Saturday, November 14, 2009

It's a rare Saturday that I'm not working, out-of-town or volunteering but today found Chloe and I in perfect unison. We woke up late, that's 7 am for us (my usual 5 am wake up was interrupted by the snooze), both ailing from allergies, we moved our slow selves into the living room. First thing I noticed in the kitchen were two bananas that needed rescue. With my broken hand still in a splint, I thought it would be smart to get some of my ritual Christmas cooking out of the way. My pace in the kitchen is down to a good 15 minute mile compared to my 10 minute mile when in good shape. Getting all the holiday stuff done make take forever this year.

I've tried at least a dozen Banana Bread recipes and nothing competes with Cozette Vaught's. She is, by far, the best cook in all of Cross County. She shared this recipe with me after a church potluck in 2003. You will have most all the ingredients on hand I'm sure.

1 stick butter, melted in a medium 2-1/2 qt saucepan, over low heat
1-1/2 C. flour
1-1/2 C. sugar
2 ripe bananas, mashed well with a fork. By ripe, I use mine when they are getting black, not rotten but definitely the skin is going dark.
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla, I use my homemade vanilla from Cozette's recipe, I'll share this soon
1 t. baking soda
4 T. buttermilk, you can use milk but the buttermilk is truly key in this recipe but milk does work, I've done that many of times
1/2 c. chopped walnuts, I've tried with pecans but walnuts are best, and are optional

Oven 325.

Melt butter in saucepan. Dissolve the soda in the buttermilk or milk and mix well. Add all ingredients very well making sure the flour is totally incorporated. Grease a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or do three mini loaf pans. Large loaf pan, bake 1 hour, 15 minutes, bake the mini loaf pans, 50 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes then remove from pan and cool on baking rack.

This can be frozen up to 2 months and is fabulous as a gift.

Blackened Salmon

Thursday, November 5, 2009

My fabulous sister-in-law was getting her fabulous 4 month pregnant self a massage today in Memphis and offered to pick up some Salmon....duh, of course I said yes. And here is how it goes, yesterday I was in my orthopedic surgeon's office waiting for hours, yes, hours for a recheck xray and brought Fresh, my favorite cookbook in all the land, even better than my Southern Living, and saw this recipe.


In the Fresh Cookbook, here's the chef's take on this recipe, "Paul Prudhomme, who hails from Louisiana, is a good a regional American chef as this country has ever produced.  His work has been influential in a number of ways, but the dish for which he will always be remember is blackened redfish.  Paul discovered that you could take a redfish fillet, coat it with some fairly common spices, toss it into a super hot skillet with some clarified butter, burn the heck out of the whole thing, and it would come out tasting great!"
The timing was perfect as was this recipe:

1/4 C. paprika
2 t. onion powder
2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. cayenne, I used 1 t.
1 t. white pepper, I was out of this one
1 t. black pepper
1 t. dried thyme leaves
1 t. dried oregano
2 t. salt, I didn't but would've had some
4-4oz. salmon fillets, skin removed, I used one large and it's a must to remove the skin using your sharpest knife.

Combine the spices in a small bowl. Pat the fish dry with paper towels then dredge in seasonings, coating each piece thoroughly. The recipe says spray each sides of the fillet with non stick cooking spray. Grill over hot coals, turning occasionally, until blackened and cooked through, approximately 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Serve with a lemon wedge or brush with melted butter if desired. Here's how I did it: After getting the fish ready (you can use really any fish), melt 2 T. butter in an oven safe skillet and add fish. Blacken a good 3 minutes per side over med high heat then go to a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. This was really an unbelievable, delicious dinner and low fat. Serve with a potato in the microwave and spinach salad featuring goat cheese, olives and balsamic vinaigrette. Wow!

Tim's Pizza, Fayetteville

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Ahh Tim's...this pizza chain has been a favorite of mine since college in the 80's. After the Chile Pepper 10K race, Jackie and I were ready to carb up again and watch college football and Tim's was the perfect place to take Chloe and cousins Counts Elizabeth and Allie. Uncle Stephen was there, of course!

One of my favorite salads is still on tap just like it was 20 years ago. The Super Salad features baby shrimp, canadian bacon, mozzarella, two quartered tomatoes and your choice of dressing. I had vinegar and oil. It was great, very fresh and the iceburg lettuce was good too, Kara!

Jackie ordered a small spicy Italian pizza with sausage, onion, and pepperoni. It was totally finished off. The pizza crust is great here, like an original and very good. Stephen ordered a large pepperoni to split with Allie and just two pieces were sent back to Duke, the large yellow lab, who loves the Shanks' takeout. The service at Tim's is wonderful, always attentive. Jackie ordered a New Belgium Fat Tire but liked the Boulevard's Bob's 47 better. The Boulevard Brewery is connected to Tim's and is a luxury when ordering a micro brewery beer.

