Derby Pie Take 2

Seeing as the first Derby Pie didn't make through the night of our dinner party Friday- I was inspired to make a second pie on Sunday. I decided to try a slightly different approach this time. As I mentioned, the first pie was not quite as gooey as I was hoping for and there is nothing more deliciously gooey than my mother-in-laws amazing pecan pie. John goes CRAZY for it... so I pulled out her recipe as the base for a new Derby Pie creation.

I used a Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust again (they come in packages of two). Claudia's filling calls for:

*1/2 stick of melted butter- cooled

*3 eggs

*1 cup of dark Karo syrup

*1/2 tsp vanilla

*1/2 cup white sugar

*1/2 cup chopped pecans (coarsely)

I then added 1 T of bourbon and 1/4 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips, Derby style. (General rule of thumb: everything is better with chocolate *and most things with bourbon*.)

Because the last pie got a little too brown (and Claudia's recipe doesn't specify to)- I decided not to blind bake the shell this time. I baked the pie at 350 for 40 mins or so until it was beautifully golden brown. Unfortunately, though this pie was scrumptiously gooey as I was hoping, and the flavor was FANTASTIC- once we got in there I realized it was slightly undercooked this time. The inside did not set up all the way as it normally is when Claudia makes it and the bottom of crust was still slightly "raw".

Perhaps the third time's a charm? It did occur to me that she uses dark metal pie plates and I was using a glass one. I might try bumping the temp up 25 degrees as well or maybe just adding 5 or 6 mins of bake time. We're getting closer....

Holiday Dinner No. 1

night John and I hosted the first of two 2009 Christmas dinner parties at our house. Having a dinner party on a Friday after work is always a little bit challenging given the time restraint, so planning the menu required a little creativity. I recently purchased Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris cookbook which I LOVE and I've been eyeing the Roasted Pork Loin with Green Peppercorn Sauce recipe. I concluded it would be perfect for a crowd, would require minimal prep time and would make for a nice presentation. You can find the recipe here.

Alongside the pork, my mother suggested a recipe she'd found with my Pesca-tarian sister in mind- a Butternut Squash and Kale Bread Pudding. (She's a vegetarian that eats fish and shellfish, finding vegetarian main dishes packed with extra protein is tricky.) I'd never made anything like it before, I was very intrigued. Besides what's not to love about butternut squash and what's not to love about bread pudding- surely the combination would be a success. Sure enough, it worked very nicely as a fall side dish. A starch and veggie in one too- which saved me some additional preparation.

I was having 6 guests for dinner. I tasked them with appetizers and wine so we started with a selection of salami and cheeses that they'd brought. I wanted to make a festive cocktail to kick off the night as well. After all it was a Friday and who doesn't look forward to a chilled cocktail after a long work week?? I perused some recipes on Epicurious.com and settled on a Lemon-Basil Vodka Gimlet. Y-U-M-M-Y! I made the syrup earlier in the day (I halved the recipe as it was written) and then mixed the syrup, lemon juice, and vodka before serving. I topped them off with a splash of club soda and a basil leaf. The basil flavor was subtle yet added a little something special. I ended up trying one with gin too and I actually think I might have liked it a little better. I'm not typically a gin drinker (I ran out of vodka at the end) but the lemon and soda really mellowed the flavor and the basil worked nicely in there as well.

While my guests were finishing up cocktails and opening the wines- my pork was ready to come out of the oven. While it rested, I made green peppercorn sauce right in the roasting pan over the stove. (I followed Ina's recipe exactly- because her dishes are perfection.) We had a bit of an issue with the pork roast unfortunately- we had a really hard time finding the joint into which we could cut to separate the chops. I was really looking forward to serving the chops on the bone- the presentation is so elegant. However in the interest of time, my best slicing knife and eating hot food- John decided to cut the loin off of the rib bones before slicing into individual chops. We had difficulty finding the joint where you can slice through the bone holding all of the ribs in place to separate them. The inner ribs (quite a bit larger than the ends) were cooked to perfection- an ideal medium temperature. The outer, smaller chops were on the dry side...boo. Fortunately a generous dousing of the green peppercorn sauce (and the gimlet cocktail starter) helped disguise that fact!

