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Tag: Recipes
Southern Women Share Their Stories and Recipes in the New Cookbook When Southern Women Cook
When Southern Women Cook: 300 Recipes from Every Corner of the American South, with Stories About the Women Who Feed Us, with a foreword by Toni Tipton-Martin, and edited by Morgan Bolling, tells the stories of those who’ve made an impact on the cuisine and culture throughout history, and shines light on the torchbearers innovating it today. Interwoven with narratives from 70 diverse Southern women contributors, the recipes—from Texas barbecue to Gullah Geechee rice dishes to treasured hometown desserts—present the intricate patchwork quilt that is Southern cooking.
TONI TIPTON-MARTIN is Editor in Chief of Cook’s Country, a food and nutrition journalist, and the James Beard Award– winning author of Jubilee; Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice; and The Jemima Code. MORGAN BOLLING is Executive Editor of Creative Content for Cook’s Country, a cast member of the Cook’s Country TV show, and a passionate Southern woman.
MORGAN BOLLING is Executive Editor of Creative Content for Cook’s Country, a cast member of the Cook’s Country TV show, and a passionate Southern woman.
Southern-Style Baby Lima Beans
Serves 4 to 6
Total Time: 1¼ hours
The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity: Frozen baby lima beans are cooked low and slow, seasoned with a few strips of bacon and wedges of onion in the pot. The resulting beans and their smoky, thick, peppery broth are complex and deeply comforting. Stirring occasionally as the beans cook emulsifies the bacon fat into the broth, giving it a silky texture. This dish is great as a side or as a main course served over white rice. Do not thaw the baby lima beans before cooking.
- 4 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1½ pounds frozen baby lima beans
- 1¼ cups water
- 1 onion, halved
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
Cook bacon in large saucepan over medium heat until lightly browned and fat has rendered, 7 to 10 minutes. Add broth, lima beans, water, onion, pepper, and salt. Bring to boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until beans just begin to break down and liquid is thickened, about 1 hour (liquid will continue to thicken as it sits). Discard onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Peruvian Imports
Lima beans, which originated in Guatemala, have been cultivated in Lima, Peru, for centuries—hence the name—and are a staple food there. By the 1500s, what we now call Peru had found trading partners throughout South, Central, and North America and also in Europe. As the beans were introduced to North America, they were adapted into regional recipes. Many versions of Native American succotash use this large, nutritious bean. Lima beans remain especially popular in the dishes of the American South. Some cooks use the terms “lima beans” and “butter beans” interchangeably, as the two beans come from the same plant. But other cooks know butter beans as the more mature larger white beans that are typically sold dried or canned, and baby lima beans as the smaller, greener beans that are typically sold frozen or canned.
Pat-in-the-Pan Buttermilk Biscuits
Makes 9 biscuits
When chef Virginia Willis did a demonstration at Cook’s Country in August 2018, the Southern cookbook queen left us with characteristically beautiful words: “Biscuits are like people; they are better when they rise together.” More than poetry, though, this sentiment referred to her preferred technique of baking biscuits touching each other on a baking sheet so they physically push each other up in the oven for a higher rise. Her demo inspired our own recipe for pat-in-the-pan biscuits. Following Willis’s lead, we use low-protein cake flour for tenderness, and baking powder and baking soda for lightness and lift. We pinch bits of cold butter into these dry ingredients; the butter pieces melt in the dough during baking, producing steam that creates a fluffy interior crumb.
We follow a tried-and-true Southern method for patting biscuit dough in a pan and scoring it so these biscuits can also rise together. We developed this recipe using Softasilk cake flour and a metal baking pan. This recipe can easily be doubled to yield 15 biscuits: Use a 13 by 9-inch baking pan and extend the baking time by about 15 minutes.
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 4 cups (16 ounces) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons table salt
- 2 cups buttermilk, chilled
Cut 10 tablespoons butter into ½-inch pieces and freeze until chilled, about 15 minutes. Let 1 tablespoon butter sit at room temperature to soften. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease 8-inch square baking pan with remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Add chilled butter to flour mixture and smash butter between your fingertips into pea-size pieces. Gently stir in buttermilk until no dry pockets of flour remain. Using rubber spatula, transfer dough to prepared pan.
Lightly sprinkle extra flour evenly over dough to prevent sticking. Using your floured hands, pat dough into even layer and into corners of pan. Using bench scraper sprayed with vegetable oil spray, cut dough into 9 equal squares (2 cuts by 2 cuts), but do not separate. Bake until golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.
Let biscuits cool in pan for 5 minutes. Using thin metal spatula, slide biscuits onto wire rack. Brush tops with softened butter. Let cool for 10 minutes. Pull biscuits apart at cuts and serve warm.
Southern Chicken Spaghetti
Serves 8
Total Time: 1¾ hours, plus 15 minutes cooling
Lisa Fain, known as the Homesick Texan, defines Tex-Mex chicken spaghetti as “baked pasta with chicken and chile con queso” on her website. Typically this dish features shredded chicken, cheese, and some mix of mushrooms, peppers, and onions (and sometimes canned Ro-Tel tomatoes) intertwined in baked spaghetti.
