Pie…Pie…Glorious, Delicious Pie

Today I made four apple pies, three key lime pies and one pecan pie. Pie is delicious. Really! How can you not like pie? You know the expression 'As American as apple pie'? Pie is to American what the éclair is to France or what summer pudding is to England or what flan is to Mexico. It just screams America. And it is my favorite type of dessert. PIE!!! PIE!!! PIE!!! Don't give me cake. Don't give me pudding. Give me PIE! (Well cakes and pudding are pretty good as well.)

I recently met someone who unilaterally does not like pie. I have always liked this person a lot, but now...well eh, not so sure. I mean who does not like pie? I understand maybe not liking certain kinds of pie, but to across the board, not a single exception, not like pie is just crazy talk. Nonsense, crap, I say. Possibly she is an alien. Would that explain the bizarre pie hating behavior? Maybe, but seriously...WHO DOESN'T LIKE PIE? Weird, strange, wack-a-doodle people, or aliens, don't like pie. How can your mouth not water just thinking about different kinds of pie: coconut cream pie, lemon meringue pie, chocolate cream pie, blackberry pie, apple pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, key lime pie, pecan pie, chocolate pecan pie, shoofly pie, lemon chess pie, sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, blueberry pie, cherry pie (favorite, seriously), peach pie—I could go on, but I think you get the point. Can you really say that you hate all of these pies? Good lord, there is no possible way. I have been trying to imitate my mom's lemon meringue pie forever, it was delicious. She made some really good pies. Especially her savory pies, like the Vidalia onion pie. Oh wow… Again, I LOVE PIE!

With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, pie is pretty much on the menu. I challenge my friend to try a piece of each one of my pies and tell me that she still doesn't like pie. Unfortunately she is a pretty stubborn gal and will not change her opinion, almost out of spite. She has decided she doesn't like pie and that's that. I'll show her, I'll make a whipped cream pie and smack her in the face with it. Then at least she will have a reason to hate pie. Ugh..hate pie. Un-American.

Home for the Holidays: What to do with the Leftovers?

This time of year we spend a lot of time planning for the perfect family dinner. Holidays bring us together. Families that are spread out across the country gather in their childhood homes, or maybe the new condo that dad bought during his midlife crisis. Menus are discussed, shopping is done, your weird uncle gets drunk and starts talking about his recent use of Viagra, the dog throws up in the living room and you stay the heck out of the way, stranding yourself in the kitchen, with the knives. Each year we vow not to get angry at our brothers or sisters. We promise not to want to shake our mother-in-law for her ridiculous views on, well, everything. We pack our bags, get on the plane, down a couple mini bottles and maybe a xanex and hope for the best. We swear that we will put on a happy face and enjoy dinner with those family members that we never see—never see for a good reason. No matter how bad the year before was (or good—here's hopping) we make a pact with ourselves to approach each holiday with optimism. Or at least I do.

I always try to get home for Thanksgiving, even if it just for the day. Pretty much my whole family gathers at my father's house, along with the whole step family. It is sometimes stressful, but always an adventure. I love the food…sweet potatoes, turkey, cranberries, dressing…hold on, gotta wipe the drool from my chin…broccoli and Linda's hollandaise sauce. As with all families we have our favorites as well as our traditions.(Watching my two older brothers harass the middle brother over his political views is a new tradition, much like watching my youngest brother fry his thumb along with the turkey.) My mom used to make this cranberry Jell-o mold with celery, apples and pecans; as a kid I thought it was gross, as I grew up I learned to love it. Now I eat everything but the celery, I am not a fan of celery—my brother Joe is allergic to it, lucky him. None of my brothers make it, but my cousin Wyman brings it as her contribution to dinner. It completes things and reminds us of those that we love who are no longer with us. When the supper is over, dessert has been eaten, there are those pesky leftovers. Ugh, what to do with them? My stepmother is not a big fan of leftovers, mostly because she has an allergy to mold spores which apparently start to grow in food after a day in the refrigerator. I on the other hand think of leftovers as culinary challenges—What to do with them?! For me, the leftovers are one of the things I look forward to. I mean, what makes a better midnight snack than dressing, gravy and slices of turkey…seriously, drooling more now. Makes me want to make Thanksgiving at my house just for the leftovers…

My mom used to make the best Turkey Tettrazini. I loved it and I was not such a big fan of casseroles, this one made me really happy. I now make it when I am in need of some comfort food, usually with chicken, but leftover turkey is best.

