My Carolina Kitchen

Toasted Pecans – a Quintessentially Southern Cocktail Nibble

2012-01-26T06:52:00.001-05:00

Mention toasted pecans or cheese straws and all of a sudden I’m magically whisked to the South. Both are quintessentially southern appetizers served at parties throughout the South before dinner as cocktail nibbles with drinks. Why it wouldn’t be a party down south without them.

This recipe is from a delightful new cookbook – Southern My Way, Simple Recipes, Fresh Flavors, written by Gena Knox. I grew up in the south, but I also support a healthy diet and lifestyle. There’s more to life than fried chicken and butter, butter, butter. And Gena proves it with her modern take on southern classics.

I can’t wait until peach season so I can try her Georgia Caprese Salad, a southern spin on the Italian classic Caprese salad, made with fresh local peaches. Herbed salmon with cucumber salad looks particularly healthy and the recipe was inspired by a classic cookbook that’s been a favorite of southern cooks for ages – Charleston Receipts.

Now back to the pecans and some tips. Buy the freshest available. When I was a girl my sister and I picked pecans off of the ground from the trees in the backyard and our parents shelled them with a big old fashioned contraption that doubled as a door stop. Now I buy the current crop from Georgia. Remember that nuts can burn very, very easily when you’re toasting them, so keep a good eye on them and don’t wander too far from the kitchen while they’re in the oven. Also, toasted pecans are very, very addictive. Make plenty – some for the cook to nibble and lots for your guests. They can disappear from the cocktail table “before you turn around” as they say down south.

Southern Toasted Pecans

Adapted from “Southern My Way” by Gena Knox – yield about 4 cups

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste

1 pound fresh pecan halves, preferably from Georgia – they’re the best

Large grain sea salt or French fleur de sel for dusting the pecans when they’re taken right out of the oven

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Combine melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Pour the butter mixture over the pecans and toss well to coat. Spread the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, taking care to leave them in a single layer. Roast the pecans on the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes and checking to see that they are not burning, until pecans are toasted to a light brown. Each time you stir, be sure they are in a single layer again.

When they are done, remove from the oven and spread on wax paper. Dust the pecans with a healthy sprinkle of grainy sea salt or French fleur de sel and let cool. Store pecans in an airtight covered container at room temperature.

As I said, they're addictive, so make more than you think you need. Especially if you or your husband have a tendency to nibble before the guests arrive as we are inclined to do from time to time.

Speaking of addictive, I’ve become addicted to Pinterest. Pinteret is a virtual pinboard that allows you to organize and share all of the fabulous things you find on the web. I’ve had great fun viewing pinboards created by others, browsing for decorating ideas for our condo or new healthy recipes to try. As you might imagine, my pinboards include fabulous dining rooms, “to die for” kitchens, southern style porches and verandas, and of course some great food thrown in. Come join the party – there’s a red link in the sidebar to the right.

Southern style porch via Pinterest

Pinterest is as addictive as a bowl of southern toasted pecans, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. This recipe for toasted pecans will be linked to Miz Helen’s Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday and Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum. Pull up a chair and join us.

Dreaming of the South of France and Seafood Stew

2012-01-19T06:48:00.001-05:00

Lately I’ve been daydreaming about the South of France and my thoughts turned to the fragrant bouillabaisse that we shared with friends at a bistro in the Vieux-Port area of Marseille several years ago. Unfortunately I happen to be far from the steps of the Mediterranean Sea at the moment, so I’m unlikely to find the variety of fish that is abundant there. But I’m not letting that stop me from making a fish stew.

I normally use a mild flavored white fish, such as halibut in this stew. However, we eyed a bag of assorted octopus, cuttlefish and squid in the frozen seafood section of our local market the other day and decided to use it instead. It was a success and we will definitely use it again when we can get our hands on it. However, don’t let not finding that seafood assortment stop you from making it. It’s a terrific stew no matter what kind of mild fish you find in your market. Maybe you'll even dream of Marseille.

Seafood Stew
Adapted from Pierre Franey’s Low Calorie Gourmet – serves 6

3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
½ cup chopped fennel (excluding the leaves)
½ cup peeled and chopped carrot
½ cup chopped leek, cleaned, white part only
1 dried hot red pepper, crushed
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chopped canned whole tomatoes
2 cups water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound bag of frozen mixed seafood containing octopus, cuttlefish and squid – or - if unavailable, 1 pound boneless white-fleshed, nonoily fish such as halibut, striped bass or red fish, cut into ¾” cubes
1 tablespoon Pernod, Ricard, or any other anise flavored liqueur (optional, but will impart the flavor of the South of France and Marseille)
½ pound small scallops
½ pound shrimp, preferably wild caught, peeled and deveined
18 mussels
18 small to medium sized clams
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat the olive oil in a kettle and add the onion, garlic, fennel, carrot, and leek. Cook the vegetables until they wilt, taking care not to burn the garlic.

Add the crushed hot pepper, bay leaf, thyme, wine, tomatoes, water, and Pernod if using.

Bring the mixture to a boil and add the salt and pepper. Cover the kettle tightly and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the frozen seafood mixture (or the fish) along with the Pernod if using and cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Add the scallops, shrimp, mussels, and clams. Cook for another minute or two until the mussels and clams have opened, discarding any that do not open. Take special care not to overcook the seafood.

Sprinkle the stew with the parsley and serve immediately with crusty toast fingers or a French baquette to soak up the briny juices of the stew.

Here’s to dreaming of seafood from the Mediterranean Sea and the South of France. Bon Appetit!

I will be linking this seafood stew to Miz Helen’s Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday and Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Chicken Scarpariello Recipe

2012-01-13T15:31:00.001-05:00

As Chef Emeril would announce at the beginning of his “Emeril Live” cooking show on the Food Network, “Stuart is in the house.” By way of introduction, Stuart is my brother-in-law, a gourmet with extraordinary good taste, and will be our special chef of the day. If you love Italian food, I promise you’re in for a treat.

Whereas I tend to favor French food, Stuart on the other hand loves Italian. All of his married life, he’s lived in close-in Long Island and dined more times than I can keep track of in some of New York City’s finest Italian restaurants, including Mario Batali’s award winning Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca in Greenwich Village. Recently he and his wife retired and relocated near us in the mountains. While we were home recently he prepared one of his Italian favorites for us as the very first guests in his new home – Chicken Scarpariello.

Chicken Scarpariello is an Italian dish and means “chicken shoemaker’s style,” because a cobbler might have eaten this dish. However, my research confirms that Scarpariello may have also been a testament to the resourcefulness of Italian immigrant cooks who managed to achieve the seductive flavors of their homeland from the few ingredients they found in America.

Many recipes for this dish call for a whole frying chicken, but Stuart used chicken thighs for their depth of flavor and ease of serving. It’s a dish perfectly suited to serving family style at the table, as the photo shows below. Grazie Stuart for being our chef of the day and I hope you’ll bless us with more of your delicious Italian food in the future.

Chicken Scarpariello
Adapted from Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen – serves 6

12 chicken thighs with bones and skin (2 per person)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed
½ pound sweet (also called mild in some markets) Italian sausage (preferably without fennel seeds), cut into 1-inch pieces
10 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 pickled cherry peppers, cut in half and stemmed
¼ cup red-wine vinegar
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs, then season generously with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add to the skillet as many pieces of chicken that will comfortably fit without touching, skin side down, taking care not to crowd the skillet. You will most probably need to do brown the chicken in batches. Cook the chicken, turning as necessary, until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes.

The secret to gold-brown chicken pieces is to leave them be as they cook. They will brown better if you aren’t constantly turning them or checking on their progress.

Remove chicken pieces as they brown, and drain them briefly on paper towels. Place the drained chicken thighs in a roasting pan large enough to hold all of them in a single layer. Repeat the cooking with the remaining chicken, adding more oil to the pan as necessary and adjusting the heat to prevent the bits that stick to the pan from overbrowning. As room becomes available in the skillet after all of the chicken has been added, tuck in pieces of sausage and cook, turning until browned on all sides.

Remove chicken and sausage from the pan, add garlic, and cook until golden, being careful not to burn it. Scatter the cherry peppers in the skillet, season with salt and pepper and stir for a minute. Pour in the vinegar and bring to a boil, scraping into the liquid the browned bits that stick to the skillet, and cook until the vinegar is reduced by half. Add the white wine, bring to a boil, and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the roasting pan and stir to coat. Place the chicken in the oven and roast, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and sticky, like molasses, about 10 minutes. If the sauce is still too thin place the roasting pan directly over medium-high heat on the stovetop and cook, stirring until it is reduced about a minute or two. Once the sauce is thickened, toss in parsley and serve.

