bake with Bizzy
What Makes You Say, "Mmmmm?
What's Cooking Thursday
Simply Delish
Friday Food

IHCC: Tuscany

2012-01-03T20:00:00.000-06:00

This week's I Heart Cooking Clubs theme is "Under the Tuscan Sun."
Every week I find myself turning the pages of Tessa Kiros's Food From Many Greek Kitchens. You may have noticed. So I welcome the push to move to another Kiros book I own--Twelve: A Tuscan Cook Book.

I like the way this book is arranged. By month. We tend to eat seasonally, whether it's vegetables and fruit from my garden, game from my dad, or whatever seafood is peaking at any given time. And that's just how Twelve presents the recipes.

While Food From Many Greek Kitchens is filled with the vibrant blues and crisp whites of Greece, the photography in Twelve captures the warm and earthy tones I imagine Tuscany to have. If paint chip names are to be believed.

The paperback version of Twelve, which is what I have, is thick. I've found the binding to be less than ideal. I've flipped through this book maybe 8-10 times and the cover has already come detached...and that's disappointing.

The food has not been, though. And I guess that's what counts.

The first recipe I tried from Twelve, Penne alla Senese, was excellent. I had high expectations for my second stab at this book: Scaloppine alla Pizzaiola.

Kiros's pizzaiola recipe is for veal. In my kitchen, veal turned into chicken. I also added some baby spinach leaves on top of the chicken because I had some burning a hole in my refrigerator.

All three of us thought this was great. Kiros explains that a pizzaiola is a pizza maker. Since this dish has ingredients found on a pizza (tomato sauce, oregano, mozzarella), it is called pizzaiola. The flavors really did touch on pizza. We ended up referring to our meal as "pizza chicken."

I also liked this dish because it was easy to prepare on a weeknight (I made the homemade tomato sauce ahead of time). Simple, clean ingredients. Simple prep.

This pizzaiola recipe uses Kiros's recipe for Simple Tomato Sauce, found in the "basics" portion of the book. I made the sauce and loved it. Took liberties with using extra garlic and less oil. I used canned tomatoes since I don't even glance at fresh tomatoes this time of year. But I do look forward to trying the sauce this summer with homegrown tomatoes. The pizzaiola recipe calls for a smooth version of this sauce; I opted to leave it chunky.

Perhaps not a wise choice when it comes to photography. But I liked the texture. What might not be pleasing to your eyes was very pleasing to my taste buds.

Visit IHCC for more Tuscan creations.

Also linking this recipe and review with Cookbook Sundays at Couscous & Consciousness.

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Chicken alla Pizzaiola
adapted from Twelve: A Tuscan Cookbook
1 recipe simple tomato sauce (see below) --about 1 1/2 c
1 tsp dried oregano
1 lb chicken breast, 4 servings sliced or pounded thin (or use cutlets)
1/2 c flour
salt & pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
handful baby spinach leaves (optional)
1-2 slices mozzarella cheese per piece of chicken (enough to cover each piece)

Add the oregano to the tomato sauce.

Season the flour well with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess.

Heat olive oil with butter in a large skillet on medium high heat. When foamy, add the chicken. Cook on one side until golden. Turn and cook on the second side until cooked through. This should only take a few minutes.

Pour the tomato sauce in the pan on and around the chicken. Top each piece of chicken with some spinach leaves if using then a slice or two of mozzarella. Lower the heat to low setting and cover. Cook for a couple of minutes until cheese melts. Serve.

Simple Tomato Sauce
adapted from Twelve: A Tuscan Cookbook
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried basil

Put the garlic and olive oil in a saucepan and heat on medium. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the tomatoes and juices. Season with salt, pepper, and basil. Bring to a boil.

Lower to a simmer and simmer for about 30 minutes to thicken the sauce. Use right away, refrigerate, or freeze. This will produce a chunky sauce. Puree in a blender for a smoother sauce.

One Plus One Equals Three

2011-12-28T18:26:00.001-06:00

If you're Southern
or even if you only know a teensy weensy little bit about the South
you know that we can't welcome a new year without some black eyed peas.

And cabbage.
From an intestinal view (and, really, who wants that?), these food traditions seem like a nightmare. But it's all done with hopes for luck and prosperity during the year to come.

Black eyed peas seem to be overlooked the rest of the year and I think that's a shame. I like their size--smaller than a lot of the more common legumes. I like their earthiness. And I like that they make me think of my brother.

As the youngest in my family, my brother Doodle was always a cutie. In a rascally way. When he was very small, my mom placed a bowl of black eyed peas in front of him. He stared at his dinner. Wrinkled up his round little face. And asked, "chocolate chip beans?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let's start the New Year off right:

Black Eyed Peas in Sauce Piquante.

Piquante (pee kont) means "prickly" in French.
The spices in sauce piquante are prickly on your taste buds. Sauce piquante is a spicy stew-like dish that can be made with any meat, game, or seafood.

Chicken or Rabbit Sauce Piquante

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My mom and dad are like Jack Sprat and his missus. Mom likes to keep her food from touching. Dad mixes his whole plate together.

I took a cue from dad and mixed two dishes:
Black Eyed Peas & Tasso
plus
Tasso Sauce Piquante
*source for tasso: cajungrocer.com

Making this a three-fer...
Make the black eyed peas w/ tasso, serve as is

or
Make the tasso sauce piquante, serve over rice

or
Combine the two.

I promise--no chocolate chips involved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Black Eyed Peas in Sauce Piquante
for the black eyed peas:
1 lb dried black eyed peas
1/4 lb tasso, diced
3 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp Tony's
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Rinse and pick through the black eyed peas. Soak overnight. Drain and place in a large pot along with the rest of the ingredients, except for the salt. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the salt. Simmer an additional 30 minutes and check for doneness and seasoning.

for the tasso sauce piquante:
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 TBSP flour
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1/4 lb tasso, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp cayenne, or to taste

Heat oil in a cast iron or stainless steel pot. When hot, sprinkle in the flour. Make a roux by cooking and stirring. When the roux is the color of copper, quickly add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Saute untill softened. Add the tasso and garlic and saute a few more minutes. Stir in in the diced tomatoes and juices, tomato sauce, salt, and cayenne. Simmer about 45 minutes. Serve over rice or combine with the black eyed peas above.

If combining, drain most of the liquid from the black eyed peas. Gently stir into the sauce piquante. Simmer together for 15-20 minutes. Serve with cornbread.

How to make a Cajun roux

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm going down to NOLA for the New Year.
See Ya In the Gumbo Potluck #12 will run until Friday night (Dec. 30th), then resume Sunday, January 8th, 2012.

Yall have a safe one.
Yall have a good one.

Linking up this week with:
Tuesdays at the Table @ All the Small Stuff
Tuesday's Tasty Tidbts @ Permanent Posies
Hearth & Soul @ Mom's Sunday Cafe
Turning the Table Thursday @ Around My Family Table
What's Cooking Thursday @ Feeding Four

See Ya In the Gumbo! #12 (Potluck)

2011-12-26T20:01:00.001-06:00

See ya in the gumbo!

My great grandpa said this instead of "good-bye." It means see ya out there in the mix.

Gumbo is a mix of various ingredients. And no two people make it the same way.

To "make a gumbo" means much more than cooking. When someone says "I'm making a gumbo," it means family and friends are invited.

I invite you to join this POTLUCK PARTY every Sunday night.
Bring whatever mix of ingredients you'd like.

All featured entries will be Pinned here.

Last week's most viewed recipes:

Hershey's Chocolate Peppermint Torte from The Mouth of the South

Sticky Apple Pecan Cake from Drick's Rambling Cafe

Pork and Black Eyed Pea Chili from Kitchen Flavours

The recipe from last week that stole my heart:
Easy Buttery Kahlua Fudge from Permanent Posies

* Please link your post, not your homepage.
* In your post, please link back to my site or add a button.
* Try to visit 2 or more participants
* Food-related posts only, please.

Bag Full of Crazy

2011-12-23T17:22:00.001-06:00

Sometimes it shocks me--the things people reveal to each other over the Internet.

So here goes.

One day The Husband and I were lounging in bed. I was ~~whining~~ explaining some ~~non-existent~~ problem related to a blog post I was having trouble writing. The Husband was quiet as I ~~droned on and on~~ talked. The he gave me the look. No. Not that look.

That other look. The "bitches be crazy" look.

His sage advice for my problem?
I quote: "Aren't you just a bag full of crazy."
(Then he got a look.)

I try. I really do. It's hard to not be this way (bag full of crazy) when you worry
All the time
About ev. er. eee. thing

Everything, you question?
Yep.

I'm still worried that my mother-in-law may be offended because on Thanksgiving my dad said something about how wrong he thinks it is for children to have TVs in their bedrooms. My mother-in-law bought TVs for both The Husband and his younger sister to keep in their bedrooms when they were kids. It wasn't my rant, but I still worry.
Bag full of crazy.

If I'm running late with dinner--keep in mind my child is almost 10 and is perfectly capable of waiting for a meal--I can feel myself going all squinky. Shortness of breath. Tension building. Balled fists. Tight chest. Failing failing failing.
Bag full of crazy.

And Christmas. Whoa. Boy. It doesn't take a genius to figure out how that goes. Doesn't matter how early I start prepping. Early prepping is like scratching that rash. Picking the scab. It only aggravates my condition. I can't tell you how many times I second, third, fourth guess the gifts I've chosen. Think about returning them for something else. Never mind if they're all wrapped, tagged, and bowed.
Bag full of crazy.

As you can imagine, the Holiday season is particularly trying for crazy like me. Luckily there are some things that make me stop. Unwind. Or at least let a few strands come undone.

My mama's famous cheese & nut spread that she's asked to bring to church, neighborhood, work, and family holiday parties.

She made it something like 14 times last year.

There's something wonderful about combining sharp cheddar with green onions. I adore this combo.

Mom doesn't do this, but I like to press about 1/4 c finely chopped pecans into the spread before inverting it into a bowl or mold. Just dresses it up a bit.

