The Band Played On

Getting the opportunity to cook with other chefs is always fun for me. Having the chance to see how they work their own events and how they handle different challenges that present themselves during events is also a great learning experience. No matter how long you’ve been in the business, there is always something to learn. But, being in the mix and powering through till you see the light at the end of the tunnel of the event is a strange thrill for me. Just recently I got to work with a chef friend of mine, David Crews, out of Cleveland, MS. I’ve worked with him a handful of times, and every time it is always fun and I learn something each time.

Dockery Farms

Those Delta Nights are always a good time. This past event that I got to be a part of was for Tedeschi Trucks Band at Dockery Farms. I made bourbon caramel brownies in edible chocolate cookie spoons and Meyer lemon squares. I love bourbon, and I love Meyer lemons… and what better way to kick up the ante a little with those ingredients. I chose to serve the bourbon caramel brownies in the edible spoons so that I could add more bourbon caramel in the bottom of the spoons. Who wouldn't want more bourbon caramel? They Meyer lemon squares were a hit. The use of the Meyer lemons instead of a standard lemon, added a different level of flavor and sweet tartness to them.  

The view from the old service station kitchen

The atmosphere out at Dockery Farms (the times I’ve been out there) have both been great. Greeting to feed musicians both times. We were checking to make sure they are happy and food is where it needs to be at the right time. Also, making sure we are on schedule for anything else that has been asked of us. We are cooking out of a small kitchen in an old filling station with the sounds of the crowd and the band floating in is very awesome. The people walking by our windows to the event looking in and trying to figure out what we are doing. Then when we load up the golf cart we have with our assortment of food and serving pieces… their eyes are glued to us and, of course, ask if that is for them, or if they could have some. The band plays on and we continue on with our set up for them and other VIPs for the after party.  

The VIP after party

Looking up through the strands of lights hanging low in the trees, you can see the clear night sky. The music from the after party band fills the night air along with the sounds of the crickets and night owls. It is almost too perfect. Getting to talk to some of the guests and getting to talk some more to the visiting talent is always fun. Talking about the food we're serving and then seeing the reactions when they take a bite... Always worth it. The VIP after party is the last stretch of the day/night. The final few hours. The toughest part of the day/night is waiting to clean up and get to head home. Those that have worked events that go pretty much all day with different set ups during the day, know how hard that wall hits at the end of the day/night. 

I will be posting the recipe for my bourbon caramel brownies and my Meyer lemon bars later this week. They will be in my Memorial Day post. Have a safe a happy holiday weekend! Happy Eating!

Oh Deer, What to Do with You

Hunting wild game has never been a huge aspect of my life. I want to say the reason why is that my dad has never been a huge hunter himself. He was always one that preferred to go fishing or better yet, fly-fishing. That is where I get the love for fly-fishing. I’m sure if he had taken me hunting growing up that I would also be a hunter.

Fly-fishing trip in Colorado

Now that being said, I have nothing against hunting. I have plenty of friends that go hunting (and I love to get to enjoy the fruits of their hunting labor). I think hunting is a necessity for controlling the population of the different animals, and they are pretty tasty, too.

Over the years, I’ve heard of many different ways of preparing certain game for cooking as to help cut back on the “gameyness” of the meat. One in particular was venison, or also known as deer meat. I’ve heard of people soaking the game in buttermilk, salt water, citrus water, and just plain water. 

 

Just recently I had a friend offer me some venison because he needed to clear out his freezer since turkey season was starting. So not only did he give me some tenderloin, but also some deer sausage. Now, I’ve never cooked deer meat… I’ve only eaten the meat. He said he was interested to see what I decide to do with it. Well, I had only thought about testing two different methods of soaking meat (he did later send me a recipe… I think that was a hint of he wanted me to cook that so he could try it).

But, I digress. So I portioned the meat out into two separate bags… one with buttermilk and the other with just plain ice water (I did leave a couple of pieces not in anything thing as a base to judge from). 24 hours later I take them out and get ready to cook them. Made sure to pat the meat dry before searing them off in a cast iron skillet with a little salt and pepper.

Searing off some of the deer meat in my cast iron skillet

Now the whole point of trying out both of these methods was to see if they work on tenderizing the meat and pulling out the gameyness of the meat. I wanted to test out the two most popular theories I’ve heard over the years. The buttermilk soak did do both. I only noticed that the ice water did tenderize the meat some but didn’t do anything about the gameyness of the meat.

Now, don’t hate me or judge me for admitting this, I have never been a big fan of the gameyness taste in certain meats. I can do without it. So with this little experiment I tried out, I prefer the buttermilk soak. The meat was more tender and didn’t have that sharp distinct gamey flavor. Now it did have a slight hint of that flavor but it was overwhelming.

So if you are one that really likes the strong game flavor… don’t do a buttermilk soak. Stick with a water soak. Maybe even treat it like a brine and add some other spices to the water… I think I’m going to need to ask for some more deer meat to try that out!

 

As for that deer sausage I mentioned… I turned that into a breakfast casserole! Browned the sausage and mixed it into some cream cheese and smeared that between two rolled out cans of crescent rolls. The pan didn’t last long… maybe 10 minutes. I’m glad I took a picture and grabbed a piece when I did!

