Life at Quail Hollow

Proscuitto, Fig and Goat Cheese Crostini

2012-01-15T22:07:00.003-05:00

I love appetizers and this is one that is not only simple to make but quite delicious. The inspiration was the wonderful proscuitto in the frig and my homemade fig preserves. Give it a try, I promise you won't be disappointed!

Proscuitto, Fig and Goat Cheese Crostini

1 baguette
Goat cheese, softened
Fig preserves
Proscuitto

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the baguette into 1/2 inch slices. Place on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until lightly toasted, 10 to 15 minutes. Spread slices with goat cheese. Top with fig preserves and proscuitto.

Chocolate Biscotti Cookies

2012-01-15T22:06:00.003-05:00

The need to bake overwhelmed me today. My goal was to make biscotti. I love the crunch and soakabililty (is that a word?) of the twice baked cookie. After a quick search on the Internet, I printed off Giada De Laurentiis' recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti. A trip to the grocery store and I was ready to start baking with just a few changes to the recipe. But in my haste, I did not read the recipe completely, I zeroed in on just the ingredients. This was not a recipe for the tradition biscotti - it was a recipe for biscotti cookies. I was disappointed, but that disappointment was quickly replaced with satisfaction because these cookies are good! I did make a few changes from the original recipe with the addition of espresso powder and substituting pecans for walnuts. This is a delicious cruchy cookie and very easy to make.

Nutella Biscotti Cookies

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to mix.

In another bowl, combine the butter, Nutella and sugars. Cream the ingredients with an electric mixer until well combined, about 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanille and beat until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Add the pecans and stir to combine.

Using a tablespoon scoop, spoon the cookie dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet about 4 inches apart. Press with a fork and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Sunday in the Kitchen

2011-12-18T17:20:00.001-05:00

My assignment for tonight's neighborhood Christmas party was to bring an appetizer. My first thought was Artichoke Dip, that lucious cheese dip that has been a favorite for years. Then I thought, why play it safe?

Black Pepper Cheese Shortbreads

So today was all about trying new recipes, some with success, others not so great. The first recipe was Kale Chips since there was kale in the garden ready to be picked. I used the standard recipe with olive oil and seasoned salt, but I did not like the results. I think the problem is my kale, the curly variety. The biggest problem was not the flavor, but the texture. But I'm not giving up. Next time I will try a different variety and see if what happens.
Next on the list are two recipes from Virginia Willis' new book, Basic to Brillant, Y'all. As I am writing, the Black Pepper Cheese Shortbreads are in the oven, with one minor change. Instead of sharp white Cheddar cheese, I am using extra sharp Cheddar since that was what was in the frig. I was "brillant" and added a pecan garnish.

The second recipe is Mini Country Ham Cheddar Biscuits. They are hanging out on our cold screened-in porch waiting for their time in the oven. I decided to go "brilliant" with time and make the Honey Bourbon Butter. Who knew that adding bourbon would add such an unique flavor to the honey?

Sorry, no recipes for these, you will have to buy the book! Thanks, Virginia for a great cookbook that allows us to take our creations from basic to brilliant!

Potato, Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

2011-12-08T11:22:00.006-05:00

To my surprise, I have broccoli in the garden! I have planted broccoli many times before but have never had much success. This year I decided to try it again and the four plants have grown and produced some beautiful heads. The garden and the weather were the inspiration for this recipe. A cold, rainy day, where the high for the day is in the morning calls for a bowl of warm, thick soup. Serve with a simple fruit salad and you have a meal that will add some sunshine to any dreary day.

Potato Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced

2 leeks, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon aleppo chili
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
3 pounds potatoes, diced
1 head broccoli
2 cups grated extra sharp Cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper
Sour cream

In a heavy Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute onion and celery until tender, seasoning with salt as it cooks. Add flour, paprika and aleppo chili to pot and stir until the flour bubbles. Add the broth, milk and potatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes and the potatoes are tender.

While the potatoes cook, cut broccoli into bite-size pieces and steam until tender crisp. When the potatoes are tender, use a potato masher to break up some of the potatoes. Reduce the temperature to low and add the broccoli and cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and the soup is heated through, adding salt and pepper as needed.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream. Serves 6 to 8.

Chocoflan

2011-06-07T21:39:00.006-04:00

I admit, I am not a baker. Kenny will be the first to tell you that if flour is involved, there is more on me than in the cake! But Chocoflan is truly one of those easy, delicious recipes that I will make again.

When I decided to give it a try I had to borrow a bundt pan from Dale. But since then I bought Williams-Sonoma's Anniversary Bundt and it works great. The handles on the pan make it easy to remove from the hot water after baking. I also had to substitute caramel sauce for the cajeta.This is a fun cake to make and bake. Caramel sauce in poured into the buttered pan, followed by a chocolate cake batter and topped with a flan mixture. While baking the flan sinks and the chocolate cake rises.

Next time you need a dessert to impress guests, bake a Chocoflan!

Blueberry Peach Cobbler

2011-06-07T21:10:00.006-04:00

It is a big mistake to watch the Food Network while working out. But I must admit that Guy was the inspiration for tonight's dessert. And it was seasonal, with fresh Georgia peaches from the Veggie Patch and blueberries from our garden. After a quick search on the Internet for Guy's recipe I decided to do my own version. The result was a delicious cobbler. Next time you have access to fresh blueberries and peaches, give this a try.

Blueberry Peach Cobbler

Filling
2.5 to 3 pounds ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
1 pint blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Mix together in a large bowl.

Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick cold butter, diced
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Use a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the butter is the size of very small peas.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch iron skillet. Pour in the fruit mixture and top with the flour mixture. Bake 45 minutes or until lightly brown. Serve warm with ice cream.

Garden Update

2010-05-07T21:59:00.004-04:00

For the last two weeks we have been planting the garden with lots of success and a couple of failures. The tomatoes and peppers are thriving, growing daily and enjoying the warm weather and recent rain. The butter peas and scalloped squash are up and growing. Purple hull crowder peas are slowly peeking through the soil. The failures include the La France green beans and zucchini and yellow squash. They were planted early and it looks like they will need to planted again. The cucumbers are questionable. We were unable to find seeds so we bought a few plants. I'm not sure how they are going to do. We have always had more success when planting from seed.
Everyday the garden changes. Kenny is working on the irrigation and then we will begin mulching.

Tending to the garden is a lot like tending to your children. You work hard to provide the perfect environment so they will grow and flourish.

Chicken Salad

2010-05-01T22:00:00.003-04:00

Every good Southern cook has a favorite recipe for chicken salad. For years, my

chicken salad of choice was seasonsed with curry. When deciding on a menu for Bunco, I decided to create a menu that could be made ahead and served with little effort. After my technique class on chicken at Williams-Sonoma, I had lots of chicken and

Chicken Salad

2 chickens, cut up
Olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup pecan pieces, roasted
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup lowfat sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups grapes, halved

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken pieces on baking sheets. Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour, or until done. When cool remove the skin and chicken from the bones. Cut into chunks.

Mix together the mayonnaise and sour cream. Add the nuts, vegetables, fruit and tarragon to the chicken. Add mayonnaise and sour cream mixture, adding just enough to moisten the chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Serve on croissant rolls with lettuce. Yield: 10 - 12 servings.

Guacamole with a Twist

2010-05-01T21:49:00.002-04:00

In a search for an appetizer for Bunco, this one caught my eye. I already had many of the ingredients on hand and it was such an interesting twist on the traditional guacamole that I had to try it. One thing I really liked was the fact that it used oregano and parsley in place of cilantro. I know I should give credit for the source, but I don't remember where I found it! I did make a few changes to the original recipe, substituting Vidalia onions for the red onion and adding fresh lime juice. It was a hit and will be one of my "go to" recipes in the future.

Guacamole with Feta

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 avocadoes, diced

1/2 cup Vidalia onions, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Juice of one lime

4 ounces feta cheese

Combine all ingredients and serve with taco chips.

Tomatoes in the Ground!

2010-04-23T22:14:00.005-04:00

On April 21st, our first tomatoes were planted in the garden. Thanks to Marshall, we have lots of heirloom varieties. Each plant received a dose of Kenny's Recipe for Healthy Tomato Plants and a drink of water. Now is the hard part, waiting for the plants to grow and produce.

Smoked Salmon with Tarragon Herb Sauce

2010-04-23T21:11:00.005-04:00

One of our favorite things to eat is Houston's Smoked Salmon. Even though it is considered an appetizer, Kenny and I often order it for our entree. We have tried to duplicate the recipe at home. I brined the salmon overnight and will do that again, adding more brown sugar to the solution. As for the Tarragon Herb Sauce, it was spot on! The combination of herbs and anchovies adds lots of flavor to the mayonnaise and is a perfect accompaniment to the salmon. The measurements in the recipe are not exact, but I'll work on perfecting the measurements and posting those later.

Smoked Salmon

4 cups water
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 3-pound salmon fillet

Combine the water, sugar and salt in a 2-gallon bag. Add the salmon, seal tightly and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Let the salmon sit at room temperature for 2 hours before smoking. Smoke at 225 degrees F. for 1 1/2 hour and the internal temperture is 145 degrees F.

Tarragon Herb Sauce

2 cups mayonnaise
4 ounces anchovies (can use anchovy paste)
3 - 4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chives
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until the herbs are chopped fine. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.

Spring is Here!

2010-04-19T20:40:00.005-04:00

After a cold, wet, dreary winter, spring has arrived! And with spring comes new beginnings for our Canada geese. This year we have two sets of babies, born about one week apart. The geese have been with us for years, nesting in the same place and providing us with hours of fun watching the babies grow.

This picture was taken within hours of their hatching!

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad

2009-11-04T21:10:00.004-05:00

My favorite time of year for salads is over. With no more fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden, I am looking for a some new ideas. Tonight's salad is a started with a can of black beans with lots of flavors and color added. The highlight of the salad is the sweet, Silver Queen corn, fresh cut from the cob and used raw.

Tonight's salad is a variation of the Guacamole Salad

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 ears corn, cut from the cob
3 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
2 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
Zest from 1 lime
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings

Woodfire Grill

2009-11-02T22:03:00.008-05:00

It doesn't get much better that having a Top Chef cook your birthday meal! And that is just what happened for Cheryl and me. Nan arranged an evening at Woodfire Grill and my favorite Top Chef, Kevin Gillespie, was kind enough to stop by our table for photos and questions about his experience in the competition.

The Woodfire Grill is a warm and inviting restaurant filled with the wonderful aroma of the hardwood burning in the open grill. The menu is planned daily around the freshest available ingredients. Our meal started was a tasty tarragon and fall veggie amuse-bouche.

The first course featured one of my favorite vegetables, fried okra served with white acre peas and tarragon aioli.

Pan seared scallops followed, cooked to perfection on a blackeyed pea puree with fried carrots and braised bacon.

Kenny selected the wood-grilled strip loin with horseradish greens and duck fat roasted fingerling potatoes while I had the wild Alaskan halibut both beautifully plated and equally delicious.

Cheryl's dessert was the most interesting dish of the night. The moist banana bread was topped with a bacon butter cream icing. Yes, I said bacon butter cream! The sweet icing included the smokey taste of bacon.

It was a lovely evening spent with good friends enjoying good food.

Skillet Apple Pie

2009-10-27T23:26:00.002-04:00

It is apple season in Georgia and on a recent trip to Elijay, Kenny and I came home with an assortment of fresh apples. For the pie, I used a mixture of apples, sweet and tart. Serve warm with ice cream for the perfect ending to a fall meal.

Skillet Apple Pie

Filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced, tossed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons flour

Sugar

Topping:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup half and half

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Add the apples and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Mix together the remaining filling ingredients and add to the apples. Continue cooking for 5 minutes or until the apples are soft.

For the topping, mix together the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender. Add the wet ingredients and stir together.

Spoon the topping over the apples. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes and golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

Barefoot at Quail Hollow

2009-10-26T20:03:00.003-04:00

Today started out as one of those dreary, cold days in the South. The skies were overcast and the damp wind was a sure sign that my days of blogging outside were numbered! But what started out as a nasty day, turned into a warm afternoon and evening. This could possibly be my last blog on the back porch until spring.

Dinner tonight was delicious, thanks to the Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics book. The menu was simple, Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad and Baked Shrimp Scampi served over Grits Cakes. I always gauge the success of a meal by Kenny's comments. I was pleasantly surprised that he loved the tomatoes since they weren't from the garden. I followed the recipe as written and Ina was right, the long roasting brings back memories of a good summer tomato.

The Baked Shrimp Scampi was easy and tasty thanks to Mike the Shrimp Man. Mike delivers the shrimp fresh from the coast of Georgia and they were perfect in Ina's recipe. The Grit Cakes were made from leftover Nora Mill's Stone Ground Grits. The leftovers from last night's supper were pressed into a pan and refrigerated. For tonight, I cut them into wedges and browned in a non-stick pan and served with the shrimp to soak up the juices. After a meal with new recipes, I always ask Kenny if I can make it again and tonight his response was "Absolutely!"

Thanks Ina and Mike for a great dinner!

Basil Onion Pepper Jelly

2009-09-09T23:53:00.006-04:00

In my search for a better pepper jelly, this one is a milder version with a wonderful sweet, herb flavor. The peppers are a blend of cubanelle, red cherry, sweet banana and tiny yellow bells from the garden. The basil and red onion add a depth of flavor that is wonderful when served as an appetizer on cream cheese with Ritz crackers.

Basil Onion Pepper Jelly

11 ounces peppers
5 ounces red onion
20 basil leaves
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
6 1/2 cups sugar
1 pouch Certo

Sterilize the jars and prepare the lids according to manufacturers directions.

Chop the peppers, onion, and basil in the food processor finely. In a large stainless steel pan, combine the pepper mixture with the sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Bring to a full rolling boil and add the Certo. Bring back to a full rolling boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and skim off any foam. Ladle into hot jars, wipe rims clean and secure the lids and rings. Place jars in a canner covering completely with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

Jalopeno Cheese Grits Two Ways

2009-09-09T23:40:00.007-04:00

For many years, Jalopeno Cheese Grits have been a family favorite. Served for breakfast, as a side with smoked chicken or BBQ, or the base for Shrimp and Grits, this is one recipe that can't be beat. This year I decided to try topping the grits with fresh tomatoes from the garden and it was definitely worth the effort. When fresh tomatoes are available, I will be adding them.

