I am a devotee of the transformative powers of buttermilk. It makes chicken tender and biscuits light. Cakes have a fine crumb and dressings a nice tang. I use buttermilk whenever I can, and I go out of my way to buy the best, farm-fresh buttermilk available. I make biscuits of all sorts, marinate chicken for frying and whip up desserts galore, from Buttermilk Pie to … [Read more...] about Buttermilk Pecan Chicken with Herb Cream Gravy
Pimento Cheese Crisps
You’ve had pimento cheese on a cracker, now you can have pimento cheese in your cracker. In my on-going quest to eat as much pimento cheese as possible, I arrive at these little gems. They are a hybrid of two Southern party classics – pimento cheese, the pate of the South, and the classic cheese straw. Crumbly and cheesy, with the tang of pimentos and the crunch of pecans, … [Read more...] about Pimento Cheese Crisps
Strawberry and Cream Cookies
The spring obsession with strawberries continues. As the season settles in, I look for other ways to enjoy the little red jewels, as I have almost eaten my fill of them plain from the bowl I keep in the fridge, filled every week at the famers market. And so I turn to baking to find as many ways to enjoy then as possible. My first and best experience with fresh strawberries and … [Read more...] about Strawberry and Cream Cookies
Tequila Chili Almonds
I love a nutty little nibble with cocktails, and I have developed many versions over the years. These almonds are a riff on my Lemon Garlic Cashews, with a nod to the Bourbon Rosemary Pecans. Whip up a batch of Fresh Citrus Margaritas and get ready to celebrate! Look for raw, blanched almonds (with no brown skin) in the bulk bins or a Middle Eastern section or grocery. I … [Read more...] about Tequila Chili Almonds
Creamy Hominy Bake with Green Chiles and Cheese
My primary memory of hominy is a quick Sunday night dish my mom used to whip up with eggs and sausage, but I love hominy as a more unusual side for a good Mexican meal. I recently made this dish for a gathering of my parents’ friends, and when they realized it was hominy, I got a few looks. One friend told me she hadn’t had hominy since early childhood, when it was served in … [Read more...] about Creamy Hominy Bake with Green Chiles and Cheese
