Lemon Meringue Pie Bars

An entry or two ago, I posted a review of The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook by Cheryl and Griffith Day along with a brief treatise professing my love for their amazing Drunk Blondies. Earlier this week, I was compelled to sample another recipe from this compendium of earthly delights. 

The recipe presented by the Day Duo is Lemon Pie Bars. I, however, decided to make a few alterations and kick it up a notch, and in the process, I created Lemon Meringue Pie Bars. If you're an avid lover of the Old School of Southern Cookery, then you should find this recipe a delightful update to the classic pie. Be warned, however: it makes a LOT. I mean, a LOT LOT. I made this on Sunday evening, gave a hearty portion to a friend, have eaten some myself every day, and I still have a chunk of it sitting in my refrigerator. Not that I'm complaining or anything...

Lemon Meringue Pie Bars

Crust:

3 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 sticks of butter 

2 tbs. sugar

Filling:

1 cup milk

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1 cup fresh* lemon juice

2 14 oz. cans of sweetened condensed milk

6 egg yolks

*I hate juicing lemons with a burning passion, but seriously, using fresh-squeezed juice makes a world of difference. 

Meringue:

6 egg whites

sugar*

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

*I will explain why there's no measurement for the sugar momentarily. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To prepare the crust, melt the butter and combine with the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Press the mixture evenly into a greased 9x13 inch pan, and bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow the crust to cool, and lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

To prepare the filling, whisk together the milk, lemon zest, juice, condensed milk, and egg yolks until evenly combined, and then pour over the cooled crust. Next, place the pan into a larger pan, and add water to the bigger vessel (just eyeball it -- you want enough to be substantial but not so much that it will run over). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is set (if it jiggles, it's not ready). Remove the pan from the water-bath and allow to cool while you prepare the meringue. 

Now, my mother taught me how make meringue, and in the Trimm household, we eyeball practically everything when cooking, so if you want a more precise recipe for meringue, you're going to have to look elsewhere. 

For the meringue, make sure you mix it in a metal or glass bowl. This is important, as using a plastic bowl will keep the egg whites from "fluffing." You can also whisk meringue by hand if you want enormous biceps (because this takes a while), but I recommend using an electric mixer. Pour your egg whites into the bowl and whisk vigorously until they begin to appear slightly fluffy. At this point, add your cream of tartar, and continue whisking until they begin to grow fluffier and larger in volume. Then, add your sugar. I ended up using somewhere around 1/4 of a cup, so we'll go with that. Then continue to whisk until the mixture forms stiff peaks. 

Pour the meringue over the cooled filling and bake at 325 until the meringue is just ever so slightly browned. This won't take very long (we're talking around 5 minutes), so just keep an eye on it. 

Allow the bars to cool in the refrigerator overnight, and enjoy! 

 (The finished product! Isn't this freakin' gorgeous? Looking at this makes me feel like a domestic god. Watch out, Esther Summerson -- I'ma snatch yo keys!)

(An individual slice, served up on a plate from my new set of dishes, graciously given to me by Karen Howell!)

Summer Vegetable Ratatouille with Creamy Polenta

So in between introducing undergrads to poetry analysis, grading research papers, and sending out promotional e-mails to magazine editors, I somehow found the time to make dinner from scratch and write a new blog post. Imagine that! [insert sound of delirious laughter]

I made a quick trip home this weekend, and before I left, my mom gave me a sack full of yellow squash grown by some of our close family friends. I wasn’t sure what to do with all of it, but the current sale on produce at my local grocery store helped me solve that conundrum. Big, gorgeous eggplants were on sale for 88 cents/pound, and red peppers were a miraculous $1/each. That settled the matter: I would make ratatouille. 

But first, allow me to digress for a moment. Being a red pepper junkie, the usual price of this scarlet treasure-trove of flavor usual leaves me unable to indulge as much as I would like. I’ve seen them as much as $2/each. So whenever they go on sale, I stock up and freeze them. The process is very simple. Just slice your peppers into strips (or however you want to, for that matter), and place them on a metal baking sheet. Then allow them to set in the freezer for an hour or two. The direct contact with the baking sheet allows them to freeze more quickly, which helps them maintain their crispness. Then, place them in plastic storage bags, and you’re set for future recipes! I personally love using them for pimento cheese when fresh pimentos aren’t readily available. 

 (Sweet mother of red pepper-y goodness.)

Back to the ratatouille, my friend Matt made this exact same dish when we were living together a while back, and I simply couldn’t believe that a vegetarian recipe could be so decadent. However, this ratatouille is hearty and full of flavor, and the creamy polenta adds a whole new layer of richness to the dish. For those unfamiliar with polenta, think of it as Italian-style grits. If you’re unable to locate polenta in your local store, just make up a batch of down-home style cheese grits instead – it’ll be just as good.

I adapted the ratatouille recipe somewhat to accommodate what I had in my kitchen. Granted, traditional ratatouille doesn’t include yellow squash, but living in the Deep South in the summer, yellow squash is hard to avoid – and freshly picked, it’s also pretty freakin’ good. Feel free to make additions or substitutions as you wish.

