Not Black-Eyed Pea Cornbread

City Girl and I have antique dealer friends who are also fun cooks. They LOVE putting out a spread, and are very good at it. A while back they sent me a recipe from a client, for Black-Eyed Pea Cornbread. A couple of times after that they made reference to the dish; having used it for a couple of dinners and things. So yesterday, when I had to cook for The Other Family's Thanksgiving, this seemed like a good idea.

Except, I don't like sausage and this recipe had a pound of sausage in it. I like the IDEA of sausage, and I like most KINDS of sausage, but I don't like country sausage. No idea why...this isn't in my genes...but I don't like country sausage. So off we went.

I knew when I started that I was going to substitute chorizo (I like chorizo), but the rest of the recipe was going to stand. Except then, I remembered that there is a black-eyed pea cornbread recipe in the Neiman Marcus cookbook and when I pulled it out...there were some improvements that could be made. Starting with substituting creamed corn for cream cheese.

And THEN...when I got to Aldi on the Friday afternoon before Thanksgiving...they didn't have black-eyed peas. But they DID have black beans and...that's 50% of the equation so that's what I went with. A wing and a prayer. And this was SOOO good that this morning, I made breakfast out of the leftovers. That's another post.

Chorizo & Black Bean Cornbread
12 ounces chorizo sausage
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix (around here, that's White Lily)
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup grated cheese
1 small can creamed corn (I threw away the can, but I think it's 8 ozs. Or so.)
Canned jalapenos, to taste, I used about 1/2 cup and it was warm
1 14 oz can black beans, rinsed

Brown the sausage and onion in a skillet, breaking the sausage up into a fine crumble. Drain well; I put it into a metal strainer and rested it on four layers of paper towels. Just get the grease out.

Measure the cornmeal mix into a large bowl. Add the grated cheese, creamed corn, sausage & onion, and black beans. Don't stir. Put the jalapenos, eggs, oil and buttermilk in a blender and process until the jalapenos are finely chopped. Add to cornmeal mixture and fold with a rubber spatula.

Pour into a greased 13x9 pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour. Let it cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Seriously Good Burgers

In the early 90's, when I was working on that graduate degree I don't have, the health craze of the moment was low-fat. Turns out low fat doesn't work for me, but I didn't know that at the time and since I was spending five or six hours a day in the physical education department, controlling my diet was no problem. I cut lower and lower until I was eating less than 10 grams of fat a day. I was hungry ALL the time, and losing muscle for no reason.

Later on, I realized that my particular body likes low carb. Fat and protein are my friends. At some point in time I hope to convince my MOUTH that IT likes low carb because right now? I'll kill a man over a loaf of good bread. Or pasta.

But a few things stayed around because they worked, and one of them is the hamburgers we eat. Most people have no idea what's in them...just because they taste just like hamburgers, texture and all. But they are a lot better for you.

Mushroom Burgers
1-1/2 pounds hamburger meat (chuck, sirloin, ground round: your choice)
8 ounces fresh mushrooms
1 clove garlic
1/4 Worcestershire (or Dale's if you're from around here)

Chop the garlic into 8-10 pieces. Put the rinsed mushrooms and the garlic in a food processor and process until it's finely chopped...scraping down the sides as necessary. Add about 1/4 cup hamburger meat and process thoroughly. Add the mushroom mixture to the remaining hamburger in a large bowl and use your hands to mix in the Worcestershire. Shape into patties (you DO know to put an indention in the center of the patty so it won't puff up, don't you?) and sprinkle with smoked paprika or R.L. Schreiber's Mesquite Seasoning. Let stand for 10-15 minutes, then grill to taste.

Fresh Red Snapper

We told the kids this wasn't any good, and ate the entire thing ourselves. Luckily for them, there were smoked ribs left over from last night.

The Big Boy was in the Gulf last week, THANK YOU LORD. On business, but because he's such a salesman a lot of his work involves sports and food, and this dealer is a serious deep sea fisherman. So they got in a boat and went 50 miles out and fished all day. Came in, cleaned the fish, packed it on ice and brought it home to me the next day.

It doesn't get any better than this.

I opened the package thinking there was half a fish in there, but there was a half and three filets so the filets will show up tomorrow tonight. But tonight? Oh, y'all. We really ate it all.

