Every time my mom comes to visit, we have to get ice cream from Butter & Cream. It is a local ice cream shop in Decatur, GA that makes small batch ice cream that is SO yummy. They recently opened a second location on the…
Ever since I had my first Caprese salad, I have been a huge fan of fresh mozzarella cheese. And then on a fateful trip to the East Atlanta Farmers Market, the cheese guy there introduced me to burrata. It was a revelation: fresh mozzarella on…
I bought a house so that I could grow tomatoes. Store bought tomatoes just aren’t the same and I could only get cherry tomatoes to grow on my condo balcony. So now that I have a yard, I plant LOTS of tomatoes. One of the best ways to enjoy a homegrown tomato is in a BLT.
A bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich – so simple, and yet so good. But what is the secret to a great BLT? There isn’t just one. There are five.
#1. Really good bread. There was a time that I would have said good old Wonder bread, lightly toasted was the way to go. However, now there are so many other options. Ciabatta is great. However, like everyone else on the planet I started making homemade sourdough bread during the pandemic. I have to say, homemade sourdough lightly toasted makes for a great BLT.
#2. Really good bacon, fried up to be crispy. Don’t skimp. Use a really good thick cut bacon. My personal favorite is Pine Street Market’s bacon. So yummy. I’m lucky to have Pine Street as my local butcher. If you have a good local butcher, you should try theirs. If you don’t have a good local butcher don’t worry: Pine Street Market ships.
#3. Crisp, cool lettuce. I have a trick for keeping lettuce crisp. I clean it in a salad spinner and then store it in the fridge in the salad spinner. Yes, this takes up a lot of room. However, it keeps the lettuce really crisp and the lettuce stays fresh longer.
#4. Homegrown tomato. If you do not have the luxury of a homegrown tomato, a locally grown farmers market tomato will work, too. If you want to kick it up a notch, use an heirloom variety. I’m partial to Cherokee Purple.
#5. Homemade Mayo. My grandfather would argue that this is the most important secret to a great BLT. Making mayonnaise may sound a bit harrowing, but do not fear. As Poppa always said, “if you have 15 seconds you can make homemade mayonnaise”. I’ve included my grandmother’s recipe below. However, consistent with the CDC’s recommendations, I use a pasteurized egg instead of a regular raw egg to reduce the risk of food-borne illness. Pasteurized eggs can be hard to find, but I find them consistently at Publix.
It just isn’t summer until I’ve had homemade peach ice cream. My grandparents had two Georgia Bell peach trees in their backyard and I remember summers when they were just loaded with peaches. Naturally, peach ice cream was often on the menu. Those summers are…
I confess: as I child I did not like green beans. I was a picky eater, so getting me to eat anything green was a challenge. Fast forward 20 years and I had roasted green beans at a friend’s house for dinner. Of course I…
My dad loved cheese. This is our first Father’s Day without him. I’ve been missing him a lot lately, so to feel closer to him this week I’m made one if his favorite foods: macaroni & cheese.
Mac & cheese was a regular in the Sunday dinner rotation at Big Quin’s. I suspect it was because she knew it was dad’s favorite. He always said he was her favorite son-in-law. This mac & cheese recipe is hers, but I did tweak it a little after a trip to Beecher’s Cheese in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. I loved the blend of sharp Cheddar and Jack cheese in their macaroni & cheese so I changed BQ’s cheddar-only recipe to a blend of Cheddar and Monterey Jack. The last time I made mac and cheese for Dad it turned out perfect. He said it was the best mac and cheese he ever had. So, Dad, this mac and cheese is for you, too. Happy Father’s Day.
Note: The herb-brined pork chop in the photo is from Pine Street Market. So yummy and so easy since they brine it for you. Also, here is the green bean recipe.
Jump to detailed instructions or make-ahead notes.
If making ahead of time, complete steps 1 – 3 then cover and refrigerate a few hours or overnight. Remove from fridge and let sit for at least 30 min. to start to come to room temperature. Then, continue with the remaining steps. DO NOT FORGET to add the milk. When I make it ahead of time I have a tendency to forget this step and it is always disappointing. I’ve been known to put a sticky note on top to remind me: Add the milk!
Step 1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil for pasta. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Shred the cheeses. Note: The secret to this recipe is to use really good sharp cheddar. Yellow or white is fine. I like white cheddar, but I’ve found that some kids like the traditional yellow. Most really good cheddar does not come pre-shredded, so I buy block cheese and shred it myself. This takes 2 minutes if you use a food processor, so I think it is worth it for the payoff in added flavor. That being said, using a good quality pre-shredded cheese is fine and a good time-saver.
Step 2. Cook pasta according to directions on the box. Cook it to al dente (still firm when bitten). The pasta will soften up more while it bakes.
Step 3. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish. Layer half the pasta in the dish. Sprinkle with 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. kosher salt (depending on your taste), 1/8 tsp. pepper, and 1 Tbsp. flour. Then layer on 1 Tbsp butter cut into 3-4 slices. Top with half the cheese. Repeat the layers again, ending with cheese. If you can still see pasta thru the top layer of cheese, add more cheese. (You can’t have too much cheese!)
Step 4. Add milk.
Step 5. Bake at 350˚ for 35-40 minutes until cheese is bubbly and the cheese is starting to brown on top. Serve warm.
Under normal circumstances I would be going someplace far away and fun this summer. Sadly, COVID19 has clipped my wings. I know some people are starting to travel, but until my mom gets through her upcoming surgery I’m playing it safe. Given that, I’m looking…
I originally planned to post my recipe for strawberry shortcake, but when I went to the Decatur Farmers Market and the first peaches of the season were there. I couldn’t resist making Peach Shortcake instead. My mom went crazy over it, so it is now…
I’ve been spoiled all spring with fresh lettuce from my garden. This strawberry salad is one of my favorite salads to make with fresh-from-the-garden lettuce. I’ll either eat it as a side or add chicken, salmon, pork or steak to make it a main dish.
Skip to variations or detailed instructions.
Step 1.Clean lettuce. I like to use mixed greens, butternut lettuce, or spinach. I recommend using a salad spinner to clean the lettuce. Dump the water from the salad spinner and then put the salad spinner full of lettuce in the fridge for at least 15 min. This makes the lettuce nice and crispy. (Note: I store my lettuce in the fridge in the salad spinner and it stays nice and crisp for days.)
Step 2.Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Whisk until emulsifies – that means the oil and the vinegar bind together.
Step 3. Put the greens in a bowl. Add desired amount of dressing to greens and mix together. Reserve remaining dressing in the fridge for future salads.Note: When you store the dressing in the fridge the olive oil will separate from the other ingredients and solidify in the fridge. To use, remove it from the fridge and let come to room temp for 30-45 minutes before using. The olive oil will re-liquify. Whisk together for a few seconds to get the dressing to re-emulsify. (You can zap it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds if you are in a hurry.)
Step 4. Top with strawberries, feta, and pecans and serve.
During the pandemic one of the things I’ve missed most is going out to restaurants with friends. One of my favorite restaurants has always been La Tavola in Virginia Highlands. I always look forward to La Tavola: Molto Monday pasta, birthday dinners, Sunday brunch, summer…
Like the good southern girl that I am, one of the first things I learned to make was buttermilk biscuits. For almost every Sunday dinner of my childhood my grandmother, Big Quin, made biscuits and I was right there at her elbow helping out. Every…
