And here is the picture of the pet Walker adopted at one of the farms.  He, of course wanted to keep him and his justification for taking him home was that we wouldn’t need to mow the grass any more!

So with all the carrots in my house now, I guess a carrot cake is necessary.  I looked up a bunch of carrot cake recipes, and surprisingly, a lot of them had pineapple or cranberry or some other type of fruit or nut.  I was just after a plain carrot cake with cream cheese icing (which makes everything better), and this seemed to be the best one.  Let me know if you have a better recipe!!

Ingredient for Carrot Cake:

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs

3 cups shredded carrots

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients

Add sugar, oil and eggs

Mix well

Add carrots, mix well

Bake at 350 for 1 hour

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Icing:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy

Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar

Store in the refrigerator after use

Red Rice

5 slices bacon or side meat

2 cups cooked rice

¾ cup chopped onion

2 cups canned tomatoes

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon hot sauce

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, cook bacon and reserve grease. Crumble bacon and set aside.

Saute the onions in the reserved bacon drippings until tender. Add tomatoes, rice, salt, pepper and bacon. Cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring and adding water as needed. Add hot sauce and serve.

Classic Honey Flan

Ingredients:

3 eggs beaten

1 1/2 cups 2% milk

1/2 cup of honey divided

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Combine eggs, milk, 1/4 cup honey and vanilla. Beat until mixed but not foamy. Combine remaining 1/4 cup honey and cinnamon in small bowl; mix well. Place 4 (6-ounce) custard cups in 8-inch square baking dish. Spoon 1 tablespoon honey-cinnamon mixture into each custard cup; divide egg mixture into each custard cup. Place baking dish on middle rack of oven; pour boiling water into baking dish around custard cups to 1-inch depth. Bake at 325°F 30 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

  Sarah Walker’s Chocolate Cake:

Cream:

1 ¼ sticks butter

2 cups brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Then add, one at a time

2 large eggs

Mix:

1 ½ cups unbleached flour

1 tsp. salt

Mix:

1 tsp. baking soda in ½ c. boiling water

1/3 cup buttermilk

Melt:

2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350.  Place chocolate in small pan to melt in oven or in microwave.  Beat butter and sugar, add eggs.  Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with buttermilk and soda mixture.  Bake in 2  8” pans at 350 for 30 minutes.

Now we are back in Charleston- it is full on Spring with the azaleas blooming everywhere and tank tops and flip flops have taken back over, and to put the ski season and winter behind me, I found this very spring time recipe on www.GoodHousekeeping.com for a Lemon Ricotta Cheese cake.  Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

4 tablespoons butter or margarine,  softened

3 to 4 lemons

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 packages   (8-ounce)  reduced-fat cream  cheese softened

1 container   (15-ounce)  part-skim  ricotta cheese

4 large eggs

2 cups half-and-half or light  cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wrap outside of 9-inch springform pan  with heavy-duty foil to prevent batter from leaking out during  baking.

In springform pan, with fork, mix graham cracker crumbs and butter  until crumbs are moistened. With hand, press mixture firmly onto bottom of pan.  Bake crust 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack, about 15 minutes.

Reset oven to 325 degrees F. Meanwhile, from 2 lemons, grate 2  teaspoons peel and squeeze 1/3 cup juice. In small bowl, stir together sugar and  cornstarch until blended. In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat cream  cheese and ricotta until smooth, about 5 minutes. Slowly beat in sugar mixture.  Reduce speed to low; beat in eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, and lemon peel and  juice just until blended, scraping bowl often with rubber spatula.

Pour batter onto crust. Bake cheesecake 1 hour. Turn off oven; let  cheesecake remain in oven 1 hour.

Remove cheesecake from oven. To help prevent cracking during cooling,  run a thin knife between edge of cheesecake and pan as soon as cheesecake comes  out of oven. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate  cheesecake at least 6 hours or overnight, until well chilled.

To serve, remove foil and side of pan and place cake on plate. From  remaining lemons, with sharp knife, cut 8 very thin center slices; use to  garnish top of cheesecake.

