Playing Catch Up with My Southern-ness I was born and raised in the south, but since my parents were both from Queens in New York City, I ate as a northerner at home. Southerners ate biscuits. We had soft dinner rolls. Southerners ate cheese grits. Mom served cream of wheat. Southerners ate chicken and flat or "slick" dumplings. When we had dumplings, ours were big and puffy and sat atop a fricassee. Don't get me wrong, friends. I love rolls, and I even like cream of wheat. ... continue reading...
Search Results for: progressive eats
Double Polar Burger with Everything | Progressive Eats
I fell in love with Danny Zuko the moment he turned around, face as big as the screen, with a cigarette dangling from those kissable lips, his bright blue eyes promising...well, I was barely on the cusp of teenagerdom, so I had no idea what those eyes were promising. All I know is when he ordered a Double Polar Burger with Everything (and a cherry soda with chocolate ice cream), I wanted one too. Just like Sandy. "Ooh, that sounds good. I'll have the same!" When Coleen from The Redhead Baker ... continue reading...
Blood Orange Muhammara | Progressive Eats
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I will earn a small commission. Your price is unaffected. Read more on my disclosure page. Progressive Eats is one of my favorite times of the month. I try to think outside the box and really bring the theme home in new and delicious ways. All these ladies push me to be better and more creative, and I love it! Thanks so much to Coleen for hosting this month and to Barb from Creative Culinary for ... continue reading...
Champagne Yeast Brioche Bread | Progressive Eats
Friends, hi! It's Progressive Eats day, and this month, Jane from The Heritage Cook is hosting! Come see what we have going on for a New Year's Eve Blowout Celebration! (Spoiler Alert: I made champagne yeast brioche bread.) A New Year's Eve Extravaganza Welcome to another edition of Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a progressive dinner party where each course is held at a different home. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious ... continue reading...
Vegan Mango Pineapple Fool | Progressive Eats
When I heard that this month's theme was Taste of the Caribbean (thank you, Coleen, for hosting!) I knew exactly what I was going to do. No--I didn't know what I was going to make. I really don't know very much about Caribbean flavors except for a vague sense that boat drinks and rum are possibly involved. No, I went to The Google and asked about traditional Caribbean desserts. My initial thought was flan, but I already made a chocoflan for Progressive Eats awhile ago, so that was out. A few ... continue reading...
Smoked Caramel Pineapple Ice Cream | Progressive Eats
I really hated summer camp. And when I say I hated it, I am not kidding. I loathed it. I was the least sporty girl there, I'm sure. If I'd been a Spice Girl, my nickname would have been Anti-Sporty Spice. I was made to attend day camp for at least a handful of summers, and my camp experience culminated (nadir-ed?) in a one-week sleep-away camp called Camp Occoneechee. I have been reading all the comments from girls who camped at Camp Occoneechee for years and years and ... continue reading...
Dill Caprese Bruschetta | Progressive Eats
Happy Summertime, and happy Progressive Eats Day! It's our first Progressive Eats party of the season celebrates Summer's Bounty, and I can't wait to eat my way through the entire menu! Thanks to Laura from Mother Would Know for coming up with such a timely theme and for hosting our virtual progressive dinner party this month! Stick around for the rest of the delicious roundup of Summer Bounty after the recipe, friends. So much summery goodness! Tracy's Gourmet® I am proud to be working ... continue reading...
Sweet and Spicy Pork Egg Rolls | Progressive Eats
Hello, friends! I hope you enjoy thiese sweet and spicy pork egg rolls! They are really flavorful and a nice twist on an Asian-American classic egg rolls. You may also find these pineapple ham skewers a good fit if you're looking for a lighter take on pork. I missed last month's Soup Extravaganza, and I was so sad. I had a plan and everything, but then I forgot that last February is really short and ended up on vacation the weekend I was supposed to be cooking and writing my post. ... continue reading...
Hot Chocolate Custard with Coffee Marshmallows| Progressive Eats
Welcome to this month's Progressive Eats meal, and what a doozy! New permanent member Susan from The Wimpy Vegetarian has chosen a fantastic theme: Weekend Ski Party. Nice, right? It conjures up images of swooshing down the slopes all day and then filling up on warming, cheesy, gooey, comfort food with a hot toddy to warm you from top to toe. If you're unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With ... continue reading...
