ANGEL BISCUITS FOR SHORTCAKE

As it’s strawberry season....
Angel Biscuits for Shortcake

Honestly, these angel biscuits come by their name because they taste like they’re sent right from heaven to our plate. These “addictive” biscuits are “light and airy with the yeasty flavor of a dinner roll.” It’s a flaky and light cross between a buttermilk biscuit and a Parker House roll, and they can be prepared one week in advance to make your holiday cooking schedule a little less stressful. For making this recipe ahead, just throw together the dough and store in refrigerator until ready to bake. You might even be able to convince the kids to behave like angels in order to get an Angel Biscuit this Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
* 1/2 cup warm water (100°F to 110°F) 1 (1/4-oz.) pkg. active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.) 1 teaspoon plus 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided 5 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup cold salted butter, cubed 1/2 cup cold shortening, cubed 2 cups whole buttermilk 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted and divided

How to Make It
Step 1
Stir together warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes.
Step 2
Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl; cut cold butter and cold shortening into flour mixture with a pastry blender or 2 forks until crumbly. Add yeast mixture and buttermilk to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; chill at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.

Step 3
Preheat oven to 400°F. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 3 or 4 times. Gently roll into a 1⁄2-inch-thick circle, and fold in half; repeat. Gently roll to 1⁄2-inch thickness; cut with a 2-inch round cutter. Reroll remaining scraps, and cut with cutter. Place rounds with sides touching in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. (If using a 12-inch skillet, place remaining biscuits in a 10-inch skillet or on a baking sheet.) Brush biscuits with 3 tablespoons of the melted butter.
Step 4
Bake in preheated oven until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Brush with remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter, and serve.

TROUT COOKED IN NEWSPAPER

Recipe: Trout Cooked in Newspaper

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 25–30 minutes Serves: four Trout can be cooked in newspaper either in the oven or on a barbecue. Preheat the oven to 200°C, or light the barbecue. Season the trout well with salt and pepper and put two slices of lemon and a sprig of fennel or tarragon, if […]

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25–30 minutes

Serves: four

Trout can be cooked in newspaper either in the oven or on a barbecue.

Preheat the oven to 200°C, or light the barbecue. Season the trout well with salt and pepper and put two slices of lemon and a sprig of fennel or tarragon, if using, inside each one.

Lay each fish on three layers of newspaper and wrap, tucking in the ends of the paper carefully. Soak the wrapped fish in cold water until thoroughly wet. Place the parcels in the oven or on the barbecue and cook, turning once halfway through the cooking time, for 25–30 minutes, or until the paper is dry.

Serve the trout in the paper and cut it open with scissors at the table. The skin will peel off with the paper, leaving a perfectly cooked, moist and succulent fish.

To cook a larger fish, weighing about 1.5 kg, in the same way, increase the amount of wet paper and the cooking time in proportion to the size of the fish.

Ingredients

4 trout, each about 350 g, gutted and washed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large lemon, cut into 8 slices

4 sprigs fennel or tarragon (optional)

12–16 sheets newspaper

MARINATED CHERRY TOMATOES

MARINATED CHERRY TOMATOES

Put your cherry tomatoes in a bowl.  Add boiling water to cover them from a kettle and leave 20 for seconds. Pour off the hot water and add cold tap water.  The skins will split and be ready to pop off the cherry tomatoes by barely squeezing/pinching them between your thumb and fingers.  If the skins of 1 or 2 are not popped open, just coax them by slightly piercing with a tip of a knife and the skin should be ready to come off. Refrigerate until ready to use.

THE GOOD PART:

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped chives

2/3 cup oil

1/4 cup tarragon vinegar

1 pint cherry tomatoes (peeled)

Combine all ingredients but tomatoes.  Pour over peeled cherry tomatoes.  Marinate overnight in a quart jar in the refrigerator.  Serves 4-6.

SHERRY CREAM PIE

SHERRY PIE

Sherry Cream Pie Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Nabisco Chocolate Wafers (approximately 1/2 package)

1/2 cup (1/4-pound) butter, melted

2 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin*

1/4 cup cold milk

3 eggs, separated 

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup milk 

1/8 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1/2 cup cream sherry 

1/2 pint (1 cup) whipping cream

* It is always best to measure the the amount of gelatin needed as the envelopes of gelatin can vary.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

In a food processor, whirl chocolate wafers to fine crumbs. Add butter, whirl another 5 to 10 seconds.

Press crumb mixture firmly and evenly into a 10-inch pie plate. Bake crust approximately 5 minutes to set it. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, soften gelatin with 1/4 cup cold milk; set aside.

In a double boiler over hot water, place egg yolks; beat slightly. Add sugar and remaining milk; stir constantly and cook for 10 minutes or until the internal temperature registers at least 160 degrees F. on your cooking thermometer and the mixture coats a spoon.

