Steamed Mussels My Way

Yesterday I decided I needed to get out of the house for awhile. Stretch my legs. Get some fresh air. So where did I end up? *The Grocery Store.* Yep, you heard me. The grocery store.

So while I was there, much to my surprise, they had fresh mussels! I know that doesn't sound very exciting to all of you that live in civilization -- but let me remind you, yet again, that I live in BFE. So, I knew I had to have them!

Steamed Mussels

1.5 pounds mussels

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions, chopped (save some of the green top for garnish)

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1/3 cup tomatoes (I used canned fire roasted)

1 cup white wine

3 Tablespoons cold butter

The first thing you have to do is clean the mussels. I added about a 1/4 cup whole wheat flour to a big bowl and then filled it with approx. 8 cups of water. I then added the mussels and let them soak for at least 30 minutes, so they would release any sand they may have contained. (You can also use cornmeal, or grits. As the mussels eat this substance they "spit out" the sand.) After I let them soak, I dumped them into a collander, and examined them closely. Any mussels that are not closed or will not close when tapped, should be THROWN AWAY, as they are already dead and not to be eaten. Scrub your mussels really good at this point and remove their beards. Put them in the frig while you get everything else ready.

Add the olive oil to a skillet or pot and when heated (the oil will become shimmery) add the onions (both white and green), garlic, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until onions become translucent (being careful not to brown). Next add your tomatoes and cook for another minute or two to marry the flavors. Add your mussels and toss. Add white wine, turn up the heat, and cover. Bring wine to a boil and cook for 3 minutes or until mussels have opened. (Any mussels that don't open should be THROWN AWAY.)

After your mussels have opened, remove them from pan, and keep warm. (I just put them in a bowl and covered them with the lid from the pan I used.) Crank up the flame to HI and reduce sauce by 2/3. When sauce is reduced, turn off heat, and add butter, 1Tablespoon at a time, until combined. (This will thicken your sauce.)

Pour sauce over mussels and garnish with reserved green onion tops (that I almost forgot!). Serve with good crusty bread and a salad if you'd like.



Happy Birthday Dinner

Recently, I was able to go to Houston to visit my BFF, unfortunately, I wasn't able to be with her for her big day (she turned an amazing 40 this year). Every year, I always ask the people I love the same question, "What do you want to eat for your Birthday?". This year, I didn't have to ask the question, though, as there was no doubt in my mind what the answer would be.

My BFF *LOVES* steak! Ribeyes to be specific. And there is none she would ever rather have more than Houston's Hawaiian Ribeye. I've never been to Houston's but I'll take her word for it -- it must be FABULOUS!

So I decided to do a little research and see if I could recreate her favorite steak for her Birthday dinner. She said it came out exactly like Houston's. I have to admit, I impressed myself with this one! Her ribeye is not pictured but my strip steak is. Normally, I only like ribeyes as well, but on this day, Whole Foods had some of the best looking strip steaks I had seen in a VERY long time. I just couldn't resist.

Just Like Houston's Hawaiian Marinade

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

8 ounce can crushed pineapple with juice

1 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ginger powder

Mix all ingredients until well blended and transfer to a zipper type bag. Add your steaks (this is enough marinade for 4 steaks) and marinate for at least 8 hours, turning the bag every 2-3 hours. Just grill them on a REALLY hot grill to your liking! The sugars in this marinade caramelize on the outside of the steak, giving it a great crust! (Now that I'm thinking about it again, I may have to make another tomorrow!)

Along with the steaks, I also tried out Aarti Sequeira's recipe for Massaged Kale Salad from the Food Network. This is not the first time that I have tried one of Aarti's dishes. It's also not the first time I have been disappointed by Aarti's dishes. I really had hope for this one. But no go. It lacked pizzazz. In the end it turned out to be very bland and boring.  I won't make it again, that's for sure.

As I have already posted Whole Foods had some AMAZING heirloom tomatoes while I was in Houston and I just could not pass them up!

