Smoked Salmon Benedict

Servings: 4
Rating: 3 (We think this will change to a 4 or 5 when we figure out the eggs.)
Definitely okay for guests

I made some changes to this recipe per the notes from our first attempt at it. Didn't quite get the eggs right, but we'll try again soon. (The first time, we poached them in vinegar water as the original recipe suggested. It was a burdensome task, besides being time-consuming and messy to boot. We decided to try poaching the eggs in custard cups, as we found suggested in another recipe. I overcooked them a ton. The next time, we just fried the eggs, which worked pretty well but wasn't nearly as pretty.)

The dish has excellent presentation, and it shouldn't be too much work to do for guests if the first steps of the sauce are prepared ahead. We also decided to double the sauce (Saucy Sally loves her sauce, hence the name), which is reflected in the ingredient list and recipe below.

If you have two people in the kitchen, it's best that one work on step two while the other handles step three, so everything will be warm when served.

6 tbsp minced onions (shallots, if you have them)
4 tsp dry mustard
3 c dry white wine
1 1/2 c whipping cream
8 large eggs
4 slices bread, lightly toasted, each slice halved diagonally
8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon (not lox)
6 large egg yolks
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives

1. Combine onions and mustard in medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in wine. Boil over high heat until mixture is reduced to 1 cup, whisking often. (This takes more than 10 minutes for half the sauce.) Whisk in cream. Season with salt and pepper. (Sauce can be made one day ahead. Cover; chill.)

2. Place two toast triangles on each of four plates. Top with salmon. Fry eggs as desired. Place eggs atop salmon-covered toast triangles.

3. Transfer cream sauce to the top of a double boiler set over saucepan of simmering water. Whisk 6 raw egg yolks into cream sauce. Whisk constantly until sauce thickens and instant-read thermometer registers 160 F, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chopped chives and whisk 1 minute. Spoon sauce over eggs. Garnish, if desired, and serve.

Crawfish Etouffee

This étouffée is relatively simple to prepare and, I imagine, pretty hard to mess up.

After lamenting my lack of access to some Southern staple foods (namely, The Gumbo and The Crawfish), a cohort mentioned that a crawfish boil was going down at his office. I couldn't attend, but the man, he takes care of me. Right around noon Thursday, he hand-delivered three gallon-sized bags of the little suckers. Never have I been so happy to see the little mudbugs in all their eye-popped glory.

While I do love 'em with a passion, I can't say I was extremely keen on the idea of eating cold, day-old crawdads at the office (or anywhere else, for that matter), which is why I came up with the grand idea of making an étouffée. For anyone who's ever experienced Cajun cooking, you know that nearly every individual who claims to make this dish (much like The Gumbo) also claims to make the best version of this dish. This being my first attempt at the étouffée, I will make no such claim. Yet.

I did a little étouffée research and found some interesting information about the dish. First, there's a wide rift between those who think using tomatoes makes the dish and those who think using tomatoes makes the dish a stew. I decided to leave the tomatoes out this time around and see if the so-called purists know what they're talking about.

Second, that nasty looking orange or greenish stuff usually found at the joint between the head and the tail is actually fat, which is good for the cooking. The orange fat is more flavorful, and the color is determined by the type of crawfish, according to this site. Also of note was the fact that the crawfish fat will become rancid in 2-6 months if frozen. Yikes!

Anyhow, rather than take one recipe and stick to it, I looked at quite a few, first tossing out any that used tomatoes, then canning the ones that used condensed soup*. Any recipes that called for Tabasco were immediately out the window, as I don't like the flavor of that particular brand** and Saucy Sally isn't really into the heat.

Once I'd eliminated all the recipes that didn't fit my criteria, what I had were five or six that looked remarkably similar save a few differences in the preparation and/or ingredients. I took them all to the kitchen and did my best to document what I actually did while I was in there.

I have to say, l was both impressed and amazed by the results. I didn't screw it up! And Saucy Sally gave the dish an ever-elusive FIVE and demanded that we have it again (most likely with shrimp). I'm thrilled.

