Inspiration « Gourmet and Comfort Food Blog by Two Hot Potatoes

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Fried Frog Legs

Monday July 25th 2011

I didn’t technically make this recipe. Or even eat it.

But I was on vacation in LA all weekend so I needed to supplement the blog with guest posts. And luckily, my brother whipped up some fried frog legs – something I’ve never attempted to before.

Has anyone else ever made these? I’ve seen them at Central Market before, but I’ve never though twice about picking them up. They look a little intimidating in the package, but once fried they totally look edible to me.

The verdict from my brother? They were a little strange in that they were insanely tender and had the consistency of white fish, but tasted more or less like chicken. But not like KFC chicken.

So there you have it.

Fried Frog Legs

8 sets frog legs
1 cup all purpose flour, for dredging
1 quart buttermilk (to tenderize legs)
2 cups buttermilk, for dredging
1/2 cup hot sauce
1 cup corn flour
1/2 tbsp. black pepper
1/2 tbsp. sea salt
Vegetable oil, for frying

Preheat oil to 375 degrees F. Place frog legs in a mixing bowl and top with buttermilk. Allow to sit one hour at room temperature. Remove frog legs from buttermilk and begin dredging your frog legs. Start by putting a light coat of all-purpose flour on the frog legs. Mix buttermilk and hot sauce, then dip them into that mixture. Finally, cover them with corn flour and seasonings. Once the oil is up to temperature, carefully place the battered frog legs in the oil. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until they are golden brown. Place them on a paper towel and let the excess oil drain off. Serve hot.

D is for Dragon Fruit & Dessert

Monday July 11th 2011

As a continuation of my AplhaBites project with Jill Broussard- we shot a whole slew of exotic ingredients last week, and after tasting this gnarly fruit for the first time I knew he was destined for a refreshing granita.

The taste of fresh Dragon Fruit is pretty mild. The texture of the white flesh and black seeds grabs your attention first. All the tiny seeds and fibers inside remind me slightly of a kiwi fruit, but less juicy, and much less sweet. It tastes like a mellow cucumber had a Menage a trois with a grape and a kiwi, and this is the fruit triangle’s love child who dresses in flamboyant bright pink attire.

Your best bet to find these would be at my favorite exotic market Super H Mart in Carrollton.

We’re almost done photographing the exotic alphabet- keep an eye out for prints and a cookbook coming soon!

Dragon Fruit Granita

3 Dragon Fruits

3 tbs Agave Nectar (or Honey)

1 Lime

1 sprig of fresh mint

Cut your dragon fruits in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh in to a bowl (save the fruit “shells” for serving if you’d like). Add the agave nectar and the juice of one lime to the bowl and combine.

I added about 1 tsp of chopped mint also because an icy granita is already quite refreshing and the fresh mint just adds to that light cool flavor.

Mix these ingredients well well in a blender until the fruit is broken down and appears fairly smooth (or I just used my kitchen aid mixer because it was easier to clean).

Pour the mix in to a shallow flat dish and place in the freezer. Check on the slushy mix about every half hour and scrape the frozen edges to create the slush. Repeat this step every half hour for about 3 hrs until it becomes a light and fluffy frozen granita. *Don’t just put it in the freezer and forget it! If it freezes solid before you’ve scraped any layers up, you’ll have one tough block too hard to scrape.

Serve it in your frozen fruit cups and enjoy.

Grilling in Disguise

Thursday June 23rd 2011

Have you ever needed to disguise you precious cooking tools? I remember when I was living in my first college apartment they had a ban on patio grills throughout campus (and rightfully so, most students would most definitely burn the place down). I had a great spread at Texas State University on the third floor of my complex with a balcony that overlooked the Texas hill country and drunken coeds- it was fantastic. In the summer time all we wanted to do was chill on the shaded patio and cook out. My roommates and I were always frustrated with the task of hauling out the grill, secretly grilling, then stashing the evidence so the apartment managers wouldn’t fine us. Well if only these grills would have been in production back then.

