Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2011 - January 2012 i Taste of the South

Christmas magic CHRISTMAS IS A HOLIDAY WITH MAGIC like no other. Twinkling lights, pretty baubles, and greenery make everything sparkle and shine, creating a festive spirit that can take an ordinary moment and make it feel special. We Southerners gather family and friends around the table—that’s what we do best. And at the center of every Southern holiday gathering, you’ll find an incredible spread of food. Recipes shared at the table become traditions. Time at the table becomes memories. To guide you as you plan for the holidays, we have filled this issue with ideas for entertaining, gifting, and baking. I hope all you non fruitcake lovers (like me!) will try one of our recipes (“Taste of Tradition: Fruitcake,” page 76). A dense, fruit-studded cake has never appealed to me,…

Ceramic Pie Weights Retail: $13.50 Why we love it: Reusable ceramic pie weights evenly distribute heat when blind-baking pies. Where to buy: williams-sonoma.com Cuisipro Measuring Spoons Retail: $14 Why we love it: Oval-shaped spoons fit easily in spice jars. Curved handles let spoons rest on counter without tipping over. Where to buy: cuisipro.com King Arthur Bench Knife Retail: $21.95 Why we love it: Versatile tool for dividing dough, cutting brownies, and cleaning up Where to buy: kingarthurflour.com LamsonSharp 6-inch Offset Spatula Retail: $19.50 Why we love it: Essential tool for icing cakes Where to buy: lamsonsharp.com BeaterBlade Retail: $29.99 Why we love it: Scrapes the bowl while mixing. Available for KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Viking, and Kenwood mixers. Where to buy: beaterblade.com Oxo Angled Measuring Cups Retail: $6.99–$7.99 Why we love it: Angled surface lets you read…

clean the pantry cookies Yield: approximately 2 dozen cookies 1 cup butter-flavored shortening ¾ cup sugar ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2¼ cups all-purpose flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt ⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chunks ⅓ cup white chocolate morsels ⅓ cup toffee bits ½ cup chopped walnuts 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. 2. In a medium bowl, beat shortening and sugars at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. 3. In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 4. With mixer on lowest…

crawfish and corn chowder Yield: approximately 10 servings 4 tablespoons corn oil 4 tablespoons butter 2 cups diced Vidalia onion 1 cup diced celery ½ cup chopped poblano pepper 1 tablespoon minced garlic ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup dry white wine 1 quart seafood stock 1 (16-ounce) package frozen corn, thawed 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce 1 (1-pound) package frozen crawfish tails, thawed 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning 2 teaspoons ground black pepper 1½ cups heavy whipping cream 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add butter, and let melt. Add onion, celery, poblano, and garlic; cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add flour,…

FRUITCAKE HAS BEEN PART OF MY HOLIDAYS SINCE childhood, when we celebrated Christmas on my maternal grandparents’ Piedmont North Carolina dairy farm. Every Christmas, my grandmother baked a fruitcake and a fresh coconut cake not only for her family but for each of her daughters’ families as well. But by the time I was really paying attention, she had gone from making her own to buying Ann Page fruitcakes, the house brand at the A&P grocery store. Dry and crumbly, they were under-provisioned with the crimson cherries I adored. A baptism with sherry, bourbon, rum, or blackberry cordial could have helped, but as a lifelong Southern Baptist, she didn’t go that route. I also remember the fruitcakes my father and his fellow Kiwanis Club members sold during the holiday season.…

Masthead Page 9: Candy canes from Hammond’s Candies, 888-226-3999, hammondscandies.com. Southern Table Page 16: Lidded jars and mugs available at World Market, 877-967-5362, world market.com; blue table by John Brannon Wood Craftsman, antiqdelr@aol.com; red-stripe paper straws available at etsy.com/shop/pinklemonadeparty. Joyful Little Bites Pages 20–28: Cutting board and charcoal and green appetizer plates available at Anthropologie, 800-309-2500, anthro pologie.com; stemless champagne flutes available at World Market, 877-967-5362, worldmarket.com. Fireside Christmas Dinner Pages 30–36: Bud vases, Moravian stars, and vases available at Leaf & Petal, 205-871-3832, leafnpetal.com; Botanica pattern salad plates and serving platters from Caskata, 508-545-0195, caskata.com. Favorite Cookies to Share Pages 38–42: Paper available at Paper Source, 888-727-3711, paper-source.com; glassine bags available at etsy.com/shop/ knotandbow; snowflake craft punch available at Michaels, 800-642-4235, michaels.com; ribbons available at Smith’s Variety, 205- 871-0841,…

Substitute for white balsamic vinegar In the August/September 2011 issue, there is a recipe for green tomato pickles that calls for white balsamic vinegar. The stores I have to choose from in Montana don’t carry it. Can a different vinegar be used? —Cookie Butts Wolf Creek, Montana You’re not the first reader who has asked that question. Our test kitchen purchases white balsamic vinegar at Walmart, but we realize that not all Walmart stores carry the same products. Editor Brooke Bell, who was in South Carolina with Chef Shaun Garcia when he made his Green Tomato Pickles, suggests you use white-wine vinegar. And in a pinch, plain old white distilled vinegar will do, though the taste will be slightly different. What readers are saying on Facebook We love our veggies…

southern spanakopita Yield: approximately 12 servings ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 Vidalia onions, chopped 2 (16-ounce) bags cut and washed collard greens ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro 2½ cups chicken broth 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 (8-ounce) container smallcurd cottage cheese 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2 (4-ounce) packages goat cheese 4 large eggs, lightly beaten ½ cup butter, melted 1 (16-ounce) package phyllo sheets 1. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions; cook, stirring often, until tender, approximately 8 minutes. Add greens and cilantro; cook, stirring often, until wilted. Add chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Cover, and cook until greens are tender and liquid has evaporated, approximately 45 minutes. 2. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly.…

