Yield:  Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup fine quick cooking grits (not instant)

1 ¼ cups half and half

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 ½ cups aged sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup green onions (both green and white)

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Grated Cheddar and chopped green onions, for garnish

PREPARATION

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a heavy 4-quart saucepan.  Add the salt, then slowly add the grits in a thin, steady stream, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the grits thicken, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the half and half and butter to the grits and stir.  The mixture will seem thin but it will thicken as it cooks.  Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes, until very smooth and creamy.  Off the heat, stir in the Cheddar cheese, green onions and pepper.  Season to taste and serve hot with a sprinkle of grated cheese and green onions.

Source:  Ina Garten - Back to the Basics - 2008

The origins of Whoopie Pies is largely unknown, although there is some thought that they were first created in Pennsylvania out of leftover cake batter.  Whatever their origins, Whoopie Pies are a unique and delicious cookie.  There are legions of “die-hard” Whoopie Pie fans throughout the country, including myself!  Most Whoopie Pies are filled with a rather sweet, sticky cream filling.  I personally prefer a filling that’s a little less sweet.  For that reason, my absolute favorite are my Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies, filled with tangy cream cheese frosting. 

However, Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies created by Martha Stewart, combine that unbeatable combination of peanut butter and chocolate.  Tip:  I have found that the key to getting a uniform cookie is to use an ice cream scoop.  You’re better able to control the shape of the batter before baking and that results in a more uniform cookie.  Makes it much easier when you are putting the Whoopie Pies together and your cookies will look like they came from the kitchen of a professional baker.    

Yield:  3 dozen

INGREDIENTS

Cookies

3½ cup all-purpose flour

1½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Filling

1-1/3 cups natural, creamy peanut butter

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar

PREPARATION

Cookies: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line two rimmed baking sheets with Silpats or with parchment paper.  Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.  Beat until well combined on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mix until combined.

Drop 1-½ tablespoons of batter onto prepared baking sheets spacing 2” apart.  For uniform cookies, use a small ice cream scoop.  Bake until set, about 8 minutes, rotating halfway through.  Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack. 

Filling:  With an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter and butter together on high speed until smooth.  Reduce the speed to low and add the confectioner’s sugar, mix well.  Raise the speed to high and mix until fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Assembly:  Spread 1 heaping tablespoon of filling on the flat side of one cookie.  Sandwich together with another cookie.  Repeat with remaining cookies.  Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days.  Bring to room temperature before serving. 

Source:  Martha Stewart - Martha Stewart’s Cookies -  2008

Yield:  4 Servings

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces baby spinach

2 large eggs, hard-boiled

8 pieces of thick cut bacon, chopped

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 ounces red onion, very thinly sliced

PREPARATION

Remove the stems from the spinach and wash and pat dry thoroughly.  Place into a large mixing bowl and set aside.  Peel eggs and slice into 8 pieces.  Fry the bacon until crispy and remove and drain on paper towels.  Crumble and set aside.  Reserve 3 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat.  Transfer fat to a small saucepan on low heat and add wine vinegar, sugar and Dijon mustard, whisk to combine thoroughly.  Season with a pinch of salt and fresh black pepper. 

Add the red onion to the spinach and toss.  Add the dressing and bacon and toss with spinach to combine.  Divide the spinach between 4 salad plates and garnish with the hard-boiled egg slices.  Season with additional freshly ground black pepper. 

Source:  Alton Brown - Food Network - 2007

In early March on our way to Orlando Florida to see an NBA game, we detoured around to Savannah, GA for an overnight stop.  Since we had very little time, we spent most of the day at the Savannah River riverfront, watching the boats, enjoying the nice warm weather and browsing in all the little shops.  It was an impromptu journey, so going to Paula Deen’s Lady & Sons restaurant was out of the question, as were the quaint carriage rides through the various squares.  However, my son insisted that we look up the Savannah Candy Kitchen over on the riverfront.  He had fond memories of grazing through this candy store while on a class trip to Savannah two years ago.  I honestly thought it would be a candy store, full of sugary, hard candies, the type that you see in many tourist destinations around the country.  We located the shop, just about where he thought it would be and reluctantly, I agreed to go in and look around.  What a surprise! 

The Savannah Candy Kitchen is an old fashioned candy shop that makes much of its delectable candies right on premise.  Display case after display case featured interesting candies, with a window where you could watch the signature pecan pralines being made and snack on warm samples.   

Yes, around the perimeter, there were the requisite hard candies that you can find most anywhere, but the focus of the shop was the wonderful homemade pecan pralines.  Now, as you have probably experienced, in many shops, pecan pralines can be an overly sweet candy with a somewhat “grainy” texture.  I could never understand why Southerners thought these were so great.  Well, after tasting (and of course buying) some of the pecan pralines from the Savannah Candy store, I can understand why Southerners love their pecan praline candy!  Warm, or not so warm, these beauties are light, smooth and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness and of course, chock full of Georgia pecans.  They are delicious and utterly addictive.  Not a hint of the “grainy” sugar taste that I had experienced with all the other pralines I had sampled elsewhere. 

Another favorite are called “Gophers” and resemble what are also called “Turtles” in most parts of the country.  Again, they were chock full of pecans and creamy caramel and topped with milk chocolate.  They, too, were fresh and delicious.  However, for my money the pecan pralines are the star of the store.  Luckily, the Savannah Candy store has an online store where you can order the pecan pralines and many of their other candies and have them delivered to your doorstep or to a fellow praline lover as a gift.  

Although our trip to Savannah was short and certainly warrants another trip back to really explore the city fully, I left there with a new found respect for the Southern pecan praline and a “to go” box of them tucked in my suitcase.

Obviously, I haven’t really met a homemade mac and cheese that I didn’t like.  That said, stovetop varieties typically leave a bit to desire, however if you want to get it to the table in a jiffy, usually the stovetop is the preferred method.  If you’re in a hurry, baking in the oven for 30-40 minutes, just takes too long.  Recently, I found a recipe in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that recommended a great compromise – last minute broiling.  It only takes a few minutes, but still gives you that lightly browned top and a bit of a crunch.  I added the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese for that extra crunch.  Here’s the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

¾ lb farfalle or elbow pasta

8 ounces extra-sharp or sharp cheddar cheese, grated and divided

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

½ cup plain bread crumbs

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION

Position an oven rack in the top of the oven.  Preheat the broiler (make sure your oven is impeccably clean).  Lightly coat an 8×8 inch baking pan with nonstick spray.  Prepare the pasta according to the package’s instructions.  Meanwhile, set aside ¾ cup of cheese.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour.  Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, until well combined.  Slowly, whisk in the milk, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.  Add the cheese and stir until melted. 

Add the drained pasta and stir to coat with sauce.  Season to taste with salt and freshly grated black pepper.  Transfer mixture to the baking dish and sprinkle with the reserved cheddar cheese, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Broil until bubbly, approximately 2-3 minutes.  Make sure that you watch closely to make sure that the mac and cheese doesn’t overly brown.

Remove from oven and let cook for a few minutes and then serve.