Jalopeno Cheese Grits

3 cups water
1/2 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cups quick cooking grits
2 beaten eggs
3/4 stick of butter
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, grated
1 - 4 ounce can chopped green chilis
3 or 4 shakes tabasco sauce
Optional: 3 - 4 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped

In a large saucepan, bring the water and evaporated milk to a boil. Gradually add the grits, stirring until thick, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and bring to a boil. Add butter, chilis, tabasco sauce, pepper Jack cheese, and all but 1 cup of the cheddar and stir until blended. Pour into a grease baking pan and top with tomatoes, if using, and 1 cup cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes.

Spicy Mustard Sauce

2009-09-07T23:50:00.003-04:00

For our Labor Day BBQ, I decided to make a South Carolina mustard sauce. A quick search on the Internet resulted in a variety of recipes. After tasting, Kenny said it needed more sweetness and we decided to add some of our homemade pepper jelly. The result was a spicy, but somewhat tangy sauce. I plan to work on the recipe and next time cut down on the vinegar since the pepper jelly has a lot of vinegar.

Spicy Mustard BBQ Sauce

1 cup prepared yellow mustard
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
I cup pepper jelly
Juice of one lemon

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with pork or chicken.

Labor Day BBQ a Success

2009-09-07T23:39:00.005-04:00

It was a time to gather with friends and enjoy good food at the barn. The BBQ was delicious. The Boston butts were delicious. After rubbing with McCormick's Pork Rub - 1/2 jar for each butt - they were smoked the night before and reheated before pulling the pork. The 4 Boston butts served our 40 guests with some leftover to eat and freeze. Friends provided the sides and desserts to complete the wonderful meal. After the meal, we all settled down to talk about our summer and enjoy the beautiful evening. It was a great way to end the summer.

Labor Day BBQ

2009-09-06T00:01:00.006-04:00

It is Labor Day weekend and time for a BBQ at the barn! Today we smoked 4 Boston butts. This is so easy. One tip I will give for preparing the meat is to wear gloves, the surgical kind, to apply the rub. It is amazing what a difference it makes -- the rub adheres to the meat, not to your hands! We smoked the butts at 250 degrees F. for 8 hours and they are cooling the frig, waiting to be reheated tomorrow and "pulled" for the meal.

This year's BBQ is pot luck, with friends bringing the sides and desserts and using all the mismatched plates and napkins. It is going to be a perfect end to the summer season, visiting with family and friends.

Fig Cake

2009-09-05T22:47:00.004-04:00

At the Sprayberry family reunion each year, we all look forward to Boot's Fig Cake. The moist cake is packed with flavor and sweetness. It begins with a jar of Boot's fig preserves. This year she shared a jar of preserves and the recipe with me and it is becoming a house favorite. I wish I had a picture of the whole cake. It is a rich brown and absolutely delicious.

Boot's Fig Cake

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup Wesson oil
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1 cup fig preserves
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix oil, sugar, eggs and buttermilk. Add to dry ingredients. Grease and flour a tube pan and bake at 325 degrees F. for 45 minutes. (In my oven, it took 55 - 50 minutes.) Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then turn onto a wire rack to cool. Spoon or brush glaze over the cake after cooling.

Glaze

1 cup sugar
1 stick oleo (I used butter)
1 teaspoon white Karo syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon soda

Mix well and boil 3 minutes. Pour or brush over cake.

As you can see, there wasn't much left! Thanks, Boots!

Fig Preserves

2009-09-05T22:01:00.008-04:00

As a child, I remember my mother and grandmother making fig preserves. The strange looking brown fruit was cooked in syrup and left to stand overnight before cooking again the next day and preserving in decorative jelly jars. The sweet preserves were a staple at breakfast as a topping for hot biscuits and toast.

Several years ago we planted two fig trees with the hope of someday having figs, but that day has not arrived thanks to a late cold snap that has taken the summer harvest. But just 2 miles from our home, James and Mary are enjoying a bumper crop of figs and were kind enough to share.

Fig preserves are very simple to make but require an overnight soak. The 10 pounds of figs yielded 11 half-pints and 12 four ounce jars of preserves. James and Mary, thanks for sharing your delicious figs with us!

Fig Preserves

6 pounds figs, washed and stemmed

1 1/2 quart water

8 cups sugar

1 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

Combine the water, sugar and lemon in a large pan and bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Remove the lemon and skim off any foam. Add all the figs to the syrup, a few at a time so the syrup continues to boil. Cook rapidly, stirring frequently, until the figs are translucent, about 30 minutes. Remove figs from syrup and place in a shallow pan. Boil the syrup until it is as thick as honey. Pour the syrup over the figs and let stand overnight, covered at room temperature.
The next day, heat the figs and syrup to boiling and continue cooking until the syrup is thick, about one hour. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

While the figs are cooking, sterilize the canning jars and prepare lids and rings according to the manufacturer's directions. Spoon hot preserves into jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Add syrup to 1/4 inch from jar top. Remove air bubbles wipe rims and adjust lids. Process 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.

If you have leftover syrup, can or refrigerate it and use as a topping for biscuits, toast, pancakes or pound cake.

Eggplant, Artichoke and Prosciutto Parmesan

2009-08-12T23:11:00.008-04:00

I love cooking from the garden and tonight's meal centered on today's harvest - tomatoes, eggplant and basil. The inspiration came from a recipe for Eggplant Parmesan that used eggplant minus the breading. I added frozen artichokes and prosciutto to create a more balanced flavor.

The counter was full of ripe tomatoes that needed to be cooked and preserved for later. I roasted the tomatoes as described in an earlier post and used some of them for the sauce. The Japanese eggplants were peeled, sliced and salted before frying in hot olive oil to a golden brown. The preparation was simple and easy and packs a lot of flavor in one dish.
Eggplant, Artichoke and Prosciutto Parmesan

2 Japanese eggplants, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Olive oil
3 cups roasted tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon fresh basil, thinly sliced
1 - 9 ounce package frozen artichokes
1 ounce prosciutto, thinly sliced
4 ounces fresh mozzarella
1 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano

Salt the eggplants and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Rinse, drain, and pat dry with paper towels. Heat olive oil in a large skillet to 375 degrees F. Add eggplant and fry until golden brown. Drain in a paper towel.

In the same skillet, remove all but 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and saute the minced garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the white wine and cook rapidly for 5 minutes. Add the basil and remove from the heat.

Cook the frozen artichokes in the microwave on high for 5 minutes.

In a baking dish, add 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce to coat the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of the eggplant and artichokes. Separate the proscuitto into thin strips and layer on top of the artichokes. Top with mozzarell and more tomato sauce. Repeat the layers one more time. Top with Parmesan and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 4 servings

Grilled Artichokes

2009-08-10T00:19:00.005-04:00

Houston's Restaurant is one of our favorite dining places in Atlanta. I often use Houston's as a bribe to entice Kenny into a shopping trip to Lenox. I thought we had tried everything on the menu until our last visit. While sitting at the bar waiting on friends, enjoying one of their delicious Salty Dogs made with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, the bartender told us about his favorite appetizer, Grilled Artichokes. Grilled Artichokes? How had we missed them? It seems that are a special menu item, only available when artichokes are in season. And yes, they were on the day's menu and on our table.

Wow, were they good. But how did they create this tasty treat? After questioning our waitress and a search of the Internet, we now have a pretty good duplication of the recipe. Artichokes can be a pricey item, but 2 artichokes - $2.50 each - were a generous serving for 6-8. These tasty thistles barely made it off the grill before being devoured. I served them with basil mayonnaise for dipping, but to be honest, they needed nothing to enhance the flavor. Grilled artichokes will be a regular addition to our menu.

Grilled Artichokes

2 artichokes
2 lemons
1/2 cup extra virgin 0live oil
4 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt
Pepper

Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon into the water. Wash the artichokes and break off the tough outer leaves. Trim the remaining tips and cut in half. Toss into the lemon water, making sure they are submerged in water.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Add the artichokes and cook for 15 minutes. The artichokes should be tender. Remove the chokes (the fuzzy stuff in the middle of the artichoke) and drain thoroughly. Chill for 1 hour.

Combine the juice from one lemon, olive oil and garlic.

Preheat the grill and oil the grill rack. Baste the artichokes with the oil mixture on both side and place on the hot grill. Grill on both sides about 5 minutes or until brown. Serve hot with basil mayonnaise or a lemon aioli. Serves 6 - 8.

Roasted Tomatoes

2009-07-30T22:43:00.005-04:00

It has been a long, productive day in the kitchen. Our 72 tomato plants are flourishing and now is the time to save them to enjoy during the winter months. In the past, the process for freezing tomatoes has been to dip them in boiling water, remove the skins, chop and freeze. This year I am trying something new. It all started with the selection of tomato plants. This year we planted Roma tomatoes in hopes of having a meaty tomato to use in sauces and soup. Inspired by this month's Gourmet magazine, I tried roasting the tomatoes with olive oil and garlic. After roasting the tomatoes, I used a food mill to remove the skins and crush the tomatoes which resulted in a very thick sauce with lots of texture and great flavor. The best part was the ease of preparation and cleanup. Today the garden yielded a harvest of Romas, Juliettes and Sun Gold tomatoes. The Juliettes look like a smaller Roma and have a great flavor. I cut the the Romas and Juliettes in half, drizzled with olive oil and added 6 cloves of garlic to the mixture. After roasting for 1-1/2 hours in a 425 degree F. oven, and run through the food mill, I had a thick rich sauce, suitable for soup for a rich sauce for pasta.Now for the Sun Gold tomatoes. These tiny, marble-size tomatoes are full of flavor. They were roasted for 1 hour along with the Romas and Juliettes. After being food milled, the sauce was thick and a beautiful gold color with a very sweet flavor. I don't think these will make it to the freezer, but will be added to pasta with some basil for dinner tomorrow night!

Cream-Style Corn

2009-07-21T23:45:00.007-04:00

There is nothing better than fresh, cream-style corn! Mama Head's was the best. I vividly remember the day she called the grandkids in to shuck and silk 12 dozen ears. We all sat under the shade of the oak tree in her side yard and complete our assigned task. I never shuck corn without fondly remembering that day.

This year, Payton planted his first corn. His backyard garden is beautiful and the corn has proved to be prolific and delicious. With 6 dozen ears, I devised a plan to make the task as efficient as possible. With the Gator parked in the shade, I began by cutting the top off the corn to make the shucking easier. While sitting in the chair, I shucked the corn, putting the corn in a laundry basket and leaving all the shucks in the Gator to be dumped into the compost pile.

The next task was to remove the silks. A vegetable brush works great and the cleaned corn was placed in a second laundry basket.

With a very sharp knife, I cut the corn of the cob, about 1/2 way down. You could do this inside, but I highly recommend you stay outside to cut down on the clean-up.

Once the kernels are removed, scrape the cob to get all the sweet goodness!

I tossed the clean cobs into the Gator, giving a few to our dogs, Libby and Lucy as a treat.

Once all the corn is cut and scraped, it is time to blanche it for the freezer. My mom and grandmother always did this in a large iron skillet, stirring constantly to keep the corn from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. This is where I have learned to use the microwave to speed up the process. I cook the corn in batches in a glass bowl, for 4 minutes, and then remove stir and add water as needed. Return to the microwave for another 4 minutes. Stir and add more water if needed. Now, how much water do I add? That depends entirely on the corn and the amount of starch it contains. You want the mixture to be thick, but not dry. Cool the corn, pack into freezer container, label with the date, and freeze. Be sure and save enough for your supper!

For supper, I cooked the corn in the microwave for about 7 minutes, stirring and adding water as needed and seasoned with salt, pepper, and bacon drippings. Or if you have some fatback on hand, fry it up and use the drippings for seasoning. Serve the corn with fresh sliced tomatoes, crowder peas, cornbread and a slice of onion for a delicious southern meal!

Back to Blogging!

2009-07-21T23:01:00.005-04:00

I can't believe that it has been two months since my last post! During this time, we have been busy in the garden. Kenny, the Tomato King, has been nurturing his 72 tomato plants. Our plans were to plant more tomatoes this year, but we never dreamed we would more than double our normal crop. We had 34 tomatoes planted when Marshall called to say he had 50 heirloom varieties for us. After sharing some with our family and friends, we carefully planted the rest, and then went to work creating wire baskets and staking the plants. By mid June, we were harvesting our first tomatoes.

What started out as a wet spring, has turned into a very dry summer. Thanks to our well, we are able to water the garden and all the tomatoes have grown and flourished. Our heirloom varieties have been a welcome addition to the garden. One of our favorites is the Cherokee Purple. These tomatoes are beautiful, large and delicious.

In addition to the tomatoes, the garden includes a wide variety of peppers, Japanese eggplant, La France green beans, cucumbers, squash, beets, Swiss chard, herbs and zinnias.

So, will it be two months before my next post? No way! I have too much to share and can't wait to get in the kitchen and cook!

Upside Down Blueberry Cake for Taste and Create

2009-05-24T14:58:00.003-04:00

For this month's Taste and Create, my partner is Bellini of More Than Burnt Toast. Nicole of For the Love of Food created this blog event and it is a wonderful way to connect bloggers and a fun event for my family and friends, since they are my official tasters. Bellini is from Canada and has a wonderful blog. I loved her weekly feature highlighting Canadian chefs. Even though Bellini lives in a condo in Canada, I feel a real connection with her when it comes to food. I will be a regular visitor to her blog to find out what she is cooking and give it a try in my southern kitchen.

It was extremely hard to decide on the recipe I would recreate. As is often the case, it all came down to what I had on hand and what was happening on the home front. Tonight we are going to Peg's for a BBQ and I am taking dessert. Bellini's Upside-Down Blueberry Cake was the perfect match. Our freezer is home to many packs of blueberries from last year's harvest, the main ingredient of this delicious cake. Another thing I loved about the recipe was the ease of making it. But next time, I will be sure and bake it on a cookie sheet, to catch the overflow of blueberry juice.

Thanks, Bellini, for another create Taste and Create!

