Winter's Bone

Well, I'm not sure Santa Barbara got the memo that Spring is here. It's more like Winter: Act II. The good news is that this recipe for short ribs is very fitting even though April is literally right around the corner. I made this dish for an Oscar party and also for my friend Meredith's birthday.

It's definitely a crowd pleaser: comfort food at it's best. It's one of those home-cooked meals that just makes you feel loved. So if that's what you're going for, I'd highly suggest you make this — and as soon as possible as I do hope the cold and rain will soon come to an end.

The rosemary-infused wine gravy provides the most wonderful flavor to this humble cut of meat. They're meaty and fatty, in the best way possible, and still on the bone for added depth of flavor. And the mash really is the perfect side, freckled with rosemary and slightly sweet from the addition of parsnips. It will make you rethink what mashed potatoes should be.

I will issue one warning: This recipe does call for an entire bottle of Zinfandel, so if you like to drink while cooking (like me), make sure have a second bottle handy.

Zinfandel-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Rosemary-Parsnip Mashed Potatoes

compliments of Bon Appetit

Ingredients

Ribs:

3 Tbsp room temperature butter, divided

4 lbs meaty beef short ribs

Coarse kosher salt

2 1/2 cups chopped red onions

2 cups 1/2-inch peeled parsnips

6 garlic cloves, chopped

2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 750-ml bottle Zinfandel

2 cups low sodium beef broth

1 Tbsp all purpose flour

Potatoes:

1 stick unsalted butter

3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 lb large parsnips, peeled, cut into 3/4-in cubes

1 1/2 cup whole milk

1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

Directions

Ribs:

Preheat over to 325 degrees. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in heavy large oven-proof pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ribs with coarse salt and pepper. Add to pot in single layer and saute until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Note: you have have to do this in two batches. Transfer ribs to a large bowl. Add 1 Tbsp butter to pot. Add onions and parsnips and saute until beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Mix in garlic and rosemary. Add wine and broth; bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits.

Return ribs and any accumulated juices to pot, arranging in a single layer if possible. Bring to a simmer; cover and place in oven. Braise until ribs are very tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Using tongs, transfer ribs to clean bowl. Spoon fat from pan juice. Boil juices until just beginning to thicken, about 10 minutes. Mix 1 Tbsp butter and flour in small bowl to smooth paste. Whisk into juices in pot; simmer until thickened enough to coat spoon, about 5 minutes longer. Don't skip this step. It creates the most luxurious dimension to the gravy. Season gravy with coarse salt and pepper. Return ribs to pot and spoon gravy over.

Note: This can be made 2 days ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over low heat before serving.

Potatoes:

Cook potatoes and parsnips in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile bring milk, butter, and rosemary to simmer in a small saucepan. Drain potato mixture and return to pot. I personally like my potatoes very silky so try to use a ricer if I can. Stir briefly over medium heat to evaporate excess moisture. Add milk mixture and mash well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Note: You may find you need to add more liquid to the mash. Chicken stock is a wonderful substitute for milk, butter, mayo, sour cream, etc. But those options also work wonderfully and also create a rich and satisfying dish. The rosemary is subtle but key to create this wonderfully balanced yet elevated side. And you could certainly use all potato instead of the mix with parsnips, but you should at least try it. It's mashed potatoes but with a slight sweetness to them. Not like sweet potatoes but with a complexity that makes them seem special even if you can't quite put your finger on why.

A Meal Fit for a King, a College Student, and a 1-Armed Hiker

I don't know about you but this year seems to be evaporating before my very eyes! We're already almost a quarter of the way through 2011 for goodness sakes. I've been wanting to share a story with you and I'm realizing it happened almost one month ago. Lame.

