‘High south cuisine’ food culture emerging in Northwest Arkansas | Business, Political, and Cultural News in Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas

‘High south cuisine’ food culture emerging in Northwest Arkansas | Business, Political, and Cultural News in Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas



Here's an article which really depicts the food culture in the area where I now call home.

Czech Goulash

I have a great affinity for "Czechoslovakian" cuisine or now referred to as the Czech Republic. Perhaps because some of my ancestors lived in that region. I have a postcard and letter that were sent to my maternal grandpa by a cousin written in Czech. I'm sure he never spoke that language, just German when he was younger. So after quite a few different attempts, I think I've come up with a recipe that really works well for me. I know a lot of people use ketchup, but the key ingredient I found was ground caraway seeds. That's the flavor that I'm sure was missing from the different restaurants we ate at in Prague and Bratislava. So here it is: and I'm using an electric pressure cooker because it will get done a whole lot quicker 2 pounds of stew meat - I used beef, but any meat protein would work well here oil salt & pepper 1 onion, sliced 2 Tbl sweet paprika 2 tsp hot paprika 1 tsp marjoram 1 tsp ground caraway seeds 2 Tbl flour 2 Tbl tomato paste 1 cup beef broth Heat oil in pot. Add beef in batches. You don't want it overcrowded or it will steam your meat (that happens later in the process). We want a nice sear on this. Sweat onion until translucent. Add all your spices and stir and minute or so to let them bloom. Now you can add the flour, tomato paste and stir again and cook for a minute or two to cook out some of that flour. If it's too thick, add a little bit of the broth. Now add beef back to pot along with any juices. Pour in beef broth and stir again. Place lid on pressure cooker and set on high pressure for 20 minutes. Once pressure has been attained, you can start on your starch. I made spaetzle with ours and they were great! When the meat is done, do a natural release on this. If you do a quick release, the meat will seize up and be tough. Carefully remove the lid. I usually offer this up family style and suggest to my guests that they use the starch as a carrier and get plenty of the sauce. Bon Appetit! Chef, Please!

Here is a very easy recipe for a wonderful beef roast. Mince 2 garlic cloves and combine with tarragon, rosemary, parsley, thyme, salt & pepper. Add a bit of grapeseed oil. Rub mixture over roast. Bake until internal temperature reaches 125 F. Cover and let roast rest 10 minutes or more.

I guarantee your guest will love this!

French Rabbit

Well, the rabbit wasn't from France, but the preparation certainly was French. Liberally coat the rabbit pieces with Dijon mustard...I used a grainy type. Pan sear both sides. Make sure that you don't crowd the pan...you may need to do this in two batches as I did. Place seared rabbit on plate. Pour in about 1/4 cup of dry white wine and scrape up any browned bits. Then add a diced onion and cook until slightly brown about 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add 2-3 tablespoons flour and stir. Add the rest of the bottle of wine (ok, so maybe you've had a glass), stir and then add rabbit along with its juices. Simmer for about one hour until meat is tender. During this time, the sauce will thicken up. If it is too thick for your taste, just add a little more water. Serve with steamed rice or noodles. Garnish with parsley, if you like. Bon Appetit! Chef Kathy Dederich

Rabbit!

Well, yesterday I stopped to pick up my order from Pel-Freeze in Rogers, Arkansas. What a group of friendly people!!! Vicky, Anita & Kirk could not do enough for me. My carton of cut-up rabbit was ready for me when I arrived after my cook date and Kirk insisted on taking the box to my car. I know I certainly could have taken the 17 lb box on my own. Tomorrow, I will make what I am sure will be a wonderful meal using their fresh product. Look for more to come!

West African Chicken Stew

Here's a great and easy stew to make when the weather starts to get colder. For this client, who only likes white meat, I sauteed a diced onion, then added a clove of minced garlic. Add bite-size chicken breasts. Stir once or twice then add a can of diced tomatoes, one can of water and about a half cup of creamy peanut butter and one half teaspoon of white pepper and cayenne pepper. Whisk well to get all ingredients incorporated. Simmer until chicken is cooked through. You can add chopped peanuts to top, or scallions as I did here. I think a nice change here would be to add Rotel tomatoes for a bit more zing!

The lessons no one taught us...: Learning to cook...

The lessons no one taught us...: Learning to cook...

Summer Tomatoes

Here is something you can do with a bumper crop of tomatoes...make homemade catsup/ketchup!!! So fresh tasting using real tomatoes and no high corn fructose syrup. Once you cook the tomatoes down, just put them through a food mill and put back on the stove. Add cinnamon, cloves, pepper and a tad of sugar. You'll be surprised how tasty this is. Bon Appetit!

