Mayonnaise: It’s What’s for Dinner?

Every good Southern cook has a jar of mayonnaise in their refrigerator. It is an absolute for making macaroni salad, potato salad, and slaw. In fact, it is hard to imagine preparing an Easter dinner without it. Except. Dom loathes mayonnaise. I am not sure that he ever recovered from his first mayo-induced trauma. While on a hunting outing at a quail plantation (another very Southern custom,) the luncheon buffet included pear salad: canned pear halves with dollops of (what he thought was) sour cream with a pinch of grated cheddar on top. Dom popped the pear in his mouth only to discover that the dollop was not sour cream, but in fact was a generous spoonful of mayonnaise. To this day, he still gets a little shiver when he is reminded of the episode.

Unlike Dom, our youngest Sonny who was born and raised in Atlanta, loves mayonnaise-laden foods like deviled eggs and pimento cheese and has even been known to slather mayo on his burger. There have been times after a track meet that Sonny has even eaten mayonnaise right out of the jar!*

Mayonnaise is a thick, creamy sauce or dressing that is an emulsion of oil, egg yolks, lemon juice or vinegar, and seasonings. Emulsifiers are liaisons between the two liquids and serve to stabilize the mixture. In mayonnaise, the emulsifier is egg yolk, which contains lecithin, a fat emulsifier. Salad dressing, unlike mayonnaise, does not contain egg yolks and is generally sweeter than mayonnaise.

Mayonnaise is commonly used as the base for other dressings and sauces, such as honey-mustard, horseradish, and tartar sauce. Another popular emulsion is hollandaise which is basically a cooked mayonnaise. Mayonnaise (along with its sibling, hollandaise) is one of the five mother sauces, which also include sauce espagnole, tomato sauce, béchamel and velouté. Mayonnaise was invented in 1756 by the French chef of the Duc de Richelieu. After the Duc beat the British at Port Mahon, his chef created a victory feast that included a new sauce called "Mahonnaise" in honor of the Duc's victory.

Blenders, mixers and food processors make it easy to make homemade mayonnaise, which many gourmets feel is far superior in taste and consistency to commercial mayonnaise. Since homemade mayonnaise is uncooked, it is important to use the freshest eggs possible. Homemade mayonnaise will last three to four days in the refrigerator.

2 egg yolks
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups olive oil (or any neutral oil you choose)

Place the egg yolks, vinegar and mustard in the bowl of a food processor and season with salt, to taste. Turn the machine on and VERY slowly start to drizzle in the oil. Drip, drip, drip until the mixture starts to thicken and look like, well, mayonnaise.

You can add the oil a bit faster at this point until it is all incorporated. If you add the oil too quickly, it will keep the two liquids from combining (emulsifying). If the mayonnaise is too thick add a few drops of water or if it is not thick enough, with the machine running, add a little more oil.

Once it has reached your desired consistency, seasonings can be added. For example, the ever-popular “aioli” is just another name for garlic-flavored mayonnaise. Other popular variations include adding paprika for patas bravas and curry to complement Indian dishes.

*Oh and by the way... April Fool! While it is true that Sonny does enjoy pimento cheese and the occasional deviled egg, he has never eaten mayonnaise straight from the jar. Knowing Dom’s mayo aversion, we saved a jar (for quite a long time actually) and added vanilla pudding. The look on Dom’s (and Nic’s) face was PRICELESS! Possibly one of the best April Fool’s jokes we have ever attempted!

Scandinavian Rädisa Dip

Radishes are such happy little vegetables with their cheerful little orbs protruding from the ground and their top heavy leaves reaching impossibly to the sky. The word radish comes from the Latin word “radix” meaning root. These edible root vegetables, available in a brilliant array of vibrant colors ranging from deep purple to pure white, are grown and consumed throughout the world. Radishes are rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium and are very low in fat content. They can be sprouted from seeds to small plants in as little as 3 days. Radishes are commonly used in Nordic cooking since they are known to grow well in their cooler climates.

Our favorite way to eat these crisp, spicy roots is to pair them with softened, salted butter on a thin-sliced, toasted baguette; this archetypal Scandinavian preparation is a close second. The creamy, slightly peppery dip goes well with crudité or crisp, traditional Swedish knäckebröd.

1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup radishes, washed and finely diced
2 sprigs fresh dill, chopped

Combine sour cream and feta in a small mixing bowl and mash together with a fork until smooth and well mixed. Add the chopped radishes and dill, and mix until the fully radishes are fully coated incorporated. We purposely left out the salt in this recipe because the feta provides plenty of saltiness.

