I don’t think that I’ve ever visited my parents home in South Carolina and not been served fried fish. Bream, catfish, striped bass, carp, spots… if Dad can catch it (more…)
Stone soup…and other musings on South Carolina
food
In New York EVERYTHING is gourmet
My family and I took a quick trip to New York over the long weekend. We were only there for two and a half days and yet we saw so many gourmet markets. How gourmet are they? (more…)
Crustless Quiche recipe makes brunch easy
Quiche Recipe
| pre heat oven to 325 degreesBasic Custard:
2 1/2 cups of half and half 6 eggs 3/4 teaspoon salt Finely chopped fillings, 2 1/2 cups total: Cooked; spinach, broccoli, leeks, peppers, caramelized onion, bacon, chicken, ham, crab. Shredded cheeses like cheddar, mozzarella. Soft cheeses like goat cheese Raw; scallions, soft herbs like chives, thyme or basil
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Butter a pie dish, the one I used is for “deep dish” pie. Cook vegetables (should be cool before you pour custard in) or use leftover cooked vegetables. Chop them to very small size and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Evenly distribute vegetables, meat and shredded cheese in pie dish. Beat half and half, salt and eggs until combined. Pour over vegetables. Top with grated hard cheese like Parmesan, Romano or aged asiago. Place on a sheet pan in case it bubbles over. Place in center of the oven and bake for 50 minutes. Should be a bit wobbly in the center, kind of like a Jello mold. Let quiche rest for 15 minutes before slicing. |
My Grocery shopping addiction, Kroger and inadequate couponing
Hi, my name is Demetra and I’m a grocery shop-a-holic. My Last visit to a grocery store was yesterday and I must admit that I’m going back today. I go to the grocery store at least 3-4 times per week, I go whenever I get the urge to experiment with a new recipe…which is often. Maybe I shouldn’t count yesterday because I was at Kroger grocery store for a bloggers event, but I did some shopping as well. I couldn’t resist. Kroger reps gave our group of bloggers a tour of the store, lots of info on their programs (like their Simple Truth line of products and the beloved fuel points) and a nice bag o swag. While I do try to patronize local farmers markets, sometimes you need a quick, convenient grocery store to run to so you can get dinner on the table.
The folks at Kroger wanted to get out the word about the new lower prices on over 3,000 items, which I appreciate because I don’t use coupons often and lower prices would help my budget out a lot. Kroger will also do away with doubling coupons (as of September 22) which doesn’t really affect me because any coupons I clip generally end up in the bottom of my purse, not to be found until the day after it expires.
Gotta go, we’re out of milk…and I need gas
Mae’s Bakery, a great reason to go off my low carb diet
Dieting sucks lets face it, but if it must be done then it must be done. I’m on a low carb diet now but diets be damned because it’s the 1st anniversary celebration for Mae’s Bakery (2772 Lenox Road, Suite B4, Atlanta, GA).
Counter Culture Coffee was in the house for a very informative discussion of all things coffee.
Most items on Mae’s menu (except croissants) can be made gluten free, just ask. I hear their whoopie pies are to DIE for. I’ll return to Mae’s soon to give a report on that.
My trip to Tennessee…kinda
Last night my husband and I took a quick trip to Tennessee…well not really. We to a trip to the King Plow Art Center to attend an event to promote Tennessee Tourism. It was a lovely event with LOTS of pork (check the Instagram video), barbecue sauce, cupcakes and moonshine. There was lots more than that but that’s what I remember. Oh, and the music was great, check out my Instagram video for a listen. The hospitality was wonderful and exhibits, like one of Elvis’ Jackets and a belt buckle, were great.
Our family had been contemplating a summer trip to Tennessee and after tasting Muddy’s Bake Shop’s coconut Chess Pie I’d like to go right now. Super cute Kat Gordon and her equally cute brother Kip brought a huge variety of sweets and everything was delicious. EVERYTHING. Reminiscing about their sweets make me want to drive to Memphis tonight.
I even asked the park ranger promoting tourism of historic Civil War sites if she referred to the Civil War as the “War of Northern Aggression” she smiled and said “No, none of the rangers do”. That made me smile.
The moonshine was strong and the pulled pork was tender, what more could you ask for? All in all a good night, check the Pics below:
pickled Shrimp for a party
It was our turn to host movie night last weekend and I wanted to make an appetizer that could be done ahead (it’s even better done the day before) and still taste and look great. I made this pickled shrimp dish on Friday and served it on Saturday in a large bowl, but it would have been equally as good served in individual glasses.
