North Alabama weather can be pretty unpredictable. Maybe its 90 degrees in October and we’re all wondering where fall is? Or maybe it’s just June and already a stifling 100 degrees outside. Either way, when it’s simply too hot to turn the oven above 275 …
“There are really no new recipes, only millions of variations sparked by somebody’s imagination and desire to be a little bit creative and different.” James Beard’s collection of essays, Beard on Food, published in 1974, is filled with delightful stories, recipes and tales of culinary …
Strawberries and pepper? Sugar, eggs and cream transformed into a velvety delicious custard. Cold crystals of strawberry balsamic ice flakes infusing a slight tartness blended with sweet. I think for me, the fascination with food comes in how it can delight all the senses. Alabama farmer’s markets in May are a sea of bright red strawberries spilling over the edges of their round plastic baskets and southern cooks stocking up to make jams and jellies when the berries are at their peak. During the short season for these heart shaped treasures, we delight in ways to enjoy their abundance. James Beard recalls “a very unusual way of serving strawberries” – Strawberries Carcassonne. Carcassonne is a double walled hill top city in the south of France. We spent a night there once, passing through on the way from Barcelona to Paris, staying just outside the city ramparts at the modern Carcassonne Hotel de Chateau. This dessert has a lovely combination of flavors and is easily made ahead to assemble quickly after dinner.
Gently fold over with a spoon to combine flavors. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Strain the strawberry puree through a fine mesh sieve or chinois. Add orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, and balsamic. Stir to combine. Pour into ice trays or a loaf pan and freeze for 2 hours. Remove from freezer and scrape across the top with a fork to create the ice granita. Return to freezer and scrape again before serving.
Bowl of ice (for cooling the anglaise)
In a medium sauce pan, bring cream to a boil, and then add the vanilla bean. In a medium bowl whisk sugar and egg yolks.
Temper egg mixture by slowly whisking in hot cream until all is incorporated.
Return mixture back to pot and cook on medium heat until sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Strain through a sieve into a bowl and place bowl of anglaise on ice, stirring until cool.
Add the Chambord and mix well.
Using a small bowl or plate, begin with 2-3 spoonfuls of the raspberry creme anglaise, followed by 5-6 strawberries, and top with the strawberry balsamic ice. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
Tacos with Miso Sauce 12 corn tortillas (2 per taco) Rotisserie chicken breast – sliced 1 red bell pepper – chopped Napa cabbage – sliced (large handful) Carrot ribbons to garnish Lime cilantro rice Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a wok on medium high …
A cast iron skillet. So important in the south, the coveted perfectly seasoned ones are passed down for generations, like the small one I have that reliably makes perfectly crisp golden cornbread every time. Today, however, you can purchase pre-seasoned ones with the hard work …
No doubt the star of this recipe is the crab, so keep it the highlight!
Orange Beach, known as the “Redneck Riviera”, sits on the Gulf of Mexico in L. A. (Lower Alabama) and boasts the most beautiful wide soft white fine sand beaches you’ll ever sink your feet into. As a child, it was our summer vacation destination, and we carried the tradition on with our children. We continue to make the drive down several times a year.
The sometimes long line trails out the doors of Joe Patti’s Seafood market in Pensacola. The smell of salt water wafts through the air as you navigate your way to the center. There, you’ll find the ticket lady, clad in red, perched up on a metal bar stool. The place is buzzing, it moves fast, and you better be ready when they call your number. Gulf of Mexico wild caught jumbo crabmeat (Junior Barbour Seafood) is a must. I use Udi’s gluten fee frozen french baguettes for the bread crumbs.
Thaw out one loaf of Udi’s French bread baguette to make fresh bread crumbs. Cut the crust off and process the rest in a food processor and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Next, dice fine a slice each (1/4 of the pepper) of red bell pepper and yellow bell pepper and sauté in olive oil a few minutes until soft. Combine 1 pound crab meat, 1/2 the bread crumbs (reserving the other half to bread the crab cakes for frying), a tablespoon of lemon juice and a little zest, one egg beaten, 2 tbs chopped shallots, 2 tbs chopped scallions, the sautéd peppers, a pinch on nutmeg, a dash of hot sauce, salt and pepper. Lastly, divide into individual balls (I use an ice cream scoop).
Make an egg wash (one egg whisked with a tablespoon of water) and brush the tops of the crab cakes and gently coat with bread crumbs. Repeat on other side. Cook in clarified butter until golden on one side, then flip and brown the other side. Enjoy!
If you want to take these to the next level, make this sauce beurre blanc. In a sauce pan over medium heat add 3/4 cup chardonnay, 3 Tbs sherry vinegar, 3 Tbs white wine vinegar, one sliced shallot, a couple of thyme sprigs and reduce to a syrup. Over low heat add a 1 Tbs of heavy cream and whisk in a stick of cold butter (a tbs at a time) until incorporated. Strain. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
“Bruno” checking out what’s going on in the backyard. We have a lot of deer – I love watching and photographing them, but they absolutely devour my hosta, pansies and daylilies!
I think the trick to making a good meatball is the order of operations. Start by mixing the eggs and spices together and then slowly whisking in the grated fresh parmesan cheese (no clumps), followed by gently hand blending the meats into the liquid mixture …
INGREDIENTS Fresh okra – roughly 4 cups chopped Buttermilk – 4 tbs Corn Meal -1 1/2 cups 2 Tbs tapioca flour 1/2 tsp baking powder Peanut oil salt Choose okra that is smaller in size, as the larger ones tend to be tough. Cut the …
This colorful fresh citrusy salad is light and healthy
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the stems off the beets and gently wash. Place beets on foil and drizzle with a little olive oil, splash of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and roast for one hour or until a knife is inserted without resistance.
If you don’t want stained finger, use food prep disposable gloves to peel and dice the beets. Peel and slice white peaches (my favorite are Belle of Georgia). Arrange on a large white plate. Garnish with dried cranberries, Honey Goat Cheese, toasted walnuts, and pour on the citrus vinaigrette and top with orange zest.
Freshly squeeze 1 cup of navel orange juice. In a sauce pan over medium heat reduce to 1/4 cup. Add zest of 1 orange. Cool. Whisk in a fresh squeeze each of lemon and lime juice, 1 minced shallot, and one sprig of fresh minced thyme. Slowly whisk in 3 tbs olive oil and 3 tablespoons EVOO, salt and pepper. Strain. Pour.
Although totally not a necessity, inexpensive kitchen small appliances make some tasks much easier. I use the Braun Citromatic juicer all the time! We buy a case of oranges every year from our high school alma mater baseball team. There’s nothing quite like fresh squeezed orange juice.
