Right after Christmas I took a road trip to New England to visit family for the New Year.  We were welcomed by tons of snow and blustery cold days and of course lots of great food.  Coming down with a cold upon arriving has left me tired and worn, but I always manage to perk up at meal time. My mom made a huge platter of warm empanadas the other day to welcome the huge household gang upon returning from a trek in the snow. A trek I missed in lieu of a nap. But none the less , it is possible to work up a good appetite from taking a rest.

The empanadas were easy and the perfect solution for using leftover pork, though you could use cooked beef instead. We decided that next time we are going to try the recipe using half butter and half lard to make a flakier dough.  Please feel free to experiment using what you have on hand and what you like. With lots of young kids  in the house we opted for a non -spicy version of these yummy treats that I imagine would freeze very well.

They were even good out of the icebox cold the next day for a quick snack.

MOM’S EMPANADAS

Dough-

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup masa

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 sticks butter cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup ice water

Combine dry ingredients and sift together, set aside. Cut in butter till mixture resembles corn meal. Add 1 cup ice water gradually and gather mixture into a ball after combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.

Filling

6-8 pimento stuffed olives finely chopped

1 jalapeno seeds removed finely chopped

6 scallions-green tops only finely chopped

1 clove garlic finely chopped

1/2 medium onion finely chopped

1 cup shredded pork

1/2 cup currants or raisins

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup white wine

3 tbsp olive oil

salt and fresh pepper to taste

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 beaten egg

Saute onions, scallions and garlic in 3 tbsp olive oil till soft. Add jalapeno, olives, currants, pork and tomato paste. Then slowly poor in in wine. Cook for a minute or two till any liquid is absorbed. Set aside to cool slightly.

Roll 1/2 of dough on a lightly floured board. Cut 3 inch rounds from dough gathering up scraps for second rolling.  Roll circles out a touch more, then top with a tablespoon  of mixture in center. Fold over one side and then seal using the tines of a fork. Put onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Brush tops lightly with beaten  egg wash.

When your sheet is full, bake in a 375degree preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes till lightly browned.  Enjoy warm or reheated the next day. This recipe makes enough to feed 12 hungry people as an afternoon snack.

As soon as fall weather looks like it is approaching, my cooking mentality changes. Warm comfort food is called for and nothing symbolizes comfort food as much as a Southern Chicken Pot Pie.

To qualify as a Southern Chicken Pot Pie, two things are needed. The first is an Old Hen. Good luck on that one! I came up empty the first go around, but since have found a great source. The second thing needed, is pie dough layered between the chicken and vegetables. 

Without my Old Hen to pull this off, a little improvising was called for. I used chicken breasts for my meat and organic stock. It was one of those days, where you run out of time and you don’t know how that happened. A quick trip to Whole Foods on the way home for some organic chicken broth.

Mind you anything short of the real thing, like homemade stock is so not my style. But in a pinch a good organic version will do.

I detest peas so opted to omit them, but please add them if you like.  I also used lard instead of shortening as I only keep butter or the former in the pantry.

This might seem like a lot of work, but it really isn’t. As always, organization in the kitchen makes all the difference.

My kitchen is frequented by some might tough food critics; a skinny one at that who isn’t about to eat a partial, or full portion unless it is worthy of the calories.

Silence filled the room as everyone ate, and all I heard at the end of the meal was- “I think that you should go into the Southern Chicken Pot Pie business.” 

In other words, “keep making this mom.”

And, so I will.

 OLD HEN CHICKEN POT PIE

Adapted; James Villas “The Glory of Southern Cooking”

To make using an Old Hen:

One 4-pound fowl (stewing hen), cut into serving pieces

1 medium onion, quartered

2 ribs celery (leaves included), each broken into three pieces

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 medium carrots, scraped, cut into thin rounds, blanched 5 minutes in boiling water, and drained

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen green peas

Place chicken pieces in a large pot; add the onion, celery, salt and pepper. Cover with water, bring to a boil and let simmer on low till tender-2 ½ to 3 hours.

When the chicken is done, transfer to a cutting board and when cool enough remove the meat from the bone and cut into bite size pieces.

Strain the broth into a bowl and set aside.

To make using Chicken Breasts:

6 split chicken breasts

1 bag frozen pearl onions

1 small bag baby carrots, sliced in 2-3 pieces

4 sticks celery cut into ½ inch slices

Add peas if you like them, I don’t-so left them out

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1-2 quarts chicken stock, homemade or organic (whole foods)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Place chicken on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and freshly ground pepper and salt. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until temperature reaches 140 degrees at thickest point.

Remove to a cutting boar, let cool some. Remove meat and cut into bite sized pieces.

Blanche frozen onions, baby carrots and celery for 5 minutes in boiling water, and drain, then set aside. Gently mix the chicken with the vegetables.

