Maple Bacon Flavors

I really don't get the craze. Now, I love bacon just as much as the next fat girl. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of maple bacon, but I won't turn it down if that's what I'm being offered. But why are people adding bacon to everything? Chocolate-covered bacon? It just sounds repulsive to me. Bacon candy? Gross. VOODOO DONUT BACON MAPLE ALE!? You must have lost your damn mind. It just sounds like a waste to me: a waste of perfectly good bacon, and a waste of perfectly good beer. If anyone gets why this is so popular these days, please inform me.





...That's all.

The Hungry Owl

Oh, Hungry Owl... How I love thee! They offer tasty vittles, from seafood and fish to burgers and sandwiches. If you watch Man vs Food, or its new incarnation - Man vs Food Nation - you might have seen the segment on The Hungry Owl. My honey had the pleasure of trying out their offerings before the show aired, so after hearing his reports, and then seeing all the succulent dishes on my TV screen, I simply HAD to give the restaurant a try!

Pictured above is the cheesy crawfish & potato bake. I know, it looks like a big pile of everything. The picture I took really doesn't do it justice. It starts out with some Cajun boiled potatoes (much like one would find at a Cajun shrimp or crawfish boil). They then melt a couple of types of cheese over the top (I forget which varieties - cheddar and monterey jack, I believe?). Next comes a crawfish cream sauce: from what I can gather, it contains green bell pepper, celery, garlic, Cajun seasoning, and butter. I'm sure I've missed a few ingredients, but you can imagine what it tastes like, no? Pure. Heaven. Oh, and I can't forget the crumbled Conecuh bacon they put on it! Conecuh bacon, made by the Conecuh Sausage Company in Conecuh County, Alabama. Phenomenal smoked meats, I must say: bacon, and various types of Cajun sausage. Yum.

This here is what they call the Ultimate Stuffed Tony Burger. The hamburger patty is mixed with Conecuh sausage; sauteed bell pepper, onion and celery; three cheeses (they won't say which three!), and jalapenos. Typical burger veggies adorn this beauty, along with a spicy Creole BBQ sauce, candied jalapenos, Conecuh bacon, sharp cheddar and smoked gouda cheeses, and an egg fried to your specifications. Best. Burger. Ever. I've played around with it and tried making my own version at home, but I don't think I'll ever get to to come out just like the Owl's version, but it's a fair imitation when you don't want to dine out (or when you have a small child, like we now do). This day, I requested a side of their baked macaroni. Not quite as good as the gooey treat I make at home, but still pretty darn tasty, and, hey, we really don't go there for the sides.

This isn't currently listed on their online menu, and it's been quite a while since we've visited the Owl, so I don't know if they've taken it off their menu or that the online menu isn't the full version. I suspect the latter is the case, since they also don't list their sides (which, don't get me wrong, ARE good). So anyway, this is their seafood platter. Grilled head-on shrimp and crab claws, boiled corn and red potatoes, grilled Conecuh sausage (sensing a theme here?), grilled cornbread (that was a new one to me), and melted butter for dipping. A fairly simple meal, but very tasty. Yum, yum.

If you're ever in the Mobile area, you really should try out The Hungry Owl. There's usually a line out the door most nights, but it's WELL worth the wait.

Boiled Peanuts

Simple. Heavenly. I simply LOVE boiled peanuts. I'm not a big fan of roasted. But, mmmm, boiled... Salted, Cajun, whatever. LOVE.

So, how do you make them? Well, first, you need to get some raw "green" peanuts. You want to make sure that they aren't too large. If they're so large that you can hear the peanuts rolling around inside the shell, then you probably want to pass. I've noticed that, once the peanuts get to a certain age, the shell gets too thick for flavor to penetrate. Then you end up with overcooked peanuts that really have no flavor. No good, right?

Once you've selected your peanuts, just drop them in a crock pot. You shouldn't fill the crock more than 2/3 the way full, but lower than that might be safer. You then want to pour water over the peanuts, making sure that you reach roughly the same level of the crock as you did with the peanuts (the peanuts will float, so it will be hard to tell - it doesn't have to be perfect). For basic, salted peanuts, of course, all you'll want for seasoning is salt. The amount will vary depending on your tastes. 1/2 cup seems to be the "average" amount: it gives plenty of flavor without being overwhelmingly salty.

Turn the crock pot on low. Best to do this in the morning. Let it cook for about 3 hours, then start checking about every hour, until peanuts achieve desired doneness. The amount of time will depend on your preferences, the amounts you've put into the crock, and your particular crock pot.

Meat

That's right: MEAT. It seems most people I know try to get by with buying bargain cuts and quality of meat for their cooking; especially steaks, which usually sell at premium rates even for lower quality slabs. I know, I know. The economy is in the crapper. People want to skimp on quality and price where they can. And I'm not saying you should always buy top-dollar proteins for all your meals. But, dammit, when you treat yourself to a steak, it should actually be a treat. If you have to marinate it in order to be able to eat it, then it isn't worth spending your money on.