Pickled shrimp
2# medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Vegetable oil for sautéing
2 cloves chopped garlic
½ of a red onion, sliced thin (about ½ a cup)
1 yellow or orange sweet bell pepper, sliced thin
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice, peel in long strips and reserve the rind (no pith please)
½ cup of red wine vinegar
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh chives, chopped
Pat the shrimp dry and season with salt, paprika, cayenne and garlic powder. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large sauté pan and heat over medium/high heat.
Sautee the shrimp with garlic in batches until they turn pink and curl. Cool the shrimp in the refrigerator, then, layer the shrimp with onions, peppers and lemon rind.
Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar Worcestershire sauce and oregano and pour over the shrimp mixture.
Marinate the shrimp in the refrigerator overnight up to 2 days. Add fresh chopped parsley and chives when ready to serve.
Beets…by D
Beet salad- basic recipe ( adjust all measurements to taste)
2 beets about 2 inches in diameter peeled and grated in a food processor
1 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed between your fingers
2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
Mix together and store in the refrigerator. The beets become a bit softer as they sit
Variations:
Crumbled feta
Kalamata and Cerignola olives
Fresh mint
Chives
Orange segments
Pickled eggs ( I’ll give the pickled eggs recipe later this week)
Aged provolone cheese ( make a frico by grating the provolone onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. I cracked black pepper over it and baked at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes until just lightly browned. It will be pliable for a few seconds so you can bend it into shapes)
Snow Crab Boil for a lazy dinner
What’s Happening around the A? The Steak Over Challenge, that’s what
Chef Jeff Schultz’s entry for the Steakover Challenge-photo credit-COPYRIGHT 2012 JOHN LEE PICTURES
I do love a good steak and this weekend Walmart is hosting a big steak cook-off . I love a good firefighter, too so I’ve got the best of both worlds. Firefighters from two Atlanta firehouses are firing-up the grill to go head-to-head in the Walmart Steak-Over Challenge presented by Kingsford Charcoal, Dr. Pepper and A.1. on Saturday, April 20 from noon – 2 p.m. at the 1550 Scenic Highway N Walmart store parking lot.
It’s Danny Pinto from Station 21 and his “Smokey Steaks with Sweet Onion Marinade” versus Station 11’s Jeff Schultz ( Kenny Hutchinson will represent station 11) and his “Southern Sizzle Steaks.” Both sound delicious and I can’t wait to taste them.
Here are the recipes if you can’t make it out to cast your vote:
Smokey Steaks with Sweet Onion Marinade-Danny Pinto
Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
YOU’LL NEED
3-4 Walmart Choice rib-eye steaks, about 24-32 ounces total
Chicago steak seasoning, to taste
1 20-ounce bottle Dr. Pepper®
¼ cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
¾ cup minced onion
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the steaks in a shallow dish, and sprinkle with Chicago steak seasoning on both sides. Mix the Dr. Pepper, olive oil and Worcestershire sauce together, and pour over the steaks, turning to coat both sides with the mixture. Cover the steaks with the minced onions, and marinate for one hour.
When ready to cook, prepare a charcoal grill for direct high heat (450-500 degrees F) using Kingsford® Charcoal.
Remove the steak from the marinade and wipe off onions. Season on both sides with more steak seasoning.
Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the steaks with the lid closed as much as possible, turning once or twice, until cooked to your desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium rare. Remove steaks from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe created by The Atlanta Fire Department on behalf of Walmart.
Southern Sizzle Steaks-Jeff Schultz
Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
YOU’LL NEED
3-4 Walmart Choice rib-eye steaks, about 24-32 ounces total
McCormick® Montreal® Steak Seasoning, to taste
1 cup Dale’s® Steak Seasoning sauce
½ cup Dr. Pepper®
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the steaks in a shallow dish, and rub with plenty of steak seasoning on both sides. Pour the steak seasoning sauce and the Dr. Pepper over the steaks, turning to coat both sides with the mixture. Cover the steaks and marinate until they come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
When ready to cook, prepare a charcoal grill for direct high heat (450-500 degrees F) using Kingsford® charcoal. Brush the cooking grates clean.
Remove the steak from the marinade. Place on the grates, and grill with the lid closed as much as possible, turning once or twice, until cooked to your desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium rare. Remove steaks from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe created by The Atlanta Fire Department on behalf of Walmart.