It’s no secret that I grew up in South Carolina, okay, yes my parents were yankees, but there are just some things that come with growing up in the southeast. One of those things is that I eat grits, I love them, anytime of the day. However they can’t just be those 15 minute instant [...]]]>

It’s no secret that I grew up in South Carolina, okay, yes my parents were yankees, but there are just some things that come with growing up in the southeast. One of those things is that I eat grits, I love them, anytime of the day. However they can’t just be those 15 minute instant kind of grits (truth be told I’m not sure that this is not the true start of the civil war), but real grits, the kind that take time, love, and when done right, just melt in your mouth.  Hit the link for more on grits.

Grits are a course ground, corn-based, Native American food that are traditionally stone milled. Grits are a by-product of the production of corn meal, they are the coarser bits of corn that are left after being passed through screens to make the meal. Similar to Polenta, a boiled porridge made from the corn meal, the grit was originally a peasant food that has recently become a main stay in some of the countries most prestigious tables. Your modern store bought dried polenta can be substituted in almost any recipe when grits are called for, they will be closest to yellow grits, not the white grits that come to mind with you think of woman named Flo slopping them on your plate at six o’clock in the morning at a truck stop diner.

Having lived in Charleston, SC, for many years I’ve learned that the Holy City is also effectionatly called the buckle of the grit belt, an area that spans from Texas to Virginia. In Charleston people do take their grits very seriously to say the least. Currently, I’m using the yellow and the white stone ground grits by Charleston Favorites, available at Foodforthesouthernsoul.com, these are a course ground grit from Rockland Plantation. They have a wonderful speckled colouring due to the natural process by which they are milled. The stone-burr milling provides more texture to the grit creating both small and larger pieces, than your mega mart variety, this texture also gives you a rather complex taste in your final dish.

Now I must be honest here, after a few trials I’ve discovered that the recipe for Charleston grits on the back of the Charleston Favorites bag is better than the one I had grown up with.  It even works with other lesser brands of grits, but buyer beware, there is nothing like a good quality grit. So, here is their recipe, its wonderful…

Charleston Creamy Grits:

Combine 1 1/4 cups of rinsed grits with 3 cups of boiling water, 2 cups of cream, and 2 cups of milk.  Continue to simmer and stir frequently for 20-30 minutes while adding 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 lb. butter. Enjoy!

Recently Brian and I tried Vegemite and several popular concoctions using this B-vitamin packed yeast based spread.  Well there is good news for those of us that loved the Vegemite and cream cheese blend, at least that is if you’re an Aussie, or planning a trip to Sydney.  Thats right!  The makers of Vegemite have planned [...]]]>

Recently Brian and I tried Vegemite and several popular concoctions using this B-vitamin packed yeast based spread.  Well there is good news for those of us that loved the Vegemite and cream cheese blend, at least that is if you’re an Aussie, or planning a trip to Sydney.  Thats right!  The makers of Vegemite have planned to make a new spread containing the flavors of Vegemite and cream cheese with the addition of a new “secret ingredient”.  Even better it will be available premixed.  Kraft Australia  has devised a naming contest to give this new yummy its title.  Check out their site, enter a name, and you might just be the lucky salt that gets to name what is sure to be one of the hottest selling new food items in Australia!

Sometimes your friends bring you food, sometimes its good, other times not so much… When my friend Liza brought her zucchini bread into work, this was a case were it was excellent!  I had to have the recipe, and with a few minor tweaks I give it to you… The Ultimate Zucchini Bread after the jump.

Zucchini Bread: 3 [...]]]>

Sometimes your friends bring you food, sometimes its good, other times not so much… When my friend Liza brought her zucchini bread into work, this was a case were it was excellent!  I had to have the recipe, and with a few minor tweaks I give it to you… The Ultimate Zucchini Bread after the jump.

Zucchini Bread:
3 cups AP Flour (I like King Arthur unbleached)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (fresh ground if possible)
2 cups sugar
1 cup olive oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven for 350F. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Then add oil, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla, mix well.  Add zucchini and nuts last. Bake in 2 greased 9×5 pans for 1 hour 20 min.  You can make this in mini pans or muffin tins if you like, you just have to adjust the cooking time accordingly.  Serve with whipped honey and butter… YUM!

