Foodie Friday!

What a crazy week it's been here in the South!  We're a bit north of Birmingham so we didn't have the ice problems.  I have friends and family there and in Atlanta.  Luckily, everyone was safe and sound and out of the cold.  The problems up here have been just the general unpreparedness for day after day of single digit temperatures.  Days on end of temperatures in the 90s and 100s with humidity so high your clothes feel damp after being outside I can deal with.  9 degrees?  Not so much. The A/C repair companies have been working overtime because everyone's heat pumps just can't handle the workload.  Anyway, back to food!

I've been craving some White BBQ sauce and Christy Jordan's Alabama White Barbecue Sauce saved the day.  I slathered it on some chicken and fried some potatoes and everyone was happy.  The creamy, peppery, tangy-ness of this sauce is something that really should be know outside of North Alabama.

On Tuesday I used my new favorite cookbook - Carla Hall's Cooking with Love - and made Buffalo Wing Burgers.  I'm not a big wing fan but this recipe looked intriguing so I gave it a try.  I'm so glad I did!  Have you ever made something and like it so much that it doesn't matter if everyone else hates it you will be making it again?  This was one of those though luckily my family didn't hate it even though J is deeply suspicious of chicken burgers.  The spicy mayonnaise really makes these and is so simple to put together.  I didn't make the blue cheese slaw but I did crumble some Gorgonzola over my burger and it was amazing.  I ended up ordering this book which is good because my current copy has to go back to the library soon and I will miss it.

I made Pork Saltimbocca from my other current favorite cookbook Michael Symon's 5 in 5.  This is thin pork cutlets topped with sage and prosciutto and when I first looked at the recipe I was a little intimidating by the whole bundle thing.  Once I got started though his directions were clear enough that it was very easy and as usual quick to make.  The presentation is elegant enough to serve to company and the prep is so quick you wouldn't be stuck in the kitchen for very long.





Thursday was J's and my wedding anniversary (11 years!) so we left the Tornado with Emma and went to a nice dinner just the two of us.  It was lovely and the food was amazing.  I had a filet with Gorgonzola, white corn cheese grits, sweet potato hash and a chocolate souffle with a brandy Anglais.  I was so stuffed I could barely walk but it was worth every bite (and pound).

Pinterest -

For Chocolate Cake Day (really, it exists!) I made this Ultimate Death by Chocolate Cake.  While my interpretation could have placed in an Ugliest Cake Competition it was delicious.  So delicious in fact that it is now gone.  I think when I finish up 52 Weeks of Cupcakes I may move onto cakes. 

I also revisited my tried and true favorite  Soft Batch Style Chocolate Chip Cookies from Pickey Palate.  As usual they were everything a chocolate chip cookie should be.  I get lazy with these and melt the butter then cool to room temperature instead of letting it soften but the texture and flavor aren't affected.  

Next week I'll probably be pretty low key on sweets (see yesterday's Cupcake post) but I'm hoping to try out some new bread recipes.  It's been awhile since I've made bread and I kind of miss it.