Corn Bread with Corn Relish

Back in June, I posted a recipe for a corn relish that is delicious on chicken, fish, grilled shrimp, you name it. We've been through a couple of batches this summer, but I had a bit the left last week that I wanted to go ahead and use up. This recipe rode to the rescue. The final product is a wonderfully moist bread studded with the relish vegetables and spiked with yummy herbs and spices.

Corn Bread with Corn Relish
From Food and Wine magazine.

1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup stone-ground yellow or white cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups well-drained corn relish

Preheat the oven to 425°. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over low heat and add 2 tablespoons of the butter.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt. In a large glass measuring cup, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter in a microwave oven. Whisk in the eggs and milk until blended. Add the liquid ingredients and the corn relish to the cornmeal mixture and stir with a spatula just until the batter is evenly moistened.

Scrape the batter into the hot skillet and spread it evenly. Bake in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes, until the corn bread is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the skillet to a rack and let the corn bread cool for about 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Tuesday Tips: The Well-Preserved Edition

It's always frustrating to throw food away, whether herbs, produce or leftovers. here are a few tips to prevent that from happening at your house.

• I've learned that the best way to preserve fresh ginger is to store it peeled in sake (Japanese rice wine). Cover the ginger in sake in a glass jar and refrigerate. When ready to use, rinse the ginger and then slice or mince as usual. The ginger picks up just a tiny bit of the sake flavor (perfectly fine for your Asian recipes anyway) and keeps for several weeks this way.
• Mushrooms actually freeze pretty well. Slice them and lay in a single layer on wax paper lined trays and freeze. When frozen, place in zip-loc bags and back int he freezer for easier storage.
• Keep an egg carton on hand to store your strawberries. Put one berry in each slot. the cardboard allows air to circulate around the fruit better.
• Fresh pineapple can go bad quickly. Not if you cut into pieces and store in a glass or plastic container with orange juice to cover. It will keep for a week and you end up with delicious juice afterwards.
• Don't throw that lime away after you've squeezed it into your cocktail. Zest it and mix with one part kosher salt. The salt will absorb the citrus oil and preserve the zest. Use the salt mix to season veggies and meats for grilling. Use the same trick with orange and lemon as well.

Cocktail of the Week: Blackberry Margarita

They're not in season here in Texas right now, but the grocery stores are still selling blackberries cheap, cheap, cheap. I've thrown them into yogurt...why not throw them into a refreshing cocktail like this one?

Blackberry Margarita
Makes 4 cocktails.

1 cup fresh blackberries
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup blanco tequila
1 (12 ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed)
Club soda

Mash together blackberries and sugar in a medium bowl with a potato masher. Press mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a small bowl, using the back of a spoon to squeeze out the juice. Discard pulp and seeds. (Or do as I did and skip the straining step. I don't mind a few blackberries seeds in my drink.)

Pour blackberry mixture into a large pitcher. Stir in tequila and lemonade concentrate until blended. Pour into ice-filled glasses and top with club soda.

Summer Vegetable Casserole

I have said that I am REALLY sick of seeing tomato-zucchini tart/gratin/casserole recipes this summer. Seems that food magazines are desperate to help us get rid of summer's bounty. This recipe gets my approval though. It takes things one step further by adding onion and red bell pepper over a potato base. It's delicious.

Summer Vegetable Casserole
Makes 4-6 servings.
From Food & Wine magazine.

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/2 pound plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 small zucchini (1/2 pound), sliced on the diagonal 1/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat a 9-inch baking dish with olive oil. Spread the potatoes in the dish in an even layer; drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, combine the bell pepper, onion, garlic and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Arrange two-thirds of the bell pepper mixture over the potatoes and drizzle with oil.

Top with the tomatoes and the zucchini; drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with the remaining bell pepper mixture and sprinkle with the cheese.

Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 425°. Uncover the casserole and bake for about 20 minutes longer, until the vegetables are tender and glazed on top. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Blackberry-Apple Upside-Down Cake

I don't post dessert recipes very often...we just don't eat them very often. That isn't to say that I don't drool over them in food magazines and rip them out for filing. This is one I couldn't resist. It's simple and features fresh fruits to delicious results.

(Note for future improvisation: The cake recipe itself would be a perfect foil for other fruit combinations as well.)

Blackberry-Apple Upside-Down Cake
Makes 8 servings.
From Southern Living.

3/4 cup butter, softened and divided
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large Gala apples, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a lightly greased 9-inch round cake pan (with sides that are at least 2 inches high) over low heat. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with brown sugar; drizzle honey over brown sugar. Arrange apple slices in concentric circles over brown sugar mixture, overlapping as needed; sprinkle with blackberries.

Beat granulated sugar and remaining 1/2 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

Stir together flour and baking powder. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Spoon batter over blackberries in pan.

Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of cake to loosen. Invert cake onto a serving plate, spooning any topping in pan over cake.

Mussels in Wine, Mustard, and Saffron Broth

The other half was out of town on business a couple of nights ago. That always means that I get the kitchen to myself to whip something up that will satisfy my palate and my palate alone. I headed to Central Market to buy some mussels. It was cheaper to buy a two pound bag than the much smaller amount I needed for my single serving. That meant not only a delicious dinner, but also the opportunity to experiment with a couple of other recipes. I'll post them soon.

But here's the star of the evening. Supposedly from Thomas Keller's Bouchon restaurant, the broth is wonderfully complex, skipping from flavor to flavor and back again with every bite. It's beautifully lemon-yellow from the butter and mustard with flecks or orange saffron and bright green parsley throughout. (I'll admit that I've saved it and am going to use it to make what I imagine will be some awesome rice tomorrow night.)

Mussels in Wine, Mustard, and Saffron Broth
Makes 6 first-course servings.
(Note: It's easy to adjust quantities and make even, as I did, a single serving.)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup finely chopped shallots (about 4 large)
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 cups dry white wine
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (I chickened out and used milk.)
3 pounds small mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots, garlic and thyme. Sprinkle with pepper. Sauté until shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Mix in wine and mustard. Boil 2 minutes. Add saffron. Remove from heat and let steep 5 minutes.

Add cream and mussels to pot and return to boil. Cover and cook until mussels open, about 6 minutes. Mix in parsley. Season broth to taste with salt and pepper. Divide mussels and broth among 6 shallow bowls, discarding any mussels that do not open) and serve.

Tuesday Tips: Bacon, Bacon, Bacon

Everything is better with bacon, right? Well, here are a few tips to help make food's best friend even easier to use...

• Sometimes you just need a few small pieces of bacon to flavor your pot of green beans or crumble on a salad. If you keep a package of sliced bacon in the freezer, all you have to do is slice a few chunks off with a serrated knife and then put the rest back in the freezer for next time.
• Wrapping shrimp or water chestnuts or scallops with bacon can make a delicious appetizer. But all too often the bacon stays soggy and undercooked while the shrimp end up dry and unappetizing. You can prevent this by pre-cooking the bacon just until done. then wrap around the seafood and secure with a toothpick. Bake or broil until crispy. Problem solved.
• Here's my favorite way to cook bacon. Preheat your oven to 350°. Place your bacon strips on a rimmed sheet pan lined with foil. Bake for 20 minutes or until done to your liking. Put on a paper-towel lined plate to absorb the grease. carefully fold the foil up and throw away. It's a lot less messy and the bacon ends up perfect every time.

Mmmmm.......bacon.

Southwestern Quinoa-Stuffed Bell Peppers

No need to stuff those bell peppers with loads of meat and cheese. Here's a healthy protein-packed substitute. "Keen-wa," anyone?

