Welcome Back to Blogathon

I was in bed scanning twitter because I really wanted to fall back to sleep rather than get up (it didn't work, btw)..and I came across the announcement of Blogathon 2011! How could I have missed this!?!

So this is the official announcement to Babette Feasts readers.

I hope to still make you laugh, love food, get inspired by photos and weave in bits and pieces about new things in my life: tango (LOVE it!), triathlons, new places and new spaces.

So welcome back. While this is post #1, I hope to add to it later today, because just now, I am in Asheville, NC for a full-on tango weekend. awesome!

Special For Easter? Popovers

I am republishing this blog post from a couple of years back--because I think every holiday deserves popovers. When I developed this recipe for Florida Table, I also developed a popover habit. Not a bad thing to have. Popovers are simple and delicious. Treat yourself. (Republished from June 4, 2008)


I recently had to develop a popover recipe and I have to say, there's not much to develop.
The ratio is 2/4/2: 2 cups flour, 4 eggs, 2 cups milk. Want more? 4 cups flour, 8 eggs, 4 cups milk. I read about slight variations (melted butter, leavening, leave the pans cold, get them hot, start them at a high temp, reduce to low)--they were kind of too many. In the end simplest is best (add 1 teaspoon salt to the 2/4/2 recipe, and I bake at 375 for 50 minutes until REALLY golden brown, although your mileage may vary), but I did learn these things while I baked about 6 batches in the past few weeks:

• --do not overmix
• --a hot pan is good
• --do NOT overfill. I made a few batches where I filled the cup nearly full. I think this doesn't give the batter a "wall" to climb to help the popovers pop.
• --Absolutely, positively do NOT open the door while these bake.
• --Really let them bake until they are dark golden and crusty. Underbake them and they will collapse in on themselves.

One batch I could even SEE them prickling to pop right before my eyes. It was like watching time lapse photography.
I added some Jarlsberg cheese to the batch in the oven now...the photos aren't great because, as noted, I can't open the oven.

But the end shots? Mmm. Eat 'em hot.

Tax Relief?? Cheers: The Money Maker

The Color of Money?

Lots of fun things come to my inbox, most recently a recipe for a new drink from the mixologist at Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida...Great spot, lovely for retreats (I want to do this Salt Cooking School they have. I love my salts! Brilliant idea)..

Well, if you are at ALL like me, you were in the car at midnight. (Rose B, if you are reading this, you DO know I think of you every April 15 at midnight, right?) But here's the thing. In Charlotte, at least, "late hours" post office? TEN O'CLOCK. Ha. That is SO not late in my book.

Anyway, with all the paper flying, stamp-sticking and tears (there are always tax-time tears in this house), no drinks were made yesterday.

Today is recovery day. I've vowed to budget better. I've vowed to save more. And I've vowed to try this drink. Hey, whatever works, right?

The Money Maker is the creation of Mike Bell, Ritz-Carlton's Amelia Island mixologist. Pear vodka, melon liqueur, fresh lemon. I don't know if it will bring me more money in 2011, but I am pretty sure this will keep me quite happy.

Tax Day Relief Drink - The Money Maker

“On Tax Day, you are either celebrating a refund or hoping for better results next year, but in

either case you can always use a little relief,” says Bell.

 

1 ¼ oz Pear Vodka

½ oz Midori

½ fresh squeezed lemon

Preparation: Combine Pear Vodka, Midori, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and

pour into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lime twist around a lemon wedge.

Lobster Eggs Benedict, Nevis

Lobster Eggs Benedict, Nevis, a photo by BabetteFeasts on Flickr.
Online friend/colleague/writer/photographer Fred Minnick posted a photo of Eggs Benedict, which reminded me of one of MY favorite versions, shared with a lot of fun people on Nevis.


I do believe Eggs Benedict, lobster or not, are a pretty perfect way to enjoy a Sunday.

Look at Me Now! BHG Looks at Babette Feasts

 It's taken me way too long to post about this (I'd say I'm shy, but you all know better)...

A while back Better Homes and Gardens called me (ME!) to chat about casseroles--you know, the "Old-fashioned" word for what we all now call one-dish meals. I ended up in a story called "Best Dishes from Food Bloggers" WITH DORIE GREENSPAN. I am so honored, excited, etc.

We chatted about a ton of dishes (I had just made Marcella Hazan's lasagne), they quoted me, they adapted a recipe for tuna noodle casserole (trust me, it's good. It hands down beat the Friday fish cakes that used to appear on our table during my childhood. Those? Those bring back nightmares. And no, I didn't grow up anywhere near fresh fish. Who knew I'd love the real thing? I digress.) and then it shows up in this beautiful, glossy, incredibly styled special issue they titled Ultimate Casseroles.

I give you the cover and the photo here--hope you'll go looking for it (the cover says "display until May 10")...

B

Dorie's Salted Butter Breakups.

There's not much to say here because name says it all for me...shortbread with a touch of salt..right up my alley, simple, pure, delicious..I used some nice sea salt I had on hand, but it was fine; I am so going to try this again with flakes of sel gris....you know. I just must suffer through another recipe of one of my favorite things: shortbread. Ah, the rigors of recipe testing....As a treat, this could not be much easier. Mix. Chill. Pat into large "rectangle." Don't get crazy about it being perfect..bake and serve whole, let guests break off their own pieces...mmm. Happy.

I've only posted two photos here, but trust me. I took a ridiculous number of them...because I'm in love with food shortbread...add salt and I'm over the moon (you know: the really big one that graced our skies last night! How cool was that?)....
Be sure to check out other results over at French Fridays with Dorie.

Things I Don't Want to be Without.

A few weeks ago, I tweeted that the earth had shifted on its axis: I was out of fresh garlic. Then I found myself out of vanilla. Then I actually ran out of flour. Then I was out of peppercorns for the grinder. Oof, and I was out of milk from my farmer and, horror, of COFFEE.

So I got to thinking. There are some things that should always be in my kitchen. I should just put them on the permanent list. The flour? Well, that got low after a pasta making class and I hadn't replenished. And the vanilla was low after some baking. Those aren't essentials. But I DO have a list of essentials, things that I want to be available always as I create. So here in no particular order, are the things I will just buy. Always. Because chances are very good that they have been used up within the week.

3 Fresh Lemons
2 limes
1 Head of garlic
Red wine (no, I won't tell you how many bottles!)
1 bunch parsley (until mine in my herb garden grows enough to cut and use)
Cilantro (ditto)
Basil (ditto)
Onions
Lettuce (lots of it so I can eat salads as big as my head)
Farmer's milk and cream and butter
Farmer's eggs
Red Dirt Ranch chicken
Grateful Grower's Pork
Beef from River Taw Farms (I visited and bought 20 lbs, so I'm good there for a while)
Potatoes
Bacon (hopefully from Grateful Growers!)


With these in the fridge, I always have dinner. The chicken gets roasted, then made into some dish (last week, Dorie's chicken b'stilla) and then made into yet another dish with any leftover (last week: chicken and dumplings). From Grateful growers, I've had ribs, sausage, ground pork, brats--I still have to check out pork loin and pork chops. Potatoes get mashed, "gratin'd" (real word is gratineed, I think), sliced into pommes anna, baked, you name it. I could make a quiche with the eggs, the bacon, the onions....

What's on your list?