As I’ve mentioned before, the wife doesn’t like hard-boiled eggs. Since the standard Southern recipe for chicken salad is swimming in chopped eggs and mustard, I’ve had to develop another recipe. This one comes out so creamy and mild that we usually eat it on crackers like a dip instead of spread over white bread.
I’ve been making leek and potato soup for years. I couldn’t tell you where the recipe came from; it’s cobbled together from several websites and magazine articles. I don’t ever cook it the same way twice. If I’m busy doing something else, I’ll slow cook it for hours until the potatoes break down. If I only have 45 minutes or so, I’ll puree the soup and serve immediately. Still, I thought I’d finally put the basic recipe on the site so I can reference it later.
Ever since I started making my own noodles, I’ve come to realize that pasta sauce should be more like a gravy than a soup. I’ve been experimenting with thinner sauces lately and this one came out really good. It’s cheap and easy, but you have to take your time or it’ll come out bland.
I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never really cared for the typical Southern version of cheese grits. The grits are tasteless, the cheese is lumpy, and the eggs dry everything out. When the casserole cools down, you have to cut a cube out of the solid yellow mass and smash it down with the back of your spoon. That’s about as unappetizing as it gets. My version makes a rich and creamy dish that actually tastes like cheesy grits instead of a corn-based custard.
Lately, *I’ve been craving chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. I think it’s because I gave up all sweets for Lent and my body still hasn’t taken in all the sugar it needs to make up for the absence. Chocolate mousse was to be my solution.
Of course, I’ve never made it before and heard it was difficult. I found a simple recipe and was determined to make my mousse work.
This weekend my wife and I decided to try our hand at making butter. We heard it was easy, but weren’t sure what to expect. All you need is cream and a stand mixer. We poured in one pint of heavy whipping cream and set the speed on low for a few minutes:
When it gets frothy like the foam on a cappuccino, you can turn it up to medium.
