food bloggers – The Salted Table

Chocolate Overload S’mores Cheesecake

Chocolate Overload S'mores Cheesecake

I remember my sister and I sitting on the back porch tearing yesterday’s newspaper into small ragged pieces and placing them into an empty can. Probably one of my grandmother’s #Folgers cans, you know the red one with the plastic lid? We used those as vessels to fulfill our need for the melty gooey, chocolatey goodness that would soon tangle our fingers in a web of mallowy strands and #cocoa smear. If I had to choose a house that I missed, it was this house with the huge backyard where we often watched the deer drink from the pond and the trees overflow with black walnuts, pears and apples. We were young and naive and had no real appreciation for the seasonal jewels that rolled across the forest floor. I mean, we ate the occasional fruit and cracked a few nuts now and again but nothing too serious. I remember seeing our next door neighbor gathering the nuts in the evening to crack for an evening snack.

Chocolate Overload S'mores Cheesecake

If I had the passion for food I have now back then, I imagine that I would’ve encouraged the making of pies, tarts, jams and jellies, but those are merely the wishes of a time gone. And we all know that living in the past can prove to be a detriment to one’s growth; no one wants that…do they? S’mores are the ‘cream of the crop’ when it comes to nostalgic childhood treats. The simplicity of those three ingredients combined have the capability to solve life’s conundrums, sartorial – political or otherwise. There may be a little embellishment in there but work with me folks, we’re talkin’ #smores.

I know that with the arrival of #Pinterest and food bloggers appearing by the dozen every hour — these once sacred treats are always getting a new makeover from pie-pops to #cake but I warn you, steer clear, it’s a trap and you won’t be happy. What I’m giving you today is an all year round invitation to the snack once cornered to Autumnal nights and snow-capped backdrops. We should be able to indulge in all of this goodness any time the mood awakes within us and be able to do so without checking the weather report. Lord knows, it won’t be correct anyway. The time is winding down and as you know I am collaborating with the fine folks of the Asheville Wine & Food Festival to bring you some delicious food posts in anticipation for the event.

I can’t begin to tell you how full my heart is full knowing that we are only a few weeks away from that Blue Ridge Mountains seduction. We found the perfect place to stay in walking distance to coffee shops and you know how I love the beans. We’re plotting out all our favorite places to dine as if we won’t be eating enough AVL goodness between the SWEET Event and The Grand Tasting! If you haven’t made plans to attend, there’s still time and you won’t want to miss it! You can purchase tickets for the SWEET Event on August 21 here and tickets for The Grand Tasting on August 22 here! In the meantime, enjoy this recipe for one of your favorite childhood treats and steer clear of all those other impostors (wink).

IMG_1544-0 Chocolate Overload S'mores Cheesecake

Chocolate Overload S’mores Cheesecake

Crust… 2 cups Crushed Graham Cracker
3 Tablespoons Granulated White Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (slightly melted)

Filling…
2-8 ounce pkgs Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/3 Granulated White Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Nielsen Massey Bourbon Vanilla
2 Large Eggs 1/2 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Topping…
6.2 ounces of Hershey’s Chocolate (4 1.55 oz bars)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Cups Miniature Marshmallows

Method

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Put your butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until mostly melted but not hot. Mix together your graham crackers, granulated sugar, salt and butter until you can squeeze the mixture in your hand and form clumps. You may need a little more butter depending upon the dryness of your grahams. Place the mixture in the bottom of an ungreased cake pan, square or circle, it doesn’t really matter. Evenly pat down the crumbs until no holes remain. If you have a pan slightly smaller and the same size I would use it smash it down evenly. Smash…giggle. Bake in the oven for ten minutes, remove and allow to cool. Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees for your filling.

Place your cream cheese into a standing mixer with the sugar, vanilla and salt. Let the mixture whip on medium speed for two minutes, add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula and then evenly distribute the filling over your cooled crust. Surround the bottom of your pan with aluminum foil. you will probably need to pieces to criss cross the bottom of the pan and create a boat for the cheesecake, be gentile. Place this into a larger baking pan and fill the surrounding area with warm water about 1/2 way up the side. Place the entire thing into the oven slowly as to avoid splashing water into the cheesecake. Let cook for 90 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Once cheesecake is done, allow it to set in the water for 30 minutes and I noticed that the top didn’t crack like the last time I made it and removed it immediately once cooked. Give it a try! Allow to cool overnight or for at least 90 minutes.

