Appetizers – Page 5 – Rosemary and the Goat

Beefy Roasted Red Pepper Spread

Reincarnated recipe from the past.

Back in May I was at my sister’s house in Missouri and one night she made a cheese ball. Ohhh, cheese balls, I use to love them. A couple of months ago I bought a ready made one at the grocery and thought it was awful and maybe that’s why I quit making them.

But the cheese ball my sister made was so tasty, creamy and one of those food things you can’t just take one bite. Even my grandson, Thomas, ate it and wanted more. This cheese ball (spread) is a recipe I’m sure we all made back in the 70’s maybe even before than that with the dried beef that comes in the little jar and the ACCENT that we were all told was not good for us. I’ve read that there is no proof not that MSG does any harm to humans. Read this article for more information on MSG. I don’t think this cheese spread would taste nearly as good without the Accent and it’s not like you are going to use the whole container anyway.

July 28, 2017 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp/ Entree

Tuna Tartare Nachos

Delicious, down to the last bite!

On our way to our grand-nephews wedding in Alabama back in June we decided to break up the almost 800 mile drive by spending the night in Meridian, Mississippi. As usually, I’m online searching for a restaurant that we want to try and this little gem of a restaurant caught my attention — Harvest Grill. It has a relaxed, casual feel and an inventive menu, just our type of place.

The restaurant was having some sort of brew event on the patio when we got there but we decided to get out of the heat and sit inside. We sometimes like to order from the appetizer menu so we can try several things and save room for dessert; which we did this night and tried their creole bread pudding with caramel and white chocolate shavings with scoops of ice cream between the four small squares of bread pudding — fantastic.

Now back to some of their appetizers. My husband ordered oysters on the half shell then another order of Black and Blue Oysters (steak and blue cheese). I knew when we were still 100 miles away I would be trying their Tartare Nachos — Ahi tuna over Asian slaw with avocado edamame and a habanero peach glaze and wasabi aioli; I loved the crunch of the wonton crisp, the heat from the wasabi and the peach glaze and the sesame flavor of the slaw. All my favorite ingredients and now I was going to have to come up with a recipe to make this exciting, tasteful dish.

July 16, 2017 By Sherry

Appetizers/ Entree/ Fish/Seafood

Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Yogurt Sauce

Great use of leftover crab meat.

My son and his family were here recently and he made a wonderful Grilled Redfish on Half shell with Crab Macque Choux (corn) and a Carrot Habanero Burre Blanc Sauce. It was delicious and even though I could not begin to top his dish (see below) I did have 1/2 pound of crabmeat leftover from his Macque Choux .

So, one night we had some friends over and I decided to make a tuna tartare appetizer (recipe coming soon) we had tried at the Harvest Grill in Meridian, Mississippi when on our way to a family wedding in Alabama. And I wanted to come up with a crab dish to use that left over crab. I debated over either a crab spread (hot or cold) or crab salad but when I found this crab cake recipe I decided to try it because it used some avocado on the plate as a resting place for the crab cake and a red pepper sauce smeared on the plate. Visually, it just jumped off the page and I think I actually had all the ingredients to make it.

July 10, 2017 By Sherry

Appetizers/ HotApp

Sausage Cheese Dip

Cheese, Sausage and lots of other good stuff.

How many different cheese dip recipes have you tried? How many grandmothers would drive over an hour to pick up her twin granddaughter’s favorite cheese dip from Poncho’s restaurant in Memphis? Ours did and it wasn’t anything like the above dip. Their dip was so good but like most cheese dips and had lots of cumin in it and thin enough you might want to drink it.

I made this cheese dip when we had company over for the superbowl and I was in such a hurry to get things on the table I didn’t get a picture of chips in my acrylic cowboy hat that looks great piled full of chips or snacks.

When it comes to cheese dip, most of my life I used Velvetta cheese and Rotel tomatoes and simply melted it and ate it. Then I started using a stick blender on it so there were no hunks of tomatoes and even later I would put it cold in my Vitamix and blend the cheese, Rotel and add some water, cumin, black pepper and garlic salt. I really like the taste that cumin gives to cheese dip and when I make it thin enough we don’t even like it heated like in the “old” days.

May 6, 2017 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp

Avocado Salmon Stacks

Some recipes are just so easy!