Upside-Down Blueberry Cake

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 -1/2 cup fresh blueberries (I used frozen)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened,

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1- 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2- 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice or orange juice

1/3 cup low-fat milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine 2 tablespoons of the butter and the brown sugar in a small bowl, then spread the mixture evenly in the bottom of a lightly greased 9 inch round cake pan. Spread the berries over the mixture and set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Reserve. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup butter, the sugar, and the eggs, and beat until creamy smooth. Add the reserved dry ingredients, lemon or orange juice, milk, vanilla, and lemon or orange zest, and beat until well blended. Pour the batter over the berries and bake until the top is golden and a skewer tests clean when inserted in the center, 50 to 55 minutes. Remove from the oven, run a knife around the insideof the pan and invert the cake onto the plate, fruit side up. Cool slightly before serving warm.Makes 1 (9-inch cake). Serves 8 to 12.

Note: I would place the cake pan on a baking sheet, just in case the blueberries bubble over.

Quail Hollow Critters

2009-05-20T22:51:00.004-04:00

The pond has come to life with 3 new families - 2 families of Canada geese and one of mallards. All are thriving and growing, thanks in part to Kenny's daily feeding. Our afternoons are often spent on the back porch, watching the action at the pond. Life is grand at Quail Hollow, for humans and animals!

Whole Leaf Caesar Salad

2009-05-18T22:38:00.004-04:00

For our recent "Cooking with Michael" night, I used a couple of the recipes from the It's All Here episode and prepared Spaghetti all'Amartriciana and Whole Leaf Caesar Salad. Now the theme of the show was using pantry items and I had everything needed for the salad. Our garden provided the romaine lettuce. I had leftover Ciabatta, the Kneadlessly Simple way, and the rest of the ingredients in the pantry or frig.

Now I have tried a number of Caesar dressing recipes and this rates with the best. One of the unique things about this version of the salad is using whole leaves of lettuce and finger-size croutons. The idea is to eat the salad with your fingers, and I must admit, it works that way. Kenny loved the idea and the salad. One good thing about the recipe is it makes enough dressing to use later.

Whole Leaf Caesar Salad

adapted from Michael Chiarello

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 or 4 anchovy filets, minced

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Worchestershire sauce

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Romaine lettuce leaves

Parmesan croutons

Freshly grated Parmesan

In a large wooden salad bowl, add the egg yolk, anchovies, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice and a dash of Worchestershire. Stir with a fork, crushing the garlic and anchovies. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to create a thick emulsion. To serve, toss the lettuce and croutons in just enough dressing to coat. Store the remaining dressing in the frig for use later. Yield: 4 servings.

Parmesan Croutons

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic, chopped

8 slices ciabatta bread

6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute Add the bread and stir to coat. Toss the bread occasionally until both sides are golden brown.

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

2009-05-18T22:19:00.008-04:00

It was another "Cooking with Michael" day at Quail Hollow. Michael Chiarello is one of my favorite Food Network stars. He creates a menu on each show and uses ingredients easily found in a regular grocery store. In It's All Here, Michael creates a wonderful meal with pantry items. I decide to check out the recipes and prepare his Spaghetti all'Amatriciana and Whole Leaf Caesar Salad for our dinner. Now I'm sure my pantry is quite different from Michael's, but surprisingly, I had most of the ingredients. The tomato puree was in the freezer from last year's harvest and the parsley and basil were from our garden. I did buy the pancetta and put it in the freezer to harden so it could be easily sliced. There was even a box of bucatini from a trip to the Dekalb Farmer's Market.

This menu was a success. Kenny's comment was "Wow!" which translates to "you can make this again." I will definitely do this again, but next time I am going to use fresh pasta so it will soak up the goodness of the sauce.

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana
adapted from Michael Chiarello

1/3 pound pancetta, partially frozen
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup tomato puree
3/4 pound bucatini
Freshly grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.

Cut the pancetta into thin slices across the grain. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for about minutes, but not crisp. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the red pepper, parsley, basil and vinegar and cook until the vinegar evaporates. Add the tomato puree and a ladle of pasta water. Simmer briefly to blend.

Add the pasta to the boiling water while preparing the sauce and cook about 8 minutes or until al dente. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to coat. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan. Yield; 4 servings.

Skirt Steak Tacos with Guacamole and Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

2009-05-06T23:05:00.004-04:00

It has been a while since I have written on my blog, but that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking. Spring is a very busy time at Quail Hollow. The frequent rains have created a challenge when it comes to gardening. This is the time we are tilling the garden and getting it ready to plant, but the persistent rains have not made this an easy task. I know I should welcome the rain after a couple of years of drought, and I do, just not when I need to be in the garden!

There is very little in the garden for harvest at this time, so I have turned to the grocery store for my inspiration. As Kenny and I wandered through Publix we noticed skirt steak on sale, just in time for Cinco de Mayo. A search on the Internet resulted in a number of recipes that sounded good, and for our meal I used several and this was the result.

Skirt Steak Tacos with Guacamole and Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

1 onion, cut into wedges
1 pound tomatillos, halved
2 serrano peppers
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound skirt steak
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon achiote molido (ground annatto)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
4 flour tortillas
Fresh salsa, your favorite brand from the grocery store

Place the onion, tomatillos, serrano peppers and garlic on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and broil in the oven for 5-8 minutes until slightly charred, stirring once. Moisten the skirt steak with 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Let stand for 10 minutes. Combine the dry spices. Pat the steak dry and rub the dry spices on the steak.

Place half of the cooked onions in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar.

Remove the charred skin from the serrano peppers, cut in half and remove seeds. Place tomatillos, serrano peppers, remaining onions, 3 cloves of garlic (reserved 1 clove for the guacamole), 1 teaspoon lime juice and cilantro in a food processor and chop finely. Chill the salsa.

Grill steak on an oiled rack until medium rare. Remove the steak and let it sit for 5 minutes. Cut diagonally into thin slices.

While the steak sits, grill the tortillas until puffed and lightly browned, about 1 minute on each side.

Serve steak, onions, tomatillo salsa and guacamole wrapped in the tortillas. Yield: 2 servings.

Guacamole

1 avocado
1 garlic clove, roasted and minced
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Cut the avocado in half, remove the seed and chop. Combine the remaining ingredients.

Recipe for Healthy Tomato Plants

2009-05-05T22:28:00.008-04:00

It seems like everywhere we go these days, our friends are asking Kenny to share his "recipe" for growing tomatoes. The recipe came from Henry, a well-known tomato grower in Newnan, written on a scrap of paper that Kenny stores in a sack of lime. As you can see, it looks like it is wrtiten in a secret code. To help you break the code, here are a few hints. SHF is "small handful" and TLS os "tablespoon." Since my small handful is not the same as Kenny's I needed a better measurement. So here iit is:

Recipe for Healthy Tomato Plants

1/2 cup bonemeal

1 tablespoon Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate)

1/2 cup cottonseed meal

1 cup pelletized lime

1/3 cup 10-10-10 fertilizer

Mic all ingefients together. Dig a large whole for the plant and put a handful in the bottom of the hole. Cover with 1 inch of soil. Position the tomato plant in the hole and cover with soil, making a slight berm around the plant.

Our tomato plants thrive and provide us with an abundance of fruit, or should I say vegetable? Below is a picture of the first tomato of the season, planted 10 days ago.

Broccoli Slaw

2009-04-28T00:52:00.005-04:00

My friend, Susan, shared this recipe with me many years ago and it has become a family favorite. This simple slaw packs a lot of flavor and adds a crunch to any meal. It is simple and can be partially made ahead. For Melissa and Trey's party, Nan added craisins to "kick it up a notch"!

Broccoli Slaw

1 package broccoli slaw
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 packages Ramen noodles, crushed

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Toss together almonds and noodles (without the seasoning pack) and bake for 10 - 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Toss broccoli slaw and onions in dressing and refrigerate for 2 - 4 hours. Stir in toasted almonds and noodles and serve immediately. Yield: 6 - 8 servings.

Dressing
6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Pour ingredients into a jar and shake to blend.

Pimento Cheese

2009-04-28T00:11:00.006-04:00

Pimento cheese is a staple in Southern cooking. I'm not talking about the tasteless, orange stuff you buy in the grocery store, but the homemade variety. The basic ingredients are sharp cheddar cheese, diced pimentos, mayonnaise and a little red pepper. This delicious spread was traditionally served on white bread and was at every picnic. In the days before fast food, pimento cheese was stuffed into the cooler to be used for sandwiches on our trips to Florida. During my college days, I often had pimento cheese sandwiches and coffee for breakfast.

My recipe has evolved over the years. If I'm in a hurry and need a pantry version, I just grate sharp cheddar, add diced pimentos, moisten with mayonaise and season with red pepper. For Melissa and Trey's party, I used my latest creation with a blend of cheddar, pepper jack and cream cheese.

Whatever recipe you use, it is delicious on bread - whole wheat is my favorite - or crackers or used as a stuffing for celery sticks. The flavor is best if served at room temperature and will be a lot easier to spread.

Pimento Cheese for a Crowd

2 pounds sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
1 pound pepper Jack cheese, grated

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (7-ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained
2/3 teaspoon granulated garlic
2/3 teaspoons granulated onion
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper

1 1/3 cup mayonnaise

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to blend. Yield: 60 sandwiches.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

2009-04-27T23:30:00.004-04:00

Black-Eyed Pea Salad meets all the requirements when feeding a crowd. It is simple, make-ahead salad that looks and tastes good. We served this at Melissa and Trey's party. If I were making this for the family, I would double the amount of jalopeno peppers since we all like our food a little spicy. If you have any leftovers, serve with tortilla chips as a snack.

Black-eyed Pea Salad

1 gallon can of black-eyed peas
16-ounces frozen corn
2 (28-ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes
2 red bell peppers, chopped
4 onions, chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 jalopeno peppers, chopped
4 limes, juiced
2/3 cups apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 cup canola oil
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt

Rinse and drain peas. Cook corn in boiling water for 5 minutes until tender. Combine peas, corn, tomatoes, peppers, onions, celery, garlic and lime juice in a large container. Whisk together apple cider vinegar and dijon mustard in a bowl. Slowly add canola while whisking. Pour over vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Yield: 40 - 45 servings.

Enhanced Brownies

2009-04-27T23:03:00.005-04:00

My Enhanced Brownies were inspired by friends at the Food Network. Emeril likes to "kick it up a notch" so I decided to take Sandra Lee's advice and go "semi-homemade" and start with a basic brownie mix. And the Barefoot Contessa always adds instant espresso to her chocolate dishes. These were served at Melissa and Trey's party and they must have been pretty good since there were no leftovers. Give them a try - I promise you will not be disappointed.

Enhanced Brownies

1 family-size brownie mix
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons instant espresso
1 cup pecans, chopped

Prepare the brownie mix according to the package directions. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to blend. Line a baking dish with parchment paper and spray will oil. Pour brownies into pan and bake according to the package directions. You may need to add 5 extra minutes to your baking since the chocolate chips were added.

Cool in the pan before removing. These can be prepared a couple of days ahead of time and stored in the baking pan, tightly covered for 2 days.

I apologize for the rather sketchy directions, but a lot depends on the brand of brownie mix. Lining the pan with parchment paper makes removable and cutting much easier.

Melissa and Trey

2009-04-27T22:27:00.012-04:00

Love was in the air at Quail Hollow on Saturday night as friends and family gathered to celebrate the engagement of Melissa and Trey. The weather was perfect and everyone had a wonderful time. Check out the video!

Our Southern menu included:

Southern Fried Chicken

Pimento Cheese Sandwiches

Tomato Grits

Black-eyed Pea Salad

Broccoli Slaw

Freezer Sweet Cucumber Pickles

Enhanced Brownies

As for the chicken, we bought it, but everything else was prepared by Nan and me. Now, all of you know that I use my blog for a handy reference to recipes and events, and the rest of this post is for those wondering just how much food you need to serve 50 - 60.

Fried Chicken Strips - 75 pieces
Tomato Grits - 6 recipes. Many came back for seconds and there was very little left.
Black-eyed Pea Salad - 1 1/2 recipes. I made 2 recipes and had plenty of leftovers.
Broccoli Slaw -
Sweet Pickles - 1 quart
Enhanced Brownies - 4 - 5 recipes. We made 5 and had some leftovers.

Taste and Create

2009-04-24T20:38:00.007-04:00

My partner for this month's Taste and Create is Min from The Bad Girl's Kitchen. Min has an extensive collection of recipes and I was tempted by many of her pasta creations. But with Melissa and Trey's party on Saturday, I was looking for quick and easy. Min's Slow-Cooked Tex-Mex Chicken and Beans caught my interest. This is truly one of those dump and cook meals. The night before, I chopped the onions and red bell pepper to make an early morning assembly easy. You don't even need to soak the beans overnight. I used my favorite salsa from the produce counter at Publix. But I must say that Min is one spicy gal! The stew is rather hot and next time I will cut back on the heat.
If you have leftovers, fill a warm flour tortilla with the chicken and beans and top with lettuce, salsa and sour cream for another quick meal.

Slow-Cooked Tex-Mex Chicken and Beans
serves 4

1 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed
1 jar (11 ounces) mild or medium salsa (1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles, in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream, for serving
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together beans, salsa, chiles, flour, and 1 cup water. Season chicken with salt and pepper; arrange on top of bean mixture. Scatter onion and bell pepper on top of chicken.

Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. (Do not open lid or stir.)

Remove chicken from stew; shred into large pieces and return to stew. Serve topped with sour cream and cilantro.

Egg Olive Sandwiches

2009-04-22T23:18:00.005-04:00

Sometimes the simplest ingredients are all it takes to create the perfect sandwich. That is the case with Egg Olive Sandwiches. This was a favorite of my childhood. Mama would often pack the sandwich with chips for a perfect school lunch.

Egg Olive Sandwiches

6 hard cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
1/4 to 1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1o olives, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 slices whole wheat bread

Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and olives. Season with salt and pepper. Spread on bread for a delicious sandwich. Yield: 4 sandwiches

Spring at Quail Hollow

2009-04-22T22:27:00.004-04:00

Finally, spring has arrived. Today was a beautiful day - warm and sunny. The pond is full of life with 10 new baby Canada geese. The baby birds in the wreath on the front door have hatched. Enjoy the video of spring.

Roasted New Potatoes and Asparagus

2009-04-16T22:22:00.005-04:00

It is 6:00 and I have no idea what we are having for dinner? Does that sound familiar? Since we are leaving town, I do have some asparagus that needs to be cooked and after a quick search of the freezer found a couple of filets. But what could I do with the asparagus, other than the usual saute in olive oil and garlic? I teamed the asparagus with new potatoes and roasted them for a great compliment to the beef.