According to Fain’s research, the earliest recorded recipe dates back to 1931. It was published in the Amarillo Daily News and featured a simple combination of chicken, cheese, and noodles, seasoned with a liberal dose of chili powder. The recipe evolved to include canned cream of mushroom soup and Velveeta, products of the convenience-food boom of the 1920s and 1930s that underscored the era’s casserole culture.
But this casserole’s history isn’t limited to Texas. New York Times food editor and restaurant critic Craig Claiborne noted his mother’s influence on his version of the dish—a childhood favorite—in his 1987 book, Craig Claiborne’s Southern Cooking. Claiborne speculated about its origins and compared the rich flavors of the dish to those of an authentic Italian ragù bolognese, due to its creamy tomato base and savory ground meat. His mother, Mary Kathleen Craig Claiborne, was “famous for it up and down the Mississippi Delta,” he said.
We keep chicken spaghetti easy by starting with a rotisserie chicken. Breaking the spaghetti in half makes the dish easier to serve and eat. A creamy sauce made with butter, flour, chicken broth, and half-and-half is flavored with mushrooms and other vegetables. A combination of American and cheddar cheeses gives this pasta bake an ultra creamy consistency with plenty of cheese flavor. For a spicier dish, use the larger amount of cayenne pepper. Use Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more.
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1½ teaspoons table salt, plus salt for cooking pasta
- 8 ounces deli American cheese, shredded (2 cups)
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 12 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups half-and-half
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Loosely wrap half of pasta in dish towel, then press bundle against corner of counter to break pasta in half; repeat with remaining pasta. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain pasta and rinse thoroughly under cold running water; set aside. Clean and dry pot.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine American cheese and cheddar in bowl; set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in now-empty pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion and cook until softened and liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer vegetables to separate bowl and set aside.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in again-empty pot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth, half-and-half, pepper, cayenne, and salt, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Bring to simmer and cook until sauce is thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.
Off heat, whisk 2 cups cheese mixture into sauce until smooth. Stir in spaghetti, vegetables, and shredded chicken until well combined.
Transfer mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread into even layer, and cover tightly with greased aluminum foil. Bake until sauce is bubbling around edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese mixture over top, and bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Recipes courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen. All rights reserved.
Photography by Steve Klise.
Get Into The Spirit With These Hauntingly Good Halloween Cocktails
These inventive and eerie drinks are perfect for celebrating the spooky season
As the air turns crisp and the days grow shorter, it’s time to stir up some fun with Halloween-inspired cocktails that will have your guests ‘howling’ with delight!
“Whether you’re hosting a haunted house party or cozying up for a spooky movie marathon, these eerie drinks are the perfect way to celebrate the spooky season,” says Daniel Ufland, founder of The Whisky Masters, a premier online whisky retailer.
With ghoulish garnishes, creepy color changes, and bewitching flavors, Daniel’s creative concoctions will bring a festive flair to Halloween.
Witch’s Brew White Russian
Ingredients:
2 oz. vodka
1 oz. Kahlua
1 1/2 oz. pumpkin spice creamer
Cinnamon stick
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3 Tbsp. crushed graham crackers
Method: Combine the pumpkin pie spice and crushed crackers on a plate. After dipping the rim of each glass in water, dip them into the spice and cracker mixture. Then, add ice to each glass, pour in the vodka and Kahlua, and top it with the creamer. Stick in a cinnamon stick and sprinkle the pumpkin pie spice on the top to garnish.
Chameleon’s Curse Margaritas
Ingredients:
2 cups sliced purple cabbage
4 cups boiling water
8 oz. tequila
4 oz. triple sec
3 oz. lime juice
1 c. lemonade
4 lime wedges
1/4 cups kosher salt or coarse sea salt
Method: Pour the boiling water over the purple cabbage in a large bowl and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Strain out the cabbage and let the water cool; it should look bluey-purple. When the water has cooled, freeze it in ice trays.
Then, combine the tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and lemonade in a large pitcher. Wet the rim of each glass with a lime wedge and then dip it in salt. Replace the lime wedge, add the purple ice cubes and pour in the margarita.
“The purple cabbage-infused ice cubes will turn the margarita pink and purple, changing colors as you drink,” says Daniel. “But don’t worry; the cabbage cubes won’t affect the taste!”
Ghostly Glowing Gin
Ingredients:
3 oz. gin
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1 tsp. grenadine
1 handful ice
Tonic water
Method: Shake the gin, grenadine, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker without ice. Then, pour into a glass over ice and top with tonic water. “These cocktails should glow white under a blacklight for a spooky Halloween vibe. For extra fun, you can add a glow stick to each drink as a stirrer,” suggests Daniel.
Poison Apple Shot
Ingredients:
1 oz. sour apple schnapps
1 oz. whisky
1/2 oz. pomegranate juice
1/2 oz. cranberry juice
Juice from 1 small lime
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
Method: Stir the schnapps, whisky, and both juices well in a pitcher. Squeeze the lime juice into one bowl and add the sugar to the other. Take each glass and dip the rim first into the lime, then the sugar. Then, you’ll be ready to pour and serve.
