Make Ahead Bread with a Giveaway!

Make Ahead Bread by Donna Currie

For those who have been following Bite and Booze for awhile, you might remember back to the Emeril's One Pot Blogger Party that I participated in during the Fall of 2011. After that promotion, the group of bloggers teamed up and formed a group called Virtual Potluck. For the last three years we've teamed up on other projects and watched each others' blogs grow and thrive. One of those bloggers, Donna Currie from the blog Cookistry, has recently released her very own book! Donna's book, Make Ahead Bread, is available for sale on Amazon. If you'd like an autographed copy, you can order one from Barbed Wire Books. You can also find Donna on Facebook and Twitter.

Kneading Dough (photo courtesy of Make Ahead Bread)

I received a copy of the book as well as a few gifts so I could bake some of my own bread. There's really nothing more lovely than the smell of freshly baked bread... okay, maybe freshly cooked bacon, but still, bread is amazing. Make Ahead Bread encourages the reader to make the dough ahead of time that way all the mixing and kneading is done and all you have left to do is bake and enjoy! With so many recipes to choose from, it can be difficult to choose which type of bread to make next.

12 lucky winners are going to receive a gift from Virtual Potluck and all the fine sponsors below. There are over $1800 worth of prizes up for grabs in four different groupings. You can enter right here via Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For the giveaway, we'd like to thank our sponsors who generously offered some fantastic prizes:

• Taunton Press, the publisher of Donna's book, is supplying a total of 12 copies of Make Ahead Bread, one to each winner.
• Magimix is giving one winner a Magimix 3200XL 12-Cup Food Processor in Brushed Chrome.
• WÜSTHOF is giving one winner a CLASSIC 9-inch Double Serrated Bread Knife
• Silverstone is giving one winner a 5-piece set of bakeware (11x17 cookie pan, 10x15 cookie pan, 9x13 covered baking pan, 9x5 loaf pan and 9-inch cake pan) in the winner's choice of red or blue.
• King Arthur Flour is giving one winner a rye bread baking kit.
• Duralex is giving one winner a 9-piece set of mixing bowls.
• Harold Import Company is giving three winners a made-in-the-USA hardwood baker’s rolling pin (It's the baker's pin, with no handles.)
• Microplane is giving each of the 12 winners an Elite Zester, Cube Grater, and Spiral Cutter.
• GIR is giving each of the 12 winners a silicone scraper.
• King Arthur Flour is giving each of the 12 winners a coupon for a bag of flour of your choice (good at your local supermarket) and a plastic bowl scraper.
• Walker's Shortbread is supplying cookies to three winners.

In addition to supplying items for the giveaway, a special thanks to Taunton Press, Silverstone, Microplane and WÜSTHOF for supplying products for all the bloggers to work with.

Virtual Potluck, OXO, and Bite and Booze present Cruzan Rum and Cane Syrup Brined Turkey Wings with Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce

Cruzan Rum and Cane Syrup Brined Turkey Wings

OXO recently sent me a gift pack with all sorts of amazing goodies for a Virtual Potluck Thanksgiving.  There were silicon pot holders with magnets, poultry shears, a turkey baster, a fat separator, an adjustable potato ricer, a digital thermometer, and a silicone basting brush.  Happy holidays, indeed.  So the challenge was to cook up something for Thanksgiving using a handful of the products.  Since chicken wings wouldn't be all that "Thanksgiving" of me, and since I recently re-established my love of turkey legs at the State Fair, I thought that perhaps some Sasquatch sized turkey wings could hit the spot!  I started them off in an overnight brine of Cruzan aged rum and Steen's cane syrup.

Removing Turkey Wings from Oven with OXO Silicone Pot Holders

Brine:
1 Cup Cruzan Rum
1 Cup Steen's Cane Syrup
2 Tbs Salt
2 Tbs Black Peppercorns
Water to Cover

Mix together rum, syrup, salt, and peppercorns.  Our over turkey wings in a container to brine overnight.  Add water to cover the wings, shake to mix everything together, and refrigerate over night.

The OXO Digital Thermometer

After the brine, I dried the turkey legs off and placed them in a large pan.  I rubbed the outside with my own Jay D's Blazin' BBQ Rub, then put them in the oven at 350F for an hour.

