Christmas Cookies: Baking Ordinary Into Extraordinary

We love this time of year when, for a few weeks at least, we get to relax our dietary standards and enjoy a little extra sweetness in our lives.

Whether it’s baking with the kids to fill their time off from school, for a cookie exchange to surprise your friends and family with individualized presents, or to impress Santa on Christmas Eve while he struggles to assemble little George’s bike – cookies become common around many houses during the holidays.

But just because they are ordinary doesn’t mean that they can’t be extraordinary.

We here at GTC love to collaborate during this time, as well. We celebrate our diversity as cooks, each with her own approach and strengths. This year, we set out to find and share some delicious cookie recipes with you.

From all of our houses to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a very happy holiday.

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 FROM DIXIE

Miss Vetra’s Old-Fashioned Fruitcake Cookies

My grandmother made Christmas cookies and candies beginning the week after Thanksgiving and continuing all the way through December until Christmas Eve. As much as I remember my own joy as the house began to fill with the warm smells of cinnamon and chocolate, I remember the joy of our friends, family, and neighbors as she handed out small tins filled with divinity, gingerbread, frosted sugar cookies, and fruitcake cookies to name a few. The mix would vary from year to year, but these four were always included.

So much of my modern-day adult Christmas celebration is filled with nostalgia and memories from my childhood. Nothing screams nostalgia like Miss Vetra’s Fruitcake cookies filled with those delightful neon-colored candied fruits, winter nuts, and a little booze.

Fruitcake, in general, gets a really bad rap—most people have never had a really good, old-fashioned liquor-soaked fruitcake made by a delightful Methodist grandma.

My grandmother’s cookies embody all of the best things about fruitcake but in cookie form.

Miss Vetra’s Old-Fashioned Fruitcake Cookies

Makes 2 dozen cookies

1⅔ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup butter, room temperature
½ cup Crisco
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, beaten, room temperature
1 TB orange marmalade
1 TB brandy or dark rum
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups candied fruit cake mix
½ cup chopped dates
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
24 pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, salt, cloves and baking soda. Set aside.

In large bowl or bowl of stand mixer* bowl cream together butter, Crisco and brown sugar until light and fluffy, roughly 5-7 minutes. 

Add in egg, orange marmalade, brandy and vanilla; mix on low until just combined.

Slowly add in flour mixture to creamed butter mixture, one cup at a time on lowest speed until completely incorporated.

Stir in candied fruit mixture and chopped walnuts by hand, using a wooden spoon.

On cookie sheets,  drop tablespoons of cookie dough mix in 3 by 4 pattern. Press one pecan half in the center of each cookie.

Bake for 15-17 minutes until cookies are golden brown. Cooking times may vary slightly depending on your oven.  Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack using a spatula, let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

*I prefer a handheld mixer, but a stand mixer works just fine.

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FROM MAGGIE

Chocolate Cookies with Crushed Peppermint

We have arrived at the season of nostalgia, and I am happy to swim in it—especially if it’s filled with sugar and chocolate! The sea salt chocolate cookies at Lucia’s in Linden Hills, where I did my externship in Minneapolis, were one of my favorite things from the bakery. The triple chocolate cake and pumpkin bars were nothing to turn your nose up at either, but we can talk about those another time.

Now that Lucia’s has closed, I have to make the cookies myself. It’s cool, though; they’re easy enough, even for non-bakers like myself! Since it’s the holiday season, I thought I’d mix it up and replace the flaky sea salt topping with crushed peppermint. Just put a few hard peppermint candies or mini candy canes in a freezer-weight zip-top bag and hit ’em a few times with the smooth side of a meat mallet or a heavy rolling pin. Don’t over-crush, though – you wanna see that red and white stripe in the bits of candy topping.

Here’s to reveling in all that nostalgia and eating sweets with abandon! Happy holidays!

Chocolate Cookies with Crushed Peppermint

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Cookies

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
12 TB unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp flaky sea salt (such as Maldon brand)
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Topping

1/4 cup water
3 TB sugar
2 TB crushed hard peppermint candy

Into medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa, and baking soda.  

Place butter in bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium speed 2 to 4 minutes, until very soft. Add brown sugar, the 1/4 cup sugar, the 1/2 tsp salt and vanilla. Beat 2 to 4 minutes longer on medium speed, until creamy.

Add flour mixture. Mix on low speed just until incorporated. Dn not overmix. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in chopped chocolate.

Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Divide dough in half; place one half of dough on another piece of parchment paper. Using paper to keep dough from sticking, roll each half of the dough into a 12-inch log. Roll up each log and place in freezer 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 325°F. Line two half sheet pans (18x13-inch rimmed baking sheets) with parchment paper. In small saucepan, make the simple syrup: combine water and 3 remaining TB sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 2 to 4 minutes, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Working with a sharp chef knife or bench scraper, slice each log into 24 rounds, reshaping dough as necessary. Place cookies in 4 by 6 pattern on pans, leaving 1 inch between each. 

Bake 12 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Transfer pans to cooling racks and let cool at least 5 minutes.

Use pastry brush to "paint" cookies with the simple syrup, then sprinkle with crushed hard peppermint candy*.

* You can top the cookies with 2 TB flaky sea salt instead of the peppermint candy.

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FROM MARY MARGARET 

Santa’s Favorite Cookies

My husband’s greatest weakness is chocolate chip cookies, so I’m always sure to have these around on Christmas Eve for “Santa.” Here, I’ve tweaked the classic Toll House cookie recipe to include a few of his favorite things, including dark chocolate, craisins, and rolled oats.

Santa’s Favorite Cookies

Makes 8 dozen cookies

½ cup craisins
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup white sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs 
1 TB vanilla 
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp hot water 
2 cups rolled oats
1 package dark chocolate chips or chunks (12oz)
1 cup toasted, chopped pecans 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Cover craisins in hot water to plump. 

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream sugars and shortening. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. 

Sift flour into medium bowl; add salt. In small bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add flour mixture and dissolved baking soda to the mixture in stand mixer; mix on low speed until just combined. Add rolled oats, chocolate chips, drained craisins and pecans. Mix on low speed until incorporated

Place tablespoons of dough on prepared cookie sheets, spacing at least 1 inch apart. Bake in batches for 12 minutes. Remove while warm and cool on racks.

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FROM DEE

Nut-Free Linzer Cookies

As a person with nut allergies, I bake tons of cookies and treats that I never get to eat! Back in our active-duty days, the holidays were always an exciting blend of cultures and traditions. European friends introduced me to Linzer cookies. They were absolutely beautiful, and I was so sad that I couldn’t taste them because they were made with ground almonds or almond flour. 

So, I went looking for an alternative and found this recipe from Cathy Roma at whatshouldimakefor.com. Problem solved! The lemon zest can be doubled, and the raspberry and lemon are a match made in Heaven, and the two acids complement the rich buttery flavor of these cookies perfectly. I have also used apricot preserves just for another color on a cookie tray. Raspberry is traditional, but making your own traditions can be wonderful, too. This is a low-yield cookie (2 dozen completed cookies), but they are worth every minute of effort. Happy Holidays!

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FROM CAM

Gingersnaps

I am not much of a baker of sweet things. I can churn out rolls and loaves of bread, but my Kitchenaid must think it queer when I attach the flat beater and crank it up to make a batch of cookies. I love a good commercial gingersnap, so for this Christmas baking project, I chose the beloved, crispy and spicy cookie that so many people love. I found a great recipe from King Arthur flour.

I love the flavors here. The balance of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves is spot on. The ginger range is from 1 - 2 teaspoons, and I chose the more conservative 1 teaspoon, and it was plenty. I used solid vegetable shortening, as the recipe did not specify, and while the cookies came together, the batter was crumbly. I was worried it would impact the final product, but alas, they turned out perfectly moist. And I don't have any real baking tools - like a cookie scoop - but getting them to the 1-inch ball size wasn't difficult. You roll the balls in cinnamon sugar, and they flatten out when you cook them. I love, too, that you can choose between a softer cookie with a crispy exterior or the more common crisp-throughout version just by adding 2 minutes to the bake time.  

So, for some great flavor bang from what seems to be almost a no-fail recipe, give this one a try. And Merry Christmas!

Did Someone Say “Holiday Party?”

I absolutely love the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons. Always have. Always will. There is just something in the air this time of year, and there is nothing about it I do not enjoy. There is the decorating (both inside AND outside the house, of course), sending and receiving Christmas cards, and gift wrapping - even the spending of money does not bother me, as I find it enjoyable to select gifts for people who are special to me.

Bar none for me, however, are the holiday parties. What could be better than friends having an excuse to get together (in their fuzzy attire), eat, drink, and be merry? It is a beautiful thing. I love attending these kinds of parties, and I thoroughly enjoy hosting festive gatherings as well. Admittedly, hosting can be a daunting task, and it is easy to become overwhelmed, so the following are the 5 tips I always keep in mind when planning a successful holiday soiree.

