Gulf Coast - Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie
Preheat oven to 350°F.


Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.


Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes (see tips for doneness, below). Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.


**To use prepared frozen pie crust: Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat oven as directed. Pour filling into frozen crust and bake on preheated cookie sheet.


Pie is done when center reaches 200°F. Tap center surface of pie lightly - it should spring back when done. For easy clean up, spray pie pan with cooking spray before placing pie crust in pan. If pie crust is overbrowning, cover edges with foil.

Gulf Coast: Grits with Gouda

Serves: 6-8

Recipe courtesy of Emy Lesofski

In a saucepan, bring to a boil:

2 Cups chicken broth

2 Cups heavy cream

1 Tsp. salt

Reduce heat to medium-low and add:

1 Cup yellow corn grits

Simmer until thick (about 5 minutes), whisking continuously to avoid lumps. The grits are done when they have the consistency of cream of wheat.

Stir in:

1/4-1/2 Cup butter (to taste)

When the butter is melted, remove from heat and serve with fresh gouda cheese as a side.

NOTE: If the grits get too thick from cooling for too long, re-heat and stir in extra cream.

Gulf Coast: The Dinner Table @ Laura's

Gulf Coast: Wine

White: Pacifico Sur Chardonnay 2009, Curico Valley Estate Grown, Chile (un-oaked)

Red: Saint-Amour Red Wine, Recolte 2007

Both purchased at A&M Wine Shop

Gulf Coast: Shrimp Boil with Mussels and Lemon

By Laura

• Water
• 2 lemons, halved, plus more for serving
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
• 1/2 bunch thyme, tied together(I only had dried thyme and I just sprinkled that in, worked just fine)
  
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 2 serrano chiles, split in 1/2 lengthwise
• 1 head garlic, halved(i used a couple heads of garlic)
  
• 1 pound 5 ounces red new potatoes, medium to large, cut in 1/2 (i would suggest cutting these into 1/4s)
• 3 ears sweet corn, halved
• 3 pieces smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 pound 5 ounces)(spicy chicken sausage worked really well and was just a bit healthier!)
  
• 12 littleneck clams, scrubbed (about 1 pound 4 ounces)(i used mussels instead)
  
• 2 pounds jumbo shrimp with heads and tails
• Kosher salt

Directions

Fill a huge stockpot, preferably fitted with a basket insert, with about 4 quarts of water (add some chicken or vegetable stock for more flavor). Keep in mind that when you add the solid ingredients the water level will rise, so don't fill the pot up more than halfway. Squeeze the lemons into the water, tossing in the halves too. Add the bay leaves, salt, seasoning, thyme, onions, chiles and garlic; bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 10 minutes. You want a very aromatic broth with plenty of salt and spices. Taste it; don't be afraid to make it strong so some of the flavor can penetrate and get absorbed by the potatoes and other ingredients. Adjust seasoning with salt.

Add the potatoes to the pot to give them a head start; simmer for 20 minutes. Now add the corn and sausage; cook another 5 minutes, making sure everything stays covered with the liquid. Add the clams and boil for 8 to 10 minutes until they open. Then toss in the shrimp and shut off the heat. Cover the pot and let the shrimp steep in the flavor for 15 minutes. Drain and spread the shrimp, sausage, clams, corn, potatoes, and onions out on a newspaper-covered table. Serve with lemons and plenty of napkins.

This is a Tyler Florence's recipe

Gulf Coast: Fried Green Tomatoes with Spicy Bacon Sauce

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES- (www.chow.com but changed a bit) by Lauren

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 cups panko
• 1 1/2 teaspoons loosely packed lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons dried tarragon
• 1/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning
• 4 cups vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 pounds green heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

What to do- slice tomatoes thick, dip in flour, shake off, dip in egg, dip in dry mixture of panko, tarragon, zest and Old Bay. Fry for one minute on each side in 1/4" of veg oil.

Spicy Bacon Dip (from abirdinthekitchen.com)

1/4 cup fat free plain yogurt

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Serve with fried green tomatoes

Gulf Coast: Louisiana Sunburst Salad

The salad is dressed with an unusual and wonderful cinnamon and Tabasco vinaigrette.

Salad:

24 ounces mesclun mix (mixed baby lettuces, like mâche, frisée, radicchio, baby spinach, etc.)
2 ounces dried cranberries
2 ounces almonds, sliced and toasted
2 ounces crumbed Stilton cheese (or blue cheese) - we used blue, Stilton is for the really intense cheese-eaters out there
2 ounces ruby port wine

Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ounce vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 ounces raspberry vinegar
1 ounce water
5 dashes of Tabasco

Soak dried cranberries in port - leave overnight.

