The South Shall Rise Again

I was born and raised a mid-west girl (Chicago, Chicago that toddlin' town). I've lived in the South (Oh the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home), the Southwest (by the time I get to Phoenix) and the West (hooray for Hollywood). I'm often mistaken for an East-coaster (New York, New York), which to spite what a lot of people may say, I take as a great compliment. However, part of me has a strange draw to the deep South and I have NO idea where it comes from. Maybe it was all those years of watching Gone With the Wind on Superbowl Sunday (true story). I feel drawn to the idea of sitting on a wrap-around porch in a rocking chair, sipping iced tea with mint and watching fireflies light up the night sky. I loved fireflies as a kid - they made me happy. I don't see fireflies anymore. Where have all the fireflies gone? Oh my gosh did you know fireflies eat their mates? I just learned this recently - terrible etiquette. Oh fiddledeedee - where was I? Right - the South.

So recently I mentioned in passing to my husband that we should go on vacation to Savannah, GA. "Why" he questioned. Which is exactly what he said when "we" decided to go to Vermont and Cape Cod one year. "Because we've never been" I say. So, now we (and by we I mean I) are in the midst of planning a long weekend to Savannah. Home of the Girl Scouts (cookies!), cotton plantations, trees covered in Spanish moss (don't touch it) and some hauntingly fantastic architecture (literally haunted). And then there's always . . . food. BBQ, seafood, pecans, bourbon and (no joke) peas & carrots.  

So because I felt in a Southern mood this weekend (partially because it is so damn hot and muggy in Los Angeles it seems like the South), I decided to make biscuits, which, contrary to popular belief are fairly simple to make. What I love about biscuits is you can do so many things with them. They can be sweet, savory, eaten with berries and whipped cream or piled high with ham (covered in gravy if you are a true Southerner) for a breakfast treat. Yep, nothin' says lovin' like a biscuit topped with tastiness. 

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar 
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
9 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
3/4 cup buttermilk (yogurt or sour cream will also work)

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 °F and cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large, wide bowl. Using fingertips or a pastry cutter, work butter into dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, Add buttermilk and stir until large, craggy clumps form. Reach hands into bowl and knead mixture briefly until it just holds together. 

Transfer dough to floured counter and pat out until 3/4-inch thick. Using a round cutter (2 inches for regular sized biscuits, 3 inches for larger ones), press straight down — twisting produces less layered sides — and transfer rounds to prepared sheet, spacing two inches apart.

Bake until biscuits are golden brown on top, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly, then serve warm, with butter/jam/berries/lemon curd/eggs/bacon/sausage or any other thing your little heart desires.

You could certainly make these biscuits with chives, black pepper, cheese - you name it. I chose this particular version because it was simple, used ingredients I had in the house at the time and could be served as savory or sweet depending on the filling so I was good to go no matter what. I chose to serve these with a fresh blueberry compote for breakfast and they were (if I do say so myself) quite scrumptious. If I were serving for dessert, I would have added some whipped cream (fresh - not the canned stuff you all know I refuse to acknowledge exists) and it would have been equally as tasty. 

Since I'm super satisfied with my breakfast of biscuits and blueberries, I think I'll go cinch myself into a hoop skirt, grab my parasol and head on out for the afternoon. Catch y'all later!

Florence Remembered - A Trip Down Culinary Lane

Quick story. After my grandfather passed away when I was in college I went to visit my grandparent's graves in Chicago (I know this is a weird way to start a food blog but stick with me - it has a poignant ending). I had written them a letter and sent it up c/o some lovely helium balloons. As I watched them drift away, I looked down to notice that on their headstone were two ladybugs. I have always taken this as a sign that my grandparents were there - listening. Now, every time I have really needed some guiding support (usually unknowingly), a ladybug seemingly shows up in the most unlikely of places. Again - a sign they are indeed paying close attention. Are you still with me? Pay attention - this comes back into play.