So I made a Napoleon of Heirloom Tomatoes and Jumbo Lump Crab

To make this napoleon, I bought 2 enormous tomatoes, a red and a green zebra (it looks green, still, even when it's ripe) and cut them into 1/2" slices. I dressed them with grey sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

I bought a pound of jumbo lump crab (don't forget to check it for pieces of shells and cartilage, but, be careful not to break up the lumps too much if you can help it), and dressed it with the juice of 1/2 lemon, a teaspoon of lemon zest, 2 Tablespoons chopped chives, olive oil and sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

To assemble you just put a tomato slice on the plate, then some crab, then another tomato slice, and finish with more crab on top. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and VIOLA!, you're all done!

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

A trip to the candy, er, um, I mean a trip to the grocery store!



I am not one of those lucky people that have a Whole Foods location near them. The closest one to BFE is about 30 miles, so I rarely (ok, that's a lie -- I NEVER) get to go! BUT... When I am able to visit my dearest friend, Dottie, in Houston, Whole Foods is a mere couple of blocks from her home!

Is there anything better for a foodie than walking into a grocery store (that seems like such a mere term) and seeing the most BEAUTIFUL of ingredients spread as far as the eye can see? I think not.

Whole Foods is the mini-Mecca of "foodie-ism" in Houston. The REAL Mecca is H-E-B's Central Market on Westheimer, but I have yet to take my camera in. Maybe next time!!

I finally remembered to take my camera to Whole Foods on this trip and these are some of the things I found!! (I do have to admit that the camera couldn't compete with the food after the Produce Dept.! Oh well, maybe next time!)

Once I Had A Little Lamb..

I'm one of those people that go to the market everyday. I just have to. I think I should have been born European, or something, because my day is not complete without a trip to the market.

The other day I came across the most beautiful lamb shanks in the Meat Dept. at my local grocery store. I don't know why more people don't eat lamb. It's very delicious. Nowadays, lamb is very delicate, it's not the strong overpowering and gamey lamb of yesteryear which was more mutton (meat from an older sheep) than lamb.

I decided I wanted to do the lamb shanks osso bucco style. Of course, it's not a traditional osso bucco which uses veal shanks. I also wanted to do a Parmesan Polenta to accompany the lamb. That being said, I live in the South, in BFE (as I have stated before), so I made Parmesan Stone Ground Grits, instead. This recipe is a hybrid of things that I love. I hope you will love it, too!

Lamb Shanks Osso Bucco Style

2 whole lamb shanks, approximately 1 pound each

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup olive oil

1 carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 medium or 1/2 large yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 shallot, diced

1/3 cup tomato paste

2 cups red wine (preferrably Cabernet)

2 cups beef broth

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 sprig rosemary leaves, chopped

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Season the lamb shanks (I usually just season my flour) with salt and pepper. In a deep pot, heat olive oil until shimmery. When oil is hot, dredge lamb shanks in flour, and remove any excess. Brown lamb shanks on all sides. When shanks are brown, remove to a plate, and set aside for a bit.

Add mirepoix (carrots, celery, and onion), and shallot to hot oil. Saute for a few minutes until onions are translucent. Add garlic and tomato paste and saute a minute or two longer to "cook" the tomato paste. Add rosemary and parsley, wine, broth and lemon juice. Stir to combine.

Add lamb shanks back to pot, cover, and place in oven for 2 hours.

Parmesan Stone Ground Grits

2 cups milk or half and half

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup grits

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a pot, bring milk, butter and salt to the boiling point. Add grits. Stir constantly -- don't walk away! When grits have thickened, add parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

To Serve

Place Parmesan Grits on the plate. Top with a lamb shank and some of the "gravy" from the shanks.

You can make a gremolata by chopping the zest of 1 lemon, 2 garlic cloves and 1/2 cup of parsley together and garnish the shank, if you desire.

Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet, and Bitter

I have never made Thai food. I've always been too afraid to try, to be honest. Too many of the ingredients always seemed so far out of my comfort zone that I'd become overwhelmed just READING a recipe, and I'd give up.

