The Simple Life with Asparagus Recipes Friday, Jun 14 2013

Spring Vegetables?

I came up to Massachusetts for the summer a little over 2 weeks ago. It’s a big shift changing houses and merging lives. I’ve gone from busy, bustling Intown ATL to a village founded in 1670 without a stop sign on Main Street, much less a traffic light. It’s a lot to manage, but you know what? It’s been absolutely wonderful.

Last weekend we were able to work in the garden. One of the many aspects that New England is different from the South is the climate. Oddly enough, the one piece of life that seems to move slower up North in summer is the weather. (It was 92° yesterday in Atlanta and yesterday I wore sweatpants and a fleece “hoodie” in Massachusetts!)

In addition to fending off slightly derisive remarks about my thin blood from Yankee family and friends, this also makes for big changes in the garden. The weather makes it all topsy-turvy to someone who has only ever gardened in the subtropical Deep South. For example, there may be peaches in Georgia, but in Massachusetts we’ve yet to trim the garlic scapes, our tomatoes are just beginning to flower, and I’m still thinning carrots. Lastly, what we would consider a spring crop in the South like strawberries or asparagus is a summer crop up North.

The Pioneer Valley is famous for asparagus. My grandmother, Meme, liked what she called “Asparagus Salad” but there wasn’t anything to preparing it other than opening the familiar shiny silver can. And, even though I know the flavor of canned asparagus cannot compare to freshly cooked asparagus, I truly relish that taste memory.

Confession: I actually like canned asparagus.
Bigger confession: I never really liked fresh asparagus.

Well, I always thought it was just okay. I can’t think of any vegetable that I aggressively dislike. I’ve always considered asparagus to be an overrated, snobby vegetable that is most often served with dishes such bland beef tenderloin or over-cooked salmon at catered events or so-called “fancy” restaurants. Asparagus has always been ubiquitous and seemingly season-less. Then, on top of that, I found myself in several life situations where I began to associate fresh asparagus with a couple of certain people and it put a bad taste in my mouth. It’s amazing and powerful how food can evoke such strong, visceral feelings, both intensely positive as well as negative.

Well, I’ve now fallen in love with it.

Of course, asparagus has a real season. Perspective makes all the difference in the world. We’ve been eating it every last meal – breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I stop at a little farm stand off the main road on the way home from my daily visit to town. The farmer has a small shaded table at the end of the driveway. There’s an old yellow lab with a grey muzzle that sits under a tree nearby. He’s sat there for so many years he’s worn the grass away and he rests on a dark, uneven circle of dirt. He gives me a “woof” and thumps his tail a few times. I smile at him and tell him he’s a good boy. There’s an unattended cash box with a handwritten sign that reads $4 and a collection of plastic bags from various grocery stores there for the taking, if you need one. The whole experience speaks of more simple times and makes me smile from the inside out. Now, one of the things I disliked the most brings me pure joy.

I hope you enjoy these simple recipes as much as we do.

Bon Appétit Y’all!
VA

Simple Asparagus
Serves 4 to 6

Asparagus is a member of the Lily family and the spears grow from a crown that is planted about a foot deep in sandy soil. It’s harvested in the spring and it’s amazing to see – the spears literally grow straight out of the earth. The first time I saw this was at the beautiful kitchen gardens at Jefferson’s Monticello. When shopping for asparagus look for firm, fresh, spears with closed, compact tips and uniform diameter, so that all spears will cook in the same amount of time.

1 pound  asparagus, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon  olive oil
½ teaspoon Piment d’Espelette
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the broiler. Spread out the asparagus spears in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a nonstick silicone baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and shake the pan to evenly coat the spears. Season with Piment d’Espelette, salt, and pepper. Broil until the spears are just tender, 4 minutes for thin and up to 10 minutes for thick asparagus. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot, warm, or cold.

Asparagus with Fresh Mozzarella
Serves 4

The ends of fresh asparagus can be tough and woody. I prefer to slice off the last inch or so of the stem instead of snapping it off where the spear breaks naturally. Not only is it more visually appealing when all the spears are exactly the same size, but they will also cook at the same rate of speed. You can also trim the end then shave the tough bottom skin off with a vegetable peeler.

1 pound  asparagus, ends trimmed
2 tablespoons  garlic oil (I’m in LOVE with Boyajian garlic oil) or olive oil
1 slice country bread, torn into bits
1-2 balls fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the broiler. Spread out the asparagus spears in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a nonstick silicone baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of garlic oil and shake the pan to evenly coat the spears. Season with salt and pepper. Divide into 4 equal portions on the baking sheet. Set aside.

Heat the 1 tablespoon of remaining garlic oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium high heat. Add the bread bits and season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

Broil until the spears are just tender, 4 minutes for thin and up to 10 minutes for thick asparagus. In the last few minutes of cooking, top each individual bundle with a slice of mozzarella. Return to the broiler and cook until melted and bubbly, about 2 minutes, depending on the strength of your broiler. Transfer the bundles to warm plates. Sprinkle over toasted bread and red pepper flakes. Serve immediately.

Please be nice. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission is prohibited. Feel free to excerpt and link, just give credit where credit is due and send folks to my website, virginiawillis.com. Thanks so much.

Copyright © 2013 Virginia Willis Culinary Enterprises, Inc.

Photo credits – Virginia Willis

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Busch Gardens F&W Festival: Grilled Lemonade Chicken & Summer Succotash Thursday, Jun 6 2013

Busch Gardens Williamsburg, VA

This month I am the headline chef at the Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival. I was there last weekend and I’ll be back June 15-16. If you are in the area or have friends in the region, please tell them to come check it out! I have 30-minute demonstrations throughout the afternoon in an amphitheater that are open to all park guests and one special dinner show called the Chef’s Guest in the evening. The entertainment team producing the shows are top notch! Everything runs like clockwork and everyone is kind, professional, and hospitable.

The Chef’s Guests demonstration includes wine, dinner, and is much more intimate. Here’s a quick snap of what’s for dinner with the Chef’s Guests – Sweet Tea Brined Pork Chop atop a bed of Parmigiano Reggiano Grits and a Tangle of Garlicky Collard Greens. I have become a Grits and Greens missionary, converting the unknowing to the joys and pleasures of both Southern staples. If I heard once last weekend, “I usually don’t like grits, but I love these” — I heard it a dozen times. I saw one lady sneak back for 3rds and 4ths on the grits!

