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• juley & julia | asiago + pepper scones

  During the weekend, I try to capitalize on any energy I have to bake. Particularly anything that doesn't require an absolute science and have the power to make me cry like macarons. There were only three things on my to-do list as of late: hang out with my best buddy Jameson, clock in sleep hours, and make scones. I enjoyed these for breakfast and stocked the rest in the freezer for future guests. So simple but they've re-established my confidence as a baker! 

  

  *Adapted from Ina Garten's Cheddar-Dill scones

  Ingredients
  4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
  2 tablespoons baking powder
  2 teaspoons salt
  3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
  4 extra-large eggs, beaten lightly
  1 cup cold heavy cream
  1/2 pound shredded Asiago cheese*
  1/4 cup fresh cracked pepper*
  1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk, for egg wash
  

  Directions
  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  
  Combine 4 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Mix the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss together the Asiago cheese, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of flour and add them to the dough. Mix until they are almost incorporated.
  
  Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it for 1 minute, until the Cheddar and dill are well distributed. Roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 4-inch squares and then in half diagonally to make triangles. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outside is crusty and the inside is fully baked.
  
  
  

• SPOTLIGHT | rolf and daughters

  I may be the first person to ever say this but each visit to New York makes me appreciate my home that much more. The first thing I did upon my return was sit at the bar of Rolf & Daughters (700 Taylor) for what I feel is the best meal in Nashville.  If you're on my list of upcoming visitors there's a good chance I'll be bringing you here because 1.) the food is phenomenal and 2.) I live in the building -- a very dangerous combination. I'd describe the cuisine as a unique, fine-tuned American approach to casual Italian food in a rustic, innately Nashville atmosphere. All menu choices are great but notable favorites include: homemade sourdough slathered with seaweed butter, chicken liver pate (out of this world), squid ink pasta, and the grilled baby octopus w/ pork belly and black garlic puree. Good food for the soul. :)

  

• smoking that quiche

  If you decide to make anything this week, I strongly encourage considering this super easy quiche from Epicurious.com. I made some adjustments like replacing the ham with pancetta (no brainer) and sprinkled in roasted red peppers that upped the yum-factor significantly. It's been a hit since last Sunday's brunch - the last picture was tonight's Monday Night Football snap, served appropriately with my New Orleans' Bulldog glass of apple juice and sautéed veggies. There's only one piece left and I'm seriously contemplating going for my third slice. 

     
     

  
  Recipe adapted from Epicurious.com  - see adjustments in italics/underlined

  Ingredients | 1 package of pie dough (Whole Foods pie dough is costly but surprisingly flaky), 2 leeks, half a large onion,  roasted red peppers,  a mix bag of cheese (gruyere, gouda, fontina), 6 eggs,  8 oz  creme fraiche (room temperature so it'll mix easily),  black pepper

  • Prebake pie dough in pie plate according to package instructions, then remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350°F.
  • Meanwhile, halve leeks lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, then wash well in a bowl of cold water, agitating leeks. Lift out and drain leeks in a colander and pat dry. Melt butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat and cook leeks and onions, stirring occasionally, until very tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add pancetta and heat for 3-4 mins.
  • Line warm pie shell with sautéed veggies, roasted red peppers, and pancetta to cover bottom and side of pie shell completely. Toss cheeses together and sprinkle evenly into pie shell (do not pack cheese), then spread leeks evenly on top of cheese. Whisk together eggs, nutmeg, and pepper until combined well, then whisk in crème fraîche until smooth. (I used only one 8 oz serving of creme fraiche and doubled the number of eggs because I like my quiches eggy)
  • Carefully pour half of custard on top of pie filling, gently moving cheese with a spoon to help custard disperse evenly. Slowly add remaining custard in same manner. Cover pie loosely with foil, gently folding edges over crust (keep foil from touching top of cheese mixture) and transfer to a baking sheet.
  • Bake until center of filling is puffed and set (center will be slightly wobbly but not liquid), about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours (baked mine for 1 hour). Cool on a rack at least 20 to 30 minutes before serving (filling will continue to set as it cools). Serve warm or at room temperature.