Hibiscus Rose Sharbat for Progressive Eats
Mediterranean Feast I am so excited about this month's Progressive Eats Dinner! The theme, chosen by wonderful Megan of Stetted, is Mediterranean, and once again, I think this group has outdone itself! We scoured all the corners of the Mediterranean to bring you such a feast! I'm so excited about the menu as a whole, I'm sharing it now before I share the drink I made (but do stick around for that too!) Everything is just sparkling with Mediterranean flavor! Speaking of sparkling, if ... continue reading...
Mexican Spiced Chocoflan for Progressive Eats
I think it was my friend Nelly from Cooking with Books who first showed me a picture of Chocoflan, or impossible cake, and I have had it in the back of my mind ever since. I mean, who wouldn't want moist chocolate cake and smooth, creamy flan all in one bite? Nobody? I didn't think so. The first time I tried to make Chocoflan, I thought I'd be snazzy and use brownie batter and make individual ones in ramekins. The brownie batter steadfastly refused to rise up through the flan mixture and trade ... continue reading...
Grilled Vegetable Gazpacho (Greek Style) for Progressive Eats
I am so excited that it's #ProgressiveEats time again! Hooray for Barb of Creative Culinary for dreaming up this wonderful group and for inviting me to be a part of it! Last month's theme, chosen by the fantastic Lana of Never Enough Thyme, Summer in the South Extravaganza was truly spectacular. This month, Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake chose the theme Summer Barbecue, and it will be every bit as delicious as last month's! With everything from shrimp as an appetizer to two glorious ... continue reading...
Chings, Junior Style #ProgressiveEats: Florida-Mex Memories from the Space Coast
Memory Lane I have a love-hate relationship with Florida. On one hand, it's hot and bad there. On the other hand, it's where The Beloved grew up. On one hand, I lived in Florida during the hanging chads debacle. So there's that. On the other, Florida is where my Beloved used to ride his bicycle in front of Patrick Air Force Base and past the I Dream of Jeannie steps, where he had his first job as a stock man at Publix, going to high school full time and working nearly full-time ... continue reading...
Blueberry Lemongrass Ice Cream | #ProgressiveEats
Blueberry lemongrass ice cream is lemony and herbaceous and refreshing. You're going to love it. Don't miss the round up of all my ice cream recipes. An entire year has rolled around since Barb of Creative Culinary launched Progressive Eats, and since then, we have had some really fantastic meals! Too bad it's a virtual progressive dinner and not an actual one, but at least we have everyone's recipes if we want to recreate the meals at home. In North Carolina, July is the height of summer. ... continue reading...
Coffee Pecan Tart with Orange Shortbread Crust
Why Is This Pecan Tart Better Than Pecan Pie? I will tell you: I find pecan pie to generally be overly sweet with that odd layer of goo lingering under the nuts. It's not that I don't like it really. I just think it's a bit one-note.Most folks don't toast their nuts before baking, and many recipes don't call for any salt or "just a pinch," which most people interpret as 3 flakes. Nuts need salt and nuts need toasting. And what's better with a slice of toasted, salted, pecany goodness than ... continue reading...
Spicy Pepperoni Pinwheels Recipe | Tasty Little Appetizers
Why This Recipe Works With homemade pizza dough flavored with Italian herbs and garlic, you get double the pizza flavor. This dough is also more tender than standard pizza dough. This means when you take a bite, you get a bite and not a jagged tear. With flat, standard pizza, this isn't really an issue. You want some chew and some "bite back" from such a thin layer of dough. But when rolled into a pinwheel, it becomes a fight to take a bite when the dough springs back. So tender is ... continue reading...
Ghoriba Bahla Recipe | Moroccan Shortbread Cookies
What Are Ghoriba Bahla? Ghoriba is the Arabic word for cookie. It's a generic term that can mean any of a number of different types of Moroccan cookies. Ghoriba is actually the word for "stranger," but I have searched and searched and cannot find a source telling me why cookies would be called strangers. At any rate, the bahla part of ghoriba bahla means "silly," and this refers to the craze of cracks on the tops of the cookies. No cracks? Not bahla. Since my cookies do ... continue reading...
Pimento Cheese Stuffed Grits Arancini | Fancy Southern Appetizer!
I am so happy it's Progressive Eats time again! This month, we're featuring a holiday cocktail party menu, and I have a fancy Southern appetizer for you: Pimento Cheese Stuffed Grits Arancini. Because that sounds better than Fried Grits Balls. Arancini (okay, Fried Grits Balls) I'm a huge fan of traditional arancini: balls of leftover risotto stuffed with meat, cheese, or both. They're creamy, crispy, gooey bites of goodness. In fact, I have an arancini recipe on the site already. But for ... continue reading...