Combine cinnamon, vegetable oil, raspberry vinegar, water, and Tabasco in small bowl. Whisk until emulsified. Toast almond slices with a tiny drop of canola oil. Lightly dress the greens and garnish with the almonds, cranberries, and blue cheese.

The recipe for this bright, delicious salad was adapted from a salad served by Chef Robert Bruce at the Palace Café on Canal Street in New Orleans -- a beautiful restaurant located in the old Werlein's for Music building.

Gulf Coast: Cajun Okra Bruschetta

Cajun Okra Bruschetta from Alyssa

vegetable oil

1/3 c. onion

1/3 c. red pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

Cajun seasoning to taste
8 oz. okra cut into 1/3-inch rounds
6 Tbs. water
1/4 c. diced canned tomatoes in juice
2.5 tsp. red wine vinegar
1.5 tsp. capers
baguette slices, toasted

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until tender. Add garlic and cajun seasoning; stir 1 minute. Add okra, water and tomatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until okra is tender and liquid thickens, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar and capers. Add additional cajun seasoning to taset. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill.

Best part is you can make this one day ahead. Just toast your baguette slices and top with the bruschetta.

This is also great served as a side with grits.

Gulf Coast: Pimm's Cup

Pimm's Cup from Alyssa

A British import and a NoLa favorite, this was a very refreshing and light cocktail. A big hit. Too bad there was a spill of (almost) BP proportions. Luckily our clean-up efforts were decidedly more successful. (Too soon?)

1 part Pimm's No. 1
2 parts Ginger Ale
2 lemons, sliced
1 orange, sliced
10 mint leaves
1 cucumber, sliced

Combine all ingredients and a few slices of cucumber, stir (do NOT shake) to muddle the flavors, and serve over ice with a cucumber garnish. Laissez les bon temps roulez!

Best cake ever...bananas and nutella

Ladies - I went to a dinner party last night and a friend of mine is starting a catering company called Moveable Feast. She made the birthday cake for this party and it was so amazing I felt like I needed to share.

here is the recipe in euro measurements (Note, she lined the bottom row of the sides with pecans and didn't put anything on top, looked much nicer:

BANANA, PECAN AND NUTELLA CAKE

pre-heat oven to 170 degrees C

ingredients

4 over ripe bananas

340g castor sugar

340g self raising flour

340g soft butter

6 eggs

100ml milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

80g roughly chopped pecan nuts

then

cream butter and sugar

add the eggs

mash the banana together with the vanilla and the milk

mix all ingredients together

pour into two 25cm baking tins

cook in oven for 40 minutes

leave the cakes to cool whilst preparing the icing

nutella icing

2 tbs Nutella

225g Creme cheese

400g icing sugar

1 tbs vanilla

Mix together

when the cakes are cool put them together with a layer of the nutella icing

generously ice the top of the cake

decorate with fresh banana slices and icing sugar

(if you are a kitchen whizz the bananas taste even better than ever caramelized)

Next theme: In honor of the Gulf of Mexico

The next DCBitchinKitchen will be at Laura's house and will be in honor of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. I thought this a fitting theme given that every day I go to work, I'm pushing for policy to make our environment that much cleaner and safer and we have all been witness to what will likely be the biggest environmental disaster of our time. Also, I'm such a stranger to southern food, let alone food from Louisiana. I think this link gives good background about what shaped the style of cooking in Louisiana and will be helpful when picking out recipes. Maybe we should invite Paula Deen?

Alright, see ya'll on August 10th!

Alyssa's Inspiration Behind the Theme "Farmer's Market"

For our friend Pete’s going away dinner a group of us went to Sidra Forman’s house and had a delicious locally-sourced wine-paired multi-course meal. Sidra puts so much love and effort into her dishes and uses fresh ingredients found at our many local DC farmers markets to inspire her menu. Her food and passion were inspiring and I hoped that we would capture some of that. I think we did quite well.

DCBitchinKitchen ladies @ Alyssa's Place

Farmer's Market: Peach & Blackberry Crisp from Terri

Recipe
2 pounds firm, ripe peaches—halved, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 cups fresh blackberries
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup quick-cooking oats
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cubed

Preheat the oven to 375°.
In a large bowl, gently toss the peaches and blackberries with the granulated sugar and lemon juice. Transfer the fruit to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, toss the oats with the flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamonm and nutmeg.
Using your fingertips, mix in the butter until the topping is crumbly.
Sprinkle the topping over the fruit and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.
Let the crisp cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

The crisp can be refrigerated overnight.
Bring to room temperature or reheat in the oven before serving.
Serve with vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

Farmer's Market: Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Signature 2006 from Alyssa

94 Points Wine Spectator
From its cocoa and coffee layers to its fresh herb notes and voluptuous fruit flavors, this wine displays a balanced and graceful expression of mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine’s dark plum and sweet fruit core is supported by vibrant, bright cherry aromatics, well‐structured tannins, spicy oak and an earthy minerality.

