Best Cook

Camilla,
I thought I had a picture on my computer of what you want . Can't find it. I will keep looking at all my discs.

Best Cook

Last week I wanted a picture of Alec for the fab sauce recipes Kathy sent us, so I asked a few people for a picture of the reunion's 'best cook.' (Best cook was one of the picture items on the photo scavenger hunt). I got my picture, taken by Brett:

THIS IS NOT ALEC!

Brett, maybe you should send us one of the recipes that makes you know this woman is the BEST COOK.

Or Terrell, maybe you should send us one of those recipes you get from Gayle. Or any recipe.

Or maybe we should just all come and eat at your house.

Appetizers Courtesy of Pioneer Woman

Wow, two posts in one day, you'd think a law firm would have me busier than this...but today is an especially slow day.

Lately, I've come home from work, and haven't wanted to cook much. Nathan and I just eat bread, cheese, maybe some hummus. But I needed to spice up the routine...thankfully, Donna sent me to my new favorite blog, Thepioneerwoman.com, and she has me cooking up a storm. Here are two of my favorite appetizers from her large collection of easy, down-home recipes.

Jalapeno Poppers, or as Pioneer Woman likes to call them, "Bacon-wrapped jalapeno thingies"

All you need is fresh jalapenos (I made 20 for Nathan and I, and they were gone in the time it took to watch American Idol), cream cheese, bacon, and toothpicks.

Slice the jalapenos lengthwise, and scoop out seeds (unless you like them veery hot) then stuff each half with cream cheese. Then, cut the bacon slices into 1/3rds or 1/2s (I did 1/2s because I do love bacon) Wrap the bacon around the cream cheese stuffed jalapenos (but not too tightly) secure with a toothpick, and place on a baking sheet...preferably with a rack so that they arent sitting in their own grease-I didnt have a rack though, and they turned out just great.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. When they are done, the jalapenos taste sweet and delicious, like a green or red bell pepper...they don't taste spicy at all. Enjoy!

Onion Strings

Large onion

Buttermilk

Salt

Pepper

Canola Oil

Slice onion very thin. Place in a baking dish and cover with buttermilk for at least one hour. Combine dry ingredients and set aside.Heat oil to 375 degrees. Grab a handful of onions, throw into the flour mixture, tab to shake off excess, and drop into hot oil. Fry for a few minutes and remove as soon as golden brown. Repeat until onions are gone.

This is the easiest recipe, took me only 20 minutes once I had soaked the onions (and I didnt have any buttermilk, so I just squeezed a lemon into regular milk)

Perfect Roast Chicken

As I have been living in New York for a good half a year, I've sadly had to spend my holidays away from the family. This has been sooo hard, because I have very fond memories of being surrounded by great food, and even greater people during the big holidays.

So, in order to satisfy my own cravings for holiday meals, and the cravings of my New York friends (also far away from home) I decided to teach myself to roast. I know that the traditional Easter and Christmas meals include a huge roast turkey, complete with Grandma's giblet gravy (I don't know about you, but those little bags that come inside of birds scare the bejeesus out of me) but a turkey just seemed too big...so I decided to roast a chicken.

My recipe combines lots of recipes I read, I just stole interesting ideas and tips from many great chefs. But I'd have to say, the majority of this recipe is Julia Child's.

1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) chicken

1 small yellow onion, quartered

1 Lemon, thinly sliced

Butter

Fresh rosemary, thyme, sage

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Wash the chicken in hot water and dry thoroughly. Season the cavity with salt and black pepper and stuff with the onion and lemon. Make a compound butter by letting the butter soften and then mixing in chopped herbs. Lift up the skin of the bird, and smear half of the butter under the skin (this will make the chicken really moist and tasty). Then, with the rest of the butter, rub the chicken on the outside and season all over with salt and pepper. Tie the drumsticks ends together and set the chicken, breast side up, in an oiled roasting pan in the oven.

Roast for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees, baste the chicken, and roast for 15 minutes. Continue roasting the chicken until the juices run clear, for a total of 45 minutes plus an additional 7 minutes for each pound. (In other words, a 3 1/2 pound chicken would take a basic 45 minutes plus an additional 25 minutes, for a total 70 minutes or 1 hour and 10 minutes of cooking time.)

I have nooo idea how to make good sauces, but the stuff left over in the roasting pan tasted just fine to me! Also, I added a little chicken broth (low sodium) to the drippings, and a little white wine, and I suppose this was our "gravy."

This is totally not a summer recipe, but tastes darn good for any special occasion.

Sauces from the Naman's....

Manager 1 needed a mayo-based spread for po-boys, and who would be the po-boy experts if not the Mobile Naman's? If any of you camera bunnies have a picture, let's post our caterin' cousin here!

I know he brings the remoulade sauce every year, and there is a scramble for it as a meat dip. Kathy is going to send me the reunion goodies Naman's provides for us every year. We're spoiled. I bet you want to be a Vowell, too. Don't blame you.


remoulade sauce:

1 cup creole mustard
3 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp worcestershire
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp horseradish

mix all ingredients together and wisk until blended smooth.
you can refridgerate for up to 3 or 4 weeks.



rayford sauce:

3 cups mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
4 oz horseradish
1 bu green onions (chopped fine)
2 tbsp worcesteshire sauce
1 tbsp granulated garlic
1 tsp salt & pepper
2 dashes tobasco


west indian coktail sauce:

2 cups mayonnaise
2 cups ketchup
2 tbsp horseradish
1 med onion ( chopped finely) use food processor if neccessary
1 med bell pepper ( chopped finely) same as above
1 tbsp granulated garlic
1 tbsp worcesteshire
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 dashes tobasco
1 tsp salt & pepper


So how did those po-boy's go, Manager 1?

Foxy G-Maw Presents:

Peachy Glazed Pork Chops

1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 (12oz) jar peach or apricot preserves
1/2 cup water
8 pork chops
2 medium red or green peppers (sliced)

In a small bowl, combine soup mix, preserves and water. Put pork chops in 9x13 baking dish. cover with peppers. Top with soup mixture. Broil, "turning once" until pork chops are done.

Ryan's Wonderful RICH potato soup

4 or 5 medium potatoes-- diced
garlic powder
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 3lb. block velvetta cheese

Boil potatoes in enough water to cover potatoes. Add garlic powder to your taste while cooking Do not drain water off. When potatoes get soft, mash with fork leaving some pieces. Add cheese while potatoes are still hot (to melt cheese). Add celery and mushroom soup.

This is so easy and wonderful.

submitted by email from Ryan's Foxy G-Maw