A new magazine launched the year my first child was born. Every issue had a Party Guide feature in the back, complete with invitation ideas, moody music, full menus with recipes, and what to pour. I tore the entertainment guides out of every issue and …
The first time I flew on an airplane, we dressed for the occasion. People smoked cigarettes in their seats, drank cocktails, and a proper chicken dinner arrived on a tray – an airline breast. I thought it was fancy then, and perhaps it’s that memory …
Every year during lobster mini-season in Key Largo, my husband and his friend come back from free diving with what seems like an unreasonable amount of Florida spiny lobster. For a few days, the question is never whether we’re having lobster, but how we’re going to cook it next. This is one of my favoirtie ways. A quick steep makes the tails easy to remove from their shells, then I finish the meat gently in beurre monté so it stays tender and sweet. Tossed with pasta, tomatoes, mushrooms and plenty of fresh herbs, it’s a very good way to make the most of the lobster’s freshness.
Blanch, peel, and slice the grape tomatoes. Garnish with chopped fresh basil. Set aside.
Slice the mushrooms and slowly cook in 2 tbs of butter and a finely chopped clove of garlic.
Steep the lobster tails by pouring just enough boiling water over them to cover, with 1 TBS distilled vinegar added. Take out after 2 minutes. Remove the shells by twisting the tail off and pushing the meat through the top, or use kitchen sheers to cut the shell down the back middle to remove the meat. Cut the lobster tail through the middle, lengthwise, in half, and remove the vein running through the top, and slice into large bite size pieces. Place on paper towel.
Bring 1 tablespoon water to a simmer in a sauté pan. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to emulsify before adding the next. Keep the beurre monté warm, around 170 -180 degrees, without letting it boil (I use a candy thermometer).
Add the room temperature lobster in a single layer and poach gently, turning once,, until just opaque and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. Transfer the lobster to a plate.
Add tomatoes and mushrooms to the pan and heat through. Return butter-poached lobster to pan, toss gently and serve over pasta. Garnish with parsley.
I take the time to peel tomatoes, even the small ones. Cut a small X at the top of each tomato. Bring a pot of water to boil. Remove from heat and add the tomatoes. After one minute, drain, then plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and peel. Cut the tomatoes in different shapes, halves or slices, to make your dish more interesting. It’s a extra step, but the finished dish is noticeable more refined.
This guy is the newest resident in the neighborhood. He has a partner, but today he’s cruising solo in the neighbor’s front yard.
Fresh gulf shrimp, a few vegetables, cider vinegar and Conecuh sausage, made in Evergreen, Alabama. Diagonal slice and brown the andouille sausage in a heavy bottomed skillet. Remove and set aside. Sprinkle shrimp with creole seasoning and sauté in the same pan you browned the …
Orange Beach, known as the “Redneck Riviera”, sits on the Gulf of Mexico in L. A. (Lower Alabama) and boasts the most beautiful wide soft white fine sand beaches you’ll ever sink your feet into. As a child, it was our summer vacation destination, and …
I think the trick to making a good meatball is the order of operations. Start by mixing the eggs and spices together and then slowly whisking in the freshly grated parmesan cheese (no clumps), followed by gently hand blending the meats into the liquid mixture and lastly adding the heavy cream moistened bread crumbs or riced potato. Kitchen gloves help to keep your hands clean and remember not to overwork the meat. Use a large ice cream scoop to spoon meatballs onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Keep in mind the meatball shrink by almost half in size when cooked. Bake in a 450 degree preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then, using tongs, gently place meatballs in Basic Tomato Sauce (See recipe below) to finish cooking, uncovered, in a 250 degree oven for 1 hour.
Antica Trattoria da Tito dal 1913 in Florence is possibly the best meatball I’ve ever eaten. If you have the opportunity to visit – don’t miss out. Think loud and relaxed with Chef pulled up to share the limoncello.
I learned to make pasta with Chef Samuele Scinardo at Castello Banfi in Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy. This is a gluten free version. We used the same equipment in class that I have at home – an Imperia Fresh Home-Made Pasta maker.
