Breakfast Sausage Corndogs

Who doesn't love a corndog in the summertime? Here in Pittsburgh, many of us can be found strolling around the midway of Kennywood with a mustard slathered golden, crunchy dog-on-a-stick in one hand and maybe even a paper boat of Potato Patch fries in the other. What a way to celebrate summer!

But what about breakfast? Where's the take charge breakfast-on-a-stick for the early morning person on the go? In my opinion, instead of a hot dog, morning requires a more breakfast appropriate sausage. Don't you think so, too? As far as the "corn" part of the corndog, why mess with a classic?! And instead of frying the handy a.m. treat, let's bake it to make it just a little healthier start to our day.

This recipe isn't just easy to grab and go, any leftovers heat in the microwave in a snap so that breakfast on the fly can happen day after day. And you KNOW the kids will love this one! 

See that peach in the pic? Just a suggestion...peel and chop it and mix it in with a little maple syrup for the perfect sweet-tart accompaniment. That's what I did (maybe with just a kiss of bourbon, too), but that's for eating on a plate. Could you imagine maple syrup dripping onto the car seats while driving to work? Just plain on a stick is the delicious way to go when you're not sitting at the table.

Hey, Kennywood! This one's for you.

Breakfast Sausage Corndogs

• 8 cooked and browned breakfast sausages, cooled (you can even do this the night before to really make it easy in the morning - or buy the precooked kind!
• 8 popsicle sticks or skewers
• 1 1/4 C cornmeal
• 1 1/4 C Bisquick - I used the gluten free kind to make this GF
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 T maple syrup
• 1 C buttermilk
• 2-3 T canola oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Insert sticks/skewers into each sausage BEFORE you wrap the dough around. Believe me, you'll be glad you did.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil and spray it with cooking spray. 

In a medium bowl, mix the cornmeal and Bisquick, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. It will make a dough.

Using approximately 1/4 cup of dough per sausage, wrap it completely around each one.

Dough-wrapped and ready for the oven!

Spray the tops of the corndogs with more cooking spray and bake for approximately 25 minutes. My finished product isn't browned because GF baked goods just don't brown. If you use regular Bisquick, browning shouldn't be a problem at all. Either way, they are wonderful!

 

Spicy Smoked Corn Casserole

Oh, the excitement of a new smoker! Since our beloved stack type charcoal smoker bit the dust (ash?), I've had my eye on a Masterbuilt chest-type electric smoker. Amazon put the one I've lusted after on BIG sale (one day only) the Saturday before Father's Day...coincidence? I think not. 

Before I could give it a test run, Michigan beckoned. As I pulled out of the driveway, I glanced longingly behind at my yet-to-be-named smoky cutie and ahead at the prospect of time with those I love in Lansing. And hit the gas.

Not being the only family member with a yen for good BBQ, we all went to a favorite Q spot of Matt's called Meat Southern BBQ & Carnivore Cuisine. What a find! We started with Pickle Fries that are long shoestrings of dill pickles, breaded and fried and served with a side of homemade remoulade for dipping. Not content with just ONE appetizer from Meat's oh-so-tempting menu, we shared a basket of nachos mounded high with pulled pork, house-smoked bacon and chopped brisket, then topped with cheese, one of their own BBQ sauces, sour cream, onions, tomatoes, jalapenos and avocado. Transcendent. The nachos alone could have been a satisfying dinner and we only had a half order! 

Thank goodness we didn't stop with appetizers. The Meat platters came laden with perfectly moist, smoky brisket...sliced for me, chopped for Matt and Matthew's choice was the sweet n' smoky pulled pork. Mieke went with her favorite chopped brisket sandwich. Meat platters came with cornbread and 2 sides. And THAT is where I swooned. 

Nothing fancy at Meat Southern BBQ & Carnivore Cuisine...that's a GOOD thing!           BBQ beans on the left, succulent brisket and Spicy Cream Corn on the top. 

Now, it's been a while since I've recreated a dish I was particularly taken with, but the Spicy Cream Corn left me wanting MORE! Note that it's not called "creamed" corn. No, it bears no resemblance whatsoever to the loose, pale yellow, lumpy stuff from a can. This was CREAM corn. It had substance. It had heat. It. Was. Remarkable. So I came up with my very own version as soon as I got home.

What would go best with my version of Spicy Cream Corn? BBQ, of course. I loaded up the brand spanking new smoker with chicken...specifically 8 thighs, 3 breasts, 6 whole wings, 4 eggs (recommended by a BBQ'ing friend from Georgia - I'll be making deviled eggs with those!), and 5 ears of corn in the husk. Wouldn't smoked corn make the cream corn even better? It did!

Starting with smoky corn really made a difference in the finished dish. I decided to make the dish into a casserole (small individual cast iron skillets would make a wonderful presentation). For the heat (and creaminess) I used jalapeno cream cheese and a bit of chipotle powder; for color and flavor, sliced green onion and roasted red pepper; and for more smokiness, a "healthy" sprinkle of bacon crumbles across the surface. Nothing like reinforcing the smoke, right? 