Cursed Lagoon Curacao
Ingredients:
1 oz. light rum
2 oz. coconut rum
1 oz. Blue Curacao
1 handful ice
Pineapple juice
Method: Add the Blue Curacao and both rums to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well for about 30 seconds. Then, pour the mixture into a glass and top it off with pineapple juice.
“The Blue Curacao will give this drink a spooky blue glow like a witch’s potion!” says Daniel.
Daniel Ufland, founder of The Whisky Masters, commented:
“You can easily tweak these fun cocktails to suit your taste or make them family-friendly! For a spooky mocktail version, swap out the alcohol for flavored syrups or juices. Adjust the sweetness by adding more fruit juice or dialing up the spice with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg.
“When it comes to serving, presentation is everything on Halloween! Use themed glasses like skeleton-hand goblets or potion-style bottles. Rim your glasses with black sugar or edible glitter instead of salt for a magical touch. Add playful garnishes like candy eyeballs, gummy worms, or black licorice ‘straws’ for an eerie twist.
“For extra flair, serve your drinks with glow-in-the-dark stirrers or spooky straws for that mysterious, bubbling cauldron effect! Don’t be afraid to get creative – frozen berries can double as ‘bloody eyeballs,’ and edible glitter can add a mystical shimmer to any drink. Halloween is all about having fun and letting your imagination run wild, so go ahead and brew up some ‘books’ that match your spooky vibe!”
About The Whiskey Masters
The Whisky Masters is a premier online whisky retailer offering a curated selection of fine and rare whiskies. Catering to both seasoned connoisseurs and newcomers, the company provides an extensive range of products from renowned distilleries worldwide. Their collection includes limited editions, rare collectibles, and exclusive releases, all aimed at enhancing the whisky-tasting experience. The Whisky Masters prides itself on exceptional customer service.
Featured photo courtesy of Carlos Felipe Ramírez Mesa
Persian Feasts: Recipes & Stories from a Family Table
The cuisine of Iran, with origins dating back centuries, is arguably one of the most sophisticated in the world, offering an incredible array of dishes. This cuisine hails from the lands of ancient Persia and has evolved through the ages to what comprises the myriad and distinct regional cuisines in present day Iran. Also shaping this cuisine is the variety of climates in Iran, the country’s terrain, and geography, with rich soil and plentiful sunshine, as well as the ethnocultural diversity of the country. From Persian Feasts (Phaidon 2024 by Leila Heller).
A beauty of a cookbook with its lush food photos set on backgrounds of Middle Eastern designs, Persian Feasts celebrates centuries of culinary and cultural history of a land that during the first Persian Empire stretched from the Balkans in Eastern Europe in the west to the Indus valley in the east. Now know as Iran, the cuisine is complex with each region having a distinct imprint upon the ingredients and how it is prepared.
Drilling down even further, according to author Leila Heller, each Iranian household holds itself to a high standard and has strong beliefs when it comes to Persian food. That said, anyone first attempting to cook these dishes at home should be assured by Heller’s statement that there is no wrong way or right way of making Persian food,
“The personal preferences do impact Persian recipes,” she writes. “For instance, some prefer sweetness over tartness, buttery over dry, and many will adjust seasoning spices and herbs accordingly.”
Making it even more accessible, most of the recipes in her book can be recreated at home from ingredients readily available in both neighborhood supermarkets and gourmet food stores. The more unique items—sumac, dried barberries dried and Persian limes and prunes—are available at Middle Eastern or Indian food stores as well as online.
Heller, president of the Leila Heller Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in New York and Dubai. She holds a bachelor of art degree from Brown University, a master’s degree in art from Sotheby’s Institute in London and a second master’s degree in art history and museum management from George Washington University. She lives in both New York and Dubai, bridging the gap between East and West through art, culture, and food. This book is another way for her to share her knowledge in these areas. Besides recipes, we learn about celebrations, festivities, and events and the foods involved in each.
For those just beginning to experiment with Persian cuisine, several recipes stand out as a straightforward way to get acquainted with techniques and ingredients. For example, all the ingredients needed to make Chicken Saffron Frittata are familiar and the dish can be completed in seven steps. In her description of the dish, Heller helps acquaint us with the background of the frittata locally known as chegehertmeh and hails from the lush province of Gilan in northern Iran that borders on the Caspian Sea.
Smoked Eggplant with Tomato is another dish originating from the Caspian Sea region. Again, the ingredients are readily available, and many are already probably in a home chef’s pantry. The dish has seven short steps but is slightly different in that the eggplant is smoked over an open flame to give it the distinct flavor that makes this dish a winner. A refreshing summer dessert that’s both easy to make and gluten-free, Cardamom & Rose Water Pudding takes only four steps to make a pretty presentation. Yogurt Drink with Mint is even easier—five ingredients mixed in a blender.
Once a home chef has mastered these simple recipes, more complex dishes like Herb & Noodle Potage, Shirazi Rice with Cabbage and Meatballs, and Persian Noodle Rice will seem less daunting and becoming proficient in Persian cooking an easy undertaking.