Note: This recipe is very mild as far as étouffée (or any Cajun dish) goes. Saucy Sally said she probably couldn't eat it if it was hotter, so we'll stick with it, but adjustments to the cayenne and paprika can be made at the discretion of the cook.

1/2 c (1 stick) butter
1 small vidalia, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 tbsp All-purpose flour
10 oz crawfish tails***
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 c water
1 tbsp parsley
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Melt butter over medium heat in large, heavy skillet. Add onion and bell pepper. Sauté until onions look somewhat clear. Add flour, stir constantly for two to three minutes.

2. Add crawfish, garlic, cayenne, and paprika to skillet. Stir in 1 cup water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook down, about15-20 minutes. Add more water**** and reduce to reach gravy-like consistency.

3. Serve over rice.

I used a basmati rice, which seems to be the only kind I can make without screwing up, and which Saucy Sally and I both really like. I packed the rice into a small bowl and dumped it out to make a cute little mound for a prettier presentation -- a trick I'll be using again.

I served asparagus as the side, which I tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper before broiling. The flavor was okay, but they were stringy. (I can't make a meal that's good all-around. Just can't do it.) Saucy Sally told me the trick to the asparagus is to break them before cooking. Apparently they'll naturally snap at the point where they become stringy. (Hmmm... that might've been useful before a recent family reunion for which I made a risotto with asparagus. My mom called it "terrible" and said the asparagus ruined it. Thanks, Mom! Love you, too!)

* I'm no expert, but I'd be willing to bet that anyone who uses Campbell's cream of chicken in an étouffée isn't an authentic Cajun cook and isn't making anything resembling an authentic étouffée.
** You can argue with me about that and perhaps even challenge my status as a true Southerner (which is under scrutiny anyway for saying "soda" instead of "coke" and hating Gone with the Wind, among other things) if you will, but I'm just not a fan of Tabasco. It has a metallic taste that turns me off. Other hot sauces? Bring 'em on!
*** We were working with what we had, which was 10 oz. I think moving up to a pound would work with the same basic ingredients.
**** I added another 1/2 cup of water after the sauce reduced some. Many of the recipes I referenced added up to 2. I think it's up to the cook.

Lamb Chops with Pistachio Sauce and Vegetable Saute

Technically, those tomatoes and artichoke hearts should be mixed together, but Saucy Sally had an inkling that we wouldn't care for the artichokes. (She was right, of course.)

Servings: 4
Total Time: 30-40 minutes
Definitely okay for guests (if we could ever afford it!)
(Note: While the lamb chops get a 4, the vegetable saute gets a 2.)

Saucy Sally and I loved the flavor of this tender meat and the gravy it created. I was definitely a fan of the pistachio sauce. Unfortunately, the vegetables weren't up to par. The tomatoes would've been better roasted, and canned artichoke hearts taste, well, canned. Saucy Sally said she'd forget about the vegetable saute next time and serve the lamb with a baked potato and a green vegetable, which sounds good to me.

1/2 c shelled pistachios
3/4 c coarsely chopped fresh parsley
8 loin lamb chops, each 1 inch thick (about 2 lbs)*
2 pints grape tomatoes
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts in water, rinsed, drained, & quartered

1. Make sauce: In a blender, purée pistachios with ¼ cup water until smooth (add a splash more water if necessary); season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Season lamb with salt and pepper and place in skillet. Cook until medium-rare, about five minutes per side (temperature of 145˚).** Transfer to a plate, and cover loosely with foil. Reserve skillet (and any fat left in it).

3. Add tomatoes, artichokes, and ¼ cup water to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high, stirring frequently, until tomatoes begin to soften, 6-8 minutes. Mix in remaining ½ c parsley. Serve.

* Being that we're not quite there with the dinero and lamb is expensive, we opted for one lamb chop each.
** The original recipe, from the May 2007 issue of Everday Food, didn’t offer temperatures, which led us to finding this handy site.