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Cheese and Nut Spread
AKA Mom's Cheeseball

from my mom

8 oz sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 oz. mozzarella or mild cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup sliced green onions
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 c finely chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired
1 – 1 ½ cups mayonnaise (start with 1 cup and go from there)
2 tbsp. yellow mustard
¼ - ½ tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix the first four ingredients together. Stir in the mustard and 1 cup of mayo. If the mixture does not press together, add additional mayo a spoon at a time. Season to taste with cayenne. Spray bowl, container, or mold with cooking spray, press cheese spread into container. This makes for easy release onto plate at serving time. Chill for a few hours to allow the green onions to flavor the cheese. Serve with your choice of crackers.

*Mayonnaise, mustard, and cayenne pepper measurements are approximate. Depending on the dryness of the cheddar cheese, and your preference, it may take a little more or less mayonnaise and/or mustard.
*I like to turn the spread out onto a board, shape into a ball, and press 1/4 c nuts into the top. Invert into your bowl or mold then chill.

Linking with:
Tuesdays at the Table @ All the Small Stuff
Tuesday's Tasty Tidbts @ Permanent Posies
Turning the Table Thursday @ Around My Family Table
Friday Food @ MomTrends
My Meatless Mondays @ My Sweet & Savory
~*~*~*~*~*
May your Holiday season lack
bags or boxes full of crazy.

Goodies

2011-12-20T09:19:00.001-06:00

This week's I Heart Cooking Clubs theme is "Goodies."

But before I get nitty-gritty (in the form of finely chopped pecans) with Tessa Kiros, I want to talk about a different kind of goodie.
The kind of goodie who sounds all bossy boots telling you not to make any plans for Saturday afternoon. And when Saturday morning rolls around, he tells you, "lunch then butts in the car by noon."

Well, what kind of goodie is that?
The kind who shoves you out the door and says get in the car. But then goes back into the house. And produces John Besh's new My Family Table cookbook. And proceeds to tell you that he's reserved seats at a cooking demo/book signing with John Besh.

That's the kind of goodie I'm talking about. A good as gold goodie.

John Besh made his Southern version of Italian Wedding Soup--using leftover Southern greens and black eyed peas.

He brought one of his sons, Jack, along to help with the demo. Jack was the expert meatball roller. Besh used ground pork and rice in the meatballs, nodding at a Louisiana delicacy--the boudin ball.

After the demo and tasting, cookbooks were signed. Pictures taken.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There was no question I'd make this recipe when I read the title "Honey Cakes (Melomakarona)."

The Boy may kill me in a year or two. Or probably tomorrow. But part of the definition of parent includes the words unblinking embarrassment. The kind that stretches "mom" into 5 or 6 syllables. Go ahead. Get out your Webster's.

Since he was a tiny little baby up until very recently I've called him "Honey Pie." As in "Night-night, Honey Pie." "Love you, Honey Pie." "Whew! You smell like dog, Honey Pie!"

Honey Cakes seem like kin to all this sweet, mushy stuff. Couldn't pass 'em up.

In the intro to the recipe, found in (yep, you guessed it) Food From Many Greek Kitchens, Tessa Kiros explains that these cakes are a common Christmas goodie in Greece.

Deal sealed.

Notes: The cakes started off good, but only improved as the days went by and the sweet honey-cinnamon-orange syrup seeped in deeper and deeper. They are dense, flavorful, and rich. The flavors and aromas of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg were perfect for this time of year. They did drive The Husband crazy though. He says that he's tasted something similar--maybe something his mom or MaMa made--but he couldn't place it. This may be the first time I've baked with olive oil. Didn't know what to expect since here in the US, olive oil is not generally used in sweets. It all worked out. I only changed two things, using ingredients I already had instead of going to the store...pecans for the walnuts (as usual) and satsuma juice and peel instead of orange.

Linking with Cookbook Sundays @ Couscous & Consciousness

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Honey Cakes (Melomakarona)
from Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros

6 TBSP sugar
3/4 c extra virgin olive oil
3 TBSP brandy
juice of 1/2 orange (I used a satsuma)
1 tsp grated orange zest (satsuma)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
2 c all purpose flour

For the syrup:
1/2 c honey
3/4 c sugar
1 strip orange zest (used satsuma)
1 small cinnamon stick
3/4 c water

15 whole cloves
3 TBSP crushed walnuts for serving (used pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir the sugar and oil in a wide bowl until dissolved. Add the brandy, orange juice and zest. Mix the baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and nutmeg into the flour. Add to the bowl and mix to a loose dough with a wooden spoon. Using your hands, knead to a soft, smooth dough.

Break off small clumps of dough, about 1 1/2 ounces each--you should get 15 (I made 16; easier to divide the dough). Roll each into a ball between your palms, then form small ovals of about 2 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches. Set them onto the baking sheet and bake until firm and the bases are gold, about 30 minutes.

While they are baking, make the syrup. Put all the ingredients in a small pot and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 5 minutes, then keep warm.

Put the cakes in a dish with sides so that they fit in one layer. Stud each with a clove. Pour the syrup over them, covering each well. Leave for 5 minutes. Spoon some of the syrup (it will be thicker now) from the bottom of the dish over the tops of the cakes and sprinkle with the walnuts. Remove to a serving platter. Drizzle walnuts with remaining syrup. Cover and cool completely. Will keep for many days, stored in a covered container.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See Ya In the Gumbo Potluck link-up now until Dec. 23

See Ya In the Gumbo! # 11 (Potluck)

2011-12-18T20:13:00.000-06:00

See ya in the gumbo!

My great grandpa said this instead of "good-bye." It means see ya out there in the mix.

Gumbo is a mix of various ingredients. And no two people make it the same way.

To "make a gumbo" means much more than cooking. When someone says "I'm making a gumbo," it means family and friends are invited.

I invite you to join this POTLUCK PARTY every Sunday night.
Bring whatever mix of ingredients you'd like.

All featured entries will be Pinned here.
Tops last week were:

Crawfish Cornbread from Cajun Delights

GF Cheeseburger Macaroni from Losing Creek Farm

* Please link your post, not your homepage.
* In your post, please link back to my site or add a button.
* Try to visit 2 or more participants
* Food-related posts only, please.

IHCC: December Potluck

2011-12-15T09:36:00.001-06:00

It's potluck time again @ I Heart Cooking Clubs.

This month I'm bringing Patates Tiganites with Alatopiperigano. Or French Fries with Salt, Pepper, and Oregano if you like that more.
Pssst...I think you'll like them either way.

served with another Tess Kiros dish: Reddened

Really? French Fries at a potluck?
MmmHmm. These aren't your average french fries. The seasoning/topping and the cooking method makes them unique.

Alatopiperigano:

* fun to imagine how I would actually pronounce this (most likely wrong, yall)

* added a good "something different" to the fries

One slight issue with it...the salt and pepper sink to the bottom while the oregano stays at the top. Be sure to give it a good mix right before using.

The fries:

* cool cooking method

When the fries soften, it's time to start poking at them. This beats them up a little bit. It also releases some of the fluffy interior which gets extra crispy during the rest of the frying. Maybe I'm simple, but I thought this was pretty nifty. All of the darkened spots on the fries are where I bashed them.

Oh! And they must have been good. The Boy asked for more. Yeah, that Boy. My "potatoes...take-em-or-leave-em, but mostly leave em" guy.

Shocked me. And made me very happy. Yeah, me. The "potatoes...give-me-every-bit-you've got" girl.

Also linking with Cookbook Sundays
@ Couscous & Consciousness

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Patates Tiganites w/ Alatopiperigano
French Fries w/ Salt, Pepper, & Oregano
from Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros

for the fries:
2 long potatoes
light olive oil for frying
Alatopiperigano (below)

Peel the potatoes, halve them lengthwise, and slice each half into 3-4 wedges. Put into a bowl of cold water with some salt and leave for 30 minutes to 1 hour to soak off some of the starch. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Wrap in a clean dish towel to dry further whole the oil is heating.

Pour a good 1/2" depth of oil in a large skillet. Heat the oil over medium high heat until a cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in 15 seconds. When you think it's hot enough, add a wedge to see if it bubbles and fizzles. If so, add all the wedges, leveling them so they are not on top of each other. When they start to look soft, poke at them with a wooden spoon to roughen up their surfaces. Leave them alone again until they start looking crunchy, then shuffle them with a wooden spoon, turning them if necessary. Turn the heat down if the oil bubbles too quickly and becomes too hot; you don't want dark brown, soggy chips. When they are light golden and crisp, move them around in the pan with a slotted spoon and remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Scatter with alatopiperigano. Serve at once.

for the alatopiperigano:
Notes:
This will make a little more than double what you'll need for the fries above.
The salt and pepper tend to sink to the bottom while the oregano stays on top. Just before using, give a stir with your finger to redistribute.

1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried oregano
few grinds of black pepper

Mix together and keep in an airtight container.

Did I Like It?

2011-12-13T08:51:00.002-06:00

Over at Sidewalk Shoes, Pam posts "What Was It Wednesday?" She has a back-log of photos she's going through. Sometimes it's easy to tell what it was; sometimes not. Either way, it's fun.

Today, I get to play my own home version of What Was It Wednesday. My version is Did I Like It Tuesday?

I made these Gingerbread Trees w/ Lemon Icing from the December 2010 issue of Everyday Food: A Martha Stewart Magazine but never got around to posting them. December 2010. Last year. I can't remember. Did I like them?

My brothers and I tease my dad because standing in line at a fast food joint ready to order, he once asked my mom,
"Do I like tacos?"

Now I understand. If you don't eat something very often, it is possible to forget if you liked it. Especially if it's been a whole year.

I'm going to guess that since I didn't delete the picture, I liked the cookies.
When I opened the magazine, I discovered that I had even saved my tree templates.

Freehand? Oh, bless your heart, no.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Are you ready?
Better be. Santa's on his way.

Every year, Santa & Mrs. Clause come to town riding a vintage fire truck in our Christmas parade. Afterwards, they go to city hall where there are punch and cookies. All the kids in town are invited to bring a homemade ornament to decorate the tree. And to tell Santa what they want, of course.