Jay D's Blazin' BBQ Rub:
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Black Pepper
1 Cup Smoked Paprika
1/2 Cup Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Chile Powder
1/4 Cup Garlic Powder
1/4 Cup Onion Powder
2 Tbs Cayenne

Whisk all ingredients together in a mixing bowl.  Store extra in a spice jar or shaker of some sort.

OXO Basting Brush is Perfect for BBQ Sauce!

 After an hour in the oven, I used the OXO digital thermometer to ensure I had reached at least 165F inside the turkey wing.  That's the "cooked throughout" temperature for chicken and turkey, in case you were wondering.  I flipped the turkey wings over to get to the under side.  Using the OXO silicon basting brush, I slathered a generous portion of Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce on the wings (you don't get that recipe!).  I put them back in the oven for 10 minutes, then flipped them over, gave the other side a fresh coating of sauce, and returned them to the oven for another 20 minutes.  After that, I feasted on my rum and cane syrup brined turkey wings with Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce!  Tasty!

Cruzan Rum and Cane Syrup Brined Turkey Wings with Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce

But wait... there's more!

Do you want some OXO goodies of your own in time for Christmas?  I've got some to give away!  Here's how you enter:

1) Share this post on your Facebook wall tagging Jay D's Bite and Booze Blog for one entry
2) Share this post on Twitter tagging @biteandbooze for a second entry
3) Leave a comment on this post for third entry giving me another boozy brine idea besides cane syrup and rum

All entries will be tallied and I'll use random.org to pick the winner!  One lucky person will receive the exact same gift bundle from OXO that I did, which means silicon pot holders with magnets, poultry shears, a turkey baster, a fat separator, an adjustable potato ricer, a digital thermometer, and a silicone basting brush! I'll keep taking entries through Cyber Monday!

Also, make sure to like OXO on their Facebook Page and follow them on Twitter too!

Cheers!

Three Gluttonous Sins Class: Chocolate

Previous courses from the Three Gluttonous Sins Class at Fresina's Pasta Company included Butter and Bacon.  For dessert, chocolate rang in as the third "sin."  I'm definitely a fan of chocolate, and I don't mean that heavily sugared milk chocolate you find in any candy isle.  I'm talking about rich, dark, bitter chocolate.  Still, all cocoa has its purpose.  Wanting to do an Italian dessert for the class, I decided on a twice-baked double chocolate cookie, also known as biscotti.  To give it an interesting twist, I got an idea from fellow Virtual Potluck blogger Theresa to also include just a hint of fennel.  They were most definitely a winner!


Course 3: Double Chocolate Fennel Biscotti
(Adapted from fellow Virtual Potluck Blogger Theresa with Food Hunter's Guide)

2 Cups Unbleached AP Flour
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Fennel (from the Red Stick Spice Company)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 Pound Butter, Softened
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Double Chocolate Fennel Biscotti

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease a large baking sheet.

In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, ground fennel seeds, and salt. In an electric mixer bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined.  Add vanilla.  Mix in flour mixture a little at a time.  Stir in chocolate chips.

On the prepared baking sheet with floured hands, form the dough into two slightly flattened logs, approximately 3/4 inch thick.  Bake for about 35 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes.  Cut logs diagonally into slices.  Arrange cut sides down on baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Grilled Jumbo Louisiana Shrimp with Tomatoes

Our group of Virtual Potluck bloggers has teamed up with Bertolli Olive Oil and their “Let’s Cook Summer Sweepstakes.” The contest is Facebook-based (Facebook.com/Bertolli) and entrants have the chance to win a grand prize trip to LA for cooking lessons with Fabio Viviani (from Bravo’s Top Chef), or $5,000 for a kitchen makeover! Bertolli's new microsite: WhereFlavorComesFrom.com, where you can learn everything about olive oil and get Chef Fabio’s all new summer grilling recipes, is also just a click away!

Each Virtual Potluck blogger got to cook one of Chef Fabio's recipes, so for Father's Day I put together his grilled jumbo shrimp with tomatoes. The Louisiana Seafood Promotions and Marketing Board kindly donated five pounds of gorgeous Louisiana shrimp to help my cause. There's nothing quite like our rich supply of seafood straight from the Gulf!  The dish proved to be simple, quick, and quite delicious.

Here's the recipe! Enjoy.

