It’s official.  I’m in summer-mode when it comes to the kitchen.  The thought of turning on my oven makes me pull back in disgust.  Heat?  In this heat?  Not a chance.

Surprisingly I found relief from the heat in this chilled cucumber and dill soup.  I tend to struggle with cold soup.  Gazpacho, with its chunks of vegetables, I’m ok with, but when it comes to pureed soups I sometimes feel like I’m eating spoonfuls of flavored milk or yogurt.  After a bowl of the stuff, I typically find myself agreeing with lactose expert Ron Burgundy.

This soup however is different.  For one it uses buttermilk.  Buttermilk is too often ignored.  Sour and tangy we reserve it for use only in things like biscuits, pancakes, and fried chicken.   Traditionally, buttermilk was the liquid leftover from making butter.  Today, it’s made by adding bacteria to nonfat or lowfat milk.  The added bacteria thickens the milk and gives buttermilk its distinct taste.  While most people draw back in horror at the word of butter (pity these people), buttermilk is actually a healthier alternative to cream or whole milk.

In this soup, buttermilk adds a tang that is like yogurt, but without the thick consistency.   It pairs with hothouse cucumbers (scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon), fresh dill and mint, and some green onions.  That’s it.  Puree the ingredients in a blender, season with salt and pepper, and then chill the soup for at least 2 hours before serving.

To add a bit of color and texture, I seeded and diced a large ripe tomato and tossed it with a tablespoon of minced dill.   While completely optional, I think it’s worth the extra couple of minutes and contrasts well with the soup.

And finally, a word on seasoning for the season.  Summer’s here which means more cold dishes.  It takes more salt to season a cold dish than it does a hot dish.   For this reason, if you are going to serve a dish hot never salt it when it’s cold as it may be too salty once heated up.  Conversely, season this soup after blending it, but give it an extra taste and adjust the salt accordingly right before serving.   The soup may taste perfect when it goes into the refrigerator, but after a couple of hours of chilling it may need a little more salt to come back to life again.

 Anybody that takes a class with me, knows my trick for seasoning.  One of my instructors in culinary school told us to never season the soup itself.  Rather, taste a spoonful of the soup.  Get another spoonful, but sprinkle this spoonful with a few grains of salt.  Taste it.  If the spoonful with the added salt tastes better, you need to add more salt to the soup.  If the spoonful with the added salt tastes too salty, you’ve salted enough.    Genius, right?  It’s a great way to learn how to season without the casualties of too salty soups along the way.

And with those tips, I leave you with this recipe for chilled cucumber and dill soup. Made with buttermilk…a good choice.

Chilled Cucumber and Dill Soup - Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 6

While English or Hothouse cucumbers have significantly less seeds than regular cucumbers, I still take them out for this recipe.  Hothouse cucumbers are typically sold wrapped in plastic.  They are thinner and longer than traditional cucumbers.

2 Hothouse (aka English) cucumbers (about 1 ½ lbs), peeled, seeded, and chopped
½ cup roughly chopped fresh dill
½ cup roughly chopped fresh mint
2 green onions, roots trimmed, white and green parts thinly sliced
2 cups buttermilk
½ teaspoon kosher salt, more if needed
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more if needed
For garnish: 1 large ripe tomato (seeded and diced) tossed with 1 tablespoon fresh minced dill

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.  Refrigerate in a covered container for at least 2 hours.   The soup can be refrigerated for longer than two hours, but be sure to give it a shake before serving as it tends to settle the longer it sits.

When ready to serve, toss the seeded and diced tomato with the tablespoon of fresh dill.  Fill each bowl with the chilled soup and garnish with the diced tomatoes.  Serve immediately.

We rarely go out to eat, but when we do we’re picky.   In my opinion, the number one reason to go out to eat is to order something that you can’t do as well at home.   Pizza was my favorite example.  I don’t have a wood fired oven, pizza peels drive me crazy (my pizza dough always seems to stick while I’m trying to get it on the pizza stone), and my crust never gets as crisp as I would like it.  Pizza at home is just not as good.  Or it wasn’t.

I’ve experimented over the past couple of months.  I’ve let dough rise overnight, for several hours, and for no time at all.  I’ve messed with the heat and cooked pizzas at 450 degrees, 550 degrees, and finally just under the broiler.   I’ve grilled pizzas on the grill and baked them on a stone.   I’ve preheated that stone from 30 minutes to more than 1 hour.  In short, I’ve made and eaten a lot of pizza and I think I’ve found one I like.  I’ve included the recipe at the end of this post, but to truly get praiseworthy results read on for some tips to making a great pie in your home.

