tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44585576532180289962024-03-13T02:31:01.182-05:00It's TrippSouthern Food Experiences: Slow & HonestTripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-70298836548227295872013-02-02T17:47:00.002-06:002013-02-02T17:47:28.222-06:00Ceebu Jen<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So on to the first of my international dish posts. The first dish I decided to do (as I explained <a href="http://itstripp.blogspot.com/2013/01/been-long-time.html" target="_blank">here</a>) the national dish of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal" target="_blank">Senegal</a>, Ceebu Jen (pronounced cheb-o-djin) - also called Thieboudienne. This comes from the words for fish (ceeb) and rice (jen). So no surprise on what the main parts of this dish are. Here is the Ceebu Jen recipe I worked up and devoured. Also, my camera was dead. We'll call the pictures rustic.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0EjTlYitTkG1e7B4pSqZM3Hz1_tLPPmOfGOwm23FW_XLHQWFEhmOXPnvQ7G6D8gKniCBJarYNDOkzIOhUhdLFhZnTUFT5k8pAkm8mYP4XFfuWWkcWarU9-bIjbqRnMpYh5fsdthB4yo/s1600/Ceebu+Jen+21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0EjTlYitTkG1e7B4pSqZM3Hz1_tLPPmOfGOwm23FW_XLHQWFEhmOXPnvQ7G6D8gKniCBJarYNDOkzIOhUhdLFhZnTUFT5k8pAkm8mYP4XFfuWWkcWarU9-bIjbqRnMpYh5fsdthB4yo/s400/Ceebu+Jen+21.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ceebu Jen is a mix of rice, fish, veggies, and it uses tomato as well. This is especially popular along the coastal regions where fish is easier to obtain. In poorer areas, and those remote from the coast, fish is used less often. In these cases, the cook may add a strongly flavorful smoked or dried bit of fish - about the size of your palm - just for the flavoring. The vegetables can be any variety you like. I tried to stick with some of the more traditional ones but did mix it up a bit.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>ngredients</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Two pounds whole fish or fish fillets (use firm white fish like whiting or mackerel)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 cup red palm oil for traditional coloring (or peanut oil and red food coloring)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup finely chopped parsely, packed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">5 cloves garlic, minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 jalapeno peppers, chopped </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Salt and pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 onions, chopped</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 cup tomato paste </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 head cabbage, quartered</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 pound yellow squash</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3 carrots, cut into rounds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 leek, chopped </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 cups rice, uncooked</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Directions</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Rinse the fish well. If you prefer fillets, rub them with the "roof" mixture detailed below. If you prefer whole fish, just have it cleaned at your local fresh seafood market. I'm lucky enough to have one a couple of blocks away. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbp2ZezVsNKgdVS077LtSzw2aTNZuP7fLu6ZwLD1vmv_FGQpRxY5N_AEtIMWYjYkywgbVBtgRfEx5JSsDg3LdVXmHML_iAY3isQAtldX_sDhvCoyows5X2cGjOG35LVzgFTEdhUIesTI/s1600/Ceebu+Jen+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbp2ZezVsNKgdVS077LtSzw2aTNZuP7fLu6ZwLD1vmv_FGQpRxY5N_AEtIMWYjYkywgbVBtgRfEx5JSsDg3LdVXmHML_iAY3isQAtldX_sDhvCoyows5X2cGjOG35LVzgFTEdhUIesTI/s320/Ceebu+Jen+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mix the parsley, peppers, garlic, and salt and pepper well.<b> </b>This is the mixture they call "roof". It seasons the fish. If using fillets, use it as a rub on them and cook them in it in the pan for the flavoring. If you buy whole fish, cut three diagonal slits in the fish on each side about 3/4" deep. Stuff the roof in these slits. Here's a picture of both ways. I tried using both. When I make this again, I'll be using only whole fish. It was far better.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTTPTRzW46pIXfPdZ-rfyEycPKSc0YTKH_6TFh1-b_nVk2hEg8rbYxNBXW5HrVSYnCXK_YPxbS0SbR0C4zEy4H6IqDAdXmpnhA5LBDRvzM6hdq7S2Zt-4KrGKSpkgoU_xEfqHQ3KHARk/s1600/Ceebu+Jen+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTTPTRzW46pIXfPdZ-rfyEycPKSc0YTKH_6TFh1-b_nVk2hEg8rbYxNBXW5HrVSYnCXK_YPxbS0SbR0C4zEy4H6IqDAdXmpnhA5LBDRvzM6hdq7S2Zt-4KrGKSpkgoU_xEfqHQ3KHARk/s320/Ceebu+Jen+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Heat your oil up in a skillet (you know I prefer cast iron) over a medium-high heat. Brown the fish on both sides and remove to a plate to keep warm.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Transfer the oil into a deep pot that can hold all those vegetables (still medium-high heat). Throw the onions into the hot oil and saute until they being to turn brown, probably 5-6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and about 1/4 cup of water or fish stock and cook another 3 or 4 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Stir in 5 cups of water or fish stock, along with the cabbage, squash, carrots, and leek. Stir it enough to mix the vegetables but don't break the cabbage apart. Reduce the heat to medium and allow it to simmer for 40-45 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7CoqJTuRRO8nk8tEmngOWxp4_HBjPzFMfbceYSdVje013xKhLytkiufDz27mDFAobAxKba4bXProX7ROQ19Pdf1m7xx6rRIhiEa3jsRuBnTtOS39d861EHjpwNjluqMZCKGIYkJyERpI/s1600/Ceebu+Jen+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7CoqJTuRRO8nk8tEmngOWxp4_HBjPzFMfbceYSdVje013xKhLytkiufDz27mDFAobAxKba4bXProX7ROQ19Pdf1m7xx6rRIhiEa3jsRuBnTtOS39d861EHjpwNjluqMZCKGIYkJyERpI/s320/Ceebu+Jen+3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Some folks add the fish back in here. This will make it fall apart a bit which messes up the presentation. I left it out. If you can find some smoked or dried fish, you should definitely throw it in here. Simmer another 10 minutes. Remove one cup of the liquid, the fish, and the vegetables to a platter you can cover in the oven to keep warm.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Strain the remaining liquid. Discard the solids. Add enough water to that broth to make 4 cups of liquid. Bring this to a boil in the same pot, then add the rice (I used Basmati). Throw in a little salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the rice is tender and fluffy. Many folks like to soak their rice beforehand so it's not sticky. Don't do that. You'll see why in a bit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFvIQjPjA-PPVYr6Gi6bODxUrqL8pXCkzamYyyvnYjWJET8RhJhfjFTRJaNMDGOpwbzvA6NxiHt5HRhcLV-axofm2MHU0TMypHmPgdUGKninouSVST4ilWgBZoDkCYZEii4J5ioyVAmc/s1600/Ceebu+Jen+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFvIQjPjA-PPVYr6Gi6bODxUrqL8pXCkzamYyyvnYjWJET8RhJhfjFTRJaNMDGOpwbzvA6NxiHt5HRhcLV-axofm2MHU0TMypHmPgdUGKninouSVST4ilWgBZoDkCYZEii4J5ioyVAmc/s320/Ceebu+Jen+4.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Spread the rice across a large platter, including anything that became crispy and stuck to the pan. Spread the vegetables over the top of the rice. Top this with the fish. I put the whole fish in the center and the fillets around the outside in front of each guest. Pour the reserved broth over it all. Serve it with lemon wedges. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Gbpa94zcyFd0lAauMF4cboozo97icBAn0Eq3Mtei2pwJpmK23l-A2zf23RRNXTOICiekgcZWfpXLUeZQxtmote_busAvLtA6KvMxM_408DnHdONugSavAYNzJ4Y7OHu5NA-PjYAqY64/s1600/Ceebu+Jen+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Gbpa94zcyFd0lAauMF4cboozo97icBAn0Eq3Mtei2pwJpmK23l-A2zf23RRNXTOICiekgcZWfpXLUeZQxtmote_busAvLtA6KvMxM_408DnHdONugSavAYNzJ4Y7OHu5NA-PjYAqY64/s320/Ceebu+Jen+5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here's the fun part - Ceebu Jen is eaten as a communal dish directly from the platter. With your hands. You want the rice to be sticky so that you can grab a little rice, a little fish, and some vegetables, and roll them into a ball. Then eat and repeat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It was a lot of fun and you can tailor this with your own favorite veggies and spices. The Senegalese love to add "yete" to this dish for a smoky flavor. I couldn't find any fermented snails around here though. I'll keep looking. You can also go with peppers that are hotter for a more authentic flavor. I try not to overload guests with heat. Habaneros or scotch bonnets would provide a much more traditional (and hot) flavor. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm looking forward to trying out the next dish and seeing your reactions to trying these. </span>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-25864739838361405622013-01-28T20:19:00.003-06:002013-01-28T20:19:45.233-06:00Been A Long Time<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I don't suppose I have a great reason or story to tell you about why I disappeared. There are plenty of things I could say.... I started a new job. I started volunteering with a nonprofit I love. Working on a graduate degree. Never home. Always busy. But I won't even try. You get the truth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Half of the people who read this are also writers. I just lost the will to write. I tried so many times. Whether it was the blog or anything else I write, I lost the passion for it. I was asked repeatedly what had happened and I always gave the "I'm soooooo busy" bit to people. But I just didn't have the desire to put pen to paper. And without that desire, everything I wrote sounded flat. So I stopped. Prose. Poetry. Even writing about food. I had a dozen posts stored that I eventually went back and deleted rather than publishing them.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Whether you want to call it energy or inspiration or passion or a muse - it's back. And I've been putting pen to paper for a little while now and I'm ready to start putting fingers to keyboard. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> A few weeks ago I saw an incredible Cultures and Food exhibit at the Museum of Natural History and Science. There was amazing information and history, but the thing that struck me the most was how people come together over food. It's a bonding element in every society all over the world. There were videos of families from different cultures cooking and eating together. Watching them prepare the food reminded me of why I love cooking. It's refreshing and spiritual at times.