Joyeux Noël

Gingerbread Trees w/ Lemon Icing
from Everyday Food, December 2010 (click for printable version @ MarthaStewart.com)
For the cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses

For the icing:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
Sanding or coarse sugar (optional)

Make cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high until creamy, 3 minutes. Add egg and beat to combine. Add molasses and beat to combine, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. With a sharp knife or cookie cutter, cut dough into small 2-inch-wide triangles. Arrange triangles, 1 inch apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are firm and golden at edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

Make icing: In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and confectioners' sugar and whisk until smooth. Drizzle icing over cooled cookies and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired.

Linking with:

Simply Delish

Friday Food

Bake With Bizzy

*********
This week's See Ya In the Gumbo! Potluck going on until Dec. 16.

See Ya In the Gumbo! #10 (Potluck)

2011-12-11T20:00:00.001-06:00

See ya in the gumbo!

My great grandpa said this instead of "good-bye." It means see ya out there in the mix.

Gumbo is a mix of various ingredients. And no two people make it the same way.

To "make a gumbo" means much more than cooking. When someone says "I'm making a gumbo," it means family and friends are invited.

I invite you to join this POTLUCK PARTY every Sunday night.
Bring whatever mix of ingredients you'd like.

All featured entries will be Pinned here.
Last week's most viewed recipe:
White Lima Bean Soup from Drick's Rambling Cafe

* Please link your post, not your homepage.
* In your post, please link back to my site or add a button.
* Try to visit 2 or more participants
* Food-related posts only, please.

Muffin Tops

2011-12-07T12:36:00.002-06:00

There are muffin tops.

And there are muffin tops.

One can lead to another as things often do.
But before they come to the table, I'm a big believer in muffin tops done up right. Like my grandma who never leaves the house without layering on some hand cream and lipstick.

These Brown Sugar Muffins are from Betty Crocker's Best Loved Recipes. I took some of the ingredients and turned them into a topping. I know I'm from New Orleans and all, but I'm not big on topless. I also switch out pecans for walnuts. Always. Like a squirrel, I always keep a stash of pecans.

I like that oats are involved. They make for a hearty muffin. Mix oats, brown sugar, and milk and let that sit for about 5 minutes. This will hydrate the oats.

While the oats take a milk bath, I take care of that muffin top.

pecans, brown sugar, and more oats

Butter and egg next.

These muffins were made with Eggland's Best Eggs.

A while back, Joanne @ Eats Well With Others offered an EB giveaway. THANKS, JOANNE!
This is what I won:

the stuffed egg makes me laugh

I also used EB eggs to make scrambled eggs topped with crabmeat (leftover from a boil) and roasted jalapenos. No pictures, but boy was that good. Always a skeptic, I was surprised that I could tell the difference between the Eggland's Best eggs and my regular ones.

Now that I got that off my chest, on with the not topless show.

Dry ingredient time.

Before they go in the oven, sprinkle with the topping and press down slightly.

Bake and that's all she wrote.
Rack up on these top-heavy babies.

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Brown Sugar Muffins
adapted from pg. 40 Betty Crocker's Best Loved Recipes
1 c quick cooking oats
1/2 c milk
3/4 c brown sugar, packed
1/4 c melted butter
1 egg
1 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c coarsely chopped pecans

for topping:
1/8 c (heaping) quick cooking oats
1/8 c (heaping) brown sugar
1/8 c (heaping) chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare muffin tins for 12 muffins.

Mix the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Let stand about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the topping by combining the oats, brown sugar, and pecans.

Add the melted butter and egg to the oat, brown sugar, milk mixture and blend well. Stir in the remaining ingredients until just moistened.

Fill muffin cups evenly, about 2/3 full. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the muffins and press down slightly. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Linking with:
<><>

Bake with Bizzy

Simply Delish

Friday Food

Cookbook Sundays #1

Redden Up

2011-12-05T08:49:00.000-06:00

This week's I Heart Cooking Clubs theme is "A Study In Scarlet."
Anything red goes.

When I came across a recipe titled "Reddened," I looked no more.
Because sometimes (most of the time) for someone thick like me, obvious is the best I can manage.

Not only is the title all about red...not only is the dish red...almost every ingredient in it is red (even if in name only).
Red meat
Red onion
Red wine
Tomatoes
Cinnamon (kind of a brownish red, right?)

Yep. Cinnamon. This may be the first time I've eaten beef with cinnamon.
Those last three words packaged together...beef with cinnamon...something makes me wish I hadn't typed them.
There will be people who say, "Wait, what? Ewww." The cinnamon was background--the thing you only half-way notice. It's there on some level, but a deep-down buried one. The thing that makes the subject glow. Look good. Stand out.

A Photoshop tool for beef.
The tool you don't think you'll ever use, but once you do you wonder why it took you so long.

Tessa Kiros says, "This is called reddened because, quite simply, the meat is cooked in tomato sauce." Food From Many Greek Kitchens, page 272

By the way, there's also a recipe on the facing page titled "Lemoned." Bet you can guess what goes on in that one. See--obvious can be good.

Notes: The flavors were warm and wonderful. The beef was tender and the sauce jammy just like the recipe promised. I served this with Greek fries, as suggested in the recipe introduction. Those were fantastic too. (They'll make an appearance at the next IHCC potluck.)

The start of the recipe reminded me of making Cajun rice & gravy--browning the meat, cooking down the onions. Then the jolt of wine, tomatoes, and cinnamon...but a jolt I can live with. Even go through again.

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Reddened (Kokkinisto)
from Food from Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros

6 TBSP olive oil
6 9-ounce slices beef for stewing (chuck or blade), about 1 1/4" thick (I bought a chuck roast and broke it down)
salt
1 large red onion, chopped
1/2 c red wine
14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 TBSP tomato paste
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 TBSP chopped Italian parsley
freshly ground black pepper
3 thyme sprigs

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet* and fry until beef is deep golden on both sides. Salt each side as it's done. Remove to a large cast iron pot that has a lid. Add the rest of the olive oil and the onion to the pan and saute until softened. Add the wine and cook until almost evaporated. Add the crushed tomatoes and paste, the cinnamon and parsley, and season with a little salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes, smoothing out any big bits of tomato with a wooden spoon. Scrape over the beef. Fill the tomato can with water and add this to the pot. Add the thyme, cover, and bake for 2 hours, turning the meat a couple of times. Add an extra 1/2 cup water, then bake for 30 minutes more. At the end of this time, the beef should be very tender and the sauce thick and jammy but abundant. if necessary, add a little hot water towards the end. Remove from the oven and serve.
Serves 6

* I browned the beef in the same cast iron pan I used for baking, using only one pot for the entire process.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See Ya In the Gumbo potluck going on until
Friday, Dec. 9.

See Ya In the Gumbo #9 (Potluck)

2011-12-04T20:02:00.003-06:00

See ya in the gumbo!

My great grandpa said this instead of "good-bye." It means see ya out there in the mix.

Gumbo is a mix of various ingredients. And no two people make it the same way.

To "make a gumbo" means much more than cooking. When someone says "I'm making a gumbo," it means family and friends are invited.

I invite you to join this POTLUCK PARTY every Sunday night.
Bring whatever mix of ingredients you'd like.

All featured entries will be Pinned here.
Last week's most viewed recipe by a land slide (you lushes):
Amanda’s Satsuma Martini from mothermeetstheroad

* Please link your post, not your homepage.
* In your post, please link back to my site or add a button.
* Try to visit 2 or more participants
* Food-related posts only, please.

Eat Giant Beans; They're a Giant Gas!

2011-12-01T21:13:00.001-06:00

Know how mini is all the rage?
Mini muffins. Mini pies. Mini Tacos. Mini Burgers. Minnie Mouse.
Ok. So she's not so popular anymore. Give the gal a break. She's been around the mouse hole a time or two.

Mini is cute. Mini is fun. Mini is a party girl.
But mini is a sly little minx. Has a dark side.
Mini has a way of making us look petite and polite while we scarf down a dozen shrunken hot dogs.
Mini is the green light for evil.

So I make a case for Giant. Big. Ginormous. Honkin'.
Giant doesn't play games. Giant doesn't lurk under a dainty disguise just waiting to sink its nails into your self control.

And giant is good for a laugh. Good for a good laugh. Not some shrugged shoulder, tee-hee, hide behind your hand laugh.

Standing in my kitchen with only four beans practically filling my hand, I laughed a good laugh.

Baked Giant Butter Bean (Yigandes) from Food From Many Greek Kitchens

I wanted to use giant speckled butter beans, also called Christmas Lima Beans because they are more attractive than plain old white ones. But this is what I could find.

Not so giant until they are soaked--but that's what led to giant laughs when The Boy & I saw how much they expanded

This dish was good, but not great like the other Tessa Kiros dishes we've tried so far. Part of it was that we're used to a certain style of slow cooked beans. I was raised on red beans and rice and these baked butter beans were very different from that. Kiros begins the recipe by writing, "In Greece, a lot of legumes are eaten as a main meal." We found this dish too one dimensional to be the entrée.

It also didn't help that I served the beans with Kiros's Olive Bread.

It stole the show.

Printer friendly

Baked Giant Butter Beans (Yigandes)
from Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros

1 pound 2 ounces dried giant butter beans (I used 1 lb)
1 bay leaf
4 garlic cloves, 2 whole, 2 chopped
salt
1/2 c olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
freshly ground black pepper
2 heaping tablespoons coarsely chopped Italian parsley
4 thyme sprigs

Put the beans in a bowl with plenty of cold water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse, then put into a pot and cover well with water. Bring to a boil, skimming off any scum that comes to the surface. Drain and give the beans a shower in a colander. Wipe off any scum from the sides of the pot. Return the beans to the pot, cover with plenty of water and add the bay leaf and 2 whole cloves of garlic. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook, partly covered, for about 1 1/4 hours, until the beans are tender. Skim the surface when necessary. Add salt just toward the end. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heatproof casserole dish and saute the onion until golden. Add the chopped garlic and cook until it smells good, then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and some salt and pepper. Swish the tomato can with a few tablespoons of water and add to the pot. Simmer uncovered for a few minutes. Add the parsley and thyme sprigs. Remove from the heat.

