Southern Protocol

Bon Appetit has been on a roll lately with their recipes. A handful of featured dishes in the March 2010 issue will be insanely helpful to the busy mom, no-fuss cook, or tired-at-the-end-of-the-day employee: one dish dinners.

I admit that I am a sucker for pictures of recipes, both in Bon Appetit and any cookbook I own. If it doesn’t have a picture, it’s not as likely to grab my attention. This week’s Taste of the Week had a picture that about made me grab my keys and head to the store for necessary ingredients – a delicious twist on eggs baked in a spicy tomato sauce (this recipe is also healthier, thanks to the addition of artichoke hearts and potatoes).

Eggs in Purgatory with Artichoke Hearts, Potatoes, and Capers (4 servings)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1.5 cups chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
Coarse kosher salt
1 8-10 ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted)
8 ounces red-skinned or white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons drained capers
8 large eggs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion, chopped thyme, and crushed red pepper; sprinkle lightly with coarse kosher salt and saute until onion is tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add artichokes and minced garlic; stir 1 minute. Stir in diced tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover skillet and simmer 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, cook potatoes in small saucepan of boiling salted water just until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Add potatoes and capers to tomato-artichoke sauce; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper.

DO AHEAD: Tomato-artichoke sauce can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm sauce before continuing.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour tomato-artichoke sauce into 13×9x2-inch glass baking dish. Using back of spoon, make 8 evenly spaced indentations in sauce for holding eggs. Crack 1 egg into each indentation in sauce (some of eggs may run together slightly in spots). Bake until egg whites and yolks are softly set, 12 to 16 minutes. Carefully remove baking dish from oven; sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over and serve.

Enjoy!

I know we’ve already done the Cocktail of the Month, but I ran across this picture-perfect cocktail on a Southern Protocol favorite website, Glam.com. How absolutely hilarious are those bow ties?! Instead of grabbing the same old-same old bottle of wine this Sunday night, try this much more festive option and you’ll really impress your guests.

Gold Dusted Black Licorice Martini
2 parts vanilla vodka
1 part Black Sambuca

Shake with lots of ice, strain. Garnish with black licorice and gold dust (which can be found at any craft store in the baking section). And of course you HAVE to decorate them with the black bows, which can also be found at any craft store. Cheers!

More and more articles are written these days promising that you don’t have to drop serious cash to get a decent bottle of wine. Especially when many people are being a bit more attached to their pocketbooks, this is a great thing!

A great example of a bargain wine that a friend just turned me onto is Red Diamond. The Washington winery prides itself on creating bold wines in an approachable style. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is a new favorite of mine – and I am not even a big red wine drinker. Red Diamond describes its popular cab as “aromas of cassis and licorice with hints of leather that precede a rich, velvety-textured palate of red fruit jam and a sweet touch of toasty oak on the long finish.”

That’s a long, detailed explanation that sounds fabulously fancy – I just think it tastes good! And the best part? It can be found in most regular grocery stores, and only costs around $11 or $12. Cheers!

These particular coasters have popped up in gift boutiques and home decor retailers across the country, and they make the perfect conversation starter while simultaneously protecting your mahogany coffee table!

The flimsy material coasters have vintage photographs that look like they were just pulled from your great aunt’s albums, matched with hilarious taglines. The two in the picture above read “You kids put that homework away! These cocktails aren’t gonna refill themselves.” and “you’re just like your mother, except your mother has morals.” Love it.

The widest variety I’ve seen is on mikwright.com, and the website has an ENORMOUS amount of other hilarious odds and ends. These coasters are such a funny, cute way to add some personality to your home – and the perfect gift for any hostess!

It’s the month of leprechauns! I realize much more happens in March than the March 17th holiday, but Irish culture is so rich and fun that I thought a taste of the week honoring it would be perfect. I have always loved Irish Soda Bread, and love it even more when it is a recipe with raisins. As it turns out, a recipe with raisins is not technically traditional Irish Soda Bread (that version is called Spotted Dog), but it’s just so tasty I wanted to use it anyway!