Back in the Saddle

The last time I posted the cicadas where still in the middle of their loud chorus. They will be cranking back up before we know it.  One of the many sounds that I oddly missed when outside of the South. 

During my long absence from posting I have had a lot going on on the professional front (2 promotions; cook to supervisor/manager to ADFNS). I'm now the Assistant Director of Food and Nutrition Services at a hospital. I have more responsibility, but also the stress and headaches that come with it. I welcome the challenge though. If it isn't challenging you or scaring you... It's not challenging enough.  

My life outside of work has had a few things going on as well. I was asked to do a handful of things through my social media connections and also help some chef friends. I'm now a staff chef for Grillax. I'll get to do more writing and testing out products for them. 

Promo pic from the dessert #GrillingChats I co-hosted 

This opportunity came about after being asked to help co-host a dessert themed #GrillingChats. The chats focus on different ways to grill, such as meats, how to entertain while grilling, and other things that involve grilling. I mean it is called #GrillingChats . It is fun being a pastry chef and incorporating the grill into desserts since the grill is always used for savory dishes. I love grilling everything, and being a trained pastry chef, it is fun playing around with different foods and seeing how they do as a sweet dish.

I was asked to do an article with Eat Y'all for the Christmas season. I enjoyed writing about some of the things my family does during the holiday season. Getting to share a recipe and little look into my personal life was exciting. I look forward to being able to do it again in the future.

Milk Punch and Cookies. My picture for the Eat Y'all article 

 The fall and winter season have many holidays that are personal to everybody. Getting the opportunity to share a little bit of what my family does to enjoy our Christmas season was an insightful look for me as well. I made myself really observe what my family does during this time. Though this time of year can, and usually is, stressful, I was able to really see how this next year we could make it even better. Not everything has to be perfect. If you don't have enough tinsel for the tree, no need to stress. Just give what you have to the kids and let only the bottom portion of the tree get the "icicles". 

I also got to try and talk about a rib roast from Certified Angus Beef through #Foodiechats. All of it has been fun and getting to write creatively is exciting for me.  Getting opportunities like this to be more involved with the online food communities is exciting. I was able to try a new recipe out on a cut a meat that I usually do not cook, and then share it with the online community of #Foodiechats. There will be a post of the recipe that I used to roast this beautiful piece of meat. 

The boneless prime rib roast that I got to prepare for friends and family  

This involvement has made me realize how much I love to share my own knowledge of the culinary world. It has made me want to explore more avenues of sharing my know hows. The involvement has kept me immersed in the food culture and helps me to keep expanding my knowledge, too. 

I'm currently looking at getting my YouTube web series up and going. It will be good related of course. I'll be exploring different cultures cuisine and then making it my own. I'm really excited about it. Hope y'all will tune into that as well.

The challenge of getting a video web series started has proven to be challenging, but exciting. I'm pulling from all resources and getting input from different professionals. I have even gotten books on different approaches to social media, food styling, and food photography. I guess you can say that I'm trying to become a Jack of all trades. Food is definitely my main passion in life, and I'm excited to share even more of that with y'all. I'm excited about this journey and that y'all are following me.

Happy Eating

Mississippi Delta Nights

It was a hot sticky Saturday with a few clouds and blue sky. The live music of Roseanne Cash filled the air along with the chatter of people walking up on the property and the ones standing in line getting an adult libation and or food. The crackling of the chicken frying had an aroma that filled the air. This was the perfect beginning of a Southern night in Mississippi for me and I was happy and grateful to be apart of it.

My view of the stage when frying up the chicken for the VIP event later that night 

The day started early for me. I was up with the sun and got to work finishing up my desserts I had planned for this VIP event at Dockery Farms in Cleveland, MS. I had pink peppercorn macarons with a Meyer lemon curd filling, s’mores cobbler, and a drunken banana pudding.  Three distinct desserts with a little bit of Southern charm and sass.

Top L-R: S'mores cobbler, Pink Lemonade Macaron. Bottom L-R: Drunken Banana Pudding, Table display at event

These desserts were a hit. Each represented something Southern. The macarons were my nod to pink lemonade. I wanted to do a little twist by using pink peppercorns in the cookies. Remind you of the heat of a Southern summer afternoon, then the refreshing taste of the sweet Meyer lemon curd to counteract the heat. I called them my "Pink Lemonade" macarons. 

Pink peppercorn macaron cookie for the Pink Lemonade Macarons 

The S’mores cobbler was a nod to childhood and being around a campfire. I made a chocolate cobbler with a graham cracker crust and topped with toasted marshmallows.  This was a favorite of the kids that night, and some adults, too.

Nom nom.... S'mores cobbler

The drunken banana pudding… I lightly soaked the wafer cookies with bourbon and in the whipped cream… I added bourbon to it as well. I had fun with this one since banana pudding is a popular Southern dessert; I had to make it different. So why not add bourbon? I put them in glass salt and pepper shakers... perfect individual serving size. 