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I also looked at all the food blogs I follow and saw an overload of sweets, Southern food, tasteless diet food, and things that no one can make. I thought it would be fun and different to do a long series of international dishes. And maybe I'd learn some fun stuff along the way. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So I made a list of "national dishes" of several countries. Nothing like Ireland or England or even France. I'm talking Senegal. Turkey. Uzbekistan. So many of these recipes are earthy and healthy and robust. And so many of them are served on a platter where everyone just reaches in and shares. We've become so disconnected from one another and our food is a great example of this. I want to focus on togetherness and passion and love for what we do. And I'm inviting people over to share in these experiences every time.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So I start back this week with the national dish of Senegal - Ceebu Jen. It was fun. There was good conversation. Good food. People pulling meat from the bones of a fish in the middle of a communal platter.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Food. Togetherness. Coming soon. </span>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-37909693659090534302012-05-16T07:37:00.001-05:002012-05-16T07:37:10.291-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zHkewB95qH4W4m_I7Jh_rTTHDDdV7eupdFhKf86Pk6TEyEyTjytx9abb2EszulIxSqCePhtUZjgZlQRCeesQmK5JIZLDWxx-XjgXHXwP3adjWe-614Gy4sJF3_ipR73aUVdKp8OqgIM/s640/blogger-image--48086470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zHkewB95qH4W4m_I7Jh_rTTHDDdV7eupdFhKf86Pk6TEyEyTjytx9abb2EszulIxSqCePhtUZjgZlQRCeesQmK5JIZLDWxx-XjgXHXwP3adjWe-614Gy4sJF3_ipR73aUVdKp8OqgIM/s640/blogger-image--48086470.jpg" /></a></div>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-71600031135205883502012-05-13T16:52:00.002-05:002012-05-13T16:54:01.733-05:00The Best Restaurant in the History of Ever<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We went to Atlanta for a Celtics-Hawks game a couple of weeks back (big haha to the overzealous guy in all blue yelling at us that the Hawks were clearly better). While we were there, we wanted to try out somewhere new to eat. We started at Taco Mac the night of the game, and it was good for a wings place - and had a very impressive tap listing. The next morning we hit up Hugh Acheson's creation <a href="http://empirestatesouth.com/" target="_blank">Empire State South</a> for brunch. Hugh recently took home TWO James Beard Foundation awards for his cookbook <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Turn-South-Southern-Reinvented/dp/0307719553" target="_blank">A New Turn in the South</a></i> and also won as Top Chef in the Southeast (for his Five and Ten restaurant). </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-X87jUWL4Px4Cm2924j9FWsnzi91xg7WmIDRdT3azgRUm3eMCKxh2dWh34a388EUcUzrrloHqohfr6sKGc_G-SNDBNqBwQmrAgy0G61GM1HWtuFukLH2NF-velml6j9cv0rIRV3LOYM/s1600/IMG_1422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-X87jUWL4Px4Cm2924j9FWsnzi91xg7WmIDRdT3azgRUm3eMCKxh2dWh34a388EUcUzrrloHqohfr6sKGc_G-SNDBNqBwQmrAgy0G61GM1HWtuFukLH2NF-velml6j9cv0rIRV3LOYM/s320/IMG_1422.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a beautiful morning, and the courtyard looked very welcoming, but the inside looked too cozy to try the outside yet. The gigantic booths and mixed chairs inside gave it a really laid back look, and I loved the open feeling. The staff was great and the food was better. This is probably the only restaurant experience I'd ever give a perfect 10. Hugh Acheson and Chef Ryan Smith are really killin' it with this place.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their coffees were ridiculously good. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jenn started with Hugh's breakie - toast, local fresh fruits and cheeses, and some jam. It was a knockout. I started with some pimento cheese with bacon marmalade.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5e30t3IFrjndtv6T_apNjTrE1d3dPzQ0X8kwRvWG0nvlA9c0-R_I0jfoEN80l3fOhosG95cOpnKWveFxj3z387IoafS7pen10qeLs5ga48ox2gxwUwsOzE8py1BOv6dWReCqihmEJ90/s1600/IMG_1419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5e30t3IFrjndtv6T_apNjTrE1d3dPzQ0X8kwRvWG0nvlA9c0-R_I0jfoEN80l3fOhosG95cOpnKWveFxj3z387IoafS7pen10qeLs5ga48ox2gxwUwsOzE8py1BOv6dWReCqihmEJ90/s320/IMG_1419.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was really great. It had a smoky flavor and the toast was perfect with it. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMIhg2I1OB3yWrqTbMCGTqNKYnIM93ItX0NA5hyI3iP8gXTRWrCDvTfZ_twFdX7Z0wWV6t1pGZ8chGQZMKyYImhmF8p4IyhPK9OlkBPrsIxfMtFlnnNNpM8_aBibgjFOq3qquyid08kCU/s1600/IMG_1420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMIhg2I1OB3yWrqTbMCGTqNKYnIM93ItX0NA5hyI3iP8gXTRWrCDvTfZ_twFdX7Z0wWV6t1pGZ8chGQZMKyYImhmF8p4IyhPK9OlkBPrsIxfMtFlnnNNpM8_aBibgjFOq3qquyid08kCU/s320/IMG_1420.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like my pimento cheese recipe, but this one wins. We chowed on that for a while before we shared the griddled pork belly. I remember it having brussels sprout leaves, anson mills grits, sorghum gastrique (which seems to be in every other dish now), and coddled egg. It sounded like a pretty ambitious dish with all of those flavors, so I was curious. It was unsurprisingly complex, but wasn't too much. I was very impressed. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6HwdrlXdGD2yL9y3fNBTPWY-8M5xP8RndEuxEZDuGDlzLooUkoNcDPSuDg7AA-19zba-Q91Se_WcjcAIztS2DoFg4qtXOxrquCfMATwxvLSk8s_if0WdScIv17otYGPYoRpP_71ZFyA/s1600/IMG_1421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6HwdrlXdGD2yL9y3fNBTPWY-8M5xP8RndEuxEZDuGDlzLooUkoNcDPSuDg7AA-19zba-Q91Se_WcjcAIztS2DoFg4qtXOxrquCfMATwxvLSk8s_if0WdScIv17otYGPYoRpP_71ZFyA/s320/IMG_1421.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We finished it with a housemade donut. I'm addicted to donuts. I try to avoid even going places that sell them so I won't eat 50. This one is up there with the best donuts I've ever had.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm looking forward to my next trip over to ATL so I can chow down again. And Chef Smith can teach me how to play bocce ball on that court out in the courtyard and sip on some of their summertime bottled cocktails.</span>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-59575491172063510832012-04-18T20:54:00.001-05:002012-04-18T20:54:46.717-05:00Wordless Wednesday - Cobbler<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp33ghwJbtFsLZpjjMrSa1q3owexpXj9AHKeOHcvfCkBWrxU-L0IfkLBJipWNbcltq-j5s6L5zkvIhQvdH-1HcLEPEQPqJTkwcls03ApHPgrKVVh4Mt0OhdUu1eW3TjkfzFqSKlpSBGWU/s640/blogger-image-845763111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp33ghwJbtFsLZpjjMrSa1q3owexpXj9AHKeOHcvfCkBWrxU-L0IfkLBJipWNbcltq-j5s6L5zkvIhQvdH-1HcLEPEQPqJTkwcls03ApHPgrKVVh4Mt0OhdUu1eW3TjkfzFqSKlpSBGWU/s640/blogger-image-845763111.jpg" /></a></div>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-75209181342920885502012-04-11T11:58:00.001-05:002012-04-11T11:58:05.410-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiO756Kos862W0FZ6WHOAiMb3joBNO9KCmSXkXopCmnO35P58YFSZKyXP6kXa57Ywi9JSnoKtj9GSzQYXzNLJIFYila1kLnoQVSYLXmffbtZWJTGabIB4CoFeu7kUbK-eFVmtrRoYhxg/s640/blogger-image--146476611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiO756Kos862W0FZ6WHOAiMb3joBNO9KCmSXkXopCmnO35P58YFSZKyXP6kXa57Ywi9JSnoKtj9GSzQYXzNLJIFYila1kLnoQVSYLXmffbtZWJTGabIB4CoFeu7kUbK-eFVmtrRoYhxg/s640/blogger-image--146476611.jpg" /></a></div>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-46242921023942031522012-04-07T13:57:00.000-05:002012-04-07T13:57:29.247-05:00Ugli Fruit<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYlKTE9hvrsiNLyVbytiQrQOsJy4iNtrve3v6dzjbrfSHjj-41TIJjYsKDKFV0n1gicS3ehSvMXUBRnsUtnoUdyODB0dL6oGsOg3d9XGv-Wu-hf6b6JMB6lrdRFoLRwysEPOA3N-C_6Y/s1600/Ugli+Fruit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYlKTE9hvrsiNLyVbytiQrQOsJy4iNtrve3v6dzjbrfSHjj-41TIJjYsKDKFV0n1gicS3ehSvMXUBRnsUtnoUdyODB0dL6oGsOg3d9XGv-Wu-hf6b6JMB6lrdRFoLRwysEPOA3N-C_6Y/s320/Ugli+Fruit.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Ugli Fruit"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday I posted a photo of a fruit I found at my local Publix labeled "Uniq Fruit". After a brief search today, I found it to be more commonly called "Ugli Fruit". I was curious. I bought it.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This thing is ugly. I mean, the name is apt. It is <b>really, really ugly.</b> It looks like a moldy, misshapen grapefruit.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a Jamaican fruit which appears to be a hybrid of possibly 3 different fruits - orange, tangerine, and grapefruit - but was found originally growing wild. Not a bad way to blend three good citrus fruits. So you get the sour side of the orange, the sweet side of the tangerine, and the bitter side of the grapefruit.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qIRMqEAyP5UAgfruR3WnivwM-WCUU61JTwPdcMTuTfOAB4KDs9LTGfMQBd_1cp1m4A1yfr55t7U7Wodv127wrbaVmu2v9IzNzSj5gWcENWUqLZ8SfEFXWO1ySgqIb8L9C-K0zKQTiUE/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qIRMqEAyP5UAgfruR3WnivwM-WCUU61JTwPdcMTuTfOAB4KDs9LTGfMQBd_1cp1m4A1yfr55t7U7Wodv127wrbaVmu2v9IzNzSj5gWcENWUqLZ8SfEFXWO1ySgqIb8L9C-K0zKQTiUE/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was little hint of the bitter side. It definitely leaned more towards the sour and sweet side, like a tangelo - but the bitterness was there a bit. It was also far juicier than a tangelo. Pretty crazy taste. I'm curious about what I could cook with it.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEIkSP3W6AT2abXO-FuhSkIYzZatEdFvtWuRsgC-wi79VWActR0hEjoZG-g469k4zCGUzlMERtShlMPa0a2lIzxYgAGzuHHzmaQgUHFqmmWtLx6F_-JvNV-4Jv9dlSk0SaVwYCMyAW_g/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEIkSP3W6AT2abXO-FuhSkIYzZatEdFvtWuRsgC-wi79VWActR0hEjoZG-g469k4zCGUzlMERtShlMPa0a2lIzxYgAGzuHHzmaQgUHFqmmWtLx6F_-JvNV-4Jv9dlSk0SaVwYCMyAW_g/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any crazy fruits you've tried? Let me know! </span>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-85639858431056891252012-04-04T19:26:00.001-05:002012-04-04T19:26:59.218-05:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DJXrUk6Zth882UwpqMDqci2Qa4LPALMAAJaQJ4FNO-VtqWxhzRMoZ1RfGLjtKu1G_gqqibJP-swbBIxYVqLpaeXakYgaYQh0wxZ1-VKGKy6w_l1nyOqGIedj0gpVqzx_Vch7I9Keeao/s640/blogger-image--516086210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DJXrUk6Zth882UwpqMDqci2Qa4LPALMAAJaQJ4FNO-VtqWxhzRMoZ1RfGLjtKu1G_gqqibJP-swbBIxYVqLpaeXakYgaYQh0wxZ1-VKGKy6w_l1nyOqGIedj0gpVqzx_Vch7I9Keeao/s640/blogger-image--516086210.jpg" /></a></div>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-17546010202422162932012-03-31T16:16:00.001-05:002012-05-21T18:31:50.695-05:00Little Donkey<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQUE779lNl5Tf7PcCty0tDmSZjZxzHme0iCB7Hp4jYB3a9Q7NaIFwyMuVVuaTaWdeoSAXp3xKMjy18K5EUCvU1r-pVLM25_doM_cdLyS3W9hyphenhyphenW-ihQs8LzgX0Bwf-03cyyaOogYdz-Ws/s1600/Little+Donkey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQUE779lNl5Tf7PcCty0tDmSZjZxzHme0iCB7Hp4jYB3a9Q7NaIFwyMuVVuaTaWdeoSAXp3xKMjy18K5EUCvU1r-pVLM25_doM_cdLyS3W9hyphenhyphenW-ihQs8LzgX0Bwf-03cyyaOogYdz-Ws/s400/Little+Donkey.