When the beans are tender, transfer with a slotted spoon to the casserole. Add enough of the bean cooking water to just cover. Mix gently. Taste for salt and pepper. Cover and bake for 45 miutes, or until the beans are creamy and there is some thickened sauce left in the pot. Take the lid off and bake until a bit crusty on top, 15 minutes or so. Cool a little before serving
Serves 6-8

This week's theme for I Heart Cooking Clubs is "Bean There, Done That"

Check out more bean dishes here.

Fungus Freak

2011-11-29T08:26:00.006-06:00

You know that old joke about being on a see-food diet?
I'm often on it.

The day after Thanksgiving (known to some as Black Friday, but I don't go for that), we took my parents to one of my favorite places, the Louisiana State Arboretum.

Schooled in horticulture and not mycology, I should have paid more attention to the plant life.

But what's above my eye level doesn't catch my eye nearly as much as what's below.

The word fungus doesn't have the same vibe as, say, flower. But I think fungi can be as beautiful as flowers.

Part-way through our hike, I started craving earthy mushrooms, thinking about all the ways I could cook them.
I've always wanted to learn how to identify wild ones. Some hunt wild turkey. Others, wild boar. Me, I'd like to bag some wild mushrooms.
Not in the arboretum, of course.

But I don't know the difference between edible, psychotropic, and deadly.
For all I know, this itty bitty cutie could lay me out cold.

Gambling isn't something I do very well.
But, I can shop like nobody's business.
Just not on Black Friday.

Making risotto is a lot like hiking in the woods.

Quiet, rhythmic movement.

A long, peaceful journey.

Good to sit down after it's over.

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Mushroom Risotto

8 oz mushrooms, chopped or sliced
a couple of tsp vegetable oil
salt & pepper to taste
2 TBSP olive oil
about 1/2 cup chopped onion
1 c Arborio rice
1/2 c white wine, room temperature
about 3 1/2-4 cups chicken stock (you may not need the full amount)
a pinch or two of dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
chopped fresh parsley

Simmer the stock in a saucepan.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sear the mushrooms so that they brown on the edges. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the pan.

Lower the heat to medium and add the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the Arborio, stirring to coat each grain with oil. Saute for a few minutes until the rice starts to color.

Add the wine, stirring constantly until the liquid is gone. Add 1/2 cup warm chicken stock and dried thyme. Stir while cooking until all of the liquid is gone.

Continue adding stock, stirring, and cooking until the liquid is gone. When the risotto is close to being done, you may want to start adding stock 1/4 cup at a time to avoid overcooking.

When the risotto is the texture you'd like, stir in the mushrooms and Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Top with chopped parsley and more Parmesan.

linking with:

Simply Delish

Friday Food

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See Ya In the Gumbo! potluck

open until Friday, Dec. 2

See Ya In the Gumbo! #8 (Potluck)

2011-11-27T20:02:00.003-06:00

See ya in the gumbo!

My great grandpa said this instead of "good-bye." It means see ya out there in the mix.

Gumbo is a mix of various ingredients. And no two people make it the same way.

To "make a gumbo" means much more than cooking. When someone says "I'm making a gumbo," it means family and friends are invited.

I invite you to join this POTLUCK PARTY every Sunday night.
Bring whatever mix of ingredients you'd like.

All entries will be Pinned here.

Last week's most viewed recipes (TIE):
The mysterious What Is Underneath from Bizzy Bakes

Parmesan Onion Crusted Baked Chicken Breasts from The Kitchen Cookie

* Please link your post, not your homepage.
* In your post, please link back to my site or add a button.
* Try to visit 2 or more participants (I'd like to start featuring the most viewed)
* Food-related posts only, please.

IHCC: Gratitude

2011-11-25T08:03:00.002-06:00

This Thanksgiving week, the I Heart Cooking Clubs theme is "Attitude of Gratitude."
Visit IHCC to find out which dishes get our thanks.

I had a lot of ideas for this theme.
Something with fish crossed my mind because I'm grateful for this

A drum (left) and sheepshead (right)
from my most recent fishing trip,

Or maybe something with chocolate. Since I'm definitely grateful for that. Although chocolate also turns me selfish. Second thought: that doesn't fit the theme.

But bread. Warm, fluffy bread. Universal. Something that brings us together. Perfect.

Breaking bread

Give us this day, our daily bread

Bread of life

A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou

or this beautiful Olive Bread

The olives are rich and take on an almost creamy quality. Kneading them into the dough infuses the bread with olive oily flavor and richness. I made a Moroccan olive bread several years ago, but since it was only that one time I'm thinking it wasn't memorable. Not the case here. The Husband was totally impressed with how this looked and asked several times, "how'd you do that?" Like I just made this up myself. Ha!

Good bread--we all agreed. Even if The Boy picked out the olives and ate them solo. He has a thing about tainting his baked goods with extras.

Another winner from Food From Many Greek Kitchens.

Tessa Kiros offers interesting stories to go with her recipes. In this case, she explains how Athina was chosen as protector of Athens. Athina provided the city with the olive tree. Changing a gnarled tree into a heavily fruited olive tree, she tells the citizens that "the juice of its fruits will bring peace, health, and prosperity to you and your table."

Also interesting is a portion of the recipe instructing that the dough be blessed.

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Olive Bread (Eliopsomo)
from Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros
2 tsp active dry yeast
pinch of sugar
5 1/2 oz warm water
3 cups bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1/2 cup drained pitted Kalamata olives, halved
1 tsp dried oregano
small spring of dried oregano for the top

Scatter the yeast into a large bowl. Add the sugar and 5 1/2 oz warm water and leave to activate and bubble for about 10 minutes. Add the flour, salt, and olive oil and mix first with a wooden spoon, then your hands to get a soft dough. Knead for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and spongy. Wipe out the bowl with a paper towel and put the dough in. Make a cross on the dough by pressing with the edge of your hand (to bless the dough). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then a dish cloth and put in a warm spot for a couple of hours to rise.

Pat the olives dry. Put them in a bowl with the oregano and toss well. When the dough has risen and is double in size, knead it again, this time working in the olives and oregano until they are evenly distributed. You might need to use a little extra flour, as the olives will add some oil to the dough. Shape into an oval loaf, making sure a few olives are showing on the outside. Put on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the bread with oil and if you have the sprig of oregano, press this onto the top. cover with a dish cloth and leave in a warm spot for about 1 hour to rise again.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 F. Bake the bread for 30 minutes, until it is golden and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

When Pigs Cry

2011-11-22T08:43:00.003-06:00

In case you haven't noticed, Louisiana isn't exactly bursting at its seams with vegetarians. (We burst our seams in other ways.) We use smoked sausage like salt. You know, a seasoning.

While no one in my family keeps a vegetarian diet, I have a friend --and I do mean "a" as in one...single...only--who is a vegetarian. Was vegan for a while, actually. I find myself wondering how he does that here. (He's a transplant.) At times he's faced the awkwardness of having to bring his own food to dinner parties. Once, he was reduced to picking the rice out of jambalaya--not vegetarian, but it was the best he could do. But mostly he has to settle for the side dishes. And even then...

"Oh. You don't eat meat?" (Cue gasping and chest clutching--a sign that maybe we should take a lesson from my vegetarian friend?) "Well, have some potato salad. It doesn't have any meat."

"Ummm...isn't that bacon?"

"Only a little. You'll be fine, cher."

Did I mention my friend is also Jewish?

It makes me wonder what happens when he sits down to a traditional Cajun Thanksgiving with his in-laws. Even our sides end up with hefty helpings of some form of pork. Bacon. Andouille. Tasso. Pickle meat.

This dish, though, is pig free.

Actually, it's pretty loaded down with veggies. The kind I like best. The roasted kind.

It's a "use it up" sort of recipe--you know the type. Grab what's in the produce drawer and toss it in.

This time around I used red onion, zucchini, mushrooms, and butternut squash. Sometimes I used sweet potatoes in place of the butternut, yellow squash instead of zucchini, and/or add broccoli and carrots.

Anything's fair game. Fire up the old brain and think about what takes longest to roast (butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots) and which the shortest (mushrooms & zucchini) and you're on your way.

Spare the pig and refrain from adding bacon.
A little feta and toasted pecans really make this dish shine.

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Orzo "Risotto" w/ Roasted Vegetables
adapted from Family Circle Healthy Home-Style Cooking

olive oil
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1" cubes
3 medium zucchini, cut in half moon chunks
8 oz mushrooms, cut in half or quarters if large
1 red onion, cut into thin wedges
1 TBSP fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried & crushed
1 TBSP olive oil
2 (14 oz) cans reduced sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian dish)
1 1/3 c orzo
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c (heaping) chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 c crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Place squash in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Place on a large baking sheet in one layer. Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through. While the squash roasts, add the zucchini, mushrooms, onion, and rosemary to the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss. Season with salt and pepper, toss again, and add to the baking sheet with the squash. Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, turning halfway through, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned.

Meanwhile, bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover and simmer. Heat 1 TBSP olive oil in a large skillet. Cook orzo and garlic over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until orzo is light brown. Stir frequently.

Add 1/2 cup chicken broth to orzo. Cook, stirring frequently over medium to medium low heat until liquid is absorbed. Continue with this process, adding 1/2 cup broth at a time until orzo is tender and creamy, about 15-20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add roasted vegetables and pecans to orzo mixture, folding gently to combine. Sprinkle each serving with feta.

*Try other vegetables such as sweet potatoes, yellow squash, carrots, or broccoli.

*The vegetables can be roasted ahead of time and reheated before adding to the orzo.

Linking up with:
Tuesdays at the Table @ All The Small Stuff
Tasty Tuesday @ Naptime Creations
Let's Do Brunch @ My Sweet & Savory
Hearth and Soul vol 75 @ Mom's Sunday Cafe
Tuesdays Tasty Tidbits @ Permanent Posies
Simply Delish @ KB & Whitesnakes Home
Friday Potluck @ E-Kat's Kitchen
Friday Food @ Mom Trends
Presto Pasta Nights #241 hosted by Simona of Briciole

See Ya In the Gumbo! #7 (Potluck)

2011-11-20T20:02:00.001-06:00

See ya in the gumbo!