Lentil & Quinoa Salad with Herbs
By Leila Heller, “Persian Feasts: Recipes & Stories from a Family Table”
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups (8 oz/225 g) dried barberries, rinsed
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups (1 lb/450 g) dried Puy lentils
1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup (6 1/2 oz/185 g) quinoa
1 cup (3 1/2 oz/300 g) finely chopped scallions (spring onions)
1/2 cup (1 oz/30 g) finely chopped cilantro (coriander), plus extra for garnish
1/2 cup (2 oz/55 g) finely chopped chives
1/2 cup (1 oz/30 g) finely chopped parsley
4 tablespoons finely chopped dill
3/4 cup (6 fl oz/175 ml) red wine vinegar or pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups (9 3/4 oz/275 g) pomegranate seeds, for garnish (optional)
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, then add the barberries and sugar. Mix for 2-3 minutes, until the sugar has melted.Pick over the Puy lentils to remove any debris.
Rinse the lentils under cold running water. In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, 4 cups (32 fl oz/950 ml) of water, and 2 tablespoons of oil. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20-35 minutes, until the lentils are cooked through. Drain, then set aside.
Rinse the quinoa under cold running water, then drain. In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa and 1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz/350 ml) of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, lentils, scallions (spring onions), herbs, and barberries.
In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) of oil, vinegar, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Pour over the salad and toss well. Season to taste, then garnish with pomegranate seeds, if using.
This article originally appeared in the New York Journal of Books.
Carolina Gelen’s New Cookbook: Pass the Plate
To say that Carolina Gelen, who immigrated to America from the Transylvania region of Romania three years ago, has taken this country by storm would be an understatement. An engineer by training but a cook with deep roots in her family’s culture and love of food, Gelen now has 1.3 million followers on Instagram, over 650,000 TikTok followers and 29.2 million likes, and 301,000 Facebook followers—all eager for her easy-to-follow recipes. And now Gelen’s first cookbook, Pass the Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes (Clarkson Potter 2024), has just been released.
Coming from a Romanian family—on my father’s side—and learning to cook from my grandmother who would, in the typical Romanian fashion, make enough food to feed 20 if only four were coming for dinner, I was excited to interview Gelen and discuss not only the traditional cooking of my ancestors but also her American cuisine. Interestingly enough, Gelen has no formal culinary training, she grew up watching American cooking shows which is also how she learned to speak English.
“It also broadened my food knowledge and palette,” she says, noting that she worked in she in five-star restaurants after coming to the U.S.,
One of the first questions I asked was how the food scene in Romania differs from here.
“Eating out was something we did for a special occasion, once or twice a year, definitely not a nightly or weekly thing,” Gelen told me. “Where I grew up, I can only remember a single fast-food drive-through that wasn’t very popular–though I’m sure a few more opened up since. The supermarkets in Romania are well stocked, but they certainly don’t have as many options as the ones in the U.S. Not to mention the sizing of everything in the U.S. from restaurant portions to potato chip bags being so massive, I remember that being such a huge culture shock in the beginning. The post-shrinkflation American product sizing reminds me more and more of what I grew up with.”
Ingredients we take for granted—canned cranberries and pumpkin puree weren’t available in Romania. But there are things back home you can’t get here.
“If I go to any local European market, I can definitely stock up on Romanian favorites, but one thing I miss that I can’t find in the U.S. is the local sour cream vending machine from the farmers market in my town,” says Gelen. “I’m not a big drinker, but I do miss some of the wines and liqueurs friends and family would make at home and occasionally gift them to you. Sour cherry liqueur is the one I miss the most.”
Gelen relied upon her Romanian roots for some of the recipes in her book.
“Chicken and pearled couscous is one of my mother’s go-to dinners, so my one-pan garlicky chicken couscous is highly inspired by her endless versions of this pairing,” she says. “So are her bright pink root vegetable salad, a delicious charred eggplant dip we would make all year long, and a zingy sour veggie soup flavored with sauerkraut. Can’t forget the layered cabbage roll in a casserole or buttery cabbage noodles.”
Others, she says, aren’t exclusively Romanian but are adapted from her travels and experiences such as her Brie Mac and Cheese with Crunchy Panko or Fennel Caesar Salad with Garlic Lemon Panko.
I asked Gelen what recipes she would recommend for the fall.
“The first one that comes to mind is my toasted farro apple salad with pecans and maple dressing,” she says. “This recipe screams fall, I cut the ingredients into small bite size pieces so you can eat this salad with a spoon. If you’re into meal prepping, it’s perfect as it stores well in the fridge. Top it with grilled chicken or seared steak and you’ve got lunch in five minutes. My second one would be the cheesy potato soup with rosemary croutons – it’s perfectly comforting, rich and filling. It feels like a warm hug in a bowl.”
Pass the Plate took over two years to complete.
“I wish I could capture and translate just how much love, effort and time goes into making a cookbook,” says Gelen. “A brief description–over the course of a year I developed and wrote 110 recipes with headnotes. I had a recipe tester who tested the recipes multiple times so by the time the cookbook went to print, between me, the tester and the culinary team cooking the food at the photo shoot, the recipes have been made at least five times ensuring they taste great and have no errors.”
She narrowed these down to 100.
“The most memorable moment was seeing everyone try the recipes during the photoshoot,” she recalls. “It was such a joy to see their reactions in real time to all the dishes in the book. I still get messages to this day with photos of them making their favorites since the photoshoot.”
