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Southern Side: Creamed Collard Greens

YumSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:50:11 -0800

I'm a little sick of the traditional Thanksgiving meal. That's why this year I plan on serving slightly different versions of old favorites - like a turkey roulade instead of a whole roasted turkey, for instance.

Rather than the usual green bean casserole, I'm reaching for a neo-Southern riff on the creamed spinach standby, and plan on impressing guests with creamed collard greens. Unlike creamed spinach, this vegetable side isn't swimming in heavy cream; the cream adds subtle body, while smoky bacon rounds out the collards' bitter character.

But the pièce de résistance is really the crispy, cheesy crumb topping. Be sure to make a generous amount, because the more, the better. Add a new tradition to your meal when you keep reading

Happy Hour: Firefly Mint Tea Vodka

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:00:38 -0700

Last week, Party and I attended a tasting showcasing winners of this year's San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The high moment of the day occurred when I got a taste of something I've been dying to try: sweet tea-flavored vodka made by South Carolina-based Firefly Distillery. I'm a fiend for Southern cuisine, and that includes sweet tea, a drink so ubiquitous that it's just referred to as "tea." Southerners also love to spike their tea, so it seems natural that someone would come up with tea-flavored vodka. That genius would be Jim Irvin, a distiller based in Wadmalaw Island, SC. Irvin, also a winemaker, distills the vodka four times, imbues it with tea grown from a plantation five miles away, and sweetens the finished product with sugarcane from Louisiana.

We tried one of the distillery's newest vodka flavors, Mint Tea, which won a Double Gold Medal in the competition. It has a natural minty finish that tastes both soothing and refreshing. It was so easy to drink alone that I'm almost certain I could enjoy an entire pitcher before realizing the product's full effects. I can't wait to buy a bottle for myself!

Have you tried Firefly's tea-flavored vodkas? What did you think of them?

Name That Dish!

YumSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:15:11 -0700

Many of you thought this Fall dessert favorite was incredibly easy to identify. So I'm taking take the challenge to the next level with this regional pie, which can be found all over the American South. Do you know what it is?

Name That Soul Food!

YumSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:30:58 -0700

With the Fourth of July fast approaching, I've been in the mindset of paying homage to my favorite American foods. But as much as I love our country's biggest icons - like hot dogs and hamburgers - there's one genre of American cuisine that can't go overlooked, and that's soul food. This month is National Soul Food Month, so I thought I'd test your knowledge of traditional African-American Southern cuisine. How good are you at spotting supper with soul? Find out when you take our quiz.

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Take the quiz

Name That Dish!

YumSugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:15:38 -0700

Celebrants commemorating the holiday Juneteenth might serve this alongside treasured classics like fried chicken and chicken fried steak. Can you guess what it's called?

Reader Recipe: Fried Chicken

YumSugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:00:03 -0700

Call me crazy - or attribute it to some bizarre form of reverse psychology - but all that hoopla over KFC's grilled chicken left me craving crispy, spicy, hot-out-of-the-oil fried chicken. TeamSugar member GinaGaladriel must have read my mind: using Cajun spices and Goya seasoning, she modified a fried chicken recipe she saw on YouTube to her family's liking. Now that I've witnessed the power of Gina's fried chicken, it may be time to put aside childish thoughts of grilled chicken and whip up a batch of my own chicken-fried goodness. Check out step-by-step photos when you read more.

Submitted by TeamSugar member GinaGaladriel

Gina's Fried Chicken
Took the idea from "CCC (Chennai Chukka Chicken)" recipe I saw on YouTube, just changed the ingredients, making it my own.

My hubby and daughter love this recipe and they consider it better than KFC!

Ingredients

* Oil
* 3 pounds chicken (pieces of your choice)
* Water
* 10 tsp. chicken seasoning, divided
* 10 tsp. garlic powder, divided
* 8-15 tsp. Cajun seasoning, divided
* Salt
* 1 egg
* 2 envelopes Goya seasoning, divided
* 1 cup flour
* 5 Tsp. Italian seasoning, divided

Directions
Start heating the oil in the deep fry (350°F) enough oil to cover 2/3 of the deep-fryer. Put the chicken in water mixed with 3 tsp. (each) of chicken seasoning, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning and about 8 tsp. salt (make sure the water level covers the chicken) for about 30 minutes to no more than 1 hour.

In a small bowl whisk the egg with 1 tsp. water and 3 tsp. (each) of chicken seasoning, garlic powder, and Cajun seasoning, 1 envelope of Goya seasoning, and 2 tsp. Italian seasoning. Separately, mix together flour and the rest of the seasonings. Discard the water from the brine bath. One by one put the chicken pieces in the egg mixture, and then cover with the flour mixture.

Fry the chicken in the deep fryer about 12 minutes per piece if the chicken has bones, and about 8-9 minutes if it doesn't (wings will take about 7 minutes). Move constantly so it doesn't stick and all the sides cook evenly. Lay the fried chicken in paper towel to absorb the majority of the fat. Enjoy!
Notes
* Preparation method taken from CCC - Chennai Chukka Chicken, which contains other ingredients such as garlic ginger paste and does not contain other ingredients I used.

