Spotlight On: Tin Roof Cutting Boards

Dixie Caviar's 'Spotlight On' showcases both established and up-and-coming Southern artisans across a variety of creative fields. We'll be talking shop, the South, and their very best recipes. Read on! Today I'd like for y'all to meet Miss Emily Ann Quattlebaum Tatum of Tin Roof Cutting Boards. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Emily Ann in person, but I've known her husband John for as long as I can remember! He is just the sweetest guy, and comes from a fantastic Alabama family.

Tin Roof's cutting boards are simply stunning. (I can safely say that Christmas gift giving is going to be easy this year.) Read on for more about this cute couple and their growing brand. I wish you two so much success!

Tell me about yourself: To many of my childhood and college friends, I'm known by my maiden name "Quattlebaum." Many nicknames derived from my unique German heritage, however, if I were to meet you today, you'd know me as Emily Ann Tatum.

Born and raised in small town Alabama, I quickly developed a love for Auburn University because of the big opportunities nestled in a quaint southern town. I graduated with a degree in public relations in 2008 and three weeks later married the love of my life, Auburn graduate and Opelika native-John Tatum. We now reside in Sugar Land, TX (a suburb of Houston) managing self-started businesses. On any given day, I'm doing, talking, or thinking about hanging at the beach, boating, running, or traveling.

Tell me about Tin Roof Cutting Boards: Tin Roof Cutting Board products are handmade with solid, reclaimed wood. Each cutting board is unique, individually crafted, and as eye catching as it is functional. Our cutting boards are not stained. They are only sealed, sanded and moisturized with mineral oil to enhance each board's natural colors. Tin Roof specializes in Pecan wood, but we also use a variety of hardwoods that include Walnut, Maple, Oak, Mesquite, Padauk, Purpleheart, Teak, and many more. Whether for daily preparation needs or full-scale gatherings, these reclaimed wood beauties are a cut above the rest!

Tell me how Tin Roof got started: What started out as the perfect Christmas gift for board creator and dear friend Kurt Pratka, quickly turned into a passion. With his resources, Kurt personally chose the wood, aligned it to create a beautiful design, sealed the board and sanded it to perfection. In a matter of weeks, Kurt was fulfilling orders throughout the town. It didn't take Kurt and the Tough County Sawmill team long to see the potential. With John's expertise in e-commerce sales and my background in marketing and public relations, we teamed up with Tough Country Sawmill to offer the products on a website and in stores all around the south.

Tell me the biggest challenge you have experienced thus far? The greatest success? My husband and I had a vision to create a work environment we could embrace for years to come. In October of 2011, we were faced with the opportunity to sell our house in Alabama, quit our "real jobs" and give our dream life a chance. We knew at the time it was now or never. We moved out of our house with no living arrangements made and unsure of our next step. After a couple of months of living out of our cars and staying with friends and family, we settled in Texas. Today, John runs an internet business he started two years ago and I manage Tin Roof Cutting Boards. We work side by side running websites, brainstorming ideas, researching products and people, and of course troubleshooting. It's always an adventure!

What is Southern about Tin Roof: The inspiration for the name Tin Roof comes from many long days John spent at the family farm in central Alabama. It represents a simpler time when all you needed was a comfortable pair of jeans, a dirt road, land to work and a cabin with a tin roof. For us, it's more than a place; it's a state of being. We find such joy in rediscovering the peace that comes by simply surrounding yourself with nature.

All of our products are personally designed and hand crafted in Texas by Tough Country Sawmill. Board creator, Kurt Pratka, learned and developed a passion for woodworking as a small child from watching his dad. Today, we offer those same treasured family items to people across the country.

Tell me who and/or what currently inspires you: As mentioned before, the brand Tin Roof was inspired by the Tatum Family Farm. On our website, you will see that each cutting board is named after a place or a memory that is near and dear to our hearts. I believe it is life's experiences that enlarge your vision and mold you into the person you were meant to be. It is exciting for me to incorporate these experiences and warm memories into the Tin Roof brand.