GRILLED JUMBO SHRIMP WITH TOMATOES

by Chef Fabio Viviani

4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Marinate Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

1 lb. uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
12 oz. cherry tomatoes
2 Tbsp. Bertolli® Classico Olive Oil
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Season, if desired, with salt and black pepper. Cover and marinate 10 minutes.

Alternately thread shrimp and tomatoes on skewers*. Grill, turning once, 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.

*If using wooden skewers, soak in water at least 30 minutes prior to use.



*This is a sponsored post for Bertolli® Olive Oil for the Where Flavor Comes From Summer promotion. I was compensated for promoting their links and recipe. All opinions are my own.

Margherita Pizza with King Arthur Flour and Red Star Yeast

The latest challenge from Virtual Potluck was to create something amazing using some gifts from King Arthur Flour and Red Star Yeast.  I'm not much of a baker, so I knew I wasn't going to do any crazy breads (though I would like to experiment one day).  Instead I thought I'd make a pizza.  And not just any pizza, but a very simple yet delicious margherita pizza.  In my book, a margherita pizza should basically have three toppings: great tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and chopped basil.  After that, you're risking ruining the simplicity of the dish.  That being said, I thought I'd try something, just because it seemed right.  I also included an optional balsamic reduction with the recipe.  Use it to taste, if at all.  But tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and balsamic does work really well together, so I thought it couldn't hurt!

Basic pizza dough, rolled out for 2 (12-inch) pizzas:

2 1/4 tsp Red Star Active Dry Yeast (1 package)
1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)
2 cups white whole wheat King Arthur flour plus more if necessary
1/2 cup semolina flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredients
Pizza dough from above
1 can (28oz) San Marzano Italian tomatoes, drained of juices, sliced lengthwise several times
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonade cut
2/3 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced roughly 1/4 to 1/8-inch thick

Optional: Balsamic Reduction Drizzle

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper

(combine ingredients in a small sauce pan, simmer and stir until reduced by half and you have a syrupy consistency)

In a large bowl, combine yeast with water, olive oil, salt and stir well to proof. After 5 minutes, add half of the flour and mix well to thoroughly incorporate. Add all remaining flour and mix well with your hands. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead dough for at least 5 and up to 7 minutes, adding enough additional flour as necessary to form a smooth and elastic dough. Dough should not be sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled 2 or 3 quart bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, usually at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and if you have one, place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven.
Divide dough into 2 portions (for 2 (12-inch) pizzas) and form into balls. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Let rest for 15 minutes, then transfer to a lightly floured surface, shape as desired and roll out to a thickness of 1/4-inch.

Arrange the slices of tomato around the pizza dough, covering over half of it but leaving space in between each slice.  Place the slices of fresh mozzarella in between the tomato slices.  Bake at 500 degrees F for roughly 12 minutes, waiting for the outside of the crust to turn golden brown and for the cheese to bubble.  Remove from oven.  Sprinkle chopped basil on top of the pizza.  Allow the pizza to cool slightly, slice, and serve.  Drizzle the optional balsamic reduction over the pizza slices to taste.

Yield: 2 (12-inch) pizzas, serves 4

Margherita Pizza with homemade dough using King Arthur Flour and Red Star Yeast

Interested in winning some products from King Arthur Flour and Red Star Yeast??

I'll be giving away all of this to one lucky winner:

From KA flour: a dough whisk, a coupon for a bag of flour in the supermarket, and a special item!

From Red Star: 3 strips of yeast, a bread pan, apron and bread knife.

Want to win?  Make sure to like both King Arthur Flour on Facebook or Twitter as well as Red Star Yeast on Facebook or Twitter.  Then leave a comment about something you learn from visiting each company's website.  Bonus points if you learn something about the social responsibility of each company!

Artisana Nut Butters for Virtual Potluck: Shrimp Stir Fry and French Toast

Dana's Mystery Ingredients

My sister, Dana, recently challenged me to a "Chopped" style cooking experiment where she would bring home a range of mystery ingredients and I would have to prepare a meal using all of them.  I added my own wrinkle by also making this little culinary challenge into a post for Virtual Potluck.  Artisana Raw Organic Nut Butters had previously gifted each of the VP bloggers with some various butters and asked us to use them in some recipes.  Not knowing what Dana would come up with, I thought it may make my day even tougher to incorporate a couple nut butters into my dish as well!  