To Make Southern Pot Pie Dough:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable shortening or lard

¼ cup ice water

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl, and cut in the shortening or lard with a pastry cutter till the mixture is mealy. Stirring with a spoon, gradually add the water till a ball of dough forms.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out half of the dough about 1/8 inch thick and line the bottom and sides of a greased 2 quart baking dish with it, tucking the crust into the corners. Roll out the remaining dough and 1/8 inch think and cut half of it into 1 inch thick strips, reserving the remainder for the top of the pie. 

As you can see from the pictures, I opted to use my French Porcelain Bowls for a hearty individual serving. Therefore I omitted the bottom crust, which gave me a few more individual servings-which I then froze for a few quick meals when needed. 

Fill half of your oven dishes with the chicken and vegetable mixture, top with half of the dough strips then layer the top half with more chicken and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste, pour enough reserved chicken stock or broth to almost cover the top layer.
If using a 2 qt casserole fit the remainder of the dough on top, if using smaller casseroles cut your circles and lay the dough over the top of the pie. Press down the edges, and trim off any excess.

Place casserole/casseroles on a baking sheet to catch any bubbly spillovers. 

Brush the top with melted butter, pike a few holes or slits on top with a knife to vent the pies. 

Bake till the top is a golden brown about, 30-40 minutes for a large pie, and 25-30 minutes for the smaller ones.

A year ago, one of my goals was to sample a host of Shrimp and Grits meals in Charleston. This is a task that I have flat out failed at. In my defense, part of the blame is due to shrimp. I love them, but they don’t always love me. A huge belly ache and promises of never going back for more- often plague me.   

But this is the South and I when I get a hankering for Shrimp and Grits, nothing can stop me. Not even a household of non Shrimp and Grits lovers. It takes desire and determination to set about cooking a meal, knowing that the rest of the crew is going to turn up their noses and complain, even before you attempt to sway them with promises of a grand meal.

Sunday, I set out to make this simple dish for myself knowing that I would be alone basking in the splendor of Shrimp and Grits.  For me, simple is the best, and this dish is simple. There were few ingredients and a few steps; all giving many rewards for the effort. 

Mike was the chef at Anson’s before he opened up his own restaurant FIG in Charleston. I have not had the pleasure of eating at FIG, but have heard nothing but the best. The simplicity of his Shrimp and Grits is spectacular. Heading to work the day, I brought a dish for a co-worker who would appreciate this meal. She swooned over every bite, and shook her head in amazement that anyone could turn down a meal as good as this.

If you have never had the pleasure of dining in the Lowcountry, do your self a favor and try this dish. Make it a point to order your grits, freshly ground from Anson’s mill or one the other mills. Don’t even think about quick or instant or any other way of preparing grits other than the real thing; slow, long, occasional stirring while the grits are tended to for an hour or so. Too impatient-grab yourself a sweet tea and stay awhile, it’s Sunday.

Mike Lata’s Shrimp and Grits

GRITS:

2 cups milk

1 cup fresh white grits

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 SHRIMP:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons finely diced onion

3 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper

2 ounces diced country ham

½ cup shrimp stock or milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives

6 dashes of hot sauce

Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the grits: Bring the milk just up to a tiny boil around the edge of a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Add the grits and stir for 1 minute. Turn the heat to low. If there are any hulls, skim and remove them now using a slotted spoon. Add the butter, and stir frequently for the first 10 minutes, then stir every 10 minutes to grits are done, about 1 to 1 ½ hrs. Add more liquid if the grits are absorbing the milk. Cover between stirrings. When cream, add salt and pepper to taste.

For the shrimp: Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottom fry pan or enamel skillet. Add the onion and red pepper, cooking till translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ham and sauté briefly. Stir in the milk or stock, scraping the sides and bottom of the skillet to deglaze the pan. Bring to a boil, and cook till the liquid is reduced by half. Add the cream, bring to a boil, and reduce the liquid making a loose sauce. Add the shrimp, stir, and cook till the shrimp turn pink. Add the chives and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the grits among four plates, top with the shrimp and some of the sauce. Serve immediately. If you are cooking for less than two, this dish reheats well the next day, just use separate dishes to reheat separately.

Stuffed bell peppers are my idea of a Sunday supper. Add braised spring Vidalia onions that are smothered in cream and well…………I just want Sundays to come more often than once a week. Having finally made my way to the Charleston Farmer’s Market this season, I had to come home with an armful of bright green Vidalia onion bulbs that were grown locally.

I knew instantly how I wanted to prepare the spring onions and set out to fix a good Southern dinner. Weight loss has had precedent in my home, so except for an occasional dessert; Southern cooking has had to take a back seat in favor of high protein low-calorie bland choices.

Please know that I have missed eating my Southern food, but have certainly welcomed the considerable weight loss that I have attained this winter. Now my challenge is to cook Southern again while maintaining my trim figure that I use to manage so easily while in my 40’s. Trimming calories without compromise is foremost in my mind as I set out to cook Southern again.

I have had plenty of stuffed peppers, but this dish is set apart from the rest. No surprises here, as the author is none other than Scott Peacock & Miss Edna Lewis. The peppers were light and full of subtle flavors, with mint being the big surprise. I was left regretting that I did not make a double batch to have cold for lunch the next day.

