Winning Chili & Cornbread Recipes

Max takes the lid off the winning chili recipe.

Chili Cook-Off Winners!

Over the weekend we had our inaugural Piedmont Grocery Chili Cook-Off. Wow, what fun! I had a blast, and the general consensus is the we should do it again next summer. I think we shall.

My life revolves around food. It is my passion as well as my hobby. It’s also what I do for a living which means I talk about food a lot. Talking about food or favorite recipes is a common enough experience in any work environment but it is even more so here at PG. It makes sense–people who work with and around food all day would have a pretty good idea of what ingredient would taste good with what other ingredient and what would be the best preparation for any ingredient. We also have our resident “experts”. These are the individuals who are known for (and sometimes share 🙂 ) their particular specialty, be it crab cakes (Josh) or to die for German Chocolate Cupcakes (Sarah) and, of course, we have a secret weapon in the deli (Phil).

Needless to say, all six of our Chili Cook-Off entries were made by people who knew what they were doing, and it showed. The best part, and what made it interesting, was that each chili was totally different than the others. We had spicy chili. We had chunky chili. We even had duck chili (with duck cracklin’ on top! Are you kidding me? So Good.)

The customers who came by to taste were awesome, and so culinary-aware, and so educated. It was really cool to stand there and talk to them about ingredients while using phrases like “nuance” and “depth of flavor”. Yes, I realize we were talking about chili but it felt like we were discussing the recipes of Thomas Keller.

All of the chili recipes were tasty, but since it was a chili cook-off there has to be a winner. So, without further ado, the winning chili as voted by our fabulous customers is…

Chili #5 by Max & Sarah
Anyone who has been through our checkout stands or had their groceries placed gently in their bag, has probably met one or both of our winning chefs. Their collaboration produced the most classic chili of the bunch, and tasted like what one would want on a cool fall day…preferably during a football game. Well, it’s what I would want in fall after or during a football game…or just about anytime, really. And don’t get me started on the corn bread! Read more…

Gazpacho With Strawberries, Quail Eggs, and Olives

TO-MAY-TOE…TO-MAH-TOE

It is hot. When it’s this hot I don’t feel like cooking. When you toss in a new pool in our backyard, making dinner just doesn’t sound like a fun idea. But here’s the problem, I have tomatoes — way too many tomatoes. Now honestly, I love being in the position to share this bounty with others, but it does present problems.

We have tomatoes everywhere. We eat them by the slice. We put them in sandwiches. We toss them in salads. (If I see another Caprese I’m going to loose it.) I make salsa, and use tomatoes in whatever recipe possible. I give some away and, frankly, some just fall on the ground for the squirrels to eat. This coming weekend it’s time to break out the pressure canner and make pasta sauce.

In the interim, I am going to make this Catalan style Gazpacho courtesy of chef Jose Garces and his book The Latin Road Home. My cookbook group reviewed it a month or so ago, and this was one of my sister’s recipes. It’s the perfect hot weather dinner, especially alongside a crisp salad, or with any of your favorite tapas.

Make sure you do the garnishes. They make a difference. And we had fun coming up with our favorite combinations. The strawberries were a pleasant surprise, and by far my favorite addition although we threw ’em in as is, un-charred. Read more…

Oriental Barbecued Ribs

BBQ Ribs The Fourth of July brings to mind many things. Freedom, of course. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, definitely. Fireworks, heck yeah. Food? You better believe it, Sister!

Fourth of July food means corn, potato salad, slaw, melon and ribs…always ribs. Well, at least for me.

In my family there are any number of ways to cook ribs. The Cherry Coke Ribs (See 6/27/12 post.) from last year are probably my favorite, but my grandmother’s Oriental Barbequed Ribs are a close second. We used to enjoy these during the summer for Sunday dinner with some Southern Spoonbread (addictive!), and some Chili Cheese Rice on the side (See Green Chili and Rice recipe from 4/24/2013.)

The original recipe came from Bon Appetit Magazine way back in the dark ages, which probably accounts for the name of the recipe. I remember my Mom’s copy written on a piece of folded, yellow, ruled, legal paper that lived in the back of her recipe box. God help us if anyone lost that paper!

The ribs are tasty, fall off the bone, and are a nice change from the usual “saucy” ribs. Make sure you marinade them overnight. It makes all the difference. And definitely save some of the marinade for basting while they are on the grill.

This year I will be spending my Fourth of July in a pool, because we are apparently now all living on the face of the sun, and will not be cooking the traditional festive meal. Instead I will make some 6th of July ribs to celebrate the weather’s return to “normal” after a week set at nuclear.

No matter what your food and party plans are this Thursday, I wish you all a very happy and cool Fourth of July! Read more…

Corn Pie

It’s corn time in Brentwood and I am one happy girl.
There are few things as good as a fresh ear of sweet corn—unless it is a fresh ear of sweet corn that you have not grown yourself. I have tried it and it was a less than fulfilling experience.

Who knew that corn had Diva-like properties? You would think, given the amount of corn produced in this country, that corn would be as easy to grow as your average weed. Alas, you would be wrong.

Now, it could be possible that my issues were a result of, let us say, operator error. But rather than admit defeat, I choose to be the petulant child and blame it on a, particularly high-maintenance grain crop.

I figured out that the time, water, and effort it takes to grow the perfect ear of corn in my garden (and one ear may be all I actually get) is not worth it when I can go to the farm stand and buy 6 ears of better quality corn, from a guy who only grows corn, and knows a heck of a lot more about growing corn than I do, all for one dollar.

So, if you find yourself with an abundance of corn, recently procured from the farmer, and are kinda tired of gnawing on a cob, try this old-school possibility courtesy of Cooks Country’s Best Lost Suppers Cookbook. Read more…