http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm Food journalism out of Austin, Texas. en-us Sat, 25 May 2013 11:29:55 -0700 Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:03:00 -0700 BlogCFC http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss russell@scrumptiouschef.com russell@scrumptiouschef.com russell@scrumptiouschef.com no http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/4/19/The-Kentucky-Kitchen-Part-7-How-To-Make-Fred-K-Schmidts-Hot-Brown Kentucky Derby season is in full swing as natives of the Commonwealth lay in big supplies of bourbon for mint juleps; cured meats for biscuit-stuffing; sacks of walnuts for Derby Pie-making, and critters from the hardwood forests to construct mammoth kettles of Burgoo. There are plenty iconic dishes in Kentucky but perhaps none more so than the Hot Brown. Putatively, a simple sandwich consisting of only a handful of ingredients, the dish has taken on a mythos over the near century since its invention, and now food pilgrims travel from all over the globe to sample this delicacy. Southern Cooking Recipes Kentucky Recipes Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:03:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/4/19/The-Kentucky-Kitchen-Part-7-How-To-Make-Fred-K-Schmidts-Hot-Brown http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/19/Austin-Daily-Photo-Dolly-Partons-Chicken-And-Dumplings-Recipe I first got turned on to Dolly Parton when I was a little kid growing up in rural Kentucky. We got our TV signal out of Knoxville, Tennessee where Dolly was a guest performer on the Cas Walker Farm and Home Hour. Cas Walker was a giant of a man. An absolute legend in the Smoky Mountains. He was the political boss of a formidable machine that launched him deep into Knoxville politics eventually landing him the mayor-ship of that city. Southern Cooking Sat, 19 Jan 2013 16:13:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/19/Austin-Daily-Photo-Dolly-Partons-Chicken-And-Dumplings-Recipe http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/21/A-Guide-To-Making-The-Best-Boudin-You-Will-Ever-Put-In-Your-Mouth Any time spent on the grinder/extruder is time well spent. We've been working on our handmade sausage recipes and techniques for almost a year now. We've made Texas hot guts, pure pork, Sweet Italian, Polish and a few experimental-style sausages during this time. The subject of boudin has come up periodically when we've been wool gathering and/or bragging amongst ourselves about how good a job we're doing, but we'd never tackled the legend. Til now. Southern Cooking Recipes Sun, 21 Oct 2012 01:23:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/21/A-Guide-To-Making-The-Best-Boudin-You-Will-Ever-Put-In-Your-Mouth http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/11/Happy-Southern-Food-Heritage-Day-Austin-Texas Texas food vs Southern Food. What's the difference? Out here in the great state we've got chicken fried steak. Over in Alabama they've got country fried steak. Out here in Texas we've got chile con queso. Over in Kentucky they've got beer cheese spread. Out here in Texas we've got smoked pork ribs. Over in Mississippi they've got baked ribs simmered in barbecue sauce. Out here in Texas we've got Texas Red Chili. Over in Dixie there are dozens of variations on the form with nobody ready to whup your ass if you throw a bean in the kettle. Southern Cooking Recipes Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:43:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/11/Happy-Southern-Food-Heritage-Day-Austin-Texas http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/8/4/Heaven-Smiles-On-New-Orleans-Leon-Galatoire-Pens-Recipe-Utilizing-Hubigs-Pies By now we're all aware that Hubig's Pies burned to the ground last week in New Orleans. Multiple fundraisers are underway to ensure that the pie factory will be rebuilt and the legend can continue putting out the finest pastry in Lousiana. From Hubig's Facebook page. This recipe is by Leon Galatoire of the famous restaurant Hubig Pie Lemon Bread Pudding Southern Cooking Recipes Sat, 04 Aug 2012 13:53:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/8/4/Heaven-Smiles-On-New-Orleans-Leon-Galatoire-Pens-Recipe-Utilizing-Hubigs-Pies http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/11/21/Recipe-Red-Beans-And-Rice-With-Smoked-Alligator-Sausage We have a life long love of gators. Perhaps this was brought on by old actioners like Alligator [screenplay by John Sayles!], the incredible 80s film wherein a beastly, 36 foot long gator attacks a stretch limo and occasionally erupts out of the Chicago sewer system to devour unwary residents of the Windy City. Southern Cooking Recipes Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:45:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/11/21/Recipe-Red-Beans-And-Rice-With-Smoked-Alligator-Sausage http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/27/Stone-Ground-Grits-With-Hatch-Chiles-White-Cheddar-And-Country-Ham