I stumbled upon these Black+Blum grills the other day and thought it would be the perfect patio addition for anyone with that same predicament- or anyone who just wants their outdoor cookery to blend in the the landscape.

These beautifully designed grills have the perfect disguise, with the terra cotta look and a planter on top. Plus if you grow herbs on the top like the rosemary pictured here- then you’re set and ready to season as you sear.

It’s a win-win.

Happy Grilling Season.

Strawberry Margarita Extravaganza

Tuesday June 21st 2011

It’s no secret that Texas is hot. And we’ve already seen 100 degrees on a regular basis over the past few weeks, so I have a feeling this summer is going to be a scorcher. But luckily, Angela and I came up with a few recipes to help you survive the summer and entertain your equally sweaty guests.

Last week, we were the lucky recipients of a giant crate of fresh strawberries from California Giant Berry Farms. They challenged us to come up with a recipe that honored summer, berries and our favorite baseball team – The Texas Rangers.

While I love a good hot dog at a baseball game (I’ve been known to take down 4-5 on dollar hot dog night), during the summer I’m addicted to the frozen treats at the game. That includes any and all frozen drinks that come in those silly giant glasses. So Angela and I developed recipes for the perfect summer baseball & berry combination – fresh strawberry margaritas accompanied by a whipped strawberry margarita pie. So very Texas of us.

Whipped Strawberry Margarita Pie (adapted from Gourmet, 2006)

For crust

1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

For filling

1 lb strawberries, halved (3 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lime zest (from 3 limes)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons tequila

2 tablespoons Cointreau

1 cup chilled heavy cream

Make crust:

Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter until well blended . Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7 minutes. Cool.

Make filling:

Purée strawberries, zest, lime juice, condensed milk, tequila, and liqueur in a food processor or blender until just smooth.

Beat cream in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold one third of strawberry mixture into the cream gently but thoroughly to lighten, then fold in remainder in 2 batches.

Pour filling into crust, mounding it slightly, and freeze, uncovered, until firm, about 4 hours. Remove from freezer and let soften in refrigerator, about 40 minutes, before serving (pie should be semisoft).

Fresh Strawberry Margaritas

2 Pints fresh strawberries (stems removed and quartered)
1 can of frozen orange concentrate (plus one can water, follow concentrate instructions)
4 limes juiced (extra lime wedges for garnish, optional)
12 oz (8 shots) silver tequila
Splash of Cointreau (orange flavored liqueur)
3 tbs Agave nectar (or more depending on sweetness of the berries)
Equal parts sea salt and sugar, to rim the glasses

On a small plate stir together equal parts sea salt and sugar then set aside for glass riming.

Combine all other ingredients in a blender, and pulse until smooth. If you would like to make these slushy frozen margaritas then add ice instead of water to dilute the orange concentrate. Chill until ready to serve.

To serve – rim a glass with a lime wedge, then dip in the salt/ sugar mix. Pour the glass to fill, garnish with a fresh berry and lime wedge.

Spring Floral Feast

Monday May 23rd 2011

Spring is finally here! Those April showers certainly brought me some flowers, and I have been anticipating these edible blossoms for a whole year!

As soon as it begins to warm up outside my hands get eager to get in to the soil. Early on I planned out my gardening plot. I make a point to try and grow things that I can’t easily buy from the store- a few exotic heirloom varieties, lots of herbs, I even built a new watermelon patch this spring. I counted the other day and I was shocked to realize I have 37 different varieties of edible delights growing in my garden out back! And my most anticipated garden delight just started blooming! Stuffed squash blossoms are one of my absolute favorite things! When stuffed with cheese and friend to golden perfection they are out of this world! I found these specific zucchini blossom seeds through my trusted resource- Martha. Seeds From Italy sources seeds for hundreds of Italian varieties, most of which are very difficult to find elsewhere. These zucchini blossom seeds are cultivated specifically for their edible flowers, they won’t produce much zucchini, but that’s not what I’m after, I can buy that at the market, the produce huge edible flowers instead.

