A little meat on the bones is good for the soul: Barbecue for the weekends.
Here in the South we do a lot of grilling on weekends. At almost all football pregame cookouts, backyard get-togethers, and pool parties, the preferred cooking method is the grill!
There’s nothing quite like the smell of smoking hardwood mixed with the natural juices of the meat and the marinade. It demands the attention of your guests and nearly every neighbor within 200 yards. So, down South, be prepared to cook up a bunch of barbecue. Remember; nothing’s worse than cooking just enough for the party and unexpected guests, leaving yourself without any leftovers to enjoy over the next couple of days!
Here at the Fish House and Atlas, our chefs are grill experts. For this blog entry, we asked them to lend a little bit of their expertise to you and yours to enjoy.
This is a favorite recipe our chefs created for our “Sweet Tea, Southern Cooking” series. It features plump, juicy chicken thighs – but really, any meat can be used. The first part of the recipe features a Southern version of water and Coca-Cola, the marinade’s main ingredient. What goes better with barbecue then ice-cold Coca-Cola?
Well, ice-cold beer, probably. But just so you don’t have to make the hard choice of what to drink, we threw the Coke into the marinade so you can say you had both! To really jazz things up, we have paired the Coke-marinated chicken with a Jack Daniel’s barbecue sauce to slap on it. We think you will agree that the aromas of the white-oak barrels that Jack Daniel’s uses in its maturation process really bring out fantastic flavors for the barbecue sauce. So try it and let us know if we are right-on. It’s OK if you tweak the recipes a bit; we want to know about that, too. Either way, eat a bunch and have fun.
Hope the right team wins for you, the pool stays clean and cold, and the relatives live close enough not to have to sleep over when the party’s done.
I really do love Thai spices and figs. This recipe was inspired by quite a few people who have influenced me in my American adventures in Thai food — and the fact that there is an abundance of really good figs out and about in backyards and in the markets! The rice pudding brings out the fig’s sweet flavor, which really surprises me, because other than as a preserve, I really think of figs as a savory fruit. This dessert is a treat to the palate.
So, guys, you have finally found that special girl that makes your heart flutter, and you are ready to make her yours forever. Well, there is no greater moment in a girl’s life than when her true love gets down on one knee and in his own words asks her to be with him for the rest of their lives.
Kelley, a manager at the Fish House, finally found that guy! After falling in love, Tim went on to serve a tour in Afghanistan. While in the barracks, Tim would Skype Kelley while she was on her lunch breaks. He would talk about their future lives together and vowed that one day they would be husband and wife. I sit very close to her in the office on most days and saw her face light up every time she saw him on the computer screen. Thank goodness for Skype. Kelley was able to show him things like the new puppy she bought for him and the garden she worked so hard. It was also nice to have Skype when I wanted to show him what my own engagement ring looked like on Kelley’s finger—sorry, Tim, she’s still waiting for that! Watching them fall more and more in love and anticipating his return home, I found myself getting excited for her. (more…)
Nestled in the heart of beautiful Downtown Pensacola, Art Praha Galerie is committed to excellence and the tradition of displaying art in an elegant and relaxing gallery atmosphere. Since 2008, they have been offering a discriminating selection of original artwork created by artists and designers from all around the world.
Art Praha Galerie is owned by Radim and Jeidy Smejkal. They are originally from Europe and have lived in Pensacola for the past eight years. Join them on September 17 for Gallery Night in downtown Pensacola as they celebrate the two-year anniversary of their gallery’s opening. Also on Gallery Night, be sure to visit our sister restaurant, Jackson’s Steakhouse, and end the evening at our house for a dance party with The Shiz starting at 9:00 p.m.
Art Praha Galerie selections include: original paintings, lithography, needlepoint, limited edition giclées, photography, sculpture, raku pottery, glass art, and designer one-of-a-kind jewelry. They are dedicated to providing impeccable clientele service to collectors around the world, and cordially they invite you to experience one of the finest art galleries in Northwest Florida.
The power of a “thank you” resounds here at the Fish House—from our earlier blog entry introducing the Fish House Happy Hour bouquet by Fiore to a couple of our employees who have received the sweetest notes from our guests.
This month, we received an e-mail from a nice lady, Michelle Murray, who was very appreciative of our staff—in particular, Chef Jason Norris, who accommodated her meal request. We aim to please when folks decide to visit us. We appreciate all of the kind words and, more important, thank you so much for coming to see us. Jason is a wonderful chef and all around nice guy. Try out his recipe for some killer Chili con Carne with Black Bean & Cilantro Cream! (more…)
The what, why, and huh? of food. Butter beans demystified.
Recently, at a tasting for our new Southern Sunday Suppers, a good friend of ours, Kelly Oden, Executive Editor for Ballinger Publishing, confessed that she didn’t understand how to cook fresh beans. Kelly uses dried beans. Well, she can’t be alone, so we went to the King of Southern food, Chef Jim Shirley, for the scoop.
Lima beans, also known in the South as butter beans, are a must-serve dish with any true Southern meal. Even if you don’t care for them, you have to know what they are and how to cook them if you are going to call yourself a Southerner. Chef Jim Shirley says fret not, folks. Peas and beans fresh off the farm are truly delicious and easy to prepare.
Once you buy your fresh beans, you will need to either shell them if they’re mature or break them up if they’re immature, first removing the stems (and strings, if any). You’ll want to blanch the beans in boiling water. Lightly boiling them stops the enzymatic processes, which keeps them from spoiling if you are to keep them in the fridge for a while or freeze them. It also keeps them green, which Chef Shirley calls “locking in the color.”
Blanch the beans for three minutes. Start counting the moment the beans hit the boil. At the three-minute mark, strain and immediately immerse beans in an ice bath for about six minutes to stop the cooking process and lock in the flavor and color! Once blanched and cooled, they’re ready to cook—or you can freeze them for up to nine months or refrigerate them for up to a week.
If you’re keeping them in the fridge for a few days, Chef Jim recommends covering the beans in a little chicken stock. This keeps them from drying out and helps them develop an excellent flavor. He prepares his beans in a cast iron skillet by sautéing some shallots and a little ham in some butter. Once the ham is cooked and the shallots are translucent, add the beans and cover with stock. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook beans 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender.
Here in the South we do a lot of grilling on weekends. At almost all football pregame cookouts, backyard get-togethers, and pool parties, the preferred cooking method is the grill!
So, guys, you have finally found that special girl that makes your heart flutter, and you are ready to make her yours forever. Well, there is no greater moment in a girl’s life than when her true love gets down on one knee and in his own words asks her to be with him for the rest of their lives.
The what, why, and huh? of food. Butter beans demystified.