Irish Soda Bread with Raisins (courtesy of Cathy Lowe)
-2 cups flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-1.5 tablespoons sugar
-6 tablespoons solid shortening (Crisco recommended)
-2/3 cup raisins, brown or golden or mixed
-2 teaspoons caraway seeds
-1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and sugar. Using a pastry blender or just your fingertips, work the shortening into the flour until the consistency is the same as that of small peas. Stir in the raisins and caraway seeds and mix to distribute evenly. Gradually stir in buttermilk, 1/4 cup at a time, using only enough to allow the dough to come together. Knead the dough for 1-2 minutes. Shape the dough into a round loaf and place on a greased baking sheet. Cut an X on the top and over the sides of the loaf. Bake for 45 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a rack.

Perfect for a snack, breakfast or even dessert, and is best when served warm. Enjoy!

It’s been five months since baker-extraordinaire Lauren Mitterer opened Wild Flour Pastry on Spring Street, and things are looking – and smelling! – better than ever.

The bright and quaint shop is quickly becoming a welcoming neighborhood jaunt, with its mouthwateringly flaky scones, rich muffins, calming teas, warming coffees and a million other delicious treats. The bakery is also one of the companies that supplies goodies to popular new coffeehouse Hope and Union.

Lauren’s prices are incredibly cheap for how sensational her food tastes…pay a visit to her shop today and see what all the fuss is about, or call on her the next time you need snacks for a meeting or gathering!

We’re getting closer and closer to warm weather, meaning we’re also getting closer and closer to beach season and light clothing. So we figured we’d start your week off with a healthy, delicious, filling salad. At the risk of sounding like Ina Garten on Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa, it’s a relatively simple, low-prep recipe – so be sure to use the best quality of ingredients to make it truly mouthwatering.

Argulua and Pear Salad with Toasted Walnuts (4 servings)
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups baby arugula leaves
2 Bosc pears, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; whisk to combine. Add arugula and pears to bowl; toss to coat. Place about 1.5 cups salad on each of four plates, then sprinkle with toasted walnuts.

The recipe, courtesy of Myrecipes.com, even comes with nutritional info:
168 calories
12.5 g of fat (all good fat!)
2.6 g of protein
15.1 g carbs
3 g fiber

(To toast your own walnuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place walnuts in single layer on baking sheet, bake for 5-10 minutes. Halfway through, shake pan a bit. Remove and chop into desired size pieces!)

Enjoy!

After over four hours of driving and a few panic attacks in what Charleston meteorologists playfully dubbed “Snow-mageddon 2010″ on Friday, I was treated to a fabulously rich and delicious orzo dish by a very thoughtful boyfriend. The recipe is actually based on a dish at wildly successful Augusta restaurant Sheehan’s, and is perfect for a cold night in.

Sidenote: seeing as how this was an attempt at recreating an actual dish, a lot of the portions of ingredients were guesstimated. Cooking is about experimentation and tailoring to what you like – so use recipe below as a guideline!

Scallop and Mussel Orzo (serves two-three, depending on hunger!)
1 cup whole wheat orzo
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup light cream
1/2 pound scallops
1/2 pound mussels
1 cup Champagne
Sliced baby bella mushrooms
Butter
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the orzo according to package directions.

In a large saucepan, saute mushrooms until soft and fragrant; remove and set aside. Add pad of butter, shallots and garlic to same saucepan and let heat. Add rosemary, salt and pepper; deglaze with champagne. Reduce by half. Add cream. Add scallops and mussels and cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes (mussels will pop open). Return mushrooms to the pan and add cooked orzo, letting all the flavors marinate together for a few moments and the sauce reduce a bit further.

Enjoy!

Looking for something fun and festive to do with your children this Saturday? Come on over to the Gibbes Museum from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm for Community Day!

The event – which includes FREE (!!) admission – will include hands-on activities for children (also free), museum tours and musical performances. Another plus? At 11:15 author Christi Sanford will read books from her Legare the Lizard series.