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little Donkey Kitchen and Bar</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last night, Jennifer and I were invited out for a preview night at <a href="http://thelittledonkey.com/" target="_blank">Little Donkey</a>, the new Mexican restaurant in Homewood, just south of Birmingham. As if we needed another Mexican restaurant... But this is something fresh and new. It's not typical Tex-Mex. It's somewhere between Southern food and traditional Mexican fare. Nick Pihakis, a founder of local BBQ staple Jim n Nick's, is behind this bad boy. So after gorging ourselves and taking a few notes, here are my thoughts before it opens this Tuesday.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first thing you notice when walking in is the open kitchen. This is becoming more popular in restaurants. It's a great aesthetic measure, and also lets you know they really aren't just messing around in the kitchen - it's 100mph. We had two seats at the bar, which was great as we were able to see everything they were doing, as well as the selection of spirits on hand that will be likely featured in LeNell's drinks (LeNell of the same spirit store in Brooklyn). I was pleased with the selection of bourbons and rye sitting on the counter as you can see above.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bar was a bit tight, but it was a great atmosphere and everyone was talking to each other about the food. Something I really liked was that they were taking the orders on iPads, which were sent to the kitchen, where they viewed the orders on iPads, as you can see below.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNfonCpE_Kp6hjKfYdvTgJJmBQ1WGtNUWK15k36Yz8V5wBYWAlTGtk2mFTWZIb8SJ2TxrCL-wiQVdMAV0Oj7GlhoEgrsYlrHoFhniA3MWvLAFCBwi8cv0-dAacJ4Kd63r0aIqnWyzpCE/s1600/Little+Donkey+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNfonCpE_Kp6hjKfYdvTgJJmBQ1WGtNUWK15k36Yz8V5wBYWAlTGtk2mFTWZIb8SJ2TxrCL-wiQVdMAV0Oj7GlhoEgrsYlrHoFhniA3MWvLAFCBwi8cv0-dAacJ4Kd63r0aIqnWyzpCE/s320/Little+Donkey+4.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The decor was mostly great. The booths and high-tops looked rustic. The walls were warm and inviting. It felt like you could relax there for hours. The only thing that stuck out were the tables. They looked like something out of a Jersey diner. But I'm not really going for the tables.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We ordered a beer first. They only had 5 on tap, but they were great selections - local and regional beers of each general type. A dark lager, two <a href="http://www.goodpeoplebrewing.com/" target="_blank">Good People</a> brews (Pale Ale and Snake Handler), <a href="http://www.avondalebrewing.com/" target="_blank">Avondale</a>'s Spring Street Saison, and one more that was a traditional American-style lager (gag).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the meal, we had a cocktail - their signature tipple created by LeNell... The Donkey's Daddy. It featured bourbon and tequila (right?), augmented with a hibiscus tea syrup, lime juice, and other secret ingredients. It could include eye of newt, and I'd still drink it. It was crisp and refreshing, but despite the fact it was pinkish, it felt manly to drink.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMgYDXsRjR6Zz338Yw-4OGqFLBs4Jtia_rg9vVFsxtrNPuLEAmCmPzLTjlgXXBLaRobQ_J6Bunj0a81thhKoI0zv8lsIpmerynQhF3p013NfdPtQbiMKyOXVIK88No6eXNTgs051heCY/s1600/Little+Donkey+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMgYDXsRjR6Zz338Yw-4OGqFLBs4Jtia_rg9vVFsxtrNPuLEAmCmPzLTjlgXXBLaRobQ_J6Bunj0a81thhKoI0zv8lsIpmerynQhF3p013NfdPtQbiMKyOXVIK88No6eXNTgs051heCY/s320/Little+Donkey+5.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Donkey's Daddy</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The meal itself... We had chilaquiles as an appetizer. After a few bites, I decided it probably was one of the best things I'd ever eaten. It was a flavor explosion. I decided the meal was going downhill from there. I was right. It did. Now that doesn't mean everything else wasn't great. It was. But the chilaquiles were just impossible to beat. Housemade chips that featured a salsa de arbol, delicious tomatoes, cheese (very curious what kind they were, as Jennifer loved them as well), and poached farm eggs. I was told to break the yolks and spread them over the dish. I complied. You have to get this. It's imperative, really. It looks messy. It is. And delicious.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjC-pt9wegOJdvBbDm6LBBujk1CdH-T1fupBf6pmLLcd8IHuRmPzybw78Nem7dvU1B9YQXsKV24smeRwgvTiJEUL5kz_MS-mNImWaSs9iqDn_j9_NxS71PlQW_bCUeAbIFosLudw433Sw/s1600/Little+Donkey+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjC-pt9wegOJdvBbDm6LBBujk1CdH-T1fupBf6pmLLcd8IHuRmPzybw78Nem7dvU1B9YQXsKV24smeRwgvTiJEUL5kz_MS-mNImWaSs9iqDn_j9_NxS71PlQW_bCUeAbIFosLudw433Sw/s320/Little+Donkey+2.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little Donkey Chilauquiles </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next we had a salad that was enough for two people to have as a meal. Field greens, black beans, pickled onions, cilantro... Radishes. Queso. Loads of pork. The things that really set it off were the avocado and pumpkin seeds. They really made a huge impact and made it different from just a normal salad with smoked pork.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbmdqF_3dQLT2p4cIaAcTjpdQ9tzSX1YsvMyvHPCyAUVC2Lsrl1YM7u6gnsWkLbrKE2jv_-mJOX1oAVdQhxkW4nv-7c_JPIaSdc2RtZH8_7cr9EX4_eMcbYbTmRImeL8VUdUoo7-8jXo/s1600/Little+Donkey+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbmdqF_3dQLT2p4cIaAcTjpdQ9tzSX1YsvMyvHPCyAUVC2Lsrl1YM7u6gnsWkLbrKE2jv_-mJOX1oAVdQhxkW4nv-7c_JPIaSdc2RtZH8_7cr9EX4_eMcbYbTmRImeL8VUdUoo7-8jXo/s320/Little+Donkey+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little Donkey Salad</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We then had 3 entrees. Not by choice. They kept offering more food. I had to actually wave them off at one point. Nick kept coming by to check and ask what everyone thought. Great job Nick. Great job. So the first entree was a torta - a sandwich - called the "Drunken Hog". Pork on bread. From Nick Pihakis. Can't argue that. It was loaded with perfectly flavored and textured pork, with a cheese I could never figure out. It also had those pickled onions (which are really great), guacamole, and tomato broth. It was served with pinchos - a small snack on the side of beans with some meat in them. Really great sandwich. It will probably be my go-to dish there (it's just a few blocks from home).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-iNgCNUR7KKFN0Kjx1X_dv9sI19IFz1-URfoMpmiHHbIK7L6wC_SGwthqkB0yGTVGvXNX08IyEtggX6OU6DrucBNqAXFq6dBIUx1VjQx42mSQkRiiI8Nm_4jJW8neYdCs9gIFJrypko/s1600/Little+Donkey+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-iNgCNUR7KKFN0Kjx1X_dv9sI19IFz1-URfoMpmiHHbIK7L6wC_SGwthqkB0yGTVGvXNX08IyEtggX6OU6DrucBNqAXFq6dBIUx1VjQx42mSQkRiiI8Nm_4jJW8neYdCs9gIFJrypko/s320/Little+Donkey+6.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little Donkey Drunken Hog</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second entree were tacos. We had one with brisket and one with fish. The brisket taco was great - cilantro and salsa de arbol really complimented the beef without taking the focus away. The fish taco featured chipotle cream and pickled cabbage. The fish was great - meaty and firm, but had a really great char from the grill on the outside. The star of that taco was the pickled cabbage though. I clearly need to start doing that at home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlskQ8QrTf3rmp68lkYRuysW4l2e07HCaxBRlQwCqz0bev7uORNJG31UtZdbbkpCNTsxfwewEb9RUkapD52V7Rn70lo4Dhi3nA63zojqkXLV7gj16N9prb_JyrREbMZ8rKryCCkVxpKA/s1600/Little+Donkey+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlskQ8QrTf3rmp68lkYRuysW4l2e07HCaxBRlQwCqz0bev7uORNJG31UtZdbbkpCNTsxfwewEb9RUkapD52V7Rn70lo4Dhi3nA63zojqkXLV7gj16N9prb_JyrREbMZ8rKryCCkVxpKA/s320/Little+Donkey+7.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little Donkey Brisket and Fish Taco</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As if that all wasn't entirely too much food, they threw some tamales in front of us. They were pretty good - served on a corn husk, of course. These are a corn dough, cooked inside the husk, and can be made into a wide variety of preparations. These had chicken in them, and possibly more chile de arbol - I couldn't tell exactly what the flavor was. After so much food, I started losing the sense of taste. They were pretty good, but probably the least favorite thing I had. Jennifer loved them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had to wave them off to stop getting food so we could get out to another event we had. I'm looking forward to the opening Tuesday, and depending on LeNell's cocktail-slinging, maybe a new favorite hang-out. You should do yourself a favor and go eat there as soon as you can.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just leave a seat or two open for me at the bar.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/45/1661199/restaurant/Birmingham/Little-Donkey-Homewood" target="_blank"><img alt="Little Donkey on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1661199/biglogo.gif" /></a>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-16985337046039356732012-03-25T21:04:00.001-05:002012-03-25T21:04:52.411-05:00Pimento Cheese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9NCmmqIwkM2KP6visUZoLRmr25tJx8l9O4vO7EONdqNIvVxEM2TfCrf2Jk4ZRbVBbNCuAIjCWjeuJbPD_BE9a-B9wOpmfNMpuXIMxoCV4qsyB60NBAWqWBSh7lxSLiatZhnQZB08b7s/s1600/Pimento+Cheese+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9NCmmqIwkM2KP6visUZoLRmr25tJx8l9O4vO7EONdqNIvVxEM2TfCrf2Jk4ZRbVBbNCuAIjCWjeuJbPD_BE9a-B9wOpmfNMpuXIMxoCV4qsyB60NBAWqWBSh7lxSLiatZhnQZB08b7s/s320/Pimento+Cheese+2.