Best part is this recipe is so easy to make- the hard part is having the patience to sow the seeds and watch them grow.

PS- This photo is the first sneak peak at a photography series I’m working on with friend Jill Broussard. Our Alpha-Bites project will chronicle one exotic ingredient and recipe for each letter of the alphabet. More to come soon…

Fried Zucchini Blossoms

1 cup Flour

1 cup beer

Whole Mozzarella (the good kind like Paula makes)

6-8 squash blossoms

Large pot of vegetable oil for frying

Cut small chunks of the mozzarella small enough to fill inside the blossom center. Delicately close the flower petals around the mozzarella (it’s okay if there are small gaps, the batter will close around it).

In a medium size bowl whisk the flour and beer together. Give your stuffed blossoms a dip in the beer batter. Test your oil first with a drip of the batter to make sure it is ready for frying. If it bubbles up intermediately then it’s ready to go, if it doesn’t bubble quickly then heat the oil a bit more. Gently lay your battered blossoms in the oil and fry for about 2-3 minutes until lightly golden brown on all sides.

Remove the fried blossoms from the oil and drain them on some paper towels to remove excess oil. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately!

The New Look of Bon Appétit

Thursday April 21st 2011

Out last week was the new issue of Bon Appetit magazine- The Italy Issue.

This May issue marks the first from their new editor in chief Adam Rapoport who hails from GQ. I was so excited to learn that Rapoport had taken the reins. Of all the editorial out there focused around food I’ve been desperately craving a magazine with some style to it, so hopefully the former style editor of GQ will bring his to the table.

My “art director’s”opinion of the new issue- I really don’t like the art direction of the cover, but I’m loving the revamped design on the inside. I miss the simpler days of Gourmet magazine where the cover was sans-type with merely the Gourmet title and a beautiful photo which let the ingredients truly be the cover models and entice you within.

That said, I’m loving the revamped design inside of BA. Finally we have a food magazine with some spunk! Bold new typefaces and an edge to the layouts, illustration, and photography. The magazine still reads as a voice of authority of food, but in a more relatable way- Thank you BA!

There have been rumors buzzing that the new editor wants to bring more celebrity to the magazine- turning away from celebrity chefs, and leaning more toward Hollywood. You see this already in a few places in the current issue, but the big rumor out there is that the June issue will feature Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover!

I’m not too happy about this- Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Gwyneth. I love watching her on GLEE, and I’ve seen her in Spain with Batali, she certainly is one Hollywood star with certified culinary chops. I’d love to see her featured in the issue- but save the cover and majority of the content for the true celebrity- the FOOD!

Do any other fellow subscribers out there have thoughts on the new BA design and content?

So enough about the design- Let’s get to the food!

I had a long day of travel yesterday, and after devouring the entire Italy issue on my flight home I was seriously craving some pasta. I didn’t have a lot on hand to throw together an elaborate dish (nor did I feel like standing over the stove long after a long day at the airport), but that need not detour me- one of my favorite pasta dishes has only 3 simple ingredients that all of us keep on hand- butter, pepper and cheese. A similar recipe is also featured in the “Perfect Pasta” section of the new BA pg 138 along side some excellent tips and techniques every at home cook should know when prepping pasta.

Butter+Pepper+Cheese+Pasta

1 pound dried spaghetti
3 tbs. butter
4 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (could substitute Parmesan, but I love the saltier-creamy pecorino bite)
1 1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Salt (optional, the cheese is already pretty salty)

Cook spaghetti in well-salted water till al dente. Drain spaghetti, reserving 1 1/2 cups of pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tbs butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add coarsely ground black pepper and cook swirling until toasted. Pour in half a cup of the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add drained spaghetti and remaining butter. Reduce heat to low and toss in the cheese, stirring and tossing with tongs until the cheese is melted and coats the pasta. Taste, adding more pasta water if it seems dry, cheese, pepper or salt to taste.