Becky's Turkey (or Chicken) Tettrazini (Sort Of)

1-13x9 casserole dish, feed 6-8 people

 

3 cups    chopped cooked chicken or turkey

1 cup    diced onion (sweet works best, but I sometimes use red)

2 cups    mushrooms, sliced

½ cup    white wine

1 stick     butter

1 package    spaghetti noodles, cooked al dente

1 jar    chopped pimentos

1 can    green chiles

1 can    cream of mushroom soup

1 cup    sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup    mayonnaise

2 ½ cups    shredded cheese

1 cup    chopped green onion, for garnish

½ cup    toasted almonds

 

1. First cook spaghetti noodles. Make sure they are al dente, you don't want them over cooked or they will end up mushy in the casserole.
   
2. In a heavy sauce pan melt the butter and sauté the onions and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. I like to use Spice Islands Beau Monde seasoning for this if I have it. Sauté until onions are translucent. Turn off heat, set aside.
   
3. Drain pimentos. Add to mushrooms and onions along with the chilis, soup, sour cream and mayonnaise.
   
4. Using a knife, chop up the noodles a little by running the knife through the noodles a couple times.
   
5. Add shredded chicken/turkey, 1 cup cheese and noodles to mushroom-onion etc. mixture.
   
6. Spray the casserole dish with oil and pour casserole into it, patting it down. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top and then the almonds.
   
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbly.
   
8. Just before serving sprinkle the chopped green onions along the top.
   

 

I like to serve this with a spinach salad, mine has dried cranberries, bleu cheese, candied pecans, red onions and balsamic vinaigrette. It also goes great with pound cake and whipped cream!

 

Another really good, and easy, leftover recipe…enchiladas.

 

Carolyn's Thanksgiving Leftovers Enchiladas

1-13x9 casserole dish, feed 5-7

 

1 package     10" flour tortillas

2-3 cups    shredded turkey (or chicken)

1 can    cheddar cheese soup

1 can    enchilada sauce

1 can    cream of mushroom soup

2 cups     shredded cheese—recommend jalapeno jack

1 can    creamed corn

1 cup    sour cream

¼ cup    Cholula, hot sauce

2 cups    fresh spinach, rough chopped

½ cup    chopped green onions

 

1. In a bowl mix the mushroom soup, hot sauce, ½ the cream of corn, sour cream, spinach, turkey and ½ cup of shredded cheese.
   
2. Spray the casserole dish. Pour 1/3 of the enchilada sauce in the bottom and spread out over entire dish.
   
3. If room, lay out tortillas and divide filling evenly amongst them. If you can not lay out, kind of visualize the filling divided into 10. Roll tortillas over stuffing and place seem down in casserole dish.
   
4. Mix remaining cream of corn and cheddar cheese soup together. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over rolled and stuffed tortillas. Top that with cheddar cheese/corn mixture. Then sprinkle remaining cheese over that.
   
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
   
6. Garnish with green onions.
   

 

I cook some yellow rice and black beans to go with this, but a nice green salad works as well.

 

Enjoy your holidays. Love on your family. Have fun with your leftovers, and don't worry about getting trapped in the kitchen, you've got the knives.

Rules of Engagement for Diners Part 3: The Final Chapter

The meal is finished. Mostly it was a good experience. Not perfect, but you will come back, you may not order the steak, but you will try something else. The check is presented to the table and following normal male/female protocol the check is placed closer to the male than the female. The female picks up the check, looks at it and asks, 'could you split this please?'