Summer Vegetable Ratatouille

Olive oil (you’ll need a good bit)

2 red peppers

1 onion, chopped

3-4 large cloves of garlic

1 can of crushed tomatoes

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. Herbes de Provence

Salt and pepper

1 large eggplant

2 lbs. (estimated) yellow squash and zucchini

After removing the cores, slice the red peppers into strips and place on a baking sheet, lightly tossing with 2 tbs. of olive oil. Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until tender. Reserve.

In a large pot, add 2 tbs. of olive oil along with the chopped onion, and set the temperature to medium. Smash your garlic cloves* and add to the pot, and allow the aromatics to cook until tender (about 10-15 minutes or so). Then add the reserved red peppers, crushed tomatoes, and herbs. Just eyeball the salt and pepper, or add later to your own tastes (I usually go with 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. pepper). Cover and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Then puree the mixture (either a hand blender or regular blender will do). Reserve.

*I HATE chopping garlic with an unearthly passion, so I try to avoid it as much as possible. Since the sauce is going to be pureed anyway, just smash the cloves with the back of your knife to make life easier on yourself.

Next, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Chop the yellow squash and zucchini into ½ inch cubes, and place on a baking sheet. Toss with 2 tbs. of olive oil and roast until slightly browned on the bottom and the edges. Then, give the eggplant the exact same treatment*, cutting into ½ inch cubes, tossing with 2 tbs. of olive oil, and roasting until browned.

*I always peel my eggplant, because I don’t like the bitterness of the peel, but you can leave it on if you so wish.

Then, add the roasted vegetables to the reserved tomato-red pepper sauce and allow the mix to simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Then, it’s ready to serve.

Creamy Polenta

(This is where the recipe gets kinda unhealthy-ish. But hey, you’re going vegetarian, so don’t worry. Treat yourself!)

1 cup of quick-cooking polenta

4 cups water

1 tsp. salt

4 tbs. butter

1 8 oz. block of cream cheese

In a pot, combine the water and salt and bring to a boil. Add the polenta and remove the pot from the heat, whisking the mixture vigorously until creamy. Add butter and cream cheese and blend the mixture together.

When ready to eat, serve the polenta in a bowl with a hearty helping of ratatouille on top. This is truly summertime decadence at its finest. 

Drunk Blondies + Cookbook Review: The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook

A few weeks ago, just to brighten up my day, one of my best friends, Thee (also known as Theodore or Theo, depending on who you are), purchased a cookbook for me that I had saved to my Amazon wishlist a while back (and admittedly forgotten about). All I knew about this particular cookbook was that it was a baking cookbook and contained a foreword written by Paula Deen. Carbs? Sugar? Butter? Y'ALL? Sign this boy up, pronto. 

Once the cookbook arrived, and I started leafing through it, my heart melted like a stick of the aforementioned butter. What I discovered was a plethora of tried-and-true old-fashioned recipes for cakes, cookies, pies, and so much more. 

The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook was written by Cheryl and Griffith Day, founders of the Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, GA which has received national acclaim for their decadent delights. And after reading this cookbook and preparing some of the recipes, I can understand why. Each recipe in this book is influenced by the kind of Southern charm that calls to mind so many precious childhood memories, like baking cookies with mama on Saturday afternoon, or watching the family matriarchs bustle around the kitchen in a frenzy to get Christmas dinner on the table. 

One of the most appealing features of this book is the variety of recipes contained within. Individual chapters are devoted to breakfast, coffee cakes & quick breads, cupcakes & cakes, pies & cobblers, cookies, brownies & bars, puddings & custards, assorted confections, and even savory dishes. There are even chapters covering baking tips, suggested baking tools, and spice cabinet recommendations. Long story short, the Days have covered ALL the bases. 

So far, I have prepared three recipes from this cookbook. The first was the Brown Sugar Bundt Cake with Butterscotch Glaze. Picture, if you will, a dense, buttery cake, rich with the warm flavors of cardamom and brown sugar. If that's not enough, imagine this cake topped with a gooey butterscotch glaze, oozing down its rippled sides like a thick, creamy syrup. Oh yeah -- it's freakin' good. What amazed me most about this cake is that it tasted like an honest-to-God creation from grandma's kitchen, a slice of the past (so to speak). Needless to say, the cake didn't last very long. 

Those who know me well know my insatiable lust for chocolate chip cookies. I don't know what it is, but I have yet to find any sweet treat that hits the spot quite like this all-American classic. So to test the Days' mettle, I prepared their Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. The recipe was simple enough, and seemed only slightly different from other recipes I'd tried. However, the final product was mind-blowing. These cookies have a perfect balance of crispiness and chewiness and are chock-full of buttery, chocolatey goodness. Therefore, I have made this recipe my go-to for chocolate chip cookies.

Tonight, I was feeling adventurous, so I decided to try their recipe for Drunk Blondies -- simply because I liked the name. Also, you can't really go wrong with butter, brown sugar, and bourbon. I didn't have all the ingredients (namely pecans, coconut, or mini chocolate chips), so I pulled a Tim Gunn and "made it work" with half a bag of white chocolate chips. What came of this alteration was a rich, fudgy, buttery blondie laced through with the faint sweetness of bourbon and gooey white chocolate. I will definitely be making these again.