1.  Preheat the oven.  Lots of recipes tell you to place the stone in your oven and preheat it for at least an hour.   Most of us ignore this advice thinking that 20 or 30 minutes will suffice.  We are wrong.   Preheating the oven requires some advanced planning and makes your kitchen quite hot, but it’s important.  For the crispest crust, that stone needs to be as hot as possible.  Plan ahead.  Preheat the stone on a rack in the TOP third of your oven for at least 1 hour.

2.  Make your own dough.  Store-bought dough is easy, but that doesn’t make it good.   While using regular yeast and allowing the dough to rise yields a more interesting dough with a little more depth of flavor, use pizza crust yeast to make your own dough in less than 5 minutes.  Pizza crust yeast is found in the baking aisle next to the Active Dry and Rapid Rise yeast.  It does NOT need to rise.  This means that you can make your own dough in far less time than it takes to buy it.

3.  Flour or foil.  Pizza peels make me want to scream.  If using a pizza peel, be sure to dust it generously with flour, cornmeal or semolina flour to prevent the pizza from sticking.  If you are still struggling to get the pizza into the oven, roll the dough out on a piece of non-stick aluminum foil.  My mother-in-law introduced me to the stuff and it works wonders.   You simply slide the foil with the pizza on top into the oven.  The pizza easily comes off the foil when it’s ready and the foil can then be re-used or recycled.  While cooking on non-stick foil in the oven is optional, it’s a must for me on the grill.  You still get great grill marks and clean-up is a breeze.

4.  High (really high) heat.  My pizzas were good, but they weren’t great until I read an article about pizza in the March 2012 issue of Bon Appetit.  The article recommends preheating the oven and your pizza stone at the highest temperature possible for your oven.  For me that’s 550 degrees.   When you slide your pizza on the stone, turn your broiler on.  It only takes 6-7 minutes from there.  The top of your pizza will be brown and bubbly while your crust, provided you properly preheated your stone, will be nice and crisp. On a side note, for those that want to experiment with a longer rising dough, Jim Lahey’s recipe for No Knead Pizza Dough featured in the same article is exceptional.

5.  Exercise restraint.   I too want to pile as many toppings on my pie as possible, but it never yields the best results.  A friend of mine (you can read her blog here), who clearly knows how to edit herself, demonstrated this technique beautifully when she and her husband came over for pizza.  Her pizza looked  pathetic going into the oven (I had to hold myself back from throwing some mushrooms on it), but when it came out it stole the show.  It was a pizza trifecta: crispy crust, nicely browned cheese, and good topping ratio.  It was awesome.  I’ve tried to channel her minimalism with mixed results ever since.

And with those five tips, I’ll leave you with the recipe.  May you never order pizza again.

Grilled Vegetable Pizza with Basil Pesto - Printer Friendly Recipe
Makes 1 large pizza

This delicious pizza is a perfect way to use up grilled vegetables from an earlier meal.  While the homemade basil pesto is to ridiculously good, for those in a rush substitute a little store-bought pesto for a time-saving solution. 

For the vegetables:
½ red bell pepper, seeded, cut into large wedges
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds
½ red onion, cut into rings
Olive oil
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Basil Pesto:
2 cups roughly chopped fresh basil
1 large garlic clove, chopped
3 tablespoon pine nuts
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the pizza:
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced or grated
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 package pizza crust yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil, more for brushing
1 1/2 cups bread flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
Special equipment: non-stick aluminum foil (optional)

Place a pizza stone in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven as high as it will go (usually 500 to 550 degrees).  Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Toss the vegetables with just enough olive oil to coat and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Grill the vegetables until grill marks appear.  Cut the grilled red pepper wedges into smaller pieces.

To make the pesto, combine the basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil in a blender.  Process until almost completely smooth and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the pizza yeast, the warm water, and the olive oil.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, the whole wheat flour, and salt.   Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.  Turn the dough out on a well-floured counter and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and pliable.  Add more flour if the dough is too wet and add a little water if the dough is too dry.

Once the dough is smooth, use your hands to gently toss the dough into a round (or use a rolling pin) and place on non-stick aluminum foil or a generously floured pizza peel.  Brush the dough with olive oil.  Spread about ¼ cup of the pesto (the remaining pesto can be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for up to one week) over the pizza.  Top with the grilled vegetables.  Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan over the pizza.  Turn the oven on broil.   Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone using a peel and bake for 5-7 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and brown.   Remove the pizza from the oven and drizzle with a little olive oil, if desired.  Enjoy.

