A CELEBRATION GIVEAWAY AT JUDY'S KITCHEN

Judy's Kitchen is having a giveaway.  Just click on the link at the beginning of this post, or on the right under New Bern Links to check it out.  Winner will have choice of one of two prizes, each valued around $40.  Entering is easy.  Just leave any comment before March 31, the contest deadline.

JUDGE JUDY AT TASTE OF COASTAL CAROLINA

Yes, I was asked to be a judge for the "Culinary Combat" this year.  The Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation's 7th Annual Taste of Coastal Carolina was a blast.  And I got to play with food again.

Andy Hopper, Chef of Chefs 105 Restaurant in Morehead City, won the Culinary Combat with his 3-course breakfast. The mystery ingredients were ground pork, mushrooms, white hominy, and jicama. All 6 chefs had to incorporate these ingredients into a dish.  Chef Hopper presented us with a delicious citrus-strawberry-jicama salad, followed by a perfectly cooked egg topped with perfectly seasoned sausage on a hominy biscuit accompanied by delectable creamed mushrooms. All 3 courses were on one plate, and the servings were small; but we were all wishing for more of this breakfast.  All the chefs did a wonderful job, and I came away pleasantly filled.

Restaurant of the Year Award went to The Chelsea Restaurant. Their barbecued shrimp and grits had everyone coming back for more, and they proudly took the 2010 trophy home. Almost 30 restaurants donated food for this event, and then ticketholders voted for their favorites.

All proceeds were used to help fund the Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation, a nonprofit organization.  This was a fun time for everyone, good advertising for the restaurants involved, and a help to a local nonprofit.  Win-win-win. 

ECONOMICAL AND SATISFYING 15-BEAN SOUP

A Southern gal, originally from Virginia, who has lived in New Bern for the past 20 years, told me she made some wonderful bean soup.  Miss Edna, who is 83 years young, said it was the best bean soup she ever ate, and that the recipe is on the back of the bean soup bag.  I searched the grocery store until I found Hurst's Ham Beens Brand "15 Bean Soup."  Sure enough, the recipe is on the back of the bag. 

Beans, rice, collards, ham hocks and cornbread have been mainstays of Southern families for generations.  These humble ingredients can fill up an empty stomach in a most delicious and comforting way and have kept many from starving when they couldn't afford more expensive cuts of meat.  I couldn't wait to try this recipe, since Miss Edna so enthusiastically endorsed it. 

The recipe calls for 1 lb. of ham, ham hocks or smoked sausage.  I first rendered some salt pork (about 3 oz., or slightly less than half of an 8 oz. package) and cooked that with the beans.  During the last half hour, I added about 5 oz. of sliced, freshly made smoked Andouille sausage.  Guy took one bite of the sausage and spit it out, proclaiming that there was no fennel in it.  Me, I'm not a smoked sausage person any way.  I put the Andouille in for him -- go figure.  The soup is spicy, so if you are averse to heat, cut the chili powder to 1/2 teaspoon.  We ate it with some cornbread wedges that I plucked from the freezer, wrapped in foil and baked at 400F for about 1/2 hour.  The cornbread tasted as good as when it was first made -- super moist with a wonderful cast-iron-skillet crust.  And our tummies were filled and satisfied until breakfast the next morning.

You'll be loaded with soup if you make this recipe.  I froze two containers for us for future meals, gave a quart size container to our Pamlico County friends who are life-long locals, and have enough left in the fridge for two lunches.  All together, you should get 14-16 servings.  How's that for economical?  And the soup is super-easy (no pun intended) to make. 

Now I want to experiment with beans.  Lucky me (and you) -- the Hurst Company has a website loaded with recipes -- good ones -- and a list of their products.  But one thing is for sure:  there won't be any Andouille sausage in any of my new batches of beans. 

15-Bean Soup
Source:  N. K. Hurst Co. (http://www.hambeens.com/)
Rating:  9 out of 10
PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:  1 lb. of ham, ham hocks, or smoked sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1 (15 oz.) can stewed or diced tomatoes (I used diced)
1 tsp. chili powder (or less if you are spice adverse)
juice of 1 lemon
1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Rinse and pick over beans, discarding any that are bad.  Place beans in a large pot; cover with 2 quarts of cold water.  Allow beans to soak overnight, or at least 8 hours.  After soaking, drain water; add 2 quarts of fresh, cold water along with meat.  (If using salt pork, render it in a Dutch oven or large pot for at least 15 minutes before adding beans and water.)  Bring beans to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 2-1/2 hours.  (2 hours was sufficient for me, as the largest beans were soft by then.) 