Over Easter we were at our son’s house. My daughter-in-law, Brooke, and I worked on sides (to go with my son’ pulled pork and tri-tip) the day before so we would not have to be cooking the day of the party. As everyone started to arrive we saw some beautiful dishes brought to the table; bowls of big plump berries, heirloom tomato tart, pineapple upside down cake, colorful salads and many more that had us wanting to dick in right away; but we had to wait for the pork to smoke.

One of their friends (who’s a chef) brought a spread on a platter with some hard cheese and brie and it was so interesting. I asked her multiple times “now how did you make this”. She had made some almond milk (which most of us, I’m sure, have never tried) and after having the sludge (or whatever the leftover pressed almond mixture is called) left over after squeezing out the milk and she mixed it in the food processor with some dates and a little coconut oil. It was delicious spread on some crackers and topped with some salty cheese — an almond, date flavor I have never tasted before. If I ever make almond milk then maybe I will try this.

April 24, 2017 By Sherry

Appetizers/ HotApp

Edamame with Garlic and Soy

Garlic Edamame, yum!

What a simple recipe I’m giving you today; so simple I’m doing it for myself tonight when my husband goes out with the guys.

How about some edamame to go with the Asian inspired dinner you are having or for the sushi you are making (or buying). Don’t just eat salted Edamame, you have to try the recipe I was first ate at Ozumo restaurant in San Francisco

So, read my “true confession – Edamame” here. and fine out more about the edamame saga. The restaurant that I went to and took my own garlic and mixed with their edamame now has Edamame in Roasted Garlic Butter on their menu for $4.50 a serving. I like doing the garlic in olive oil instead of butter and then I add a splash of soy sauce.

April 12, 2017 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp/ Sandwiches

Pimento Cheese

Pimento Cheese, the most beloved sandwich spread.

What was your sandwich of choice when you were a kid? I could never turn down a bologna sandwich on WHITE bread with mayonnaise or mustard and a handful of potato chips added before putting on the top slice of bread and then it gets a good press down to crunch the chips up. Or, one of my top picks would have to be a pimento cheese sandwich on toast with a side of Fritos and dill pickle slices. I was never a peanut butter and jelly kid. I don’t think I ever ate peanut butter and jelly when I think back on it. A peanut butter sandwich for me is just PB no jelly and that’s it.

Everyone has their cherished recipe for pimento cheese; that is if you like the creamy cheesy spread. How many recipes for pimento cheese have you tried to come up with the best ever spread. And how many more recipes are there out there anyway? Are you always making PC the way your mother did? I guess I have for years and I’ve always started with Velveta cheese, adding some pimento and mayonnaise and that’s about it. I’m sure you are shuttering with the Velveeta cheese ingredient and the fact that it’s not a real cheese but that is what we grew up on. Over the last few years I’ve tried using some grated cheese and didn’t care for it then I started paying attention to chef’s saying not to use the pre-grated cheeses because it has a coating on it and does not work well in recipes.

March 24, 2017 By Sherry

Appetizers/ Entree/ Poultry

Crispy Buffalo Wings with Two Sauces

Who doesn’t love chicken wings?

I love, love, love chicken wings. Put a bone in it and I like it. Pork chop bones; great to try and get all the meat off it, chicken necks (yes, fried chicken necks; that’s the best part of the chicken.), and those crispy little wings. My favorite part of the wing is actually the flat part and not the little drummy part.

Seems like years ago when people made buffalo wings they put a flour coating on them kind of like KFC and then I started seeing “naked” wings advertised. I don’t like the wings tossed with the sauce; too messy and sticky to eat. So, when we go to our favorite place, I ask for extra crispy wings with sauce on the side. One reason I ask for extra crispy besides that is the way I like them is that you are getting fresher wings and not something that’s been sitting back in the kitchen soaking up all that hot sauce.

I have a confession and this is hard to admit. I love celery with either blue cheese or ranch dressing but when I order it at our wing place, they give you a container of dressing and like 5 short pieces of celery. I eat as much celery with my wings as I do the wings. So now when I know we are going there, I take a bag of celery sticks (a lot), I order one dressing/celery and when I finish their celery, I take out my own and put on the plate. I know, that is pretty cheap of me but I’m not spending six bucks to get as much celery as I want. Ok, I guess I am cheap.

March 12, 2017 By Sherry

Appetizers/ Bread/ HotApp/ Side dish

Crawfish Hushpuppies

My contribution to a cajun or Mardi Gras dinner.

Mardi Gras is almost here. I’ve never been to a Mardi Gras and I guess I don’t care if I ever go to one but I do love cajun cuisine. When we were in New Orleans last summer we had all kinds of cajun food and a few things I made after I got home.