Buon Appetito from my featured chef of the day, my brother-in-law and good friend Stuart.

This recipe will be linked to Miz Helen’s Country Cottage Full Plate Thursday and Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum. Won’t you join us?

Potage Parmentier - French Leek & Potato Soup

2012-01-04T06:52:00.002-05:00

Potage Parmentier, better known as Leek and Potato soup, was one of my late father-in-law Jim’s favorite soups and one he prepared almost every week. Jim passed away late this October peacefully in his sleep of natural causes. He missed celebrating his 99th birthday by about five weeks. He was quite the gourmet cook and during his career ate in some of the finest restaurants in Manhattan. Jim stilled lived at home and cooked most of his own meals. He kept his mind sharp doing the New York Times crossword puzzle and reading. He was trim and slim, stopped smoking when the Surgeon General told the world to stop a zillion years ago, and was the picture of good health.

Four generations - 1995

People have asked did Jim know the secret of how stay in good health as you age. He would have probably told you no, but I’ll share some of my observations of his eating habits that I think contributed to his good health. His style of eating was very similar to the Europeans, in that he enjoyed the art of dining, always had his meals at the dinner table, and sipped a glass of wine during conversations at dinner at a leisurely pace. His diet was well balanced, he didn’t eat “on the run,” never ate in-between meals or indulged in snacks or junk food, and would not eat anything that did not taste good even if it was a food he enjoyed. As an example, recently I prepared a cantaloupe for breakfast for him which I knew he liked and noticed he took only one bite. When I asked why he didn’t finish his cantaloupe, he said, “It didn’t taste good.” I looked down at my own plate and noticed that I had eaten my cantaloupe and just realized when he said it that it really didn’t taste good. An “ah ha” moment for me.

Any dish whose description contains the word “Parmentier” will contain potatoes – a handy thing to know when reading a French menu. Potage Parmentier is named after the Frenchman Antoine Augustine Parmentier, a mid-18th century potato advocate. Julia Child called Potage Parmentier “simplicity itself” in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It’s also a very versatile soup base. For instance, just add watercress and voila, you have watercress soup. Chill it and you have vichyssoise. It doesn’t get much simplier than that.

Potage Parmentier – French Leek and Potato Soup
Adapted from Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells

1 pound starchy potatoes, such as Idaho, peeled and cut into a large chunks
2 leeks, trimmed, well rinsed, and julienned
1 quart of water
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
¾ cup heavy cream or crème fraiche
For a garnish: 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon (my personal favorite), chives, or flat-leaf parsley

Combine the potatoes, leeks, and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and add some salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the potatoes and leeks are very soft, about 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes.

Carefully puree the soup in a blender or a food processor (or pass through a food mill). Return to the saucepan. Add the cream and cook over low heat just until heated through. Adjust the salt and pepper and serve garnished with the fresh herb of your choice. Can be kept covered in the refrigerator for several days. Reheat gently. Serves 4 to 6.

This recipe will be linked to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and Miz Helen’s Full Plate Thursday.

Cranberry and Blue Cheese Crostini

2011-12-30T06:49:00.003-05:00

I hope you’ve been enjoying the holidays and have found some time to relax a little. We’ve been on the road between homes and are back in sunny Florida where we’ll ring in the new year.

Our condo is having a little festive get-together around the pool for New Years Eve and I plan to take a Cranberry and Blue Cheese Crostini as an appetizer. The recipe is inspired by my friend Jann of Traveling Food Lady who recently featured a Honey Rosemary Cherry and Blue Cheese Crostini. Jann owns a touring company in Italy & France and has a wonderful blog. She recently took a group of ladies on a fabulous trip where they stayed in four star hotels and spent their time shopping, doing food and wine tastings (among other things) in the hill top villages all over Tuscany. Sounds like a dream trip doesn’t it?

I took Jann’s crostini idea and replaced her cherry mixture with my winey French cranberry sauce, and voila, a super easy holiday appetizer.

You could also serve the crostini as a chic little first course to a grander meal. My French cranberry sauce recipe has appeared several times on my blog and all you need to complete the recipe is to toast some slices of a crusty French baguette, top the toast with fresh arugula, then a dab of cranberry sauce, and finish with a slice of good blue cheese and a crank of freshly ground black pepper. A little more cranberry sauce doesn't hurt on top either. For a festive touch, garnish with a sprig of holly from your garden or the florist.

I hope 2012 brings each of you good health, much happiness, and lots of delicious food. This year, as always, I will be making the same two New Year’s resolutions I make every year:

1 – Remember to think before speaking. Feelings are everywhere – be gentle.
2 – Do not eat anything in the kitchen while standing up. (Excludes tasting while I cook of course!)

Happy 2012 everyone. I’m curious - do you make new years’ resolutions or do you say forget it, they’re not worth it?

From the archives - Ideas on how to Ring in the New Year with Good Luck

I will be linking this recipe to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound.

There’s no place like home for the holidays

2011-12-21T06:36:00.000-05:00

There’s no place like home for the holidays. Season's greetings to you and your family from the beautiful mountains of North Carolina where pretty rural stone barns on farms such as this one all decked out for Christmas still dot the landscape.

Merry Christmas

Joyeux Noël

Felix Navidad

Froehliche Weihnachten

Buone Feste Natalizie

Happy Hanukkah

From My Carolina Kitchen

Sam & Meakin

Clementine Galette

2011-12-14T06:45:00.001-05:00

Clementines are a cute little type of mandarin oranges that were developed in Spain. They are seen in markets from November until March. Although they are grown in other places, I believe the ones from Spain are the most flavorful.

The first time I tasted a Clementine I was in line at a check-out counter in a supermarket at Christmas time. The man behind me had a box of Clementines in his cart. The line in front of me was long and for some reason that I can’t remember now, I turned to him, pointed to the box of little oranges in his cart and asked, “Are those good?”

“You’ve never tried one?” he asked with a surprised look on his face. He turned and, with his fingers, ripped a little hole in the mesh covering the Clementines and took one from the wooden crate and proudly handed it to me. “Try this,” he said. “Clementines are one of my very favorite Christmas fruits and I promise you that you will always remember the first time you tasted a Clementine.”

He was right and since that day every year I look forward with great anticipation to my first sighting of the bright blue boxes with mesh covering the little sweet orange Spanish Clementines around the holiday season. Most of the time we peel them with our fingers as you would a Navel orange and eat the segments out of hand. I especially like them with dark chocolate as a simple dessert. Here I’ve used them in a Galette over tart raspberry jam. I took a short cut and used a purchased pie crust, but homemade would be even better. Next time I’ll put the Clementines a little closer together. As you can see in this close-up below, by the time they finished baking they were further apart than I would have liked.

If you’ve never tasted a Spanish Clementine, give them a try and maybe you too will remember your first taste as fondly as I do. If they are already one of your favorite seasonal fruits, here is just one more way to enjoy them during their short winter season.

Clementine Galette
Adapted from The Fresh Market – Serves 4

4 – 5 Spanish Clementines
1 store-bought pie crust or homemade crust, brought to room temperature
2 tablespoons of a good raspberry jam
2 tablespoons Turbinado sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slice the tops and bottoms off of the Clementines and set them on one of the cut surfaces. With a sharp knife, cut the peel and pith off in downward strips around each Clementine to reveal the flesh. Cut into 3 thin slices across the width, making round wheel slices. Remove any seeds. Sprinkle the Clementines with the Turbinado sugar on both sides, taking special care not to allow the slices to fall apart (which they will want to do), and set aside.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and unroll pie crust on top of the paper. Spread an even layer of the jam on top, making sure to leave a two-inch border from the edge. Lay the Clementine slices over the top of jam. Fold dough edges over and brush folded dough with the melted butter, then sprinkle the entire galette with more Turbinado sugar. Bake for about 25 – 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown and center is bubbling.

This recipe will be linked to the fabulous Foodie Friday party hosted by Designs by Gollum. Enjoy this stunning live poinsettia tree at the Bell Tower Shops in Fort Myers, Florida.

Apologies for the photos. We don't have our normal computer, but hopefully we'll be back to normal soon. Who knew you should have a spare.