Shrimp Stir-Fry with Artisana Cashew Butter

I decided to split the ingredients into two dishes.  Obviously the highlight of Dana's mystery ingredients were the large, head-on Louisiana shrimp.  I know I had to do something fun with those.  Along with the shrimp were portobello mushrooms, water chestnuts, blackberries, eggs, and a loaf of bread.  I also added the Artisana cashew butter and the pecan butter for good measure. My first dish went a little Asian in nature.  I decided to stir-fry the shrimp with the mushrooms, water chestnuts, and cashew butter.  I also added a little onion and carrot along with some sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce.   The resulting dish had plenty of flavor!  The cashew butter added a nuttiness to the dish and worked well with the flavors of the oil and vinegar to make an interesting sauce.  Peanut sauces are fairly common in Thai cuisine, so I figured that the cashews ought to work in the stir-fry, and they did.

French Toast with Blackberry-Pecan Cane Syrup

I still had blackberries, bread, and eggs in addition to the Artisana pecan butter so it seemed like a dessert was in order.  I decided to go for a French Toast with Blackberry-Pecan Cane Syrup.  I sliced up the bread and dredged it in some beaten eggs spiced up with a little cinnamon.  The strips of egg covered bread were then grilled on a pan to give them a golden brown crust on the outside.  I also took some pureed blackberries, pecan butter, and cane syrup and whisked them all together to make sauce which I then drizzled over the French toast.  After adding a couple fresh blackberries as a garnish, this breakfast-turned dessert was ready to be devoured!

GIVEAWAY!

Artisana Organic Foods makes quite a few different organic raw nut butters.  They are manufactured in a gluten free and peanut free facility.  They are pure, with no sugar added, and are extremely healthy to cook into recipes or just eat them with some fruit on the go.  If you'd like to receive your own bottle of one of their nut butters and some sample squeeze packs, leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite nut!  I'll pick one winner and get Artisana to send you a little something special.

Grilled Rosemary Quail with Team Sweet Mama's BBQ Chicken Rub

Our latest Virtual Potluck adventure has taken the group into the world of gourmet seasonings from the Savory Spice Shop.  Each VP blogger got a different category of spices to deal with.  I chose the chicken and seafood grouping since I knew I'd be grilling something in that category sometime soon.  Still, I didn't want to be too obvious.  Chicken on the grill just wouldn't do.  I thought about perhaps some Louisiana seafood, but nothing quite struck my fancy right away.  Then I had my ah-ha moment.  Savory Spice sent me some seasoning called "Team Sweet Mama's BBQ Chicken Rub."  However, I wouldn't use chicken for this cook out.  Instead, I decided to grill one of my favorite, most nostalgic game birds: quail!




The quail, which I picked up at Calandro's Supermarket here in Baton Rouge, got a special brine of their own.  They marinated in a mix of apple juice and apple cider vinegar with some onion and spices for a few hours.  I then stuffed each quail with a skewer of fresh rosemary from my Harb's Oasis herb garden.  The outside of each bird got generously sprinkled with the Savory Spice Shop's Team Sweet Mama's BBQ Chicken Rub.  The quail were then grilled over some charcoal and apple chips to provide a little sweet smoke.  The succulent birds had a wonderful flavor throughout.  They took on the characteristics of the apple and rosemary very well.  But the real secret had to have been the rub.  The delightful blend of seasonings created a crust on the outside of the quail that had just the right amount of sweet and heat!  I might have to try to cook some more quail soon.  If anybody would like to take me quail hunting, just let me know!!


Brine:
1 Quart Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Pint Apple Juice
1 Yellow Onion, Coarsely Chopped
2 Tablespoons Savory's BBQ Rub
2 Tablespoons Crushed Red Pepper

Reserve a cup of the brine for basting before soaking the quail in the remainder.


The Rest:
A Dozen Quail (or however many you want to cook!)
3-4 Inch Sprig of Rosemary for each Quail
1/2 Cup Savory Spice Shop's Team Sweet Mama's BBQ Chicken Rub

Grilled Rosemary Quail with Team Sweet Mama's BBQ Chicken Rub

Savory Spice Giveaway:

Savory Spice Shop on Facebook

Twitter: @SavorySpiceShop  

Go to the Savory Spice Shop Facebook page, click the Virtual Potluck link, and choose a spice from my section.  Then come back here and tell me which spice or blend you'd like to try the most!  I'll select one winner on Friday, April 20, 2012 to get some free spices from our friends at the Savory Spice Shop!

