Supper Club- Welcome to the French Quarter!

So if you didn't already know, I started a supper club with some friends a few months back.  My original idea that I had been pining to do for years was to be a gourmet club, much like my neighbors growing up held.  A group of adults getting together and taking turns who hosts each month.  The host would be in charge of the gourmet dinner the friends would get together, great company, delicious food & if you weren't the host a night off from cooking and cleaning.  Well, you cant always get what you want...and I guess I ended up feeling like no one really wanted the responsibility of putting on the entire affair other then myself.  So it has turned into a lovely monthly pot luck gathering where the host gets to decide the theme of the party and guests bring food accordingly.  The host simply hosts, picks the theme and makes their own dish.  It is a wonderful thing.  We have so far held a Mediterranean night, where I made Fried Kibbeh with Turkey burger & a delicious tahini dipping sauce (this recipe was off the hook, so I will make sure to post the recipe on here real soon!); Tapas Night, where I made individual calzones & polenta with blue cheese and portobellas; Iron Chef Coconut Night, where I made Coconut peanut noodles; and finally the party I recently hosted was a New Awlins' Cajun Throw down.  At our Cajun party I provided Mardi Gras beads and flapper feathers for the ladies to get in to the Cajun spirit.  I decided to Make Bananas Foster Bread Pudding & Shrimp Jambalaya & Rosemint tea w/ champagne....Oooooh eeeeeeh, there was some delicious eating that night.

The E-Vite

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

Makes 6 to 8 servings

2 loaves French bread, each 12 inches long

2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 cups light brown sugar

6 egg yolks

1-1/2 large bananas, diced

1/2 cup rum

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Fresh mint for garnish

Slice French bread and dry in a 200-degree oven for 20 minutes. Combine remaining pudding ingredients in a large bowl and blend well with a hand mixer. Thinly slice dried French bread and place in an 8- by 8-inch pan. Pour pudding into pan and mush all bread by hand so that the liquid is absorbed and the bread becomes very soggy. Be sure to flatten all of the lumps.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cover pan with foil and bake for 2-1/2 hours, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the pudding comes out dry. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Foster Sauce

2-1/4 cups unsalted butter

2-1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup golden rum

1 cup banana liqueur

4 bananas, sliced lengthwise and in half

Melt butter in a saucepot. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Add the rum and ignite. Allow the flames to subside. Then, stir in the banana liqueur. Add fresh bananas and simmer over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until the sauce coats the spoon.

To Serve: Cut bread pudding into 3-1/2 inch squares. Top warm bread pudding with Foster sauce and garnish with mint leaves

Rosemint Tea w/ champagne

In 2006, Sheila Owens, who named Rosemint Tea after her mother, shared the recipe for the drink she developed more than two decades ago, one of the signature beverages sold at the Jazz Fest.

It's surprisingly simple. To duplicate Rosemint, steep Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger tea until it's strong, then add unfiltered Louisiana honey. Owen's ratio is 1 cup of dried tea per 1 gallon of water, plus 1 cup honey. The unfiltered honey, which is darker and more flavorful than regular honey, is the secret ingredient.

Like a Mimosa, pour champagne and top off with rosemint tea.

Shrimp & Andouille Sausage Jambalaya

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Andouille Sausage, Diced
1/2 Cup Onion, Diced
1/2 Cup Bell Pepper, Diced
1/2 Cup Celery, Diced
2 Tbsp. Garlic, Minced
1/2 Cup Tomatoes, Diced
1/4 Cup Tomato Sauce
1 1/4 Cup Chicken Stock
3/4 Cup Enriched Long grain Rice
2 Cups peeled deveined shrimp
(Seasoning Mix: 1/2 tsp Cayenne, 3/4 tsp White Pepper, 1 tsp Kosher Salt, 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme, 1/2 tsp Rubbed Sage, 3 Bay Leaves)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter, saute the Andouille until slightly browned. Add 1/2 of the trinity (onion/b.pepper/celery) saute until tender. Add tomato cook about a minute, then add the tomato sauce, cook 1 minute more. Add the garlic and rice, cook 1 minute. Add the stock, seasoning mix, bay leaves, other half of the trinity, and Shrimp. Stir well and bake uncovered for about 30-40 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, but still has a little bite. Top with chopped parsley, and sliced green onions. Put on some Zydeco and enjoy!