Rule Five: If you are splitting a check, please let your server know from the beginning of the meal. This goes for using gift certificates or coupons as well. Not that we can't split a check at the end of the meal, but when you are done with a meal, you most likely are ready to go and the delay of then splitting the check will annoy you. When I'm ready to go, I'm ready and don't make me wait. (Of course this could be just my personal opinion as I tend to the impatient side of things.) On the other hand, if you are dining together and you are planning on splitting the check, consider splitting it in half—chances are good it will be fairly equal. (Also, when dining with a group of friends, I recommend that you bring some cash, and then splitting the check is not so bad.) Don't leave anything to chance, refer back to lesson three, ask for what you want.

When the server returns with the split checks the diners praise him for the exceptional service and the fantastic food. He apologizes for the steak not being cooked correctly, and they tell him not to worry about it, that he was getting full anyway. So they pay. They are sated and happy and leave the restaurant. It seems the diners had a reasonably good time. All in all the evening has been a success. After the guests leave, the server picks up the checks from the table and looks inside. They've left him a 10% tip and he sighs, and walks away wishing they had told him about the steak, wondering why they praised everything, in his mind he is memorizing their faces and writing in blazing bright red across their faces BAD TIPPERS. The next time you have that server, he might just spit, or worse, in your food.

Rule Six: Tip according to the servers' ability, not the chefs. Don't take out on the server the kitchens, or your own, mistakes. If you don't allow the kitchen, or server, to fix a problem, you have accepted the problem. The server did what was asked of him. You may be thinking, well why didn't he take the steak off the bill, well, honestly, because you didn't ask him to. You did not allow the restaurant to fix the problem and you continued to eat the meal. This is your fault and now you've created an enemy. I realize that some people consider the whole tipping thing to be a bit ridiculous and in this day and age of the 20% or higher being expected, I can understand. Keep in mind that TIPS is an acronym for 'to insure proper/prompt service.' It does not insure that the chef has the skill to create the perfect steak, but it should insure that you receive what you ordered. I also realize that servers often blame the kitchen for their mistakes, as in 'sorry it's taking so long, but the kitchen is backed up,' when in actuality the server has forgotten to put the order in. So, sometimes, it is difficult to tell. If you are unhappy with your experience, tell them that as well. It is almost impossible to fix a problem that you do not know exists. Again, don't take you're impotence out on your server…he did his job and you accepted the job of paying him for his services when you sat down at the table. I generally tip 20% or better, but I have also spent almost my entire life living off the generosity of diners, and I'm one of those picky diners, so I compensate. I'm not saying that you must tip 20%, but 15% gratuity is a thing of the past, 18% is industry standard and 20% is generally expected for good service.

These are the "Rules of Engagement" as I see them. And admittedly they are from a very personal point of view. For my purposes I have given the diners an exceptional server and placed them in a fine dining restaurant. I believe these rules apply to diners everywhere, but there are always exceptions. In general if you follow these rules, you will have an enjoyable dining experience. So, for now, let's recap the "Rules of Engagement" as I see them.

Rule One: Be Specific. Never ask an ambiguous question such as "What is good?"

Rule Two: Ask for what you want, not what you don't want.

Rule Three: If it's wrong, tell someone. Don't be a martyr.

Rule Four: Free is free. Accept a gift, as a compliment, graciously.

Rule Five: Let your server know from the beginning that you are splitting the check.

Rule Six: Tip according to the servers' ability, not the chefs.

Rules of Engagement for Diners Part 2

The salads and appetizers arrive. The wine the server suggested is perfect and enjoyable. The empty plates are removed, the server pours more wine and then the main course arrives. The plates look lovely and smell delicious; the diners eagerly cut into their food and enjoy their first bite. "Darling, how is your fish?" he asks, "It's fabulous and how is yours?" He chews a little, looks down at his steak makes a face and says "It's ok, a little overcooked, but oh well, you never get what you want anyway, do you." The server gives them a moment to take a few bites and returns to the table to inquire "And how is everything? Is the meal prepared to your liking?" The diners respond enthusiastically, he only a little less so than she, "Yes, everything is fantastic." He eats about half of his meal and pushes the plate aside and continues to enjoy his wine while his date finishes her meal, nearly mopping the plate with bread. The server returns when he senses they have finished, picks up the plates, notices the half eaten steak and wonders to himself what happened?" He hasn't asked for it to be wrapped up to go? He said it was just
fine? He looks at the steak, realizes that it was not cooked correctly and returns to the kitchen wishing he could have fixed the problem earlier because now a good experience has been compromised, and so has his tip.

