Tag: Georgia

An Autumn-Inspired Pork Chop Package

Published on by RebekahLeave a comment

wpid-20121023_203126.jpgAt the start of each new season, there are a few dishes I anticipate cooking greatly. My Apple-Pecan Honey Stuffed Pork Chops in White Wine are at the top of the list in the fall. Apples, onions, pecans and nutmeg exemplify autumn in this comforting, home-cooked meal. It starts on the stove top and finishes in the oven. Special enough for company and simple enough for a weeknight, these tender, juicy pork chops put chicken and beef to shame. It ought to be a crime to eat this good!

Let’s get cookin’! Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 3-4 thick cut pork chops
  • Salt, pepper and nutmeg seasonings
  • 1-2 Tbs honey
  • 1 medium granny smith apple
  • 1 small Vidalia onion
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • Unsalted butter
  • White wine of your choice, I used Pinot Grigio

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Start by dicing a granny smith apple, an onion and your pecans. Be sure to dice them up small, keeping them the same size for even cooking. A smaller dice will also make your pork chops easier to stuff.

Melt a tablespoon of unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the diced apples, onions and pecans, season with salt and pepper and dot with butter. Cook for a few minutes, then drizzle in some honey for a touch of sweetness.

Meanwhile, prepare your pork chops. Season both sides with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Rub it in good.

It’s really important to get a thick cut pork chop for this recipe. They should be at least a 1/4 of an inch thick.

You’ll need a small, sharp pairing knife to make the incision. Cut them right down the middle, keeping the back and sides of the pork chop intact but making a large enough incision to create a good size pocket. Don’t be scared. Own it!

By this time, your stuffing will be ready. With a large serving spoon, fill each pork chop to the brim. Pack the stuffing in there, getting down in the crevices. Don’t overfill them, but make sure each one is plump. If you put too much stuffing in the pork chops, it’ll just fall out during cooking. You want them to hold as much as possible. Just remember, deep pockets do the trick. You can use toothpicks to secure them, but I find they just get in the way.

In the same pan (easier clean up and building flavors – winning), melt another tablespoon or two of unsalted butter. Gently lay your stuffed pork chops in the pan and brown on each side for 3-4 minutes until the outsides are golden brown and caramelized. When you flip them, handle with care. You will lose a little stuffing, but don’t fret. Before transferring to the oven, hit the pan with a good splash of white wine and inhale. 😉

Finish cooking the pork chops in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. I find it much easier to finish a thick cut of meat in the oven than on the stove top. The meat cooks evenly and you don’t have to worry about one side getting darker than the other or constant flipping. Plus, you’re not standing over the stove and you can take a moment to sip some wine or devote your attention to side dishes.

They taste phenomenal–warm flavors of nutmeg and pork compliment tart apples in every sweet and savory bite. Don’t forget to drizzle the chops with the pan juices. Having one of these on your plate is like having your own little gift. You’re also getting fruit, protein and vegetables all in one little package. What’s not to love?

A sweet potato or brown rice are a pork chop’s friend.

Feel free to change-up the stuffing. Rosemary is awesome with pork. Don’t like pecans? Use walnuts. Even if pork is not in your diet, chicken is always an alternative. The idea is to have fun and experiment with flavors. Enjoy!

What are your favorite fall meals?

Related Content:
Skillet Barbecued Pork Chops Good Enough for Company

The Best Crab Cakes in The World

Published on by Rebekah4 Comments

Some folks say “Yum!” Some let off a long, low “mmmmmm.” Me? I praise the Lord. I mean, I have church. It’s the perfect bite that brings it out of me. It can happen anywhere–in a restaurant, at my mama’s table. When I taste it, the words just naturally roll off my tongue. Crunch. Thank you holy Jesus. Taste. Glory to your name Father. Swallow. Halleluiah. It’s not every time I eat, but when it happens, you’ll know. I raise my hands in praise and get the oddest looks from those around me. When I made these crab cakes, it happened.