Then, take your chocolate and rough chop it, place it in a microwaveable bowl with your vegetable oil. Heat it in the microwave for 20 second intervals until chocolate is completely melted. Be careful not to overcook your chocolate, this will give you nasty sugar crystals (not cool). Pour it over the graham cracker crust, place it in the fridge and let it cool for 15-20 minutes.

Turn on the broiler, if you have a temperature option I typically use HI and watch the marshmallows like a hawk. Let your oven come up to temp. Evenly distribute the marshmallows over the chocolate, try not to leave any exposed chocolate and more marshmallows never hurt anybody. Place the pan on the high rack , tell the kids to step back. You should be squatting with the oven door open watching your marshmallows get nice and toasty right before they burn. Though this is totally subjective on how much crunch and torchy marsh you like, I like a lot! You may need a towel at hand to slightly rotate your dish to get even torch (no marsh left behind, ask Bush) on your marshmallows. Once your topping has the right color that you prefer, allow it to cool for 30 minutes before cutting into it. You will want to run a sharp knife under hot water if you desire perty slices.

I hope you and the family enjoy this recipe, I mean s’mores all year round, you’re winning! Chocolate Overload S'mores Cheesecake

Herbed Roasted Chicken & Vegan Spiced Apples & Potatoes

You know those dishes that you create without any plan and you find yourself surprised at how well they come out? Well, needless to say this is one of those dishes. And yes, despite being trained to know how to cook, chefs indeed have those moments of ah-hah, that’s delicious. It’s not like the roasting of chicken is a complicated process that requires the need of bells and whistles because it doesn’t. And that’s why we flock to it as our go-to meal when there is minimal time for fussy dinner preparation. Not that I make fussy meals or anything, cough.

Over the summer my wife and I visited Asheville, NC for the Food Blogger Forum. An event where food bloggers gather and discuss our passion for food, blogging, and the art of creating community. I received a little jar of what was labeled vegan spice. At first, I had no idea what the heck the stuff was or how I was going to properly utilize it to fit into our meals, but one night I saw the spice while in the midst of trying to decode what we were going to eat for dinner based upon the scant selection of ingredients in our fridge. If there’s anything I hate more than folding laundry, its trips to the grocery store once I’m already home for the evening.

I looked in the fridge and there it was staring at me, a whole bird, two sweet potatoes, three new red potatoes and some Mutsu apples from Chattanooga that I had just purchased at Whole Foods Market. Before I knew it, I had reached for the cast-iron skillet on the shelf and I set the chicken in the pan. After a brief moment of hesitation I placed the chicken back onto a cutting board and proceeded to cut it in half after realizing we probably won’t eat the whole thing. I turned the oven to 425 degrees. I seasoned both halves of the chicken with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, finely minced thyme, oregano and I tucked two pats of unsalted butter beneath the skin, set it aside. I rinsed the potatoes and apples, removed any eyes from the potatoes that didn’t look edible and cut them into chunks. Just in case you were wondering I cored the apples. I tossed the potatoes and apples in two teaspoons of the vegan spice, one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and a smidge of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste.

I put the chicken in the center of the cast-iron skillet and nestled the potatoes and apples around it but being careful not to completely cover the skin, because crispy skin is the key to the perfect roasted chicken. I walked away and began to write this post while I waited for it to cook and for my wife to come home. The cooking time is somewhere between 45 min to an hour, of course this is subjective based upon your oven, so properly temp your chicken for a internal temperature of 165º. There may have been some Parks & Recreation in the backdrop, laugh-out-loud, because that show slays me! I’m so grateful for Netflix…sigh. But any-who, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as the wife and I did. I’m already in need of ordering more of that vegan spice because I’ve been using it so often. You can order it here. Enjoy and I’d love to hear about some of your ah-ha dishes that turned out un-expectedly well.

