Moxie and Bourbon BBQ Sauce

A little George T. Stagg goes a long way!

Unite North and South in your summer BBQ sauce!  How, you might ask?  Using Moxie- the wonderful, possibly medicinal, oddly bitter yet delicious cola in the bright orange can, and your favorite bourbon- I used George T. Stagg- but only when my husband was out of the house- this stuff is so good that it's nearby heresy to use it in anything other than a serious cocktail- but hey, it's only a Tablespoon (husband panic attack averted).

Get cooking- this is fast, easy, and you'll wonder where it all went!

Moxie (mini can!)

Moxie and Bourbon BBQ Sauce
8 ounce can of Moxie
1 Tbsp George T. Stagg bourbon
A splash red wine (< 1 Tbsp)
15 ounce can tomato sauce
4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup molasses (not black strap)
7 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Maille Dijon mustard
1/2 Tbsp Mexican style chili powder
1 tsp dried savory
A pinch of dried rosemary leaves, crumbled
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

In goes the Moxie

In a large pot combine all the ingredients and combine over low to medium heat.  It will take a few minutes for the butter and molasses, especially, to incorporate, so start the burner and assemble as it heats.  Then, once every wonderful ingredient is in the pot, simmer on low to medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  It should be thicker but still fairly liquid.  Refrigerate and then use on you favorite things- pulled pork, chicken, a burger- have fun, it is almost summer after all!

Maille Dijon Mustard

If you can't get Moxie, use Dr. Pepper or Coke.  Don't use a diet soda.  If you don't have George T. Stagg, any bourbon will do!  Use your favorite!  Any dijon mustard may also be used, I just happen to like Maille brand products.  With regard to the molasses, there are a few varieties.  Try to get one that just says molasses, and try not to use black strap- that stuff is stronger!

Pinch of rosemary about to be added

I truly, truly love that most BBQ places in the South are drive through.  I should back up a second, though, and talk about my love of drive throughs!  I love them.  Any concept that can be made into a drive through should be.

Not a drive through, but still loving it!  (at Chipotle)

My sister has put in a request for my husband to craft a Moxie based cocktail this summer.  Stay tuned- Moxie mania is about to begin!

How did I come to love Moxie?  You might recall that my Dad is from a small town in Maine, Camden, where we like to vacation in the summer.  I have literally been to that area in Maine every year of my life.  (Check out last summer's post on it: Magnificent Maine)  It's  where I spent time with my paternal Grandmother, who had an amazing garden and raspberry patch- it developed my love of raspberries and raspberry pie (see post on that here: My raspberry pie), an interest in gardening, and possibly most importantly, a strong belief that all kitchens should be light blue.  Irrational, yes, but that's just how it is.  I asked my husband recently, 'Have you noticed that every apartment or house we have owned I have painted the kitchen light blue?'  It's because of my Grandmother.  In any event, with the baked bean dinners, cucumbers in vinegar and water (check out that post here: My cucumbers), sharp cheddar served with pie, and the occasional loon call, there was Moxie.  My father would drink it excitedly, my Mom would look- well, maybe the best word is apprehensive.  Well- if that wasn't enough to make a kid want to try it- what is?  So my sister and I gleefully drank its bubbly bitter taste- and I know I keep calling it bitter, and you might be wondering why we like it- well, I also love Campari.  So obviously I like bitter!  Bitter, of course, in a delicious good way.

xoxo  Jessica at La Dolce Duchessa

Miss Daisy King! May 17th! Get Yourself There! Franklin, Tennessee!

Miss Daisy King- who has earned the title 'Tennessee's First Lady of Southern Cooking,' (and well deserved!) is sharing her kitchen secrets on May 17th in an in home cooking class to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  If you live in the Nashville / Franklin Tennessee area, you are in luck!  Tickets are $100 and can be purchased here:  May 17th Miss Daisy Cooking Class Tickets  So if you are free and enjoy wonderful Southern cooking, and good company, please do- I know you'll have a wonderful time and it will benefit such a worthy cause!

I am so sad to miss is it- I think I will just have to get one of her cookbooks and live vicariously!  A friend from Western Tennessee swears by her cookbooks.  If you do attend, please tell me all about it!