Cornmeal Fried Catfish, Black-Eyed Pea Salad, Pickled Jalapeno Relish

Cornmeal Fried Catfish over Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Pickled Jalapeno Relish

I've been wanting to play around with some different fried catfish recipes for a while so when I was gifted a Lodge Cast Iron skillet and cookbook as part of a Virtual Potluck blog party, I knew which recipe I needed to try!  The dish titled Cornmeal Fried Catfish over Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Pickled Jalapeno Relish jumped right out at me.  Rather than being fried catfish with more fried stuff, this presented an almost-healthy alternative.  Sure, I would still bread and deep fry the catfish in peanut oil, but at least I didn't throw in sides French fries and hush puppies!  I assembled a group of friends at my buddy Bret's house to test out his remodeled kitchen.  A short while later, a memorable meal emerged!  The Lodge Cookbook provided the recipes for the black-eyed pea salad and jalapeno relish in addition to the catfish itself.  Both were very easy to create and extremely tasty.  The pickled jalapeno relish didn't overpower anything with spiciness and its sweetness made it an interesting garnish.  The black-eyed pea salad which sat underneath the catfish came out bright and full of flavor from the artichoke hearts and red bell pepper.  So the main thing I needed to master quickly became frying the fish!

The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook and My Groceries at Calandro's Supermarket (Win a Cookbook at the bottom of this post!)

After a shopping trip to Calandro's Supermarket to pick up the key ingredients, I arrived at Bret's house and got to work.  The recipe for the catfish itself is what really piqued my curiosity.  It began with sprinkling the fillets with salt and pepper followed by a hefty dash of hot sauce.

Raw Catfish Fillets with Hot Sauce

After covering both sides with salt, pepper, and hot sauce and rubbing it over the fillets, the next step was to dredge the catfish in the dry batter.  The hot sauce helped the batter adhere to the catfish and create an excellent coating for a crispy fish.  This, however, was no ordinary fried fish batter.  It started with equal parts cornmeal and masa harina.  Masa harina is basically the fine corn flour that is used to make the dough for corn tortillas and tamales.  I had never used it before as a fish fry, but I'm sold now.  In addition to the cornmeal and masa harina, I added a decent shaking of Cajun seasoning and seasoned salt.  Then the fillets were tossed in the batter and prepared for their oily bath.

Catfish Fillets in the Cornmeal and Masa Harina Batter

 In a 12 inch Lodge Cast Iron skillet my peanut oil came up to temp at around 375 degrees.  I dropped in catfish fillets two at a time and fried them until they were golden brown.

Catfish Fillets Frying in Peanut Oil in a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

To plate the dish I spooned a generous portion of the black-eyed pea salad on the middle of a plate.  I then topped the salad with a fresh catfish fillet.  On top of the fish rested a couple spoonfuls of the pickled jalapeno relish.  All in all, this dish really impressed me.  I think the catfish itself stole the show.  I might incorporate masa harina into frying batters much more often.  It delivered a light and crispy batter to the beautifully seasoned catfish.  If you're looking for masa harina, I know Calandro's Supermarket in Baton Rouge has it.  You can also find it at any Latin or Mexican specialty store.

Cornmeal Fried Catfish over Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Pickled Jalapeno Relish

GIVEAWAY:

Want your own copy of the Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook?  Leave a comment on this blog post about what your favorite things to cook in cast iron.  You can go big like a jambalaya in a 30 gallon pot or you could cook cornbread in an 8" skillet.  No matter what, just tell me what you like to cook in cast iron and make sure I can get in touch with you.  One lucky comment will be selected to receive a free copy of the book!

Seared Sea Scallops with Maple Bacon Relish

When the Virtual Potluck crew got to choose from a selection of Coombs Family Farms maple products to cook with, I had no trouble going after the organic maple sugar. I've cooked with very nice maple syrups a number of times, but I had never played around with maple sugar before. So the next question was: what to cook?! Maybe one of these days I'll get adventurous (for me) and start baking with products like this. Not this time though. My mind rushed to one thing: maple bacon! And what to put the maple bacon on top of? How about some seared sea scallops? Yes, please.