Remove from heat. Stir in prepared gelatin mixture, salt, and nutmeg; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Very slowly add cream sherry, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Place the custard mixture into the refrigerator to thicken. When thickened, remove from refrigerator and proceed with recipe.

In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream until thickened; set aside. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into egg whites; gently fold this mixture into thickened custard mixture.

Pour custard mixture into baked pie shell. Place into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

STUFFED PORK CHOPS

Stuffed Pork Chops

6 double-ribbed, center cut pork chops (have butcher cut a pocket in each

4 oz. Butter, melted

1 cup water

1 cup brown sauce

Pepper Dressing (see recipe)

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Stuff pork chops with stuffing and close with heavy toothpicks. Place in a baking pan and pour melted butter over the top of each chop. Salt and pepper to taste. Add approximately one inch of water to the pan and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for 1 ½ hours, turning after 45 minutes so that the chops brown evenly on both sides. Cover in brown sauce before serving. Serves 6.

Option: You may debone, butterfly and flatten the chops before stuffing. If you prefer. This method does not require toothpicks to close the chops around the stufing. Yet another option is to just use 2 thin pork chops per serving instead of one fat one. Just put the stuffing between the chops and proceed-you better use skewers to keep the contraption together or you’ll have a mess.

Pepper Dressing

1/2 lb. butter

1 medium onion, chopped fine

1 rib celery, chopped fine

4 sprigs parsley, stems and leaves, chopped to dust

½ tsp thyme

½ lb. Ground beef, preferably ground twice

½ pound small fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ loaf stale French bread

3 eggs

1 tsp. granulated garlic

Melt butter in a large skillet and add onion, celery, parsley and thyme. Saute for 10 to 15 minutes. Add ground beef and shrimp. Ain a large bowl, dampen the bread until moist, squeeze out excess water and add eggs. Mix well and then stir in sauteed ingerdients. Blend, then add salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place stufing in baking pan and cook in oven for 1 ½ hours. When done, chill in the refrigerator.

NEW ORLEANS BORDELAISE

New Orleans Style Bordelaise Sauce

Invented by Mandich Restaurant. It bears no resemblance to the French classic. It’s good with grilled or sautéed veal, shrimp, and especially chicken. Toss with cooked chicken and pasta. 

3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 Cloves of Garlic, roughly chopped

1 Sprig of Thyme

1 Bay Leaf

1 Spritz of fresh lemon juice

1/2 stick of Unsalted Butter

1 Tbsp Italian Parsley, minced

Salt & Pepper to taste

Add the oil to a heated saute pan. Add the garlic, Thyme, and Bay leaf. Saute the garlic until it just starts to slightly brown then add the lemon juice, and the cold butter, incorporating by shaking the pan back and forth until melted. When the butter is totally melted strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve, then add back to the pan. Add the parsley and season to taste with Kosher salt and pepper.

A PROPER OMELETTE

A PROPER OMELET

This is how I make an omelet.  Scrambled eggs with edible junk mixed in with them is not an omelet!

Things you will need:

Use two pans for each omelet, one to cook the omelet itself and the second to heat the ingredients which will need to be hot. You can use the same two pans for each masterpiece, wiping them out between each use.

A heatproof rubber spatula-if you’re careful you can use a regular rubber spatula.

3 eggs per omelet

salt and pepper

about a teaspoon of cream or milk for each omelet

a fork for beating the eggs

a bowl in which to beat them

a lint-free towel to wipe the pans clean as you cook

butter, clarified or not, unclarified is easy to burn that’s the only caution.

A plate for each omelet, preferably warm

This will go together fast so have your mise en place ready.

The pan to use is a teflon-lined, non-stick pan. It may be teflon lined but you will spray it twice before you pour in your eggs, wiping it out with your towel between sprayings.

Your omelet fillings must be ready to go.  Those which will need to be heated in one bowl (previously cooked meats i.e. ham, bacon, sausage, chili etc.) and those which do not (cheeses, herbs etc.)in another. The heat from the cooked omelet will melt the cheeses and aromatize the herbs.

Spray your pan with Pam and put your pan on the fire-medium high to high heat for 30 seconds or so. (As you gain confidence you will always use high heat.)

Pick up the pan, wipe it out lightly with your cloth, spray it once again with Pam and place it back on the flame. (Spray your pan for heating the ingredients, place it on medium heat and add your ingredients. They will be ready when you are. Just move them about in the pan a couple of times so nothing burns.

Break your eggs into a bowl. Add your milk or cream, salt and pepper and beat them like mad for about 30 strokes.  Some streaks of yolk/white can remain unmixed. 