To learn more about Miss Daisy King, check out this link:  More About Miss Daisy King I am thoroughly impressed by her baking of a pound cake at such a young age- at that age I was making 'cheerio casserole' and my family was so kind about it.  After that, they'd politely ask, 'did you follow the recipe?' Now they like my cooking, though!

xo  Jessica at La Dolce Duchessa

Rice Pudding with Orange Zest, Cardamom Pods and Rose Water

A good rice pudding is just delicious, isn't it?  This one is great- with some delicious accents and enough sweetness to make it a memorable dessert.  And super, super easy.  And can be made ahead.  What is not to like, right?

Rice Pudding with Orange Zest, Cardamom Pods and Rose Water

1 1/2 cups of water

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

pinch sea salt

zest of 1/2 of an orange

2 cardamom pods

1/2 cup basmati rice

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 Tbsp rose water

In a medium pot with a lid (I use a medium sized round Le Creuset dutch oven with a lid) combine the water, butter, sea salt, orange zest and cardamom pods.  Bring this to a boil.  While this is heating, rinse your rice until the water runs clear, for me this was five times.  If the bowl you are using to rinse the rice is wide and deep, it will work better, allowing the grains to be rinsed better than if the bowl is more restrictive.  Once the mixture on the stove has come to a boil, reduce the heat to low, add the rice and cover.  Let this cook over low for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, combine the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla (do not add the rose water yet).  Heat over low to medium heat to dissolve the sugar.  Stir occasionally.  After 20 minutes, add this to the pot with the rice in it.  Stir, cover, and cook an additional 45 minutes.

Now, we add the rose water.  Cover and cook an additional 15 minutes.  This next part I notice a lot of rice pudding recipes skip, and you get an incredible pudding skin, which I do not like!  Make an ice bath with two bowls, metal preferably, where the larger bowl is full of ice water and the smaller bowl may float in the ice water.  Be careful not to make the ice water so high that it fill come over the sides of the smaller bowl.  Gently spoon the rice pudding into the smaller bowl and place in the ice bath.  Stir every few minutes and leave in the ice bath for 30 minutes.  It will still be a little warm.  Rice pudding is delicious a little warm, either serve it and enjoy it like this or refrigerate it and enjoy it cold later.  Enjoy!

The picture that shows the rice pudding topped with cardamom pods and dried roses uses them only as decoration.  They are not very good to eat.  However, the cardamom pods that were cooked with the rice pudding are delicious- you can discard them or eat them.  Enjoy!

Sour Cherry and Saffron Rice with Lamb and Beef Kebabs

Sour Cherry and Saffron Rice with Lamb and Beef Kebabs

Treat yourself to something a little different for dinner this week- why not try some sour cherry and saffron rice with some lovely meat kebabs?  I remember the first time I had sour cherry rice- it was from a Persian restaurant in New York City, and before I ordered, every single review I read online talked about the sour cherry rice- as an American, the concept was completely new to me- putting fruit in your rice?  But that's the thing- they are sour (also called tart) cherries and the flavor is completely unique.  Add some lovely saffron and nigella seeds (get smart on nigella seeds here: What are nigella seeds?) and it's a pilaf with a lot of personality- and pairs very well with these lamb and beef kebabs, and a lovely glass of Pinot Noir from Chile...  I can see you relaxing already!

This rice recipe was inspired by a few different recipes and techniques in the cookbook New Food of Life by Najmieh Batmanglij- I will say, though, that I have never successfully made a crust that came away in one piece- this is the layer on the very bottom of the pot that gets golden brown and delightfully crunchy.  I've gone through some experimentation in that capacity- using Le Creuset pots to make this was a disaster- they are too heat efficient and get too hot and it is burned onto your pot- I've been using a relatively thin stainless steel pot with better results.  The best results I've gotten so far I used a piece of parchment paper to line the bottom before I put down the crust layer- that was the best so far.  Although, I think it might require cooking a minute or two longer with the parchment paper.  All that being said- people seem to go either way in their appreciation of the crust- neither my husband or my father likes the crust, but I like it.  What I end up with is the crust in pieces, which I like.  Here's that previous post on the cookbook if you are curious:

La Dolce Duchessa's Adventures in Persian Cooking

Now these lamb and beef kebabs have a different story- it goes back a while- I think maybe it was my junior year in college, a friend of mine and I went to London for spring break, visiting a friend that had been studying there abroad.  Almost every night, after thoroughly enjoying the pubs, we went for kebab sandwiches at a stand called Dionysus Kebab.  They were so good that one night I asked one of the guys what was in the meat.  He said onion, parsley, and chili powder.  That is how these kebabs were born.  Best piping hot and with some melted unsalted butter on top.  If you don't have time to make the rice, just make the kebabs and eat them in a pita- add greek style yogurt and or cucumber if you have them.