Food and Wine Around the World

I didn’t do it all by myself. Executive Chef Justin Watson is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute and has a long history working for resorts including Woodstock Inn and Resort and Kingsmill Resort & Spa. His culinary team did an absolutely superb job with my recipes setting up the mise en place for the demonstrations as well as catering the Chef’s Guest Food and Wine Dinner Demonstrations.

For the Food and Wine Festival Chef Watson has created a collection of food and beverage selections representative of each European country at the park – England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Germany and France – as well as countries such as Spain, Canada and Greece that are not currently in the park. Each country has a kiosk and for a small fee, guests can sample dishes from that country. This is not turkey legs and funnel cakes, my friends. It’s really tasty. The scallop wrapped in Serrano ham from Spain was one of my favorites and I can guarantee I’ll be tweaking that recipe soon for my blog! The chef’s expertise and dedication to further improve the quality of the food in the park was evident. Everything I sampled was very nicely done.

The festival also features culinary experts throughout the park, including sugar and chocolate work as well as incredible fruit and vegetable carving. Check out the watermelon carved by Chef James Parker of Veggy Art. You would not believe what this talented man can do! I was in awe of his knife work.

I had lots of requests for my demo recipes so I promised I would post them on my blog. I think they are superb for summer. The Lemonade Chicken is as easy as 1,2,3 and the Summer Succotash can be served hot, warm, room temperature – or even made ahead and served cold. Hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I do!

Lastly, I have fun posting pictures while I am out-and-about so click on each if you want to keep up with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Bon Appétit Y’all!

VA

Grilled Lemonade Chicken
Serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups lemonade
¼ cup freshly chopped mixed herbs such as basil, mint, and parsley
2 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Add lemonade, herbs, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate to marinate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a charcoal fire using about 6 pounds of charcoal and burn until the coals are completely covered with a thin coating of light gray ash, 20 to 30 minutes. Spread the coals evenly over the grill bottom, position the grill rack above the coals, and heat until medium hot (when you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill surface for no longer than 3 or 4 seconds). Or, for a gas grill, turn all burners to high, close the lid, and heat until very hot, 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove chicken from marinade; place on grill. Discard marinade. Cook, turning once or twice, until the meat is firm to the touch and the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with the tip of a knife, about 10 minutes.

Summer Succotash
Serves 4 to 6

Succotash has many versions, but all contain corn and beans. If butterbeans are not available, I often substitute shelled edamame or black-eyed peas. Small farm stands, local and state farmer’s markets, and even the Whole Foods in my area usually carry shelled peas and butterbeans in the summer. They are both doubly precious—extremely delicious and fairly expensive, the result of the luxury of not having to shell your own.

1 1/2 cups shelled fresh butterbeans (about 1 1/2 pounds unshelled) or frozen butter beans
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, diced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
Scraped kernels from 4 ears fresh sweet corn (about 2 cups)
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 cup grape, cherry, or teardrop tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup freshly chopped mixed herbs such as basil, oregano, and parsley
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

To cook the beans, place them in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and season the water with salt and pepper; decrease the heat to low. Simmer until tender, about 30 minutes for fresh beans, less for frozen. Drain well and set aside.

To cook the potatoes, place them in a second saucepan and cover by 1 inch with cold water; season with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside. (You can also microwave the potatoes whole, then dice them. They simply need to be parcooked before being added to the succotash.)

In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the oil and the butter over high heat until the foam subsides. Add the drained potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook the potatoes, stirring infrequently, until nicely crusted, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the onion, corn, squash, and zucchini and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved butter beans and cook, stirring, until heated through. Add the tomatoes and fresh basil, stirring to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot, warm, or cold.

Please be nice. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission is prohibited. Feel free to excerpt and link, just give credit where credit is due and send folks to my website, virginiawillis.com. Thanks so much.

Copyright © 2013 Virginia Willis Culinary Enterprises, Inc.

Photo credits – Lisa Ekus & Virginia Willis

Disclosure: My appearances at the Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival are sponsored by the Coca-Cola Company. This post is not a requirement of our agreement and I am not additionally compensated for this post or any social media efforts publicizing this post.

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Where to Eat in Paris Wednesday, May 29 2013

Where to Eat in Paris

This time of year I am often asked where to eat in Paris, France. Folks are going on vacation and are curious for my suggestions on where to eat and what to do.

This is by no means a definitive list, but a list of places we have really enjoyed the past few years.

I try to search out restaurants off the beaten path and I love trying cuisine other than French. Crazy, I know. Paris is a major metropolitan city with a population representative of that, and also has well-established enclaves made of citizens of former French colonies. Give some of those foods a try. And, the neat part about eating “foreign” food in Paris is that it’s cheap — which allows for balancing things out with extravagant, expensive splurges at Michelin-starred restaurants such as L’Arpege, Le Meurice, Benoit, or Pre Catalan.

Paris Cookware Shop

You can’t eat there, but let’s start with shopping for cookware. Dehillerin will be crazy crowded, the purchasing system is strange, and the salesmen are typically gruffly French, but it’s been open since 1820 and the best cookware store in Paris. It’s located in the area of Les Halles that used to be where the main food markets were from 1183 until the market center was demolished in the early 70s. (It only makes sense that there are cookware specialty stores near the markets. Chefs would go into town and buy both food and equipment.) When I was an apprentice working in Paris I would save my money for weeks and weeks to afford one copper pot. Now, life has changed a bit, and I can afford to buy more than one pot — but I’ve maintained my tradition — and restraint!

Dehillerin
18 et 20, rue Coquillière
75001 Paris

In regards to food shopping, there are more places than you can possibly imagine. However, make sure you also pop into Maille, Hediard, and Fauchon for goodies to bring home — as well as your provisions for your charming picnique at the Tuileries.

The seafood at L’Ecume St. Honore is beyond phenomenal. It’s an actual fish market and Parisians can buy seafood to take home and prepare, but they also have a few tables, as well. It’s kind of pricey, but well worth it. I have seen and tasted unusual seafood there that I’ve never seen before or since. The owner and workers are a friendly bunch. (You’d be friendly, too if you had a packed restaurant selling at those prices.) The food is fresh, fresh, fresh and just amazing. The first time I was there, I saw super chef Alain Ducasse standing in line like a mere mortal! Then, and I am not making this up, the next year I saw him there again! Maybe he thinks I am stalking him.