Serve immediately, sprinkling with reserved cheese and an extra grind or two of black pepper.

Chocolate Banana Caramel Cake

Wednesday April 13th 2011

I hesitate to share this recipe with you. Not because it’s some sort of secret family recipe, or because it holds a special place in my heart, but because it holds a giant place in my stomach. I made this cake on Monday, and we (only two normal sized humans) demolished this cake in under two days. It’s ridiculous really, but this cake is out-of-this-world good. It’s super moist, almost like a bread pudding, and my favorite way to eat it was hot out of the oven (or reheated in the microwave) with a scoop of ice cream on top. Don’t judge me.

It’s not the prettiest cake you’ve ever made, but it makes up for it’s mediocre appearance with each heavenly bite. We go through a lot of bananas in our house, but I’m secretly happy when they get too ripe as I know I can make some sort of banana bread/muffin/cake concoction out of those sad, brown bananas. And this baking outcome certainly didn’t disappoint.

So make it now, but proceed with caution.

Chocolate Banana Caramel Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs
1 ¼ cups canola oil
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 ripe bananas, mashed

Caramel:

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Butter and flour a bundt pan, and preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and baking soda. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs, oil and sugar. With the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that the sugar has been incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and mix for another 30 seconds.

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients a bit at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl every now and then to ensure everything is incorporated.Once the dry ingredients have been added, remove the bowl from the stand mixer and the chocolate and bananas. Gently fold them in with a spatula or a wooden spoon. Don’t over mix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes and then test the cake to see if it’s done by poking a toothpick or cake tester into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. If not, bake the cake for another 5 to 10 minutes – I had to bake mine for about 65 minutes.

About 5 to 10 minutes before the cake is done, make the caramel by combining all the ingredients in a small pan. Bring to the boil and stir occasionally to ensure that it doesn’t burn. Let it boil for about 5 minutes and then turn off the heat.

Once the cake is out of the oven, poke holes all over the cake with a skewer (I used my cake tester) and Immediately pour 1/2 the caramel over the cake, stopping every now and then to let the caramel sink in. If the caramel pools in spots, poke more holes to allow it to sink in.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack. Once it’s cool, loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and then unmold it onto a plate. Pour the other 1/2 of the caramel over the top of the cake or you can pour over individual pieces.

Savor-ing Dallas

Wednesday March 23rd 2011

Last Saturday the Two Hot Potatoes, with fellow foodie girlfriends in tow, attended the Savor Dallas event downtown.

This event was a first for both of us. We’ve heard about it before, but for whatever reason, just never made the trip. Honestly I’ve been pretty turned off in the past by large scale foodie events like this. Typically you get in line in “cattle call” fashion for mediocre food and then end up stuffing your face because you’re so hungry from waiting so long in between booths, and then on top of that, the poor chefs with their mobile kitchens have a hard time preparing consistently appealing food.

Well, I was so happy to find that this was NOT the case with Savor Dallas. The food was excellent, and we were able to move about with ease to sample and sip to our heart’s desire. The event was still HUGE. It took up every inch of the two huge ballrooms at the Sheraton Hotel downtown, but I still found it surprisingly comfortable to mingle about.

I was so impressed with the line up of Dallas restaurants in attendance. We saw old favorites like Janice Provost of Parigi, who made a knock-out pink pork belly risotto that matched her hot pink chef’s coat – how cute is she? We also enjoyed soup from Bolsa, Kir Royale cocktails from Chambord, pistachio ice cream from La Duni and Kessler Cookies from Artizone. Heavenly.

Other memorable bites came from the sea bass at Nobu, Dallas Fish Market Ceviche, coffee crusted tenderloin from The Place at Perry’s, and Foie Gras PB&J from Dan Landsberg at Dragonfly (I know it sounds weird, but Dan knew what he was doing with this buttery delicious bite).