This rice takes a while- give yourself about 1 1/2 hours to make the rice.

Basmati Rice

Sour Cherry and Saffron Rice

1 1/2 cups basmati rice

4 cups water

pinch sea salt

1/4 tsp saffron, ground and put into 1 Tbsp hot water

1/2 tsp nigella seeds

1 Tbsp greek style yogurt

1/4 cup water

3 Tbsp melted unsalted butter

1 can sour cherries (see picture- I bought a case of these from Amazon)

2 pinches of sugar

1 pinch sea salt

2 Tbsp melted unsalted butter

(and 1/4 reserved of the cherries' liquid, explained in the recipe)

First of all, let's talk about rice- get basmati rice, mine is Indian, and rinse it with cool to lukewarm water until the water runs clear.  Mine must be really dirty, because this seems to take 8-10 washings!  Meanwhile, in a stainless steel pot with a lid, boil the 4 cups of water.  Add the salt once boiling.  If you add it before it boils, it sticks to the bottom of your pot.  Once it is boiling, add your washed rice and boil covered for 6 minutes.  After the six minutes, rinse with cool water.

Rinsing the rice, the water will at first be chalky

Let's get the rest of the things ready- grind the saffron threads with a sugar cube, (then eat the sugar cube.  delicious) and dissolve in the 1 Tbsp of hot water.  In a small bowl, combine the nigella seeds, yogurt, 1/4 cup water and 3 Tbsp melted unsalted butter and add 5-6 drops of the saffron water, which should be a beautiful yellow.  Add 3-4 spatulas of rice.  If you're going the parchment paper route, place a little oil or melted butter in the bottom of the pan, then the round of parchment paper.  (Or skip this step).  Next, place this mixture in the bottom and spread it evenly.

Open your can of cherries.  You won't be using all of them, so have a few!  Drain them and reserve the liquid.  You'll be needing 1/4 of this liquid, so you can discard the rest of use it for something else.  In alternating layers on top of the crust layer, place a few large spoonfuls of rice, then a few cherries.  Form a pyramid.  Cover the pot and cook at medium for 11-12 minutes.  

Now, reduce the heat to low, open the pot and pour the remaining saffron water over the pyramid.  Place two layers of paper towels in between the pot and the cover to prevent steam from escaping.  Trim the edges of the paper towels so there isn't a fire hazard!  Let this cook on low for 40 minutes.  After 40 minutes, add the remaining 1/4 cup of cherry juice (which has had two pinches of sugar and one pinch of sea salt added to it) and the remaining 2 Tbsp melted unsalted butter.  Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes.  After the 10 minutes, remove from heat and place on a cool, damp, dish towel for 5 minutes.

After the 5 minutes, open the pot and gently remove the 'pyramid' rice.  Leave the crust until last.  If you have used a parchment round, gently lift and invert and place over rice mounded on plate.  If you haven't used the round, just use a spatula to scrape up the crust pieces and place over the top of the rice.

Lamb and Beef Kebabs
1/2 lb ground beef (I use 85% lean)
1/2 lb ground lamb
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cayenne red pepper (mine is quite old, if it's new, start with 1/2 tsp)
melted butter (about 2 Tbsp for every 4-6 pieces of meat)

Make the onion and parsley and finely chopped as possible.  Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.  Using your hands, knead the mixture.  Here's what will happen- at first it will seem like it won't come together, but if you keep mixing with your hands it will form a nice dough.  Form small elongated patties- about 3 or 4 inches long and about 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide.  Heat some canola oil in a heavy skillet or dutch oven (with a lid) at medium heat.  Once the oil is shimmering, place the patties in the oil, partially cover the skillet or dutch oven and cook for 4 minutes on each side.  If they are a little thicker, 5 minutes of each side.  Top with melted butter (salted or unsalted is fine, although I always only seem to have unsalted).  Enjoy with your rice!

Some thoughts here- the meat can be made ahead of time and then just made into patties and fried as needed.  The rice, sadly, is somewhat of the moment.  While reheating the leftovers is ok- it lacks the wonderfulness of fresh.  I hope you enjoy this dish and that it brings a smile to you and your families faces.  It's currently a weeknight favorite in our house.

Disney Princess Half Marathon! It Actually Happened!

