Recipe contest coming soon

Tomorrow I will be announcing a new cooking contest that will be featured on my blog!

I am still finalizing all the details so check back to read all about it tomorrow! It's going to be very exciting and a lot of fun.

My First Published Recipe

My mother's sister, Sarah Spano, was the Food Editor for the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Georgia. Sarah was quite a character, a wonderful lady and a great story teller.

She would come to Atlanta often to visit her sisters who lived here. On one of those visits in 1976, I made a Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie for her. Aunt Sarah loved the pie so much that she wrote a story about me and my cooking. At sixteen, I had my first published recipe.

It's become a favorite dessert at the Inn and will be on the menu at the Farmhouse this weekend. We would love to see you for dinner.

Here is the recipe:

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

Combine in a heavy sauce pan:

• one cup of dark Karo syrup
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Bring to a rolling boil, stirring steadily, for two minutes.

Remove from heat and add;

• 3 tbsp. butter

Beat in separate bowl:

• 3 eggs

Pour hot syrup mixture slowly into eggs, beating with a wire whisk.

Add:

• 1 cup toasted pecan pieces (see "food byte" on side bar)
• 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup bourbon

Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake for 45-50 minutes, until filling is firm. Cool before cutting.

Poetry as soul food

I recently read in Parade, the Sunday magazine in the AJC, a reader's question on why the United States paid for a Poet Laureate when "no one reads poetry anymore."

I was taken aback at his supposition because I and many of my friends read poetry, some even write their own. For me, poetry is a great source of "soul food." I often turn to my books of poetry for inspiration.

My favorite poet is Rumi, a 13th century Persian poet and theologian whose visions, words, and life teach us how to reach inner peace and happiness, stop the continual stream of hostility and achieve true, global peace and harmony.

Food has always been an object of beauty for me- its colors, textures, tastes and smells. That beauty inspires me every week when I am creating the menus for the Farmhouse. I love seeing the combinations I visualized the week before together on the plate and create a delicious meal for my guests.

Each week's bounty from the Inn's gardens and Serenbe Farm provides ample inspiration. And when our gardener and farmers brings in their harvest, it is is time to get to what I love- cooking!

Farm to Table on CBS 46 Better Mornings

I hope you enjoy my cooking demo from yesterday's CBS 46 Better Morning show. We were thankful we had a chance to get some airtime because due to the Atlanta flood, most of the show was dedicated to the weather. Tracye Hutchins, one of their reporters had planned an entire Farm to Table show where Rebecca and I were to be on for several segments. 

Since this was the biggest flood in 100 years, you can understand why we were so happy to be on the show! Rebecca Williams, one of my Serenbe neighbors did a wonderful container garden presentation featuring lovely vegetables from Serenbe Farms. The beautiful containers she used were from Farmer D, Daron Joffe who was the first farmer in Serenbe!

And my cooking demo featured Kale from the Serenbe farms. One of my favorite ways to cook Kale is to sauté it in olive oil with caramelized onions and salt and pepper. So easy to make and so delicious!

CBS 46 Better Mornings

The weather "rained" out a big part of our Serenbe Farm to Table segment today but we were glad to have some time on the show. It was a great adventure with Dana Widmer and Rebecca Williams starting at 3 am as we loaded up our car and made our way to the television station. Rebecca did a wonderful segment on container gardens with vegetables from Serenbe Farms.

The video of my cooking demo segment will be posted in a day or two along with stories of our trip to Atlanta during the great flood.

Tracye Hutchins one of the morning reporters did our segment today. See her blog for part of our story.

Sign up now to cook with Nathalie Dupree and me

The Southern Chef Series Welcomes

 Nathalie Dupree

Sunday, October 11 & Monday, October 12

                       The Inn at Serenbe

An intimate group of 10 guests will settle into their accommodations at the Inn at Serenbe on Sunday afternoon, then walk through the wildflower meadow to my home, where you will prepare dinner side-by-side with beloved Southern chef, cookbook author, & James Beard award winner, Nathalie Dupree. Dinner will follow this hands-on experience, complemented by wine and Nathalie's stories of food and cooking.

On Monday morning, participants will enjoy breakfast at the Inn at Serenbe, then work with Nathalie & me to create a farm-fresh lunch for the group. The afternoon will be spent with Nathalie, sharing secrets and stories before heading back home that evening.

Update: the event with Nathalie has sold out. Please call the inn if you are interested in being placed on a waiting list in case of any cancellations.

To register, please call the Inn at Serenbe: 770.463.2610

Check out more stories about my friend Nathalie throughout my blog.

Southern Women are great cooks

My mom, Margaret Lupo was invited to be a guest on Nathalie Dupree's cooking show when she was here in Georgia and doing her show, New Southern Cooking for Georgia PBS.

Mom went on the show to cook fried okra which was a specialty at Mary Mac’s so mom demonstrated in a cast iron skillet how to make corn meal crusted fried okra, a major southern delicacy.

