The perennial coffee is a morning mainstay; and in the south red eyed gravy was discovered when an adventurist cook deglazed the ham pan drippings with their morning coffee. I love the play of bitter, salty and sweet so I decided to take red-eyed gravy one step further and make a cappuccino gravy, I have some leftover Benton country ham pieces so why not dice it and use it to provide the salty. Deglaze the ham drippings with coffee (or expresso) for the bitter. Add milk or cream and season with salt, pepper and sugar for the sweet. The perfect gravy is balanced, so taste as you go and enjoy! Serve with your favorite eggs and buttermilk biscuits.

Ingredients:

 ham steak
 fatty country ham pieces finely diced
 1 Tbsp. flour
 butter if needed
 1 cup coffee or expresso
 milk or cream to taste
 salt and pepper to taste
 sugar to taste

Procedure:

 1. dice the country ham and fry with the ham steak until nicely browned.
 
 2. Add a little butter if the pan is dry and stir in the flour making a roux. Deglaze with the coffee releasing the fond from the  pan then add milk or cream to taste. Season with salt, pepper and sugar tasting as you go.

 3. Serve the ham steak with the gravy poured over top. Serve with eggs and biscuits.

What can be better then Mac and Cheese except maybe Mac and Cheese made with beer and bacon? The Brits have a dish called Welsh Rarebit which is a beer and cheese sauce usually served over toast and broiled until the sauce is nicely browned and bubbling. In my research I have found other trailblazers that have had this same idea but in the spirit of making it my own, I am adding my own home cured bacon to put it over the top. I love to add a topping made with panko, crushed Ritz cracker, cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. I have made uncured bacon for this recipe (made without curing salt) to speed up the process but you can substitute any dry cured bacon even unsmoked if you want.

Ingredients:

 Home Uncured Bacon

 3 pounds pork belly
 3 Tbsps. kosher salt
 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
 2 tsp. pepper
 2 tsp. ground coriander
 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
 1 Tbsp. ground thyme

 Welsh Rarebit Mac and Cheese

 1 cup Newcastle brown ale (or another brown ale)
 2 cups milk
 4 Tbsp. butter
 3 Tbsp. flour
 1 cup finely diced red pepper
 1 cup finely diced onion
 1 deseeded finely diced jalapeno
 2 Tbsp. dry mustard
 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
 salt and pepper to taste
 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
 1 cup coastal cheddar cheese
 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
 1 cup diced Velveeta cheese
 1 pound of pasta

 Topping
 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Procedure:

 1. Rub the pork belly with all the ingredient and seal in a Ziplock bag and refrigerate overnight. Smoke the pork belly on low heat for at least 4 hours. Heat in a 275 degree oven for one hour until browned.

 2. Melt the 3 Tbsp. of the butter in a large sauce pan and whisk in the flour to create a roux. Add the dry mustard then the Worcestershire sauce, beer and milk to a soupy consistency. Gradually add the cheeses slowly so they melt slowly and season with salt and pepper.

 3. Add the pasta to boiling salted water and cook until almost done.

 4. On medium heat, in a separate pan melt the remaining butter and add the peppers and onions stirring until the onions are translucent. Add to the cheese sauce. Spray with cooking spray or butter a oven safe dish and add the pasta then the cheese sauce. The mixture should be soupy so stir in more milk if needed. Mix the topping ingredients and cover the mixture. Bake in a 350 oven for 30 to 40 minutes and let cool a bit before serving.

When I make risotto I usually make extra to make one of my favorite appetizers, Arancini Di Risa (fried risotto balls) the next day. They always are a hit at any party. When I started looking at way to utilize grits; and in particular shrimp and grits. I started thinking in the back of my mind about these lovely golden fried balls that I stuff with a piece of cheese. Why not encase a piece of shrimp in flavorful cheese grits? Better yet, for anyone that doesn't like shrimp we could use pieces of sausage or cheese. I could pair these with a savory cajun style or traditional shrimp sauce. I will leave that up to you. Remember you need to cook your grits with less
liquid and let it cool completely to let the starch set up. That will enable the balls to stick together while frying.


