Crispy Poached Quail Eggs with Lardons

This is an inspired bite of food. It's bacon and eggs, with the volume turned up (as Mrs. Garten would say). I first saw a version of this dish about a year ago. Fine Cooking had an article on Eggs Benedict that offered a classic recipe and one that was remixed with a poached egg coated in English muffin crumbs and deep fried. It looked intriguing. Recently, one of my favorite new spots in Charlottesville, Brookville, started featuring a crispy egg salad that looks quite like that Fine Cooking recipe. I knew I had to finally try to make it myself, in miniature form, no less.

Easter Recap

I'll be sharing lots of recipes from our Easter feast over the next few days. In the meantime, enjoy a few snapshots I took throughout the day. 

Happy in a Snap: Friday Cocktails

It's time to bring back Friday Cocktails here at C&S. The weather is finally warm enough to sit outside and enjoy the spring breeze and blooms before they float away. This is from my 24x24 party and is a unique twist on a classic cocktail. It is a basil vodka gimlet. Simple syrup is infused with fresh basil leaves and lime zest. Once cool, you can mix it with ice cold vodka and fresh lime juice. Serve up, or my preferred method is on the rocks, so it stays as cold as possible.

Salmon Tartare Cornets

I am fairly certain I could live on bite-sized food. I find myself dreaming up iterations of dishes in miniature form, whether it's shrimp and grits, lobster rolls, or cheeseburgers. If I could design every meal to feature three or more hors d'oeuvres paired with tasty wine or a specialty cocktail, and perhaps a seasonal salad, I definitely would! Alas, I don't live a life of perpetual cocktailing largely due to the time that is required for fancy little bites of food. On the weekends, though, I am afforded the luxury of devoting hours to preparing each perfect little component of the recipes I've selected, and then sharing the creations with friends.

Devil's Mess

I regularly draw inspiration from meals out with friends and family. I love to try to figure out the flavors and techniques applied to great dishes and figure out how to recreate them in my own kitchen. I have tried to keep a notebook, or at least to key in some notes into my phone after great meals so I remember. I can usually remember without notes, though. I have a strangely vivid memory with regard to food.

Pork Barbeque with Fennel Slaw

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite dishes to share with friends. I have made this pork barbeque with cornbread and fennel slaw several times, including at a special Auburn tailgate and at least three fun dinner parties. As I said before, this is the kind of dish that would not be out of place at even the poshest of events. It's all about presentation. Swap the tasteless hamburger buns for your favorite cornbread recipe, slow roast pork all day on a grill or slow-cooker, and throw together this crunchy fennel slaw that is a far cry from that boring cabbage-based slaw that you might be used to. I believe in giving credit where credit is due. My friends Mike and Jill are the inspiration behind this dish, as it is one of the eight courses they served at their house in Raleigh last summer. Both of them are talented cooks and have opened my eyes to southern cooking done with a very elegant twist.

Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwiches

There are a slew of dishes that I hadn't ever been exposed to until I started dating someone from Birmingham, AL and spending time in the south. Part of my southern culinary education has included tasting chess pie, cheese straws, and of course pimento cheese. I wasn't immediately won over by pimento cheese, but I knew there was potential for it to be great. Flavorful, high quality cheese and the addition of interesting flavors could elevate this humble spread. Smearing it on a crusty baguette and griddling it until the little sandwiches ooze makes it all more delightful.

These are mini. Slices of baguette were halved and spread with cheese on one side and butter on the other. The sandwiches take a couple of minutes to cook. The results are noteworthy.

 

Pimento Cheese (adapted from NPR)

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese (I like Black Diamond or Cabot Reserve)

1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese

2 medium kosher dill pickles (Claussen is best to use, unless you can get your hands on something better)

2 or 3 cloves of garlic (three cloves yields a powerful garlic punch; adjust the amount to suit your taste)

1 4-ounce jar of pimentos (or pimientos, as they are also called), drained

1 baguette

Salted butter

Cut all ingredients except the pimentos into large chunks. (The pimentos are already chopped.) Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse just long enough to roughly chop. You don't want to puree the ingredients, just make them pliable for the next step.

Put in large bowl and mix with about 3 good tablespoons of mayonnaise. (I use Duke's, a Southern brand based in Richmond, Va., that many pimento-cheese aficionados prefer.)

Refrigerate, but set out for 20 to 30 minutes before use.

Cut a baguette into 1/2 inch slices. Spread pimento cheese on one side, sandwich with another slice of baguette and spread butter onto each side of the sandwich. Place in a pan set over medium-low heat. Watch the sandwiches, as they will cook quickly!