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pimento Cheese</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you follow my tweets at all, you know I like pimento cheese. Not the store-bought, in a tub, fauxmento cheese. The creamy and bold homemade stuff. I put it on plenty of different things - a practice which only recently developed. Everything from sandwiches, to snacks, to tacos. It adds a completely unique flavor to things which call for other cheese. This is my mom's old recipe (gussied up a bit), which I wasn't a fan of as a kid. But hey, I wasn't a fan of steak either. You get wiser as you age.<a name='more'></a>The recipe is fairly straightforward, and I've got some pictures below that show some things I like to do with it. Some notes... I use fat free cream cheese and an olive oil-based mayonnaise. These two have less flavor than the originals, so they serve two purposes: 1) they're not so terrible for you, and 2) they allow the cheese and pimento to be the focus of the dish.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Worcestershire gives it a bolder flavor, and the lemon brightens the flavor. The Tabasco sauce just gives it a kick - I use a few dashes and it isn't spicy at all.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 oz. extra sharp cheddar, grated</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 oz. pimento pepper, diced and drained</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 tsp onion, grated</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 oz. fat free cream cheese</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup mayonnaise</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp lemon juice</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp Worcestershire sauce</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tabasco sauce to taste</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and cracked black pepper to taste</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Directions</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a bowl, combine the grated cheese, diced pimentos, and grated onion. Stir these together well.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add remaining ingredients and mix with a paddle mixer, or mix with a fork to blend ingredients, leaving mixture chunky.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's it. Easy and tons of flavor. Spread it on a sandwich, on crackers, or top any of your other favorite foods. Here are some things I do with it. Let me know how you like to use it; I'm always looking for good ideas to combine this with.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyKUxqwkm9mLYQN25zzsfUWjX9JKtX_opUfcmxYNyzyFB3ZehYpMQ4nt7zw9vseVirReaAtWdXvEwRVibha3n1bO3QE5Ecoix3H8sVEQ00H0nvWyVirufQc33HW7H9iTQTIlVsTtcJdE/s1600/Pimento+Cheese+Sandwich.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyKUxqwkm9mLYQN25zzsfUWjX9JKtX_opUfcmxYNyzyFB3ZehYpMQ4nt7zw9vseVirReaAtWdXvEwRVibha3n1bO3QE5Ecoix3H8sVEQ00H0nvWyVirufQc33HW7H9iTQTIlVsTtcJdE/s320/Pimento+Cheese+Sandwich.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pimento Cheese Sandwich</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDR8DPDeOiCBWI6oW9qbAeoc-KejYEd76zj81a0yL8arBfird5A98_zy_s143-ZwvaHov5bYnSxr31yjfBUbESXGarb4SUPAxMBJ3ByOUZZ_wX6Dt4iOWuDdGOoVdm8QvpjhvkIJ3noh0/s1600/Pimento+Cheese+Stacker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDR8DPDeOiCBWI6oW9qbAeoc-KejYEd76zj81a0yL8arBfird5A98_zy_s143-ZwvaHov5bYnSxr31yjfBUbESXGarb4SUPAxMBJ3ByOUZZ_wX6Dt4iOWuDdGOoVdm8QvpjhvkIJ3noh0/s320/Pimento+Cheese+Stacker.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pimento Cheese, Crackers, Sausage</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsR-R2oM5yPWNfgOcW0v0lMQYOOGzqOjz0FJlyir4GnRC5xCK63_eVPTvjVUBVo_ZsU6QIaou2iuMuCPSuX_Lq-U7wi2UTJTCOdPknJ1WdZhEArs3MdYnKZlvcNc_MOFfDmMYlCqfgH10/s1600/Pimento+Cheese+Stacker+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsR-R2oM5yPWNfgOcW0v0lMQYOOGzqOjz0FJlyir4GnRC5xCK63_eVPTvjVUBVo_ZsU6QIaou2iuMuCPSuX_Lq-U7wi2UTJTCOdPknJ1WdZhEArs3MdYnKZlvcNc_MOFfDmMYlCqfgH10/s320/Pimento+Cheese+Stacker+3.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With Jalapeno</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-31318096765335906022012-03-21T10:27:00.001-05:002012-03-21T10:27:56.486-05:00Wordless Wednesday - Last Day<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQw2AbTsFeXy8szi9qxU8tEdHzk8RV6i3lqnCfNiMR4qq4G4kiFbYmH7jukn_eBfP3946Sc64xI_61Uxg0mL622pYOHg3aG7trSdIU8wlrTGApe-qNSL4G0up_Til_n1nRlGwizNtqMk/s640/blogger-image-370864635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQw2AbTsFeXy8szi9qxU8tEdHzk8RV6i3lqnCfNiMR4qq4G4kiFbYmH7jukn_eBfP3946Sc64xI_61Uxg0mL622pYOHg3aG7trSdIU8wlrTGApe-qNSL4G0up_Til_n1nRlGwizNtqMk/s640/blogger-image-370864635.jpg" /></a></div>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-10651588460364396202012-03-15T08:41:00.000-05:002012-03-15T08:42:17.231-05:00Buffalo Mac and Cheese<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gGZ8pQnJ1LbrMGifGch1qu0MlcPIkqDK4NE0fyPNBhCEONgiekCmzQHHsPsMjLftJ_X-GJChPNwJMXMYxiRi_5zcg4WIxyGG4RdoZIb1YbnuVkRjwwPP-_pqS6vGinGzLO7Y_5drOmo/s1600/Buffalo+Chicken+Mac+and+Cheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gGZ8pQnJ1LbrMGifGch1qu0MlcPIkqDK4NE0fyPNBhCEONgiekCmzQHHsPsMjLftJ_X-GJChPNwJMXMYxiRi_5zcg4WIxyGG4RdoZIb1YbnuVkRjwwPP-_pqS6vGinGzLO7Y_5drOmo/s200/Buffalo+Chicken+Mac+and+Cheese.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I promised myself when I started this I wouldn't just use other people's recipes and share them all the time - so far, so good. But then, Jennifer found </span><a href="http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/2012/02/08/buffalo-chicken-mac-cheese/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">this recipe</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for Buffalo Mac and Cheese over at </span><a href="http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Table for Two</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, which you should go check out. I hadn't seen it until she showed me this recipe - good stuff. Anyway, she wanted to cook it for me - and it ain't bad! She knows that I constantly joke to people that I'm a connoisseur of both Shrimp n Grits and Mac n Cheese. She also knows that I'm probably really not joking so much. But this is great stuff - a combination of a southern classic and something good and spicy? Hard to beat. And seriously, check out Table for Two.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39GIys2mgre1QRQEVZgBNYO1JK6wPck1r5Nk9qw025TUp5MBtphc-bMixqxYwk-v3eJqG5AHM36SRs35L0xHjHb4KFF6pEc3FwPvmvGY8rbSOU38Fl0pbzxFRaumgCcpAB1Vx4wO0Wf8/s1600/Buffalo+Mac+and+Cheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39GIys2mgre1QRQEVZgBNYO1JK6wPck1r5Nk9qw025TUp5MBtphc-bMixqxYwk-v3eJqG5AHM36SRs35L0xHjHb4KFF6pEc3FwPvmvGY8rbSOU38Fl0pbzxFRaumgCcpAB1Vx4wO0Wf8/s200/Buffalo+Mac+and+Cheese.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0xB6oIi4_rFhFvFEOY-77NlgX9kyUIlKoylnVRYbK7yoeDCHso_nJPgiRhXiRFiGotltGie8GFsf2kZWQnMDvGljHbSaAgNMH24VEiJDQInPgY92i4G6xbFNwD0iZGIrnE0BSVA2XiQ/s1600/Buffalo+Chicken+Mac+and+Cheese+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0xB6oIi4_rFhFvFEOY-77NlgX9kyUIlKoylnVRYbK7yoeDCHso_nJPgiRhXiRFiGotltGie8GFsf2kZWQnMDvGljHbSaAgNMH24VEiJDQInPgY92i4G6xbFNwD0iZGIrnE0BSVA2XiQ/s200/Buffalo+Chicken+Mac+and+Cheese+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Helping Jennifer instead of running everything in the kitchen really took some work. But it was great and she did a bang-up job. First, you cook the chicken with garlic and hot sauce, then you start creating the roux - which also includes hot sauce. And ALL the cheese. The only thing that could make that better would be incorporating panko bread crumbs and blue cheese into the recipe. So they did. And I'm thankful. It's not as rich as you would think - meaty, hearty, and cheesy. It works great as a meal by itself. I definitely used extra hot sauce, so milk was *fantastic* with it. Let me know what you think, or share if you think you have a better recipe!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<h3 class="recipeTitle" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: MuralScriptRegular, 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: 100; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 0.6em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese</span></h3>
<div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 14px; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>INGREDIENTS:</b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided<br />
Salt, to taste<br />
1/2 pound elbow
macaroni<br />
1 1/2 cups pulled
chicken<br />
1 clove garlic,
minced<br />
3/4 cup Frank’s hot
sauce, divided<br />
2 tbsp. flour<br />
1 tsp. dry mustard powder<br />
1 cup milk (we used skim)<br />
1/4 cup heavy cream<br />
1 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded<br />
1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded<br />
1/3 cup sour cream<br />
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs<br />
1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 8.4pt; margin-left: -3.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat
oven to 350 degrees and grease a large casserole dish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 8.4pt; margin-left: -3.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bring a pot
of water to a boil, season with salt, and add the pasta and cook until al
dente. Drain and set aside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 8.4pt; margin-left: -3.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the
meantime, in a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tbsp. of butter and
stir in the chicken and garlic. Cook for a couple minutes then add 1/4 cup of
the hot sauce and mix it all together until well combined. Put the chicken
mixture in a bowl and set aside. Quickly rinse out your skillet and return to
stove.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 8.4pt; margin-left: -3.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Melt 2
tbsp. butter in the skillet over medium heat and whisk in the flour and mustard
powder until smooth. Then whisk in the milk and cream and add the remaining 1/2
cup of hot sauce and stir until thick. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack
cheese until melted and smooth then whisk in the sour cream until all combined.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 8.4pt; margin-left: -3.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the
prepared baking dish, spread half of the macaroni in the bottom of the dish
then top with the buffalo chicken mixture and then the remaining macaroni. Pour
the cheese sauce evenly on top.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 8.4pt; margin-left: -3.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put the
remaining 2 tbsp. of butter in a small bowl in the microwave </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.5pt;">to melt.
