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Friday, April 15th, 2011
Written by – Trina Confusione Special to the News Journal
 Overripe bananas are perfect for this chocolate chip banana bread by pastry chef Trina Confuscione of The Fish House. / Katie king/kking@pnj.com
Springtime always pulls me toward fresh fruits and vegetables when cooking and baking. This year, I am finding it hard to find what I want because the produce is not ripe enough or the price is too high. I have been going to the market almost every day to try to find the best product rather than buying it all at once and taking my chances that I will get around to using it before it spoils.
There is, however, one item I always buy no matter what condition they’re in, and that’s bananas. Whether we get around to eating them before they turn does not matter, because I freeze the overripe ones, and when I have some left over, I make this chocolate chip banana bread.
This recipe makes two 9-by-9-inch pans, so I freeze one for later use unless we have company; then I keep one out and one in the refrigerator. This is a great snack bread and is rich enough to have as dessert. I like to eat it warm, so I heat it in the microwave to let the chips melt. I use dark chocolate in mine, but you can use any kind you have on hand or none at all. The nuts can be omitted, as well. Just keep ripe bananas in a freezer bag until you are ready to thaw.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
6 overripe bananas (mashed)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9-by-9-inch square casserole dishes. In a mixer, cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl, add mayonnaise and bananas and mix well.
Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda, then mix into batter until just incorporated. Fold in the chips and walnuts by hand.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely if you are removing from pan. Keep wrapped airtight.
For more great recipes like this one, visit us online: www.goodgrits.com/recipes
Tags: Cooking Tips, Fish House, Recipes, Southern Cooking, Trina Confusione
Posted in Atlas Oyster House, Brunch, Cooking Tips, Pensacola, Recipes, quick and easy desserts | 1 Comment »
Monday, April 4th, 2011
Pensacola Celebrity Chefs prepared for their New York City debut with the ‘Prelude to the James Beard House’ dinner
 Clockwise from lower left, Chefs Irv Miller, Frank Taylor, Gus Silivos, Dan Dunn and Jim Shirley work together to put the finishing touches on their dessert, goat cheese and ricotta-filled crepes with caramelized peaches and spiced candied pecans. / Bruce Graner/bgraner@pnj.com
Written by • Julio Diaz • jdiaz@pnj.com
Sunday night, about 100 foodies packed the Global Grill, 27 Palafox Place, for a special dinner by the Pensacola Celebrity Chefs.
The five chefs — Frank Taylor of the Global Grill, Irv Miller of Jackson’s Steakhouse, Dan Dunn of H2O, Jim Shirley of The Fish House and Gus Silivos of Nancy’s Haute Affairs — presented the dinner as a dress rehearsal for their June 28 dinner at New York City’s prestigious James Beard House. Dedicated to celebrating America’s diverse culinary heritage and future, the Beard House is considered the stage for America’s finest chefs.
The honor comes at a price: The chefs must cover all of the expenses, including travel and all the food that will be served, including shipping costs for local ingredients.
“You have to check the Grits a Ya Ya,” Shirley joked.
The five chefs felt the trip was worthwhile to promote Pensacola tourism and cuisine. Proceeds from Sunday’s dinner will help defray the expenses. (more…)
Tags: America, Atlas Oyster House, Fish House, Jackson's Steak House, James Beard House, local restaurants, New York City, Pensacola, Public Relations, Southern Cooking, Things to do
Posted in Celebrity Chefs, Chef Jim Shirley, Cooking Tips, Entertainment, Famous people, Jackson's Steak House, Pensacola, Public Relations, Southern Cooking, The Fish House, Uncategorized, celebrity, fund raising, wine | 1 Comment »
Monday, February 28th, 2011
JIM SHIRLEY • THE FISH HOUSE
 Alligator Point Clams by Fish House chef Jim Shirley. (Bruce Graner/bgraner@pnj.com)
Pensacola is oyster country, by far the number-one bivalve requested in this neck of the woods. And for good reason, too; they are all around us. Pasco Gibson of Milton’s Nichols Seafood has great East Bay oysters, and Apalachicola — just down the coast — is world-famous for theirs.
But if you travel a few miles east, you roll into Alligator Point, where aqua farmers produce some of the tastiest clams you’ve ever had! Florida is not yet known for clams, but the littlenecks from Alligator Point are spot on, which may change that perspective. It’s worth a trip to Joe Patti or Maria’s to grab a bag for a quick sauté. Better pop a bottle of Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc to clear the palate. (more…)
Tags: Atlas Oyster House, Chef Jim Shirley, Cooking Tips, Fish House, Jackson's Steak House, local restaurants, Pensacola, Southern Cooking, Things to do
Posted in Atlas Oyster House, Celebrity Chefs, Chef Jim Shirley, Cooking Tips, Entertainment, Local Pensacola Business, Misc. Videos, Pensacola, Recipes, Southern Cooking, The Deck Bar, The Fish House, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Friday, February 25th, 2011
WILLIAM MORSE • THE FISH HOUSE • FEBRUARY 23, 2011
 The Hurricane as served at the Fish House. (Bruce Graner/GoPensacola.com) Mardi Gras, a French term meaning Fat Tuesday, is the last day of the Festival of Carnival, a worldwide celebration of the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Carnival has been around for centuries and occurs each year from Jan. 6 until midnight the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the arrival of the fasting days of Lent.
Because the French once governed places such as Pensacola, Mobile, and — most famously — New Orleans, the French tradition of celebrating Carnival remained and evolved.
Over the years, Carnival has been shortened to Mardi Gras and has been stretched out to a celebration of weeks filled with big parties, parades, and drinking and eating to excess.
