A Taste of the South

So Sharon's birthday was this last Saturday. I asked her if she wanted to go out for dinner or let me make her something. She wanted to go out (what does that mean?). So we went out to one of our favorite Italian grill restaurants. It was (as usual) very good. Both of us love their freshly baked Italian loaf and then taking a slice and dipping it their herbed Olive Oil. We also both got yummy pasta dishes and brought leftovers home with us.

One thing she did want me to make for her was Chess Pie. She loves, loves, loves Custard Pie and we would always get one for dessert on Christmas Day, but they are hard to find and I've never made one yet.

However, for a replacement pie I made one of her other favorites...Chess Pie. My daughter Erin told us about it and that it would probably be a good substitute for the Custard version. This is what is looks like:

Chess Pie has a long and deep history here in the South. There are a number of versions to how Chess Pie got it's name.

It does not look like a Chess Board, but one story is told that when the Southern Gentlemen got together, they would go to the parlor to play chess and were served this pie. Therefore it became known as Chess Pie.

Another story is that this pie's name was derived from the Southern accent or drawl. So when someone asked the question "what kind of pie is it?", the reply was "It's 'jes pie". And because of the accent, it came to be known as Chess Pie (sort of the culinary version of the kids game Telephone...I assume).

And then there's the story that this recipe was derived from the English Cheese Pie.Even though there is no cheese in the pie, it most likely referred to the curdle-like texture of the filling once cooked.

But the one story that seems more likely to me is that the name is derived from the pie chest. The ingredients were very common in most households (and probably still are today) and once made, it would keep well in the pie chest. So over the years it became known as the Chess Pie because it was kept in a pie chest.

However the name came about doesn't really matter to me. All I know is that it is a really good pie and so simple to make. Some recipes call for the addition of buttermilk or vinegar to the ingredient list because it is quite a sweet pie and these ingredients add some acidity and cut some of the sweetness. My recipe doesn't contain them. Here is the recipe I used.

So if you want an easy and fairly quick pie, give this one a try (I just realized that rhymed!). Let me know what you think of it if you do make it. And as always, share this blog site with your friends, subscribe to this site to get an e-mail that a new post is now available and follow me on Facebook.

So until my next post, I'll be in the kitchen.

Chicken Love

So here's another chicken recipe that I think you'll all enjoy. I called it Spiced Honey Mustard Chicken. It is a twist on the classic Honey Mustard Chicken. This recipe incorporates a couple of spices you might not think would go together, but they do and they do so quite well.  What are those two mystery spices? Curry Powder and Ground Coriander. Here is a photo of my last batch made.

This is one of those go to recipes when you want a flavorful chicken recipe. I've never tried to use the glaze when grilling outside. My guess is that it would be great. So once I get a chance to go out back and grill some chicken, I will give it a try. In the meantime, I'll keep using it in the oven. Here is the recipe:

I also usually pair it up with another family favorite, Elizabeth Randolph's Potato Casserole. She was my best friend's mom when I was a teenager and she made it quite a bit for our church's pot luck dinners (I love church pot lucks by the way...) It is sort of a baked potato in casserole form. When it comes out of the oven and you dig in with a serving spoon...I love to see the steam rise off of it. You can't see the steam in this pic though....  :-(

I actually love to add extra Green Onions. I've never made it with Bacon in it, but I bet it would be delicious too. It could then be called a Loaded Baked Potato Casserole. Oh...I guess I just gave you an idea to "create" your own recipe. If you try it, let me know....just make sure you give me credit! Here's the recipe:

So, if you're looking for something else to do with chicken give this a try. The chicken does take an hour to bake so it can't be a last minute throw it together meal.

Let me know if and when you try these recipes. Follow me on Facebook, subscribe to my blog, leave comments and tell your friends.

Until next time, I'll be in the kitchen (after I get some groceries first...)

Are you kidding me?

Brown Butter Brown Sugar cookies....that is all....'nuf said

Ok...I guess I'll say a little more....