Growing up, cooking meant family, love, and sharing. That feel is part of what inspires Gelen in her cooking today. “I’m inspired by the joy people get from eating the recipes I create. I love sharing my recipes with people all over the world,” she says. “That’s what keeps me inspired. It’s hard to put it into words just how rewarding it is seeing your recipes be part of someone’s celebration, holiday or everyday life.”
The following recipes are reprinted with permission from Pass The Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Shareable, Everyday Recipes: A Cookbook by Carolina Gelen. Copyright © 2024 by Gelen Media LLC. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Nico Schinco. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.”
Broccoli Cheddar Beans with Crispy Cheddar Panko
Serves 4 to 6 | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour
Cheddar Panko
- 2½ ounces sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup panko or other bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Broccoli Cheddar Beans
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 small head broccoli, chopped into big chunks, including the stalk (4 to 5 cups)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or cornstarch
- 2¼ cups whole milk, plus more as needed
- 5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 2 heaping cups)
- 3 (15-ounce) cans butter beans or lima beans, drained and rinsed (see Note)
For Serving
- Flaky salt
- Extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- Aleppo pepper or red chile flakes (optional)
Make the cheddar panko: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the cheddar, panko, and melted butter to the baking sheet and toss lightly with your hands to combine. Shake the pan to even out the bread crumb layer. Bake until the mixture becomes crisp and turns a rich, golden color, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Make the cheddar broccoli beans: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and a big pinch of kosher salt and cook until translucent and soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another minute. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is bright green but still firm, 5 to 6 minutes. Feel free to reduce the heat as needed, and if things start to brown too quickly at the bottom of the pan, add a splash of water to deglaze it.
Add the flour and toss to evenly coat the veggies. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the broccoli is just tender, about 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheddar to the pan. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth, though a few chunks are okay. (Alternatively, carefully transfer the broccoli mixture to a blender and add the cheddar. Remove the center plug in the lid of the blender to let steam escape, and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the pan. If you need extra liquid to help blend everything, add a splash of milk.)
Return the pan to medium heat and bring back to a simmer. Add the beans and a hefty pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are warmed through and tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Divide the bean stew among bowls and crumble the cheddar panko on top and top with flaky salt. If desired, garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, some black pepper, and Aleppo pepper.
Note: If you can’t get your hands on butter (or lima) beans, garbanzo or Great Northern beans will work just as well.
Think Cabbage Roll in a Casserole
Serves 6 to 8 | Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
- 1 small head green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
- 4 tablespoons neutral oil, such as sunflower or grapeseed, plus more for greasing and drizzling
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- ½ cup long-grain white rice, thoroughly rinsed and drained
- 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
- 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20)
- Kosher salt
- 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled Tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Slice the cabbage in half, through the stem. Tightly wrap the cabbage halves in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake until super soft and tender all the way through, 45 to 50 minutes. Set aside to cool but leave the oven on.
In a medium skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until toasted and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring to coat the rice in the tomato paste, until the mixture darkens and begins to caramelize on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes.
Create a space in the middle of the pan and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, plus the garlic, paprika, thyme, black pepper, and cayenne. Cook until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the beef and a big pinch of salt and mix well to incorporate the spices into the beef. (We’re looking to use the warmth in the pan to help break up the beef and cook it a little, but not all the way through since it will cook in the oven.) Remove the pan from the heat.
Add all of the tomato sauce and the whole tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you add them to the beef mixture. Add a few tablespoons of water to each of the cans to swish around and pick up whatever tomato sauce is still in the can. Add that to the pan and stir to combine. This will look like a weird, raw ragu, but remember, this is all getting baked together with the cabbage. Trust the process!
To assemble the cabbage roll cake, grease a deep 10-inch springform pan (see Note) with oil. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set the springform on the baking sheet.
Add a dollop of the tomato-beef mixture to the bottom of the pan and spread it in an even layer. Pull off about one-fourth of the leaves from the steamed cabbage. Chop any thicker cabbage core pieces and save them for the final layer. Layer the cabbage leaves over the sauce, letting them overlap as needed to fully cover the sauce.
Add a third of the tomato-beef mixture over the cabbage, followed by another fourth of the cabbage leaves in an even layer. Add another third of the tomato-beef mixture and top with another fourth of the cabbage leaves in an even layer.
Top with the remaining third of the tomato sauce, followed by the remaining fourth of the cabbage leaves, including the chopped cabbage cores on top.
Tightly cover the pan with foil and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and drizzle the cabbage with a few tablespoons of oil. Continue to bake until the top layer of cabbage is golden brown, about 15 more minutes.
Preheat the broiler. Place the oven rack about 4 inches from the heating element. Broil until the cabbage is nicely charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Slice and serve like you would a lasagna or a cake. The reference photo stacks cabbage roll cakes, your cake should be half as tall.
Note: You can also use a regular 10-inch round pan, though the cabbage roll cake will be harder to remove from the pan. If you go that route, instead of struggling to flip the cake and pull it out onto a serving platter, simply serve it straight out of the pan.
TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE FOR THE OLD MISSION PENINSULA WINE TRAIL MAC & CHEESE BAKE-OFF
This November, taste your way through Old Mission Peninsula during the annual Mac & Cheese Bake-Off! Spend the day with family and friends touring the rolling hills and stunning views as the OMP Wine Trail Wineries once again partner with local chefs for a favorite wine and food pairing event that’s perfect for cheese lovers on Saturday, November 30th from 10am-5pm.