Stir in the panko and bleu cheese then sprinkle over the macaroni.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 8.4pt; margin-left: -3.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake for
30-40 minutes or until bubbly. Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-88223407482249054082012-03-14T13:40:00.001-05:002012-03-14T13:40:08.338-05:00Wordless Wednesday - Cue Shack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnssA4ixR26FmKs5PXcVcvMyU3oDWvN43bHolH66iz_qMga3xfUo3cbcOBqodcPDaOzTIrPbyO8fvhjRYqSZgAs39AfUm5y4FjQLKuoGaZZeo9ov79kuhH6xVI1W1tYAMfmaJdf_qxQew/s1600/Cue+Shack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnssA4ixR26FmKs5PXcVcvMyU3oDWvN43bHolH66iz_qMga3xfUo3cbcOBqodcPDaOzTIrPbyO8fvhjRYqSZgAs39AfUm5y4FjQLKuoGaZZeo9ov79kuhH6xVI1W1tYAMfmaJdf_qxQew/s320/Cue+Shack.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-58797044184449753352012-03-13T22:40:00.001-05:002012-03-13T22:40:12.296-05:00Southwest Salad w/ Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQCqpXCk4NRuIsMdlDoAGVRj3crpv3YTWFDMJLjaaX9MPmLArE40FsuRD_fHTvUkkaOZrcSC9CKxZ-AbxPbatqWX0OIYKRt4nl1kRFhiLSI6Y-02bUbF03sbyDOimuBu77gyfaFY_MN8/s1600/Southwest+Salad.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQCqpXCk4NRuIsMdlDoAGVRj3crpv3YTWFDMJLjaaX9MPmLArE40FsuRD_fHTvUkkaOZrcSC9CKxZ-AbxPbatqWX0OIYKRt4nl1kRFhiLSI6Y-02bUbF03sbyDOimuBu77gyfaFY_MN8/s200/Southwest+Salad.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Southwest Salad</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had a birthday party for my mom at a family member's house a couple of weeks ago. It was southwestern/tex-mex themed, and I was asked to bring a salad. I've made a southwestern salad a few times before and thought it would be easy to do. Several people (surprisingly) told me it was their favorite part of the meal. So I decided to reproduce it here so they - and you all - could see it. It's colorful, hearty, and healthy. And it's great as a side - or if you want to use it as an easy meal, add some grilled or rotisserie chicken and you have a quick and easy meal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_YI6Z_tiveZDELND_hX5volpkSGE81RxtIIQnvk6tYYNUyT71pZ5RofFgQ0NwYAynqCLqPMS8AfPmnH6gWlKaCWUqC58NDH8PASW_RGRZllWYlwWgpb_F7nIp3J7lWdFw0iJ68A9fLE/s1600/Coriander+for+Lime+Vinaigrette.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_YI6Z_tiveZDELND_hX5volpkSGE81RxtIIQnvk6tYYNUyT71pZ5RofFgQ0NwYAynqCLqPMS8AfPmnH6gWlKaCWUqC58NDH8PASW_RGRZllWYlwWgpb_F7nIp3J7lWdFw0iJ68A9fLE/s200/Coriander+for+Lime+Vinaigrette.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coriander for Vinaigrette</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think the thing that makes the salad great, other than the heartiness, is the dressing that I make with it. It's a simple, cilantro lime vinaigrette that gets tossed with the salad. Using fresh ingredients is always helpful - and I love using fresh spices. The dressing uses coriander. What we use as "coriander seeds" are actually the dried fruits of the cilantro plant. To really bring out the citrus flavor in them to complement the cilantro in the dressing (the leaves from the herb) and the lime juice, I toast them in a dry skillet for a bit, and then grind them with a mortar and pestle. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large bag Romaine lettuce blend</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large red onion, chopped</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (11oz) can Mexicorn</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cup tortilla chips, crushed</span> <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup shredded sharp cheddar</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Layer these all in a bowl. You can use different types of tortilla chips for flavor. I like the lime- and jalapeno-flavored chips work well with them. Now for the dressing...</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 tablespoons fresh lime juice</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8ULT3raYL4d6PCXBu7tyxglQm7Bc1btolhO78v-DBi_Vu0_GLJfx7AiQUrrlYuwThH8tn4CDWT7ngVZcmzdJLEH4dSFmgSHALjwFBJGzjuHmY3ezifjbWOryr0CienN_ImSLQsx3vFI/s1600/Cilantro+Lime+Vinaigrette.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8ULT3raYL4d6PCXBu7tyxglQm7Bc1btolhO78v-DBi_Vu0_GLJfx7AiQUrrlYuwThH8tn4CDWT7ngVZcmzdJLEH4dSFmgSHALjwFBJGzjuHmY3ezifjbWOryr0CienN_ImSLQsx3vFI/s200/Cilantro+Lime+Vinaigrette.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 tablespoons olive oil</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons cilantro leaves and stems, chopped</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 clove garlic, minced</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon coarse salt</span> <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon sugar</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon coriander, toasted and ground</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine all of the ingredients in a food processer and lightly blend them. Add oil to thin if necessary.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pour the dressing over the top of the salad and toss it. Serve it soon.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The chips can become soggy if you leave it sitting too long before serving. The crunch to the chips is one of the best parts of the salad! And you can add some grilled or rotisserie chicken to make it a complete, healthy meal. And if you like a little heat, throw some cayenne on the chicken or sprinkle some crushed red pepper in it. Great flavor for something so quick and easy! Let me know what you think.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-43445788690607993532012-03-07T12:57:00.001-06:002012-03-07T12:57:51.071-06:00Wordless Wednesday - FBS Lunch<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBeBKMneQKd-3rSkOYwQHWQibqps7unqgSLa0atQhDt4bJaMklqBBEmPGJJ4RcheqvLo2wdna9etIyOUIIk5DN2vmjU4YaXjn9P13Km1VkP216KSqD8rIDkCAAAPLzW7GVIgowhNK7BE/s640/blogger-image--1995956363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBeBKMneQKd-3rSkOYwQHWQibqps7unqgSLa0atQhDt4bJaMklqBBEmPGJJ4RcheqvLo2wdna9etIyOUIIk5DN2vmjU4YaXjn9P13Km1VkP216KSqD8rIDkCAAAPLzW7GVIgowhNK7BE/s640/blogger-image--1995956363.jpg" /></a></div>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-73600242879158366032012-03-01T16:07:00.002-06:002012-03-01T16:07:54.378-06:00Butts To Go<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJXJdxKlbl-6Hci4NTAwdnMj_0oUO-Y-7i31Ba7D1ttl_AxxwlueCUkaCcxcNDUthTPMseA-Cd0yZPi3M3tGpyt-5COeruS-ieZ7dDoA_fwlWWNlqJ9r_HJClaibh71pGWQdUreIYUlw/s1600/Butts+to+Go+Ribs+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJXJdxKlbl-6Hci4NTAwdnMj_0oUO-Y-7i31Ba7D1ttl_AxxwlueCUkaCcxcNDUthTPMseA-Cd0yZPi3M3tGpyt-5COeruS-ieZ7dDoA_fwlWWNlqJ9r_HJClaibh71pGWQdUreIYUlw/s200/Butts+to+Go+Ribs+2.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ribs from 'Butts To Go'</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's March, which means it's officially grilling season in the South. Not that we weren't grilling anyway, what with the 70 degree winter days and all, but now it's official. And I <i>love</i> grilling. Meat, vegetables, everything. And I love barbeque. I love all the different styles. I really do. All of them are great. I like judging a city based on its BBQ.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Memphis dry rub style is probably my favorite - maybe because growing up near Memphis gives a lot of character to Birmingham Q. There is also a considerable amount of Carolina-style, vinegary Q around here. And of course, the Kansas City-style with lots of thick, sweet sauce is great too. As long as you start with a good meat, it's hard to beat. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So today I decided I'd eat some decent meat since tomorrow is fish-only. Having seen Jason Horn over at <a href="http://themessyepicure.com/" target="_blank">The Messy Epicure</a> stopped near my office for some road-side Q at "Butts To Go" and enjoyed it (while out for some research for an article in Birmingham magazine on food foraging) - I decided I'd give it a shot. I would link their website, but its atrocious. 404s everywhere. And just God-awful ugly. I believe woman around here would say "bless its heart".</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvwNt0-7AXjBnu0zp9al5P8iuLDJv-SdO7gwm1zBS8GUE7_jykmhICCtnypAUL1lWx-qiQi0vv-2blL34yFCNrdwLqLNltO-tOZCs23hi6rGhrxbJXI1uOLCw27gcmFwh-xfsBS5xJYo/s1600/Butts+to+Go+Pork+Sandwich.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvwNt0-7AXjBnu0zp9al5P8iuLDJv-SdO7gwm1zBS8GUE7_jykmhICCtnypAUL1lWx-qiQi0vv-2blL34yFCNrdwLqLNltO-tOZCs23hi6rGhrxbJXI1uOLCw27gcmFwh-xfsBS5xJYo/s200/Butts+to+Go+Pork+Sandwich.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pork Sandwich</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The food was pretty good - I got a wide variety of meats so I wouldn't be judging one mishap or something of that nature. I started with this pulled pork sandwich. It was great. It wasn't too saucy, and it had a great mixture of meats in it. And it had plenty of good char on the outside pieces - good, charred, juicy pork is probably my favorite flavor in the world. It was tender, but firm. Smokey. Definitely a taste of hickory. While I appreciated it not being oily or too saucy, it did seem like the bun dried it out a bit. They had sauce to take with you - I chose not to. Probably will next time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdL1Or6fvmzpppYSGdtt_9vxJTdOzP900CRLPELwPJCBR-ELOsA7UHRnaVR_Yj19XPDnOOfzzhjwYBoFtWzp18kutxE3B86XAZufMVppRTpT0tu3ZEhUzBdnbHToGHcRJ6Dk7gBotOwM/s1600/Butts+to+Go+Ribs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdL1Or6fvmzpppYSGdtt_9vxJTdOzP900CRLPELwPJCBR-ELOsA7UHRnaVR_Yj19XPDnOOfzzhjwYBoFtWzp18kutxE3B86XAZufMVppRTpT0tu3ZEhUzBdnbHToGHcRJ6Dk7gBotOwM/s200/Butts+to+Go+Ribs.