Red Snapper with Salsa
1 whole red snapper filet
Cavender's All-Purpose Greek Seasoning
Smoked paprika
2-3 fresh tomatoes
1 small onion (I used a white, and it wasn't too strong)
1/2 cup green olives
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado
1 jalapeno, seeded or not your preference
2 limes

A couple of hours before dinner, season the filet with the Cavender's and paprika, put in a ziplock bag and squeeze out the air and put it back in the refrigerator. When you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with olive oil, place the fish in the dish :) and spray with olive oil. Bake to desired degree of doneness: I set the timer for 15 minutes, did another five and then another five and it was PERFECT.

I think I've mentioned that my dad sleeps half the day and is up all night, and we get strange gifts from late night infomercials. One of my things was one of those boxes that dices things with a push and it is AWESOME. Especially for salsas. It gets a lot more use than that AbLounger.

Dice the tomatoes, the onion, the olives (I just put them on the grid and push), the avocado and the jalapeno, and combine in a bowl. Add the chopped cilantro, and the juice of one lime. Stir well and leave to get friendly. Thinking about it, I didn't add salt but it didn't need it. Which is strange.

To serve, squeeze the juice of the other lime over the fish. Plate with the salsa spooned over the fish.

It says something, not a good thing, that the Aldi store here has some of the more exotic items to be found in this neck of the woods. And one of the lovely things it carries is bags of small frozen green beans. I melted three tablespoons butter and added 1/4 cup pecan meal and one diced elephant garlic. Browned it a little. Cooked the green beans six minutes in boiling water, drained them and then tossed them in the skillet with the nuts and garlic. Sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

We ate all of them, too.

I wish I had taken a picture. The salsa was lovely.

So, how did Valentine's Day go?

We had spaghetti, which we have every year because we don't do quiet, romantic VD's...we have Family Mayhems. More kids than adults and The Big Boy plays DJ waaaay too loud and everyone starts drinking when they get off work and so they're happy when they get here.

So, VD dinner. Spaghetti, which I won't even THINK of telling you how to make. A couple of years ago I realized that I didn't make just...GREAT...spaghetti, so I sent out a plea to all my cooking buddies and asked for tips. One that stuck was from my sister-in-law, who...after the sauce is simmered...puts a wedge of parmesan in the sauce and then simmers it while the cheese melts. Luscious. Another tip involved a tablespoon of blackberry jelly to emphasize the caraway in the Italian sausage but OMG...I HATE caraway. I hate liquorice. I hate fennel. Something in my genes just does NOT get that taste. But then, that's me.

So we had spaghetti, my SIL's salad and we're waiting on permission to share the GoodTrue dressing recipe. Parmesan bread sticks. Flourless chocolate torte. (Both in preceeding posts.) A chocolate fountain but that's another blog and another post. And then. CG and I have a friend, Mary Virginia. And MV is one hell of a cook and one HELL of a cook for a crowd. And this appetizer is one of her specialties and once you make it you'll know why. Last year for VD I put it in the den and my little brother was just sitting on the floor scooping it up. There's something about the fresh vegetables, the shrimp and the cheese...this WORKS.

Mary Virginia's Layered Shrimp Dip

1 pound grated Mozzarella cheese
1 pound shrimp, boiled, peeled and deveined and chopped
1 12 oz jar cocktail sauce
2 8 oz packages cream cheese
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T Tabasco
4 garlic cloves, pressed
6-8 green onions, chopped
Fresh parsley
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped

In a springform pan layer mozzarella evenly, then shrimp and cocktail sauce. Blend softened cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and garlic in a bowl. Spread evenly over the layers in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. When ready to serve, unhook the pan and invert onto a serving platter. Top with green onion, parsley, tomatoes and bell pepper. Serve with crackers.

I use cooked, frozen shrimp and add horseradish to the cocktail sauce. You can always tell where this is on the buffet because...that's where the crowd is.

Super Bowl WHAT?

Keeping in mind that we have been friends since birth, our parents went to school together and our grand+parents are buried in the same cemeteries...WTF?

The original plan for the SB menu was, according to the hostess, Mexican. We can do this. Two years ago I made tamales and we are NOT doing that, but we can do Mexican. We have a plan. We have roasted pork. I will fill in. The others can contribute according to whatever restaurant/grocery they pass on the way to the party.