Choux Pastry Ingredients:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon granulated white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup water

2 large eggs lightly beaten

Egg Wash Glaze:

1 large egg

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions for Choux Pastry:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven.  Lina a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a bowl, sift together flour, sugar, and salt.  Set aside.  Place the butter and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and with a wooden spoon or spatula, quickly add the flour mixture.  Return to heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about a minute of two).  Transfer the dough to your electric mixer or hand mixer and beat on a low speed a minute or two to release the steam from the dough.  Once the dough is lukewarm, start adding the lightly beaten eggs and continue to mix until you have a smooth sticky paste.  Spoon or pipe 12 mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing them a couple of inches apart.  Beat together the egg and salt for the glaze.  With a pastry brush, gently brush the tops of the dough.  Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Bake for another 30-40 minutes or until the shells are a nice amber color and when split, are dry inside.  Turn the oven off and with the door slightly ajar let the shells dry out for a further 10-15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wore rack.

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:

4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate cut into small pieces

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Chocolate Ganache Directions:

But back to Houston, or as Corby likes to call it “Ground Control”- we get in Saturday around noon and Radiohead starts at 7:30 I think.  Radiohead is Corby’s favorite band. I really haven’t listened to them that much- the end of their songs seem a little screamy to me but I am not a music buff in any way shape or form, so what do I know.  Anyway, we are going to go to The Ginger Man (www.gingermanpub.com) because Corby loves it, but any suggestions for awesome Mexican food would be greatly appreciated.  Yay Mexican food- yay queso!   I don’t really have much else for now as I am just waiting for the weekend, and its Tuesday.  But, I saw in Esquire Magazine that they featured a breakfast casserole by the amazing Mike Lata of FIG.  Here is the link http://www.esquire.com/features/food-drink/the-community-cookbook/breakfast-casserole-recipe-0312- it looks yummy!

Appetizer: Homemade Three Cheese Crackers with Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

Entree: Beef, Pork and Veal Meatloaf with Italian Herbs and Barbeque Sauce

Sides: 1) Brown Butter Scallion Mashed Potatoes

2) Spinach Souffle

Dessert: Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

All fantastic!  Our amazing instructor was the very talented chef Emily Kimbrough- she has cooked all over the country at amazing restaurants from Colorado and finally, luckily for us, to Charleston.  The evening consisted of a walk through the kitchen with Emily explaining the concept behind each dish, and then the group broke into little groups to make each dish.  Corby and I chose the Spinach Souffle station as, while I can make pop overs well, I have never mastered a souffle… until last night where we made the most amazing spinach souffles EVER.  While I might admit to not being the biggest fan of spinach, this really was delicious.  I can’t wait to try a cheese souffle because what could be bad about that?  I am also very excited to try a dessert souffle as well.  The interesting thing that she told us was that as you obviously coat the souffle dishes with butter so that they won’t stick, it is best to line them with something so that the souffle will rise much higher.  For a dessert souffle, you should coat the inside of the dish after you butter it with sugar, and for the spinach souffle, we coated it with finely grated Parmesan cheese.  Emily said this makes a souffle rise much much higher.  Here is the recipe for the spinach souffle that serves 12:

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

10 oz frozen spinach thawed

2 shallots, minced

2 1/2 cups milk

2 cups Swiss cheese, grated and divided

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

1/2 tsp nutmeg

6 egg whites

2 egg yolks

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Butter 12 4 oz ramekins.  Sprinkle the butter with cheese.

2. Using your hands, press liquid out of the spinach and discard liquid.  Set aside.

3. Heat 5 tbsp butter in a saute pan over medium heat.  When the butter is hot, add the shallots.  Cook, without stirring, until the shallots start to brown.

4. Add four and stir constantly until the flour smells nutty, about 3-5 minutes.

5. Add the milk, about 1/2 cup at a time, and allow the mixture to thicken after each addition.  Simmer until the mixture will coat the back of a spoon.

6. Add the spinach, 1 1/3 cups of cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Simmer until the mixture is very thick.  Allow to cool slightly- about 5 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, place the egg whites in a mixing bowl and whisk to soft peaks.  Do not over beat as this will make it difficult to fold the egg whites into the souffle properly.

8. Once the spinach mixture is cool, place egg yolks in a mixing bowl.  Whisking constantly, add the spinach mixture slowly to the egg yolks.  This is called tempering (bringing two things to the same temperature.)

9. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the spinach mixture and fold in.  Repeat with the remaining egg whites until all is incorporated.  Do not over mix as this will make the souffle not rise.

10.  Divide the mixture among the ramekins and top with the remaining cheese.  Bake in the oven until puffed and set, about 25-30 minutes.  Serve immediately.  Do not open the oven for at least 20 minutes as this can make the souffle fall.

I know this may seem like a lot of directions, and having everything laid out in the proper measurements was incredibly helpful, but it really seemed easy to make, and they were so good and light and puffy.  The whole dinner experience was fantastic. The meatloaf was amazing as was the soup and mashed potatoes, and the chocolate cake was out of this world.  It was all so easy to make and the instructions were so helpful.  Emily taught us so many tricks about how to cut an onion without crying (don’t cut the root off- had no idea!) and how not to get your meatloaf mixture all gummy.  Here is a picture of the dinner minus the dessert which by the way, some crazy in the back of the class didn’t want hers and guess who got extra- we did!  We had a great time, and I can not wait to go back.  Charleston Cooks! is owned by Maverick Southern Kitchen Group (www.mavericksouthernkitchens.com) which also owns Slightly North of Broad- aka S.N.OB. (where Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively had lunch on Monday- fancy), High Cotton, and the Old Village Post House.  All of these restaurants are musts when visiting Charleston.  Thank you Charleston Cooks! and Emily (and Corby) for a wonderful night!!

I don’t hunt at all.  I have no idea how to turn venison into jerky except that you can pay people to do it for you.  But, I googled a recipe and found what looks to be a good one on www.cooks.com.  So, if you are in the market for an awesome Valentine’s day present, here is the recipe:

 

Ingredients:
-1 lb large strawberries
-8 oz. cream cheese, softened
(can use 1/3 less fat)
-3-4 tbsp powdered sugar (4 tbsp for a sweeter
filling)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-graham cracker
crumbs

Directions:
1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top
of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife, if
necessary (some may already be hollow inside). Prep all strawberries and set
aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla
until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or ziploc with the corner
snipped off. Fill strawberries with cheesecake mixture. Once strawberries are
filled, dip the top in graham cracker crumbs. If not serving immediately,
refrigerate until serving.

So, while I am still a complete novice at pinterest (I am actually waiting for an invitation to join), I am intrigued by what might be on this site or did I just find the best thing right off the bat?  Can’t wait to make these!

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 ounces red food coloring
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon vinegar

There is some variations in the amount of baking soda and vinegar and cocoa powder, but I am going to be a master of this by Sunday so stay tuned!!

     “I used locally grown Ambrose farm strawberries, washed and trimmed of tops and cut in half long ways (this provides a steady strawberry). I used a firm goat cheese (drunken goat, it’s available at the Harris Teeter, it has a purple rind). Using a vegetable peeler, create small shaved slices of the cheese.  For the topping, reduce down 1 cup of balsamic vinegar (preferably aged and of good quality) slowly, stirring periodically.  Reduce down to a syrupy consistency, keeping in mind that as it cools it will thicken even more, so be aware of not taking it too far.  Let cool completely before topping.  Lay strawberries down on platter top with cheese and drizzle small amount of balsamic reduction and serve.”

I can’t wait to have a party to try this.  Thank you so much Blake!  If you haven’t been to EVO- you need to check it out if not for the pizza then for this amazing chef!!  I am now off to Utah to ski at Alta until Sunday, and I couldn’t be more excited!  Will post about it when I get back hopefully in one piece!

I love The Local Palate (www.localpalatemag.com), the new cooking/food magazine in Charleston.  Yesterday, they put up a link to all of their recipes http://www.localpalatemag.com/recipes.html, and I tried the Peanut Butter Pie recipe.  You know those days in the kitchen where everything goes wrong- you drop eggs on the floor, you burn butter, your flour explodes everywhere into a disasterous mess- that was pretty much my experience with trying to make a Peanut Butter Pie.  You know when you have those days, and despite all the mess and frustration, your dish turns out marvelously- well that didn’t happen.  Ok- here is the recipe from the Local Palate-

Ingredients:

2 cups peanut butter, smooth or chunky
1 pound cream cheese
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 pint heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
3 large egg yolks
1 Oreo cookie prepared pie shell
4 tablespoons peanuts, toasted
4 ounces shaved bittersweet chocolate

 

This morning I started thinking about what I was going to try next time, and then I started thinking about bacon because it is so good and I really love it.  Amazingly, initially the two thoughts did not have anything to do with each other.  Fortunately, I was awoke from my bacon daydream to google bacon recipes, and I came across bacon wrapped water chestnuts.  I haven’t had those in so long, and I love them, and that is what I will be making for the next Backgammon Night!  Here is the recipe from www.allrecipes.com that I will be using- I am pretty excited!

