Cinco De Mayo Trailer Trash Queso

Ok it's almost that time of year when everyone goes a little Mexican crazy. I get it, tacos, burritos, margaritas and chips and salsa are all awesome. And Cinco de Mayo is our excuse to enjoy them. It's incredible.

Queso Dip is one of those things that represents all the things I love about Tex-Mex foods. Tex-Mex is honestly my go to flavor profile for Mexican food. It's just like the all American Mexican food. And as much as I love original versions of ethic foods, I love the American versions of a variety of ethic foods because I'm American and I grew up with them, And I refuse to be sorry about it cause lets face it, delicious is delicious.

So every food blog on the web (well not every) has a version of this dip. And there's a reason. It's delicious. I mean it's as white trash and easy as you can get, but it's delicious. Did I say it's delicious. it's the sorta, gotta make a lot and don't plan on eating anything else for dinner sort of good.

White Trash Nachos

1 pound block Velveta Cheese cut up into cubes
1 can hormel Chili NO Beans
1 jar Pace's Picante Sauce or Rotel

Pour into a pot together and slowly bring up to simmer on low. Let it all melt together stirring slowly and cook until all melted and well mixed together.

Get yourself some Frito Dippers and dig in. Oh my goodness it's good.

Savory Cheesy Olive Monkey Bread with Carrabba's Italian Grill's Oil Seasonings

Ok now I know there are those of you who might think that I am terrible for posting anything that has to do with some Copy Kat recipe from a chain restaurant but hear me out.

Carrabba's is a chain that originated in the south and is a pretty good Italian restaurant actually despite if being a chain. Many things are made in house and they really try to present their food well.
Im not going to try and convince anyone that it's better than Becco in NYC on 46th street ( which is pretty amazing) but I will state for the record that they do make something that I find amazing.

What is it? Well it is simply the seasoning mix that they hand you on a little plate and invite you to mix it with olive oil and dip you bread in. Oh my goodness it's amazing. No really it is. I have never found a dipping oil that's better than theirs. And I love dipping oil. So for years I have tried on occasion to make this at home but never quite got it right. Then one day I was looking on the internet and what pops up but the blog from the chain themselves telling people how to make their famous dipping mix. Well it was great to get that recipe.

Here it is:

3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 1/2  Tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 Tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 Tablespoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoons Kosher salt ( or sea salt )
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

Mix this all together place in a large mixing bowl Viola!!

So to make a savory Monkey Bread. Monkey bread is normally sweet but I have seen it with pizza sauce however this one is really like the best over the top garlic bread you have ever had. That and the seasoning mix from Carrabbas's make it a flavor explosion hard to beat. Here's what you do.

Take a can of store bought biscuits and cut them into four pieces and roll them into balls

Add them to the bowl with the seasoning mix.

Add to this:

1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 cup grated fontina or monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup of finely chopped green olives with pimentos
1/2 cup finely chopped California black olives

Add in about 1 cup of olive oil or so just enough so that everything comes together nice and coated.

Melt 4 Tablespoons of butter and add in and mix everything well together

Pour into a greased bundt pan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 25 to 30 mins.

Remove and allow to cool for at least 10 mins

Turn over bundt pan on a plate and serve immediately while still warm

Now that didn't make you turn your nose up too much now did it. Enjoy Ya'll! 

The Magic Pan's Cheese Fritters with Dipping Sauce Recipe

So one of the greatest summers I ever had as a college student was spent working at the Magic Pan restaurant. The Magic Pan was the upscale San Francisco based eatery which had spread out as a national chain in the 1970's and 80's and capitalized on the crepe craze which was evocative of the 1970's fascination with new and trendy foods from Europe and other world cuisines.

Each location was different and had a unique look. But the one staple as well as the one thing that was most memorable was the giant spinning wheel of gas jets over which rotated specially constructed upside down saute pans dipped in crepe batter cooking hundreds of crepes and later in the chains life also serving as a cooking platform for "sauteed" Entrees such as chicken marsala and sesame chicken.

My best friend from high school and I Kai Larsen got jobs there our junior year of college and had a blast working, making really great money and also playing at the beach and all over northern Virginia. It was a summer of fun.

Of course a great deal of it was taken up with the work part. But we didn't mind because the crew we were a part of was awesome. We were 2 of 5 summer employees at the Pan. The rest were all full timers. They were so because for a restaurant job the Pan was a very lucrative place to work. Full all the time it was the favorite of the boozy ladies who lunch of Northern Virginia and young turks taking their dates out on the town for an impressive meal. Families and single ladies in groups all favored the Pan. Quite upscale for the time it had a "She She Fa Fa" reputation for being the place to be. Well that was while the food trends lasted and more and newer competitors were not sucking the customer base away. Which was the end of the Pan.

But this was the 80's and the Pan was still flying high. So for a cash job it was excellent as a student. I loved that summer and really have to say it was the most fun I ever had in a service job.

Now the food at the Pan was awesome I have to say. All freshly made nothing from a central commissary. And while some things were later out a can they were at least prepped on site. That's what eventually was the cost downfall of the chain and it's too bad. Regardless, the food was great. And that's what counts.

These were on the menu at the magic pan as an appetizer and were truly yummy. The dip was amazing with them. Hope you all enjoy not hard to make at home if you can deep fry. Enjoy!

CHEESE FRITTERS

1⁄2 cup milk 1 oz blue cheese, crumbled

11⁄4 cups all purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder 

3⁄4 tsp salt Dash of cayenne pepper 

3 medium eggs 

6 oz cheddar cheese, grated 

Vegetable oil 

Parmesan cheese, grated

In small saucepan heat the milk and bleu cheese over medium heat until the cheese melts. 

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne in a mixing bowl. 

Add the milk and bleu cheese and mix thoroughly. 

Add eggs one at a time and mix until blended. 

Add cheddar cheese and blend for a couple of minutes. 

Drop the mixture into fritter shapes into hot oil until light brown. 

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Dipping Sauce

1 cup salad dressing (Miracle Whip) or Mayonnaise (Hell- man’s or Best Foods)

1⁄4 cup prepared mustard 1⁄4 cup sugar Dash of lemon juice

Mix all ingredients.

South Carolina Style Cream Cheese Biscuits instead of Rolls for the Holiday Dinner Table

So for the dinner of all dinners Thanksgiving day bread of some form is usually on the table. Crescent rolls from a can, bake and serve rolls or ,for the ambitious, homemade breads are some baked options that will bless many a Thanksgiving table.