Anyway, my friend Karen and I hosted the Oscar Night of Gluttony banquet again, which is I think now officially an annual event. Here's how it works: We each draw three of the Best Picture nominations out of a hat and have to make a dish or a drink inspired by the movie. We then proceed to eat ridiculous amounts of food for hours as we make catty comments about the fashion, acceptance speeches and celebrities. Since the Oscars is a live show, things get started around 3 pm in California. This is great because for whatever reason I love to drink during the day. [Note: I hope none of my clients are reading this post.] It makes me feel like I'm on a mini vacation or something. By 9 pm we're pretty drunk and definitely stuffed. The only major downside is that my photography skills degrade with each glass, so the quality of these pictures is pretty poor. Sorry about that.

The menu this year was quite impressive, if not also a bit random given the range of movie themes. Karen drew The King's Speech, Black Swan and 127 Hours. Those who know me know I have a strange sense of humor so I thought it would be funny to not bring anything for 127 Hours. I mean after all the main character was pinned by a boulder for 127 hours so there was not a lot of food going on in that movie. But Karen thankfully does not share my humor and did actually make a dish for it: homemade hummus and crudite. It was also the only healthy thing we ate that day.

For The King's Speech, she made a very civilized drink called the Royal Cup (recipe below)

And a rich seafood risotto that played off the black and white theme in The Black Swan — which was a recipe that incidentally came from the Black Swan restaurant in Orlando, FL.

I on the other hand, had the joy of conceiving dishes for:

1) Winter's Bone: While crystal meth is central to this movie, I figured it was better to go with something a little more legal so served up zinfandel-brasied beef short ribs served over rosemary-parsnip potatoes to play off the concept of bones and a comforting Winter dish.

2) The Social Network: I was torn between the typical college fare of pizza, top ramen and mac and cheese. Ultimately I went with homemade cookies because I remember getting those care packages filled with cookies in the mail while in college. It was like gold. I could trade them for all sorts of things: a load of laundry, borrowing someone's car, beer, etc.

3) True Grit: It may have been too obvious but I couldn't resist shrimp and grits for this Western remake. I actually have an entire cookbook dedicated to the subject of shrimp and grits and labored the longest over which version to make. A key ingredient was a can of Coke so you know I was convinced I found a winner.

As predicted, a lot of the Golden Globe winners walked away with the Academy Award . . . and I gained about 10 lbs in a single sitting. But I'm already looking forward to next year's indulgent event.

P.S. I'll share posts for some of the other recipes in the coming week, so stay tuned!

Royal Cup

by Karen

Ingredients

1/2 ounce Grand Marnier

3 drops bitters

4 oz champagne/sparkling wine

Directions

Pour first two ingredients into a champagne flute and top with sparkling wine. Sip and enjoy!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler

You may not be aware of this, but we're on the brink of an important holiday: Mardi Gras! That's right, Fat Tuesday is tomorrow. And that's a wonderful excuse to eat and drink a whole lot before Lent sets in and we're deprived of something good for 40 days. I'm not very good at Lent, but that's probably worth its own blog post. So I think for this one, I'll focus on what I am good at: Eating and celebrating. I think those two qualities are quite Southern, so thankfully are in my DNA.

I wanted to share with you a recipe to help you get in the proper holiday spirit. Even if you're surprised by this occasion, you can still whip up this meal and have plenty of time to sip a Sazerac.

Red beans and rice is pretty quintessential NOLA (short for New Orleans, LA) cuisine. It was originally served on Mondays, utilizing the ham bone left over from Sunday supper. Very low maintenance, it simmered on the stove all day while the women washed the family's laundry and hung it out to dry. Although for the most part, Monday Wash Day is a thing of the past, red beans and rice is still a NOLA staple, both at home and restaurants. Today, though, you'll most often find it served with andouille sausage or boudin, a spicy pork sausage with onion, rice and herbs.

This dish is easy to put together, inexpensive and comforting. The only issue I could possibly point to is the name. It seems like it should be called red beans and sausage because the rice seems like an after thought. Regardless, it's delicious.

While I certainly don't care if your laundry goes by untouched for another day, I must implore you to make red beans and rice in honor of Mardi Gras. Just stick the few ingredients in a crock pot and you're done!

If you're still unconvinced but would like to celebrate, try these other suggestions:

1) Drink cheap beer out of a large plastic cup — at 9 am, or . . .