Refrigerate the dip for at least two hours for radish flavor to permeate the dip. Expect the dip to firm up in the refrigerator. If the dip is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk to thin it a bit. Serve with crostini, pita chips or even sliced radishes. Glad Ätande!

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival 2014 Sneak Peek with Chopped Chicken Liver on the Side

In few two short months, the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival will once again take over Midtown. In its fourth year, the three-day festival will offer guests over 100 cooking and cocktail demonstrations, technique labs, food and beverage tasting seminars and panel discussions. Each activity has been carefully designed by the Festival co-founders and their Festival Advisory Council and Curators to put the national spotlight on the food and beverage traditions of the South and to establish Atlanta as the gateway. I recently attended a “pot luck” luncheon hosted by co-founders Elizabeth Feichter and Dominique Love and catered by Advisory Council Chefs to get a special behind-the-scenes look at AFWF14.

The Festival’s Advisory Council is made up 70 (give or take a few) food industry “rock stars.” These award-winning chefs, sommeliers, mixologists are personally invested in celebrating and protecting our region’s rich culinary traditions and collaborate to create the weekend’s programming. After tasting their amazing dishes, I can exclaim that this was no ordinary “pot luck!” If the Lunch-and-Learn was an example of what revelers can except at AFWF14, no one will be disappointed! Our menu included:

• Corned Duck, Sauerkraut, Pickles Apples by Zeb Stevenson of Parish  
• Braised Short Ribs, Roasted Root Vegetables and Finglering Potatoes by Oliver Gaupin of Eleven at Lowes Atlanta Midtown
• Chopped Liver and Pimento Cheese with Toast by Shaun Doty of Bantam+Biddy  
• Curry Roasted Cauliflower by Gerry Klaskala of Aria 
• Baby Beet Salad, Argula, Country Ham, Cheddar, Cornbread, Truffle by Chris Hall of Local Three  
• Mediterranean Bulgur Salad by Pano I. Karatassos of Kyma  
• Mixed Salad by Steven Satterfield of Miller Union  
• Bourbon Roasted Banana Pudding with Pastry Creme by Todd Richards of The Shed  

Needless to say, the delicious fare made it difficult to focus, especially after my first bite of Chef Shaun Doty’s Chopped Liver Salad, (more about THAT in a hot minute) but here is the scoop on this year’s festival:

WHO: The Atlanta Food & Wine Festival boasts a roster of more than 250 epicurean superstars that represent the South’s best talent from James Beard Best Chefs and legendary beverage distillers to award-winning winemakers and cutting-edge mixologists.

WHAT: The Festival will have numerous venues and formats to appeal to every guest including seminars, demonstrations, panel discussions, tasting experiences as well as themed dinners & connoisseur events. To see a full listing of ALL the AFWF14 offerings, please visit http://atlfoodandwinefestival.com/planning-tools.

WHEN: Thursday, May 29 – Sunday, June 1, 2014

WHERE: Every great city has a defining district; the heart that pumps life into the city. In Atlanta, it is Midtown which has become the epicenter of work, play, culture, art, shopping and dining. The Loews Atlanta Hotel will again be the Official Host Hotel of the weekend’s activities with the Festival Learning Experiences taking place in the hotel’s conference center. This year’s Tasting Tents will move to a new location being transformed by Selig Properties which will become a permanent green-space for the community.

HOW: One-Day and 3-Day passes are available as well as tickets to tasting tents and individual dinners and events at http://atlfoodandwinefestival.com/tickets. Want to do it ALL? Become a connoisseur at http://atlfoodandwinefestival.com/connoisseur-lounge/connoisseur-experience. Proceeds from the Festival go to charity.

Now about that Chopped Chicken Liver Salad… since we are a food blog, we were able to get the recipe from Chef Doty to share with you are patient readers.

Chef Shaun Doty is a one of the founding chefs of the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival and is currently the co-owner and executive chef of Bantam + Biddy and Chick-a-Biddy. A graduate of Johnson and Wales, Chef Doty spent his formative years working in Charleston, Dallas, New York, and spent time in Europe. Here in Atlanta, he worked with renowned Chef Guenter Seeger at The Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead and Mumbo Jumbo before opening his own restaurants: MidCity Cuisine (2005) and Shaun’s (2006) which was voted Esquire Magazine’s Best New Restaurant in 2007.

Photo Credit: Angie Mosier 

Bantam & Biddy Chopped Chicken Liver Salad

• ¼ pound bacon
• 1 pound chicken livers, trimmed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
• Toast for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a sauté pan over medium-heat, cook bacon until crispy. Drain bacon on a paper towel before chopping into bits. Transfer cooked bacon pieces to a mixing bowl and set aside. Season livers with salt and pepper and dredge through the flour.