While on the show mom told one of her favorite stories from her days at Mary Mac's which was in the late 70’s when she had a streaker run through the entire restaurant.

One of the elderly female patrons who was dining in the restaurant, upon seeing the streaker, didn’t hesitate to blurt out a very revealing comment which mom told on live television!

 After sharing the story on her show, Nathalie received more mail about the streaker story episode than any of her other 300 episodes. It was and still is a well loved episode of Nathalie's show. In fact, just last week at the Serenbe Inn we had a conference with Chick Fil-A and one of the executives who was attending related to me that was the one show he had seen and recalled  just how funny and charming it was. His favorite memory was how watching  two icon southern cooks was a great treat.

For a wonderful look back to 1988, click here to read an article written by Nathalie about my mom!

For more information on spending 2 days with Nathalie when she teaches in Serenbe, click here!

From Nathalie's book here is a copy of my mom's fried okra. To see the full recipe, click onto arrow on the right side of the box.

Set Your DVR

I'm excited to tell everyone that on Monday morning September 21st CBS 46 Better Mornings will be having a segment on "farm to table" featuring Serenbe Farms and a cooking demo that I will be doing.

Rebecca Williams, another Serenbe resident will be showing how to put together a wonderful container garden featuring vegetables from the Serenbe Farm. You will learn about CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture) and get information on how to sign up for your own vegetable subscription!

For my segment, I will be doing a cooking demo and discussing all sorts of fun things happening at Serenbe, the Farmhouse, and of course the blog. We will even have a taste test to compare a store bought egg and a farm fresh egg!

The show is on from 5-7 am and we will be featured throughout the entire show. If you are not up that early, don't forget to set your DVR!

Creating Style on a Budget

While in Boulder I had two goals, cooking lessons and decorating. In addition to teaching how to make my black bean casserole dish, Quinn and her friends decided they wanted to have a pretty home as their nest for their senior year. For all three girls it was about having a beautiful space. It wasn't just about throwing a futon in, these girls were serious! Everyone  showed up with their pieces of furniture agreed on during their Junior year.              

                                                          

                 

"Before"

                                                        

"After Serenbe style"

It was an interesting exercise and collaborative effort of 3 girls and 3 moms putting a house together in a few days!

It’s amazing what can be done in 2 ½ days literally. We were in the car shopping between Target, Pier 1, World Market, TJ Maxx and local flea market shops. I had brought 4 packs of curtains with me from Ikea since there isn't one in Boulder.

What it transpired into was amazing. 

The biggest thing of setting up a college home is that the girls were on a budget. There are some amazing finds at the stores we chose which is great when on a limited budget.

"A little paint on the wall and Voila, you have an instant nest where you can recoup, revive, or entertain!"

It all came together so beautifully. Each girl had something different and it really was a beautiful effort of bringing it all together.

The best moment was when 2 other friends walked in and said, “Wow, this looks like a real home.”

"Before"

"After Serenbe style"

New Recipes

Here are a couple of recipes from our wonderful Georgia EMC day. I hope everyone enjoys both the chicken and the blueberry cobbler. The cobbler is one of my favorite recipes from Nathalie Dupree's cookbooks.

"The beauty of it is that you can use any kind of fruit you like and it is so easy to prepare. Just last week, I made the same cobbler with apples and it was absolutely delicious!"

Baked Chicken stuffed with Goat cheese and Red Pepper Jelly

• 6 chicken breasts, bone in skin on
  
• 8 oz mild goat cheese, softened
• 1 jar red pepper jelly
  
•  ¼ cup olive oil
  
• Kosher salt
  
• Fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375º. While oven heating, cut a pocket into each breast- 2 inches deep. In a cast iron skillet heat small amount of olive oil on medium heat. Sear each chicken breast for  3 minutes each side. Let cool.

Season each breast with salt and pepper on inside and outside. Stuff desired amount  of goat cheese into the pocket and place in a baking dish.  Top with 1-2 tbsp. of pepper jelly.

Place in oven and bake for 35- 40 minutes.

Blueberry Cobbler

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350º. Slice butter, put in baking dish and place in oven until butter is melted. Mix together the dry ingredients then add the milk. Pour batter into melted butter and then scatter the fruit around. Place in oven and bake for 30-45 minutes.

Serves 8.

Enjoy!

An afternoon in Marie's kitchen

I am excited to be a guest blogger today to tell everyone about spending a day in Marie's kitchen.

The other day I was a part of a really fun filled afternoon. A group of co-workers from Georgia EMC had called the Inn at Serenbe and wanted to plan a team building day in Serenbe.

Their day began with visiting Serenbe farms with farmer Paige Witherington. They participated in picking vegetables and learning about organic farming.

After spending an hour on the farm, off to Marie's house for a fantastic cooking demo, family stories and of course a great meal in the end.

When the six co-workers first arrived, Marie began the day with a wonderful display on her kitchen island featuring different stations set up with ingredients for each course. The menu was Serenbe farms tomato salad, chicken stuffed with goat cheese, fried okra fritters and one of my personal favorite desserts, blueberry cobbler!