We were also so happy to be reminded of Bolla, their pork cheek was by far my favorite dish of the night. And we hadn’t heard of Olenjacks, but we LOVED their take on shrimp & grits.

Overall, it was a fantastic event. Cheers Dallas!

Artizone: Private Dinner at Bolsa

Sunday March 20th 2011

Just like everyone else in Dallas, we love Bolsa. The fresh, local ingredients, the patio, the mixed drinks made by handsomely mysterious man with a mustache – how can you go wrong? So when Artizone announced a private dinner at one of our favorite spots, we knew we had to partake. The four course menu, designed by Chef Graham Dodds, featured ingredients from all of our favorite Dallas artisans.

The wines flowed freely and the meal was served family style, resulting in a cozy vibe in an already-warm, but insanely cool atmosphere. Guests were greeted with large, family-style platters of Scardello Cheese paired with jellies from JJ&B Jellies Jams & Butters. I’m pretty sure I ate half the jar of the Fig & Walnut Jelly, while Angela swooned over the White Zinfandel Jelly.

Next up, field green salad from our favorite dallas farmer, Tom Spicer of Spicman’s FM 1410. Light and refreshing, topped with pepitas and huge heirloom tomatoes.

And for our main course, we enjoyed the Vongeertsem Butcher Shoppe show. Crisp, airline chicken topped with cilantro pesto, followed by tender beef fillets. And if that wasn’t enough food, a heaping bowl of creamy spinach risotto, furnished by Flavors from Afar, appeared next.

And last, but certainly not least, was the ultimate crowd-pleaser, the “PB&J” dessert. A giant, soft peanut butter cookie from Kessler Cookie Company topped with peanut butter panna cotta and blackberry jam from JJ&B. I thought I couldn’t eat another bite after our 3 dish main course, but I somehow managed to take down a whole sumptuous cookie dessert. It was the highlight of the evening for me.

Chefs For Farmers: Cafeteria Style

Saturday March 19th 2011

In retrospect, we should have worn overalls to this event. Or sweatpants. Or a maternity dress. Pretty much anything except what I wore, which was jeans that are on the tight side (because of the dryer, obviously).

But what a cool, unique event. It was the perfect blend of a traditional cafeteria setting mixed with extraordinarily talented chefs, which resulted in out-of-this-world comfort dishes. It definitely exceeded my expectations and beat out my old-school cafeteria lunch of square pizza with a side of corn.

The event was held at Highland Park Cafeteria, a Dallas institution, and a place that I grew up frequenting with my grandparents. That was back when I counted macaroni & cheese and mashed potatoes as vegetables. And I thrived on orange jello with whipped cream. Luckily, my taste buds have evolved (somewhat).

I’m not sure how many dishes were served, but I tried each and every one of them, and finished the ones that I couldn’t imagine leaving behind. As part of the event, guests were asked to vote on their favorite dish, and the chef would win $1000 courtesy of Artizone. It was a tough, tough competition, and we certainly had trouble picking just one dish.

Sarah’s favorite dish: Burnt ends, Brisket and Banana Pudding by Pecan Lodge Catering. Banana pudding is probably my biggest weakness, but I’m constantly searching for one that measure’s up to Magnolia Bakery’s version. This pudding hit a home run for me. I’m a little worried about the number of times I’ll be visiting Shed No.2 at the Farmer’s Market to get another taste of Pecan Lodge’s banana pudding heaven.

Angela’s favorite dish: Chicken Fried Steak served up by Maple and Motor’s Jack Perkins. For me it just doesn’t get much better than this kind of southern comfort food. This dish was fried to golden perfection and so tender I could cut it easily with my fork. Then paired with a delicious creamy gravy and mashed potatoes- I was in heaven. Like Sarah, I was also so excited to be introduced to the Pecan Lodge, and I was a huge fan of the Banana Pudding the served up.

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