My great grandpa said this instead of "good-bye." It means see ya out there in the mix.

Gumbo is a mix of various ingredients. And no two people make it the same way.

To "make a gumbo" means much more than cooking. When someone says "I'm making a gumbo," it means family and friends are invited.

I invite you to join this POTLUCK PARTY every Sunday night.
Bring whatever mix of ingredients you'd like.

All entries will be Pinned here.
Last week's most viewed recipe:
Melt In Your MouthDinner Rolls from The Kitchen Cookie

* Please link your post, not your homepage.
* In your post, please link back to my site or add a button.
* Try to visit 2 or more participants
* Food-related posts only, please.

Turkeys and Yams

2011-11-15T20:32:00.001-06:00

Like everyone, I'm getting my ducks...er, make that turkeys and sweet potatoes in a row for Thanksgiving.

I find it funny. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving are all about wonderful food. Recipe cards scribbled with old family favorites lifted from their secret hiding places with slight of hand tricks. New ideas dog-eared, copied, pasted, saved, printed. Maybe even given a trial run. Pots, pans, spoons, and spatulas all put in some holiday overtime.

But on those where-did-the-day-go days leading up to Thanksgiving, we end up eating some kind of packaged something leftover from the hurricane supplies.

A Thanksgiving round-up, you say?
Why that's a great idea.

I'm firing up the Way-Back Machine, reaching in for some old family favorites.

Maybe my family will actually get a decent pre-Thanksgiving meal.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sweet Potatoes. Babe, don't sweat it. I've got you covered.

Like 'em sweet?

Great Grandma Vick's Sweet Potato Crunch

Praline Yams

Or like 'em savory?

Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Onions w/ Rosemary & Parmesan

Fall Sweet Potato Toss

After it's over with, I try to make up for all those sorry pre-Thanksgiving meals by making something delicious with the leftovers.

Post-Holiday Turkey Gumbo (one of my favorite gumbos)

Turkey Tetrazzini Style Casserole

Happy Thanksgiving!

See Ya In the Gumbo! #6 (Potluck)

2011-11-13T20:01:00.008-06:00

See ya in the gumbo!

My great grandpa said this instead of "good-bye." It means see ya out there in the mix.

Gumbo is a mix of various ingredients. And no two people make it the same way.

To "make a gumbo" means much more than cooking. When someone says "I'm making a gumbo," it means family and friends are invited.

I invite you to join this POTLUCK PARTY every Sunday night.
Bring whatever mix of ingredients you'd like.

All entries will be Pinned here.

Last week's most viewed recipes (TIE!):
Slow Cooker Ham Bone Soup from Drick's Rambling Cafe

Cherry Almond Chocolate Clusters from Bookcase Foodie

Festivals Acadiens et Creoles 2011

2011-11-10T14:20:00.004-06:00

Almost a month later but here's my annual review of our favorite festival.

The weather delivered big. Crowds were big too.

One of the nice things about this festival is that it's spread out across a large park

--Girard Park in Lafayette, LA.

Attendance can be huge, but you won't feel it.

Every year, The Boy's food pick is alligator.

This year it was a Grilled Alligator Sausage Po'Boy w/ Grilled Onions and fries.

The alligator connoisseur approved.

I was happy to see that Cochon, owned by my one of my favorite local chefs,

Donald Link, had a booth at the festival. The Husband and I both picked Cochon's Shrimp & Grits.

This shrimp & grits was different, almost like a shrimp etouffee or stew over the grits. The shrimp mixture had okra in it, which was surprising (but good). The down side was that it's hard to "keep" grits. The grits must have sat unattended too long--they were clumpy instead of velvety and creamy.

But, look...that's not really why we came.For the second year, The Boy was invited to play
on stage at the Louisiana Folk Roots Tent.

A pretty Cajun waltz

Louisiana Folk Roots also hosts a Jam Tent. Next to the Jam Tent, LFR has an instrument check so you don't have to haul anything around all day.

You can't tell by his face, but The Boy is excited to be playing next to David Greely, original fiddler of the Mamou Playboys.

I tend to like the bluesy, soulful old time Creole tunes the most.
Joe Hall & The Louisiana Canecutters are a sure bet for that.
One of my favorite bands.

One of my favorite songs from Joe Hall

This year's Festival Acadiens et Creoles honoree was Bruce Daigrepont, who can be found at Tipitina's every Sunday for a fais do-do.

Festivals wouldn't be complete without seeing Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys--The Boy's favorite.

Steve Riley & Kevin Wimmer
Twin fiddles

Alligator, Steve Riley, and climbing on this gnarly oak tree--
that's all The Boy needs for a great weekend.

For me, the highlight of this year's shindig was the band Mamou.
An 80's band that blends Cajun music with rock.

Having been a teenager in the 80s, I can totally identify with the vest and Slash hat.
I also, like, totally dug the music. Dude!

Mamou took one of the most recognized Cajun tunes:
Joile Blon
and turned it inside out, upside down, and sideways.
Someone's gotta shake things up.

But they don't shake things just to shake them.
They are clever.
At times, the fiddle sounds mimic Jethro Tull's flute.
The traditional Cajun Mardi Gras song becomes an 80s rock ballad.
Zydeco is infused with Ozzy/Crazy Train sounding riffs.

They have their share of critics, mostly people who find it disrespectful to twist Cajun music in such a way. In THIS interview, from The Advertiser, Mamou founder, Steve LaFleur, says:

"The more I messed with it, the more I had to learn Cajun music to do what I did. I had to start playing Cajun music to study Cajun music. I had to learn to sing in French, to pick it apart and change it. The more I did that, the more I started realizing what it actually was."

After seeing Mamou, The Boy wants to plug his fiddle into an amp and see what he can do.

Very cool.

Another popular Cajun song, Bayou Teche, turned on its head.

More music and down and dirty good times...
Festvals Acadien et Creoles 2010

Festvals Acadien et Creoles 2009

Stubborn

2011-11-08T10:33:00.007-06:00

Stubborn. Pig-headed. Bull-headed. Hard-headed. Strong-minded.

I've heard 'em all.
They've been directed at me.

I know, I know. You don't believe it. You're asking, "How can that possibly be?" Oh, it be, baby. It be.

Let me confess something to you. If you give me a recipe for lasagna or meatballs, I'll thank you for thinking of me. But the chances of me making that recipe are very slim. I've been making "mine" for almost 20 years. They are much like my mom's and it's hard for me to be swayed from what I grew up with. Same thing with standard potato salad. I make my mother-in-law's, which was her mother's method.

Maybe it's not exactly being stubborn. Maybe it's more that I'm loyal to my family. Yeah. Let's go with that.

So I shocked the hell out of myself recently by making pita bread.

The shocking part wasn't that I made pita, it was that I used a different recipe. I've used this one recipe for almost 10 years. We love the way the pita bread turns out. I love that the recipe is so agreeable, telling me so sweetly that if I don't have olive oil, I can use melted butter, or a list of other fats. Kindly letting me know that if I don't have honey, sugar is just fine and dandy.

It's flexible, bending. So unlike me that I can't help but be drawn in.

But I've also been drawn in to my Tessa Kiros cookbook: Food From Many Greek Kitchens. So drawn in, impressed with everything I've tried so far, that my stubborn loyalty dissolved.

And here's the lesson. You knew there'd be one. Why all this yammering otherwise?

Tessa Kiros' pita bread was THE best pita I've made or had. It was fluffy and chewy. Perfect texture.

It has me thinking that maybe adding pepperoni to my lasagna like K does, or using half Italian sausage/half ground beef like C does may not be so terrible. Maybe my loyalty won't be questioned. Maybe the word "mule" won't be tossed my way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Along with the fabulous pita bread, we had Tessa Kiros' Baked Feta. This may be one of the best appetizers I've ever eaten. In fact, I didn't eat it as an app; I made it my lunch.

I probably won't be trying any other versions.

pretty even before baking--would be great for Christmas

Linking these recipes with:
I Heart Cooking Clubs-November Potluck
Tuesdays at the Table @ All The Small Stuff
Tasty Tuesday @ Naptime Creations
Bake With Bizzy @ Bizzy Bakes
Let's Do Brunch @ The 21st Century Housewife
Hearth and Soul vol 73 @ Mom's Sunday Cafe
Tuesdays Tasty Tidbits @ Permanent Posies
What's Cooking Thursdays @ Feeding Four
Turning the Table Thursday @ Around My Family Table
Simply Delish @ KB & Whitesnakes Home
Friday Food @ Mom Trends
Tailgating Game Week 12 @ Drick's Rambling Cafe
Made It On Monday #32 @ Lark's Country Heart

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Pita Breadfrom Food From Many Greek Kitchens

2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp honey
3 TBSP warm water
1 heaping tsp salt
3 cups bread flour
6 TBSP olive oil
7 oz water

Sprinkle the yeast in a large bowl. Add the honey and 3 TBSP warm water and mix to dissolve. Leave it till it starts to activate and get frothy. Add salt, flour, oil, and 7 oz water to the dough and mix until a rough dough slumps around your spoon. Change to your hands and knead until you have a soft springy dough, 8-10 minutes. It will seem sticky at first, but that is good, so only add more flour if the dough clings to your hands.

Wipe out the bowl with an oiled paper towel. Put the dough in, cover with plastic wrap, then a heavy cloth, and leave in a warm place to puff up until about double in size (1 1/2-2 hours).

Preheat the oven to 400. Punch down the dough and divide into 8 balls. Press each ball into a flat disk with your hands and leave for 5 minutes for them to relax.

Roll out the disks into a circle about 1/6" thick. Brush lightly with olive oil and put onto unfloured baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time util they are firmed on the first side, 5 minutes or so, then turn them over amd bake for another 3 minutes, or until the top surface is dry. You will finish cooking them under the broiler or in the oven when you are about to serve, so they should be a little underdone.