However as a southerner I would like to say that while I love all those options biscuits will always be top on my list of bready things I love to eat. So for this holiday I will share this recipe for South Carolina Style cream cheese biscuits.

There are many many versions of these biscuits and recipes for them all over the web. Even the senator's office from the state has a version on their website. Why you ask? Well because at state functions his wife serves these little nuggets piled with thinly sliced onions and mayonnaise and chives or slathered with pimento cheese or warmed with salty ham and swiss cheese and a poppyseed mustard butter spread and they are so popular people ask for the recipe.

And while they are a perfect party food they are also just plain perfect served alongside a meal like the Thanksgiving feast. Served right out of the oven with good salted butter they can't be beat as a tasty side for the celebration.

So here's mt take on these tasty morsels. Hope you enjoy and have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!!

South Carolina Style Cream Cheese Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 4 cups self-rising flour (preferably White Lily), plus more for dusting
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter cut in small cubes and at room temperature
• ½ cup cream cheese, room temperature
• 1½ cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with rack in the middle position.
2. Place 4 cups flour in a large, wide bowl.
3. Sprinkle the butter cubes and the cream cheese on top of the flour and use your fingers to "cut" it in until the mixture resembles cottage cheese (chunky with some loose flour).
4. Make a well in the center and pour the buttermilk in the well.
5. Use your hands or a rubber spatula to mix the buttermilk into the flour. Don't overmix. The secret to tender biscuits is messing with the dough as little as possible. A wet and messy dough will form.
6. Spread a good bit of flour out on a work surface. (I like to use a piece of parchment paper for my work surface.)
7. Dump the dough onto the floured work surface. Flour a rolling pin and sprinkle flour on top of the dough.
8. Roll the dough to ½-inch thickness. Do not knead the dough.
9. Flour a 2-inch round biscuit cutter. Press the cutter straight down into the dough and straight back up. (No turning.) Repeat, cutting as many biscuits as you can.
10. Roll out dough scraps one time to cut more biscuits. As long as the dough stays wet inside, you can use as much flour on the outside as you need. As I transfer the biscuits to a baking pan, I try to dust off any excess flour.
11. Place biscuits on a baking pan with sides or a cast iron skillet. The sides of the biscuits should be touching. The recipe recommends lining the sides of the pan with parchment paper, but I did not.
12. Brush the tops with melted butter. Place in oven and immediately reduce oven temp to 450 degrees. Bake 16 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan once.

Vermont Cheese Soup

On a recent visit to Vermont I was able to go to a cheese shop which specialized in Vermont cheeses. I also visited the Cabot Cheese outlet one of the largest cheese producers in the state. And I also had a cheese tasting course both at a very upscale restaurant as well as at my host's home during a dinner party.

Regardless of where I tried these cheeses it was evident that Vermont produces some incredible varieties. These were both being made in mass production facilities as well as in artisanal producers workshops. From the samples I had it was evident that this is excellent cheese.

So I recommend that you go to your local cheese monger and check out which of the really unique cheese offerings from Vermont they might have.

I also offer up a recipe for Vermont cheese soup I got in Vermont this weekend. It's a real cheese soup and is perfect for fall. Enjoy Ya'll.

Vermont Cheese Soup

3 cups of chicken stock
1 leek white part chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
1/2 of a medium onion chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
1 cup packed shredded Vermont White sharp or better yet extra aged and sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup dry white wine

Method:

Bring stock to boil and add vegetables
Simmer for 45 minutes
Then stain into a clean pot
mix the cornstarch with the water and stir into soup simmer till it's slightly thickened
Add the cheese slowly and keep stirring until the cheese is melted
Combine the egg yolk with the cream
Add about 3/4 cups of the warm liquid to the egg cream mixture and combine
Then add this mixture to the soup and stir rapidly with a whisk. Cook for two minutes.
Do not boil.
Just before serving add the wine. It does wonders for the taste of the cheese. 

Southern Party recipes: Crab Dip

In the south we have a lot of hot dip recipes. Many of them not surprisingly are based on mayonnaise. This one is no exception.

I remember going to many a open house around Christmas time or New Years and enjoying this kind of dip. In Charleston there is an old famous recipe for what is called "Meeting Street Crab Dip" and it's very rich and delicious.

This recipe is is a little bit easier and less involved but definitely yummy and keep people coming back. If you are having a get together make this and a bottle of wine and you are set. It's all you'll want to put out or you will spoil people's appetite for dinner. Or make it as part of your game day graze. Either way your guests will love it.

Crab Dip

Makes: 10-12 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds cream cheese

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Old Bay

1 cup Sherry wine

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup fresh jumbo lump crabmeat
paprika

1 loaf baguette

Method:

Preheat oven to 350. Blend cream cheese in a food processor with all ingredients except the cheese, crabmeat and bread.  Fold in crabmeat by hand in a bowl. Pour into 6x10 aluminum pan and top with cheese and sprinkle with a little paprika. Bake for 20 minutes until it's golden brown and bubbling and then serve hot with sliced baguette. 

Party Shortcuts: Hummus Dip a New Way to Serve up a Old Favorite

Ok! Ok! I have a confession to make. I love hummus. I mean who doesn't really. And I know that I could drone on and on about how to make hummus and what no,t but really there are so many good varieties of the stuff out there in the grocery case why put yourself through the effort. ( Although making it at home in bulk is actually cheaper)

So what could you possibly do or say on a food blog post about hummus. Well only this, and I know it's a cheap shot not in the vein of my usual recipe profile but this is a super easy and super quick way to up your entertaining repertoire. Plus it adds dairy to an otherwise vegan dish. Which you might not like but if you do, you will like this a lot.

To make this dip you simply take a container of hummus and a container of greek yogurt, stir them together with a few glugs of olive oil and some salt place in a bowl garnish with more olive oil and some pine nuts or aleppo pepper and viola! An amazing dip. Serve with pita triangles and you have a party.

Hope you enjoy this easy tip Ya'll!

Recipe ( if you can all it that )

1 16 oz. container of Hummus
1 8 oz. container
Good quality olive oil
Salt
Toasted Pine nuts
Aleppo Pepper flakes
Some parsley chopped or dried for garnish

Stir together and add salt to taste, then garnish with more olive oil and the pine nuts and or pepper flakes.