This is what a crab cake should be. This my friends, is the best crab cake in the world. If heaven were a taste, you’re looking at it. Made up of lump crab meat and a few spices with only an egg white to bind everything together, the flavor of crab meat is the main event. No saltines, no breading–this is a true crab cake. Inspired by the King of the Lowcountry himself, the late beloved writer Pat Conroy, this recipe comes from “The Pat Conroy Cookbook.”

Any good cook will tell you, a beautiful meal starts with the finest ingredients. Prosser’s Wholesale Shrimp is a hidden gem in Brooklet, Georgia. It’s where the locals go to get wild Georgia shrimp, crab legs, crab meat and all the fixin’s for their lowcountry boils. It’s where I went to get my crab meat. Even while I shopped, the owner’s father was shrimping on the Southern seacoast.

At the Statesboro Mainstreet Farmers’ Market, I picked up some homegrown hot peppers and a bunch of garlic chives. I seeded and chopped the pepper, and it gave my crab cakes a nice kick and punch of color.

Combine one pound of lump crab meat with chopped pepper and garlic chives, then season with cayenne pepper, freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt.

Beat one egg white lightly and pour over the crab mixture.

Fold everything together gently. Once the crab meat has absorbed the egg white and is sticky to the touch, sift one tablespoon of all-purpose flour into the mix.

The recipe makes eight cakes. They are very fragile. To form the cakes, divide the crab mixture into eight balls. Then flatten each one slightly with the palm of your hand. Season each one with a little more kosher salt. Refrigerate the cakes for at least an hour.

Combine a teaspoon of peanut oil and about a tablespoon of butter in a skillet and let it get hot. This is the secret to a beautiful, crunchy crust.

Gently lay the crab cakes in the skillet. I put my first one in the pan as if it were a hamburger and it immediately crumbled. It’s all good though, because you’ll have eight chances to get it right. When you flip them, a small flat spatula will make the job easiest. Keep them very close to the bottom of the pan and be as delicate as possible. Not going to lie, flipping crab cakes is a stressful experience. Here’s the good news: they’re edible no matter what their shape. 😉

Serve them on a bed of greens with lemon wedges, a side of grits and a cold glass of sweet tea. It’s sure to be a lowcountry experience no matter where you live.

Recipe Recap
Excerpted from “The Pat Conroy Cookbook” by Pat Conroy copyright © 2004

Pat Conroy’s Crab Cakes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over and cleaned, with all shell fragments removed
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten (until just foamy, not stiff)
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely snipped
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons peanut oil
  • Lemon wedges

Cooking Directions

Place the cleaned crabmeat in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the egg white over crabmeat slowly, stopping occasionally to mix it through. When the crabmeat has absorbed the egg white and feels slightly sticky to the touch, sift the flour over crabmeat and sprinkle the chives, black pepper, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of the salt evenly over the top. Lift the crabmeat from the bottom of the bowl, turning it over gently, to mix the ingredients without overhandling.

Separate the crabmeat into 8 equal portions and gently roll each between the flattened palms of your hands to form loose balls. Flatten slightly and transfer to a plate. Sprinkle both sides liberally with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cooking.

Line a baking pan with paper towels. Fry the crab cakes in two batches to ensure a crisp crust. Using a small (8-inch) heavy skillet that conducts heat well, melt half the butter and oil together until the mixture is foamy and begins to brown. Carefully place the crab cakes in the hot fat and fry until a crust forms, turning only once, about 2 minutes per side. (The fat should be sizzling hot, enabling a crisp crust to form before the crab absorbs the cooking fat. This is the Southern secret to perfect crab cakes.) A small pastry spatula (with a thin tongue) will make lifting and turning the delicate crab cakes a lot easier. Remove the crab cakes and drain in the prepared pan. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm while you make the second batch.

