Innholdsfortegnelse for April - May 2010 i Taste of the South

I always welcome spring flavors into my kitchen with excitement. They offer a sense of renewal and a new adventure. IT’S SO EXCITING TO SEE, SMELL, AND TASTE SPRING. At the market, produce bins are overflowing with shades of green. There’s an abundance of English peas, sugar snaps, asparagus, artichokes, fava beans, garlic scapes, baby Vidalia onions, and spinach—all awaiting their kitchen debut. From market to table, we’re seeing green everywhere. This issue we welcome our new styling creative director Clay Chaffin and his column Palette to Palate. Clay will show us fun and affordable ways to bring seasonal color to the table. He’ll also give great ideas for mixing china-cabinet favorites with key new pieces for inspired looks. There are plenty of reasons to set a beautiful table this…

When purchasing asparagus, choose spears with firm, tight tips. Also, thicker spears from young vigorous plants are thought to be more tender than thin ones, which come from older plants. Asparagus spears are best stored like flowers, with their cut ends submerged in a few inches of water in a container and stored in the refrigerator. Before cooking, trim woody ends.…

slow-cooker chipotle-and-chili boiled peanuts Yield: 12 servings 2 pounds raw peanuts, in shells 2 tablespoons ground chipotle pepper 2 tablespoons ground cumin 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1. Place peanuts in a 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with chipotle pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and salt. Add enough water to cover peanuts; cover, and cook on low for 8 hours, or overnight. 2. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 6 weeks. sweet pea fritters with wasabi mayonnaise Yield: 12 servings 1 (16-ounce) package frozen sweet peas, thawed and drained 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped onion, thawed and drained 3 large eggs, separated 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1⁄4 teaspoon ground…

J JAMIE BROWN-MILLER OF NAPA, CALIFORNIA, WASN’T ALWAYS A GREAT cook. “Ten years ago I was cooking with Hamburger Helper,” she explains. But then, her family began having friendly cooking competitions. “From competing with my father and my husband, Kevin, I’ve become a better cook,” Jamie says. These cooking competitions are relaxed affairs. “It’s an excuse for us to get together as a family,” Jamie says. Last summer, her recipe for Sweet and Spicy Shrimp, a spicy combination of shrimp, bacon, and seasoned butter that packs quite a kick, was declared the winner at one of the events. That’s when Jamie was bitten by the recipe-contest bug. Now she chronicles the dishes she creates, along with her recipe contest entries, on her blog, allaboutthegarnish.com. “I cook dinner every single night…

www.tasteofthesouthmagazine.com Planning a party? Give your get-together a decidedly Southern flavor with our great “app”etizer recipes. (See page 28.) And go to tasteofthe southmagazine.com/webextras for more dishes to add to your party menu. More than blues and BBQ To find the best places to eat in Memphis, Tennessee, trust the advice of the locals. Memphis natives Paul and Angela Knipple serve as your culinary tour guides in Tastemakers: Memphis. Oh, baby! Celebrate the milestones in your life this spring with one of our enchanting baby cakes. (See page 44.) For more delicious cake recipes, visit our Web site, tasteofthesouth magazine.com/webextras.…

herb-and-cheesestuffed chicken Yield: 6 servings 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 12 slices bacon 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place an ovenproof cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet. 2. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, tarragon, thyme, garlic, and pepper. 3. Cut a 1-inch slit in the side of each chicken breast. Using your finger, expand slit. Stuff each chicken breast with approximately 1 tablespoon cheese mixture. Starting at end of each chicken breast, firmly wrap bacon around chicken in a spiral direction, making sure to cover most of surface of chicken. Secure bacon with a wooden pick. 4. Heat…

Six of one, half a dozen of another I don’t understand why I need separate measuring cups for wet ingredients and dry ingredients. Isn’t a cup a cup? — Fanny Milling Plantersville, Alabama EDITOR’S NOTE: Yes, a 1-cup liquid measuring cup and a 1-cup dry measuring cup both hold the same volume. The difference is in how you measure the ingredients, not what you’re measuring. Dry measuring cups are perfect for measuring dry ingredients such as flour and sugar. You just spoon or scoop the flour into the cup and then sweep a spatula across the top to level the surface. But if you used the same cup to measure water or milk, you would have to fill it to the brim and risk spilling some of the liquid as…

