A Pot of Greens, Plus Cornbread from The Careless Cook

A Pot of Greens, Plus Cornbread from The Careless Cook

 

First off,  I have to put down my glass of wine, hold up my right hand and swear to tell the truth, something I don’t generally do because it complicates my already disordered life. 

 

This recipe is not all mine.  It’s my version of Eddie Hernandez’s recipe that he came up with decades ago, when one of his friends brought him a pile of fresh turnip greens.  Eddie is a happy, friendly restaurateur extraordinaire, who has owned several Mexican restaurants in the greater Atlanta area.  He’s really become acclimated to the southern style of cooking and his turnip greens are a good example, with Mexican flavors, but served in the southern fashion, the greens in their potlikker. 

 

Potlikker?  The broth you cooked the vegetables in.

 

But, you’re dying to know what The Careless Cook did differently.  The biggest difference is that I used cans of greens.  Now, Eddie runs a restaurant and when he cooks, he cooks massively and with great planning, so the time-to-cook (TTC) doesn’t matter.

 

I, on the other hand, had a significant other out for a 45 minute bike ride who would not show me a smile and be satisfied with a PBJ. (Pretty Bad Jumble)  Also, she’d mentioned cornbread on the way out the door.

 

First Cornbread Task:  Oven to 425ºF, oil an iron skillet and put it in the oven…..more to follow, but now let’s get back to the Greens.

In-Green-inents

 

3 cans of greens (refer to the photo to see what dusty cans I found in my pantry)

½ large tomato, seeded and diced

½ large onion, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 jalapeño, seeded, the ribs cut out, and diced

½ stick of butter (about 4 ounces)

32 ounce carton of chicken broth

salt and red pepper flakes to taste

fresh herbs to sprinkle on top - I used cilantro

 

Puttin’ It Teegether

 

Dump all three cans of greens in a colander and drain.  Set aside.

 

Melt the butter in a large pot.  I let mine brown just a little.  Toss in all the vegetables except the greens, and cook until the onions are limp.

 

Add the greens, stir, then pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and let the greens simmer while you make the cornbread.

 

Cornbread

 

Lots of variations, as you know.  This is the simple version to use when your significant other is on a bike ride and has high expectations and hunger pangs when she returns.

 

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup corn meal

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup sugar

4 tablespoons baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk (I used oat milk because that’s what I had!)

¼ cup vegetable oil

 

Put the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to mix.  Make a well in the center and add the egg, milk, and oil.  Whisk only until the ingredients are mixed.

 

Pull the iron skillet out of the oven.  While others may know this, I will add a further instruction for my friend Daphne.  Don’t grab the skillet barehanded!

 

Put the batter in the skillet and return it to the oven.  My cornbread browned in 20 minutes.

 

I served the greens with some chopped herbs on top, plus a cut of cornbread and a glass of Pinot Gris.

 

Significant other expressed satisfaction bordering on happiness.

I raised a glass to Eddie Hernandez....who, by the way, has a fabulously interesting

cookbook that tells his story, from Mexico to now, along with a collection of recipes you're going to want to try!

 

Steffens Restaurant Kingsland Georgia

 Steffens Restaurant Kingsland Georgia

 

In my morning quest for a satisfying breakfast that I can’t make myself, I followed the well-marked GPS trail to a tiny town in South Georgia.

 

How many times have I asked myself, what in hades did we do before GPS????  Now I remember.  Maps.  I also remember getting lost and cursing states that didn’t put up enough blanity-blank road signs.  And why did the powers that be label the road County Road 56, when on the map it was State Road 428?  

 

Now, in the age of technology, all I need to hear is a sweet voice of my choosing say, “Turn right here. Continue on this road for 4.6 miles.”  Bless you, sweetheart and bless your mother for giving birth!

 

But, on to breakfast.  Steffens Restaurant is near Kingsland, not IN Kingsland.  I think.  In this neck of the woods, it’s hard to tell.  Nothing else was nearby.  

 

I park in the well used parking lot, shrug my shoulders, put on my mask, and walk into the 1950s.  Steffens has colorful tabletops, a real lunch counter, and heavy porcelain coffee mugs that remind me Steffens has been here since 1948. Above the coffee machines behind the lunch counter, sit a line of toy cars that run the length.

 

A chalked sign above one of the booths says the ladies of the kitchen have 70 years of experience between the two of them, and they insist on locally grown ingredients.