Add onion, tomatoes, chili powder, lemon and garlic.  (If adding smoked sausage or chopped ham, this is when I would add it.)  Simmer for another 30 minutes.  Add contents of ham packet 1-2 minutes before cooking is completed.  Salt and pepper to taste.  (I only used about 1/3 of ham packet and no salt/pepper was needed, as the meat added plenty of flavor.)  Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, if desired.

Perfect accompaniment:  Cornbread or corn muffins.  Consider adding some chopped collards or other greens to the soup during the last half hour.  Yield:  14-16 servings

SOUTHERN CORNBREAD -- A GIFT FROM NATIVE AMERICANS

The first colonists to arrive in the land that is now called New Bern were surprised to find that it was not empty; it was occupied by Neusioc and Tuscarora Indians, both Iroquoian.  The native Americans, who most likely migrated from central Mexico, brought corn seeds with them.  (Corn does not grow wild; it is a cultivated plant, probably derived from a grass.)   They knew how to dry and grind corn into corn meal that could be used to make corn cakes, pones and breads.  The European settlers were happy to learn about this wonderful life-saving grain -- it was unheard of in Europe in the early 1700's. 

And so, Southern cornbread was born.  Being from the North, I'd never eaten true Southern cornbread, and I wondered what all the fuss was about.  I liked my cornbread with lots of sweetener, and Southern cornbread has almost none.  How could it be good?  The biggest difference, though, is that it's baked in an iron skillet.  Well, I have an iron skillet.  Admittedly, it doesn't get much use, but I dusted it off for this experiment.  Neither my husband nor I were prepared for just how good Southern cornbread is.  All I can say is I will never make corn muffins again -- that is, unless I can find an iron muffin pan.  The crust that forms from baking the bread in an iron skillet in a very hot (450F) oven is divine; the texture is dense but light and moist; and the flavor of the cornbread is complex and sweet.  I must give kudos to the South.  My only regret is that I waited so long to indulge in this fine Southern comfort food. 

The story of the Indians and the colonists could have been a sweet one with a happy ending, if only the early colonists had treated their friendly benefactors well.  Instead, they took whatever the Indians offered them and repaid their kindness by kidnapping and selling their men, women and children into slavery and boldly encroaching on their land without even a thought of payment.  The colonists' attitudes were that they (the colonists) had a perfect right to be here, and the Indians did not.  This led to several wars and a massacre of about 130 of the colonists in 1711.  And the rest of the story is, well, history.

Art Smith, Oprah Winfrey's personal chef, has a recipe for classic Southern cornbread that I tweaked.  Art insists good cornbread can only be made by using stone-ground cornmeal. 

Art uses oil, not butter, for a moister bread.  I reduced the oil slightly and added applesauce, caramelized onions, garlic, fresh sage, and cheddar cheese.  If you don't have a 10" iron skillet, I heartily recommend that you go out and purchase one to make this wonderfully moist, flavorful bread.  It is so so worth it.

Classic Southern Cornbread
Adapted from "Back to the Table," by Art Smith
Rating:  10 out of 10
PRINTABLE RECIPE

2 Tbsp. Smart Balance buttery spread (or oil or butter)
1-1/2 cups chopped sweet onion
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh sage
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups stone-ground whole-grain cornmeal
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups buttermilk (or 2 cups milk + 2 Tbsp. vinegar)
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus about 2-3 Tbsp. for the pan
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

In a medium skillet, saute Smart Balance and onions over medium-high heat till onions are wilted and beginning to brown, about 5-6 minutes.  Lower heat to medium-low; add sage; stir; continue to cook another 10-15 minutes, or till onions are lightly browned.  Add garlic and cook another minute.  Remove from heat and cool.

Pour 2-3 Tbsp. oil, or enough to cover the bottom of a 9- to 10-inch cast-iron skillet.  Place the skillet on the center rack of oven and heat to 450F.  It will take almost 10 minutes to heat the pan and oil, plenty of time to mix the cornbread.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry igredients (cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt).  Make a well in the center.  In a medium bowl, whisk the liquids and cheese (buttermilk, eggs, oil, applesauce and cheddar), being sure the eggs are well combined. 

Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients, all at once, and stir with a spoon or spatula lightly, just barely combining everything.  Do not overbeat, and please don't worry about lumps. 

Using potholders, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and pour in the batter.  Return to oven and bake 20-25 minutes, or till bread springs back when pressed in the center.  Transfer to wire rack to let stand 5 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or bread board. 

You can also serve this directly from the skillet, using a hot plate or trivet underneath the pan; but do be careful as the skillet will remain hot and should not be touched with bare hands.  Slice into wedges and serve with Smart Balance or butter.  Yield:  8 servings

A SOUTHERN DELIGHT: RED VELVET CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ask any Southerner where red velvet cake originated, and you will likely be told it was the South.  This famous derivative of devil's food cake is synonymous with the Land of Dixie, even though the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City had a hand in making it famous.  Just where the cake originated is an unsolved culinary mystery, but there are some things we do know --

1. A recipe for a new kind of chocolate cake (Devils’ Food) was published by Arnold & Company, Philadelphia, in 1902 in Mrs. Rorer’s New Cook Book. (Mrs. Rorer was a well-known cookery expert who founded and ran a cooking school in Philadelphia for 18 years.) If the cookbook was published in 1902, then the cake existed before 1902, because it takes some time to put together a cookbook and then have it published.  Interestingly, angel food cake came on the scene right before the turn of the century.  There was no red food coloring in the ingredient list of the original cake, but devil's food cake was so called because of the slight reddish tint from using smaller amounts of chocolate.  (Remember that brown, the color of chocolate, is a combination of red, blue and yellow on the color wheel.)  It was sometime later that cooks began using a red tint to enhance the red color.

2. The Perry Home Cook Book, published in 1920, contained a recipe for Philadelphia Red Cake. Soon after, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, NYC, made the cake famous.

3. There is no record of the cake's being made  in the South during the first decade of the 20th century.

It would seem that the cake originated in the North, but we may never know for sure.  What we do know is that the South has embraced this cake with fervency and called it its own.  The cake even has religious symbolism,  supposedly signifying the contrast between good (white frosting) and evil (red cake, the color of the devil).

The Waldorf-Astoria red velvet cake is filled and topped with an exquisite custard-type frosting that looks and tastes like whipped cream; but just about everyone now makes the cake with cream cheese frosting.  Either way, the cake is delicious; that is, if you can get past the vibrant red color.  Remember  I'm a Yankee in the South.  I didn't grow up on red velvet cake, and seeing that slice of red in front of me is somewhat off-putting.  So I close my eyes and savor the moment, trying not to think about what's in the red dye.

Red velvet is enjoying a resurgence of late.  There are red velvet brownies, cheesecake, whoopie pies, and cupcakes.  You can find red velvet confections in any part of the country now, not just in the South. 

Duncan Hines makes a red velvet cake mix, and you can also buy canned cream cheese frosting.  But there's just nothing like homemade.  If you’ve never made a red velvet cake from scratch, give it a try. It’s a special cake with a rich history and makes a dramatically beautiful Valentine’s Day or Christmas dessert. The version below, from Cook’s Country (an affiliate of Cook’s Illustrated) is very moist and flavorful, with dark red color. And if a layer cake scares you, just make cupcakes and pile the frosting on top. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Cook’s Country Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Bear Rating:  10 out of 10
PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 Pinches salt, divided use

1 cup buttermilk*
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
2-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided use
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. natural cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. red food coloring
3-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, divided use
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

4 cups confectioner’s sugar

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces, softened

Heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.  (Instead of flour, I coated my pans with cocoa powder.  Because I used springform pans, I also wrapped them in foil.)

Whisk flour, baking soda and pinch of salt in medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, vinegar, 1 tsp. vanilla and eggs in large measuring cup. Mix cocoa with food coloring in small bowl until a paste forms.

With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat 1-1/2 sticks butter and granulated sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add one-third of flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add half of buttermilk mixture; beat on low until combined, about 30 seconds. Repeat, ending with flour mixture. Add cocoa mixture; beat on medium speed until completely incorporated, about 30 seconds.

Using rubber spatula, give batter final stir. Scrape into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center returns with just a few crumbs, about 25-30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool completely.

With electric mixer, beat 2 sticks butter with confectioner’s sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add cream cheese; beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Beat in 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla and a pinch of salt.