Buena Vista 2006 Carneros Pinot Noir (no picture)
88 points Wine Spectator
The 2006 Pinot Noir Carneros has aromas of bright bing cherry, fresh ground nutmeg and earthy wild mushroom. In the mouth the wine shows intense bright blackberry and plum fruit with undertones of sweet mocha and clove. This is a wine of great depth with the long, supple finish considered a hallmark of Carneros Pinot Noir.

Farmer's Market: Fileno al Mirtilio/Blueberry Steak Sauce from Alyssa

Recipe
3 tbsp. butter or margarine
2 small shallots (or 1 medium), finely chopped
2 tbsp. flour
¼ cup sherry vinegar
¼ cup ketchup
3 tbsp. dijon mustard
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup molasses
½ tsp. dried thyme
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
¼ tsp. dried sage, crumbled
salt & ground pepper to taste

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté 3-4 minutes, until shallots are translucent, but not browned.
Sprinkle in flour, stir to blend and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to bubble.
Add - vinegar, ketchup, mustard, orange juice, molasses, thyme and sage and stir to combine.
Add blueberries and stir to combine.
Increasing head to medium-high, bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring often for about 15 minutes until the mixture is thickened and glossy.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cool then transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and puree for 30-40 seconds until very smooth.
Based on original dish from Acqua al Due in Florence

Farmer's Market: Polenta Pie with Sauteed Veggies from Lauren

From the Kitchen of Moosewood Cafe

Farmer's Market: Avocado Stuffed Mushrooms from Clare

Recipe
1 large Portabella mushroom
1 whole avocado
¼ cup onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1/8 tsp salt
Bragg Liquid Aminos (but I use soy sauce 'cause I don't have this)

Wash and de-stem mushroom and place side up on plate.
Mash the avocado, onions, tomatoes and salt and place in the mushroom cap.
Pour Bragg or soy sauce over the top of the mushroom to marinate.
Eat as is or top with diced tomato, black olives and sprouts.
From the kitchen of Mrs. Sparber

Farmer's Market: Cold Dill Beet Salad

Recipe
5 whole raw beets
Fresh dill
Olive oil
salt
Creamy stinky cheese


Clean beets, removes leaves (these can be sauteed like spinach) bring to a boil then simmer until semi-soft with the poke of a fork. Rub off skin while beets are warm. Dice. Add dill, olive oil, salt, and creamy, stinky cheese.
From Laura Lightbody's brain

Farmer's Market: Summer Lettuce Salad with Marinated Potatoes and Green Beans from Emily

Recipe
Salad
1 pound green beans (can be replaced for roasted asparagus when in season)
1 quart redskin potatoes
10 ounces mixed spring lettuces
1 large radish or a couple small radishes
One block of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved into curls with a vegetable peeler
Marinade
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Dressing
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Wash and quarter potatoes.
Drop potatoes into boiling water for 10 minutes or until soft.
Steam green beans.
Combine marinade ingredients and whisk.
Mix cooked green beans and potatoes in the marinade. Let marinate in the refrigerator (the longer the better - over night is best).
Slice radishes into thin circles.
Combine lettuce, radishes, potatoes and green beans.
Shave Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into curls on top of salad.
In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients and whisk until salt and sugar dissolve.
Drizzle dressing over salad to your liking.
Serve and enjoy!
From the kitchen of Emily Flynn

First BitchinKitchen Farmer's Market Style!

Farmer's Market: Sopressata Crostini from Laura

Recipe

Recipe
Whole wheat baguette sliced 1/2 inch thick
Fennel and Citrus Sopressata from Red Apron Butcher (can be found @ Dupont and Chinatown farmers market)
Soft stinky cheese (trying to track the specific cheese down cause it was soo good)
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 300
Cut the baguette into slices. Lay flat on a cooking sheet. Sprinkle each with a small amount of olive oil and salt.
Roll the sopressata around a half teaspoon of cheese and place on the baguette.
Place in the oven for about 10 minutes or until crostini is crisp and cheese is melted

Farmer's Market: Blueberry Lime Basil Bellini from Laura

Sorry guys, I don't have the recipe. Plus I think this drink was terrible. It was too acidic. I got it from the back of a basil package. I will get better about writing recipes down, I usually just cook off the top of my head!