 

You know the place is good when you have to wait for a booth.  But, we were also invited by a sweet young lady to sit at a table. As much as I yearned to be back in my teenage years and sit at a booth and although we were not short on time, we took her up on the offer.

 

Not surprisingly, there was country fried steak on the menu. After all this was the deep south. Instead I chose another cluster of southern favorites, country eggs benedict.  I knew you’d ask!  Eggs with country ham on English muffins (which the English call crumpets), some cheese, all slathered with sausage gravy, and topped with fried green tomatoes, accompanied by a bowl of buttered grits.

My traveling companion chose the more delicate selection of eggs over medium and cheese grits. Oh, la-ti-da.

 

Everything was delicious, as you would expect in a rural restaurant that has not only survived, but prospered for over 70 years.  

 

The grits were served hot and creamy and my companion’s cheese grits has a cheesy taste, without being over powering. And my country style eggs benedict were such a wonderful blend of flavors, from the saltiness of the country ham to the richness of the sausage gravy, to the crisp and tender taste of the fried green tomatoes.

 

The servings were plentiful as they should be in a southern style eatery and the service was so graciously polite.  This is a place I will return to and next time I’m going to bring some Yankee friends whom I want to introduce to some fine southern cuisine! 

 

Oh hell yes, ya’ll!

Bean Pie and Cornbread

Baby, it’s cold outside!  Time to clean the oven and fill it with some Southwestern chow.  Wait a sec…I need to separate the words South and West and even add in a little continental flavor.

Continental?  Yep, you’ll need some Spanish chorizo.  First question:  How does Spanish chorizo differ from Mexican chorizo?  Mexican chorizo is soft, like hamburger or pork sausage.  Spanish chorizo is cased and smoked.  It’s more solid (like Salami) than Mexican style.  Can’t find Spanish chorizo? Use chorizo from Puerto Rico, which is very similar.

After discussing chorizo, or cuisine in general, you can see why I don’t like to use the terms Hispanic or Latino.  It’s not only the cooking that’s different in every country, but also the culture, even if the language is similar.  Did you know Spanish is the main language in parts of Africa and also on some islands in the Philippines? 

I saw a U.S. Marine jogging, wearing a t-shirt that read, “Not Latino, not Hispanic, Mexican!”  Sums it up perfectly.  And while we’re on the subject, did you realize many in our armed forces are not American citizens?  My son’s soccer coach in Okinawa Japan was a Marine from Nigeria.  Another kids’ soccer coach was from Jamaica.  According to the Migration Policy Institute, (http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/immigrants-us-armed-forces) over 65,000 non-citizen, long-term residents, currently serve, forming about 5% of our armed forces.  Having foreigners serve in military has been ongoing since the beginning of our country. Let’s not forget the foreigners who served in our military during our war for independence from England and don’t forget the Civil War (also called The War of Northern Aggression!), when over 1.5 million soldiers were non-citizens.

Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s pour a glass of wine, slosh down a few sips…or maybe a beer (from any country you damn well choose), or a Margarita (daisy), which we all know comes from Mexico.  Or does it?  The truth is, nobody knows for sure!  Come-on, you lazy liquorteer, in your brief moments of sobriety, do a little Googling! Don’t make me teach you EVERYTHING!

But, I will show you how to feed yourself and at the same time impress your feckless friends.  Plus, these recipes are so simple you can make the whole meal with a beer in each hand and carry on a conversation with your wife. Stick with very simple words, such as ‘Yes, dear’ and ‘Wow, great idea’ and ‘But not as cute as you.’

Here’s my version of Bean Pie accompanied by cornbread:

Bean Pie

Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC)

1 Can pinto beans with jalapeños, undrained

1 Can kidney beans, drained and washed

1 Can whole plum tomatoes, drained and chopped

6-7 inch stick of Spanish chorizo, casing removed, and cut into thin rounds

½ Cup chicken broth (I use a full packet of dried chicken broth and ½ Cup water.)

1 Heaping teaspoon powdered cumin

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ Cups grated jack or pepper jack cheese (or any other hard cheese that’s handy)

In a large skillet, drop in a little oil and sauté the chorizo on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

Remove the chorizo from the pan and add the chopped onions.  Stir for a few minutes until the onions are limp.  Add the garlic, cumin, salt, and red pepper flakes.  Stir and cook a few minutes more.