Yield: 2-3 servings

The Southern Sassafras

Mr. Sassafras Catches his first Striped Bass!

You all know by now that Nate & I are pretty passionate about Columbia's rivers!!  We haven't missed a weekend of paddling in the last month.  It is just so freeing to be out in nature, on the water and taking in all that God made around us.  It really is a spectacular world out there if we take the time to notice, enjoy and experience it.

This last occasion was a successful fishing trip with a striped bass at the end of Nate's line.  Striped Bass are known for their ability to live both in freshwater and saltwater.  Columbia has quite a population of stripe bass that live inland year round.  Most come up the rivers to spawn then head back to the saltwater....but here in Columbia they have adapted to the year round survival in the rivers and man do they get big!  On another occasion we saw some hardcore fisherman pull in an 8 pounder that was 26 inches long.  It was exhilarating to watch.  The state is particular about striped bass and has seasons when you can catch and release them....which is right now, other times where it is illegal to bate them at all (probably during spawning), and a time where you can catch, keep and eat em'.  When you can keep them they have to be at least 26 inches in length or you are supposed to throw em' back in.  With that being said....you can probably guess there are some really big fish swimming out there in the river.

On this particular occasion, the excitement was in the fact that this was Nate's first catch of a Striped Bass ever.  Man was he pumped.  He was casting up and down the river.  Then bam, he took a hit on his line and excitement ensued!  Woooowheeee, what a blast!

 I was off taking pictures, exploring the shore, watching turtles sun themselves on logs, listening to the osprey squeak as they fly above searching for their next fish.  I even got a little video of a muskrat swimming across the river.  Thank God for the muskrat video (my 1st ever video on my I-Phone) it had me all prepped up and ready to video Nate's catch and the excitement.

 When Nate got a hit on his line, it was all I could do to get the camera ready in time to capture the moment as my boat kept drifting farther down stream from him!  Remember it's a river and it is moving.   I got a quick take then paddled up to the boat to see the little guy.  It was beautiful, and Nate couldn't have been prouder or more ecstatic.  I couldn't have been happier sharing in this moment in delight.  I hope y'all can feel a little bit of our experience as I post my first videos on this blog. I also hope it inspires you to get out there and enjoy the beauty that is around us every day.  These are the moments that make this life soooooo worth living!

Ahhhhhhmazing Steak Sandwich

Hey all!  Sorry for the brief hiatus on blogging, between moving homes & changing jobs life has been a bit hectic.  The good news is I have quite a few blogs in my cache that need to get up and posted on here!

So are you ready for the most delicious steak sandwich you could ever imagine?  I am not kidding. The flavors are complex, divine and every bite will be sure to awaken your taste buds!  This recipe has a little back story.  One of my favorite ways to learn to cook is by going to amazing restaurants and becoming inspired by a a meal that I have eaten there.  I am really good at picking up on flavors, or remembering the gist of the meal and going home to re-create it.  Well this is one instance where I had the most delicious sandwich and went home and made it even better!!!!!

The restaurant that inspired is definitely due some great credit.  It is The Bearded Frog in Shelburne, VT.  http://thebeardedfrog.com/ .  This place is amazing.  The atmosphere, the menu, the service, the location, and even their cocktails are original & special.  I happened over to this place a little over a year ago while taking some clients to their Condo in Shelburne in the Fall.  They were off to visit family for the night so I had a few hours to do my own thing.  Sometimes intimidated by this prospect I would have taken the easy way out and gone to some place like Panera for dinner to blend into the background and eat a meal all by my lonesome.  Well, not this time and I have never regretted the experience since. The Bearded Frog was quite an experience, and It was very liberating to eat alone and really enjoy every bite without distraction.  Not many months later I returned with Nate because I thought he should try the place out too.  Delish!

The food we had was a wonderful marinated Steak tip sandwich with horseradish mayonnaise, arugula, melted cheddar & fried shoestring onions.  Here it is a year plus later and I find myself dreaming of this sandwich, one I could add to our Sandwich Sunday cache.  Not too hard to take home and recreate right?  No, but with a few of my own touches this sandwich went from delicious to outrageous!  Because I believe steak tips can be inconsistent and @ times chewy, you'll notice I switched it out for my favorite cut , Rib-eye. Here's the recipe!