Again, excuse my amateurish, homegrown photography skills. Yeah, my pictures could look all cool and vintage if I had Instagram like the rest of you hipsters. Get off my damn back! 

If you're a baking enthusiast or a lover of Southern cuisine -- or hell, if you just like good desserts -- I strongly encourage you to check out this delightful cookbook. Open your heart, and let the buttery, carbohydrate-filled goodness touch you. 

Indoor Barbecue Chicken & Sweet Potato Risotto

I’ve been craving barbecue lately. I’ve also had a pack of chicken breasts sitting in my freezer, cold and neglected, awaiting the chance to be transformed into something delicious. So I figured this weekend would be the perfect time to prepare my indoor barbecue.

OK, so I know that genuine barbecue aficionados will scoff at my humble little crock pot recipe. I get it – it’s not “real” barbecue. Fine. I can accept that. However, I don’t have a smoker, and my grill is… shall we say… not exactly top-notch. But I promise you, my indoor barbecue chicken is actually very good, and the addition of cumin and Liquid Smoke allows it to possess that savory, smoky flavor, even having been prepared in a crock pot.

As for the sweet potato risotto, I bought several Mississippi-grown sweet potatoes last week, as they were on sale. I used most of them in a fantastic vegetarian curry, but I had one left, and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. Now, I adore risotto – it’s one of my favorite dishes – and I’ve made butternut squash risotto countless times. However, I thought I would give it a shot with sweet potato, and lo and behold, it’s out of this world.

I did toy around with the recipe a bit, and instead of using white wine (which is what is typically used in risotto), I used beer. Risotto purists, hear me out: while the incorporation of beer isn’t exactly “kosher,” the beer adds a whole new dimension of flavor, making the final product rich and earthy. However, if you prefer white wine, feel free to use it instead of the beer. 

Tyler’s Indoor Barbecue Chicken

4 split chicken breasts, skinless*

1 cup of your preferred barbecue sauce*

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. cumin

1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbs. hot sauce*

2 tsp. Liquid Smoke

*For the chicken, you really can use whatever cuts you like. I prefer white meat, so I always purchase chicken breasts. You can use boneless if you like, but bone-in chicken is usually more moist and flavorful.

*You can use homemade or your favorite store brand. I prefer Bull’s Eye, as tomato is the first ingredient, and it doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup.

*You can leave this out if you are intimidated by heat, but truthfully, it adds more flavor than it does heat. My preferred brand is Crystal.

Mix together the dry seasonings and rub the chicken portions with the spice mix. Place the chicken in a crock pot, then add the barbecue sauce and other liquid ingredients. Set the crock pot to high and cook for 3-4 hours.

You can serve the chicken as-is, but I really enjoy “pulled” barbecue chicken – so if you want to try it this way, here’s what to do: If you used bone-in chicken, carefully remove the chicken portions from the crock pot, and remove all bones. Then, place the meat back into the crock pot. If you use boneless chicken, then obviously, skip this step. Then with two forks, shred the chicken until it resembles traditional barbecue pulled pork. Allow it to cook inside the sauce for a few minutes to absorb the flavor, and then serve. 

Sweet Potato Risotto

1 large sweet potato

1 ½ cups Arborio rice

¾ stick of butter (and by that, I mean REAL butter!)

1 Vidalia onion, chopped

6 cups chicken stock or broth

½ cup beer*

1 cup grated parmesan cheese*

*For my beer selection, I went with Samuel Adams Coastal Wheat, because it has a light, citrusy flavor that pairs well with the richness of the sweet potato. Also, it was on sale… I could also see this risotto being equally delicious with something like Blue Moon or Southern Pecan.

*Please don’t use the stuff in the “shaky tube.” Please.

You can cook the sweet potato using whatever method you prefer. I always do mine the way my mother does. I baked mine at 350 until it was tender, allowed it to cool, removed the peel, and mashed it in a bowl with a fork.

For the risotto, in a saucepan, heat the chicken stock, and maintain the heat level at medium.

In a large pot (something like an enamel-coated Dutch oven or a large boiler), melt the butter at medium heat, and then add the chopped onion. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with the melted butter. Add the beer, and then cook until it is absorbed. Add two ladlefuls of warm stock to the pot, stir, and cook until it is absorbed. Continue to add the stock, two ladlefuls at a time, repeating this process until all the stock has been added. The rice should be cooked through, but if it is isn’t, or if the mixture seems a little dry, add more stock, and cook for a few minutes longer.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the parmesan cheese and mashed sweet potato, and stir the mixture until the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Serve.

Serving Suggestions: If you’d rather have whole chunks of sweet potato, simply peel the sweet potato and cut into evenly-sized cubes. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven at 400 degrees until tender. Then top the risotto with the chunks of sweet potato.

This would also be fantastic topped with blue cheese and crumbled bacon. If you’d like to dazzle your guests, add 1 tsp. of saffron threads to the mixture once you begin adding the stock.