2) Lift your shirt up and see if anyone throws beads at you.

If you start with the first one, you may likely end up doing the second. Just don't say I didn't warn you. . . .

Laissez les bon temps rouler (let the good times roll)!

Mama's Red Beans and Rice

from Bon Appetit, Y'all

Ingredients

1 lb dried red kidney beans, washed and picked over for stones

1 ham bone or 2 lbs boudin, smoke sausage or Cajun andouille, sliced 1 inch thick

1 onion, preferably Vidalia, chopped

2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

6 cups water

Hot sauce for seasoning

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Rice, for accompaniment

Directions

Place beans in a large bowl and add water to cover. Soak overnight. Or place the beans in a large pot of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the beans have come to a boil, remove from the heat and set aside for an hour. Before cooking, discard any floating beans and drain.

To prepare in a slow cooker, place the drained beans, ham bone (or sausage), onion, garlic and water in the insert of a slow cooker. Cover over low heat until the beans are tender, about 6 hours.

To prepare on the stovetop, combine the beans, ham bone (or sausage), onion, garlic, and water in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch over. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to low. Simmer, covered, until the beans are tender, 4-5 hours. Season with hot sauce. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with rice.

The Pack is Back: Bring on the Cheese

My friend Tony is a long-standing and extremely passionate Green Bay Packers fan. So in the wake of their Super Bowl win on Sunday (and to honor football and cheese), I would like to dedicate this post to their #1 fan.

In the South, football borders on religion and we love our pimento cheese. A staple in most Southern homes, church potlucks and even on restaurant menus, pimento cheese is something most of us grew up on but may not have realized we're probably the only folks eating it. What a shame is all I can say. As a child I would eat pimento cheese slathered between two slices of white bread for the perfect lunch. At a party, it may be piped into celery boats for easy enjoyment. For decadence, it was the perfect topping on a burger.

It's nothing fancy. In fact, it doesn't even look all that appealing. But it's downright addictive. It's basically just grated cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, spices and chopped pimentos. You can buy it in a grocery store (in the South), but nothing beats homemade pimento cheese. It's definitely a classic, though, so you don't want to mess with a good thing. No specialty cheeses (read: goat) or condiments (read: dill pickles) need apply. It's cheesy. It's creamy. It's a little spicy. It's both comforting and celebratory.

It's something I find myself making a lot when I entertain because people around here have never had it. And it's fun to watch them try it . . . and then sit down and eat a quart of it. It also makes me feel a little closer to my roots. Actually, it makes me feel a little grown up too. As a child, making and serving pimento cheese seemed like a very adult thing to do even though kids of all ages love it.

The first question most people have is what on Earth is a pimento?! I usually say it's that red thing you find stuffed in the olive in your martini. But if you want to get technical, it's a small, sweet red pepper but more flavorful than a bell pepper. When dried and ground, it becomes paprika. The second question might be how do you spell it, which is up for debate. Pimento or pimiento? Like many words America has butchered and modified, this little pepper is one of them. You find/see both so just pick one. No one seems to mind. Thirdly, how do you say it like a proper Southerner? You'll get an approving nod if you go with "pimenah."

So the next time you're looking for the perfect start to a Southern meal — or a way to just make your guests swoon and call you ego-boosting names, go for the pimento cheese. Warning: Your glory may be short-lived as your guests curse your name the next day as they try to work off all the cheese and mayo on the treadmill. But rest assured, they'll be back asking for more.

Pimento Cheese

From Screen Doors and Sweet Tea

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp finely chopped sage

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

8 oz Colby cheese, grated (2 cups)

8 oz Cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)

4 oz chopped pimentos, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

Tabasco to taste

Directions

Before I get started, let me just say, "Do not use pre-shredded cheese!" You will need to grate it yourself. It just doesn't seem to combine otherwise. So without further ado:

In medium bowl, with a rubber spatula, combine the mayonnaise, sage, lemon juice, mustard, cayenne, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the cheese and pimentos, blending thoroughly to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Delicious served on bread, crackers, carrot and celery sticks, burgers and even corn on the cob!

