Tamale couple ultimate winner of Food Court Wars

Clinton couple Thomas and Mary Jordan will get to open their tamale stand after the premiere episode of the Food Network’s “Food Court Wars.”

The show pits two teams dishing up regional favorites, competing for a restaurant space in a shopping mall, rent-free for one year. The season opener was set at Meridian’s Bonita Lakes Mall. It’s hosted by celebrity chef Tyler Florence.

Oxford best friends Erika Lipe and Stevo McCain, both originally from Batesville, competed with Po-Boy Station and won with a slim $29 margin in the final tally of most money earned. But the two were unable to open the restaurant based on personal reasons, the show said. (Oxford's Local Voice has more here. Thanks to Martha Foose on Facebook for the link!)

The Jordans will open their restaurant at Bonita Lakes Mall in August, a mall representative said.

Read more from Sherry Lucas in Clinton News here.

It's trial, error for north Miss. catfish farmer

Brent Wedel routinely produces more than 1 million pounds of catfish a year from his 26-pond farm in Egypt in Chickasaw County. His success is noteworthy in an industry that, as a whole, has declined steeply over the past decade.

The Mississippi catfish industry peaked in 2002, with more than 113,000 acres of ponds statewide. Today, that acreage is down to about 45,000, according to Mississippi State University aquaculture expert Jim Steeby.

Read more from Sarah Robinson here.

Kids Will Eat Their Veggies If You Explain Why They Need To

Seems like my father knew what he was doing. He used reason and logic and "how things work" explanations to my brother and me about why we needed to eat all of our veggies or else...in great detail. It just had very little to do with nutrition most of the time! ;)

Congratulations to Chef Vishwesh from Snackbar in Oxford!

Congratulations to Chef Vishwesh from Snackbar in Oxford! He just had a recipe featured on www.FoodandWine.com. Here is one of his recipes, Pimiento Cheese-Stuffed Pickled Okra, featured in Southern Living.

[ via Mississippi Seafood Promotion Council ]

This year's shrimp season

More than 250 boats launched June 11 to open the shrimp season in Mississippi's coastal waters. A cold, wet spring had delayed the season's start, which opened June 1 last year.

Read more about this year's Mississippi shrimp season from Keri Collins Lewis in the Sun Herald here.

Find places to buy Mississippi gulf shrimp here.

Hobby turns into job for beekeeper

The Estes family apiary is hidden on the back roads of Itawamba county, near Evergreen. Justin Estes strains and pots all the honey on site. By the end of the season, he expects to collect about 1,000 gallons.

 He sets up once a month at the Tupelo Flea Market. He also sells five-frame nucleus hives and single and double hives for anyone looking to start their own bee yard.

Read more from Sarah Robinson in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal here.

International Gumbo Festival returning to Jackson

After a decades-long absence, the BankPlus International Gumbo Festival is set for 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sept. 28 at Smith Park in Jackson. Tickets, $10 in advance, are on sale now. 

Cooking team entry fees will benefit the Harold T. and Hal White Memorial Fund at Hinds Community College. Malcolm White, state tourism chief and partner with his late brother, Hal White.

Read more from Sherry Lucas in The Clarion-Ledger here.

Succotash Salad with Buttermilk Avocado Dressing

This salad eats like a full meal, which is a good thing because it just about takes as long to prepare as a full meat. But it is worth it!

• 2ears fresh sweet corn (or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn)
• 1cup fresh lima beans (or frozen)
• 3/4cup buttermilk
• 1/2of an avocado, seeded, and peeled
• 1tablespoon snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• 1/4teaspoon salt
• 1/4teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1clove garlic, minced
• 1large head butterhead (Boston or bibb) lettuce, torn
• 2cups sliced grilled chicken breast
• 6slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
• 1/2cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2cup crumbled blue or feta cheese (2 oz.)

directions

1.Cut corn kernels from cobs; set kernels aside. Discard cobs. In a small saucepan bring 1 cup of lightly salted water to boiling. Add lima beans and simmer about 15 minutes or until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon; set aside. Add corn to saucepan. Simmer about 3 minutes or until tender; drain. Set aside.

2.For dressing, in a blender combine buttermilk, avocado, parsley, salt, onion powder, dry mustard, pepper, and garlic. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour into a small pitcher.

3.Line a large platter or four serving plates with the lettuce. Arrange chicken, crumbled bacon, corn, lima beans, onion, and cheese in rows on lettuce. Serve with dressing.

After making this once, I think you could use low-fat buttermilk for the dressing and it would be fine. I think I would also use goat cheese instead of feta (because the feta was pretty salty with the bacon and other salty things on there). I did use a rotisserie chicken so that could have added to the salt.

