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Easy Southern Cooking Newsletter

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:25:36 +0000

This issue of the newsletter is no longer available online. If you are looking for recipes and articles found in this newsletter, just follow these links:

Summer Soups:

Tomato Bisque Recipe

Cold Strawberry Soup Recipe

Gazpacho

Cooking Tips — Cooking with Tomatoes

Traditional Southern Banana Pudding Recipe

Discover How to Turn Any Meal into a Gourmet Treat — Using Puff Pastry

Learn About Barbecue – What is a Vertical Barbecue Smoker

admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:33:28 +0000

By Jim Hess

Vertical Smoker, photo by Justin

Have you heard the term vertical barbecue smoker and scratched your head and said, “Huh.” Basically, there are three types of barbecue smokers for making real smoked barbecue. The first is what is called the offset smoker. With the offset smoker, the firebox of the smoker is off to the side of the smoke chamber. A fire is built in the firebox, smoke and heat from the firebox travel into and through the smoke chamber, and out through a chimney ventilation system at the top of the smoke chamber. The meat that is to be smoked (and eventually, eaten) is placed on grates inside the smoke chamber. As the smoke and heat pass around the meat on the way to the chimney vents, the meat is flavored by the smoke. This is what makes for great smoked barbecue.

The second main type of smoker category is the kettle cooker (think Weber Kettle.) A kettle cooker can be set up for smoking by building the fire off to the side of the kettle, and placing the meat not directly over the heat source, but off to the other side. When the lid is closed, smoke from the charcoal and any added wood chips will flow around the meat giving it that great smoke barbecue taste before exiting the kettle lid through the vents. The third major type of barbecue cooker is what is known as a vertical smoker. With a vertical smoker, there is only one chamber for everything. The fire is built down at the bottom of the unit, there is a pan with soaked wood chips directly over the fire area, and then there are 2,3, or 4 horizontal racks above the smoke pan where the meat is placed. The smoke will rise in the smoke chamber, go around the meat giving it that great flavor, then exit out the top of the unit. Some of the vertical smokers also have a water pan directly over the smoke pan. This pan will hold water throughout the cooking process and will help the meat stay moist and not dry out.

A vertical smoker can use various fuels. Some burn charcoal or regular wood chunks. Some are fueled by propane, and some even use electricity to create heat, and burn water soaked wood chips to create smoke. The electric vertical smoker is often a good choice for the novice barbecue smoke enthusiast as they are very easy to regulate the temperature, and do not require a lot of attention while cooking.

These three styles of smokers will all have the barbecue enthusiast smoking good quality product, as long as they adhere to the basics of good barbecue preparation.

Rub the meat with a rub or marinade.
Cook the meat low and slow (low temperature–long cooking time)
Apply any sauces at the end of the cooking (last hour or so.)

For more free information on how to cook fantastic real barbecue click here: http://www.bbq-jim.com. Jim Hess is an expert author who loves to cook, eat and write about real barbecue (and meat grilling). Click here to see much more http://www.bbq-jim.com

Apple Crumb Pie

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:01:05 +0000

Choosing a Knife

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:48:48 +0000

High Carbon Knife

In this video Chef Todd Mohr teaches you how to choose a knife, including which metal compositions are best. He then continues to explain how to sharpen and steel the knife. View Knives on Amazon

Strawberry Cream Meringues

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:19:49 +0000

What can I say? Dessert is my favorite part of the meal. I especially enjoy light, sweet and luscious desserts like this one. It has been a while since I made this, but now I am craving it again. This is a real contender for Valentine’s day.

Make the meringues in a heart shape for a romantic dessert. (Mine shown are not.) The whipped cream and strawberries on a meringue shell is a light and luscious dessert that satisfies the sweet tooth with a minimum of sugar.

Don’t put the cream into the meringue shells until you are ready to serve these, the meringue will begin to melt from the moisture if they have to sit at all.

Valentine Meringue Hearts

Photo by WorththeWisk

Meringues:

3 Egg whites

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon Cream of tartar

1 dash Salt

1 cup Sugar

Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup whipping cream

3 to 6 Tablespoons powdered sugar, to taste

1 pint Strawberries, sliced -reserve a few for garnish

Mint leaves for garnish- optional

Directions:

Photo by Angusf

Cut a heart pattern from a 4-1/2 inch square of paper. Cover baking sheet with brown paper. (You can bake on the brown paper so make sure it is clean.) Grocery store bags without writing on them are okay. Draw 6 hearts on the brown paper using your pattern as a guide.

Beat egg whites with vanilla, cream of tartar and salt until frothy. Add sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Rub a bit between your fingers to feel that no sugar remains undissolved.

Spread meringue over the heart shapes, 1/4 inch thick. Make into the heart shape using a spoon to push and form into correct shape. Pipe rim 3/4 inch high with pastry tube or build a rim with a spoon.

Bake in preheated 275-degree oven for 1 hour. Turn off oven and let meringues dry in oven for 1 more hour. DO NOT open oven door during this time.

Store meringue shells in a dry place until ready to fill. Do not refrigerate.

Add the powdered sugar to the whipping cream and beat the cream until soft peaks form. Taste the cream for sweetness, you want a barely sweet whipped cream.

Mix in the strawberries, reserving a few for garnish.

Assemble:

When you are ready to serve, place a large scoop of the strawberry cream onto the meringue shell. Garnish with reserved strawberries and a little mint if desired.