Tell me about your relationship with food and/or cooking: At the ripe age of 22 I married John. One of my biggest fears was that I didn't know how to cook, and honestly did not have a desire to learn. I've come a long way in the kitchen these past four years and can proudly say that I love to cook! About once a week, you'll find me cooking at night with John Mayor on the iPod and red wine in my glass. I keep it pretty simple, but I guess you need to walk before you run!

Tell me your best food story: This past Christmas, my family decided to spice things up a bit with a little cuisine competition. In an effort to help mom out with all the cooking responsibilities, we divided into teams and had a cook off. My dad and sister were assigned a meal, my brother and I were assigned a meal, and the spouses were the judges. We were judged on presentation and taste. After much deliberation, the winners were announced and presented with a special gift. We had some great meals, made fun memories and mom was able to relax a bit. It was a great idea and I am sure we will continue this new tradition for years to come.

Any favorite MADE IN THE SOUTH brands worthy of your shout out:

Jack Deloney is an artist from my hometown of Ozark, AL. Like Tin Roof, his work reflects the simpler days. Blue bell Ice Cream is a favorite in the Tatum family. We enjoy it best from the Railroad Creamery in Opelika, AL! TieTry is a great resource for our southern gentlemen. Viv-Vah-Chey Designs for personalized invitations and holiday cards.

I'm a magazine junkie, so I enjoy tearing out pages of products and recipes from Southern Living and thumbing through Garden and Gun each month!"

Please share your favorite Southern recipe and what it means to you: My husband John is one of four boys. His mother Lynn is a spectacular cook and knows how to satisfy her boys' appetites when we all come to visit. She shows her love through her cooking and treasures the time around her table when everyone slows down to enjoy a home cooked meal. Her version of green bean casserole is amazing. Once you try this, you'll never use the recipe on the back of the can again!

LYNN'S GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Source: Emily Ann Tatum Yields: Feeds a crowd

1  (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup 4  cups French-style green beans 1 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon pepper Crushed crackers (amount and type not specified) 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine cream of mushroom soup, green beans, sour cream, garlic powder, and pepper. Pour into a 9" x 11" casserole dish.

In a separate bowl, combine crushed crackers, melted butter, and cheese. Sprinkle over the green bean mixture. Bake casserole, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Top with fried onions and bake for 5 more minutes.

Last of all, tell me what you love most about the South/being Southern:

I feel blessed to be a true Southerner! There are so many things I love about the South—home-cooked Sunday lunches, friendly faces, hand written letters, and sweet tea. Being from the South comes with an ingrained appreciation for authenticity, attention to detail in everything and greeting old friends and new faces with a smile.  (Hear, hear!)

ATTENTION: Tin Roof is offering 25% off of their products for Dixie Caviar readers now through September 30th! Use Promo Code ""DIXIE25"" at check out.

Find out more about Tin Roof Cutting Boards here and follow them on Facebook and Twitter. For more of Emily Ann and John's adventures, check out her personal blog.

Recipe: The Best Yellow Butter Cake with Vanilla Bean Buttercream

I will never forget a certain Smitten Kitchen post when soon-to-be-mom Deb confesses, upon discovery of her current "condition," that her first moment of panic was not because she had yet to make her first million or travel the world, but in fact, because she hadn't yet found the perfect from-scratch birthday cake to carry into motherhood.

I must admit that maternal fears thoughts like these regularly pass through my brain. (Side note: babies are not on my current horizon, I swear!) It's just that certain recipes are going to be your kids' benchmark for comparison for the rest of their hungry little lives. As their mother, it is imperative you set them up knowing that you and only you make the very best of everything. I mean, it's the least you can do. Or so that's how I feel. For now.

There are a number of foods I'm confident I have mastered, much to the benefit of my unborn children—fluffy biscuits, chocolate chip cookies, buttermilk pancakes, and roast chicken to name a few. The elusive celebration cake, however, has remained an unsolved mystery. I have baked my way through countless recipes over the years, from the classic 1-2-3-4 on the Swans Down box, to the Cook's Illustrated tried-and-true, and even Deb's eventually-declared favorite. Unfortunately they all left something to be desired. I didn't just want good yellow cake. I wanted perfect yellow cake.