Roasted New Potatoes and Asparagus

8 small potatoes, cut into quarters
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Parmesan cheese, grated
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the potatoes, onions and garlic on a baking dish and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.

Add the asparagus to the potato mixture, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender-crisp.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and add the lemon juice. Toss and top with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 4 servings

Decorating Eggs

2009-04-16T21:50:00.006-04:00

Hail! Yes, I said hail. That was the weather as we prepared to dye our Easter eggs. It was one of those scary storms, high winds, heavy rain and marble-size hail. Of course, while we should have been taking cover, we were outside on the porch watching the action and taking pictures.

After the storm, it was egg-dying time. Even Kenny got in on the fun!

Madiera and Mushroom Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

2009-04-13T00:15:00.003-04:00

It doesn't get much better than beef tenderloin. For our March meal with Dale and Susan, we attempted to make Paula Deen's Madeira and Mushroom Stuffed Beef Tenderloin. I say attempted because we made some changes in the preparation. First of all, we had to trim the tenderloin which is not one of my favorite preps and is better left to the butcher. And the directions were hard to follow when it came to cutting the meat for stuffing. But the results were delicious. Here is our version.

Madeira and Mushroom Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces proscuitto, finely chopped
24 ounces baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup Madeira wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 (6 pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Roasted Garlic Madeira Sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add proscuitto and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until crispy. Remove the proscuitto, leaving the drippings. Add mushrooms and onions to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add wine and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until all liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked proscuitto, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside to cool.

Cut the tenderloin down the center to within 1/2 inch. Open the tenderloin and spread 3/4 of the mushroom mixture over the tenderloin. Reshape the tenderloin and tie at with butcher's twine. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Place tenderloin on a greased baking rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake in oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 145 degrees. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve diwth Roasted Garlic Madeira Sauce.

Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Madeira Sauce

1 head garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup Madeira wine
Reserved mushroom stuffing
1 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut off the top of the garlic and place on a square of heavy duty aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil, seal in the foil and bake for 45 minutes or until tender. Cool.

In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze pulp form the garlic into the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Add wine and mushroom stuffing and simmer until the wine is reduced by half.

In a small bowl, combine the beef broth and cornstarch. Add to the wine mixture and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute or until thickened. Serve over Stuffed Beef Tenderloin. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Roasted Tomatoes

2009-04-13T00:01:00.006-04:00

I am craving the tomatoes of summer. It has been 5 months without those tasty treats and it will be several more before we have fresh tomatoes from the garden. At our March meal with Dale and Susan, we used Ina Gartin's recipe for Roasted Tomatoes. I was very skeptical about the results and pleasantly surprised with the intense flavor. This is a very simple dish and a great way to enjoy tomatoes during the winter months.

Roasted Tomatoes

12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, cored and seeded

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place the tomatoes, cut side up, in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are slightly caramelized. Serve warm or at room temperature. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

Taste aand Create

2009-03-31T20:18:00.005-04:00

My partner for this month's Taste and Create is Kelly from Sounding My Barbaric Gulp. Kelly is a long time blogger and culinary teacher. Check out her blog for some yummy looking treats. With spring in the air, I decided to try her Spring Panzanella.

Spring Panzanella
adapted from 101 Cookbooks

1 loaf hearty (preferrably day-old) bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, minced finely
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
a couple pinches of salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, cut into segments
2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
4 handfuls spinach
juice of 1 lemon

In a large bowl toss the bread with the garlic, shallot, thyme, salt and olive oil. Turn the bread out onto a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes - or until they are nice and golden and crunchy.

In a cold skillet pour in a splash of olive oil, a splash of water, and a couple pinches of salt. Dial up the heat and when the water starts to bubble stir in the asparagus. Cover, wait about twenty seconds, now add the peas. Cover, wait a few seconds, now add the spinach. Cover and cook just a few more seconds until the spinach starts to collapse just a bit.

Put the bread crumbs in a large bowl. Now pour the asparagus and peas and all the pan juices over the top of the bread. Squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl and toss to combine everything. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Ciabatta Bread

2009-03-29T23:21:00.005-04:00

Ciabatta is an Italian bread and according to many Internet sites, it can be made at home, but only experienced bakers should attempt it with the aid of a good bread book. Tonight I proved that statement partially wrong. I am not an experienced baker, but I made 2 loaves of this crusty bread with the aid of my new favorite cookbook, Kneadlessly Simple by Nancy Baggett.

I had my doubts, could I really make ciabatta with less effort than it takes to get in the car and drive to Panera for a loaf? Well, once again, Nancy has made me a believer. This was so simple. Last night I mixed the dough, refrigerated it for 3 hours and let it sit on the counter overnight. This morning, I stirred the dough and let it rest. Shaping the dough was easy and the second rise took about 2 hours. The loaves are baked at a high temperature over a pan of water. Forty minutes later, the loaves were golden brown. After 10 minutes of cooling, Kenny and I had dinner, ciabatta with some of the olive oil we purchased in Cortona and parmesan. What a meal!

Ciabatta

adapted from Kneadlessly Simple

3 cups (15 ounces) King Arthur all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons table salt

3/4 teaspoons Fleishmann's RapidRise yeast

1 1/2 cups ice water

1 tablespoon olive oil and more for coating the dough

In a large bowl stir together the dry ingredients. Add the water and stir to combine. Add the olive oil and stir. Coat the top lightly with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 10 hours. Remove from the frig and let rise at room temperature for 12 to 15 hours.

Spray 2 9x12-inch sheets of parchment paper with canola oil and dust with 1/4 cup flour. Line a flat baking sheet (or the back of a rimmed sheet) with parchment paper and dust with flour.

Using a oiled spatula, loosen the dough gently from the bowl. With a oiled knife, cut the dough in half, being careful not to deflate the dough. Place each portion on the sheets of parchment paper and dust with flour. With well-oiled fingertips, gently shape the dough into a 9x6-inch rectangle. Push in the sides of the middle for a "slipper" shape. With a floured, wide spatula, move the loaves to the parchment covered baking sheets, inverting them. Reshape and press deep indentations into the dough with flour-dusted fingertips. Leave the excess flour on the loaves for a rustic look. Let rise 2 hours or until doubled.

Place a shallow pan in the bottom of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F. Pour one cup of ice water in the pan and bake the loaves on the lowest rack for 30 - 35 minutes. The loaves should be golden brown and the internal temperature is 208 to 210 degrees. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Now for some tips.

For ease and accuracy, weigh the flour. This is much easier and cuts down on the cleanup of scattered flour and measuring cups.
For the ice water, add ice cubes to the water and stir for 30 seconds.
After 20 minutes of baking, insert a digital thermometer into the center of a loaf. I have one that has a probe for the food and the monitor sits outside the oven.
Buy a copy of Kneadlessly Simple! It is the textbook for delicious bread with little effort and great results.

March Cooking with Friends

2009-03-28T21:28:00.006-04:00

Dale planned March's day of cooking. This time it was all about Paula Deen and Ina Gartin. Dale is a fabulous cook and she spent many hours searching and planning the menu. It was ambitious, but we were able to complete the delicious meal in just over 3 hours with the help of Susan, Judy and Diane. Check back for the recipes.

March Cooking with Friends Menu

Mixed Green Salad with Pears, Cranberries and Goat Cheese Fritters

Madiera and Mushroom Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

Roasted Asparagus

Roasted Tomatoes

Green Beans with Garlic

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Honey Wheat Rolls

Sweet Orange Butter

Plum Cake Tatin

Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew

2009-03-28T20:09:00.004-04:00

Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew was featured recently on America's Test Kitchen. I love this show. It is all about experimenting and testing to find the best recipe possible. I had been looking for the perfect recipe for some cannellini beans purchased at Campo de' Fiori and decided to give it a try. Plan ahead because the beans are soaked overnight in a brine solution. This is the first recipe I have tried from the show, but it will not be the last. The stew was hearty and very tasty. Next time, I will add more tomatoes for my personal taste.

Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew

4 quarts water
3 tablespoons salt
1 pound dried cannellini beans
6 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 bunch kale (about 1 pound), stems removed and leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Ground pepper

Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 2 quarts cold water. Add beans and soak at room temperature overnight. Drain and rinse well.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil and pancetta . Cook until pancetta is lightly browned, 6 to 10 minutes. Add vegetables and cook until they are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 16 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minutes. Add broth, water, bay leaves and beans. Increase temperature to high and bring to a simmer. Cover pot and transfer to oven and cook until beans are almost tender (center of bean will still be firm), 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove pot from over and add greens and tomatoes. Return to oven and cook until beans and greens are tender, 30 - 40 minutes.

Remove from oven and add rosemary sprig. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf and rosemary and season with salt and pepper. To serve, drizzle with olive oil. Serves 8.

Shrimp and Grits

2009-03-28T19:11:00.004-04:00

During our recent trip to the Georgia coast, we brought home some fresh shrimp. With Doug here to work on our bonus room, this was the ideal time to fix Shrimp and Grits. I usually make Tomato Grits and saute the shrimp in butter, olive oil and garlic and serve over the grits. Tonight I decided to try something different. I began by peeling and deveining the shrimp and using the peelings to make shrimp broth. The broth was used as the liquid for the grits along with the evaporated milk. For the shrimp, bacon is cooked and then the shrimp are cooked in the bacon drippings. The crunch of the crisp bacon served over the shrimp and grits adds flavor and texture. Doug declared the recipe "off the chain" and I would have to agree. Serve with collard greens for a true Southern treat.

Shrimp and Grits

4 cups water or shrimp stock (see below)
1 cup stone-ground grits
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup white wine

Bring the water or shrimp stock to boil in a large saucepan. Add grits, salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in butter, cheese and evaporated milk.

While the grits are cooking, fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Pat shrimp dry and cook in the bacon drippings until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Don't over cook! Remove shrimp as they are done. Add onions and garlic to skillet and saute for 3 minutes. Add lemon juice and wine and cook over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Add shrimp to skillet to reheat and serve over grits and top with bacon.

Shrimp Stock
To add flavor to the grits, make stock from the shrimp peelings.

Peelings and tails for 1 pound shrimp
1 stalk of celery, cut into pieces
1 carrot, cut into pieces
1/2 onion, cut into pieces
4 1/2 cups water

Put all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for 1 hour. Strain before adding to grits.

Kneadlessly Simple

2009-03-23T00:16:00.010-04:00

In January, I was consumed with making a perfect loaf of no-knead bread. My first attempt was less that successful, but after a search of the Internet and experimenting with different flours and yeast, I was finally able to produce a great loaf.

And then last week, I purchased Kneadlessly Simple by Nancy Baggett. As I read through her recipes I noticed a number of differences in her use of ingredients and methods. I will admit that I was very skeptical about the results, after all, I had become the expert on no-knead bread just 2 months ago! Nancy's method includes using cold water and chilling the dough before the first rise and I had no faith that the bread would rise. Boy was I wrong. Just take a look at those bubbles of carbon dioxide from the yeast. Since I was in a hurry to finish the bread, I used Nancy's tip for the second rising and placed the dough in the microwave with a cup of boiling water for an hour. I heated the 4 1/2 quart LeCreuset Dutch oven, plopped the dough in the pot and baked it. The smell during the baking was incredible. And the bread was wonderful, crusty on the outside and tender on the inside. Nancy knows what she is doing when it comes to no-knead bread. The book includes a variety of recipes and is a must for every wanna-be baker.

Crusty White Peasant-Style Pot Bread

adapted from Kneadless Simple

4 cups (20 ounces) King Arthur all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons table salt

3/4 teaspoon Fleischmann's RapidRise yeast

2 cups ice water

Canola oil spray

In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add the water and stir vigorously until thoroughly blended. Spray the top of the dough with canola oil, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours. Remove from the frig and let rise for 18 to 24 hours, stirring once about halfway through rising.

Using an oiled spatula, gently lift and fold the dough to the center until deflated. Spray the surface with canola oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or place in a microwave with a cup of boiling water until the dough is doubled.

Preheat a 4 1/2 quart Dutch oven in a 450 degree F. oven. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven, being careful - the pot is very hot. Loosen the dough from the bowl with a spatula and gently invert into the pot. Brush the top with water and cover with the lid. Shake gently to center the dough.

Reduce the temperature to 425 degrees F. and bake on the lower rack for 55 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center registers 209 to 212 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer. Cool in the pot on a wire rack for 10 minutes and remove the loaf to the rack and cool.

If you have any leftovers, cut into cubes for croutons or to use in panzanella.

Tomato Grits

2009-03-15T23:08:00.007-04:00

Tomato Grits is a family favorite. This spicy dish packs a punch and is delicious as a side dish for barbeque and smoked chicken.

Tomato Grits

2 cups water

1 1/4 cups 2% milk

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 cup quick cooking grits

1/2 cup butter

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup green onions, diced

4 ounces Velvetta cheese, diced

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 1/2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 can lime and cilantro Rotel tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a saucepan, bring the water and milk to a boil. Add salt and grits and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, cover and cook over low heat until the grits are creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup butter. Saute onions in 1 tablespoon butter until tender. Add onions, Velvetta, 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese and garlic powder to grits and stir until the cheeses are melted. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Pour into a greased 8"x11" casserole pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Top with remaining cheddar cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serves

Parks and Mallory

2009-03-13T21:55:00.005-04:00

It seems as though all the Bunco Babes' children are getting married. The latest Barn celebration was for Linda's son, Parks, and his beautiful fiancee, Mallory. The darling couple agreed to come to the Barn for an evening of soup and fun. Thanks to all the Babes for the delicious food and the weatherman for the perfect weather.

Snow at Quail Hollow

2009-03-01T20:43:00.004-05:00

Georgia weather can be a little strange. For several days, the weather people have been forecasting snow. In Georgia, that can cause a lot of excitement. But yesterday it was hard to believe that the forecasters were correct when the temperature outside was 60 degrees.

But they were correct and we enjoyed a day of snow. The storm started as rain and as the temperatures fell, the rain turned to sleet and then to snow. We actually had thunder snow! The flakes were huge and coming down fast and at times it was almost a white out.

Libby and Lucy loved the snow. They had a great time chasing each other and rolling in the snow. Kenny and I were content with a stroll around the house with the camera, taking pictures of our winter wonderland. By nightfall, the snow had stopped and the temperatures were warming and the snow was melting from the roadways. What a great day!