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ribs from 'Butts To Go'</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next up were the ribs. I love ribs. I could eat ribs for every meal for the rest of my life. I say that about a lot of things. It's probably true. But it's <i>extra </i>true with ribs. They didn't have any normal spare ribs ready. He offered St. Louis ribs. Generally speaking, St. Louis-style Q is very heavily sauced. St. Louis consumes more bbq sauce per capita than any city in the country. They sometimes use a dry rub, and then slop on the sauce. What usually differentiates it is cooking it over direct heat rather than smoking. That being said, the ribs can be smoked. This is because St. Louis style ribs just have the sternum bits, cartilage, and tips removed to give it a better square shape. It allows you to cook more at a time and removes some of the less rewarding parts. These had a good flavor, but no sauce on them. The dry rub was decent - it didn't add much flavor. The meat fell off the bone... I hear a lot of people say that as a good thing. Rib meat should be firm or it's overcooked. You should be able to leave toothmarks in it. You start losing flavor if you overcook it. They also didn't remove the film from the back of the ribs. Not essential, but a bit pesky.They weren't very smokey, but the meat quality was good, so it made up for the rest of it. I used some hot sauce with them which they had bottled. It was definitely a vinegar-based, cayenne pepper sauce. Almost like a diluted Frank's Red Hot. A bit disappointed in it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwi0ezLBG6rw3UqqpvLqxA5je19dyHbhiL9VWYchTjgelOfMf4ukwHBZHln19NGXsFHM0SPvYk5oispuCfQuYj0A_N7yd9Vlf-_ev3iJzo8FaE6JNfPzFKDtcljBsPK67Lhwd2BHEXZv8/s1600/Butts+to+Go+Wings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwi0ezLBG6rw3UqqpvLqxA5je19dyHbhiL9VWYchTjgelOfMf4ukwHBZHln19NGXsFHM0SPvYk5oispuCfQuYj0A_N7yd9Vlf-_ev3iJzo8FaE6JNfPzFKDtcljBsPK67Lhwd2BHEXZv8/s200/Butts+to+Go+Wings.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wings from 'Butts to Go'</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I saved the wings for last - and I'm glad I did. They were WOW. Really. Wow. They were just seasoned. They had several flavors. I just got smoked, seasoned wings. They were incredible. Crispy. Juicy. Flavorful. Not salty like most seasoned wings are. They had a deep, rich, smokey flavor to them. They weren't perfectly shaped - which I love to see, because it means they're cutting and prepping the meat themselves rather than ordering it that way. They're probably some of the best wings I've ever eaten. I'm not a certified Q judge (I'm doing that this summer. No, really), but I was really, really impressed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I'm left with two problems. I'm dying to get my grill fired up, even though I'm not hungry. And I <i>really </i>don't want to wash my hands. I want to smell this in my dreams.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's your favorite place to get Q around town? Any way you prefer it? Sauce, no sauce, sauce on the side? Share your thoughts!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-59623470822720632722012-02-29T07:17:00.001-06:002012-02-29T07:18:02.351-06:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_7MIYeu5I89qJgwKUvzzjfbmig5adk5U70rsNPSp91vXbAZ1Qwdugd6kZJIS1FPcKajjxzAAFEFHLKT2VIMNmYX6vT2baMO_59VgDR4MwhHLQVgZxKs1L2rFV53AIQHdK0yMMwFBSJE/s640/blogger-image--568028617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_7MIYeu5I89qJgwKUvzzjfbmig5adk5U70rsNPSp91vXbAZ1Qwdugd6kZJIS1FPcKajjxzAAFEFHLKT2VIMNmYX6vT2baMO_59VgDR4MwhHLQVgZxKs1L2rFV53AIQHdK0yMMwFBSJE/s640/blogger-image--568028617.jpg" /></a></div>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-72139364262487019982012-02-27T11:26:00.002-06:002012-02-27T11:27:01.480-06:00Bourbon Pecan Tarts<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZCXQjZrcZ8OT9TmTm3ccR-4sUCkUR8Xmz8N7yvhcUnzTDEiVx5XWm1law4l41CmrB7IJDH-qyvpYhWNBqy21yYhAyoFJN1fNPES8V1TKc1ft1u54C74aXmfCA-Hem9EhshKRU9Equyw/s1600/Bourbon+Pecan+Tarts+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZCXQjZrcZ8OT9TmTm3ccR-4sUCkUR8Xmz8N7yvhcUnzTDEiVx5XWm1law4l41CmrB7IJDH-qyvpYhWNBqy21yYhAyoFJN1fNPES8V1TKc1ft1u54C74aXmfCA-Hem9EhshKRU9Equyw/s320/Bourbon+Pecan+Tarts+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bourbon Pecan Tarts</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've had several people ask me about the pecan tarts I mentioned in my post on what to think about when you want <a href="http://itstripp.blogspot.com/2011/12/bourbon-makes-it-better.html" target="_blank">to use bourbon in dishes</a>. They seem to be a simple version of a favorite Southern dessert - the pecan pie. Well, it's not really a pecan pie in the way we think of it down here. It's actually a lot more similar to a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butter_tart" target="_blank">butter tart</a>, a common Canadian dish. And even more similar to a <a href="http://itstripp.blogspot.com/2012/01/buttermilk-pie.html" target="_blank">buttermilk pie</a> (one of my favorite desserts). The basic idea is melted butter or margarine, sugar, and egg. The standard version is definitely more of a custard than what we think of as pecan pie. Adding/changing other ingredients is what makes it a more Southern dish - buttermilk or the sweet, rich, and buttery pecan. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeKHVm7AW99wLe6CRZzr0R65R4whK_Dq1moyZDXD1dYVyztwxpKTtqoEu5yQuR7Sbcp_mO2kiawtHep2fUAut1aZPXwFPj4MEMOSfMyF8J1tpyFGwcZ-tix7J_oY-PhG0ZLGvTffNr8o/s1600/Bourbon+Pecan+Tarts+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeKHVm7AW99wLe6CRZzr0R65R4whK_Dq1moyZDXD1dYVyztwxpKTtqoEu5yQuR7Sbcp_mO2kiawtHep2fUAut1aZPXwFPj4MEMOSfMyF8J1tpyFGwcZ-tix7J_oY-PhG0ZLGvTffNr8o/s320/Bourbon+Pecan+Tarts+6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bourbon Pecan Tart Pastry</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all know the flavor of the pecan (which is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drupe" target="_blank">actually a fruit</a>, like the fruit of other hickory trees - but we'll stick with calling it a nut) is rich and sweet, and it goes well in plenty of Southern desserts. So changing a typical butter tart into a pecan-based one makes it have an inherently Southern feel. Changing the sugar to brown sugar gives it a richer flavor and a darker color (due to the molasses content of brown sugar) that we more readily associate with pecan pie.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You start with butter, cream cheese, and flour to make an easy pastry. Just place the balls of pastry in a mini-muffin/tart pan and hollow them out. I use a wooden pastry tool because it makes them all uniform and goes a lot faster. Just roll it in flour so it doesn't stick, and hollow them all out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fill the cups of pastry with the filling and bake them. It's pretty much that simple. Just remember when choosing your bourbon that you want to choose one that's sweet to blend with the flavor well, but not overly sweet. Including the bourbon gives it a more complex flavor. Knob Creek is one of my favorites. It's a spirit that's smooth and sweet without being overpowering.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 tablespoons butter (one stick), softened</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 oz. cream cheese, softened</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large egg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup chopped pecans</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon butter, melted</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Directions</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to <span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">325</span><b style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">°.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Beat softened butter and cream cheese together until well-mixed. Add flour, continuing to mix.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Add a full tablespoon of pastry to ungreased mini-muffin or tart cups. Use wooden pastry tool to hollow out pastry ball and line sides of cups.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Beat the egg, then mix in the brown sugar, melted butter, and chopped pecans.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Fill each pastry with a little over a teaspoon of the filling - it will expand well.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Bake for about 30 minutes or until filling has puffed up and pastry turns golden-brown.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Cool slightly in cups enough to set, but then remove to place on a cookie rack to cool completely.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-51076734768273761242012-02-15T13:19:00.001-06:002012-02-15T13:47:03.225-06:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.highlandsbarandgrill.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskGnKs8JqrlwM-sYAuVBn8wmDOJX_Nkeq-cBqlL-_J3BsMowtWo9UlYSQvzzCMGbnyossgXFdju05FCitr0oYiFvsQIbLSWmNygHChAaMIzkg-ZqOZ4rei1aOk_vZcJiAZ_LSnevvTSU/s1600/Highlands+Bar+and+Grill+Baked+Grits.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-86711381678885430822012-02-11T07:36:00.003-06:002012-02-11T07:44:45.837-06:00Poblano Chicken Chowder<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSf4Uioz8n69e_EJHshUcVuVJjEZvF65Dxp7pu_1eqPDRNMkLJX3q6YV47Q7ILf_xgetlUIQI_X_l7W2YY5wuQHE6snRlR6PgGqJYfPcY55DmN6WTRjpBPOQtMa3DPLrPFwjsDF7uSjTM/s1600/Poblano+Chicken+Chowder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSf4Uioz8n69e_EJHshUcVuVJjEZvF65Dxp7pu_1eqPDRNMkLJX3q6YV47Q7ILf_xgetlUIQI_X_l7W2YY5wuQHE6snRlR6PgGqJYfPcY55DmN6WTRjpBPOQtMa3DPLrPFwjsDF7uSjTM/s320/Poblano+Chicken+Chowder.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Poblano Chicken Chowder</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I