Well tonight, I decided to forge ahead and do it anyway! (Seems like I am doing a lot of these kinds of things lately. Going against my own grain. Stretching beyond my limits.) I'm either getting very courageous, or, I just don't care anymore. I have no idea.

They say that to make authentic Thai food, it must contain the flavor profiles of hot, sour, salty, sweet, and bitter. If that is the case, I must say, if this doesn't taste authentic, it HAS to be pretty darn close! I actually kind of impressed myself!

** I cannot find kaffir lime leaves where I live. No one sells them. So I have substituted bay leaves, lime zest, and lime juice instead. If you can get kaffir lime leaves, omit the bay leaves, lime zest, and juice, and use 3 kaffir lime leaves.**

Thai Coconut Chicken Curry

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced

3 green onions, sliced on the bias

1/4 cup + 2 T. chopped cilantro

1 fresh jalapeno, sliced with seeds

1 fresh cayenne pepper, sliced with seeds

2 T. garlic ginger paste

2 T. Garden Gourmet lemongrass herb blend OR 2 lemongrass stalks, cut into 1 1/2" pieces and bruised

2 T. fish sauce

Zest of 1 large lime

Juice of 1 large lime

3 bay leaves

2 cans coconut milk

Put coconut milk in a pan (I used a deep-sided skillet). Add garlic ginger paste and lemongrass and stir to combine. Add onions, chiles, lime zest and juice, bay leaves, 1/4 c. chopped cilantro, and fish sauce. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and mushrooms. Bring back to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To serve garnish with 2 T. chopped cilantro and serve with rice or noodles.

This dish is spicy and does have a distinct bitterness, it is also sweet, and (mildly) salty, and a little bit sour. Whatever it is -- it is addictive!

You Don't Wear White After Labor Day...

... and you don't celebrate a holiday in the South without barbecue.

Some of my fondest memories have been made around a grill. My daughter's birthday is in February. To be more specific, Groundhog Day. More times than not, it's a very cold day. When we lived in Alaska, we celebrated her birthday each year with a cookout. Yes, a cookout. In Alaska. In February. In the snow! I guess you can take the girl out of the South, but, you never really take the South out of the girl!

However, unless you have a smoker and an extra day just laying around (when you figure out how to do that, please, let me know), you can't get REAL barbecue. REAL barbecue takes time and, quite honestly, years of training at the hands of someone older and wiser than yourself!

*In deference to all the barbecue purists out there, I must concede that this is NOT real barbecue, nor am I trying to pass it off as such. I have no smoker, no extra day, and I am not a Pit Master.*

That being said, I almost feel guilty sharing this recipe. Almost.

Spareribs on the Grill

One 2 1/2 pound rack of spareribs

1/2 lemon, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

2 cups water

1/2 Tablespoon  Hickory Liquid Smoke

Put all above ingredients in a 13x9x2" baking pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place pan in a preheated 250 degree oven for 1 hour. At the end of the first hour, turn oven down to 225 degrees and cook for 1 more hour. Cool completely.

When ready to grill ribs, preheat grill. (I preheat mine on HIGH and then turn it down to LOW)

Add the ribs to the grill, and start basting with the barbecue sauce of your choice, allowing the sugars in the sauce to caramelize a bit. Turn and repeat until you have the desired "crust" of your liking. This usually takes about 20 minutes, but will depend on how hot your grill is. When ready, remove and enjoy!

Ahi Tuna Ceviche with Coconut Milk and Lime

When I went to the grocery store the other day, I was shocked to see that they had some of the best looking Ahi filets I've seen out here in BFE. So I bought one with the full intention of making ceviche. I'm REALLY glad I did! It turned out to be quite delicious!

Ahi Tuna Ceviche with Coconut Milk and Lime

1 scallion or green onion, thinly sliced on the bias

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

6 ounces sushi grade Ahi Tuna

3 T. coconut milk

1/2 t. sesame oil

1/4 - 1/2 t. sriracha

salt and pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients. You can eat it right away or let it marinate for at least 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Salmon en Papillote on The Grill

So last night I decided to make some salmon on the grill. What I really wanted was smoked salmon, but found that the price of cedar planks (at $6.99 for two) was a little much to pay for just me. I could have seen spending that much if I were having company for dinner (yeah, right!). 

