Week 14 - Oklahoma

O-K, L-A, H-O, M-A...OKLAHOOOOOOOOOMAAAAA, ye-ah!

Greetings from the Sooner State! This post about the culinary trip around the nation that I'm currently undertaking is going to be a little different, simply because this particular stop was very different than all of the others that we've been on so far.

Oklahoma is one of two states (the other being Louisiana) to have an official "State Meal."  In 1988, the legislature proclaimed that the following group of foods as the official meal, as they reflected the historic and present day culture of agriculture of the Sooners.  And holy cow was it a meal.

It consisted of fried okra, cornbread, BBQ pork, squash, biscuits, sausage gravy, grits, corn, strawberries (which are also the state fruit), chicken fried steak, black-eyed peas, and pecan pie.

I made all of this...

The okra (which I grilled instead of fried), squash, and BBQ pork (chops) all went on the grill...

At the same time, the chicken-fried steak (made with crushed up corn flakes) went into the electric skillet...

The black eyed peas were cooked in bacon grease in a Dutch oven, while I browned the sausage for the gravy...

The grits (3 cups water to 1 cup stone ground grits) cooked at the same time as the corn boiled and the biscuits baked.

The pecan pie went into the oven while all of this was going on...

And the result...

 

...was a pretty amazing feast that we ate on for several days.  It was the first time I had made chicken fried steak, and for me that was the star of the show.  But with so many options, I think everyone had their own favorites as well.

I loved the challenge of this meal because it was all about timing and using the limited space of my kitchen as effectively as possible.  Using the grill was a great way to spread things out, and it actually didn't take that much longer than a normal meal because of it.  I was a sweaty mess at the end (but that can be said of my state at the end of most activities), but it was all worth it.  This was one of my favorite meals to cook by far, and I highly encourage y'all to try it yourself!

Week 13 - Utah

Howdy from the Beehive State! Week 13 of the National Grub Year found us in Utah.  It's another state I've never visited, and my only knowledge of it is dominated by a certain religious group that calls home to Salt Lake City. As such, I didn't know what we were getting into when I started looking into the recipes the state was known for.  It was a little foreboding that most of what I saw centered around "funeral potatoes"...


Funeral Potatoes

32 oz. shredded potatoes
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, dices
2 cloves garlic, minced
One 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese
2 cups corn flake cereal, crushed

First, I heated 2 tablespoons of butter and cooked the onion and garlic until fragrant and translucent, about 8 minutes.

Next, I actually shredded potatoes to make my own hash browns, and then mixed those in with the cooked onions, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, Parmesan, salt and pepper, and 1 and 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese.
 

I spread this mixture into a casserole dish, and then topped it with the remaining butter, corn flakes, and cheese.

I baked this all at 350 for one hour.

Dutch Oven Sausage, Cabbage, and Carrots

2 pounds bratwurst
1 large onion, cut into eights
1 medium head of cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup water
1 pound carrots, sliced

The Dutch oven was actually named the official cookware of Utah (yes, that’s a thing in real life).  It’s association with pioneer life is so strong that there are Dutch Oven cook-offs throughout the state.  This was a simple recipe I found from one of those cook-off competitions.

First, I cooked the brats and onion on medium heat until they were lightly browned.

Next, I added the cabbage and water and cooked for 10 minutes  I then added the carrots, covered the dutch oven, and cooked for 30 minutes.

Jello Salad

1 package lemon Jello
1 package lime Jello
1 4 ounce can pineapple chunks with juice
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup coarsley chopped pecans

Yes, folks, leave it to the Mormons to call this a salad.

First, I heated up the pineapple juice.

Next, I added the Jello mixes to this (note, this is the bowl that you will be making the Jello Salad in).

I let this cool in the fridge while I combined all of the other ingredients together in another bowl.

Once the Jello was sticky, I took it out of the fridge and began mixing both bowls together.  Luckily, I had some help...

Once it was all mixed together, I put it back in the fridge to set.

The result...

...was...surprising. The cabbage and sausage dish in the Dutch Oven was fine, just not a stand-out this week.  I did love the ease of cooking in the Dutch Oven, very similar to cooking in a crockpot.  I’m going to need to find more recipes to try with this method.

