Fun, Food, and Family

September 9th was my younger sister, Brittyn's 22nd birthday. Birthdays in my family are a big deal. I wasn't going to miss spending her birthday with her so I flew Britt to Dallas so she could spend the weekend with my mom and I. I wanted to make this birthday extra special for Brittyn since last year friends and family were gathered around watching one of my episodes of Masterchef on her birthday. This year it was going to be all about her.

                                             I first surprised her with a limo ride to dinner.

After having asked several people their advice on a restaurant to go to for dinner, we finally decided to go to Tillman's Roadhouse in the Bishop Arts area in downtown Dallas. The restaurant had also just been featured on Food Network.
Immediately upon walking into the restaurant, I knew this was going to be a fun place.

                                             

                                                The decor is rustic but chic.

So lets move on to the most important part, the FOOD!

You are immediately served complimentary truffle butter popcorn. If this was any indication of what was to come, I would be a happy girl.

When I am struggling over what to order at a restaurant after reading a menu, I like to ask the waiter/waitress for their recommendations. I did this at Tillman's and was told to be sure to order the trio of fries.

From left to right, chili dusted purple peruvian, smoked salt sweet potato fries, and parmesan black pepper kennebec served with homemade ketchup and horseradish pickle mayo.



I am not a french fry fan but these fries were good. I especially liked the sweet potato fries.

Chicken Fried Steak-
roasted garlic mashed potatoes, poblano cream gravy, bacon lardons, haricot vert, cherry tomatoes

Creamy and silky smooth mashed potatoes coated my taste buds with the most wonderful flavor and texture. Then the steak component of the chicken fried steak, isn't just any kind of steak but a filet. Served alongside was green beans which wasn't just your run-of-the-meal green beans. These green beans had good flavor.

Having grown up eating what I call country fried steak, this was the best I have ever had!

And that was it........just joking you know me better than that. A meal isn't complete without a little dessert and this one was extra special.

Served tableside was their S'mores.

Everything is homemade from their marshmallows to their graham crackers.

                                          Choose from maple, orange, and coffee marshmallows

Then toast your marshmallow over the open flame and sandwich between chocolate and graham crackers.

And Enjoy!                                                

They were finger licking good!

You can create this same amazing treat at home using my Agave Marshmallow recipe in my cookbook. Have fun flavoring your marshmallows with your favorite flavor!

And the night wouldn't be complete without the waiters singing happy birthday to my sister, Brittyn on her special birthday!

Dallas- A city full of great food and fun

My trip to Dallas included two cookbook signings, the first at Neiman Marcus Willowbend's Fashion's Night Out and the other at Preston Royal's Barnes and Nobles. By the way, if you are in the area, I have signed copies of my cookbook at the Barnes and Nobles.

              Jennifer from posh mom- poshmom.blogspot.com and I at Fashion's Night Out

When I was not signing cookbooks, I was eating my way through Dallas/Plano. Located close to our hotel was Kent Rathbun's, known for beating Bobby Flay on Iron Chef, restaurant- Japsers. After having heard a few recommendations, one being from a woman in the bathroom of our hotel ha ha!, we went for dinner. Jaspers considers its style of food to be Gourmet Backyard Cuisine. From first glance at the menu, I knew I would be in for a treat. My mom/traveling companion/assistant and I started off with their caesar salad. The waiter told us how their caesar dressing was given some kind of award for being the best. It was a good start to our meal too! For our entree, we shared their slow smoked baby back ribs with ancho barbeque sauce and creamy "baked potato" salad. We also ordered a side of their bourbon creamed sweet corn.

                                             photo from http://www.jaspers-restaurant.com/
Smoky, rich tomato bbq sauce covered by fingers and lips with flavorful goodness. Ribs should only be eaten by hand, even in nice restaurants. It's the only way ha ha!
The potato salad was killer! Creamy sour cream coated potatoes with crunchy bits of bacon was the perfect compliment to the ribs. This potato salad was very addictive!

           Bourbon Creamed Sweet Corn (Sorry for the color of the pic it was taken outside)

We had to order the corn because it sounded unique and what is better with ribs and potato salad than corn. This was the Best Thing I Have Ever Ate- Corn! It wasn't creamed style corn but sweet kernels in a light creamy sauce. The hint of Boubon gave the corn another level of flavor. On top of the corn was thin strips of fried potato. I could have dove into this cast-iron skillet, it was that good!

We loved it so much that we went back for lunch the next day. I flew in my sister for her birthday and I knew she would love the food.

                                   Flourless Chocolate Torte with Orange Marmalade         

                                                      Happy 22nd Birthday Brittyn!                                            

                                 
P.S. Check back for more great food from Dallas

Modern, Fresh Twist on Comfort Food

How can I put a modern, fresh twist on your favorite food?
After reading your comments, I chose to put a modern,fresh twist on the comfort food- meatloaf. Sometimes meatloaf gets a bad rap. It doesn't have to be flavorless ground meat topped with ketchup.