Southern Sassy's Copy-Cat Steak Sandwich
Makes 2 large Steak Sandwich's (serves 2-4) depending on the appetite.

Ingredients:
~1 1/2 # Rib-eye Steak (I bought from Earth Fare, grass fed & hormone/antibiotic free)
Marinate steak in a bowl with these ingredients for at least an hour.  Pour 3/4 cup of    Worcestershire sauce over steak. Coat each side with Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder & 1 Tbsp Rosemary. Flip a few times to marry ingredients & to allow steak to absorb marinade. Put in fridge til ready to cook.

~2 medium sized sweet onions cut in 1/2 then into strips
 Caramelize with 2 Tbsp Olive oil 2 Tbsp salted butter

~3/4 cup Mayonnaise
~1 Tbsp Horseradish
whisk together above 2 ingredients to make horseradish mayo.

~1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
~2 tbsp milk
Over medium heat whisk cheese and milk in pan til melted into a creamy cheese.  Turn on low til ready to use.

~Arugula greens
~2 Publix Sub Deli Rolls/or amoroso type hoagie rolls (Slice 3/4 way down center and open)

Directions:
~Have all above ingredients prepped and ready to go. Heat cast iron pan to high heat with 2 tbsp olive oil in pan.  Add Rib-eye steak and sear each side til browned with high heat.  Pour any remaining juices over steak and turn to med heat cover with a lid.  Cook til just pink left in center/ Medium Rare (a/b 5 mins each side).  Remove and slice as if carving. Into thin slices.
~Spread Horseradish Mayo over both inner sides of rolls.
~Fill rolls with healthy amount of arugula
~top then with steak divided equally, portion caramelized onion over steak ( pour any remaining juices from pan over each sandwich, portion onions on each sandwich then finish with melted cheddar over the top.

Serve warm with homemade roasted potato fries!  Enjoy!!  I know I did and will again & again!

Girl's Night Out, On top of the world!

I loooooove girls nights out.  Especially when they are as fun as the one last night.  It all started with an idea, then a group text, then voila, we are out on the town.  The main objective of this outing or any of the girls outings these days is to get out and try something new, get to know where we live, discover the nooks and crannies.  Day in and day out we hear people complain they are bored, or they would rather be living somewhere else, b/c if they were their life would be more exciting, and on and on and on. Well, not me, and not my girlfriends. So this how we got out of our homes and "on top of the world" on a Tuesday night.

Our first plan of action was a movie at the New Nickelodeon Theater.  The "Nick" is a really cool old non-profit theater that has been showing independent art films etc. in Columbia for as long as I can remember.  They serve cocktails, organic candies and chocolate, high end popcorn, you name it & to top it off a movie ticket is only $7 dollars, that is cheaper than mainstream theaters these days.  This quaint little theater decided to move locations this past month and has ended up moving from one side of the capitol building which was close to the USC campus to the other side of the capitol building which is the business district/heart of the downtown of the city.  The downtown has been working on revitalizing. For years store fronts have sat empty and all the vibrant businesses were in the Vista or the quaint college setting of Five Points.  Well no more, businesses are moving in and that includes the ever awesome Nickelodeon theater! http://www.nickelodeon.org/  We were really excited about going to the new theater which is housed in a tall narrow downtown historical building and to a movie called Beasts of the Southern Wild,

check out the trailer, this movie was amazing!!!  I am ready to go back and see it again this week with Nate.  The story is so heartfelt, the cinematography is incredible, the characters are delightful and it just reminds you what it is to be a child, to be a human, to love the ones you live with and to always find your way home.  Please go see this film, you will love it.  And if you love the South like I do, you will delight in one treasure after another watching this film.

