My Bakery Wish List

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Since I started writing this blog, I have been making a wish list of bakeries I want to visit.  Red Truck Bakery (www.redtruckbakery.com) in Old Town Warrenton, VA is definitely at the top of the list.  First off, I really love that they turned an old Esso Station into a bakery.  Second, I really love the truck- an old 1954 red  Ford farm truck- while I would not have the first clue how to drive it and would surely kill the transmission, clutch and any thing else in the engine, is really my dream truck.  Third, and most importantly, I am obsessed with their menu- I look at it every day and wish that I could be there right when the bakery opens and smells so amazing.  Today’s soup for example is potato with apple wood smoked bacon- heaven.  If you live in the neighborhood or have the chance to be near the area, please check it out for me as it doesn’t seem that I will make it there any time in the near future.  Fortunately- they ship nationwide (http://www.redtruckbakery.com/store)!! Here is some of the press from my favorite magazine- Garden & Gun:

“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

Cheese and Prosciutto Straws and a Steeplechase

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After surviving the Saturday night sleepover of 11 eight-year-old boys, we got to have some grown-up fun by way of the Charleston Cup.  The Charleston Cup is a steeplechase race that started twenty-five years ago. However, this is only the eighteenth running of the race as they took an eight-year hiatus.  It was a spectacular day, and what better way to fight off complete exhaustion than to go spend the day drinking and eating at a horse race!  I had not been to the Charleston Cup since I was about ten, when we sat on the top of the car and bet pennies on all the races- so fun!  As this was Walker’s first experience with horse racing, and because I wanted him to be entertained by something other than me, I gathered up all the change in the house so he would be able to bet as much as he wanted.  Little did I know that kids don’t bet with pennies anymore- it was $5 a race- big stakes- he didn’t win, but I let him keep all the change.

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.

 

Nashville: Avett Brothers, Arkansas vs. Vandy, and ohhh the food

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We got into Nashville this past Friday afternoon just in time for dinner before the Avett Brothers concert at Bridgestone Arena.  I have only been to Nashville once in the past and that was to look at Vanderbilt for college, so it doesn’t really count.  Fortunately for me, thanks to Corby’s fantastic ability to find amazing restaurants, and readers suggestions, we were all set!  As there were so many restaurants and so many yummy treats to eat, I will just provide a highlight as opposed to bogging you down with details of every morsel of food I put in my mouth.  First stop was City House (www.cityhousenashville.com). Corby had read an article in Garden and Gun about the 50 best dishes in the South, and the House Made Belly Ham Pizza was on the list (www.gardenandgun.com/article/southern-foods-meats).

The restaurant had such a great feel, the waiter was so helpful and friendly, and the pizza was really and truly special.  Also, if you do go there, and you should, there is an appetizer called Frico- cheese over potatoes baked in the wood oven that is a must.  Completely full and satisfied, we went to see the amazing Avett Brothers. I love them.  The next morning, we were supposed to go for a run before the Arkansas vs. Vanderbilt football game, but it was cold, so we opted for the Frothy Monkey http://www.frothymonkeynashville.com instead.  We saw a lot of runners on the way to this great coffee house, and they looked really cold, so I think skipping the run and getting an awesome hot chocolate and buttery croissant was a very good call.  Onto the game- I generally LOVE stadium food, but I knew we were not only checking out two spots after the game, but then we were headed to dinner with some friends, so I limited myself to one hot dog.  Arkansas won- yay!  Now more food.

After the game- thanks to a reader, Jessica, we went to SATCO- the San Antonio Taco Company (www.thesatco.com).  It was very near the Vanderbilt campus, and if any of you watch or care about college football and happened to catch the game this past Saturday- it was more than a little tense.  Tacos, queso and beer put all right with the world again.  We then made a quick stop at McDougal’s (www.mcdougalschicken.com) for some chicken fingers, and of the ranch, bbq, and house-made special sauce- special sauce wins- so good!  Dinner was at Taco Mamacita which is always a fav with their super fresh ingredients and amazing margaritas.  It was a very full day of eating.  To top off such a fun weekend, we went again to a suggestion from Jessia to brunch at The Loveless Cafe (www.lovelesscafe.com).  While there was a bit of a wait at this very popular place, the reason for the wait became very obvious when we were seated and the biscuits were brought out.  Oh so good.  We ordered the biscuit sampler as a side which came with a pulled pork BBQ biscuit, a steak biscuit, a chicken biscuit and country ham biscuit.  If Corby had not ordered the Pit Cooked Pork BBQ and two egg breakfast, we would have come to blows over that BBQ biscuit- the BBQ was that good.  Fortunately, this was Corby’s breakfast, and there was plenty of BBQ to go around.  It was such a fun trip, and Nashville is a great town but I will be eating salads for a week to combat the obnoxious numbers of calories I consumed 🙂

Pimento Cheese Popovers

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Corby has been making German pancakes on the weekend for breakfast, and since those don’t really have anything to do with Southern Baking, I have not blogged about them despite how amazing they are.  He adds vanilla, cinnamon, powdered sugar, syrup- they are pretty special.  But, the thing I like best about the German pancakes other than the sugar and butter and delicious taste, is how it puffs up in the oven.  My son Walker gets the biggest kick out of that- to see how big and puffy the German pancake will get.  So  I decided to experiment with popovers and cheese, which I love.  I got a popover pan and a recipe off the Internet and added my own twist of putting pimento cheese in them- I used Callie’s Pimento Cheese which is the BEST- they are so good, and so easy!