When cakes are cooled, spread frosting over bottom side of one layer. Top with second layer, bottom side down. Spread remaining frosting all over cake. Garnish as desired, with coconut flakes, toasted chopped nuts, flaked white chocolate or fresh raspberries. Yield: 12 cake servings (or about 24 cupcakes)  (Note:  I made a half recipe, which was enough batter for 3 (4-1/2") springform pans.  This made 2 (3-layer) cakes.)

*Buttermilk substitute: Add 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Let stand 15 minutes.

BEWARE THE BEARS -- A DELICIOUS IRISH LAMB STEW

Growing up in the city of Philadelphia and the suburb of Levittown, PA, my experience with bears was limited to a few zoos, where I was safely out of their reach.  Even my years in rural Long Valley, New Jersey didn't bring me into contact with bears.  Suddenly, bears are everywhere in New Bern.  No matter where I go, I see bears -- so many that I've lost count.

"Barrister Bear" looks pretty tame.  He's even dressed in a suit.
                                

 "Tabearna" actually looks like a stuffed shirt, no worries there.

I think "Neuseopoly" is just out for a good time, so I'm not expecting trouble from this guy.

"Bearer of Rights" seems kind of serious.  I don't think I'll mess with him.

"Freedom Bearer" might get aggressive.  I'm definitely not getting near him.

There are tons more bears all around New Bern.  This is getting a bit worrisome.  What if they get hungry and decide to go on the prowl for food?  They're omnivores, like we humans, so they eat pretty much what we eat.  Maybe I should set out some of the Irish lamb stew I made for dinner tonight.  After all, it is Southern, and these must be Southern bears if they live in New Bern. 

Would you like to put out some stew for the bears?   I think they'll like it, because we certainly did.  The meat is fall-apart tender with the most amazing flavor.  And don't worry about the bacon.  If you don't tell anyone, they won't even know it's there.  It just makes the stew taste better. I know you're worried about the cost, but don't be.  Lamb shoulder is an economical cut.  Long, slow cooking makes it tender, delicious and  fit for a king -- or a bear.

Irish Lamb Stew

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Bear Rating:  10 out of 10

CLICK FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE

1/2 pound bacon, diced

2-1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose, if preferred)
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup drinking-quality dry white wine
1-1/2 cups beef stock
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
3 Yukon Gold potatoes,scrubbed, quartered

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.  Put lamb, salt, pepper, and flour in resealable gallon-size storage bag. Toss to coat meat evenly. Brown meat in frying pan with bacon fat. (Do this in two batches to ensure the meat browns well.)

Place meat into slow cooker.  Saute onion over medium heat in any remaining bacon fat till onion is golden. Add garlic and cook another minute. Raise heat to high; stir in wine and let boil for a few minutes; add beef broth and let it boil briefly.  Transfer garlic-onion mixture with broth to the crock pot with bacon pieces, thyme, bay leaf, and potatoes. Cover and cook on high for about 4-1/2 hours, or low for about 8 hours, or till meat is very tender. Add frozen peas about 1/2  hour before serving and cook on high.  Yield:  4 - 5 servings.

P. S.  If you want to know more about the many bears that are proliferating in New Bern, check out the Bear Town Bears website. 

NEW BERN NOW BLOG CONTEST WIN

Blogging has been my hobby since I retired, almost three years ago. It's been a thoroughly enjoyable hobby, with only one lament: the blogosphere can be a lonely place. I'm happy that I've made new friends that also blog, but none have been from New Bern. Until now. Until I found Wendy. Or she found me.

Wendy Card is an American Red Cross volunteer. She's retired, like me, but owns a post-retirement consulting business (Time for Virtual Assisting) that keeps her busy. She also has a New Bern blog, entitled New Bern Now. The purpose of the blog is to keep New Bernians informed of happenings and to bring people together. She ran a contest recently offering a $100 prize. All anyone had to do was leave a comment on any post. Today, I was notified that I was the winner, and this gave me the opportunity to meet Wendy in person for the first time. We met at the Red Cross office, where she gave me my prize of $100 and we had a short chat that was interrupted by callers who wanted to help Haitian earthquake victims.

My birthday is exactly two weeks from today, so I think I will take my hubby out to dinner to celebrate. Thank you, Wendy. Please check out Wendy's blog to learn more about New Bern and about local relief efforts for Haitian earthquake victims.