L’Ecume Saint Honore
6 Rue du Marché Saint-Honoré
75001 Paris, France

Le Cuisine Traditionelle

We enjoyed a fantastic dinner at Bistro Paul Bert with Anne Willan — at Dorie Greenspan’s suggestion. Major double whammy with the French cuisine experts.

Bistrot Paul Bert
18 rue Paul Bert
75011 Paris, France

More old-school French. It’s not quite as fabulous as it was, but Ma Bourgogne is still really good. They waiters can be a seriously grumpy, but the Frisee au Lardons is pretty much worth it. It’s at the Place des Vosges, with lovely shops and galleries. Make sure to check out the Dammann Freres Tea Shop just up the block – tea merchants since 1692. It’s exquisite.

Ma Bourgogne
19, place des Vosges
75004 Paris, France

Willi’s Wine Bar has been around a long while. The food is solid and the best thing is that the whole experience is easy. Even though most Parisians speak English, sometimes it can just be tiring trying to navigate a menu and a dining experience in rusty French. Willi’s solves all that for you.

Willi’s Wine Bar
13 rue des Petits-Champs
75001 Paris, France

We adore this old-school restaurant that features rustic food from the Auvergne. The aligote potatoes are absolutely out-of-this-world. The Chocolat Mousse needs its own fan club. Great service and seriously awesome food.

L’Ambassade d’Auvergne
22 Rue du Grenier Saint-Lazare
75003 Paris, France

Les Exotiques….

Morocco is a former French colony and there are some amazing Moroccan restaurants and cafes throughout Paris. Zerda not the easiest place to find, but well worth the search. The photo above doesn’t do it justice, as the hand-rolled couscous was light as air and positively microscopic. Paired with tender, rich, and delicious lamb, it was a feast of flavor. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. Go.

Café Zerda
15 rue René Boulanger
75010 Paris, France

The Vietnamese food in Paris is beyond stellar. At Le Bambou you will be jam-packed at a table with strangers. The restaurant is very loud and French spoken with a Vietnamese accent is nearly impossible to understand. Lastly, it’s a trek to this part of town, but it’s all well worth that first satisfying bite. Give it a try.

Le Bambou
70, rue Baudricourt
75013 Paris, France

Sapporo ramen house was our very 1st stop when we last arrived in Paris! It was cold and snowing and the warm, comforting ramen absolutely hit the spot after our overnight flight.

Sapporo
276 Rue Saint-Honore
75001 Paris, France

Supposedly there are over 40K restaurants in Paris so I could go on and on, but I think this will give you a taste of some fun places to try. I love doing the research and seeing what other chefs and food writers have to say!

Other folks to check out for suggestions include Betty Rosbottom, David Lebovitz, Cowgirl Chef (no, that’s not a typo), Dorie Greenspan, and Patricia Wells (she has a Food Lover’s Guide to Paris Food App). You can also take a peek at Bon App’s list, the NY Times, or LeFooding.com for more advice.

I hope if you travel to Paris this summer, you will enjoy my suggestions. Let me know what you discover and I’ll add it to my list!

Bon Appétit Y’all!
VA

Please be nice. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission is prohibited. Feel free to excerpt and link, just give credit where credit is due and send folks to my website, virginiawillis.com. Thanks so much.

Copyright © 2013 Virginia Willis Culinary Enterprises, Inc.

Photo credits – Virginia Willis

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Little Jars, Big Flavors on National TV! Wednesday, Apr 24 2013

Putting Up

I’m excited about my new collaboration with Southern Living out this spring called Little Jars, Big Flavors. It’s Southern Living’s FIRST book about preserving and canning. It’s packed with 110 recipes and beautiful photos for small-batch jams, jellies, pickles and preserves from the Southern Living test kitchen. This handy new cookbook shows traditional canning basics, as well as how to make quick freezer jams and pickles, even ones that can be made in the microwave! I’ve written the introduction as well as a chapter on a “putting up party” — how to have a get-together with your friends and family and everyone goes home with a couple of jars of jam, jelly, or pickles. I’m thrilled to be part of it!

Watch for me nationally on Fox and Friends Weekend this Saturday morning April 27! 

Here’s a recipe for Quick Confetti Pickles. I hope you enjoy this recipe and can’t wait to hear what you think about Little Jars!

Bon Appétit Y’all!
VA

Quick Confetti Pickles

makes: 2 (1-pt.) jars for the fridge
hands-on time: 30 min.
total time: 1 hour, plus 1 day standing time

No time to can? No problem. These refrigerator pickles are easy—and so colorful that you’ll want to shingle them on buttered brown bread or put them in a glass bowl just to show them off. Standard radishes will do, but slender, carrotlike icicle radishes from the farmers’ market are easier to slice.

1 English cucumber
1 medium-size yellow squash
4 Tbsp. canning-and-pickling salt, divided
1 long, slender medium carrot
2 pink, purple, or red icicle radishes or 10 standard-size radishes
4 dill sprigs
1 cup cider vinegar (5% acidity)
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. dill seeds

1. Wash vegetables. Score cucumber and squash lengthwise with a fork, leaving furrows in the peel on all sides. (This makes scalloped edges when vegetables are sliced.) Trim stem and blossom ends of cucumber and squash; cut into 1⁄8-inch slices. Place in a colander in sink; sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. salt, and toss gently. Let drain 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, peel carrot, and cut carrot and radishes into 1⁄8-inch-thick slices. Toss together with drained cucumber and squash.

3. Place 2 dill sprigs in each of 2 clean (1-pt.) jars or nonreactive containers with lids. Pack vegetables in jars, leaving ½-inch headspace.

4. Bring vinegar, next 3 ingredients, remaining 2 Tbsp. salt, and 2 cups water to a boil in a 1½-qt. stainless steel saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve. Pour hot vinegar mixture over vegetables to cover. Apply lids. Chill 24 hours before serving. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

Please be nice. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission is prohibited. Feel free to excerpt and link, just give credit where credit is due and send folks to my website, virginiawillis.com. Thanks so much.

Copyright © 2013 Virginia Willis Culinary Enterprises, Inc.