1. A Little Décor Goes a Long Way – Decorating is not everyone’s cup of tea. I get it. If you are going to host a holiday party, though, make sure you put out a little effort into this department. Otherwise, what differentiates it from a regular dinner party or barbeque? If decorating is something you dread, something as simple as a few Poinsettia arrangements, a wreath on your front door, or some carefully scattered holly around the entertaining area of your home will give off that spirit of the holidays.

2. Make Sure That Bar Is Fully Stocked – The bar is always stocked in our house (a la Don Draper), but some never think of stockpiling spirits unless a special occasion is fast approaching. While it can be the most costly aspect of entertaining, it is essential. Keep in mind that everyone does not drink the same thing. You will need clear libations, whiskeys and bourbons, beer, red wine, and white wines, and it never hurts to have a little bubbly in the refrigerator. As an aside, note that not everyone may want an alcoholic beverage, so I ensure there are several kinds of sodas, iced tea, etc., on hand for those who prefer it.

3. The Menu Matters – There should be a certain amount of variety in the spread laid out before your guests, it should look inviting, and it should be something special for the holidays. Most people walk away from an occasion remembering the food, first and foremost, and holiday parties are ALL about small plates with an array of goodies. I try and make sure there are vegetarian options, something substantial for the carnivorous guests, and a healthy mix of sweet and salty options. I avoid becoming stressed and overwhelmed by the menu by making out my menu a couple of weeks before the big day and chopping, dicing, and mixing as much as possible a day in advance of the big party.

4. Set the Atmosphere With Music – I am extremely aware that music may be the most subjective of all art forms. Plenty of arguments have arisen in our household about the selection of music at any given time or event. Even with that being the case, put some holiday music on in advance of your guests’ arrival time. It does not feel very jolly or festive to walk into a silent house or with only a few people standing around awkwardly, trying to make conversation. Music can put your guests at ease and be an inadvertent icebreaker to get that party started, as the kids like to say. It is difficult to imagine anyone disagreeing over Nat King Cole’s “Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire” playing on your sound system. It just does not get any more Christmas-y than that.

5. Mingle! – Odds are, if someone is attending your holiday party, then he or she probably likes you and wants to visit and catch up with you, and this is the season for that. I know firsthand that being a hostess can be an all-consuming task, and you feel the need to constantly be cleaning and keeping everything in order. That sink full of dishes can wait until the following morning, though. Do as much cooking and cleaning in advance, and you can feel comfortable mingling and partying the night away. Cheers!

Defy Your Kin: Spoonbread, Not Dressing

Spoonbread commands a spotlight and defies its kin – cornbread, dressing, cheese grits, corn pudding – in categorization.

Is it a bread? A casserole? Labels, schmabels. It is a lovely, fluffy, and creamy side dish, yet it’s hard not to view it as the star in any meal in which it’s served.

If you are planning on having turkey for Thanksgiving, do you really need a big pan of dressing, too? Not necessarily. Substitute spoonbread for the dressing, especially if you are pressed for time.

Though your mother-in-law may get miffed, tell her you are going to start a new tradition. Pour a strong one then sit back and wait for the fireworks.

Spoonbread is easier to make than cornbread dressing. It takes much less time to prepare, as dressing requires more time to make a bold and savory chicken broth. Simply, spoonbread is a big bang for the bite, easy to stir up and bake for a Sunday dinner or a special occasion.

You could argue that spoonbread is more closely related to cheese grits, but it is bready like cornbread and so moist that it requires a spoon to eat, thus, its name, though the origin of the name has been the subject of at least one debate.

While many point to the need to eat spoonbread with a spoon as giving rise to its name, according to Kelly Brant, writing in the Arkansas Gazette, Native Americans prepared a dish called “supawn” or “suppone,” a porridge made with ground corn, which could be the genesis of the dish and its name. Kelly gives a great all-around history and some recipes. Check her article out, if you have time. 

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2014/oct/22/spoonbread-splendid-20141022/

The main note I would give about spoonbread is to keep it simple. I found many great variations, and I got lost in recipes that add heavy ingredients that make it weighty with flavor distractions. It’s much better appreciated for its airy texture, and often onions, peppers, and garlic frame the standard Southern flavor profile just right.

If you are willing to sacrifice a little fluffiness for extra flavor, bacon, chives, and shoepeg corn could be great additions. One version I tried included chorizo, and it came out flat. So, be careful if adding meat and watch the total amount of fat going into the recipe. You don’t want the leavening agents to fight too hard for lift.