I first had these about 13 years ago at a friends house. The other night Sharon said she wanted something with a cup of tea and guess what came to mind? Yup, you guessed it...Brown Butter Brown Sugar cookies. Why? Why after 13 years did you have to rear your ugly but oh so yummy BBBS head?

So I succumbed to the temptation and made a batch. Should I have fallen to this delectable taunter of taste? No...I am weak when it comes to them.

Once you taste these cookies you too will be a big fan. Here's the recipe if you dare try them.

So I am giving you fair warning. These are highly addictive. If you choose to accept this mission...after you make a batch, burn the recipe (no don't do that I don't want to be blamed for your kitchen fire).
Just put the recipe at the back of your recipe box or file or wherever it is you keep them. And don't go back and look for it. Don't answer their taunt when they whisper your name the next time you want to make some cookies. They will call out to you. Resist...stand strong my friends.

And above all, DON'T BLAME ME!

Until next time, I'll be in the kitchen (trying to resist making these cookies again for another 13 years!)

Que pasa mis amigos...

Mi comida favorita es la mexicana internacional. Lo que es tuyo? Mi espanol es limitado. Ya es suficiente.

So for those of you who don't speak Spanish, what I said was "My favorite international food is Mexican. What is yours? My Spanish is limited. Enough is enough." Thank you Google translate for the help. I think I was able to do the title without any trouble. I may be wrong. For those who speak Spanish forgive me if I messed it up.

So...this is about my favorite food, Mexican. I was born in Tucson, Arizona and lived there for my first 7 years until my dad's job moved us to Los Angeles. I basically grew up in L.A. until moving to Chicago in 1996 with my job (there was also a 3 year absence when I moved to Northern Ireland with my wife after graduating from college). Both my parents are from Arizona and New Mexico, so Mexican food is in our blood. And most of my relatives still live in the Southwest U.S., so I hope I do them proud with this post.

Some of my fond memories of Mexican food also come from one of the best Mexican restaurants (in my opinion) in Southern California. It is called The Original Red Onion (for those in Southern California who have never been there, this is their site: http://www.originalredonion.com/). They cook Sonoran style Mexican food and their recipes are hacienda recipes that are over 100 years old. I remember going to the original restaurant on Century Blvd.in Inglewood, CA which is where I grew up. I don't remember how often we ate there, I just remember it was delicious. Over the years they had several restaurants throughout the South Bay area of L.A. and now the only location they have is in Palos Verdes (or "on the hill" as we used to say). My mouth waters when I think of their food. I miss it.

My wife Sharon never ate Mexican food when she grew up in Northern Ireland. They didn't have the ingredients; there were no restaurants; Taco Bell never made it there (if you want to call that Mexican food). She will also tell you that when I first ate British/Irish food I complained that it was pretty bland. All meat and potatoes and stuff. But then I was turned on to the Ulster Fry and it was game over. I'll do a post about that some other time. But getting back to Sharon...the first time she had Mexican food was when she came to visit me over the Christmas holidays in 1980. At first, she was a little apprehensive, but then she came around and now she loves it as much as I do. Good thing...that might've been a deal breaker. Well, no it wouldn't have been, but close.

One of her first dishes was our friend Judy's Shredded Beef Burritos and her Green Chile Rellenos. Yummy! But that is also for another time. Another dish we love isn't really "traditional" Mexican, but it is still really good. I call it Creamy Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole. Again, that is for another time.

This post is about New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas which is what I grew up eating. As the name implies, they are stacked like pancakes rather than rolled up. Just as delicious but rooted in New Mexico. The most typical recipe is really just tortillas filled with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and Red Chile sauce. The one thing though that always, always, always tops the enchilada is a fried egg. I always make my enchiladas with seasoned ground beef, beans, onions, cheese and Red Chile sauce. Below is a picture of what it looks like.

 They can look a bit messy, but they are sooooooo good. And I love cutting into the over-easy egg and letting the yolk mix with the rest of the food. I also like to top it with Avocado slices (you can use Guacamole too if you wish) and a little Cilantro. It is very filling. Here is the recipe.