Well kids, I finally found it: the holy grail of yellow cakes. To quote a text to Walt upon first bite (please pardon my French), "It's f*#@in' perfect!" And there's not much more to say other than that. If you are looking for a recipe that is soft, moist, flavorful, and slices like a dream, here it is. The cake itself is so divine that it doesn't even need frosting, although once topped with vanilla bean-spiked buttercream it transcends all worldy dimensions. I look forward to a long and delicious future with this recipe, from best friends' engagements to children's birthday parties. The best part about this cake, though? It doesn't even need an excuse. Heck, I'd make it again tomorrow.

(P.S. Just to give you one last example of how fantastic it is, I realized after my first slice that it is the ultimate wedding cake! If I was a crazier person I would just make it myself, but instead I will pass the recipe along to our baker in hopes she won't be offended that I no longer want hers. April 20th can't get here soon enough!)

BEST YELLOW BUTTER CAKE
Yields: 2 (9-inch) round cake layers

This cake recipe comes from the CakeLove cookbook, purchased upon high recommendation from Jonathan Kallini, the very best pastry chef I know. It calls for the increasingly-common ingredient potato starch, found in the specialty flour section of well-stocked grocery stores. (Look for Bob's Red Mill brand.) Even if you are not familiar with potato starch, buy it and use it often—it will become your "chef's secret" in no time.

This recipe calls for weighing the dry ingredients. It took me a few years to jump on the grams-and-ounces bandwagon, but I am now a full-fledged believer. If you don't own a kitchen scale, here's a link to the adapted recipe using cups, although I cannot attest to the same end results.

UPDATE: according to one commenter, this recipe as written will not work in high altitudes. A modified recipe for high altitude baking is included in the CakeLove cookbokk for those interested.

Dry ingredients
7 ounces all-purpose flour
2 ounces potato starch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt

Liquid ingredients
1 cup half and half (or half milk, half heavy cream)
2 tablespoons brandy*
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Creaming ingredients
14 ounces extra-fine granulated sugar**
6 ounces (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.

Set out the ingredients and equipment: Sift flour directly into a bowl on the scale. Measure the remaining dry ingredients into another bowl; add the flour and whisk together. Measure the liquid ingredients into a separate bowl and set aside. Place sugar and butter in bowl of standing mixer. Crack eggs into a separate bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on the lowest speed for 3-5 minutes. With the mixer still on the lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the liquid ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. (Move swiftly through the step to avoid overworking the batter. Don’t wait for the dry or liquid mixtures to be fully incorporated before adding the next. This step should take a total of about 60 seconds.) Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix on medium speed for an additional 15 to 20 seconds to develop the batter’s structure.

Generously coat the bottom of 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening, then toss with flour, discarding the excess. Do not coat the sides of the pan, in order to prevent the cake from doming. (I highly recommend using Baker’s Joy, a shortening spray with flour added.) Evenly distribute the batter into the cake pans and smooth with a rubber spatula.

Bake the cakes for approximately 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick pricked into the middle comes out clean. The center should be an even blonde color and the edges should be just beginning to pull away from the pan. (I usually take mine out just a smidge before I think they are ready. I am terrified of overcooking baked goods.)

Remove pans to a wire rack and cool to room temperature, 25-30 minutes. Cut around the edges with a pairing knife and invert the cakes to wire racks. Cool completely before moving forward with the recipe. (Wrap the layers in plastic and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days if making in advance.) Assemble the cake with the buttercream recipe below.

Kitchen notes: *I substituted butter extract for the brandy, which is an (unnatural) flavoring that I have been playing around with lately. Additional vanilla extract would be fine, too.

**If you can't find extra fine sugar, regular granulated sugar can be processed in a food processor for a few seconds.

VANILLA BEAN ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
Yields: 4-5 cups

5 egg whites
1-1/4 cups extra-fine sugar, divided
1/4 cup cold water
1 pound (4 sticks) cubed, unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Set out ingredients and equipment: Separate the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add 1 cup sugar and the water into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and gently stir to combine. Hold remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a separate bowl.