Ingredients

1 pound sliced bacon

2 (8 ounce) cans whole water chestnuts, drained

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chili sauce

Cut bacon strips in half. In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until almost crisp; drain. Wrap each bacon piece around a water chestnut and secure with a toothpick. Place in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.

Combine the brown sugar, mayonnaise and chili sauce; pour over water chestnuts. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Skillet Cornbread

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups stone ground cornmeal (I used yellow)

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

4 tbsp melted butter

1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In large bowl, mix cornmeal, baking powder, flour, salt, 2 tablespoons of the butter, and 1 cup of buttermilk.  This should be a pourable consistency- if it is too thick for your liking, you can add more buttermilk.  Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large cast iron skillet, but don’t let the butter burn.  Pour the batter into the very hot skillet and cook for about 3o seconds to 1 minute until it bubbles abound the edges of the batter.  Immediately take skillet from burner and put into preheated over to bake until golden brown- about 20 to 25 minutes.  When done- remove cornbread from skillet with the bottom side up onto a serving dish and enjoy!

Marvelous Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (you can have more depending on how many people you are feeding- up to 1 1/2 lbs I keep the same amount of the ingredients below)

1 cup bread crumbs (I used the Italian Seasoning breadcrumbs just to add flavor)

1 egg

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp oregano

1 cup ketchup (I usually use 2/3 cup ketchup and then the rest I use steak sauce)

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325.  In a large mixing bowl, add the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, salt and pepper, oregano, and ketchup.  Mix together- I use my hands- until you form a large ball of the meat mixture.  Put a sheet of tin foil on a baking sheet and roll out the meat mixture until you get a flat rectangle, not too thin, but not too thick either.  Sprinkle most of the grated cheese on top of the rectangle, and then roll up the meat- kind of like a jelly roll with the cheese in the middle.  Bake at 325 for 45 minutes.  At around 40 minutes, I sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the loaf.

It was all so delicious, Walker asked for it again tonight!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of black eyed peas
• 4 cups of water
• 1 lb ham hocks
• 1 onion chopped (I like using a white onion the best, but any onion will work fine)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (because every dish should have some cheese in it- it is just better)

Directions:

Put all of the ingredients except for the rice and cheese into a pot and cover with water and bring to a boil.  Then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for an hour and a half.  Then remove the ham hock and cut the meat into pieces.  Return the pieces to the pot and add the rice.  Cover the pot and cook until the rice is ready- about 20 to 25 minutes.  Serve with the cheese sprinkled on top.

Here is what it is supposed to look like although I doubt mine will be this pretty.

I am including a recipe I found on Allrecipes.com for collard greens.  Again, I really dislike them, but if I were to make them- this looked pretty yummy.

Ingredients:

• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 bunches collard greens – rinsed, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 4 slices bacon
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Directions:

Place potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Before the potatoes are finished, add the collards to the pot.

Place bacon in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain, and saute the onion in bacon grease until tender. Drain onions of grease, and add to the greens. Crumble in the bacon, and stir in the wine vinegar. Simmer over low heat until greens are tender, about 1 hour.

 I hope these bring you luck and fortune, and I am looking forward to all of the fun baking and cooking in 2012.  Happy New Year!!

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, melted

ham

grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, and then add the salt and butter and mix until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled  frying pan over medium high heat. Ladel the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Add in as much ham and grated cheese as you like. Loosen with a spatula and flip half of the crepe on top and then flip to cook the other side. Serve hot.  This is where our technique left something to be desired as it is a little tricky.  Make sure the frying pan is HOT.

These really were so easy and so good, and I think they come off as pretty impressive. 