Ingredients:

For the cheese grits - 

  2 cups stone ground premium white grits

  1 1/2 cup chicken broth

  1 1/2 cup milk

  water to achieve proper consistency

  1 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese

  1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

  1 cup grated fontina cheese

  2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

  salt 

For the breading station - 

  1 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper

  2 eggs beaten

  1 cup Panko bread crumbs

 
Directions:

1. Add the butter to a large sauce pan and the grits and toast on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the chicken broth and milk to the sauce pan and bring to a boil while stirring with a whisk and continue cooking until grits soften (about 15 minutes). Grate the cheeses and add while stirring, season with salt to taste and add water to achieve proper consistency. Let cool. Note: we want a fairly stiff mixture.

2. Clean and devein the shrimp. Cook the shrimp in their shell. Peel and remove the shells then dice into one half to three quarter inch pieces. If you are using sausage, brown the sausage and cut into pieces.

3. Using a small scoop, scoop out some of the grits mixture. using your finger make a hole in the mix and insert the filling. Gather up the mixture to encase the filling and form into a ball.

4. Create a standard breading station, with one container of seasoned flower, one of beaten egg and one of bread crumbs. I prefer Panko Japanese crumbs.

5. Heat up oil for deep frying to 350 degrees F. Roll the balls in the flour shaking of any excess, then in the beaten egg then roll in the bread crumbs. deep fry until golden brown and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with or without a sauce.

One great thing about living near Atlanta is I'm able to exercise my love for Dim Sum and one of the dishes I love to order is chicken feet. I know chicken feet are not something that many people will order, but I love the textural nuances of chicken skin and braised foods; therefore I enjoy them immensely. I wanted to make a version of my own. Then I had an idea, Buffalo chicken feet! Later that night we went out for dinner at Kevin Gillespie's "Gunshow" and on the menu was Buffalo pork belly. Maybe it was a sign. Anyway, this is a great example of substitution taking Chinese savory flavors and replacing them with a spicy buttery Buffalo sauce. To cut down braising time you can use your pressure cooker and reduce cooking time to half a hour.
 
Ingredients:

 2 pounds chicken feet

 2 cloves garlic chopped

 1 small onion chopped

 1/4 cup Oyster flavored sauce

 1 Tbsp. fish sauce

 2 Tbsp. oil

 1/2 cup Frank's hot sauce

 4 Tbsp. butter

 2 cups chicken broth

 1 cup white wine

 salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

 Wash and clean the chicken feet then remove the claws by cutting off the tips of each toe with a knife or shears. Dry off the feet and quickly deep fry for 3 minutes. In a heavy bottomed pot or a pressure cooker on medium heat, add the oil and the chopped onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken feet and wine and deglaze the pan. Add the chicken broth, the fish sauce and the oyster sauce, cover and braise for one and a half hours or until the feet are tender. If you are using a pressure cooker reduce cooking time to half a hour.

 Bake the feet on a sheet pan to dry them out (about 10 to 15 minutes). When dry briefly deep fry until browned (about 30 seconds) and transfer to paper towels. Melt butter and whisk in hot sauce and season to taste, toss the feet in the sauce and serve hot.

My first experience of Machaca con Huevos was less than satisfying, a small amount of tasteless dry grey steak encased with dull rubbery overcooked eggs; the product of a good dish in the hands of a poor cook. When I experience just such a fiasco, I start diagnosing what when wrong and how I could improve it. Starting with the beef, I wanted to concentrate on texture and flavor. Traditionally machaca is made from reconstituted dried beef, and I am not excited with dried meat products. Although drying can concentrate and intensify flavor, I hate to lose the braised texture of the meat. What really sparked my interest is the shredded form of the meat, which led me to think about pulled pork and braised beef short ribs: both which could be infused with Mexican flavors. Then as chance would have it, I pulled out a corned beef brisket that I was going to slow cook. I gently cooked and shredded the corned beef; then crisped it in the oven before adding onions and peppers then served over crispy shredded hash browns with . Topped with your favorite eggs and topped with a little pepper hot sauce resulted in salty, savoury beef; crispy potatoes with spicy eggs with a noticable Irish twist just in time for Saint Patrick's day. This dish shows we can use multiple translation techniques; substitution using corned beef (plus I used some pickled red peppers instead of roasted), using Saint Patrick's day as an inspiration, and slow cooking the brisket and shredding it changing methods. The pulled pork and braised beef versions are waiting for another day when I have suitable leftovers.