Pour the egg mixture into the pan all at once. The eggs should sizzle happily as they go into the pan. Swirl the pan around on the fire to distribute the liquid evenly across the bottom of the pan. 

Use your rubber spatula to lift up an edge and tilt the pan so that some eggs flow under the piece you have lifted. Continue doing this around the pan. I start at 3:00, then go to 12:00, 10:00, and ending at 6:00. If some liquid-y egg is still evident continue until they all have moved to the bottom of the omelet. 

When the eggs are "set" (no longer liquid) check to see that the underside is a beautifully golden color and then (Gasp!) FLIP THE OMELET-it’s really not as difficult as you imagine.  It helps to practice using a piece of sandwich bread in a cold pan until you gain some confidence.  

YOUR OMELET HAS BEEN FLIPPED.

Put your heated ingredients down the center of the omelet. The omelet will begin to puff or "Souffle". That is as it should be. Take a peek underneath by raising an edge of the omelet to peer at the bottom. If it is the color you like turn off the heat, add your unheated fillings and tilt the masterpiece over a serving plate and coax the omelet, if necessary, onto the plate.

PERI PERI SAUCE

Peri Peri Sauce Recipe

Make your own peri peri, or piri piri, sauce at home with this recipe. A traditional African sauce made from African Bird's Eye chiles.

Coursehot sauce, Main Course, Salsa

CuisineAmerican

Keywordhot sauce

Prep Time5 minutes

Cook Time5 minutes

Total Time10 minutes

Servings20

Calories58 kcal

AuthorMike Hultquist

Ingredients

• 1 pound red chilies chopped – African Bird’s Eye peppers are traditional, but you can sub with red peppers available to you
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika you can sub in other chili powders
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
• Juice from 1 lemon
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender. Process to form a smooth paste.
2. Enjoy! Refrigerate until ready to use.

Recipe Notes

Makes about 1.5 cups.

FROZEN PEACH PIE

Frozen Peach Pie

What’s better than peach piein summer? Peach pie in winter! Imagine a freezer full of frozen peach pies fillings, ready to just drop into a piecrust and bake into a sweet and fragrant taste of summer. Try this genius freezing method to get your pie fix anytime. With this recipe, you mix the pie filling, pour it into an aluminum foil lined pie pan, and freeze it. Once frozen, simply remove the filling from the foil, place it in a freezer storage bag, and store in the freezer until you are ready to bake a pie. Then simply drop the frozen filling into a piecrust and bake. Just make sure you make enough to last you until winter. These might go faster than you think.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (about 3 cups) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon plus 2 tsp. cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 (14.1-oz.) pkg. refrigerated pie crust

Step 1

Toss together fresh peaches, sugar, cornstarch, ground ginger, ground cardamom, and ground cinnamon in a large bowl, making sure spices are distributed throughout. Line a 9-inch pie pan with aluminum foil, and transfer peach mixture to the pie pan. Cover and freeze 8 to 12 hours. Remove frozen peach filling from pan, discard foil, and place filling in a ziplock plastic freezer bag. Return to freezer until ready to use. Peach filling will keep up to 6 months in the freezer.

Step 2

To make pie, preheat oven to 450°F. Unroll 1 piecrust, and fit into the same 9-inch pie pan. Fold edges under, and crimp. Place frozen filling on crust.

Step 3

Unroll second piecrust on a lightly floured surface, and cut into 8 (1-inch-wide) strips. Arrange strips in a lattice design over filling; gently press ends of strips, sealing to bottom piecrust. Shield crust edge with foil to prevent the crust from burning.

Step 4

Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F, leaving edges covered with foil, and continue to bake until top crust is brown and filling is bubbly, about 40 minutes.

PEACH COBBLER

Peach Cobbler

Level: Easy

Total: 1 hr 20 min

Prep: 25 min

Cook: 55 min

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

8 peaches, peeled and sliced, about 6 to 8 cups

1/4 cup bourbon

3/4 cup sugar, plus more for dusting

2 tablespoons corn starch

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter

3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl add the peaches, bourbon, 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon and mix well to coat the peaches evenly; set aside.

Prepare the dumplings: Into a bowl sift together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter into small pieces. Add it to the flour mixture and cut it in with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs. Pour in the cream and mix just until the dough comes together. Don't overwork; the dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Add the peaches and cook gently until heated through, about 5 minutes. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls over the warm peaches. There can be gaps, the dough will puff up and spread out as it bakes. Brush the top with some heavy cream and sprinkle with some sugar; put it into the oven on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Cook for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is browned and the fruit is bubbling.