Two Bruschetta for your Spring and Summer Outdoor Al Fresco Dining San Diego Style

For every drop of rain that falls in San Diego I think a thousand flowers grow. It is really something to catch this town in full bloom. Flower boxes everywhere and the yards. while small by Mid-Western standards, hold little pockets of color, spicing up an otherwise urban feel. California as I can see has foliage that most of the country would love to have around. The name the "golden state" refers to the hue the place gets after the green of spring slowly makes it way into the summer's less rainy and more dry conditions. But let me say I was there on the cusp of Spring and the blooms were coming out and the grass was bright green. It was lovely.

The other thing you notice as a visitor to San Diego is the outdoor life. Truly amazing in it's scope I think I never saw more people moving and walking and playing in the park and everywhere than in San Diego. The weather is awesome and the bugs are not bad. It's simply awesome.

One aspect of this outdoor living is dining outside or Al Fresco. It's a pleasure to sit in the dry cool evening air and partake of fresh foods with family or friends. I had the pleasure of doing just that a number of times while I was visiting.

My friend's house has a lovely backyard with a large dining table and chairs, seating area, fire pit and pool with a deck. And it's not a big yard, just well used space. In fact it seems that anyone in this San Diego neighborhood with a little imagination, elbow grease, and a penchant for buying things on Ebay or Craig's List, could actually create themselves a little bit of outdoor heaven. And from the look of the neighbor's homes many have. That all being said, I was just happy to be so well entertained!

One evening I was charged with preparing the dinner and while we were hungry we had all had a large lunch and did not feel the need for a large meal. So I came up with the idea of making bruschetta for dinner. Now this was a dinner I had first had in New York when a good friend invited me over and made "oven" bruschetta. Now I was used to the idea that bruschetta are served cold or at room temperature. This preparation turned the bruschetta into a sort of mini pizza. And who doesn't like pizza! So these little morsels with a big green salad made for a really delicious meal.

Now the only challenge for me was what to toppings to pick for the bruschetta. I came up with two which are Italian in nature but a little more Americano in execution. The first was a twist on plain ole artichoke topping. I zipped it up essentially turning it into Artichoke dip and topping it with that. The other was a play on the old classic tomato but mixed in sausage and diced red peppers and onions and sort of made it a play on a grinder. Baked in the oven they came out warm and delicious. I think they also could have been grilled if the grill had be on and summertime I will test that theory. In any event they are perfect for a backyard feast. Enjoy, Ya'll!

Backyard or Oven Bruschetta Two Ways

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and or light grill

For both bruschetta's you will need a loaf of french bread cut into 1/2 inch slices, then sprinkled liberally with olive oil and baked till just crisp not browned in the oven

Artichoke Bruschetta

1 can Artichoke hearts drained
1/4 cup Mayonaise
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl mash together till well combined not in a food processor
Top bread slices with mixture
Bake in oven or grill till heated through and slightly browned
serve

Sausage and Peppers Bruschetta

2 Roma tomatoes seeded and diced into cubes
1 small red bell pepper seeded and diced into cubes
2 links italian cooked sausage cubed
1/2 smal red onion diced
6 basil leaves cut into chiffonade
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 slices of provolone cut into quarters

Place all ingredients except  parm and ricotta and provolone in a small bowl and mix till combined
mix parm and ricotta
Top  bread lightly with the ricotta mixture then topping mixture
Top with the provolone pieces
Bake in a 350 degree oven or grill till heated through and the cheese is really melted

Enjoy

Football Season Love or Frito Pie for Football Lovers! or Texas Chili and Chips

So inspired by my previous Frito entry and how many people on google seemed to have picked this up, I will give you a little more Frito football season love.

So I can't take credit for this dish at all. Perhaps my friend Trisha Bastion can but even she good Texan that she is may shy away from the credit. Or my friend Daryl another Texan might also take credit for introducing me. But either way I cannot, nor would I pretend to take credit, because Frito Pie is as famous in Texas and Southwestern football as beer and tailgating.

Frito Pie, the very name conjours up all sort of interesting images. Not immediately gourmet ones and not ones directly about football perhaps, but who care's this is all about good eats we are talking about. I mean if you have ever been to to great fall football game? You know the deal. Nip in the air, crowds of excited onlookers and fans moving about. Colors and scents of Fall are everywhere. The cool air and sweater clad co-eds and boys in jerseys or sweaters and hoodies. Cars lined up in the parking lots with BBQ's going and beer beer beer! Yeah team!

Well in Texas and the southwestern parts of our nation a big part of high school football games and team fundraising for at those games I am told, centers around Mom's selling food at games. Frito Pie in particular is a big seller. It's not a fancy thing. It's basically a bag of fritos that gets opened up and they ladle chili and cheese all over inside the bag then they hand you the bag and a fork and you go to town! Yum right.  I mean what could be bad about that.

But who came up with this? Well the story goes it was invented at a Woolworth's lunch counter in Santa Fe, New Mexico. There is even a recipe for the original chili online you can check out if you want. There is also a story that in the 1930's the wife of the President of the Frito Lay Corporation invented it. But either way we are all the winners cause someone came up with it.

So here's my take on the Frito Pie, it's a little more work than just opening up a can, but hey that's why we have recipes. This also includes my recipe for authentic Texas chili ( aka no tomatoes). Enjoy Yall.

Forrest's Authentic Texas Chili and Frito Pie Recipe

For the sauce:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

3 Tablespoons Garlic powder

2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin

2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano

2 Tablespoons Dried Coriander

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt

1/2 Cup Red Chili Powder ( I used a mix of regular Store Brand Chili powder and ground Guajillo Pepper powder and Ancho Chili powder in equal amounts)

31/2 cups beef broth

1 bottle of lager beer

For the chili:

2 strips of bacon diced

1 pound Beef Brisket cut up into 1/2 inch cubes

1 large white onion diced finely

1 can green chilis

2 Tablespoons of hot Coco Mix with sugar added.

2 Tablespoons cornmeal baking mix or Masa

Method:

Cook the bacon add the onions over low heat until browned and the onion is soft then add the beef and cook till browned

salt to taste

In another pan:

Melt butter and stir in the flour

Let cook for a few moments then pour in the other dry ingredients

Cook till starts to smoke stirring constantly

Then add the beef broth slowly combining the mix

Add the cocoa 

Then add the beer

When combined let it come to a bubble and boil

Cook for 5 mins stirring often

At this point you are done but to get more combined complex flavor to can

reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 to 30 mins

If it gets too thick add more broth or just water

It should be thick and delicious

Add salt to taste if you like it more salty add it

Add the meat mixture to this and the can of chili's and the Masa

Cover and let cook over low heat for 3 hours together adding water if it gets too dry.