love southern food, and the various cultural influences on it. There is
definitely an undeniable Hispanic influence on our food here - rich,
earthy, robust, flavorful foods are a staple of that cuisine, and it
fits well with our food here. I've posted about liking spicy foods before - so when I developed my first recipe from a blank piece of paper, I decided to do something full of flavor with a little kick. Someone I was talking to mentioned wanting to make a chowder with poblano and corn. I've made plenty of soups before, but not chowders. Chowders can be incredibly flavorful and actually aren't too difficult. To start developing the recipe, all I needed to know was how to make a base for chowder. I read about that for a bit and began.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rYBebvEHtyQ2bevpd7kpUPrxt5Z5CVkIVasLeq_5_fDxANeHuBUwBpqvewpcGnu1KiHCMqxwpgXXzRH9HEu2Av_H-sRciVyewez7_rwdjQnveBlpiZMxfu92kdhfcSO-ZgHcT0akgT8/s1600/Poblano+Chicken+Chowder+-+Roasting+Peppers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rYBebvEHtyQ2bevpd7kpUPrxt5Z5CVkIVasLeq_5_fDxANeHuBUwBpqvewpcGnu1KiHCMqxwpgXXzRH9HEu2Av_H-sRciVyewez7_rwdjQnveBlpiZMxfu92kdhfcSO-ZgHcT0akgT8/s200/Poblano+Chicken+Chowder+-+Roasting+Peppers.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Roasting Poblanos</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of my favorite ingredients in this Chicken Poblano Chowder (and obviously an important one) is the poblano pepper. They have a great flavor.<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> It's mild and mellow, and usually doesn't pack much heat. I decided to <b><i>roast</i></b><i> </i>the peppers first, as roasting them adds a smoky quality to them and helps pull some of the heat to the surface - don't worry, it's hardly spicy. This is the same pepper they use in <i>chile relleno </i>at Mexican restaurants. If you've never roasted a pepper, I posted a short how-to <a href="http://itstripp.blogspot.com/2012/02/roasted-peppers.html" target="_blank">over here</a>. With that and several ingredients chopped and prepped, the chowder was ready to begin.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nHiPQkY69F-fkJwCIdwtOKcQmg9hyphenhyphenm0_INI1tNT3mVWy4IGupaiK-IhjrzlNMo2ok4PkclSTnoH5m8MdiNRVTxfr16f42qG2QVgPBaiXdpZv6OXwzXsTqpgP85FlitshXM6YZErPxzs/s1600/Poblano+Chicken+Chowder+Ingredients.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nHiPQkY69F-fkJwCIdwtOKcQmg9hyphenhyphenm0_INI1tNT3mVWy4IGupaiK-IhjrzlNMo2ok4PkclSTnoH5m8MdiNRVTxfr16f42qG2QVgPBaiXdpZv6OXwzXsTqpgP85FlitshXM6YZErPxzs/s320/Poblano+Chicken+Chowder+Ingredients.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chowder Ingredients</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4J2GkzCiZd8fmSbesn6DNnP-7nJzKwSaxwiL7DVF0wEN3Dz9L5s1GcN5xOWwya4-FvY0cDT6GBDq1vDhTnmS2z2AeNWg3_ztwYgRK8OsVL1umYCBdv-a3AAQ9U0fRfnXOCygHdp3mXA/s1600/Poblano+Chicken+Chowder+Progression.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4J2GkzCiZd8fmSbesn6DNnP-7nJzKwSaxwiL7DVF0wEN3Dz9L5s1GcN5xOWwya4-FvY0cDT6GBDq1vDhTnmS2z2AeNWg3_ztwYgRK8OsVL1umYCBdv-a3AAQ9U0fRfnXOCygHdp3mXA/s200/Poblano+Chicken+Chowder+Progression.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chowder Progression</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sautéing the vegetables and herbs not only softens them up, which is important for a soup, but also really brings out a great aroma. After adding your chicken or vegetable stock, you can see the progression the soup goes through - from a thin and murky translucent liquid to the creamy, thick soup we call chowder. Adding the chicken, black beans, and corn help it to thicken a bit. You'll also add cracker meal to the soup to thicken it up (crushed crackers). Some people use bread crumbs, others use stale bread... You can use whatever you have. Just make sure it's small enough to incorporate into the liquid. Once it has thickened, you'll add some cream to it - this gives it the pale look that chowder is known for. You can sub in milk to be healthier - but it's a small amount of cream and it really isn't the same. Two notes before we get to the recipe... I used chipotle chile powder in the chowder. If you like it a bit more spicy, you can go with cayenne. I thought the chipotle powder helped bring out the smoky flavor of the vegetables. Second, I used a whole sprig of thyme in with the vegetables when </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">sautéing them. It can easily be pulled from the soup later after the leaves have come apart. Dried thyme can be used in its place if you don't have fresh thyme. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 strip bacon, or 1 teaspoon bacon fat</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2 Poblano peppers, roasted, diced</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3 cloves garlic, minced</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5 green onions, chopped (tops reserved)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 sprig thyme</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 1/2 quarts chicken stock</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups grilled chicken, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 15 oz can corn, drained</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 15 oz can black beans, drained, rinsed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3/4 cup cracker meal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3/4 cup cream</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hot sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Directions</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Heat bacon or bacon fat in a stock pot. Add Poblano peppers, garlic, green onions (making sure you reserve the tops for garnish), and thyme. Saut</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">é 6-8 minutes or until vegetables begin softening. Add chicken stock to vegetables slowly. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, 8-10 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reduce heat to medium and add chicken, corn, black beans, cracker meal, and chipotle powder. Cook 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently. Add more cracker meal as needed to thicken chowder.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reduce heat to low and add cream, stirring for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Garnish with green onion tops, cracked pepper, and hot sauce.</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSf4Uioz8n69e_EJHshUcVuVJjEZvF65Dxp7pu_1eqPDRNMkLJX3q6YV47Q7ILf_xgetlUIQI_X_l7W2YY5wuQHE6snRlR6PgGqJYfPcY55DmN6WTRjpBPOQtMa3DPLrPFwjsDF7uSjTM/s1600/Poblano+Chicken+Chowder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSf4Uioz8n69e_EJHshUcVuVJjEZvF65Dxp7pu_1eqPDRNMkLJX3q6YV47Q7ILf_xgetlUIQI_X_l7W2YY5wuQHE6snRlR6PgGqJYfPcY55DmN6WTRjpBPOQtMa3DPLrPFwjsDF7uSjTM/s200/Poblano+Chicken+Chowder.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poblano Chicken Chowder Garnish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is a great recipe for the waning days of winter. I know I'm going to enjoy it over the next couple of cold days here! Let me know what you think about this chowder - or if you have your own favorite ways to make chowder.</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> </b></span>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-43385933793143088732012-02-10T15:58:00.002-06:002012-02-11T06:48:51.291-06:00Roasted Peppers<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3xqQ1T5svKK8cR_I-7RdtSyW4LSje7T5ng9l06VhL3ntoIzLuEXtwrW-gFOZqwdmhHO2v-jm59UICJf6xI1Ws6lDzfYaRF9T4aBZ3Umyp0qy7NJs3OgIgsUCOFZ9KNYDvLvHnDXUE5w/s1600/Roasted+Poblanos.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3xqQ1T5svKK8cR_I-7RdtSyW4LSje7T5ng9l06VhL3ntoIzLuEXtwrW-gFOZqwdmhHO2v-jm59UICJf6xI1Ws6lDzfYaRF9T4aBZ3Umyp0qy7NJs3OgIgsUCOFZ9KNYDvLvHnDXUE5w/s320/Roasted+Poblanos.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Charred Poblanos</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After <a href="http://foodblogsouth.com/" target="_blank">FoodBlog South</a> </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">a couple of<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> weekends ago, I decided I really wanted to start developing my own recipes to share. There was a great session with Virginia Willis discussing a general how-to of recipe development (she should know - her books have some of my favorite recipes). It was a lot more complex than I originally thought it would be. It actually made me want to develop my own even more. I enjoy using other people's recipes, and will continue to do so and occasionally post about them. But I assumed that creating my own recipe from nothing other than the basic knowledge of a food type would be more gratifying than using a recipe in existence and changing it some. I was right. </span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I got an idea when someone said online that they were thinking about making a poblano and corn chowder for dinner. So I started working on a recipe - a Poblano Chicken Chowder. I developed a great recipe, which I will post this weekend. One of the first things I decided was that I would fire-roast my poblano peppers to give them a smoky, earthy flavor. So before I post about the chowder itself, I thought I would do a quick run-down of roasting peppers.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9sf423ZC70va-EliEsuFtyfyeVtb1fb3OD2Fdhqta0Lp61BfJG4Ifzy5-o53NqFHBLg6e-aSpPbZwnUc6xGYMVuJae-S03D16IKzGfBGMTBZD09bvXB695gwGNt03fGNl6f8zmZUiSMo/s1600/Roasting+Poblanos+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TldSlyicvCLcy6YGfl_tGAF8kqq3jM0cv-eqyYxidQ3avc3l9kpd6e9dNFG6vnEpeHYa-Bfq1xEHhDs3od6ceRcABpex5nSU_j4gnoUlNkPt7ECgG5aEwni6fRlm2dlDlY8MOIVLuWI/s1600/Roasting+Poblanos+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TldSlyicvCLcy6YGfl_tGAF8kqq3jM0cv-eqyYxidQ3avc3l9kpd6e9dNFG6vnEpeHYa-Bfq1xEHhDs3od6ceRcABpex5nSU_j4gnoUlNkPt7ECgG5aEwni6fRlm2dlDlY8MOIVLuWI/s200/Roasting+Poblanos+2.