Then I found that Emeril Lagasse now has his face on a smoker bag. They come in Hickory and Alder, which made me a little excited. It was $3.99 for one bag, more economical for one person, and I thought it would be easier to use since I don't have a fancy-schmancy grill with a thermostat. Well, it was easy to use. Just put the fish in (I added some sliced lemons, also) and put it in a pre-heated grill (I had one side on high, one side on low) and let it cook 20 minutes per pound.

The results, however, were less than stellar. The fish steamed more than it smoked (hence, the "en papillote" title) and only had a VERY faint tinge of smoke. I was a little more than disappointed.

I do have to say that the recommended cooking time was on point, it was cooked perfectly. However, I don't think I'll be buying this product again (the smoker bag NOT the salmon!). C'mon Emeril, you can do better than this!

Coq Au Vin -- A Julia Child Recipe

As much as I am ashamed to admit it -- I have never cooked a Julia Child recipe before. I am a lowly self-taught cook unworthy to stand in the shadow of her greatness. Julia Child is to cooking what Moses was to the Hebrews. But tonight, I faced my fears and made my first Julia Child recipe.

And, OH MY GOD!

I have never in my life tasted anything -- and I do mean ANYTHING -- like this. When it was over, I felt as if I had just had the best sex of my life! I made a guttural utterance every time I took a bite! And if I had not felt as if I were in the presence of greatness, I would have licked my plate! It's no wonder the French invented the baguette to sop up such a wonderful sauce!

All I can say is that if you make this be prepared to be BLOWN AWAY!

**I DID make a few modifications, though. (Julia, please forgive me?) I baked my chicken in the oven at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, instead of on the cooktop.**

**I sauteed my onions in my original frying pan (after I had finished browning my bacon and chicken, so all the yummy flavor would be shared with the onions, and then I baked my onions in the oven at the same time as the chicken.**

**Also, since my chicken was bigger than  2 1/2 - 3 pounds, I added another 1/2 cup of wine. Also, (this is probably SACRILEGE) Julia's recipe calls for unsmoked bacon. I live in the middle of BFE and can't get pork belly anywhere, so... I substituted... GASP.... PANCETTA! It was amazing and I think it MADE the dish. Well, that, and the wine sauce!**

Chicken in Red Wine with Onions, Mushrooms and Bacon: Coq Au Vin

Recipe courtesy Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One, Alfred A. Knopf, 1995

This popular dish may be called coq au Chamberlain, coq au Riesling, or coq au whatever wine you use for its cooking. It is made with either white or red wine, but red is more characteristic. In France it is usually accompanied only by parsley potatoes; buttered green peas could be included if you wish a green vegetable. Serve it with a young, full-bodied red Burgundy, Beaujolais or Cotes du Rhone.

4 to 6 servings.

Ingredients:

•3 to 4-ounce chunk lean bacon
•2 tablespoons unsalted butter
•2 1/2 to 3 pounds frying chicken, cut into pieces
•1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional for seasoning
•1/8 teaspoon pepper, plus additional for seasoning
•1/4 cup cognac
•3 cups young, full-bodied red wine, such as Burgundy, Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, or Chianti
•1 to 2 cups brown chicken stock, brown stock or canned beef bouillon
•1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
•2 cloves mashed garlic
•1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves
•1 bay leaf

•12 to 24 Brown-Braised Onions, recipe follows

•1/2 pound Sauteed Mushrooms, recipe follows

•3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•2 tablespoons softened butter
•Fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

Remove the rind and cut the bacon into lardons (rectangles 1/4-inch across and 1-inch long). Simmer for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water. Rinse in cold water. Dry.

In a heavy large heavy bottomed casserole or Dutch oven, saute the bacon slowly in hot butter until it is very lightly browned (temperature of 260 degrees F for an electric skillet). Remove to a side dish.

Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it in the hot fat in the casserole. (360 degrees F for the electric skillet.)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Return the bacon to the casserole with the chicken. Cover and cook slowly (300 degrees F) for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.

Uncover, and pour in the cognac. Averting your face, ignite the cognac with a lighted match. Shake the casserole back and forth for several seconds until the flames subside.

Pour the wine into the casserole. Add just enough stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and its juices run a clear yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork. Remove the chicken to a side dish.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Simmer the chicken cooking liquid in the casserole for 1 to 2 minutes, skimming off fat. Then raise the heat and boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about 2 1/4 cups. Correct seasoning. Remove from heat, and discard bay leaf.

Blend the butter and flour together into a smooth paste (beurre manie). Beat the paste into the hot liquid with a wire whip. Bring to the simmer, stirring and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

Arrange the chicken in a casserole, place the mushrooms and onions around it and baste with the sauce. If the dish is not to be served immediately, film the top of the sauce with stock or dot with small pieces of butter. Set aside uncovered for no longer than 1 hour or cool, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Shortly before serving, bring the casserole to a simmer, basting the chicken with the sauce. Cover and simmer slowly for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is heated through.

Serve from the casserole, or arrange on a hot platter. Decorate with sprigs of parsley.



Brown-Braised Onions:

•1 1/2 tablespoons butter
•1 1/2 tablespoons oil
•18 to 24 peeled white onions, about 1-inch in diameter
•1/2 cup brown stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or water
•Salt and pepper
•Medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf and 1/4 teaspoon thyme tied in cheesecloth

When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and saute over moderate heat for 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

Braise them as follows: Pour in the stock, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 15 to 20 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet. Serve them as they are.

Bake them as follows: Transfer the onions and their sauteing fat to a shallow baking dish or casserole just large enough to hold them in 1 layer. Set uncovered in upper third of a preheated 350 degree F oven for 40 to 50 minutes, turning them over once or twice. They should be very tender, retain their shape and be a nice golden brown. Remove herb bouquet. Serve them as they are.


Sauteed Mushrooms:

•2 tablespoons butter
•1 tablespoon oil
•1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
•1 to 2 tablespoons minced shallots or green onions, optional
•Salt and pepper

Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their saute the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Toss the shallots or green onions, if using, with the mushrooms. Saute over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Sauteed mushrooms may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed. Season to taste just before serving.

A Date with Julia

For the last few days, I have been sick. Really sick.

It seems that for the past 2 years I have had a sinus infection that I was not aware of, well, until the morning I woke up with two black eyes and a face so swollen I was unrecognizable, even to myself.

I am starting to feel a little better, thank God! And so today, I am going to make Coq Au Vin.

Not just any Coq Au Vin -- Julia Child's Coq Au Vin. Just saying it aloud strikes fear in my heart. "What if I FAIL?", I can hear the little voice of doubt in my head say, everytime I pick up the recipe. Immediately followed by Julia's voice, "YOU mustn't BE afrAID!", it says in that melodically strange tone anyone familiar with Julia will know. 

Sometimes, I wonder if I can channel her?   "HellO!! I'm JULia CHILD!"

Nah. It's not working.

Lazy Day Dinner

I live alone. It has its perks, but, it has its drawbacks too. One of these being that I usually don't get very excited when it's dinner time. (I mean, really, who looks forward to eating alone?)

I guess that's why I am always experimenting in the kitchen -- I stay busy and it helps me forget to be lonely.

Sometimes, I want something that tastes good but doesn't require a lot of fuss. Sometimes, I want "comfort food". This simple chicken and potatoes dish is a perfect fit for both!

 Roast Chicken With Potatoes


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash and quarter 1 pound of small red skinned potatoes. If they're really small you can cut them in half and it will be fine. Put potatoes in a bowl and add;

1/2 -1 tsp salt (depending on how much you like salt)
1/4 tsp. rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp. dried basil, crushed
1/4 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 or 3 good swirls (is swirls a measurement?) of olive oil

Toss to coat. Put in a 9x13x2 dish.

For the chicken;

1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
Olive Oil

Mix together in a small bowl and add enough olive oil to make a paste.

