I love a flavorful toasted nut, but I have always found it difficult to get enough flavor into nuts without burning them, or the seasonings just fall right off. My solution has become to soak the nuts in a flavorful liquid then toast them until perfect. My Lemon Garlic Cashews were my first foray into this method, and these salty-sweet bourbon soaked pecans are … [Read more...] about Bourbon Rosemary Pecans
Southern specialties
Sweet Potato Cobbler
I’m going to go all Southern on you again with this delicious, old-fashioned, homey dessert perfect for the autumn table. I’m not, however, going to get into a discussion on what exactly a cobbler is – biscuit top, crumble top, pastry top, whatever. This is how I make cobbler, and that’s good enough for me. But really, is there any more comforting dessert than a cobbler, … [Read more...] about Sweet Potato Cobbler
Shrimp and Grits
Shrimp and Grits, technically the child of the South Carolina Low Country has been adopted by Southerners as their own. You will find shrimp and grits in homes and on menus from Florida to Misssissippi, and of course here in Tennessee. I bet most Southerners would put it on a grand list of Southern classics without even realizing its specific geographic origin. And I imagine … [Read more...] about Shrimp and Grits
Boiled Peanuts
This week, the farmers market was looking a little forlorn as summer moves into fall. The tomatoes and beans are fading, but the winter squash and pumpkins aren’t quite in yet. But I did find a nice treat at one of the stalls. Raw peanuts. Nice, big fat ones just waiting to be boiled up. A big ol’ batch of goobers. Boiled Peanuts are a love-or-hate kind of thing. They … [Read more...] about Boiled Peanuts
Brilliant Baked Beans
Baked beans are almost a staple here. I cannot think of a barbecue place in Memphis that doesn’t serve beans on the side. And if you live in Memphis, you eat barbecue. Some places stir in bits of pulled pork shoulder, some make the beans with their house barbecue sauce, some throw in jalapenos. And of course, some places have better beans than others. But when you … [Read more...] about Brilliant Baked Beans