Start your morning off right with this 3 ingredient Cranberry Maple Syrup

2011-12-06T06:50:00.004-05:00

If you are as fond of cranberries as I am, you will love this recipe for cranberry maple syrup. The tartness of the cranberries is offset with the sweetness of the maple syrup, making this a very versatile year-around syrup for pancakes. With only 3 ingredients, it couldn't be more simple.

I actually hoard cranberries in my freezer and use them throughout the year. For this recipe frozen cranberries work just as well as fresh ones. Be sure to use the best quality maple syrup you can find, because the imitation syrup, to my taste, has a faux flavor and not worth using.

I’ve served the syrup over cornmeal pancakes, but use any pancake you like. Wattles would also be delicious. If you are looking for a homemade gift idea, the deep ruby red syrup would be very festive in a pretty glass jar tied with a holiday ribbon.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Maple Syrup
Coastal Living Magazine – yield 1 cup

¾ cup pure maple syrup
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, divided
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Bring maple syrup and 3/4 cup cranberries to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 3 minutes or until cranberries pop. Crush cranberries in saucepan using a spatula or potato masher. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup cranberries; simmer just until they begin to pop (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat, add butter, and stir until melted. Keeps well covered in the refrigerator.

Cornmeal Pancakes
Adapted from Joy of Cooking – yield twelve 4” cakes

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon sugar
1 cup boiling water
1 large egg
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral flavored oil
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Combine the cornmeal, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over the mixture, stir will, cover and set aside for 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, milk, and oil until combined. After 15 minutes, add the cornmeal mixture from above and stir until smooth.

Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Stir into the hot cornmeal mixture. If the mixture seems a little thick, stir in a bit of milk.

Heat a pancake griddle or 12” lightly oiled skillet until hot. Drop the pancake batter by spoonful’s onto the griddle. When the pancakes begin to bubble in the center and start to dry around the edges, turn and cook until done. The second side takes only about half as long as the first side and never browns as evenly, so serve them first side up.

Remove the cakes from the griddle and keep warm in a pre-heated 200 degree F oven while you make the remaining cakes. Do not stack the cakes or they will become soggy. When all of the pancakes are done, serve immediately.

This recipe will be shared with Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Waterside Shops in Naples, Florida. I hope you’ll enjoy this glimpse of the lovely holiday decorations among the swaying palm trees and beautiful water fountains at this very classy, best-in-class shopping destination that features such stores as Nordstrom, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Salvatore Ferragamo, Guicci, Cartier, De Beers, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Whoever said you can't get in the holiday spirit in sunny Florida hasn't been to the Waterside shops.

Ambrosia, a Quintessential Southern Dessert

2011-11-28T06:43:00.001-05:00

As a child of the Deep South, ambrosia was always among the desserts my grandmother served at her holiday table. According to Greek and Roman mythology, ambrosia is food of the Gods.

An internet search revealed there are a lot of different ambrosia recipes, some containing apples, pineapple, sour cream, Cool Whip, marshmallows, or pudding. The Deep South Southern ambrosia I recall from my youth was a simple dessert consisting of seasonal winter citrus, such as oranges and grapefruit, garnished with flaked coconut. This is my best recollection of my Nanny’s ambrosia. The addition of the dried cranberries and a splash of Grand Marnier are my own. It's best served during the winter months when citrus fruits are at their peak. Even after all these years, my grandmother's recipe is timeless and contemporary.

Serve in your finest crystal bowl, or as I did in this case, a bowl from Meakin’s mom’s Early American Feather Glass collection. Food of the Gods deserves the best.

Southern Ambrosia
Serves 6 to 8

3 ruby red grapefruit
6 – 7 Navel oranges
A small handful of dried craisins (dried cranberries), optional
½ cup flaked sweetened coconut or more to taste
Splash of Grand Marier, optional
Fresh mint for garnish

With a sharp knife, remove the peel of the grapefruit and oranges and discard. Over a large bowl, remove the individual sections (called supremes) of the citrus with a knife, letting the juices and the sections fall into the bowl. Drain the juices and save for breakfast or cook’s treat.

Soak the dried craisins if using in a bit of hot water to plump, then drain well. Add the craisins to the citrus supremes, along with about a half cup of flaked, sweetened coconut or to taste. I added a splash of Grand Marnier for extra flavor, but it’s neither traditional nor necessary. Add a sprig of fresh mint for garnish, or julienne the mint at the last minute and add just before serving.

I will be joining the festivities at Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable with this recipe. I hope you'll join us there.

Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

2011-11-19T06:58:00.001-05:00

French Cranberry Sauce

It’s been a wild and crazy week. Between dashing to appointments with a very talented decorator at Pottery Barn (a fabulous experience by the way) and pulling the condo together for the season, I don’t feel like we’ve even stopped to catch our breath. What a shame too because the weather in south Florida in November is absolutely delightful. Not too cold, not too hot, and the traffic isn’t enough to make you want to pull your hair out just yet.

Last night I had a little panic attack when I realized next Thursday is Thanksgiving. As usual Meakin’s advice is right on. “Don’t worry,” he said, “just rely on our old standards, which is what most people prefer for Thanksgiving anyway.”

And so it is. We’ll have a traditional oven roasted turkey, a French cranberry sauce simmered in red wine that I’ve made for thirty years, a version of my mother’s Southern cornbread dressing, and baby English peas with butter and rosemary. Dessert will be Bahamian sweet potato pie spiked with a healthy dash of dark rum for an island twist. Simple enough and easy to pull off. Besides, our favorite Thanksgiving food is really a turkey sandwich shared between the two of us before we turn off the lights in the kitchen and go to bed Thursday evening.

On Friday I’ll make one of our favorite fall soups – pumpkin squash, which is what I did last year. It can be made ahead and slowly reheated after a Friday morning shopping spree if you’re so inclined to visit the malls. You most definitely won’t find us there. My first career was in retail management and just thinking about shopping on the day after Thanksgiving gives me a major headache. But for others, it’s exciting to snap up bargains and get your Christmas shopping out of the way early, so I say more power to you. The economy will definitely thank you.

Pumpkin Squash Soup

The details and the recipes can be found by clicking the various links. I’ll be sharing our Thanksgiving favorites with Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable.

What are your plans for Thanksgiving? Are you, like us, serving old favorites or are you spreading your wings and trying some new recipes? Will you be staying home and doing the cooking or are you going to visit family or friends? Whatever you do and wherever you go, we wish you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving.

An Elegant French Green Bean Salad from the Périgueux Region

2011-11-10T06:14:00.002-05:00

November has always been my favorite month in the fall. In the mountains, the leaves have changed, there’s a nip in the air, and it’s cool enough to build a fire in the fireplace. When we lived in the islands, in November the humid days seemed to all of a sudden disappeared and the heat of summer was magically gone and replaced with gentle cooling breezes. The same is true on the Gulf coast of south Florida. November also happens to be the month we were married and that alone is reason enough to love November don’t you think?

I find in the fall I crave what I call “transitional” foods, the kind of foods that bridge the gap between hardy cold weather foods such as braises and stews and light summer entrees. This elegant little French green bean salad is an excellent example of a perfect starter for an autumn dinner.

In southwestern France in autumn the walnuts of Périgord grow in the Dordogne and the Lot regions and during September their markets are full of fresh walnuts. In early October the bulk of the crop is gathered when they fall to the ground and are dried and made into walnut oil, one of the most distinctive flavors of the region. This green bean salad is especially delicious paired with another local specialty of the region, foie gras.

If you can’t find French haricot vert as shown above, slender green beans will work. However, I don’t recommend pole beans. This is a French salad with foie gras, so we want it to look elegant, n’est-ce pas? Walnut oil is available in most supermarkets and specialty stores or substitute a good extra-virgin olive oil. Make sure to store any nut oils in the refrigerator after you open them because they turn rancid if left on a shelf in a warm cabinet just as any fresh nuts will do.

Salade de Périgueux or salade d’haricot vert
Adapted from “The Food of France” by Sarah Woodward

1 pound of French green beans (haricot vert), or any slender green beans, topped & tailed
Sea salt
2 tablespoons walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
A small handful of freshly shelled walnuts, broken in half or crumbled in large pieces
2 ounces foie gras

Bring a saucepan of water to boil with plenty of salt and very gently boil the beans for about 6 minutes. They still should be green and fairly crisp. The exact time will depend on the size and freshness of the beans, so taste regularly.*

As soon as the beans are cooked to your satisfaction, drain them and dress immediately with the walnut oil, lemon juice, and freshly ground black pepper even if you are serving them later. When it’s time to assemble the salad, season with a tiny bit more sea salt, scatter the walnuts over the salad, and top with thin slivers of the foie gras.