Guacamole Salad

2009-03-01T00:16:00.005-05:00

This has been my week of experimenting in the kitchen. As usual, it begins with a trip to the grocery to find the bargains of the week. Unfortunately, avocados were super cheap --unfortunate because I don't love avocados. I do love the color and the fact that they are healthy, but the flavor is so bland. But I added a few to the basket and headed home to look for a great recipe full of flavor. Once home, I tuned into the Food Network and there was Ina Gartin making Guacamole Salad! Destiny in the kitchen --- it was meant for me to buy those avocados and try her recipe. I checked out the recipe online and it was a 5 star favorite of more than 100 reviewers.

This is a very simple recipe with that packs in the flavor. Now all I had to do was wait for the avocados to ripen. The timing was perfect. They were ripe and ready for the Bunco dinner that included Payton's Chicken Stew, Spicy Southern Cornbread and Panna Cotta. The meal was well balanced and looked wonderful.

Guacamole Salad
adapted from Ina Gartin

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
Zest from 1 lime
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes) or more to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well. Just before serving, add the avocados. Serve at room temperature.

Laura's Kitchen Sink Sopa de Lima and Farmer's Market Salsa Verde

2009-02-24T22:10:00.007-05:00

For my first Taste and Create, I was paired with Laura of The Spiced Life. Laura has a great blog with lots of recipes so it was extremely hard to select just one. Laura's Kitchen Sink Sopa de Lima caught my eye because of the limes used the season the soup and the leftover roasted chicken in my frig that needed to be used.

This is simple recipe that packs a lot of flavor. I began by making chicken broth with the remnants of the roasted chicken last night. Today I assembled the soup using frozen tomatoes from our summer harvest and leftover corn. I also substituted flour tortillas for the corn tortillas in Laura's recipe. The results were delicious. I added jalopeno peppers to Laura's list of garnishes so Kenny can add as much heat to the soup as he wants!

Sopa de Lima

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
20 ounces of diced tomatoes
8 cups chicken broth
2 (14 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups whole kernel corn
3 cups shredded roasted chicken
2 flour tortillas, cut into small strips
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Juice from 3 limes
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and onions and cook the onions for 8 minutes or until they are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Add the tomatoes and cook for 8 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Add the chicken broth, beans, corn, chicken, tortillas and cilantro and simmer covered for 45 minutes. Before serving, add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with garnishes. Yield: 13 - 14 cups.

Garnishes
Salsa Verde
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
Homemade tortilla strips
Chopped jalopeno peppers

Laura loves green salsa so I decided to give it a try and created a variation of her Farmer's Market Salsa Verde.

Salsa Verde

1 poblano pepper
12 ounces tomatillos
1/2 large onion chopped
4 cloves garlic. crushed and peeled
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
jalopenos to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Wash the poblano pepper and pat dry. Remove the husks from the tomatillos, wash, and pat dry. Place pepper and tomatillos on a cookie sheet and broil in the oven until the tomatillos are olive green and the pepper is charred, turning as needed. The tomatillos will cook faster than the pepper, so remove them when they are done and continue to broil the pepper until it is charred all over. Place in a bowl to cool.

Turn the oven to 425 degrees F. and roast the onions and the garlic for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are lightly browned.

Peel the poblano and remove the seeds. Place the poblano, the tomatillos, and juices in a food processor and pulse until pureed. Add the onions, garlic, and remaining ingredients to the food processer and pulse until pureed. Refrigerate. Yield: 1 1/2 cups.

Laura, thanks for these wonderful recipes that are sure to become a family favorite.

Shellman Bluff and Saint Simons Island

2009-02-20T22:33:00.007-05:00

Today we leave Savannah and head south. Our first destination is Shellman Bluff. We decide to purchase a South Georgia map, just in case the GPS gets lost again. Now I will have to say that a GPS is pretty incredible. It has led us down many roads successfully but when it comes to the Georgia coast, it is lacking. Of course, we were far from marked roads and many times the GPS showed no roads at all. But our trusty map was accurate. The roads were beautiful, many covered with the limbs of live oak trees.

Shellman Bluff is like stepping back into a different time. The sandy roads are canopied with trees and lead to the water front. The homes are simple, with screened porches and shaded by huge oak trees covered with Spanish moss . Drive down to the Shellman Fish Camp in "Downtown Shellman Bluff." Hunter's Cafe and Mud Bar is across from the docks. Unfortunately we missed meal time, but you can bet we will be back! The drive along the bluff is incredible, one of the best views you can see from a car of the bluffs along the Georgia coast.

Saint Simons is our stop for the night. The weather is cold, just right for a bowl of She Crab Soup from Barbara Jean's. The soup was thick with lump crab meat and had a slight kick to it. Kenny had the clam chowder and we shared a 7-ounce crab cake. One thing for sure, Barbara Jean knows how to cook crab!

Our home for the night is the Saint Simons Inn at the Lighthouse. At sunset it's off to the pier to capture some great shots. What a great way to end a wonderful day!

Exploring the Georgia Coast

2009-02-19T20:50:00.002-05:00

Tybee Island

Day two of our road trip takes us to the marsh land along the Georgia coast. We leave Savannah in search of seafood and interesting landscapes. Our first stop is the Sunbury Crab Company. With the aid of our GPS, we were there with no problem, traveling down a myriad of country roads, until we hit water. Unfortunately, the Crab Company is only open for dinner during the week. No problem, we just searched the GPS for other restaurants in the area. Jeff's Crab House was the pick. This time we were not as successful. Along the way, the GPS took us down a private road that ended in at a locked gate with no trespassing signs. Twenty minutes, 10 miles and a lot of country roads, we gave up and decided to try Holton's Seafood. The parking lot was full of local cars, a good sign when looking for food. Inside the dining room the lunch crowd was lively, eating and visiting with neighbors and coworkers. Kenny and I decided to split the fried shrimp. Everything, including the french fries, were coated in a light, cripsy batter and fried to perfection. The shrimp were crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, just like I like them!

Now to one of my favorite places, Tybee Island. My first trip to Tybee was in 1979 as a county Extension agent, our 4-H camp assignment for the summer. During the day, we supervised the 4-Hers in the ocean, the marsh and at various classes. At night, the adults took turns leaving the camp for a dinner at Williams Seafood and a quick tour of Savannah. It was during my first visit that I became a fan of the area. Tybee is a wonderful old beach town with no high rise condos and lots of views of the ocean. In the winter, the water is a beautiful blue color and the winds are strong and cool.

After Tybee, we head back to Savannah to shop at Kitchens on the Square. Our treasures include 8 ramekins, 10 napkin rings, salad tongs and a knife sleeve. The ramekins will be used for my Taste and Create entry for February. The napkin rings will be a great addition to my February table setting.

Dinner tonight is at the Savannah Chart House, located in a 1790 warehouse overlooking the river. Even though the Chart House is a chain, local fare is served from a special menu. Tonight's choices include Fried Green Tomatoes and Caramelized Catfish. Both dishes were delicious. The fried green tomatoes were crisp and surprisingly full of flavor, considering this is February. The catfish was coated with brown sugar and cajun seasonings, lightly sauteed, served on a bed of grits seasoned with ham, topped with collard greens, lump crabmeat and a roasted red pepper sauce. Kenny had the prime rib and it was cooked perfectly. What a meal! With full stomachs and happy hearts we say "goodnight!"

Savannah

2009-02-18T22:23:00.007-05:00

Savannah is one of my favorite towns. It has it all - beautiful homes, great shopping and delicious food. After checking in the Hyatt, Kenny and I hit the streets. Our first stop was at the Lady and Sons Restaurant. After making dinner reservations, we made our way to the Starbucks on Broad. As we waited in line, we realized this was our first trip since Italy. With that in mind, we ordered cappuccinos. Starbucks cappuccinos are good but they don't come close to the rich taste of the Italian version.

With coffee in hand, we make our way to The Paris Market, a unique shop with lots of home furnishings and accessories. The next stop is Kitchens on the Square to see what goodies we must have for our kitchen. I love this shop. It is packed with everything you might possibly need to plan, prepare, and serve food. The shop has changed since our last visit, adding a demonstration kitchen and on-site classes. They have a great "Lunch + Learn" class offered every Tuesday and Thursday. Before leaving we made our list of "must have" items.

Our next destination is River Street. The tugboats are busy today, leading the enormous container ships down the river. After a drink and steamed oysters at Huey's we take a quick rest in our room.

Tonight we had dinner at Paula Deen's The Lady and Sons restaurant. Paula is best known as Food Network's southern diva. This is not our first time at TL&S. In the past, I have always opted for the buffet but tonight I decided to order from the menu. Our waitress was most accommodating, allowing me to substitute the Corn and Asparagus Salad for my side dish to the Crab Stuffed Shrimp. The bacon-wrapped shrimp were cooked perfectly with the bacon crispy and the shrimp tender and succulent. The salad was crunchy and somewhat sweet. The shrimp was drizzled with a lemon basil cream sauce, but I honestly didn't taste the sauce at all. Kenny choose the bufffet and was not disappointed by the fried chicken. If you are planning a trip to Savannah, be sure and put TL&S on your list.

60 Years to Celebrate

2009-02-16T23:15:00.004-05:00

On February 11, 1949, Bettye Jean and Clyde got married. On February 14, 2009, family and friends gathered at the barn to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. Mama and Daddy looked great and we all have a wonderful time reminiscing. Sixty years ago, Mama was living in Panama City and she travelled to Rome for the weekend. It was during her visit that Daddy asked her to marry him. She called home to ask for permission and the rest is history. Betty Mathis was her maid of honor for the wedding. It was a double wedding ceremony that will always be remembered as a special time. Today, we honored them with a gathering at the barn. The day was cool, but the barn was warm and the food was tasty. Enjoy these pictures of this special day.

Black-eyed Peas and Turnip Green Soup

2009-02-06T22:51:00.005-05:00

My entry for this year's Souper Bowl was from my garden. Our patch of greens has provided us with a great harvest. On a cold, winter day, I decided to try my hand at using the greens to make a soup. Use hot sausage for to give the soup a kick. For the competition, I made croutons from my Spicy Cornbread recipe. I baked the cornbread in a sheet pan, cut it into 1-inch cubes and toasted in the oven. It made for a great presentation, but not really worth the effort. Top the soup with Sweet Tomato Relish.

Black-eyed Peas and Turnip Green Soup

1 pound hot sausage
1 ½ cups chopped onion
1 pound turnip greens
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
2 cans black-eyed peas

Saute onions and sausage until sausage is browned and done. Add turnip greens, water, chicken broth and black-eyed peas. Cook until the greens are tender. Add more water if needed. Serve with cornbread croutons and tomato relish.

Alice's Key Lime Cheesecake

2009-02-06T22:43:00.005-05:00

My favorite dessert at this year's Souper Bowl was Alice's Key Lime Cheesecake. Her presentation was beautiful and the flavor was a perfect blend of sweet and tart. This is not a quick and easy recipe, but is well worth the effort.

Alice’s Key Lime Cheesecake

5 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons sugar, plus 1 1/4 cups, plus 1/4 cup

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

3/4 cup key lime juice

4 eggs, at room temperature

2 egg yolks, at room temperature

2 tablespoons grated key lime zest

1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature 2 egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch of salt

2 cups sweetened whipped cream

1 cup simple syrup, (1 cup sugar, 1 cup water heated until sugar dissolves)

Rind of 2 limes, julienned

12 sprigs fresh mint

In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, 2 tablespoons of the sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Mix well. Press the crust firmly over the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan. Set aside.
In a saucepan dissolve the gelatin the key lime juice, about 5 minutes. Add 1 1/4 cups of the sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and lime zest. Mix well. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture thickens and is pudding like, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. With the mixer running, add the lime mixture slowly and beat until smooth. Remove the mixture and turn into a bowl and cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, stirring every 10 minutes.

In a bowl of an electric mixer with a whip attachment, place the egg whites and remaining 1/4 cup of the sugar. Whip on medium high until stiff peaks form. Remove the lime and cheese mixture from the refrigerator. Fold the egg whites into the lime mixture and blend thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.

Remove from the refrigerator. Run a sharp knife along the sides of the pan and remove the spring-form. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the top of the cake.

For the candied zest: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the simple syrup and the lime zest. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the zest from the liquid and cool on parchment paper.

Cut the cake into individual servings. Garnish with candied lime zest and mint sprigs.

Payton's Chicken Stew

2009-02-06T22:39:00.002-05:00

Payton was last year's winner of the Quail Hollow Souper Bowl. This year, he had two entries. A favorite of the competition was his Chicken Stew. This simple recipe packs a lot of flavor. It is sure to become a family favorite!

Payton’s Chicken Stew

1 – 28 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
¼ cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 ½ # boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cups diced onion
2 cups frozen lima beans
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 large bell pepper, diced
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
Lime wedges

Put tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, cumin and oregano in a slow cooker. Stir to blend. Add chicken and vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours, or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and pull into shreds using 2 forks. Return to cooker. Serve with bacon and lime wedges.

Kitty's Turtle Brownies

2009-02-06T22:30:00.003-05:00

Kitty is known for her desserts. During our tailgating days at the amphitheater, we always asked Kitty to bring the desserts. Her Turtle Brownies were the favorites at our 2nd Annual Souper Bowl. These rich brownies were the perfect end to a fun evening.

Kitty’s Turtle Brownies
1 (14 oz.) bag of caramels
¾ cup butter (softened)
2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided
1 cup chopped pecans
1 pkg. German chocolate cake mix
1 cup (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

Combine caramels with 1/3 c. milk and melt in microwave, stirring often until smooth. Set aside. Combine mix, butter, and rest of milk. Beat until firm. Stir in nuts. Press ½ of mixture into bottom of well-greased 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips over and cover chips with caramel. Sprinkle remaining cake mixture on top. Bake for 15-20 more minutes. (It won’t look done.) Cool and chill in refrigerator before cutting.
(I use Smart Balance instead of butter and use Duncan Hines cake mix because it has no transfat.)

Dale's Taco Soup

2009-02-06T22:25:00.004-05:00

Dale is a great friend and a wonderful cook. I have enjoyed many delicious meals at her home so I was not surprised that she was the winner of the 2nd Annual Quail Hollow Souper Bowl. This soup is not only tasty, but is very simple to prepare.