I used baking powder even though I was also using self-rising cornmeal. It worked out just fine. If you want some extra fluffiness, you can separate the egg whites from the yolks. Whip the whites until they peak then fold them last into the batter. Also, you can use either whole milk or buttermilk, the latter adding a layer of background flavor that many will find appealing, but buttermilk does have less fat, so that substitution can impact the texture. 

The recipe that I tried that had a great balance of flavor and the perfect texture is one I found in Texas Monthly Magazine.

https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/jalapeno-jack-spoon-bread/

So, when you are planning out your Thanksgiving menu, embrace change! Be brave! Defy your kin …

Jalapeño Jack Spoonbread

4 TB butter, divided
1 large onion, diced
2 medium or 1 large shallot, diced
2 fresh medium jalapeños, diced (seeds and ribs removed if desired)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cups whole milk
1 cup self-rising cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
4 oz. pepper Jack cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp salt

Directions

In large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add onions, shallots, and jalapeños and cook, stirring often, 7 to 9 minutes, or until soft. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute longer, until softened. Remove from heat.

In a heavy saucepan, slowly bring milk to a boil over medium heat stirring often to avoid curdling. Slowly stir in cornmeal until mixture is the consistency of a heavy paste. If it’s too thick to stir, add a splash of milk and continue stirring. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Stir butter and baking powder into cornmeal mixture. Add eggs 1 at a time to cornmeal mixture and stir until completely mixed. Fold onion mixture into cornmeal mixture, along with cheese and salt.

Pour into greased 2-quart baking or casserole dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until firm and golden.

Chicken and Dumplings, Just Like Mama Used to Make

Well, sorta. With Mother’s Day coming up, I’ve been thinking of all of my mom’s best recipes. And I would feel bad about changing Mama’s already-perfect recipe if she hadn’t changed my paternal grandma’s already-perfect recipe. 

See, my Daddy liked bone-in dark meat chicken. Only. 

So Gran, always eager to give her only child, Charlie, whatever he wanted, would make that happen for him, even if it meant her casserole had bones in it. 

Mama, being about half as eager to please Charlie, made half of it bone-in and the other half boneless. Normal, reasonable people could eat from one side; Daddy had the bony other side all to himself. And even though it’s shocking, since he passed away, she now makes this cozy casserole entirely without bones. 

When I think of comfort food, I think of Mama’s chicken and dumplings. And while I’ll happily eat Mama’s already-perfect version any time, I have the tendency to make things more flavorful whenever possible. That also means they’re more complicated.

In Mama’s version, you boil a whole chicken and use the broth to boil the dumplings. Then you pour some of the broth, plus a whitewash of milk, butter and flour over the mixture of chicken and dumplings and top with a crust that you roll out from some of the reserved dumpling dough. It’s delightfully starchy, and unlike most chicken and dumplings recipes you’ll see on the Food Network or the first page of a Google search, there are no vegetables to be found. Yum.

I roast the chicken whole (but feel free to use a rotisserie chicken to save time). Then I pull the meat and boil the carcass, along with any of those beautiful pan juices (or the congealed version of that same mixture that you find in the cold rotisserie chicken container), for a couple of hours, then strain for a quick, but rich stock. Next, I boil the dumplings in that stock and use the couple of remaining cups to make a mashup of velouté and bechamel – half stock, half cream sauce. It still gets the 2-for-1 dumpling crust, and there are still no unsightly actual vegetables, but I brush it with melted butter and top with a sprinkle of fresh herbs. 

This Mother’s Day, whether you try my Chicken and Dumplings (or Mama’s, or if you’re brave enough, Gran’s) or something from your own comfort food repertoire, I hope you savor something that makes you remember, honor and celebrate all the mamas in your life. They sure deserve it.

Chicken and Dumpling Casserole

Roast Chicken and Stock
1 (4 lb) whole chicken
2 TB butter, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
8 cups water

Dumplings and Crust
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Accent
1/2 tsp baking soda
12 TB butter, cut in pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk

Sauce
6 TB butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups stock
1 cup half and half or whole milk
2 TB melted butter

2 TB fresh dill or chives, optional

Directions

Heat oven to 400∞F. Spray small rimmed sheet pan or braisière pan with cooking spray. Place chicken breast-side up in pan. Tuck the cubed butter under skin of the chicken. Sprinkle all over with the 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, turning once, until nicely browned and an instant-read thermometer placed in the thigh (without touching the bone) registers at least 165∞F. Transfer chicken to cutting board to rest until cool enough to handle; reserve pan juices. Turn off oven.