*Cooks notes: Take care not to overcook the green beans. They should have a good bite with no discernible crunch and taste “cooked” but definitely not mushy. They can go from cooked to over-cooked very quickly, so it's important to stay close and taste, taste, taste as you go during the final few minutes.

I will be sharing this recipe with Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable.

What I'm reading.

“Touching, thoughtful, hilarious, and exquisite in its observations, French Lessons—Ellen Sussman’s day in Paris with a wonderful collection of characters—is a treat. . . . Très charmant!”

—Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Four Ms. Bradwells

My Carolina Kitchen Celebrates its 3rd Blog Anniversary

2011-10-21T06:52:00.002-04:00

I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who has stayed with me and read my blog along this incredible journey for the past three years. I had no idea when I started blogging what a wonderful experience it would be. I’ve met so many wonderful people and your friendship means the world to me. I also could not have done this without the help of my fabulous husband Meakin, who is my photographer and my best friend in the world.

For those of you who have blogs of your own, you know how scary it can be to push the “publish” button for the first. Fortunately I wasn’t alone when I took the plunge. It was late in October of 2008 when a group of members of the North Carolina Writers Network in western North Carolina attended a workshop on “How to Start a Blog” in the computer room of a local library. The workshop was conducted by Glenda Beall, at the time the Netwest Coordinator for our area. Glenda has two popular blogs of her own, Writing Life Stories and Writers Circle Around the Table. I felt a little out of place surroundedy by poets such as Nancy Simpson and Brenda Kaye Ledford, both who had previously published poetry books. But with group support, we all jumped into the world of blogging together. And the rest, as they say, is history.

I primarily post two kinds of stories – food and travel. Here are a few of the most popular posts during the past three years. Please click on the link to see the original post.

Most Popular Food Posts

Low country Shrimp and Grits

Oven baked Pancake/Popover – known as a Bismark or Dutch Baby - so easy it practically makes itself

French Chicken Marengo à la Provençale

What to serve houseguest for breakfast

Jacques Pepin’s Smoked Salmon Pizza

Barefoot Contessa’s Mexican Chicken Soup & Our Own Homemade Tortilla Strips

Most Popular Travel Posts

Wednesday is Market Day in Saint-Remy-de-Provence in the south of France

Bistros of Provence Part I - Featuring Le Bistrot de Paradou, Patricia Well’s Favorite Bistro

Bistros of Provence Part II

A Virtual Trip by Airplane to Abaco Island in the Northern Bahamas, our old home, for lunch at our favorite restaurant

Highlands, North Carolina - high in the mountains where cool mountain air and natural beauty meet Mother Nature at her finest

Carmine’s Gourmet Market, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

A Tour of Thomas Edison’s winter home in Fort Myers, Florida

Again, thank you and merci beaucoup to each and every one of you for your wonderful support and generous comments. I could not have done without you. I will be taking a short intermission and plan to return in early November.

Cheers! See you soon. I will be linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable.

Cheerwine, BBQ and NASCAR - It's a Carolina Thing

2011-10-15T07:33:00.001-04:00

I wrote this story a couple of years ago for the North Carolina Writer’s Association as one of my contributions to an anthology about North Carolina. Cheerwine, as you’ll read below, is a burgundy color cherry cola drink similar to Dr. Pepper or RC Cola, Coke, or Pepsi. The distribution of Cheerwine has widened through the years and you can often find it where NEHI soft drinks are sold. I’ve read that most Fresh Markets now sell Cheerwine. You can also click the Cheerwine link to see if it available in your area. Feel free to substitute the cola of your choice if you can’t find Cheerwine. This is a versatile BBQ sauce that is good on chicken or pork.

Nothing says Carolina like Cheerwine, BBQ and NASCAR

Cheerwine, first bottled in 1917, is still a popular soft drink in North Carolina. Although this burgundy colored cherry soda with lots of bubbles is the red color of grapes, it doesn’t contain any wine or alcohol. During that era it wasn’t unusual to give it such a name. Other soft drinks of the time, such as ginger ale and root beer, combined a flavor description with the name of an alcoholic beverage. Cheerwine is as much a part of North Carolina culture as BBQ and NASCAR.

BBQ is serious business in North Carolina and there can be heated discussions on which sauce is the best, eastern or western style. Along the coast, easterners insist that their vinegar based sauce is the original American BBQ sauce and, when being served a pulled pork sandwich, it’s not unusual to be asked if you would like slaw on it. On the other hand, high in the western mountains, aficionados prefer a thicker tomato based sauce.

NASCAR and racing have deep southern roots in North Carolina. Well known NASCAR race car driver Junior Johnson, born in rural western North Carolina in 1931, was behind the wheel of his daddy’s pickup truck at eight. When he reached fourteen, he became part of the family business and delivered moonshine throughout the backwoods. Johnson was an aggressive driver and often found himself in the winner’s circle when his fellow moon shiners held informal races in their souped-up delivery vehicles. With a number of unofficial wins under his belt, Junior entered professional stock racing and went on to win forty seven poles and fifty NASCAR Winston Cup series races. In 2000 he was inducted into the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

The heart of NASCAR country is in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1949 NASCAR held its first strictly Stockcar Race at the Charlotte Speedway. Lowe’s Charlotte Motor Speedway, the one and a half mile super speedway, is where most drivers now call home.

Tailgating before the races is part of a rich tradition for NASCAR spectators. Sometimes tailgating parties can last for days as fans gather around for simple, hearty meals cooked and served outdoors and prepared on either elaborate grills towed behind their trucks or the more simple Weber types. Southern-style BBQ meats play a starring role in the camaraderie of this ritual. Meals can range from being served on fancy linen tablecloths with silverware to simple help yourself foods piled high on paper plates. So if you’re headed to a NASCAR tailgating party, whip up a batch of this tasty western style Carolina BBQ sauce using Cheerwine instead of moon shine. Take it along to baste your grilled pork or chicken.

Combine three cups of Cheerwine, one and a half cups of ketchup, one quarter cup of apple cider vinegar with a couple of cloves of chopped garlic, and one teaspoon each of chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano and paprika. Add one quarter teaspoon ground allspice, a couple of healthy dashes of Worcestershire sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Place in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about forty-five minutes or until thickened. Allow to cool. To perk up the flavor, add a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice, hot sauce to taste, and check for salt and pepper. Makes two to three cups. Use to baste pork or chicken during the last fifteen to twenty minutes of grilling. Feel free to add your own special touches. That’s the fun of BBQ - making it your own.

Cheerwine, BBQ and NASCAR. It’s a Carolina thing.

I will be linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable.

Bruschetta with Sautéed Sweet Peppers and Creamy Gorgonzola

2011-10-06T06:32:00.002-04:00

If you’ve been looking for a bruschetta that’s different from the normal tomato topping, look no further. The Barefoot Contessa has come to the rescue with this recipe for sautéed sweet peppers and creamy gorgonzola.

The peppers can be prepared in advance and the bruschetta assembled at the last minute, making it perfect for entertaining. It’s excellent not only as an appetizer, but also for lunch with soup or a salad.

I highly recommend slicing the peppers thinly so they fit on the toasted bruschetta and aren’t inclined to fall off. The creamy gorgonzola can be replaced with a soft, creamy goat cheese if you prefer. The combination of flavors is awesome and not too filling.

Another Barefoot Contessa winning recipe that’s not only beautiful to look at, but delicious as well. Thanks Ina.

Bruschetta with Sautéed Sweet Peppers and Creamy Gorgonzola
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa’s Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
½ teaspoon sugar
Splash of good balsamic vinegar, optional, my addition, not Ina's
1 tablespoon capers, drained
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Crusty French baguette
3 ounces creamy gorgonzola cheese, or creamy goat cheese if you prefer, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a medium non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and cook until soft, about 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar and continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan, then stir for a moment and add the capers, basil, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and give it a final stir. Can be made a couple of hours ahead at this point. Reheat gently when ready to make the bruschetta.

Slice the baguette crosswise into 18 thin round slices. Brush the bread rounds lightly with the olive oil on one side. Arrange them in rows, oil side up, on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and toast in the oven until lightly browned, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Top each toast round with a teaspoon of the pepper mixture. Place 2 small pieces of cheese on top. Return the toast to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes and warm through. Serve right away. Makes 18 appetizers.

I am linking this recipe to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable.