The Mac & Cheese Bake-off pairs the exquisite wines of Old Mission Peninsula with deliciously unique macaroni and cheese recipes from local chefs partnered with each of the ten OMP Wine Trail wineries. Each dish will be expertly paired with an Old Mission Peninsula wine from the partner winery along with special wine features, discounts, and more. Event goers are in control of the competition—each given the important task to vote for their favorites: best pairing, cheesiest dish, and best overall. Winners will receive their rightful place in history as winners of the 2024 Mac & Cheese Bake-Off.
Arriving on the heels of Thanksgiving, this annual event lets you break the monotony of leftovers to indulge in a classic, cheesy, comfort food. “Our favorite part is the creativity that the chefs show in their interpretations of macaroni and cheese, and how each pairs with the wine,” comments Caitlin Hammond, Director of Operations at Peninsula Cellars. “We love showcasing Traverse City’s great culinary talent and feel so lucky that local families and friends continue to make our wineries a part of their holiday traditions.” Tickets for the 2024 Great Mac & Cheese Bake-Off are now available. This is a sell-out event with a limited number of tickets available.
Tickets include a souvenir glass in addition to food and wine pairings. New this year, attendees can purchase the Noodle Fanatic Package to receive macaroni merchandise along with their ticket! Designated Driver tickets are also available for purchase. (DD ticket holders do not receive a souvenir glass, but tickets do include food and non-alcoholic beverages.)
Participating wineries include 2 Lads, Black Star Farms on Old Mission Peninsula, Bowers Harbor Vineyards, Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery, Chateau Chantal, Chateau Grand Traverse, Hawthorne Vineyards, Peninsula Cellars, Mari Vineyards, and Tabone Vineyards.
For additional information and to purchase tickets visit ompwinetrail.com/wine-trail-events/
The Old Mission Peninsula Wine Trail, a collection of ten distinct wineries, is an unparalleled experience on the Old Mission Peninsula of Traverse City, Michigan. Stretching 19 miles into Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay, the peninsula is only four miles wide at its broadest point. Old Mission Peninsula’s stunning appellation and proximity to Lake Michigan provide not only an ideal climate for growing varietal wine grapes, but a breathtaking travel destination as well.
For your enjoyment, here’s a winning recipe and wine pairing from the past.
Winner: Best Pairing
Smokehouse Mac Shack Taco Mac & Cheese with Mari Vineyards 2016
Scriptorium Riesling
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/4 cup chopped lettuce
- 1 chopped tomato
- 1/2 chopped yellow onion
- 2 cups of your favorite noodles
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Taco seasoning
- Scallions & sour cream for garnish
Instructions
Add chopped onion to oil in a skillet. Cook until translucent.
Add ground beef and taco seasoning and cook through, and drain of oil and set aside.
Cook noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a new pan, add butter, flour, salt, and pepper to create a roux. Add cheddar cheese. Add heavy cream
until sauce is creamy.
Add noodles to cheese sauce & stir.
On a plate, layer corn chips. Add 1/3 cup of Mac & cheese mixture, and 1/4 cup of ground beef.
Top with chopped lettuce, tomato, and scallions.
Add a dollop of sour cream and enjoy.
THE JAMES B. BEAM DISTILLING CO. CELEBRATING ANNIVERSARY WITH NEW VISITOR EXPERIENCES AND EVENTS CALENDAR
Expanded Programming Offers Visitors an Inside Look into the World of Whiskey Making, Beam Family History, and Eight Generations of Craftsmanship as the Clermont Campus Celebrates 90 Years of Craftsmanship.
Behind the Beam
A behind the scenes tour with the First Family of Bourbon, taste our finest whiskies and a few of the most sought-after new releases paired with a Kentucky inspired lunch at The Kitchen Table and storytelling led by a Master Distiller.
James B. Beam Distilling Co., Happy Hollow Road, Clermont, KY
Making America’s Native Spirit isn’t a process. Here in Clermont, it’s a 225-year tradition. Get a glimpse behind the scenes at the production methods that helped the First Family of Bourbon build the World’s Favorite Bourbon and an innovative portfolio of small batch whiskies.
In Behind The Beam, you’ll be guided on a behind the scenes tour of the Fred B. Noe Distillery, bottle your own Knob Creek® Single Barrel Reserve, and enjoy tasting and storytelling led by a Master Distiller. Following the tour, you’ll be treated to some of Beam’s finest whiskies and a few of the most sought-after new releases paired with a Kentucky inspired lunch at The Kitchen Table.
In addition to your tour, tasting, and Kentucky-inspired lunch each experience will highlight a different aspect of the production process or how to utilize Beam Distilling made whiskies in your favorite cocktails.
2024 Behind the Beam Dates & Theme:
Themes:
Behind The Beam – Maturation Matters
Ever wonder what it’s like to go select barrels with a Master Distiller? Join Fred and Freddie Noe on an experience through the historic warehouses of James B. Beam Distilling Co. where you’ll learn the secrets of how time, temperature, and wood impact the World’s #1 Bourbon.