The next day, we went on a great hike down into the Linville Gorge to a swimming hole called Babel Tower- we didn’t swim.  But it was so beautiful, and in the summer, it is a great place to go.  There are several different places to jump off- very low places for me, and there is about a 20 foot jump which scares me to death, but is super fun for Walker.  Here are some pictures.    Tomorrow, I will post recipes about our Christmas day feast of Rommegrot and Canadian bacon strata and our hike up the profile of Grandfather Mountain- too fun!

Charleston is so pretty! So of course, as soon as I got home, I googled tater tot recipes.  This one from www.food.com looked pretty good, and I will definetly try it, but Ore-Ida makes it so darn easy!  The last thing I will add is that we went to Big Gun Burger Shop (www.bigguncharleston.com) on Saturday night after a few Christmas parties that were heavy on the alcohol and light on the food.  This place is so great!!  Not only do they serve late, but they also have a Twinkie Milkshake which is really amazing.  I opted for the Mac and Cheese Fritters instead of a burger (which I have had and they are so good), and they were the perfect late night snack (other than tater tots of course, but they didn’t have those on the menu which goes back to my whole thing of them being under served!!)

Ingredients:

8 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled, and hot

1 tablespoon flour

1 dash pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons finely minced onions (optional)

canola oil or vegetable oil

Directions:

Finely shred or use a ricer while potatoes are still hot.

Stir in flour, salt, pepper and onion (if using).

Heat 1/4-in oil in heavy pan.

Form into small balls and drop in oil; fry until slightly golden.

The second great thing about this party was the three families we had come over to help us decorate the houses.  Two of the families are very old friends of mine who I have know since I was born practically, and we all three went from 1st through 12th grade together, and that includes boarding school in Connecticut.  We had grown up decorating gingerbread houses together as children, and it was so much fun to watch our own children start this tradition for themselves.

The third thing I loved about this party was where my sweet old dog, Nemo, positioned himself.  Now, since I didn’t actually have to do anything for this party other than buy the candy, and since I am currently at my real job without my mother’s recipe book in front of me, I can’t post at this time the recipe for gingerbread houses, but I will do an update this afternoon when I get home.

I might be biased, but I think these four gingerbread houses are the best gingerbread houses ever to be built.  It is such a fun Christmas activity to do with children, and so much fun to eat after!

Update:  Of course my wonderful mother sent me the recipe as soon as she read this!!

Another fantastic Christmas idea is one I got from The Bloggess (www.thebloggess.com)- if you don’t read her blog- you should.  I fall out of my chair laughing at her posts.  She is phenomenal, and I can’t wait until her book comes out this spring- you need to check her out!  Anyway- she said that for the past several years, she has gotten a whole bunch of toys and donated them to Toys for Tots in her parents name which, I think is pretty brilliant.  So, this year, she has four places you can donate to for the holidays.  Project Night Night (http://www.projectnightnight.org/index.html) is a great organization that provides a “Night Night” bag for homeless children that includes a book, blanket and stuffed animal.  The second is Toys for Tots (www.toysfortots.org).  The third is the The Heifer Project and I am going to re post what she put up about it because it so funny:

The Heifer Project (http://www.heifer.org/ourwork/our-work). Basically it’s about giving livestock and training to families around the world, because llamas are awesome.  Or something.  I don’t know.  I get confused after I see the llamas.  But I do know that they do amazing work and that you can buy a share of a goat for $10.  Which is great because you’re helping a family in need and you also get to tell your horrible aunt Frieda (who made you feel fat when you were 12 and won’t stop asking why you aren’t married yet) that for Christmas you bought a share of a goat in her honor.  The ass end.  Merry Christmas to everyone concerned.

The fourth is Wish Upon a Hero (www.wishuponahero.com)- people can post what they need, and you can look up by all sorts of criteria including zip code and grant a wish to someone in need.

Well, just a couple of thoughts in this holiday season-  I need to start shopping!!

Even though we live in Charleston and have fresh oysters practically in our backyard, Corby heard about the oyster sliders at The Dutch (http://thedutchnyc.com), so of course, we went to try them.  While I did not partake in the consuming of the oyster sliders, the restaurant had a great atmosphere and wonderful feel, and the look on Corby’s face while eating said slider- I am assuming they were pretty marvelous.