I’ve never understood the desire to slow-roast marshmallows.  Those people who turn their marshmallows methodically at a safe distance from the flames are enigmas to me.  Where is the urgency?  While you dally near danger in the hopes of getting a perfect toast, I’ve eaten four s’mores.

Marshmallows are meant to be plunged into the heart of a fire.  They should burst into flames immediately and when flaming, instead of cries of dismay, one should proudly hold them aloft and only blow them out when one’s fiery mallow is in imminent peril of falling off the stick.   Although, for the record, any kid who has experienced summer and the glories of a marshmallow roast will tell you that the marshmallow lost to the flames is still awesome and one marshmallow should probably be sacrificed for this purpose anyway.  Kinda of like pouring out a little of your beer for your homies, it’s good karma.

But I’m getting carried away with marshmallow cookery when this post is actually about s’more cupcakes.  This recipe combines the best qualities of s’mores and cupcakes to get a whimsical dessert.  A graham cracker crust, a moist chocolate filling, and  an egg white and sugar frosting that mimics the flavor of marshmallows, makes for a delicious cupcake.  It’s the light charring of the frosting with a culinary torch however that truly gilds the lily and will elicit high praise from your guests.

Make the chocolate cupcakes with their graham cracker crust ahead of time, but I recommend holding off on making the frosting and giving the cupcakes their torching  until right before serving.   While still edible and delicious, the frosting gets a bit sticky and loses a bit of its fluff the longer it sits.  Humidity, if you were wondering, does not help your cause.

Don’t have a culinary torch?  No worries.  You can stick the frosted cupcakes under your oven’s broiler to get a nice toast.  My only words of advice.  WATCH them carefully and TURN often.   Fiery mallows in one’s oven illicit a very different excitement than those burning under a starry sky.

S’more Cupcakes - Printer Friendly Recipe
Makes 12 cupcakes

For cupcakes:
4 graham cracker sheets (about 2 ounces), processed to a fine crumb in a food processor
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
Generous pinch of salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For frosting:
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Special equipment: thermometer, culinary hand torch

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 12 muffin tins with liners.

Stir together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl until combined.   Divide the graham cracker mixture between the cupcake liners, about 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture for each cupcake.  Press the mixture down with your fingers to make a crust at the bottom of each liner.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat, stirring constantly.

In a large bowl, beat the 4 tablespoons butter and the granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and beat until combined.  Add the melted chocolate and beat until combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.   Once all the flour and buttermilk has been added, stir in the water and vanilla extract and beat until combined.  Divide the batter between the muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.  Remove from the oven.  Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove the cupcakes and allow them to finish cooling on a wire rack.

To make the frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and vanilla extract in a metal bowl and place over a pot of simmering water.  Whisk constantly until the egg white mixture reaches 165 degrees.  Remove the metal bowl from the heat and beat with an electric mixer until the frosting can hold a peak and has a glossy sheen.  Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.   Use a handheld culinary torch to brown the frosting.  Serve.

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Tis the season for outdoor entertaining and with it that dreaded request to “please bring a side dish.”  Maybe it’s just me, but I find being a guest in the winter is far easier than being a guest in the summer.  In the winter, a bouquet of flowers or a bottle of wine, makes any host happy.  In the summer, when I’d rather be reading a book in the hammock, it seems that hosts have the same idea and consequently, ask guests to get a little more involved.

I share this observation not to get myself scratched off from every guest list this summer (although after reading my first paragraph, I’m starting to get a little nervous), but instead to advise you to start thinking about a recipe or two that will be your go-to side dish over the next couple of months.

Potato salad or macaroni and cheese should be scratched off your list unless yours is the very best.  These dishes show up in mass at potlucks and will invariably be compared and contrasted by your normally charming friends.  People have opinions about things like macaroni and cheese.  Serious opinions – steer clear.

No, for the summer cook-out circuit you need a dish that will truly shine while requiring very little time away from the hammock for you.  May I present this Farro Salad with Bell Peppers and Olives for consideration?

Farro has popped up more and more recently.  I’ll even go so far as to say it’s trendy and for good reason.  It has a chewy texture and a wonderfully nutty flavor.  The New Food Lover’s Companion (my copy’s tattered nature reveals its importance in my kitchen) dates the use of the wheat grain Farro (also known as emmer wheat) to 20,000 years ago. First grown in Egypt, Romans were introduced to the grain during their occupation of Egypt and Farro has been part of Italy’s culinary heritage ever since.   I don’t know about you, but I think any food consumed for over 20,000 years certainly deserves an audition in your kitchen.