Behind The Beam – Little Book® + Country Ham
When Freddie Noe set out to make his own mark on the bourbon industry, he wanted to honor his grandfather Booker by creating a product with one attribute in mind: Flavor. Little Book™ was born with the goal of creating the most flavorful American Whiskey on the planet, using a variety of bourbons, ryes, and single malt whiskeys in the final blend.
Join Freddie Noe as he takes you through the process of blending a new batch of Little Book and taste Little Book against other traditional bourbons to showcase the contrast and what blending can do to elevate flavors. After, you’ll join Freddie to showcase how his innovative flair extends to a family heirloom: Freddie’s country ham. Whether it be in bourbon or cooking, the Beam family has always pushed the boundaries of flavor.
Behind The Beam – Cocktails
Fred and Freddie love nothing more than using Beam bourbons to make libations the world over. Yet with so much mixology experience, what are the favorite cocktails of the Master Distillers of the First Family of Bourbon? An immersive mixology experience in which you’ll explore which cocktails pair best with Beam Distilling brands.
2024 Behind the Beam Dates & Theme:
- Thursday October 24th, 2024 – Little Book® + Country Ham
- Thursday November 21st, 2024 – Maturation Matters
- Thursday December 12, 2024 – Crafting Cocktails
- Time: 4 hours
- Price: $350
- Must be 21+ to participate
- Drink Smart®
Celebrating 5 Years of Cincoro Tequila at Star-Studded NYC Event
Cincoro Tequila, an award-winning portfolio of tequilas, celebrated its five-year anniversary with its five legendary founders and Team Cincoro co-owners last night in New York at Spring Studios. The intimate evening took a look back at the past five years of success and the exciting future for the brand, including an unveiling of its limited-edition Añejo Cristalino.
“Five years ago, we set out to create an exceptional brand and achieve the gold standard in tequila,” said Cincoro Tequila Co-Founder Michael Jordan. “What started as a passion project has grown into something truly special with some of my closest friends joining the business and enjoying Cincoro together, whether it’s stateside or around the world.”
The star-studded evening included VIPs Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Eric Church, Michael Strahan, and more. Guests were greeted upon arrival with specialty cocktails such as an Espresso Martini and Cristalino Margarita, passed hors-d’oeuvres, and an opportunity to taste Cincoro’s core five expressions.
Then attendees were invited to witness the unveiling of Cincoro’s limited-edition Añejo Cristalino with an infinity room experience complete with a mirrored bar and photo moment. In this space, guests were able to enjoy a pairing of the Cristalino served neat alongside Petrossian Caviar. As the evening progressed, attendees mixed and mingled in the lounge area of the venue while indulging in bottle service with the limited-edition Cristalino.
“Being a part of this journey has been incredibly rewarding. I’m passionate about quality and excellence in everything I do, and that’s exactly what we strive for with Cincoro,” said Cincoro Tequila Co-Owner and 23-time Grand Slam Champion, Serena Williams.
Cincoro Tequila also unveiled their new limited-edition Añejo Cristalino 750mL in an elegant platinum chrome-finished bottle at the anniversary celebration. The Cristalino liquid begins with the meticulous hand-selection of fully matured 100% Blue Weber Agave, sourced from both the Highlands and Lowlands of Jalisco, Mexico.
The expertly distilled liquid is then aged for over 20 months in Tennessee Whiskey barrels, developing the rich character and complexity that defines Cincoro’s Añejo expression. Then the liquid is filtered to remove the color, while accentuating the vibrant notes of citrus, agave, and fruit, resulting in a sublimely smooth spirit with a rounded mouthfeel and lasting impression. The limited-edition Cristalino bottles will be available for purchase online at Cincoro.com and in retail stores in mid-September.
Cincoro Tequila was launched in 2019 by five NBA legends: Jeanie Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers, Wes Edens of the Milwaukee Bucks, Emilia Fazzalari and Wyc Grousbeck of the Boston Celtics, and Michael Jordan. In five years, Cincoro has won over 29 awards in accredited spirits competitions and is continuing to create the gold standard for greatness in tequila.
For more information on Cincoro’s five-year anniversary or to purchase a bottle of the limited-edition Añejo Cristalino, please visit www.cincoro.com/expression/anejo-cristalino/.
About Cincoro Tequila
In July 2016, five friendly competitors met for dinner and bonded over their shared passion for tequila. After many more adventures together, this group of five founding partners set out with one mission: to create the finest tequila anyone has ever tasted. Cincoro Tequila is uniquely made with 100% Blue Weber agave from private farms in both the highland and lowland regions of Jalisco, Mexico.
The agave is hand-selected and slow-cooked in a small batch process to create the Cincoro signature taste profile. This is the heart of Cincoro: a rich and delicious family of tequilas that are smooth on the palate with a complex, long finish. Cincoro Tequila is a taste experience unlike any other, created to be sipped neat, but also to elevate cocktails. For more information about Cincoro, please visit www.Cincoro.com and @Cincoro.
Cristal Basil Paloma
- 2 oz. Cincoro Añejo Cristalino
- 1 oz. Aperol
- 2 oz. Fresh Grapefruit Juice
- 5 Fresh Basil Leaves
- 2 oz. Soda Water
Glass and Garnish: Grapefruit Ribbon or Rose
Muddle the 5 fresh basil leaves in a shaker, combine all ingredients except the soda water, shake and strain over a highball glass with ice. Top with soda water.