Here you go...the recipe!

Spicy Smoked Corn Casserole

• 4 ears smoked corn, approx 2 C of kernels (you don't have to use smoked corn...you can use fresh, frozen or canned corn if you wish!)
• 4 oz. jalapeno cream cheese (1/2 of a tub) - if you want less heat, just use 2 oz. jalapeno and 2 oz. plain cream cheese. Don't want heat at all? Use all plain cream cheese.
• 2 T milk
• 1 green onion, sliced well into the green for color
• 1/4 C roasted red pepper, diced
• 1/2 t salt
• a hefty grinding of black pepper
• 1/4 t chipotle powder (this makes it smokier and hotter - use less if you don't like HEAT, more if you like the heat sweats)
• 2-3 T crisp, crumbled bacon
• softened butter - enough to grease the inside of your casserole dish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 1 quart casserole dish (I used a cast iron oval casserole).

In a medium saucepan, add the cream cheese(s) and milk. Stir over low heat until smooth. Add the corn, green onions and red peppers, stir well. Add salt and pepper, chipotle powder and stir well again. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish, top with bacon crumbles and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until bubbling. Serve with damned good BBQ!

NOTE: Next time I'm smoking some jalapenos to go into the mix!

One last thing....

Well, it wasn't actually "last." A Meat Bloody Mary WITH BBQ sauce is what I started with!

Fresh Corn, Potato, Tomato, Jalapeno and Bacon Chowder

Our weekly CSA box has been bursting with beautiful ears of corn! Just my small share has produced 4-6 ears every week - not a problem, right? Well...not unless you shouldn't be eating things like corn, nuts and seeds.

It's so frustrating to wait all year long for fresh and local corn season to roll around - so fresh that when you press a fingernail into a kernel, juice squirts so high you sometimes get hit straight in the eye - and then not be able to eat any. (You did know the fingernail test is the gold standard test for corn, didn't you? If a corn kernel doesn't squirt when you press a fingernail into it, just step away from the corn, ma'am.)

Having to miss corn season this year had me mentally scrambling for ways to still enjoy the sweet goodness of the season without encountering any of the unfortunate side effects of the whole kernels. Soup. Fresh corn soup. Specifically, fresh corn, potato, tomato and jalapeno chowder with BACON!

What if I cut the kernels off the cob, simmered them long and slow in a rich broth (WITH the kernel-naked cobs to infuse an even corn-ier flavor), then whirred the bejeezus out of them with my stick blender? Would I end up with a big pot of corn flavor without the dreaded whole kernels? 

Ladies and gentlemen, the experiment was a success. No, the resultant chowder base wasn't smooth as silk, but it didn't matter when nice chunks of potato, tomato, onion, jalapeno and bacon studded the chowder making for a good and hearty meal-in-a-bowl.

Gilding the lily, I topped each bowlful with a sprinkle of chopped tomato, diced avocado and crisp bacon pieces. Ahhhh, summer corn goodness!

Fresh Corn, Potato, Tomato, Jalapeno 

and Bacon Chowder

• 4 slices bacon - thick sliced, cut across into 1/2" lardons - reserve the cooked lardons for garnish
• 4 ears of fresh corn - cut the kernels from the cobs and transfer to a bowl, then take your knife and scrape the bare cobs over the bowl to capture all the last vestiges of corny goodness
• 3/4 C red onion, diced 
• 1/2 stick butter - unsalted
• 2 large jalapenos, seeds removed, minced
• 4 large red potatoes, scrubbed and skins left on - diced small - like hash brown size
• 72 oz. store-bought chicken stock - a good gluten-free one to make this GF
• 1 T Jane's Crazy Salt
• 3 large fresh tomatoes, diced small - same as potatoes, reserve the last tomato for garnish
• 1 avocado, diced - for garnish
• shredded cheddar - for garnish

Saute bacon until crisp in a heavy bottomed soup pot. Remove and reserve the lardons for garnish. Add corn kernels and onion. Saute until the onion is translucent and then add the chicken stock. Next add the naked corn cobs, bring the soup to a boil and immediately lower to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook until the corn is tender as can be, about an hour. 

When the corn gets to the tender point, remove the cobs, letting as much broth as possible drip back into the pot. Now it's time to get out the stick blender (aka, immersion blender). Whirr the hell out of the kernels until they are all pulverized and return the soup to a simmer. 

While the soup is simmering, melt the butter in a heavy skillet, then add the jalapenos and potatoes. Once they soften, add them to the soup as well, along with 2 of the diced tomatoes and the Jane's Crazy Salt. Simmer until the potatoes are cooked through and beginning to get a little mealy. (Be sure to put the lid back on the pot.)

Once the chowder comes together nicely, ladle it into bowls and garnish with healthy handful of shredded cheddar, topped with reserved chopped tomato, bacon and avocado. Enjoy!

Sweet Savory Triple Corn and Sausage Waffles

Bless you Dillner Family Farm CSA, I LOVE you! Why?