It's Hatch Chile season in Austin Texas which means one thing. Eat as many as you can right now and as the season winds down build a big fire in the backyard and roast 15 pounds to put up in the freezer. Earlier this year I was passing through Madisonville, Tennessee the home of Benton's Country Hams. Owner Alan Benton doesn't just sell cured hog meat though. He also sells some very fine stone ground grits from Falls Mill in Belvidere Tennessee. Southern Cooking Recipes Sat, 27 Aug 2011 13:39:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/27/Stone-Ground-Grits-With-Hatch-Chiles-White-Cheddar-And-Country-Ham http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/24/On-South-Carolina-Gullah-Cuisine-And-The-History-Of-Chicken-Bog I love South Carolina. Although it's been a coon's age {see comments} since I last visited the Palmetto State, I was fortunate to spend many blissful months there when I was a teenager on vacation from life on the farm in Knox County, Kentucky. South Carolinians approach food the way folks from Louisiana do. As they're eating one meal they're planning the next and discussing food related side matters all the while. It's a good life. On one of my many visits I was fortunate enough to have a native prepare a big kettle of a jambalaya-like stew of chicken, rice, sausage, peppers, onions and bay leaves called chicken bog. Southern Cooking Sun, 24 Jul 2011 17:27:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/24/On-South-Carolina-Gullah-Cuisine-And-The-History-Of-Chicken-Bog http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/5/8/Barbecue-Pork-Stuffed-Hush-Puppies In the fish camps of west Alabama the good citizens eat like country kings with endless platters of corn meal crusted catfish being trotted out in little rough hewn buildings that dot the forests surrounding the Tombigbee River as it makes it's way to the Port of Mobile. As you move eastward in the great state, the focus of eating shifts from catfish to barbecue. Particularly, the eating of the pig. Southern Cooking Recipes Barbecue Sun, 08 May 2011 14:34:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/5/8/Barbecue-Pork-Stuffed-Hush-Puppies http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/3/1/Have-Buckwheat-Groats-For-Supper-Tonight Picked up a bag of buckwheat groats for supper tonight. I smoked some Nunu's [Youngsville, Louisiana] alligator/crawfish sausage and am rummaging around in my recipe archive that I keep in my head for a plan of attack. Southern Cooking Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:30:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/3/1/Have-Buckwheat-Groats-For-Supper-Tonight http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/1/15/How-To-Make-Cajun-Green-Onion-Rice Even after almost 20 years in professional kitchens I'm still picking up tricks and techniques from some of my friends who are skilled home cooks. Such is the case as I sit to dine at my buddy Ron's house in verdant Pflugerville Texas. He's a retired insurance adjuster and an enthusiastic home cook who can bang out a top notch smoked pork shoulder and bottles his own righteously fiery Tex Mex table salsa with loads of jalapenos. We're having a fish fry and he's anxious to show me his rice pilaf recipe and technique. It's incredible. Southern Cooking Sat, 15 Jan 2011 19:03:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/1/15/How-To-Make-Cajun-Green-Onion-Rice http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2010/12/20/How-To-Smoke-A-Ten-Pound-Pork-Shoulder While it's true that in Kentucky you grow up eating lots of pork shoulder, the typical preparation would send an Alabama pit boss to the gun cabinet ready to take dead aim at anybody that treated a glorious chunk of pork in such a fashion. Unlike the Western part of the state, the Cumberland Highlands region of Eastern Kentucky has no real barbecue culture to speak of so when my family put a pork shoulder on to cook it was done like a beef roast. Browned in a pan then placed in a kettle with potatoes, carrots and onions and braised til it was fork tender. I loved this style til I moved to Birmingham Alabama and started making trips down to Archibald's barbecue in Northport where you can get the finest pork barbecue ever put out by a restaurant. Southern Cooking Barbecue Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:27:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2010/12/20/How-To-Smoke-A-Ten-Pound-Pork-Shoulder http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2010/12/9/How-To-Brine-and-Smoke-a-50lb-Pig How To Brine and Smoke a 50lb Pig With the big brick pit under our command our cooking teams swings into action. I dial up Ruffino Meats and place an order for a young shote, am assured of its' delivery and begin making plans for its' denouement. We take delivery on a Monday morning, I retire to my home and begin building the brine. Southern