  
  
  

• holiday 101 | curate a cheese plate

  

  Potluck and dinner invites will surely fill our calendars with the holidays right around the corner. One of my absolute favorite things to do and contribute to parties are cheese plates. They're super easy to put together and you can get creative with your selection and presentation. Here are some tips on how to curate your own! 

  1. The Cheeses. Artisan cheeses can get pricey. I usually budget $15-20 for them alone and pick 2-4 different wedges for variety. It's always safe to pick two soft cheeses, a hard cheese, and a blue cheese. My favorite cheese family is Tomme, a semi-soft, French cheese that has a super pungent smell (the smellier the better hehe). Tomme de crayeuse is always a winner as well as any kind of triple cream brie. If you stay safe with those two, then you can be adventurous and add a bold Stilton Blue to the mix. 

  2. The Options. This is where you can get super creative! Cheese plates are a lot like fondue. Whatever you put out there will encourage people to try new combinations. Stop by the salad bar and bring home whatever stands out. No need to overfill the plate - a little bit goes a long way. Here I had chopped pecans, a half of a pair some olives, and cornichons. 

  3. The Meats. This is no charcuterie board but I also like to think of a cheese platter as a deconstructed sandwich so I like to add thinly sliced soppressa. Substitute with any thinly sliced Italian meats or sausages and you're good to go.

  4. The Canvas. Water crackers, ciabatta, pretzel sticks, and any other carbs will do the trick. 

  5. The Cherry on Top. Honey and jams in cute serving dishes really helped to bring the flavors together. 

  6. The Presentation. This is key. Luckily my sister's house is stocked like Sur la Table so she readily has serving options available. Feel free to use white plates, butcher blocks, or even cake stands. Start with a blank slate and think of each item's placement like it's a game of tetris. 

  Check out these other great ideas: one | two | three

• Peak of the Week

  Lorraine Pascale, host of The Cooking Channel's Simply Baking, has quickly become one of my favorite TV chef personalities. She was formerly a model in the 90s - very SGD, but now creates and shares shortcuts to savory and sweet dishes on her show and in her cookbooks.  When Josh gave me this gorgeous Gobel tart pan from the historic Davis Cookware and Cutlery Shop, I knew I wanted to make her fig tart and have it waiting for him after one of his work trips.  I instagrammed it without knowing that I had entered myself into a contest she was running. I didn't win but was over the moon when she posted the picture on her website and Twitter! 

  

  

  It's FRIDAY! What has been the peak of your week?

• Spotlight | SILO

  

  Last Sunday, we headed back to Silo (1121 5th Ave), a new farm-to-fork concept in our neighborhood for a good old fashion brunch.  Didn't think anything could beat their perfect pecan tart, but their twist on shrimp and grits justified their 'elevated Southern cuisine' title. Perfectly sweet grilled shrimp over a fried grit cake with tasso/tomato hollandaise then topped with a poached egg. Cleaned my plate and surrendered to the itis with a happy nap. Here's hoping next Sunday will be just as lover-ly.

• food fridays | man cook, woman eat

  

  Today's post is dedicated to the mister who made the scrumptious dish you see above. Josh has an innate rustic cooking style, making meals that mainly consist of protein and vegetables. We were actually running low on goceries so I was impressed that he created this meal with what was in our freezer (ground pork + turnip greens) and what little was left in our refridgerator (Asian pears + thick cut country bacon). The most impressive part, besides creating his own recipe, was the balance of flavors. Not to sound like an Iron Chef judge (although I was one for a college competition!), but the sweetness of the Asian pears cooked down with the turnip greens perfectly offset the saltiness of the pork and bacon.  He also used finely ground cornmeal instead of breadcrumbs that honestly made them so moist! I'll have to bug him to write a recipe so I can share with y'all. This meal topped my top 5 of his and definitely warranted a post. Does your significant other surprise you in the kitchen?!