Sear Sea Scallops with Maple Bacon Relish

9 Ingredients in the Recipe... Simple and Delicious!

I gathered my ingredients to cook what in my mind was sure to be a delightfully sweet and spicy relish to put on top of the scallops. I started by chopping up about half a pound of hickory smoked bacon into small morsels and then throwing them in a skillet over medium high heat. I wanted the bacon to brown and for the fat to render, because bacon fat is what I would use to cook everything else. After that had been accomplished I removed the bacon from the skillet and placed it in a bowl to reserve it. I transferred about half the bacon fat to another skillet that I would use for my scallops and turned that heat up to medium high. In the original skillet that had the bacon and still half the bacon fat, I threw in half of a yellow onion, diced fairly finely, one jalapeno, seeded and diced finely, and about five cloves of garlic, minced.

Maple Bacon Relish at the Deglazing Stage

After the onion, jalapeno, and garlic had all cooked to the point of being soft, I added the bacon back in. Next, I deglazed the skillet with about half a cup of balsamic vinegar to free all of the buildup on the bottom of the skillet and get all the flavors to meld. I added a little freshly ground sea salt and black pepper and let the balsamic reduce a little more. When the contents of the skillet began to dry up and the flavors really looked like they had come together, I added another quarter cup or so of balsamic and about 2 tablespoons of Coombs Maple Sugar. After stirring it all in, I reduced the heat to a simmer and turned my attention to the scallops.

Scallops Searing in Bacon Fat

In the other skillet I already had the other half of the bacon fat pretty hot. I sprinkled each side of the U10 scallops with sea salt and black pepper, then bumped the heat on the burner up to high. When the bacon fat began to pop, I added the scallops the grease and rejoiced at the sound of the sizzle. Scallops searing in bacon fat: there isn't much sweeter of a sound! After a few minutes on one side I used a set of tongs to test their readiness to flip. If it is ready, it should easily let go of the pan. You might think that if the scallop sticks the pan that you might be burning it, but it actually means you should allow it to cook a little longer. When the scallop is flipped over you want to see some golden brown Maillard reaction effects (like caramelization). If your skillet isn't hot enough or you don't cook the scallop long enough, this sear may not develop. After searing like this on both sides, the scallop should be ready to go. You certainly don't want to overcook your scallop and dry it out, so don't be afraid to pull it off. A couple minutes on each side ought to do it!

A Second Plating of the Seared Sea Scallops with Maple Bacon Relish

To plate the scallops I simply arranged three of them on a dish in triangular fashion and then spooned a generous portion of maple bacon relish on top of each one. With some fresh parsley out of my Harb's Oasis herb garden, I'd say the dish was a tremendous success. The balsamic, bacon, and maple worked incredibly well together. I didn't get quite as much heat from the jalapeno as I wanted though. Still, it certainly worked as an interesting flavoring component. The scallops themselves were wonderful and paired deliciously with all the flavors in the relish!

True Lemon Panna Cotta with Pontchatoula Strawberries

True Lemon Panna Cotta with Pontchatoula Strawberries and Chianti Reduction

Panna Cotta is an Italian gelatin-based dessert made with cream, sugar, and whatever flavorings your heart desires. I recently found the beauty of panna cotta in its simplicity. There are few desserts that are easier to make or that give you a more rewarding outcome for the effort! So when I got sent a box of True Lemon as part of a Virtual Potluck promotion, I figured it could work perfectly in a lemon panna cotta!

True Lemon Panna Cotta with Pontchatoula Strawberries and Chianti Reduction

1 quart heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
6 packets True Lemon (equivalent to juice of one lemon)
2 packets gelatin
6 Tbs cool water
1 pint Pontchatoula Strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1 cup Chianti
2 Tbs local honey (Bocage Bee Company)

Makes 8-10 servings
Make 3 hours ahead of time or even overnight



Place cream in sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in sugar and continue to heat until cream is steaming but not boiling and sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in True Lemon until it is completely dissolved as well.  Place gelatin and water in a mixing bowl and allow gelatin to absorb the water. Let it stand until the cream is ready. When the cream is up to temperature and the sugar and True Lemon are dissolved, remove it from the heat. Pour the cream over the gelatin in the mixing bowl. Allow to cool for a few minutes before evenly pouring it into either 8-10 ramekins (to invert onto a plate) or wine glasses (to serve directly out of). Place containers with panna cotta mixture into a refrigerator and allow to set for at least three hours or overnight.