Then the phone rings and we have...another plan but it's going along with the first plan and so we're having...roasted pork and a huge leg of lamb. Well. Don't THAT just crank a Center Star tractor?

So I am making Kirk's Cornbread (see preceding posts), refried beans from Hugo's grandmother, white beans with gremolata, and grilled asparagus. I've been eye-balling the barbecued shrimp recipe and...we'll just have that for supper here Saturday night. Along with maybe, what? Some TARAMASALATA AND CHOW MEIN?

HUGO'S GRANDMOTHER'S REFRIED BEANS

1 bag kidney beans
1 cup lard and/or bacon grease
1 medium onion
5-6 fresh jalapeno peppers

Hugo is from the Guadalajaro region of Mexico. His family owns seven acres of agave. He knows what he's talking about.

Place the beans in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit for at least one hour. Drain the beans (a little tip here...draining the beans removes MOST of the gaseous-forming enzymes. Be kind to your guests), return the beans to the pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook until REALLY tender. Drain again.

In a skillet, heat the lard. Add the chopped onion and chopped jalapeno and cook until the onion is tender. Add the beans, cover and simmer for about ten minutes. Then, start mashing. You can use one of those old multi-U shaped potato mashers. You can use the back of a spoon. You can use whatever is in your pantry that makes you happy. Just mash those beans. Season to taste, with salt, pepper and Top Hat. (If you haven't ordered Top Hat from Penderys yet, then use taco seasoning. Or cumin.)

For the party, I'll top them with shredded cheddar cheese. Or maybe cheese dip.

(And before you start? I KNOW they don't use kidney beans in Mexico. Use black beans. Use red beans. Use RABBIT PELLETS for all I care. Just use something that mashes nicely with lard. It will make you happy.)

No such thing as "too much" of a good thing, if the "good thing" is BUTTER!

Several years ago I was looking for...something. Can't remember what it was but in the looking, I stumbled across The Gumbo Pages and I've been an avid fan ever since. Found this recipe there and it has been a keeper...often requested and always enjoyed! I'm thinking I'll do this as my contribution for this year's Super Bowl feast.

This is one of those dishes for the friends you really love. We do it with tubs of beer setting around the table, and we eat on vinyl tablecloths so you can just pile up the shells. I add red pepper flakes in the cooking, and then have bottles of Tabasco out on the table. NAPKINS. The key word here is LOTS of napkins, although we put out rolls of paper towels last time. Butter is good.

New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp

2 pounds butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
6 ounces beer
1 medium onion, minced
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
5 pounds shrimp
2 tablespoons creole seasoning
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
10 cloves garlic, minced
3 ribs celery, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Melt a stick of butter in a skillet. Saute the garlic, onions, celery, parsley, rosemary and seasoning blend for 2-3 minutes. Add the rest of the butter and melt it, then add the beer (drinking the rest of the bottle to get you in the mood). Add the worcestershire and lemon juice.

Drown the shrimp in the seasoned butter, using as many baking dishes as you need. Make sure the shrimp are more or less submerged...if they're not, melt more butter and add to the sauce. (What the hell? What's another stick or two when you're already up these butterfat levels?) Bake in a 350 degree oven until the shrimp turn pink, about 15 minutes.

Serve in big bowls...I have a gorgeous Italian pottery platter that measures about 24 inches across and I just dump the entire concoction out on that platter. Roll up your sleeves and if you're kin to this family, wear a bib. Serve with plenty of French bread to sop up da sauce!

"This dish has nothing to do with a barbecue pit or barbecuing. Why is it called "barbecued" shrimp? Beats the hell out of me. If you're really curious, ask someone at Pascal's Manale Restaurant on Napoleon Avenue in New Orleans; it's where the dish was created. Me, I don't care. This dish is so good you can call it whatever you want. Just, um, don't have it every day. You'll know why immediately when you see the first ingredient listed."

This is one of the ten best things I ever tasted in my life. I like it with extra rosemary but then, that's me.

It's a really cold night so let's have chili and hot bread

My cousin, Adrienne, lives in Atlanta...really, Marietta. She won her tennis club's chili cook-off with this recipe. Reckon I ought to call and tell her it's in here?