Braised spring Vidalia onions were well………let’s just say light, clean, full of flavor with the cream just barely coating each onion, glistening on the dish. Mouth watering, I find myself drooling just thinking about them. If you don’t like stuffed peppers, do make the braised onions. Most importantly, don’t skimp buying spring onions from the grocery market. Nothing less than freshly picked local will do for this dish, and if you can’t find them locally you must do yourself a favor and find them while in season. This is not to be missed.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

 Adapted- Scott Peacock & Edna Lewis, The Gift of Southern Cooking 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup rice

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

¼ cup olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

2 medium sweet onions, chopped (2 ½ cups)

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped

5 stalks celery, chopped (2 cups)

2 large carrots, chopped (2 cups)

28 oz cans chopped tomatoes, drain & reserve juice

6 bell peppers, green, red, yellow or a mix

1 lb ground beef

½ cup torn mint leaves

Melt the butter in a small, heavy saucepan, pour in the rice, and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring, until the grains are coated and glistening, about 2 minutes.
Add ½ teaspoon of the salt and water, cover tightly, and cook over low heat till done, about 20 minutes. Set aside and let cool some.

Meanwhile, heat all but 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the remaining salt, a generous sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper, the chopped onions, bay leaves and garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the celery and carrots and cook 2-3 minutes more.

Add the tomatoes, crushing them with a fork then add ½ cup of the tomato juice. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Using a sharp knife cut each pepper in half, and then carefully remove the stem from each end.

Wash and remove the seeds. Blanch the peppers in a large pot of boiling water for two minutes. Remove and drain the peppers on paper towel and allow the peppers to briefly cool.

In a large mixing bowl, add the ground beef and mint flakes, breaking up the meat in the bowl. Add the vegetable mixture and 1 cup of fluffed rice and mix together in a gentle manner.
Stuff the peppers with a generous amount of the mixture and place side by side in a baking dish.

Bake in a hot oven for 45 minutes, making sure that they are nice and brown on top.  

 Braised Spring Vidalia Onions

Adapted- Scott Peacock & Edna Lewis, The Gift of Southern Cooking

2 large bunches spring Vidalia onions

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup chicken stock

½ cup heavy cream
Wash and trim the onions carefully, removing any dirt and leaving about 6 inches of the green. If your bulbs are large like mine, cut them into halves or fourths.

Heat the butter in a large skillet until foaming but not brown and add the onions.

Roll them around in the skillet till they are coated all over. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and then add the stock and cover.

Cook over very low heat, shaking the pan or tossing the onions every once in awhile till they are tender, about 5-7 minutes till most of the liquid is gone.
Add the cream and turn up heat cooking briskly, till the cream thickens glazing the onions. Taste for seasoning and serve hot.

Whipping up a few dishes using ground meat is easy if I were cooking anywhere but the South. Coming up with a Southern recipe was a challenge and luckily, I found a grand solution to my soon to expire meat dilemma-a curried meat custard dish called Charleston Hobotee.

The South is full of hidden and almost forgotten gems. I delight in these when I discover them. It is as if I have found another clue on a treasure map. I found such a gem in James Villa’s book, The Glory of Southern Cooking. His recipe for Charleston Hobetee provided a superb meal for a light Sunday supper.

My pantry happened to include all of the ingredients that the recipe called for. The most important was curry powder of which I had just previously made a homemade batch of a few weeks ago for my Country Captian. I urge you to make your own curry powder in lieu of store bought, it does make a difference.

Finding any information about Charleston Hobotee was difficult to say the least. Hobotee which according to James Villas was served for breakfast and dinner during the Plantation Era, almost went extinct. With good fortune it was saved from being lost. I am grateful as it is a treat and easy to prepare. Each ramekin produced a velvety light custard rich with curried meat that made us all swoon with every mouthful.

We all hated for our dining experience to end as each bite was savored. Serve this in a large casserole and you have the sense of good comfort food when followed with a simple salad and cornmeal muffins. Need a appetizer or first course for company- serve Hobotee in small ramekins and watch the grins and silence as your guests enjoy a dish from our past .

Charleston Hobotee

James Villas, The Glory of Southern Cooking

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon curry powder( see above to make your own)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked beef, veal or pork

1 slice white bread, soaked in milk and squeezed dry

2 tablespoons chopped almonds

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Salt to taste

1 cup half-and-half

Dash of white pepper

Small bay leaves

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• In a skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat, add the onion, and cook, stirring till softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the curry powder and cook, stirring 2 minutes longer.
• Transfer the onions to a mixing bowl, add the meat, bread, almonds, lemon juice, one of the eggs, the sugar and salt and blend thoroughly.
• Butter six 1/2 cup ramekins and divide the meat mixture among them. (Likewise, do the same to a large casserole to make one dish)
• In another bowl, combine the remaining 2 eggs, half-and-half, white pepper and whisk till blended.
• Pour equal amounts of the cream mixture into the ramekins, garnish the tops with the small bay leaf, and bake till golden, about 25 minutes.
• Serve hot.
• I needed to hit mine under the broiler for a minute to brown the tops.

