Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Morrison House Brioche

From Southern Living
Don't limit this buttery bread to breakfast. It's just as good as a sandwich or dinner roll.


4 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast (1 1/2 teaspoons)
1/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons salt
8 large eggs
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Combine flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in center of mixture; add yeast and water in center. Let stand 5 minutes.

Beat at low speed with an electric mixer until blended; add salt and 8 eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add butter gradually, beating well (small bits of butter will be visible). Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight (dough will be sticky).

Divide dough into 12 portions; pinch off a 1-inch ball of dough from each portion, and set aside.

Roll larger pieces into balls on a lightly floured surface; place in well-greased individual brioche molds or a muffin pan. Place molds or muffin pan on a baking sheet.

Make a well in center of each ball. Shape remaining dough pieces into balls, and place in wells.

Brush brioche with beaten egg; let stand 30 minutes.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Cool in molds 10 minutes; remove from molds.


Yield: 1 dozen



Southern Living, FEBRUARY 1996

Corn and Crab chowder


1 tablespoon vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan in a slow stream
2 tablespoons butter
1 large or 2 small potatoes, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning blend, found near seafood department or, on spice aisle in your market
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups 1/2 and 1/2
2 cups whole milk
3 cups frozen corn kernels
8 ounces cooked lump crab meat, fresh is available in plastic tubs at many fish counters
4 small bread boules, 6 inches, hollowed out, preferably sour dough, optional

Toppings:
Oyster crackers
Hot cayenne pepper sauce
Parsley
Crumbled bacon bits

Heat a deep pot over moderate heat. Add oil and butter. As you chop your veggies, add them to the pot: potatoes, celery, onion, and red bell pepper. Add bay leaf to the pot. Season vegetables with salt and pepper and Old Bay seasoning. Saute veggies 5 minutes, then sprinkle in flour. Cook flour 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and combine. Stir in milk and combine. Bring soup up to a bubble. Add corn and crab meat and simmer soup 5 minutes. Adjust the soup seasonings. Remove bay leaf. To thicken, puree a few cups and stir back in. Ladle soup into bread bowls or soup bowls and top as desired.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Peppermint Patty Brownies


Peppermint Patty Brownies

These are great--even people who don't like York's love them!

Ingredients:

24 small peppermint patties, chopped
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, melted
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (or 325 if using a glass dish).
Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan. In a large bowl, cream together
the butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add the eggs. Beat until well blended.
Stir in the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; blend well.
Reserve 2 cups batter.

Spread the remaining batter in the bottom of the dish.
Sprinkle the patties in a single layer on top of the in the pan.
Spread the reserved 2 cups of batter over the patties.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away
from the sides of the pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Cut into squares. Makes about 36 brownies.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb sirloin (i like center cut, thin sliced)
4 Tbsp flour, divided
1 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter, divided
1/2 c chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 c beef broth/stock (I like kitchen basics)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c sour cream
1 Tbsp Worcestshire

Freeze beef for 15 minutes or so to make it easier to slice. Slice into 1/4 x 1 in slices across the grain. Combine 1 Tbsp flour and salt and coat meat.

Heat large skillet on med-hi heat and melt 2 Tbsp butter. Saute onion until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Then add beef and quickly brown on all sides. Add mushrooms and saute for 3 or 4 minutes, then add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 60 seconds. Remove meat and mushrooms from pan using slotted spoon. Add 2 Tbsp butter to pan drippings and stir in 3 Tbsp flour and cook until combined and bubbly, stirring constantly. Add beef stock and whisk until thick and bubbling, about 4-5 minutes. Add cream of mushroom soup and stir until completely combined. Reduce heat to med-low and return meat and mushrooms to pan. Stir in sour cream and worcestshire, cooking slowly just until heated through. Do not boil. Serve over hot egg noodles.

Saturday, December 09, 2006

bbq shrimp

2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 c butter
1/4 c worcestshire
1/4 c lemon juice
1 Tbsp pepper
2 Tbsp Tony Chachere
1 tsp Tabasco
1 lemon sliced
garlic or garlic powder to taste
parsley

Bake in 9x13 dish for 15 minutes at 375. Serve with french bread for dipping.

Seafood Gumbo

1/4 c butter
1 onion, chopped
2 c celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 32 oz boxes chicken stock (I like Kitchen Basic)
1 qt water
8 oz Kary's dry roux
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Tony Chachere plus more for seasoning chicken
2 c frozen chopped okra
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes and sprinkled with Tony's
2 lbs medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1 inch slices on bias and lightly browned
8 oz lump crabmeat, cooked

For serving: white rice, fresh parsley, Tabasco, file, and lemon slices

Saute onion, bell pepper, and celery in butter until soft (10-15 minutes). Add garlic and cook for 60 seconds or until fragrant. Then either add 1/4 c flour and stir forever to make a roux (long way) or add chicken stock and water and bring to a boil. Then add seasonings and dry roux and boil, whisking constantly until completely dissolved (about 10 minutes). Add okra, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add chicken and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add sausage, shrimp and crab and simmer softly until shrimp has cooked (3-5 minutes--watch carefully).

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Thursday, August 17, 2006

new carpet

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Lots of painting!


Monday, June 26, 2006

Formal living room

Tuesday, June 20, 2006