Along with great cooking tips from Marie, each guest participated in creating the meal. They learned the proper way to slice tomatoes for the salad, chop onions, fry okra, etc. Several of the guests said that they did not cook much yet were eager to learn some simple cooking techniques.

Between the stories, tips and the inevitable way Marie makes everyone feel so welcome, within just a few minutes everyone jumped right in and the prepping began.

Soon the okra was being fried, the chicken was stuffed, the cobbler was in the oven and the dressing was being whisked!

Before we knew it the meal was complete and I think everyone was really proud to say that they had participated and learned something about being a better cook.

The fun really began at the dining table when Marie shared stories from Mary Mac's, the history of Serenbe and her passion for cooking. With both the wonderful company and the amazing meal, our guests from Georgia EMC had a great time. Between their satisfied appetites and the sparkle in their eyes, you could see they were very pleased with the choice of Serenbe for their team building day.

Now they were off to a tour of the Serenbe community with Steve Nygren to finish out their day.

I had the pleasure of seeing Marie doing what she loves and what she does best. Cooking for others, sharing her passion not only through her food but also sharing her family stories with others in her personal kitchen.

Check back shortly as Marie plans to post the recipes from the day so she can share with her readers!

As her friend and guest blogger, I must admit it was an amazing day. I would recommend this for everyone looking for a wonderful way to experience Serenbe. If you are interested in a day with Marie, please contact the Serenbe Inn.

Click here for a testimonial on the wonderful day!

~Dana Widmer

Tomato, Vidalia Onion and Watercress Salad

If you are looking for a way to enjoy a last blast of your summer tomatoes, this salad recipe makes a lovely addition to your collection.

Tomato, Vidalia Onion and Watercress Salad with Buttermilk Vinaigrette

• 6 large ripe heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• 1 large Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
• 2 bunches watercress
• 1 buttermilk vinaigrette recipe (see below)

On a platter, scatter the watercress. Lay the tomatoes on watercress and scatter onions across tops of tomatoes. Pour vinaigrette over entire salad.

For the Buttermilk Vinaigrette dressing, I love Frank Stitt's recipe. He is one of my favorite Southern chefs.

• 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 shallot, finely minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, shallot, and salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the buttermilk, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning. (The vinaigrette can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.)

Bringing Serenbe style to Quinn's house

Recently I took my youngest daughter back to school at the University of Colorado-Boulder to set up her first house and kitchen. Quinn has a house on campus with two girlfriends. All three girls invited their mom's to help them set up.

Upon leaving Atlanta Quinn said to me, "Mom, you are going to bring Serenbe style and soul to this house, aren't you?" With that I responded, "Of course!!

It was a fast filled two and a half days setting up their house. Luckily one of the girls moms got the kitchen organized with three sets of pans from each girl. It was so evident that the girls liked to cook as each had their own set of cookware, utensils, etc. Probably the best set up kitchen for three college seniors, fully equipped with a Cuisinart, wonderful knives, coffee pots, rice cookers, etc.

The one thing Quinn really wanted was for me to show her how to make her favorite childhood dish that I created when my girls were little. When they were growing up one of their favorite things to eat were black beans and rice. One day it came to me to make a casserole, kind of like a Mexican lasagna. So simple and easy to make and best to make in a Lodge black cast iron skillet which I will tell you more about in my post below this one!

Here is the recipe for my Black Bean Casserole:

• 12 6" corn tortillas
  
• 1 lb. bag of black beans, cooked or 2 cans black beans (rinsed)
  
• 1 4oz. can chopped green chiles
  
• 3 cups cooked rice
  
• 3/4 lb. pepper or monterey jack shredded cheese
  
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups salsa (depending on taste)
• 1 cup sour cream
  

Preheat oven to 375º. Mix cooked rice with black beans, salsa, sour cream and green chiles. Using a 12" Lodge cast iron skillet layer 4 tortillas, then rice mixture, then shredded cheese.

Repeat with remaining tortillas, filling and cheese. You will have a total of three layers. On the top layer add additional salsa. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

The Beauty of Lodge Cast Iron skillets

When setting up a kitchen for the first time or even if your kitchen is complete, I believe everyone should have a black cast iron skillet and I love Lodge skillets. I love them because they are pre-seasoned!

It used to be that you had to work for days just to get your skillet perfectly seasoned. A cast iron skillet is a coveted item in everyone's kitchen.

Some people even collect old Lodge cast iron skillets and I know many who have fought over their mom's or grandmother's old skillets!

In a Southern kitchen I really consider it to be a priceless item.

"The beauty, which I told Quinn, is that they are multifunctional. You can scramble an egg, caramelize onions and use it for a casserole dish. That to me is one of the beauties of a Lodge black cast iron skillet."

So while in Boulder we found one at Target and I was so excited and I showed Quinn how to make my black bean casserole. It's simple and everyone loves it. 

And there is nothing better than cooking together with your daughter having a lovely night together!