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Image sources: Nealey Dozier, Publix, Nealey Dozier
I was scanning my Google reader a few weeks ago and stumbled upon an enlightening New York Times article revealing famous chefs' guilty food pleasures. It made me laugh, because not I only do I crave some seriously trashy post-apocalyptic food every now and again, but so do most of the restaurant industry folks I know.
In the two years I worked at Floataway, I saw more McDonald's cheeseburgers, QuikTrip subs, and "Double Stuf" Oreo's consumed than you even want to know—and not by yours truly! Here I was working with some of the best chefs in the industry, only to discover even those with the most discriminating of palates can have plenty of (legal) vices.
For Friday kicks, I thought it would be fun to spill my ultimate guilty food pleasures (at the risk of considerable embarrassment) to see if maybe you would share yours. I'm sure some of you will turn your nose up at these—or me—but hey, you can you do. Okay, here goes:
1. Papa John's Pizza - I have a soft spot for delivery pizza, and Papa John's has been nursing my hangovers since college. To this day, it is still the only thing that can cure my aching head after the sporadic late-night bender.
2. Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter - I have tried to get into the all-natural peanut butter thing. Really I have. But I just keep coming back to Jif. It's so damn peanut-y, and crunchy, and well, it's just plain good. The only accompaniment you need is a spoon!
3. Lay's Classic Potato Chips - I don't even like potato chips, but I do love me some Lay's. Kevin Sharkey (Martha Stewart's right-hand man) has been known to dump them in a silver bowl and serve 'em up with Lipton's French Onion Dip from the box. Oh snap, girl!
4. Dodger Dogs - There's not a better stadium dog in the world. (And I've been to two, so I consider myself an expert.) Walt and I like the L.A. made foot-longs so much, I smuggle frozen 100-packs in my suitcase for us every time I return from Cali. No joke.
5. Marshmallow Fluff - I like to eat marshmallow fluff plain and by the spoonful, just how some people prefer to eat peanut butter (see above) or Nutella. I am even eating some at this very moment. What can I say? It's all in the name of research...
6. Shells & Cheese - I have two stellar recipes for mac 'n' cheese—one cooked in the oven and the other on the stove. Both are delicious, yet serve very different purposes. But when a craving for "the cheesiest" strikes, there's really just one thing to do. Succumb.
7. Dairy Queen Cake - How'd I know Walt was the one? On my first birthday as a couple, he secretly drove to eight (8!) different dairy queens around L.A. to find me their elusive ice cream cake. He didn't succeed, but the effort was enough to keep me around.
8. Phish Food - So I used to think it was super cool that my favorite food was named after my (second) favorite band. But then I snapped out of my crazy hippy phase and actually tried comprehending their lyrics. The ice cream? Still a fave. The band? Not even close.
Okay, so I just let it all out there. But just so you know, I don't eat all this junk all of the time. (That's why they're called guilty pleasures, eh.) Okay, except for maybe Papa John's. Let's be honest here, I eat a lot of Papa John's.
Okay, now that I've bared it all it's your turn. Go on, spill it. What's your trashiest, most disgusting delight?
Image sources: Row 1 - Serious Eats, Amazon, Amazon, Wikipedia Row 2 - Amazon, Amazon, Dairy Queen, unknown
One of my first posts here at Dixie Caviar was obviously the recipe for its namesake. The blog (and the recipe) has come a long way since those humble beginnings, so it seemed time to give the original post a fresh new look. Here it is again, folks, Dixie Caviar in all its Southern glory. Four years later and it continues to please...
(The excerpt below is taken from the '09 recipe archives.)
"So what the heck is Dixie Caviar?"
Yes, I get that one a lot. And no, Dixie Caviar is not some fluffy-sounding name that conceals an otherwise nasty animal product—trust me, it is no rocky mountain oysters. Dixie Caviar is actually a crazy-easy, crazy-addictive appetizer made famous here in the South. (Southerners have an amazing ability to "fancify" anything we get our hands on, canned black-eyed peas included.) You may have heard it called Texas, or Cowboy, Caviar; either way, it's delicious no matter the name.
Dixie Caviar was introduced to me by my boyfriend fiance's sweet mother Tina the very first time we met. I was hooked after just one bite; it may be simple but damn it sure does pack a flavor punch. (It's no wonder that it's her signature appetizer.) Tina sent me back to Los Angeles with the recipe in tow, and it has definitely earned its fair share of sky miles. No future barbecue or birthday party shall ever be without it again!
Little did I know that it would one day inspire the very title of this blog. Talk about an Aha! moment—Dixie Caviar was the first name to come to mind, and it was the last. (Why keep looking when you've already found perfection?) Of course I love the appetizer, but more importantly the name perfectly represents my style in the kitchen: little bit country, a little bit 'Cal. It's a double whammy, for sure.
