Good Morning.
Despite my efforts to rein in an appetite for sauces, starch, and confections, and I can present recipes to at least contemplate during my self-imposed suffering. Today we celebrate the south and we begin with a cocktail, pronounced cock-tayel.
Georgia and Kentucky
1 large peach, halved, pitted, and skinned
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. bourbon
4 oz. ginger ale
Make the simple syrup by combining equal parts of sugar and water in a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring
constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Let it cool and put it in a container in the fridge for use as needed. Cut up the
peach and put it in a skillet with the lemon juice and 1/4 cup of sugar. Cook over low heat until the peach is soft.
Let cool thoroughly. Put the peach mixture and simple syrup in a blender and process until smooth. In a cocktail
shaker, add the peach mixture and bourbon and shake. Pour into a glass and top with ginger ale. Garnish with
mint if desired.
Serve your drinks with Carolina Caviar.
1 pound dry black-eyed peas
2 cups Italian salad dressing
1/2 cup diced jalapenos
1 1/2 cups finely chopped white onion
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2 cups diced green bell pepper
2 tbsp. chopped pimento
Freshly ground pepper
Place the peas in a large pot with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for an hour and a half until the peas are tender. Drain the peas, put them in a bowl and pour the salad dressing over them. In another bowl, mix together the jalapeno, onion, garlic, bell pepper, chopped pimento and a good shake of pepper. Toss in the pea mixture and chill, covered, in the fridge overnight. Warm up to room temp for serving with crackers.
For an entree we suggest a traditional Shrimp and Grits.
1 cup coarsely ground grits
3 cups water
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups Half and Half
2 pounds uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
More salt to taste
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 pound andouille sausage, cut into slices
4 slices bacon
3 bell peppers, your choice of color, chopped
1 cup chopped white onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Bring water, grits, and salt to a boil in a pot. Stir in Half and Half, cover the pot, and simmer until the grits are thickened and
tender, maybe 20 minutes. Put the shrimp in a bowl with salt and cayenne and drizzle with lemon juice. Toss carefully
and set aside. Put the sausage slices in a large skillet and fry over medium heat until brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cook the bacon in another skillet, drain on a paper towel, and reserve the drippings. When the bacon is cool, crumble it up.
Cook the chopped bell pepper, onion, and garlic in the bacon drippings until the onion is translucent. Stir the shrimp and cooked vegetables into the sausage and mix well. Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in flour to make a roux, and cook for
several minutes over low heat, stirring constantly. Pour this mixture into the skillet with the sausage, shrimp, and vegetables. Place the skillet over medium heat and pour in the chicken broth, crumbled bacon, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring,
until the sauce thickens and the shrimp become a nice pink, about 8 minutes. When ready to serve, add the cheese to the
grits and stir until the cheese has melted. Serve the shrimp and sausage over the grits.
Please enjoy on behalf of your faithful scribe.
Next we have Sweet Potato Bread as an accompaniment. Bread
is pronounced Bray-ed.
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup Canola oil
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
Titch of salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/3 cup water
1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Mix the sugar and oil in a bowl and beat well. Add the eggs, one by one, and beat. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Now combine the two mixtures this way: stir some flour into the eggs, then add some of the water, and repeat. Add the sweet potatoes and chopped pecans and stir really well to combine. Pour the batter into a
greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
This bread is absolutely wonderful. Serve it at Thanksgiving instead of the sweet potato thing with the little marshmallows.
Serve it warm so the butter, softened to room temp, oozes all over the bread. My eyes are tearing up as I think about it.
And for dessert, we have Run for the Roses Pie. This refers
to the Kentucky Derby with all those horses. Horses is
pronounced hoe-ar-sis.
1 8 inch pie crust - make it or buy it
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 up granulated sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. bourbon
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
Spread the chips and nuts in the bottom of your pie shell. In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the flour and mix well. In a small bowl, beat the eggs slightly with a fork and then add them to the butter and flour mixture. Stir in the bourbon. Pour all of this deliciousness over the chips and nuts and bake the pie at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired. I would if I could but I can't so I won't.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
Comments