Carefully pour off the cooking fat from the first batch, wipe out the pan, and return it to the heat. Prepare the second batch of crab cakes using the remaining butter and oil.

Serve hot with lemon wedges. Makes 8 crab cakes.

New to Some Kinda Good?

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Georgia native Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser is a freelance writer, entertainer and food enthusiast who writes and speaks about her love of good food and the Coastal South. A Season 2 Contestant on ABC’s “The Taste,” she is the former Statesboro Herald food columnist and past host of the television program “Statesboro Cooks.” From 2012 – ’14, she appeared regularly as Celebrity Chef at the Statesboro Main Street Farmers’ Market and wrote as a guest blogger for Visit Savannah and The Local Palate. In addition, her work is published in Moments magazine and Connect Statesboro. Her culinary accomplishments are recognized in two publications: She is a featured alumna in Georgia Southern Magazine (Spring ’14) and the “Go Girl!” in Moments magazine (March 2104), a tabloid for moms and modern women. To learn more, visit RebekahFaulk.wix.com/RebekahFaulk.

A Saturday-Morning Tradition

Published on by Rebekah8 Comments

Back in the Day Bakery
Savannah, Georgia

At the intersection of West 40th and Bull Streets under one lone palm tree in the Starland District of Savannah, Georgia sits Back in the Day Bakery, so fondly known as The Best Little Bakery in the South. I had wanted to visit for weeks, ever since I’d seen Cheryl Day, co-owner, cooking with Paula Deen on Food Network. It was everything I’d hoped it would be and more.

I was in love from the moment I entered. Love at first sight. It was like sensory overload. The smell of fresh bread. The cottage, rustic, modern style. The retro appliances. The vintage dishes. The coastal color palette. The inviting seating area above immediately caught my eye–I couldn’t get over the live baby’s breath anchored in tin pails and the over-sized chairs. This was a place I could come daily, I thought.

Rosemary Ciabatta bread and Pugliese loaves (a crusty italian bread), along with Sunny Lemon Bars and Bourbon Bread Pudding fill the window as you approach the cashier to place your order.

Then I saw it. Cinnamon Sticky Buns. It just so happened that I had visited Back in the Day bakery on a special day–Saturday morning, the only time of the week Griff Day, co-owner, bakes these unbelievably freakin’ good send-you-to-church delicacies. Made with local honey from the Savannah Bee Company, the buns have a sweet-spicy filling, a caramel glaze and a tangy, oh-my-sweet-heavenly-Lord, cream cheese frosting. The taste was enough to make this Southern Baptist begin speaking in tongues.

I enjoyed my Cinnamon Sticky Bun with a cup of the Bakery’s best-selling organic breakfast tea for $1.75.

The floor and counter tops are cement…just another little detail that adds to the nostalgia.

Simple syrup, a combination of equal parts water and sugar, is available to sweeten your tea or coffee. I like using simple syrup because it allows you to be in control of your sugar intake…of pristine importance when you’re downing Cinnamon Sticky Buns. 😉 You’ll also find utensils for the taking in classic Mason Jars.

Back in the Day Bakery doesn’t just sell baked goods, lunch is also served daily from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Above, the Rosemary Chicken sandwich is made with chicken, red onion, celery, black currants and herb spiced mayo.

Who wouldn’t want to sit underneath this?

 The Days have really succeeded in creating a true experience. The food draws you in and the atmosphere makes you want to stay.

The Bakery opened in 2002. Their best seller? An Old-Fashioned Vanilla Cupcake with Vanilla Buttercream. The cupcakes above were fresh from the oven.

Even the staff members are colorful. Decked out in aprons with handkerchiefs on their heads, they offer friendly service with a smile.

My trip wouldn’t have been complete without purchasing The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook. Buy it from the Bakery and you’ll get an autographed copy! If the recipes contained in this book taste anything like the Saturday-morning tradition Cinnamon Sticky Buns, it’ll be the best $24.95 I’ve ever spent.

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