Remove and immeaditely stack them on top of each other and wrap in plastic wrap to keep them pliable. To serve, brush each side lightly with olive oil and put under the broiler to warm both sides.

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Baked Feta
from Food From Many Greek Kitchens
About 7 oz feta, crumbled
finely chopped green pepper
finely chopped tomato
1-2 TBSP olive oil
1-2 pinches dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Divide the feta between 2-3 small, shallow oven proof dishes (I used creme brulee dishes). Scatter chopped green pepper and tomatoes over the top. Drizzle with olive oil. Crush the oregano between your fingers and sprinkle over the top of each dish. Also top with a grind of black pepper. Bake until a bit crusty along the edges, about 20 minutes.

See ya In the Gumbo #5 (Potluck)

2011-11-06T23:08:00.002-06:00

All featured entries will be Pinned here.

Last week's most viewed recipe:

Bacon Wrapped Potatoes w/ Honey Scallion Sauce
from Hun...What's for Dinner?

*************

* Please link your post, not your homepage.
* In your post, please link back to my site or add a button.
* Try to visit 2 or more participants (I'd like to start featuring the most viewed)
* Food-related posts only, please.

IHCC Pasta Bowl: Penne alla Senese (Penne w/ Sausage, Walnuts, and Cream)

2011-11-03T09:10:00.002-05:00

This week I Heart Cooking Clubs is all about PASTA.

If you aren't familiar with I Heart Cooking Clubs, we're currently cooking the recipes of Tessa Kiros. Ms. Kiros just happens to have an Italian husband. She also just happens to have an Italian cookbook titled Twelve: A Tuscan Cookbook. Seems like a good place to find a pasta recipe!

This week's IHCC recipe is something I've been waiting--pins, needles, the whole nine--to talk about. When I saw the "In My Pasta Bowl" theme announced, there may have been a little (desk) chair dance involved. Arms may have been raised in the air. Fists pumped. Yep. It's that good.

Penne alla Senese (Penne w/ Sausage, Walnuts, and Cream)

I can't say enough about how much we've liked Tessa Kiros' recipes. Each week seems to top the next.

This week's dish...I knew it was a winner while cooking the sausage and pecans. Oh, did I mention there's also prosciutto? (My cheap a#! used bacon). Adding the brandy made me want to hurry things along because I knew it was going to be good.

When I tell you this was delicious, I'm not pullin' your leg. When I tell you I wish there was a perfume based on the sauce...well, I may be tuggin' just a little bit.

It's in my nature to do my own thing. And things were done. Garlic added. Pecans instead of walnuts. After tasting the dish with pasta, I felt that the incredible flavors of the sauce had been lost a little. Nothing a little extra pour (or two) of brandy couldn't fix. I had to call 'em to the table quick before I stood at the stove and ate more than my share.

Take a look at this week's pasta dishes at IHCC.

Need more pasta? I'm also linking up with Presto Pasta Nights #238, hosted by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast

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Penne alla Senese (Penne w/ Sausage, Walnuts, and Cream)
Adapted from Twelve: A Tuscan Cookbook by Tessa Kiros

1 1/2 Tbsp butter
3 links hot Italian sausage
3 slices bacon, chopped
3 cloves garlic
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, plus 2 Tbsp for garnish
4-5 Tbsp brandy
1 c heavy whipping cream
1 lb penne
1 1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Remove sausage from casing and crumble into the pan. Cook a few minutes, then add the bacon and pecans. When golden, add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the brandy, scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan. After the brandy evaporates, add the cream. Season to taste (remember, Parmesan cheese will be added later). Simmer for a few minutes.

If you find the sauce a little too thick, add a bit of cooking water from the pasta.

Cook the penne in boiling salted water. Drain and add to the pan. Add the Parmesan cheese, toss thoroughly to coat, and serve immediately.

Swamp Monsters & Loup Garous

2011-10-31T09:19:00.005-05:00

I'm not sure why my parents thought it was a good idea. Driving 3 young children to the next state for fried catfish. More than a few times. We lived in New Orleans--dripping not only in humidity, but food. When we finally got to the restaurant in Mississippi, everyone was hungry. Which we all know also means cranky. By that point us kids finally figured out we'd better shut our traps and not dare cross the lines dad pointed out for each one of us down the vinyl seat. We knew how far to take it before he actually "pulled over and stopped the car." And boy did we take it juuuust to the edge.

The ride home, I liked though. Everyone was full, happy, quiet. And it was getting dark as we drove through Honey Island Swamp. I always made sure to get a window seat on the way home so I could stare into the darkening swamp, hoping to catch sight of the Honey Island Swamp Monster. I imagined him a lumbering big-foot, peering through the palmetto leaves. Maybe parting the hanging Spanish moss with dirty, hairy hands to give me a wink because I spotted him.

The Honey Island Swamp Monster is often described as the most awful smelling thing you'd never want to meet. Many sources say he is a cross between an ape and alligator, product of native swamp life takin' a shine to chimps that escaped to the swamp after a circus train derailment. A shaggy thing with long, sharp teeth and alligator feet. Something that comes after bad little children. And after the ride I just had with my brothers, I sure kept my eyes peeled.

After moving west to Cajun country, I learned about another kind of swamp monster: le loup garou (loo-gah-ROO). Loup garou, or werewolf, stories came to Louisiana from our French and French Canadian settlers. In South Louisiana, le loup garou lives in the swamp. Half man. Half beast. All bad, bad news. Loup garou lurks in the swamp, emerging under a full moon to eat up all the naughty little kids. Cajun children can't catch a stinkin' break.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Boy loves dogs. Once upon a time, he wanted to (as he would say) "dress into" Clifford for Halloween.

This year, a different kind of dog: Loup garou.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How 'bout a Halloween classic? Chili. He-Man Chili from Tony Chachere's Cajun Country Cookbook.

Why "He-Man?"

In addition to the usual ground beef...

This is the sausage that makes the drippings that cooks the ground beef in He-Man Chili.

This is the bacon that fries the sausage that makes the drippings that cooks the ground beef in He-Man Chili.

A big ole meaty bowl that Tony Chachere built.

Tony also adds beans, but I wasn't feelin' it. I was feeling cooking extra bacon and sprinkling it on top. For extra manliness. I think Swamp Monsters and Loup Garous would approve too.

This chili is tangy from the Worcestershire (which I love) and the wine. I like its unique flavor and the different textures that the three meats give. Something to keep in mind: because of the Worcestershire sauce, bacon, and Tony's seasoning, you probably aren't going to need salt. Don't go salting w/out tasting.

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Tony's He-Man Chili
adapted from Tony Chachere's Cajun Country Cookbook
1 lb hot sausage
1 lb lean ground beef
6 slices bacon (8 if used as a topping)
1 large onion, chopped
1 ball pepper, chopped
1 Louisiana hot pepper or jalapeno
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup red wine
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp celery seed
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 (28 oz) cans whole tomatoes w/ juices
Tony's Creole seasoning, to taste

Possible toppings:
handful chopped green onion
handful chopped parsley
about 1/4 c chopped red onion
reserved bacon (from above)
cheese
tortilla chips

Brown bacon slices in a large pot. Remove. When cool enough to handle, crumble. If using as a topping, cook about 8 slices and reserve 2.

Slice sausage into 1" pieces and fry in bacon fat until brown. Remove from pot and set aside with bacon. Pour off most of the fat and fry the ground beef. Drain most of the fat and set aside with the sausage and bacon.

Cook onion, bell pepper, and hot pepper in a small amount of the pan drippings until tender. Add the garlic and cook a few more minutes. Stir in the mustard, celery seeds, and chili powder. Simmer about 10 minutes.

Break up the tomatoes by hand and add to the pot, along with the Worcestershire and wine. Add the meats back to the pot and heat to boiling. Reduce heat, season to taste with Tony's. Simmer 1 1/2-2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Just before serving toss in some green onion and/or parsley. Or top individual bowls with one or more: green onion, parsley, red onion, crumbled bacon tortilla chips, cheese.

Linking with:

Cookbook Sundays @ Mom's Sunday Cafe
Tailgating Game Week 10 @ Drick's Rambling Cafe
Tailgating Time @ Seaside Simplicity
Tuesdays at the Table @ All The Small Stuff
Tasty Tuesday @ Naptime Creations
Hearth and Soul vol 72 @ Mom's Sunday Cafe
Tuesdays Tasty Tidbits @ Permanent Posies
What's Cooking Thursdays @ Feeding Four
Turning the Table Thursday @ Around My Family Table
Simply Delish @ KB & Whitesnakes Home
Potluck Friday @ EKat's Kitchen
Friday Food @ Mom Trends

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See Ya In the Gumbo Potluck #4...link up here

Happy Halloween

See Ya In the Gumbo #4 (Potluck)

2011-10-30T20:02:00.002-05:00

See ya in the gumbo!

My great grandpa said this instead of "good-bye." It means see ya out there in the mix.

Gumbo is a mix of various ingredients. And no two people make it the same way.

To "make a gumbo" means much more than cooking. When someone says "I'm making a gumbo," it means family and friends are invited.

I invite you to join this POTLUCK PARTY every Sunday night.
Bring whatever mix of ingredients you'd like.

Last week's most viewed recipes (tie):

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo from Cajun Delights

Hot Chocolate Mix from TheKitchenCookie

* Please link your post, not your homepage.
* In your post, please link back to my site or add a button.
* Try to visit 2 or more participants (I'd like to start featuring the most viewed)
* Food-related posts only, please.

IHCC: Harvest Moon

2011-10-26T09:37:00.002-05:00

For the past two I Heart Cooking Clubs themes, I asked The Husband to pick from my narrowed down list of Tessa Kiros recipes. Six or seven choices hardly seems narrow to a normal person. But if you're a what-iffer or a how-abouter like me, you get it.

The Husband picked a winner with the Apple Cake w/ Toffee Topping. And he did it again with the Baked Chickpeas.

So can he go for three of a kind?

You know it.

Ding ding ding. Jackpot.