For the sugar syrup, place a candy thermometer in the sauce pan and heat the mixture over medium-high heat. Dip a pastry brush in water and brush down the sides to remove any excess sugar. Partially cover with a lid to capture the steam (this helps to moisten the sides of the saucepan to prevent sugar crystals from forming).

For the meringue, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Keep the mixer running and pour the remaining 1/4 cup sugar into the meringue.

Raise the heat under the sugar syrup to bring the syrup to 245° if it’s not already there. When it has reached 245°, remove the thermometer and slowly pour the syrup into the meringue with the mixer running. Continue beating at high speed for 1-2 minutes.

Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and beat for 6-10 minutes until the meringue has cooled. Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the vanilla bean paste and extract and increase the mixer speed to high for 2 to 4 minutes or until the butter is fully incorporated. Immediately frost cooled cake halves.

Store the frosted cake under a cake dome or in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to one week. If chilled, bring the cake back to room temperature before serving.

Pearls of Wisdom: How to Poach an Egg

I eat a single poached egg on sour dough toast—with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a generous dousing of Cholula—almost every single morning of every single day. The only exceptions are when I am making Walt cottage cheese pancakes or whipping up breakfast bread pudding for a crowd. This predictable pairing, along with a homemade mocha with lots of frothy milk, is what helps me start even the busiest of days.

I am also a sucker for any and all Eggs Benedict, like my Lightened Up version (with turkey bacon, spinach, and tomatoes) featured on The Kitchn today, or my Eggs Florentine (in hash brown nests!) from a few months back. By now I'm pretty sure I have the egg poaching technique down pat, so I thought I'd share my tricks to the trade:

How to poach an egg: Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of water and a glug of cider vinegar. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, letting the water maintain a few small, occasional bubbles. Crack 1 egg into a small dish (a small sake cup works perfectly), making sure not to break the yolk.

Using a whisk, vigorously stir the water to create a tornado-like vortex. Partially submerge the cup and slip the egg into the moving water. (The vortex will help wrap the white around the yolk, forming the perfect shape you see in restaurants.) Cook the egg until the whites are set and opaque, but yolks are still runny, about 2 minutes.

Remove the egg with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Gently pat dry with additional paper towels and trim any excess whites. Continue with additional eggs, if desired. If poaching a few, just slip them all back into the simmering water for about 20 seconds to rewarm before serving.

And there you have it, a perfectly poached, incredible edible egg! I am always looking for new ways to eat poached eggs; do you have any good recipes that include them?

(Image source: Bon Appetit)

Around the Web

Where to find Dixie Caviar’s recipes and writings elsewhere around the web:

1. Versailles Cuban Chicken with Mojo Sauce via The Kitchn
2. Brazilian-style Flan (Pudim de Leite Condensado) via The Kitchn
3. Herbed Panko Mayo Chicken via The Kitchn
4. Smoky Mac and Cheese via Cooking Channel

Oh, and don't forget to cast your vote for Dixie Caviar in Country Living's Blue Ribbon Blogger Awards! Thanks y'all!

Country Living Blue Ribbon Blogger Awards

 

I am so very excited, humbled, and honored to announce that Dixie Caviar has been nominated for Country Living's 2012 Blue Ribbon Blogger Awards in the cooking category. Finalists were chosen from 2,830 submissions, so needless to say I am pinching myself to be included, not to mention that Country Living is one of my favorite magazines!

The winners in each category will be selected by a celebrity panel of judges and flown to New York City for a blogger luncheon, in addition to a feature in the January 2013 issue of the magazine. (Seriously, how awesome is that?!)

But get this—there's also a Readers' Choice Award, kind of like a wild card, and the blog with the most votes overall also wins a trip to the Big Apple. I'd be so grateful if you voted for Dixie Caviar, shared the link with your friends, and helped support me in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'll be offering free hugs to those of you that vote! XOXOXOXO!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

P.S.  if you are a particularly adoring fan of Dixie Caviar, by all means feel free to vote once per day. I won't judge! (wink, wink.)