Noodles Romanoff, Side Dish of Hollywood Legend.

Michael Romanoff created himself as much as he created one of old Hollywoods's most popular hotspots. Years before Facebook Twitter and television, Newspaper photographers gathered at hotspots to take pictures of the glamorous life that the movie stars lived. Romanoff's was certainly one of those places.  Sophia Loren, Jane Mansfield, Cary Grant, Bogie, Clark Gable all were photographed here eating drinking dancing and living the glam life that American's have always craved to see.

Romanoff was a cad and con man who created a name for himself and developed an dining environment which became a sought after reservation in Hollywood from 1936 to 1962. Along with the menu of classics like shrimp cocktail and steaks and chops he came up with 2 iconic dishes which were the "Bloomin Onion" of that time. One was Strawberries Romanoff, a simple Brandy infused mix of berries and whipping cream. The other Noodles Romanoff was a side dish served along most anything or ordered on it's own. It was rich and creamy sauce laden egg noodle dish which had simple flavorings, a bit of cheese, and sour cream at it's base. It was a riff on a dish that his mother and grandmother had made in eastern Europe.  And like Romanoff my Austro- Hungarian grandmother also made.

In the 1960's and 1970's Betty Crocker sold a boxed version of this side dish of Hollywood lore that many might remember. It was discontinued but is remembered with fondness my many who grew up on it.

This version is my take on the recipe. It could not be simpler but does involve buying cheese powder which is hard to find anywhere but the internet. Not to worry though I will give you a substitute. This is based on a dish I grew up with, sour cream noodles. But it comes pretty close to the original recipe!


Noodles Romanoff

8 oz of the widest eggs noodles you can find ( Country Style Dumpling Noodles are good)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for garnish
3 tablespoon white cheddar cheese powder (or sub 3 tablespoons canned Romano cheese, not parm)
1 tablespoon dried parsley plus extra for garnish
3 tablespoons finely snipped chives (fresh or dried)
1 teaspoon seasoning salt (Lawry's or TJ's onion salt)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 tablespoons butter
Extra milk, cream or half and half on hand

Directions:

Boil Noodles per package directions

Meanwhile blend all other ingredients together except butter

Drain noodles return to pot and add butter to coat the noodles stirring gently

Add the sour cream mixture  gently mix and if needed because too dry add more cream milk or butter and serve immediately or hold warm and add more milk if dries out.

Spicy Dijon and Tarragon Shrimp with Goat Cheese Grits

This is a recipe from my upcoming book on personal food heritage. The book will feature a variety of recipes not only from my own life experience but those who others have shared with me part of their personal and family histories. It is a book about what it really means to tell the story of your life and your family's life through food. I hope it will inspire others and that through my story they will find and celebrate that which makes their time here on this planet meaningful and the cherish those relationships and memories which happen around the table and over a good meal.

This recipe is a culmination of my experience with this dish that goes way back to when as a child my mama would make this for breakfast as a special treat. The recipe was from an old Charleston cookbook "Charleston Receipts" and to this day my mama uses that book to prepare this as well as other dishes.

Over time I have done what many chefs have done and played with this recipe. If I am honest it is a riff off a favorite pasta dish my mama also prepared when I was growing up.  One of the few pasta dishes she made, besides spaghetti and lasagna, Creamy Dijon shrimp Alfredo over linguini.

So here is my version of Shrimp and Grits. Hope you enjoy them. Maybe it will inspire you to look for my book when if comes out later this year. More on that later!

Spicy Tarragon and Dijon Shrimp with Bacon-Goat Cheese Grits

(Makes 4 portions with extra grits)

Ingredients:

1 lbs large shrimp peeled and deveined, tail on

1/2 tablespoon garlic flavored oil

2-3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons of Ketchup

2 teaspoons Hot sauce I like Crystal Hot Sauce or Shiracha

4 to 6 scallions chopped

4 pieces of bacon cooked and crumbled

1/2 of a red or green pepper chopped into fine dice

1 1/2 cup stone ground grits

5 cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf

6 ounces soft goat cheese or Mascarpone if you are not a fan of goat cheese

2-3 heaping tablespoons bacon grease

1 cup half and half

S&P
3 tablespoons chopped chives for garnish

Method:

For the Shrimp:

In a glass bowl, place the shrimp with the Dijon and the tarragon and combine till well coated. Place in fridge covered for at least 2 hours.

When ready to cook, place a small amount of garlic oil in pan and cook pepper and half the scallions till just done then add the shrimp add the butter and Ketchup and hot sauce and when shrimp is cooked spoon over the grits garnish with the bacon and the remaining scallions and serve immediately.

For the Bacon-Cheese Grits:

Bring the water and half and half to just a boil add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Stir in grits with a whisk, making sure there is no clumping. Add in the bay leaf.

Cook for an hour stirring occasionally to make sure grits are not clumping and adding water if they get too thick. Remove bay leaf.

Before serving, stir in cheese and bacon grease

Taste and adjust seasoning

Can be held for up to 2 hours if too thick add water and stir again till creamy.

Serve:

Place grits in the bottom of 4 wide bowls and divide shrimp among the four. Spoon butter and hot sauce mixture over the shrimp. Garnish with the bacon and the chives.