Southwestern Quinoa-Stuffed Bell Peppers
Makes 4 servings.

4 bell peppers (I prefer the sweeter red ones.), tops cut off and seeds and ribs removed
3 cups cooked quinoa
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 cup cooked corn
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
Pinch each of cumin, chile powder, Mexican oregano, salt and garlic pepper
Optional: 1 cup crushed tortilla chips and 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Place bell peppers upright in a baking dish.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Stuff mixture in bell peppers.

If desired, top with a mixture of crushed tortilla chips and a little more cheese.

Bake in a pre-heated 350° oven until heated through, about 25 minutes.

Steamed Clams and Corn

I'd been eyeing this recipe for a while. I ripped it out of Martha Stewart Living and kept thinking that it would be a great inland substitute for a seaside clambake. Finally fixed it over the Labor Day weekend. I was right...with a glass (or two) of crisp Sauvignon Blanc, I felt like I was on the beach on Cape Cod.

But there was another pleasant surprise. It had never crossed my mind that throwing a few slices of jalapeño pepper in the pot would infuse everything with such flavor. A subtle, but delicious little spicy kick in the clams and corn alike. I am ready to use the technique in other ways. Definitely will cook corn on the cob with a little jalapeño from now on. And maybe white rice also. Hmmm...what about when poaching chicken for chicken salad? The possibilities just might be endless.

I also LOVED eating the little coins of corn on the cob. Much easier on my 42-year-old teeth than chomping on the whole cob.

Anyway...back to the recipe.

Steamed Clams and Corn
From Martha Stewart Living.
Makes two servings.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sliced shallot
1 sliced jalapeño pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
12 small littleneck clams
2 ears of corn, sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch coins
Cilantro or scallions for garnish

In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add shallot and jalapeño and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in white wine and bring to a simmer. Add clams and corn. Cover and cook until clams open, about 7 minutes. (Discard any clams that don't open.)

Serve in bowls with cilantro or scallions as garnish and crusty bread to sop up the juices.

Honey & Hoisin-Glazed Salmon

Here's a quick supper recipe for a weeknight when salmon is on sale at your supermarket. (Don't forget to buy the more environmentally-friendly wild-caught kind...)









Honey & Hoisin-Glazed Salmon
Makes 4 servings.

In a small bowl or ramekin, combine:

• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce


• 1 tablespoon honey


• 1 tablespoon olive oil


• 1 teaspoon minced garlic


• Pinch of red pepper flakes
  

Stir to combine.

Place 4 6-ounce salmon fillet portions (I prefer skinless.) in a baking dish and season lightly with salt and pepper. Brush glaze over salmon.

Place baking dish in a pre-heated 400° oven and cook just until done, 10-12 minutes.

(It's delicious served with wild rice and steamed broccoli.)

Cocktail of the Week: Strawberry Lemonade Vodka Iced Tea

I discovered this one over the long Labor Day weekend. It was a perfect sipper while sitting around and not laboring at all.

Strawberry Lemonade Vodka Iced Tea
Adapted from Everyday Food.
Makes 4 cocktails.

In a medium jar, combine 1 Earl Grey teabag, 1 cup sliced strawberries and 1 cup vodka. Let steep for one hour.

Meanwhile in a microwavable measuring cup, stir together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 cup fresh lemon juice. Microwave for about 45 seconds until sugar is dissolved. Let cool completely.

After tea mixture has steeped and lemonade mix has cooled, combine in a pitcher and stir to combine.

Pour into 4 ice-filled highball glasses and top each with club soda.

Tuesday Tips: The Steakhouse Edition

Sunday nights are often steak nights at our house. A perfectly seasoned ribeye on the grill, crisp wedge salad, and a good Cabernet. Here are some tricks that you should adopt for your own special meal.

• Rub the outside of your potatoes with oil before baking. You'll end up with crisp, brown skin that you'll want to eat along with the rest of the spud. And skip the aluminum foil...it just steams the potato.
• Don't just use a brush to baste the steak. Tie several sprigs of rosemary around a chopstick with cotton twine. You'll get great herb flavor along with any marinade you're brushing on.
• Need a couple slices bacon for that wedge salad? Use your George Foreman grill. It will cook the bacon perfectly, won't splatter, and the grease will drip into the drainage cup for easy clean-up.

A Peck of Pickled Peppers

Well...not quite. But a couple of pints as least.

The other half loves sweet banana peppers. So I thought I was going a good thing when I bought a big basket at the farmers market. Only to find out that he wasn't sure he wanted to eat them this week. Dang acid reflux.

When I wondered aloud what to do with them, he used the refrain we've used quite often this summer when faced when a surfeit of okra, red bell peppers or onions. "CAN IT!" (The alternative version is "Pickle it.", also applicable in this instance.

So I did. I adapted a recipe I found online and ended up with several jars of these spicy sweet little goodies.

Spicy Pickled Banana Peppers
Makes about 5 pint jars.

6 cups sliced banana peppers
4 cups sliced jalapeño peppers
1 poblano pepper, diced finely (optional)
6 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
5 teaspoons whole peppercorns

Prepare canner, jars and lids.

In a large glass bowl, combine peppers. Mix well and set aside.

In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar and garlic. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes.

Pack peppers into hot jars to within a generous 1/2 inch of the top of the jar. Put 1 teaspoon peppercorns in each jar. Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar to cover peppers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

Kicked-Up Gazpacho

I posted a wonderful gazpacho recipe yesterday. It's fantastic as is. But that's not to stay that it couldn't be even better. Let's explore....

Additional Spices and Flavors
Now I wouldn't throw all of these in at once, but here are a few things you could throw in to amp up the spice and or flavor of the soup.

• Diced jalapeno-Enough said.
• Cayenne pepper-A little goes a long way, but this definitely turns up the temperature.
• Smoked paprika-This classic Spanish ingredient will take your taste buds right to Andalucia.
• Lime or lemon juice-If you're like me, a squeeze of acidity gives things just the right bright touch.
• Tequila-Don't laugh. It's not quite a cocktail...just a high-octane soup. And an aged 100% agave tequila gives a beautiful richness to the taste profile.

Garnishes

Here are a few things you could throw on top of the soup for added decadence and texture.

• Cooked crab meat
• Steamed or grilled shrimp
• Toasted sliced almonds
• A crumble of goat cheese
• Diced avocado
• Tiny diced celery
• Mini toasted croutons
• Slivers of Spanish jamon, baked until crispy
• I've even seen it topped with minced hard-boiled egg.

Classic Gazpacho

It's still hot, hot, hot. But there are plenty of tomatoes, cukes and peppers at the farmer's market. So it's time to skip the stove and make this classic bracing cold soup. This is a basic recipe taken from the great reference cookbook The New Best Recipe. I've posted it here as is. But tune in tomorrow for some ways to kick it up with a few extra ingredients and an interesting garnish or two.

Classic Gazpacho
Serves 8-10.

(Hint: One of these makes the slicing and dicing MUCH easier.)

3 medium ripe tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored and cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 medium red bell peppers, cored and cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 small cucumbers, one peeled and the other with skin on, both seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 large shallots, minced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
Ground black pepper
5 cups tomato juice (Blogger's Note: Kick it up a notch with Spicy Hot V-8 if you'd like.)
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)
8 ice cubes

Combine the tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, onion, garlic, salt, vinegar, and black pepper to taste in a large nonreactive bowl. Let stand until the vegetables just begin to release their juices, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato juice, hot pepper sauce, and ice cubes. Cover tightly and refrigerate to blend the flavors, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.

Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper to taste and remove and discard any unmelted ice cubes.

Serve cold, drizzling with extra-virgin olive oil if desired.

Greek-Style Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is one of those staples that scares people. First you have to get past the spelling and pronunciation. Then the odd tail that comes off the spheres when they're cooked. It's a lot less threatening to cook up some rice.

Quinoa is a versatile ingredient. With a mild, nutty flavor, it's most often used as a grain, but it has a much superior protein content. That makes it a perfect ingredient in a healthy vegetarian diet.

I've been using it more often lately. With some leftover cooked quinoa from a recipe the other night, I whipped up this delicious salad. With a side of pita and hummus (or by itself), it's a great light lunch.

Greek-Style Quinoa Salad
Makes two servings.

3 cups cooked quinoa
2 tomatoes, diced
1 bunch scallions, diced
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
(And believe me...I would have added some chopped Kalamata olives if I'd had them.)

Combine all ingredients. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

"Bottom of the Jar" Salad Dressing

While cleaning out the refrigerator the other day, I found a jar of orange marmalade with a few tablespoons of marmalade left at the bottom. What to do, what to do? Well, with this recipe as an inspiration, I whipped up a nice dressing for a spinach salad. Added a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic pepper and a splash of fresh lemon juice. Shook it up and voila! It was delicious on spinach with mushroom, tomatoes, and avocado.

It got me to thinking...I bet you could riff on this idea and come up with an endless list of salad dressings, glazes for pork or chicken and the like. Just to take the orange marmalade idea a few steps further....you could add honey and some garlic and ginger. Or go Southwestern with cumin and chile powder. Hankering for some spice? How about red pepper flakes or even a touch of wasabi.

And that just gets you started. How about a strawberry jam-based dressing with really good balsamic on baby greens with goat cheese? Or cherry preserves kicked up with garlic and thyme as a glaze for roast pork?

What are your ideas for the bottom of the jar?

Only problem I've created? The marmalade dressing was so delicious that I went to the grocery the next day and bought another jar...net space achieved in refrigerator? Nada.

Tuesday Tips: The Frozen Edition

Hot enough for ya? It certainly is for me. I'm hoping that summer takes the hint over the Labor Day weekend and starts packing up for good. In the meantime, here are a couple of cooling Tuesday Tips.

• Take that watermelon you bought at the market and pureé it up. Freeze it in ice cube trays and use to chill your club soda, ginger ale or lemonade.
• It's definitely too hot for coffee. Pour your morning leftovers into ice cube trays and then chill your iced coffee. It won't get watered down as the cubes melt.
• No sense in letting your Bloody Mary get watered down either. You can certainly freeze tomato juice in an ice cube tray, but why not use frozen grape or cherry tomatoes.

Corn on the Cob Toppings

The corn is still beautiful and fresh in the grocery stores and farmers markets. And cheap. So corn on the cob is a common side dish these days. But, as delicious as it is, it can get a little repetitive when spread with the ubiquitous butter and sprinkled with salt and pepper.



Here are a few variations to take things to a new level:

• Whisk together softened butter with minced fresh basil and grated lemon zest.
• Mix 4 tablespoons softened butter, 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, 1 tablespoon lime zest and 1 tablespoon lime juice.
• Stir freshly grated Parmesan and coarsely ground pepper into mayonnaise.
• Puree oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes with their oil.
• Mix 1 teaspoon each ground ginger, paprika and ground coriander with 1/2 teaspoon each ground cumin and turmeric. Brush the corn with oil, sprinkle with the spice mixture and grill. Serve with a spreadable sauce of chopped cilantro blended into yogurt.
• Squeeze two heads of roasted garlic into a bowl and mix with 1 grated tomato and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan. Cover the cooked corns with the mixture.
• Mix a few crushed fennel seeds into softened butter along with a little orange zest.
• And, of course, there's always the Mexican way: Grill your corn and then roll in melted butter. Slather with mayo, sprinkle with Cotija cheese and serve with a lime wedge.

Beets with Chive Sour Cream

I've spoken before of my fondness for roasted beets. I usually make enough that there are a few leftovers for the week to come. They're great cold with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Here's a new condiment I've started to use on them...chive sour cream. You know...the stuff you make to go on your baked potato.

All you have to do is mix some chopped chives and a pinch of salt into sour cream...or even a little Greek yogurt. Serve alongside beet wedges.

Borscht-alicious.

BLT Redux Part II: Fried Green Tomato BLT's

I'm a Southerner. I like fried green tomatoes. And I'm an American. Love BLT's. Here's the two combined in a perfect marriage.

Fried Green Tomato BLT's
From Food and Wine magazine.
Serves 4.

4 slices of bacon
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound green tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices
Canola oil
8 thick-cut slices of whole wheat or multigrain bread, toasted
Low-fat mayonnaise and baby arugula, for assembling
(Note: If you want to go old-school, use white bread, full-fat mayo and leaf lettuce.)

Preheat the oven to 400° and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange the bacon on the foil and bake for about 15 minutes, until crispy. Drain the bacon and cut in half.

Meanwhile, put the flour, egg mixture and cornmeal in 3 shallow bowls. Season the cornmeal generously with salt and pepper. Dip the tomato slices in the flour, then in the egg and finally in the cornmeal, pressing to help it adhere. Transfer the slices to a wax paper–lined platter.

In a very large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of canola oil until shimmering. Add the tomatoes and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden and crisp, 5 minutes. Drain the tomatoes on paper towels.

Lay 4 slices of toast on a work surface and lightly spread with mayonnaise. Top with the green tomatoes, bacon and arugula. Close the sandwiches, cut in half and serve.

Food/Wine Pairing: Food and Wine suggests a tangy Sauvignon Blanc. Sounds perfect.

BLT Redux: Stuffed Tomatoes

I love me some BLT. Actually usually just BT. Juicy red tomatoes and crisp bacon on white bread with mayo and a little salt and pepper. Delish.

Here's a BLT deconstructed and then put back together again. It's fancy enough for a dinner party, I think.

BLT-Style Stuffed Tomatoes
Makes 4 servings.

4 large tomatoes
Salt and pepper
2 slices bacon, cooked until crisp
1 clove garlic, minced and sauteed
1/2 cup chopped lettuce
1/2 cup stale bread cubes
2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Hollow the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and invert for 30 minutes to drain.

Crumble the bacon into bite-size pieces and mix with the garlic. Add lettuce, bread and mayo and mix well.

Place the hollowed-out tomatoes in a baking dish and fill with bacon mixture. (For added decadence, brush tops with bacon drippings.)

Bake at 425° for 20-30 minutes.

Food/Wine Pairing: I'd stick with my classic bacon and tomato sandwich pairing for this one too: Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot.

Herb Salad

Sometimes on this miserably hot Dallas summer days, dinner is nothing but a salad. No oven necessary. But "nothing but a salad" doens't have to mean boring. It doesn't even have to mean all lettuce.

This bright and fresh bowl of yumminess uses a variety of fresh herbs...hopefully from your own garden...to take this salad to a whole new level.

Herb Salad

3 tablespoons snipped chives
3 tablespoons parsley leaves
3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons roughly chopped basil leaves
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill
1 head butter lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons finely grated ricotta salata or a couple of shavings of Parmesan for the top

Toss the herbs and lettuce together and dress with a light vinaigrette. (A recipe for a good one follows below.) Top with cheese.