These were fun to make... Drunken Banana Pudding

The VIP event was a lot of fun and getting to work with my chef friend, Chef David Crews, was a lot of fun. Getting a view into his world as a private chef really put an itch to get even more into that part of the food world. I love being able to interact that much with my clients and really getting to know them. The development of the relationships and building on them is something that I like to do. Know what they want before they even mention it. 

Full table display of the food for the VIP Event

Life as a chef can be hard, but I love the challenge. It challenges me to stay on top of my game and look at what is happening now and staying on top of the trends. In that way I can learn from the trends and be creative and make them my own. I am continuing to do that to challenge myself and to see what my peers think! I'll be posting sooner next time. Sorry for the lag in posts!

Happy eating!

Been long time!

It has been over a month since I've posted… I can't believe I've let it be that long!

I've had a lot going on to say the least. I moved from South Louisiana back to North Mississippi. Started a new job. Done a few private chef gigs on the side as well. Even welcomed a new nephew to the family. Oh and not to forget, I've started studying for the GRE so I can start a Masters program in Hospitality and Food Service Management. A lot has happened this past month. 

What else can I cram on plate? I have so much to share and write about from everything that has happened over the past month. OH the food I've cooked and seen.  

I've finally got into a rhythm with my new job and will be able to sit down and write… and study. I'll tell you one thing… It is hard getting back into "school" mode once you've been out for so long. 

I'm looking forward to sharing with y'all soon! For my American readers, the Fourth is this weekend. I hope y'all have a safe and happy Independence Day! Until next time… Happy Eating! 

Till I Visit You Again South Louisiana

My time living in South Louisiana has drawn to an end. It's all kind of surreal.


I have been down here just shy of 2 years. To be honest I can't tell you if it feels like it has been longer or not. I've enjoyed my time down here. I wish I could have explored more of the city. That what happens when you do more work than playing. 

The balcony view where I sat and wrote and tweeted 

I'm back in North Mississippi and closer to family. Instead if working at a college I'll be working at a hospital. I'm excited for this new part of my life and the new challenges it will present.



I know I'll be able to execute more of what I want to do on the side: Private dinners, get my Masters, small dessert orders, I got lots of ideas. I'm looking forward to this next chapter in my life and career.

My dad getting in past midnight to come help me move (he was tired. Love him!) 

Now I moved over Memorial Day weekend (thank you to all that have and continue to serve our country that have and are willing to give the ultimate sacrifice for our country so we can continue to live the lives we choose), I got moved back to North MS on that Sunday. My mom had picked up some ribs and I got them working for the next day. Still can't believe I was able to get some grilling in after all the moving and driving. 

Car loaded down. Still filled up a U-Haul trailer and a Tahoe. I accumulated a lot of stuff (yes my plants road shotgun)

We did keep it low key. We did some sliders, roasted some sweet potatoes, the ribs, baked beans, and my mom made some skillet brownies.

Skillet brownie with a little glass of milk 

My mom loves being in the kitchen, and following recipes. That's where I push her buttons. I don't have to follow a recipe exactly. My method is to do the recipe once and then tweak it. Now baking is a different story. We all know baking is an exact science, I only play around with the flavor profiles mostly. I'm more prone to experimenting than my mom.

My mom loves Ina Garten, so the recipe she used for the skillet brownies is her's. They are divine! I always find that a good brownie of cobbler recipe is perfect for when I'm grilling or BBQing.

I'm excited about what I have in store for y'all. I'm in the process of developing some more recipes to share, and can't wait to see what y'all think! Happy Eating!

Red Stick Farmers Market

One of my favorite things to do on Saturdays, besides getting to sleep in, is getting to head downtown to the Farmers Market. 

It makes me happy to get out and talk to the vendors. Try the new stuff they've created and see what they recommend. I haven't been able to go as much as I would want. The markets during the week are always closed by the time I get off work. 

Inside the view of Farmers Market

I always get my honey from the farmers market. Love getting my eggs and bread from there as well. I even like to get my meat products from a vendor as well. Everything is down there, even dairy products. 

The farmers market reminds me of the markets in France. The access to fresh and local produce is something I enjoy having. Another reason why I like being able to have a garden. 

I bought myself some caramel balsamic vinegar. It had the perfect flavor notes. I could taste the caramel and the balance of the aged balsamic. Sweet and tangy. I have some great ideas for the caramel balsamic vinegar.  

Different olive oils and balsamic vinegars 

The access to all of these products makes me happy and more connected in a sense to the community.

I enjoy talking to the vendors and asking about their products. They are always happy to talk. You get a sense of how proud they are of their product, and happy to hear that you enjoy the fruits of their labor.

I hope that you have access to a farmers market like this. I obviously thoroughly enjoy it. I know I say it a lot, but I don't think I can every say it enough... Support your local farmers and purveyors. I'm happy that I've been able to do this as much as I have living down here in South Louisiana.

I do have a humble garden in my backyard area. I already have a tomato and a bell pepper sprouting... Exciting! 

Little Tomato

Little Bell Pepper

The Little Garden 

Well, Happy Eating friends. Looking forward to hearing what you think!