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North and South: Massachusetts Maple Syrup and Georgia Cornmeal Pancakes Saturday, Mar 30 2013

Take a look at that glorious view up in the hilltowns of Western Massachusetts. Spring seems nearly finished in Atlanta, but it’s still winter in much of the country. New England has had a long, powerful winter. This past week I paid a quick visit up North and was able to experience something I’ve wanted to do my entire food-obsessed life: visit a maple syrup “sugar shack” during production.

Through the snowy woods we drove up a winding, muddy road to the Davenport Maple Farm and Restaurant. As we made our way up the incline I felt excited like a kid when I saw the tin buckets hanging on the shaggy silver bark of the towering maple trees. Lisa chuckled and smiled at me when I exclaimed, “Look at the buckets! Look at the buckets!” Well, it’s been a desire for along while and, if you think about it, I am more used to cane syrup and gnats in South Georgia. Massachusetts maple trees and March snow are pretty foreign to my world.

We arrived at Davenport’s to see billowing clouds of white steam blowing against the bright blue sky. I opened the car door and a sweet, positively indescribable mouth-watering aroma permeated the cold, wet air. On the weekends during the season the Davenports serve breakfast. Sadly, our visit was during the week and there were no pancakes, but I was able to taste freshly made maple syrup right out of the cooker. I smiled ear to ear as I sipped the hot syrup out of the warm cup and gazed around the room.

Between taking delicious sips of the amber, piping hot syrup I listened as Mrs. Davenport kindly explained the process of making syrup. The Davenports have been making syrup on their farm for 100 years. The processing room was filled with accoutrements from the past, taps, sugar molds for making candy, and buckets of various ages and description.

Maple Syrup begins as sap in a maple tree. The sap is harvested in the spring when temperatures rise into the 40s during the day and cool off into the 20s at night. Trees are tapped using a drill to make a small hole. If conditions are right, the sap drips out into a bucket and is hand-collected. More modern methods involve a series of tubes that moves the sap from multiple trees to a holding tank. The sap is pumped into an evaporator that cooks off the water, leaving just the natural sugar. Astonishingly, it takes 40 quarts of sap to produce 1 quart of maple syrup.

Maple syrup is graded by color and flavor. Light Amber or Fancy Grade has a milder maple taste and is made early in the season when the weather is cold and brisk. This syrup is considered best for maple candy. Grade A or Medium Amber is also a fine table syrup and is the most popular for eating. This syrup is made after the weather begins to warm, about mid-season. Grade B is for cooking and is made late in the season. It’s darker and stronger in flavor because the sap has changed. The Davenport’s bottle a sampling from each time they boil sap to make syrup. The stunning array of amber and gold in the photograph below reflects their syrup through the years.

I left with a jugs and jugs of syrup, maple cream, and boxes of maple candy. Poor Mrs. Davenport probably thought I was crazy because I couldn’t help but give her a big hug when I left. I was so happy; I just couldn’t contain myself!

The whole experience was magical. I think that’s the part I love the most about food and cooking – the exploration. Seeing where food comes from and meeting the wonderful people who create, grow, and craft our food gives me such immense pleasure. I feel so fortunate to have these opportunities. Many, many thanks to the Davenport family for the tour and to Jaimee Constantine for sharing this special place with me. Until I am able to get up that way during sugar season for their New England pancakes, I am sharing a Southern-style pancake recipe made with cornmeal.

Lastly, thanks to Lisa for helping this happen, sharing her world, and making my life a little sweeter all around.

Bon Appétit Y’all!
VA

Georgia Cornmeal Buttermilk Pancakes
Makes 10

¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ cup fine yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1¼ cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more if needed
Maple syrup, for accompaniment

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter in a bowl or liquid measuring cup. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined.

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with canola oil. Ladle ¼ cup batter into the pan for each pancake, cooking only a few at a time. Cook until the bubbles on the top burst and the bottoms are golden brown, about 1½ minutes.

Flip the pancakes and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Transfer to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan as necessary. Transfer to warmed serving plates. Serve hot or warm with maple syrup.

Photo credit – Virginia Willis

Please be nice. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission is prohibited. Feel free to excerpt and link, just give credit where credit is due and send folks to my website, virginiawillis.com. Thanks so much.

Copyright © 2013 Virginia Willis Culinary Enterprises, Inc.

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Paris Cookbook Fair: Pulled Pork with BBQ Sauce Saturday, Feb 23 2013

Paris Cookbook Fair 2013

Bonjour! Sending out a quick post from the Paris Cookbook Fair, Festival du Livre Culinaire from Le Carosel du Louvre. There are so many amazing, beautiful books from all over the world – France, the UK, South America, Israel, New Zealand — all over! I was thrilled to be asked to do a cooking demonstration. Of course, I knew I wanted to share my style of cooking, a blend of French and Southern — but with an extra special nod towards my Southern roots. So, I put it out on Twitter to ask folks what I should make…..

Fried Chicken at the Louvre?

You will laugh at the reply from the Twitterverse!

So, I didn’t. The last thing I want is an international incident over Fried Chicken. Although I am convinced that if the Mona Lisa could taste my fried chicken she’d have a full blown grin instead of her quirky little smile.

Southern Living saw the conversation and decided they had to write about it on their Daily South blog — “No, Virginia, You Can’t Fry in the Louvre.” Funny, right!?

Instead, I chose to make Pulled Pork Tenderloin with Georgia BBQ Sauce paired with Heirloom Stoneground Grits and Greens topped with Cole Slaw in a Mustard Vinaigrette. I actually brought My Southern Pantry® grits from home. I’m delighted to say that everyone loved it. It was a real blast.

I’m off to go see some beautiful food photography from the award-winning, international photographer Nancy Bundt. She’s absolutely phenomenal. I love her work. Later tonight, two people very important to me, Lisa Ekus and Anne Willan are receiving Gourmand Awards. More soon!

Bon Appétit Y’all!

VA

 

Pulled Pork Tenderloin with Georgia Barbecue Sauce
Serves 4 to 6

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 small very finely chopped onion
2 1/2 cups ketchup
2 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cupDijon mustard
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and simmer until soft and melted, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, lemon juice, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook until flavors have smoothed and mellowed, about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Meanwhile, to prepare the pork, trim off the fat and silver skin: insert the tip of a sharp boning knife just under the silver skin about 1/2 inch from the edge of the meat where the silver skin begins. Keep the knife closer to the membrane than the meat, and pulling up slightly with the knife, slide the knife along the length of the meat to remove a strip of the membrane. Repeat until no silver skin remains. Season the pork with salt and pepper.