Shallot Vinaigrette
1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 tablepoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper

Mix the shallot, zest and juice in a small bowl. While whisking, drizzle the olive oil in to form a vinaigrette.

Tuesday Tips: The Egg Edition

Which came first? The chicken or the egg? Not sure about that one, but I DO know that these egg-related tips will make things a little less complicated.

• I hardboil eggs ahead of time most weeks. That way, they're ready as a quick healthy snack or to be added to salads. But how to tell them apart? Put a couple of drops of food coloring in the cooking water and you'll be able to recognize the cooked ones from their tint.
• And how do you make those hard-boiled eggs easier to peel. Put them in a bowl of oce water for several minutes. The eggs will shrink away from the shell's interior and peeling them will be a piece of cake.
• Finally, an easy way to dice the eggs for our macaroni or tuna salad. Slice and then press the eggs through a cooling rack with square grids directly into your bowl.

More next Tuesday...

Carrot Pickles with Shallots and Dill

Pickles. pickles, everywhere. I am OBSESSED! These are yummy.

Carrot Pickles with Shallots and Dill
Makes 1 quart.

1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeked and sliced 1/8 inch thick
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
6 sprigs dill (or substitute cilantro for a Southwestern kick)
1 cup white vinegar
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Combine the carrots, shallots and dill in a quart jar. In a small saucepan, combine vinegar with 1 cup water and the garlic, salt, sugar, celery seeds and peppercorns. Heat until it simmers. Pour the brine over the carrot mixture. Cover loosely and let cool to room temperature. Seal the container and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.

Grilled Sweet and Spicy Peaches

Sure peaches are delicious over ice cream or in a breakfast smoothie or a cobbler or just eaten out of hand. But there's no reason not to include them in an appetizer or main course.


Make this recipe and then spoon it on top of a toasted baguette slice spread with goat cheese. Or use it (again with goat cheese and a pinch of thyme) as a stuffing for a pounded-out chicken breast that you bread and bake.


Grilled Sweet and Spicy Peaches

1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon horseradish
6 ripe peaches, halved
Vegetable cooking spray

Whisk together first 3 ingredients. Brush half of honey mixture evenly over cut sides of peaches.

Coat a cold cooking grate with cooking spray, and place on grill over medium heat (300° to 350°). Arrange peach halves, cut sides up, on grate; grill, covered with grill lid, 3 minutes on each side or until tender and golden. Remove from grill, and brush cut sides of peaches evenly with remaining honey mixture. (Alternatively, grill indoors on the stovetop with a cast iron grill pan.)

Fifteen Minutes to a Cleaner Car

My car gets messy. Papers. Take-out breakfast wrappers. Change. You name it. These hints from Real Simple helped me clean things up in 15 minutes. I'm glad to share...

You'll need a small plastic bin, garbage bags, paper grocery bag, glass cleaner, cleaning wipes, a flat-head screwdriver, paper towels, and a hand vacuum.

Minute 1: Toss items that shouldn’t be in the car into a small bin. Throw trash into a garbage bag and recyclables into the paper bag. Spritz the cup holders with glass cleaner and let sit.

Minutes 2 and 3: Using the wipes, clean the dashboard, center console, inside door pockets, steering wheel, and gearshift.

Minutes 4 and 5: Clean leather seats with a few wipes. (Seats that are upholstered will get vacuumed later.)

Minutes 6 and 7: Wrap a wipe around the end of a flat-head screwdriver, and run it along the buttons and switches on the dashboard. Wipe out the cup holders with paper towels.

Minutes 8 through 10: Spray glass cleaner on paper towels and wipe all the windows, including the windshield, sunroof, and rear window.

Minute 11: Remove the floor mats and whack them against each other to dislodge any dirt.

Minutes 12 through 14: On the driveway, vacuum the floor mats with the bare hose of a hand vac for maximum power (do not attach a tool). Vacuum the seat upholstery and foot wells, shifting the front seats fully forward, then back, to hit every spot.

Minute 15: Replace the mats and return the seats to their original positions. Open all the doors and let fresh air blow through.

Dill and Black Pepper Gravlax

I love gravlax/lox/smoked salmon/whatever you want to call it. But I don't love paying $20 or more a pound. Usually I end up buying the bargain basement lox trimmings. Still delicious, but not necessarily luxurious.

After finding this recipe in an Emeril Lagasse cookbook, I'll never buy it again. Instead, I'll grab a big piece of salmon when it's on sale and make my own. It's beautiful and full of flavor. Bagel, anyone?

Dill and Black Pepper Gravlax
From Emeril Lagasse's Farm to Fork.

½ cup kosher salt
½ cup sugar
¼ cup coarsely cracked fresh black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
1 two-pound side of wild salmon, scaled, pin bones removed, rinsed under cold water and patted dry

Combine the salt, sugar, and cracked black pepper in a mixing bowl. Transfer half the mixture to a non-reactive pan or baking dish large enough to hold the salmon.

Place the salmon skin-side down on the salt mixture. Cover the flesh side of the salmon with the remaining salt mixture and pack it evenly to distribute. Sprinkle the dill on the flesh side and cover the salmon tightly with plastic wrap on top. Place a flat-bottom container the size of the salmon (another baking dish or sheet) and weigh it with a heavy object such as a skillet, bricks (wrapped in foil) or a few cans. Refrigerate the salmon for 30 to 36 hours, turning it occasionally to ensure even curing.

Remove the salmon from the refrigerator, wipe off as much of the curing mixture as possible (lightly rinse if desired), and pat the salmon dry. Salmon may be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or parchment paper and stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

A Spruced Up Spinach Salad with Scallops and Grilled Onions

Spinach is a standard fridge content at our house. I use it on sandwiches (both lunch and breakfast), sauté it as a quick side, and include it in salads more often than not. The other night, I decided to make a spinach salad the main event. But decided that the typical combo of bacon, hard-boiled egg and Catalina dressing wasn't sexy enough.

Solution? I caramelized a few thick onion slices in the grill pan, grabbed some scallops from the freezer and gave them a quick sear. Added them to the spinach along with some beautiful golden tomatoes and a little goat cheese. All it needed was a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a glug (that's a culinary technical term) of olive oil and a sprinkling of toasted almond slices for crunch.

Dee-lish-us! Try it for yourself and see.

Tuesday Tips: The Inaugural Edition

Sure recipes are good. And I hope this blog serves as both encyclopedia and inspiration as you hit the kitchen or the bar. But often I find that it's the resources, tips, techniques, and tools that I've accumulated over the years that make the beautiful life we all deserve far easier to accomplish.

So I'm starting a new series. Every Tuesday (until I run out of tips) I'll post several tricks of the trade to make your life a bit simpler.

For this inaugural edition smack dab in the middle of grilling season, I'll share several things for you to take outside along with the barbecue sauce.

• Don't dirty two platters every time you grill. Cover the platter with foil and put the meat or fish on it when you head grill-side. Then discard the foil. You have a clean carrier for the finished product.
• If you're a saver shopper, you probably buy pork chops, steaks and the like when they're on sale and then freeze them in meal-size portions. Save yourself a step and put the marinade (your favorite herbs and liquids like wine or soy sauce or fruit juice) in with the meat in the freezer bag. Label it and put in the freezer. Take the package out the night before you want to grill it up and put it in the fridge. It will marinate as it thaws.
• Burgers make a great meal, and lots of people pre-make patties and freeze them ahead of time. Take it up a flavor step and make your favorite meatloaf mix. Freeze it in patty form and you've got a burger that no one can resist. Or a single serving of meat loaf when you've got a craving.