Having been raised on canned vegetables on sale from the local A&P ("Creamed Corn - 3 Cans for 38 Cents"!), fresh veggies were a revelation. 

As a kid, I despised asparagus. Tell me, do they still commit the atrocity of canning asparagus today? Have you ever eaten long, slimy spears from the tall Green Giant can? Or, perhaps, grayish green Argo peas that were forced to give up their natural sweetness and "pop" by being overcooked and nearly brined to mush in the salty canning water? A shiver goes up my spine just thinking about the veggies of my youth.

The only fresh vegetables I recall as a kid at the family kitchen table were red cabbage - sweet and sour German-style, Brussels sprouts - boiled to a stinky, sulfurous death, and cauliflower - with cheese sauce, so who in their right mind didn't love THAT?! Oh, and carrots thrown in with celery, potatoes and onions along with a chuck roast - maybe with a packet of dry Lipton California Onion Soup Mix if my mom was feeling all fancy - in the old speckled blue enameled oval roaster. That Sunday roast was a classic.

I'll never forget having FRESH, crisp, bright green asparagus with hollandaise-kissed Eggs Benedict for brunch at Uncle Harry's place in Baltimore. "No thank you I don't like asparagus," I averred. "Try these, you'll like them," said Uncle Harry. 

Well, they sure didn't look like any asparagus I'd ever seen on a plate in front of me before, so I trusted my very sophisticated (a least to my young Pittsburgh eyes and experience) uncle - he of the very cool silver Jaguar XKE and fabulous taste in both clothes and decorating style. Trust him I did. From that moment on, a new world of culinary adventuring opened up before me. And I am forever grateful.

Fast forward to today and the fam can tell you that it is rare when we don't have fresh veggies on our plates, even in the dead of winter. Occasionally, you might find canned corn in a soup or - rarer still - frozen petite peas when we have a roasted chicken with mashed potatoes. (I'm a sucker for tiny sweet peas with mashed potatoes and gravy. Sometimes - when I think no-one is looking - the inner four-year-old me will mix them all together. Blush.)

CSA season in our house today is a delightful abundance of very fresh-from-the-farm produce. So far, since early June, we've enjoyed lots of greens - spinach, kale and many types of lettuces, yellow and green squash, red and golden beets, onions, fresh garlic, gorgeous tiny and sweet strawberries, blueberries, kohlrabi, tomatoes, green peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and lots of fresh, unbelievably sweet corn. This last week, the corn was sooooo sweet that our hands were sticky when we finished husking it!

We're a family who loves homemade waffles, so when I considered making fresh corn fritters somehow thoughts turned to fresh corn waffles instead. My usual gluten-free waffle uses corn flour and cornmeal, wouldn't corn kernels make this a triple threat celebration of corn? Too sweet perhaps?

That's when I decided to add beautifully browned crumbles of down-home, savory sage sausage to the sweet batter. A sweet and savory combo waffle drizzled with real maple syrup over all? Breakfast simply couldn't have been any better.

You know what? I still have another cup or so of corn kernels left. What will I do with the last of last week's sweet corn and all the new Dillner Family Farm produce I'll pick up on Thursday? Hmmmmmm...thinking.......

Sweet Savory Triple Corn and Sage Sausage Waffles

• 1 1/4 C flour (use a good gluten-free flour to make this GF - I use Jules GF all purpose flour)
• 1/2 C corn flour
• 1/2 C cornmeal
• 2 t baking powder
• 3/4 t salt
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1/2 C cooked & well-browned breakfast sage sausage - nicely browned sausage gives a good depth of flavor to the waffles (if you can't find sage sausage, a good quality regular breakfast sausage will do just fine)
• 1 C corn - cut fresh from the cob
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 C milk
• 5 T butter, melted

Mix all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat egg whites in a separate medium bowl until stiff, but not dry. Set aside.

Beat egg yolks and milk together. While beating, add the melted butter and continue to whisk until the mixture is homogeneous. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Add beaten egg whites, folding gently until well incorporated and finally add the sausage and corn. Mix these in gently, too.

Bake the waffles according to your waffle iron directions, keeping each batch warm as you finish up the batter. Serve hot with syrup for brunch OR dinner.

Corncake Chorizo Stuffed Acorn Squash

Two perfectly beautiful, deep shiny green acorn squashes were in my CSA basket last week. In my book, that's a SURE sign of autumn! Why does the appearance of winter squash seem to be timed along with falling leaves and the resultant cleaning those suckers out of the pond? And mucking debris from the bottom of said pond when the pond water is freezing!
 
Shouldn't there be some sort of a special reward for voluntarily turning oneself into a human pond popsicle complete with shriveled, ice cold, blue hands from digging in the depths of fish, frogs and slime? There is. And it involves those gorgeous acorn squashes.
 
I was looking for a side dish to snuggle up to some nice steaks on our dinner plates one evening and you KNOW those lovely forest green squashes came to mind immediately. I could have baked them and served them salted, peppered and with brown sugar, but I was thinking something less sweet and more substantial. 