This settles the dispute between what is the number #1 soft drink in the world. Coke rules, or more like it Virginia Willis rules for yet again, another mouth watering recipe from her new cookbook Bon Appetit, Y’All: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking.

Even the husband gave me the rare and coveted “delicious” honors after his first bite of these Coca Cola Baby Back Ribs. This is from a man who has drawn a line on the frig shelf that separates his Pepsi stash and my Coca Cola. I am not a soda drinker, but if I am going to have one-let it be a coke.

A short post for y’all today as I am off to another series of 12 hour work days. But not one to let you or myself go hungry, I thought I would leave you with something good to eat.

My second confession of the week- this soon to be Southern Lady totally forgot her manners. Yes, I had this absolutely mouth watering glaze on my face from ear to ear as I ate my ribs clean. This was an easy task as the juicy glazed pork meat fell off the bones, licked my fingers as well-this is a first. I couldn’t help myself and besides nobody was looking.

When making these do not be bashful about slathering on this dreamy syrupy glaze as the ribs bake. The only change I made was that I could not, despite my search find scotch bonnet chiles so I had to use jalapenos. The former are more fiery than the jalapenos, you decide.

Virginia also said to broil the ribs 5-7 minutes on each side; mine only could stand 2 minutes each side when on the second shelf of the oven. I suggest that you keep an eye on them as everyone’s oven broils differently, don’t want a good thing to get ruined. Also, be careful the glaze it hot and sticky which burns if you get it on you, which I did. The kitchen wounds were every bit worth it.

Coca-Cola-Glazed Baby Back Ribs

Virginia Willis,Bon Appetit, Y’All: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking

1 cup Coca-Cola Classic

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups frimly packed light brown sugar

2 Scotch bonnet chilies, chopped

2 racks baby back ribs (3 lbs total)

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

• To make the glaze, in a small saucepan, bring the Coca-Cola, vinegar, brown sugar, and chiles to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until syrupy, about 10 minutes.
• Decrease the heat to low and keep teh sauce warm while the ribs cook.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Liberally season both sides of the ribs with salt and pepper.
• Place the ribs on a broiler pan and bake for 30 minutes, glazing the ribs ocassionally with the Coca-Cola mixture. ( I basted every 15 minutes)
• Turn the ribs over and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes, glazing occasionally, or until the ribs are tender and the meat is starting to pull away from the bone.
• When the ribs are cooked through, set the oven to broil (watch carefully at this step). Liberally spoon half of the remaining flaze over the ribs and broil until glazed a deep mahogany brown, 2-7 minutes.
• Turn over; repeat witht the remaining glaze, and additional 2-7 minutes.
• Serve immediately with lots of napkins.

Though I never knew the name Country Captain, it appears this dish holds a special place in my heart. It is a tradition in our home that whenever a birthday is celebrated you get to choose what you would like to do for dinner. My favorite dish growing up, the dish I chose for my birthday and when I came home on college breaks was a curry dish that my mom made.

I have been planning on making my favorite Brunswick Stew for a while now and knew my dad would help with the barbecuing. First off, this is not a dish for the impatient as it takes a good 9 hours to make. Is it worth it? You bet.

On the other hand is this post worth the 9 hours it took to create it? God, I hope so. You see living out in the country, high speed Internet is not an option. I have had to tweak my sister’s computer to have all the gear and gadgets I need to create a post. Finally, a quiet moment presents itself, and I sit down to finish my writing. This opportunity lasted all but 2 minutes when the computer shut down and wouldn’t let me back on. Not back on the Internet or your site for that matter; it just wouldn’t let me get back on my site.

Trying to fix the problem while sitting a foot away from two guinea pigs playing around in their cage, loudly munching on their food was hard enough when suddenly my sister’s dogs came in the room to wrestle. This is a sight and a sound as Kyle is a 100-pound retriever with a head as big as a moose and Princess is a 10-pound daschund. They are wrestling over a stuffed toy fox, and Kyle seems to be winning while Princess’s feet are a mere 1-2 feet off the ground and she is being spun in a circle going from airborne to ground and back again. She won’t give in and this romping goes from my room to the hall and back again around my chair as they bump into me.

These are just the noises and disruptions from the animal kingdom. I am not even going to mention the human disruption and noise. The animals can’t read, but the humans can. I will say no more.

So, all in all this dish is so worth it, which is why I am not pushing the delete post button that is tempting me at the present moment. I am persevering to deliver to you the real McCoy of Brunswick Stews. A fewq months back I wrote “Is there a squirrel in my Brunswick Stew?”, you can read this humorous post if you want to learn of another simpler version. This is how much I care and want to share this gem as I know a few of you have 9 hours to prepare a meal. The redeeming factor is that this recipe yields 12 quarts – enough to make it worthwhile.

And of course, my joking about the squirrel in the Brunswick Stew finally caught up with me. It seems that the family, spear-headed by my Salmon- bonking daughter D, have been conspiring to surprise me since Saturday’s arrival.