Come back next week for more...

Thai Tomatoes with Ginger and Jalapeno

I'm a big fan of the tomato. Especially the great big red ones I can buy at the Dallas Farmer's Market. A sprinkle of salt and a crack of pepper is all it takes to elevate them to sublime perfection.

But sometimes it can be interesting to supplement their inherent deliciousness with additional ingredients to add some variety to your supper plate.

Here's a way to give them that kick that you get in Thai food from chile peppers and ginger.

Cut 3 or 4 tomatoes into wedges or chunks and combine them with 1 jalapeño pepper (seeded and minced), a couple of tablespoons of grated ginger, and splash each of lemon juice (or rice wine vinegar) and olive (or sesame) oil. Toss together and season to taste with salt and pepper.

How does that sound alongside a nice piece of grilled salmon or snapper?

Crab-Stuffed Sole Meunière

On a recent weekend jaunt to Las Vegas, the other half was particularly impressed by the crab-stuffed sole at one of the buffets. So much so that he took "all you can eat" to a new level.

So, of course, I was required to come home and recreate the recipe. I did a pretty bang-up job...if I do say so myself. This version gilds the lily by topping the fish with a bright classic butter sauce with lemon and parsley.

Crab-Stuffed Sole Meunière
Makes 2 servings.

For crab stuffing and fish:
4 oz jumbo lump crab meat (1 cup)
1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2(4 ounce)sole fillets
1/4 cup all purpose flour
Coarse kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter

To prepare stuffing and fish:
Preheat oven to 450°F.

Mix crab, mayonnaise, bell pepper, and parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Place flour in pie dish. Rinse fish; pat with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of fish with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Dredge fish on both sides with flour; shake off excess.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until oil is hot and shimmers. Add butter; quickly swirl skillet to coat. When foam subsides, add fish and cook just until golden on bottom, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully turn fish over and cook until opaque in center and golden on bottom, 1 minute more. (You don't want fish to be cooked completely.) Place fish fillets in lightly-oiled pie plate.

Divide stuffing among fillets, mounding on thicker half of each. Fold thinner half of fillet over stuffing, tucking end under to form a packet. Cover with a round of parchment paper, then cover pie plate tightly with foil.

Bake in upper third of oven until just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Uncover and add bread crumb topping (recipe below) for last 3-4 minutes of cooking.

For garlic bread crumb topping:
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fine fresh bread crumbs

Make bread crumbs while sole is baking:

Cook garlic in oil in a small skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in zest and season with salt and pepper.

For sauce:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Lemon wedges

Place skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter; cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and lemon juice (sauce may sputter).

To serve, spoon sauce onto serving plates and place sole on top. (That way, you get the deliciousness of the sauce while the breadcrumbs stay toasty crisp.)

Balsamic Red Pepper Jelly

The other night, after making my third summertime batch of my world-famous chow chow, I found myself with several leftover red bell peppers. I wasn't in the mood for grilling or stir-frying, so I pulled out my Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving and found this recipe. I whipped up a batch and have already added it to the repertoire.

It's quite complex. Like a good wine, it hits you in several waves. First sweet, then tangy, then that prickle of spicy heat at the back of your throat. It would be delicious as a glaze (or just condiment) for pork or salmon. I think I'm going to try it on a roast beef sandwich. And it was a hit at a party the other night when I poured it over cream cheese and served it with crackers.

Balsamic Red Pepper Jelly
Makes about seven 4 ounce jars.

5 medium red bell peppers, stemmed and seeded
3 medium jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded and deveined (I left one pepper whole for a little more spice.)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup red wine vinegar (I substituted apple cider vinegar in a pinch.)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package (1.75 ounces) regular powdered fruit pectin
3 1/4 cups granulated sugar

Finely dice enough red pepper to measure 1/2 cup and set aside. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pureé remaining red peppers, jalapeño peppers and garlic until smooth.

Transfer pureé to a fine mesh strainer lined with several layers of moistened cheesecloth set over a deep bowl. Let drip, undisturbed, for 30 minutes. Measure 1 1/2 cups pepper juice. (If you don't have the required amount, add 1/2 cup boiling water to the remaining pulp to extract additional juice.)

Meanwhile, prepare canner, jars and lids.

Transfer pepper juice to a large, deep stainless steel saucepan. Add reserved diced red pepper, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. Whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat and quickly skim off foam.

Quickly pour hot jelly into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

Cocktail of the Week: Grapefruit Martini

Here's a slightly fruity, but definitely high-octane, cocktail for a summer night.

Cheers.

Grapefruit-Vodka Cocktail
Makes one cocktail.

2 ounces vodka
2 ounces grapefruit juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
1/2 ounce Cointreau (or another orange liqueur)
Splash simple syrup, if desired.

Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Almond Butter...Have You Tried It?

I'm a vocal advocate for peanut butter. It's a nice add-on to a piece of toast or a bagel for breakfast. And I keep a jar (crunchy of course) in the fridge at work so I can grab a spoonful for a quick protein-packed snack.

But I'm now a big fan of almond butter these days. An article I read recently said that two tablespoons provides 30 percent of your magnesium and are a good source of calcium.

You can certainly try it in the manners I mention above. But I like these ideas also.

• A sandwich made with toasted bread, 1 1/2 tablespoons almond butter, half a sliced banana, and 1 tablespoon honey.
• Or this savory option. Again, toasted bread (sourdough sounds perfect) spread with almond butter and layered with turkey bacon and thin apple slices.

Pickled Okra

I can't believe I didn't capture this recipe last year when I first made it. Pronouncing that "I had become a Southern woman of a certain age," I actually canned last summer. Chow chow like the other half's grandmother used to make. And these delicious little bites.

But when I went to do it again THIS summer, I couldn't find my recipe. No worries. I recreated it...just as delicious. If not better. So impressive that I'm thinking about sending a couple of jars over to the judges at the Great State Fair of Texas.

Pickled Okra
Makes 4 pints. (Although you'll want to make at least a double batch to share with friends and family.)

2 pounds okra (I like a mix of sizes...full-size to serve as a Bloody Mary garnish and also little buds that can be eaten in one fell swoop alongside a sandwich.)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided use
Dried hot Thai chiles (1 or 2 per jar depending on how spicy you want things.)
4 peeled garlic cloves
4 sprigs of fresh dill
4 teaspoons mustard seeds
4 teaspoons whole peppercorns
4 cups distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar

Soak okra in water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon salt and stir to dissolve. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Drain and rinse the okra and blot dry with paper towels.

Prepare 4 pint jars and lids for canning.

Pack the okra into the jars. Add peppers (1 or 2), 1 clove garlic, 1 dill sprig, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, and 1 teaspoon peppercorns in each jar.

In a large pot, combine vinegar, 1 1/2 cups water, sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. When the water boils, reduce to medium-high and simmer for 5 minutes.

Pour the hot brine over the packed okra until it is 1/4 inch below the rim of the jars. Seal and process in a hot-water bath for 15 minutes. (Or refrigerate if you're going to use quickly.)

Let stand for one week before using.

Will keep for 1 year if processed. 6 months if simply refrigerated.

Emeril's New Book: Farm to Fork

Well, Martha has done it again. (Yes, THAT Martha.) After "acquiring" all that is Emeril Lagasse, she has molded him into a whole new guy. I had begun to notice the change on The Martha Show. When Emeril came on to cook, there were no "BAM's." No screams from the audience when he announced he was adding garlic. And a merciful break from having to make everything (dessert included) Creole.