Spicy Margarita
- 1.5 oz. Cincoro Blanco
- .75 oz. Fresh lime juice
- .5 oz. Agave nectar
- ¼ Muddled Jalapeno
Glass & Garnish: Lime (wheel) /black lava salt
Tajin (chili lime spice)
Method: Muddle Jalapeno in shaker, combine ingredients, shake well with ice and pour in a rocks glass with a Tajin rim.
Article: Alabama Peach Bombs
Alabama Peach Bombs https://flip.it/J7ZemC
Bubbles Add to the Fun: Boba POPS Fruit
For those who didn’t read my story in Wednesday’s Herald Palladium, first shame on you, but one of the great new food offerings available online is also one of my fav new drinks. Boba POPS Fruit. the first and only liqueur-filled popping bobas, incorporates the bubble tea concept which is all the rage and takes it over-the-top. Made by Unifying Spirits, Boba POPS Fruit are pearls of vodka and fruit juice that burst when eaten. Available in a variety of flavors and colors–strawberry, raspberry, peach, lychee, blueberry and (in the fall only) pumpkin–they’re Kosher, gluten-free and vegan and can be consumed as is, over ice, ice cream, and tea.
I like to serve them on my patio (small as it is) in cocktail glasses accompanied with charcuterie and cheeses from The Cheese Lady at The Market in downtown St. Joseph, Michigan.
A Flamboyance of Flamingos
- 2oz Gin
- 3/4oz Lemon Juice
- 1/2oz Undiluted Honey
- 1-2 halved Strawberries
- 1 bar spoon Plain Greek Yogurt
- 2-3 bar spoons Strawberry Boba
In a cocktail shaker muddle strawberries with lemon and honey. Once muddled add gin and yogurt, shaking with ice. Double strain in a rock glass over crushed ice. Garnish with fresh cracked black pepper and enjoy.
Recipe courtesy of Mix, Shake, Stir
The Undead Gentleman
“This cocktail is a posh twist on the classic Zombie. Spotted in the Smuggler’s Cove book, I had to give it a try,” writes mixologist who goes by Mix, Shake, Stir on his/her posts. “A fierce tiki drink served up in a fancy coupe? I’m in with pinkies up. My drink is a version of the original as I did not have the original spec of white absinthe, and I used BG Reynolds Falernum instead of Velvet Falernum. My version sure tasted good nonetheless! Classic zombie taste but make it FANCY.”
- 1 dash absinthe
- 1.5 oz blended aged rum
- 1 oz black overproof rum
- 1/2 oz BG Reynolds Falernum @bgreynolds
- 1/2 oz BG Reynolds Cinnamon syrup @bgreynolds
- 1/2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
- 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
- 1 dash angostura bitters
- Garnish: lime and grapefruit twists
Rinse a chilled coupe with absinthe, dump excess. Add remaining ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into prepared glass. Garnish with intertwined lime and grapefruit twists.
Rinse a chilled coupe with absinthe, dump excess. Add remaining ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into prepared glass. Garnish with intertwined lime and grapefruit twists.
Cobra’s Fang
- 1.5 oz Jamaican dark rum
- 0.5 oz overproof Demerara rum
- 0.5 oz falernum @bgreynolds
- 0.5 oz fassionola syrup BG Reynolds
- 0.5 oz fresh lime juice
- 0.5 oz fresh orange juice
- 1 dash absinthe
- 1 dash angostura bitters
Garnish: mint, lime wheel, orange peel snake (optional)
Add ingredients to a blender with 6 oz crushed ice and blend for about 5-6 seconds. Pour into a tiki glass. Garnish with mint, lime wheel, and a vaguely snake-like orange peel.
“I have been itching to try this cocktail which is one of the OG tiki cocktails created by Don the Beachcomber,” writes Mix, Shake, Stir about the recipe above. ‘This one contains a difficult to find ingredient—fassionola syrup. This syrup is made with a variety of tropical fruits including passion fruit, as well as hibiscus. I am grateful to have gotten my hands on the @bgreynolds version which was lovely in this drink. ‘
This drink tastes like a quintessential tiki drink—strong, tropical, and will bite if you’re not careful. Cobra’s fang indeed!
Rosemary Bourbon Twist
Servings 2 cocktails
Equipment
- 2 Old Fashioned glasses
Ingredients
- 4.5 oz Bourbon
- 3 oz Peach Boba POPS
- 2 oz Lemon Juice
- 2 oz Simple Syrup
- 4 dashes Aromatic Bitters
- 4 sprigs Rosemary
- 2 Lemon Slices (garnish)
- Combine the Bourbon, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Bitters, and 2 sprigs of Rosemary in a cocktail shaker without ice.
- Muddle the Rosemary with the mixture for about 30 seconds.
- Add ice to the cocktail shaker and shake for about 25 seconds.
- Strain equal amounts into the two Old Fashioned glasses (neat or over ice).
- Top each glass with 1.5oz Boba POPS.
- Garnish each glass with a sprig of Rosemary and a Lemon Slice.