UPSIDE DOWN GRIT CAKE

Upside Down Grit Cake

• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 ½ tablespoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ¼ cups whole milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons clarified butter(or store-bought), melted
• Salted butter, for serving (optional)
• Maple syrup, for serving

PREPARATION

1. Whisk egg and yolk together in a medium bowl. Add baking powder, sugar and salt; whisk until smooth and fluffy. Pour in half the milk, then half the flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine. Add the remaining milk and flour plus 2 tablespoons clarified butter and stir briefly just until batter comes together but is still somewhat lumpy.
2. Heat a large 12-inch cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high for at least 5 minutes. Pour about 1/4 cup clarified butter into the pan. When the surface of the clarified butter starts to shimmer, ladle about 1/3 cup of the batter into the skillet for each pancake, leaving a couple of inches between each pancake. Add more clarified butter as pancakes cook to keep about 1/8 inch of fat in the bottom of the pan at all times.
3. Cook until the top of the pancake starts to bubble and edges turn browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spatula to flip each pancake. The cooked surface should be very crispy, with a dark ring around the edge. Cook until the second side is browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat to cook the remaining pancakes, adding more clarified butter as needed.
4. Serve immediately with pats of salted butter, if desired, and maple syrup. If making a large batch, cooked pancakes can be kept warm on a wire rack set in a rimmed metal baking sheet in a 300-degree oven.

Tip

• The batter can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight. You might need to increase cook time on the pancakes by 1 minute or so on each side.

CHEZ MA TANTE’S PANCAKES

Chez Ma Tante’s Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 ½ tablespoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ¼ cups whole milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons clarified butter(or store-bought), melted
• Salted butter, for serving (optional)
• Maple syrup, for servig

PREPARATION

1. Whisk egg and yolk together in a medium bowl. Add baking powder, sugar and salt; whisk until smooth and fluffy. Pour in half the milk, then half the flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine. Add the remaining milk and flour plus 2 tablespoons clarified butter and stir briefly just until batter comes together but is still somewhat lumpy.
2. Heat a large 12-inch cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high for at least 5 minutes. Pour about 1/4 cup clarified butter into the pan. When the surface of the clarified butter starts to shimmer, ladle about 1/3 cup of the batter into the skillet for each pancake, leaving a couple of inches between each pancake. Add more clarified butter as pancakes cook to keep about 1/8 inch of fat in the bottom of the pan at all times.
3. Cook until the top of the pancake starts to bubble and edges turn browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spatula to flip each pancake. The cooked surface should be very crispy, with a dark ring around the edge. Cook until the second side is browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat to cook the remaining pancakes, adding more clarified butter as needed.
4. Serve immediately with pats of salted butter, if desired, and maple syrup. If making a large batch, cooked pancakes can be kept warm on a wire rack set in a rimmed metal baking sheet in a 300-degree oven.

Tip

• The batter can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight. You might need to increase cook time on the pancakes by 1 minute or so on each side.

PISTOLETTE ROLLS

Pistolette Rolls

Homemade Pistolette French Rolls

From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

For the 2 Hour Sponge:

1 cup of warm water (100 to 110 degrees)

2-1/2 teaspoons of rapid-rise yeast

Pinch of granulated sugar

1-1/2 cups of bread flour*

For the Dough:

1 cup of warm water (100 to 110 degrees)

1 tablespoon of honey

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2-1/2 teaspoons of salt

4 cups of bread flour

Proof the yeast by combining with the warm water and a pinch of sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes. Put the bread flour in your mixer bowl and stir in the water and yeast mixture. Cover the entire mixer bowl with a thick towel and let sponge bubble up for 2 hours. Okay to stir down if it begins to bubble up out of the bowl.

To the sponge, add the water, honey, olive oil, salt and flour; stir to combine. Using dough hook, knead on low speed for 8 to 10 minutes until you have a good, elastic dough. Remove dough hook, spray top of dough with non-stick spray and cover entire mixer with a large, clear plastic bag and allow to rise 45 to 90 minutes or until about doubled.

Cover a baking pan with quick spritz of non stick spray and place a sheet of parchment paper in the pan. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and pull off 12 equal pieces of dough. Shape into oval rolls and place on parchment paper about an inch or so apart. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place on top of rolls to keep them from drying out and set in a draft free spot to allow to rise about 20 to 30 minutes until they puff up.

Preheat oven in the meantime to 400 degrees F. If a crusty bottom is desired, place a baking stone in the lowest part of the oven when you preheat. You may also score rolls across the top or snip with scissors for a decorative effect if desired.

Before placing the rolls in the oven, spritz them very lightly with water, place in oven and spritz inside of oven also to create a more crispy crust. For softer and shiny rolls, brush tops with melted butter or oil before baking.

Bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes until rolls are brown.

Cook's Note: Do use bread flour. I accidentally grabbed the wrong canister once and use regular all purpose and while the rolls were good, they were more dense and not as light and fluffy. The right flour does make a difference!