I broke the dressing up with a bit of chicken broth because it was too thick for my taste at first. (I did use the whole avocado instead of half. This could be why.)

This recipe is from the June 2013 edition of Better Homes & Gardens! Enjoy!

Peace Love and Pork Butts

Yep. You read that right.

If you go to find a big, juicy pork butt to throw into your crockpot on a hot, humid Southern night...you won't find it. It's now a (much classier) blade roast. (I mean it already sounds drier, somehow.)

No more pork loin rib chops either. Those are now rib-eye pork chops. Pork loin chop? New York pork chop. Bone-in pork loin chop? Porterhouse pork chop.

It's not a good summer to be a butcher, I'm guessing.

The National Pork Board and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association say the names are meant to be less confusing. (Which begs the question, less confusing to whom?)

Sigh.

Beef Magazine blog has a list of all of the new names here.

Blueberry crop smaller because of early spring frosts

Late-spring cold snaps and untimely freezes have delayed harvests and reduced yields for Mississippi’s 2013 blueberry crop.

George Traicoff of Hernando runs a family owned and operated you-pick operation in DeSoto County. He started Nesbit Blueberry Plantation with 6,000 plants in 1984, and today his family tends 16,000 plants.

Read more from The Clinton News here.

(Mississippi has about 2,500 acres of blueberries, mostly located along Interstate 20 and south.)

Baked Pasta with Sausage and Spinach

I have a confession to make. I don't like lasagna.

And by that, I don't mean that I don't like the dish as much as the pasta itself. What attracted me to this dish was that it's just like lasagna, but using penne noodles instead (so if it worked, I could change up all of those lasagna recipes that I liked).

Thankfully, it works! And it could work with any lasagna recipe using the method of slightly undercooking the pasta you like and then baking it in the oven. 

Now I look forward to a summer of getting all of those old lasagna recipes out I left behind!

Damn Good Ham Sliders with Zucchini Chips

Last night, we tried Tasty Kitchen's Darn Good Ham Sliders with Eat Jackson's Zucchini Chips (because I felt we just had to have a vegetable of some sort with such ooey goodness, even though I really wanted sweet potato fries).

First off, Tasty Kitchen is being modest. I renamed the recipe Damn Good Ham Sliders, because that's what they are. And the drizzled ooey gooey goodness is what makes it, so you could put whatever combo you wanted in the sliders, from sweet to savory, and if you pour that sauce over it, all will be fine. Just as promised, it makes the most delicious, crusty, caramelized bread (two words which I had not previously imagined together).

The zucchini chips were good but stuck to the aluminum foil, which would be important to the recipe re-do except when I went back and re-read the recipe, it did not say to put it the chips on aluminum foil. The sliders went on aluminum foil though so I guess I just grouped them together. (Now I have to go back and try it again without aluminum foil.)

One zucchini made two trays of chips, so one sliced thinly is definitely enough for about three servings. And they need to be served hot too. Because there were two trays of chips and I had to put the sliders in, I had a timing issue and they were served 10 minutes after coming out of the oven. Not recommended. They should be served hot too. 

(I guess now I have an excuse to go buy a new oven, huh?) ;)

Crews wins 4th annual Mississippi Seafood Cookoff

Chef David Crews of Cleveland came in first place at the 4th annual Great Mississippi Seafood Cook-Off in Biloxi. Crews won first place and was crowned “King of Mississippi Seafood” for his award-winning Deconstructed Gumbo featuring Mississippi Gulf Shrimp, Mississippi Gulf Oysters and Mississippi Gulf Crab.

As the winner, Chef Crews will now go on to represent Mississippi in the 10th Annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off (GASCO) in New Orleans on August 3, 2013.

St. Bethany Fresh tomatoes available at new Germantown Farmers Market

St. Bethany Fresh tomatoes will be available at the new Germantown Farmers Market. St. Bethany Fresh is able to grow tomatoes out of season due to hydroponic gardening. The Mississippi company started in 2011.

This fall, the local tomatoes will be available in Whole Foods and in 82 Sprint Mart locations in northeast Mississippi. The tomatoes are also available at farmers markets in Tupelo, New Albany, and Oxford.

Mississippi Farmers Market to Celebrate 2013 Summer Kick-Off

The Mississippi Farmers Market, located adjacent to the Fairgrounds, will celebrate its 2013 Summer Kick-Off on Saturday, June 8, 2013, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It will feature the finest farm-raised fruits and vegetables that Mississippi farmers have to offer along with an assortment of fresh baked goods, specialty foods, and unique Mississippi hand-crafted items.