To sear the pork, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the tenderloin until well browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove from the heat and place lengthwise on the prepared baking sheet. Top with about 1 cup of the barbecue sauce and roll to fully coat. Fold the foil over the top of the meat and pinch the ends of the foil to seal well. Bake until very tender, 30 to 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer the pork to a large bowl. Discard the cooking juices remaining in the foil. Using 2 forks, shred the pork tenderloin into strips. Add barbecue sauce to taste, about 1 cup. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve on the split buns with the remaining 1/4 cup of sauce on the side.

Please be nice. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission is prohibited. Feel free to excerpt and link, just give credit where credit is due and send folks to my website, virginiawillis.com. Thanks so much.

Copyright © 2013 Virginia Willis Culinary Enterprises, Inc.

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Winter Blues? Snap out of It! Friday, Feb 15 2013

New England was hammered with snow last weekend, but this week in Atlanta the daffodils are already blooming! Oh, don’t be jealous, we’ll get another cold spell. It’s just a tease of spring. It’s still root vegetable and winter greens season for a few more weeks.

Eating seasonally and locally can be somewhat challenging this time of year. Salads are especially troublesome. I find that to snap out of the winter blues it’s important to think outside the box. One of my favorite winter salads is a celery salad. Poor celery is often relegated to the stock pot and is seldom featured in the kitchen. Occasionally children are served a “celery log” with peanut butter and dotted with raisin ants. (Well, if that’s the introduction to celery, then no wonder folks don’t like it!)  It’s an obligatory accompaniment to hot wings, and sometimes it’s the vehicle for pimento cheese, but face it, most folks would just assume use a spoon.

In my salad, I shave the stalks into ribbons and dress them in a light lemon vinaigrette. The flavor of celery  is assertively herbaceous and can be overpowering, but in my celery salad recipe, I celebrate celery. It’s fresh and unexpected. I served it recently at a dinner party and everyone was so surprised it was “just” celery.

If you have the winter vegetable blues, I’ve got just the book for you. My friend and colleague Diane Morgan has a brilliant new book out called Roots. It is stunningly beautiful and chock-full-of recipes for you to think outside the box about root vegetables.

Check out the buzz:

“Diane Morgan has written a masterful book about root vegetables.”– Deborah Madison, author of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

“Diane Morgan has done the impossible. She has transformed the subject of root vegetables into an extraordinary reference book and brought them deliciously to life with irresistible recipes. This is a must for any cook who wants to expand their culinary horizons and navigate the fascinating world of root vegetables with confidence.” — Grace Young, author of Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge

“Diane Morgan demonstrates that looks aren’t everything, especially when it comes to root vegetables. From burdock and crosne to salsify and yuca, Morgan’s recipes curry favor with taste buds that are open to culinary adventures. Her dedication frees the way for a deeper appreciation of some of the most underappreciated ingredients we know. Thankfully, many of the starring vegetables can be found at the farmers’ market, local grocery store, or ethnic markets.” – Epicurious, The Best Cookbooks of 2012

I am thrilled for Diane. She was in the running in Piglet, Food52′s cookbook cooking competition. Sadly, she didn’t advance, but I truly believe that Roots is going to win in the long run. It’s truly the definitive book on root vegetables with 225 recipes. She shares information about familiar vegetables like beets, turnips, and carrots — as well as recipes, tips, and techniques for strange roots like lotus, cassava, and crosnes. I know it’s now my go-to guide for research, reference, and recipe writing without a doubt. If you are serious in the kitchen and really like to cook, I am certain you are going to love this book.

Here are few recipes with crisp, delicious celery to help you snap out of your winter blues.

Bon Appétit Y’all!
VA

Virginia’s Celery Ribbons with Tarragon Vinaigrette
Serves 4 to 6

If you really want to make this salad special, top with jumbo lump crab or steamed shrimp. You can also substitute chives in place of the tarragon for equally delicious results.

1 bunch celery
1 English cucumber
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 sprigs tarragon

Remove all the leaves from the celery; set aside for the garnish. Remove the outer stalks of the celery to use in the salad, reserving the heart for another use. Trim the tough white root ends from the stalks. Using a paring knife, pull and remove the tough strings. Hold the celery stalk flat against a clean work surface and use a vegetable peeler to make long ribbons from top to bottom. (Toward the end of peeling the stalks, it can become a bit more difficult to use the flimsy pieces; discard or save for another use, such as stock.)

Place the ribbons in a bowl. Peel the cucumber and discard the outer peel. Then, keep peeling ribbons from the outer fleshy part of the cucumber, turning as you go, stopping at and discarding the remaining seedy core. Add the cucumber ribbons to the bowl with the celery. Add the lemon juice. Toss to coat and set aside.

To make the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste in a large salad bowl. Add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly, until creamy and emulsified. Strip the leaves from 2 of the tarragon sprigs and chop to make about 1 tablespoon. Add the tarragon to the salad and season with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the ribbons and toss to coat. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.

Strip the leaves from the remaining sprig of tarragon. Serve the salad on chilled plates, garnished with the reserved celery leaves and whole tarragon leaves.

DIANE’S CELERY ROOT, CELERY HEART, AND CELERY LEAF SALAD
Serves 4

This salad is for the celery lover, as it uses the root, heart, and leaves. It’s a study in contrasts and colors, with textural crunch from the sliced celery heart and matchstick-cut root playing against the delicate tender leaves. The soft green of celery is layered with the darker tones of plucked whole parsley leaves. Look in a specialty food store or gourmet grocer for Moscatel vinegar, which has a delicate, mildly acidic flavor that complements celery root. Sherry vinegar or white balsamic vinegar is an acceptable substitute.

DRESSING

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tbsp Moscatel vinegar
½ tsp kosher or fine sea salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
⅓ cup/50 g golden raisins
1 medium celery root, about 12 oz/340 g, trimmed, peeled, and cut into matchsticks
¾ cup/105 g thinly sliced celery heart
½ cup/25 g lightly packed celery leaves (See Cook’s Note)
¼ cup/15 g lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the raisins and set aside for at least 15 minutes to allow the raisins to plump.