The story goes like this. They were in search of a squirrel to deliver to me for the feast on Wednesday. My daughter D texted my sister H today and said, “the squirrel is en route.” My sister came home from work with a brown paper sack and said, “I brought you a surprise from Walt’s butcher shop. I stopped to get something for dad and you won’t believe what they had for $6.95 a pound. They had one left and it was a pound and a half-er!”

“What did you get me,” I asked?

“Open it and see.”

Well the trusting mom and sister that I am, I began to open the bag when I felt something was not right.

I screamed and ran away from the table, saying “did you really buy this or was it road kill?”

This brought hysterical laughter which brought on my spastic squirrel dance. The spastic squirrel dance is similar to my spastic snake dance. My feet and arms uncontrollably thrash and flail in the air while I try to get far away from the thing that is causing me to freak out. Not only did they laugh at my reaction, my daughter M took a series of photos of my movements. “Too funny!” they say. “Put those on the post.”

Now, I wouldn’t mind you seeing the spastic feet in the air episode of my squirrel dance if I were thinner. But, seeing that I am a woman with her priorities in order, I’ll leave you to your own imagination, which actually in hindsight could be worse than the real deal.

Enough of their pranks. Let’s get to the heart of the matter – Brunswick Stew and not just any Brunswick Stew. This recipe is the real McCoy in my book. Pretty bold for a Yankee to say, especially one who hasn’t eaten her way up and down the Southern states in search of the real thing. But some things you just know. Like when a meal or dish can’t get any better. This is one of those.

This version of Brunswick Stew is a lot of work and requires a big pot, as it makes 12 quarts. Yes, this is not a typo error. Don’t halve it as it needs to be made when you have a big group. The balance freezes well and you will be grateful for leftovers. Serve this with my cornmeal muffins and some coleslaw and you will have a crew of happy campers at your table. This is one of those meals where you force yourself to have seconds when you know there is no room.

For some reason I was craving some good old fashioned homemade baked beans to go with this stew. I will post the recipe for the best baked beans I have ever made. The recipe I chose is an adaption of Julia Child’s baked bean recipe. It was a perfect match and even though 100% Yankee food, it was a match made in Heaven.

I have had this photocopied recipe for over 20 years. My copy has the word Atlanta at the bottom of the page, so I am thinking it must be from the Atlanta Journal/Constitution or Atlanta Magazine. Researching proved unsuccessful as to the source of the recipe. This is an adaption of the original recipe and for someone who is not a big saver, I have had this tucked away for safe keeping knowing that I will return to it again and again. Now that I have had my grilling lesson from Dad, I feel confident to fix the pork roast.

Brunswick Stew

1 baking hen 2-3 pounds

1 4-6 pork butt

3 tablespoons of Spice Rub

3 pounds lean ground beef

chicken stock (from hen)

4-5 cups cut corn from the cob

1 46-oz tomato juice

12 oz ketchup

4 oz white vinegar

2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

6 oz Worcestershire sauce

4 oz soy sauce

1 heaping tablespoon dry mustard

1 heaping tablespoon chili powder

1 heaping teaspoon thyme

8 dashes Tabasco or hot sauce

• Boil a baking hen and its giblets in 2 quarts water, until quite done (2-3 hours,) reserving the stock for later. When done, set aside to cool and remove meat from bones. Grind in a food processor and grind to a coarse consistency.
• Pre-heat your grill outside and set to slow coals to about 250-275.
• Cut diagonal slashes criss-crossing the pork butt and rub the Spice mixture over it.
• Set the pork butt in a cast iron pan or another pan that will withstand the heat for at least 6 hours. Roast for 2 hours then begin to brush with the barbecue sauce (see recipe below), basting every 1/2 hour till the last hour. At this point you will add equal amounts of ketchup to the barbecue sauce and baste 3-4 times for the last hour. You want the meat to fall off the bone. Set aside to cool. Pull meat off of bones, and grind in a food processor to a coarse consistency.
• Mince the garlic and chop the onion.
• Brown the ground beef in a large pot and when almost done, add the garlic and onions till they soften.
• Then add the remainder of the ingredients and enough chicken stock to make a stew like consistency. (It will be thick so don’t worry.)
• Save the chicken stock to add to it if needed.
• I added 1 cup of the leftover barbecue sauce to this on a whim and it worked out.
• Simmer for 2-3 hours till the flavors have a chance to develop.
• Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Barbecue Sauce

8 oz soy sauce

8 oz Worcestershire Sauce

6 oz vinegar

2 oz lemon juice

6 oz orange juice concentrate

1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder

1 heaping teaspoon black pepper

2 heaping tablespoon brown sugar

1 heaping tablespoon dry mustard

8 dashes Tabasco or hot sauce.

• Combine and mix thoroughly.
• Use this to baste the meat about 2 hours into cooking.
• Keep basting every 30 minutes or so.
• When meat is almost done about the last hour, add equal amounts of ketchup to the sauce and baste every 20 minutes.
• Don’t add the ketchup sooner or it will burn.

