I'm in the news!

As an enthusiastic follower of food blogs (Google reader is my best friend), I may or may not spend too much time with my face stuck in my lap top. It's all in the name of research, right? With so many new sites popping up every day, it's getting harder and harder to weed out the good from the bad. But when CNN started Eatocracy -- a blog combining food news, recipes, restaurant reviews, and more -- I was immediately sold. Its well-edited content is diverse and differentiated from the mass of competition.

So you can imagine my excitement when their editors asked to feature Dixie Caviar for their blogger spotlight. Heck yeah! Skip on over there to learn a little more about the girl behind the curtain, and head back here next week for some more Southern staples.

Blogger Spotlight: Dixie Caviar

Hot Pepper Vinegar

As a child, I cringed when my father would grab the bottle of pepper vinegar at the Cracker Barrel and douse everything on his plate with it. "Ewwww," I would squeal in disgust. Many of my father's eating habits -- from olives to pickles to pepper vinegar -- scarred me well into adolescence. While I still loathe olive and pickles, I've come around to the latter. Now I like to splash pepper vinegar in my green beens, my collards, and as of lately, fried okra. So very tasty.

Hot peppers are still in season down South, so get yourself to a farmers market (or in my case, the Mexican grocer on Buford Highway) and go gangbusters with all shapes, sizes, and colors. Or you can use just one type of pepper, with the heat of your liking.

To make the vinegar, place the peppers in a jar or bottle of your choice. Bring apple cider vinegar (enough to fill the jars) and a generous pinch of salt to a boil. Pour the hot vinegar over the peppers, seal, and store in a cool dry place. Allow to sit for at least a week before using in order to develop the best flavors. Sprinkle on everything.

Sister Schubert's Homemade Rolls

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 back South, 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.

cookbook

Pulled Pork Quesadillas and Carolina Red Sauce

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 thesuper secretbasting 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 Epicurious
Yields: 2 cups

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.)

Recipe: Yellow Squash Casserole

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!

YELLOW SQUASH CASSEROLE
YIELDS: 6 - 8 servings

3 pounds yellow squash, sliced into 1/4-inch coins
1 sweet onion (preferably vidalia), chopped
2 - 3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 tablespoons softened butter, divided
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream (or up to 1 cup as needed)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or more to taste
Kosher 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.