The Jello Salad, on the other hand, was shocking in that it actually kinda worked together. I had helpings of this throughout the week for dessert, as it was a much lighter option than ice cream or cake or pie. 

My favorite dish this week was the funeral potatoes.  Artery clogging as it was (a lifetime of this would bring about your own funeral) it was delicious and was perfect for a cool, overcast day.  This one will go into the rotation for pot-luck dinners and family get-togethers.

Overall it was a successful trip to Utah, and I came out of it with two recipes to try again (really...Jello Salad...it's a thing that's kinda good!)

Week 12 - Alabama

Greetings from the Yellowhammer State!  A little over a month ago, we stopped by Alabama as part of the National Grub Year. My parents moved to the Heart of Dixie while I was in college, and lived in a little town called Daphne that is right across the bay from Mobile.  They've since left 'Bama, bu my brother and his girlfriend still live there. It was always a place I liked visiting (even though the 10 hour drive from NC could be brutal). The people were friendly and the Gulf Coast was beautiful.  But the thing I remember most about my trips down there is the food. 


Baked Chicken with Alabama White Barbecue Sauce

Four chicken leg quarters
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon horseradish
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper


First, I started with the "white barbecue sauce."  To do this, I mixed the mayo, vinegar, brown sugar, lemon juice, horseradish, and pepper.

I put it in a large mason jar and let it set in the fridge overnight.


For the chicken, I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and baked it at 450 for about 10 minutes.

Tomato Pie

5 tomatoes, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup basil
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese
3/4 cup mayo
Pepper

I made this sans-pie crust, although the original recipe did call for one.  First, I preheated the oven to 350.  Then, I sliced the tomatoes and laid the slices out on a paper towel and sprinkled the salt over them.  After 10 minutes, I pat-dried the tomatoes and put them in the bottom of a greased pie dish. I topped them with the basil and green onion.

I combined the garlic, cheeses, mayo, and pepper together and spread this mix out on top of the tomatoes.

I baked this for 30 minutes and then let it rest for 10 before serving.



Sweet Potato Fluff

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup pecans
1/3 butter

This was a lot like a sweet potato casserole, only a lot more whipped. First, I boiled and mashed the potatoes.

Next, I mixed the mashed sweet potatoes with the sugar, eggs, 1/2 cup butter, vanilla, and flaked coconut. I put this mix into a casserole dish.  I then mixed the brown sugar, flour, pecans, and 1/3 cup of butter and sprinkled this on top of the potato mixture.

Finally, I baked this at 350 for 30 minutes.

The result...

 

...was pretty awesome.  I've made this style of Alabama barbecue sauce before and I've grown to love it.  It's more like a djion/ranch style sauce than a traditional barbecue, but that in no way lessens how great it tastes.  I was also surprised at how well the tomato pie  came out.   The fluff was probably the weakest of the recipes that I tried.  I think that if I was to try that recipe again, I would probably cut back on the sugar, as it was just a little bit too sweet and we couldn't enjoy more than a few bites.

Overall, a solid stop on this culinary trip around the country!

Week 11 - Missouri

Greetings from the Show Me State! A few weeks ago, Elizabeth and I put the kids to bed and then had a feast inspired by Missouri.  And while there were many options to choose from, I had to go with the most obvious choice: Kansas City Style BBQ Ribs.

This was my first foray into the world of BBQ so far this year (Alabama's white sauce was my second in week 12), and there's a lot of contention as to who does it better. Is the vinegar based sauce that is found in eastern NC better than the vinegar and tomato sauce found in Lexington style BBQ? (We'll be taste testing those at a later date).  Is the sweet and smoky sauce found in Memphis better than the mustard based sauce of South Carolina?  For me, they're all great, and it's really hard to pick a favorite (however, living a short drive from Lexington, NC does give me a bit of a bias).


Kansas City Style BBQ Ribs

1 slab pork spare ribs

Dry Rub
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup dry mustard
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 table spoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper

Sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cups water
2 6oz. cans tomato paste
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

This was my first attempt at trying this style of bbq, which is mix of both a sweet, spicy dry rub and a thick tomato based sauce. I first mixed together all of the ingredients for the dry rub...