Well as Brian told you, I’m the baker in the family.  I’m still unsure if it is because I’m a really great baker or if it’s because Brian breaks out in a rash if exact measurements are necessary.  Which brings me to my first question… what kind of baker are you?  Are you a measure [...]]]>

Well as Brian told you, I’m the baker in the family.  I’m still unsure if it is because I’m a really great baker or if it’s because Brian breaks out in a rash if exact measurements are necessary.  Which brings me to my first question… what kind of baker are you?  Are you a measure and weigh, are you a measure and level off, or are you an eyeball measurer? This really makes a huge difference when you are baking.  Now the only method I really, really suggest to avoid is the eyeballing method.  This is probably the biggest reason why there is a difference between chefs and bakers.  Baking can’t be eyeballed, and if you manage to have something turn out successfully using this method, I suggest you head to Vegas because you’ve got luck on your side.  Personally, I’m a scoop and level kinda gal.  Sure it’s not quite as exact as using a scale, but hey, I like to live on the edge.  So your choices are level or measure.  Choose the one you like and stick with it.  Click the link for more on muffins and yummy recipes to try…

Back to the muffins, or the “moufflet” meaning soft bread if you’re French, but I’m German so I say “muffe” which is actually the name of a type of cake which seems more appropriate. These recipes are for American style muffins, which means I use chemical leavener or baking powder and baking soda to make my muffins rise rather than using active yeasts (called the English Method).   There are two main types of American style muffins, cake-like and bread-like.  You can change the texture of the muffins making the more bread-like by using less sugar and butter, and vice versa for cake-like.

Actually, I’m really good at making quick breads so this is the method that I can use to make muffins from my quick breads (if you want to make bread, lower the temperature by 25 degrees and bake for a longer time, generally about twice as long).  I really like that breaking these kind of recipes down to a smaller shape yields a much more moist, less dense texture.  I insure that it stays as moist as possible by using paper muffin/cupcake disks.

Berry Muffins
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I suggest King Arthur unbleached)
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of one medium orange
2 cups fresh or frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and/or strawberries)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Position rack in center of oven. Prep muffin tin with paper cupcake cups.  Set aside.

In a large measuring cup or bowl whisk together the egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract. 

In another large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest. Gently fold in the berries. With a rubber spatula fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are combined. Do not over mix the batter or tough muffins will result.  Fill each muffin cup almost full of batter, careful not to over-fill or you will create flying saucer looking muffins. Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pan. Optionally you can dust with powdered sugar or sprinkle turbanado sugar on top of each.

Makes 12 muffins.

Note: You can switch orange zest for lemon zest whenever needed.  I like to use lemon zest with raspberries for example.

Cranberry Orange Muffins
1 large egg, well beaten
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon orange zest 
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup pecans coarsely chopped
1 cup frozen cranberries (or dried for sweeter flavour)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Position rack in center of oven. Prep muffin tin with paper cupcake cups.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the beaten egg with the orange juice and vanilla extract. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir in the chopped cranberries and nuts. Pour into the prepared muffin tins and bake on center rack for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffins comes out clean.

In my cupboard at all times are a few favorite blends to ‘kick my food up a notch’.  Of these my long standing love is a blend called Berbere, pronounced ‘ber-beray’,  a popular Ethiopian spice mixture.   Berbere, thought to have originally come about as a way to save ‘questionable’ meat, adds an amazing multi-tiered heat to [...]]]>

In my cupboard at all times are a few favorite blends to ‘kick my food up a notch’.  Of these my long standing love is a blend called Berbere, pronounced ‘ber-beray’,  a popular Ethiopian spice mixture.   Berbere, thought to have originally come about as a way to save ‘questionable’ meat, adds an amazing multi-tiered heat to foods.    I was originally introduced to the mixture while on film sets as a homeopathic remedy, and topping, to put on salads with creamy dressings that had been in the sun to long on catering tables.  After several bouts with food poisoning I was willing to try anything.  Armed with a salt shaker of the mixture I sprinkled a bit on my salad, what do you know this stuff tastes great! Hit the jump if you want to learn more…

An essential ingredient in Ethiopian Doro Wat, berbere is used as a rub for meats and can be turned into a paste for soups, stir-fries, or as a curry base.  Personally, I use it in just about everything I want a bit of heat in.  My favorite examples are chili, pizza, eggs, and even on french fries.  The earthy blend commonly includes chili peppers, ginger, cloves, coriander, allspice, rue berries, fenugreek and ajwain.  While it seems this mixture can vary in quantities of each ingredient, some can be left out or changed, the mixture of chili peppers and fenugreek seem to be essential to Berbere.  Just be sure that you use a small amount and wash your hands after working with it, this stuff you don’t want to get in your eyes!

You can buy pre-made Berbere from most Ethiopian markets, but if you don’t happen to live in D.C. or Los Angeles a quick internet search should help you out.  Should you fancy making your own Berbere, here is my favorite blend from The Congo Cookbook (link contains numerous pop-ups):

 In a heavy skillet over medium heat, toast the dried spices for a few minutes — stirring or shaking the skillet continuously to avoid scorching. Remove from heat and allow to cool. If making dry berbere powder: grind the mixture in a spice grinder or blender, or use a mortar and pestle. Store the berbere powder in a tightly-sealed container.