BadaBing Chili
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground sirloin
2 cans black beans
2 packages French's Chili-O Mix
1 26-ounce can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 4-1/2 ounce can chopped green chilis
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 bunch fresh cilantro

Brown meat and garlic. Add everything else, except cilantro, and cook 45 minutes. Add chopped cilantro just before serving.

Then, there's Beer Bread. The simplest Save Your Ass bread recipe on the planet. The first time I made it was with that high-dollar mix from that gourmet food aka Tupperware Treats party organization. Great bread. Not seven dollars worth of great. So, here's the cheap/just-as-good version. Thank you very much.

Beer Bread
1/4 cup sugar
12 ounces beer
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups self-rising flour

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and beer and mix well. The mixture should be sticky. Pour into the loaf pan, pour the melted butter on top and bake for 55 minutes. (This makes a crunchy top crust. If you prefer a soft crust, brush the butter on three minutes before you remove the bread from the oven.) Serves 8.

Fresh herbs in the batter are good. Right now, I have rosemary and three kinds of thyme and either would be lovely. Or dried herbs in the butter.

Cafe Iguana Margaritas

We found this recipe on the computer and I'm not sure how far from the original we've strayed. There's an annual music festival here and every year I pack up a picnic, mix this up and pour it into a red plastic gas can, and we CELEBRATE!

3 cups water

2 cups sugar

2 cups fresh lemon juice

2 cups fresh lime juice

1 cup tequila

1/2 cup triple sec

Make margarita base: Mix sugar and water in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, set aside and cool. Mix syrup, lemon and lime juices and chill until cold. Can be made one week ahead. When you're ready to serve, add the tequila and triple sec.

The first time we made this no one had a juicer. BIG mistake. Even WITH a juicer it's still a lot of trouble but ohhhh....it's a LOT of fun!

(And yes. I know that's not enough tequila. Handle it.)

Mikey hates everything...

...but the people in this house will eat ANYTHING.

I have this for breakfast say, four mornings a week. Keeping in mind I don't have to go to a job, I eat mid-morning. And I snack a time or two but my next meal is supper because THIS makes me happy. It also works for ANYTIME...late supper, rushed supper, weekend lunch.

Garlic, Red Pepper and Sundried Tomato Pasta

Put water on to boil for the pasta...your favorite type is what's called for here...I use linguine. In an omelet pan, or such, pour 1/4 cup olive oil. When it heats up, add one heaping tablespoon garlic and one heaping tablespoon chopped sundried tomatoes. (I'm currently using sundried tomato tapenade and LOVING it.) Sprinkle in red pepper flakes...your taste determines how much. Cook over medium heat until the garlic is lightly browned.

This brings us to a point a friend of mine made last week. We were talking about something...a chef or cooking school or whatever and she explained that whomever we were talking about had stressed that you only cook garlic until it is fragrant...never more. Well, that raven don't fly here. In some dishes, just fragrant is good. But in THIS case, I LIKE my garlic browned. I like the bitter edge.

SO. Cook the pasta while the garlic browns. When the pasta is done, turn the tomato-garlic oil up to high, dump the pasta into a strainer and let most of the water run out. Then turn around and, with the water still dripping, dump the pasta into the oil. Turn off the stove-eye and fold the pasta to mix it with the oil and goodies and cook off the last of the cooking water. Portion it into your dish and top with blue cheese sprinkles.

This justifies a glass of red wine with breakfast.

One is NEVER Enough

You knew this was coming, didn't you?

Like one blog could possibly ever be enough to contain Country Girl and myself and our myriad interests and things to bitch about.

Not only are CG1 and I bound by an abiding love of bourbon, but we are twins separated at birth when it comes to good food.

And the problem, over at CG/CG, is that 40-ish percent of our readership is male. And of those men who I personally know...nobody cooks. They eat, to be sure, but they don't particularly care about how it all gets put together.

So as a remedy to that situation, we bring you, "No Place for Picky Eaters." Because picky-damned eaters will drive a serious cook absolutely to the brink of dispair.

What is WRONG with you picky-eating people? Did your mothers raise you on PB&J and mashed potatoes? Because if they did, then shame on them.

For the rest of you who LOOOOVES some good eatin', stay tuned.

Image Credit: Some dude's Myspace Account. Think HE spends many nights alone?