Regardless of which cut you prefer (ribeye is my favorite), the meat should be tender and flavorful without having to soak your steak before it hits the grill. Just a bit of salt and pepper, and maybe even some olive oil, should be plenty to bring out the wonderful flavor of the meat. AND NO STEAK SAUCE!!!! Steak sauce is a mask for bad flavor and tough, gristly shoe leather. Don't use it on a good steak! Oh, and don't overcook your bovine beauty. If you're going to cook it beyond medium, then don't bother with a good, expensive quality or cut: it will end up just as rubbery and tasteless as a McDonald's "hamburger" patty.

Bacardi Rum Cake

I was given this recipe for rum cake by my old college roommate, which he had gotten off a bottle of Bacardi. We had decided on a pirate-themed party for my 21st birthday, complete with rum cake, Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom Pirates of the Caribbean standups, and drunken Karaoke Revolution. I fell in-love with the cake while I was still aware of my taste buds, and simply HAD to get the recipe. I've made this cake many times, and it has always been a crowd pleaser. The recipe works best when you use a darker rum, but you really can use any type. Next week, I plan on making a pina colada rum cake, using pineapple rum (and pineapple flavored pudding mix, if I can find it) in the cake, and coconut rum in the glaze. I'll definitely be posting pictures and a review after it's been tested.


Ingredients:

    * ---Cake---
    * 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts
    * 1 18-1/2 ounce yellow cake mix
    * 1 1-3/4 ounce (4-serving size) instant vanilla pudding mix
    * 4 eggs
    * 1/2 cup cold milk*
    * 1/2 cup vegetable oil
    * 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum
    * ---Glaze---
    * 1/2 cup butter
    * 1/4 cup water
    * 1 cup sugar
    * 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum

Preparation:
Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts on bottom of pan. Combine all cake ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes on high with electric mixer. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool in pan. Invert on serving plate. Prick top with fork. Drizzle glaze over top of cake. Use brush or spoon to put extra dripping back on cake.

Glaze: Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Note: The rum will cause steam. Be careful not to burn yourself.

Orange Chicken Stir Fry

Yes, I admit. My presentation leaves much to be desired. I've never been one for making my food look "pretty". I don't care about looking at it: just eating it. Hah.

I got my idea for this from AllRecipes.com. I'd used this recipe for orange chicken before (the fried kind - but I tweaked the sauce recipe some by using more of the main flavor ingredients because I like a more concentrated flavor). The sauce was pretty tasty and I had a lot left over, which I froze. I decided to thaw it and use it as a stir fry sauce, because I really can't stand to eat just meat with no veggies.


Orange Sauce:

1 1/2 cups water
4 tbs orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup rice vinegar
5 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs orange zest
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
4 tbs chopped green onion
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 tbs corn starch
2 tbs water

Pour 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into

a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar,

ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Mix 2 tbs of

water and cornstarch. Mix into sauce and return to boil. Simmer until sauce

thickens.

Stir Fry Ingredients:

8-12 oz chicken
2/3 stalk of celery, sliced thinly on the bias
2 carrots, sliced thinly on the bias
1/2 medium onion, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs fresh ginger, minced
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup sugar snap peas
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
3 green onions, sliced on the bias
Oil for cooking (peanut or olive are best)

Heat skillet on medium high with 2 tbs oil. Toss in bell pepper, celery and

carrots. Stir constantly for 2 minutes. Add chicken, garlic and ginger, then stir

for another 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, stir for 2 minutes. Toss in onion and sugar

snap peas, stir until chicken is cooked. Add green onion, toss. Pour orange sauce

over stir fry mixture. Serve over steamed rice.

Asian Chicken Soup

So, I don't usually like broth-y soups. I LOVE creamy soups, but the only broth-based soups I've ever really been a fan of are gumbo and wonton. However, we're dieting around my house, and I had some boxed chicken broth in the fridge, along with loads of veggies that needed cooking, and then a lone chicken breast in the freezer. This is what I ended up with!


***Amounts will depend on your particular taste and the size of the batch you want to make

Chicken broth (low sodium! - homemade will always taste best, but work with what you have)
Water
Green bell pepper
Celery
Carrot
Onion
Green onion
Mushroom
Garlic
Boneless, skinless chicken
Whole wheat egg noodles
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Black pepper
White pepper
Cayenne pepper

*For quicker cooking, chop everything fairly small.
*You could use basically any veggie you want: great additions would be sweet peas, broccoli, snow peas, sugar snap beans, etc...
*For a stronger "Asian" flavor, ginger would be a great addition, if you have any. I have some in my kitchen, but completely forgot till I'd almost demolished my bowl.
*If you don't want (or have on hand) egg noodles, there are other good "Asian" noodles to use: rice vermicelli (that really thin, white-colored noodle), soba, or udon (not a fan, personally).


Chop the green bell pepper, celery, carrot, onion, and garlic into small pieces. Place in pot with low sodium chicken broth, water, soy sauce, sesame oil, and peppers. Bring to a boil. Add egg noodles; stir, and bring back to boil. Reduce heat to medium. When noodles are almost cooked, add in thinly sliced chicken, thinly sliced mushrooms, and thinly sliced green onion. Bring to boil. Serve. Garnish with fried garlic, green onion, parsley, etc.: whatever strikes your fancy.