THE LEE BROTHERS’ NEWEST COOKBOOK, SIMPLE FRESH Southern, blends from-the-farm ingredients and Southern staples with new flavors and updated techniques. For Matt Lee and Ted Lee, aficionados of all things Southern, cooking is about making magic. They combine familiar components in an unfamiliar way, improve on classics, and, most importantly, celebrate good food with family and friends. The duo embraces pickling with gusto, showcases seasonal produce with style, and delivers desserts to the table with pride. The recipes included in the book are easy enough to throw together on a weeknight, yet elegant enough to serve at any holiday fête. Ingredients are easy to find, and you won’t have a long grocery list, either. Here are a few of our favorite recipes. Enjoy! “We’re living proof that if you love…

pistachio-lavender lemon cheesecakes Yield: 4 (41⁄2-inch) cheesecakes 13⁄4 cups graham cracker crumbs 1⁄2 cup finely ground pistachios 3⁄4 cup sugar, divided 1 tablespoon dried lavender 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 11⁄2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1⁄4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 1 (16-ounce) container sour cream, at room temperature 1 teaspoon lemon zest 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Garnish: strips of lemon zest and dried lavender sprigs 1. Preheat oven to 325°. 2. In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse graham cracker crumbs, pistachios, 1⁄4 cup sugar, and lavender until combined. With machine running, slowly add butter. Continue processing until mixture is evenly blended. Press mixture firmly into the bottoms and up the sides of 4 (41⁄2-inch) round springform pans. 3. Bake until…

“Mama makes good chicken salad. She makes chicken salad so well that she can be a bit snooty about other people’s attempts.” I KNOW ABOUT CHICKEN SALAD. I AM NOT ONE to boast, but facts are facts, and I would be a liar to deny my knowledge. Chicken salad is as familiar to me as the sound of my mother’s voice. I learned about it through her. Mama makes good chicken salad. She makes chicken salad so well that she can be a bit snooty about other people’s attempts. Mama believes that chicken salad, like all Southern traditions, ought to be given due respect. For her, Southern cooking is a craft entered into with a sense of pride, which may cause her to take more time than does someone who…

Cover Scalloped cake stand available at Fishs Eddy, 877-347-4733, fishseddy.com; strawberries courtesy of Florida Strawberry Growers Association, flastrawberry.com. Palette to Palate Pages 14-16 Grande Alcazar canister by Juliska, 888-414-8448; juliska.com; fern leaf place mat in ivory and green, Bonsai green napkins and mini leaf white porcelain salt cellars by Martha Stewart, available at Macy’s, 800-289-6229, macys.com; round boxwood topiary balls by saveoncrafts, 831-768-8428, save-on-crafts.com; green drinkware privately owned; Square Dial dinnerware by Target, 800-440-0680, target.com; Petoile flatware, boxwood on stand, mini potted herbs, and artichoke plates by Pottery Barn, 888-779-5176, potterybarn.com. Nile Green Crepe Placemats, Green Stripe Salad Plates, and Fougere Dinner Napkins by Caspari, 434-817-7880, casparionline.com; Shamrock flatware available at Fiesta Dinnerware, fiestafactorydirect.com; Kate Spade “Camelia Avenue” Green Posey Vase available at Macy’s, 800-289-6229, macys.com; white drinkware privately owned.…

Nordicware Original Bundt pan Retail price: $30 Why we love it: A heavy cast-aluminum fluted pan, the largest we’ve found. It holds up to 15 cups of cake batter. Where to buy: nordicware.com Chicago Metallic 9-inch square cake pan Retail price: $12.99 Why we love it: Heavy-duty construction with 25-year warranty. Where to buy: bedbathandbeyond.com Wilton Indulgence Professional 13x9x2-inch oblong cake pan Retail price: $10.99 Why we love it: Dura-Release® II nonstick surface and oversize handles make it easy to use. The perfect 13x9-inch pan. Where to buy: bedbathandbeyond.com Wilton Indulgence 9½x3¾-inch angel food cake pan Retail price: $14.99 Why we love it: Nonstick surface bakes a perfect angel food cake every time. Where to buy: bedbathandbeyond.com Williams-Sonoma 8-inch round cake pans Retail price: $37, set of 2 Why we love it: Nonstick Goldtouch…