Add the beans and the chicken stock.  Bring to a boil and cook 3-4 minutes.

Put the bean mixture into a 9x13x2 baking dish and spread chorizo, tomato and cheese over the top.  Bake until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.

Cornbread

(Same oven temp as for the Bean Pie)

Use the directions on the side of the cornmeal container, or the fearless men and women of great courage will march into the great unknown using my directions.

1 ¼  Cup yellow cornmeal

1 Cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons baking powder

2 Eggs

¼ Cup sugar

1 Cup milk

¼ Cup vegetable oil + a little oil to grease the baking pan

Spread some oil around the skillet or other pan you’re using to bake the cornbread.  Pop the pan into the preheated oven.

Mix all the dry ingredients, then make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, whip together the eggs, milk, and oil.  Pour the milk mixture into the well and mix.  If the mixture is a little too juicy, sprinkle in a little bit more cornmeal and remix.  The batter should be much thicker than pancake batter, but still pour into the well-heated pan, with a little help from a spatula.

Bake for about 22 minutes.  Should be brown on top and a knife inserted in the center should come out with a light sheen of oil, but clean of batter.

Now call the hungry masses to the table…or maybe just one more glass of wine first?  “Now what was that again honey?  You think I’m wonderful?  Gosh, I get that all the time.  I…I…I mean from you!”

Shrimp and Grits - My Way!

Shrimp and grits, my way.  Talk about a Southern low-country culinary tradition!  But, let me explain a few things to un-boggle your so-called mind.  Lots of people who have shivered through snow clogged winters, lived through dust storms on the great plains, and think their football teams can keep up with the teams from the southeast, have no idea what grits are.

First, some basic American history and meaningless trivia.  Native American tribes gifted the early English settlers with corn, or at least that’s how the story goes.

Stick with me….the word grits comes from the old English word, grytt, meaning coarse meal.

Now we get to the difference between cornmeal and grits, and you can stick polenta in there as well.  Grits are corn kernels that have had the husk and germ removed, usually using lye or another alkaline agent, which turns the kernels into hominy.  Looks like a nude kernel of corn that has never seen the sun.  As a matter of fact, grits are sometimes called hominy-grits. 

Now grind the hominy kernels.  In the old days, they used a stone mill for the grinding and you can still find ‘stone ground grits’ today.  Voilá!  You got yerself some grits.  Started out as mostly a breakfast food and I still love ‘em with eggs and sausage.

Flash forward to around 1985 when a New Yawk Times food writer, Craig Claiborne proclaimed the marvel of the sensational shrimp and grits he found at a North Carolina restaurant.  He wrote an article, and being from the Mississippi Delta himself, Mr. Claiborne knew what he was talking about.

A note about Craig Claiborne, who passed away in 2000.  If you want to know about the basics of cooking, don’t go to Julia Child. Pick up any one of Mr. Claiborne’s books. 

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/craig_claiborne/index.html

Claiborne’s article turned into a twelve cylinder, culinary engine that powered grits from the backwoods into the spotlight.  Today, you’ll find shrimp and grits everywhere  from north to south and east to west, from hole-in-the-wall eateries, to the big name restaurants.  Along the way, every major chef in the country has added his two grits worth to the basic recipe.  Barbecue.  Red pepper.  Garlic.  Cheese.  Haven’t seen escargot and grits, but I know it’s coming.

Now, I’m not a purist, but I do like my shrimp and grits to taste like shrimp and grits.  If I wanted to taste barbecue, I’d go to Texas.

So let’s quit messin’ around and git to it!  My recipe is in two parts, as you might guess.  First the grits, then the shrimp.

First the Grits

1 Cup of grits (use the 5 minute variety if that’s all you can scrape up)

2 Cups of milk

2 Cups of water

salt to taste

coarse ground black pepper to taste

1 Stick of butter (using a half stick at a time)

  Note:  Your amounts may vary, depending on the grits you use, but in any case, stick with half water and half milk.

Put the first four ingredients and a half stick of butter in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Stir well. The recipe on your box of grits is going to ignore any mention of milk and is going to tell you to bring the water to a boil first, then add the grits.  BUT, I like my grits creamy, especially if I’m going to layer them with shrimp.  The secret to creamy grits is to bring everything to a boil at the same time.  Then, cover and lower the heat to a simmer.  Stir once in awhile until the grits are done.  Your box of grits will give you a pretty good guess at how long that will take.  If the grits become too thick, add a bit more water or milk and when they’re done, stir in the other half stick of butter.