One of the most recognizable cocktails of this celebration is the Hurricane, a very strong rum punch that is said to have been created by Pat O’Brien, a well-known tavern owner in New Orleans. According to one story, before Prohibition’s end in 1933, O’Brien had a speakeasy with the password “Storm’s abrewin’.”
After Prohibition was repealed, Pat opened a legitimate bar. For a while, Southern rum-runners, faced with a glut of post-Prohibition rum, wouldn’t sell him a case of whiskey unless he bought 12 cases of rum. Looking to get rid of the huge surplus, he created a rum-laden punch, put it into lantern-shaped glasses, named it the Hurricane in honor of the speakeasy’s password, and sold the powerful drink to sailors. (more…)
Tags: America, Atlas Oyster House, Cocktails, Cooking Tips, fruity drinks, hurricane, local restaurants, Mardi Gras, Pensacola, Pensacola Beach, restaurant, Southern Cooking, Things to do
Posted in Atlas Oyster House, Cocktails, Cooking Tips, Entertainment, Fun, Holiday, Mardi Gras, Recipes, The Deck Bar, The Fish House, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011
Matthieu Rodriguez • Special to The Pensacola News Journal • FEBRUARY 9, 2011
 The Flaming Heart by Matthieu Rodriguez of Atlas Oyster House. (Katie King/kking@pnj.com) Tequila, the precursor of many great times and consequent hangovers, has seen a resurgence. This is largely because of modern distillation processes, carefully managed aging techniques and inspection and exportation regulations that have been introduced by the Mexican government in order to ensure quality tequila and prevent counterfeiting of this blue agave product.
Like Champagne, tequila can only be made in certain parts of the world to receive the “tequila” classification. This area is relegated to Jalisco, a Mexican state that borders the Pacific Ocean, and certain areas of four other states. Roasting the hearts of slow-maturing blue agave, then pressing out the sugary liquid for distillation, is a centuries-old process that travels back to early Aztec civilizations. In fact, tequila is recognized as North America’s first distilled spirit.
There are several different styles and profiles of tequila; however, for this recipe, we use only Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Silver. This silver tequila is triple distilled and finished in French white-oak barrels. This mellows the tequila to an amiable presence perfect for sipping or mixing.
When you mix tequila, you must be careful to not lose the identity of the drink by overpowering it with other flavors. Rather than mask the tequila flavor, we are going to accent it by adding Licor 43, a bright-yellow Spanish liqueur. Licor 43 is made from citrus and a variety of other fruit juices and infused with vanilla. The number of ingredients totals 43, hence the name. We are going to use pineapple juice as an additional flavor that will help blend the two aforementioned products. One of my favorite “secret ingredients” for a special cocktail is egg white. Egg whites add a third dimension to a drink: texture. Generally speaking, this key ingredient to several classic cocktails is usually lost with modern adaptations.
The Flaming Heart 11„2 Ounces Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Silver Tequila 1„4 Ounce Licor 43 1 Ounce Pineapple Juice 1„2 Ounce Pasteurized Egg Whites 3 Dashes Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce
Mix the first four ingredients in a shaker tin. Shake well with ice for 10 seconds. This will allow the mixture to blend without being bruised by the ice.
Add ice to a short rocks glass and empty the shaker over the contents. You’ll have a delicious-looking, tasty cocktail.
To add a little kick to your creation, top it off with three splashes of Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce. Hope you enjoy. Stay thirsty!
Atlas Oyster House, 600 S. Barracks St., Pensacola. 437-1961, or visit atlas.goodgrits.com.
Tags: America, Atlas Oyster House, Cocktails, Cooking Tips, Happy Hour, local business, party planning, Pensacola, Recipes, Southern Cooking, Things to do
Posted in Atlas Oyster House, Cocktails, Cooking Tips, Employees, Entertainment, Fun, Local Pensacola Business, Public Relations, Recipes, The Deck Bar, The Fish House | No Comments »
Monday, February 7th, 2011
REBECCA ROSS • The Pensacola News Journal • RROSS@PNJ.COM • FEBRUARY 5, 2011
The recipe is simple.
 Katie King / kking@pnj.com The Fish House Sushi Chef Hiromi Miles demonstrates how to make nigiri sushi, sashimi sushi, miso soup, and various sushi sauces on Tuesday night during the Sweet Tea Southern Cooking series at The Fish House. Take a lively crowd and a chef, mix well. Add a sprinkle of questions, a pinch of laughter and a dash of romance.
Serve with a refreshing beverage and voila! You’ve got yourself a cooking class.
Culinary education on the Gulf Coast has never been so edu-taining. From French cuisine to cupcakes, locals are eating up instruction from professional chefs.
Ben and Wendy Boyer, of Pensacola, certainly enjoyed their Feb. 1 cooking class at Jasmine Fusion on Nine Mile Road. Along with other attendees, the couple fired up a cook top and learned to prepare chili paste from chef Praijira Chan.
Wendy Boyer, 34, said the hands-on evening class was a Christmas gift from her husband.
“It was exactly the kind of thing the two of us enjoy,” said the mom of three boys. “It was a very different but fun date night.”
And it’s an experience the Boyers are sure to repeat.
“Oh, I’d definitely take another class with Ben,” Wendy Boyer said, chuckling. “Maybe he’ll learn to cook some other meals.”
(more…)
Tags: America, Cooking Classes, Cooking Tips, Fish House, Jackson's Steak House, local restaurants, Pensacola, Southern Cooking, Sweet Tea Cooking Classes, Things to do
Posted in Cocktails, Cooking Classes, Cooking Tips, Entertainment, Fun, Jackson's Steak House, Pensacola, Recipes, Southern Cooking, The Deck Bar, Uncategorized | No Comments »
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