• cowbell

  I was never a big burger loving girl but since a slew of new burger restaurants have popped up, each serving all natural, farm raised beef burgers, I just had to get in on the know. Plus, every burger comes with the best food group ever invented - fries - so to me it's a win win situation. A few weeks ago I went to Cowbell (8801 Oak Street) where you can expect a comfortable farmhouse-inspired, relax atmosphere with waitresses donning the cutest aprons. Be sure to eat your fries with their signature Agogo sauce and beware of the $1 million corkage fee!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

• snapshots 01.25.12

  
  
  The charcuterie board at Patois (6078 Laurel Street) is one of my favorites in New Orleans. How adorable is the pig shaped board?
  
  
  
  Housemade boudin, headcheese, and pork rillette (oh my) sure makes for the happiest belly!
  
  
  Ordered one of my photographs on canvas from Easy Canvas Prints for my dear friends who welcomed a beautiful, bouncing baby girl. It added the perfect, personalized touch to their gift basket!
  
  
  Welcome to the Nash.
  
  
  The wonderland that is Nashville Farmers Market, open 365 days a year. Oh the gallivanting we will do.
  
  
  There are few things that make me happier than fresh, colorful produce.
  
  
  Prettiest green onions, evs. I'm a simple girl.

  

• single girl dinner

  Uber excited about becoming a contributor for Single Girl Dinner. Sometimes I find myself creating random little dishes that is satisfying enough to warrant a tweet or an instagram photo. But then there are times when I am feverishly searching for dinner inspiration and that's when I turn to SGD. I hope you join the conversation and check out my weekly posts for random, accessible, fabulous meal ideas! (#singlegirldinner)

  

  What is SGD?

  “Single girl dinner” is a tongue-in-cheek term used for those times when we’re having a meal by ourselves. When no one’s looking, we’re creative and indulgent and flexible. Recipes become broad strokes instead of intricate instructions. We can turn a can of chicken noodle soup into sopa de ajo. We’re happy with a bowl of cereal. We’re fine ordering a glass of wine with an appetizer at the bar and calling it a night. (Um, we’ve even been known to fry up a big, juicy steak and have it all to ourselves.) Basically, it’s a moment where we can have our cake and eat it, too—with a glass of red wine!

  

• food diy: granola

  
  
  
  
  
  
  After years of spending more money than I'd like to admit on granola, I set out on a mission to make my own. The cool thing about doing this yourself is that you can be as random as you want, adjusting any recipe to fit your preferences. My end product was loosely based on this great recipe from The Kitchen Sink blog for those of you who need a step by step tutorial. I'm such a spaz in the kitchen; it would just be unfair to post the actual recipe I used - you'd probably end up with a complete disaster. But in any case, it was so easy to personalize my own granola that I vow to never buy granola again and encourage you to do the same! Sprinkle some over your morning Greek yogurt or favorite vanilla bean ice cream and you have a complete #win.
  
  

  

• food diy: eggs + puff pastry soldiers

  Eggs and soldiers has been one of my favorite English dishes since first ordering it at Clerkenwell in New York City's Lower East Side. Although it's a relatively simple concept, indulging in runny eggs and toast somehow satisfies my daydreams about visiting London (at least for the short-term!). Instead of serving the eggs with toast, I decided to use puff pastry which proved to be the best decision I've ever made for brunch. A quintessential Single Girl Dinner Brunch - a little intimidating but really simple; the perfect boost after sleeping in late on an agenda-free Sunday.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Eggs + Puff Pastry Soldiers
  Ingredients: fresh eggs, puff pastry sheets, parsley, asiago + parmesan cheese
  (Note: I just used what I had available. I encourage you to be resourceful with your fridge!)
  