I rubbed the ribs generously with the dry mix, making sure to get all sides of the rack.  Then, I put the ribs in my oven at 200 and let them go for several hours.  Low and slow is the way to go!

Before the ribs were in the oven, I mixed the ingredients together for the sauce in a medium pot and let it cook together on low heat. 

Every 20 to 30 minutes or so, I basted the ribs with the sauce.

Gooey Butter Cake

1 package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1 8oz. package cream cheese
4 cups confectioners sugar

First, I mixed the cake mix, melted butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 2 eggs together and poured evenly into a baking dish.

I mixed the cream cheese, 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla together next, then beat in the sugar.  I poured this over the cake layer.

I baked it at 350 for 45 minutes.

When pared up with some okra and some sweet potatoes, the result was...

Pretty good.  The ribs were tender, the rub was sweet and very spicy, and the sauce helped balance it all out.  However, I really should have smoked the ribs instead of going with the oven.  They lacked the flavor that comes with that process. The cake was equally "pretty good."  I don't think I got the topping to mix the right way, so it wasn't as "gooey" as the recipe had made it out to be.

Overall, I think this one was a missed opportunity. It was tasty, but everything could have been a lot better and I don't think that I did the Show Me State justice.  However, it could be that my BBQ bias was strong than I thought.  The Kansas City ribs were good...but I'd still take my Lexington BBQ over them any day.

Week 10 - Louisiana

Laissez les bon temps rouler! Welcome to the Pelican State, otherwise known as Louisiana!

I spent almost four of my very formative years there, from the summer before seventh grade to the summer following my freshman year of high school.  It was a night and day experience for me coming from the colder, northern, mostly homogeneous land of Maine. Louisiana was hot. Louisiana was SOUTHERN.  Louisiana was a mix of every culture you could think of.  It was as if the Mississippi River picked up things along it's travels, dumped them into the swamps and deltas of Louisiana, churned them all together and created something new and something totally unique.

It was a hell of a place to grow up.

I have kept in touch with friends from my time there (my family and I lived in Metairie, just a short drive into downtown New Orleans), and Elizabeth has joined me on several trips down there.  The last, and most memorable, was a Mardi Gras adventure while she was pregnant with Elliot.  While she couldn't enjoy all that Bourbon Street had to offer, I still think she had a kickass time...

My mom was in town for Mardi Gras last month, so I thought it was fitting that we celebrated a Cajun-inspired meal for the 10th stop on this culinary journey.  The biggest problem with this particular state was what to pick to cook because there are so many options!  Should I go with a po'boy? Or a crawfish boil?  Or red beans and rice?  Or jambalaya? The list goes on and on. Ultimately, I decided on dishes that I loved the most from my time down there (as well as one that I had picked up during that Mardi Gras trip with Elizabeth).



Muffuletta Garbage Bread

1 cup manzilla olives, drained
1 cup giardiniera, drained
1 tablespoon capers
1 cup pickled onionis
1 cup kalamata olives, drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons parsley
1 package fresh pizza dough
Flour for dusting
Sliced provolone
Sliced salami
Sliced pepperoni
Sliced ham
Sliced turkey
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

The muffuletta is an incredible sandwich that, in my opinion, stands heads and shoulders above the other famous NOLA sammie, the po'boy.  What makes or breaks it for me is the olive spread, and the first time I had it I was hooked. They sell it at COSTCO and it's passable, but after making my own I won't be buying that again. Homemade is the way to go (and super easy!)

First, I mixed the top 7 ingredients from the list above in my food processor. I let everything sit in the fridge overnight. (Tip: I listed the precise measurements from the recipe I used, but really, it was a lot of eyeballing when it came to amounts.  This is a perfect way to use those half-empty jars of olives and capers and other things that you might pick up for one recipe and never use again!)