In stock pot or large Dutch oven, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, break down the chicken. Pull the meat; transfer to storage container. You should have about 4 cups pulled cooked chicken. Cover and refrigerate pulled chicken. Add chicken carcass (including skin, cartilage and pan juices) to boiling water; return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook 2 hours. Strain stock through mesh strainer into 8-cup glass measuring cup or large bowl; discard bones. You should have about 6 cups of stock. If you don’t, add enough water to make 6 cups. If you have more, that’s fine. Use all of it. Return strained stock to same pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Rinse strainer and measuring cup or bowl; reserve.

While stock is cooking, make the Dumplings and Crust. In food processor, place all Dumplings and Crust ingredients except buttermilk. Process until mixture is uniform and butter is fully cut in, scraping bowl with rubber spatula one to two times during processing. With processor running, stream buttermilk into the mixture until incorporated. Transfer to floured surface and knead lightly until mixture is smooth. Divide into three equal pieces. Wrap one piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Using floured rolling pin, roll out the remaining two thirds of the dough to 1/3-inch-thick rectangle. With knife or pizza cutter, cut edges of dough to make a clean rectangle; add scraps to reserved refrigerated dough for crust. Cut dough into 1-inch squares. 

Heat oven to 350∞F. Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add dumpling squares to boiling stock and cook 6 to 10 minutes, until they puff up and turn white. Test for doneness. Strain through reserved strainer into the large measuring cup or bowl. You should have about 2 cups thick stock left. Immediately pour dumplings in dish and spread evenly. Spread cooled chicken evenly over dumplings.

Make the Sauce. In 2-quart saucepan, melt the 6 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until thick and beginning to smell slightly nutty. Whisk in the reserved stock and half and half or whole milk. Bring to a simmer and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until thickened. Pour sauce over mixture in pan. 

Prepare the crust. On lightly floured surface using floured rolling pin, roll out the refrigerated remaining third of the dough to a very thin 14x10-inch rectangle. Carefully transfer to casserole dish and tuck edges under. Brush crust with the melted butter. Cut several decorative slits in the crust to allow steam to escape. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until casserole is steaming and crust is fully cooked. Mixture should be at least 165∞F in center. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with herbs.

Late Night Crustless Quiche

With the holidays upon us, it’s always good to have a simple breakfast dish on hand to help soak up whatever excess you may have indulged the night before. This recipe is from the kitchen of our family friend, Sue Perret, a glamourous South Louisiana Cajun who loved to entertain. The Perrets had six children, a billiards room, and an indoor pool, which, as you can imagine, was the perfect combination for a party. 

For many years, we would travel to Demopolis, Alabama, to visit the Perrets for Christmas on the River, a magical, hometown holiday festival featuring a boat parade on the Tombigbee River. The weekend was full of activities, with the adults starting the day with Bloody Marys and wrapping it up with Hot Buttered Rum. The party would wind down when Dr. Earl, Sue’s husband, read to the children Cajun Night Before Christmas in an accent so thick that I never really understood what he was saying, but was captivated nonetheless. 

I have many of Sue’s recipes and they are all no-fuss and flavorful, which makes them perfect for busy holidays and busy lives. Dr. Earl loved to fish and was on a semi-pro bass team for years. In the early 1980’s Sue wrote and illustrated a short cookbook of “nothing but bass” recipes, with the star being a dish of bass, butter, canned mushrooms, and white wine that is prepared in the microwave. While the idea of microwaved fish may not appeal to our sophisticated 2021 tastes, in 1981, it was revolutionary. 

I have doubled and even tripled this quiche recipe with great results, and it’s perfectly easy to throw together at, say, 1:00 a.m. and refrigerate overnight. I’ve included my spin on Sue’s original “crustless bacon quiche” recipe below, as well as several variations I’ve tried over the years. 

Late Night Crustless Quiche

4 eggs 
1 ½ cups milk
½ cup biscuit mix
3 TB melted butter (you can also use 3 TB bacon drippings)
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Combine eggs, milk, biscuit mix, melted butter, and red pepper, stirring until well mixed. Pour into a greased quiche pan or pie plate. Press bacon and cheddar below the surface. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until set in the middle. Let stand for 15-20 minutes before serving. 