All I can say is, what fun!  A special thank you to my sister for all her hard work and preparation to get us there!  She had everything we needed and fixed our costumes (my bulging biceps put a little too much pressure on my delicate Snow White sleeves)- you name it, this lady can do it!  Believe it or not, I'm considering another one on March 23... although I haven't signed up yet, I will keep you posted!  A special thank you also to Cheryl K!  I loved your comments and thought of you often that weekend and during the race (but you are a speed demon compared to me! Way to go Cheryl!!!!!!!)   We are still in one piece, thankfully, although that one piece was pretty much held together by compression leggings the rest of that day- we actually also fell asleep in the waiting area of Chili's later that day- we were pretty much narcoleptic after that!!  Best of luck to Chocolate Purples- I am sure you will do wonderfully!  I have not decided yet about next year, but will let you know!  

Now, here is a story best told in pictures:

Our adorable Ariel (the redhead) and my sister

Daddy and son enjoying the pool at the Pop Century Resort

Prep area costumes- Sleeping Beauty, Ariel and Snow White

We're ready to go!

Yes, I am tired!  It is early, people!

Adorable fairies and princesses

Get going!

Arg!  Avast Ye, Matee!

One of many tutus, costumes and fairy wings discarded along the road

Magic Kingdom here we come!

Lightning!

Please pose with your respective villan

Possibly the best sign ever: "I am cheering you on, sweaty stranger"

An 'after' shot- because we don't have a picture of us asleep in the Chili's waiting area...

 The excitement was contagious- here is a little video of my corral before we started:

A little advice to people considering it for the future- you need to sign up at the same time as people you want to run with, because (unless you have times from other races) they put you in corrals on a first come first served basis.  Also, it's convenient to stay at a resort that will have transportation.  And most of all, have fun!

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time... The Disney Princess Half Marathon Approaches...

Ever since I can remember, my mother has joked that her autobiography would be called, 'It seemed like a good idea at the time,' and that is precisely how I'm feeling about the half marathon...  To see the genesis of this idea click here: Mama Needs to Get Back in Shape and to see the progress click here: All the Notes on Training

It's obviously a genetic quality?  These plans we later regret?!  We are leaving on Saturday morning and the race is on Sunday morning.  When I look back on what the training program was supposed to be and what it actually ended up being, there' a bit of a gap... ok, so it's a big gap...  I didn't factor in natural disasters, like hurricane sandy, where we were without power for 8 days- running was not really on the top of my mind, showering held more appeal and heat and food that might not have come from a can- and then the recent blizzard- yes, not able to run around then, either.  And the sickness- oh my goodness- I am fairly sure I may have had the flu twice- two children 3 and under in the winter are like licking the bottom of a shoe that has been in the ER.

But here's the bright side- I never would have done this if my sister hadn't suggested it- and I'm so grateful to her for suggesting it.  I've thoroughly enjoyed the running and I have lost all my pregnancy weight, and then some!  I need to buy new clothes!  Finally, it's an excuse for us to see each other, since we don't live too close.  So, even if I don't finish, or hobble around for days afterward, or pass out in my snow white costume face down in the small world ride- I showed up :) and I get to see my wonderful sister, who is one of my absolutely best, best friends.  There are some things that she will only understand.  I'm sure you have siblings and friends like that, too.

My technical biggest concern is the nursing, actually.  I have noticed the training reduce my milk supply.  I recently learned that eating fennel and taking fenugreek (like a vitamin pill- they have it at whole foods) helps your milk supply!  And I confirmed with the pediatrician it is ok.  So that's what I've been doing.  Need a fennel idea or two?  Check 'em out, y'all, and happy eating and half marathoning!

Blood Orange, Fennel and Mache Salad

Rib Eyes and Fennel and Mache Salad

I guess I eat a lot of fennel with mache!

xo  Jessica

ps- Cheryl K, you are the cutest, I adore you, your comments have been such a treat!  I think I am in corral G with my sister, but one of our friends may be in your corral- I will be dressed up as snow white!  Hope we connect, although I think it's like 22k people?!!!  Best of luck and thank you so much!

Blood Orange, Fennel and Mache Salad with Chicken Cutlets

Blood Orange Segments

Blood oranges!  So beautiful, so delicious...  currently in season...  Why not celebrate them with this lovely weeknight dinner, a salad with fennel, mache, in a light vinaigrette topped with blood orange segments  and a lovely, easy and quick breaded chicken cutlet?  I first took notice of blood oranges in Italy in 2008, I remember drinking some lovely blood orange juice at a lovely hotel called Romantica Pucci in Italy, here's the link- Romantica Pucci, which is lots of fun and near Civita, which is an amazing little town on a hill that you can only get to by a very narrow path- here's a photo my husband took- I remember he took the picture right before we had a really outstanding meal involving wild boar (cinghiale), yum!  I love it when pictures remind you of a wonderful meal!

