You've Got To Taste This

My husband is somewhat of a jelly aficianado.  Grape, strawberry, pepper...he loves them all.  Knowing this, one of our friends decided to let us in on the marvelous secret of mayhaw jelly.  We were given a jar that he'd brought back from a business trip to southern Georgia (one of the few native areas for mayhaws), promised that "if you love jelly, you will LOVE mayhaw jelly!"

Our friend was right.  Mayhaw jelly is delicious!  It features an unusual blend of both sweet and tart flavors, which is a nice change from super-sweet jellies, such as the aforementioned grape and strawberry.  One of my favorite ways to enjoy it is as part of a good ole PB&J sandwich, but it's also quite tasty on toast, crackers, or biscuits.

Unfortunately, mayhaw jelly IS a little hard to find, since mayhaws grow only in certain areas of the southern United States.  We ordered a case of jelly (that's right, a case) from Cedar Head Farms, a company in Colquitt, Georgia (incidentally, also the self-proclaimed "Mayhaw Capital of the World"), and have been sharing the "mayhaw love" with various friends and relatives.  Unless you live near the wetlands of Louisiana, Texas, and Georgia, where mayhaws thrive, you'll probably have to do the same.   Check out these companies to order your own jelly:

Cedar Head Farms: (229) 758-9249

Cajun Grocer

Local Harvest

Every December, my mom and I head to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for their annual Christkindlmarkt, a wonderful spot for artisans to feature their wares, and a good time for us to pick up a few unique holiday gifts.  As much as we look forward to our visit to the market, we also eagerly anticipate our trip because it means it's also time for our stop at Bethlehem Brew Works, a brew pub in downtown Bethlehem.  Every time we go, we order the same thing ... their Beer and Cheddar Soup and their Christmas City Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette.  And every time I go, I ask for the recipes to no avail.  Not even a list of ingredients.

Over the years, I've been tinkering with my own Beer and Cheddar Soup and have come up with a version that I actually like better, but the Cinnamon Vinaigrette has eluded me ... until now.  In a recent issue of Southern Living magazine, I spied a recipe for Honey-Cinnamon Vinaigrette and ripped it out, hoping against hope that it might come close.  I quickly mixed up a batch before dinner and made a salad with tossed greens, roasted sliced pears and Gorgonzola cheese.  And, of course, the dressing.  Ahh, the dressing.

Spot on and oh so good.  The Husband wouldn't touch it after the first bite, which is absolutely A-OK with me, because you know what that means... more for me!  He's your traditional oil and lots of vinegar guy anyway, but there's nothing stopping you from getting as hooked on it as I am ... and save yourself that trip to Bethlehem, PA.  Well, unless you're visiting the Christkindlmarkt, which is a very good reason to go indeed.  But in the meantime, have the dressing.  On the salad with the pears and Gorgonzola.  Really.  You'll thank me for it.  I'll be right here waiting.

See the recipe for Honey-Cinnamon Vinaigrette here.

Before I met my fiance, my sandwich repertoire was fairly limited: turkey, wheat, mustard, lettuce, and maybe a pickle, if I was feeling adventurous.  I ate that combination so frequently that I swore off sandwiches altogether, until he came along.

My fiance is the king of sandwiches.  They're made on hearty olive loaves and piled high with Brie, bacon, avocado, ground mustard, and, of course, deli-sliced turkey. He loads up all the ingredients and then lightly toasts it in a panini press and, let me tell you, it is amazingly tasty.

So when we planned a picnic dinner one night in town, I knew I had to find the perfect sandwich: flavorful, easy to transport, and, well, better than his signature stacker. We both love Mediterranean ingredients, so I tried the Antipasto Chicken Sandwich, which piles a focaccia round high with artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, red bell peppers, olives, prosciutto, and fontina cheese.  Because I used rotisserie chicken, the sandwich came together in minutes while he grabbed a few other picnic staples, namely pita chips and chocolate cupcakes.  I baked the sandwich until the cheese melted and then wrapped the individual slices in tin foil. (For a step-by-step tips on making the sandwich, check out Holley's video.)

The result? A deliciously light, yet hearty sandwich packed with tons of Italian-inspired flavor.  The fontina and prosciutto really put it over the top, but I bet it would be just as delicious to try it with bacon and provolone.  I'm really glad we liked the sandwich, because that was the night he proposed, so I have a feeling we'll be (happily!) having this particular sandwich for many years to come.

Do any of your favorite recipes have sentimental memories behind them? 