Frito Pie

In a 9 x 9 baking pan  or in individual gratin dishes layer about 2 cups of fritos on the bottom

Top with a layer of the chili ( as much as you want)

Add chopped raw onion and tomatoes

Top with a layer of grated cheese ( I like white cheddar)

Bake in a 350 degree oven till cheese is melted and everything is good

To serve place portion on plate and garnish with sour cream, chopped cilantro, jalapenos and radish sticks for crunch and color. Enjoy Ya'll and GO TEAM!!!

Football Snack Time, Sausage Balls and the RNC 2012

OK it's college Football season and the weekend after the Republican National Convention this year I found myself in Chicago and was blessed to behold the rigor and forethought that people put into their celebrating their team's efforts starting out the season! I mean we are talking adults and whole families made up in colored costumes and even makeup putting on a show in support of their favorite teams.

Now I am not a football fan by any stretch of the imagination. I like watching the occasional game, if it is on in the bar and I will always watch the Superbowl and party down. But tailgating with my favorite university team wasn't something I did in college let alone now. Like Bruce sings "Glory Days", some folks need to just let it go! But OK, I get excited over a biscuit recipe or an eating experience, so I give it to others to be passionate about "the game"! Why not, to each his or her own. It's what makes the world an interesting place.

This year right before I got to the weekend in Chicago where I was attending a wedding, I was sent to Tampa, Florida for the RNC. Well not exactly, a big corporate client of ours was hosting a big pavilion down there and the caterer they had hired was not really up to the task, so down we went to lend a hand and keep their events running smoothly. Well, it did not take long for these New Yorkers to conflict with the local Tampa chefs and managers from this catering company. Long story made short we saved these poor people from being eaten by their tough NYC corporate customers. but it was not easy. During the week we had to deal with staff not coming, food not coming, entire orders being missed, or parts of orders coming and we having to cover the rest.

This post is born out of that senario. One day there was to be a cocktail party, but the caterer did not send Hors D-ouevres for the cocktail reception. So off to the store we went and rustled up some HD's. Well there were several suggestions but mine was sort of cheeky and made a big hit. Years before when I lived with 2 roommates ( Christopher and CT) one of them made this dish as a snack. Well I actually think it was a meal but I digress. It's an old southern recipe that when we made it made the client so happy. They were sausage balls. Now not fancy although we made them really small and they looked like an elegant HD at a NYC party. And we called them "Saucisson" or French for Sausage! But what they were made out of had us in the back howling. Ready, OK they were Bisquick, a Bob Evans sausage roll, and cheddar cheese. Mushed together in equal parts and wet with a bit of water they were rolled into tiny little balls which puffed up to double the size when baked quickly. Served with a dijon dipping sauce they were a hit!

So I thought why not represent for game time what was good enough for the Republican National Convention! Sausage balls! So if you want to delight your friends watching football make these and think of me cause I probably won't be there, unless it's the Superbowl! Enjoy Ya'll!

Saucisson or Southern Sausage Ball Game Day Nibbles ( of course you could make them anytime)

2 cups Bisquick Baking Mix
16 oz or shredded cheddar cheese can be pre-shredded but works better if you do it yourself
1 Roll Sausage fresh or frozen thawed
2 tablespoons water

Heat oven to 375
In a bowl combine well all ingredients using your hands (wash them)
Add more water if too dry but don't make it really wet.
Place in the fridge for two hours
Remove from the fridge and roll into marble sized balls
Place on a non stick baking sheet
When you have the first pan done bake for 7 to 10 mins. or until puffed and golden
Remove and let cool slightly before you remove them from the baking sheet.
Serve warm with the dipping sauce.


Dipping sauce

1/2 cup Dijon
1/2 cup mayo
1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon water

Place in mixing bowl and whip together serve with the Sausage Balls Enjoy!

Easy Roasted Olive Appetizer Plate using California Ripe Olives in the Can

I love an easy appetizer. Who doesn't. But sometimes we get in a rut and pull out the same old chips and dips and cheese and crackers we always do. Well I was recently at a gathering and thought I need to do something different. Something lighter and something tasty. Olives came to mind as one options. But how to make them more interesting than getting them from the deli olive bar and opening up a tub into a bowl? You know open a can! Well that got me thinking about olives in a can.

I really only knew there were 2 kinds of olives growning up. Green oilves that came in a jar with pimentos and California Black or Ripe olives that came in a can. Kalamata oilves and all the other varieties were just not on the tip of everyone's tongue in the US. when I was a kid. I didn't learn till much later the joy of the cultivated olive. When I did discover Greek Olives I was really blown away. The flavors and the textures were all so good and slowly I relegated the canned black olive to a culinary position which included mexican foods and salad recipes which called for them.

Recently I have been on a kick to try and reinvent uses for ingredients deemed old school or passe in the more modern kitchen. I used black olives for something the other day and thought they could be more interesting. I mean how is it that olives produced in the US. have this profile flavor-wise. Well I did some research and this is what I found out.

From the California Ripe Olive Producers:

The roots of the California Ripe Olive go way back. Wild olive (scientifically known as oleaster) once grew all over the Mediterranean, southeast Asia and other areas, but this unimpressive, straggly plant bore little resemblance to the graceful modern olive tree. That is, until about 5,000 years ago when it was first cultivated in Crete and Syria into the beauty as we now know it.

Once established, olive trees flourished in Spain, Tunisia, Morocco and other Mediterranean countries for thousands of years, featured in many of the regions culinary specialties. The Spaniards were the first to realize that this fabulous fruit could have international appeal and took the first cuttings to Peru in the mid-sixteenth century.

From there, Franciscan Monks took olives to the New World and moved north through the missions of Mexico. At last, in 1769, the first olive cuttings were planted in California at the San Diego Mission. As most transplants do, they responded quite well to the California climate-sunny days, cool nights, fresh air-and they set their roots.

Surrounded by such a cooperative climate, Californian’s started planting acres upon acres of olive trees in response to the high demand for olive oil in the 1800s. Then the market became saturated (with monounsaturated oil ironically) and prices dropped. Farmers who had used all of their land for olive oil were doomed if they didn’t come up with a new plan.

