SAVANNAH - CREAMY SHRIMP AND GRITS

Once a year for the past 14 years a group of eight friends (including us!) have been going on a weekend trip together.  We cook, we shop, there may be golf, there may be a dinner game mystery; but we have really enjoyed the fun time together.  The location has typically been within a two hour drive of our homes, to a VRBO, a bed and breakfast, or to a lake cabin or lake home.  Since this year we are celebrating our 15th get together, we decided to do something special.  After a lot of thought, we decided to spend four (or more!) days together in Savannah, Georgia.  Although we are all well traveled, we found that this is one of the places that none of us had been to previously.  More on that in a later blog post.

We needed to get together to do some advance planning, so I decided to host a potluck "Southern Dinner" to include us watching the movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" which takes place in Savannah.   For the dinner I decided to prepare Shrimp and Grits.  You can immediately tell that I am a northerner since southerners will tell you that Shrimp and Grits is a breakfast entree, not a dinner entree.  Oh well...

CREAMY SHRIMP AND GRITS.  Serves 8.
GRITS:
*  4-1/4 cups low-salt chicken broth
*  3/4 cup whipping cream
*  6 tablespoons butter
*  2 garlic cloves, minced
*  1 cup corn grits (or corn meal)
In a large heavy saucepan, bring broth, cream, butter and garlic to boil.  Gradually whisk in corn grits.  Return to a boil, whisking constantly.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, whisking often, until grits thicken - about 15 minutes.
SHRIMP:
*  4 ounces of bacon, cut into thin strips
*  1/2 cup butter
*  1 whole fresh red pepper, seeded and cut into pieces
*  2/3 cup finely chopped shallots
*  2 large garlic cloves, minced
*  4 pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
*  1 cup dry white wine
*  28 ounces canned, diced tomatoes in juice, drained (juice reserved)
*  1 teaspoon seasoning such as Penzeys "Ozark"
*  1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
*  1/2 cup chopped green onions

In a large, heavy skillet, fry the bacon; then remove the bacon and most of the bacon grease.  Add 1/4 cup butter to the skillet.  Saute red pepper, shallots and garlic for about 2 minutes.  Add the shrimp and saute another two minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp to a bowl.  Add white wine to the skillet and boil until reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes.  Add the drained tomatoes, the Ozark seasoning, and half of the fried bacon; simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.  Add parsley, green onions, and cooked shrimp and simmer until the shrimp are warmed through, about 2 minutes.  If desired, thin the sauce with the reserved tomato juice.  Test and add salt and pepper to taste.
TO SERVE:
Spoon corn grits into shallow bowls.  Top with shrimp mixture, and garnish with the remaining fried bacon.  Serve immediately. 

BAKED COD WITH ORANGE, CAPERS AND ZUCCHINI

For all of the eating I've been doing lately, it's a wonder that I haven't been posting more of the recipes!  Actually, I have been trying to lose some of the pounds put on over the holidays and the following recipe fits well with a healthy, low carb diet, particularly because it is so tasty and satisfying. 

BAKED COD WITH ORANGE, CAPERS AND ZUCCHINI.  Serves 6.
*  3 small zucchini, sliced
*  2 pounds fresh cod
*  1 orange
*  1 tomato, seeded and chopped
*  2 green onions, chopped
*  1 tablespoon capers, drained
*  "Ginger Lime Salt"  Recipe
*  Penzeys "Mural of Flavor" Find it here
*  Olive oil
Preheat oven to 425º.  Butter a glass baking dish and cover bottom with sliced zucchini.  Top with cod, then sprinkle on:  zest from one orange,  tomato, onion, and capers.  Sprinkle all over with the Ginger Lime Salt and the Penzeys "Mural of Flavor."  Squeeze juice from the orange over all and drizzle with olive oil.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes or until done. 

HOMEMADE HOLIDAY GIFTS - FLAVORED SALTS.

Today was the holiday party for the cooking club I belong to.  It is the most fun event for me of all our luncheons!  We meet at a member's home and we all bring appetizers; a few members bring other things.  Today member Barb had a gift for each of us:  Lime Ginger Salt.  What a great idea for a holiday gift!  I asked for the recipe and she indicated that it could be found at the Country Living site.   Click on the hypertext to find that recipe, along with recipes for a number of other salts.   This is a great idea for hostess gifts or for gifts to your foodie friends.  I'm looking forward to trying out the Lime Ginger Salt on fish.