Ingredients:

 1 pound corned beef

 1 poblano pepper

 1 large russet potato shredded

 1 red bell pepper (optional)

 2 Roma tomatoes

 1 small sweet onion

 2 cloves garlic

 ½ cup beef stock

 6 Large Eggs

 ½ cup shredded cheese (optional)

 dash favorite hot sauce (optional)

 1 Tbsp. canola oil

 Butter

 Salt and pepper for seasoning

Garnish with cilantro, lime, tomato and some tortillas.


Directions:

Shred the corned beef with fork or hands and reserve. Roast at 400 degrees for fifteen minutes or broil until browned and crispy).

Shred the potatoes and fry in oil until brown and crispy. Keep warm.

Skin, seed and dice the tomato. Roast, skin and dice the peppers. Dice the onion and finely chop garlic. Heat a skillet on medium heat; add butter and a little oil and sauté garlic and the onion for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, add peppers and continue to sauté until soft (about 5 min). Add the tomato, most of the corned beef, beef stock and reduce until most of the liquid is gone. Reserve and keep warm.

Cook your eggs and plate some potatoes first then some beef mixture then a little of the reserved potato and corned beef. Garnish with cilantro, avocado slices, a small wedge of lime and grilled tortillas.

Time to put our New Year's resolutions into action and take a few inches our waistlines by eating healthier. The easiest way I have found to eat healthier is to increase my vegetable intake; not a total diet change that is difficult to maintain but a small step towards eating better. Let's take a traditional American breakfast of eggs, fried potatoes and sausage then add vegetables to make breakfast more healthy. The vegetables can vary based on what looks good at the market but there is something special how the tastes of onion, sweet red and poblano peppers go together. I prefer the taste of the poblanos to regular green pepper and they add some subtle heat that I love. I can add a little browned sausage to bring everything together into one savory dish or leave it out if I want to go meatless. This is a perfect recipe to experiment with, adding whatever you want to satisfy your own individual taste. The vegetables are cooked first then added to your eggs and potatoes with fresh herbs. Experiment also with the size of the cut of the vegetables until you find your preference. I personally like a medium dice for the eggs and a larger dice for the potatoes but you can also do one size and use a single skillet then divide the vegetables between your egg and the potatoes.

Ultimate Home Fries

Ingredients

3 large Red Bliss potatoes
 ½ stick butter
 2 tbsp. olive oil
 ½ pound sausage meat
 3 cloves garlic
 1 large onion diced
 1 red pepper diced
 1 poblano pepper diced
 3 sprigs Italian Parsley or other fresh herbs chopped
 Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
One day ahead, quarter 3 large Red Bliss potatoes and put in a pot of cold salted water. Bring the water to a boil and cook for 12 minutes or until desired doneness. Drain, cool and refrigerate overnight. This will cook and let the starches gell using the same method that gives french fries their fluffy interior with a crisp exterior.

Dry the potatoes with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium heat and add ½ of the butter. When the butter starts to sputter, add the oil and then the potatoes. Cook slowly letting each side of the potato brown before flipping. While the potato browns heat a skillet on medium heat and when hot add the remaining butter. When the butter starts to sizzle add the garlic and sausage; break the sausage up and let brown. When the sausage begins to brown add the onion and peppers and season with salt. Cook until the onions start to brown and reserve warm.

When the potatoes are brown and crispy, add the sausage, onion and pepper mixture and toss to combine. Taste, season with salt and pepper and add the chopped parsley. Toss to mix and remove from the heat. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Optional – Deep fry the potatoes and toss with the sausage, onion and pepper mixture and finally the parsley.