I asked him which sounded the most "harvesty?" Then fired off a list I don't know how he kept up with. He didn't pick the first on the list. He didn't pick the last. So I'm thinking he was really paying attention. (That's a big ole tip right there, guys)

Honestly, he wins just by not commenting on "harvesty."
(Another tip)

Notes:
My house smelled like Thanksgiving while this baked. I took Tessa Kiros' suggestion and sprinkled some cinnamon over the squash along with the brown sugar and butter.

Speaking of brown sugar and butter...they bake together to form a thickened, syrupy sauce that spoons can't wait to dip into. Since this does bake for a while, I made it ahead of time and reheated in a low oven before serving.

The beauty of making this earlier in the day when no one else was home: no one but me knows how much sauce the recipe made. Just puttin' that out there. Another tip.

If you like sweet potato casserole and candied yams, Baked Butternut Squash w/ Butter & Brown Sugar has similar qualities. But not as sweet.

The one thing I didn't like about this recipe: the instructions for peeling the squash. I find butternut squash a pain to prep anyway and should have gone with my usual method. The method for peeling the squash as described in the recipe...um...more than once I thought my left palm was a goner.

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Baked Butternut Squash w/ Butter & Brown Sugar
from Apples For Jam by Tessa Kiros

3 1/2 Tbsp butter
2 1/4 lb butternut squash
1/4 to 1/3 Cup light brown sugar
salt
2 bay leaves
4 Tbsp water
Optional: ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 and generously butter the bottom of a large, round, ovenproof dish with some of the butter. Peel the butternut by first cutting it in half, then scooping out the seeds with a spoon (save the seeds to toast in the oven for a snack, or to plant). Cut the squash into long slices that are about an inch thick. Using a small sharp knife, carefully cut away the skin, keeping the shape of the squash slices and taking care that you don't cut yourself, as the skin is hard. You should have about 1 1/2 lbs of squash.

Scatter some of the brown sugar over the bottom of the pan and lay the squash slices flat, in a single layer. If using, sprinkle ground cinnamon over the squash. Scatter the rest of the sugar over the top, dot with the rest of the butter, and sprinkle with a little salt. Pour 4 Tbsp of water around the sides and add the bay leaves. Put into the oven for about 1 hour, or until the butternut is soft and golden, even dark in places, and there is some thick golden juice bubbling away at the bottom. Spoon the pan juices over the squash a couple of times during the cooking--if it looks a little too dry, add a dribble more water. Serve warm. If you aren't serving immediately, then reheat gently so the butter melts again. Serves 6.

Part of I Heart Cooking Clubs Harvest Moon week w/ Tessa Kiros

Also linking with:
Tuesdays at the Table @ All The Small Stuff
Tasty Tuesday @ Naptime Creations
Hearth and Soul vol 71 @ Mom's Sunday Cafe
Tuesdays Tasty Tidbits @ Permanent Posies
Let's Do Brunch @ My Sweet & Savory
Bake With Bizzy @ Bizzy Bakes
What's Cooking Thursdays @ Feeding Four
Turning the Table Thursday @ Around My Family Table
Simply Delish @ KB & Whitesnakes Home
Potluck Friday @ EKat's Kitchen
Friday Food @ Mom Trends
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget: See Ya In the Gumbo Potluck #3 runs until Friday night.

See ya In the Gumbo #3 Potluck

2011-10-23T20:00:00.002-05:00

Like Home

2011-10-18T10:28:00.003-05:00

Time has been getting away from me. This always seems to happen the very second I notice the days getting shorter. I end up torn this time of year--not liking the lack of after work daylight, but being drawn to the warm-the-house-up, stick-to-you fall dishes.

Like this new find: Baked Chickpeas from Tessa Kiros.

Learning about Tessa Kiros these past few weeks, through I Heart Cooking Clubs, has made me say "how 'bout dat!" more than a few times. The food has been great, but there's more to it than that. I've noticed many similarities between Kiros' stories of Greek culture and my own stories of Cajun culture.

Her description of New Year Wish Cake, with its hidden coin, being eaten by everyone, including children in school...

Do I have to say it? You know where I'm going. King Cake. How 'bout dat!

We have our King Cake with a coin, bean, or plastic baby hidden inside. And I have clear memories of King Cake parties at school every Friday.

The story behind the baked chickpeas I made this week also made me feel at home. In Food From Many Greek Kitchens, Tessa Kiros says that baked chickpeas are a Sunday afternoon staple, made in a special pot that is passed down through generations. Cast iron and Magnalite pots are treated the same way in S LA.

Kiros also creates an "aww, cher" moment when she explains that mothers and grandmothers take their special pots of chickpeas down to the baker on Saturday afternoon. Here, the chickpeas will be baked in the wood oven all night and retrieved Sunday morning.

This image of women walking to the bakery with their pots in hand, smiling and nodding to each other--I doubt they'd wave considering they're holding heavy ceramic pots--made me think of home. Of the idea that the entire community would essentially be sharing the same meal. A familiar idea to me this time of year with our "gumbo weather."

Every fall when the first good, strong North wind blows, mamas and maw-maws make a little round to the store. We all buy the same things--a chicken or a hen, sausage, onions, peppers, celery, garlic. We all nod at each other over the chickens and smile at each other while we stand in line, knowing that the whole town's about to smell like a good, dark roux.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These baked Chickpeas (or chicken pebbles as The Boy says) were very good. Very few and very simple ingredients bake together for hours to become a flavorful, creamy, homey dish. A dish with touches of sweetness from the slow-cooked onions and bay leaves. We liked this so much that, while it was served as a side dish, it became the star of the meal. However, we did all agree that the squirt of lemon at the end is necessary rather than optional as the recipe instructs.

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Revithada (Baked Chickpeas)
from Tessa Kiros' Food From Many Greek Kitchens
1 pound 2 ounces dried chickpeas
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 onions, well chopped
2 bay leaves
6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Best-quality olive oil, for serving
Lemon quarters, for serving, optional (I think it's necessary)

Put the chickpeas and flour in a bowl, cover with plenty of cold water and soak overnight. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Drain the chickpeas, rinse and put into a large round ceramic pot with a good-fitting lid. Cover with 4 cups of water and add the onions, bay leaves and olive oil. Stir a few times to distribute the onion, then put the lid on. Bake in the oven for 2 hours.

Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and remove the pot from the oven. The contents should be nice and bubbly. Season well with salt and pepper and mix. Return the pot, still covered, to the oven for a further 2 hours, when the chickpeas will be lovely and soft with a little of the thick liquid left. Turn off the oven and leave the covered pot inside to cool for about 1 hour. Taste for salt and pepper, then serve warm, with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice, if you like.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Because time has gotten away from me and I'm working on pics & videos from this year's Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, this will be my only food post for the week shared with...

I Heart Cooking Clubs--this week's theme "Peasant Food"
See Ya In the Gumbo #2--right here until Friday, Oct. 21
Family Time Tuesday @ Celebrating Family
Tuesdays at the Table @ All The Small Stuff
Tasty Tuesday @ Naptime Creations
Hearth and Soul vol 70 @ Mom's Sunday Cafe
Tuesdays Tasty Tidbits @ Permanent Posies
Bake With Bizzy @ Bizzy Bakes
Thursdays Treasures @ Recipes For My Boys
What's Cooking Thursdays @ Feeding Four
Turning the Table Thursday @ Around My Family Table
Simply Delish @ KB & Whitesnakes Home
Potluck Friday @ EKat's Kitchen
Friday Food @ Mom Trends

See Ya In the Gumbo #2 Potluck

2011-10-16T20:02:00.001-05:00

See ya in the gumbo!

My great grandpa said this instead of "good-bye." It means see ya out there in the mix.

Gumbo is a mix of various ingredients. And no two people make it the same way.

To "make a gumbo" means much more than cooking. When someone says "I'm making a gumbo," it means family and friends are invited.

I invite you to join this POTLUCK PARTY every Sunday night.
Bring whatever mix of ingredients you'd like.

* Please link your post, not your homepage.
* In your post, please link back to my site or add a button.
* Try to visit 2 or more participants (I'd like to start featuring the most viewed)
* Food-related posts only, please.

IHCC: From the Orchard

2011-10-13T10:43:00.001-05:00

This week's I Heart Cooking Clubs theme is "From the Orchard." Visit IHCC for this celebration of fall fruit.

It's puzzling. When I see the word "orchard" I think apples. I've never been even in close proximity to an apple orchard. The only kind of orchards I've spent any time in are pecan and citrus. We're still days away from pecans. By Halloween they'll fall. The citrus is still plenty green.

So apples it is. But believe me, I'm not settling.

Does this look like settling?

Apple Cake w/ Toffee Topping from Tessa Kiros

We loved this cake. It hints at apple pie, but without all the crust fuss. It hints at apple cobbler, but looks more refined.

It hints at me making it again.

Changes to the original recipe:
* Sprinkled ground cinnamon & ground ginger over the apples. They were asking for it.

* I poked holes in the top of the cake with the fat end of a skewer so some of the insanely good topping could find its way into the cake.

* Finally, I topped the whole deal with chopped pecans. Just for grins.

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Apple Cake w/ Toffee Topping
Adapted from Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros

3 Golden Delicious apples
ground cinnamon for sprinkling
ground ginger for sprinkling
7 Tbsp butter, softened
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
1 2/3 c all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 c milk

for the topping:
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c cream
about 3 Tbsp chopped toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 375. Grease and flour a 9 1/2" springform pan.

Peel the apples. Cut in half lengthwise. Cut each half into about 8 slices. Remove any core from the slices. Lay a ring of slices around the outer edge of the pan. Fill in the middle in a circular pattern with additional slices.

Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, beating after each one. Sift and beat in the flour and baking powder. Beat in the milk until the batter is soft and fluffy. Spoon over the apples and smooth down the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes. If the top starts to brown before the cake is done, cover with foil. Remove from the oven when a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Make the topping.

Put the butter and sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar melts and the mixture is caramel color. Add the cream drop by drop at first (the mixture will "grow" and bubble). Then stir in the rest in a steady stream. Lower the heat and simmer a couple of minutes.

Loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Poke holes over the top of the cake with the wider end of a skewer. Pour the topping over the cake slowly so that some of it can ooze into the holes. Scatter chopped pecans over the top of the cake. Let the cake cool before removing the sides of the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Constants

2011-10-11T09:02:00.004-05:00

Don't forget:
See Ya in the Gumbo! Potluck link-up runs until Friday, Oct. 14

I like the constants. The fact that when October blows in I know I'll see gumbo and chili and gravies. Muffins and bread.

Sweet Potato Bread w/ Praline Butter

In magazines & on TV, those muffins and breads are usually made with pumpkin. But when I think orange fall food, sweet potatoes are what I rely on.

Once a week (sometimes more) I drive through Opelousas, LA--home of Tony Chachere, the Zydeco capital of the world, and home to the Yambilee Festival. (Sweet potatoes, yall.) It's hard not to think about sweet potatoes--there's a quirky mural there of sweet potatoes dancing and passing a good time at Yambilee.

In the fall, sweet potatoes are a constant around here. Before too long, men in dusty overalls will be selling them by the sacks out of pick-ups.

While working on my sweet potatoes for the bread, I remembered a constant from my childhood.

The crazy Sputnik sweet potato my grandma always had in her kitchen window.

She'd root them in jars and trail the vines around her window frame. I had to laugh--I always seem to have a collection of things rooting in jars in my window too.

****************

This sweet potato bread is full of cinnamon

vanilla, orange zest, and pecans (another constant this time of year).

Couldn't resist serving it with praline butter.

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Sweet Potato Bread w/ Praline Butter
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp (heaping) cinnamon
1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 c softened butter
about 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the sweet potato mixture until you no longer see flour. Spoon into a greased loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes.

*The praline butter was made by melting about 2-3 Tbsp sugar and cooking over low heat until caramel color. Add about 2 Tbsp finely chopped pecans and stir to coat. Let cool, then mix into softened butter. If you have pralines already made, just chop them up and add to your butter.

****************

Linking up with:
Make a Food "e" Friend Monday @ The Saturday Evening Pot
Tuesdays at the Table @ All The Small Stuff
Tasty Tuesday @ Naptime Creations
Hearth and Soul vol 69 @ Mom's Sunday Cafe
Tuesdays Tasty Tidbits @ Permanent Posies
Let's Do Brunch @ The 21st Century Housewife
Bake With Bizzy @ Bizzy Bakes
What's Cooking Thursdays @ Feeding Four
Turning the Table Thursday @ Around My Family Table
Simply Delish @ KB & Whitesnakes Home
Potluck Friday @ EKat's Kitchen
Friday Food @ Mom Trends

See Ya In the Gumbo! #1 (Potluck)

2011-10-09T20:11:00.000-05:00

See ya in the gumbo!

My great grandpa said this instead of "good-bye." It means see ya out there in the mix.

Gumbo is a mix of various ingredients. And no two people make it the same way.

To "make a gumbo" means much more than cooking. When someone says "I'm making a gumbo," it means family and friends are invited.

I invite you to join this POTLUCK PARTY every Sunday night.
Bring whatever mix of ingredients you'd like.

* Please link your post, not your homepage.
* In your post, please link back to my site or add a button.
* Try to visit 2 or more participants (I'd like to feature the most viewed)
* Food-related posts only, please.

One of Those Times

2011-10-04T20:31:00.003-05:00

This is not one of those times. You know the kind.

The times when you rush home from work and are mobbed by people who are in that end-of-the-day zombie like state. One of those times when you feel like Little Miss (or Mr.) Cranky Pants and don't really want people asking "when's supper?"

The times when you'd rather if the zombies did eat your brains because at least you wouldn't have to stand over the stove.

The times when you go to the kitchen and open the fridge to find that the chicken is still a block of ice.

The times when it's 5:30 PM and you realize that you forgot to turn the crockpot to "on."

The times when you didn't replace your "emergency meal" ingredients because what are the chances?

Since times like these aren't supposed to happen to food bloggers, this is definitely not one of those times.

This is the kind of time when the moon and sun and stars and work schedules and weather and meat department sales all align. The kind of time when everything is right.

(Except for that little speck of onion on the top of the tortilla that I didn't notice until now.)

Fajita Shredded Beef in homemade tortillas

Fajita Shredded Beef over rice

This is a dish that I crave often but only make at these times:
~ when it's cool enough
~ when there's time for slow simmering
~ when I can get a deal on chuck roast

We like it over rice topped with things you'd add to fajitas or tacos. But we like it even more inside just-made tortillas kept warm in clean dish towels. Use a slotted spoon to serve the beef if using tortillas.

The beef is rubbed with fajita seasoning and seared, giving it a nice caramelized surface and keeping it juicy inside.

Spread the love. And the fajita seasoning. Reserve some to sprinkle over your onions and peppers before sautéing.

Add some stewed tomatoes and whatever else'll blow your dress up.

Jalapenos might do the trick.

By the end of cooking, the meat will be tender, falling apart, and so good you'll want to eat it all week long. Or at least the next day.

I can't tell you how much I love this meal and the leftovers.

Supper:

Lunch the next day:

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Fajita Shredded Beef
(one of my favorites)

1 packet Fajita seasoning, or about 2 1/2 Tbsp jarred or homemade
2 lb chuck roast
1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell or poblano pepper, chopped
jalapeno, to taste (optional)
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
handful of chopped parsley
1 can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
about 3/4 c water

Rub both sides of the roast with most of the fajita seasoning. Let the roast sit while you heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. When the pot and oil are hot, carefully add the roast and brown on all sides.

Toss the chopped onions and peppers with the rest of the fajita seasoning. Add to the pot and saute about 5-8 minutes. If needed, remove the roast from the pot to make more room. Add the garlic and saute a few more minutes.

If you removed the roast, add it--along with any juices--back to the pot. Add the parsley, stewed tomatoes, and water. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 3-4 hours.

Remove the roast to a large plate. Skim any grease from the surface. taste the gravy for seasoning and adjust. Shred the roast and add back to the pot.

Serve in tortillas or over rice topped with tomato, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, avocado, pico de gallo, limes, etc.

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Join me Sunday, October 9th for a weekly potluck. I'd love to have you!
Link-up will be ready Sunday evening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Linking up this week with:
Tailgating Time @ Seaside Simplicity
Tuesdays at the Table @ All The Small Stuff
Tasty Tuesday @ Naptime Creations
Hearth and Soul vol 68 @ Mom's Sunday Cafe
Tuesdays Tasty Tidbits @ Permanent Posies
Let's Do Brunch @ My Sweet & Savory
What's Cooking Thursdays @ Feeding Four
Turning the Table Thursday @ Around My Family Table
Simply Delish @ KB & Whitesnakes Home
Potluck Friday @ EKat's Kitchen
Friday Food @ Mom Trends

IHCC: October Potluck

2011-10-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

It's our first potluck with Tessa Kiros at I Heart Cooking Clubs.

As a child, whether it was at church, with friends, with extended family, or with my grandparents' camping club I dreaded potlucks. I never seemed to know what anything was in all those pots, bowls, and casserole dishes. It wasn't that I was a picky eater (I definitely was not picky. Remember? I was a chubby bébé). It had more to do with the fact that nothing tasted like home. I had no sense of adventure anyway.

Things weren't helped by the fact that I had this one great-aunt who was a bit (and by a bit I mean a lot) eccentric. Every Southern family has to have at least one crazy aunt. It's the law. She contributed dishes like Aunt ____'s Unidentifiable Green Stuff to our holiday meals.

I've gotten over my issues with potlucks. For the most part.

And I promise not to bring Unidentifiable Green Stuff to this, or any, potluck.

Instead I'm bringing Unidentifiable Fried Stuff.

We liked these Chickpea Balls from Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros. I particularly liked the dill, which is something I don't cook with often. I grew dill once. Only once since I was faced with a choice of letting it self-seed all over my yard or pulling up the strays. Not a position I wanted to be in. You know how I feel about pulling up plants.

I served the chickpea balls with Tessa Kiros' Yogurt on the Side, which I also liked. Tessa Kiros suggests that this is a good alternative to tzatiki when you need something "more plain." This is also a great substitute for tzatiki if you're serving someone who doesn't like cucumbers. The chickpea balls and the yogurt went well together.

Keep in mind that the chickpeas have to soak overnight and the garlic and olive oil for the yogurt have to sit for half an hour.

Printer friendly

Chickpea Balls (Revithokeftedes)
from Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros

1/2 c dried chickpeas
1 Tbsp flour, plus extra for coating
6 1/2 oz potato (1 medium to large)
1/4 c onion, grated
1 Tbsp coarsely chopped dill
1 Tbsp coarsely chopped parsley
salt & pepper
light olive oil for frying
lemon quarters for serving

Soak the chickpeas and the flour in plenty of cold water overnight.

Boil the potato in salted water until very tender. Drain. When cool enough to handle, peel and mash with a fork in a large bowl. Drain the soaked chickpeas and puree them in a food processor, leaving some texture. Add to the potato along with the onion, dill, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Shape into 18 walnut-size balls of about 1 oz each. Put some flour in a bowl and gently roll the balls in this to coat.

Pour the olive oil into a large skillet to a depth of about 1/4 inch and put over medium-high heat.

Fry the balls in batches, gently turning them to brown evenly. As they are done, remove with tongs and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot or cold with lemon quarters.

My notes: The chickpea mixture was a little wet, so I added a sprinkle or two of flour to help hold it together. I used a deep fryer since I had it out for something else. Skipped the lemon and used a yogurt dip instead.

Yogurt on the Side (Yiaourti)
from Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros

1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 c Greek yogurt
about 1/4 c plain yogurt (I didn't need this)
a large pinch paprika
1/2 tsp dried mint (used fresh)
salt and pepper

Put the crushed garlic and the olive oil in a cup and leave to steep for half an hour or so.

Put the Greek yogurt in a bowl. Add just enough regular yogurt to loosen it (you might have some left over, as not all yogurts are the same thickness). Add the paprika and mint, and pour the olive oil in, keeping back the garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix.

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Please join me Sunday evening--October 9th for a weekly potluck link-up!