Tag Archives: Nashville

Nashville -The Rise of the Biscuit

Nashville – The Rise of the Biscuit

I enjoy traveling for food inspiration. My food travels recently took me to Nashville where there is an incredible food scene happening, in addition to the wonderful live music venues.  Nashville is the perfect place to indulge in my passion for food and music. Farm to Table restaurants abound in and out of the city.  I found inspired southern cooking everywhere. Many of the restaurants pride themselves in maintaining their southern cooking roots but approach food preparation in new exciting ways. As I ate my way around Nashville it became apparent that whether I was eating at the classic road stop – Loveless Cafe or fine dining at the Capital Grille in the famous Hermitage Hotel, there was a reference for the biscuit. If I wanted to recapture my food experiences back home on Long Island, I would need to master the southern biscuit.  I found the perfect book to take home with me – filled with biscuit recipes from the experts – “The Rise of the Southern Biscuit- The Biscuit Dive Guide” by Maryann Byrd.  I tried several recipes and I’m sharing my favorite. I also used some of the biscuit tricks in the book, that really made a difference in the  quality of the biscuit. Here are my favorite tricks:
1. Use a lower gluten flour – about 8% for a light airy biscuit – I bought a flour from the South – White Lily All purpose flour ( thank goodness for the the Amazon grocery) , the difference from the flour alone was remarkable.
2.  Don’t over handle the dough, use your finger tips, first to incorporate the lard into the flour and again when you are making your biscuits push the dough down lightly using your finger tips only ( the same is a good tip for pizza making as well)
3.  Use lard ! I found again my biscuits were better using a lard that is staple in southern pantries – Armour brand.
4. One of my favorite kitchen tricks, if you don’t have buttermilk just add 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar to whole milk an let sit a minute or two before using.
5. Instead of kneading the dough, I combine together and then fold 4 to 5 times to create layers.
Now you are ready to make light airy biscuits!  I’m also sharing an easy berry jam recipe, it uses apple as a natural pectin to make the jam. Biscuits and fresh jam – I can’t think of a better start to any day !!
From by the bay, wishing you Nashville food memories!
Maryann
 
Mondell’s Country Biscuits
From “The Rise of the Southern Biscuit- The Biscuit Dive Guide” by Maryann Byrd
Makes 12 biscuits
 
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Sift the dry ingredients together. Mix shortening with your finger tips until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and pour in the room temperature buttermilk until flour leaves
sides of the bowl and forms a ball. If it sticks, add a little more flour until it comes away from the sides of the bowl. Place the dough on to a floured surface and knead five to six times. Make sure the surface is not cold. You can roll out or pat out into 1/2 inch thickness and cut with a biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on greased or non stick cookie sheet.  Brush with melted butter and then place in oven and bake 8 to 12 minutes until biscuits start to brown.
Easy Berry Breakfast Jam
approximately 10 ounces jam
Ingredients
6 ounces berries – such as strawberries, raspberries , blackberries or blueberries
1/2 cup fine white sugar
1/2 apple, peeled, cored and small dice
Directions
In a small saucepan bring sugar and berries to a boil stirring occassionally. Add apple and stir. Bring back to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Let cool and place in a jam jar or container. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. This will keep for two weeks in the refrigerator.

Vanilla Bourbon Soaked French Toast

It’s my first Sunday home after an inspiring vacation in Nashville, Tennessee! The food was so delicious and clearly many people are living the farm to table lifestyle, especially with the close proximity of farms to downtown Nashville. My weekend back home started with the trip to my local farm, where I found the ingredients to make a delicious late summer fruit compote of blackberries, raspberries and dark plums. This autumnal colored compote is a sweet complement to use at breakfast on top of french toast , pancakes or waffles, or at dinner on top of a pork chop or even for dessert on top of ice cream or a slice of pound cake. I decided today to recreate my Nashville experience with bourbon soaked french toast along with the mixed berry and plum compote. It’s a perfect brunch dish for s slow, relaxing Sunday in New York.
From by the bay, wishing you bourbon soaked food memories!
Maryann
blog bourbon
Vanilla Bourbon Soaked French Toast
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup bourbon ( up to 1/3 cup depending on preference)
4 whole eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
8 slices bread, ciabatta or brioche ( thick slices)
2-4 tablespoons unsalted butter as needed
Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Set aside baking sheet with rack to hold french toast warm in oven. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the milk, sugar, bourbon, vanilla, eggs and cinnamon.  Pour into a shallow dish, I use a glass pie plate. Dip the bread into the batter and let sit a minute or two to soak. Add butter to a hot griddle or non stick saute pan. Once the butter is melted place the battered bread on the pan and cook until the bread becomes golden brown. Flip the bread slice over and cook until the other side also becomes golden brown. Place toast on rack in warmed oven and continue to make your french toast using butter as needed. Once done place onto a platter and shift confectionary sugar on top. Serve with butter and maple syrup or fruit compote.
blog fruit comp
Mixed Berry and Plum Compote

Ingredients
1 cup mixed berries such as raspberries and blackberries
1 cup chopped plum, pitted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
Directions
Place all the ingredients into a non reactive medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or when the plums are softened. Serve at room temperature. Can to stored in the refrigerator for about a week.