  1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. cut puff pastry sheet in half and slice into 1 inch strips (first picture)
  3. roughly chop your choice of herbs and cheese together
  4. brush puff pastry strips with egg wash, then sprinkle with cheese+herb mixture
  5. bake for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown
  6. cover 2-3 eggs with water and bring to a hard boil, then reduce heat to medium and boil for 5 minutes
  7. to eat, peel off top of eggs and dip puff pastry soldiers into the runny yolk
  

• food diy: red velvet cake

  There's not much I stress about these days but when the king's birthday came looming near, I knew I wanted to make a special cake. I tossed and turned, clicked through numerous blog recipes and couldn't decide on the perfect cake. Then I remembered my Southern guy loves himself some red velvet cake. I haven't been a huge fan of red velvet mainly because I don't care for cream cheese so Chuck Hughes' red velvet cupcake recipe was right on point with the mascarpone frosting. I made some adjustments - replaced the yogurt with sour cream for more moisture, added espresso powder to bring out the cocoa flavor, and created a whip cream topping. Of course I wanted to make it extra special so I spray painted the entire cake with edible gold paint - cause he's golden!
  
  We were too stuffed from his birthday dinner so we indulged in a slice with a cup of Bailey's espresso for breakfast the next day. The verdict? He LOVED it. His coworkers LOVED it. And I don't like to toot my own horn but I am now a converted red velvet cake lover. It was perfectly moist with the right amount of sweetness from the mascarpone frosting.
  
  
  
  
  williams-sonoma shimmering sugar + decorating spray
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

• spotlight: maurepas foods

  On my most recent trip back home to New Orleans, I had the pleasure of brunchin' with my besties (#shitgirlssay) at Maurepas Foods (3200 Burgandy Street) in the Bywater, one of my favorite neighborhoods. Maurepas Foods specializes in robust dishes made with local, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients.  I think there was a fluke in the salt shaker that day but overall the food was spot on robust. My shrimp dish was delicious but was quickly overshadowed by the bed of stone ground grits that I had on the side! Other winners included the Summer Squash Soup and my best friend's chicken quarter with grits and poached egg. And cocktails - too many cocktail wins.
  
  
   

  

• cleane eating: barramundi + mache salad

  
  
  One of the easiest things to whip up in the kitchen is pan seared fish and a quick salad. The other day, the king brought home a few fillets of barramundi from Whole Foods. What I like about this fish is that it's meaty and inexpensive. There's not much you have to do to bring out its flavor, but at the same time it is super versatile!
  
  
  

  recipe:

  4 oz. fillet of barramundi (or any other kind)

  salt + pepper

  olive oil

  mache greens

  2 tsp dijon mustard

  4 tbsp honey

  1/4 cup olive oil

  1. generously season fish  with s+p

  2. pan sear on each side for about 4-5 minutes

  3. for the dressing stir dijon, honey, and olive oil together; season with s+p

  4. drizzle dressing over mache and serve with fish
  
  

  

  

• food fridays | potstickers part two

  Every time we come back from a vacation the week just flies by! Between his business trips and my deadlines, this week's routine grocery trip was neglected and so was our fridge. A girl's got to eat so I made potstickers out of the dumplings from last Friday's post. Sorry in advance for the poor stovetop pictures. The lighting in this area of my kitchen isn't ideal and trying to take pictures while simultaneously cooking is no easy task. #worldsworsemultitasker
  
  

  Step 1: drizzle oil in a pan and place on medium high heat. once pan is heated, place somewhat thawed potstickers flat-side down on the pan. let them sear for 2-3 minutes

  Step 2: check the bottom of a potsticker. when they start crisping and turning a light brown color, pour about 1/4 cup of water into the pan. (be very careful! the water + oil will splatter)

  Step 3: QUICKLY cover the pan with a lid and be sure not to move the dumplings

  Step 4: let the potstickers steam for 3-5 minutes or until all of the water has evaporated

  
  Again, I didn't have any groceries to work with so I made a simple dip of equal parts honey and Siracha. Another alternative could be this soy based sauce. Both equally delicious.
  
  
  
  Before I devoured them!