During the celebration, shoppers will be able to sample the culinary display of Chef Reynolds Boykin of Parlor Market as he dishes up tasty tidbits that can be prepared right at home. Shoppers will enjoy live music from local musician Ralph Miller, complimentary Blue Bell Ice Cream, and freshly popped corn. (And bring the kids because Pam Edwards will be on hand to kick-off the summer season with fun activities!)

The Mississippi Farmers Market, located at 929 High Street adjacent to the Fairgrounds, is currently open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more information about the Market or to find out what's fresh each week, call (601) 354-6573, visit www.msfarmersmarket.com, or visit the Mississippi Farmers Market on Facebook.

Medium-Rare Mississippi

I started craving a burger at the beginning of the week. By this morning, I just NEEDED a burger. I googled "best burgers in Jackson" and noticed many had mentioned The Blue Rooster in Flora. We were looking for a Saturday road trip, so headed to Flora.

Most recommended The Flame Thrower, and they were not wrong. The bread makes the burger, but the burger itself is pretty close to perfect too. (If you order a different burger, be sure to ask for the Jalapeno Cheddar bread still!) The Mississippi Beef Council named it the Best Burger in the State.

The cheese fries were also tasty. (Though I couldn't even finish half the burger because I had to try them!)

We have been experimenting with Google Maps and started a Medium-Rare Mississippi map to share the great hamburger places we find around the state. Hope this helps you find your perfect burger (medium rare or not!).

Red Beans and Rice...in the crokpot!

After the success of my white beans crockpot experiment, I decided to branch out to red beans and rice this weekend. And we had some deer sausage we needed to use up to make room for more deer sausage coming, so it was doubly nice!

Generally, I use Emeril's Red Beans and Rice recipe (just using andouille sausage instead of the tasso and ham). I had pinned this crockpot red beans and rice recipe from Cooking Light to try, but I did notice it only had three stars (out of five) - which was a cause for concern. So I decided to meld the two recipes together.

Here is the Shawn Emeril Cooking Light Crockpot Red Beans and Rice Mashup...

1 lb red beans
1 container chicken stock
1 lb andouille sausage (or spicy deer sausage), sliced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 bunch of celery, chopped
3 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp red pepper (less if you don't like it spicy)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
3 bay leaves
Cooked rice
1/4 cup chopped green onions for garnish, if desired

Put the red beans in the crockpot. You will add the stock to enough water to equal 9 cups of liquid total.

Saute the sausage in a cast iron skillet. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to the crockpot but leave the drippings in the pan. Saute the onion, pepper, celery and garlic until tender, about 5 min. Add to crockpot along with the rest of the seasonings (thyme through bay leaves).

Cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours. Remove bay leaves before serving over cooked rice. Garnish with green onions, if desired.

Turkey Spaghetti for National Spaghetti Day

We unknowingly - until after dinner anyways - celebrated National Spaghetti Day on January 4. We were knowingly celebrating turkey stock - or the turkey aftermath of said stock anyways. After Thanksgiving, my husband decided to master soup stock - and we have discovered that though we like chicken better than turkey we much prefer turkey stock to chicken stock. It's much richer! So when we need more stock, we are on the lookout for great turkey leftover recipes.

I decided to start close to home and begin with the chicken recipes I knew we loved and just substitute turkey. This chicken spaghetti was my first experiment (and I hope the rest are just as successful!)

Turkey Spaghetti

3 cups of shredded turkey
16 oz. spaghetti
4 cans chicken broth
5 sticks celery, diced
1 onion, diced
1 stick butter
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small pkg of Velveeta, cut into small cubes
Paprika

Boil the spaghetti, as directed on the package, in the 4 cans of chicken broth. Reserve the broth when draining the spaghetti.

Saute the celery and onion in the butter until soft, about 5 min. Add the turkey to heat up (if not hot).

In a Dutch oven, combine spaghetti, sauteed vegetables with turkey, the soups, and the Velveeta. Add enough chicken broth to make it all juicy. Sprinkle paprika on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.

Greenwood's Viking Range to be sold for $380M

Food service equipment maker Middleby Corp. says it will buy Mississippi-based oven and kitchen appliance maker Viking Range Corp. for $380 million. Fred Carl Jr., Viking's founder and chief executive officer, tells the Greenwood Commonwealth that the manufacturer of upscale kitchen appliances will stay in Greenwood. He expects few changes resulting from the new ownership other than future growth in the city of its birth.

Read more from The Clarion Ledger here.

