Tag Archives: Southern

Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread

Posted on August 7, 2011 | 9 Comments

Cornbread is a so-called quick bread, because it doesn’t contain yeast and doesn’t require any rising or kneading.  All of which makes it ready to bake in a flash!

Another great thing about cornbread is that no two recipes need be alike.  You can mix and match ingredients as you see fit.  Play with the type of cornmeal (coarse or medium), the flour (whole wheat or not), the cheese (cheddar or monterey) and the acid (buttermilk, sour cream, or yogurt).  Add corn or jalapeno slices . . . or both . . . or neither.

I made this particular recipe twice, Continue reading →

→ 9 Comments

Posted in Breads

Tagged , , , , ,

Sweet Potato Home Fries

Posted on July 9, 2011 | Leave a comment

These sweet potato home fries make a perfect side dish as part of a warm breakfast.  They also go well with a Continue reading →

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Breakfast

Tagged , , , , ,

Herb and Cheese Popovers

Posted on March 14, 2011 | 10 Comments

Popovers are one of my favorite things to make – and eat.  The only problem is that, right now, I’m usually cooking for one.  And it’s just not safe to leave me alone with warm popovers.  Indeed, the last time that happened, I wolfed down five vanilla eggnog popovers before noon.  I think I was able to save one for Caitlin, but I may be wrong.

This past Friday, I attended a pot-luck “dinner.”  Only instead of the usual dinner items, everyone was charged with bringing a brunch item.  There were donuts, scrambled eggs, french toast, more french toast, smoked salmon, bagels, and the like.

My contribution, naturally, was popovers.  Herb and cheese popovers to be exact.  I had been meaning Continue reading →

→ 10 Comments

Posted in Breakfast

Tagged , , , , , ,

Southern Cornmeal Pancakes

Posted on May 17, 2010 | 4 Comments

When I first started my blog, my goals were modest to say the least.  I hoped a few dozen people would visit my blog each day.  I hoped my blog could be featured within the first few pages of a Google search.  And above all, I hoped that someone I didn’t already know might leave an encouraging comment.

I’ve met each of my first two goals.  According to the blog administrator, my blog receives over a hundred page views each day.  The administrator also lists the search terms and hyperlinks that direct these individuals to the pages within my blog.  When I keyed some of these terms into Google, sure enough, there was my blog – and on the first page no less!

I’ve also met my third goal – and in exciting fashion.  For many months now, Continue reading →

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Breakfast

Tagged , , , , ,

Sour Cream & Honey Cornbread

Posted on February 11, 2010 | 2 Comments

Despite its relative utility, chemistry never held much sway.  Instead of chemical compounds and balanced equations, I preferred studying the subjunctive tense for être and avoir, or drawing the shape of parabolic curves, or studying the machinations of medieval European princes.  Even looking at plant cells seemed more interesting than mixing chemicals.

Admittedly, some of my classmates saw things differently.  Walk into a French, Algebra, or History classroom, and the setting is sedate and similar: rows of desks, facing a blackboard.  Walk into a chemistry classroom, and the mood is one of potential and excitement: Bunsen burners, microscopes, lab coats, test tubes, fire extinguishers, and an emergency chemical-bath.  As one of the Chemistry teachers liked to boast, “You can’t die in English class.”

And yet, all I could muster up was a stifled yawn.  Chemistry Continue reading →

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Breads

Tagged , , , , , ,

Red Beans and Rice

Posted on February 4, 2010 | 2 Comments

Memories are a funny thing.  I look back at certain events or times, and wonder what it was that made a certain scene memorable, that gave it such staying power.

With childhood memories, the question evokes a stronger response – owing, perhaps, to the idea that a memory resonates with more emotion the more distant it seems.  There’s something inspiring and captivating about looking back in your subconscious and finding a picture of yourself at a younger, more exciting age.

There I am, 20 years old, turning a corner outside of a Paris cafe, and bumping into the Prime Minister.  There I am, 18 years old, sweating under the bright lights of my high-school Continue reading →

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Entrees

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Sweet Potato “Pie” or Yamakopita

Posted on January 25, 2010 | 5 Comments

When it’s not ripping and breaking, or tearing and fraying, phyllo dough can be quite a treat.

Phyllo dough is paper-thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough, most typically found in Mediterranean cuisine.  Indeed, the dough is most often associated with spanakopita and baklava – but little else.  Which is perhaps why one of the leading producers of the dough has a running contest involving phyllo.

Always a sucker for a good recipe contest, Continue reading →

→ 5 Comments

Posted in Appetizers

Tagged , , ,

Vanilla Eggnog Popovers

Posted on January 18, 2010 | 4 Comments

As I’ve noted, popovers can be a fickle lot.  Sometimes they don’t pop.  Sometimes they explode.  And sometimes, they simply refuse to come out of their cups.

But when everything comes together, when the popovers pop and glide effortlessly out of their cups, and the warm dough heats your fingertips, the results can be stunning.  To give these popovers a winter touch, I used Continue reading →

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Breakfast

Tagged , , , , ,

Pecan Pie with Candied Pecans

Posted on December 14, 2009 | 1 Comment

I didn’t make it back to New Orleans this Thanksgiving.  But I still wanted a piece of the city at the table.  To that end, I settled on a piece of pecan pie, inspired by the Pecan Pie served at The Camellia Grill.

The Camellia Grill is a local landmark, its Greek columns set right off the streetcar line and the river-bend, and sandwiched between the Uptown and Carrollton neighborhoods.  Its patrons run the gamut, with partied-out college freshmen seated elbow-to-elbow with local luminaries, with everyone in between still waiting to be seated.

Two well-worn green couches sit on opposite ends of the Grill, and serve as the designated waiting area.  A series of one-legged stools, bolted to the ground, snakes around the counter, Continue reading →

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Desserts

Tagged , , ,

Candied Pecans

Posted on December 7, 2009 | 4 Comments

When Caitlin and I were working on our Grim Peeper Panorama, her candied pecans fueled our creative endeavors.

This recipe also encourages creativity, as you can vary both the spices and the type of nut, if desired.  Candied pecans make a great snack on their own.  They can also be added to mashed sweet potatoes, or used to add a little extra punch Continue reading →

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Appetizers

Tagged , ,