And you won’t be disappointed.   This colorful salad is a great way to try Farro.  Think of this dish as pasta salad without the pasta.  Nutty Farro, crunchy bell peppers, salty olives, and tart lemon juice combine to make a dish that is refreshing, healthy, and beautiful to look at.  It also is quite simple to make.  Huh.  Sounds like the perfect side dish for that upcoming potluck, right?

Farro Salad with Bell Peppers and Olives - Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 3-4 as a side dish

I adapted this recipe from the recipe for “Bell Pepper and Farro Salad” in The Silver Spoon cookbook.

1 cup Italian pearled Farro, rinsed
4 cups water
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 green onions, ends trimmed, white and green part thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
¼ cup black olives (preferably oil-cured), pitted and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more if needed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more if needed
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Add the water to a medium saucepan and salt it generously.  Bring the water to a boil.  Add the Farro and reduce the heat to a strong simmer.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Drain the Farro under cold water to cool.

Add the drained Farro to a large bowl and toss with the diced bell peppers, green onions, garlic, and black olives.   Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl and add to the Farro mixture.  Toss to combine and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Taste the salad and add more lemon juice and olive oil as needed.   Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

For those that don’t know me, let’s be straight.  I like my burgers made from beef. For as long as I can remember, I’ve approached the idea of the veggie burger with a certain amount of skepticism.  ”How,” I’ve wondered, “could a veggie burger ever replace the real thing?”

And for a while there it seemed like I was right.  I ordered dry, cardboard-tasting veggie burgers at restaurants and always left craving a Big Mac.  ”Veggie burgers,” I would say with confidence, “just don’t do it for me.”

But about a year ago, I decided to whip up a batch of veggie burgers for a class.  The focus of the class was on vegetarian substitutions and I couldn’t ignore my nemesis any longer.

So I did some research, had several failed culinary attempts (edible, but not worth sharing), and then stumbled on this creation.   In my view, it’s a veggie burger done right.  It’s made of black beans.  Japanese breadcrumbs, called Panko, keep the burger from being too dense and help create that ideal burger texture.  An egg works as a binder to hold everything together and cilantro, garlic,  and Monterey Jack cheese provide flavor.  The final and most important addition is one chipotle en adobo.

For those that aren’t familiar with chipotle en adobo, familiarize yourself with it.  It’s a favorite secret ingredient of mine.   The chipotle pepper is a dried and then smoked jalapeño.  You can find it canned en adobo (a spicy sauce made from vinegar and chilies)  in the Mexican aisle of your local supermarket.

A little chipotle goes a long way and adding one minced chipotle pepper en adobo to your burgers gives them a great smoky flavor that mimics that of the grill.  For those that worry about heat, the spice of the chipotle pepper is more subdued than that of a fresh jalapeño.  However, if you abhor the picante, simply use a little of the adobo sauce instead of the chipotle pepper.  The sauce will give you the same benefits as the minced chipotle, but without as much of a kick.

I find it easiest to cook these black beans burgers in the oven, but you can certainly cook them on the grill as well.  Easily made in advance, these would be great to pull out at your next cook-out.  In terms of condiments, the usual accoutrements like ketchup, tomatoes, onions, and mustard work great.  However, if I’m feeling spicy, I’ve been known to heat things up with a little salsa and some avocado slices for a Mexican twist.

Finally, I would be remiss if it I didn’t tell you to rinse your beans before using them.  Canned beans, while convenient, pack a sodium wallop.   A quick rinse before using will cut the level of sodium by almost half.  In short, it’s worth the trouble.  Enjoy!

Black Bean Burgers - Printer Friendly Recipe
Makes 4 burgers

Want to see how to make these burgers?  Click here to see my cooking demonstration on the Charlotte Today Show.

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, divided
½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 chipotle chili in adobo, minced
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg
4 hamburger buns
Serve with:  avocado slices, tomato slices, sliced red onions, salsa, and/or traditional hamburger condiments (mustard, ketchup)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the black beans in a food processor.  Process until the mixture is mostly smooth with a few lumps.   Add the black beans to a large bowl and stir in the cilantro, cheese, minced chipotle, panko, salt, garlic, and the egg.   If the burger is too sticky, add a little more panko.