And last, but certainly not least, and probably my favorite of all was the Dominique Ansel Bakery (http://dominiqueansel.com/index.html) down in Soho we went to check out on Sunday morning.  We unfortunately shared a black and white eclair- I say unfortunately because I wanted it all for myself and then maybe three others to go with it.  It was the best eclair I have had in a very long time, and I feel like I am well versed in all things eclair as they are my favorite.

All in all, I feel like I got the best NYC experience.  We walked everywhere, tried several new restaurants, had amazing dinners and wine and saw lots of old friends, got delayed for almost two hours at Laguardia for no apparent reason, and got in late last night exhausted and happy to be home.  It was perfect.

So despite the fact that it is 80 in Charleston today, I am now gearing up for Christmas- how is that possible!!!  We are headed to NYC this weekend for a visit, and I am so excited to get some cold weather to get into the Christmas spirit.  We are also going to my sister’s annual gingerbread house building party on Sunday before we head home which we have not been to in a long time and should be so fun!  To also help get into the Christmas mode, here is recipe I love from Christmas with Southern Living from back in 2005- Spiced Eggnog Pound Cake- enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 3 cups sifted cake flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup eggnog
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Powdered sugar
• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon whipping cream

Preparation

• Generously grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan; set aside.
• Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer about 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with 1 cup eggnog, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla and, if desired, brandy.
• Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Stir cinnamon and next 3 ingredients into remaining batter. Spoon spice batter over plain batter. Swirl batters together, using a knife.
• Bake at 350° for 50 to 55 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.
• Place cake on a cake plate; dust with powdered sugar.
• Combine 1 cup powdered sugar and whipping cream, stirring until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cake

“Leave it to a baker in moonshine country to create a dessert that rivals the Kentucky bourbon ball. The Double Chocolate Moonshine Cake from Red Truck Bakery in Virginia is made with legal hooch and enough rich chocolate to give you a food buzz. ”
  ~ Garden & Gun Magazine

Belgian Hot Chocolate Recipe

• 1 quart 2% milk or use whatever kind of milk you drink- for those who like it very creamy, use half and half.
• the original recipe calls for 8 oz of bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate and 4 oz of milk chocolate- I used 6oz and 6oz
• tiny pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• a dash of vanilla extract
• a dash of nutmeg

Warm about one-third of the half-and-half or milk, with the chopped chocolates and salt, stirring until the chocolate is melted.

Whisk in the remaining half-and-half or milk, heating until the mixture is warmed through. Add the cinnamon, vanilla extract and nutmeg.

Use a hand-held blender, or a whisk, and mix the hot chocolate until it’s completely smooth. Serve very warm and add as many marshmellows or as much whip cream as you like!

I was also blown away by the tailgates at this event.  I was not informed until I had made a complete fool of myself gawking at everyone’s taxidermy and ice sculptures that there was a “best tailgate” competition going on.  These were the people next to us- if that fox had been a taxidermied jackalope, they would have won! My thoughts on jackalopes requires a whole different post that may or may not happen at some point in the future.  Anyway, back to the tailgates.  Clearly, not only is a tailgate not complete without cheese straws, but I think you would be hard pressed to find- at least in my family- any event where there is drinking, cheese straws are pretty much guaranteed to be involved as well.  With Thanksgiving coming up, and the whole family descending, I found this recipe for Cheese and Prosciutto Straws, that while I didn’t have time to make for the Charleston Cup tailgate (not to worry- they had other cheese straws there)- I will make them for pre Thanksgiving cocktail hour, and I am really excited about them.

• INGREDIENTS
• 1½ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
• ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
• ¼ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream, divided
• ¼ cup finely chopped prosciutto
• 2 tablespoons flaky sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°. In the bowl of a standing mixer, blend together the butter, cheddar, ½ teaspoon of the cayenne pepper and the paprika.  Gradually add the flour mixture and 1 tablespoon of the heavy cream. Fold in the prosciutto and mix until a dough barely forms.  Divide the dough into two balls the same size, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flaky sea salt with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of the cayenne pepper.

4. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle, about 1/16 inch thick. Using a pizza cutter, knife or pastry wheel, cut the dough into ¾-inch-wide-by-6-inch-long strips. Transfer the strips to baking sheets and use a pastry brush to brush the strips with the remaining tablespoon of the heavy cream. Sprinkle each strip with the seasoned salt and gently twist each strip. Place in the oven and bake until golden and crisp, about 12 to 15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough until all of it has been used. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Here is what you need:

• 1 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• One 12- to 14-pound bone-in pork shoulder, with skin (we used pork butt- either works fine)
• About 50 hardwood charcoal briquettes
• 8 cups small hardwood smoking chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes and drained

Here is what you do:

• Preheat the oven to 275°. In a medium bowl, whisk the mustard with the brown sugar, salt, pepper, paprika and onion powder. Set the pork shoulder, fat side up, in doubled 14-by-18-inch disposable aluminum roasting pans. Brush the pork with the mustard mixture. Roast, uncovered, for 12 hours, until the meat is very tender and is pulling away from the shoulder bone.
• Tilt the pan and pour the roasting juices into a medium bowl; you should have about 1 1/4 cups. Refrigerate the juices for 30 minutes. Skim off the fat before using.
• Meanwhile, light 10 of the charcoal briquettes. When the coals are hot, cover them with the remaining 40 briquettes. When all the coals are hot, arrange 6 cups of the soaked wood chips around the coals. Set the roasting pan on the grill grate over the coals and wood chips. Cover the grill, partially open the air vents and smoke the pork shoulder for 30 minutes.
• Carefully remove the pork and the grill grate and stir the coals a few times. Scatter the remaining 2 cups of soaked wood chips over the coals. Replace the grill grate and return the pork to the grill. Cover and smoke for 30 minutes longer.
• Transfer the pork to a work surface and let rest for 30 minutes. Pull the meat off of the bones; discard the bones, gristle, skin and fat. Using tongs and a fork, or your fingers, finely shred the meat and transfer it to a large bowl.

Growing up in South Carolina, I am completely biased towards the mustard based sauce, but any sauce would work on this magnificent dish.  Here is the sauce we used:

• 1 1/2 cups prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white pepper

Preparation:

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon of salt

6- 1/2 tablespoon balls of pimento cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, and I have found it best if you put the popover pan in the oven while it is preheating.  In a medium bowl, beat the eggs slightly, then beat in the flour, milk and salt until smooth, but be sure not to over beat it.  What I have done, is when the oven is at 450, pour the egg mixture into a mixing cup or something with a pour spout.  Open the oven, and pull out the rack with the pan on it, spray some cooking oil (I have used Pam) or pour a little oil in each popover cup.  Then fill the cups up about half way- put a pimento cheese ball in each and then pour a little more of the mixture over top so that the cheese is covered.  Then cook for 20 minutes at 450 then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook for another 20 minutes.  I actually just left mine at 450 for about 25-30 minutes and they were perfect, and they got much bigger than the German pancake, so Walker was immensely happy!

We are a culinary magazine  that focuses on the food culture of Charleston.

Charleston is a town where bacon  is considered a vegetable, Sunday  suppers are an honored tradition,  farmers are revered community  leaders and white chefs’ coats  proliferate the cobblestone streets.

It is a town where African, Spanish,  French, Jewish, and English  influences meld seamlessly onto  the plate; a town where major  American food staples, such as  rice and tea originated; a town  where food knows no stranger and  hospitality is a way of life.

Welcome to Charleston.
We’ll save you a seat.

What’s better than that- bacon IS a vegetable!!  Will definitely be sharing recipes from this magazine- so excited to have it around!!

Bourbon Barrel Foods is a maker of gourmet food products that reflect the rich heritage of Kentucky’s Bourbon Country, “The Napa Valley of the Bluegrass.”  Our philosophy is to make quality gourmet sauces and seasonings by adhering to a three-word philosophy: slow, small, simple.  From the farmer in southern Kentucky that grows the soybeans for our naturally fermented, small-batch soy sauce, to the grower in Eastern Kentucky that harvests the sorghum we use as a sweetener, we have a hands-on approach that requires us to search for the best the state has to offer and develop relationships with the farmers that get great satisfaction seeing their crops grow from the seed to the shelf.

Bourbon Barrel Foods is located in Louisville, Kentucky.  The Gateway to Bourbon Country.

Fantastic!!  What’s even better is that they have recipes on their site that look amazing.  I am going home this afternoon to make this one!!