I picked up these decorations/props at my craft circle. There’s a room bigger than my whole house (maybe twice over) full of supplies that we can go back and get for any project our group is working on. The little jester, mask and beads came from the floral department. And, since they weren’t using them for a few days, I thought I would borrow a few things and use for props. Just look at that little girl with her hand out, just waiting for a hushpuppy.

My local HEB had a guy out front last week with a big contraption that he was cooking crawfish in; so I decided to buy them and not fool with cooking such a small amount. I only bought a pound which didn’t make nearly enough meat. I’m putting 1 – 1 1/2 cups of crawfish tails in the recipe because that’s what it is going to take to make these delicious. At $5.99 a lb, and I bought only a pound and got 3/4 cup of meat, I’d go for the ones you cook yourself next time because they are going to be about $2.00 a pound, maybe less depending on where you live or you can buy crawfish tails in the freezer section.

February 21, 2017 By Sherry

Appetizers/ HotApp

Walnut, Fig and Goat Cheese Phyllo Rolls

Crunchy and delicious!

I love just about every kind of sushi and even unagi which is freshwater eel. So, what does eel have to do with this recipe? Well, for years of watching cooking shows and hearing the word Umami I’ve been hearing “unagi” and thinking where’s the eel.

Over the last few years I’ve discovered how wrong I was and that the chefs are actually saying “umami” which is the fifth taste. We all know sweet, salty, bitter and sour but did you know there was a fifth taste called “umami” and it wasn’t a recent discovery.

I seems like a hundred years after Escoffier wrote his cookbook (where he identified this new flavor) scientist finally agreed with him on a new flavor “savory” or umami. Read this article called “Sweet,Sour, Salty, bitter and Umami” and you will find out everything you need to know about this new/old taste. There’s an article in The New Yorker you might be interested in reading; I don’t want to just copy what they said so go to their website and have a good read if you’re interested.

So, the umami part of this recipe would be the prosciutto which is a smoked meat and falls into the foods that have a lot of umami flavor. I’ve read also that if you crush up some dried seaweed (chips) into your hamburgers you will get a great tasting burger. Continue Reading…

February 15, 2017 By Sherry

Appetizers/ HotApp

Hot Spinach Dip with Tomatoes

Not your ordinary spinach dip. No Artichokes in this one and one of my favorites.

How many dips can you name from your years of cooking. Onion dip was on top of my list and way back when I used Lipton Onion Soup mix to make it. I can only imagine what a homemade version would taste like; will have to give that a try. Mexican Cheese Dip was always a favorite also. Adventurous wasn’t in my vocabulary back then. I knew onion and cheese dip, that’s about it.

Then one day someone tried putting spinach and artichokes together; who would have ever thought of that back in the day. Aren’t you tired of spinach artichoke dip? You will see it on just about every restaurant menu, but my Hot Spinach Dip with Tomatoes has a little different twist to it with jalapenos and some fresh chopped tomatoes; and I love the homemade pita chips made with butter, lemon pepper and cumin, baked until nice and crunchy.

January 31, 2017 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp/ Garnish

Smoked Cured Egg Yolk

A new culinary adventure!

Ok, so this isn’t much of an adventure but more of a “what else do I have to do with my time anyway” now that Thanksgiving is over and you are sick of looking at food.

My son, Scott, is always sending me some interesting food recipes to try; like his 24 hour No Knead Breadb or gravlax and now these cured egg yolks.

Like Scott, I didn’t want to waste a bunch of eggs the first time I tried making this yellow ball that looks like a dried apricot when you are done with it at the end of a long week. So at the end of this week, I had only one yolk to show for my 168 hours of watching and waiting and I grated it carefully not wanting to waste one speck of this yolk over some smoked salmon and sour cream that I put on top of my Herbed pizzelle. I can’t say that I thought it tasted any different than an egg but it was so pretty grated; like a big puffy pile of yellow.

Salt curing is the oldest method of food preservation that simply involves covering food with mixture of sugar and salt to draw out the moisture of the food. This method changes the egg yolk to a firm little flatten yolk that has the consistency of parmesan cheese; put it on your veggies (I tried some roasted asparagus), salads or spaghetti carbonara. Maybe put the grated yolk in your compound butter or wouldn’t it be wonderful on top of some avocado toast.

November 25, 2016 By Sherry

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