When you have your chicken ready (I usually only do bone-in chicken breasts because I don't like dark meat), rub your chicken with the spice paste and lay on top of the potatoes. (Yes, I know it sounds weird, BUT, when the chicken cooks the juice from the chicken runs down into the potatoes and makes them YUMMY!)

Bake for 1 hour.

That's all there is to it!

To Kenya with Love

Some weeks ago, I ran into my friend Francis at the Post Office. "That's not very interesting," you may be saying to yourself, and you'd be right. We all run into friends as we go about our days.

Francis is from Kenya, I met him when we worked together. He moved to the US a few years back to work and go to school. As we chatted, I was reminded that I had promised (years ago when we first met) that I would learn to make Pilau Rice and Beef Stew, one of his favorite dishes from home. I hadn't done it yet, though. "Why?", I asked myself. I had no answer, so I went home and began to do a little research.

It seems as if Pilau Rice and Beef Stew is the National Dish of Kenya, but I couldn't find a concise recipe. It seems that everyone in Kenya has their own version. This is mine. One day, I hope I can make it again. But this time, I hope to share it with the friend who inspired me to learn to make it in the first place!

Kenyan Beef Stew

I made mine in the crock pot just so I wouldn't have to keep checking on it. I cooked it on high for a couple hours then turned it down to low and let it cook for 3 more hours, or, until the meat was nice and tender.

2 T. oil
2 pounds beef, cubed (I used a Chuck Tender Roast and cut it up)
2 green bell peppers, chopped for stew
2 carots, chopped for stew
1 large or 2 small onions, chopped
1 1/2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 t. coriander seeds, ground fine, or more to taste
2 t. hot madras curry powder, or more to taste
1/2 t. black peppercorns, ground fine, or more to taste
Seasoning Salt (which I didn't have any of; so I used a blend of salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika)

Saute the onion in oil until brown. Add tomatoes and peppers and cook down for a few minutes. Add carrots, coriander and black pepper, transfer to crock pot. Sprinkle meat with seasoning salt (or blend) and brown in batches, transferring to the crock pot after each batch. When meat is almost tender add curry powder and salt to taste.



Pilau Rice

First you must make a Masala.

Pilau Masala

1 1/2 T. cumin seeds
1 T. cardamom seeds (I used the seeds from 5 black and 5 green cardamom pods)
1/2 t. black peppercorns
1/2 t. ground cinnamon (or 1 2" piece of cinnamon stick)
6 whole cloves

Finely grind all ingredients in a spice mill.

For Rice

1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups rice (I used organic brown but you could use basmati which is original to the recipe)
4 cups water
2 t. pilau masala
2 T. oil or butter

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Saute onion in oil or butter until brown. Add spices, cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Add rice, mixing to coat each grain. Add tomatoes and water and bring rice up to a full rolling boil. When rice has started boiling, turn off the heat and put a lid on and place in oven. Cook for 25 minutes.

*If you do use brown rice, you may have to cook it in the oven for longer than the 25 minutes specified.*

A Granddaughter's Blog -- Memories of Home

I have often wondered where my love for -- my addiction to -- food came from? Thinking back now, I have realized that it was cultivated long before the first time I watched a Mexican woman go to the market to prepare a chicken soup for her family on Sesame Street, or I watched my first episode of The French Chef on PBS. Yes, long before I even knew memories were being formed, I was being taught by my grandparents to seek -- to accept no less than -- the freshest of ingredients. And that is the basis for all great recipes -- the ingredient -- the beginning of everything delicious. I guess if you think of it that way, I, too, am an ingredient. And this is my beginning.


Nanny was my maternal grandmother. On most days, she was more of a mother to me than my own mother was or ever cared to be. Most of the good memories of my childhood revolve around my Nanny and my Papaw. (Why do Southern children bestow such names on our grandparents?)

My grandparents were married 64 years. I, honestly, do not know how they did it. My Papaw was a real handful and really kept my Nanny on her toes, but she loved him, and would have done anything for him. They had run away and gotten married when she was 16. Her father had forbidden that she see him, so in true teenage rebellion, she ran off and married him. I can't even express how much I miss them.