After a lot of brainstorming, I came up with pesto and mozzerella cheese stuffed meatloaf topped with roasted tomatoes.

Pesto and Mozzarella Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf topped with Roasted Tomatoes

2 (1.2 lb.) packages ground turkey *can substitute ground chuck

1 whole egg, beaten

1/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

¼ cup milk

½ tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. cracked black pepper

Pesto *see recipe below

¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 medium tomatoes, sliced ¼“

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, milk, ¼ tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Mix until combined.

Spoon half of the turkey mixture into a 8x8 glass baking dish and form into an oval loaf. Spread the pesto over the loaf then top with mozzarella cheese. Top with the remaining turkey mixture. Form the mixture over the pesto and mozzarella and seal completely.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and layer tomato slices over the turkey loaf. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Drizzle olive oil over tomato slices.

Bake for another 15 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Serve warm.

Spinach Pesto

1 cup packed fresh spinach

1/2 cup fresh basil

1 Tbsp. chopped walnuts

1 garlic clove, peeled

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

2 Tbsp. basil olive oil *can substitute extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. finely shredded parmesan cheese 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.

Place the spinach and basil in a food processor. Add the toasted walnuts, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Process until it begins to form a paste, about 2 minutes. With the processor running, drizzle in butter and olive oil.  Add the parmesan cheese and pulse two or three times. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl.

Makes about 1 cup.

Being creative in the kitchen is what cooking is all about for me. Have fun in the kitchen! Serve my cauliflower mac n'cheese (from my cookbook- Modern Hospitality), a modern, fresh twist on mac n'cheese, with this meatloaf for a great comfort meal.

Enjoy!

How can you give your favorite dish a modern and fresh twist?

In my cookbook, Modern Hospitality, I take Southern cuisine and put a modern, fresh twist on it. My passion is to inspire others from kids to adults to get in the kitchen and have fun cooking.
Recipes like my turnip green pesto, bacon-wrapped stuffed brussel sprouts, and crispy coconut bites (grits for dessert) are creative ways to use common ingredients. I hope they inspire you to want to try and cook them.

                                                    Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Brussel Sprouts

                                               Crispy Coconut Bites with Chocolate Sauce

What is your favorite dish?
How can you give it a modern and fresh twist?
I want to answer this question for you.
Submit in the comment section of this post, what your favorite dish is and why you would want me to put a modern and fresh twist on it. (Include the name of the dish and the recipe) I will choose one dish and create an original modern and fresh recipe of the dish just for you! You have until next Friday to submit your recipes. I can't wait to hear from you!

Special Days are Birthdays

In my family, birthdays are always a special occasion. My favorite part is that you can decide where you want to go eat on that day. This was always a very special time for me because I could choose an expensive restaurant because this was my birthday present from my parents. For my 17th birthday, I was an Emeril fan and so I wanted to go to his restaurant Emerils in New Orleans. I loved the experience! I even had the chance to tour the kitchen which I was so fascinated by.

For my 18th birthday, I went to the Royal Sonesta's restaurant in New Orleans for their Sunday brunch. This place became a favorite birthday spot for my other family members as well. I could have skipped the breakfast/lunch items and could have dove into the desserts right away. The presentation of the desserts is what fascinated me. I especially loved their banana fosters, eclairs, and pecan pralines.

Ok so enough about me. My dad's birthday was yesterday and I asked him where he wanted to eat for his birthday, in the back of my mind I already knew his answer. He told me that he wanted me to cook for him. Me- What do you want me to cook?
Dad- I love your Mexican egg rolls
Me- Ok but that can't just be the meal. (He loves these things and I never make them.) I will do that for an appetizer.
Dad- You are the Masterchef. Surprise me with the rest of the meal.
Me- Ok sounds good

So, I call my mom.
Me- Mom what do you think dad would want for dinner.
Mom- He loves to order steak when we go out to eat.
Me- Ok I will prepare filet mignon. (I am also thinking to myself now Mom are you saying steak because you like it too. ha ha!)
Mom- sounds great!

Luckily I am in Hattiesburg because my small town does not offer filet mignon in its grocery stores. I go by the Lil' Butcher Shop and pick up my dad a 10 oz. filet and also 2- 8 oz. filets and a 5 oz. filet. I decided to marinade the filets in my Miracle Marinade (recipe found in my cookbook- Modern Hospitality: Simple Recipes with Southern Charm). I let them soak for a hour in the refrigerator. I then pat them dry so that I could get a good sear on the filets. You want to make sure you begin with a hot grill pan. (I used a Lodge castiron grill pan. I found it for $20 at Target) I preheated my pan on medium-high and drizzled canola oil in the pan to coat the bottom. Sear each side of the filets for 2-3 minutes, depending on thickness. I then put the grill pan in a preheated 400 degree oven. Again the cooking time depends on the size and thickness of the filets. For the 5 oz. filet, it took about 4-5 minutes. This produced a medium filet.