After my husband and I returned from Italy almost a year ago (so sad it has been a year already), I felt compelled to make Bolognese. Because . . . while we were in Florence we took a wonderful private cooking class which, I have to say, was one of the absolute highlights of our trip. For me it was Italy as it should be experienced. In a rustic kitchen overlooking a vineyard with fresh ingredients purchased that morning from the open market. As I washed my hands prepping to dig into some pasta making techniques, my husband tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to an open window . . . ladybugs. An uncountable number of ladybugs. Almost as if my entire Italian family were there cheering me on - happy that I had finally brought my husband to meet them in Italy. While I didn't learn anything I really didn't really already know about cooking, it was an experience that I will never forget because it was almost . . . magical. As every cooking experience should be.

As I have researched, attempted and re-worked my recipe over the last several months, I have decided that I am finally pleased with my final outcome. My Bolognese could rival that of Lydia Bastianich in my very humble opinion.Yes, I stand by that statement. Now I make it almost every month (always on a Sunday) and by Monday night it is completely devoured. Something a "chef" always loves to see.

I could share this recipe with you, but frankly I'm very secretive about some recipes and this is one of them. Have I ever mentioned that in preschool I received an "F" in "sharing"? True story. I only share this particular recipe with my very closest friends which means about 3 people have been approved to receive this recipe and they may not even have it yet. However, I'm also a giver. I AM! Can't you feeeeeel it? Especially when it comes to food. I've said it before and I'll say it again, food is how I show love. It's the Italian way. With this in mind, I am willing to share a very close variation of my Bolognese with you. I know, I know, you think I'm a nut job, but trust me my children of the internet one day you will understand.

First, I need to make a disclaimer. In Italy they don't use garlic - in anything. I do. I use garlic in almost everything. Because I can and because it tastes good. So there. Moving on.

Note that this is NOT a Spaghetti sauce. Oh no my friend, this is a ragu. This is a thick, rich, meat-based pasta accompaniment which is not to be taken lightly. It is a beautiful, luscious dish that takes time and love so be prepared that this is not going to look like that Prego or Classico stuff you find in a jar. Don't get me wrong, the jarred sauce works in a pinch and can be tasty if a few culinary adjustments are made, but this is NOT that. Trust me - you'll see.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 1 medium celery rib, finely diced
• 1 pound very lean ground beef or ground pork (or combination)
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 3/4 cup wine (red or white whatever you prefer - I've used both)
• One 28-ounce can peeled, chopped Italian tomatoes (San Marzano is the only way to go)
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or canned low-sodium broth
• 2 - 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk
• 1/4 cup Parmesan 

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan and heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for an additional 5 min. Scrape the vegetable mixture into a large bowl.
2. Add the remaining olive oil to the saucepan and heat. Add the beef and/or pork and
   cook over moderately high heat until just barely pink, about 5 minutes. Return the vegetable mixture to the saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost evaporated, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, the chicken stock, thyme and bay leaf. Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover partially and cook over low heat for 2 hours. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan and cook the sauce just until heated through.The sauce should be thick in consistency.
3. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook your pasta of choice (I like Pappardelle) until al dente. Drain well, return to the pot and toss with the sauce. Serve the pasta in deep bowls and serve with additional grated Parmesan. 

My Sicilian grandfather used to make a simple sauce when I was a little girl and my Irish father used to make a ragu with every meat under the sun when I was a teenager. A variation so thick your fork would stand up. This version I share with you today, this is my recipe (or a variation of it) - a lovely combination of the two I experienced growing up. Tradition and modernism combined - as it should be.

 

Please enjoy this Sunday supper with some warm, crusty garlic bread, a glass of red and follow it with cuddle on the couch and a nap because you are going to want to curl up and dream of leftovers. From my family to yours - mangiare e gustare!

It's Gettin' Hot in Here

The Summer is wrapping up folks. Sad but true. Labor Day has come and gone and you know what that means. Time to put away the white pants and flip flops and start pulling out the sweaters because Fall is just around the corner. 