Divide the mixture into four portions and shape each portion into a ½-inch thick patty.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray and place the hamburger patties on the baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes, then flip the burgers over and continue baking for another 10 minutes. 

Serve the black bean burgers hot with preferred condiments.

I won't deny it. The name itself, pronounced "goo-ZHERES," conjures up something far grander than this humble looking cheese puff. One might be tempted to pass over these small bites in favor of something more fancy. Please don't.


Gougeres may lack visual panache and the ingredient list may best be described as pantry staples, but one bite of this classic French appetizer and you'll be a convert. Gougeres are made by making pâté a choux dough and adding cheese. For those that aren't familiar with pâté a choux, it is the same dough that is used to make eclairs and profiteroles. For something that sounds so complicated, pate a choux is deceptively simple to make and once mastered its culinary versatility and use of ingredients that you most certainly have on hand will make it a go-to recipe for sweet and savory snacks.

For the curious cook making pâté a choux for the first time, be brave and don't doubt yourself or the recipe. After you have added the third or fourth egg the dough will start to look funny. To be clear, it will look ruined and curdled. Don't be alarmed. Take a deep breath and continue to beat the dough and add any remaining eggs until the dough comes together. You've beaten the dough enough when you have a smooth, shiny, and sticky dough.

It will look like this:

I love blue cheese and for that reason used it for my gougeres, but you should use your favorite cheese. Just be sure to crumble or grate it well. I got a little impatient and left the crumbles too big. In turn, they plugged my pastry tip and made me say bad words.

Halfway through baking, prick the gougeres with a small toothpick. This allows steam to escape and allows the insides of the puffs to crisp up. It also prevents the gougere from collapsing when it comes out of the oven.

I find gougeres irresistible and to avoid moments of weakness freeze half of them to reheat at a later date. They freeze beautifully and can be reheated at a moment's notice in an oven or toaster. Which makes them not only delicious, but also practical. Bon appetit!

Blue Cheese Gougéres - Printer Friendly Recipe
Makes about 36 cheese puffs

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ tsp salt
1 cup water
1 cup bread flour
5 large eggs
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons minced rosemary

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease a baking sheet with butter. In a small saucepan, bring the butter, salt, and water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the bread flour using a wooden spoon. As you stir, a dough will form that will pull away from the sides of the saucepan. Once this happens, keep stirring for two or three minutes to try to cook off any excess water from the dough. Remove the saucepan from the heat and place the dough in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat the dough on high speed, while adding the eggs one at a time. Beat well after each addition. Add the crumbled blue cheese and rosemary and beat to combine.

Fill a piping bag with the cheese dough and pipe out small mounds, about 1-inch in diameter, on the greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and then pierce each gougére with a toothpick or skewer. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

April is National Grilled Cheese Month.  Hopefully you’ve prepared accordingly.  Your griddle is well-seasoned, butter remains on the counter in a perfect spreading state, and you have cheese that is NOT pre-sliced with a thin sheet of plastic in your refrigerator.

I know what you’re thinking.  When did she become the food snob?  I promise I’m not.   Come spy on me in a moment of weakness and you’ll find me dipping a grilled cheese with the classic and oh-so-gooey American cheese in ketchup of all things. Clearly, I’m one with the people.

Yet when I was asked to make grilled cheese to celebrate National Grilled Cheese month on Charlotte Today, I couldn’t help putting on the ritz and came up with three very different recipes.  One sandwich features prosciutto, Granny Smith apples, and brie, the other celebrates pimento cheese with the additions of tomato and bacon, and the last recipe is a French-inspired Gruyère grilled cheese with sautéed mushrooms and thyme.  You won’t need a white-tablecloth to serve these sandwiches, but I think you’ll enjoy these company-worthy and oh-so tasty variations to the traditional grilled cheese.

There are two rules to making ridiculously good grilled cheese sandwiches.  The first is butter.  Don’t use substitutes and don’t omit it.  Forget the waistline and the calories.  If you are going to make a grilled cheese, revel in it.  Buy the best butter you can buy and smear it on both sides of whatever bread you are using.   Don’t be timid.  Love you some butter.

The next trick involves heat control.  I think of this as the Goldilocks situation.  Too hot, means burnt bread and cold cheese.  Too cold and you’ll get a soggy sandwich that never browns and cheese that takes forever to melt.  Just right, equals grilled cheese heaven.