She Couldn't Stay

Today I had to say goodbye to my faithful companion, Summer, who's been by my side for 15 years. It was time for her to go, although I didn't want her to. I guess that's how most people feel who are left behind. I knew she couldn't stay as her health was failing, but you never really prepare yourself for the loss of those special fuzzy creatures.

Summer was an unusual cat. In fact she was more like a dog, which is probably why people who didn't fancy themselves to be "cat people" were drawn to her. She was simply very sweet and very communicative (even if misunderstood at times) and a character. She was an important member in my family and she changed my life in so many ways. The loss of her love and wonderful friendship will certainly be felt for a long time. I already miss her and the many ways she filled my life.

We sampled foods together . . .

. . . cooked together. . .

. . . drank together. . . .

. . . cohosted parties together . . .

. . . and rested together.

I am heartbroken but know how lucky I was to have her in my life for so long. She was the best.

Liquor Stores and Gas Stations

I love to write on this blog. Truly. It just seems like I've been so busy with my "day job" of late that I haven't had time to post very much. I dream about writing here though. I craft entries in my sleep and am somewhat disappointed to not find them online in the morning, because I've done some of my best writing in my dreams. I seem to lose some of the genius when I try to recreate them. Anyway, I have been cooking, eating, ruminating about food, etc. these past weeks. I just haven't shared much here. If I was a proper Southern hostess, I would've baked you some muffins or cookies to welcome you back after the hiatus, but instead I'd like to talk about some seemingly unladylike topics: Liquor stores and gas stations.

The first time I walked into a grocery store in California, I almost fainted. There were rows and rows of liquor being sold — even on Sundays and even after midnight!!! I couldn't get over having such access to alcohol. In college I recall a sense of panic setting in as the weekend neared. You had to plan ahead to make sure you had enough booze to make it to Monday. There was this mad dash to make it to the ABC store before 5:30 pm on Friday because it was the only place you could buy liquor and it wasn't open on the weekends (which is silly because that's usually when you want to be drinking cocktails). It was like stocking up on canned goods before a hurricane. I couldn't help but wonder why anyone in California even bothered going to the liquor store if they could buy a bottle of bourbon along side their milk and bread. I soon found out why. . . .

It's for the tacos and burritos.

Yep, apparently in California many of these liquor stores are fronts for some of the best and most authentic Mexican food you can find. They have these little surprise counter restaurants in the back of the stores. And while these kitchens may look unassuming and even uninspiring, they crank out food that creates almost cult-like followings.

Sure it may not be common place to buy a killer carne asada taco right next to a stack of Hustler magazines and a display of 40 different types of vodka, but trust me you'd wish it was if you ever sunk your teeth into one of these humble treats.

My personal favorite is the chorizo breakfast burrito. First off, a breakfast burrito is God's creation of the perfect breakfast food. You've got all the core components wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla with some cheese and salsa thrown in for some extra protein and veggies — the perfect balance between greasy, comfort food and fresh, bright flavors. It's cheap, portable and a savior following a big night of "over-indulgence," which is a tad ironic because you might think a liquor store is the last place you'd want to find yourself when you're hungover. My favorite liquor store makes their breakfast burritos with mashed potatoes which is truly off the hook, served with this roasted salsa that I could do shots of and leave this world a happy camper. Seriously, it's ridiculous.

I got to thinking about unsuspecting places to find amazing food. I know now, at least on the West Coast, gourmet food trucks are all the craze. But I'm talking about more basic spots that are part of the culture and landscape of a place. Things that seem obvious to the locals yet raise eye-brows to the visitors. I realized in the South it's gas stations.

Maybe that's why they're still called fillin' stations there. You fill up your tummies while you're filling up your car. It might be fried okra or boiled peanuts, but whatever they're serving it's bound to be good. Good like something your grandmother would make. It's probably organic and local but they're not advertising it as such. They call it homegrown and homemade, which are two of the loveliest words I know.