Mexican Pasta Salad with Mexican Green Goddess Dressing
The Herbs Have It! When I found out that this month's Progressive Eats theme was Herbs, I immediately thought of Green Goddess dressing. And then I thought some more and came up with a dish I'm calling Mexican Pasta Salad with Green Goddess dressing. Once I came up with the name, I had to figure out how to make it, and figure it out I did. It is most delicious--herbaceous, tangy, crunchy, creamy, a little spicy, and easily veganized as well. It all sounds pretty great, right? ... continue reading...
Grilled Patriotic Pizza | Roasted Red Pepper, Blue Potato, and Goat Cheese
Full disclosure, this is the first time I have ever grilled pizza, and I think it went quite well. For a first time. I do suggest that, unless you have a (affiliate) gas grill with special zones, put all the coals on one side and grill your pizzas on the other. This prevents Black Bottom Syndrome (what? It's a thing.) as well as Cursing. Once I moved the coals over to one side, things went much more smoothly. And the pizza was fantastic, so there's that. Worth just a bit of cursing, I ... continue reading...
Sweet Tea Roasted Corn on the Cob | Southern Grilled Corn
Adding Flavor with Reductions A "reduction" is one of those cooking terms that can seem a little intimidating. I know I used to be intimidated before I learned how easy they were to make. A reduction is a sauce or glaze whose volume has been reduced through boiling or simmering. As you boil the liquid, flavor concentrates, sugars caramelize, and water evaporates. This leaves you with an intense sauce with lots of body and flavor at the cost of just a few minutes of watching a pot ... continue reading...
Lavender Créme Fraîche Ice Cream with Lemon Blueberry Curd for Ice Cream Tuesday
Lavender creme fraiche ice cream is lovely on its own, but swirl in some lemon blueberry curd and you are talking Seriously Fancy Ice Cream! Don't miss the round up of all my ice cream recipes. I am an Autumn person. I am happiest when the sun is warm but the air is crisp and cool. Watching the leaves change colors is like a miracle, and I never tire of experiencing it. But endings are sad, and summer is coming to an end. So while I look forward to the autumn and sweater weather, I can be a ... continue reading...
Ginger Ale Stracciatella with Marcona Almonds for Ice Cream Tuesday
Ginger Ale Stracciatella is a fantastic ice cream flavor. And if you've never had Marcona almonds before, be prepared to fall in love! Don't miss the round up of all my ice cream recipes. Ginger Ale Stracciatella Today is a double post day, so this Ice Cream Tuesday post will be short and sweet. But what it lacks in length, it more than makes up for in delicious flavor. You may know that The Beloved brews beer with some buddies in Charlotte. Very good beer. Every so often, he makes the three ... continue reading...
Pearl Couscous Salad with Tzatziki Sauce
As I am writing this I am devouring a serving of this amazing salad. I made it for a girl's weekend and everyone loves it! It is savory crunchy and tasty all at the same time. I served it with pitas, homemade hummus, feta cheese, chicken souvlaki and veggie strips. I cheated and used a commercial tzatziki but it was still delicious. Next time I will take the time to make the tzatziki. I need to stop writing and get back to eating! Make this, you will not regret it!Reader Jane Why You Need to ... continue reading...
Loaded Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
Watch my best jalapeno cornbread recipe web story here. This Cornbread is for You If Do you ever see a recipe title and think, "Well, this could go either way. It could be awesome or completely different than what I am thinking?" If so, this section is for you. You'll like my version of loaded jalapeno cheddar cornbread if: You might also consider my skillet-baked hummus cornbread. If this one checks all your boxes and you don't need any more convincing, feel free to jump ... continue reading...
The Best Bacon Peach Jam | Sweet and Savory
Why Make This Recipe? There are plenty of recipes out there for making bacon jams--I even have one on my site, linked in the introduction to this post. What makes this bacon peach jam stand apart? A few things: The meaty sweetness of peaches as well as the two whole onions mellows the sharp, salty, fattiness of the bacon. That makes this spread work across many more types of recipes than straight-up bacon jam.It is beautifully spreadable and more approachable cold (although I still like ... continue reading...
Spicy Bacon Jam with Chipotle Peppers
Watch my spicy bacon jam web story here. What Makes This Recipe Awesome This jam is pretty spectacular. What makes it so great is that I have chosen ingredients that already play up what's so addictive about bacon: Using the best bacon: You can absolutely use bacon purchased from your grocery store. If you go that route, make sure to get the best quality bacon they have. Since the flavor of this jam is undeniably bacony, the better the bacon, the more flavor your jam will ... continue reading...