The girls all ordered cheese minis and finished their meal off doing artwork with Chloe's markers and paper, fun times.

The beauty of Tim's is the family atmosphere and availability of TV for football games and children that can enjoy a booth to themsleves even when they're 8 and under.

Tiny Tim's, on the square, 21 Mountain, Fayetteville, AR 479-521-5551

Maverick Grits, Birdeye

Monday, October 19, 2009

What a thrill it was to try this Gourmet Magazine recipe out. It was quick and easy, just what I need with my broken hand. The recipe features shrimp, andouille and creamy grits. Wow, our test kitchen for my upcoming Christmas Party was all applaud for this dish. In less than 30 minutes we were helping ourselves which is what you do in the south.

Maverick Grits

Grits
4 C. water
2 T. butter, divided
1 C. stone ground grits, I used my quick cooking
1/2 C. heavy cream, can use 2% milk

Topping
2 T. butter, divided
1/4 lb. country ham, julienned, I used ham for lunch meat
1/4 lb. andouille or smoked sausage, I used Hillshire farms smoked sausage
20 medium shrimp, peeled without tails
1/8 t. minced garlic, could've used way more
pinch of creole or Cajun spice blend, could've used a teaspoon I think
1/4 C. sliced green onion
1/4 C. seeded and diced tomato, could've used 2-3 and definitely seeded
1 T. water

Grits: Bring water, 1 T. butter and 1/2 t. salt to a boil in a 3 qt saucepan. Stir in grits and reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, stirring frequently until grits are thick and creamy. Remove from heat and stir in cream and 1 T. butter.

Topping: Melt 1 T. butter in a 12 inch saute pan over medium-high heat until foam subsides. Saute ham and sausage until it begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add shrimp and saute until cooked through, 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and spice and saute 30seconds. Stir in scallion, tomato and water, scraping any brown bits from bottom of skillet, until shrimp are cooked through, 1 minute. Stir remaining butter and serve over grits.

Wow, excellent and just what Jackie needed, pork.

The picture features two of Chloe's roosters, White Dynomite, a Red Pyle Old English Bantam, and Big Red, a Red Cochin Bantam. They are really getting mature with all their pecking, cocking and just plain strutting.

Whataburger, Texarkana, Texas

Sunday, October 4, 2009

On our way back from Dallas, we cruised through all the
construction in Texarkana looking for fast food. We were staying away from all the usual chains and with Chik-fil-a closed on Sundays, we saw Whataburger on the last sign headed eastbound on I-30. Just about a half mile off the interstate, we were thrilled with our choice. I haven't been to a Whataburger since the mid-1980's on May Avenue in Oklahoma City. The place was packed but the line wasn't too long. After all the nachos and other things over the weekend in big D, I didn't what yet another inch on my waistline so I stayed safe with the grilled chicken sandwich with mustard and with the $5.49 meal deal, I had onion rings and unsweet tea. Jackie ordered the #1 meal with fries. The total for our order was $12.89. If we thought about how easy and inexpensive it is to eat in more often, no one would ever eat out. My sandwich was great, just plain and charbroiled and delicious. The onion rings were gone first and I really, really liked the to go ketchup that is served in a rectangle cup with a lid that eases off. All fast food chains should serve to go ketchup this way instead of the inconvenient and messy packets. Jackie loved his burger and shared a bite for me and it was really good. I loved his burger with its fresh, soft, over-sized bun, mustard, onion, pickle and ketchup.
This restaurant was clean and had a wonderful young man serving the "eat-in" diners their food. We loved our "roadie" meal on the way back to see Chloe. I loved that the place was open 24 hours and was the first Whataburger in Arkansas. What a burger!

Whataburger, 4110 N. Stateline, Texarkana, Ark., 870-774-1063

Cowboy's Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Saturday, October 4, 2009

Arkansas vs. Texas A&M

Amazing, over the top, truly unbelievable...those are my thoughts from the state of the art, billion dollar, stadium for pro football. It is definitely something to see. The new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, sits right next door to the Texas Rangers ballpark and is situated between lakes and average landscaping. We'd heard from Leigh Anne and Doug, Cowboys season ticket holders, that the food and drink were exceptional. And it was. Gone are the Dipping Dots and Minute Maid stands, in fact, we really didn't see any stands like that. There were free roaming stands with long lines of A&M, Cowboy and Arkansas paraphernalia but the regular Cowboys merchandise stands, as plentiful as the ladies bathrooms, were all closed. Which reminded me of the two Music City Bowl Games in Nashville we've been to where the vendors are about half open. Back to the food, Jackie delivered me some Vegetarian Nachos that boasted black bean and corn relish and he ordered the Frito Chili Pie and loved it. It was giant. My nachos were really fresh and served with 2 sides of pico, jalopenos and sour cream.
Drinks were on the expensive side even for water $3.00 and Cokes, in a keepable cup, $4.50 and Draft Beers 16 oz., $8.00 and chardonnay (4-5 oz) was $12.00, which is really crazy. They are served in keepable clear plastic tumblers sporting a star, of course.
Overall the food was great and unexpected at a stadium. It was a great game, Hogs won 44-19 over A&M. My mother, the biggest OU fan, had me gun shy of the Aggie fans, she claims they are worse than LSU fans. It's the Aggie band that she said has such unsportsmanlike conduct...well this game was nice, the Aggie fans and band took the loss well, better than the Tiger fans that beat OU in the Sugar Bowl in 2006. LSU fans are the worst, cockiest and rudest fans in college football history. Horrible, horrible people. But back to the food at Cowboys Stadium, you really can't go wrong with a wallet full of cash or credit. Its all about Big in Jonestown.
Pic #2 is Leigh Anne's 2008 Astin Martin Convertible, yes, an Astin Martin, almost as big as the new stadium.