I assembled the bread pudding as soon as I got home from work. (I actually roasted my butternut squash and cleaned my kale in advance that morning.) I baked the casserole before the pork and then put it back in the oven at 350 to rewarm as soon as the pork came out. Per the other reader's reviews/suggestions, I made a few changes to the bread pudding recipe:

*used whole milk instead of half and half

*added 5 cloves of minced garlic in with the shallot before sauteeing the kale

*used half gruyere and half cheddar cheese

*tossed a generous tablespoon of chopped fresh sage and 5 or 6 springs of fresh thyme with the squash before roasting

*added three springs of fresh thyme leaves to the milk mixture before soaking the bread

*used slightly less bread (approx 8 cups)

*added 2 extra eggs to the custard

Having enjoyed great company, delicious wine and a tasty meal- we were missing only one thing... dessert. I called upon an old family favorite recipe- Kentucky Derby Pie. I used my grandmother's recipe (simple made even simpler by way of a Pillsbury unroll-and-bake pie crust.) I blind-baked the pie shell at 350 for about 8 minutes just until it started to puff but was not yet starting to turn golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, I whisked together the filling:

2 eggs, slightly beaten 1 cup sugar ¼ cup flour 1 stick butter, melted and cooled 1 cup pecans 1 cup chocolate chips 1 tsp vanilla1 T Bourbon

I transferred the filling into the shell and placed back into the oven for 40 minutes. Luckily I checked on it around 30 minutes and noticed that the shell was slightly over-brown so I threw my aluminum pie shield thingy over it (you can cover loosely with tin foil if you don't have one of these). I later realized that I'd really over cooked the whole pie slightly. It still tasted delicious however the consistency was almost cookie-like. It's really supposed to have a goo-factor to it. I whipped some fresh cream to serve over top of the eight, fairly large slices, and there wasn't a single bite left at the end of the meal...I guess you could say it was a hit!

A Lesson in California Cabernet Savignon

Meet Greer Scoggins. Brother-in-law and California Cabernet Savignon Guru Extraordinaire. As you can see from the picture he was in.his.element the Saturday after Thanksgiving as we gathered for some family fun. Who wouldn't be while sipping phenomenal red wine in his pjs watching Florida beat the tar out of Florida State?? (In great company might I add.)

Greer and Melissa have a gorgeous home in Milton, Georgia- a suburb of Atlanta near Alpharetta. Greer has recently completed the construction of a spectacularly beautiful wine cellar and bar in their basement - which happens to be where we began our tutorial on Amazing California Cabs over Thanksgiving weekend. Per my last post, we had a family pizza party that night which in retrospect hardly seems like a worthy backdrop for a wine tasting of this caliber- but I'm not complaining. (Mind you it was Nate and me that decided to make pizza, we would have stepped it up a few notches if we'd known what Greer was planning for the wine menu.) I wish I could tell you more about these wines other than the fact that they absolutely knocked our socks off- I'll try to share a few tid-bits about each...

The first was a Niebaum- Coppola Rubcon, 1999. This is a cabernet-blend wine from Rutherford, CA-the winery/vineyards is now called Rubicon Estate. From my research it received 94 wine spectator points and currently sells for just around $100/bottle. Let me just tell you it is WORTH EVERY PENNY. I found a great quote on the website..."When Francis Coppola set out to craft a world-class proprietary red wine using historic vines of the famed Inglenook property he found Caesar's march on Rome- 'The Crossing of the Rubicon'- an appropriate metaphor in its implied 'point of no return'." I found this particularly interesting because as Greer pointed out, the wine is very reminiscent of an old world red in richness. It was absolutely delightful. I could be happy to sit and just sniff it. This is truly a special wine- would make a fantastic gift or celebratory bottle for a big occasion. John and I are planning our very first trip to CA wine country in May- this will absolutely be on the short list of must-see places.