ASHLEY MCMAKIN GREW UP IN A FAMILY of cooks. “Everyone in my family cooks—my mom, my grandmother, my aunts and uncles,” she says. So it was only natural that after graduating from the University of Alabama in 2002, she considered going to culinary school. Instead, she and a friend decided to start their own catering company. They each put in $250, and six years later, her hobby has grown into Ashley Mac’s, a café/catering/gourmet-to-go business with two locations—in the Bluff Park and Cahaba Heights neighborhoods of Birmingham, Alabama. “During those first three years, I learned so much about cooking and about running a business,” Ashley points out. “It was learning through experience.” She credits her husband, Andy, with inspiring her to expand the business. “He kept saying, ‘Everyone compliments your…

WITH A MASSIVE FOOD SCENE, HOUSTON, the fourth-largest city in the country, has an astonishing breadth of ethnic restaurants matched only by the depth of its talented Texan chefs, many of whom are taking advantage of the city’s lack of zoning, cheap rent, and an adventurous dining public to create some of the country’s unique and creative new restaurants. A palpable and vibrant sense of community among diners, chefs, farmers’ markets, and food purveyors makes Houston a dining destination that may be under the radar for now, but not for long. ULTRAHIP LONE-STAR DINING Philippe’s dining room could easily be in New York or Los Angeles (complete with celebrities) were it not for Chef Philippe Schmidt’s signature menu of Texan twists on French classics. The chef, who has movie-star good…

cranberries cassis Recipe courtesy of Ann Brown, Las Vegas, Nevada Yield: approximately 2 cups 1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 1 apple, peeled and chopped ½ cup raspberry preserves ¼ cup crème de cassis liqueur 1. In a large saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, 1 cup water, and apple. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until cranberries pop, apples are tender, and mixture is the consistency of preserves, approximately 15 minutes. 2. Add raspberry preserves and liqueur, stirring until smooth. Serve with turkey, pork, or lamb. ANN BROWN OF LAS VEGAS, Nevada, loves Southern cooking and all the traditions that surround it. One Southern tradition that she has truly embraced is that of giving gifts of food during the holidays. “At Christmastime, I…

cleaninggreens A spin in the washing machine isn’t necessary, but turnip greens do need to be thoroughly washed to remove dirt and grit. Fill a clean sink with cold water, add greens with stems and large ribs removed, and let soak for a few minutes. Then swish greens around until dirt is released. Rinse, and repeat procedure if necessary. try them our way! Traditionally cooked for hours with ham hocks, tender little turnip greens can be quickly sautéed in olive oil with garlic for a healthy side. For New Year’s Day, don’t miss our Winter Greens and Black-Eyed Pea Soup on page 59.…

shrimp bisque Yield: approximately 9 servings 6 tablespoons butter 1 cup chopped onion ½ cup chopped carrot ½ cup chopped celery 1 tablespoon minced garlic ¼ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup brandy ¼ cup dry sherry 1 cup tomato purée ¼ cup tomato paste 4 cups seafood stock 1 pound medium fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined 3 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon sugar ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper 2 cups half-and-half 1 tablespoon lemon zest 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Garnish: lemon wedges and celery leaves 1. In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, 3 to 4 minutes. 2. Sift flour over onion mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add brandy…

quick-and-easy dip mix Yield: 2¼ cups mix 1½ cups powdered milk 5 tablespoons dried rosemary 1½ tablespoons dried parsley 1 tablespoon dried thyme 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon dried minced garlic 1 tablespoon dried minced onion 2 teaspoons firmly packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground red pepper 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1. In the work bowl of a food processor, combine powdered milk, rosemary, parsley, thyme, salt, garlic, onion, brown sugar, red pepper, and black pepper. Pulse until mixture is finely ground. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 weeks. directions for gift package: Combine ¼ cup Quick-and- Easy Dip Mix with 1 (8-ounce) package softened cream cheese and 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream. buttermilk caramel sauce Yield: 2 cups ¾ to…

GEORGIA-BORN VIRGINIA WILLIS IS A CLASSICALLY TRAINED French chef who has a gift for giving French recipes a down-home Southern feel. Her first cookbook, Bon Appétit, Y’all, was critically acclaimed when it was published in 2008. Now she returns with a new book, Basic to Brilliant, Y’all, where she offers 150 soul-satisfying recipes with 150 ways to dress them up for company. Was Basic to Brilliant, Y’all easier to write than your first cookbook? Oh, Lord, I think it was actually harder. I had such an amazing reception for my first cookbook, Bon Appétit, Y’all, all across the country, not just in the South. People liked the recipes, and they identified with the stories. With Basic to Brilliant, Y’all, I wanted to grow as a writer, to grow as a teacher, and to…

1. Keep Mamie’s Famous Cheese Wafers on hand for guests who drop by during the holidays. All you have to do is slice and bake these Mobile, Alabama-made nibbles. $9; mamieswafers.com. 2. Dazzle with these holiday letterpress gift cards from Charleston wedding and event planner Tara Guérard. They’ll make any bottle of wine or gift extra special. $30 for 6 tags; theletteredolive.com. 3. The variety pack from Nashville’s Olive and Sinclair featuring four bars of Southern artisan chocolate deserves a spot in every chocolate-lover’s stocking. $28.99; oliveandsinclair.com. 4. Who says a stick of butter shouldn’t be pretty in the refrigerator? We adore this vintage-style glass “beurre” dish from Farmhouse Wares. $24.95; farmhousewares.com. 5. Nothing beats a homemade cookie stamped with love. We used this for our Stamped Cinnamon-Sugar Cookies on page 40. $16.95; spoonsisters.com. THE…