Dale’s Taco Soup
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 can mild Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 can lima beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can white hominy
1 small onion, chopped
1 ½ lb. ground beef
1 ½ cup water
Salt and Pepper
1 package Taco seasoning
1 package dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

Drain beans and hominy. Brown ground been and onions and drain. Mix all ingredients together in a soup pot. Bring to a boil and simmer until heated. You can assemble everything and cook over low heat in a crock-pot. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, etc. Be sure to have tortilla chips on the side.

Souper Bowl at the Barn

2009-02-01T21:41:00.001-05:00

Souper Bowl 2009 Winners
Dale's Taco Soup and Kitty's Turtle Brownies

While the world was celebrating the Super Bowl, we headed to the Barn for our own Souper Bowl. The 2nd Annual Quail Hollow Souper Bowl was held on January 31 in the Barn. Friends and family gathered for some friendly competition. This year's event was expanded to include desserts. The weather was cold - just right for enjoying an evening of good food.

This year's soup competition had an international flair with recipes from Mexico, South Africa, Italy, and the good old USA. Eight different soups were entered and all were delicious. This year's winner was Dale's Taco Soup!
Now for the desserts. The 8 entries were yummy. My favorite was Alice's Key Lime Cheesecake. But in the end, chocolate was once again the favorite in Kitty's Turtle Brownies.

The evening ended with talk of next year's entries. So now we have a year to test and perfect our entries for next year! The winning recipes will be posted soon!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband!

Cooking with Michael and Friends

2009-01-30T22:59:00.007-05:00

I love to cook and the Food Network is the inspiration for many of my meals. I have always wanted to take one episode and try to recreate it. This week I did it! The plan was to use Michael Chiarello's Let the Sunshine In episode and prepare the menu in my kitchen. Susan and I shopped for the ingredients locally with much success. The only thing missing was watercress. Dale joined us in the kitchen and we created an absolutely delicious meal.

I started the day before preparing the Frozen Ruby Reds. One word of caution, make sure you are going to be around for several hours so you can rake the frozen juice every hour or so. I made the mistake of leaving and called Kenny to do the raking. Unfortunately, it wasn't soon enough and I had to scrape out the ice crystals and put them in another container while the juice that was frozen solid thawed on the counter. After a while I was able to "rake" the juice and get the snow cone-like crystals.

After our shopping trip, we began the preparation. Susan started preparing the fruit for the Triple Orange Dessert Soup while I worked on the Lemon Braised Artichokes over Pasta. It took Susan quite some time to peel and section the oranges, grapefruit and tangerines. My task was to clean and quarter the artichokes. Thanks, Alessandra, for showing me how to prepare fresh artichokes in your Italian kitchen. This was a fairly simple and quick prep. I used fresh thyme from the garden for the braising. Once braised, they were set aside while Dale and I worked on the salad.
With the help of a mandoline, the fennel, carrots and onion were thinly sliced. Since we couldn't find any good watercress, we used spinach. The salad becomes better after sitting for a while so the vegetables can soak up the dressing. Kenny arrived in time to oversee the preparation of the Chicken with Roasted Lemon and Rosemary Sauce. The roasted lemons were amazing. By now, the kitchen was full of wonderful smells. The chicken and potatoes were browned and baked for 15 minutes.

Next time we will add to the baking time. The potatoes were still a little crunchy. During the baking, Kenny got started on mixing the drinks. We rimmed the glasses with salt and enjoyed the frozen drinks while the chicken and potatoes baked and the pasta was cooked.

Once the chicken and potatoes were baked, we made the sauce and finished the pasta. We decided to use only half of the lemon juice. The food smelled and looked wonderful. Everyone's favorite was the pasta – it could easily be served as the main dish with a salad and bread for a delicious meal. The Triple Orange Dessert Soup was much like our ambrosia without the coconut. It was a light finish to a meal that was all about citrus. Thanks to Michael, we had a wonderful meal and a great time in the kitchen!

Chicken and Dumplings

2009-01-22T23:51:00.006-05:00

Chicken and Dumplings are a favorite comfort food of the South. With the cold weather we have had, this is the perfect meal for a cold winter night. Add a simple fruit salad of apples, bananas, roasted pecans and mayonnaise and you have a meal that is sure to warm you all the way to your toes.

Chicken and Dumplings

1 chicken
Lots of water
Veggies and spices
Biscuit dough
Salt and pepper

The ingredients are simple - chicken, chicken stock and biscuits. Start by boiling the chicken in a pot of water filled with veggies and seasonings you have on hand. The veggies give the stock a lot of favor. This time I used celery, carrots, onion, parsley, sage, salt and pepper. Boil the chicken until tender. Once the chicken is done, remove the skin and bones. Chop or shred into bite-size pieces.

Now for the stock. Strain and refrigerate. Once cold, you can easily remove the fat that accumulates on the top. I like to cook my chicken the night before so it will be ready for supper the next night.

The dumplings are biscuits that are cut into small pieces and cooked with the chicken and stock until done. I like to use Martha White's biscuit mix but you can make your biscuits from scratch or use frozen biscuit dough or canned biscuits. Roll the dough out on a floured board and cut into small pieces. A pizza cutter works great for cutting the biscuit dough.
Bring the chicken and the stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the dumplings a few at a time to the stock. The flour on the dumplings will help to thicken the stock. The dumplings will float to the top. Continue to boil slowly.
When the dumplings sink, they are done! Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This is not a colorful dish, but the taste is simple and perfect for a cold winter night!

Italian Night

2009-01-22T22:15:00.008-05:00

During our trip to Italy in November, Nan and I had the privilege of cooking with Alessandra in her kitchen in Cortona. It was a highlight of our trip. We shopped with Alessandra for the food and spent the day learning the techniques required to prepare an authentic Italian meal.

For the past couple of months, we have been perfecting our new skills. Steve, Cheryl, Bailey, Laura, Kenny and Edwin joined us as we prepared our favorites from the class. For the antipasti, we served Alessandra's Meatballs with proscuitto, a selection of cheeses, No Knead Bread, and the olive oil we purchased in Cortona.

The main dish was Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto. I'll be honest, the shrimp was delicious, the risotto was creamy, but there was something lacking in the flavor of the dish.

For dessert, we served Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries and Blueberries . It reminded me of our meal with Leo in Cortona. Panna Cotta is one of those great desserts that you can make the day before. The taste is slightly sweet, but not heavy, with a wonderful vanilla flavor. The balsamic vinegar gives the fruit a tangy sweet finish. This will be one of my "go to" recipes for entertaining.

It was a great evening of good food, wine and friends! A special thanks to Laura and Bailey for the Georgia shrimp!

Mushroom, Bacon and Cheese Strata

2009-01-08T21:46:00.007-05:00

Our Christmas Brunch included this delicious Mushroom, Bacon and Cheese Strata. The combination of sauteed mushrooms, bacon, Gruyere cheese and ciabatta bread seasoned with fresh thyme creates a hearty strata that will become a favorite. Refrigerate any leftovers for breakfast the next day or a light lunch.

Mushroom, Bacon and Cheese Strata

1 loaf ciabatta bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 7 cups)

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

8 - 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

6 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

3 cups non-fat milk

6 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread bread cubes onto a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly toasted. Place cubes in a large bowl.

Melt butter in a large skillet and saute mushrooms and onion for 10 minutes or until all the liquid evaporates and the vegetables are tender. Add mixture to the bread and toss to combine thoroughly. Arrange 1/2 of the bread mixture in a greased 11 3/4" by 7 1/2" Pyrex dish. Top with half the cheese and half the bacon. Repeat layers.

Combine the milk, eggs, thyme, salt and pepper and stir with a whisk to combine. Pour milk mixture over the bread, cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove strata from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Bake the strata, covered at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8 - 10.

Star Provisions

2009-01-08T21:37:00.007-05:00

A search for foods for our Italian Night dinner took us to Star Provisions, a wonderful shop on Howell Mill Road in Atlanta. This is a great place to buy cheese and proscuitto. Tim, the cheese guy, will gladly give you samples of cheese to make your selection easy. After buying our cheese and proscuitto, we headed to the deli for lunch. The Goat Cheese and Leek Focaccia was excellent!

No Knead Bread

2009-01-06T21:16:00.010-05:00

No Knead Bread, so simple a 4-year old can make it! Well, maybe so, if they have the correct ingredients. One of the recipes featured in the Cooking with Cast Iron class at Williams-Sonoma was Rosemary and Lemon No Knead Bread. My task was to make the bread ahead of time and serve during the class. After many failed attempts, I discovered the solution was simply in the selection of ingredients.

It all begins with the flour. All-purpose flour works, if you select a hard wheat all-purpose flour such as King Arthur or Pillsbury. I used Martha White, an excellent soft wheat flour commonly used for cakes, pastries and quick breads. Soft wheat flours don't contain enough gluten, an essential protein needed for the bread to rise. Bread flour has a high gluten content and will give you the best results.

Next is the yeast. The recipe called for 1/4 teaspoon of active dry yeast. I bought Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast and it took an entire packet - 2 1/4 teaspoons - to create a decent loaf of bread. What you should buy is Fleischmann's Rapid Rise yeast. Just 1/4 teaspoon of the yeast will give you a light, delicious bread.

Now comes the equipment. You will need a cast iron Dutch oven. I used a 2 3/4 quart Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven. You must heat the pot in a 450 degree F. oven for at least 30 minutes before baking the bread. The Dutch oven acts as a mini oven and creates the perfect environment for baking this light, crusty bread. Give this recipe a try and it will become a favorite!

No Knead Bread

3 cups bread flour

1/4 teaspoon Fleischmann's Rapid Rise yeast

1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups warm water

Cornmeal

Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the water and stir until the mixture forms a sticky ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot. Allow to rise for 12 - 18 hours.

Remove the ball from bowl to a floured surface. Fold the dough over 2 times (shape should be a rectangle) and allow to rest for 15 minutes. With floured hands, fold the long ends into the center. Then take the other ends and fold to the middle and place, seam side down on a tea towel dusted with cornmeal. Place in a bowl and allow to rise for 2 hours in a warm place.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a cast iron Dutch oven into the hot oven at least 30 minutes before baking the bread, Remove the Dutch oven from the oven, being very careful not to burn yourself. Move the bread from the bowl and place seam side up in the Dutch oven. Don't worry about extra flour or cornmeal on the bread, it will give the finished loaf rustic look.

Bake at 450 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove lid from the Dutch oven and cook for 15 - 25 minutes and the crust is browned. Cool on a wire rack.

The stiff dough before rising.

The dough after first rising.

Formed into ball for second rising.

Second rising.Success!

Cooking with Cast Iron

2009-01-06T13:06:00.008-05:00

Last week I was asked to teach a technique class at Williams-Sonoma in Peachtree City. I have been working there during the holidays and was delighted to have the opportunity to share my love for cooking with the customers. My topic was "Cooking with Cast Iron". Cast iron is one of my favorite types of cookware. I have a wonderful collection of seasoned cast iron, thanks to our grandmothers and mothers, and several Le Creuset pots, so it was an subject of great interest.

Being a Southern cook, I use my cast iron for cornbread, stews, soups and roast beef. The goal of the class is to "make the most of your cast iron pieces with delightful yet simple recipes." And that I did!

The feature recipe was 40-Clove Garlic Chicken made using a Williams-Sonoma starter sauce. This is so simple and delicious. With a jar of the starter sauce and 1 chicken, you can create a tasty meal with very little effort. I served the chicken over rice to soak up the delicious sauce.

When cooking with cast iron, the main thing to remember is to avoid the temptation of cooking with too high a heat. Cast iron is an excellent conductor of heat and if you aren't careful, you will get the pan too hot and food will stick. When browning meat, heat the pan before adding the oil and meat. This will prevent the meat from sticking. Since cast iron is an excellent conductor, the heat is retained and for a long time even after removing from the heat source. This is great for keeping your food hot while serving but not so great when you have overheated your pan. So moderation is the key.

Cranberry Apple Casserole

2008-12-29T22:01:00.004-05:00

Back in the day when I was working as an Extension Home Economist, several of my colleagues from surrounding counties put together a travelling road show every year of holiday favorites. Our focus was not on just producing good recipes, but including important nutrition, menu planning and food safety tips in the presentation. It was during this time that Baldwin Morris shared her recipe for Cranberry Apple Casserole. For more than 25 years, this has been a family favorite and is always on our holiday table. This year I added a pint of frozen blueberries from our garden. The blueberries tamed some of the tartness of the cranberries and extended the recipe to feed more. Try this recipe and I promise it will become one of your family's favorites!

Cranberry Apple Casserole

I package fresh cranberries
3 Granny Smith apples, chopped
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine fruit and sugar in a greased 11 3/4" by 7 1/2" Pyrex dish. Mix together remaining ingredients and spread over the fruit. Bake for 1 hour or until brown and bubbly. Serves 10.

Breakfast Casserole

2008-12-29T21:24:00.003-05:00

A breakfast favorite at Quail Hollow is the easy, delicious Breakfast Casserole that is prepared the night before and refrigerated overnight. That is just what I did for this year's Christmas brunch and there was none left!

Breakfast Casserole

1 pound bulk sausage
6 slices of bread, cubed
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
6 eggs
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown sausage in a large skillet. Drain. In a greased 11 3/4" by 7 1/2" Pyrex dish, layer the bread cubes, sausage and cheese. Beat eggs and add milk, salt and pepper. Pour over layers, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes to an hour and the center is set and the top is golden brown. 8 - 10 servings.

Granny's Cookbook

2008-12-29T19:57:00.009-05:00

Several years ago, Kenny's mom and I started work on a scrapbooked cookbook of her favorite recipes. Granny gathered the recipes while I hung out at the local scrapbook shops looking for just the right paper and scrapbook for the project. Work began on the computer, typing the recipes using cute fonts. This was the easy part, well kind of easy considering the number of fonts I purchased. Next came the task of finding suitable pictures. A search of the pictures I had collected over the years and a look into Granny's stash resulted in some great photos. Copies of the pictures were made at Target, lots of copies since I planned to create multiple cookbooks, one for every family member.

With the recipes, photos, and a variety of papers - all color coordinated - I set out to create the pages. The progress was slow and even with weekly scrapbooking nights at Dale's, I couldn't seem to get the past the many decisions - which paper to use, the layout of the page and selecting just the right picture for each page. I would frequently pull out the project and sit and look at the 3 pages finished.