Now the Shrimp

1 lb of large shrimp  (41 to 50 count per pound)

1 ½ Cups of chopped onions (medium chop on all the vegetables)

1 Cup chopped celery

½ Cup chopped bacon

½ Chopped red bell pepper

2 Tablespoons butter for cooking the vegetables

1 to 1 ½ Cups chicken broth

Splash of Worcestershire Sauce

Two pinches red pepper flakes (too much will overpower the flavor of the shrimp)

Salt to taste

¼ Cup butter + ¼ Cup flour, mixed into a paste

Low-medium heat.  Put the vegetables, the bacon, and 2 Tablespoons of butter in a sauté pan.  Cook until the vegetables are soft, but not brown.  Add the spices and shrimp. Stir.  As the shrimp turn pink, add a cup of the broth.  Stir in the flour-butter mixture and allow the mixture to thicken.  Continue to cook on a low temperature for another three minutes.  Add the remainder of the broth as needed to keep the sauce from getting too thick.  You’re looking for a creamy consistency.

Put a helping of grits in individual shallow bowls and ladle the sauced shrimp on top.  Super for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

Enjoy it with your breakfast coffee and juice, or with a light, white wine.

Cornbread Dressing - Simply Delicious

Everything you'll need

Holidays are times for favorites and that especially means food.   Gingerbread cookies, whose deliciousness floats through the house; Roasting turkey, cranberry sauce.  The list grows longer.  One of my special favorites, besides seeing my favorite elf, cozy by the fireside, with a naughty grin on her face…ah, lost my train of thought….oh, yeah, food.  Cornbread dressing!

Some call it stuffing, but I never stuff a turkey, so I call it dressing.  Dates back to my childhood, over half a century ago.  I picture my mother, who miraculously never weighted more than 105 pounds, in the uncomfortably warm kitchen, Vogue perfect, a starched apron completing the ensemble.  The oven going.  The stovetop, with half a dozen steaming pans, and on the counter a cast iron skillet loaded with day-old cornbread.  Why day-old instead of freshly baked?  Moisture, my lad.  Cornbread that’s a tad on the dry side soaks up the goodness of all that’s to follow.

It all starts with cornbread. Here’s my recipe, but feel free to use another.  The important things are to make it a day ahead and to make enough!  This is a single recipe that I use to make dressing that feeds 6-8.

2 Cups cornmeal (I use organic, non-genetically modified.  Just make sure it is a normal grind, not finely ground)

1/4 Cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder (non-aluminum)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Cup milk

1/4 Cup vegetable oil

2 egg whites, or 1 whole egg, beaten

Heat oven to 400ºF (200ºC).  Heavily grease an iron skillet or 8x9 inch pan.  Put the pan in the oven to heat while you mix the cornbread.

Combine the dry ingredients. Stir in the wet ingredients, mixing only until the dry ingredients are moist.  Do not over-mix.

Remove the pan from the oven, pour in the batter, and put the pan back in the pre-heated oven.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Once you have the cornbread, the rest is a cinch.

Prepare the vegetables:

1 1/2 Cups sliced celery

1 1/2 Cups roughly chopped onions

1 Carrot, shredded

1 1/2 sticks butter

2 Cans or 1 32 oz carton organic chicken broth

Melt the butter in a skillet, add the vegetables and stir.  Cook only until the vegetables are just soft.

While the vegetables are cooking, in a saucepan, heat the chicken broth and reduce by half.

Crumble the cornbread into a large bowl.  Add the cooked vegetables and mix lightly, being careful not to pack down the mixture.  Moisten with the reduced chicken broth and toss.  Do not let the mixture get soggy. Taste and add more broth or melted butter if you wish.

Put the dressing mixture in an ovenproof dish and bake at 350ºF (180ºC) until the tops of the chunks of dressing begin to brown.

Notice, the dressing is not packed down!

Already have the Turkey carved, the table set? Remove the dressing from the oven and serve with your favorite homemade turkey gravy.

Now that you’ve done your duty, crack open that bottle of bubbly and join your elf by the fireside.  Maybe the guests won’t notice.