Rule Three: If it's wrong, tell someone. Nobody likes a martyr--nobody, not even a martyr. Your friends might try and make you feel better about your misfortune, but what they are really thinking is fix it, don't let the man get you down, ask for what you want. Unfortunately popular culture makes it seem as though your food is going to be spit in or worse if you complain. I can tell you, in 20 years of restaurant service never have I or the staff I've worked with spit in, or worse, someone's food when that person just asked for what they wanted. Be a rude, obnoxious, know it all prick and I'll throw your food on the floor, season it with secret sauce and cheer you on to eat. Kindly ask for what you want or let us know that we have made a mistake, and I'll do my best to give you what you want. Generally speaking the people you encounter in the service industry want to make you happy. Their financial well being depends on it. Seriously.

The server returns to the table and recites the dessert list emphasizing his favorites. The couple confers for a moment and then decides on the chocolate crème brulee. The server asks if they would like anything else with their dessert. They respond that no, they will just finish the wine. Bearing two glasses of port and dessert, the server returns to the table "Please enjoy this 10 year tawny port with my compliments." He places the crème brulee on the table with two spoons and the port. She says, "Oh no, I don't want any port," and scrunches up her nose in distaste.

Rule Four: Free is free. When offered something for free, consider it a gift. You would never tell a friend giving you a gift that you don't want it, you may say so in private, but you certainly would not to their face. Treat your server the same way. Accept it as a gift, treat it as such. Enjoy if you wish, leave on the table untouched if you are not interested. Or just try it, you may find that it is absolutely delicious with the crème brulee. (Of course, if you are not drinking and your server tries to fix a problem with a drink, that's not so good, but following what has happened so far during this meal, offering port as a 'pardon us for screwing up' gift is perfectly appropriate.)

Rules of Engagement for Diners, Part 1

I've been working in the food and beverage industry since I was 15 starting with working for my sister in law at her ice cream shop. I have also spent a whole lot of time in retail; I've sold books, clothes, unnecessary objects, groceries and more. In all of that time there have been many attributes common to the average diner/shopper, they are usually a bit impatient and assume that you are not real smart or why in the world would you be waiting tables or slinging sweaters. Having said that, most people do not enter a restaurant expecting a bad time; we go out to have fun, to enjoy the ambiance of wherever we choose to dine, to be social.

With all of this in mind I have created six rules of engagement for diners. Rules that if followed will not guaranty, but greatly enhance your dining experience. Remember it is not just the job of the server to make your night enjoyable, you have a hand in it as well.

Rules of Engagement for Diners

Rule 1: Be Specific.

A man and a woman walk into a restaurant for dinner. They've never been to this particular restaurant before, but they are accustomed to dining out. The décor is sumptuous--white table cloths, flickering candle light, soft music playing in the background just covering the murmur of conversations wafting through the deliciously scented air. The hostess greets them and guides them to an intimate corner table, hands them the wine list, the menus and invites them to "Enjoy." So far so good.

The couple opens their menus and the gentleman looks over the wine list as they wait for the server to arrive.

"Good evening and welcome to Restaurant X." Grasping their attention he launches into the daily specials, "Tonight the chef has created three fabulous specials for your enjoyment," and then goes into his routine spiel; asks if they have any questions about the specials and inquires if they would like to start dinner with a glass of wine. This is where the couple makes their first mistake.

"We've never been here," says the young man and asks, "What's good?" What's good? Everything's…good?! Good is synonymous with nice, nice is your neighbor that you say hello to on the way to the mailbox. Good is not explode in your mouth thank the gods of gastronomy that you have finally arrived at this restaurant so that you can have the best food you have ever put in your mouth. And let's face it, that's why you go out to eat, it's not so you can have the same thing you can make at home. Good is what you get from a fast food restaurant or jiffy stores, good is what you settle for when you can't get Great. What self respecting restaurant would be happy with 'good?' None that I know of.