Clearly, this transformation has translated to the page. Lagasse's newest tome Farm to Fork: Cooking Local, Cooking Fresh needs to go on your Amazon wish list. From the bucolic photo of Emeril on the front cover to the looping green font in the table of contents, this seems about as far away from Emeril as it can be. And yet, truthfully, it isn't. The stories Emeril tells in the introduction about his "connection with the soil" and his relatives take him back to his roots. And I like them.

The recipes are interesting. Some that I've marked to try include: Tomato Tartare and Micro Greens with Shallot Vinaigrette, Charred Chayote Soup with Adobo Shrimp, Green Onion Spoonbread and Turnip and Radish Slaw with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat and Chive Oil.

And there's still plenty of the old Emeril (or at least his ingredients) to celebrate; you can still find oysters, corn, bacon and a few things destined for the deep fryer.

Congrats, Emeril. Let Martha keep steering you in this new (old?) direction and I'll keep on buying your stuff.

Whole Wheat Toast with Cucumber and Feta

There's a high-powered toaster at my office. I keep 7 (or 9 or 13 or 42) grain bread on hand, and toast has become a common breakfast if I haven't fixed anything at home. But not toast with jam. Or cinnamon toast. Or anything "traditional." My toast ends up becoming an open-faced veggie sandwich quite often. For example......

A Laughing Cow wedge spread on the toast and topped with a slice or two of tomato.

Cream cheese topped with a handful of spinach leaves.

Here's the latest one I want to try:

A mixture of feta and splashes of olive oil and lemon juice blended and spread on the toast. Then topped with thin slices of cucumber.

Now that's a "tea" sandwich I can support!

Cocktail of the Week: Chelsea Sidecar

One of my favorite summer cocktails is the Tom Collins: gin with just enough sweetness and fizz to be even more refreshing. Here's another higher-octane drink that could be its kissing cousin.

Chelsea Sidecar
Makes one cocktail.

2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce Cointreau
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

Combine the ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass.

Cheers!

Breaded Pork Chops with Fennel Seeds and Thyme

I've been playing Pantry Roulette lately...putting my creativity to work to cook a delicious and interesting dinner using just the things we already have on hand. As much food as there is in the pantry and freezer, we're pretty much always in good shape. But with this meal, I hit the flavor jackpot for sure.

Let me walk you through it. It's not really a recipe...just a process that you can adjust to fit your own needs and your own pantry contents.

Take two pork chops (bone-in, boneless, thick or thin, it doesn't matter) and soak in milk...or even better, buttermilk. In a separate bowl, stir together breadcrumbs, a tablespoon or two of flour, a pinch each of salt and garlic pepper. some dried thyme and a few fennel seeds. (The breading is where you can get creative. Use whatever favorite herbs and spices you have on hand.)

Lift the pork chops out of the milk and dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.

In a skillet with a little olive oil, brown the pork chops on both sides. Place in a baking dish on a bed of stuffing or wild rice or white rice. Cover with foil and bake at 350° until the pork chops are done, around 20-30 minutes depending on thickness.

Yum.

Radish Pickles

I have gone crazy with the canning and pickling this summer. Perhaps it's because it's so hot that I don't want to cook anything and could settle for a plateful of various crisp, cool, tangy pickles. Here's a perfect Southern version courtesy the Lee Brothers. The turmeric turns the pickles a beautiful shade of almost carroty orange. They're delicious.

Radish Pickles
Makes 1 quart.

2 pounds round red radishes, trimmed and sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 cup white vinegar
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Layer the radishes in a quart size jar. Combine the vinegar and 1 cup water into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, salt, sugar, turmeric and peppercorns. When the mixture starts to simmer, remove the pan from the heat and pour the brine over the radishes. Cover loosely and let cool to room temperature. Seal tightly and refrigerate for at least one hour.

The pickles will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

Best Cuts of Steak for Grilling

Season steak with salt and pepper. Splash with Worcestershire sauce. Place on hot grill and sear on one side for 4-5 minutes. Flip steak and turn grill heat down. Close cover and cook to a perfect 130° medium-rare. (Use a meat thermometer to monitor carefully.) Remove from grill. Let rest for 5 minutes. Dig in.

I can't tell you the number of times I have followed that process for a wonderful steak dinner. My cut of choice is rib-eye. It's the perfect grilling cut with its marbling of fat throughout.

But after seeing a recent article in Bon Appetit, I just might visit my butcher and broaden my horizons. Here are some other cuts they suggested for the grill.

Hanger steak:
AKA "butcher's tenderloin" since the butchers would often keep for them selves. It resembles flank steak and, after a good marinade, should be cooked quickly over high heat to rare or medium-rare to avoid toughness.

Flatiron steak:
This is a trendy one right now. This comes from the cow's shoulder and is a piece of what we can buy in the supermarket as a "top blade" roast. It's really affordable and can be cooked as you would grill any other "typical" steak.

Skirt steak:
This is what we Texans use to make fajitas. Marinate and cook as you would hanger steak and then cut across the grain for maximum tenderness.

Porterhouse:
A New York strip and a filet alongside each other, separated by a bone for the dog to gnaw on afterwards. As Gershwin would say, who could ask for anything more?

Grilled Green Tomatoes with Basil Mayonnaise

Sure...we all know that fresh bail and ripe tomatoes is a great pairing for summer. Especially when you throw some mozarella, sea salt and good olive oil in the mix.

But I never knew that basil was so good with green tomatoes. Try it and discover for yourself.

Basil Mayonnaise

Makes about 1/2 cup.

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup basil leaves

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until sauce is smooth.

Serve with grilled green tomatoes. Or fish. Or grilled chicken. Or on a sandwich. Or...

You get the picture.....

Slow-Cooker Southwestern Pinto Beans

The other half had the best of intentions. He wanted to make a pot of beans "just like (his) grandmother used to make." Beans, bacon and onion cooked down to soupy consistency and served over big slabs of cornbread.

But first the bag of pinto beans sat on the kitchen counter for a week or so. When they finally went into water to soak "overnight," time crunch and schedule conflicts left them in their mini-swimming pool for a couple of days. It was time for me to take matters into my own hands. Faced with the prospect of having to throw them out, my frugality-and creativity- kicked in.

Right before bed, I grabbed the CrockPot from its shelf in the garage and plugged it in. Concocted the "recipe" below and let all cook overnight. They might not be exactly like Grandma's, but they're mighty tasty.

Slow-Cooker Southwestern Pinto Beans
Makes 10-12 servings.

1 pound dried pinto beans, sorted and picked over to remove stones
4 cups water
1 can diced tomatoes and chiles
I medium onion, diced
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons garlic pepper
4 tablespoons juice from jarred pickled jalapenos, optional

Soak beans in enough water to cover for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse.

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 10-12 hours.

Southern Cheese Shortbread Crackers

This recipe came about as an improvisation on the classic Southern cheese straw. The final product was crisp and cheesy with just enough spice. They would be the perfect accompaniment to a Bloody Mary or a dirty martini.

Or, quite frankly, any other cocktail you have in mind.

Southern Cheese Shortbread Crackers
Makes about 4 dozen crackers.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or up to 1 teaspoon if you want a real kick)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until a smooth dough is formed.

Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Cut into 1 inch by 3 inch crackers and place on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray.

Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 300° F oven. For more even browning, turn over halfway through baking.

What's Beautiful Today...Twitter-Style

Okra. Corn meal. Fried to crispy salted perfection. Enough said.