Potato Latkes with Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraiche, and Caviar – or “How to Spoil Someone Rotten”

2011-09-28T05:52:00.006-04:00

You may remember I said last week that while I’m recuperating Meakin was spoiling me rotten. Well, this is what “spoiled rotten” looks like.

Here my loving husband turned the simple potato latke into a decadent treat topped with smoked salmon, crème fraiche, and caviar. Latkes can also be served with applesauce or plain with a salad for lunch. Feel free to substitute sour cream for the crème fraiche if you can’t find it in your market. Or better yet, make your own with this super simple recipe using heavy whipping cream and buttermilk.

Warning. This is a very rich dish, so try not to overindulge. While I can’t claim it’s diet food, the good news is that the latkes are baked, not fried in oil as most recipes call for. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how crisp the latkes are. If you like to do some of the work in advance, the latkes can be prepared ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator overnight and simply reheated in the oven the next day.

“Spoiled rotten” just got a whole lot easier.

Potato Latkes
Adapted from Eating Well

3 teaspoons neutral tasting oil, such as canola
2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled
¾ cup finely chopped red onion (1 medium)
¼ cup all-purpose white flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Set oven racks at middle and lower positions. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare 2 baking sheets by brushing each sheet with 1 teaspoon of the oil.

Using a shredding blade of a food processor or a hand grater, grate the potatoes. Place in a large bowl and add the onions, flour, salt, and pepper. Toss with clean hands to mix well. Add the egg, egg white, and the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, and toss again to mix.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the potato mixture onto the prepared baking sheets and press lightly to form cakes. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Turn the latkes over, switch the position of the baking sheets, and bake for about 5 minutes longer, or until golden brown.

Transfer the latkes to a platter, arranging brown side up, and serve. Makes about 24 latkes. Top as desired, or serve plain. Latkes may be prepared ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Join me later in the week at Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum, Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound, and On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable, where I will link this recipe.

Sweet Bell Peppers with Vinegar and Oregano

2011-09-21T06:13:00.002-04:00

Farmer’s markets and vegetable stands are overflowing with colorful sweet bell peppers this time of the year. There are so many things you can do with them, from roasting in the oven to a quick sauté that I present here. This recipe is one of my standbys when I want something that can be prepared in advance and served at room temperature. Plus it’s gorgeous to look at. The original recipe calls for using only yellow bell peppers, but I couldn’t resist mixing in some red and orange ones for extra piazza.

In the category of good news, last week I was visited by the Fairy Hobmother after leaving a comment on my friend Kim’s blog – Stirring the Pot. The Fairy Hobmother, who represents dishwashers and Appliances Online, granted me a wish with a nice gift certificate to Amazon.com. Thank you Fairy Hobmother. The good news is that the same thing can happen to you. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and the Fairy Hobmother could visit you too.

Sweet Bell Peppers with Vinegar and Oregano
Adapted from Cucina Fresca, Italian Food Simply Prepared by La Place & Kleiman- serves 4

4 yellow sweet bell peppers, preferable a combination of yellow, red, & orange
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried Mediterranean oregano
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh oregano leaves for garnish

Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the stems, seeds, and membranes. Slice into ¾-inch-wide strips. Cook the bell peppers in the olive oil in a skillet, covered, over low heat for about 8 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the peppers from browning. The peppers should have some crunch to them. Add the vinegar, sugar, dried oregano, salt and pepper, and stir. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes, uncovered. Remove to a platter and garnish with fresh oregano leaves if desired. Serve at room temperature.

I will be linking this recipe to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable. Be sure to drop by and get inspired. I know I always do.

In the last week you may have noticed that I’ve been “missing in action” so to speak. For the past two years I have suffered from chronic back pain. Unfortunately there’s no silver bullet or magic operation that can fix my back problems. If there was, I would have been the first to take advantage of it. I am very much of a “can do, get-it-done” kind of person and take charge of problems the moment that they arise with vigor and determination, charging full speed ahead and getting it over posthaste. If only it was that easy this time. The only way to take charge of this kind of back pain is to accept my limitations and learn to live with it. Not an easy pill to swallow for me knowing I can’t do the things I used to do.

The good news is that I am greatly improved from two years ago when I received my diagnosis and it’s all thanks to a wonderful pain management physician and physical therapy. But I still can’t stand or sit for any length of time without pain, which has slowed me down considerably. I also wish I was able to post to my blog more frequently than I do, but as much as I enjoy it, it’s just beyond my capabilities.

To further complicate matters, last week I had a surgery unrelated to my back problem that also came with restrictions. My mother always taught me to do as I was told with no argument (yep, you guessed it - she was a teacher). So I’m being a good girl and following the doctor’s orders. Hopefully I’ll soon be back to normal. Well, as normal as I can be with chronic pain. Thankfully I have my loving husband Meakin taking good care of me and doing a great job of spoiling me rotten. For now I miss visiting your blogs and will drop in as often as I can. In the meantime I’ll be sitting around recuperating and watching the grass grow.

Spicy Grilled Pineapple and Red Onion Salsa

2011-09-14T06:05:00.003-04:00

Like many of you, we try to maintain a healthy life-style through diet and exercise. A comedian was asked if he watched what he ate and quipped, “You bet. I watch every bite when it goes in my mouth.”

Several weeks ago Meakin hit a plateau with his weight loss program and our trainer at the gym suggested that he keep a daily food diary. At first it sounded like a pain to write down every bite you eat and then calculate the calories, but apps and websites have changed all that. Meakin uses My Fitness Pal and what once would have been a chore is now a snap to do. We’ve found that it’s amazing that the simple act of writing down everything you eat makes you much more conscious of what you put in your mouth. My Fitness Pal is a free calorie counter and food diary using an app and a website that sync automatically.

Now, just like the comedian, we watch every bite we eat. But we wanted our bites to be delicious and low in calories, not boring and dull, so we turned to Cooking Light for help. It turns out that most of the Cooking Light recipes are on My Fitness Pal and those that are not are available on-line, making it simple to calculate your calories. As one of my favorite Food Network stars would say, “How easy is that?”

This spicy salsa with grilled pineapple and red onions is a perfect example of recipes that can be found in Cooking Light. The original recipe served the salsa with a grilled pork chop, but we substituted grilled slices of lean pork tenderloin. It would be equally delicious with grilled chicken, or your favorite fish. Enjoy this flavorful salsa and your waistline and the scale will thank you.

Spicy Grilled Pineapple and Red Onion Salsa
Adapted from Cooking Light – serves 4

4 slices of fresh pineapple, about ½” thick each
1 medium red onion, cut into ½” thick slices
Cooking spray, such as Pam
1 tablespoon seeded and minced jalapeno pepper
2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Coat a grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add pineapple and onion and cook about 4 minutes on each side or until onion is tender. Remove both from the pan and coarsely chop. Add to a bowl and toss with remaining 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice and chopped jalapeno pepper.

The opinions expressed here are solely my own and I was not compensated to recommend this. This recipe will be linked to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable. Be sure to drop by and see what’s cooking.

Just so you don't think all we think about is food at My Carolina Kitchen, these pretty Black-eyed Susans have been blooming in our garden in the mountains for quite a while now.

Salmon Smothered with Tomatoes and Basil

2011-09-08T06:34:00.002-04:00

This salmon dish is one of my all time favorites because the best flavors of summer shine through – vine-ripe tomatoes and freshly picked basil. Plus it’s healthy, simple to prepare, and deliciously colorful. Did I mention that it also can be made ahead and is good served warm or at room temperature, making it perfect for a buffet. What more could you want in a recipe?

If you think this dish sounds familiar, it is. I first posted it two years ago and it’s still one of my most popular salmon dishes. It is truly summer at its finest and a wonderful way to say au revoir to my most favorite season of the year.

For the tomatoes I’ve used heirlooms. The deep rich color and flavor of Cherokee Purples have made it my favorite heirloom and if you pair them with little yellow pear-shaped cherries, you have a striking color combination. If you don’t have heirloom tomatoes, don’t let that stop you from making this dish. Any garden fresh tomato will work just fine. This is also the time to use the best salt you can find. French fleur de sel has a lovely crunch that goes well with the winey Cherokee Purples. This is the kind of dish you serve when tomatoes are at their peak of freshness. Otherwise, tuck it away for later. Hot house winter tomatoes just will not do in this. So hurry and make this before all of the summer tomatoes disappear.