Floating Cloud Biscuits

These biscuits were easy enough for me to handle and pretty quick to throw together.

Servings: 10 (small) biscuits
Total Time: 20 minutes

I made biscuits! I probably kneaded them too much, but they turned out okay (I think). Saucy Sally says they need to be tested again.

2 c flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
½ c (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces*
2/3 c milk
1 beaten egg

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in food processor. Add butter, and pulse to mix until mixture has pea-sized lumps. Remove to medium bowl. (Alternately, sift dry ingredients into medium bowl, then cut in butter to coarse crumbs.)
   
3. Mix milk and egg together in small bowl; stir into flour mixture to form dough.
4. On floured work surface, knead dough lightly; roll to 3/4-inch thick. (Be careful not to overwork the dough at this point. The less touching, the better.)
   
5. Cut biscuits** and place on un-greased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.

* The original recipe calls for shortening.
** Lacking a proper biscuit cutter, we used an old apple butter jar. Woo hoo!

This was adapted from Alabama storyteller K.T. Windham's recipe.

Spinach-Stuffed Flank Steak

This flank steak didn't do it for us.

Servings: 4
Total Time: About an hour
Presentation: Not for guests


Saucy Sally and I didn't really care for this flank steak, which we pulled from the May 2007 issue of Everyday Food and served with biscuits, steamed broccoli, and small baked potatoes. The meat was tough (perhaps overdone), and the vinegar taste in the spinach mixture turned us off (despite that we both typically like vinegar). We won't be making this dish again.

2 (10 oz) packages frozen leaf spinach, thawed
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 c grated Asiago cheese
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
coarse salt & ground pepper
1 small flank steak (1 lb)
1 tsp olive oil

1. Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. Place spinach in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. (Note: Saucy Sally did this in a colander over the sink, which worked fine.)
2. In a medium bowl, combine spinach, parsley, cheese, capers, vinegar, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. (Note: We couldn’t taste the cheese, which was kind of expensive to be wasting in this dish. Also, my thought was that the capers and vinegar together might have been responsible for the unpleasant taste of the spinach concoction.)
3. Butterfly the steak. (Note: When you’re finished, it should be twice as wide, not twice as long, which isn’t exactly how it played out in our kitchen.) Lay the meat on a cutting board with the grain of the steak running horizontally. Using a long sharp knife, cut the meat almost in half horizontally, opening it like a book but stopping before going all the way through.
4. Mix (2 parts) salt and (1 part) pepper in small bowl; set aside.
5. Cut several 9-inch pieces of kitchen twine; space evenly underneath steak. Spread spinach mixture down center of meat. Roll steak over mixture, pressing firmly to compact the filling as much as possible; tie twine to secure roll. Cut roll in half crosswise. Place halves, seam side down, on prepared baking sheet; rub with oil, and season with salt and pepper mixture.
6. Broil until browned, 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare; let rest, loosely covered with foil, 10 minutes. Remove string, and slice steak into ½-inch rounds.

Roasted Pork Club with Basil Mayonnaise

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 20 Minutes

Making these sandwiches took no time. They were attractive, and we’d definitely try them again. Saucy Sally didn’t like the bread we used (Pepperidge Farms something or other), so I think we should buy a loaf from a local bakery next time. The bacon was a bit overwhelming (my fault, I overcooked), and our avocado wasn’t quite ripe. Aside from those things, I was really happy with the outcome and look forward to serving these sandwiches to guests.

8 slices bacon
1 c mayonnaise
¾ c fresh basil, chopped
½-1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt & ground pepper
12 slices whole wheat sandwich bread, lightly toasted
¾ lbs roasted pork (reserved from this recipe), room temperature, thinly sliced
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
8 thin slices Swiss cheese (3-4 oz total)

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, turning once, 6-10 minutes; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and basil; add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Place bread on a work surface; spread one side of each slice with basil mayonnaise. Layer 4 slices with pork and avocado; layer 4 other slices with sprouts, bacon, and cheese. Stack layers to assemble.