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Roasting the Peppers</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The best way to roast peppers is over an open flame. You can do it in an oven, but it is a lot easier and more fragrant over open flame. I just use the gas burner eye on the side of my grill. Use tongs to hold it - be aware that if you use metal tongs and hold the metal over the flame too long, you'll probably get burned. I wear a glove. You want to do it quickly, so don't be afraid to get the pepper down in the fire and hold it there. Get each side nice and charred. The pictures is a little washed out from the flash (it was dark outside), but you can see how the peppers begin to look as they roast. The flesh should begin to blister and peel. Once all sides have charred like the first picture above, bring them inside to cool off a bit.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAfsfVZyoCcThQroD0C-JO58N0sO_JXRjz1UXdv_J7skjdFR-nRNurKzpAuzHAbtvset81cMSM0zN4hoEyAo8rqk2eB0j76FN2zWZ4Bik-yN9bSI3J4x4a25fV0v3ePgF7Ya8PJLyiV8/s1600/Roasted+Poblano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAfsfVZyoCcThQroD0C-JO58N0sO_JXRjz1UXdv_J7skjdFR-nRNurKzpAuzHAbtvset81cMSM0zN4hoEyAo8rqk2eB0j76FN2zWZ4Bik-yN9bSI3J4x4a25fV0v3ePgF7Ya8PJLyiV8/s200/Roasted+Poblano.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While they are still warm, you can run a knife across them and the charred flesh will peel right off</span>. <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Don't run them under water to clean them as this will take some of the flavor away.</span> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I slice into them vertically</span>. <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The meat is really softened inside, and it's easy to take the seeds out. You can actually just pull the middle with all the seeds right out. They're very easy to work with at this point, and have that wonderful flavor added to the pepper. This is great to do with peppers that you will be using in soups or other cooked dishes. It's also really great to do if you are making your own hot sauce. It makes sure that the sauce will be flavorful and not just hot. I'm looking forward to using roasted peppers in different kinds of dishes - and you'll get the recipe this weekend for the Poblano Chicken Chowder. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObiQdm-RWUw8z7Wbe8XJ0xfEpSuD_iWAtu6ZBEtSz3ol3HceFnL_V6XkAzPQAETjrrmTwHfVjuGJilLpFMYtG3BoYQBmSgl3QJVAEHcGke0jOJY_saRkWfHv59A-ZzQZB9Bgnd9uD_gs/s1600/Poblano+Chicken+Chowder+16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObiQdm-RWUw8z7Wbe8XJ0xfEpSuD_iWAtu6ZBEtSz3ol3HceFnL_V6XkAzPQAETjrrmTwHfVjuGJilLpFMYtG3BoYQBmSgl3QJVAEHcGke0jOJY_saRkWfHv59A-ZzQZB9Bgnd9uD_gs/s400/Poblano+Chicken+Chowder+16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-83595446295939141902012-02-08T13:04:00.001-06:002012-02-08T13:04:07.264-06:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-nEX8o-WzQ_YsWpXS2CvD57zMTnU9j09ksUXOBhQjo-2iRaRXeAALCTRzWg66RA0UHTcm0eM-6SjoKvwdJ8QHSpBTIUaXyR9Glk-swQYu2Dem1B9cB6MgudCrET2e1XCSGvUGg8643A/s640/blogger-image-882556153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-nEX8o-WzQ_YsWpXS2CvD57zMTnU9j09ksUXOBhQjo-2iRaRXeAALCTRzWg66RA0UHTcm0eM-6SjoKvwdJ8QHSpBTIUaXyR9Glk-swQYu2Dem1B9cB6MgudCrET2e1XCSGvUGg8643A/s640/blogger-image-882556153.jpg" /></a></div>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-15445259154678665412012-02-01T15:59:00.001-06:002012-02-01T15:59:45.096-06:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtsxWRcyMalzOnkEM5l0l_V4zvoVOAnnHWi-GtLZpDskH5ihWxNj3tgVgTfcCvPimi-PwGvoUBCBKoj26owQowkwuDnvZchoLW3MaA48TbcO2y1Ww8T0fRSpYnq9CdDlq5oqOuscByqI/s640/blogger-image-1665180988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtsxWRcyMalzOnkEM5l0l_V4zvoVOAnnHWi-GtLZpDskH5ihWxNj3tgVgTfcCvPimi-PwGvoUBCBKoj26owQowkwuDnvZchoLW3MaA48TbcO2y1Ww8T0fRSpYnq9CdDlq5oqOuscByqI/s640/blogger-image-1665180988.jpg" /></a></div>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-68671557768637933032012-01-26T13:12:00.000-06:002012-01-26T13:12:58.585-06:00Fish Tacos with Lime Cream Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj40FmS-6eV8fOQvHCRqDThPJD97SV8PaqOG_DVJob6DLS3na0utjOuTsIcjiSC17gEFwR1L09agsoTreSW9ebR73niIgOCxPsFecVB_bchAR24Nl2ACM9WTE8Mnd2Lhf6MhWjVvH5wi94/s1600/Fish+Tacos.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj40FmS-6eV8fOQvHCRqDThPJD97SV8PaqOG_DVJob6DLS3na0utjOuTsIcjiSC17gEFwR1L09agsoTreSW9ebR73niIgOCxPsFecVB_bchAR24Nl2ACM9WTE8Mnd2Lhf6MhWjVvH5wi94/s400/Fish+Tacos.JPG" width="297" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sometimes I get bored at home. When I get bored, I decide to cook. This often involves me looking around for what I have that needs to be used before it spoils. A couple of weeks ago, I had a few things that needed to be used and </span></span>I<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> decided to use them together. The result was fish tacos</span>.<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> They're really quick - and more importantly - really tasty. They're also easy to customize if you want to make it your own.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOMsEU39jwxGHUMzi4bSuAe5rQ8GDtf0M9G2Koo1MDMSXJaBW22fcINiWzn9s1bGVtSR2vs2_V1RPonMkbXhOWRN06F6bT6oAAIp8EL7NSxcckhyVgU3icb1CcE6HrTSatqiitE3Tm48/s1600/Herb+Salt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOMsEU39jwxGHUMzi4bSuAe5rQ8GDtf0M9G2Koo1MDMSXJaBW22fcINiWzn9s1bGVtSR2vs2_V1RPonMkbXhOWRN06F6bT6oAAIp8EL7NSxcckhyVgU3icb1CcE6HrTSatqiitE3Tm48/s320/Herb+Salt.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I started with some fresh tilapia - again, it's what I had. Tilapia is fairly flavor neutral as far as fish go, and is healthy. Wild-caught Tilapia are the best (nutrition-wise). I drizzled a little olive oil, lime juice, and some of the Chris Hastings (of Hot-and-Hot Fish Club and Iron Chef America fame) <a href="http://www.hotandhotstore.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=hothot&Product_Code=HCHS&Category_Code=food" target="_blank">herb salt</a> on it before baking it. I had recently bought some and hadn't used it yet. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Any kind of your favorite fish seasoning would work just fine.</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The lime juice will begin to denature the protein in the fish and allow the spices to really penetrate the meat. If you leave it on too long before cooking, it can make the fish tough. Try these out and let me know what you think! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 lb. Tilapia (or favorite mild fish)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Herb Salt (or favorite fish seasoning)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Olive Oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1/2 red onion, large diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tri-Color Cole Slaw (green & red cabbage, carrots)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Small flour tortillas, steamed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3 tablespoons lime juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1/2 cup olive oil mayonnaise</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1/4 cup cream </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cilantro, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Preparation:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Drizzle some olive oil (about 1 tablespoon), lime juice, and spices/seasoning/herb salt on the fish. A pound should be 3 or 4 fillets. You should bake these for 10-12 minutes at 375</span><b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">°</b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hPru-d-m2QWfbXrxli4T_BQ0rCoIhmon3Qw4yI2YeMS70esi6LpsZNpMrdYOQUFd4nK-SSPaN1VUWBpN50I3TPGlLzRQ1F0Hw_qcafoN83skAaKXLejWz04Z-e1gxOTJx0hBZc_Wdek/s1600/Limes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hPru-d-m2QWfbXrxli4T_BQ0rCoIhmon3Qw4yI2YeMS70esi6LpsZNpMrdYOQUFd4nK-SSPaN1VUWBpN50I3TPGlLzRQ1F0Hw_qcafoN83skAaKXLejWz04Z-e1gxOTJx0hBZc_Wdek/s200/Limes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Lime Cream Sauce</b>: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, remaining lime juice, chile powder, and cream. Whisk until it begins to set some. You may want to add a touch more cream as needed for it to thin out to your desired consistency. Add salt, pepper, and cilantro to taste. If you like your food spicy, you can kick in some more of the chipotle powder, or change it over to a smoke paprika... Or add cayenne. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Tacos: </b>The rest is simple. Flake the fish apart, and build your tacos. The amount of each ingredient is up to personal preference. Throw in the fish, the slaw mix, some red onions, and top it with the lime cream sauce.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That's it! Quick, healthy, and tasty. I've been thinking about recreating these with mahi and maybe a mango salsa. Maybe after <a href="http://foodblogsouth.com/" target="_blank">FoodBlog South</a> this weekend!</span>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4458557653218028996.post-66837414955974836192012-01-25T05:42:00.001-06:002012-01-25T05:42:16.041-06:00Wordless Wednesday - National Peanut Butter Day<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHG85FATTI_q2FyktC0RKZgv9iOp6o-H450sUZneufaVQtyyuQnhol0ZIJDkZZXDtCZjt0wqce3JT7x29rsffq2WGfEoWyAG5WpYQVwSFrG83dIMFCtPDHpPs7Sf38xO_HlvK7FN-puA/s640/blogger-image-1564128544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHG85FATTI_q2FyktC0RKZgv9iOp6o-H450sUZneufaVQtyyuQnhol0ZIJDkZZXDtCZjt0wqce3JT7x29rsffq2WGfEoWyAG5WpYQVwSFrG83dIMFCtPDHpPs7Sf38xO_HlvK7FN-puA/s640/blogger-image-1564128544.jpg" /></a></div>Tripphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264208512657025123noreply@blogger.com0