Fried Green Tomatoes

While I had so many beautiful green tomatoes in the house for the Pepe Salati, I couldn't resist making some classic southern fried green tomatoes! I made them 2 times and my second batch was the best. Here is my recipe. The dash of cayenne gives them a nice little kick.

4 firm green tomatoes
sea salt
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
4 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
a dash of cayenne pepper
3 eggs
1 tablespoon water
canola oil for frying
flaky sea salt

Slice tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices, discarding top and bottom ends of the tomatoes. Salt the slices and place in a colander to draw liquid to the surface.

Combine flour, cornmeal, pepper, garlic and cayenne in a large bowl. Beat eggs and water in another bowl. Once tomatoes start to weep, dredge them in the dry mixture, then the egg and again in the dry.

Heat oil in an iron skillet to medium-high heat. Fry slices 4 or 5 at a time, without overcrowding the pan, and drain on paper towels.

Top with flaky sea salt (I use Maldon) and serve.

Pepe Salati, part 1

Autumn back home in the Northeast. I remember well the first day you could feel it in the air each year. A bittersweet moment as summer fades and fall takes the helm. There is a coolness in the air, a certain smell and a feeling that makes me want to bake and cook cozy dishes and big pots of soup.










A big rite of fall in my family was the preserving of the last of the hot peppers and the green tomatoes from the garden — Pepe Salati (pronounced pee-pee sa-li-ah-ti by my family). Directly translated, it means simply salted peppers.

The process of making Pepe Salati was lovingly passed down from my grandfather to me the year before he got sick. Pappaw was 89 and I was 26. I can still here him telling me how to prepare everything for the 5–6 week process. I'll never forget his voice and his smile. I was very close to him from the time I was an infant and keeping this tradition alive keeps him close in my heart and thoughts every fall.

Now I live in southern California, so that first glimpse of fall is far more subtle, yet there is still something in the air when the summer begins to fade and fall is upon us. This will be the second time I will make Pepe Salati here in San Diego and I am very excited!

The process is quite long and involved. First you have to gather a large supply of green tomatoes and hot peppers. Thanks to my friend Jonathan for hooking me up with the tomatoes! He and I hand picked organic green tomatoes last Thursday in north county. Back east, we always used medium to hot Hungarian Wax peppers, but I can't seem to find them here. I use a yellow chili peppers that are also medium to hot. They work nicely.

The next step is to prepare the crock and the weight and board. All were handed down to by Pappaw. The details of the process is best observed first hand, but the basic idea is to layer whole garlic cloves, thick sliced tomatoes, broad sliced peppers, a good amount of canning salt and a combination of fresh fennel fronds and stems (supplementing with dried fennel seed as necessary). Repeat until the crock is full, then place the wooden board wrapped in cloth and the heavy weight on top. Let it set a day or 2, poor off the water that is released and add more layers if you have more peppers and tomatoes. Once you have added all you are going to add, let stand with the weight and board in place and check daily, pouring off the excess water. Once the crock is not making water any longer, it is time to start to brine. The brine consists of water, canning salt and white vinegar. It is changed weekly along with the cloth that covers the board for the next 4 weeks until the peppers are ready. Once they are ready, the garlic and fennel stems are discarded. Some are stored in brine or plain water in the refrigerator and some are drained and dressed with olive oil and fresh garlic — ready to enjoy!

John Petosa and Pappaw wiping peppers for Pepe Salati

Travel Photos

In addition to all things cooking and food related, I love, love, love to travel and take pictures (yes quite often including pictures of food). I just ran across a few of great slide shows on Budget Travel's blog that I wanted to share. These are all reader submitted shots.

Sunsets:
http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-srv/gallery/0909_ReadersSunset/index.html?jumpToPic=0

France:
http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-srv/gallery/0907_ReadersFrance/index.html?jumpToPic=0

Italy:
http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-srv/gallery/0907_ReadersItaly/index.html?jumpToPic=0

National Parks:
http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-srv/gallery/0907_NationalParks/index.html?jumpToPic=0


Once I get my website up and running, I will have a section for my own best-of-the-best travel shots. Steve and I have both taken a lot of great shots over the years... From Napa to NYCv to Paris and Cinque Terre, Italy. I look forward to sharing those soon.


Enjoy!

Madnening Schedules, Taking Time & Eating Well

Ok, so it is true... I spend so much time focusing on everything and everybody else in my life that I often forget to take time to do the things that I need to do and want to do for myself. There is no doubt that my life has been a bit crazy the last few month/years, but it is no excuse. I have to make time for those things I need to do, a big one of which is writing and building this blog. Yes, I know I have said it before, but this time I am serious.