A resourceful German woman named Freda Ehmann and her son, Edwin, were part of this population. Who would’ve guessed that they would soon be the ones to figure out the solution? The Ehmann’s had trees that bore little fruit and selling pressed oil was not an option. After consulting with a Berkeley professor on processing methods, Freda began experimenting with 280 gallons of olives in barrels on her back porch. Thanks to her creative dreaming and stick-to-it-ness California Ripe Olives were created right then and there.

California Ripe Olives may not be prepared on the back porch anymore (in fact, we can assure you, they are always preserved in one of two state-of-the-art facilities), but they are made through the same exact process that Freda invented. This is what makes our olives taste decidedly American. Mild, versatile and meaty, they continue to add great flavor to everything from American country cooking to a melting pot of ethnic cuisines.

Who knew right? So obviously the flavor profile of these olives make them open to being used with other flavors to create something special. 

So having been to plenty of restaurants and events where a tasty olive bowl is available all mixed up with herbs some oil nuts and maybe garlic or citrus bits for flavor, I decided to make my own. However I would use the California Ripe olive out of the can!

So I did it. It was easy and it was well received. I used pearl onions, California Roasted Almonds ( staying with the state theme) some oilve oil, some garlic slices, fennel seeds, rosemary, sea salt  and of course California Ripe oilves. Stir it up. Saute lightly on the stove top then roast for 10 mins in the oven. Yum! So give this a try and mix up your nut bowl at the next party! Enjoy Ya'll!

Roasted California Ripe Olives with Almonds Onions and Herbs

preheat oven to 425 degrees

1 can 8oz California Ripe (black) oilves

4 tablespoons olive oil

10 pearl onions ( if frozen thaw)

1 large sprig rosemary leaves chopped

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1/4 cup roasted almonds whole

2 cloves garlic sliced thin

Sea salt

Place oil in oven proof pan and heat over medium heat

add spices and allow to bloom a few minutes

add onions and cook till a little brown on one side

add the other ingredients and stir

cook for 3 to 5 mins then place into oven for 10 mins

take out and let cool on the counter, serve with bread.

Chips and Dips are for Whimps! Avocado Spread with Rosemary Flavored Foccacia Toasts!

I love avocados in the summertime. I mean what's not to like about them. They are the basis for Guacamole which has got to be one of the best things ever. They are smooth and rich and buttery tasting, and have the most wonder ability to compliment a variety of starchy foods.

In this past month's issue of Food and Wine Magazine, one of the contributors talked about avocado toasts with sea salt and red pepper flakes. He explained that the simplicity of the grilled bread with the rich and picante flavor of the mashed ripe avocado was the highlight of his dinner party. Well he was right on. I tried this delectable recipe and I have to say it was good. However, you know I love to take something and make it my own so I decided to do just that. But lets not get ahead of ourselves here, this desire to do something different with it started with the Toast.

Now toasted bread is perhaps one the greatest things in the world as far as I am concerned! Toasted bread is crispy, crunchy, warm and can be savory or sweet, It can be topped with anything from butter and jam or vegetables to melted cheese. It is in short the most wonderful vehicle for savoring a variety of foods. But all toasts are not created equal. And when I thing of toast I want two things, excellent flavor and exciting mouth feel. I love good old plain bread toast for certain things. But for a toast or bread plate to really be special I think you need to move past the everyday bread into the realm of flavor and texture. And the one bread which I think has both these in spades in the Italian Bread called Foccacia!

So for those of you who do not know what Foccacia is let me explain. It is Italian in origin. It is a yeast bread which is baked into a flat load and is loaded with olive oil goodness. It is soft and sponge like yet firm and chewy. It is excellent plain but I have discovered it is even better toasted. Toasting the Foccacia gives it another layer of texture and brings out it's oily goodness even more.

Well using that as a starting point I thought, why stop at toasting the focaccia? Why not give it a grilled treatment, not unlike what grilled cheese bread goes through. Butter it and grill it crispy, crunchy and salty and serve it warm. Maybe with olives and olive oil. Yum. Well that's where my bread plate idea started. But where is ended was with the avocado toast idea.

So to make the avocado toasts normally you slather it on and serve it up. But I decided to make a play off the chips and dip idea and serve it already prepared like guacamole would be letting people put it on the bread themselves. And then substituting things like the sea salt and pepper flakes, lemon juice and good quality olive oil for the traditional Mexican flavorings Thus giving the spread an richness like green butter. Ah, and it was so good when I served it up!

So next time you are having people over make a little effort and try this instead of the old chips and dip. It will elevate your dinning experience a notch or two and make your guests so happy. So enjoy, Ya'll!

Avocado Spread on Foccacia Toasts
serves 4

4 small to medium ripe but not over ripe avocados
Maldon Sea Salt ( or other course flaky sea salt)
1 to 2  teaspoons red pepper flakes depending on your heat level ( plus more for garnish)
VERY good quality finishing olive oil about 1 1/2 tablespoons

Method:

mash the avocados in a bowl till very creamy add sea salt flakes to taste and red pepper flakes to taste.
Add the olive oil and stir together till creamy and combined
Place in a small dip or serving bowl and garnish with more salt and red pepper flakes, drizzle olive oil over the top till it rests in a small pool in the rim of the dish.
Serve with toasted bread

Forrest's Bread Plate

Foccacia Bread loaf
Good butter at room temp
olive oil
rosemary flavored oil
Maldon Sea Salt

Method:

Cut bread into rectangular pieces which are about 4 inches by 2 inches
Slather one side with butter
Place enough olive oil in a skillet till the bottom is lightly coated
Turn on heat to med high
When very hot place the bread butter side down in the pan and allow to cook till toasted and browned
Turn over and let grill till the other side is toasty
Drizzle the rosemary oil over the bread and sprinkle with the sea salt
Place on a plate and serve immediately or at room temp is fine but warm is better!

Enjoy ya'll

Hiki Tiki Glamour Porch or Korean BBQ Pizza... Holy Kimchi Batman!

Two summers ago we held an On the Plate event which sadly proved to be our last. We wanted to do something for summer and we wanted it to be fun and different. So I came up with the idea of doing a polynesian evening. A luau of sorts. At first I don't thing Stuart my partner was into the idea. But with a little creative collaborating and me calling it "the Hiki Tiki Glamour Porch" he was in and we set about planning the evening. He got so into the idea that before I knew it he had a hula troupe coming to perform at the party. I mean fun right!!