Pimento Cheese Popovers

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!

The Local Palate- Charleston is a town where bacon is considered a vegetable!!

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We have a new food magazine in Charleston called The Local Palate.  The first issues arrived in my mailbox last week, and it is fabulous!!  Here is their “about us” from their web page www.thelocalpalate.com and find them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/thelocalpalate :

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!!

 

The Gateway to Bourbon Country:
Blue Cheese and Toasted Walnut Crostinis with Kentucky Sweet Sorghum

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I was searching for new fun recipes when I came across this website www.bourbonbarrelfoods.com, and what isn’t fun about bourbon?  Here is a little bit about the company from their website:

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 who grows the soybeans for our naturally fermented, small-batch soy sauce, to the grower in Eastern Kentucky who 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 who 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!

 

 

Heading to visit the Pioneer Woman!

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I am about to head off for a long weekend in Oklahoma and Arkansas- two states I have never been to.  We are headed to Oklahoma this afternoon to spend two nights with the Pioneer Woman (www.thepioneerwoman.com)  and her husband.  Corby and the Pioneer Woman’s husband have been friends since they were 4, which is the reason for the visit.  If you haven’t read her blog, book, cookbook or seen her TV show- you should.  She is amazing.  Not only is she an amazing cook- can’t wait to eat there!!- she is also an amazing photographer, and she homeschools her four children.  I can’t even help my sweet Walker with his homework without losing my mind.  I try to emulate her photography occasionally.  Here is how it turns out.

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!

Cracked Pepper and Cheddar Cheese Biscuits

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I am not sure what is better than waking up on a crisp summer morning in the mountains to homemade cracked pepper and cheddar cheese biscuits. I found a wonderful recipe in the Charleston City Paper from Robert F. Moss who has a fantastic blog! We have tweaked it a little bit to add the cracked pepper and cheddar, which so far is my favorite combination, but earlier in the week we tried bacon and cheddar and jalapenos and cheddar, which were also delicious!

Biscuits

2 cups flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
1/3 cup of cold butter
3/4 cup of buttermilk
1 tablespoon of cracked pepper
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

First, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and mix together.

Next, cut in the butter- it is important to use cold butter. Cover the butter lumps with flour and squeeze them between your fingers to break them down into smaller bits and rub the butter into them. What is left in the bowl looks like broken crumbs.

Stir in the buttermilk and mix up the dough until the liquid is all absorbed by the flour.

At this point, you add the cheese and pepper or whatever combination you choose.

With your hands, knead and shape the dough until all the flour is worked in and the dough is of a single consistency.
It should be still be slightly sticky to the touch, but not so sticky that it clings to your hands and the side of the bowl.

Now you’re ready to roll out the biscuits

Bring It On: Blue Cheese Pecan Bread!

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There’s been a lot of sweet stuff on here lately and so it’s high time for some savory. Kim Morgan writes about food on her blog A Yankee In a Southern Kitchen and here is yet another brilliant Southern delight from her long list:

Wanting a change of scenery and something savory to smell in the house and only having an hour to do the trick, I opted to make this bread, which I have had my eye on for some time. It is a snap to make; the house smelled wonderful all morning, and my daughter adored this bread. It is a light bread in texture and the flavor is very interesting, you don’t expect the blue cheese and pecans inside which are paired with crushed pepper on the top of the bread…

For the recipe (not to be missed!) and many, many excellent southern food articles and recipes, please visit A Yankee In a Southern Kitchen, here.

While we’re on the subject: Mississippi Hushpuppies

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I am enamored by Regina Charboneau‘s recipes. Regina Charboneau is the owner of Twin Oaks Bed & Breakfast in Natchez, Mississippi. She is the author of Regina’s Table at Twin Oaks.


Mississippi Hushpuppies

(From Regina’s Food section in The Atlantic)

Here is Regina’s recipe for the treasured Southern dish. You can add what you like (when no one is looking).

• 1½ cups self-rising cornmeal (yellow or white)
• ½ cup self-rising flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ cup (about 1 small) chopped green onion, including the white bottom
• ½ to ¾ cup buttermilk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Using an electric fryer, preheat oil to 350 F.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt, garlic powder, and cayenne. Stir in the green onion. (If you are adding other ingredients like bacon, crawfish or smoked fish, this is where you add them.)

In a small bowl, stir together half a cup of the buttermilk and egg. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until blended. You want the mixture to be stiff enough to roll into a one-inch ball. If the mixture seems too dry add a touch more buttermilk.

Fry until golden brown, turning the hushpuppies during the cooking process.

To read Regina’s account of the hushpuppy’s history, click here. (Hushpuppies: From Civil War to Modern Standby.)