Sausage stuffed acorn squash is always is good choice, but a meat-stuffed squash didn't seem like a proper side dish for a steak - oh I know, some of you guys out there think meat makes a perfect side dish for meat. Nuh uh.  
Then I thought corn...which lead to thoughts of Mexican corncake and once again we were back to the too sweet problem. Buuuuuut...wait a minute....how about....chorizo? Salty, spicy chorizo made the perfect foil to sweet corncake to balance out the sweet, salty, spicy and savory notes perfectly. Problem solved. If only closing down the pond for the season could be that easy!

 Corncake Chorizo Stuffed Acorn Squash

• 2 acorn squashes, halved, seeds scraped out

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/3 cup masa harina, I prefer yellow
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups creamed corn (that's a 14.75 ounce can)
• 1/4 cup cornmeal, I prefer yellow
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 chorizo link, removed from casing, crumbled and browned well

Squash: Spray the inside of the cut squashes with vegetable or olive oil. Bake cut side down at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until a knife pierces easily, but not to a mushy mess, please! Remove from oven and let cool before filling and baking again.
 
Corncake: Beat the butter with the masa harina. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well until completely incorporated.
 
Assembly: Fill the insides of the squash with the corncake mixture. (Leftover corncake mixture? Butter the insides of small ramekins, fill and bake alongside the squashes. You may need to remove the ramekins from the oven before the squash, so watch them carefully.) 

Sprinkle on the crumbled chorizo and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until the corncake is baked through. Remove from oven and enjoy!
 
NOTE: This would really make a lovely, light dinner on its own with a side salad or fresh veggies!

Tomato Queso Tart (Gluten-Free, Too!)

Summer's bounty of tomatoes is here! (Did I just hear a cheer go up from the crowd?) 

This is the season of tomato sandwiches graced with only a simple sprinkle of salt and pepper and a smear of mayo, of the best BLT's of the whole doggone year, of my favorite fresh summer tomato sauce made in big batches and frozen for the winter and of...of...well, whatever your little heart (and imagination) desires.
 
Those big, bright red and juicy Maryland tomatoes I brought back from vacation still had a few left in the peck basket and our neighbor, Ralph, had just given us a few beauties from his garden. 

Not enough tomatoes for more sauce, but too many to use in sandwiches, I decided on a tomato tart for dinner. Of course a normal tart crust would be a flaky, buttery pie crust, but there's no such thing as an acceptably flaky gluten-free pie crust (if you know of one, SEND IT MY WAY, please!).

Instead, I settled on a crushed tortilla chip crust. That led to the idea of a few south-of-the-border influences which, naturally, led to thoughts of roasted (leftover) corn, jalapenos and a little cheese. Thus the Tomato Queso Tart was born.

Fresh and bright with tomato, sweet with corn and just a bit of cheesy custard to hold everything together, cradled in a crunchy, salty crust and lightly sprinkled with bright, green cilantro, the tart hit all my favorite notes. 

Okay...confession time. I bought the yellow cherry tomatoes to make an especially pretty presentation of red and yellow tomatoes with bright green cilantro. It was worth it! Not only was it beautiful, it was quite the end of summer treat!

 Tomato Queso Tart

• 1 corn chip tart crust, baked - see recipe below

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• pinch kosher salt
• 2 large garlic cloves, smashed
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 cup cheese, Mexican blend - I used 365 (Whole Foods) blend with pepper jack, colby and muenster) or your own favorite Mexican blend - plus about 1/2 a cup or so to top tomatoes with at the end

• 2 ears of corn, leftover, cut from cob - roasted or steamed or boiled - they all work well!
• 2 tablespoons jalapeno pepper, minced finely

• 2 large, red tomatoes, sliced very thinly
• 18-20 yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

CRUST: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, process tortilla chips until fine - you'll need 2 cups. Melt 3 tablespoons butter and add to processor with chips - process until well combined. Set aside. 

Butter the bottom and sides of a tart pan with a removable bottom - about 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons of softened butter. Dump the buttered tortilla chip crumbs into the tart pan and press them evenly across the bottom and up the sides. Tamp them down well. Bake 20 minutes. Remove and cool slightly.
 
CUSTARD: In a heavy bottomed saucepan, add the cream and milk. Smash the garlic and add along with salt and pepper. Warm the mixture. 

Beat the egg in a small bowl. When the cream mixture is warm, add a little at a time to the egg while beating the entire time...about 3-4 tablespoons of the warm mixture should do it. 

Gradually add the egg/cream mixture back into the saucepan, whisking until all the egg mixture is incorporated. Gently stir until the egg/cream mixture begins to thicken. 

Remove from heat, remove the garlic with a fork or slotted spoon. Set aside.
 
ASSEMBLY: Once the crust is ready, sprinkle the corn and jalapeno across the bottom of the crust, pour the egg cream mixture evenly over the top. Sprinkle one cup of cheese evenly over the top. 