For the party we served cocktails. Mai Tai's and Hawaiian Punch that packed a punch! And the food we decided should be cocktail party food, nothing too heavy, nothing needing plates. We settled on a number of dishes which we decided to bill as "Pacific Rim Tapas".

Asparagus and Mushroom Wontons with Soy Aioli
Bacon Wrapped Baked Bananas with chili Sauce
Korean BBQ Beef Pizza with Cool and Spicy Kimchi Topping
Dan Dan Noodles in a chinese box
Ham Bacon and Pinnapple Quesadillas with Sour Creme
Spicy Crunchy Sesame Peanut Chicken Salad in a chinese box

So that was the total menu. And I have to say the food all came out really well. Everyone enjoyed it and they ate heaps of it. I was a little proud of the fact that I was able to translate some very western foods into something that the group seemed ultimately to enjoy. I mean we wanted it cheeky, not authentic, with a nod to the east and the pacific but fully western and a cocktail menu. I think I did OK.

So for those of you all who have asked in the past year for this recipe I will now give it up. It's really simple and easy and makes a really nice change from the normal pizza dinner especially if you have people in the house who are meat eaters. I will warn you it may change your mind about what belongs on Pizza, but isn't that what reading these things is about! Enjoy Ya'll

Korean BBQ Pizza with Spicy Creamy Kimchi Topping


Ingredients:


1 pizza crust round or rectangle ( I like rectangle)
1 lb short ribs ( cut up into strips)
1/2 cup dark soy sauce
1/4/ cup dark rice wine ( or sherry)
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 pinch chili flakes
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup Korean pizza sauce ( 1/4 cup canned pizza sauce and 1/2 cup thai chili sauce ( mild) )
1/2 cup red onions sliced into fine half moon ribbons
1 cup cheddar cheese

For Korean Beef
Place Short RIbs slices and next 8 ingredients into a plastic bag and shake well till all combined
Place in fridge and marinate overnight
Remove from fridge and bring to room temperature.
Cook in large skillet in 2 batches till mest is done and browned and tender
Cool and reserve



For Kimchi ( My quick recipe)

3 cups shredded green cabbage
5 scallions sliced on the bias
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon Sriracha  Hot sauce
1/2 red bell pepper cut into small ribbons
1/2 red onion sliced into small dice
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon Mayonaise
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

Combine all ingredients and let sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

For Pizza

Spread out dough on a greased baking sheet
Spread with sauce
Add Korean beef
Red onion and cheese
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 to 30 mins till crust is brown
Remove from oven let cool for 5 mins
Top with Kimchi and serve sliced immediately

ENJOY!!

One toast Soldier rides away..Smoked Salmon Tartare, Pickled Fennel salad, Horseradish and Toast Soldiers

One of the things that being a "Son of Norway" on one side of the family gives you is an appreciation for a number of things. One is Christmas traditions and traditional sweets . One is late night suppers with warming soups and open faced sandwiches. And one is sardines and other smoked fish and fish products. I mean I could throw Aquavit in there too but really my love for beer is more cultivated than my love for the liquor of the Motherland.

Norway is a little known country in the US. unless you are in certain parts of the Midwest. It's foods and it's traditions are blurred together with the more well known and vocal neighbor Sweden ( I mean who can compete with Abba and Ikea as icons). Even it's meatballs aren't as well known as it's neighbor's although different and very tasty. ( More on that in another blog). But Norway had a big impact on this nation and it's people contributed mightily to many regions of the US. not just the Midwest. For example, did you know that after the turn of the century and before WWII Mobile Alabama had a large Norwegian population that was involved in the ship building industry there. Or did you know that in the early part of the last century there were more Norwegians in Brooklyn than Germans, or actually in Norway itself for that matter. Gone are there communities for the most part although to this day in a part of brooklyn there is a small smattering of Norwegian shops, churches and stores. But only the very old remember any real community or sense of tradition being there. That's the odd thing about transitions in the US. Whole groups of peoples have come and gone from areas and left nary a trace.

My mother's family on her father's side all came over on the boat. She is on that side of the family the first generation American. Not so on her Mother's side. But because of this European connection I have  relatives who grew into being Americans. They all learned English as a badge of honor, not wanting to be separated from the people that they were living amongst. Immigrants then learned english. In fact it was somewhat of a duty. It wasn't easy, lets face it English is actually a complex tongue compared to many. So many ways to say the same thing. My Great Grandfather used to say in frustration " I just learned how to say JELLY, when they changed the word to "Y"am! " The J being pronounced like a Y in Norwegian made this a riot! Ah, those simple times!

Being half Norwegian my Mother learned all about the traditions of the Norse peoples. From the Christmas traditions to the stories of the homeland her relatives shared things, and of course they shared the foods. Most of what came down to my brother and myself were Christmas sweets and cakes, and an appreciation for certain spices in savory dishes like Nutmeg and Allspice. We also got a fair dose of smoked seafood and fish. And a love for dark brown and rye breads with certain meals. All in all not a bad dose of culinary knowledge.

Today's recipe is something that I picked up over my time working in the NYC restaurant and catering scene. It is a dish which embodies a few elements which I have found fit into the flavor palate that I grew up with at home with Norway in the background of the cooking that the women of the house were doing. Which may explain why I took to it! It also is an easy dish that looks and tastes so elegant that it's sure to be a crowd pleaser. And unless people have an aversion to fish in general it's also a great way to make a tartare that it not really raw. Don't get me wrong I love a good steak tartare or a fresh tuna tartare. But there are those folks you might have over who have a problem with eating raw meat or seafood. This is a bridge between the two worlds and boy is it a tasty one. So grab your ring mold and your mandoline and lets get cooking!

