At an "early 60's tacky tiki" theme party this weekend, it occured to me how sometimes the most retro recipes can also be very of-the-moment. At this particular party there were modern takes on all sorts of things. In each case very high quality ingredients were used and, you know the saying, "quality in, quality out." There was a cucumber gelatin mold salad, only the cucumbers were fresh from the farm, agar-agar was used to gel it and fresh dill and citrus flavors punctuated the dish. It was so good I took some home!
Another dish that hasn't been popular in a while was the cheese ball, though at this party there were three of them. When made with the best cheeses, fresh roasted red peppers and rolled in nuts, it was positively delicious. The dish I had the hardest keeping my paws out of was nothing more than a premium "seven layer dip". Seven layer dip is made from refried beans, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cheese, olives and green onions or some similar combination. But imagine a version where each layer was made from scratch or with the best products available. It was a far cry from the versions I've had that were made mostly from mundane canned ingredients.
Comfort Foods and Indulgences
Comfort Foods and Indulgences
Creamy Shrimp Creole Soup with Bacon-Cornmeal Dumplings
If you are looking for the perfect Mardis Gras inspiration, Creamy Shrimp Creole Soup with Bacon-Cornmeal Dumplings could not be a more perfect choice to round out your celebration.
The gorgeous color is the first giveaway to the over the top flavor. By using all the right ingredients, salt and pepper aren't even necessary...it tastes fantastic as is, and by the way, it is spicy.
We always have a few Mardis Gras dishes this time of year but don't nearly indulge in all the flavors of the South often enough. They really awaken your taste buds.
Don't worry if you've never made dumplings before, they are so easy to throw together, a couple imperfect rolls and they are good to go.
The dumplings take on the color of the soup and have a nice smoky flavor with the addition of bacon. I hope you'll give it a try!
Layers of Chocolate, Strawberries and Cream
When I pulled out the pocket folder filled with recipes I’ve gathered from cooking classes I’ve attended over the years, I was surprised to see that some of the recipes dated back to 1984. That was the year I started taking classes from Andrea Halgrimson in her cozy little kitchen in Fargo. I had two young sons at the time. Gathering with a small group of food-loving people in Andrea’s kitchen was always a special night out for me.
I flipped through my stash of recipes to find Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake. On a May evening in 1984, Halgrimson mixed up a biscuit-like chocolate dough that she rolled out and pressed into large round cake pans. The two chocolate shortcake layers were packed with a filling of whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
That was the night I got over my fear of unflavored gelatin. Halgrimson showed how easy it is to dissolve a little gelatin in water in a glass measuring cup. She placed the measuring cup in a small amount of water in a saucepan over low heat. As the water in the saucepan warmed up, the granulated gelatin dissolved in the water in the cup. Easy.
Oven Baked BBQ Fries
Potatoes are my kryptonite. Those of you who have been reading here for a long time know my love of potatoes. I don't care if they are mashed, baked, fried, hashed...it just doesn't matter. I can't say no to them in any form. I really try to keep my distance from them but they call to me with their siren songs. Ugh.
So what's a girl to do with five russet potatoes sitting on the counter? Cut them into thick wedges and slather them with barbecue sauce...why not. And then eat them one by one until you feel you can't stuff yourself anymore. Rinse. Repeat.
It's not like the fry itself has this overwhelming barbecue sauce flavor, but it ends up having a nice smoky-sweet background taste. So, to really drive home the whole barbecue experience,mix more of the barbecue sauce with sour cream to make a dipping sauce. Yum.
I love how the barbecue sauce adds a crispiness to the edge of the fries. Just couldn't stop eating them. Save me from myself.
Make these for your next cook out...you will love!
31 Days Of Pie, Day 30: Key Lime Pie
Day 29 of 31 Days Of Pie is Lemon Meringue Pie from Kate McDermott, Art Of The Pie
Our 31 Days Of Pie is drawing to a close, and yes, I am sad to see it go! Will we stop making pies? Never. Will we take a quick break from them? Most likely, but I’m sure it won’t be long. Today’s pie comes from America’s Test Kitchen, and happened rather last minute as we looked at the calendar and realized we made 30 pies, not 31, over the course of the month. We were at home enjoying down time and not at the studio, so this pie was whipped up quickly at home and photographed in the backyard. A quick sidenote: I’m always trying to keep myself busy creatively and realized “hey! I have the afternoon off! hey! it’s sunny! hey! I want to photograph a little backyard vignette!” I’ve included that photo and it also explains why this luscious key lime pie doesn’t match the series all that much. But no biggie, right? As with all things America’s Test Kitchen, it works and is delicious. Whenever you crave that zippy zing of citrus I hope you’ll think of this.
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