More Valentines Day Recipes

Fresh Strawberries – Upside Down Strawberry Meringue Pie

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:14:01 +0000

Strawberries, photo by JCMar

Strawberry season is beginning here in Florida. We had a bad cold snap, as did everyone, this year; but it seems that the majority of the strawberries managed ok. Soon you will see fresh Florida strawberries in your produce aisle. This recipe is an excellent light airy pie that uses those fresh strawberries to perfection.

This strawberry meringue pie is built with the meringue on the bottom and whipped cream on top, hence “upside-down”. The meringue and whipped cream together make this a light airy pie that is sumptuous in flavor and texture. This pie is best made with fresh strawberries, but frozen could be used with an alternate garnish.

Upside Down Strawberry Meringue Pie, Photo by Visit Hillsborough

Upside Down Strawberry Meringue Pie

3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 9-inch pie shell, baked
3 cups fresh strawberries, stems removed
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
Red food coloring
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Beat the egg whites, vinegar and salt to form soft peaks.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Slowly add 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla while beating. Beat to form stiff peaks.
Spread the meringue on the bottom and up the sides of the pie shell. Bake at 325 degrees for 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Mash and sieve 2 cups of strawberries.
In a saucepan, mix 1/3 cup of sugar and cornstarch. Add 1/2 cup of water and the sieved strawberries.
Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, approximately 2 minutes. Add a few drops of red food coloring.
Allow to cool slightly, then spread over the cooled meringue. Chill until set.
Top with whipped cream when ready to serve and garnish with the rest of the strawberries, sliced or fanned.

Sweet Potatoes Normandy

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:37:57 +0000

Sweet potatoes get a bad rap because of the ooey gooey sugar and marshmallow packed casseroles that should be classified as desert. But make no mistake, sweet potatoes are one of the best nutrition bargains around. Classified as a super food for their vitamin and mineral content as well as significant antioxidant compounds. Lets put these super foods on the table year round.

Freshly Dug Sweet Potatoes, photo by amandadevries

Sweet potatoes normandy is a casserole of sweet potatoes and apples, mildly sweetened with a little brown sugar and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and moistened with orange juice.

Sweet Potatoes Normandy Recipe

3 large sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and sliced
3 large apples, cored and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup orange juice

Grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar.
Place a layer of sweet potatoes on the bottom of the baking dish. Top with a layer of apples.
Sprinkle the apples with sugar mixture. Dot with butter.
Continue building layers of sweet potatoes, apples, sugar and butter until all are used, ending with apples and sugar on top.
Pour orange juice over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until the apples are tender. Serves 6.

How to Make Meat Loaf- Farm Style Meat Loaf Recipe

admin — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:14:41 +0000

How to make a meatloaf? Many recipes call for a trio of meats – beef, pork and veal. This all beef meat loaf is quick to mix up on a busy night. Using Italian Style bread crumbs adds herbal flavors without a lot of measuring or chopping. I mix all the ingredients in the baking dish to save cleanup on an extra bowl. This is a basic farm style recipe, a good one for beginners and experienced cooks alike.

Farm Style Meatloaf Recipe

½ medium onion, diced
1 pound lean ground beef
2 eggs
1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
¼ cup catsup or barbeque sauce

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
In an oven proof baking dish, mix all ingredients.
Pat meat together into an oval or loaf shape.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Drain off the juices and allow the meat to stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
Serve and enjoy.

Helpful hint: If you overwork the meat it will become dense. You just want to mix all the ingredients together, then pack into your desired shape.

How to Make Perfect Mashed Potatoes- Every Time

admin — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:01:29 +0000

Mashed potatoes have long been a staple on the American dinner table. In recent years, chefs have been flavoring this basic recipe to create culinary masterpieces that are easily reproduced in the home. Here are some tips and a basic recipe to get you started on the road to perfect mashed potatoes.

Choosing The Right Potato

Actually there is no right potato for mashed potatoes, any potato will do. However, the potato you choose will affect the taste; if you are trying to make the potatoes mom made, you might want to use the same kind of potatoes that she used.

Starchy potatoes, such as russet and Yukon gold will yield light fluffy mashed potatoes.

Waxy potatoes such as reds and round whites yield a denser, but more flavorful mashed potato.

How To Mash The Potatoes

When it comes to mashing the potatoes, every cook does it differently. For a coarse mashed potato, use a potato masher by hand to mash until the potatoes are the desired texture. The more you mash, the finer the texture and less lumps.

If you like a very smooth texture with no lumps, use a potato ricer. A potato ricer looks similar to a giant garlic press. The potato is pushed through small holes, yielding a fine smooth texture.

If you like light fluffy potatoes, you can use an electric mixer to mash and combine the potatoes. When using an electric mixer, you must be careful not to over mix them. If you mix too long the texture breaks down and the potatoes will have the consistency of glue.

Basic Mashed Potatoes

6 medium sized potatoes
1/2 cup milk, approximately
4 Tablespoons butter
Salt and white pepper to taste

Peel the potatoes if you wish, then cut into large chunks. Boil the potatoes until soft and easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, then return to the pan and dry by shaking the pan over heat.

Mash the potatoes or put through a ricer. Add most of the milk, the butter, and salt and white pepper to taste. Stir to combine, adding the rest of the milk as needed until the potatoes are the desired consistency. Do not over mix.

Popular Variations

Some cooks use cream instead of milk for a creamier flavor.

Use olive oil instead of butter.

Substitute sour cream for the milk. Garnish with chives or bacon.

Add a few cloves of garlic to the cooking potatoes, and mash with the potatoes, or add roasted garlic to the cooked potatoes.

For low fat mashed potatoes, use low fat sour cream instead of the butter and milk.