Check out the Gibbes website for more details!

I realize that posting a crowd pleasing appetizer as Taste of the Week the day after the Superbowl is not the most time effective choice, but now you can be ready for your next big party! These delicious wonton-filled hors d’ouerves look much more complicated and chic than they are, and I promise regardless how many you make there will be no leftovers!

Sausage Stars (makes roughly 30 depending on how much of the mixture you place in each wonton. Super easy to increase the size of the recipe!)
1 pound Italian sausage (ground makes it much easier)
1 package wonton wrappers
1.5 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 mini can sliced black olives
1 red bell pepper, diced
Ranch dressing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In greased mini muffin/cupcake pans, press one wonton wrapper into each spot. Bake for five minutes, or until slightly browned and crispy. (Note: this can be done a few days in advance, as long as you make sure to store them in an air tight bag or bowl!)

Brown sausage and pat dry to remove excess grease. Place in a large bowl, and add both cheeses, olives and red bell pepper. Squeeze in a decent amount of the Ranch dressing, mixing all the ingredients together; use enough Ranch to hold the mixture together, slowly adding a little bit at a time until fairly well coated.

Using a small spoon, fill each baked wonton with the sausage mixture. When all are filled, place back in the oven for five minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove and serve – but don’t worry, they’re still just as addicting when not warm (if bringing to a tailgate or party and you don’t have access to an oven to warm them, no worries! They’re still good to go without that final five minutes in the oven).

Enjoy!

(Note: the picture above is a variation of our recipe that also uses green onions. Feel free to add those if you want some more color!)

We’re just going to go ahead and overload you on sweet treats for the month of February. Hey – you’ve been dieting for a whole month since the holidays, cut yourself some slack and indulge your sweet tooth.

This dessert is so simple and can easily feed a crowd. I’ve made it for the past few Valentine’s Days, and it’s been received better than most gifts! Just be prepared to make it again and again…

Caramel Apple Dessert Pizza (makes 8-10 servings)
-1 package (18 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
-1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
-1/4 cup granulated sugar
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 tablespoon butter
-4 medium granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced in half rings
-3 tablespoons brown sugar
-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/2 cup caramel topping (optional)

Slice cookie dough and arrange in single layer on lightly greased 12-inch pizza pan (which can be found super cheap in your grocer’s cookware or bakeware aisle). Pat evenly to cover pizza pan. Bake in 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Cool.

In small bowl, combine cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Spread over cooled cookie crust – it’s very important the crust is cooled, otherwise your “icing” will become runny.

In medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon; blend well. Cook apples until slightly tender. Cool 5-10 minutes. Place on top of cream cheese layer. In small microwave-safe bowl, microwave caramel topping on high for 45-60 seconds. Pour over apples.

It uses apples…that’s healthier right? Enjoy!

Wine is the most traditional hostess gift most of us give… Why not twist it up a bit and give a wine accessory instead? Perhaps something useful AND cute that’s also a conversation starter? And prevents you from sipping the backwash of others?

Wine charms are that perfect twist! (Wine charms: each guest is given their own charm at the beginning of the night to place on their glass, therefore helping them identify their drink all night). Especially for those hostesses who keep the wine and drinks flowing, this is a particularly fitting gift. You can keep track of your drink all night, saving confusion and preventing guests from using 5 wine or cocktail glasses a piece. What’s more, there are limitless themes of wine charms – various charms can take the shape of things to do with engagement, wine and cheese, different drinks, sports, fashion… seriously, limitless!

Because there are so many different options, and they can be found at virtually every homegoods store, department chain or retail boutique, you will never run out of charms to give. The beachy flip flop charms in the picture above would be precious for the hostess letting you stay in their beach home this summer…

It’s the month of looooooove! February is pretty much dominated by all things pink, lovey-dovey and chocolate. So why not celebrate with a delicious combo of cocktails and chocolate? A chocolate martini – when done right – is the perfect adult alternative to any other bittersweet dessert. Especially with a pretty garnish like this one, you’re sure to receive as many valentines as you wish this year!