Quentin's Birthday Turtle Cheesecake

Quentin's birthday request is always Turtle Cheesecake. Every year, I have tried a different recipe - and every year the result is a delicious-tasting cheesecake with a layer of caramel that can almost break a tooth it gets so hard in the oven!

No more. This year, I took matters in my own hands and just created my own recipe.

I made it in a 13x9x2 pan because we were having folks over and needed a little more for others to help celebrate too!

Crust:
2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 stick butter
2/3 cup brown sugar

Melt butter and stir in graham crackers and brown sugar. Pat into bottom of greased 13x9x2-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10 min.

Filling:
3 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
4 eggs
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla

For filling, in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until smooth. Add eggs and beat well. Beat in sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and the vanilla. Pour filling over baked crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes until set. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Glaze: While cheesecake is still warm, pour 17-oz. jar of Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel Topping on top and spread evenly with knife. (You can try other caramel toppings, but there is a wide variation of taste and texture in ice cream toppings - and I can only vouch for Mrs. Richardson's!) Add Heath Bar bits and pecan pieces.

Chill cake from two to 24 hours. Enjoy!

How to Make Your Own Twinkies

They're in. They're out. They might. They won't. They could. The judge might make them...

Well, you don't have to worry about it anymore. Just go make your own Twinkies!

Don't Be a Turkey!

According to NBC News, one-third of the turkey we cook for Thanksgiving Day gets thrown away. What's worse, throwing away turkey isn't just bad manners or a big waste of money ($282 million), it's also bad for the environment (when you take into account how much energy and water is used to raise those turkeys).

To do my part, I've rounded up my favorite ways to use leftover turkey. (And if you have any recipes you love using rotisserie chicken, just use turkey instead!)

• Turkey Enchiladas
• White Bean & Turkey Chili
• Smoked Turkey Sandwiches on Cranberry-Pecan Quick Bread
• Grilled Turkey, Bacon, Radicchio and Blue Cheese Sandwiches
• Toasted Turkey & Brie Sandwiches
• Turkey Tetrazzini

Chicken in White Wine

Chicken in White Wine. I made this last week, but used real bacon and kept skin on chicken. (Take that, Weight Watchers!)

Next time, I would season/blacken the chicken before browning to make a crust with the skin. I added my own spices but it still could have used more. The gravy it makes is SUPERB!

Remember, I collect all of the recipes I have actually made on this Pinterest board (with comments). I try to eventually post them here too but sometimes life gets in the way!

South Mississippi restaurants gathering supplies for East Coast

Several Coast restaurants are collecting supplies through Operation BBQ Relief to take to the East Coast to feed families displaced by Hurricane Sandy. Donations of non-perishable items such as cleaning supplies and plastic gloves are needed, as well as seasonings, barbecue sauces and rubs, charcoal and industrial-sized cans of vegetables and beans are needed.

Learn more here.

Mahi Soft Tacos with Chipotle Cream Sauce

It is not often that my husband brings me a cookbook, marks a page, and says, "Please make me this." So I was intrigued by this Mahi Soft Tacos with Chipotle Cream Sauce recipe in Crazy Sista Cooking from the get-go. (We had just left a weekend of fish tacos in Gulf Shores, so I thought he'd be tired of them by now.) We are trying to incorporate more fish into our home cooking, and this one is definitely a keeper. I think the Chipotle Cream Sauce would be great as a dip for boiled shrimp or crawfish too...or tossed with some cabbage for an oyster po-boy. (is very spicy though so if you don't like heat, you may want to cut the peppers in half!)

4 8-oz. fresh mahi-mahi fish fillets
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp taco seasoning
1 can seasoned black beans, washed and drained
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded white cabbage
1 cup shredded purple cabbage (I used a bag of coleslaw mix)
12 6-inch corn tortillas
Chiopotle Cream Sauce
Lime
Salsa

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Coat fish with 2 tbsp olive oil and seasoning. Set aside.

Warm black beans. Combine cheeses in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix cabbages.

Wrap tortillas in foil and warm in oven for 10 min.

In a large cast iron or heavy skillet, heat remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat until it sizzles. Gently place fillets in skillet. Cook on side for 3 to 4 min. Carefully turn fillets and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Remove from heat and chop into bite-sized pieces.

To assemble taco, top warm tortillas with fish, black beans, cheese, and cabbage. Drizzle with Chipotle Cream Sauce and fold in half. Serve with salsa and lime wedges.

Chipotle Cream Sauce

4-5 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (found in 7 oz. cans)
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp taco seasoning
2 cups sour cream

In a food processor, combine whole chipotle peppers, lime juice, lemon juice, salt, cumin, and seasoning. Blend until peppers are pureed. Add the sour cream and blend thoroughly until smooth. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Slow-Cooker Sweet and Spicy Chicken

This is what Martha's looked like. Not mine.(I did cook it on low. Maybe it's better on high. My skin did not stay on at all. It all cooked down.)