After months of searching over and over for a widgit from Epicurious to come out one is finally here.  The application is free and available for download at Apples iTunes Store.  Once I finished downloading the program I was eager to check it out.  It’s an easy to use interface with 10,000+ recipes, searchable by [...]]]>  

After months of searching over and over for a widgit from Epicurious to come out one is finally here.  The application is free and available for download at Apples iTunes Store.  Once I finished downloading the program I was eager to check it out.  It’s an easy to use interface with 10,000+ recipes, searchable by name or by choosing a chapter like ‘weeknight dinners’ and paging through each recipe one by one.   I especially like the chapter’s titles such as ‘I cook like a Pro’ and ‘I can Barely cook’ so you can decide just how involved you really want to be in your kitchen that day.  You can search by main ingredient, type of cuisine, dietary consideration, dish type and season, or occasion.

Probing deeper into the app, I’ve found that it is easy to make a shopping list, mark things as favorites, and even email the recipe to an unsuspecting boyfriend as an eHunnyDo.  The only thing I have to gripe about, and its my main complaint with all cooking applications and magazines, what’s with all the deserts?  There are more than 5,000 deserts and less than 700 weeknight dinners? Ummm, what happened to eat your dinner then you can have a desert.

<via Epicurious>

Have you seen the new Starbucks ad campaign?  This has to be the worst one they’ve had to date.  Using the tag line ‘Beware of a cheaper cup of coffee. It comes with a price,’ Once again Starbucks is unapologetic about their raping of America with high priced coffee.  Selling American’s over roasted coffees on [...]]]>

Have you seen the new Starbucks ad campaign?  This has to be the worst one they’ve had to date.  Using the tag line ‘Beware of a cheaper cup of coffee. It comes with a price,’ Once again Starbucks is unapologetic about their raping of America with high priced coffee.  Selling American’s over roasted coffees on every street corner has allowed the mega brewer to sit back and watch us slowly start to believe bitter is better.  

The letter accompanying the new campaign preview was kind enough to remind us that even if your watching your pennies, value doesn’t mean going with a different coffee.  Now I indulge in a Venti Vanilla Latte every now and again, but thanks to Starbuck’s continuing compassion for its customers, I’m really going to enjoy my coffee from Dunkin Donuts tomorrow.

If you haven’t recently, take the time to thank a teacher.  Or at least check out teachnet.com.  They have awesome things to help you remember all kinds of things.  With this cool little graphic of Mr. Gallon I’ll never have to rummage around for my grade school Trapper Keeper to know how many cups it takes to [...]]]>

If you haven’t recently, take the time to thank a teacher.  Or at least check out teachnet.com.  They have awesome things to help you remember all kinds of things.  With this cool little graphic of Mr. Gallon I’ll never have to rummage around for my grade school Trapper Keeper to know how many cups it takes to make my Koolaid right.

After a year break it’s back everyone!  The greatest food gadget sale in the Chicagoland area… it’s the Wilton Tent Sale!!!!!  Going from May 29 until June 16,2009, this sale will feature over 3,000 products at up to 75% off.  Wilton, a well known supplier of baking supplies, based in Woodridge, Illinois, is putting up [...]]]>

After a year break it’s back everyone!  The greatest food gadget sale in the Chicagoland area… it’s the Wilton Tent Sale!!!!!  Going from May 29 until June 16,2009, this sale will feature over 3,000 products at up to 75% off.  Wilton, a well known supplier of baking supplies, based in Woodridge, Illinois, is putting up a tent once again in the parking lot of their corporate offices for all of us to fill our baskets with amazing quality products for dirt cheap.  Available for purchase will of course be the Wilton brand as well as Copco Housewares, Performance Pans and Mario Batali’s Italian Kitchen.

At the sale you can find everything your heart desires from cake decorator bag tips to a chocolate fountain.  Sweets not your thing? A wide array of pots and pans from Batali’s line were spotted two years ago, and my friend stocked up on her scrap booking supplies there too.  Check their website for directions, and don’t forget to check out the schedule of demonstrations by the Wilton School.

Can’t make the event yourself?  Have no fear, we will give you the next best thing, the Flavourgasmic team will be hitting the street to bring you full coverage from the event.

Inseq Design, a product and graphic design company out of Austria, has been cooking up some really cheeky toys for your kitchen.  Presented here is the Zuse, a toaster inspired by the dot matrix printers of yesterday, is actually burns (toasts) in a 12 x 12  pattern going line by line just like a printer. [...]]]>

from www.inseq.net

Inseq Design, a product and graphic design company out of Austria, has been cooking up some really cheeky toys for your kitchen.  Presented here is the Zuse, a toaster inspired by the dot matrix printers of yesterday, is actually burns (toasts) in a 12 x 12  pattern going line by line just like a printer.  The Zuse comes prepackaged with a memory chip that randomly chooses a pattern for each piece of toast you put in to it.  So every morning your toast is presented to you with a new picture, perfect for you to butter up to, how cute is that!  Don’t believe me? Check out the product video on youTube.

They have designed a few other things including an adjustable table and probably the coolest kitchen range hood I’ve ever seen.  Check out the husband and wife team at Inseq and keep your fingers crossed there will be more super cute stuff to come.  But right now I think I have my new dream toaster!