Senior Services Expo For those of you who were at Riordan Hall today and sampled my soup, I'm posting the recipe per your requests! Butternut Squash-Ginger Soup 1 tablespoon oil 1 butternut squash 1 2" piece of ginger 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock Peel squash, cut off ends, remove seeds and dice flesh into a medium dice. Place oil into pressure cooker. Remove ginger skin and zest into cooker. Add diced squash. Saute' a few minutes until fragrant. Add stock, bring up to pressure and cook for 10 minutes. Quick release, taking care while removing cover. Puree' with immersion blender until smooth. Serve hot. Bon Appetit!

Pressure Cooking in the Bella Vista Library

Cheese Making in Bologna

Here is the freshly made ricotta (re-cooked cheese).

And we also have the wheels of Parmesano Reggiano

This was a wonderful tour and the samples were delightful!

Pasta Making

Here are a few photos of the class my friend, Bob & I took.  It was quite delightful!

Here is the "pasta egg" which has a rather orange-looking yolk.

Mister Piggy at the meat market, indicating that it is a non-smoking facility.



And the tagliatelle that I rolled out to be used for our pastas, which were ALL delightful!

Italia - Bologna Area

We had just a wonderful time in Bologna...taking in the food market, shopping, cooking at a wonderful chef's home and much more!

I just need to find the time to do all my writing & photo posting which I promise to do within the week.

Bread in Sumertime

Ok, so even when it's 90 outside, it still doesn't need to deter you from baking bread.  Here's an easy recipe that requires virtually no kneading.  Once the ingredients are mixed together and proofed, you can put any extra dough in the fridge to bake off at a later, and, hopefully cooler date.

I particularly like rye bread, so this is the recipe I'm giving you.  And where credit is due, is the Artisinal Baking book or Bread in 5.

3 cups Warm Water
1 1/2 T Yeast
1 1/2 T salt
1 1/2 Caraway seeds
1 cup Rye flour
5 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Whisk together water, yeast, salt and seeds into bowl.  I like to let this set for about 5-10 minutes so the yeast has some time to react.  Then add the rye flour.  Next add the other flour.  Stir until flour is just incorporated.  I find you don't need to use a mixer, nor dough hook with this.  Doing this by hand is just fine.  Cover bowl with a cloth and let rise until double....time will be anywhere between 1-2 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down.  You can form your bread at this point if you like, but I find that it is easier to handle if you've let it rest in the refrigerator for a while.  Just make sure it is loosely covered, otherwise, you'll develop a nasty skin on the dough.

This recipe makes 4 1 pound loaves.  So take out enough for what you'd like to make.  One loaf will be about the size of a grapefruit.  Sprinkle a little flour on a clean surface.  Knead your dough slightly and form into whatever shape you'd like.  (I generally prefer to do free-form.)  Place on a surface that is lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.  With a serrated knife, lightly strike the loaf with 3 horizontal slashes and then come back and criss-cross with an additional 3.

If you like, you may baste the top of the loaf with a mixture of 1 tsp of cornstarch which has been mixed with 1/2 cup of water and then add more caraway.  On occasion, I have forgotten to do this and the bread has turned out just fine.

Place a baking stone in your oven and preheat it 450.  After the dough has risen for half an hour, place dough on stone.  After a few minutes, I like to spritz some water on the oven walls several time to add humidity to the oven.  Bake for about 35 minutes.

Here's my finished product.  I baked this early in the morning before the heat got too extreme.  Enjoy!

Caprese Salad

Here is something that is so easy, but is really tasty and refreshingly light.  I was surprised to find such ripe tomatoes at this time of year...but Mariano's Fresh Market in Vernon Hills had some excellent ones.

Slice tomatoes, add a piece of fresh mozzarella cheese, drizzle a bit of your favorite extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar.  Add a chiffonade of basil, a few grinds of black pepper.  Voila! You're done.  Enjoy.

Recipe Contest for Cooper's Hawk

Well, I've finally finished (I hope) my recipe entry for the Coopers Hawk Tempranillo contest.  It features lamb, presented 3 ways.  I'll post the actual recipe after it's been submitted.  The grand prize winner receives a $1000 gift card to be used at the restaurant.

I think if I have the opportunity to win, I'll purchase a 3 liter bottle of wine.  It might be rather appropriate!

http://www.teeoffbarandgrill.com/

http://www.teeoffbarandgrill.com/

One of my pilot friends has told me he's going here next time he heads to
San Francisco...I really have to make this myself...the MAC & Cheese, that is. WOW!!!
So decadent.

No time to cook? Try a personal chef :: Food :: PIONEER PRESS :: Winnetka Talk

No time to cook? Try a personal chef :: Food :: PIONEER PRESS :: Winnetka Talk

Well, not quite accurate as I cook in my clients' homes...not a commercial kitchen!

Loomis students take 'Journey into the Arts' :: News :: PIONEER PRESS :: Lake Zurich Courier

Loomis students take 'Journey into the Arts' :: News :: PIONEER PRESS :: Lake Zurich Courier

Tools - Social Mention

Tools - Social Mention