In a large bowl, combine the celery root, celery heart, celery leaves, and parsley and toss to mix. Whisk together the dressing briefly, then pour just enough over the salad to coat the ingredients lightly and toss well. You may not need all of the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set the salad aside at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld before serving.

COOK’S NOTE: Use only the lightest green, innermost ribs—the heart—of the celery.

My salad – photo credit Helene Dujardin
Diane’s salad – photo credit Antonis Achilleos

Please be nice. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission is prohibited. Feel free to excerpt and link, just give credit where credit is due and send folks to my website, virginiawillis.com. Thanks so much.

Copyright © 2013 Virginia Willis Culinary Enterprises, Inc.

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Clean Eating: Turkey Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes!? Wednesday, Jan 16 2013

Plan for Success

We all know how the holidays can be nearly impossible to eat light and healthy. Seriously, it’s so difficult when faced with tins upon tins of cookies, a profusion of rich, roast meats, and cheese-laden party buffets. It’s hard. I’ve wavered a bit with my points tracking and then I caught an awful cold and quit exercising. That my friends, spells disaster with a capital D.

To have even a remote chance of success, you have to set yourself up for it. If you create an environment that makes healthy eating and exercise too challenging, you are messing with flat-out failure. You need a plan. My friend and colleague Michelle Dudash has just published  Clean Eating for Busy Families: Get Meals on the Table in Minutes with Simple and Satisfying Whole-Foods Recipes You and Your Kids Will Love. Clean Eating for Busy Families takes the challenge out of putting delicious food on the table by providing you with a plan for success. Oh, how I love a plan!

It can be such a struggle get dinner on the table night after night. Parents want to prepare healthy and meals for their family, but busy schedules, tempting drive-throughs, and expensive ready-to-go foods get in the way. In Clean Eating for Busy Families, Michelle offers weekly grocery lists, awesome recipes, and practical tips for healthy eating. Most of the recipes can be prepared in 30 minutes or less and are created from healthy, whole foods. Kids or no kids, these recipes are good and good for you. I think you will love this book.

The praise has been stellar!

“This refreshing cookbook truly reflects our time by delivering what we all crave: decidedly delectable meals that boast fresh, natural ingredients, robust flavors, exciting textures, and vibrant colors.”
-Robin Miller, nutritionist and host of Food Network’s Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller

“Clean Eating for Busy Families is a valuable resource for busy parents who yearn to serve their families great tasting, nutritious meals in the time they have available.”
-Cheryl Forberg, R.D., James Beard award-winning chef and the original nutritionist for NBC’S The Biggest Loser

Thanks to Michelle’s generosity, I am giving away a copy of  her awesome book! It’s a random drawing for US only, please. 

1. To do so, please leave your email address in a comment at the bottom of this post.
2. For good contest karma, follow Michelle on Twitter
3. Love my giveaways? Please Like me on Facebook to keep up with upcoming giveaways! I’ve got some great cookbooks coming your way!

Team Hidi

I want to share something else on a more serious note. This post is about clean eating and being healthy. Yet, sadly, sometimes life doesn’t cooperate. My friend and colleague chef Ryan Hidinger was diagnosed with Stage IV gallbladder cancer that has spread to his liver and lungs. The Atlanta food community is joining together and trying to help Ryan with donations like “Round Up for Ryan”, where you can round up your check at participating Atlanta restaurants. There’s also an amazing fundraiser and live auction on January 27. There are events happening all over the country for this brave man. Please check it out TeamHidi.org to read more about Ryan’s courageous story and to see how you can help. Thank you for your consideration.

I hope you enjoy Michelle’s Turkey Meatloaf and my recipe for Lightened Up Mashed Potatoes. Add green beans or stir-fried greens for a well-rounded and most excellent meal. You’ll see that simple, minor adaptations can result in big changes. If so-called “Diet Food” is meatloaf and mashed potatoes, that’s plan for success!

Bon Appétit Y’all!
VA

Michelle’s Turkey, Vegetable & Oat Mini-Meatloaves with Marinara Sauce

I love that meatloaf can be mixed ahead of time and popped into the oven right before dinner, and making smaller loaves cuts cooking time by half. If you want to make the mixture ahead of time and refrigerate, just be sure to let it temper for 20 minutes on the counter before putting it in the oven to ensure more even cooking.

Expeller-pressed canola oil spray
1 (8-ounce, or 225 g) package crimini (baby bella) mushrooms (about2½ cups)
1 small yellow onion, cut into eighths (1 cup, or 160 g)
4 cloves garlic (or 2 teaspoons [6 g] minced)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup (80 g) dry rolled oats
2 large eggs
1 pound (455 g) lean ground turkey (or beef or bison)
1¾ cups (438 g) pasta sauce, divided
3 tablespoons (45 ml) red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon (6 g) Italian herb seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°˚C, or gas mark 5). Coat a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan or six mini loaf pans with spray. Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped and add them to a large bowl. Repeat with onion and garlic.

Place a large frying pan over medium heat and add oil. When oil is shimmering, add vegetables and sauté for 7 minutes or until water releases and evaporates completely, lowering the heat as necessary. Set aside.

Process the oats until they are of a fine consistency. Whisk the eggs in the bowl used for the vegetables. Add processed oats, turkey, ¾ cup (188 g) of pasta sauce, cooked vegetables, vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and stir together with a fork until blended.

Scoop the mixture into 6 mounds on the pan or into each mini-loaf pan, about ¾ cup (187 g) each. Shape each mound into a 4 x 2-inch (10 x 5 cm) loaf. Spread remaining 1 cup (250 g) of pasta sauce on top of the loaves, distributing evenly. Bake on middle rack for 25 minutes, turning pan midway through cooking, until loaves are firm or a thermometer inserted in the middle reads at least 165°F (74°C). Allow loaves to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Total Prep and Cook Time: 55 minutes • Yield: 6 servings, 1 loaf each. Per serving: 330 calories; 12 g total fat; 3 g saturated fat; 23 g protein; 32 g carbohydrate; 5 g dietary fiber; 115 mg cholesterol.

Virginia’s Lightened Up Yukon Gold Mash
Serves 4 to 6

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock or reduced fat low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, place the potatoes and cover with cold water. Season with salt, bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to low. Gently simmer until fork tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and return them to the saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until a floury film forms on the bottom of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Mash the potatoes in the saucepan until smooth with a ricer, food mill, or potato masher. Stir in the stock and sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

potato photo credit Claire Perez 

Please be nice. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission is prohibited. Feel free to excerpt and link, just give credit where credit is due and send folks to my website, virginiawillis.com. Thanks so much.