In a small saucepan, heat the Chianti over medium-low heat. When warm, add in sliced strawberries and honey and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes for all the flavors to combine together, stirring occasionally to ensure that the honey is dissolved. Either top the cold panna cotta with the hot strawberry-Chianti sauce, or allow the sauce to cool, scoop on top of the panna cotta, and keep it refrigerated until ready to eat.


Giveaway:
Company Website: http://truelemon.com/
Company FB page: https://www.facebook.com/truelemon

All True products are 100% natural with no artificial ingredients or sweeteners, preservatives,sodium or gluten. True Lemon's ingredients are the same as found in a lemon: Citric Acid, Lemon Juice, Lemon Oil and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)

True Lemon, through Bite and Booze, is giving away one gift set (consisting of a box each of True Lemon, True Lime, True Orange, True Grapefruit, True Lemonade, True Raspberry Lemonade, True Lemon shaker, True Lime shaker and a t-shirt) as part of a drawing. Also, anybody who reads this and emails True Lemon directly at customercare@truelemon.com can have some free samples.  Just mention Bite and Booze AND Virtual Potluck in your email!  To be entered to win the gift set, leave a comment on this blog post telling me how you would use one of the True products!  And make sure you follow me on Twitter and like me on Facebook too!

Chicken and Buffalo Andouille Risotto - Virtual Potluck

The Virtual Potluck crew recently teamed up with The Buffalo Guys to do a round of blog posts about incorporating various buffalo sausages into a dish.  Since I needed to test out my recipe for chicken and andouille risotto anyway, I decided to give it a try with the buffalo andouille that was so graciously sent to me.

I knew the dish would be pretty similar to a chicken and sausage jambalaya.  The main difference is that the Arborio rice used to make risotto is a short grain Italian rice which cooks a little differently than a longer grain Louisiana rice.  The method for cooking risotto is to slowly add stock little by little, allowing the rice to soak in the flavors as you go, rather than boiling and covering the rice until it has absorbed all the water, as is common in most Cajun dishes.  A risotto should yield a dish that is ultimately similar to jambalaya (in this case, using the Trinity, chicken, and andouille).  The rice should end up cooked through, soft, and perhaps even a bit creamy without being mushy.

Chicken and Buffalo Andouille Risotto 

Makes 4-6 servings

Fresh Herbs from the Garden

• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 quart water
• Several sprigs fresh herbs (flat leaf parsley, thyme, cilantro, oregano from my Harb's Oasis herb garden)
• 2 small carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 pack (12 oz) buffalo andouille sausage
• 1 cup medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbs shopped curly parsley for garnish
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

In a 4-6 quart stock pot, add the chicken stock, water, herbs, and carrots and bring to a boil over high heat.  In an enameled cast iron pot (or another stock pot), heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan over medium high heat.  Cut the chicken thighs and Andouille into bite-sized pieces.  Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the oil followed shortly by the andouille and brown them until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes, but don’t overcook because you still want the chicken to be juicy.  Transfer the chicken and Andouille and juices to a mixing bowl, the return the pot to medium-high heat.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil followed by the onions, celery, green bell pepper, and garlic.  Saute until the onion becomes translucent. 

Strain the herbs and carrots out of the stock.

Add the Arborio rice to the pot with the onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic, and let it soak up any liquid that might be in the pot.  When everything is dry, scoop in two ladles worth of stock and stir with a wooden spoon until all the stock has all been absorbed.  Add another ladle of stock and stir.  Continue to add stock, one ladle at a time, stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes.  Add the reserved chicken and sausage and continue to ladle in stock and continually stir for another 10 minutes or until the rice has absorbed enough liquid.  Taste the risotto for seasoning and texture of the rice.  Adjust salt and pepper as needed.  If rice still has a little crunch, continue to ladle in stock and cook, stirring regularly, until the rice has absorbed enough stock to be soft throughout but not mushy.

Scoop a pile of risotto onto a plate and grate some fresh parmesan cheese on top, then sprinkle with chopped parsley as a garnish. 

Discount on Buffalo Sausage

Would you like to try some buffalo sausage for yourself? The Buffalo Guys will offer a 15% discount off any hot dog or sausage purchase through the end of March 2012. Just go to their online store and enter the code VIRTUALPOTLUCK when you check out. I’m sure they would also appreciate it if you gave their Facebook page a LIKE.