Mix all dry ingredients. Next, on a wooden board make a “volcano” out of the flour mixture. Then add the eggs to the hole in the center and add the olive oil. Using your fingers, work the flour and eggs together. Once incorporated, begin kneading the dough, using your palms, flattening and folding as you go, finishing with a ball. Lastly, divide the ball of dough into 4 equal parts and wrap each one in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove a ball of dough from the refrigerator and flatten with your fingers dusting your surface with GF flour to keep it from sticking. Start passing the dough through the largest setting on the pasta machine. Fold the dough in two, sprinkle lightly with flour, and run through 6 more times. Then, adjust the pasta machine setting one notch smaller, and run the dough through again. Continue to run dough through the rollers, making the setting smaller each time until you reach the next to smallest setting. You may need to cut the sheets in half when they start to get too long. Let the sheets rest for about 10 minutes then roll the dough like you would a cigar and cut it into 4mm widths. Separate the strands.
Repeat with another ball of dough. Finally, boil in water with a teaspoon of olive oil for about 3 minutes or until al dente.
BASIC TOMATO SAUCE
Sauté onion in butter until translucent. Add garlic and continue cooking 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar if using, and fresh basil. Simmer 30 minutes to let the flavors infuse. Process in a blender until smooth.
“Are you making the good potatoes tonight?” Meaning, this luxurious potato gratin. There’s a reason these are so delicious: heavy cream, butter, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Great for serving a crowd, or made in individual ramekins for one or two! Preheat oven to 350 …
We love anything curry at our house. This is the soup I make when the calendar says autumn but Alabama still feels like summer. Roasted cauliflower gives it warmth and depth, while coconut milk, lime, lemongrass and ginger keep it bright and fresh. Preheat oven …
The gears click as the chain rotates, and the aroma from the golden chicken’s drippings onto the fury of hot coals below, escapes around the edges of the plexiglass. We take a seat at the bar and order 2 glasses of Rioja, and peruse the library of gins against the rich green and aged ivory geometric ceramic tiled wall. The smell of burnt sugar fills the air. I punch through the hard layer of the Catalan style crème brûlée and then take a bite of the caramel flan, its silky custard beneath a layer of amber caramel, served with thyme ice cream. The French cousin, crème caramel is also naturally gluten-free and even better made a day ahead. You can make one large custard for the table, using a brioche mold, or bake in individual ramekins.
Caramel
Combine sugar, water, and a few drops of lemon juice evenly in a dutch oven. Cook over medium heat without stirring until the sugar melts and turns a deep golden color. Remove from heat and pour into a brioche mold, gently swirling around to coat the bottom. When cooled, coat the sides of the mold with butter.
Custard
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Mix egg, yolks and sugar together on low in an electric stand mixer.
Combine cream, milk, lemon zest, vanilla bean and seeds in a sauce pan. Heat gently until very hot to the touch, but not boiling. Remove from heat, and discard the vanilla bean. Pour the hot cream into the egg mixture, starting slowly with 1/4 cup at a time, with the mixer on low (if you pour the hot cream in all at once you’ll have scrambled eggs – not good). Pour the custard into the brioche mold.
Place the mold into a baking pan and carefully fill the pan with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides. Bake 45 – 50 minutes or until the custard is set (trust your eyes more than the timer, it will set around the edges but have a slight tremble in the center. Remove from the water bath and let cool. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
To unmold, firmly tap the sides of the mold with your palm to loosen it – Using a knife can ruin your presentation. Place a deep serving plate over the mold and invert in one quick motion. Lift away the mold and let the caramel run over the custard. Slice and serve.
Pillivuyt french porcelain brioche mold is perfect for making this dessert.
When I use vanilla bean seeds, I never throw the pods away. Tuck the scraped pod into a jar of sugar (1 bean per 2 cups sugar) and keep adding used vanilla beans as you have them. Over time, you’ll have vanilla sugar. Store in an airthight container in the pantry. Wonderful for custards, whipped cream and baking.
Likewise, I keep a bottle a vanilla extract in the pantry as well. Use 5 beans per 8oz good vodka. Continue to add pods as you have them, adding more vodka to cover.
Dahlias continue to happily bloom out back and are nicely complimented with a few fresh cut roses and zinnias picked up at the local farmer’s market over the weekend from the small growers at Modern Heirlooms.
3/4 cup Chardonnay 3 tbs sherry vinegar 3 tbs white wine vinegar 1 shallot sliced 2 thyme sprigs 1 tbs heavy cream 1 stick butter fresh squeeze of lemon juice In a sauce pan over medium heat add wine, vinegars, shallot and thyme. Bring to …