Copyright © 2013 Virginia Willis Culinary Enterprises, Inc.

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Mix it Up: Beef Brisket Tacos with Chipotle Dressing Wednesday, Jan 9 2013

Winter Wonderland

“Wait, where are you?”, the person on the other end of the line asks in complete disbelief.

Many conversations have gone along these lines this month. Yes, it may seem crazy to some, but I decided to come to New England for January. The winter wonderland is absolutely exquisite. Most snowbirds are heading to the sunny South and I decided to go North. What? Well, I have the flexibility and desire. And, of course, you know, sometimes you just have to mix it up.

I’m guilty of flying on auto-pilot in the kitchen sometimes. I don’t stretch with techniques or out of my normal palate of flavors. Sometimes, just like you, I just want to get dinner on the table. And, after a long day of exacting, precise recipe testing, the last thing I want to do is follow a ding-dang recipe. So, you know, sometimes you just have to mix it up.

I’ve had a stack of books to check out from Ten Speed Press, my publishing house.  I’m proud to be one of their authors. Robb Walsh is a fellow Ten Speed Press author and I am a sincere admirer of his work. Robb is an award winning author and journalist. He’s the real deal and his take on Texas is just the right thing to mix up your cold January.

Robb’s latest book is  Texas Eats: The New Lone Star Heritage Cookbook. He covers the classic Texas favorites like chicken-fried steak, cheese enchiladas, barbecued brisket, and King Ranch casserole.  He also delves into other Texan fusion cuisines, and there are more than a non-native might expect. There’s more to Texas than Tex-Mex, my friend. He shakes things up with Texas-versions of soul food, German-influenced recipes, and Vietnamese crossovers. With more than 200 recipes and captivating photography, Texas Eats brings Texas food and culinary history vibrantly to life.  It’s a beautiful, wonderful book.

Food Blog South

Education is a great way to shake things up.  Later this month I will be learning and sharing at Food Blog South in Birmingham. It’s a fantastic conference that has grown into a super event in just a few short years. On 25 January, the day before the conference actually starts, Lisa Ekus and I are teaching Honing Your Edge: Media Skills and Branding for Bloggers and Culinary Professionals.  The seminar will be held at Rosewood Ballroom, the site of the conference. The seminar is in a classroom setting and is limited to 50 people. There are still spaces available.  This is a great opportunity to learn and grow. Let me know if you need more information.

Lastly, on 28 January members of the Atlanta chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier are hosting a Simple Abundance cooking class at The Cook’s Warehouse to benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank. It’s going to be a great night and seats are limited. Sign up today!

Bon Appétit, Y’all!
VA

Robb’s Beef Brisket Tacos with Chipotle Dressing

Serves 10

4 pounds trimmed beef brisket
1 large white onion, chopped
4 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon salt
10 peppercorns
2 serrano chiles, coarsely chopped
8 cups water
4 cups beef broth

Chipotle Dressing
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
Lettuce leaves, for serving
Chopped tomatoes, radish slices, cucumber slices, and chopped red onions, for garnish
20 Crispy Taco Shells

In a Dutch oven, combine the beef, onion, bay leaves, 
garlic, salt, peppercorns, and serranos. Pour in the water and broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 3 hours, until the meat is falling-apart tender. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the brisket will register 190°F. Alternatively, bring to a boil as directed, then cover and cook in a preheated 350°F over for 3 hours. Or, combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on the low setting for 6 to 8 hours.

Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and let cool. Meanwhile, strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside. When the brisket is cool, trim and scrape away any fat and gristle. With your fingers or 2 forks, tease the meat into shreds. Cut the shreds into 1-inch-long threads and place in a bowl. Moisten the meat with ½ cup of the broth. Save the remaining broth for another purpose.

To make the dressing, in a blender, combine the oil, lime juice, vinegar, and garlic and sprinkle in a little salt and pepper. Drain the chipotles, pouring all of the adobo sauce into the blender. Then add the chipotles to taste: there are about 10 chipotles in a can. For a little heat, add just 1 chipotle; for a medium-hot dressing, add 2 or 3 chipotles; and for a spicy dressing, add 4 or more chipotles. Turn on the blender and process until you have a smooth dressing. Add the dressing to the shredded beef. The mixture should be moist but not soupy. Chop the rest of the chipotles and put them on the table as a condiment.

Salpicón is a mixture of chopped fish, meat, or vegetables in a sauce, used as fillings for tacos, croquettes, and pastries. It is customarily chilled, then served at room temperature. To chill, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to several days. When you remove it from the refrigerator, the top will be dry and the dressing will have collected on the bottom of the bowl. Just before serving, dump the mixture into another bowl and retoss it.To serve, arrange a bed of lettuce leaves on a deep platter, and spoon the salpicón onto the lettuce. Garnish with the tomatoes, radish slices, and cucumber slices and top with a sprinkling of onion. Serve with the taco shells.

“Reprinted with permission from Texas Eats: The New Lone Star Heritage Cookbook, with More than 200 Recipes by Robb Walsh, copyright © 2012. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.”

Beef Photo credit: Laurie Smith © 2012

Winter Wonderland photos by Virginia Willis

Please be nice. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission is prohibited. Feel free to excerpt and link, just give credit where credit is due and send folks to my website, virginiawillis.com. Thanks so much.

Copyright © 2013 Virginia Willis Culinary Enterprises, Inc.

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Lady Luck: Black Eyed Peas and Greens Tuesday, Jan 1 2013

Eating black eyed peas and greens on New Year’s Day is a special Southern tradition, and folklore says it brings luck and money in the upcoming year. However, eating greens actually isn’t a rarity for me. We eat greens 3 or more nights a week. I buy bunches at the farmer’s market, but I will admit to taking a shortcut with the pre-washed and pre-chopped bags of greens, too. They are just so easy and so good! It’s simple to simmer a couple of handfuls with an onion and a little vegetable or canola oil, just until they are tender. Meme used to cook them for hours and hours with salt pork or fatback. The salty, delicious greens would be so soft and tender they would practically slide down my throat. I like them prepared the old-fashioned way, but I also like them a bit more toothsome.