** The amount of time will depend on the number and size of chicken pieces, and piece selection.

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Hot Brown Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:30:56 -0700

I've always wanted to be at Churchill Downs during the Kentucky Derby, and this year is no exception - especially since the Top Chef crew will be there, cooking up a storm. But if you're like me and will only be able to watch the races from the comfort of your home this weekend, get into the spirit by making a Louisville, KY, classic: the hot brown. In case you're not familiar with it, the hot brown is a creamy, rich, hot sandwich that's made of sliced turkey, bacon, toast points, and a cheesy Mornay sauce. Many aspects of the hot brown are up for debate, from the original creator of the sandwich and the year it was conceptualized to what type of cheese ought to go on the sandwich. But what's indisputable about this sandwich is that it's insanely indulgent, and a quintessential part of Kentucky cuisine.

For a version that's easy from start to finish, employ the use of sliced, roasted turkey. Or, impress your friends by going all out with an elaborate recipe that calls for making the turkey from scratch. See both versions of the sandwich when you read more.

Beginner Hot Brown
From Every Day With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

4 slices of bacon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, or to taste
4 slices of toasted white bread, crusts trimmed
1/2 pound thinly sliced roast turkey
Salt

Directions

In a small skillet, cook the bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring, until the flour turns amber brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in the milk and continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the 4 tablespoons of Parmesan and season with salt and the pepper. Taste the sauce and add more pepper if desired.
Preheat the broiler. For each sandwich, place 2 slices of toast in 2 ovenproof dishes. Cover the 4 slices of toast with the turkey slices and top generously with cheese sauce and grated Parmesan. Place the sandwiches under the broiler and cook until the sauce bubbles and begins browning, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and arrange 2 pieces of bacon in an X across the top of each open-faced sandwich.

Serves 2.

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Expert Hot Brown
From Bobby Flay

Ingredients

Turkey:
1 turkey breast, about 4 to 5 pounds
4 tablespoons unsalted soft butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups grated sharp white Cheddar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Egg Bread:
4 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
Salt
8 (1/2-inch) thick slices good day old white bread (recommended: Pullman or Pain de mie)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
For assembling
3 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices and griddled until slightly charred and just cooked through
1 1/2 cups grated sharp white Cheddar
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
16 thick slices slab bacon, cooked until crisp
Finely chopped fresh chives
Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Make the turkey: Preheat oven to 425ºF. Rub entire breast with butter and season with salt and pepper. Place in a small roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350ºF and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 155ºF, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Remove from the oven, loosely tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, bring to a boil and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and the flour has cooked out, about 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in cheese and cook until the cheese has melted. Season with nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste.
Make the egg bread: Whisk together the eggs, milk and salt in a medium bowl. Dip each slice of bread in the mixture and let sit about 30 seconds, or until completely soaked through.
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook 4 slices of the bread at a time until golden brown on both sides. Remove and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bread.
Assemble the hot brown: Preheat broiler. Place the egg bread on a baking sheet, place under the broiler and heat on both sides for 20 seconds just to warm through.
Top each slice of bread with 2 to 3 slices of turkey and 2 slices of tomato, ladle sauce over the top and divide the cheddar cheese and Parmesan over the top of each slice.
Place under the broiler and cook until bubbly and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven, top each slice with 2 slices of bacon and sprinkle each slice with chives and parsley.

Serves 4.

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Are Chicken Fried and Country Fried Steak the Same Thing?

YumSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 03:30:19 -0700

I've always been curious to know myself - so you can imagine my delight when The New York Times and Southern food expert John T. Edge answered my own personal burning question. Find out what the answer is when you read more.

To many Americans, the terms "chicken fried steak" and "country fried steak" are used interchangeably to describe steak that's been pounded, coated and fried, and served with gravy. But there is a regional distinction, Edge maintains: Country-fried steak is a "pan-Southern" dish - a dish that sort of embodies the cuisine of the collective South - and is usually simmered in gravy. Chicken fried steak is a Texas variation that's fried and served alongside creamy gravy.

Other authorities contend that chicken fried steak, a favorite in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, is deep-fried in the manner of fried chicken, as opposed to country fried steak - popular in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and the Carolinas - which is dredged and then pan-fried in gravy. And although the gravy in country fried steak may be brown or white, chicken fried steak is served with a white pepper gravy.

Were you aware of the distinction? Do you prefer country fried steak or chicken fried steak?

Fast & Easy Dinner: Jambalaya

partysugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 06:50:44 -0800

Tonight, invite your family to celebrate Mardi Gras with this classic Creole rice dish. Although jambalaya traditionally simmers on the stove for hours, this simple variation takes some help from the store, cutting down the cook time.

It's not short of flavor, though; hot sauce, shrimp, and kielbasa sausage provide depth and deliciousness. To get the recipe now, read more.

Jambalaya
From Real Simple

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 16-ounce package kielbasa, cut into 4-inch rounds
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 8-ounce box jambalaya, Spanish, or fiesta-flavored rice mix
1 1-pound package peeled and deveined raw shrimp
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)

Directions

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the kielbasa. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes.
Add the tomatoes along with 1/2 cup of water and their liquid and crush with the back of a spoon. Bring to a boil.
Add the rice mix. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for the time specified on the package.
Add the shrimp, stir, cover, and cook until pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the hot pepper sauce (if using). Spoon onto plates.

Serves 4.

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Name That Dish!

YumSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:15:40 -0800

This Southern dessert, with its red interior, is perfect for Valentine's Day. Do you know what it's called?