It's fall and it's tailgating time, so I'm always on the lookout for some healthier snack options for pre- and post-game munching. Members of our staff recently sampled several flavors of FoodShouldTasteGood chips.   This company was founded on the premise that food should not only taste good but also be good for you, so their chips are all natural without preservatives or artificial flavors, and also contain healthy ingredients such as flax, sesame, and sunflower seeds.

They are trans fat and cholesterol free , have about 6 grams of fat and 3 grams of fiber per serving. The chips are also gluten free.  Most of the flavors have about 80 milligrams sodium per serving, although the Buffalo flavor has 270 milligrams. A serving, by the way, is about 10 chips.

So how do they taste?  We had a mostly positive reaction from our group with everyone agreeing that the chips are great with dips because of their sturdy, cracker-like texture. We also liked the nutty flavor provided by the whole grains and seeds.  We sampled all of the seven flavors, and here are a few of our comments:
Buffalo:  "spicy flavor explodes in your mouth." "Yum!  I'd pair them with a cheese dip."
Sweet Potato (pictured in bowl on left):  "Like them, although they don't have a strong sweet potato flavor." "More like a corn chip with a slight sweet potato taste."
Chocolate (pictured in bowl on right): "Interesting. Not as sweet as I thought a chocolate corn chip would be." "You can taste the cocoa."  "Would be good crushed on top of ice cream or crushed as a base for a pie."  "Fabulous with Peanut Butter Dip!"
Multigrain: "My favorite. I liked the nutty flavor of the chip on its own. Would be great with a salad."
Olive: "Would love this with a goat cheese dip."

If you're looking for a more wholesome chip to serve with dips and sandwiches, these chips do taste good and are more interesting than plain chips. But don't go overboard.  Just because they're made with wholesome ingredients doesn't mean that you can throw portion control out the window.  If you eat only 10 chips, you're still getting  6 grams of fat and 140 calories, which is not that much different than regular tortilla chips.

Step right up and enjoy a fun-filled night of amusement rides, local entertainment, and an all-access pass to a wonderful plethora of delicious foods at the county fair. I recently visited my hometown in West Tennessee and dropped by our local fair to enjoy some of the festive treats. As this fair season comes to an end I'm trying to incorporate a few different staples into my upcoming parties that will keep the carnival spirit alive.

Meat, veggies, and even sweets on a stick are a popular choice within the carnival world. "Foods on Sticks," as they're fondly referred to, are easy-to-eat treats that can be enjoyed as you walk around deciding what ride you're going to hop on next. Yummy chocolate dipped bananas, crispy chicken on a stick, the classic corn dog, and beautiful bright red candy apples are just a few mouth-watering indulgences.

The fair always has an ambiance of comfort with sounds of sizzling grills cooking succulent grilled corncobs or thick sausage links draped with onions and peppers. Although not the healthiest, food vendors have a tendency to fry everything. I always try to grab a hot peach or strawberry fried pie to munch on for dessert. Wash it all down with a tall glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade and you've got an evening at the fair that you can enjoy right in your own home. So even though fair season is almost over, you can still get creative with carnival-themed foods at home.

You've heard my top picks. What are your favorite fair-ground treats?

We entertain quite a bit, and one of my favorite aspects of doing so, is discovering new favorite recipes.  Whether they be for a new appetizer, dessert or drink, we're bound to uncover something that quickly heads into our "tried-and-true" rotation. 

Every year, we find a new favorite cocktai, destined to become THE summer drink, and it hits our table weekend after weekend.  A few years ago, it was White Wine Strawberry Sangria, which we affectionately call Mom Juice.  To this day, that's still one of my favorite go-to drinks.  Two years ago, it was a recipe for Frozen Lemonade Cocktail.  Mmmm, love those.  This year?  It was all about the Strawberry Daiquiri.

I found the recipe in the August 2008 issue of Real Simple magazine, and when I saw how short the ingredient list was, I quickly tore out the page and stuck it on the fridge.  Hitting our blender soon after, it became the perfect drink for representing the Summer of '08 (and beyond).  Fruity, but not being so much so that you'd call it a "girly drink," and a snap to whip up, even though summer is but a memory, this drink shouldn't be. 

Bottoms up!

See the recipe for the Strawberry Daiquiri.

Being 7 months pregnant means that I've started resorting to frozen food dinners or takeout more than I'd like to admit.  However, this has provided an opportunity to thoroughly vett the frozen pizza selection at our local grocery store.  Though certainly not the healthiest option out there, frozen pizzas are a tried-and-true quick dinner that have proven to be a weeknight lifesaver for us.  We've even come to like them more than delivery, and frozen pizzas sure are cheaper!