Add vegetable oil to the sauté pan with remaining bacon fat to cover the bottom of the pan and heat over medium heat. Place the flour-coated livers in the pan and cook until they become crispy on one side.  Flip livers over and place the entire pan in the pre-heated oven for 5 minutes.  Remove livers from the pan and place on paper towel -lined plate to cool.

After livers have cooled, chop into ½-inch pieces. Put chopped liver, bacon bits, chopped hard-boiled egg, shallots, mayonnaise (Chef Doty prefers Hellman’s), and parsley in bowl and lightly mix together. Adjust salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with or on toast.

Soul-soothing Pasta Fagioli

Like many traditional Italian dishes including polenta or even pizza, pasta fagioli started as a peasant dish made with leftovers and other ingredients commonly found in an Italian pantry. Pasta e fagioli, (pronounced "pasta fazool"), simply means "pasta and beans" in Italian and makes a hearty, belly filling, and inexpensive meal,

Pasta fagioli is commonly made using cannellini beans or borlotti beans and some type of small pasta such as elbow macaroni or ditalini. The base is generally olive oil, garlic, minced onion, and spices, along with stewed tomato or tomato paste. Some variations do not include tomatoes at all, and are made from a broth. While this meatless bean soup is a good dish to serve during Lent, this is true comfort food and is a year-round go-to in our house.

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 ½ cups cooked white beans
• 2 cups cooked pasta (ditalini or elbow)
• Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil and then add the onions Sauté the onions until they are tender and translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for a few minutes until garlic is fragrant, and then add the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 or so minutes before adding the cooked white beans (or a 15 oz. can of beans hat has been drained and rinsed) and chicken stock before simmering for another 20 minutes more.

While the soup simmers, cook the pasta according to package directions. To make 2 cups of cooked pasta, cook 1 cup dry pasta. Add the pasta to the soup about 5-10 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld.

Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Top with a zesty generous amount of grated Parmesan cheese and serve with some crusty bruschetta. Enjoy!

Irish Potato Drop Scones & Giveaway

Saint Patrick was a 5th century Irish bishop who purportedly used the Irish shamrock to explain the holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) to the originally pagan people of Ireland. Legend has it that St. Patrick combined the traditional Christian cross with the circle of the sun used by the pagans of Ireland and created the Celtic Cross. He is also credited with driving snakes out of Ireland.

While potatoes are commonly associated with the Irish, the staple crop was not introduced to Europe by the South American Spanish until the second half of the 16th century. This means that St. Patrick likely never ate or even saw a potato in his lifetime, yet the tuber played a major role in the European population boom during the 18th and 19th centuries. As one would imagine, the Irish incorporated potatoes into many Irish recipes (as in lots) including breads and cakes.

Scones, originally made with oats and shaped into round cakes, and griddle-baked over an open fire. They are related to Welsh yeast cakes and were named either from the Gaelic word “sgonn” meaning a shapeless mass or large mouthful or the German “sconbrot,” for fine or beautiful bread (or maybe both.) No matter what they were named after, they are an appealing addition to any Irish meal. They even make a quick, improvised shortcake for a dessert served with berries and whipped cream.
 

• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Oil for frying

Stir together mashed potatoes, butter and egg until combined well. Combine dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl, and then stir into potatoes with a wooden spoon until just combined. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.

Heat a griddle or a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, and brush with oil. Drop spoonfuls of dough on the heated surface. Smash the dough with a spatula to make the scones about 1/4” thick. Cook for 1-2 minutes, turn the scone over, and cook the other side for another 1-2 minutes. Both sides should be a pretty golden brown. Serve warm with bangers and eggs.

To celebrate St. Patty's Day, we are hosting the

Luck of the Irish FLASH Giveaway
~ Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card ~

Use the form below to enter and remember, this giveaway ends in 24 hours, at 11:59 pm on March 17, 2014!
Now, the question is, do you feel you are lucky?

The Great Grilled Octopus Experiment

The phone rings. After a brief salutation, Dom asks, “How do you feel about octopus?” To which I replied, “the entire species or on a dinner plate?” Given that this is a food blog, I think you know his response. Thus began the octopus experiment.

Dom arrived home with the 5-foot-long beast. Thank goodness it had been cleaned at the market, so that part of the adventure was preempted. Feeling like Captain Nemo and his crew battling the poulpe (French for "octopus”), we managed to wield the cephalopod into a giant stock pot filled halfway with water, and adding three wine corks, brought the creature to a boil. Why the corks? Many theorize that tartaric acid (cream of tartar) collects on wine corks as wine ages in the bottle. This is a naturally occurring substance that is part of the wine fermentation process. Admittedly, we are quite skeptical on the whole cork thing , but both Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich swear by them so at least we are in good company.