The front face of the building looking up

SO after being completely moved by Beasts of the Southern Wild and its heroine Hushpuppy we headed over to the Sheraton Hotel which was a block away, to go up to its Rooftop Bar. AMAZING!!!!!!!  What more can I say.  Here are the pictures from our visit at this historic hotel.  I love the architecture, I love the views, what more could you ask for?  We entered the lobby decked out with octagon shaped, black & white mini tiles, there was a large vault straight ahead that was a part of the ambiance of the building that used to be host to a bank in its original splendor.  To the left were the elevators, we climbed on, surrounded by beautiful old paneling and crown moulding, the doors closed behind us, we pushed the 16th floor button and up we went.  After we got off we had to go up a narrow flight of stairs and duck under some low ceiling then up some stairs again.  I let out a squeal of delight, we were above the city I love, the views were spectacular & a breeze was blowing through air, there couldn't be a more perfect evening, On Top of The World! With my girlfriends!

Reflection of the sheraton in the building across the street.

View of the State Capitol buliding.

I can see the Art School building where I took my classes in college! To the right is the famous rotating restaurant from the Worlds Fair.

Capitol building as we left the downtown.

Cookie Pie & Deviled Eggs for Labor Day!

Hoping everyone had a great Labor Day!  I know we did.  Started the day off with a trip to the Saluda River with some friends.  We brought our Kayaks, they brought their canoe and we launched at the Saluda shoals park in the St. Andrews area of Columbia.  It was gorgeous, we headed down river with the current, surrounded by the wide breadth of the river, and lush green trees.  We paddled to a place called Corley Island where there are a bunch of large rocks for sunning and plenty of fishing holes to cast into.  We spent a few hours there swimming and hanging out then headed back up against the current, with the thunder clapping around us and we even managed to paddle through a few minute rain shower which was beautiful.  As the drops fell from the sky and landed on the water they sparkled like diamonds, this was because there still was a bit of sun as it rained.  After the rain cleared the combo of the cold river water and the warm rain made an eerie fog that drifted over the surface of water just ahead of us.  There was a feeling of mystique and beauty as things appeared and disappeared before us. We also discovered a rope swing where kids were jumping off a huge tree that bent over the water.  There were boards hammered up the length of the tree to assist climbers to the farthest point over the deep water, then swoosh a blurred human falling, screaming as they descended to the water with a splash.  It looked like a blast but we had our fun and were ready to head home, head home to prepare for a Labor Day Picnic at our friends!  I had already decided I would bring Dill Pickle Chips (my new fave by Lays), a jar of pickle spears, deviled eggs & cookie pie!  It was time to get off the river and home to COOK!  Nothing like a day at the river to build up a good appetite for some good ol' picnic food!  There was lots of great food at the picnic which I had meant to capture with my camera, but a few too many libations and a lot of fun distracted me from the task at hand.  Oh well, you got to live in the moment and have no regrets.  So here you have it, the items I brought to the affair and their recipes.  ENJOY!

Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are that comfort food from childhood. So simple, yet so delicious.  I think they are also an appetizer to get creative with.  I went basic on this recipe but just imagine adding chopped jalapenos for a little kick, or cilantro instead of parsley, how about bacon?, or chopped honey smoked ham.  These little guys lend to a lot of creativity, open up your minds!

1/2 dozen eggs put in a pot of water on the stove & turn on high.  When water comes to a boil, turn down to a low boil and cook for 13 minutes.  The last three minutes I crack the eggs lightly with a spoon and put a tablespoon of vinegar in the water to help loosen the interior egg membrane for easy pealing.  This is an important step especially if you buy farm fresh local eggs like we do.  Otherwise you will have a disaster peeling the eggs, the membrane won't separate.

Peel eggs, rinse, slice in half and scoop cooked egg yolks into a separate bowl.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Mayo
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried or fresh chopped parsely

Add ingredients to cooked yolks and smash together with a fork til smooth.  Spoon into cooked egg whites and sprinkle with paprika.  Serve cold on a beautiful platter.  Deviled eggs are a hit at every party!

Cookie Pie
Cookie Pie is an invention out of my great, great love of cookies. To me the thought of biting into a thick piece of cookie disguised as pie couldn't get any better.  It is the ultimate decadence of cookie eating.  It is hard to explain.  Give it a try and you will see!

Preheat Oven to 375'

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup brown sugar or turbinado
1/4 cup unsalted organic peanut butter
1 Tbsp Oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups Flour
2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

In a large bowl melt 1/2 cup butter, with your electric mixer add and mix sugar, then add Peanut butter, oil, egg, vanilla & almond extracts and mix. Then add flour, baking powder, salt (sifted together) stir til nice and moist. Add chips.  Then press batter into a greased pie pan. Bake for 18 minutes. Cool slightly and serve in slices, with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  YUM!