Lay the tomato slices evenly over the top and add the yellow cherry tomato halves decoratively around the edge and in the center of the tart. Sprinkle the tomatoes with a little more cheese.
 
Bake the tart for 30 minutes until the custard sets. Remove from oven carefully. Let sit for 10 minutes to set before removing the edge of the tart pan. 

Sprinkle the top with chopped cilantro and cut into wedges.
 
So good!


NOTE: Makes a great vegetarian main dish, appetizer (cut into thin slices) or brunch dish!

Maryland Corn Jalapeno Crab Imperial

Maryland crab - there's nothing like it! It's my absolute favorite food of all time so when I'm in Maryland it's a non-stop crabfeast...and when I return home I bring all the crab I can. Well, all the crab I can afford to bring home anyway.

One of the best restaurant finds in Ocean City, MD is a brand new place called Hooked. Oh, they got the name right alright because Mieke and I were hooked the very first meal we shared there. 

Creamy, sweet, spicy and crabby...Corn Jalapeno Crab Bisque at Hooked in Ocean City, MD

Crab Corn Jalapeno Bisque was on the menu - it's the signature soup at Hooked. Dare I hope it would be gluten-free? Cautiously I inquired. Hallelujah, it definitely was GF!

The delightful Smokey Mater - LOVED the pickled cherry tomatoes, too!

I ordered a bowl on the spot...and a specialty martini called a Smokey Mater (Illegal Mezcal, local heirloom tomato nectar and pickled cherry tomatoes...YUM!) Soup and a fresh take on a Bloody Mary. Really, what more does a girl need for lunch? Not a thing.

The bisque was so good, I wondered how that might translate into one of my all time favorite crab dishes...Crab Imperial. The answer to that? Spectacularly!

 

 Maryland Corn Jalapeno Crab Imperial

• 3/4 pound REAL Maryland, Virginia, Louisiana or Texas Blue crab meat, backfin lump, picked for shell and cartiledge
• 1 tablespoon jalapeno chile pepper, seeds and ribs removed, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons jarred pimientos, minced (I used hot peppadews instead - great if you can find them!)
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise - Hellman's
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh corn kernels, raw, cut from cob, coarsely chopped - Bonus! I was lucky enough to bring home Maryland Silver Queen corn!
• 3 tablespoons fresh corn puree (See below)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 4 tablespoons fresh corn puree (See below)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Corn puree: Cut kernels from an ear of raw corn and place into the jar of a blender. Process until the corn is liquified. This will take a little patience and a lot of stopping the blender and pushing the corn kernels down before starting again. Repeat until the corn is liquified. This makes a very thick liquid with LOTS of intense fresh corn flavor.
 
Crab Mixture: Mix the jalapeno, pimiento, mayo, egg yolk pureed corn, salt and lemon juice until smooth. Set aside. Gently go through the crab feeling for shell and/or cartiledge and remove, but DON'T break up the crab! Put the crab into a large bowl, pour the mayo/egg mixture over the crab and very gently fold together without breaking up the crab. Set aside.
 
Glaze: Mix 2 T mayo, 4 T. pureed corn, 1 T. lemon juice and 1/4 t. salt together very well. Set aside.

Just before going into the oven.

 
Assembly: Using individual ramekins or shells, spray with a little olive oil then divide and mound the crab mixture evenly among 4 ramekins or shells. Tamp lightly to hold the mound together. Spoon the glaze mixture evenly over the tops, using all the glaze. If you wish (and I did) decorate the tops with strips of pimiento or peppadews. Place the ramekins or shells on a baking sheet.
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake the ramekins or shells for 20 minutes. Remove, set the oven to broil, when the broiler is heated, run the crab under the broiler until lightly browned. Remove, cool slightly and enjoy!
 

An A-Maize-ing Margarita!

Imbibe Magazine has become one of my favorite publications. There isn't an issue that doesn't come jam-packed with new cocktails, spirits, mixers and such that are available in stores (not always in Pennsylvania, but I travel!) and all variety of cocktails, shrubs, tinctures, bitters and syrups to make right at home. Sometimes I whip up a batch of whatever sounds really interesting. Like Corn Milk Syrup.

The last issue (July/August 2013) contained a recipe for Corn Milk Syrup from Pouring Ribbons in Manhattan...it sounded like summer in a jar! This being prime fresh corn season (and having a penchant for sweet, fresh corn on the cob from the get-go), the idea intrigued me. That and the fact that Frederick Arnold, one of the creative bartending minds at TenderBar + Kitchen in Lawrenceville is currently mixing up an old Prohibition era cocktail called a Cornpopper. Corn just seems to be happening on the summer cocktail scene! 

Frederick Arnold and the Cornpopper with a festive 4th of July garnish!

That issue arrived in my mailbox before the first local ears of corn were even ready locally, so a few ears of Florida fresh from my local Giant Eagle had to do. Once the uncooked kernels were cut from the cobs, liquified in the blender, painstakingly squeeeeeeeezed through cheesecloth into a bowl, poured carefully into a plastic jug and sugar was added and stirred until completely dissolved, I ended up with a very corn-y and fresh simple syrup. Delicious. Needless to say there was some corn milk syrup and bourbon experimentation going on that night!