Next up was the 2006 Darioush Cabernet Savignon Caravan also from the Napa Valley. The 2006 is a blend of 76% Cab, 15% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec that spends 22 months in two-thirds new French oak. YUMMY. This one was also amazing- I don't have as much tasting experience at this price point but I'd agree with Greer's sentiment that this $35 bottle actually drinks like a much more expensive wine. I also read that this particular vintage should get even better over the next 2-3 years. I love the idea of buying some now to stash away- however I don't know if I trust myself not to open it- patience is not my thing.

The next wine was the 2006 Obsidian Ridge Cab. With 89 points from WS, it was listed among the top 100 wines of 2008 by the San Fransisco Cronical. This wine was also fantastic. Tasting Notes (according to http://www.napacab.com/) Named after the famed black marble-like soils called Obsidian, this fairly priced Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake County, made by Michael Terrien, reveals plenty of potential. Attractive red and black currant fruit intermixed with notions of damp earth, licorice, and spice box are found in this round, juicy, seductive, medium to full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. It is ideal for drinking over the next 5-6 years. Approx $25

Last but certainly not least (we clearly had our buzz on at this point) Greer opened a bottle of the Sebastiani Cab from the Alexander Valley. This is Greer's "go-to" cab for everyday drinking. At $15-$20 a bottle, its not necessarily in my every day drinking category just yet- but I do hope that one day it will be! It is truly an excellent wine- Wine Spectator gave it 89 points and said "One of the best bang-for-your-buck producers is Sebastiani; its Alexander Valley 2006 doesn't disappoint." According to the website it also won a Silver Medal at the 2009 Sonoma County Harvest Fair - I would imagine that the competition isn't too shabby at that particular event.

I feel compelled to add- because I find it kind of funny- that while Greer is the high-end California Cabernet guru, Melissa is the Chardonnay-under-$10-a-bottle-guru. Opposites attract I guess?? Her favorite last time we visited was the Clos du Bois Chardonnay. I can also attest that this is a great bottle as it happens to be a favorite at my girl's night here in Charleston (I can also attest that it has caused many-a morning after headache amongst my friends.) Melissa's latest favorite is the Cupcake Chardonnay which as I've just read was labeled one of the Best Buys of 2008 by Wine Enthusiast magazine.

Nate and Melissa a few "cupcakes" in..

Love you guys! Thanks again for having us and for the fantastic tasting tour of the new wine cellar! Hope we get a chance to do it again soon...

Post Turkey Day Pizza Party

John, Nate and I were in Georgia for the Thanksgiving holiday with the Lacy family. We had a fantastic pizza party at our brother and sister in law's house (Greer and Melissa) on Saturday night. We always have a blast when we all get together considering we share an intense love for delicious food and great wine. My favorite kind of family get-together's are those where we casually eat (I like to call it grazing) and sip throughout the evening. It allows you to enjoy the food and the company at a leisurely pace. In short, it extends meal time...and who doesn't love meal time??

We started out with some cheese and nibbles:

Costco Spinach Dip and Pita Chips

Saga Blue Cheese

Baked Brie topped with Apricot Preserves and sliced almonds (a recent favorite)

BBQ Meatballs

Though we could have easily made a meal on this alone, we moved on to a pizza course later in the evening. Nate and I took over in the kitchen where we collaborated on four fantastic creations.

First up was a simple Margarita pizza. We used Pillsbury thin crust pizza dough and topped it with a thin layer of Contadina tomato paste (another Ina Garten tip that I've adopted. The paste is sweet/tart and has a concentrated tomato flavor- and the "paste" texture means you avoid soggy crust from a liquidy sauce.) We then layered slices of fresh mozzarella cheese and sliced roma tomatoes and baked it on a pizza stone (oven at 500 degrees) for about 8 minutes. The ticket is a piping hot oven and the stone really creates a super crispy crust. You have to keep an eye on it though because it goes from golden and crispy to burnt fairly quickly. We pulled it out of the oven, topped it with fresh basil and sliced into smallish squares so that everyone could sample.