 Next, I rolled out the pizza dough on a well-floured board.  I went with this in lieu of trying to attempt a muffuletta bread substitute. It's like a ciabatta...sort of...but I knew that nothing would be quite like the real thing. Instead, this option got the spirit of what I was going for without having to fly to NOLA to get the real thing.

Next, I layered the cheese and meats on the dough...

...then I spread the olive mix over everything.

I rolled it all up, and put it seam side on a baking tray.

I brushed it with an egg wash, and sprinkled it with the sesame seeds.  I put it in the oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

I had an audience throughout this whole process...

Sausage Gumbo

3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter
1 large smoked sausage link (cut into 1/2 inch slices)
1 bag cut frozen okra
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
Cajun seasoning to taste


First off, and I know that this is sacrilege, but I made my gumbo in a crock pot and that's all there is to it.

With that said, I did try to do the rest of the process as authentically as possible.  And that meant making a roux using my roux spoon that my buddy Ashton picked up for me the last time I was in New Orleans.

First, I combined the butter and flour in a pan on medium heat.

While it cooked, I added the pepper, onion, celery, and okra...

...and the sausage...

...to my crockpot and turned it on low. I added the diced tomatoes on top of all of that, and then poured my roux over that. I poured the stock in along the sides, and finally added the all important seasoning...

I let it simmer all day, and wow did it make my house smell fantastic.



Crawfish Boil Fritatta

1 large red potato, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 cans sweet corn kernels
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 pound crawfish tail meat
2 tablespoons Creole seasoning, divided
10 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 tablespoon parsley
Green onion, sliced, for garnish

Elizabeth and I stayed at the Dauphine Orleans Hotel with a group of my friends for the Mardi Gras trip I've previously mentioned.  While we were there, I found a Louisana cooking magazine in one of the rooms.  It's one of the things you find at any hotel, meant to show off the local culture while you hang out in your room before it's time to hit the town.  The magazine came home with me, mostly because I'm a cooking nerd now and I wanted to try all of the recipes that I found in it.  This was one of them.

First, I boiled the potato chunks for about 10 minutes.  I then preheated my oven to 375.

In a large skillet, I melted two of the tablespoons of butter and mixed in the corn and onion. I cooked this until the onion was translucent, about 5 minutes or so. I cooked the potatoes in some creole seasoning while I did this.

Now, at this point, I was supposed to add the uncooked crawfish...but I skipped a step here and I'd like to discuss.  It's kinda hard to get good crawfish in North Carolina, so I had to make do with what I could find.  And that meant this:

It says it's a "Party in a Bag" and that it's microwaveable...which was something I just couldn't bring myself to do.  Instead, I thawed out the precooked crawfish and removed the tail meat once that was done.  It was in no way authentic, but, like I said, I had to work with what I had.  So instead of over cooking them with the corn and onion, and I added them to the bottom of my pie dish.

In a large bowl, I whisked together the eggs, cream, and Creole seasoning...

I added the potatoes, onions, corn, parsley, and goat cheese to my pie dish...

I then poured the egg mix over everything and baked it all for 30 minutes.

King Cake (Shortcut)

1 container Pillsbury Cinnamon Roll
2 tablespoons purple sugar
2 tablespoons gold sugar
2 tablespoons green sugar

I'll order the real thing next year (or maybe I'll take the whole fam down for one in person).  As a shortcut this year, I arranged the cinnamon roll slices in a circle and baked them according to the container.

Once they were baked, I spread the frosting over them and sprinkled the colored sugar on top.



The result of everything...

...was a feast worthy of Fat Tuesday.  It helped that I used a liberal amount of this stuff, which has a permanent place in our house...

And I had my share of these...

The gumbo was awesome and spicy (but not overly so).  The fritatta tasted like a crawfish boil and quiche combined (so...delicious).  And the King Cake rounded everything else out nicely. However, the star, at least for me, was the Muffuletta.  It was super easy to make, really tasty, and a spin on a sandwich that I loved when I was in New Orleans and haven't been able to recreate since.  This was a great alternative to it, and it's one that I'll be making again very soon.

Louisiana was one of the states I was most looking forward to when I thought about this year long project. I hope that I did it justice, and I hope to get back there again soon to try the real thing.