A few weeks went by, Soergel's, Kaelins' and Shenots now had their very own sweet, field fresh corn....definitely Corn Milk Syrup time again! The result? An even sweeter and corn-ier batch than the first. That being said, it was back to the Corn Milk Syrup lab for more mad scientist-like mixing, stirring and shaking.

Truthfully, I'd been mulling over the possibilities of the beautiful sun-yellow liquid since making it the first time. Corn and lime go together so well...Mexican flavors contain lots of corn and lime....how about tequila in a corn and lime cocktail? MARGARITAS! Thus the idea for a Maize (Spanish for corn!) Margarita on the rocks was born. 

It's a simple cocktail with a creamy yellow color and silky texture that makes a very nice surprise for your picnic and party guests this summer. But make these quick before our sweet corn season disappears for another year. Make hay...and Maize Margaritas...while the sun shines!

 Maize Margaritas

• 2 ounces tequila, gold
• 1 ounce Cointreau
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 2 ounces corn milk syrup (see recipe below)

• lime, zested and juiced, set zest aside on small plate
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, or more to taste

In a shaker, mix the tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime juice and corn milk. Add ice to 3/4 of the way up the tin. Cap, shake until the tin is frosted and strain into a Lime Salt rimmed glass. Garnish with a lime wheel or strip of lime peel and serve.
 

Corn Milk Syrup: 5 ears corn, sugar.  

Cut the kernels off the cobs and put into a blender. Process until the corn is completely liquified. Pour into a large bowl lined with a single layer of cheesecloth. Gather the corners and edges of the cheesecloth keeping all the corn inside and twist being sure the liquid falls into the bowl. Continue twisting and squeezing until ALL the liquid is expelled from the solids. Discard the solids (or use for soup!). Measure the liquid corn then measure an equal amount of granulated sugar. Mix the sugar into the liquid corn and stir until dissolved. There's your Corn Milk Syrup!

Lime Salt: On a small plate, stir together the salt and lime zest. Add more salt if you want the mixture saltier instead of lime-ier. I dipped the rim of my glass into corn milk before salting the rim. 

 

Low Country Grilled Shrimp, Andouille & Veggies with Old Bay Beer Butter

Feelin' beachy? Me too! So much so that I've been craving a good ol' shrimp boil...something to help assuage the longing for sand, sun and seafood until we hit Ocean City next month. This one easily qualifies under my "Quickie" category because there's almost no prep and it cooks in minutes. Nope, not in a steamer as is traditional for a boil, but on the grill. And it's done in a flash!

Usually we haul out the propane-fueled turkey fryer/steamer to do a boil...and that's just perfect with a big crowd. With just the two of us for dinner on Sunday, that method didn't make any sense at all. Out came the grill!

To get the same Maryland-style flavors we were craving, Old Bay beer butter was basted onto heaps of shrimp, small red potatoes, onions, Andouille sausages and corn right on the grill.  Yes, there were some flare ups, but that just helped to give a desirable blackened quality to the andouille and shrimp and made the corn almost caramel-y. 

The result? It seemed just like being oceanfront at the beach with the same hoppy, spicy deliciousness of a boil, combined with the smoky flavors only a grill can produce.  We were happy campers!

Even though the cries of seagulls were missing, I swear I caught just the faintest whiff of salt air. Not only that, I think our grilled "boil" may have been even better than the original! Now bring on Ocean City and crabs....I'm READY!

 Low Country Grilled Shrimp, Andouille & Veggies

with Old Bay Beer Butter

 Serves 2 - with plenty of leftovers

• 1 pound shrimp, jumbo, raw, peeled, tails on - threaded onto metal skewers (or wooden skewers that have soaked in water (or beer) for at least an hour)
• 1 pound sausage, andouille if you can find it - kielbasa is good, too!
• 1 pound red potatoes, small ones, cut in half - cooked in the microwave for a few minutes until almost done, but not quite
• 1 large vidalia onion, peeled, cut into eigths - leave stem end intact so the layers don't seperate
• 4 ears of corn, husked, silk removed

• 2 sticks butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons Old Bay Seafood seasoning
• 1/4 cup beer, gluten-free beer to make this GF - your favorite regular beer if gluten isn't an issue

Baste: In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, beer and Old Bay. Set aside.
 
Heat up your grill - keep it low because the butter baste is going to flare up...even with the heat low. It's okay because that smoky, blackened flavor intensifies the sweetness of the corn and the veggies...YUM! Also, be SURE to use a long-handled basting brush and work quickly to avoid the flames. No burns or catching on fire, please!

 

Once the grill is ready, pile on the corn, potatoes, onions, sausage and last, the shrimp. Baste liberally with the Old Bay Beer Butter. This will flare up. Be very careful,! As each item is done, remove to a platter. The shrimp won't take long at all. When everything is done, it's dinner time! All you need is some good crusty bread and a bottle of your favorite beer or wine. So easy! So good!