Nanny wasn't the only one Papaw kept on her toes, he kept us all on our toes! I grew into quite a few of his "ways", as my children I am sure can confirm. I, too, always complained of them leaving the light on in an empty room, leaving the door open too long when the A/C was on, or God forbid!, touching the thermostat!

I remember when I was growing up, Papaw would get up very, VERY early to cut the grass (mowing the lawn is for city slickers) and he would always wake me up (it WAS the Summer after all!) with the sound of the mower. I remember I would get up, leave my house, and walk to theirs. (My parents lived two houses over from my grandparents, and the only house in the middle was my mother's sister.) I would still be in my nightgown, sleepy eyed I'd walk through the dew that was still on the ground and the freshly cut grass would stick to my feet. It's still one of my favorite things to do, of course, the wonder of it all was lost on my Nanny who would scream, "Wipe your feet! Don't track that grass through the house, I just vacuumed!" I would wipe my feet (making sure to get all sides) and walk into their house. Nanny and Papaw's house smelled like Heaven early in the morning! The smell of coffee and bacon hung heavy in the air like Spanish Moss hangs from Cypress trees. I still love that smell in the morning -- it smells like home.

When I was very small, my grandparents raised hogs, for bacon, and pork chops. We ate deer, rabbit and squirrel. My grandparents had a weekend place on the river and my Papaw had a trotline. When he brought in his catch, I never left his side, I was so mesmerized by the process of scaling and skinning. The sight of an eviscerated animal has never bothered me -- just a fact of life.

In the Summer, my Papaw had a HUGE vegetable garden, it was his pride and joy. He'd work in that garden all day! I have gotten into trouble so many times for picking the largest, reddest, most beautiful tomato off the vine and eating it like an apple while it was still warm from the Sun. Of course, I could never deny I had done it, the juice running down my arm was always a dead giveaway. I had a knife in my hand by the age of 6, helping my Nanny prepare foods for canning, or as she called it, "Putting up". One year, I remember, we "put up" over 80 quarts of tomatoes, alone. She canned, at least, three kinds of homemade pickles, sauerkraut, squash, green beens, you name it. We canned so much, there would be food in every closet, so much so that there would not be room for clothes. Then we'd put food under all the beds. After we had filled every room, every nook and cranny, then we filled the freezer.

When my Nanny got older, she even passed the torch of Thanksgiving Day Dinner preparation to me. (This meant a LOT because I was not the oldest cousin, and I felt somehow, I had won the lottery!)

[Now, if you are from the North, you may get lost here, so I will give you a crash course on something very Southern. Pay attention, now! There is stuffing, and then there is dressing. Stuffing is cooked INSIDE the turkey. Dressing is NOT. Got it? Good.]

My Nanny's dressing was like a religious experience! (No, I am NOT making this up!) She taught me how to make it, and when she thought it was good enough (I had to audition several times before this happened), *I* became the Dressing Maker for Thanksgiving. (See? I did win the lottery!)

Nanny and Papaw didn't have a lot of money. They couldn't buy us everything we wanted, so they showed us they loved us through food. I don't even know if they knew they were doing it, to be quite honest. I find myself doing the same thing now, if I love someone and they mean the world to me, I am always trying to feed them!

When I lived out of state and Nanny knew I was coming for a visit, the question would always be the same, "What do you want me to cook?". My answer was always the same. Fried chicken (I still don't know what she did to make it THAT good!), homemade mashed potatoes, milk gravy, and yeast biscuits! When I'd get home, it would all be there. Before you ever reached the door you could smell those amazing smells!! And then you walked in and splayed out everywhere -- food as far as the eye could see, it covered every available surface in the kitchen.

She always made too much, just as I do now. No matter who you were, when you walked into my Nanny and Papaw's house the first thing she would always ask was, "Are you hungry?", then she would go down the list, lifting pot lids as she went along. There was this, this, this, this and that! "Fix you a plate!"