There are few instances where I get itchy for Southern cooking. Too many years above the Mason-Dixon line have weakened my stomach to all forms of vegetable oil and lard and have thus greatly decreased the amount of Southern food that I can consume when home. (My tolerance for Cream of Mushroom soup-esque cooking has also gone down, but that's solely from acquired snobbery. In theory, it's just as tasty.) However, I was feeling the itch for some Carolina cuisine, so did a little digging and found this recipe for shrimp & grits, which might just be the tastiest thing I have ever consumed. I'll note that leaving the leeks out is perfectly okay and that prosciutto is an adequate substitution for the tasso ham, though I'd recommend throwing in some Cajun spice mix to heat it up. (Or red pepper. I'll never so no to red pepper.) I'm sure it's even better in places where the shrimp hasn't been sitting around in the grocery store freezer to the point that it could probably acquire a driver's license in most states.
Also, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to find grits in Illinois. There was a brief moment of panic walking through Schnuck's with my little basket that I would be making shrimp & Cream of Wheat, but no! There they were beside the instant oatmeal, and my heart rate returned to normal and for a brief moment in the sterile white light of this anywhere chain grocery store, I felt at home.
In other food related news, I am making biscotti. One of my favorite weekend activities. I've modified this recipe and pretty much perfected it, though more often than not I manage to burn the damn things. I completely suck at remembering that I have things in the oven and again with the damn kitchen timer! Someone! Please! If you missed my birthday, here's your chance to make it right.
Below, "Erin's Modified Biscotti Recipe That Will Completely Rock Your Socks if One's Socks Can in Fact Be Rocked."
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (or melted in the microwave like I do because I never think to leave my butter out and I'm too lazy to do so after I decide that I must bake *right now*)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup cappuccino chips (or nuts or white chocolate chips or more semisweet chocolate chips or whatever you've got around -- though I don't really recommend fruits or vegetables, regardless of how exotic you're trying to go with these)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Form the dough into a 16-inch-long, 3-inch-wide log. Transfer the log to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 30 minutes. Cool 30 minutes. (They're not kidding with the cooling thing. Don't try to be all manly and chop through them when they're freakin' hot. It hurts their feelings and more importantly, their eventual texture.)
Place the log on the cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the cookies cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake the cookies until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a rack and cool completely. They're almost always better the second day because they're harder and thus don't come apart in your coffee ruining said sacred beverage. The recipe will make about 10 regardless of the fact that it claims to be able to make approx. 24. I don't know where they get these damn numbers.
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