by Nealey on July 30, 2010
Photo via New York Times
I’m headed to Lake Burton this weekend for little bit of fun and sun before I start my new jobs next week (and yes, that’s plural. I’m about to be a very busy girl.) I’ll fill you in on all the juicy details a little later, but let’s just say I’ll be working for two very fabulous ladies in the Atlanta food scene, doing very different things. It’s been slow to the starting gate since my move to Atlanta, but I have a feeling things are on the up and up for Dixie Caviar.
So until the dust settles, here’s a shout out to one of my favorite Southern specialty foods, Sister Schubert’s Homemade Rolls. My sister Tinsley actually went to boarding school with Sister’s daughter, so I’ve known about these heavenly yeast rolls since it was just a small start up. Needless to say, words cannot describe how tasty these little morsels are. They are a Dozier family holiday staple.
I’m planning on serving a package of her sausage rolls (my personal favorite) alongside my cast iron skillet coffee cake at the lake this weekend. With some sliced Elberta peaches and big pot of café au lait, it should be a breakfast to remember.
PS – I recently met sister at the Atlanta Gift Mart, and purchased her new cookbook Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters. It features a recipe for “Everlasting Yeast Rolls” — do you think they’ll be as good as the ones you buy in the store? I’ll keep you posted.
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by Nealey on July 15, 2010
Call me crazy, call me lazy, call me what you will, but sometimes I love nothing more than spending a hot summer day locked up inside the air-conditioned house, flittering back and forth from an unfinished book, to the Tivo, to the kitchen, and back again. Sometimes I even slip in a nap or two. (Shhh… Don’t tell Walt.)
You see, I’ve had a little lot of spare time on my hands. And with this spare time comes lots of all-day kitchen projects. Last week I was canning 20 pounds of peaches, this week I’ve been up to my ears in chocolate chip cookies. I’ve also been baking a lot of bread, which is actually easier than you might think.
And while this recipe does take a bit of waiting (in which I’m sure you working folks can find something to entertain yourself with. I recommend reading Dixie Caviar from start to finish), I promise you it’s worth every second. You have no idea of the powers of homemade bread until you serve a slice of it just-from-the-oven with a schmear of honey butter and a sprinkle of sea salt. The look on your boyfriend’s face? Well, let’s just say he’ll be like putty in your hands.
There’s endless opportunities for this yeasty goodness. Why just today, I had some plump garden tomatoes ripening on my counter, just ready to be eaten. I slathered some mayo on the bread (please forgive me, it was not homemade), piled on a few drippy tomato slices, and generously sprinkled it all over with kosher salt and ground pepper. A couple of months ago, I offered up this same bread as a hostess gift, swaddled in a vintage dish towel. It was a home run. And ya’ know, gift giving just doesn’t get any more Southern than that.
COUNTRY WHITE SANDWICH BREAD
Source: Adapted from The New School of Cooking
1 tablespoon dry yeast (1 package)
1/4 cup warm water (105 -110 degrees)
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
5 – 6 cups all-purpose or bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water. Allow to proof until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the milk until just scalded and remove from burner. Add sugar and butter. Allow to cool to 105 – 110 degrees, then add the yeast mixture.
Pour milk mixture into a large bowl. Add 2 cups of flour and stir together until smooth. Add salt. Continue adding more flour, cup by cup, until a ball of dough has formed (err toward the sticky side here. Yeast – a.k.a. flavor – thrives in moisture). Remove the dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Add flour as necessary to keep from sticking to hands and table.
Place dough in a well oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a warm, dry place until doubled in size (usually takes a little over an hour, but don’t be married to time). Punch down dough and place in a greased loaf pan. Allow to rise again until doubled in size (this will take less time than the first).
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake bread for approximately 30 -40 minutes. Bread is done when internal temperature reaches 190 degrees and when it makes a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom side. YIELDS: 1 loaf
Kitchen tip: The bread in the picture does not have an egg wash. For a darker, more golden crust, brush the dough with a lightly beaten egg before putting in the oven. For a crispier dough, use just the egg white, and for a shinier crust, use just the yolk.
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by Nealey on July 8, 2010
The time is here. Only two and a half years later.
You see, once upon a time I inherited a chocolate chip cookie recipe. A good one. And I made the cookies and they were perfect and praises were sung in my name. But the fanfare was fleeting. After that, the recipe began to elude me. The cookies melted into pancakes or puffed over like tipsy souffles. Many laughs were had at my expense, and I was dubbed “the cookie mangler.” I tried and tried (and cried) to make those delicious cookies again, to no avail.