I usually just top it with a canned enchilada sauce (I can visualize my rels cringing and crying). I never made my own Red Chile Sauce as I was a little intimidated about the process. But I went ahead and got beyond my fears and for the first time made it from scratch. I can tell you, I won't be buying the canned stuff again. Here is what the sauce looks like. It was an earthly, slightly hot (I have gringo mouths in my family...not me...the rest) sauce that had a very deep flavor. So good and really so easy.

And here is the recipe. It is a combined recipe from my cousin-in-law Dan and one my mom gave me. The picture does make it look like it is really thick, but it isn't. And if you want it runnier than how it turns out, you can always add more water. Here is the recipe for the Red Chile Sauce.

I guarantee that you'll love these recipes and I am pretty sure that this could become one of your favorite recipes. Give it a shot. If you don't want to try making the Red Chile sauce, just use your favorite canned brand. Let me know if you make it and what you think about it.

As always, tell your friends about my site. Please also share your recipes and stories with me and I'll post it on my site. This is not just about my family recipes (I mean it is but not exclusively). I would really love to make this a site where friends and family can share with each other their favorite foods and food memories. Subscribe to this site and you'll always get notified when a new post is available. Please leave comments at the bottom of the page.

So until my next post, I'll be in the kitchen.

Soups On....Again

So remember my last post when I said that Sharon likes to live on soup when the temperature dips? Well, yeah....here is another soup recipe. I call it Red Potato Soup.

I must admit though, this is a pretty good soup recipe I came up with. We like potato soup (and anyone from Ireland loves ANYTHING with potatoes in it), so I want to share it with you. It is a chunky soup made with...you guessed it Red Potatoes and it is very filling. A bowl of this soup paired with a nice hearty bread and you'll be full for the rest of the evening and ready for a good night's sleep.

I wish I could get real Irish potatoes, especially the ones that are grown in County Down where Sharon lived. Those potatoes are not just as dense than other varieties and they have a very soft skin, much like Red Potatoes. The soil there is very dark, rich and warm. And because the soil is warmer there than many places in Northern Ireland, they can harvest more potatoes more frequently. They are fresher and tastier and abundant.

Here is the recipe.

Well, that is all for now. Coming soon will be a post with one of my all time favorite foods (Mexican) and one of my favorite recipes (New Mexico style Stacked Enchiladas).

If you like what you've seen so far, tell you friends and subscribe to my post. You'll be notified automatically when I put something up on my blog. And if you have tried making and eating any of the recipes, let me know what you think about it (there is a section at the bottom of the page for comments). If you have any recipes you want to share, please send it to me with a story about it (why it is important to you and your family) and I will get it onto the blog.

So until then, I'll be in the kitchen.

Soups On!

Well, winter is finally here in Winston-Salem. I know for some of you it has already arrived and for some it has arrived with a vengeance.

However, in our household anytime the temperature dips below 60 degrees that means several things:
1) The cotton and/or microfiber sheets are replaced with flannel sheets (not my choice!)
2) The pilot light is lit on the fireplace (not my choice!), and,
3) Our sustenance now comes from soup.

My wife grew up in Northern Ireland and they lived on soups and stews. Don't get me wrong I like soup just like the next person, but not 4 or 5 times a week like my wife would prefer at this time of year.

The good thing about soups though, is that they are relatively easy and quick to make. You just dump a bunch of stuff in a stock pot and turn the stove-top on (or crockpot) and let it simmer away.

The soup that I am featuring today is my copy-cat recipe of a soup we love from one of our favorite Italian Grills (here's a hint...let see if you can get it...it is s'abbarraC). It is my version of their Italian Sausage Lentil Soup.

Doesn't this look delicious? Well it is...so there!

It is a hearty and filling soup. We love it with fresh crusty bread (as we do with all soups we eat).

Here is my copy-cat recipe:

Give it a try and let me know what you think of it.

I'm sure we will be eating more soups as the "winter" months go on here in Winston-Salem. Enjoy your winter months wherever you are. Keep warm and well fed!

Until next time, I'll be in the kitchen.