Spicy Mustard

This afternoon my shipment arrived!

I haven’t been able to get it all together to make a much needed trip to NYC. The new sweet baby and the big kid don’t do so well when they are the only 2 at home, so that just wasn’t an option. I’ll make it to New York. We signed our Pitmaster Agreement today so I will be there by June!

All of my pregnancy with Ellie I craved Katz Deli. Please keep in mind that I’ve never been to Katz. Oh, I’ve had my share of New York Delis. (I’m not ashamed to say that I love a boiled egg sandwich from my nearest neighborhood bodega after a hard night of drinking….but we all know that’s not New York Deli.) Something about the way “Katz” rolled off the tongue made me hungry. I threw hints and received a promise or two to shlep a pastrami sandwich back to my home…unfulfilled.

When it became clear that I would be missing my regular February trip to New York, I ordered an overnight shipment from Katz.

*Jewish Rye Bread: There is indeed a heaven.
*Pastrami: Delivered from lackadaisical subpar sandwich meat.
*Chocolate Babka: Sorry cinnamon, you are indeed the lesser babka.
Most of all:

Spicy Yellow Mustard. This perfect blend of tangy yellow mustard and spicy brown mustard has almost made me weep. Damn, just thinking about it makes me want to go into the kitchen and construct a Rye and Mustard sandwich.

I think I will.

Venison Stew with Mushroom Tarragon Porridge.

I think it must be the weather. It’s been cold, cold around here for the last week or so. All I’ve been able to think of for during this cold weather has been steel cut oats. This drafty ole house has been so cold I’ve checked to see if we are living at Hogwarts. JK Rowling always described dinners with very hearty soups and stews that would fight against the cold. So, I suppose nothing is ever original. This recipe might be as close as I get. The idea of porridge isn’t anything new. I doubt the idea for a savory porridge is anything new, but it is new to Mississippi.

This is one of those times when I need to ask you to trust me. It’s going to seem very strange. I didn’t try this with rolled oats or with any quick-type oats, I don’t know that I would. So much of this was textural. I cooked a mushroom porridge and a venison stew. (you’ve seen the stew recipe before.) I served these together in the same bowl. If you’re looking for something different, this is it.

Mushroom Porridge
2 cans beef consume
3 cups of water
1.5 cups of steel cut oats
mushrooms
tarragon
cream
butter
salt and pepper


bring consume and water to a boil. Add steel cut oats and boil for about 30 minutes. Sautee mushrooms and add to the oats after about 30 minutes. Add fresh tarragon, cream and butter, salt and pepper.



serve with:
Coat 2 lbs of venison (this may be a roast that's cubed or stew meat.) with flour. In a big pot heat 3 tbsp OLIVE OIL. Add beef and 2 large chopped onions and cooked until beef is browned. Once beef is brown add 2 cans BEEF BROTH, 1 cup RED WINE, 3 cups WATER, chopped (large pieces or baby) CARROTS (to taste), chopped POTATOES (large pieces or small red potatoes), MUSHROOMS (I'm using shitake), 2 tbsp UBON'S SEASON T'UP, 2 tbsp THAT OLE THYME, Salt, Pepper to taste. The longer this simmers the better it will be. If you've got a fair amount of flour on your venison that will serve as a roux to thicken.

Quick Christmas Party Food

Tonight I put together something new. I think it's going to be a Christmas favorite.

In your food processor pulse 1 orange. (cut into slices, but leave on the rind). Add 1 bag of cranberries and continue to pulse until completely mushy. Add 1 bunch of basil, 1/2 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar and run until almost smooth.

Mix with goat cheese and use to fill tart cups.

Add as a condiment for turkey sandwiches

Mix with cranberry sauce

Smoked Catfish with lemon and capers.

I'm always looking for something new this time of year. Today I had my dad smoke 5 lbs of very fresh catfish from Simmons.

Mix together cream cheese, flaked smoked catfish, seasoning, lemon juice and zest and dill. Serve on a cracker with capers and a lemon wedge. I'll get a better picture soon.

I post, therefore I am

I've had a lot of absences in the last year. I'm ready for my loudest confession. I ate mostly vegetarian while I was pregnant. Less than even really vegetarian, I ate white rice and corn and cake. Mmmm cake.

I got sidetracked by cake. Anyway! I had a few creative ideas, but mostly, I stuck with frozen rice or corn. I couldn't figure how to marry my whole hearted support of eating pig with my newfound respect and craving for only vegetables. The missing connection?

Vodka

Oysters!

Last night Heath and I went to Lucedale for his brother's annual "Hogg" Party. This started 10 years ago with a small hog that Heath and I helped Seth cook. It's grown into an amazing 2 day party. Last night was awesome!

My niece Meghan works at a couple of John Currence's restaurants in Oxford. She can shuck and plate a dozen oysters in less than 2 minutes. Last night I ate oysters with crackers and cocktail sauce shucked with love by sweet Meg. By this morning, I was popping open those babies myself, slurping them down and enjoying every bite.

We had a couple of hundred oysters on the half shell this morning that Heath's brother Seth put onto his grill. This is something we'll do again. Each oyster was sprinkled with tobasco and parmesan cheese and left to smoke for about 10 minutes.

I can die now.

Seafood Crepes with a Lemon Dill Sauce

Could it be? My grand return to the blog? Let's talk about my dinner and then I'll fill you in on my absence.


I can't pretend that I made those beautiful crepes. I found them in the produce department at Kroger. This recipe would be much more impressive had I made crepes myself. But given my eminent birth to an 8lb baby...I think you'll give me a pass. Here's what I did with the store bought crepes.

filling: (this will sound familiar)
1 lb ground sausage, browned *1 block of cream cheese * 1 cup of lump crab meat * 2 teaspoons of season it up. mixed well.

spread filling along with 3 steamed asparagus spears over the crepe, roll up and cook over the griddle at 350.

For topping/sauce:
melt 1/2 stick of butter together with a 1/2 cup of olive oil. Season peeled shrimp (1 lb) and drop into oil/butter mixture. When shrimp begins to pink, add 2 tsp of flour and use whisk to make sure everything gets mixed well. Once the butter/flour mixture begins to thicken, add 1 cup of chicken stock and continue to whisk. incorporate 1/2 cup of half and half. Add chopped dill, lemon zest and about 2 tbsp lemon juice.

top the browned crepes with shrimp and sauce.

This took less than 20 minutes to cook and we loved it. My daddy said "I don't like crepes. Well, I never had any." He's a convert!!


Thanks for putting up with my absence. As many of you know I'm very pregnant. I have a section scheduled for next tuesday September 1. One of the pregnancy symptoms I've had has been a strong craving for foods I don't always eat....fresh fruit, vegetables (I mean who craves celery??) I've found myself eating probably 80% vegetarian. What kind of princess of bbq does that???

I planned a grand return to the blog a few weeks ago and gave up when my caramelized endive and riddicho was NASTY. I hope that I'm getting back to what we all like. But please be patient. I've got to get this baby here! I plan to be cookin in Cleveland at Octoberfest...well, I'll be there!