Rule one: Be specific. Never ask what is 'good.' Not that you do not want to know what is good, just be more specific in your question. As in 'what is your favorite item on the menu?' or 'what is most popular?' or even ask which fish is freshest today--anything but 'what's good?' It should all be good or you would not have walked in the front door, you want to find out what is great--knock your socks off, wow I am so glad I ate here great, not what's plain old good.

Rule 2: Ask for what you do want, not what you don't want.

The waiter fortunately is used to this question so his recovery time is pretty quick. He responds to the young man, only slightly haughtier in his tone than when he first came to the table. "Everything is good. I recommend the chef's fish of the day or the steak. Both have been very popular this evening." The couple would like to purchase a bottle of wine, but they have not decided what they want for supper, so the server suggests they have a glass of champagne as an aperitif while deciding. They agree with his suggestion and toast to a good evening with the cool, bubbly champagne.

They have now decided what to have for dinner. Well sort of. "And what will we be having for dinner this evening?" The young lady responds, "I'd like the spinach salad but I don't want the nuts, cheese, onions or mushrooms with the dressing on the side and the chefs special fish. I don't like rice, so could you substitute the grits and I'd rather have the sauce from the menu fish, I don't particularly like what is on the special." Oh good lord…really? The gentleman smilingly offers "She's a finicky eater," and then orders his steak, medium, with no substitutions. The waiter smiles, walks away from the table and apologizes to the kitchen for his order.

I know you're thinking, 'Why can't I order exactly what I want?'

Rule Two: Ask for what you do want, not what you don't want. Let the chef guide you. There is no reason you can't get what you want, but consider this, the chef carefully crafts her entrees to be balanced and flavorful, getting the most out of the ingredients she is using, so the chances are that if you order what the chef has recommended, you will get a delicious meal. Read the menu, find the item that is closest to what you enjoy and order it. Take a chance…it's just food…it won't be with you in the morning. (Food allergies are a whole different ballgame, I am allergic to carrots of all things.) Be positive—"I would like a plain spinach salad with the dressing on the side and would it be possible to have the fish of the day prepared like the fish on the menu?" Much easier and you are asking for what you want, not what you don't want. You are taking a positive approach to the ordering process and not giving your date a reason to make excuses for you. Of course if it is just one item that you do not want, then it is certainly easier to ask for them to leave off that item, as in 'I would like the BLT without tomatoes.'

 

Stay tuned for rules three and four. Until then, continue to enjoy your very own Food Frenzies.

 

Thinking, hoping, wishing and praying for a sandwich...

Do you ever have those days when you wake up craving your favorite sandwich/salad/soup from your favorite restaurant and then you plan your day around getting to that restaurant to eat said meal??? What do you do when that restaurant has closed? Well, I tell you what I do, I sit at home and cry. And cry. And cry. Well, no not really. But I do tend to sit at home and ponder what to do about it. What's even worse, is craving food from your very own restaurant that is now closed and gone forever.

I woke up yesterday wishing I could have a Carolyn's pork and apple sandwich and a cup of French onion soup. A delicious pork and apple sandwich...roasted pork, caramelized onions, white cheddar, cinnamon apples and garlic aioli on grilled ciabatta bread with a side of crusty cheesy French onion soup in a bowl hand made by a good friend. How I wish I could have this meal right now. Or maybe Carolyn's baked brie--pastry wrapped brie stuffed with dried apricots, toasted walnuts and bleu cheese baked to golden brown and drizzled with honey served with toasty fresh bread. Or maybe a roast beef and mozzarella wrap with southwestern ranch and caramelized onions, or an Elizabeth salad, or a honey chicken wrap, or...agh..the list goes on and on. I miss my food. I miss making good food for consumption by strangers and friends alike. I miss being responsible for making great food. I don't miss the bills, the pressure, the employees, but I do miss the food.