Hi mom, I won’t be by till after seven tonight to pick up Peri. ( Peri is my daughter’s Springer who comes to see me and Scout every day.)

That’s fine as I should have dinner made by then, join us. I am making Fried Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Dressing.

Thanks mom, but I am beat. Will just grab Peri and head home and make a sandwich or something.

Okay, but if you change your mind I have plenty.

Oh, my gosh my daughter is catching whatever the husband has. Meredith, as all my children do, loves my food. Did I hear her right? Did she say that? That she would rather eat a sandwich than my cooking, Especially Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken? Her version of a sandwich was going to be; deli turkey and Swiss on something to hold it together. Not my gourmet version of a sandwich which I posted about last week.

The Buttermilk Fried Chicken looked good enough to take a risk of injuring yourself while grabbing a piece as soon as it left the frying pan on it’s way to the paper towels.

I wasn’t about to let this curve ball throw me off course as determination and longing for some time cooking was in order. The closest I have been to a stove in the last two days is catching a peek of one out of the corner of my eye while shopping at Lowe’s and Home Depot. It is a miracle that I can even lower my head to type as most of that time has been spent with my head back while braced on my shoulders looking up towards the ceilings at light fixtures. I do not like to pick out lights. We had a whole house to do. My neck hurts.

We are only about two three two weeks away from moving in, if all goes like clockwork. The house is swarming with contractors. Oh how I wish the stove was in. I am chomping at the bit to cook in the new kitchen and for a crew, no less. Sort of my version of Under the Tuscan Sun; which will be Under the Charleston Sun. You know the movie scene where Dianne Lane cooks for the guys who redo her Italian farm house. Can you imagine how much fun that would be? Sure you can.

Who wouldn’t want to be Dianne Lane? There is no way I could ever look like Dianne Lane, so I am not going to waste my time thinking about that one. My energy is going to be focused on Dianne Lane the cook? A cook in a villa, or in my case a cook in an Arts & Craft bungalow. Who wouldn’t want Dianne Lane’s attitude toward the mess and mishaps that go along with a renovation? Well, my husband for one. Who wouldn’t want to pretend to be Dianne Lane for a day or two cooking? Who wouldn’t want to cook for hungry workers with hearty appetites?

The Italian guys in the movie are use to home cooking. Imagine cooking for guys that are use to grabbing a burger or something at a fast food joint everyday for lunch. There is enormous potential here and not one to let a good thought go;I have a plan hatching. Especially since my husband’s full time crew consists of three nice hard working men- who put up with me getting in the way every once in awhile.

I have jars of Pickled Cucumbers, vegetables, warm Potato Yeast Rolls, Fried Chicken, Tomato Pie, Lemon-Buttermilk Ice Cream with Cornmeal Sweet Biscuits, a grand Lane Cake and more skipping through my head like flash cards. This is going to be so good……………..

Enough, time to return to last night.

Standing over the stove frying buttermilk drenched fried chicken was how my daughter found me. A quick hello as she proceeded to look in the refrigerator.

Are these grits?

Yes, creamy cheese grits that I made for dinner last night.

May I have some?

Of course, just reheat them in the microwave a little bit.

When is the chicken going to be done?

Soon, not long before the first batch is out. I also have a salad and Buttermilk Dressing to go with it.

Oh my gosh, that chicken looks so incredible, you are becoming a real Southern mom!

With words like that I almost melted into the frying pan. Meredith is my only daughter with a Southern accent. She is borned and raised in the South. So when she says, you are becoming a real Southern mom, it has merit to it.

I know you are all hungry so let’s get to the recipe. Serve the fried chicken with a salad and the calories will balance out. Trust me. Plus, it tastes really good. This batch of fried chicken was made with boneless-skinless chicken breasts.

There are many versions of fried chicken, and we will talk about them all sooner or later. For last night’s dinner we just did the quick; no less tasty version. So good, that when I am done posting. I am heading to the frig for a piece cold.

Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Use 1 boneless-skinless piece per person. I rinsed and patted dry my chicken. Pound each piece slightly between wax paper or parchment paper, with a rolling pin or mallet till a touch thinner. Slice in 5 sections on the diagnol. Then put chicken in a large bowl and pour buttermilk to cover. Let sit for an hour to overnight. I just sat mine on the counter for an hour while I made the dressing and prepared the salad greens.

Heat vegetable oil till 335degrees in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. Fill a large zip lock bag with 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon salt and lots of freshly cracked pepper. Shake the flour mixture. In groups of three drop in drained chicken and toss and coat the chicken breasts. Drop carefully into a hot pan and fry about 4 minutes each side. Do not overcrowd pan. Drain on crumpled paper towel.

For the dressing; I have seen a few versions. You can mix the herbs using parsley and grated cucumber for a different variation. Also a little dry mustard if you want and don’t be afraid to experiment. This dressing is thin; not thick like the inferior store bought brand. Don’t I sound like a food snob? This is worthy of keeping on hand as it is full of flavor and light and tangy.