Victor Tango's, Dallas

Friday, October 2, 2009

Ahhh...I love Dallas and I have since I was a mere youngster. It was a refreshing trip to the mega-metropolis. It's always good to stay with a friend who knows everything about you and you pick up where you left off. You'll remember Leigh Anne from our Chicago blogs over my birthday weekend. Leigh Anne and I go way back and have many things in common like honesty, community, generosity, love of travel and of course, food. That's the beauty of LeeLee and me, we love to eat. On her recommendation, we ventured to Victor Tango's on the first night of our Hog game weekend. We were thrilled with the eclectic feel of the under-crowded restaurant when we arrived at 7 pm. We were promptly seated in a cozy booth near the rear of the dining room. Our waitress took our drink order, Jackie had a Saint Arnold Oktoberfest draft that he said was good, it looked a little dark to me. I ordered a glass of Hook and Ladder, Russian River Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, it was really smooth and just deep enough. Leigh Anne's fabulous husband Doug, who literally has the sexiest voice in America (I'd give out his number but...) ordered a gin and tonic and I was really surprised when asked his flavor of gin, he didn't have one. Water for LeeLee, she's having her first in April!
The waitress alerted us that food at Victor's is served family style and we took that into consideration when we ordered. Against my ordering rules, Leigh Anne and Doug ordered appetizers so I followed suit and jumped in. Leigh Anne ordered JB's Tempura Fried Green Beans that were served with Wasabi Aioli, a wonderful tangy dipping sauce. Fried green beans? They were really fresh and crunchy and gone quickly. Doug ordered the special Ceviche (pic #1) which boasted slices of Texas Watermelon, smoked Salmon, hearts of palm and drizzled with olive oil. This was a light dish and the melon with the smoky Salmon is a perfect pairing. I ordered the Crock of Warm Goat Cheese Dip with Tapenade. It was blessed with cherry tomatoes baked inside and the toasts served with it were really good. I'm sure the tapenade was in there somewhere. All of us agreed LeeLee's green beans were our favorite.
Dinner was absolutely divine and very diverse. We all cringed when Leigh Anne ordered Chicken and Waffles (pic #3) but boy they were our favorite! Hand breaded chicken tenders over waffle wedges and topped with a creamy gravy sounds ludicrous but dip your fork into a dab of maple syrup and you literally die and go to Epicurean heaven. That was the first dish that disappeared, it is a "must order". Doug ordered Lollypop Lamb Chops with Honey Balsamic (pic #2) and I'll confess it was my first time to have lamb and I was pleasantly surprised by its tenderness and flavor. I ordered the dumbest thing ever, Wild Mushroom and Arugula Flatbread with Truffle Oil. It was an ordinary pizza and what a common, back woods thing to order! I'm ashamed of myself but it was good and light nonetheless. Jackie ordered the Miso Glazed Skewers with Sea Bass and Kobe Beef. I have to admit I had to look up the definition of Kobe Beef, all you vegetarians, take a deep breath. Kobe Beef is a Japanese trademark where the beef is fed a beer a day and massaged with sake daily and brushed for setting fur. The beef is renowned for its marbling, tenderness and flavor. Jackie and Doug really liked the beef and ordered second batch when they finished off the first plate clean.
We asked our ultra efficient waitress what the best thing to order in the sweet category and she recommended the Warm Sticky Toffee Cake with Mascarpone Cream, which is one of my favorite Italian cheeses. It was warm and very sweet and the mascarpone did its job and toned down the toffee goodness. My hot coffee was served with the sides it deserves and a fresh, hot refill made my night.
Victor Tango's is a fabulous stop in Dallas where the mega choices of restaurants are endless. But Victor's is sure to please. And it was SRO when we left, that's Standing Room Only for you non-kids of the eighties.

Victor Tango's, 3001 N. Henderson, Dallas, Texas 75206, 214-252-8595 www.victortangos.com