 My mom loved to make dips. A true family favorite was her spinach artichoke dip which made the rounds at holiday meals and each time my brother came for a visit. I chuckle as I type this blog because my favorite version of this dip is Julia Reed’s V.D. Dip. I will pause long enough for you to let your mind go wild, but the truth is Julia’s mother made this dip and served it to every “visiting dignitary” that came to her home, hence, the shortened version of her dip name. The ingredient list includes butter, frozen chopped spinach, cream cheese, and canned artichoke hearts. It would not be “southern” without the final ingredient of Ritz crackers. The recipe is simple and so delicious. It also provides lively conversation at the dinner table! 
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 My parents were not adventuresome with their cooking, but I do remember the occasional feast of stuffed peppers. As has been my habit, I wanted to take that memory and create a version of the recipe with my twists on a classic. Big Guy suggested we start by upping the meat to include ground sirloin and pork sausage. The butcher even cheered this suggestion on knowing the fat to meat ratio would be perfect. We sauteed onions from @carondeletgarden to add additional flavor to the meat. We added in marinara sauce from @carondeletkitchen along with cheese and rice to the cooked meat mixture. We stuffed this mix into yellow and red peppers to add sweetness to the flavor profile. After baking the peppers for forty-five minutes, we pulled the perfect stuffed peppers out of the oven!  I started making marinara sauce with @nataliejhiggins and her husband when they lived next door. We would hunt down the end of season tomatoes at the farmer’s markets and spend a day creating a beautiful sauce which we could enjoy throughout the winter months. They no longer live next door, but Big Guy and I have been continuing to up the sauce game over the years by growing the ingredients @carondeletgarden. After a haul of 125 pounds of San Marzano tomatoes last year, we should have known this year would be a different story. We knew the harvest would be poor starting thanks to the hailstorm followed by the rains and extreme heat leading to damaged plants and fruit. The squirrels were a nuisance too as they dealt with the need for moisture and nourishment. We had to supplement our meager intake of six pounds of tomatoes with store bought canned San Marzano tomatoes, but we managed to can four jars which will still give us that pleasure of opening a jar of “summer” in the winter months.  I have been making dessert again thanks to our weekly meals with @abrandt1026. It seems between my husband’s southern roots and her sweet baby; we MUST have a satisfying end to our meal! Who am I to deny my loved ones their sugar?
Depending on the planned meal, I will go big or small with dessert. This time I opted for a simple cookie which is a play on a sugar cookie I used to make as a child. I consulted my cookbook by @trishayearwood as I knew she would have the perfect recipe for a snickerdoodle. I was not wrong as the recipe was easy to follow and so delicious. I love that they retain their chewiness as they come out of the oven. As they “age,” they retain their flavor and are perfect as a snack or to end any meal.  I met Big Guy while attending college, so yes, I married my college sweetheart. As happens with all new couples, we started to get to know each other’s families as part of the dating process. In one of my first family meals with his family, pork steak was served as the main dish. Ok, what is that? I had never heard of it as I grew up in Michigan. Big Guy assured me I would like it, so I tried it. Yes, it was delicious, but I never fell in love with it like his family. The passage of time and losing his parents made pork steaks fall off the routine family meal. While shopping @legrandsmarket, Big Guy spied gorgeous pork steaks, and it was back on the table as our meal for the evening. We added baked beans and potato salad from their deli to round out our meal. Thanks to @legrandsmarket for bringing back a family memory and an easy summer meal!
 Big Guy and I enjoy cooking, but we also enjoy letting someone else take care of us. Several years ago, we were enjoying an antipasto platter @charliegittosonthehill which included an eggplant antipasto. We were instantly hooked on the flavors and vowed to grow eggplant @carondeletgarden. It has become a favorite dish @carondeletkitchen, and I have @stanleytucci to thank for adding my favorite version of this caponata recipe in The Tucci Cookbook. The list of ingredients includes eggplant, onions, celery, whole plum tomatoes, capers, and pine nuts. The “secret” sauce is dissolving sugar with red wine vinegar which gives the mix a sweetness that complements the savory vegetables. We usually make a quick stop @parkerstable for a baguette and we have the perfect start to any meal. Perfetto!
 I became enamored with scones since a trip to New Harmony, Indiana. We found a lovely café that served cranberry scones. I could not wait to come home and find the perfect recipe. I am never disappointed with anything from @inagarten, but Big Guy suggested I look for a proper scone pan to elevate the “look” of the pastries. I not only found the perfect pan @kingarthurbaking, but they cleverly sold ready mixed scones ingredient in one box. I recently made a cran-raspberry and white chocolate mix which was outstanding. I added an icing made with powered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt to give it a WOW factor. I am so happy I have found this company and their outstanding products!  We were fortunate the spring hailstorm did not destroy our eggplants. We had a bumper crop leading me to wonder if you could make soup from them as I am always looking to add variety to what I freeze for the winter months. Thanks to @nytcooking, the answer is yes! I found a smoky eggplant soup which, despite my skepticism, became a beautiful and flavorful soup. I started by broiling the eggplants. Once they softened, I placed them into paper bags to cool. While the eggplants cooled, I sauteed the onions, garlic, cayenne, smoked paprika, and sweet paprika. Once the eggplants were cool, I removed the skins and roughly chopped the flesh of the eggplant. It was added to the pot along with chicken broth with the other ingredients and brought to a boil. I made sure to add salt and pepper for flavor at this stage. The only complicated part of this recipe was to puree the mixture with a @cuisinart and then strain through a fine meshed sieve. This step is worth the effort as you were rewarded with a very smooth broth that was brightened at the end with lemon juice and zest.
 Do you ever have a great idea that goes unsaid, but becomes the next remarkable thing? Big Guy and I were enjoying a breakfast sandwich from Chick-fil-A when I said aloud whether it would be an innovative idea to take the chicken filets and make a chicken parmesan. I used this “hack” for a quick meal after a long day while I was still working full-time. Then COVID hit and I noticed Chick-fil-A started to advertise they were carrying the ingredients to make this meal at home to elevate dinner, and our moods too! I still make this meal on occasion and recently made it for my niece, @abrandt1026. I did tell her my secret and she amazed after I convinced her I was not pranking her. I say anything that makes tasty food, and good memories, is a winner!  Do you ever find a recipe that is so good, but may not be good for you? I love making chile crisp fettucine alfredo with spinach that Big Guy found @nytcooking because it is delicious and extremely easy to make as a quick meal.
You begin with four tablespoons of butter and one to two tablespoons of chile crisp depending on your heat tolerance. Once you melt the butter and stir in the chile crisp, you add heavy cream and let it simmer while your noodles are cooking in a separate pot. At the end, you add spinach, parmesan cheese and your cooked noodles to your simmering sauce. Stir and serve. I like the basic sauce and have made variations on the recipe based on what I had on hand such as red peppers or asparagus. I led with a subtle hint that the recipe may not be good for you. Obviously, it is heavy on dairy products which may not fit into everyone’s diet. My other observation, and experience, is you need to be careful working with chile crisp. This recipe tempers the heat while you are eating it, but the chile crisp continues to “warm” your stomach and could create intolerance issues for sensitive tummies. |
AuthorJust a super cool old couple who love to cook and eat and drink in their Carondelet Kitchen in South Saint Louis, Missouri! Archives
October 2024
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