Smoked Salmon Tartare with Cucumbers and Pickled Fennel   (serves 4 as an appetizer)

Special equipment you will need:

A 2 inch metal or plastic restaurant mold

A mandoline ( slicer, you can use a knife and do this by hand but it's so much easier to cut paper thin slices on a mandoline)

Ingredients:

10oz smoked Salmon ( I like to use Gravlaks or Pastrami smoked salmon when available it has such great flavor)
2 tablespoons capers
3 tablespoons finely diced red onion
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon dijon
dash of worcestershire sauce
dash of tabasco
pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
2 persian cucumbers sliced thin on a mandoline into rounds
1 small head of fennel sliced paper thin on a mandoline
white vinegar
2 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons both mustard seeds and dried coriander seeds whole
lemon juice

Method

Place the fennel in a bowl pour the vinegar over it to cover, then all the next 3 ingredients. stir well. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge overnight

Next finely chop the salmon into fine dice
Mix all the rest of the ingredients together gently
except the cucumbers
Cover and let sit in the fridge for an hour

When ready to serve

Place ring mold in the middle of the plate and fill with the tartare
place a ring of overlapping cucumbers around the ring. Pour a little lemon juice on the cucumbers.
Take the fennel out of the fridge and taking a few strands top the tartare with a little nest of the fennel, make it artistic and twisted. Not too much just to give it some drama. Then garnish with the dill frons. Serve with white toast soldiers. Which are white bread toasted crusts cut off and then cut into toast "fingers".
And there you have it a very classy appetizer that it also really easy to prepare. Enjoy Ya'll!

Vickery's Artichoke Dip and a Dinner Party with the girls from the office

So I have invited the girls from my office over for dinner. This is a little intimidating as we all work in the  food business. We serve food at events in NYC and they sell the parties and the food our company makes. Plus both had culinary and food studies backgrounds from great schools. So while it's good to have the girls over, it's also a little scary.

I mean let's face it. I am talking the big talk here on the Cookforrestcook. Telling everyone how good what I make is. And how any given recipe is perhaps the best possible version of whatever it is, and that you might want to have it in your recipe box. I mean that's my goal. To create recipes that everyone can enjoy, have in their arsenal, and wow their family and friends with on special dinner occasions.

 Ina Garten is probably my favorite food channel cookbook author for that reason. If I wanted a good go to, she would be it in my humble opinion. She does the basics and a few interesting dishes well.  Her recipes always work and they are easy to understand and follow. She's limited in that she really only stays in that realm of the ordinary. But a solid ordinary.

I am a little more all over the map. But it is my goal as well to give you recipes you can use easily but will take you out of the ordinary. Plus my southern background keeps me looking at the world through that well traveled lens and grounds me I would like to think in solid cooking ideas.

So for dinner tonight I have tried to keep things simple but turn up the wow factor. I want an impressive but simple to prepare meal that allows me time with my guests and only a little time in the kitchen.

The Menu:

For starters I am making an old standby, Vickery's artichoke dip. ( recipe to follow)

Then a simple salad of Campari Tomatoes with toasted California Walnuts, Maytag Blue cheese, basil, and Green Goddess vinaigrette.

Then a Pasta course featuring a dish that is one of my favorites.
Bowtie pasta with Applewood smoked bacon, sundried tomatoes in a blue cheese Cracked pepper cream sauce.

Then the main event Pork Osso Bucco with caramelized Fennel and Apples.

For dessert. English Block toffee and cordials.

So this is the menu. I will post the rest of the recipes this week. But for today here is the artichoke dip that people come to my house and go a little nuts for. Vickery's Artichoke dip!

Vickery's Artichoke Dip

So you might ask what is this Vickery's? Well it was only one of my favorite bar/restaurants in Charleston before I moved to NYC. Even after living up here I would visit home and my friend Karen and I would go to Vickery's and hang out and catch up.

Vickery's opened by some guys from Atlanta, who decided they loved the beach. So they took their Atlanta concept and moved it to Charleston. They renovated an old Goodyear Tire shop and turned in into an very interesting space. It was very popular with the late night crowd and was a service industry hangout. Karen and I had a lot of crazy nights there, laughing till we could not see straight and saw some crazy stuff as well.

One of the hallmarks of the Vickery's menu was the bar food. No wings, no nachos, no anything ordinary. Instead they had things like low country eggrolls and backbean cakes and Thai calamari. But the best thing on there was the artichoke dip!

Now artichoke dip is a staple of the southern housewife from way back. There is nothing wacky about it. It's artichoke, it's mayo, it's cheese. But this artichoke dip at Vickery's was somehow special. Served with warm pita its a winner everytime. Our friend Walt was our server for many years when we would come in. He then went on to become the manager. When I moved to NYC he took me back to the kitchen and showed me how to make this so I could always have a little taste of home in the big city. The method is simple but it does produce a high quality dip, better than most. Where I work they make an artichoke dip, but like many versions they grind it all up in a food processor. It's a creamy mealy dip, plenty tasty but just not as good. The Vickery's recipe combines everything well and then hand mashes the artichoke hearts with a masher. So the pieces are larger and the mouth feel has more texture. That and the  addition of green onions in the mix and a touch of vinegar gives it a little tang.

So for the many people who have over the years in NYC asked for this recipe after enjoying it at my parties. Here it is. Enjoy Ya'll.

Ingredients: Makes a 4 person serving for a dinner party

1 can Artichoke hearts drained
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 green onions sliced White and grean parts ( 2 table spoons of the green parts reserved for garnish)
1 teaspoon Apple cider vinegar
1 splash hot sauce

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, using a wire potato masher roughly mash into a paste
Pour into a small oven proof crock or bowl
Bake in the oven for 15 mins or until heated and bubbly.
Then broil on hi till top is browned
Remove from the oven.
Garnish with the remaining green onion slices.
Serve with warm pita triangles.











d

What comes first the Chicken or the Deviled Egg?

I think that there are some foods that with one bite contain every memory of the first time you may have eaten it. it's the taste of your second grade lunch line, the best date you ever had, your high school prom, every party you remember at your Aunt's house, or summers picnics with friends, or the kitchen of your parent's house on lazy Sunday afternoons.

These are foods that we identify people and time and even geography with. Foods that we crave when we are sick. Foods we want when we are celebrating. Foods which help us to connect to our loved ones even though they may be no longer here.

I know you know what I am talking about. For instance, I can't imagine going to a Christmas party at my friend's Mike and John's without clam dip. Just like I can't imagine a January I won't make tomato soup. I can't imagine a vacation at my Mother's without her making Grilled cheese sandwiches the way I remember my Grandmother making them. These are the things I am talking about. I eat that grilled cheese and I am 7 years old again sitting in our kitchen in Virginia and my Grandma is making dinner on  friday night for my brother and I while our parents are out enjoying a little time together. And there are foods I associate with places or year times. Like Mozzarella and Tomato salad reminds me of my first time in NYC. Or squash casserole always reminds me of Christmas eves spent with Family and Friends at their house.