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Going all Macgyver on some leftover eggs and making just enough delicious egg salad for the perfect sandwich...

What's Beautiful Today...Twitter-Style

Creating a deliciously tricked-out spinach salad with scallops and grilled onions....all from things you already had on hand in the pantry and freezer. It's like winning Recipe Roulette.

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Deliciously juicy and sweet chunks of cantaloupe alongside ribbons of silky salty Serrano ham...

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"Just pickle it." Making that your motto after ending up with too much bounty from the farmers market...

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Grocery store roses that open up to such perfection that they look artificial...

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At a party with high school friends, grabbing your yearbook and reading out loud what they said to you when they autographed it...25 years ago.

What's Beautiful Today...Twitter-Style

Hitting the IPod shuffle trifecta...Frank Sinatra's My Way, Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3, and then Barry Manilow's One Voice.

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Cake balls. Enough said.

What's Beautiful Today...Twitter-Style

Laughing, laughing, and laughing. With a group of friends that you realize has no secrets.....

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A gift of fresh figs from the next-door neighbor. Roasted, drizzled with honey and set beside some beautiful blue cheese....heavenly dinner.

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Dinner the night after a party? Leftovers of all the delicious food you were too busy to totally enjoy the night before...

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Sitting on the front porch with the last glass of wine as you listen to the world going to sleep...

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Uncorking the $80 bottle of Napa Cabernet to go with nothing-fancy burgers. And then enjoying the $12 Merlot with prime steak the next night just as much...

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A leisurely breakfast of a perfectly poached egg oozing onto buttered crisp toast.

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Being greeted at your door after work by a cheerful menagerie of four-legged family members...

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Might sound silly, but there's nothing better than a fully-stocked, totally-organized spice rack ready to assist you in your kitchen alchemy.

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Treating yourself to fresh flowers in unexpected places...the bathroom counter, bedside table or next to the washing machine.

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Celebrating Blueberry Month with a big scoop of the delicious orbs tossed over some plain Greek yogurt.

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Celebrating a productive day of to-do-list-crossing-off with a tall flute of bubbly.

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Floating in the simming pool as a dragonfly uses your big toe as a launching pad for his scouting missions.

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The almost liquid refreshment of iceberg lettuce, shaved celery & cherry tomatoes, dressed with olive oil, lemon and a sprinkle of sea salt.

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The refreshing smell of rain after a hot summer's day.....

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One of the simplest, but most profound experiences of a Texas summer...a slice of fresh tomato dressed with a sprinkling of sea salt.

Blueberry-Peach Cobbler

We're going to take a day-long break from our Twitterific July to post this recipe. Why? Because it's delicious, and I want you to have the opportunity to prepare it using the best blueberries and peaches you can from the farmers market. I fixed this for our Fourth of July feast and it set off fireworks on our tastebuds...

P.S. Don't forget the homemade peach ice cream.

Blueberry-Peach Cobbler
Makes 12-15 servings.
From Cooking Light.

5 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced (about 20 peaches)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
6.75 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place peaches in a large bowl. Drizzle with juice; toss. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons flour to peach mixture; toss to combine. Arrange peach mixture evenly in a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Weigh or lightly spoon 6.75 ounces flour (about 1 1/2 cups) into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 6.75 ounces flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking powder in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and butter in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in blueberries.

Spread batter evenly over peach mixture; sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Place baking dish on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until topping is golden and filling is bubbly.

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A perfectly prepared martini...bracingly cold and silky on the tongue.

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The snap, crackle, pop of fireworks by the lake with friends...

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Curling up on the couch with a book...an old favorite you've just discovered on the shelf.

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Shrimp, cilantro & jicama dumplings alongside edamame sauced with ginger and garlic at LUMI. And a cocktail of gin, ginger liqueur & basil.

Life Should Be Beautiful Joining the Twitter Revolution

Of course, you can always come here to ye-ole-fashioned blog for the latest and greatest ways to make your life more delicious, relaxing, organized and fun. But did you know we're on Facebook also? It's a great way to be reminded to check the latest post or share it with others in your Facebook network.

But, finally, we join the Twitter world as well. Search for lsbbeautiful and be among the first of what will no doubt be many followers.

To commemorate the occasion, we'll be posting Twitter-style across the platforms for the month of July. No recipes or methods. Just poetic, hopefully inspiring, musings on what is beautiful in my life that day. All in 140 characters or less, of course.

The Twitter journey begins full-speed tomorrow...

The Blog's Summer Vacation

It's hotter than heck here in Dallas, so we're doing all we can to stay cool. With little being cooked, there's not a lot to post on here. So we'll be taking the rest of the month off. But will be back July 1 with lots more to make your life more beautiful.

Until then.....

Bayou Catfish Fillets

Here's a fairly quick-and-easy main course. The cornmeal makes it almost-fried, the spices almost-blackened and the lack of oil almost-healthy.

Bayou Catfish Fillets
From Cooking Light.
Makes 6 servings.

2 tablespoons white cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 (6-ounce) catfish fillets
Cooking spray

Preheat broiler.

Combine first 9 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag. Add 1 catfish fillet. Seal bag, and shake well. Remove fillet from bag, and place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with the remaining fillets and cornmeal mixture. Broil 6 inches from heat for 6 minutes.

Carefully turn fillets over, and broil 6 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Indian-Spiced Okra

Here in the South, okra is an ingredient we're used to. We pickle it, dredge it in cornmeal and fry it up, and add it to stews like gumbos and burgoos. Better not forget our culinary brethren across the globe though. Okra plays an important role in Indian cooking as well. This tasty recipe uses typical seasonings from that cuisine, and the result is a crunchy, nutty, spicy delight.

Indian-Spiced Okra
Adapted from Cooking Light.
Makes six servings.

1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 pound small to medium okra pods, trimmed
2 tablespoons water

Cook mustard seeds in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat for 30 seconds or until toasted and fragrant. Add olive oil , seasonings and okra; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add water. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and increase heat to high; cook an additional 2 minutes or until okra is lightly browned and liquid has completely evaporated.

Sweet and Spicy Fish Fillets

Here's an easy glaze for that piece of fish you're baking/broiling tonight. Keep with the Asian theme and serve with a dollop of sambal oelek (red chile sauce) mayo and a side of slaw dressed with rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.

Sweet and Spicy Asian Glaze
Makes enough for two fish fillets.

2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 scallion, white and green parts chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Pinch crushed red pepper (optional)

Whisk all ingredients together and use to glaze fish before baking or broiling.

(Hint: Cook the fish partially and then add the glaze in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Otherwise, the honey tends to scorch.)

Summer Squash Fritters

A work colleague has the "curse of the zucchini"....wonderfully productive vines that allow her to share the bounty with us weekly. I can't ever pass it up, so I'm always on the look out for new and interesting ways to prepare it.

This one fits the bill. It's is almost a combination of squash casserole and the cornmeal-crusted yellow squash my other half loves so much. See what you think...

(P.S. Don't worry if you think you've made too much of the fritter mixture...put it in a small baking dish topped with breadcrumbs and heat it up a night or two later.)

Summer Squash Fritters

5 cups coarsely chopped or grated yellow or zucchini squash (about three squash)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 tablespoon Italian herb seasoning
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
Cooking spray
Canola oil, for frying

Steam squash and 1/2 cup onions, covered, 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Stir in breadcrumbs, seasonings and eggs. Cover and chill for 3 hours; drain away any excess liquid.

Place cornmeal in a shallow dish. Divide squash mixture into small patties. Coat on both sides with cornmeal.