With Granny's 87th birthday in July, I knew that it was time to finish the cookbook. My goal was to have the cookbook completed in time for Christmas. The format changed from a scrapbook to a digital book, thanks to Blurb. I finally realized that I am not a scrapbooker but I do love working on the computer. I had previously tried some of the online sites for booking making, but Blurb was unique because the BookSmart software is installed on your own computer and you don't have to upload your pictures to a website and be online to work on your book.

After many hours of work, the cookbook was completed just in time for the deadline for Christmas delivery. When the books arrived, I was thrilled with the quality and proud of what will be my first of many books from Blurb. This was a labor of love and honor for Granny, a wonderful mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who feed her family well with delicious Southern foods.

Cioppino

2008-12-28T22:08:00.004-05:00

Cioppino is a wonderful seafood stew native to the docks of San Francisco. As the story goes, Italian immigrant fisherman coming home from a day of fishing would all "chip in" a small portion of their catch for a seafood stew made on the docks. The broken English of the Italians soon became "chip in o" and thus the name of this stew. If you search the Internet, you will find lots of recipes for Cioppino.

Or you can stop by Williams-Sonoma and buy a jar of the Cioppino Soup Base. Just add your seafood and you will have a meal in minutes. My rendition included a pound of shrimp, a pound of mussels and a couple of tilapia filets. Serve with crusty garlic bread and you have a delicious, quick meal.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-28T20:04:00.007-05:00

Today the was the end of our wonderful Christmas celebration. There are no presents under the tree, the house is a wreck and the frig is full of leftovers. This is often a sad day, but for me, my heart is full of memories of spending time with family and friends. Too often we can become caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season and fail to take the time to enjoy the little things. Things like watching Reeves open his Christmas present from us and begin planning his trip to Monster Jam. And Cash's excitement with the Lightning McQueen motorized car as he learned to use the remote to speed across the floor. And playing games with Maggie. These are times that are special and will be remembered for years to come.

This year's family celebration started on Christmas Eve with dinner at Quail Hollow. After dinner, we enjoyed the Christmas Communion Service at Newnan Presbyterian Church. On Christmas morning, Terri and Payton served a delicious brunch with Breakfast Burritos as we watched Reeves enjoyed his presents from Santa. After brunch we went to Peggy's to visit with Granny.

But this was just the beginning of our Christmas celebration. On Friday, Kacy, Judi, Jason, Sherri, Maggie, Reeves, Doug and Melody joined us. Saturday began with brunch and was followed by a shopping trip to Ashley Park. I loved taking Maggie and Cash to the new candy store and we all selected a bag of our favorite candies. One observation, Kenny and I filled our bag with chocolate treats while Maggie and Cash selected the taffies, gummies and other sugar treats.

After shopping, it was time to get ready for dinner in the barn. Judi and Kacy provided the appetizers of Redneck Caviar and Cheesy Sausage Dip. Payton cooked the turkey and Crawfish Dressing while Kenny and I made the Dressing with Giblet Gravy, Cranberry Casserole, and Pannetone Bread Pudding with Amaretto Sauce. Peggy and her family brought Baked Ham, Hash Brown Potato Casserole, and Green Beans. Lisa's treat was a Sausage Roll. For dessert, Judi made her almost famous Apple Pie and Terri baked one of the family's favorites, Bourbon Pound Cake. As you can tell from the pictures below, a good time was had by all!

Beef Tenderloin for Christmas Eve

2008-12-25T22:58:00.010-05:00

It has become a tradition to have Christmas Eve Dinner at Quail Hollow. This year Mama, Daddy, Payton, Terri, and Reeves joined Kenny and I for dinner. The menu included Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Sauce, Garlic Smashed Potatoes, Sauteed Mushrooms and Pearl Onions, Roasted Beets and Oranges Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette, and Hot Bread. This is a very simple meal to prepare and absolutely delicious. The potatoes were simply boiled in their skins, smashed and mixed with one head of roasted garlic, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper. The mushrooms were sliced, sauteed in butter with on pack of frozen pearl onions, and seasoned with red wine and Worchestershire sauce. The horseradish sauce is equal parts of sour cream and mayonnaise, a dash of Worchestershire sauce and enough horseradish to give it a kick.

Beef Tenderloin

1 whole beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup whole grain mustard

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoons dried thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Sear the tenderloin on all sides in 2 tablespoons olive oil until brown. Mix together the mustard, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and thyme. Place the tenderloin on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush the mustard mixture evenly on all sides of the tenderloin. Bake in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes until the internal temperature of the tenderloin reaches 125 degrees. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve. 8 servings.

Roasted Beets and Oranges Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

2008-12-25T22:19:00.006-05:00

There are many foods I have never cooked before and beets are in my list. For our Christmas Eve dinner, I decided to try a different salad and with fresh beets in the frig, this was the perfect opportunity to incorporate them into our dinner. After an Internet search, this was the result, a beautiful tasty salad with seasonal fruits and vegetables and the perfect compliment to beef tenderloin.

Roasted Beets and Oranges Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

6 beets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 2 lemons
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
Salad greens
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup roasted pecans, chopped

Wash the beets and cut off the tops. Place the beets in a roasting pan, drizzle with the olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper and roast at 400 degrees F. for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until tender. Remove from the oven, cool, remove skins and and cut into wedges. Combine the balsamic vinegar, honey and olive oil in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add beets and onions and toss to coat. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Make the vinaigrette by whisking together the citrus juices, honey, olive oil, thyme and salt. Toss the salad greens with just enough vinaigrette to coat the lettuce (you will have some left over). Plate the greens and top with the roasted beets and onions, orange slices, blue cheese and pecans. Serves 8.

For those of you who want to make this salad in a hurry, pick up a jar of pickled beets and some orange sections. I think you will like the results.

Alessandra's Meatballs

2008-12-14T01:12:00.005-05:00

During our trip to Italy, we had the pleasure of cooking in Alessandra's kitchen. One of our favorite dishes was Polpettine di Olive, or as I call it Alessadra's Meatballs. This was the first of the many recipes Alessandra shared with us and it has been a hit with our family and friends. The preparation is simple and the tasty treats can be frozen before breading and used as needed. Tonight we made them for our neighborhood dinner. As you can see, Kenny was the fry cook! Thanks, Alessandra for sharing your kitchen and love for cooking.

Alessandra's Meatballs

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup onion, chopped

3/4 cup carrots, chopped

3/4 cups celery, chopped

1/2 pound ground chicken

1/2 pound bulk sausage

1 1/4 pound ground beef

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 cup olives, chopped

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Pepper to taste

1/4 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

Panko bread crumbs

Saute the vegetables in the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the meats and cook until done, stirring to break the meat into small pieces. Drain, if needed. Return to the skillet and add the wine. Cook until the wine is absorbed. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the parmesan, 1egg, and the seasonings. Mix well and chill. Once chilled, form into 1-inch balls. At this point the meatballs can be chilled or frozen. Roll the meatballs in flour, egg and bread crumbs and fry in olive oil until brown. Serve with mayonaise seasoned with Worchesteshire sauce, basil and oregano. Makes 40 meatballs.

Dressing Bites with Cranberry and Pepper Jelly Dipping Sauce

2008-11-29T01:57:00.005-05:00

This year we had a lot of leftover dressing. For a real treat, use your leftover dressing for these delicious treat. Callie has requested for this to become a tradition at Quail Hollow! Serve with a Hot Pepper Jelly Cranberry Sauce for dipping. Unfortunately, there is no picture of the Dressing Bites, we ate them before I got a chance to take the picture!

Dressing Bites with Hot Pepper Jelly Cranberry Sauce

Dressing Bites
Leftover dressing
1/4 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
Panko bread crumbs

Form the dressing into 1-inch balls. Dip in flour, egg, and panko bread crumbs. Fry until golden brown.

Hot Pepper Jelly Cranberry Sauce
1 can cranberry sauce
1/4 cup hot pepper jelly

In a small saucepan, heat cranberry sauce and hot pepper jelly to combine. Serve warm with the Dressing Bites.

Cranberry Sauce

2008-11-29T01:52:00.004-05:00

Cranberry sauce is a staple for Thanksgiving. Making the sauce is a breeze.

Cranberry Sauce

1 package fresh cranberries

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes. Mash with a potato masher and chill.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-29T01:27:00.007-05:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. The day is one for remembering the many things we can be thankful for and enjoying a great meal with family and friends -- what a great combination! This year we had two Thanksgivings. Our first was at Quail Hollow with family members that would be traveling during the holidays. Our special guests were Mary and Larry Nelson from California and Shelia and Herman Peterson from Maryland. Mary Evelyn is a childhood friend of Peggy and Kenny and it was wonderful having them join us this year. The meal was delicious, thanks to every one's contributions. The main star was the turkey accompanied by dressing and giblet gravy, green beans, sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts, cranberry casserole, cranberry sauce, cole slaw, rutabagas, pecan pie and pumpkin pie.

This year we all had a lot for which to be thankful. For me, I am thankful for my wonderful husband, family and friends.

Our second Thanksgiving was with Terri's family at their home. I can't even begin to name all the dishes, but the carrot cake and Italian wedding cake were outstanding. Thanks for including us in this wonderful family celebration.

Now, what are we going to do with all those leftovers!

Sweet Potato Bread

2008-11-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

I found a great sale on sweet potatoes so I decided to buy some and try out a couple of recipes for Sweet Potato Bread. I tried two recipes and my stitching friends selected this one as the best. Thanks to Closet Cooking Kevin for the inspiration!

Sweet Potato Bread
1 3/4 cups self rising flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs

1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cups sweet potato, cooked and mashed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the honey, eggs, buttermilk and sweet potato into the butter and sugar. Stir the sweet potato mixture into the flour mixture. Stir in the pecans. Pour the batter into a 9x5 inch greased loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until a tooth pick pushed into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Pour the praline sauce on and and let cool.

Praline ToppingIngredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans, roasted and chopped

1 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water

Cook the butter and brown sugar in a small skillet until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pecans. Pour the mixture onto a piece of parchment paper and let cool. When the praline mixture is cook, break with a rolling pin. Mix the powdered sugar into the water. Mix the praline and sugar water together.

Cake Decorating

2008-11-20T23:59:00.003-05:00

I have enrolled in Cake Decorating 101. After watching Ace of Cakes, I decided it was time to try my hand at cake decorating. After 4 classes, I have decided this is not my calling. My biggest challenge was getting the right consistency for the icing. Thank you Deena for your patience and guidance in the process!

The Vatican

2008-11-06T21:43:00.004-05:00

This morning we toured the Vatican with Roman professor, Enrico Bruschini. On our first trip to Rome, Enrico led us through the Forum, the Coliseum and the Vatican. When we began planning this trip, we immediately contacted Enrico to see if he was available for a second tour of the Vatican. Enrico is an expert on the history of the Vatican and its contents. He worked on the cleaning of the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. The museums in the Vatican are incredible. You will see sculptures, frescoes, paintings, tapestries, and relics of the past. You can rent one of the audio tours, but it is nothing like having Enrico making the contents come to life.

One of our first stops was to see the replica of the Pieta. This original is house in the Basilica of St. Peter. In the museum, you get a chance to look at the replica up close and see the details.

For me and my love of textiles, the tapestries are truly amazing. Their size and detail are unbelievable. No pictures can do the tapestries justice. It is one of those times when you have to see it to believe it.

As you look at the many treasures in the museums, nothing is like seeing the Sistine Chapel in person. Enrico brings the frescoes to life. His knowledge is incredible.

After the museums, we head for the Basilica of St. Peter. There you will find the tomb of St. Peter and the Pieta by Michelangelo. Once again, we are astounded by the enormity of the Basilica.

After leaving the Vatican we stop for a pizza before boarding the "Hop On, Hop Off" bus for a tour of the city. This is a great way to see the city. But next time we will do a little research to determine the best bus line for the tour. Unfortunately some of the route was closed and we were unable to do a loop of the city.

Our evening ends with a delicious dinner at La Buca di Ripetta, a delightful trattoria close to our hotel. The food was not only tasty, but beautifully presented.

What a great day in Rome!

Roma!

2008-11-05T15:46:00.007-05:00

We left Cortona early this morning for Chuisi to catch the train. Keith gave us excellent directions and the trip took less than an hour. The car rental office is within walking distance to the train station. For anyone taking the train to Rome, do not exit at the first Rome station, wait until you reach Termini.

The train station is extremely hectic. With luggage in tow, we headed for the front entrance and the taxi line. Beware! There are many men there to quickly offer you a ride to your destination, but work your way past them to the taxi line!

Once we hit the streets, it didn't take long to find our way to Hotel Forte. Hotel Forte is located on Via Margutta, a quaint street just off the busy thoroughfare between Piazza del Spagna and Piazza del Popolo. After checking in, Kenny and I take off to find lunch. We stop at the Osteria Margutta. The Osteria Margutta was featured in an issue of one of the foodie magazines as a great place to eat. The atmosphere was wonderful, but the food was not. We both had pasta and it reminded me of that terrible stuff you get in the mall - pasta that is overcooked with tomato sauce. And the wine was the same, tasting like someone had watered it down.

But the caffe continues to be excellent. I know I have said it before, but I do wish we could get coffee at home that is as good as it is here. Or maybe not! Kenny tried caffe and chocolate gelato at a cafe at the Piazza del Popolo and the two together were delicious.

For those of you who have read Angels and Demons, the Piazza del Popolo is where the adventure begins. There are 3 churches in the piazza - the Santa Maria dei Miracoli, the Santa Maria and the Santa Maria del Popolo. I love the churches. The architecture and the frescos are amazing. It is hard to leave a church in Rome and not feel the hand of God. The Santa Maria del Popolo is home to works of Bernini and Caravaggio and is spectacular. Today there was a film crew filming the Caravaggio masterpieces. This was a rare opportunity to see the details of the paintings brightly lit.

For dinner tonight we try the Trattoria dal Pollarolo. It is a "mom and pop" type of restaurant with tables set closely together for intimate dining. I had Spaghetti Carbonara and it was extremely tasty. For dessert we try the panna cotta and tiramisu, both great endings to a wonderful meal.
Another "must see" in Rome is the Trevi Fountain. It is a nice walk from the Hotel Forte and a very big tourist attraction. You know you are close to the fountain when you can hear the water. The fountain is massive, the largest of the Baroque fountains in Rome. The legend is that is you throw a coin into the fountain you will return to Rome. I know for a fact that it works. Two years ago we tossed the coin and here we are, back in Rome at the Trevi Fountain. Hopefully we will return again!