Black (Bean) & Gold (Pineapple & Corn) Game-Winner Salsa

I know, I know...it's still summer...who in their right mind is thinking football and tailgate parties this time of year?  This gal! Mieke & Tall Matt bought pre-season tickets for the Steelers/Colts game to help celebrate my birthday a little early this past weekend.  Mieke, Tall Matt, Mark, Kimber and I kind of partied all weekend long, actually...and there's nothing wrong with that! 

Never having been to a Steelers game or to Heinz Field, Matt (he's from MI - land of the Detroit Lions) wanted to do it up right...and so we did.  Good Lord, we kicked off on Saturday morning for a Sunday night game! Meat & Potatoes and their magnificent Bloody Mary Bar brunch was the first stop and the beginning of one fantastic weekend.  (http://meatandpotatoespgh.com/menus/brunch_menu.pdf ).  We zigzagged through Market Square and the Strip District hitting several more fun spots, did some shopping - or looking before calling a timeout on Round One of the pregame festivities.  

Dinner?  We simply threw some good steaks on the grill, cooked up beautiful ears of sweet local corn on the cob and I whipped up a quick tomato feta salad with basil from the garden.  Kimber surprised me with gluten-free chocolate birthday cupcakes filled with Nutella and piled high with Nutella buttercream.  Wow!

After a good night's sleep, pregame Round Two kicked off! Brunch at Verde Mexican Kitchen & Cantina in the fresh summer air made for one perfect start.  (Brunch menu: http://verdepgh.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Verde-Menu-Brunch-2012-07-14.pdf)  

From there, we hit several other lovely establishments before ending at James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy (great jazz & original eats & great cocktails, too): (http://jamesstreetgastropub.com/).  Next stop, the North Shore!

Once in the Heinz Field parking lot, we raised the tailgate and unloaded the main event: fresh made guac (yes, I packed the molcajete!), salsa roja, Black & Gold Salsa (Matt LOVED it!),  chicken salad with almonds, apple jalapeno coleslaw (I posted this one a while ago, here's the link: http://dinnerplan-it.blogspot.com/2012/03/apple-jalapeno-slaw.html ), melon chunks, rolls, tomatoes, even Rice Krispie treats...a variety of beers and Grilled Peach Vodka Basil Sweet Tea, too ( http://dinnerplan-it.blogspot.com/2012/07/grilled-peach-vodka-basil-sweet-tea.html).  We did NOT go hungry (or thirsty)...and we shared with our appreciative neighbors, too!

The hit of the tailgate?  Black & Gold Salsa.  Here's the recipe.  It even brought the Steelers a win!

Black & Gold Salsa

• 1 medium pineapple, peeled and cored, cut into chunks
• 1 large banana pepper, seeded and chunked - a nice yellow one
• 1 jalapeno, ribs & seeds removed ( or not, if you want it hotter)
• 1 small onion, peeled, chunked
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, finely minced
• 1 large ear of corn, leftover, kernels removed (if you don't have a leftover ear of corn, use canned or frozen - 3/4 C or so)
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin (more or less - however much you like cumin!)
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce, I used Cholula lime, but use your fave

Using a food processor, chop the pineapple coarsely, don't puree it!  Keep some good texture to it.  Remove to a mixing bowl.  Process the jalapeno, but make that nice and fine - but not pureed by ANY means; add to bowl.  Do the same with the onion and banana pepper, achieving a dice somewhere between the pineapple and the jalapeno sizes and add that to the mixing bowl, too.
 
Add everything else into the mixing bowl and stir until well-blended.  That's it!
 
Serve with tortilla chips.
   

Sweet Corn and Mango Salsa

Whew, it's been busy around here!  Way back before the big trip to Annapolis and the excitement behind the bar at Emilia Romagna, I promised you one more mango recipe from Kimber's and my foray through West Side Market in Cleveland.   Hope you weren't holding your breath waiting for this one...you can exhale now.  Feel better?


This is a simple salsa...pretty traditional really, and versatile.  Scoop it up with tortilla chips or pile it onto tacos or grilled chicken or pork chops.  No matter how you use it, this fresh combo of sugary summer corn and tart lime, lush mango and perky peppers, and the classic contrast of sweet and heat, it is the star of your show.  

The tacos pictured above were a sort of Caribbean/Mexican fusion using jerk chicken breast, corn and mango salsa, crema and cilantro - a little sprinkle of cotija topped them off. Experiment with your own favorite way to use it!

Sweet Corn and Mango Salsa

• 1 mango, small yellow, champagne type
• 2 leftover cooked ears of corn, kernels cut off cob
• 1/2 small red onion, diced small
• 2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced small
• 1 jalapeno, ribs & seeds removed, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin

Combine all ingredients.  Serve!
 
Great as a dip with tortilla chips, on grilled meats or on fish or chicken tacos! 

Crab, Jalapeno and Corn Hushpuppies for the Game

 

To my Maryland friends....if you hurry, you can get these made by halftime!