If I’m using a griddle, things are easy.  I aim to heat my griddle to around 375 to 400 degrees and then I cook each side for 3 to 4 minutes.   The result is a toasted, golden brown sandwich with cheese that oozes out the sides.  If using a cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pot, heat management will be a little trickier.  I find that preheating the pan on medium and then turning it down just a tad after you add the sandwich yields a delicious grilled cheese.  You’ll need to practice to get it just right.  Fortunately, that’s not a problem as you’ve got three grilled cheese recipes to try.

Having trouble choosing which one to make first?  Mango (Chris Kattan) was on Charlotte Today this morning and he picked the Grilled Cheese with Prosciutto, Apple and Brie for his lunch.  How’s that for an endorsement?!?

3 Delicious Ways to Make a Grilled Cheese - Printer Friendly Recipes

Grilled Cheese with Prosciutto, Brie and Apple
Makes 2 very cheesy sandwiches

4 slices bread (sourdough is my personal favorite, but get creative)
2 tablespoons good quality butter, softened
4-6 thinly sliced pieces of brie (rind can be left on), about 3 ounces
4 prosciutto slices
8 thinly sliced Granny Smith apple slices

Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat (ideally between 350 and 400 degrees).  Butter one side of each slice of bread generously with the butter.  Divide the cheese, prosciutto, and Granny Smith apple slices between the two sandwiches and top with the remaining buttered slices of bread.

Use a spatula to transfer the sandwich to the skillet.  Cook each sandwich for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the cheese has melted and the bread is toasted and golden.  Cut in half and serve immediately.

The Southern Grilled Cheese with Pimento Cheese
Makes 2 very cheesy sandwiches

This sandwich stands on its own with a heaping helping of pimento cheese, but make it really stand out by adding some crispy bacon and some ripe tomatoes.
4 slices bread (sourdough is my personal favorite but get creative)
2 tablespoons good quality butter, softened
1/3 to ½ cup My Three Sons ^TM Gourmet Fire Roasted Jalapeno Pimento Cheese
2 slices cooked and very crispy bacon (optional)
4 thinly sliced tomato slices (optional)

Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat (ideally between 350 and 400 degrees).  Butter one side of each slice of bread generously with the butter.  Divide the pimento cheese, bacon, and tomato slices between two slices of buttered bread and top with the remaining buttered slices of bread.

Use a spatula to transfer the sandwiches to the skillet.  Cook the sandwiches for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the cheese has melted and the bread is toasted and golden.  Cut in half and serve immediately.

A French-Inspired Grilled Cheese
Makes 2 very cheesy sandwiches

4 slices bread (sourdough is my personal favorite, but get creative)
2 tablespoons good quality butter, softened
1 tablespoon olive oil or good quality butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon thyme
4-6 slices of Gruyère cheese (about 3 ounces)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat (ideally between 350 and 400 degrees).  Butter one side of each slice of bread generously with the butter.

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until soft.   Stir in the thyme and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Divide the Gruyère cheese and mushrooms between two slices of buttered bread.  Spread Dijon mustard on the unbuttered side of each of the remaining slices of buttered bread and place atop the mushrooms and Gruyère.

Use a spatula to transfer the sandwiches to the skillet.  Cook the sandwiches for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the cheese has melted and the bread is toasted and golden.  Cut in half and serve immediately.

]]> http://mincedblog.com/2012/04/18/three-ways-to-delicious-grilled-cheese/feed/ 2 IMG_0237 nikkigreer Image See how to make all three sandwiches! http://mincedblog.com/2012/03/28/fried-coconut-shrimp-with-sweet-and-spicy-dipping-sauce/ http://mincedblog.com/2012/03/28/fried-coconut-shrimp-with-sweet-and-spicy-dipping-sauce/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:28:23 +0000 Minced http://mincedblog.com/?p=2798 Continue reading →]]>

As promised, my thoughts have turned to spring this week.   I’m particularly excited for outdoor entertaining.  Now, before the heat and bugs of summer, is the perfect time to roll out the grill and invite some friends over for dinner under the stars.

This recipe for fried coconut shrimp with sweet and spicy dipping sauce is an ideal first bite for such an evening.  Our gas grill has a side burner on it that is great for warming sauces.  It’s also my preferred place to fry as oil splattering around our back patio does not cause the same dismay as it does in our house.