The recipe was still yummy. It just DID NOT LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THAT!

And I made this Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore recently - and my family thought it was the same recipe. It tastes that similar. Only this second recipe looks much healthier (on face value). No oil. No skin. (No extra time in flash frying it.)

When I tried Martha's recipe, the chicken was all gone but there was lots of tomato sauce left, so I combined her recipe with my traditional Shrimp and Grits and voila...



I don't know what it's called, but I liked it. (My husband just tolerated it, however, and my son didn't want to eat it with the tomato sauce. MEN!)

Maybe Sweet and Spicy Shrimp and Grits?! ;)

Breesy Mac

Drew Brees' favorite pre-game carb loading dinner won big at our house. Leave it to New Orleans to take a basic mac-and-cheese recipe and make it absolutely decadent! (But this is the kind of hamburger helper the adults will be just as thrilled with as the kids!)

Breesy Beefy Mac
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped andouille
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 tablespoon flour
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeños
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar and American cheese (plus extra for topping)
3/4 cup uncooked macaroni or pasta of your choice, cooked and drained
Melt the butter in a hot skillet, add andouille and sauté. Once the andouille is crispy, add ground beef. Break up the ground beef, and cook until the beef is done all the way through. Stir in flour until smooth.

Add heavy cream and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until mixture thickens. Add tomatoes, jalapeños, salt, pepper and cheese. Cook until cheese is melted, stirring slowly (about 2 minutes

Mix the cheese sauce with the cooked pasta, and place into a well-greased oven safe dish. Top with a layer of shredded cheddar and bake for 7 minutes or more at 375 degrees, until dish is heated through and cheese is golden brown.

[ via Times Picayune ]

Crawfish Pasta

When we get crawfish, our eyes are almost always bigger than our stomach. (More, please!) So I have these little freezer bags full of crawfish in the freezer. This recipe is a perfect way to use those!


1 ziploc bag of frozen crawfish (about 2 cups)
2 tbsp butter
Minced garlic
1 block cream cheese
1 cup milk
1 lb fettucine
Parsley
Parmesan cheese

Thaw the crawfish. Prepare the pasta as described on bag or box. Melt the butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven and add garlic and crawfish. Add cream cheese and melt. Slowly add 1 cup milk. (If you want it to be a thicker sauce, you can use half heavy cream and half milk.) Put the drained pasta in with the sauce and mix. Warm and serve with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese on top.

Grilled Marinated Swordfish

Honestly, I haven't seen swordfish in the seafood restaurants I frequent (excepting on the wall, anyways). But we have made a resolution to start trying more fish dishes, and Kroger had swordfish steaks today, so we decided to give it a try.

This marinade was very tasty and Quinn grilled it perfectly - my only beef with this fishy recipe was the price. (Six bucks for that one steak! Yes...we split it.) I'm all for adventures in cooking and all, but who knew exploration was THAT expensive!

I served it with mashed potatoes and sauteed asparagus. (I figured we needed the potatoes as I was too cheap to buy two steaks!)  Yummy!

25 Things to Know Before You Become a Restaurant Critic

Great list of 25 things to know before you become a restaurant critic. My favorite?

Every time you eat in someone’s home, someone will say, “How many stars would you give this?”

Slow Cooker Meatball and Tortellini Soup

Two of my family's favorite recipes involve cheese tortellini and Italian-style meatballs, so, honestly, I knew this recipe would be a hit before I even served it. But it was an even bigger hit than I expected! And it also gave me several ideas for future crockpot soup recipes. Basic broth + veggies and extras + add tortellini or any refrigerated or frozen pasta about 45 minutes before serving = yummy dinner!


½ bag of frozen Italian Meatballs (1 pound)
1 bag (1 pound) refrigerated cheese tortellini
Beef Broth (32 oz.)
1 can (15.5 oz) Navy Beans
1 can (14.5 oz.) Italian Diced Tomatoes
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 tbsp oregano
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Grated Parmesan Cheese


Pour beef broth in slow cooker and add beans (do not drain), diced tomatoes (do not drain), onion, garlic, celery, oregano and frozen meatballs.

Set slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.

About 30-45 minutes before you’re ready to eat, add frozen tortellini (or pasta). Allow to cook thoroughly. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Social Media & Food: A Match Made In Heaven [Infographic]

I suppose this is why when anyone asks me where I got a recipe from, my husband and son answer, in unison, while rolling their eyes: "Pinterest!" ;)

It also reminds me of a reminder that I saw recently: It is in fact possible, it seems, to eat something - at home or at a restaurant - without posting a picture on Instagram first. Who knew?!