These days I try to make at least one item off my old menu a week, but it's hard to have all the parts at once. It's a lot of work. Think about this the next time you go to a restaurant. Someone had to prepare each individual item that you are enjoying...someone had to cut the onions to caramelize them, someone had to roast and slice the pork, the apples had to be peeled and cooked, the bread had to be baked, the garlic had to be roasted and then blended with mayonnaise and herbs, the lettuce had to be washed, the tomatoes cleaned and sliced etc... It takes time to create all the elements that go into your sandwich and of course you could make it at home, but if you had to pay yourself an hourly wage it would not be so inexpensive. So when you go to a non-chain restaurant and you have to pay $8 or $9 for a chicken sandwich, it's because an individual actually prepared the item for you. Not a large warehouse where they put out 30,000 pieces of chicken a day, cryovac them and send them out on a refrigerated truck to destinations all over the country. Your chicken started raw, seasoned with love and grilled just before you ate the sandwich. But I digress...back to cooking.

This week I was in need of some comfort food, so I made myself some tarragon-pecan chicken salad. I generally keep pecans, mayo, frozen chicken breasts and tarragon in the house, so all that I needed from the store was a little celery, roasted red peppers and a lettuce. The recipe was adapted from another great Silver Palate recipe that I learned at my very first real restaurant job, Truffles Cafe on Hilton Head Island. I've altered the recipe a bit for my own taste, but it's still great. It is the basis for one of my all time favorite sandwiches; grilled tarragon chicken salad and cheddar on multi-grain bread from Truffles circa 1989. Yummy!

Carolyn's Tarragon Pecan Chicken Salad...this is for about 3 cups of salad.

2 boneless chicken breasts (around 2 lbs), seasoned with Beau Monde seasoning, available from Spice Island Seasonings (the ones with the green caps in the grocery store) and coated with heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/4 cup chopped roasted red pepper
3 T dried tarragon
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
Mayonnaise--enough to hold everything together ( I use Duke's or Hellman's)

Bake chicken at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. Let cool. Dice small..you want all the ingredients to be about the same size. Place in bowl with celery, red pepper, tarragon and pecans. Add mayo one heaping spoonful at a time until all the ingredients hold together. Season with salt, pepper and Beau Monde to taste.

I like this salad best on a warm croissant with a little bit of leaf lettuce or mixed greens, but its great all by itself or stuffed in a tomato. A great addition to any picnic or ladies luncheon.

Signing off now. Enjoy your Food Frenzy.

Pictures! Yay!

Brunswick Stew...Delicious!

The beginnings of the stew... everything but the meat, corn and beans..

Chocolate Pecan Pie...original Silver Palate Cookbook recipe...the best pecan pie recipe ever!

Pumpkin Pie w/ Pecan Streusal from this months Southern Living..good stuff. A keeper.

Hope this whets your appetite...get cooking!

Still working on this picture thing...

I have figured out how to add pictures, but unfortunately my Internet connection is too weak to let me do so, I have added them to Facebook Second Monday Dinner. I hope to have figured it all out eventually...

Dinner was absolutely fabulous...the food was amazing, the friends great and the St. Cecelia Punch potent..I renamed it 'naked debutante' punch. The brandy soaked pineapple was the hit of the night, much like eating your alcohol.

I am proud to say that the pumpkin pie turned out fabulous and I can not wait to make it for the family later this month.

Have a delicious day!

I have not been able to figure out how to add pictures...so, please check Second Monday Dinners Facebook page for photos...I'll figure it out sooner or later...

Brunswick Stew

It's Second Monday Dinner time...my favorite day of the month. Second Monday Dinner Club is a group of good friends who share a love of delicious food, intoxicating drinks and superlative conversation. For each month we choose a theme...we have tackled Thailand, Spain, Julia Child Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the Mediterranean, Oktoberfest aka Germany and for a little fun on my birthday a White Trash buffet--including pigs feet and spam. This month we are celebrating the foods of the South Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry with an oyster roast and all the accompaniments.