Betty’s Note: I used about a tablespoon of lemon juice in a half cup of mayo. The Chef said she couldn’t really taste the lemon and it just made the mayo runny.

The sandwich is adapted from an Everyday Food recipe. The Basil Mayonnaise is adapted from a Bon Appétit recipe.

Fajita Rub

Saucy Sally got this rub from this recipe. She made extra, and we keep it in the cabinet.

1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chile powder
3/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp cayenne*
1 1/2 tsp salt


* Saucy Sally is kind of a spice wimp. She says she probably puts in 1/4 tsp cayenne (and even then she'll still tear up a little).

Roasted Pork Loin with Black Bean and Sweet Potato Salad

Colorful and tasty. We would definitely serve this meal to guests.

Servings: 4 (Plus leftovers for Roasted Pork Club)
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Good for Guests


This meal was fan-freakin'-tastic. Every single bite was an explosion of flavor. We served the two dishes detailed below with a simple tomato and basil salad* (pictured above), mainly because we happened to have some tomatoes we needed to use. Saucy Sally thinks the Black Bean and Sweet Potato Salad would be good with a small amount of yellow rice. The second time we served this meal, we opted for corn on the cob as our second side. Delicious.

2 lbs center-cut boneless pork loin
4 tbsp + 1 tsp vegetable oil, divided
2 tsp fajita rub
Coarse salt & ground pepper
5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
¼ tsp red-pepper flakes (optional)
2 tbsp lime juice (from one lime), plus wedges for serving
1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1. Preheat oven to 450°, with racks set in upper and lower thirds. Place pork on a rimmed baking sheet. Rub with fajita rub. Roast on upper rack until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meet registers 145°, 35 to 40 minutes.
2. About 15 minutes after pork has begun roasting, place sweet potatoes on another rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Roast on lower rack until tender, tossing once during cooking, 25-35 minutes.
3. Remove pork loin from oven, and cover loosely with aluminum foil; let rest about 10 minutes. (Slice off 1/3 of meat and refrigerate for the Roasted Pork Club with Lemon Basil Mayonnaise.)
4. In a large bowl, whisk lime juice with remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Add sweet potatoes and beans; mix gently to combine.
5. Thinly slice pork, and serve with salad and lime wedges.

* I believe Saucy Sally mixed small sliced tomatoes and fresh basil with olive oil and white wine vinegar to create this dazzling little dish.

Our Rating System

1: We tossed it and ordered pizza.




2: We probably wouldn't make this again.




3: We like it enough to try it again, but we'll probably change a thing or two.




4: We're really pleased with this one.




5: Better. Than. Sex.

What's Up With 'These Tacos'

Just a little note of explanation.

Saucy Sally and I met in 2005 when we were interning at High-Falutin' magazine. Saucy Sally was the food intern, and I (Betty) was the Web intern. We've been living together since August 2006 in the D.C. area.

Saucy Sally tends to cook every week night. She's incredibly good at planning and organizing the dinner menu (seriously. I'll have to post a list one of these days) and making sure we have good food on the table nearly every night. (I do my part by entertaining Saucy Sally with my crazy antics while she cooks. I also have clean-up and garbage duty. Sometimes I wash my hands, don my hair net, and get my rear-end into the kitchen to help out with prep work.)

We joke that Saucy Sally is practicing on me for later life and that her future husband will come onto the scene with a large debt to yours truly.

Anyhow, I did a little freaking out a couple weeks ago when THE position became available at High-Falutin' magazine. Saucy Sally is applying for it, and we're both keeping our fingers crossed. In the mean time, though, I'll be adding this here blog to my list of duties. Sally is typically elbow-deep in flour or or heading out the door to gather fresh herbs from the patio garden, so I'll be the main poster.

It's a place where the two of us can keep our recipes along with alterations to and notes about those recipes. It's primarily for our use, but we're leaving it open to the public so we can send friends and family here for certain items and because we thought someone else out there in the blogosphere might find it useful at some point.