See the full-size graphic here.

New 'Food & Drink' category goes live on Apple's App Store

On July 12, Apple's App Store launched a new Food & Drink section. The category currently has 2,824 paid and 4,040 free iPhone apps and 1,121 paid and 1,039 free iPad apps.

How We Accidentally Ruined Tomatoes

For those of you who insist that grocery store tomatoes taste awful compared to those in your childhood.... Well, you are right! It seems we accidentally ruined tomatoes by trying to make them bright red (which, it seems, is when we want to buy them).

Corn & Zucchini Saute

I'm continuing my summertime recipes as it's getting warmer and warmer down here already. We broke out the shorts last weekend!

Corn & Zucchini Saute

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
2 cups fresh corn (about 4 ears)
2 medium zucchini (1 lb), quartered lengthwise, then cut cross-wise into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Salt & pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat till hot but not smoking, then cook green onions, stirring occasionally till softened about 3 min. Add garlic and cook, stirring 1 min. Add corn, zucchini, cumin, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, till zucchini is tender, four to six minutes. Stir in cilantro and season more with salt and pepper, if needed.

Herb and Cream Cheese Fondue

I recently received this e-mail from a friend. She had just sampled some and verified its superbness for us...

Herb and Cream Cheese Fondue Recipe

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, or ½ tablespoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped, or ½ tablespoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped, or ½ tablespoon driec
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 to 1 ½ cups light cream

In a large, heavy, non-stick skillet, saute’ the garlic in the olive oil, just until tender.  Add the cream cheese, and continue cooking on low heat, stirring until the cheese is smooth and melted. Gradually stir in the cream, a little at a time until the mixture reaches the right consistency for dipping.  (It thickens as it cools.)  Add the parsley, oregano and basil, and continue cooking for two or three minutes to the let the herb flavors blend.  Transfer to a warm ceramic fondue pot. Serve with cooked, shelled shrimp, tortellini, French bread, Wheat Thins, scallops, chicken, vegetables, etc.

Note:  The recipe can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, but you will need to add more cream before serving. (It thickens when chilled.)  Shrimp and scallops cook quickly and dry easily when overcooked, so it’s best to prepare them shortly before serving this fondue recipe.  Serves 6

Penne & Spinach Pasta Toss

This recipe combines three of my favorite qualities - quick, easy and delicious! And it will be another great recipe for the summer months.

Penne & Spinach Pasta Toss

8 oz penne or ziti, uncooked
8 cups (8 oz) packed baby or torn spinach leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 3/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, adding spinach to water durng last minute of cooking and stirring till wilted.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 2 min. Add broth and bring to a simmer, cook 4 min.

Drain pasta and spinach; add to skillet, tossing well. Simmer 2 min., tossing frequently. Stir in tomato; heat through. Toss cheese lightly in mixture with two spoons till cheese slightly melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is from the April 2005 issue of Everyday Food and it is quite good. The sweet and sour sauce is not too thick, too sweet or too cloying. I think it will be a great warm-weather recipe addition to the Secret Recipe Box. 

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
4 tsp sugar
3 tbsp vegetable oil
4 bell peppers (red, green, yellow or a combination), cut into 1-inch pieces
8 scallions, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces, white and green parts separated
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Cooked white rice
1 cup pineapple tidbits

In a large bowl, toss chicken with 1 tbsp each soy sauce and cornstarch, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. In another bowl, combine remaining 2 tbsp soy sauce and tbsp cornstarch, vinegar, ketchup, sugar and 1/2 cup water; set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook half the chicken, turning occasionally, until browned and almost cooked through, 4 min.; remove. Cook the remaining chicken in another tbsp oil; remove.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to the pan. Add peppers, white parts of scallions and garlic; cook over med-hi, stirring, till peppers are crisp-tender, about 3 min.

Whisk soy-sauce mixture; add to pan. Return chicken; add scallion greens and pineapple. Cook, stirring, till sauce has thickened and chicken is cooked through, about 2 min. Serve immediately over rice.

We can make this hard or we can make this easy...