Pepper and Onion Breakfast Scramble

Ingredients

6 large eggs 
 ½ stick butter
 2 tbsp. olive oil
 ½ pound sausage meat
 3 cloves garlic
 1 large onion diced
 1 red pepper diced
 1 poblano pepper diced
 3-5 sprigs Italian Parsley or other fresh herbs chopped
 Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
Heat a no stick skillet to medium heat and add ½ of the butter. When the butter starts to sputter, add the oil and then the garlic and sausage; break the sausage up and let brown. When the sausage begins to brown add the onion and peppers and season with salt. Cook until the onions start to brown and reserve warm.

Clean the skillet and return to the heat and add the remaining butter. Beat the eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and begin to pull the egg mixture with a spatula from the sides of the pan to the center. As the egg starts to set add some of the fresh herbs and when almost done fold in the vegetable mixture and take off the heat. The eggs will continue to cook so plan for a little carry over cooking. Serve immediately sprinkling more fresh herbs over the top. Serves 4.

I have a couple of announcements; first, I'm going to concentrate on a breakfast and brunch theme to better explain translation and second; I'm working on a book showcasing these concepts within the framework of breakfast. More on that later. Continuing on the Translation subset of substitution, I was reading Fuchsia Dunlop's new cookbook, "Every Grain of Rice - Simple Chinese Home Cooking" with the idea of adapting a Chinese home-style dish for breakfast. I found a recipe for stir-fried eggs with tomato and thought this would be the perfect recipe to show that substitution could be used to enhance a dish. The recipe is basic, perfect for the novice home cook; season and stir-fry the eggs first, then the tomatoes and then combine them together thickening with potato starch if needed. I wanted to add additional flavor to the dish, so I added fresh basil which always goes with tomatoes (Thai basil would even be better) and some five spice powder to enhance the anise notes and to reinforce the Asian theme. I know that I'm not actually making a true substitution, but adding something. The point is to use translation as an avenue to explore exciting new creations to become a more creative chef.

Ingredients:

 4 - 5 large eggs
 4 - 5 firm Campari tomatoes (or another simular small vine ripened tomato)
 4 - 6 basil leaves rolled and cut into thin ribbons (chiffonade)
 1 pinch five spice powder
 1 pinch sugar
 2 - 4 Tbsp. cooking oil
 slurry of potato starch and water (optional for thickening)
 Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a wok and add half the oil. Beat the eggs with 1/4 teaspoon salt and scramble the eggs until just barely done. Remove and reserve. Roll the basil leaves into a cigar shape and with a very sharp knife finely slice into thin ribbons. Slice the tomatoes in half then each half into three wedges. Clean and dry the wok, then heat it on high and add the rest of the oil. When the oil is hot, add the tomatoes, season with the sugar, salt and pepper to taste and stir-fry until they are hot and fragrant. Add the basil, five spice powder and the eggs back to the wok and stir-fry until mixed together. If the mixture is runny add the potato starch slurry and mix until thickened. Serve immediately to feed two.

A great Benedict deserves a great side dish. If you remember the scraps from the Southern Style Benedict from my last post; they can be diced, breaded and lightly fried to create chicken fried steak bites. Thus, our scraps from one dish can be used as inspiration to create another great dish. I remember having sweet potato fries with chicken fried steak so why not take two uniquely Southern tastes and combine them to create a hash. Dice some red bell pepper, vibrant green poblano chiles and some Vidalia sweet onion to create a colorful counterpoint to  our Southern Style Benedict.

Ingredients:

 2 medium to large sweet  potatoes
 remaining meat from Southern Benedict (½ inch dice)
 ½ cup milk
 1 egg
 ½ large onion diced
 1 small red pepper diced
 1 small poblano chile diced
 2 sprigs fresh thyme
 2 sprigs fresh parsley
 2-4 Tbsp. cooking oil
 Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

One day ahead, quarter two sweet potatoes and put in a pot of cold salted water. Bring the water to a boil and cook until a fork is easily inserted with little resistance. Cool and refrigerate overnight.