Chocolate Martini, courtesy of thatsthespirit.com
-1/2 ounce white creme de cacao
-1.5 ounces vodka
-Strawberry, sliced into “heart” shape (see picture above)
-Chocolate sprinkles
-Orange slices

Wet the rim of the martini glass with an orange slice. Place rim of glass in mound of chocolate sprinkles.

Mix vodka and creme de cacao over ice in a shaker.  Strain into garnished martini glass and add the heart-shaped strawberry.

(If you want a warm chocolate drink, try this recipe, also featured on thatsthespirit.com!)

Cheers!

I am constantly on the lookout for recipes that are not only delicious, but healthy, too! It can be a bit challenging, especially if you’re not willing to break the bank on all varieties of extreme health-nut ingredients, but when I find one it’s a big thrill.

Cooking Fish en Papillote, or fish in parchment, is not only healthy and yummy, but easy as anything for preparation and clean-up. It’s also a dish that has literally thousands of variations, allowing it to be a staple meal without ever getting boring! It usually consists of some kind of seafood (white fish, like cod, scallops and shrimp are the best), an assortment of fresh veggies, a grain (like orzo), and a bit of olive oil and seasonings to top it all off. Below is a recipe I came up with using a Viking cooking class recipe as a base; meaning I used the instructions and seasoning inspirations from the official recipe, but substituted in flavors and ingredients I enjoy.

Cod en Papillote (serves 2)
-1/2 cup orzo, uncooked
-Variety of herbs: basil, oregano, whatever you like!
-2 filets white cod
-6 medium asparagus spears, ends trimmed, cut into 1/2 inch lengths
-1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
-1/2 cup sliced baby portabella mushrooms
-1/2 medium red onion, cut into thin strips
-One lemon, for zesting and juicing
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Salt and pepper, to taste

For the orzo: In a medium stock pot, bring the water and salt to a boil; add the orzo and stir to prevent sticking. Cook ~5-7 minutes, drain thoroughly. Toss the cooked orzo with the olive oil, a bit of lemon juice, and some herbs of your choice. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside until needed.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cut two lareg heart shapes from two 11X17-inch pieces of parchment paper (make SURE you cut your parchment big enough to fit all your ingredients inside!).

Place half of the prepared orzo  in the center of the right half of the parchment heart. Top the orzo with half of the asparagus, red onion, mushrooms and sundried tomatoes; season lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle lemon zest over the cod, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the fish on top of the orzo and vegetable mixture. Drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, herbs of choice, and salt and pepper. Place 1 teaspoon of butter on top before sealing each parcel.

Fold the heart in half from left to right; starting at the top left curve of the heart, seal by crimping in 1-inch sections until the packet is completely sealed. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients for your other parcel. Brush the tops of the packets lightly with oil.

Place the parchment packets on a baking sheet, and cook until the packets are puffed and brown; about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

The presentation of this dish is quite cool, too: a steaming, unbelievably-smelling display of food from a browned parchment. How gourmet! Added bonus: the actual meal’s clean-up is a breeze… just wad up the parchment and throw in the trash. Enjoy!

Cookies. They’re good for all occasions, all moods, and all times of the year. A great way to make your cookies stand out at your next get-together? Cookie cutters! Yes, we realize they do take a bit more effort (as in step AWAY from the break and bake and actually cook the cookies yourselves!), but when it comes down to it they’re the perfect way to add that extra envied-hostess touch.

For example, the next big party many of you might be throwing together is for the Superbowl! I stumbled across these fabulous little athletic cookie cutters, which obviously include a football helmet and football. Decorate the shaped cookies in the colors of the team you’re rooting for! Or that you’ve bet on…or that you just like, regardless of their record.

Check out any local kitchen gadget stores, Target, or even a Michael’s and you’re sure to find other great cookie cutters for your next soiree. Bonus: they are SO cheap (much cheaper than going to your baker and ordering their shaped cookies)!