Crab, Jalapeno and Corn Hushpuppies

• 2  6-oz.  Jiffy or Washington cornbread mixes  (I use a box of Gluten-Free Pantry brand cornbread mix to make this GF)
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sour cream (or Fage 0% fat Greek yogurt)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 t. dried thyme
• 1 t. granulated garlic
• 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
• 2 t. Old Bay Seafood seasoning
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 lb. fresh crabmeat -- claw meat is fine, picked through for shell and cartilage
• 1/3 c. green onions, sliced well into the green
• 2 jalapenos, finely minced
• 3/4 c.  corn kernels, fresh, frozen or canned

                                   

• canola oil -- enough to come half-way up the sides of a cast iron skillet

Heat the oil to 350 degrees in a cast iron skillet (or use your favorite deep fryer). 

Lightly mix the cornbread mix, buttermilk, sour cream, egg and spices and then very gently mix in the rest of the ingredients.  Do not over mix to keep these as light as possible.

When the oil is to temp, using a tablespoon, take a rounded mound of batter and gently drop the batter into the oil as close to the surface as possible.  (The closer to the oil you are, the lower the risk of being on the receiving end of a hot oil splash.  But also be sure not to get so close that you deep-fry a finger or thumb!)

Don't put too many in the pan at once, be sure there's enough room for the oil to circulate.  Let fry until the first side is done to keep the batter from falling apart, turn over carefully with a fork or other utensil and continue to fry until both sides are golden brown. 

Remove hushpuppies with a slotted spoon or spider and place on a paper towel lined baking sheet.  Keep them warm in a 300 degree oven until all the hushpuppies are done.

Serve as is (my favorite) or with an aioli made with mayo and lemon juice and Old Bay to taste.

NOTE:  I spread these out on a baking sheet, put them in the freezer and in a couple of hours transfer them to a ziplock bag.  Store them in the freezer until you have a craving....heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake until hot all the way through and crispy.

Cornbread Salad

Cornbread Salad

As the holidays smoothly segue into football playoff season, there’s some last minute menu pondering and tweaking going on around here. An odd combination of Christmas and Steelers themes somehow simultaneously, and compatibly, will infuse our extended Jones-side-of-the-family celebration tomorrow.  Side-by-side, the Christmas tree and Terrible towels just seem to go together beautifully!  The joy of celebrating Christmas and the New Year with those we love and cheering on the team we love – all in the same afternoon – makes our annual party even more fun.  Red and green table linens festooned with Black and Gold Steelers plates and napkins work!

With several generations of Joneses (only one of which still carries the Jones name – hi Aunt Katie!) gathering around the buffet table, the menu will be football-crowd-friendly, yet appeal to all ages and tastes, the traditional and adventurous alike.  Of course, football food in Pittsburgh is food we’ve all grown up with and loved….we love pierogies and stuffed cabbage, hot sausages with peppers and onions, big, hearty sandwiches (with fries and coleslaw ON the sandwich at Primanti’s!)…and it’s always good to throw something different in there, too, to shake things up a bit. 

What am I serving?  Just as the party celebrates Christmas and football, the menu will be a combo of Italian and Tex-Mex…and other stuff tossed in just for the hell of it.  So far (and I’d better finalize this quick!), I’ve got appetizers of queso (yep, the recipe posted recently), chips and salsa – maybe guac if I can find good avocados today; two main dishes – a pepperoni-studded, sweet Italian sausage and spinach lasagna and hot sausages with peppers and onions on good crusty rolls; a simple, cool, crisp romaine salad with feta, garlic, kalamata olives and a good balsamic vinaigrette and a beautiful layered cornbread salad with tomatoes, corn, ranch dressing and black beans; and, crunchy, cheesy homemade garlic bread.  For dessert?  Fresh pineapple chunks, cool red grapes, sweet banana chunks and (gluten-free) pretzel sticks to swirl in smooth, warm, Kahlua-kissed dark chocolate fondue. 

You know, the menu is kind of like our family.  A sweet, spicy, fun mix that all gets along beautifully….and has a hell of a lot of fun doing so!  One more thing.  GO STEELERS!!!!

Cornbread Salad

• 1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix (or gf cornbread mix - use just 1/2 of the baked cornbread) baked, cooled & crumbled coarsely
• 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 can corn, DelMonte Summer Crisp, drained or leftover corn on the cob cut off
• 6 green onions, sliced well into the green tops
• 3 large tomatoes, fresh, chopped (reserve a little for decoration) (in the winter I use the ripest Roma or heirloom tomatoes I can find!)
• 8 ounces ranch salad dressing, made fresh from packet
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 
• pickled jalapenos, slices

In a glass bowl (to show off how pretty this is), layer:  cornbread, black beans, green pepper, 1/2 the ranch dressing, corn, green onions, tomatoes, rest of the ranch dressing and shredded cheddar.
 
Chill 2-3 hours.  Garnish with reserved tomatoes and pickled jalepeno slices.
 
Serve with additional ranch dressing to drizzle over.