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Buttermilk Dressing

Ronnie Lundy, Butterbeans to Blackberries

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon minced celery leavews

2 good drops of Tabasco

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon finely minced green onion

• Mix all the ingredients togther with a whisk and keep chilled till ready to use.

Mercy me, I forgot to mention the husband’s reaction; very good, very good is what I received. This by the way is my second very good for the week. The first doesn’t count. I will tell you tomorrow why it doesn’t count when we talk about rhubarb. Till then, enjoy.

]]> http://ayankeeinasouthernkitchen.com/2008/05/14/southern-buttermilk-fried-chicken-salad/feed/ 10 http://ayankeeinasouthernkitchen.com/2008/05/07/some-really-good-southern-sandwiches-on-homemade-white-bread/ http://ayankeeinasouthernkitchen.com/2008/05/07/some-really-good-southern-sandwiches-on-homemade-white-bread/#comments Wed, 07 May 2008 13:54:42 +0000 Kim Morgan http://goodfoodjustgotbetter.wordpress.com/?p=402

The best food that comes out of a hot oven is homemade bread. Well maybe not the best, rather a tie between all my oven favorites. Choosing a favorite would be just too hard as I like bread period-they all have their place in the kitchen and at the table. I grew up eating only homemade bread. My friends thougt I was so lucky and they were amazed that my mom made it all the time. Though I never took it for granted, it was commonplace in my home. I didn’t know any different.

The bread I make has created a following, a fan club of sorts. It’s as close as I am ever going to get to having a fan club. Scout is the president of my fan club. Today he had a little initiation in my honor, complete with fanfare and lots of action. Today he did the unthinkable. I wish I could say he jumped up and ate a loaf of bread while cheering me on. As hard as this would be, it is certainly better than what he did do. No, my beloved Scout decided to have little fun rather than going for a snack. He jumped up on the counter and dragged off a 5 pound bag of flour ripping it to shreds as he headed to the living room. His nose was covered in white dust and he was proud of himself. He was grinning from ear to ear, and yes my dog grins!

I on the other hand was horrified and not too happy with him. For one he knows better. My dog is about to loose some tasting privledges. I have sisal carpets and hardwood flours floors. Needless to say I had a mess and gosh darnit, the maid I Just cleaned. In case you think I may be fibbing just a little bit, I did an emergency photo upload of the disaster area!

After I cleaned up after the taster, I went about my bread making. For the most part, I don’t cheat when I bake. Part of this has to do with the fact that when I learned to make bread, appliances to assist you weren’t around. By cheat (which it is okay to cheat) I make my bread by hand leaving my beloved Kitchen Aid tucked away from the entire process.

What I love about bread beside the taste, is that it is so forgiving. By that I mean; it doesn’t have to be perfect or even close to perfection to be enjoyed. I have experienced utter defeat only one time in my bread baking career. My defeat was caused by a hazardous cooking error; I wasn’t paying attention and totally killed the yeast with the addition of very hot water. I continued on my stubborn path with the lifeless yeast determined to make bread. It was a foolish move as it didn’t rise and the bread was a useless blob of flour. Now if the yeast isn’t right, I start over.

In addition to wanting to develop the art of baking Southern bread I also would like to develop a few muscles that seem to have disappeared. Frankly, I was plum tuckered out between the kneading and whisking of the mayonnaise. I wish I were joking but I am not. This is clearly a sad state of affairs and a double chance encounter arranged by God has sort of got me thinking just a tad.

Driving by a young man pulling of all things, a huge giant chain has happened more than once this past week. The chain looks to me as if it would hold an anchor for one of the big ships that dock in our port. At first I thought how odd this man pulling this on the side of the street, as it is a bizarre site. What on earth is he going to do with this, I thought? The second day I saw him, he had the chain and was pulling it at the very location going in the same direction. Clearly he must be mad. Then it dawned on me. Of course, he is training by dragging this huge piece of metal on the street. One look at his muscles and it is clear he is on the right course.

In honor of my baking and determined to be on the right course, I am going to pull a fifty pound sack of flour, as I walk the streets. There is no way I could pull a chain from a ship but a sack of flour, this I could do. I can’t wait to see the muscles that I develop. I just have to make sure the husband doesn’t catch wind of this, he might come to believe I have gone over the edge.

Though I am kidding about dragging the flour, I did load a back pack one summer with 50 pounds of flour and canned goods and walked the hills of Atlanta training for a 10 day Outward Bound backpacking trip. As stupid as I looked hiking the streets with this thing on my back, I was one of the smart ones. I wasn’t left in the dust or at the bottom of the hill panting trying to keep up with the others while backpacking with 65 pounds in the mountains of Montanna. Oh, how I want those muscles once again.

Bread unlike my muscles is slavagable. Even if the bread isn’t quite right; such as the addition of too much flour or too little flour or an occasional forgotten ingredient such as sugar or salt it usually can be salvaged. This is where the toaster comes in most handy, as it seems to hide a multitude of flaws and mishaps. Follow the toasting with a little butter and jam and the flaws have all but disappeared. Homemade bread crumbs, croutons, bread pudding and so on and the mishap in the kitchen is all but a faint memory. That is unless you are slightly neurotic and replay your cooking goof over and over in your head.