Blue Cheese and Toasted Walnut Crostinis with Kentucky Sweet Sorghum

Ingredients
6 to 8 oz crumbled blue cheese
2 oz walnut pieces
Bourbon Barrel Foods brand Kentucky Sweet Sorghum
1 baguette sliced into rounds

Directions
Preheat oven to 375
Mix cheese and nuts and
portion onto bread rounds
Drizzle sorghum on top and toast until melted and slightly browned
Garnish with fresh herbs or fruit
Can be served warm or at room temp
Should keep 2 days in sealed container

I am in love with this ad!

House-Autry Mills is looking for Southern recipes that incorporate
at least one House-Autry product. Additionally, the company hopes to learn the
stories and traditions behind these special recipes. The best recipes will be
included in the cookbook and possibly featured on the House-Autry Mills
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“House-Autry Mills will be celebrating its 200th anniversary in
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Mills business development manager. “Compiling a Southern cookbook gives us an
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and preserve their recipes for future generations.”

To submit a recipe and the story behind it, visit http://www.house-autry.com/calling_all_southern_cooks.
The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2011.

About House-Autry Mills:

Based in Four Oaks, N.C., House-Autry Mills has been the choice of
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That night, Ree and Ladd came over to the Lodge where we were staying and cooked us amazing steaks and Delicious, Creamy Mashed Potatoes.  That is actually Ree’s name for the dish in her cookbook, and the recipe is below!

The next day, after watching the sunrise again- this time from my bed in the Lodge- which was much better, we drove to Fayetteville, Arkansas to visit Corby’s family and watch the Arkansas vs. Auburn game.  Two very good things came from this trip- first, Arkansas won- which while I don’t really have any passion for football what so ever, it makes Corby wildly happy.  Second, and more importantly, we went to Rick’s Bakery (www.ricksbakery.com) which was very much deserved after the extreme trail run Corby took me on Saturday morning.  Wow!  Of the many things I tried at Rick’s- donuts, petifores, cookies, and cake, I think the petifores with the Razorback decorative icing were my favorite, and who knew they were such a hit at tailgates.  Everything was so good!!  If you are in Fayetteville, AR for any reason, make a point to go there, and you will not regret it!

Delicious, Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes

3/4 cups Butter

1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened

1/2 cup (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half

1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

Instructions:

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes.  Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove.  Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

Clearly you can tell which one is my picture vs. her amazing picture.  Corby on the ranch with the rainbow- beautiful.  Corby on the creek with bad lighting- mine.  Oh well.

So apparently, tomorrow on the ranch, they are shipping cattle. Apparently, we are helping.  At least there will be good food at the end of it all.  Here is one of her recipes for Mystery Rolls that is so easy and good and of course has cheese.

Mystery Rolls

6 oz crumbled blue cheese

1 stick of salted butter

1 roll of Pilsbury Biscuits

Preheat oven to 350.  Place the stick of butter and the crumbled blue cheese on a baking sheet.  Take out the biscuits and cut them into quarters.  Place the baking sheet with the butter and cheese in the oven until it has all melted.  When all the butter and cheese has melted, take the baking sheet out of the oven and dump the biscuit pieces onto the baking sheet.  Stir around the biscuit pieces until they are fully coated with the butter and cheese, and then arrange in rows on the sheet.  Place back in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.  They are sooo good!

The evening was topped off with Pear Tartatin with Honey Syrup and Pistachio Creme and the Board of Lowcountry Local First gathering with Chef Mike Lata for a photograph in the live oak tree!

For good measure, here is the sunset and the river.  It was such a fun evening, and I can’t wait for next year!

Chocolate Bread Pudding

6 cup bread cubes

4 cup milk

6 egg yolks

1-3/4 cup sugar, divided

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

4 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate, melted

4 tbs. butter or margarine, melted

6 egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Preheat oven 375F. Grease 12x8x2 inch baking dish. In large bowl combine bread and milk; let stand 10 to 15 minutes. In large bowl with mixer at high speed, beat egg yolks, 1 cup sugar and vanilla until light colored. Beat in chocolate and butter. Gradually stir in bread mixture. Pour into prepared dish. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until set. In large bowl with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually beat in remaining 3/4 cup sugar and cream of tartar; continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread evenly on top of baked pudding. Bake in 375F oven 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Makes 8 to 12 servings