Variations on bacon and cheddar: 

• Sautéed spinach and mozzarella 

  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach

  • 1 clove garlic, chopped

  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 

Drizzle pan with olive oil and saute garlic along with the baby spinach until wilted. Press spinach below the surface of the egg mixture, along with the mozzarella. 

• Roasted tomatoes and feta 

  • 2 TB olive oil

  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • ½ cup feta cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss tomatoes in olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes burst. Press tomatoes below the surface of the egg mixture, along with the feta cheese. 

• Smoked salmon with ricotta and green onions

  • 6 oz smoked salmon

  • ½ cup ricotta cheese

  • 2 green onions, chopped

Press salmon below the surface of the egg mixture, and dollop the egg mixture with the ricotta cheese. Once cool, top with green onions. 

• Chopped ham and Havarti 

  • 5 slices deli ham

  • 2 oz. Havarti cheese, sliced thinly

 Press ham below the surface of the egg mixture, along with the Havarti cheese.

Melons and Memories: Watermelon Lemonade

Greetings, friends and neighbors! Hoping everyone`s summer has been filled with sunshine, fun and fellowship.

August is gearing up to be August. As a born and raised Southerner, August is the month I dread the most. The summer heat and humidity are kicked in full-tilt boogie, the homegrown tomatoes are winding down, the flip flops have flipped their last flop.

A strange shift in the universe takes place in and over Water Valley as the last bottle rocket is fired and the rocket's red glare slowly fades into the lingering smoke left behind from July`s celebration of Independence.

Here in Water Valley Mississippi, thoughts go from red, white, and blue to green and red. 

The decorations are brought down from dust covered boxes in the attic corner, the blinking and twinkling lights are untangled and checked, flags of a different variety are unfurled, giant lawn ornaments are staked, and wooden door hangings are hung from every front door in town.

If you thought I was shouting out Christmas in July, well, folks, you would be wrong. 

My adoration and reverence are directed towards a celebration of community - The Watermelon Carnival.

The Watermelon Carnival is one of the many ways we show love and pride for our community and town. 

Residents of our tiny Southern town welcome visitors from across the state to enjoy all things watermelon.

Y`all let me just go ahead and tell you that none of us come to play when it is Carnival time. This is one of those “get right or get left” moments. You best believe that all the grandmas are going to have the husbands, the sons, and all the whippersnapper young folks out mowing, trimming, raking, and sweeping.

Not a blade of grass will be out of place come carnival weekend.  We show up and show out as a community because when company comes you put on your Sunday best and bring out the good silver.

The week of the Watermelon Carnival is, hands-down, my busiest week as a business owner.   The BTC will be jumping every moment of every day. In my restaurant The Dixie Belle Café, we will showcase watermelon all week long.

As a chef, it is one of my favorite weeks of the year because it not only allows me to think out of the box but forces me to use all my experience, skills, and imagination to create beautiful food focused on watermelon.

If you follow me as a chef, then one of the things you associate with me is that I personally use food to speak to you on a different level. The Southern child who hung on my grandmother's apron strings and watched her cook is the core of who I am as a chef. My own memories are triggered each day I walk into my kitchen to cook, and I want to trigger those same memories with you, the customer.

Memories, smells, and tastes of our Southern childhoods and days past where we sat together at a makeshift table adorned with fried chicken, peas, tomatoes, cornbread, and watermelon. A table where stories were shared and love was given and received as we shared a meal in the summer heat.

One of the things always on my family's Southern table was lemonade. This Southern summer elixir is also one of the things I serve every year in my cafe for the watermelon carnival.

Watermelon lemonade, of course.

Nothing beats the heat like an ice-cold pitcher of lemonade. And nothing screams “Southern” like lemonade; we do it, and we do it well.

The Watermelon Carnival is the Water Valley community inviting you to come sit at our grandmother's table. All things watermelon will be served as an August breeze slices through the summer heat.

We will tell you the stories as we watch our local farmers bring in giant watermelons hoping to break the state record, and we will share in the memories of people and carnivals past as we create new memories together.

Here is my recipe for Dixie Belle Watermelon Lemonade. Southerners like lemonade super sweet and super tart. Feel free to adjust the recipe to the way you enjoy lemonade.

And Happy Watermelon Carnival 2021! If you are around this weekend, come enjoy the fun!

Dixie Belle’s Watermelon Lemonade

2 1/2 cups sugar (feel free to adjust to your personal taste)
8 cups water
4 1/2 cups red watermelon, cubed
12 large lemons, juiced (roughly 1-1½ cups)

Directions

Make a simple syrup. In a small pot, add water and sugar, turn heat on low, and cook until sugar is dissolved. Once sugar is completely dissolved, turn off heat and set to the side.