Cooking in Tuscany

2008-11-04T12:37:00.018-05:00

Nan and I spent the day with Alessandra, shopping and cooking. Alessandra owns a beautiful shop in Cortona, il Girasole , and she conducts cooking classes in her home. We started the morning in Cortona with a cappuccino and Alessandra sharing her love and knowledge about Italian cooking. As she talks, I can't help but see so many similarities with our southern cooking. Alessandra described Italian cooking as a simple cuisine of the poor people who made do with whatever was available. Farm workers were given a place to live and a spot of land to grow their own food, much like the sharecroppers in the South. Alessandra's style of cooking was passed down from her grandmothers and her mother who grew up in the Cortona area.Shopping in Cortona is a real treat. Our first visit was to the fruit and vegetable stand. This is not a self-service market. Signs request that you not touch the food for sanitation purposes. What a great idea! Alessandra tells the shop owner what we want and the owner picks out the freshest for our approval.
Our next stop is the wine store before going to the small super mercati. Check out the picture above. Yes, that is a UGA sign. Cortona is the location for UGA's Study Abroad program. Here we purchase the staples for the meal.

The butcher is our last stop. I love butcher shops in Italy. The smell is earthy and the selection incredible. The chickens are sold with their heads and feet so you can see the freshness. We buy a beef roast, fresh sausage and a chicken breast.

Alessandra lives in a charming house built in the 1500's. Her kitchen is the center of her home. We put on our aprons, a gift from Alessandra, and start to work. This is not a "sit back and watch" type of cooking school, but a chance to create classic Italian dishes under the watchful eye of an accomplished cook. During the day we cook, clean, eat and drink while enjoying the conversation. Kenny, Edwin and Keith join us for a wonderful dinner. The menu included:

Antipasto

Polpettine Ascolane

a delicious meatball with beef, pork, chicken and olives

Fiori e foglie fritte

fried squash blossoms and sage leaves

Pecorino fresco con pere e confettura

pecorino cheese drizzle with honey and red pepper flakes

Bruschetta con olio nuovo

bread with freshly pressed olive oil

Primi Piatta

Ravioli al radicchio di Treviso e zaffferano

ravioli with radicchio and leeks

Risotto ai porcini e zafferano

risotto with porcini mushrooms, sausage and saffron

Secondo Piatto

Involtini alla salvia

beef roast and sauce

Carciofi saltati

artichokes with pancetta

Sorry I don't have a picture, I was too busy eating!

Dessert

Tiramisu

Limoncello and Grappa

Vini

Rossi e Bianchi di Cortona

When we were planning our trip, the one thing I really wanted to do was cook. Thank you Alessanda for the perfect day. I now have a friend in Italy! Ciao!

Cortona

2008-11-04T02:08:00.011-05:00

Today we leave Florence and drive to Casa bel Posto, an apartment just outside Cortona. The drive through the countryside is filled with farmland and abandoned buildings. The buildings are beautiful, mostly made of stone, and look like they are begging for renovation. It is hard not to dream about how life would be in one of these old buildings, farming the land and enjoying the Tuscan life.

Our hosts, Keith and Tania, have done just that. They decided to leave their home in California several years ago and move to Italy. They lived in an apartment in Cortona before buying Caso bel Posto, a rustic farmhouse surrounded by fields of sunflowers. The young couple has created a cozy retreat for travelers and their hospitality is as warm as the apartment.

At Caso bel Posto we are greeted by our host, Keith. Keith is the perfect host. During our stay he provided us with directions, suggestions for dinner and "must see" places as well as wine and Scotch. He was even there to help Kenny and Edwin buy freshly pressed olive oil from the local mill.

After unloading our car, we take to the hills for Cortona. This landscape is hilly and heavily planted with olive trees ready for harvesting. We park close to the escalator and begin our trek upward to the city. Our timing is lousy once again. Most of the businesses are closing for lunch so we quickly grab a table overlooking the piazza at the Ristorante La Loggetta. The food here is very innovative. We share a Mixed Plate full of delicious antipasti. My favorite is a pesto cheese thingy, served warm. The Zuppa di Pomodoro was delicious. I can't believe I didn't take a picture of it! The soup was served piping hot in a white bowl garnished with fresh pesto. It looked as good as it tasted. After lunch we stop for a cappuccino before heading back to the apartment to crash.

For dinner we take Keith's suggestion and go to Bastian Contrario. Leo, the owner, greets us at the door with a big smile. He quickly realizes we don't speak Italian and he doesn't speak English, so he gives us a warm handshake and shows us to a table. From here on out, Leo is in charge of our delicious meal. The antipasto platter included fried onion rings, fried cauliflower, fried artichokes, chicken liver pate (or whatever the Italian version is), ragu on crostini, mozzarella, proscuitto, melon slices, and more. This should have been enough for our dinner, but Leo wanted us to try more.For the second course, we followed Leo's recommendation for pizza and it was delicious - thin, crispy crust, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and toppings of artichokes, olives, ham, and mushrooms.
Leo was soon back offering dessert, but we said no. Leo left the table only to return with a plate of panna cotta topped with strawberries that was light and tasty.
Just when we think we can't eat another thing, Leo returns with what Kenny thinks is a bottle of Chivas Regal scotch. Leo pours us all a glass and Kenny is the first to take a drink. The look on his face tells me this isn't scotch. Leo smiles and tells us it is vinsanto, a sweet Tuscan dessert wine, the perfect ending to a perfect evening. Thanks to all our new Italian friends for giving us a night we will always remember. Buona sera!

Trattoria Icche C'e C'e

2008-11-02T19:22:00.009-05:00

If you are looking for a great place to eat in Florence, check out Trattoria Icche C'e C'e. This quaint trattoria is located on an isolated alley between Piazza Santa Croce and Piazza della Signoria. We arrived early and looked inside to see the owner Gino and his family enjoying a meal before opening. We were soon joined in our wait with a mother and daughter traveling together from Arkansas. It was good to hear another southern accent.

Gino's menu is full of classic Italian dishes. We started with Pappa al Pomodoro and Ribolitta. Both were full-flavored and thick with bread. For entrees included Veal and Artichokes, Grilled Porkchops and Chicken with Lemon Sauce with the pork chops my favorite. Limoncello completed the meal.

As we were finishing our meal, the couple sitting at the next table asked where we were from. As we talked, we soon discovered we had common friends in Newnan. It was another of those "small world" moments.

Caffe Riviore

2008-11-02T19:17:00.000-05:00

Tonight after dinner we went on a chocolate hunt. Our destination was Caffe Riviore in the Piazza della Signoria. This upscale cafe is beautifully decorated with pink tablecloths and walls of beautiful art. And there is plenty of art in the displays of chocolate as well. This is a chocoholics dream. Nan and Edwin opted for some chocolates, served on napkins on white plates. Kenny and I went for the Cioccolata Calda, a thick, dark, not too sweet hot chocolate drink topped with whip cream. We made the big mistake of sitting down and paid the price - $24 euros for the drink! You see, the price you pay increases drastically if you sit at a table. Next time we will be standing at the bar enjoying this decadent treat!

Exploring Florence

2008-11-02T18:47:00.004-05:00

Today we have nothing planned except to walk the streets and explore Florence. The streets are full of locals and tourists enjoying this wonderful fall day. At the Duomo, a military band is performing. They are dressed in uniforms with feathered hats. Their music fills the piazza.

It is Sunday morning and the Duomo is closed until 13:30. San Lorenzo Market is just around the corner and it is a perfect place to shop. This is the major shopping area, full of sidewalk vendors selling leather, scarves, toys and gifts. After shopping, we grab a pizza at an outdoor cafe before walking to the Duomo.

The line at the Duomo is relatively short. The exterior of the Cathedral is ornate and massive. As we enter the cathedral, you are first hit by the enormity. It is hard to comprehend how this building was erected without our modern day machinery. We light candles for loved ones while standing in line for what we thought was the Duomo Museum. The line moves quickly and we soon realized we were waiting to enter the gift shop. As we exit, a guard informs us that the museum is closed and will reopen on Monday. I am disappointed that we will not be able to visit the Duomo Museum, home to one of Michelangelo's last sculpture, the Florentine Pietà. This will be at the top of my list on our next visit.

After the Duomo, we take the City Sightseeing bus and make the loop around Florence. Views from the south bank high atop the hill, overlooking Florence are breathtaking. For those of you planning a visit, this is a great way to see the city but is very expensive, 20 Euros for a 24-hour pass.

Lunch at Il Castagnolino

2008-11-02T17:18:00.015-05:00

The Saffron Crocus

During our tour of Tuscany, Rebecca arranged for us to have lunch at Il Castagnolino, a working farm and B&B about 2 km from San Gimignano. Carmela Cristiano was our hostess and she gave us a tour of her small farm. Il Castagnolino produces saffron and olive oil and she was harvesting the saffron when we arrived. I had no idea that saffron grew in Italy. The blossoms from the crocus plant are picked in late October and early November. The stamen are carefully removed from the flower and allowed to dry. Carmela and her friend, Alessandra, treated us to a Tuscan lunch seasoned with saffron and fresh pressed olive oil from the farm. This is exactly the kind of experiences I wanted while in Italy - to be see how Italians garden, cook and eat. Thanks Rebecca for making this happen!

Antipasti
Broccoli Souffle
Aubergine and Veggies
Cheese-filled Crepe
Fresh Carrots, Celery and Fennel
Freshly Pressed Olive Oil

Primi Piatti
Fresh Pasta with a Saffron Cheese Sauce

Dolci

Saffron Cookies and Ice Cream

il Pizzaiuolo

2008-11-01T18:46:00.005-04:00

It is Saturday night and the streets of Florence are crowded with locals looking for a place to eat. A block from our apartment we find an osteria with a pizza oven and an interesting menu. Il Pizzaiuolo at Via de' Macci 113/r is known for its Neapolitan-style pizza. The pizza was delicious. The fresh mozzarella is complimented with proscuitto, tomatoes, olives and basil and has a wonderful smoked flavor. Now we know where to eat good Italian pizza in Florence!

A Day in Tuscany

2008-11-01T16:14:00.011-04:00

Today is All Saints Day in Italy and many of the businesses are closed. Thanks to Rebecca, our guide for the day, we are traveling through Tuscany. We leave Florence and head south to the Superstrada, a non-toll highway, similar to our interstate highways, minus the emergency lane. When we exit the Superstrada, we head for the mountains and the beautiful countryside. The roads are winding and Rebecca blows her horn as she enters the tight curves, just to let oncoming traffic know we have the right away since there is no room for two cars. Rebecca is a master at the wheel, a true Italian!

Rebecca has arranged for us to tour the winery at Villa Caffaggio in Panzano in the Conca d'Oro. the Chianti Classico region. Villa Caffaggio grows two types of grapes, approximately 85% of which are Sangiovese and the remaining 15% are Cabernet Sauvignon. Villa Caffaggio produces Chianti Classico and Super Tuscan wines. We were treated to 4 wines, 2 Chianti Classicos and 2 Super Tuscan. The overwhelming favorite was the San Martino.
This is olive harvesting time in Tuscany. The hills are full of olive trees and as we rounded a curve, we noticed several men along the roadside picking olives. The men we kind enough to show me their technique and try my hand at the harvesting. A net is placed under the trees and a hand rake is used to pull the ripe olives from the trees. Once the olives are harvested they are taken to the olive press in town to convert the ripe fruit to olive oil.

After the wine tour, our next stop was a saffron farm for lunch. More about that later.

To end our tour of Tuscany, we visit the hill town of San Gimignano, known for its Medieval towers. We climb to the top of the town for a spectacular view of the countryside. The Duomo is a fine example of Tuscan Romanesque architecture. The exterior is plain but the inside is full of beautiful frescos. After a cup of cappuccino and a tour of the shops, we drive back to Florence.
If you are planning a trip to Tuscany, I would highly recommend you check out Rebecca Christphersen's web site Tuscan Wine Tours. She is very knowledgeable about the wines and history of the region and will make sure you experience the heart of Tuscany.

Thanks Rebecca for giving us the chance to be Italians for the day!

Take-Out, Italian Style

2008-10-31T22:52:00.006-04:00

Our meal tonight is take-out Italian style. After the segway tour, we are ready for dinner. Since the restaurants have not opened for the evening meal, we decide to stop by the Super Mercado for take-out. There we purchased Proscuitto di Parma, Salami, Porchetta, several cheeses, fruit, olives, olio, and aged balsamic vinegar. Behind us in the check-out line was a young man from Alabama who quickly picked up on our southern accent. He is an Auburn graduate living in Florence. After a stop at our neighborhood bakery, Il Forno, for bread we head to the apartment. Add a little vino and you have everything you need for a delicious meal.From the look of this table, it must have been good!

Touring Florence Via Segway

2008-10-31T22:07:00.013-04:00

If you are looking for a unique way to see Florence, try a segway tour. After 15 minutes of training you are motoring around the city as Roberto tells you about the sites of Florence. For me, the segway was a challenge. As we moved through the streets, my concentration was on the segway, not the scenery. As for Kenny, he loved it.

One of our stops was at the Wild Boar Market. The story goes that if you place a coin in the boar's mouth and it falls through the grate on the first try, you will return to Florence within the year. If the the coin falls into the grate on your second attempt, you will return to Florence in one year. Looks like Kenny and I will be back in Florence soon because we both were successful on our first attempt!

Thanks Roberto for showing us your city!

Lunch at Il Tocco di Bacco

2008-10-31T21:07:00.004-04:00

For lunch, we hit the streets in search of classic Tuscan dishes and we found some at Il Tocco di Bacco. The sign outside announced today's specials, Lasagne and Ribolitta. House wine was our first course - stored in a keg and served in ceramic pitchers. I had the Ribolitta, Italy's version of southern vegetable soup and cornbread. Ribolitta starts with minestrone made with white beans and seasonal vegetables and day old bread is added to the soup to create a very thick, hearty meal. I was disappointed in the Ribolitta. It was served lukewarm and lacked flavor. Kenny ordered the Filet with Chianti Sauce. The filet of beef was sliced about 3/4" thick, cooked to medium rare and smothered in a thick wine sauce that was a perfect compliment to the beef. This dish was a winner. The beef was tender and the sauce tasted as good as it smelled.