With that being said, don’t fret  if you don’t have a grill with a burner.  Pan-frying uses far less oil and is much easier to clean-up than deep-frying making it ideal for home cooks.  If pan-frying inside, you might enjoy a tip I learned from Nathalie Dupree when I apprenticed with her several years ago.  She likes to cover the surface around the frying pan with aluminum foil.   If the oil splatters, it lands on the aluminum foil.  After cooking, simply remove the aluminum foil and recycle it for an easy clean-up

While I don’t have a solution for how quickly these shrimp will be gobbled up, I do have good news for the hectic host or hostess.  Dredging the shrimp in cornstarch instead of flour and then dipping it in egg white make for a fried shrimp that will stay crispy longer.  You won’t be able to prepare these hours in advance, but you can do them 20-30 minutes before your guests arrive and they will still be delightfully good.   How’s that for relaxing, but still delicious, entertaining?  Happy cooking!

Check out the demonstration of this recipe on WCNC’s Charlotte Today show by clicking here.

Fried Coconut Shrimp with Sweet & Spicy Dipping Sauce - Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 4 as an appetizer

For the sauce:
1/3 cup water plus 2 tablespoons
¼ cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 small hot red chili or ½ jalapeno, seeded and chopped
½ tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon sriracha (“rooster sauce”)
1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the shrimp:
1 lb (31-40 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/3 cup cornstarch
Salt, to taste
1-2 cups canola oil, for frying

To make the sauce, bring the 1/3 cup water, rice vinegar, and granulated sugar to a boil in small saucepan.   Stir in the hot red chili, ginger, garlic and sriracha.   In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the remaining 2 tablespoons of water until well-combined.  Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the simmering liquid and cook for about 1 minute or until the sauce thickens.  Remove the sauce from the heat and pour into a small bowl.  Set aside.

Place the egg whites in a small bowl and place the coconut flakes and cornstarch on two small plates.  Season the cornstarch to taste with salt.  Working with one shrimp at a time, hold the shrimp by its tail and dredge it in the cornstarch mixture.  Shake the shrimp gently to knock off any excess cornstarch and then dip the shrimp into the egg whites.   Shake off any excess egg white and dredge the shrimp in the unsweetened coconut flakes.  Set aside and repeat with the remaining shrimp.

Fill a high-sided frying pan with about 1/4-inch of oil (enough to come halfway up the sides of the shrimp).  Heat the oil over medium-high heat.   Working in batches, add the shrimp to the hot oil and cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Remove the shrimp from the oil and drain on a paper towel.  Repeat until all the shrimp have been fried.  Serve the shrimp with the sweet and spicy dipping sauce

I have a confession to make.  Here in Charlotte,  tiny, bright green leaves cover trees and tulips blossom with a host of other flowers.  The temperature is hovering around 80.  It’s gorgeous and  I’m wishing for just a little more winter. Have I lost my mind?

Born and raised in Florida, I never thought I would mourn the loss of winter, but this year spring came just a little too early.  I like to ease into my seasons.  The arrival of asparagus to my dinner plate should be accompanied by meals that say farewell to colder temperatures. I need to have time to adjust.  I need to make my favorite winter meals, before I dust off my grill.

So I’m taking a stand.  I’m ignoring the sunshine outside my window and the yellow pollen that covers my car and making one last dish for winter.  Lentil stew became a go-to meal in our home over the past year.  Easy, economical, hearty and healthy, it’s versatile and delicious.  A big pot of stew comes together in about an hour and it reheats wonderfully, meaning it nourishes us well over the course of a week.

While garlic isn’t a major player in this soup, I want to take a moment to talk about it.  I buy whole bulbs of garlic and I’m always surprised by how many people don’t know how to use it.   Jarred minced garlic has found its way into many pantries which is a shame as its flavor pales in comparison to mincing your own.   So with that in mind, here’s a garlic primer.

You purchase garlic as a bulb.   It’s composed of cloves.  When a recipe calls for 3 cloves of garlic, it doesn’t mean three large bulbs, but rather three cloves from a bulb.  This is important; especially if you are single and looking for a mate.

Each clove of garlic has a papery skin around it that needs to be removed before using.  The easiest way to do this is to place the clove on your cutting board and place the side of your knife on top of it.  Use the heel of your hand to “pop” the knife.  You need to hit it hard enough to break the skin, but not so hard that it smashes.  Remove the knife and pull the skin off with your fingers.   Does it look like this picture?

Each clove will have a hard end where it attached to the bulb.  I like to cut this off and discard it.  I envision it getting stuck in someone’s back molar.  This would not be good.

