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Thursday, June 19, 2014

Regional Food Rocks



 One of the nice things about traveling cross-country is that I get to try a lot of regional foods and I have a feeling that I have not even scratched the surface yet!

From the Deep South, we get such offerings as Boiled Peanuts and Conch Chowder, from the Far West, we get Shave Ice & Date Shakes, from the Great Lakes region, Deep Fried Cheese Curds and Kringle and from the Mid-Atlantic States, the obvious (if you know me) Cheesesteaks, Scrapple and Soft Shell Crabs.

The Midwest has its Cincinnati Chili and Gooey Butter Cake, from New England we get Lobster Rolls and Boston Cream Pie, from the Pacific Northwest, you can find Smelt and Northwest Apple Candy.

From the Southeast? You should know of Shrimp & Grits and Coca-Cola Cake. If you have been in the Southwest, how about Green Chili Cheeseburgers and Pork Adobo Tacos? From the Bayou? How many varieties of Gumbo and Jambalaya have you had?

And this is just a few. Every area of the country has developed it’s own cuisine and recipes, some of which you can find in other regions, some you cannot. Some have tried to duplicate them, but most of the time, it just ain’t the same!

So, what are your favorite regional recipes? Give away time!! Email us your favorite regional recipe and we will give away a “WaWa’ gift box, (How’s that for regional?) complete with a 50th Anniversary WaWa T-Shirt and Buttons!
Want to check out more regional recipes? Our ‘Website of the Week is from Whatscookingamerica.net and and can give you many regional recipes to play with!  (http://whatscookingamerica.net/AmericanRegionalFoods/RegionalAmericanIndex.htm

Our 'Recipe of The Week' is from that same site, Hot Brown Sandwiches, from Kentucky!


Hot Brown Sandwich
(from Whatscookingamerica.net)

Yields: 4 servings



Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1/2 cup freshly-grated
Parmesan Cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano)
1 egg, room temperature and beaten
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup prepared whipped cream
8 slices toasted white bread, crust trimmed off
1 pound cooked turkey breast, thinly sliced
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping
1 (2-ounce) jar
diced pimientos, drained
8 bacon slices, fried crisp


Preparation:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Gradually add flour, stirring constantly, until smooth and free from lumps. Gradually stir in milk until sauce comes to a gentle boil, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted and well blended.
In a small bowl, beat egg. Gradually add 1 cup of hot sauce, 1/3 cup at a time, to the egg, stirring constantly. Gradually add egg mixture to remaining sauce, stirring constantly until well blended; add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in whipped cream.
For each Hot Brown sandwich, place two slices of toasted bread on a metal (or flameproof) dish. Cover the toast with a liberal amount of turkey. Pour a generous amount of sauce over the turkey. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Place entire dish under a broiler, approximately 4 to 5 minutes or until the sauce is speckled brown and bubbly. Remove from broiler, sprinkle with diced pimientos, cross two pieces of bacon over the top, and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings of two open-faced sandwiches each.
 


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Friday, June 6, 2014

Burgers, Burgers and more Burgers!




I have written on more than one occasion about my thinking that Taco’s, in all their variations, just may be the perfect food, but one must also consider burgers in that sense!

Think about it, what cannot you do with burgers? Ground Beef, Chicken, Sausage, Vegetarian, Fish (yes, I admit that can be a stretch, but you can make some really tasty crab cakes, serve them on a brioche bun with some tasty slaws), lunch, dinner and even breakfast (Breakfast sausage burger with a fried egg on a muffin.. another stretch, but you get my point!)

Grilled, fried, baked, plain, stuffed, any kind of cheese you desire, toppings galore, the burger to this day remains one of our iconic foods!

Me, I like to take some ground angus and ground bacon, mix them with some spices and yes, some hot sauce, grill them off and top it with some grilled onions, some smoked gouda and some toasted buns. (Yeah, I am already thinking of lunch now!)

So whatever your pallet inclinations, let your mind wander and go out and play with some proteins and get your burger on!
Need some inspiration? Our ‘Website of the Week is from Foodandwine.com and and can give you many ideas to play with!  (http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/10-favorite-burger-recipes)

Our 'Recipe of The Week' is from that same site, Bacon Burgers on Brioche Buns!! Ummm… Bacon!


Bacon Burgers on Brioche Buns
(from foodandwine.com)
The burger at Tyler Florence's Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco is called Le Grand with good reason: It's a custom blend of ground prime rib, brisket, skirt steak and tenderloin, topped with Nueske's bacon and Cowgirl Creamery's triple-cream Mt. Tam cheese. The recipe is also delicious with a mix of chuck and sirloin.
  1. 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
  2. 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
  3. 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  4. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  5. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  6. 8 slices of thick-cut bacon (12 ounces)
  7. 3 pounds mixed ground chuck and ground sirloin
  8. 12 ounces brie, sliced
  9. 8 brioche burger buns, split
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the onions with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and roast until softened, about 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the lemon juice. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  3. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels and break each strip in half.
  4. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Form the ground meat into eight patties. Season generously with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Grill over moderately high heat until well-browned on the bottom, 5 minutes. Flip the burgers, mound the brie on top and grill for 4 minutes longer, until the cheese is slightly melted and the burgers are medium-rare.
  5. Spread the lemon mayonnaise on the cut sides of the buns; set the burgers on the bottoms and top with the bacon and onions. Close the burgers and serve right away.



You can know also follow us on Pinterest; Decadence Gourmet Cheesecakes and Decadence Cheesecakes Cooking Thoughts... Check them out and let me know what you think!

You can now also follow the adventures of Decadence on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Decadence-Gourmet-Cheesecakes/171538834903 ,on Twitter (www.twitter.com/decadenceGJ) and on Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/circ2000/decadence-cheesecakes-cooking-thoughts/).