Salmon Smothered with Tomatoes and Basil - the flavors of summer
Adapted from “Simply Shrimp, Salmon, and Fish Steaks” by Leslie Grover Pendleton and “The 60 Minute Gourmet” by Pierre Franey

1-2 vine-ripe tomatoes, depending on their size, preferably heirlooms
A handful of yellow pear-shaped cherry tomatoes
Fleur de sel (French sea salt)
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 boneless salmon fillet, about 1 ½ lbs, preferably wild caught
Grape seed oil, or any neutral flavored oil

Dice the tomato, season with fleur de sel salt and pepper and transfer it, along with all of its juices, to a bowl. Add the basil, lemon and 1 tablespoon olive oil and combine well. Let the sauce sit while preparing the salmon.

Preheat the broiler. Line a sheet pan or broiler tray with heavy-duty foil for easy clean-up. Arrange the pieces of salmon, skin side down, in one layer on the pan, drizzle with a little oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the salmon under the broiler about two or three inches away from the source of heat. Broil (on low if you broiler has that setting) about 7 to 10 minutes or just until the pieces are cooked through. It is not necessary to turn the salmon. If it starts to burn, change from broil to bake and bake at 400 degrees until the salmon is done but still a little pink on the inside.

Remove from the oven and, when the salmon cools slightly, carefully slip the skin off with a knife and discard. Slide the salmon onto a platter, what was skin side down, and smother with the tomato and basil mixture. Let it stand for at least 10 minutes to absorb some of the tomato juices before serving. The salmon can stand at room temperature for up to 45 minutes. Serves 4.

This recipe is linked to Fresh Food Friday at La Bella Vita, Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum, and On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable. Be sure to stop by these great blogs. You’ll find lots of inspiration and delicious dishes.

Dinner at the Inn on Biltmore Estate & a Tour of the Antler Hill Farm

2011-09-02T06:22:00.002-04:00

Inn on Biltmore Estate

After we toured the mansion and gardens of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC last week, we returned to the Inn on the grounds where we spent the night and dined in the Estate Dining Room. I can tell you without a doubt that everything about it was beyond our expectations. We enjoyed the same gracious hospitality and pampering as if we were old, personal friends of George & Edith Vanderbilt themselves.

The Inn is in an idyllic setting overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and the Pisgah National Forest. The Pisgah forest land was originally a part of Biltmore Estate until Edith sold nearly 87,000 acres to the federal government in 1915 after George Vanderbilt’s death, creating what now is the Pisgah National Park. Mt. Pisgah in the distance is an elevation of 5,721 feet. Can you imagine once owing a national forest? It is mindboggling and impressive to me. A virtual tour of the Inn, including the beautifully appointed suites, the lovely guest rooms, the spacious lobby and library with a fireplace, and of course the dining room, is available on-line. The architecture is reminiscent of country inns of the late 19th century.

View from the Inn & Dining Room

The dining room at the Inn is luxurious and the service impeccable. It's also a coat-and-tie and little black dress kind of restaurant. Everywhere you go in the Inn they use your name and always seem to be at your beck and call for anything and everything your heart desires.

Meakin started his meal with an appetizer of South Carolina Quail with grilled peach jam atop a black pepper waffle and mache. The waffle was crispy as expected and the surprise bite of black pepper in the waffle batter paired beautifully with the sweet peach jam, the baby lambs lettuce, and southern quail.

South Carolina Quail with Peach Jam on Black Pepper Waffle

As a main course, he ordered Rabbit Pappardelle, which is braised rabbit with tomatoes, prosciutto, olives and charred green onions served over large, broad fettuccine. As you know, if lapin is on a menu, one of us is bound to order it. The lapin was succulent and fork tender and the tomato prosciutto olive sauce brought just the right amount of moistness to the pasta.

Rabbit Pappardelle

Meakin’s choice of wine was from the Reserve List – a Biltmore Pinot Noir. It was a complex, yet elegant Pinot Noir with delicate fruit flavors and reminiscent of a French Pinot Noir. It was so delicious that we brought a few bottles home with us that we picked up at the winery the next day.

He chose a Biltmore Reserve Chardonnay for me because I’m fond of buttery, full-bodied Chardonnays. My entrée was an old classic French dish, Lobster Thermador, made for special occasions that you don’t often see on menus today and needless to say, I was delighted. The stuffed lobster was garnished with a bright green whipped pea puree, and served with a mixed vegetable succotash, and drizzled with a rich, creamy lobster popcorn butter. As you can see, it’s eye-candy on a plate. The tail was stuffed with a generous amount of Maine lobster, lightly seasoned with brandy, French cheese (probably Gruyere), and bread crumbs. It made an outstanding entrée with the buttery Biltmore Reserve Chardonnay wine.

Lobster Thermador

For dessert we shared a beautifully presented goat cheese cheesecake with a blackberry Merlot sorbet, a walnut nougetine, and blackberry jam. It was my birthday and Meakin had requested that they not make a big deal about it, so “Happy Birthday” was scrolled in chocolate above the cheesecake.

Goat Cheese Cheesecake

After dinner we lingered over espressos and brandy and mentioned to our waiter how much we enjoyed the goat cheese cheesecake and that we were hoping to make our own goat cheese at home sometime. All excited, he said he would like to introduce us to Chef Ryba, the Chef de Cuisine, because he makes his own cheeses. We had a delightful conversation with the Chef at our table and he took the time to tell us about how to make cheese and afterwards, he brought a sample of some flavorful, sharp blue cheese that he had made. As we strolled out of the dining room, we remarked to each other that this must be how the Vanderbilt’s guests felt when they retired to their room in the evening in the mansion so many years ago.

The “Field to Table” Program at the Biltmore allows the chefs to prepare the best of what the season has to offer, featuring seasonal produce, wine from their winery, and locally grown ingredients. Much of the produce is grown on the Farm at Antler Hill Village on the grounds of the Biltmore. Antler Hill Farm is a step back in time for a hands-on legacy that was the center of Biltmore’s farming community more than a century ago. The Kitchen Garden produces lettuces, tomatoes, herbs, beans, root vegetables, berries, and squashes. Here’s a look around Antler Hill Farm.

The horse barn and farm exhibit offer a closer look at what life was like for families who lived on the Biltmore Estate in the early 1900’s.

The barn was the social and work center for these families.

It is here that they worked and visited while their children played.

Some were blacksmiths.

Blacksmith Shop

Others worked in the wood shop.

Wood Shop

While others raised livestock, tended crops, or worked in the dairy.

We’ll wander around and see the exhibits of turn-of the-century farm equipment and state-of-the art tractors of the time.

On the farm, meet some chickens, sheep, a donkey, and Belgian draft horses.

A chicken enjoys some sunflower seeds

There is so much to see at the Biltmore Estate and through the years they have added many new attractions and opened more rooms in the mansion to the public. If you have never been or haven’t been in a while, you owe it to yourself to visit if you are in the Asheville, NC area. Christmas at Biltmore Estate is a very special time and also in the spring when 50,000 tulips and over 1,000 azaleas burst into bloom in the garden are a spectacular site to see. Allow a full day or more to tour the mansion, gardens, farm, and winery and be sure to read the tour tips. Our visit ended as we purchased wines and vowed to return soon for a complete tour of the winery – the most visited winery in America.

Wordless Wednesday from Antler Hill Farm at Biltmore Estate

2011-08-31T06:35:00.001-04:00

A Visit to the Biltmore Estate, Gardens, & Kitchens in Asheville, NC

2011-08-26T06:34:00.002-04:00

Biltmore Estate is a French Renaissance style chateau in Asheville, North Carolina and is referred to as “America’s largest home.” The estate sits on 8,000 acres and was built by George Vanderbilt at the height of the Gilded Age in the late 1800’s. Biltmore House is the largest privately-owned home in the United States and presents a detailed portrait of what life was like on a great 19th century grand country estate.

At the end of the 19th century, Asheville was a popular health resort where tourists arrived by train to enjoy the mineral springs and fresh air of the southern Appalachian mountains. One of those people was George Washington Vanderbilt, III, a member of one of the oldest, wealthiest, and best known families in America. He visited Asheville in 1888 as a bachelor with his mother and fell in love with the rugged beauty of the rural mountain setting. George traveled to Europe at age ten and visited Europe, Asia, and Africa numerous times during his adult life. But it was the mountains of western North Carolina that captured his heart.

Since no photos are allowed inside of the mansion, I hope you will enjoy our photos of the Biltmore’s grand Conservatory and the Walled Flower Gardens. Plants and flowers from the garden were important as decorations for the mansion and a special room was set aside in the basement for a floral design staff.