Today's thoughts are on busy schedules and trying to eat well. The last few weeks have been really hectic with my work. This weekend it was just me and my trusty canine companion Allie and I finally took a few days to really relax. No work, just beach time, a little cooking, reading, game night with some friends, old movies and and topped off with Labor Day at the SD zoo with some other friends.

We are finally coming off of a heat wave here in San Diego — thank goodness! Last weekend my aunt and uncle came to visit from Houston. They had hopes of escaping the heat, but found it to be almost as hot here, made worse by the fact that we have no A/C (since the other 50 weeks of the year don't require it). Needless to say I haven't been in the kitchen a lot lately.

One of my highlights in the kitchen this weekend was a salad I made on Saturday. I pounded out a chicken breast and marinated it in and orange and muscat grape flavored champagne vinegar, dijon mustard, lime juice, fresh thyme and olive oil. (I reserved about 2 tablespoons of the marinade for my salad dressing before it went on the chicken). The chicken was grilled and thinly sliced it after it came off the heat and rested. While the chicken rested prepared a base of spring mix and arugula, tossed it with the reserved dressing, some crumbled goat cheese, about 4 fresh figs, sliced, a couple of small tomato slices and a handful of toasted walnuts. The flavor combination was outstanding!

More structured writing and recipes to come...

Bon appetit!

The Bunless Wonder Burger

Earlier in the summer, I was craving a burger, but didn't have any buns or bread around. I decided I really didn't need the bread anyway, and I came up with this 1/2 lb burger—a meal in itself. The sesame seeds at the end give it a special touch. You'll never miss the bun!

1/2 lb Grass-Fed Ground Beef
2 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt
15–20 cracks of fresh ground pepper
Crumbled blue cheese
2 strips bacon
1 slice mozzarella, asiago, cheddar or other cheese of your choice
1 tablespoon Thousand Island dressing
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Combine first four ingredients and patty into a nice big burger. Spray with olive oil or canola oil spray and grill to your liking. With nice grass-fed beef, I like a nice true medium.

In the last 2 minutes of cooking, top the burger with the blue cheese crumbles and bacon and seal them on with the sliced cheese. Allow to melt and remove from the grill.

Drizzle with the Thousand Island and top with sesame seeds. Bon Appetito!

Aunt Rosie's Kitchen

Aunt Rosie, Me, Steve and Aunt Mary in Aunt Rosie's Kitchen

One of the "happy places" in my life has always been my great aunt Rosie's kitchen—the pictures of children, grand children and great grand children on the fridge, the warmth of the wooden cabinets and chairs, the white and gold coffee mugs, and most of all her loving spirit and positive energy. When you're there, the rest of the world seems far away and worries over everyday life are left behind. I think of her all the time, especially when I am cooking and baking. I never miss a visit with her when I am back in WV. There is something peaceful and magical about sitting with her and having coffee—and always some snacks—in her little kitchen on Hunsaker Street. Aunt Rose is my grandfather's sister. I have always cherished her and admired her for being a strong woman and an amazing cook. I get a lot of my culinary inspiration from her and from my grandfather. I believe I get a lot of my spunk and strength from them as well. Since my grandpa passed in 2001, Aunt Rosie has been my link to the family food traditions. I love talking to her and working my way through her specialties—recipes that are not completely achieved by reading a hand written list of ingredients. These are family traditions that might be lost—or at the least changed completely—if not passed down directly by word of mouth from generation to generation.

Today I have her in my thoughts and prayers even more than ever. She is in a hospital fighting life threatening blood clots. As I prepare dinner tonight, she will be close in my heart. My mind will be in that happy place, praying for a speedy recovery with much love and admiration for a woman who is a pillar of my family.

Summertime

Wow — I can't believe it is already mid-July! Time goes so fast. A few of my favorite food endeavors so far are:

Grilled Shrimp Wrapped in Prosciutto Skewered with Rosemary
Homemade Rustic Olive Oil Foccacia
Kicked-Up Pimento Cheese Spread
Bunless-Wonder Grilled Burgers
Grilled Corn with Lime and BBQ Dry Rub (An old stand-by from last summer)
Daryl's Napa Burgers with Pesto Mayo
My Homemade Pesto
Grilled Chicken and Chicken Sausage Salads
Chocolate Ganache Cake (Made for my Dad's Birthday)
Spicy Beef & Pork Burgers

As is all too often the case, my busy schedule and somewhat upside down life leave me little time for my writing. I hope to start remedying that and making time to blog about these and other food adventures on a weekly basis. Stay tuned for more food chat from Stephanie's Kitchen. In the meantime, Cheers to good food, good wine and good friends!