Heat 1/2 inch depth canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place 4 fritters in pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove from pan and keep warm. Repeat with remaining patties. Serve immediately.

Sweet Corn Relish

It's that time of the year when dinners should be simple. Steamed fish. Grilled chicken. You know the drill.

But those simpler meals can also be pretty "blah." Not so when you have great, fresh relishes like this. A spoonful alongside your perfectly-cooked protein makes it a summer supper to celebrate. Even better, wrap the fish/chicken in a tortilla, top it with relish and declare "Taco Night."

Sweet Corn Relish
From Cooking Light.
Makes 6 cups. (Can be refrigerated in airtight containers for up to six weeks.)

6 cups fresh corn kernels (about 8 ears)
3 cups chopped green cabbage
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped shallots (about 2 large)
2 teaspoons celery seeds
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender and most of liquid evaporates, stirring frequently. Cool; pour into airtight containers.

Cocktail of the Week: Amelia

Last week I posted a recipe for some yummy blackberry-ginger syrup, then used it as the base for a cocktail.

This week, in the ongoing "scavenger hunt" of using things on hand for meals, I decided to take the same tack for my evening libation. I'd run across this recipe which originally called for blackberry puree and adapted it to use the syrup instead...it's quite tasty.

Amelia
Adapted from a recipe reprinted from Speakeasy in The Dallas Morning News.

1 1/2 ounces vodka
1 ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ounce blackberry-ginger syrup

Pour all ingredients into an ice-filled shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with mint if desired.

Spaghetti with Quick-Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce and Goat Cheese

You want to eat a little lighter during the summer, no? And don't want to heat up the kitchen either. This one heats the kitchen but not for long, and it's quite tasty. (And actually very delicious the next day chilled or at room temp. Even more refreshing...)

Spaghetti with Quick-Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce and Goat Cheese
From Cooking Light.
Makes 6 servings. (But it halves easily.)

4 quarts water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
12 ounces uncooked spaghetti
2 pints cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped or torn fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup (3 ounces)crumbled semisoft goat cheese

Preheat oven to 450°.

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add 1 tablespoon salt and spaghetti to boiling water; cook 10 minutes or until spaghetti is al dente. Drain spaghetti in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return spaghetti to pan; set aside, and keep warm.

While spaghetti cooks, combine tomatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper on a jelly-roll pan, tossing well to coat. Bake tomato mixture at 450° for 10 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and lightly charred in places.

Add tomatoes and any tomato juice to spaghetti in Dutch oven. Add 1/4 cup reserved cooking water to jelly-roll pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; carefully pour water mixture and remaining 2 tablespoons oil into spaghetti mixture. Place Dutch oven over medium heat. Add remaining reserved cooking water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until spaghetti mixture is moist, tossing frequently. Stir in basil and parsley. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

Southwestern Turkey and Corn Stuffed Peppers

I hate to throw food away. Especially produce. So, every so often, I find myself confronted with a pile of soon-to-be-bad veggies. And I get to come up with dishes like this one. Inspired by recipes I've run across before and the home-cooking my mom fixed when I was growing up, I put red bell peppers, fresh corn and a few other handy ingredients to work. The results were delicious.

How delicious? So yummy that we ate them up before I remembered to take a photo..as evidenced by the empty baking dish to the left.

(This is a forgiving recipe so feel free to adjust spices and other ingredient quantities as you see fit.)

Southwestern Turkey and Corn Stuffed Peppers
Serves 4.

4 bell peppers (I prefer red for their sweetness.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 pound ground turkey
4 cups fresh corn kernels
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
Pinch crushed red pepper
Salt and garlic pepper to taste
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese, divided use

Trim the top quarter of the bell peppers off and scoop out the seeds and ribs. Finely dice any of the usable (i.e. non-stem) pepper tops and set aside.

Combine bread crumbs and 1/2 cup cheese and set aside. This is the topping for the stuffed peppers.

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add any diced pepper and cook for 2 additional minute. Add the turkey and cook until no longer pink, about five minutes. (As you cook the turkey, use your spatula to break it into smaller chunks.)

Add the corn and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato paste and spices and stir to combine. Cook for an additional 3 minutes and taste for seasoning. Season to taste with salt and garlic pepper.

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Spoon filling into bell pepper shells. (You're probably going to end up with extra filling. Save it as burrito filling for lunch tomorrow, you lucky devil.) Top with breadcrumb/cheese mixture.

Place peppers into a baking dish and cook in pre-heated 350° oven until filling is heated through and topping is browned and cheese melted.

Cheese Please...

With the house to myself last Saturday night, I treated myself to a supper for the gods. Cheese. (Yes, just cheese.)

Last week, I discovered I had a soon to expire Groupon (worth checking out if you don't subscribe in your city) to a premier cheese purveyor here in Big D...Molto Formaggio.

Armed with the opportunity for $25 worth of "free" cheese, I did a little research on their website and had a couple of cheeses in mind. Ordered one of them and the great guy who was assisting me suggested another. We went back and forth, with me tasting all along, and ended up with a cheeseboard of five different cheeses that I unwrapped and let come to room temperature the other night. With a couple of flatbread crackers and a glass (or several) of wine, I was in bliss.

Here are tasting notes (and price per pound) on the cheeses I bought:

• Brillat Savarin: This is one I knew that I wanted going in. It's a wonderfully funky triple creme Brie-style cheese. The longer it sits out, the gooier it gets.... ($36)


• Bayley Hazen Blue: This is another one I had on my shopping list. Made by Vermont's Jasper Hill Farm, it is a delicious, not too sharp blue cheese almost with the texture of butter. Complex, it's nutty and grassy...and delicious. If you're a fan of blue cheese, it's definitely worth a try. ($24)


• Stichelton: This one was suggested by the cheesemonger after I asked for the Bayley Hazen Blue. It's also delicious. Similar to Stilton, it's made in Nottinghamshire with unpasteurized cows' milk. Rich and creamy (and even milder than the Bayley Hazen), it would be the perfect foil for a slice or two of crisp apple and...in British tradition...a snifter of Port. It might just be my new favorite blue...($30)


• Roccolo: This cheese was suggested when I said that I wanted something nutty...along the lines of Gruyere. It's delicious...less nutty than, but rivaling, my cheese fave Walserstoltz. A washed-rind cow's milk cheese from Italy, Roccolo starts mushroomy by the rind and gets softer and saltier toward the center. Check it out. ($21)


• Sotto Cenere al Tartufo: This one was the wild card. I asked the cheesemonger to give me a cheese I simply couldn't miss out on. He immediately asked me if I like truffles. I answered yes. (Who doesn't?) It's a semi-soft raw cow's milk cheese infused with slices of truffle. But the truffles aren't overwhelming...you get just a hint. It reminded me of sprinkling a good scrambled egg with truffle salt. Thanks, cheesemonger, for the suggestion. ($27)

Food/Wine Pairing: Of course, I was going to open a bottle of wine for this cheese feast. Serendipitously, it ended up being the varietal that the cheesemonger suggested. When he asked me what wine I would pair them with, I said "whatever red I run across in my cellar." He presciently said, "Maybe a Primitivo." Turns out that was the first wine I saw when I opened the mini-fridge. A rustic Primitivo from Viansa with just enough fruit to serve as a foil for the aggressiveness of some of the cheeses.

Treat yourself...or your dinner party guests...with a similar cheese board. And don't forget to trust your knowledgeable cheesemonger in making your purchase decisions.