Crawfish Etouffe (The Hard Way and The Easy Way)

6 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. chopped bell pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme (or EASY: dump dry thyme in as desired)
2 1/2 cup fish or shrimp stock (HARD: Make stock by boiling crawfish shells, heads, etc. in water with cut up onion or EASY: 2 1/2 cup canned chicken broth)
1 c. diced tomatoes (or EASY: 1 can diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper
Hot pepper sauce
2 tsp Worcestershire
2 lb crawfish tails - save shells to make broth  (or EASY: 2 lb frozen crawfish tails, thawed)
1/2 lemon, juiced (or EASY: a few teaspoons of lemon juice)
1 c. chopped green onions
1/4 c. chopped parsley (or EASY: sprinkle dried parsley till it looks right)

In a large heavy saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter and whisk in flour. Make peanut butter-colored roux. (The only way to make a roux easier is to keep a bottle of wine by the pot.) Add veggies and seasoning. Cook 6 to 8 min. Add stock, tomatoes and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 30 min. Add crawfish, lemon juice, green onions and parsley and cook for 15 to 20 min. Add remaining butter and stir to combine. Serve over rice.

I have tried it both ways. Both are delicious!

Zesty Barbecued Shrimp

Melt a stick of butter in the pan. Slice one lemon and layer it on top of the butter. Put down l to 1 1/2 lbs. large or jumbo fresh shrimp, then sprinkle one pack of dried Zesty Italian dressing mix. Put in the oven and bake at 350 for 15 min.

Serve with toasted French bread slices to sop up the butter. (Can put the bread in at 350 degrees for about 10 min. and it will be ready.)

Yum!

(This is the first time I've made this recipe and mine were a little hard to peel. Might try a little less time next time.)

Cream of Coconut Cake

Cream of Coconut Cake

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup cream of coconut
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 lb confectioners' sugar
• Flaked coconut (optional)
• Toasted hazelnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch pan (for a sheet cake) or two 9-inch pans (for a layer cake - my preference).
2. Combine the cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, cream of coconut and the sour cream and mix well for 4 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 40 minutes. Let cake cool then frost with cream cheese frosting and top with flaked coconut.
4. To Make Frosting: Combine the softened cream cheese, vanilla, almond extract, and confectioners' sugar. Mix until smooth and spread over cooled cake. Top with flaked coconut and toasted hazelnuts, if desired.

Mediterranean Vegetable-Cheese Pie

I tried out some summer fare recently as the temperatures are already beginning to rise down South. I baked the pie for Saturday night supper but it actually taste better for brunch on Sunday - I think the flavors need a little time to meld together - and I will add salt to the recipe when I try it again. It needs some. The recipe is from Self magazine, April 2005 - they attribute it to Rancho La Puerta Spa, Tecate, Baja, California.

Mediterranean Vegetable-Cheese Pie

Olive oil cooking spray
2 med.-sized potatoes, peeled and sliced in 1/8-inch rounds
8 oz (about 8 cups) baby spinach
3 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 whole eggs
3 egg whites
1 cup nonfat ricotta or cottage cheese
1 tbsp feta, crumbled
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil or dill (or 3 tsp dry)
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 1/2 tbsp grated Asiago or Parmesan
1 1/2 tbsp grated lowfat mozzarella

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Line bottom of plate with potato slices. Cut remaining slices in half and arrange around side of plate. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Coat a saute pan with cooking spray and saute onion over low heat till tender, about 5 min. Add spinach to pan and let wilt, about 2 to 3 min. Remove from heat. Drain excess fluid from onion and spinach mixture. Stir in olives.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat eggs and egg whites. Stir in ricotta and feta. Add half the basil or dill and set aside. Spoon onion and spinach mixture into pie plate over potatoes. Layer on egg mixture, then slices of tomato. Bake 20 to 25 min. or till egg is set and a knife inserted into pie comes out clean. Sprinkle grated cheeses evenly over top of pie and top with remaining basil or dill. Return to oven for 5 min. or till cheese melts. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 min. Cut pie into four wedges. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 192 calories, 4.8 g fat (2 g saturated), 20.5 g carbohydrates, 17.5 g protein, 7.8 g fiber

Glazed Lemon Cake

This cake is easy to make and delicious! Everytime I bring it, I get asked for the recipe. (I have also added poppyseeds to the recipe for a neighbor that wanted a lemon poppyseed cake and I have baked it like a bread loaf. It's very versatile.)

Glazed Lemon Cake

1 package white cake mix
1 package instant lemon pudding
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup lemon-lime soda
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice

In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, oil and eggs; beat on medium for one min. Gradually beat in soda. Pour into a 13x9x2 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.

Combine sugar and lemon juice and spread over warm cake.

Crockpot Shrimp Creole

Crockpot Shrimp Creole

1 1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup diced green pepper
28 oz. diced tomatoes
16 oz. tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 bay leaf
Tabasco to taste
1 lb fresh shrimp, shelled

Combine all ingredients except shrimp in crockpot. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. During last hour, turn crockpot to high and add shrimp. Cook one hour. (Goes great with a green salad and a loaf of Gambino's French Bread.)