When I was at my grandmothers in LA (which is Lower Alabama not Los Angeles) for the Thanksgiving holiday, the thing we look forward to the most isn't the turkey, which I know sounds blasphemous. It isn't even Black Friday, and this is coming from a clothes horse. It's the Iron Bowl, the football match between the University of Alabama and Auburn played the Saturday after Thanksgiving each year. This is possibly one of the biggest rivalries on the planet. As sports journalist Tommy Hicks explained so perfectly, it's pure, un-adulterated, old-fashioned hate. Every single person is simply on one side or the other and must wear the colors of that school, which can run the gamut from a baseball cap to a tattoo. And bless your heart if you're in a House Divided, which is another way of saying a divorce is imminent. It's not a game where winning is acceptable. You'll only be satisfied if your team beats the other by 100 points. It's really the only game that matters during the year. You could lose every other game yet beat your rival and people will act like you've just finished a perfect season.

Anyway, the whole point of this is that 30 minutes before kick-off, I decided fried chicken would be the only adequate fuel to sustain us during this intense match, which usually includes shouting at the TV until you're horse, falling down on the floor when someone misses a pass, and jumping up on the sofa when someone scores a touchdown or makes an interception. So off I went to get the fried chicken . . . at the gas station.

It's not like getting a hot dog at 7-11. It's real fried chicken. Big ole pieces fried golden brown with a unique seasoning that dances on your tongue as you savor each juicy bite. It's truly finger licking good. You can smell it cooking from a mile away, which is about when your mouth starts watering.

There's good food in life and then there's food that makes life good. It's the liquor store and gas station food that makes me happy to be alive. While it may be nothing fancy, it certainly feeds the soul and makes me appreciate good cooks everywhere, especially those in the most unpretentious places.

Where You Come From

I can't believe we're winding down the first month of the New Year and I'm just getting around to my first post of 2011! I've been wanting to post for weeks now, but there were two reasons I couldn't. Firstly, I had to finish all my Christmas thank you notes. As any child raised by a Southern mamma knows, not sending a handwritten thank you note is unthinkable and has potential to shame the family, which is basically the worst thing you can do.

Secondly, I was in Boston for business and found myself stuck in the midst of this:

I was easy to spot as I was the only moron trying to walk around in 15 inches of snow in 5-inch platform heels. I got tired of strangers walking up to me and saying, "Those are wicked awesome shoes but where are you from?" And I've never seen people having to shovel a roof before!

Although I didn't get around to making a snow angel, I did have the most amazing and quintessential Boston lunch at this fine eating establishment. I often categorize cities by food, so when I think of Boston I think lobster roll, or the "lobstah" roll as the locals call it. Regardless of how you pronounce it, it's basically luscious chunks of lobster in a light mayonnaise dressing stuffed into a soft hotdog-like roll. But like most dishes, they can run the spectrum from ho-hum to life-changing. Chef Barbara Lynch is nothing short of a culinary rock star, so the fact that after just one bite I felt compelled to grab the entire lobster roll-filled tray for eight and run as fast as I could away from the table so I could stuff myself into oblivion shouldn't really come as much of a surprise.

It reminded me, though, that every place has its own beauty and characteristics — be it a meal or a monument or a method of living — that defines it and makes it unique. Often it's those "special" qualities that endears us to a place.

After having the pleasure of spending both Thanksgiving and Christmas back in the South, I spent some time thinking about all the little things that in many ways become big things that I love and miss about the South when living in California.

Things like frozen dumplings — and an entire case dedicated to them at the grocery store — for quick chicken and dumplings . . .

. . . quite possibly the best breakfast sausage in the world . . .

. . . Blue Bell ice cream. . .

. . . deep fried turkey breast . . .

. . . cane syrup for your biscuits . . .

. . . pimento cheese-stuffed celery sticks . . .

. . . scuppernong jelly . . .

. . . deer sausage, from a buck my cousin's 13-year-old daughter shot, to name just a few.

As much as I love to travel and learn about new places (which often involves food), I never want to forget where I come from and how it's shaped me. So here's to a 2011 filled with many wonderful new experiences and an appreciation for our roots.

I hope the year is off to a fabulous start for you!