Remember when creating the perfect mix tape was the ultimate sign of high school devotion? In middle school, my best friend Krissy and I painstakingly crafted a "Sweet Home Alabama" mix for the cute boy leaving us for Kentucky. He was a Phishhead; we loaded the playlist with Micheal Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and Garth Brooks. He may not have dug it, but I'd pay serious money to listen to that riveting compilation today.
College, Napster, and the compact disc brought significant improvement to the art of the mix making. I still cling to the "Easy Mac Mix" my buddy Preston compiled our first year at Appalachian State. (Yes, we ate a lot of Kraft macaroni & cheese. The mix could have been appropriately dubbed "The Freshman 15.") There's no way that disc would ever work in a CD player now—it's been mutilated beyond recognition—but I keep it so that one day I can show my kids what an actual CD looks like.
Which brings us to the current digital age: pretty awesome for expanding your musical appreciation, but a tragedy for those of us who took pride in alphabetizing our leather bound CD cases. (My "eclectic" collection included about 200 live Widespread Panic shows categorized by tour. Those still live under my bed, right next to the VHS collection I can never seem part with.)
In honor of progress, here's a Dixie Caviar playlist for you guys, a few favorites I have declared "modern-day classics" over the past couple of years. All of these tunes are from Southern-bred musicians* and make me proud to call this wonderful region home. Most are fairly established artists, but if you haven't heard Futurebirds, Joe Purdy, Dee Dozier (yup, my sister!), or Buxton Band, you are missing out on some serious listening pleasure.
Listen to my SOUTHERN-BRED SUMMER PLAYLIST at Spotify
*I use the term Southern-bred loosely, meaning these musicians were either born in the South or their musical careers have been shaped here. And then there's Alex Ebert (from Edward Sharpe) and Neko Case, with their soulful sounds might as well have been.
Image sources: Amazon
Once upon a time, I thought it was okay to purchase "buy-one-get-one-free" off-brand butter. It costed a considerable amount less than its competitors, and seriously, how different from the big names could it really be? (Answer: very.)
Turns out there was lot about butter I didn't know. Unfortunately I learned the hard way, and after a few less-than-stellar baking experiences discovered that you really do get what you pay for. If only someone had told me sooner! So to spare you the same grief,
Here are a few things every cook should know ABOUT BUTTER:
1. Not all butter is created equal: Butter is primarily composed of milk fats and water. Cheap butter contains more water and less fat than higher-end brands, creating an inferior product capable of altering an otherwise decent recipe. High quality, high fat butter yields tender baked goods, crisp pastries, and creamy icings. I am a firm believer that good ingredients equal good results, and great ingredients equal great results; sometimes it is worth paying the extra couple of dollars if you strive for the very best.
2. Salted or unsalted, that is the question: My mother used salted butter, so for a while I used salted butter, too. (Mom knows best, right!) Thank goodness my wise friend Amelia showed me the low-sodium light. Salt is often added to butter to cover up inferior taste and to increase its shelf life. The amount added can vary substantially from brand to brand, so you never know what you're going to get from stick to stick. On the flip side, unsalted "sweet" butter has a delicate, nutty flavor, and because it contains no added salt, you can control the amount that goes into your recipes.
3. Fridge, freezer, or counter top: I forgot to buy butter once only to realize it midway through a recipe; bystanders would have thought it was literally the end of the world. In true Scarlett fashion, I vowed to never run out of butter again! Well-wrapped unsalted butter keeps in the refrigerator for about three months, or up to six months in the freezer if need be. I always keep some butter at room temperature (which keeps for a minimum of 3-4 days) for bagels and such; this Anthropologie butter dish is perfect because it holds just half a stick—turnover is quick so I never have to worry about it going bad.
4. Cooking with butter: Butter has a low smoke point, which basically means it scorches at a lower temperature than say, peanut oil. This can be a good thing if you are making a simple sauce ("brown butter" makes everything better!), but bad if you are cooking foods on high heat. If you want to pan-fry foods in butter, it is best to clarify it first. Clarified butter is the process of removing the milk solids (which are the reason butter burns) by melting it over low heat, causing the solids and fat to separate. The solids are discarded, and you are left with pure butter fat which can be heated to a much higher temp.
5. Baking with butter: Is it just me, or am I the only one that starts a recipe only to realize once it's too late that it calls for softened butter? Such a bummer! Whatever you do, try to avoid the microwave, because it will cause uneven heating throughout. If a recipe calls for softened butter, leave it at room temperature for several hours or overnight. It should be cool (not melted or greasy) and hold a firm impression when poked with your finger. If the microwave is your only option, try this tip: cut the butter into smaller pieces and heat on medium power, in 30 second increments, until it is malleable.
Dixie Caviar recommends: Land O' Lakes (unsalted) for all-purpose use, Plugra European-style (unsalted) for baking, and Kate's Homemade Butter (with sea salt) for toast and bagels.
Image source: Fabulous Foods