Thank you, Barb!

NORWEGIAN FOODS - FISKEGROT (FISH PUDDING) - COOKING CLUB

Today was my turn to host our cooking club.  I picked the theme - Norwegian Foods - after attending a Byerly/Lunds cooking class on Scandinavian foods that included a delicious pear tart.  Here was our menu:

*  Appetizer - Marinated Edam Cheese (Marinert Edamerost) {We didn't have this but we had a nice substitute of smoked salmon with cream cheese & dill on sweet potato chips.}
*  Soup - Norwegian Spinach Soup
*  Side Dish - Andreas Viestad Onion Pie with Jarlsberg & Thyme
*  Salad - Frisee Salad
*  Main Entree - Fish Pudding (Fiskegrot) with Norwegian White Sauce
*  Side Dish - Andreas Viestad New Potato Salad with Herbs & Green Beans
*  Dessert - Country Style Pear Tart

All of the recipes turned out great.  If you want any of them, just let me know.

I made the Fish Pudding.  Yes, it sounds strange, but I understand it is a very typical Norwegian dish.  And, in the end, it was quite tasty and I will definitely make it again.  It is also incredibly easy to make and would make a good (and unusual) dish for guests.

FISH PUDDING (FISKEGROT) 
*  2-1/2 pounds fresh cod
*  2 tablespoons potato starch
*  2 teaspoons salt
*  White Pepper
*  Dash of ground nutmeg
*  2 eggs
*  1/3 cup butter, room temperature
*  1/2 cup warm cream
*  1 cup warm milk (whole)
Place the fish in a food processor and process until smooth.  Remove it to the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the potato starch, seasonings, and the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly.  Add the butter; warm the cream and milk in the microwave; then add it to the mixture.  Beat all until light and fluffy.  Place the mixture in a buttered casserole dish.

 Cover with foil, then place the pan in a larger plan of hot water.

Bake at 350º for about 1 hour.
Serve with Norwegian White Sauce.  Or you can serve it with fried onions.

NORWEGIAN WHITE SAUCE
*  2 cups whole milk
*  1 small onion, chopped
*  1 bay leaf
*  1 dash cayenne
*  4 tablespoons butter
*  3 tablespoons flour
*  salt
*  white pepper
*  1/2 cup frozen sweet peas, cooked (or more)
*  fresh chopped dill to taste
In a medium sauce pan simmer milk on medium-low heat.  Add the onion, bay leaf and cayenne.  Simmer for a few minutes stirring constantly to prevent scorching.  Strain the milk into a bowl and discard the onion and bay leaf.  Melt the butter in the sauce pan and whisk in flour until thick.  Stir in the milk and simmer until the desired consistency is reached.  Sauce will thicken as it stands.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in peas to heat through.  Add dill.  Serve over Fiskegrot.

It was a challenge coming up with place settings that were Norwegian.  This was the best I could do.  See the guy on the cart?  I'm saying he's Norwegian!

A JULIA CHILD MEAL

It was my turn to "host" our cooking club so I pulled out my Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child and selected a menu of recipes.  Here was the menu:

*  Algo Bouido (Garlic Soup)
*  Bouchees Parmentier au Fromage (Potato Cheese Sticks)
*  Celery Root Remoulade
*  Gratin Aux Fruits de Mer (Gratin of Seafood)
*  Epinards A La Basquaise (Gratin of Spinach and Potatoes)
*  Carottes Glacees (Glazed Carrots)
*  Clafouti (Fruit Flan)

On Thursday, everyone arrived for our lunch with their dish.

 Garlic Soup with Potato Cheese Sticks.

Celery Root Remoulade.

 Glazed Carrots.

 Gratin of Spinach and Potatoes.

 Gratin of Seafood.

Apple Clafouti.

As we know, Julia Child spent years perfecting her recipes for American cooks.  Despite her best efforts, some of us found it necessary to tweak the recipes to achieve a better outcome.    All in all, this was a delicious meal!  Thank you, Julia!