But I am not one to give up. Especially when chocolate chip cookies are involved. So here you go. THE best chocolate chip recipe, in its hopefully fail-proof glory. May it bring you no tears, except those of joy.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Source: Adapted from Alpha Bakery Cookbook
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup butter, melted and. cooled. completely. (10 and 2/3 tablespoons)
1 egg
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, or to taste
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream sugars, butter, and egg together in large mixing bowl or a stand mixer. Add in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Lastly, stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Drop by rounded tablespoons (I use a small ice cream scoop) onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until light golden brown, 11-13 minutes. Remove while still slightly soft and let cool on pan. This will yield a chewy cookie. YIELDS: 18 cookies
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by Nealey on July 2, 2010
It’s no secret that my boyfriend Walt makes the best barbecue in all 50 states. Let’s just say it’s what sealed the deal for me. (And no, not in that way. Get your mind out of the gutter!) He learned the method from his dad, who learned it from his dad, although they may have had a little help along the way. Needless to say, it’s pretty much the end-all be-all of pulled pork.
But don’t go around expecting to get the Thompson spice rub out of me any time soon, or the super secret basting sauce either. These lips of mine are sealed. Mainly because, if I don’t make it in the food biz and Walt doesn’t make it in the movies, we’re switching to plan B and opening our very own ‘cue shack. He’ll smoke the meat and I’ll make the sides. I’ve been told on more than one occasion that I make a pretty mean banana pudding. It’s our golden ticket I tell ya.
So anyhow, I’ve got a point. Sort of. There’s been a giant bag of pulled pork sitting in our fridge ever since that ol’ Thompson family reunion I told you about. We’ve been eating lots and lots of barbecue sandwiches this past week. But today I’d had enough. I wanted the stuff gone, so I got creative and made grilled pulled pork quesadillas. Now I’m not going to tell you how to make these — tortillas, pulled pork, pepper jack, sour cream, and a grill pan should do it — you can probably figure the rest out on your own. But for a little extra flare, I’m honored to introduce you to the one and only Carolina Red.
This tangy sauce is what we serve alongside Thompson barbecue. And while the meat absolutely doesn’t need it, I can’t seem to stop myself. Vinegar makes my (small) world go ’round. Don’t even try to give me a sweet, syrupy excuse for a sauce. Or worse yet, store bought. Just give the meat a good rub, smoke it low and slow to perfection, and serve it with a drizzle of this. Oh Lord.
While I’m not giving you all of their family secrets, I will give you just-this-one. Consider yourself extremely lucky. And maybe one day you’ll even be lucky enough to come try the real Thompson stuff out for yourself. I’ll go ahead and offer this as an open invitation.
CAROLINA RED BARBECUE SAUCE
Source: The Thompson Family via heaven
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Stir all ingredients in a small bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Do NOT heat. (This can be made ahead; cover and refrigerate. Keeps for awhile.) YIELDS: 2 cups
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by Nealey on June 27, 2010
I recently participated in the Thompson family reunion at Hard Labor Creek State Park in Georgia. It was a four-day extravaganza, and it lived up to everything I expected a Southern family reunion to be — appetizers and dips galore, Thompson pulled pork (smoked all day), potato salads, macaroni salads, casseroles, baked beans, deviled eggs, slaw, dump cakes, and more. And last but not least, beer and liquor in all forms. To top off the party, on the final evening we received the happy news of Caroline and Drew’s (Walt’s older brother) engagement, who had been vacationing on Captiva Island.
Upon our return, an immediate celebration was in order. My duties as ordered my Mrs. T were squash casserole and a salad. Mind you, I experienced two varieties of squash casserole in two days of the reunion, both different yet delicious; however, being the rebellious cook that I am, I decided to create my very own perfect version of the dish.
I pulled out about 20 of my favorite community cookbooks, combed the web, and then threw everything I read out the door. All the recipes seemed to mask the delicate flavors of squash with things like eggs and mayo. I wanted to highlight the sweetness of the summer squash found in abundance at my farmers market right now. Using just a few simple ingredients and a generous shake of salt came a casserole out of the kitchen that was better than I could have ever imagined!
It turned out to be all the rage at the engagement party. Not to toot my own horn or anything (Toot! Toot!), but it was the first empty casserole dish and the first cleared off guests’ dinner plates. My only regret is that I didn’t make more!
SUMMER SQUASH CASSEROLE
Source: Nealey Dozier
3 pounds summer squash, sliced
1 sweet onion (preferably vidalia), chopped
2 – 3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 tablespoons softened butter, divided
1/2 cup light sour cream or greek yogurt, or up to 1 cup as needed
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or more to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 roll of ritz crackers, crushed
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large pot of salted water, boil squash until tender, approximately 8 – 1o minutes. Drain squash in a colander, then lay out on paper towels to soak up excess water.
Meanwhile, sweat onions in butter or olive oil until tender. Add garlic and saute for an additional minute.
Combine squash, onions, garlic, 2 tablespoons softened butter, sour cream, and cheddar. Season generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into gratin or baking dish.
Melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and combine with ritz crackers. Sprinkle over squash mixture. Bake uncovered for 30 – 35 minutes, or until golden brown. YIELDS: 6 – 8 servings
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