Roasted Peppers

Charred Poblanos

After FoodBlog South a couple of 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.

Fish Tacos with Lime Cream Sauce

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 I decided to use them together. The result was fish tacos. They're really quick - and more importantly - really tasty. They're also easy to customize if you want to make it your own.

Wordless Wednesday - National Peanut Butter Day

Buttermilk Pie

Buttermilk Pie

There are so many desserts that are typically viewed as southern - peach cobbler, chess pie, pecan pie... I'm not big on sweets - I know, I know... But it's true. I do love some desserts though. Pastries and creamy types of desserts - bread pudding, crème brûlée, and custards - are my favorites. So it follows that one of my favorite southern desserts is Buttermilk Pie. Since today is National Pie Day, I figured it was a good day to profess my love for this sweet and creamy pie.  



 There are a million different recipes and everyone will, of course, tell you that their grandma's is the best. I've looked at a dozen different ones and did a little mix-and-match before I found the one I liked. I made two around the holidays to take to various family functions. Everyone loved them - those who would try it. Buttermilk being an ingredient REALLY turns people off. Buttermilk was used in the south a lot because it could stay fresh longer in the warmer climates - and there were plenty of people in the South who didn't have ways to keep milk cold. The recipes I read claimed varying amounts of flour or biscuit mix, and various flavorings such as lemon zest and vanilla extract. I tried baking two at one time and leaving them in longer - neither one of them fully cooked and set. Go with one at a time. You can enjoy this chilled after cooking or warm. I prefer warm.

My combined/altered version goes a little something like this:

Ingredients

In the shell

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons biscuit mix
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 unbaked 10-inch basic pie crust shell

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl (I use a stand mixer religiously), combine the sugar and biscuit mix. Whisk the eggs into the mixture individually. Stir in the buttermilk, vanilla extract, and melted butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the pie shell (I love having Jennifer make a shell from scratch - the lard isn't so great for you, but they're pretty and tasty) and bake until the top is lightly browned and the center sets, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Slice the pie into individual servings. You can garnish with various things like mint for a pop of color. I love using a drizzle of sorghum syrup over the top.


Let me know if you've made it other ways, or if you try the recipe. I think you'll enjoy it.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bourbon Ganache

Cookie Sandwiches with Bourbon Ganache

Well, I said I was going to post the recipe for these, and today is the day I'm allowed to do it! Participating in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap was great for two reasons - I enjoyed the cooking (my first attempt at baking) and I got cookies in the mail. COOKIES IN THE MAIL. I know. How great is that? Who doesn't love cookies, right? It was a ton of work and I stayed up pretty late one night, not realizing how long I had just committed myself to the kitchen. I've never baked anything before, so I was treading new ground.

Bourbon Makes It Better

Pastry Shells

If you've eaten with me at any holiday gathering over the last few weeks, chances are you ate something with bourbon in it. Jennifer made a fantastic bourbon pecan pie for a couple of Thanksgiving get-togethers. Last week, I made some cookies (cookie sandwiches, rather) for a giant cookie swap. They were chocolate chip cookies made with brown butter, with a bourbon ganache in the middle. There will be a post on those next week. Friday night, I made some pecan pie tarts with bourbon in the filling. They were just a basic pastry (flour, butter) with a filling made with melted butter, egg, brown sugar, pecans, and some bourbon. It really adds an incredible scent and flavor to this common dessert.

Filling

Bourbon can have a wide variety of tastes depending on aging and specific ingredients, but there are some typical tastes in the flavor profile which you will consistently find. There is usually a hint of caramel and vanilla in a decent bourbon, which makes it a good ingredient to complement existing flavors in sweet dishes. However, it also has a distinct flavor of charcoal (the burnt wood variety) and a hint of a wood flavor. This is because bourbon, legally, must be aged in charred, oak barrels. These barrels have to be new, which helps keep that consistent flavor. Old barrels may impart flavors from previous blends or might even have been used to age rum which would dramatically change the flavor. This makes it a great ingredient for both savory and sweet dishes.
 

Baked - Not Pretty, But Delicious

One thing to think about is how strong of a flavor you want. Lower proof bourbons will tend to be sweeter because of the lower alcohol content. Another thing to consider - alcohol has a much lower freezing point than water and other liquids. So if you use this in a frozen dessert, make sure you use an amount on the smaller side of the measurement, and a low-proof whiskey. Otherwise, your dish is likely to have a nasty bite (and it likely won't be a pleasant one). And if you don't keep bourbon around the house, you shouldn't use more than a couple of ounces in any recipes. One or two small single-serving bottles should suffice.

Do you cook with bourbon? What are some of your favorite ways to use bourbons or liqueurs? Comment below and let me know!

Slow and Honest

I mentioned in my last post that I was becoming obsessed with another kind of food. Lots of talking, eating, and cooking has brought me back around to the food that my mother always made - good Southern food. 

Back, Out & About

It's been a bit since my last post, but I have good reason! I recently had a lot of responsibility changes at work (for the better) and I've been swamped with that at work with less time to think about other things while on the ol' clock. Which is fine - I actually enjoy work again now. And Jenn and I just bought a house! It's just over the mountain in Birmingham to the south end of town. Quiet little neighborhood called Homewood. We're loving it, but it took ALL of our time and we were also without internet for a bit, so I have some catching up to do!

Some Like It Hot

The Hot Chick

What could you love more than a really hot chick? I took a shot with one this past weekend - so hot that my eyes even watered a bit. This happened at Dave's Pizza in SoHo (that's South Homewood for those of you not from Birmingham - and yes, we realize SoHo is a stolen name)...

Food and DISCO

So I've mentioned before that I'm a writer (beyond the new blog). And if you've read any of the blog, you know I love food. I swore when I started the blog that I wouldn't do any advertisement or paid write-ups for people. That's lame. But I found a reason to make an exception. A great food convention that benefits young writers. It's like the perfect combination!

Some Like It Hot

So I really love eating spicy foods. A lot of people can't fathom why someone would want to cause themselves pain by eating something hot. I've heard so many times, "I don't understand eating something so hot. All you get is burn and pain and you can't taste anything."

I think if you have thought or said this, you have either been eating the wrong kind of spicy food (no flavor, just heat), or you're just drinking bottle after bottle of lame sauce. My guess is that it's been both. So I'm going to chat a bit about spicy foods, how they work, and why we like them (and why some don't).

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!

Birmingham at Night

What's better than good food and drink? Nothing.  Of all the great things in the world, some of the ones that have the best memories are related to taste and smell. Vacations, great nights out, Thanksgiving at mom's house... So many memories are related to taste and smell. That's why you can smell something cooking and immediately think about grandma's house. Or the smell of popcorn makes you think of the movies. Our brain encodes smells and tastes more easily than the vast amount of visual info coming in. So those meals stick around...