Civita

Blood Orange, Fennel and Mache Salad

(2-3 servings of salad)

3-4 blood orange segments per person

1 bulb of fennel

2-2 1/2 cups of mache (a variety of salad greens)

Simple Vinaigrette

1 part white wine vinegar

2 parts olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground white pepper

Rinse your fennel, discard the root and the top.  Slice the bulb and then, if needed, cut the rings into smaller pieces:

Fennel

Place the pieces of fennel in a wide bowl (a wide bowl make it easier to toss the salad and evenly coat with dressing).

Next, rinse your mache and place in a salad spinner, spin until dry.  Add to the fennel in the shallow bowl.

Mache added to the fennel with salt and pepper

Add a pinch of sea salt and grind some freshly ground pepper over the salad greens.

Let's get our chicken ready!

Chicken Cutlets

Chicken cutlets (roughly 3-4 pieces per half chicken breast)

1 beaten egg per 0.5 lb. of chicken (I had about 1.25 lb. of chicken and used 2 beaten eggs)

bread crumbs

sea salt

freshly ground pepper (I used black pepper)

I bought my chicken already cut into chicken cutlets, but you can easily butterfly your chicken breast halves and then cut them into smaller cutlets.  I LOVE chicken this way because it's never dry, you get a lot of great surface area with a nice crust and it's quick quick quick to make!  Plus, you can bread them and then put them in the refrigerator and then cook them the next day and they are great :)  Ok- so get yourself a little bowl and beat your egg(s).

2 eggs, beaten

Next, get a wide plate and mix breadcrumbs (I probably used about 3/4 of a cup give or take), add a pinch or two of sea salt, and be generous with some freshly ground black pepper.  Mix.

Breadcrumbs, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Next, you are going to submerge each piece of chicken in the egg- allowing excess to drip off:

Next, coat with breadcrumbs on both sides:

Coating a chicken cutlet with breadcrumbs

And set it aside- just pile 'em up on a plate!  For extra crunch, coat them again just before frying!

Breaded chicken cutlets

For frying these, I use a combination of canola oil and olive oil- because it's a little over medium heat and if it was just olive oil, after a while it gets a little brown.  The inclusion of the canola lets the oil perform better at a little higher heat.  I fry these in a dutch oven because it conducts heat really well and the higher sides prevent too much spray on my stove!  But, any good skillet is just fine, too!

Heat the oil over medium to medium high heat- my stove is relatively hot, so I am just a touch over medium here.  Fry each piece of chicken for about 2-3 minutes on each side, the coating should be a lovely golden brown.

Frying a chicken cutlet

While the chicken is cooking, dress your salad!  Using the simple salad dressing recipe of one part white wine vinegar, two parts olive oil (or walnut oil), a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground white pepper (which I make in a small mason jar and emulsify very easily by just shaking!  Add a little to the mache and fennel, toss to coat.  Place a serving portion of the mache and fennel on a dinner plate like so:

Assembling the Blood Orange, Fennel and Mache Salad

Next, if you haven't eaten then all already...  Add about 3 blood orange segments:

Blood Orange Segments on Top

Finally, add a chicken cutlet (or two) and enjoy!  Our son really loves this chicken!

Blood Orange, Fennel and Mache Salad with Chicken Cutlets

Enjoy a lovely weeknight dinner with your family!  A quick note- if you think you'll have left over salad, don't dress it, store it in the refrigerator without the dressing on it.  If the salad is stored with dressing on it, the mache gets fairly wilted.  If you aren't going to cook all your chicken right away, re-coat it before you store it and then, when you are ready to eat it, just fry very quickly.  We had our extra chicken the next day and it was not only delicious, but a snap since it was already prepared!

Here's our little girl enjoying lunch recently:

And here's our son about to try out his skis in the back yard telling the dog about it!

Enjoy your dinners together!

How cool is this, you can buy a blood orange tree for your patio!!!  I totally want one!!!

This was recently shared with me- some statistics about what family meals really mean- in terms of how it can positively or negatively impact children.  While my children are still so small, it's given me food for thought.  While my family didn't eat together all the time, we tried to eat together as much as we could- and I think it made a positive impact on my life- knowing that I was cared for and I was being paid attention to.  I hope that this is helpful for you and  your families!  (Courtesy of OnlineClasses.org)