We prefer the eat as you bake method. My parents have been doing this since I was little. You bake the pizzas one at a time and everyone has a small piece of each one while its piping hot. It can be hard to restrain yourself on the first couple, but its worth it if you can pace yourself.

Next up was the "meat lovers" pizza for the boys. Tomato paste, sweet Italian sausage, pepperoni and fresh mozzarella. We did this one on a cookie sheet in a second oven as an experiment. As compared to cooking the first pizza directly on a stone, it was actualy suprisingly similar. We were still able to get a crispy crust which is good to know.

Thirdly- a mushroom, goat cheese, thyme and arugula pizza. This one was probably my favorite, mostly because I absolutely adore mushrooms, goat cheese and arugula. Make a pizza out of them and you're sure to have a winner. I did a garlic oil base instead of tomato sauce. I rougly chopped (into large chunks) about 5 or 6 cloves of garlic and toasted them slowly in some olive oil in a skillet until golden brown. I also added 6 or 8 springs of fresh thyme to the oil while it was hot as well. The oil is then infused with garlic/thyme flavor..hmm. I brushed the crust generously with the oil before layering the sauteed mushrooms (browned slightly in olive oil with some fresh thyme, salt and pepper), the goat cheese crumbles and the toasted garlic pieces . While the pizza was baking, I very lightly dressed some fresh arugula with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. We then piled it atop the pie before slicing and serving.

Lastly- Nate assembled the grand finale pie. He baked the crust topped with the tomato paste and fresh mozzarella first. As it came out, he topped the pizza with paper thin slices of prosciutto de parma and more fresh arugula. The crispy crust, tangy tomato flavor, salty-chewy prosciutto and peppery arugula was a heavenly combination for sure.

Utterly STUFFED by this point, we managed to make room for a small sliver of Publix tiramisu with our last glass of vino. I'd never tried the Publix version before- it was actually quite good. It is more cake like- than pudding like, it has less of the mascarpone cream and it is very heavy on the coffee flavor which I love. It was just the "pick me up" (Tiramisu means pick-me-up in Italian) we needed to get us home after a fantastic day of eating, drinking and being merry.

Note: The wine selection for the evening- courtesy of Greer's phenomenal wine cellar was OUTSTANDING. It deserves a post of its own so stay tuned.

I wish I had this BEAUTIFUL kitchen to cook all of the time!! Someday...

Ina Garten's Blueberry Crumb Cake

Most of you know how much I love Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) She.is.my.idol. Whenever I'm looking for something classic, decadent and delicious, she's my go-to girl. I wanted to bake something for my Habitat for Humanity committee meeting this morning and I'd considered the standard blueberry muffins, banana bread, etc. however I was in the mood for something a little different. Perhaps a little known fact: I am rather passionate about breakfast pastries. If I could eat a warm flaky croissant, a super sized crumbly muffin or cheese danish every morning for the rest of my life...I'd be in HEAVEN. This regimen however is not particularly kind to the thighs/waistline- this is really unfortunate. Thus when I do indulge, I want to make it count. I'm so glad I branched out because I think Ina's Blueberry Crumb Cake recipe turned out beautifully. (You can follow the link to the recipe in case you're confused.) I followed Ina's instruction exactly except for one minor change. I was out of lemons so in place of the lemon zest, I added 1/2 tsp almond extract. It gave the cake that little extra something. I've switched to using organic cane sugar in place of processed white sugar most of the time and I think it might actually sacrifice a bit of the sweetness. I sprinkled the top of the cake/streusel topping with some extra cane sugar before baking. It added a little extra sweet kick as well as a crunch. I baked the cake in a 9 inch springform pan versus a plain round one. It makes for a nicer presentation of the whole cake seeing as you can't actually turn the cake out out of the round pan without losing your streusel- you'd have to cut your slices in the pan and then serve them. I would also say that this recipe serves 8-10 generously (Ina's recipe says 6-8) and that I bet it would freeze really well too. Its nice to have something special on hand for breakfast when you have overnight guests. Thank you Ina, for yet another wonderful addition to the portfolio of delicious homemade goodies.