While the water sugar mixture is cooking, puree fresh watermelon in a blender. Do not overcrowd. Small batches work best, and sometimes it is necessary to add a touch of water, depending on your blender.

After the melon is pureed, you will want to skim off the foamy top with a ladle. In a serving pitcher of choice, mix pureed watermelon, lemon juice, and simple syrup. I like to float thin slices of fresh lemon and fresh mint as a garnish. Serve over ice.

Don’t Borrow Trouble, Folks: Eat Your Peas and Greens

Congratulations! If y’all are reading this post then you survived Christmas and all of the joy which comes with the season - outlet mall present snatching, ugly Christmas sweaters,  nonstop Christmas songs on your favorite radio station, sausage balls galore and enough eggnog to keep the Christmas spirit flowing as you gather with family to commune over ham, pie and remember the baby Jesus. I salute you!

New Year’s Day is a holiday near and dear to all Southerners’ hearts. It involves all our favorite things - reflection, new beginnings, traditions, superstitions and food. Southerners are far more complex humans than the average person realizes, and each one of these things will have a seat at the table on New Year’s Day. 

The traditional Southern meal for the first day of the new year will consist of black-eyed peas for luck; cabbage for prosperity; hog jowl for health (not kidding, you gotta love the South); and greens for money.

Superstition dictates this is what should be on the plate or we are inviting the fates to wreak havoc on any given day throughout the year. Black-eyed peas are African as are most "Southern" vegetables. Their cultivation dates back 5,000 years, and peas were brought to the United States during the transatlantic slave trade, and I figure that some of the folklore and superstition surrounding New Year’s day traditions comes from Africa as well. 

Don't borrow trouble, folks. Cook the peas and the greens and know that you did everything you could to ensure a safe, happy and prosperous year and hopefully a fresh start with cousin Beulah after the Christmas fruitcake incident of 2019.

Ah, Reflection: Where have we been? Where are we now? Where are we going?  

My Southern roots run deep as a chef, and I feel strongly that I have a responsibility to stay true to those roots, to respect the ingredients and to encourage people to learn about Southern culture.

Food brings people together, opens conversations and provides a window into cultures and traditions that may be different than your personal experience. It`s the perfect day and the perfect plate for me to remember where I come from, why do I want to cook the things I cook, and how I can take something old and turn it into something new.

Last year, I made Ramen using collard greens, hog jowl, cabbage and black-eyed peas. 

This year, I will pull out my cast iron skillet for a batch of cornbread to go with the mess of greens and the pot of peas stewing on the stove all day, and I will remember the smells and aromas of my grandmother’s house on this special day: black-eyed peas, collard greens, cabbage and pork fat - or goodness and love. The house where I learned to cook and learned to love.  

Those memories will inspire me to create and cook beautiful food in my restaurant and my home, using simple ingredients while paying respect and honoring those who came before me and showing love to my community and to my south.

Happy New Year!

To Jell or not to Jell: Dixie’s Cranberry Sauce

My childhood Thanksgiving memories are filled with many things that still make me smile as turkey day approaches each year: Charlie Brown`s Thanksgiving - I always longed to have the turkey served with a side of popcorn from a ping pong table with the family dog; Macy`s Thanksgiving Day Parade - I still make my wife watch the entire thing with me each year; and jiggly, alien-like cranberry sauce out of a can. My grandmother always served it on a silver platter atop iceberg lettuce. Who knew that's actually what the good silver is reserved for - .99 cents a can cranberry sauce.

Growing up in deep south Mississippi in the 70`s, making cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries was not an option. I was well into adulthood when I discovered that this mythical fruit does exist and that you could make a fresh version of the jellied, straight out-of-the-can sauce I grew up with in my Southern house.

My grandmother made everything from scratch, and she loved food. In today`s food culture, she would have been designated as a “foodie.” We made special trips to Memphis and Tupelo to eat at new and interesting restaurants that were getting out of the box of Southern food. I could order anything I wanted, the only rule being it had to be a dish or food I had never had before. She would have loved driving the family T-Bird down to Big Star to load up on fresh cranberries during the holidays. The recipe I created to use in my restaurant for Thanksgiving and the holiday season was made with her memory in mind and our family Thanksgiving table.

Just for the record - I love all cranberry sauce. I feel strongly that each one has its place at the table. Food should be fun, and you shouldn't feel guilty because you REALLY like cranberry out of a can. There is no shame in that game, folks. Food Made With Love.