If you want any of the recipes, please send an email request to me at:   www.foodie-bee@mail.com

HERRING IN SOUR CREAM

Does this look good?  It's herring in sour cream with fried potatoes and a mixed vegetable salad.

Today it seems that most people in Germany speak English.  That was not the case when I first visited Germany.  At the time, menus were also not in English and I had an interesting time deciding which foods to order.  It resulted in me eating quite a few things that I wasn't expecting.  I remember one meal in particular.  It was a large plate of warm herring in sour cream sauce, with boiled potatoes and a side vegetable.  Fortunately, I really love herring and was thrilled to have it served in that manner.  In the U.S. herring is mostly found in small jars and the cold herring is served as an appetizer.  Not in Germany though!

On our recent visit to Germany I was looking forward to again having herring as a main dish.  I was not disappointed!  I don't know where to order fresh herring in the U.S. but here is a recipe for the appetizer herring we're used to.  The benefit of this recipe is that you have more control over the flavor than if you simply purchased herring in sour cream.

HERING IN SAURER SAHNE (Herring in Sour Cream).  Serves 4.
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 medium sweet onion, cut into thin rings
2 (5 oz.) jars herring in wine sauce, drained
Combine sour cream, vinegar and sugar; blend well.  Add onion.  Arrange herring on serving dishes.  Spoon sour cream mixture over herring.
Garnish with sliced apple (see photo above).

WALLEYE, GARLIC AIOLI, CORN PUDDING, RYAN & CARLY

Ryan and his close friend, Carly, were visiting us this week. Since they live in Hong Kong, even a short visit is greatly welcomed. We only had four days which translated to two dinners "at home." Since Carly is British, we decided to have one traditional Minnesota meal. In 1965, Minnesota crowned walleye the official state fish, so we decided on walleye served with wild rice. For the other meal, I prepared my version of "Mexican" or "Southwest." Here are three recipes from the meals.

WALLEYE SAUTEED IN ALMONDS. Serves 4 - 6
* 1 cup (4 oz) sliced almonds
* Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1-1/2 lb. walleye fillets
* 1/2 cup flour
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
In a shallow bowl, combine almonds, lemon zest, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Roll each fillet in flour, dip in beaten egg, then gently roll in almond mixture, covering both sides well with all 3 coatings.
In a large skillet, heat butter and oil until very hot. Reduce heat to medium and saute fillets until crispy and brown, about four minutes on each side.
This recipe is from "The Cafe Brenda Cookbook."

I served this with my own version of GARLIC AIOLI which is made to taste. I start with a good, real mayonnaise, then add to taste: finely chopped or pressed garlic, finely diced tomato, grated lemon peel, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, capers, and whatever herbs I care to add. For this meal I added chopped dill.

One of the dishes I made for the "fun" meal was corn pudding. This dish works well for any meal (especially Thanksgiving), and it always gets great reviews. I got the recipe from a friend, having tasted it at her dinner party. She served it in individual ramekins, but I simply double the recipe and bake it in a large casserole dish. Below is the recipe as Eileen gave it to me.

CORN PUDDING. This mixture can be prepared early in day and refrigerated. Stir before filling the dish(es).
* 1 small onion, minced
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/4 cup butter
* 4-5 drops Tabasco sauce
* 1 tablespoon chopped dill
* 2 tablespoons chopped chives
* 1 8-oz. box corn muffin mix (Jiffy)
* 1 egg
* 1 15-oz can cream-style corn
* 1/3 cup milk or cream
* 1/2-3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
* 1 cup buttermilk
   Preheat oven to 350º. Over medium heat saute onion and garlic until soft. Add Tabasco sauce, dill and chives; then cool. In a medium bowl, mix corn muffin mix, egg, corn, milk, cheese and buttermilk. Add onion mixture and stir. Pour into a greased 2-1/2 or 3 quart casserole and bake one hour.
   FOR INDIVIDUAL RAMEKINS: This recipe makes 7 ramekins measuring 3" in diameter and 1-1/2" height.
Spray ramekins with oil and fill each ramekin 7/8" full will the batter. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350º. They are done when a tooth pick comes out clean and the tops are browned. Let ramekins rest for about 10 minutes and turn upside down to unmold. Leave the ramekin on top to keep them warm until ready to be served; then remove the ramekin and flip pudding over so that the golden top is showing.