Ginger-Maple Glazed Salmon with Spaghetti Squash and Green Beans

I was trying to get one last healthy meal in before the Thanksgiving Holiday last week, so I had John pick up some wild salmon and fresh green beans from whole foods. We were busy packing for our trip so I was looking for something that would be easy to prepare and relatively light so as to not slow us down. There is a time and a place for a big yummy meal and a glass of wine that leaves you with no choice but to veg on the couch for the evening but this was not it. I didn't have much in the fridge so I had to improvise a little bit. I had a spaghetti squash that I'd been meaning to use up so I got that roasting in the oven first. I cut it in half length-wise, drizzled it with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. I placed it on a cookie sheet lined with foil (cut side up) and roasted it in the oven at 425 degrees for about 35 minutes. In the meantime, I made a glaze for the salmon: 1 tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon of olive oil 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup 1 tsp dijon mustard 1 tsp of grated ginger Pinch of salt and some fresh black pepper I whisked it together and then poured carefully over the salmon filet (approx 2/3 of a lb)- reserving one spoon full. I let it sit for 15 mins or so while I snapped the green beans, spooning the glaze back over the top from time to time as it ran off into the baking dish. When the timer read 12 mins on the squash, I put the salmon in the oven to roast alongside it. I steamed my green beans in the meantime as well. At about 6 minutes, I pulled the salmon out to brush with the last of the glaze. (I would definitely check the salmon around 8 or 10 mins, I don't think I ended up letting it go the full 12 mins.) I shredded the spaghetti squash with a fork and then added some butter and some salt and pepper to taste. It really is a great side dish- one that I don't make very often but really enjoy when I do.

Sour Cream Chicken

This has been a family favorite recipe as long as I can remember. This chicken served with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes would easily have been titled my favorite meal for at least 6 years of my life. Its still way up there, I’ve since decided there can no longer be a single favorite . The recipe is easy, can be made ahead, is kid friendly, and is amazing left over cold the next day. My Mom got the recipe from a friend back before we moved to Saudi Arabia which was in 1985- although I recently stumbled upon it in the Colorado Cache cookbook which is what teased my taste buds for it last week. (Famous junior league of Denver recipe collection from back in the day) I set the book out on the counter as I was leaving for work in hopes I could sweet talk John into making it while I was at work that day... (it worked.) The marinade is very easy and you can let the chicken go for an hour or two or even overnight if you have the time. I like to cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise before marinating- the portions are more reasonable and you can shave off some of the cooking time. I’ve done this with chicken tenderloins as well which is super fast. Marinade/Coating: ½ pint sour cream ¼ cup lemon juice 1 T Worcestershire sauce 4 tsp celery salt 2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp paprika ½ tsp pepper When I got home from work, I seasoned some panko bread crumbs (I used almost 2 cups I think, more than I would have thought) with salt and pepper. I dredged each of the chicken pieces (you want to leave as much of the gooey marinade coating on them as possible) in the crumbs and placed them on a cookie sheet lined with foil and sprayed with Pam. I then drizzled the chicken ever so lightly with olive oil to help them brown in the oven. The recipe calls for melted butter but I didn’t feel like melting any... it crisped up nicely and olive oil is technically the healthier choice too. I baked the chicken at 350 for approx 35 minutes, checking ever so often to avoid over cooking. I served the chicken hot from the oven with steamed broccoli doused with fresh lemon juice (a must with this dish in my opinion) and some twice baked potatoes that I had left over in the freezer (thanks Tripp and Luci!). I can honestly say that I’ll be making this again very very soon as my tummy is grumbling as I type. I’d be tempted to double the recipe too- as I said earlier, this makes great left-overs and is delicious served cold should you be looking for picnic ideas. Enjoy!