We've tried cheese, pepperoni, supreme, thin crust, regular crust - everything.  (Well, except those delicious-looking exotic pizzas covered in things I can't eat while pregnant, like feta cheese).  However, we keep coming back to one particular pizza: Palermo's "Primo Thin" Ultra-Thin Crust Supreme.  Palermo's Primo Thin line features a very thin crust that bakes to a nice crisp, which my husband and I both love.  The Supreme version is topped with pepperoni, bell peppers, onions, olives, and our favorite thing - Italian sausage.  There is just something about the smoky-sweet flavor of the sausage on this pizza that truly makes it a standout for us. Yum! 

Primo Thin comes in 12 different varieties, from Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese to Ham and Fire-Roasted Pineapple.  Our local store currently carries only three or four of these, but I'm hoping to see more in the future!

I love to cook, but I tend to have a one-track mind.  I can make a mean baked ziti or a super-cheesy enchilada casserole, but when it comes to preparing a meal composed of more than one dish, it gets complicated. 

Because I'm trying to cook more lean meats at home, my side dishes have been pushed, quite literally, to the back burner.  I'll get my filet of salmon perfectly flaky then remember that I never even started the green beans or roasted potatoes. 

I decided to make my life super easy and try a few of the ready-made side dishes by Simply Potatoes.  Now I know mashed potatoes.  Give me a sack of Yukon golds, a little milk, and some sour cream and I'm good to go.  So I wasn't sure how I'd like the store-bought variety. 

My fiance and I were making meatloaf one night and decided to go whole-hog on the comfort food bandwagon.  At the super market, we grabbed a package of Simply Potatoes mashed sweet potatoes and threw them in the microwave for about six minutes, pausing occasionally to stir, vent, and, of course, add mini marshmallows and a scoop of brown sugar. 

The result? Amazing!  The potatoes come perfectly mashed and with a hint of sweetness.  We loved adding our own toppings to taste, and thought about throwing a few chopped pecans on next time, for good measure.  Keep these in mind during the upcoming holiday season.  You can save yourself the time it takes to boil and mash a dozen spuds and instead give your microwave a workout.  When the potatoes are ready, spoon them into a pretty casserole dish, top with marshmallows and broil for a few minutes to give it that just-baked glow.  Clean up will be a cinch and no one will be the wiser.

Check out Simply Potatoes for a full list of products (including four kinds of mashed potatoes and a half-dozen browns and wedges) and recipes for personalizing your side dish.

I am from the South but don’t really like bourbon. I can only hope that this revelation will not result in the revocation of my Dixie citizenship.  What I do like is gin. I adore gin.  Maybe it’s because gin reminds me of Zelda Fitzgerald, who, of course, is a true Southerner. Maybe it’s the crisp refreshing tingle that a gin and tonic leaves on my tongue.  Or maybe I just enjoy the light flavor and texture of a gin cocktail on sultry summer afternoons.

Here in the last days of summer, I’ve discovered a new favorite: Gin Rickeys. Usually I drink gin with tonic water and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, but since classic cocktails are all the rage these days, I thought I would try my hand at making a rickey. 

I poured 1 ½ ounces of gin and 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime) over ice in a chilled glass. Then I added about 8 ounces of club soda and stirred. According to my research, you don’t need to shake a rickey.  I cut another wedge of lime and squeezed a little more into the glass, then dropped the wedge into the glass.   It was divine. And, if you’re watching your girlish figure, you may be interested to know that it has only 100 calories and 0 grams of sugar per 8-ounce serving. 

The key to making a really good gin rickey is to use really good gin. I used Bombay Sapphire.  This is a gin drink, pure and simple, and you need a smooth, dry gin because there’s no flavored mixer for it to hide behind. If you make it with cheap stuff, it just won’t be good.

The suffocating days of Alabama summer are soon coming to an end, but not my gin rickey cocktail time. I may just have to move from the deck into the den.

With school back in session, our thoughts will soon turn to more cold-weather-friendly food items, like steaming bowls of soup, hearty stick-to-your-ribs chili and marshmallow-topped mugs of hot chocolate.  But as long as the weather is still warm and the days are still light, we're trying to use our grill as much as we can before snowfall and chilly temps set in.

I happened to catch an online episode of Tyler Florence recently and he made Grilled Chicken Caesar Kabobs.  Simple, easy, and perfect for those harried nights of homework, baths, and bedtime storybook reading.  It took just a few minutes to assemble (if you're short on time, use premade Caesar salad dressing), and with a side of fruit salad, it makes for an easy and totally kid-friendly meal, since Nicholas could pick off the pieces he deemed "yuck."

The best part?  The bits of the homemade croutons that got a little extra crispy on the grill.  So go on and fire up the flame ... winter will be here before we know it.

See the Grilled Chicken Caesar Kabobs recipe at AOL food.