But sometimes a particular food just has a flair that conjures up a mood you want to set. So when you are having people over you might make a particular thing that you know people will like. These are our "specialties" our "personal signatures" on the culinary memories of our friends and families. People are always asking me "what is your Signature dish??" I could tell you what I think, but I prefer to answer by saying "well... So and So here has been to dinner at my house a number of times, ask them what they think is my signature dish??" I think that way because I have the things I like to cook, and the things that I like to maybe show off with. But do I know if  they are the dishes that evoke a memory or a desire to revisit that "last time you made that thing" in the minds of my friends?

I know, for example, that if I make Beef Bourguignon my friend Fred Tessler will always talk about it like it was the best thing he has ever had at my house. And he remembers that first dinner party when I made it with all the fondness of a great movie screening, or a concert. Because a great meal with wine and atmoshere and great conversations will always resonant as an evening to be remembered. A great meal  absolutely can have all the depth and richness and intimacy of our best remembered times spent with others whether with friends or family. When I make Beef Bourguignon I am actually reliving an amazing moment in my past when I first had it in Switzerland with a family I was visiting there. I can still hear the laughter of that night and see the faces lined in shadows from the candle light. I was maybe 19. But that meal and those moments changed me forever.

So where is all this taking us and how do we get to deviled eggs you may ask. Well the answer is simple. I think the deviled egg is the one of the best examples of how a food can resonate with a sense of people places or things. Sure there are others, and truth be told everyone probably has their own, but think about it ( unless you hate deviled eggs, in which case I am sorry for you) don't you have some strong food memory associated with the deviled egg? Maybe it's your family, mother, grandma, your girl friend's Mom. Maybe it's church covered dish dinners, or maybe picnics, summer time or holidays? But I bet somewhere you associate the deviled egg with someone or something as the first time you remember tasting them and how you enjoyed them and the time you were having. Or not, but either way that's my theory. Most Americans enjoy their deviled eggs and there is a reason beyond the taste. They tell a story, and that's the reason even if they aren't exactly the way YOU would have made them, they are good and tasty!

So now i give you MY deviled egg recipe, which many have said they think is one of the best they have ever had. I think so too! Enjoy!

Forrest's Deviled Eggs with Curry and Relish

Boil 8 eggs
Make sure the eggs are on the older side and the peelings with come off easier
put the eggs in a single layer in a pot and bring to boil.

When it boils turn off the heat and let sit with lid on pot for EXACTLY 13 mins
( I learned this from Ina Garten and it really works the eggs come out perfect)

Then put the eggs in a sink and run cold water over them, then let sit in water till cool

Peel and slice in half in the middle of the short side, not the way it's normally done on the long side of the eggs!!!

Carefully scoop out the yolks.

Then with a sharp knife carefully cut the bottom off of each egg half, just the tip and enough for it to stand upright. Salt the whites lightly, hold cold in the fridge.

To the reserved yolks add the following:

1/3 cup mayo.
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
3 tablespoons good Hamburger Dill relish
11/2 tablespoons Madras Curry powder (it's hot, if you don't have it use regular Curry powder and 1/8 of a teaspoon tabasco sauce).
1/2 tablespoon Worchestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
French Fried Onions ( hold in reserve)
2 tablespoons Chopped Chives ( hold 1 tablespoon in reserve)

Mash yolks and add all the ingredients, whip until smooth and fluffy. If not wet enough add more mayo.

Place the egg mixture in a pastry bag and pipe into the egg whites
Crown the eggs with the fried onions and sprinkle with chives.

Chill a few hours wrapped in the fridge before serving.

Holy Cow Fat Goodness Batman, Creamed Oysters

OK it's been over a week since my last post and I am not reaching facebook so I hope any of you who have been following are not too put off by my radio silence. In any event I promise to make it up to you in the coming posts. I have been in Chucktown (aka Charleston SC. ) for the last week and a half celebrating Christmas with the Family and friends and we have had some incredible eats. I will share a quick recipe with you that is so rich and Holiday ready and screams Low Country of South Carolina like i don't know anything else does. It is Creamed Oysters. We went to a friends house for dinner and this was the appetizer! Holy Cow Fat Goodness Batman!!!! This has all the richness of the sea AND the richness of the land in one dish, think kinda a surf and turf option on CRACK!

Now creamed Oysters are a very old low Country Dish served at the finest planter's houses up and down the rivers and anywhere you could get fresh oysters,which back in that day was everywhere from the accounts. Visible at the low tide and encrusting the banks of the tidal creeks and rivers of the low country these beauties call to you waiting to be harvested and thrown willing into your mouth straight out of the sea or cooked bathed in some luxurious sauce or fried and  nestled in with a crunchy piece of bread and sauce. Charleston natives are so passionate about these briny morsels that they offer up festival days like the ancient Romans to celebrate their culinary power.

Like most of the recipes brought by the colonists to these shores from Europe the Creamed Oyster is a melding of two worlds. The delicate new world bounty and the time honored preparations of the French and English. Sometimes found in old cookbooks and called "chafing dish oysters" after the vessel they were served in, creamed oysters were a staple of colonial period parties and galas, served over toast points or into puff pastry shells these were the Lobster Newberg of their time. They are still a favorite at Low Country gatherings today but are mostly relegated to the cocktail buffet or as an elegant starter for a very formal dinner.

Here for your amusement and enjoyment is a version of Sarah Rutledge's Creamed Oyster Recipe!!

1 qt oysters in their liquor
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs Flour
2 cups Heavy Cream
Ground Nutmeg (fresh if you have it) to taste
Freshly ground white pepper ( if you have it if not pre ground) to taste
 Salt to taste
Crisp buttered toast points or Puff pastry shells
3 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Method:

Bring Oysters in their liquid to a boil
As soon as they plump using a slotted spoon remove them from the liquid
Roll the butter in flour and add to the hot liquid in bits vigorously whisking until all is incorporated and the sauce begins to thicken.
Stir in cream, nutmeg and pepper
stirring constantly until smooth. Reduce heat to low and simmer till thickened.
Add salt to taste

To serve:

Reduce heat to low and re add oysters discarding any liquid they left behind
Let them come to temperature in the sauce (do not cook or they will become like rubber) and then spoon into dishes and serve with toast points or over toast points or in a puff shell. Garnish with chopped parsley Enjoy!