I'm making Brunswick stew and a couple pies...pecan and pumpkin. My parents are both from Georgia, my dad from South Georgia, I grew up eating Brunswick stew from all over. I never really liked it all that much as a kid, but I was sure glad that my dad did because it meant we stopped at Sweat's Bar-B-Que whenever we were traveling to Atlanta. I loved Sweat's, it was the most delicious bbq I'd ever had. Plus, it meant getting out of the car, stretching my legs and banana pudding. As I grew up and started making the drive to Atlanta on my own, I still made every effort to get to Sweat's either on my way to the city or on my way home. If it was on my way home I would get a quart of bbq and Brunswick Stew to go. My Dad loved their Brunswick Stew, and I learned to love it. My stew is not exactly the same as Sweat's, but it's pretty darn good. I have always tried to re-create that first taste and have never been able to get quite the same silken texture as the cooks at Sweat's, so I gave up and just created something I enjoyed with hints of the Brunswick Stew of memory.



If you look Brunswick Stew up on Wikipedia it tells the story of a stew native to either Brunswick County Kentucky or Brunswick Georgia. I like to think of it as a Georgia native as that's where I first enjoyed it...I think Kentucky can keep their Burgoo's if we can keep our Brunswick Stew. Traditionally it is made with rabbit or squirrel or pork, I add chicken and smoked ham just because I like it that way.



Carolyn's Brunswick Stew for a Crowd



1 medium sweet onion, chopped

2 large chicken breasts, bone in

2-4 lbs pork --I like to use pork butt if possible, for today's stew I used bone in chops after cutting the bone out, added the bone to saute while the onions were cooking.

1 large can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped garlic

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 can creamed corn

6 cups mixture of chicken and beef stock

6 T Smoked Paprika (my friend Angela introduced me to this and I never want to use the other stuff again)

1/2 cup hot sauce--I use Cholula hot sauce, it's got a nice sweet pepper flavor and not too much burn

1 cup bbq sauce..most of the time I use a mustard based sauce, but whatever you might have leftover in your fridge will work as long as it's got some smokeyness to it.

4 T dry mustard

4 T dry parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 1/2 lb frozen corn

1 1/2 lb frozen lima beans--I like to use the petit lima beans

1 stick butter

olive oil



In a large dutch oven melt the butter and add about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. When the butter starts to brown add the chopped onions and saute until translucent. (I added the pork bones at this point to saute and get the flavor from.) Add the paprika, mustard, parsley and garlic. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Sear the meat a few pieces at a time. Add the stock, diced tomatoes, vinegar, hot sauce and bbq sauce. Bring to a boil and then lower temperature to a simmer. Cook until meats are done. This should take around 20-30 minutes. Remove meats and let cool enough to be able to pull/chop them. While the meats are cooling add the corn, lima beans and creamed corn. Bring to a boil and check seasoning...you may need to add salt and pepper at this point or add more hot sauce. You want it to have a balance of tangy/peppery and a little sweetness. Once you have chopped the meats add back to the pot and stir thoroughly. Simmer with meats for around an hour. This soup is best made the day ahead and allowed to rest. At home we served with corn bread or hot biscuits and maybe a side of slaw.



This stew freezes very well and makes a good food gift to just about anyone. I like to keep a few soups in my freezer just in case I have one of those days where all I want is a comfy soup and a chunk of bread.



The pecan pie is from the Silver Palate Cookbook..the original. I added 1 cup of chocolate chips and cheated by using a pre-made pie crust. The pumpkin pie is the one on the cover of Southern Living this month...looks good, don't know what it's going to taste like yet, but I sure am looking forward to it.

And it begins..

What does a highly trained cook do when she doesn't have a job, has a whole lot of free time and not a whole lot of money? She cooks at home in order to save money as well as not go insane. Insane is bad. In order to work towards not being insane, I cook. I cook favorites as well as new stuff, I cook things that are good for me, bad for me, to share, to consume with my dogs and sometimes I cook things that intrigue me that I probably will not want to eat all of...I cook because that's all I really want to do anyway.

So now, I am going to put my cooking frenzy's out there in cyberspace and maybe someone will be inspired by what I'm cooking or maybe someone will be inspired to give me a job, who knows?

I'm not sure how often I'll post items, but you can be sure that everyday I'm cooking something and most days I'll let you know what it is--good, bad and the ugly.

If you like what I'm doing, let me know. A little encouragement goes a long way...

Thanks for paying attention.

Sincerely, Lost Chef