To serve the filet mignons, I caramelized onions and sauteed baby bella mushrooms.

He was a very happy man. I might as well have put a candle in his filet because he was too full for birthday cake.

Baby Shower

My mom volunteered to make my older sister, Leslie's baby shower cake. Decorating cakes is one of my mom's many creative talents. It seems as though anytime my mom makes and decorates a cake that she ends up spending several hours working on it. These hours usually range from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. I can be found with my hair "on top of the world" (a high pony tail) with her in the kitchen.

After hours spent in Babies "R" US in Mandeville, LA shopping for and testing strollers and car seats, we made the long trip home. That long trip included having to go over the never ending Causeway bridge (Guinness World Record for longest bridge over continuous water in the world at 23.83 miles). My mom and I brainstormed on how we could decorate the cake without spending hours doing it. Have you been there before?

"Mom what about making chocolate decorations instead of using fondant, which would take forever to do" -me. This was the best idea if I do say so myself.

To add to the cake decorations, I made animal cupcakes. For the lion cupcake, I used the #233 decorating tip to make their orange mane and a Wilton chocolate candy for their face.

For the monkeys, I topped chocolate frosting with a tan chocolate candy for the monkeys' faces then piped white frosting eyes. For their tail and ears, I filled a zip top bag with melted chocolate and snipped the corner. Then piped tails and ears onto wax paper. Using a toothpick, make a hole in the cupcakes and insert the tails.

                                                             Lion and Monkey Cupcakes

My gift to my soon-to-be nephew. He will love his Aunt Whitney!

I love my sisters and my mom! There may be a little friendly competition between Brittyn and I on who will be the favorite aunt. Ha ha! 

What to pack in your kids lunches?

It wasn't too long ago when I was fixing my own lunch for school. My parents both worked at my town's high school, my mom an English teacher and my dad a coach/athletic director. Since they were running around like myself to get ready for school EARLY in the morning, my mom gave the responsibility to my sisters and I to prepare our lunches. My mom was always concerned though that we ate healthy. She would buy us fruit, cheese, and other things to pack in our lunchbox. Sometimes my younger sister, Brittyn's fruit wouldn't get eaten but rather she would sell it to her friends. Ha ha! She was a little entrepeneur at a young age. I definitely know she is in a good field with majoring in marketing.

So with the start of school, I want to share with you a few modern Back-To-School lunch options to pack in your kids lunchbox.
Let your kids play with their food! Yes, I did say play with their food. With my vegetable skewers, you can skewer on vegetables and cheese. I know what you are thinking. Danger! Skewer? This skewer is edible. By cutting thin sticks out of broccoli stalk, you can make the perfect skewer.

Broccoli stalks really work great and taste good because they are sturdy and have a neutral flavor. I have skewered cherry tomatoes and mozzerella cheese onto my broccoli skewer.

Broccoli stalks are also really good dipped in peanut butter. Now, when it comes to purchasing peanut butter, I want it to be healthy but also taste good. I don't like the kind where you have to stir in the oil. That kind of grosses me out. My favorite natural and flavorful peanut butter is Skippy Natural Peanut Butter. You can view the ingredients on the back and it list- peanuts, salt, and sugar. You have to have the little bit of sugar to give it the flavor of like Jiff but without the hydrogenated oils (bad stuff!).
*Tip: spoon peanut butter into a zip top bag. Kids can tear a hole in the corner and squeeze out the peanut butter.

What kid doesn't like chips? I like chips too but not the kind of chips you are thinking about. I make homemade sweet potato and green apple chips. These aren't your typical deep fried chips either but instead oven-baked until perfectly crisp. The secret is to use a pizza stone. The pizza stone absorbs the moisture and makes whatever you put on it crispy. To make the thin slices, use a mandoline. Heat the pizza stone in the oven on 400 degrees. After 5 minutes, pull it out of the oven and place your slices on it. Lightly spray the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until crisp. Sprinkle sea salt on top. Remove to an air-tight container or for immediate enjoyment, serve on a plate.

Emile Henry Flame Pizza Stone is my favorite pizza stone. I want to share with you a way to purchase it at a special price. If you haven't heard of OpenSky, it is a shopping community of chefs, trainers, actors, etc. that want to share with others the products that we love. It is easy to follow me on OpenSky, all you have to do is go to http://t.opensky.com/TkT5omdj2c1NAAEG/TkOoIpxiiHQFdXIgA22b9 and click follow me. Then type in your email address and that is it! You won't receive tons of emails but every Friday I offer a product at a special price and you will receive an email about it.


I hope your kids love these quick and easy snacks for their lunches! Share with me your tips so that I can pass them along to others.