Surprisingly, the simmering octopus smelled wonderful; kind of like fried shrimp or scallops. They are what they eat as the maxim supposes.  When it was time to drain the water from the octopus’ boiling bath, it was interesting to see that it had become more firm, had shrunk considerably, and had dyed the water a deep shade of lilac. What was even more notable was how much more the octopus shrank before it was served. The original weight of the cleaned octopus was approximately 10 pounds and we estimated that grilled octopus yielded about 2½-3 pounds of meat; succulent and well-worth-the-effort meat.

1 octopus, cleaned
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground

Place octopus in cold water with a cork and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer at a low boil for 30 minutes to tenderize.



Drain the octopus and place in a French oven or covered baking dish with the butter and ½ cup water and braise in a 325°F oven for one hour.

Once the octopus pieces are cooled enough to handle, toss with the teriyaki and marinade until the grill is ready. Place the octopus on the grill and cook for about 5 minutes. The octopus should be crispy and slightly charred. Allow to cool before slicing into bit-sized pieces and serving.

Out Like a Lamb Keftas

In like a lion out like a lamb. That is the old expression used to describe the month of March and its frequently unreliable weather. March also brings with it other harbingers of Spring like daffodils, asparagus and robins. Lamb is a common ingredient in many vernal recipes and meals, but none more versatile than the kefta. Keftas are made with ground meat, usually lamb, mixed with Moroccan spices such as cumin, paprika, coriander and parsley. Cinnamon, chili pepper, and mint leaves are optional additions.

As the days get longer and warmer, these spicy sphereoids make the perfect excuse to break out the grill. Served with naan, tzaziki, feta and cucumbers, this meal hits all the flavor notes. Economical and easy to prepare, these skewered meatballs make a great option for party food, but be prepared to double the recipe because your guests are likely to gulp these skewers down before you can blink twice.

• 1 ½ pounds ground lamb
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped  

Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal. In a large bowl, combine lamb with chopped onions, spices and mint. Mix until well blended. We use our hands to thoroughly combine all the ingredients. Form lamb mixture into meatballs about 2 inches in diameter.

Thread 5 or 6 meatballs onto each skewer. Now, you may be wondering how you are going to thread these keftas on a skewer and get them onto the grill without them falling into the coals. When skewering the meat, squeeze them onto the skewer. Refrigerating the meat will firm them up a bit. Use care when transferring them onto the grill where they will firm up quickly as they cook through.

When the coals are ready, lay the skewered meat on the grill and cook until lightly charred on the outside and the juices run clear when pierced with a knife or fork. Transfer to a platter and serve with assorted salad ingredients, minty yogurt dressing, feta cheese and pita bread or naan for a surprisingly satisfying and healthy meal.

And for those days that are still more like that proverbial lion and grilling is out of the question, the keftas can be broiled on baking pans set about 5 inches from the heat. Broil for about 3 minutes each side until golden brown and just cooked through.

Mardi Gras Recipe Round-Up

The Mardi Gras season (or Carnival season) officially begins on January 6th and ends on Fat Tuesday. Many people do not know that the term Mardi Gras actually means “Fat Tuesday.”

Fat Tuesday is the last day of the Carnival season that begins the twelfth day after Christmas, (yes, like in the song). Many Christians also know January 6th as "Epiphany" which is a holy day commemorates the visit of the Magi (three wise men) to the Christ child.

Fat Tuesday is the last opportunity to celebrate before Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday. This pre-Lenten carnival has Roman Catholic origins and is celebrated in New Orleans, as well as Brazil, France, Germany.

Here is our collection of Cajun and Creole dishes worthy of celebrating!

• King Cake
• Red Bean Gumbo
• Pot Roast Po’Boys
• Red Beans and Rice
• Crawfish Etouffee
• Shrimp with Creole Sauce
• Blackened Salmon
• Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
• Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
• Pecan Pralines
• Creole Calas
• Bananas Foster

And what Mardi Gras celebration is complete without some Zydeco music?

Cajun Playlist:
File – 2 Left Feet (as seen at the Maple Leaf!!)
Beausoleil – Cajun Conja
Buckwheat Zydeco – Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire
Wayne Toups – ZyDeCajun
John Delafose - Heartaches and Hot Steps
BooZoo Chavis – American Explorer Series

Laissez les bon temps roulez!