Peach Panzanella Recipe| Dessert Panzanella
My First Original Dessert This dessert was the first that I created myself when I was promoted to pastry chef at Luma on Park (now closed after almost 20 years. Alas.) I had had input on recipes before, and I had created what the chef or pastry chef had suggested, but this baby is all mine. And now it's yours, too! Dessert Peach Panzanella is obviously a play on the wonderful Italian salad, Panzanella which features torn bread, juicy tomatoes and sometimes other vegetables, a ... continue reading...
Cowboy Pinto Beans: Instant Pot Charros Beans with Country Ham Hocks
Cowboy pinto beans This recipe is AMAZING!!! I’ve probably made it 8 times in the past year, and my family wishes I would make it more often. The flavor is amazing! Reader Lindsey Y'all. I'm from the south, but I came late to the world of pinto beans. I feel like a bad southerner! A friend and I met at a little Mexican taqueria for lunch last week, and they served charro pinto beans. And I fell in love with them. So much flavor! I didn't ask how they made theirs, but I know ... continue reading...
Potato Stuffing Waffles for a Low-Stress Thanksgiving
This post is sponsored by the Idaho® Potato Commission. All opinions are my own. Watch my potato stuffing waffles web story here. Why You Need to Make These Aside from being delicious and easy to make, here are some other reasons to adopt the potato stuffing waffle as the new gold standard for both stuffing and waffles: How to Make These Guys Ingredients Here's the list of ingredients you'll need. If you're like me, you may already have almost everything you need. ... continue reading...
Racism. Born and Bred in the South, I Actively Reject It Daily
Reposting on May 28, 2020 in light of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of white police officers on May 7, 2020. We must do better. My thoughts on Racism in the South, especially in light of the domestic terrorism we witnessed in Charlottesville over the weekend. Our country is hurting. I hope we are not broken, and I don't know how to fix it. I know you usually come here for the food, so please consider this food for thought, because I'm a human being and an American before I'm a food ... continue reading...
Easy German Potato Salad
White Potatoes and Whole 30 Time was that white potatoes were Off Limits on a Whole 30. No more, though! If you're a white potato lover, you can rejoice that, as a low-fat and nutritious whole food, white potatoes are now fair game. But still no French Fries. That's okay. You can get your white potato fix using Idaho® Red Potatoes to make potato salad that's loaded with flavor, and 100% Whole 30-compliant. Yay! The big deal with making this salad Whole 30 is using bacon with no sugar ... continue reading...
Easy Sloppy Joe Recipe | Made with Pantry Staples
Easy Sloppy Joe Recipe, At a Glance ✔️Skill Level: Beginner✔️Skills: Sauteeing vegetables and meat✔️Type: Easy Supper✔️Number of Ingredients: 11✔️Prep Time: 10 minutes✔️Cook Time: 30 minutes✔️Yield: serves 8Jump Straight to the Recipe Why Make This Recipe For this easy sloppy joe recipe, I decided to go in a sweet and sour direction. So, some of the ingredients you might not expect to ... continue reading...
New Year’s Communion Bread: Champagne Yeast Pita
When I got together with Nadine on Christmas Eve, not only did we visit and exchange gifts, but we also nailed down the first Communion bread of 2015. I suggested that, since it was New Year's I could bake with champagne yeast and also use some wine in the bread. She agreed. If that doesn't sound very nailed down to you, you're not wrong. But at least I had a plan. I went to American Brewmasters in Cary, NC to grab some champagne yeast. I talked to John who was On Duty on New Year's Eve, and he ... continue reading...
Chicken Chimichanga Recipe with Black Beans and Corn
Mexican Food Vs Tex-Mex Food I didn't grow up eating Mexican food, or at least what passed for Mexican in Charlotte, North Carolina in the 1970s. We very occasionally had tacos-from-a-kit, when we were feeling Kicky, but Mexican cuisine---even Americanized, watered-down Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine---was not on our radar. I didn't even quiero Taco Bell until well after I finished college. When I did eventually go to a Mexican restaurant, after perusing the menu for a lot longer than my ... continue reading...
Bison Burger Recipe | Copycat Big Mac (But Leveled Up!)
What Makes for a Juicy Bison Burger? Bison is a lean meat, and if you overcook it, it can be dry. I guard against that by adding some juicy goodies into the meat mix. Here's what you need: The combination of the onion and bacon work well together to keep these burgers juicy, even if you cook them to well done. Promise! The Components of This Bison Burger (to make it kind of like a Big Mac) You all know the song (or am I dating myself?) Two all-beef patties, special sauce, ... continue reading...