Cooking Thu, 09 Dec 2010 01:28:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2010/12/9/How-To-Brine-and-Smoke-a-50lb-Pig http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2010/10/18/How-To-Dry-Age-and-Smoke-a-32-Ounce-Ribeye-Steak Austin Texas is blessed to have an old school country meat market like Longhorn Meats. They have anything a body could want or need but I really like the fact you can call them up and specify exactly whatever it is that you're in the mood for. They will then package it up for you so you can dash in and get out with minimal waiting. My days of eating fat, juicy steaks 4 or 5 times a week are long gone but I do enjoy a nice fatty ribeye once a month or so and since Longhorn is 5 minutes from my house they typically get my red meat business. I picked up a 32 ounce ribeye from them awhile back and this is the treatment I gave it to maximize the flavor Southern Cooking Recipes Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:08:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2010/10/18/How-To-Dry-Age-and-Smoke-a-32-Ounce-Ribeye-Steak http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2010/9/6/How-to-Properly-Cook-a-Ribeye-Steak-in-a-Cast-Iron-Pan It was a long time coming but I finally scored the major cast irons of the women folks of my mom's side of the family. Serious cooks with names like Nellie, Hazel, Wilma and Mariah's cast iron finally came home to roost in my cupboard out here in Austin Texas. A pretty far piece from where these pans originated in Virginia and Kentucky by way of the old country. I don't always have time to build a big fire in the backyard to cook my ribeye so I've devised a way to cook a respectable one indoors in the comfort of my tiny kitchen on my old gas cook stove. Southern Cooking Recipes Mon, 06 Sep 2010 23:37:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2010/9/6/How-to-Properly-Cook-a-Ribeye-Steak-in-a-Cast-Iron-Pan http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2010/5/24/My-Heads-in-South-Carolina-How-To-Make-Hoppin-John Growing up in the Cumberland Highlands of Eastern Kentucky the Atlantic ocean seems a million miles away. So it's with a certain fever that I make my way to Litchfield Beach, South Carolina [immediately procuring a mauve Panama Jack shirt and custom made French Foreign Legion hat emblazoned: "Bod Squad" ] as a 16 year old lad eager to see the world. Over the course of a sun-burned week on the sand, frolic and hi-jinx are the order of the day but at night I'm fortunate enough to dine with some friendly locals who are serious cooks. While blackeye peas are nothing new to me I've never had them prepared with so much attention to detail. This recipe is a homage to South Carolina cooking, some of the finest in the world. Southern Cooking Mon, 24 May 2010 16:34:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2010/5/24/My-Heads-in-South-Carolina-How-To-Make-Hoppin-John http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2009/12/2/Angel-BiscuitsA-Kentucky-Delight-Sent-Straight-from-Heaven Like most Southerners I grew up on a steady diet of homemade biscuits and cornbread.My parents were a potent tag team in the kitchen with my dad's mastery of cornbread complementing my mom's ability to make biscuits out of anything[I never saw her do it but I imagine she could make a mean batch out of little more than spit and dust] The best of all these? Angel biscuits or Mayonnaise biscuits as they are also known.Even if you're abilities in the kitchen are limited to opening up a can of Hungry Jack [ http://www.hungryjack.com/ ] I'm betting with a little practice you can whomp up a batch of Angel Biscuits with little effort. They are that easy. Southern Cooking Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:54:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2009/12/2/Angel-BiscuitsA-Kentucky-Delight-Sent-Straight-from-Heaven http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2009/11/20/How-To-Breathe-Life-Into-A-Cured-Country-Ham In late Spring 2009 I ventured from my dad's farm in rural Knox County Kentucky Red Brush area to Madisonville, Tennessee to visit Benton's Country Hams. At that time there had been a dustup in the media over this mom n pop pork operation and I was determined to get to the bottom of it. I drove the 120 miles with a song in my heart as I knew what my reward would be once I got there. I ended up buying a few pounds of bacon, some prosciutto, a sack of grits and a big old 1 year country ham. Time flies whether you're having fun or not so a couple weeks ago I noted the fact that this jewel of a ham had remained uncooked and was now about 2 and half years old. Time to get down to business. Here's the timeline of preparing and cooking a fully cured 16lb country ham. Southern Cooking Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:39:00 -0700 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2009/11/20/How-To-Breathe-Life-Into-A-Cured-Country-Ham