No, wait. It isn't. Not in Southern California. It's 83 degrees and muggy and it needs to stop. Stop I tell you. This heat is madness. The reality of the situation is that we have no air in our home. It was built in the early 1920's and air conditioning was never installed. Most of the year it is perfect but in the Summer months it is pretty close to the temperature of hell. What does this have to do with food you ask? Everything! Who wants to cook when it's over 80 degrees in your home? Not this girl! So, recently I did what any person in their right sweaty mind would do - I made sorbet. Six. Different. Kinds. Why? Because I can that's why. 

You may be questioning my sanity and my judgment at this point and I understand (sort of). Why make it when you can buy it already made? I'm of the opposite mind. Why buy it when I can make it - and make it better! Oh yes, you heard me - BETTER! You can make any flavor your little heart desires. AND you can use what you already have in your fridge. Don't shake your head at me - it works and you know it. I can prove it. Stay with me here - there's a point to this story.

Recently I had surgery (no, no, I'm fine really - don't despair) and there was a good portion of time where my eating habits consisted of things like mashed potatoes, pureed carrots and yes, baby food. I've come to understand why babies hate this stuff. It ends up on the floor for a reason. It's not good folks. Not good. Anyway, we had some pureed bananas, peaches and pears in our possession and so I decided that the best way to utilize these mashed products of nastiness was to turn them into something palatable and satisfying. A true culinary feat if ever presented with one. And so, sorbet it was.

Now, sorbet can be tricky. Too much water and not enough sugar and you end up with an ice pop. Too much alcohol (do I have your attention now) and it won't set up/freeze properly. Too much sugar and it turns out to be far too sweet and then must be reduced to something entirely different. See what I mean - tricky. However, it is also very simple. 

Let's take the pear sorbet as an example - because that happened to be my favorite of all the sorbet mixtures I made. You can do this with fresh or canned pears but I was using pureed pears because that is what was in the fridge. I mixed eight ounces of pureed pears with 3/4 cup of water, 1/2 cup of sugar (dissolved in the water), 1/4 cup of white wine, the juice of 1 lemon and 1 tbsp. honey. I chilled the mixture overnight and then placed it in my ice cream maker and prepared according to manufacturer's instructions. Easy. If you are using fresh or canned pears, try the below recipe.

Ingredients

• 5 small pears, peeled and sliced
• 3/4 cup white wine or apple juice if you prefer
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice 

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until pears are tender. Cool slightly.
2. Pour into a food processor or blender, cover and process for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Cool completely and process in ice cream maker according to instructions. 
3. Just before serving, process again in a food processor for 1-2 minutes or until smooth if too icy. Spoon into dessert dishes. Yield: 4 servings.

This is going to sound crazy, but this particular sorbet is fantastic with a home-made blueberry compote. Something about the lightness of the pear sorbet and the tartness of the blueberries makes this a combination that is just delightful. Yeah, you heard me DELIGHTFUL.

Keep in mind that this is just the beginning of what you can do with your friend the ice cream/sorbet maker. Currently in our freezer are several tasty sorbet concoctions awaiting their after-dinner consumption including banana brown sugar, peach white wine, pear white wine and honey, latte and a very tasty lemon (one of our favorites). You can experiment with so many different flavors it will leave your head spinning. I've made a chocolate orange sorbet that is AMAZING but we will leave that one for another time as it is quite rich and more of a fall/winter or special occasion dessert - stay tuned for that one. 

I almost forgot the bonus!  Since there is no dairy, it is fantastic for those who are lactose intolerant. Ding, ding, ding - BONUS! But, if you wanted that creamy texture of ice cream, you could make (which I have so I know this works) an avocado sorbet. Aaaah! Is your head exploding yet from the possibilities??

So, grab yourself some tasty ingredients and zip them, whip them and blend them into a slurry of tastiness, freeze it up and enjoy the rest of your Summer! I, myself, am going to go stick my head in the freezer and pretend it's October. Look out penguins here I come!