In two small shallow dishes, add the flour to one and beat an egg in the other. Season the steak with salt and pepper then dredge in the flour fist, shaking off any excess. Next dip in the beaten egg then dredge in the flour again. Let rest on a wire rack. Heat the oil in a medium skillet, then fry in the oil until golden brown on both sides. Reserve warm until needed.

Heat a skillet to medium heat and add half of the oil, heating until it shimmers. Add the diced onion, poblano and red peppers, season and cook until the onions are just starting to brown (about 10 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and reserve. Remove the thyme leaves and finely chop with the parsley.

Remove the skin from the potatoes and dice to desired size. Add the rest of the oil to the pan on medium heat and heat until the oil is hot. Add the potatoes tossing to coat in the oil. If the mixture is dry add some more oil. Season with salt and pepper. The secret is to let the potatoes brown and crisp slowly turning only when brown on the bottom. When the potatoes are brown and crispy, add the reserved chicken fried steak tossing to combine. Add the reserved vegetable mixture, thyme and chopped parsley; toss and remove from the heat. Serve immediately.

Earlier this month was Mother's Day and I fixed traditional Eggs Benedict for our monthly church breakfast. I love poached eggs and when you serve them on a crispy English muffin with grilled Canadian bacon covered with rich hollandaise sauce, there is a special dish. I want to add an example showcasing the first Translation technique, substitution. I have seen variations on Southern Benedicts at various restaurants, but here is my version. Examining the purely Southern theme, the English muffin can be replaced with a airy southern style biscuit (see Basics for recipe) and continuing with the theme, biscuits traditionally go with a country white milk gravy along with the prerequisite country fried steak. I prefer a more refined presentation so I like to use a circle cutter a little bit bigger then the one I use for biscuits to cut out perfect circles for my chicken fried steak. After breading and frying they will shrink a little and match the size of the biscuits. I can dice the rest of the meat, bread it and use it to make a complementary home fry side.

Southern Style Eggs Benedict

Ingredients:

 2 biscuits split in half. (See Basics)
 4 poached eggs (See Basics)
 Chicken Fried Steak (See Below)
 Country Style Spicy Gravy (See Below)
 
Instructions:

 Split the biscuits in half and place on plate. Top with chicken fried steak, then a poached egg. Ladle gravy over top and serve immediately. Serves four with one egg each or two hungry people with two eggs each. The remaining beef can be used to make  a special home fries dish.
 
Chicken Fried Steak

Ingredients:

 1 pound beef (bottom round)
 1 Cup all purpose flour
 1 large egg
 3 Tbsp. canola oil
 Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

 Tenderize beef using a jacard or pounding with a meat tenderizer to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Using a ring cutter, cut a circular piece of steak slightly bigger than the diameter of the biscuit being used. The remainder can be used in an other application. In two small shallow dishes, add the flour to one and beat an egg in the other. Season both sides with salt and pepper then dredge in the flour fist, shaking off any excess. Next dip in the beaten egg then dredge in the flour again. Let rest on a wire rack. Heat the oil in a medium skillet, then fry each piece in the oil until golden brown on both sides. Reserve warm until needed. 

Country Style Spicy Gravy

 Ingredients:

 2 pounds good quality pork sausage
 1 large sweet onion finely diced
 1 cup all purpose flour
 1 tsp. dried thyme or 4 sprigs fresh thyme
 1 pinch red pepper flakes
 Hot sauce to taste
 2 cups whole milk
 Salt and pepper to taste

 Instructions:

 Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. When the pan is hot, skin and break up the sausage into small pieces, season with salt and cook until brown and most of the fat has rendered out into the pan. Remove the sausage and reserve retaining the fat in the pan. Add the onions and cook until they become translucent. Add the thyme and red pepper flakes and continue to cook until the onions just start to brown. Whisk in the flour and stir until fully mixed. This is in fact a roux. I need to continue to stir until the raw flour taste is gone which should take a minute. Continue to whisk and slowly add the milk. I now will increase the heat to medium high, stirring frequently, then when the mixture begins to boil I reduce the heat to low. Now is the time to season with salt and pepper to taste, and to add the hot sauce to achieve the heat you want. Keep warm until needed.