If you cut a clove in half lengthwise, you may notice a green sprout.  This is the germ and it has a bitter taste.  Some chefs swear that it must be taken out using a paring knife and discarded to avoid making your dish taste bitter.  While I usually remove it, when teaching classes I take a more moderate approach.    If making garlic bread or a dish where garlic is the star, I urge you to take the time to remove the germ.  If you are in a rush or making a dish where there are lots of others flavors, don’t fret about leaving it in.  In short, if the thought of having to take out the germ means you reach for the jarred stuff,   leave the germ in.   Seriously.   No more jarred stuff.

So with that I leave you with this recipe for lentil and vegetable stew.  Make it.  Enjoy it.  And then let’s get ready for spring.

Lentil and Vegetable Stew - Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 6

This stew saves beautifully, but will thicken as it sits in your fridge.  Simply add a little more water or broth to the stew when you are ready to enjoy it.

2 small carrots, peeled and sliced
1 celery rib, sliced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (I like to use fire-roasted tomatoes)
1 ½ cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
½ cup basmati brown rice (optional)
6 cups water, vegetable, or less-sodium chicken stock
1 dried bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste
2-3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Garnish: fresh minced parsley or cilantro

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven.   Add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook until just soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the diced tomatoes, lentils, brown rice (if using), and the bay leaf.   Stir to combine.  Add the water or broth, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper and bring the stew to a boil.   Reduce the heat to a simmer and let simmer for 50 minutes.  If the stew thickens too much, add a little more water or broth.

Stir in the balsamic vinegar to taste and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed.  Serve the stew garnished with minced parsley or cilantro.

Raised on “Georgia ice cream,” I’d say I know a thing or two about grits.  For those who hail from other parts of the country or the world, grits are a porridge-like food made of ground cornmeal that is a staple on Southern tables.  They can be served for breakfast with chipped beef or red-eye gravy, cooked with cheese to make a savory side, or even topped with sautéed shrimp and sausage to make the Charleston favorite shrimp and grits.

While creamy, buttery grits are delicious, they certainly don’t fall into the eat-on-the-go category of foods.  Requiring a spoon to eat, grits are more suited to a  sit down meal and they certainly wouldn’t be your first choice for something to eat as you run out the door.  Or at least that’s what I thought…

I’ve meant to make arepas for some time.  Hailing from Venezuela and Colombia, arepas are small snack cakes made from a pre-cooked ground corn flour known as masarepa.   One adds milk, butter and cheese to the masarepa and you shape the thick batter into small cakes before cooking it to golden brown perfection on a grill or heavy-bottomed skillet.

The result is a denser than expected corn cake that’s cheesy, buttery goodness tastes a heck of a lot like the grits I grew up on.  Which is why, starting today, arepas will be known in my kitchen as “grits-on-the-go.”

I made this batch of arepas with milk, butter and mozzarella cheese.  They were delicious and I wouldn’t change it thing, but if you can’t help yourself there are plenty of variations.  Replace the milk with water and substitute different cheeses for the mozzarella.   Originally, I planned to top the arepas with pico de gallo as I thought they might need a little flavor boost.  I’m happy to report that additional condiments aren’t needed.  However, I did toss a little salsa on one just to try it and then ate 3 more.  Feel free to draw your own conclusions.

These small cakes travel well and store even longer making them a perfect, on-the-go breakfast or snack.  For those looking to fancy it up, I think arepas would also make a delicious appetizer and would make them in bite-size portions for the occasion. Happy cooking!

Arepas de Queso - Printer Friendly Recipe
Makes about 16 small cakes

Look for masarepa flour at any well-stocked Latin American market.  While these cakes are best, right after browning, I found that they store well in the refrigerator and can be reheated quickly in the microwave.

 2 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups white arepa flour (masarepa)
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil

In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter over medium-low heat.   Stir the mixture often and remove from the heat when the butter has melted.

In a large bowl, whisk together the arepa flour, grated mozzarella cheese, sugar, and salt.   Slowly add the milk-butter mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until the mixture is very smooth and has come together in a large dough ball.   The dough should hold together well.  Divide the dough into 16 pieces and shape each piece into golf-ball size rounds.   Smash each of the balls between your palms to form ½-inch thick discs.   Set aside.

Heat a large cast iron frying pan or heavy skillet over medium-low heat.  Once hot, pour just enough vegetable oil into the skillet to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.  Don’t add too much oil; you are browning the arepas, not frying them.   Add half the arepas to the oil and cook for about five minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.  Remove the arepas from the skillet and set aside on paper towels while you cook the remaining arepas.   Serve immediately.