In the spirit of clean-eating and starting out the new year with a new you, I  am  sharing a recipe for a Black Eyed Pea Paella from my friend and colleague Kim O’Donnel. Kim is such an inspiring person, writer, and friend. Her most recent book is The Meat Lover’s Meatless Celebration: Year-Round Vegetarian Feasts (You Can Really Sink Your Teeth Into). Her recipes are flat out delicious and, they just happen to be meatless. They are built on sound technique and good flavor. This book is a beautiful follow-up to her first book The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes Carnivores Will Devour. Her recipes are about good food, first. She’s a meat eater — she eats meat, just not as much as she used to.

Kim is very involved in the global movement Meatless Mondays. Meatless Monday is a non-profit initiative in association with the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. The Meatless Monday premise is that going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel. One pound of commodity ground beef – meaning not grass fed or all natural – takes 2000 gallons of water to produce. That’s astonishing. Thoughtful and mindful eating is a good way to make a small change in our health and our lives. The tiny step of going meat-free one day a week can make an impact on your own health, and the health of the global community.

Often at this time of year people make resolutions. I find those grand proclamations can be perfect set ups for massive failure. Instead, I prefer the Japanese concept of kaizen. Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement of working practices and personal efficiency. Lordy Mercy, I know I am flawed and I have plenty to work on. If I think of all the things I should work on in my life, it’s far too overwhelming. But, if I think about improving my life a little bit at a time, it’s manageable. Kaizen.

Here are a few tips for cooking black eyed peas and greens from a recent interview with  the Charlotte Observer. I also have an article in this month’s Fine Cooking on Hoppin John. Meaty or meatless, you’ve got the recipes for a lucky start to the New Year. Many wishes for a safe, prosperous, and healthy 2013.

Bon Appétit, Y’all!
VA

VA’s Lucky Greens
Serves 4 to 6

Kale, collards, turnip greens, and mustard greens are dark leafy winter greens that are nutritional powerhouses and familiar friends on the Southern table. Look for brightly colored greens free of brown spots, yellowing edges, or limp leaves. The best way to clean greens is to first remove the tough stalks and stems. Fill a clean sink with cold water. Place the greens in water and swish around, allowing the grit to fall to the bottom the sink. Lift greens out of the sink and transfer to a large bowl and rinse the sink. Repeat the process at least three times or more as needed until no grit remains.

2 pounds assorted greens, such as collard, kale, mustard, or turnip
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 sweet onions, chopped
2 cups water
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hot sauce, for serving

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil, gradually stir in the greens, allowing each batch to wilt before adding more; season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook, until greens are just tender, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.

KIM’S BLACK-EYED PEA PAELLA
Serves 6 

Kim says, “I learned how to make paella many years ago from one of Spain’s great culinary ambassadors, chef José Andrés. Using the technique Andrés taught me, I have created a meatless version with
black-eyed peas, a new twist on New Year’s hoppin’ John.”

The amounts below are for six hearty servings. Ideally, you’ll
want to use a 15-inch paella pan to ensure the most even cooking
results, but don’t worry if that’s not an option. Use a wide and
shallow skillet (lid not necessary) as close to 15 inches in diameter
as you can get. For a half-batch, use a pan about 10 inches wide.

Saffron, which is a spice derived from a variety of crocus, is a
traditional seasoning in paella, for both flavor and color. For this
dual tribute to the Catalan and the American South, the saffron
is not as integral to the final dish as is the pimentón (smoked paprika),which adds layers of flavor to the beans. You can do this
dish without the saffron, but in my humble opinion, you can’t do it
without the pimentón.

4 cups vegetable stock
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion (more than 1⁄2 medium-size onion)
1 cup seeded and diced bell pepper of your favorite color (about 1 medium-size pepper)
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen black-eyed peas, or 1 cup dried black-eyed peas, cooked*
1 1⁄2 teaspoons smoked paprika (also known as pimentón)
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 1⁄4 cups tomato puree
1⁄2 teaspoon crumbled saffron (optional)
1/2 cup white wine you enjoy drinking
1⁄2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice (1 pound)
Optional garnishes: Pickled peppers, chopped fresh parsley, lemon zest

*To cook dried black-eyed peas: Soak the peas for at least 2 hours in enough water to cover by at least 2 inches. Drain the peas, then place in a large pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a lively simmer over medium-high heat.Cook at a hard boil for 5 minutes, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender to the bite. This should take about 1 hour.

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO: In a medium-size saucepan, warm the vegetable stock until heated through and keep covered, on low, until ready to use.

Over medium-high heat, heat a 15-inch paella pan until it’s too hot to place your hand about 3 inches above the pan. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, tilting the pan so that the oil coats the entire bottom surface. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from burning or sticking.

Add the bell pepper, stir well, and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas and smoked paprika, stirring until the vegetables are evenly coated with the spice, about 90 seconds.Transfer the black-eyed pea mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Wipe the pan clean with a dry paper towel to remove any burnt, stuck-on bits. Add the remaining olive oil plus the garlic and cook over medium heat until, as chef Andrés says, “they dance.” (When
heated, the garlic moves around the pan in the bubbling oil.)

Add the tomato puree and stir often, over the next 5 minutes, until the color has transformed from red to a more golden, orange-brown shade. Add the saffron, if using. Then add the white wine and increase the heat to medium-high, stirring to keep from burning.

Return the black-eyed pea mixture to the pan. Add the stock. Bring to a boil, taste for salt, then season accordingly. You want the mixture to be slightly salty. This is also your last chance to add salt before
the rice is added.

Add the rice and set a timer for 16 minutes. For the first 6 minutes, gently stir the paella, to minimize burning and sticking. For the remaining cooking time, please heed the advice I learned from chef

Andrés: no more stirring or touching. Otherwise, you
will have a gummy rice concoction. This is also why you cannot add salt at this stage.

At minute 16, taste a grain of rice for doneness. It should be slightly al dente, like risotto. Turn off the heat and allow the paella to sit for at least 5 minutes. The results should be dry, not soupy. Serve hot in bowls.

Please be nice. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission is prohibited. Feel free to excerpt and link, just give credit where credit is due and send folks to my website, virginiawillis.com. Thanks so much.

Copyright © 2012 Virginia Willis Culinary Productions, LLC.

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