Dixie’s Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

2 bags fresh cranberries (12 oz. each)
2 cups white sugar
1 cup water
1 cup apple cider
1 orange (cut in half)
1 small lemon (cut in half)
2 large cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 slices of peeled ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions

In a medium pot, add all ingredients. Squeeze juice out of orange and lemon, then add citrus shells into berries. Cover with a lid. Cook slow and low, stirring frequently. I like to bring it to a just boil stage and then turn it down to low. Usually cooks about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Notes

• You can adjust sugar to make it as unsweet or sweet as you like for your taste. Just add more or less sugar. Also feel free to use a sugar substitute if you have a family member with dietary restrictions.

• The cranberry sauce can turn into napalm during the cooking process, so keep the lid on the pot which will ensure that you do not become a helpless burn victim on Thanksgiving Day. Also, it will save you from scrubbing cranberries off the walls in your kitchen well after the Fourth of July.

• Feel free to serve canned cranberry sauce on the table next to your homemade version, if for no other reason but nostalgia. There are no rules for holiday cooking except that you do what makes you happy, drink the wine and eat ALL the cranberry sauce.

Homemade Yeast Rolls, or Store-Bought Yeast Rolls: That is the Question

In my family, Thanksgiving isn’t about cherished recipes or football or even giving thanks. It’s about competition.

My mother’s people are from north Alabama, and many holidays of my youth were spent in her hometown of Decatur, where my grandmother lived four blocks from her sister, my Great Aunt Mary.

Mary liked to entertain. She and her husband never had children, so they—or so it seemed to my ten-year-old eyes—spent their leisure time hosting friends, drinking cocktails, and playing cards. Whenever my mother and I were in town, I always looked forward to supper at Mary’s. We’d sit at her perfectly appointed dining room table where she served me iced tea in a fancy glass, and I would wait patiently for my favorite part of the meal: the rolls. I always tried my best to hold my manners in check, but I always ate more than my share. 

On one of our holiday visits to Decatur, there was some confusion about Thanksgiving dinner. My grandmother wanted to host everyone at her house, but my Great Aunt Mary was expecting us at hers. After a lively one-sided conversation that I overheard my grandmother having on the wall-mounted rotary-dial phone in her kitchen, it was decided: Mom and I were to have two Thanksgiving dinners, one with Grandmother and one with Mary. But they were so sore with each other that they would only be hosts, not guests in each other’s homes. And so it was. Mom and I had two practically identical Thanksgiving dinners in one day at two different houses just four blocks apart. Only one thing was different: Mary’s rolls.

Years later, Mom and I were laughing over the ridiculousness of it all, and we had an argument of our own. Mom was sure that Mary never let anything grace her table that wasn’t homemade, especially her yeast rolls. But I had my doubts. They were just so perfect, those little rectangular Parker House rolls, kept just the right kind of warm in a bread basket lined with a pressed linen napkin. In fact, they were almost too perfect. What added to my doubt was another one of my favorite things that Mary served: coconut cake with lemon curd. It was an extra-special occasion when that particular brick-shaped dessert hit the table, but it took one fateful trip down the grocery store’s freezer aisle to shatter any illusion that it might have been homemade. 

Mary and Grandmother are long gone, but thank goodness I still have Sister Schubert and Pepperidge Farm.

Sometimes we just have to fake it to make it.

* * *

If you know anyone from north Alabama, you’re likely familiar with Cotton Country Cooking, the community cookbook published by the Decatur Junior Service League. It has been my family’s recipe bible for as long as I can remember. I have my grandmother’s copy and, while there isn’t a recipe for Parker House rolls or even yeast rolls—another clue in the Mystery of Mary’s Yeast Rolls—there is a recipe for Beer Rolls with a checkmark next to it in my grandmother’s hand, so I suppose she made them at least once. It’s the kind of recipe to use if you want to be able to say that you dirtied some dishes but don’t have time for all of that rising business and just want to get to the point already. 

Beer Rolls

1 tablespoon sugar
1 can beer (12 ounce can)
3 cups Bisquick

Mix ingredients together in bowl. Spoon into greased muffin tins. Bake at 400* for 12 to 15 minutes. Yields a dozen or more large rolls.

Don’t laugh until you’ve tried these! These closely approximate yeast rolls, and talk about quick--you won’t believe it!

-Mrs. Robert H. Hosey

From Cotton Country Cooking (1972), p. 212.