I’ll give you a little history of the building of the Biltmore and then, because this is a food site, some insight about how the Vanderbilt’s and their guest dined and what the kitchens were like.

Conservatory

In the late 1800’s, land in Asheville was inexpensive and George Vanderbilt began purchasing large parcels, eventually owning 125,000 acres. Here he planned to build his estate, one where he would entertain his friends, but also be a showcase for his priceless collections of artwork and furnishing from around the world. He used the large baronies in Europe as an inspiration to build a profitable, self-sustaining estate to rival those of Europe.

To accomplish this monumental task, George hired two prominent Americans. One was architect Richard Morris Hunt, who was responsible for the main façade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty. The other was Frederick Olmstead, known as the founding father of American landscape architecture. Olmstead designed New York’s Central Park and the grounds of the US Capitol. Together with George Vanderbilt, they designed the Biltmore Estate, a marvel of modern technology that rivaled the greatest manor homes in Europe with the finest architecture, landscaping, and interior design American had to offer.

The Biltmore House consists of 4 acres of floor space, 250 rooms, 33 family and guest rooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, 3 kitchens, a gymnasium, and an indoor swimming pool. It also had central heat, electricity, indoor plumbing, and fire alarms – and this was in 1895. The 125,000 acre grounds contained vast wooded forests, farms, a dairy, and horse stables for the estate, a 250 acre wooded park, 5 pleasure gardens, and 30 miles of rambling roadways.

The Vanderbilt’s entertained lavishly and guests would say for weeks at a time. It was the job of Edith, George’s wife, whom he met and married in Paris after he built Biltmore, to plan the activities of the day for their guests and work with the domestic staff for meal planning. Quite a job for a new bride wouldn’t you say.

George & Edith met and married in Paris

Dinner was formal attire, served in Banquet Hall, the largest room in the mansion. Banquet Hall is 72’ x 42’ with a 70’ barrel-vaulted ceiling and has a long oak table that seats 32 with 2 gilt throne chairs for the hosts in front of a huge triple fireplace. Although massive, the room had perfect acoustics. Two people sitting at opposite ends of the dining table can converse without having to raise their voices. A small, more intimate table is also available in front of the fireplace in case the Vanderbilt’s happened to be dining alone. A smaller dining room off of Banquet Hall serves as a breakfast and luncheon room, where a 6-course lunch was served at one o’clock. The Vanderbilt’s dined on gold-rimmed Minton china, and drank from monogrammed French Baccarat crystal glasses.

As was the custom in country estates, the downstairs level, or basement, served three purposes. It contained the recreation areas, such a gymnasium and indoor swimming pool, that were used for the family and their guests. It also housed bedrooms and common rooms for the domestic staff. But it was also where the real work of the house took place and was designed to keep domestic chores out of sight and sound of the Vanderbilts and their guests.

You could compare the Biltmore’s kitchen complex to that of a large hotel and it was designed for maximum efficiency. There are numerous rooms devoted to pantries, including the housekeeper’s pantry, which doubled as storage and an office for the head housekeeper. As extraordinary as it sounds, there were walk-in food coolers at the end of the 19th century. A separate room was provided for a pastry kitchen to keep it away from the heat. A rotisserie kitchen where pheasant, duck, venison, and other animals brought back from shoot parties, were smoked in an iron rotisserie oven, fueled by wood or coal.

Most of the cooking took place in the spacious main kitchen, which was stocked with the latest culinary equipment available. Large numbers of chefs, cooks, and maids turned out everything from the Vanderbilt’s lavish dinners to a cup of tea for a thirsty guest. Meals prepared in the basement kitchens were transported to the first floor Banquet Hall’s butler’s pantry, where they were transferred onto serving dishes. The servants responsible for this chore were called “tweenies” because they brought food between the kitchen and the dining room. Warming carts were sent upstairs from the downstairs butler’s pantry, which had two dumb waiters, one manual and one electric. The butler’s pantry was also used to store and wash china.

I’ll share an interesting little story about the head chef with you. As I mentioned earlier, the basement also housed recreation areas for guests, including a two lane bowling alley, one of the first in a private home. The rear wall of the bowling alley backed up to the head chef’s quarters. If guests bowled late into the evening, the noise from the pins hitting wall of the chef’s room would keep him awake. During the tour we were told that if that happened, guests could expect a cranky chef the next morning at breakfast.

The basement also contained a servants’ dining room, two laundries, a drying and ironing room, and kitchen staff bedrooms. Other female maid’s rooms were on the fourth floor in the main house and the male domestic staff lived on the second floor of the stable and carriage house. Servants received breakfast, dinner, supper, mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks daily, with dinner served at 12 noon. The head chef’s assistant prepared food for the servants and a dining-hall maid served their meals. The dining-hall maid was also responsible for keeping the room clean and maintaining all of the servant’s dishes and cutlery. Their meal typically consisted of a soup course, a meat course with vegetables, and dessert. The staff’s supper was around 5 or 5:30 pm, so they were available to prepare and serve the Vanderbilt’s meals later in the evening.

The Vanderbilt’s were gracious hosts and welcomed family and friends to the Biltmore where great attention was paid to each and every detail. We decided to experience what it was like to be a guest of George and Edith Vanderbilt and actually stay on the Estate. We celebrated my birthday by spending the night at the Inn on Biltmore Estate where we dined in luxury. In my next post I’ll have more about the Inn on Biltmore Estate and our dining experience.

I am linking this to Garden Tuesday at Sidewalk Shoes. Be sure to drop by and see what's growing in gardens this time of the year.

Purple French Heirloom Beans

2011-08-23T06:59:00.002-04:00

Did you know that haircots verts, or little French green beans, come in purple? I didn’t until I found some heirloom French beans at our Farmer’s Market last weekend. The lady I bought them from told me that they have the same texture and taste as a haircots verts except they are purple. They are renowned for tenderness and flavor and their color stands out on the vine.

This is one of those times when I should have done my homework before I attempted to cook something new. I didn’t realize that, like many other purple vegetables, their purple color is only skin deep and will change to green when cooked. You can imagine my surprise when their purple color disappeared as they began to cook. If you want to retain their beautiful color, it is recommended that you serve them raw as part of a vegetable tray.

Nonetheless, this light French bean salad turned out to be a very simple and delicious dish garnished with yellow heirloom pear-shaped tomatoes from our garden and a few red grape tomatoes thrown in for contrast. Heirloom yellow pear-shaped tomatoes are low in acid, delightfully sweet, and are often referred to as “garden candy.”

Green Bean Salad Dressed with a French Vinaigrette
From My Carolina Kitchen

For thin beans and haircots verts Julia Child’s method of cooking is tried and true and never fails me. Julia snaps the ends off the green beans and then plunges them into a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water. Bring the water back to a boil as fast as possible and boil slowly for a few minutes until the bean are tender. Do not walk away while they’re cooking. I taste and test, test, test as I go so I don’t over-cook them. You want a little crunch in the bean. (Julia did not like undercooked vegetables and neither do I.) Their taste should change from raw to sweet and tender when they’re done. Slender haircots verts may take only 3 or 4 minutes to cook. Regular green beans are done in about 6-7 minutes. The secret here, according to Julia, is to use a large amount of water so it will come quickly back to a boil, thus setting the color.

If you are not serving the beans right away, when they’re done plunge them in an ice water bath to retain their color, then drain well.

I dressed my beans with a French vinaigrette and garnished them with grape tomato halves, a little chopped red onion, and slivers of fresh basil. Bon Appétit as Julia would say.

Purple French Heirloom Beans

French Vinaigrette – enough for 4 servings
From My Carolina Kitchen

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (or red wine vinegar)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place all of the ingredients in a jar with a screw-top lid and shake well. This will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. Excellent on mixed green salads.

I am linking this to Garden Tuesday and Fresh Food Friday. Slip on over and see what's growing in other gardens on Sidewalk Shoes and all of the great food featured on La Bella Vita..

Summer Corn and Tomato Salad –A Simple Summer Side Dish

2011-08-19T06:56:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I think side dishes are the hardest for me when it comes to menu planning. I can always come up with the main course, but side dishes seem to fry my brain.

This little corn and tomato salad, augmented with sweet red bell peppers and fresh basil, is the essence of summer and so easy to put together. The hard part is finding really, really fresh corn and vine ripe tomatoes. Fortunately it is just the right time of the year for them here in the states.

I’ve served this as a side dish to grilled steak, but it would also be good with grilled pork tenderloin or chicken. Enjoy fresh corn and tomatoes while you can. Summer is slipping away.

Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad
From My Carolina Kitchen

2 cups fresh corn kernels, about 4 ears
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup grape tomatoes halves
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little more for cooking
2 tablespoons good Spanish sherry vinegar
3 – 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Tiny fresh thyme leaves for garnish

Add a couple of dashes of extra-virgin olive oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high heat on the stove. Add the corn and bell pepper and sauté about 4 – 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Don’t overcook. You want them to retain their crunch. Remove from the heat and put in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients except thyme leaves and stir. Garnish with fresh thyme. Serves 4.

I am linking this to:
La Bella Vita’s Fresh Food Friday
Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable

So take your appetite on over and have a look. You’re guaranteed to come away hungry, and don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The Original Pasta Primavera Recipe – Created By Ed Giobbi

2011-08-16T06:05:00.001-04:00

An interesting story surrounds the origin of pasta primavera. Ed Giobbi, in his cookbook Eat Right, Eat Well – The Italian Way says, “I feel that something should be said about “pasta primavera,” perhaps the most popular pasta recipe in America today and certainly the most misunderstood. I would like to emphasize that the pasta primavera that is so popular in American today is not of Italian origin, but was created in Le Cirque restaurant.”

One of Ed’s claims to fame is that he invented the now well-know dish pasta primavera. Ed tells the story that in 1973 his good friends Chef Jean Vernges and restaurateur Sirio Maccioni visited his home to see if he would contribute a pasta recipe for their new restaurant, Le Cirque, in New York City. He put together a favorite pasta dish of his, “Pasta Primavera,” which was then unknown in New York City. It was a beautifully simple dish of unrefrigerated garden-ripe tomatoes cut into cubes, freshly chopped fresh basil and Italian parsley, very good olive oil, finely chopped garlic, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. and served it over spaghettini.

It turns out that the simple spaghetti dish with garden-ripe tomatoes that Ed whipped up that day for his friends was the forerunner of one of the most popular dishes in America – Pasta Primavera.

When New York’s Le Cirque opened in 1976 and popularized pasta primavera, Craig Claiborne & Pierre Franey called it “by far the most talked-about dish in Manhattan.” However, at least two other people other than Ed Giobbi have laid claim to its creation. In his memoir, Le Cirque’s owner Sirio Maccioni gave credit to his wife, and Chef Jean Vergnes, who doctored Giobbi’s version with cream and vegetables for the 4 star restaurant. It’s interesting to note that despite Chef Vergnes’ claim of inventing pasta primavera, he was said to hate it so much that he forced his cooks to make it in the restaurant’s hallway. Here is Le Cirque’s pasta primavera recipe, including all 10, as the New York Times calls them, pain-in-the-neck steps.

I have made Ed Giobbi’s original simple pasta primavera using three different colored vine ripe, locally grown heirloom tomatoes. In his cookbook Ed gives three recipes for pasta primavera. In one he recommends blending the tomatoes in a food processor so the spaghetti will be easier to twirl with your fork and at the same time pick up some of the tomatoes and basil. If you want to make it easier to eat, use any ordinary garden fresh tomatoes instead of the heirlooms. In my opinion whirling precious heirloom tomatoes in a food processor would be akin to putting a Chanel suit in the washing machine.

Ed Giobbi’s Pasta Primavera with Heirloom Tomatoes
Adapted from Eat Right, Eat Well – The Italian Way by Edward Giobbi –Serves 2, easily doubled

½ pound thin spaghetti
Kosher salt for the pasta water
1-1/2 to 2 cups fresh garden-ripe heirloom tomatoes, at room temperature
2 small cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons slivered fresh basil, plus a few small leaves for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
Fleur de Sel (French sea salt) or any good fine grain sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Boil pasta in salted water, following package directions.

In the meantime, cut the tomatoes into slices parallel to the stem and discard the stem. Cut the tomato slices into ½” cubes and place in a colander to drain. About 2 to 3 minutes before the pasta is done, place the drained tomatoes in a large bowl with the remainder of the ingredients and stir very gently. Be sure to treat the heirloom tomatoes with care. They tend to bruise easily.

When pasta is cooked al dente, drain well by shaking the pasta in a colander so that all of the water drains off. In a large bowl, toss the hot spaghetti with the raw tomato sauce and serve immediately. Pass additional Fleur de Sel and freshly ground black pepper at the table.

Cooks note: Only make this when tomatoes are at their peak of freshness.

I am linking this to
Fresh Food Friday at La Bella Vita
Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable

Drop by and sample all of the goodies. You won't be dissappointed.

Gazpacho Soup Plus Some Variations

2011-08-10T06:37:00.003-04:00

Cold gazpacho soup makes a light and refreshing lunch on these sultry summer days when you’re craving something healthy and don’t want to heat up your kitchen. If you’ve been reading My Carolina Kitchen for a while, you may remember the gazpacho soup that I prepared for a guest appearance on Lazaro Cooks a while back. I decided to do a re-run of it plus some variations because it’s one of our very favorite soups and it deserves its own place here at home in my stable of recipes.

Did you know tomatoes haven't always been in gazpacho soup? Gazpacho is an ancient soup, believed to have originated with the Arabs, and comprised of only bread, olive oil, water, and garlic. Later the Romans added vinegar. Even though Cortez brought the tomato to Spain in the 16th century, it wasn’t added to the recipe until the 1700s. At the time, the tomato was believed to be poisonous and consequently only grown as a decorative plant. A famine in Italy 200 years later caused starving peasants to eat the tomatoes with no ill effect and the rest, as they say, is history.

From time to time I’ve played around with the basic ingredients in gazpacho, used different vinegars - sherry, rice, balsamic, or combinations, purchased different colored bell peppers, substituted V-8 for the tomato juice, added a fresh jalapeno for heat, and used homemade croutons as a garnish.

I also happen to get bored easily and am always on the look-out for new twists on old favorites. I’ve seen three other gazpacho recipes that sound intriguing: one with pineapple as a base, one with watermelon, and one with mango, which I’ll show you below. But first, here’s a classic chunky gazpacho with a couple of different garnishes that’s our family favorite.

Classic Chunky Gazpacho – Basic Recipe
Adapted from “At Blanchard’s Table” – serves 8

8 plum tomatoes (or 4 large heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes), core removed & cut
into quarters
1 large red bell pepper, seeded & cut into quarters
1 medium seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups tomato juice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons minced red onion

Place the tomatoes into a food processor and pulse until very coarsely chopped but not pureed. Remove from the bowl, and repeat with the pepper & cucumber.

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, oil, and tomato juice. Add the cayenne, salt, pepper and chopped dill to the vinegar mixture. Add the chopped vegetables and minced onion and mix well. Chill and serve cold.

For the seafood theme seen above

Prepare the basic recipe for gazpacho. Serve very cold, garnished with fresh lump crab meat.

For a tropical twist as a garnish

Prepare the basic recipe for gazpacho. Serve very cold, garnished with chopped mango and a sprig of fresh dill.

Mango Gazpacho
Adapted from "Perfect Recipes for Having People Over" by Pam Anderson

2 cups of small diced fresh mango, peeled and seed discarded
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into small dice (about 2 cups)
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into small dice (about ¾ cup)
1 small onion, cut into small dice (about ½ cup)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional, but recommended)
2 cups orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
3 - 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or cilantro or parsley)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well and chill. Serve cold. Garnish if desired with grilled wild-caught shrimp that have been seasoned before grilling with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and sweet smoked Spanish paprika, also known as Pimenton de la Vera.

The two variations below are also from Perfect Recipes for Having People Over by Pam Anderson

Pineapple Gazpacho

Substitute pineapple for the mango and pineapple juice for the orange juice in the Mango Gazpacho recipe above.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Substitute small diced seeded watermelon for the mangos and use a yellow bell pepper for the red one in the Mango Gazpacho recipe above..

Tasting note: Although the mango gazpacho was very refreshing and the multi-colors of the various ingredients looked spectacular in the bowl, the tomato based gazpacho will always be our favorite. In fact when I asked my husband the question I always ask when we try a new recipe, “Would you have this again?” he said no. When I asked why, his answer was, “I just don’t like it.” I’m curious. Have you ever made gazpacho with unusual ingredients and what did you think of the results?

I am linking this to:
On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable
La Bella Vita’s Fresh Food Friday
Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

So take your appetite on over and have a look. You’re guaranteed to come away hungry, and don’t say I didn’t warn you.