This batch was far from perfect. A little too much flour, I should have let it rest longer between steps, and even though I followed the baking time, it got burnt in places. But not wanting to be labeled neurotic, I am moving on from what wasn’t right about this batch to what a perfect batch of bread would be like. Because when the bread comes out of the oven just perfect, well that is a different story in itself. It is something you just now as well. Sort of like when you hit a golf ball and you know it is going to go in the hole, everything felt right. Bread baking hooks you like golf or bowling for that matter.

That knowing is a hook. A hook brings you back to the kitchen time and time again to give your hand at baking bread with the hope of recreating the experience of kitchen bliss. A perfect loaf is defined by the smell, the feel, the color and the tapping on the bottom which delivers the perfect melody. I am absolutely and totally tone-deaf and useless when it comes to music; yet I know the sound of a good loaf of bread.

Knowing that this earthy simple food was created with my hands using just a few simple ingredients is amazing to me. I am never bored with the process.

Summertime for me is a good sandwich. I know this must sound backwards, as for most summertime is a good salad. Don’t get me wrong I love salads in the summer, especially for dinner. But in the summer I want a sandwich for lunch. Sandwiches are a Southern staple. This is perhaps the only inate Southern quality I seem to have been born with.

Along with the bread I gave my hand at making homemade mayonnaise for the first time. I know that sounds odd for someone that cooks so much to be making mayonnaise so late in life, but I am funny about eggs. Not funny haha, but funny squemish and have put this off for as long as I could. I am so sorry for the delay, as there is nothing eggy about the mayonnaise I made. Quite the contrary, it is simply divine, and store bought has now taken second place. Splitting my mayonnaise in half, I kept one portion as is and the other I made an arugula herb mayonnaise.

The first really GOOD Southern sandwich is a shredded chicken salad, made with the herb mayonnaise and a little fig ginger chutney spread on the bread. The chicken was also baked with the chutney spread on top for the last ten minutes of baking. Once cool enough to handle I shredded the chicken pulling with the knife. A little red onion was added. The sandwich is topped with arugula and bacon.

One of my favorite is a soft shell crab sandwich. Typically I dredge my crabs in a little flour, just enough to coat being mindful to shake off the excess. This time though I had some leftover fresh breadcrumbs so I mixed them with the flour before dredging. I heat up some butter with a touch of oil in a pan and saute my crabs for about 4 minutes each side. At the very end I squeeze some fresh lemon juice on them and around the pan a touch of salt and pepper and we are done.

Having a crab cake or two leftover from the previous dinner is always put to good use in a sandwich. Again topped with arugula served on slightly toasted bread this time.

Last but not least I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the favorite standby of all times, the pimento cheese sandwich. White bread was made for pimento cheese I am certain of this.

White Loaf Bread

Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis, The Gift of Southern Cooking

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

2 cups whole milk

1 tablespoon butter or lard

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

5 1/2 to 6 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon salt

• Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
• Warm the milk with the butter or lard to dissolve.
• Pour the mixture in a large mixing bowl and add the sugar.
• Stir well, and cool to lukewarm.
• Stir in the yeast into the cooled milk mixture, then add 2 cups of flour and beat well.
• Blend in the salt, and stir in by cupfuls enough of the flour to make a moderately soft dough.
• Better to be sticky than a stiff dough.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and satiny and springs back to the touch.
• Shape into a ball, and put into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel.
• Set in a warm place to rise until double in size about 1-1 1/2 hours.
• Turn dough out, and gently deflate.
• Divide the dough in half, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Using a rolling pin to roll each half into a 7 by 13 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
• Beginning at the narrow end roll dough while tucking in ends at each roll, gently sealing.
• Press down with the side of your hand to seal both ends of the loaves, and tuck underneath the loaf.
• Put the formed loaves in a buttered loaf pan, cover them lightly, and let rise until a little more than doubled in size and almost even with the top.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Bake the loaves in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
• To test for doneness, carefully turn the loaves onto a clean surface and tap the bottoms with your fingers.
• Fully baked loaves should sound hollow.
• Be careful of the loaves browning to quickly, check at around 20 minutes or so, and cover with foil if need be.
• Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Homemade Mayonnaise

Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis, The Gift of Southern Cooking

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups light olive oil or vegetable or a combination

1 tablespoon hot water

• Put the vinegar, lemon juice, salt and mustard into a bowl and whisk until the salt and mustard are dissovevled.
• Add the egg yolks and beat until smooth
• Add the oil a drop at a time at first, and then add the remainder in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly until all of the oil has been incorporated and you have a very thick emulsion.
• Stir in the hot water until smooth.
• Refrigerated, homemade mayonnaise will keep up to 1 week.
• For making an herb mayonnaise, finely chop any combination of herbs or greens such as arugula or watercress and fold in.

My question to you was, What’s your favorite sandwich in the summertime? But I think a more appropriate question would be, What has your favorite dog eaten or gotten into in the kitchen?

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