Poe's Tavern

The great thing about living in Columbia is that we are so close to the mountains & to the beach.  After a long week at work it is so nice to know that if we want to we can hop in the car and either be standing in the sand looking out at the ocean in two short hours or we can head in the other direction and be hiking in the Appalachian mountains also within two hours.  A few weekends ago we decide to take a little day trip to Sullivans Island, a little peninsula of a beach just North of downtown Charleston.  Sullivans Island is a quiet little beach town, with old quaint wooden clapboard beach houses. Home to Fort Moultrie an old retired military base where Edgar Allen Poe was once stationed & also home to the infamous retired Governor Sanford.  Y'all know that story!  I don't think he lives there anymore as the national press just announced the other day his proposal to his Brazilian girlfriend. Any who, with our sunscreen lathered on, sunglasses perched on our heads, & trunk full of beach chairs, umbrellas, towels, we headed to the beach.  In the car at 9 O'clock & on the island by 11.

I just love heading to Sullivans.  First you head from North Charleston to Mount pleasant, crossing over bridges that overlook the vast wetlands and waterways of the Carolina coast. Then Mount P to Sullivans you see dotting the vista beautiful little estuaries, island peninsulas with bungalow homes that have boardwalks leading right out to the inter-coastal waterway, beach grasses bordering little winding creeks, Egrets & Pelicans flying about  and boats trolling around with people fishing or just out for a cruise.  It is one of the most beautiful little trips onto an island ever!

Nate & I brought our friend Kristin along for the day and were just so excited for an afternoon chillaxing at the beach.  We decided to get lunch first on arrival as we knew once we heated up on the beach, got covered in salt and sand we wouldn't have much appetite for eating.  So we headed to the tiniest little village that is hosted on the island, where there are a couple of restaurants and a couple of shops.  We had been wanting to go to the famous Poe's Tavern for the longest time.  When we lived in Awendaw, SC a few years back (40 minutes away) we just never managed to go to Poe's, I was always intimidated by the crowds and we usually headed straight for the beach back in those days.  SO today was the day.  Being that we arrived at 11a, the restaurant was just opening for the day, and we had the pick of the litter...for seats that is.  We decided to place ourselves at a cozy little table in the corner out on their beautiful brick patio, surrounded by a wooden picket fence and vining flowers growing all around us.  It was a very idyllic setting.

A little history of Edgar Allen Poe on the Island. As per Wikipedia.  I LOVE Wikipedia. Edgar Allen Poe was stationed at Fort Moultrie from November 1827 to December 1828. The island was a setting for much of his short story The Gold Bug. In Poe's The Balloon Hoax, a gas balloon is reported to have made a trip from Great Britain to Sullivan's Island in three days. The town library, situated in a refurbished military battery, is named after the poet, and streets such as Raven and Gold Bug Drives commemorate his works.

Pretty cool huh?  So we've got a cozy little island who of course is going to commemorate Poe's stay on the island.  I mean, who can get more interesting than Edgar Allen Poe?  He was one of my favorite authors in H.S, when having so much literature jammed down my throat that I was not interested in.  Poe always captured my attention with his haunting stories and poetry, a few of my faves "A tell Tale Heart" & of course "The Casque of the Amontillado"  This restaurant does a great job capturing his namesake.  The bathroom walls are wallpapered with his poetry, there are haunting chandeliers hanging from the rafters and there is even a ghost like painting of Poe eerily gracing the mason work above the restaurant's fireplace.   

We all ordered seafood of course.  How can you not when your on the coast and can get it as fresh as can be.  Kristin got the Shrimp Salad Sandwich with thier home sliced fries & Nate & I both opted for a gourmet take on a fish sandwich.  All was enjoyed.  I must say though, I was surprised they didn't have any Po'e Boys on the menu, really?

Fish Sandwich

All in all....it was an excellent experience.  The food was delicious, the atmosphere even better and the company (my hubby & dear friend) the best!  A warm island afternoon, a couple of drinks, some food to fill our tummy's, we headed to the beach. 

http://poestavern.com/sullivans-island/

Low country Shrimp Salad Sandwich