Sausage and Pepper Stew

This recipe is from the February/March 1999 Fine Cooking. (Yes, I've been making it that long.)

I, of course, take several shortcuts. I have included the original recipe here, but I don't tie up a bouquet garni - I just dump dried basil into the soup (so much for "fine cooking" at my house). I also cut the sausage up into small pieces before sauteing in oil, rather than leaving them whole. I don't use 3 tbsp olive oil - I just mist a little olive oil in the pot I cook the stew in. (I'm sure the sausage is enough fat for one recipe.) And double the recipe because this freezes well!

Sausage & Pepper Stew

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 lb hot Italian sausages
1 med. onion, thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 green bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
28-oz can tomatoes, drained and chopped (I use diced though)
2 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked small pasta (tubetti, ditali or shells)
5 sprigs fresh basil and 5 sprigs fresh mint, tied together in a bouquet garni
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil over med-hi heat. Add the sausages and onion; cook, turning the sausages to brown all sides, until the onions are just tender, about 8 min. Add the garlic and bell peppers and cook another couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes, water, pasta, basil, mint, salt and pepper (make sure the pasta is submerged). Raise the heat to high and cook until the liquid starts to boil. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the sausages feel firm and the pasta is tender, about 25 min. Cut the sausages into slices or leave whole for serving.

"Nice job, assholes."

That's how John Currence summed up on Twitter New Orleans' Times-Picayune decision to dismiss Brett Anderson as their food critic. Also on Twitter, Susan Langenhennig announced that she will take over that role eventually. (She is the fashion editor and has been doing food reviews off and on.)

It will be interesting to see how food/restaurant reviews change as newspapers change. I can remember a time when every local newspaper had a "critic." A critic that was actually a critic and reported honestly on the food and service. The argument has always been that no one will buy advertising from folks criticizing their product - but now most have switched 180 degrees to slick PR pieces couched as food journalism (sometimes hilariously obviously).

But if a food critic can't survive in a town as food-centric as New Orleans, where can he?

Update: It seems Anderson is on a sabbatical, not unemployed.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This was dinner tonight. A little late. Because I swore I had bread crumbs, but didn't. I think my husband thought I was just coming up with an excuse for a scooter ride, but I really thought we had breadcrumbs.

Anyways, if you don't forget the breadcrumbs, you should be able to start prep at 6:30 p.m. and have it on the table by 7:30 p.m. I bought the thin-sliced breasts and didn't beat them, but I think they still could have used some beating. (And, in my book, any excuse to use a meat mallet is a good one! Everyone talks about getting the newlywed woman a rolling pin to garner some respect around the house, but I'd take a meat mallet instead any ol' day.)

Cooking Light recommended serving it with mashed potatoes and green beans, but it's pretty filling on its own, so I just served it with sauteed asparagus. And I substituted Canadian bacon for prosciutto. (If you're bored one afternoon, walk in to your local Wal-mart and ask someone where the prosciutto is. It didn't end well. I just went with the Canadian Bacon. And in all fairness I know where the prosciutto is at Kroger and I never have to ask, so maybe the response would be similar.)

While making it, I started wondering why it's called "cordon bleu." No blue cheese. It just means "blue ribbon" in French so no help there.Wikipedia is not much help on the history - just says it's not named after the famous cooking school. Then I discovered, despite the French name, the dish is distinctly American. Just a trendy, fancy name for a trendy, fancy dish served at trendy, fancy restaurants...and at my house, too, of course!

A keeper recipe no matter the name! Enjoy!

Hot and Sour Soup

My husband and I both love Hot and Sour Soup, but I had not found a recipe to try that was fairly basic (until this one). The chili paste definitely makes it spicy, so if you don't like the heat leave it out. The basic broth is yummy, but you could add to or leave out the bamboo shoots, snow peas, shrimp, etc. and add whatever you wanted.

Cheeseburger Soup

1 lb ground round (or leanest ground beef you can find)

1 small onion, diced

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 cans chicken broth

1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, washed and drained

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

16 oz. 2%-milk Velveeta cheese, cubed

1 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

1 bag baby spinach (optional)

In a large stock pan, brown beef and onion. Add 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Add chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil.

In a small saucepan, melt 3 tbsp butter. Add 1/4 cup flour and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or till bubbly. Add to soup. Bring the soup to a boil and cook and stir for 2 min. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Add baby spinach (if desired).

(Adapted from this recipe)