Peanut Butter, Oatmeal, and Olive Oil Cookies with Whole Wheat Flour

I haven't had much time to experiment with baking lately, and since I'm in the middle of filming a documentary about trying to make healthier lifestyle choices despite my occupation as a south Louisiana food writer and radio host, I couldn't think of what to make for dessert in the Bob's Red Mill/California Olive Ranch promotion for Virtual Potluck.  Fortunately Donna Currie from Cookistry came to my rescue.  As a fellow Virtual Potluck blogger, she graciously offered to make me a batch of virtual (not fair, put some in the mail!!) peanut butter cookies using the Hard White Whole Wheat Flour from Bob's Red Mill and some fine olive oil from the California Olive Ranch.

You really should check out Donna's blog when you get a chance.  She cooks up some fantastic food and shares the recipes with her readers.  Make sure to also follow her on Twitter and Facebook!!  Here's the recipe for Donna's cookies.  They look absolutely amazing.  Thanks Donna!



Peanut Butter, Oatmeal, and Olive Oil Cookies
Recipe by Donna Currie at Cookistry

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Everyday Fresh olive oil
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the sugars, oil, and peanut butter together. Add the egg and beat well.

In a separate bowl, combine the salt, baking powder, pastry flour, and oats. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until well combined.

Using a small scoop or spoon, form small balls from the dough. Place them on the baking sheets and flatten them with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass to about 1/2 inch thick.

Bake until the cookies are just beginning to brown, about 14 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on a rack.

Donna  Currie from Cookistry's Peanut Butter, Oatmeal, and Olive Oil Cookies

Want some Bob's Red Mill grains and olive oil from the California Olive Ranch?  Read blow for the details about how you could win some!

• Visit either Bob's Red Mill or California Olive Ranch's Facebook pages and retrieve this week's Virtual Potluck code word. Then use that code word in a sentence, when commenting on this blog post. 

Additional Entries:

• For an extra entry: Follow BRM, COR and VirtualPotluck's Twitter profiles and tweet about the contest linking to this blog post and using the #virtualpotluck hashtag. Then comment again, letting me know you've done so, by providing the link to your tweet.

• More Blogs, More Ways to Win: Get additional entries in each week's giveaways by visiting our host blog and finding other participating VP bloggers sites to comment on.

Toasted Pecan and Parmesan Quinoa plus a Giveaway!

As part of the Bob's Red Mill and California Olive Ranch Healthy 2012 Challenge with the Virtual Potluck team, one of our missions was to create a side item using a whole grain and a olive oil.  I decided to further the challenge by only using ingredients that I already at home instead of going out shopping for more.  The quinoa seemed like a great choice for a side item, so I started there.  After getting two cups of water boiling I poured in one cup of quinoa along with a little salt.  That needed about 12 minutes to cook, so I then turned my attention to what else would go with the quinoa, which by itself is rather bland like most grains.  Fortunately I found some pecan halves and thought that the nutty flavor might go well with the quinoa.  I grabbed the olive oil and some smoked sea salt from the Red Stick Spice Company as well.  

I mixed about a cup of the shelled pecans with two teaspoons of olive oil and one teaspoon of smoked sea salt.  After the pecans were well coated, I spread them out of a baking sheet and toasted them in the oven at around 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes.  

After a little more seasoning to finish up the quinoa, I threw the dish together.  I placed the toasted pecans atop the quinoa and then grated some fresh Parmesan cheese over the top.  The result ended up being quite satisfying, especially for my first attempt at quinoa!

Want some Bob's Red Mill grains and olive oil from the California Olive Ranch?  Read blow for the details about how you could win some!

• Visit either Bob's Red Mill or California Olive Ranch's Facebook pages and retrieve this week's Virtual Potluck code word. Then use that code word in a sentence, when commenting on this blog post. 

Additional Entries:

• For an extra entry: Follow BRM, COR and VirtualPotluck's Twitter profiles and tweet about the contest linking to this blog post and using the #virtualpotluck hashtag. Then comment again, letting me know you've done so, by providing the link to your tweet.

• More Blogs, More Ways to Win: Get additional entries in each week's giveaways by visiting our host blog and finding other participating VP bloggers sites to comment on.