1.23.2011

sunday feast

This afternoon, I went over to my friend Julia's for a movie day. 
For such an occasion, most people would make popcorn. 
Julia cooked a duck.

It was stuffed with an obscene amount of garlic and sage, and coated in mustard (and more sage). And it was utterly amazing.


My contribution was rosemary cornbread. I used this recipe, but as one of the commenters suggested, used a combination of 1/3 c. white sugar + 1/3 c. brown sugar for the sugar, and used melted butter instead of vegetable oil. Also, I added 1 TBSP chopped fresh rosemary.


For dessert, Julia made cranberry pie. Yummm!



1.22.2011

dear food porn...

I received the following e-mail yesterday:


Dear Food Porn,

I miss you. You make my lunch time even better. I wish you would come back soon.

Sincerely,
Bored at Lunch


Thank you, concerned food porn viewer!
It's true. I've been slacking on the new posts lately. But never fear! I have plans for some delicious food this weekend. Stay tuned...

1.02.2011

shrimp & andouille sausage with cheesy grits



Thanks to Kristen Jones for this fantastic recipe!

1.5 lbs shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails off
Cajun seasoning
1 link andouille sausage, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3-4 green onions, chopped (reserve green parts for garnish)
1/2 jar roasted red peppers, chopped
2 TBSP tomato paste
1 TBSP flour
1 cup chicken broth
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 cups milk
2 cups water
1.5 cups quick grits
1 TBSP butter
1 1/2 cups (or more) grated white cheddar

Sprinkle shrimp with Cajun seasoning & set aside while you chop other ingredients.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil & saute shrimp briefly. Remove shrimp to a plate.

Cook sausage in same skillet until brown. Add onion, garlic & white parts of green onion; saute until tender. Add roasted red peppers, a little more Cajun seasoning, and tomato paste.

Add about a tablespoon of flour (may need to add some additional butter/oil if sausage doesn't render much fat) and cook 1 minute. Add chicken broth & lemon juice; bring to a boil & simmer over medium heat til thickened.

Meanwhile, bring milk & water to a slow boil, add some salt. Slowly whisk in grits & cook 5-7 mins until thickened.

Add cream to vegetable mixture, then put shrimp back in pan.

Add butter & cheese to grits, taste for salt & add some black pepper. Serve shrimp over grits; garnish with green onions & hot sauce if you like.