Cornmeal and Sweet Corn Pancakes

blog nash 1
Spying some fresh corn in the corner of my farmstand, I quickly moved  to take a few ears home with me to enjoy before the sweet corn is gone for the season. I immediately knew how to use the corn. Having recently returned from a recipe inspiring trip in Nashville, I wanted to try my hand at fresh corn and cornmeal pancakes. My breakfast food preferences lean towards the savory side while my sister Nancy loves a sweet breakfast. Finding a perfect breakfast to meet everyone’s preferences is not an easy task, but these cornmeal pancakes are the perfect solution. For those who like a savory breakfast these cornmeal pancakes with just a little butter on top are delicious just as they are. A perfect accompaniment would be some grilled ham, bacon or sausage. For those who like a sweeter breakfast, you can top your pancakes with some warm maple syrup or your favorite berries or some jam. When working on this recipe, I purposely used just a touch of sugar to keep the dish on the savory taste. As for technique, my preference is adding boiling water to the corn meal , as if i were making polenta. The buttermilk adds a touch of acidity and adds a lightness to the pancake. Everyone in your family will enjoy these pancakes!
From by the bay wishing you sweet corn food memories!
Maryann
blog corncakes

Cornmeal and Sweet Corn Pancakes
Serves 4

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup boiling water

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, plus additional butter for griddle
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, at room temperature

3/4 cup fresh corn, off the cob ( 1 ear)

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. In a medium bowl place the cornmeal, sugar and salt. Cover with boiling water and leave to the side from 5 to 10 minutes. In the meantime, in another bowl combine remaining dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix. In a large measuring cup add the buttermilk , melted butter and  egg. Whisk together. Add the buttermilk mixture  to the cornmeal and mix. Add the remaining dry ingredients to the same bowl and combine. Lastly, fold the corn into the batter. Batter will be a little lumpy.  Heat a griddle pan, melt a tablespoon of butter and spread 1/4 cup of batter for each cake. Cook approximately two minutes on the first side, until the edge is set and the cake starts to bubble.  Flip the cake and cook another minute. Place on baking sheet and keep warm in oven. Repeat adding butter to the griddle as needed 1 tablespoon at a time until all cakes are made and ready to serve. Serve with butter or warmed maple syrup.

blog nash 2

Radish Butter

So it’s Sunday afternoon by the bay and we are anticipating yet another snow storm. Enough already!! I’m wistfully thinking of Spring. One of the vegetables I look forward to in spring is the radish. I love the crisp, fresh and spicy taste of this bright red root. I found this terrific radish recipe from the Lee Brothers. Matt Lee and Ted Lee are founders of “The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue,” a mail-order catalog for southern pantry staples who co-authored The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook and Simple Fresh Southern, which is a must have cookbook for your library. This is their recipe for radish butter which I’m sharing below. Happy Eating!
From by the bay, wishing you some crispy and fresh food memories!
Maryann
blog radish butter
Radish Butter
 
Ingredients
1/2 pound round red radishes, trimmed, at room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, completely softened
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or ½ teaspoon Maldon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
About 24 thinly sliced rye toast points, toasted slices of French bread, water crackers, 2-inch celery sticks, endive leaves, or romaine heart halves
Directions
1. Put the radishes in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the radish is chopped into very fine dice, four or five 3-second pulses.
2. Transfer the contents to a length of cheesecloth or a double thickness of paper towels and wring out the excess liquid.
3. Transfer to a medium bowl and add 4 tablespoons of the butter.
4. With a rubber spatula, cream the radish and butter together, adding more butter 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together in a smooth, pliable mass.
5. Transfer the mixture to a 2-cup ramekin or bowl, sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top, and serve immediately. (The butter will keep, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
6. Remove it from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving to let it soften. Sprinkle the salt and freshly ground pepper over the radish butter before serving).
 
Reprinted from The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor by Matt and Ted Lee. Copyright © 2009 Published by Clarkson Potter
 
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: Serves 6
Matt Lee is co-founder of “The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue,” a mail-order catalog for southern pantry staples. He is also a food and travel journalist whose work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, GQ, The New York Times and Martha Stewart Living. He is co-author of The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook and Simple Fresh Southern.
Ted Lee is co-founder of “The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue,” a mail-order catalog for southern pantry staples. He is also a food and travel journalist whose work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, GQ, The New York Times and Martha Stewart Living. He is co-author of The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook and Simple Fresh Southern.
blog rad but and grape

Pickled Grapes with Rosemary and Chiles

Ever since my trip to Nashville, I’ve been inspired to discover more about the exciting food movement happening with southern cuisine. Along the way I discovered the Lee Brothers. Matt Lee  and Ted Lee are founders of “The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue,” a mail-order catalog for southern pantry staples. They are also food and travel journalists whose work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, GQ, The New York Times and Martha Stewart Living. Together they authored The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook and Simple Fresh Southern, which is a fantastic cookbook. This is one of the first recipes I made from the book. So easy to make but with a delicious sweet and sour taste , with an added kick of heat. It’s perfect to serve with your favorite cocktail.
From by the bay, wishing you pickled food memories!
Maryann
blog pickle grapes
Pickled Grapes with Rosemary and Chiles
Ingredients
6 cups stemmed mixed red and green seedless grapes (about 2 pounds)
2 cups distilled white vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
Leaves from 1 four-inch sprig rosemary
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red chile flakes
Directions
Pack the grapes into 3 pint-size glass containers with lids. Pour the vinegar and 1 cup water into a saucepan, set it over medium-high heat, and add the salt, sugar, garlic, rosemary, and chile flakes. When the mixture starts to simmer, remove the pan from the heat and divide the hot brine among the pints of grapes. Cover loosely and let cool to room temperature. Cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour before serving. The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
Reprinted from The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor by Matt and Ted Lee. Copyright © 2009 Published by Clarkson Potter
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Yield: Makes 1 1/2 quarts