Good Eats

Now that’s comfort food

claudiaNovember 1, 2010Friends, Good Eats

Do you sometimes just crave tater tots? Then we’ve got a casserole for you. Anne Thomas, a recent UNC grad and rising PR superstar (who just happens to work for our firm), shared something special with us: her mom’s recipe for Tater Tot Casserole, which has been Anne’s fav since she was a tot herself. Since moving to ATL from NC, Anne makes this dish for her roomies and they all love it. Last week we road-tested it with Adrian D’Avanzo and it passed with flying, er, taters.

TATER TOT CASSEROLE
Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef

1 green pepper

1 medium onion

Grated cheddar cheese (about 4 cups)

1 bag frozen tater tots (32 oz.)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of potato soup

Brown ground beef in skillet with chopped green pepper and chopped onion (adjust amount of green pepper and onion to taste). Drain grease. Place mixture in bottom of one very large, or two medium, casserole dishes. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Layer thawed tater tots on top of cheese. Mix cream of mushroom soup with cream of potato soup in a bowl. Spread the mixture over tater tots. Cover with lots of grated cheese. Cook uncovered at 425F for approximately 30-45 minutes.

The budding chef

Making Biscuits in the Black Belt

High on Pie

Lessons in Beekeeping

Rise ‘n Shine

A ‘Treat’ for Mom and Dad

claudiaOctober 27, 2010Good Eats

Spicy Mulled Cider from Real Simple
Other spooky Halloween cocktails here.

Ingredients:
5 ounces apple cider
2 ounces spiced rum
½ ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
pinch of nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat,
stirring until well combined.
Once the cider starts to steam, pour the contents of the saucepan
into a mug and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Divya Gugnani, BehindtheBurner.com.

Making Biscuits in the Black Belt

The best little rib joint in Alabama

‘shroom! ‘shroom!

Farmhouse Fig Cake

claudiaOctober 4, 2010Good Eats, On the Road

Warning: This post may cause weight gain.

On our list of things to do and see ’round Atlanta is to visit Serenbe and eat at the Farmhouse. Proprietor Marie Nygren (daughter of Mary Mac’s Tea Room legend Margaret Lupo) has a wonderful blog called Serenbe Style and Soul, and my mouth was watering over her recipe for fig cake recently published in the AJC. Give this a go for your next sweet-cooking craving. Recipe…

Making Biscuits in the Black Belt

24 hours in hudson valley

tag, you’re ‘it’

adorable little places

Sunday Brunch

claudiaSeptember 21, 2010Family, Good Eats

So, if you recall the post about state fairs (In Praise of State Fairs), Arielle and I decided to make this brunch recipe last Sunday, in honor of state fairs everywhere. This one took home First Place-Public Favorite at the Western Montana Fair.

Easy ‘n’ scrumptious!

The Frenchy’est of Toast
Toast
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp molasses
1/2 cup orange juice
8 slices home-style bread, with crusts cut off
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp Grand Marnier
Topping
1 cup low-fat sour cream
Sugar
1 cup fresh, ripe berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or strawberries)

1. The evening before serving, mix melted butter, brown sugar, molasses and orange juice in a 2-cup measuring cup. Pour into 13x9x2-inch pan. Dip both sides of the bread slices in the mixture, then place slices in the pan in two layers.
2. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla and Grand Marnier in blender. Pour mixture over bread. Refrigerate overnight.
3. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake French toast for 45 minutes, or until nicely puffed or golden.
4. Mix sour cream with a fork and enough sugar for a slightly sweet taste; about 1-2 tbsp.
5. Cut French toast into squares and flip over onto plates. Spoon on sour cream topping and cover with fresh berries. Serve warm.
Serves 4-6.

Original recipe by Carolynn Richardson; adapted from Blue Ribbon Recipes.

More on Sunday Night Suppers

claudiaSeptember 13, 2010Family, Good Eats

Recently, I was staring at our cookbooks and noticed a common theme: speed, with titles like Cuisine Rapide, 30 Minute Meals, The 60 Minute Gourmet, The 5:30 Challenge and Great Food Fast. So last night we decided to take our time and make a proper Sunday supper. Here was our pick: Roast Chicken with Lemon Potatoes, a recipe by cookbook author Mindy Fox. We served it with garlicky green beans and buttermilk biscuits. The meal turned out pretty darn good! Here’s the recipe for your own Sunday night supper ideas.

Roast Chicken with Lemon Potatoes