Cornbread Panzanella Salad

Cornbread Panzanella Salad via The Local Palate Magazine

When we think of summer, we often equate it with being stress-free or being able to worry less. We’ve planned our family vacation to the lake house and the quiet Sunday picnic in the park. We enjoy a glass of wine on our patio and relish at the sight of our blossoming tomatoes. It’s the perfect time of year to brush up on those culinary skills with the local farmer’s markets overflowing with produce and there’s no shortage of recipes on the inter-webs. You might even try asking your local farmer’s what they enjoy making with their own produce. I’m sure you’ll encounter an endless sea of inspiration for your summer cooking.

Oh, yes! While we were in the midst of discussing all this summer goodness, I forgot to share with you. I was selected as The Local Palate Magazine’s favorite blogger of the month which is the best form of flattery. TLP is a southern-based magazine that celebrates the food culture of the south. I delight in knowing there are people out there who enjoy my passion for food and I’m elated to be working with them this month. You can check their blog tomorrow for my post on comfort food in Nashville. I’d love to hear your thoughts on places you find dishes that remind you of home or simply take you to that ‘happy place’.

In my spare time, I enjoy surfing through recipes to find inspiration and challenge myself to step outside of my comfort zone when it comes to meal preparation. We don’t typically eat a lot of salad around Casa de Hunter, we enjoy cooked veggies and sometimes there’s even cheese sauce involved. But I saw this recipe for Cornbread Panzanella Salad on The Local Palate Magazine’s website and I couldn’t resist the temptation to try it out. If you’re a fan of southern cooking, you should definitely check out their recipe archives for some of the best recipes from southern chefs. I mean, if cornbread is involved, then enough said. Cornbread Panzanella Salad

Cornbread Panzanella Salad via The Local Forkful I’m often looking for ways to bring some southern influence into other genres of cuisine and I love the addition of cornbread to this Tuscan salad as opposed to the typical rustic country miche of some sort. If there’s a food that can take me on a stroll down memory lane, cornbread is definitely at the top of that list. I can hear the butter sizzle around the edges of the cast-iron skillet and smell that rich nuttiness erupting through the corridors of my childhood. And what better way to use those beautiful tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh herbs than in such a simple salad with great layers of flavor.

The preparation doesn’t take too long and the best part is the ‘left-overs’ are even better, which is always a plus. As you make this recipe, remember that recipes are merely guidelines. You always have room to improve and with that being said, I added two tablespoons of red wine vinegar and about two teaspoons of kosher salt to this recipe and it was killer. It may even make a guest appearance at the Thanksgiving table wearing fall produce selections. It has such a clean flavor with those fresh vegetables and then a rich corny-nuttiness from the combination of the butter and toasted cornbread croutons. You’re family and friends are guaranteed to love it and if they don’t, pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy. Cornbread Panzanella Salad on The Local Forkful Food Blog

I always recommend reading the recipe all the way through before tackling it. It ensures the least amount of mistakes made. No one likes to backtrack when hunger is involved.

Ingredients

1 pint teardrop tomatoes, cut in half
2 each cucumber – cut in half, seeded, cut into half moons 1/8-inch thick
2 each large red and golden beats roasted (*see below)
2 tablespoons chiffonade basil
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
2 cups toasted diced corn bread
1 tablespoon garlic
2 bunches frisée lettuce, rough cut
Salt & pepper to taste
½ cup grated fontina cheese

For Dressing

¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup olive oil

Directions

For Dressing:

1. Whisk the lemon juice and the oil profusely with a wire whisk until you form a temporary emulsion.This means the two liquids will look as though they’ve combined, but its only temporary.

Side Note: This is where I included the ounce of red wine vinegar and two teaspoons of salt into the original dressing recipe. Once you’ve emulsified the mixture, I add the salt and whisked until barely any crystals of kosher salt were left.

1a. Mix all ingredients, except the grated fontina, together in a large bowl. Add a little dressing at a time to the salad until to your liking. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheese and serve.

For Cornbread

8 ounces butter, softened (plus 2 tablespoons for pan and cubes)
2 ounces sugar
2 ounces powdered sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cup milk

Sift together:

1 1/3 cups cornmeal
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10×14 inch square pan.

2. In large mixing bowl whip together the butter, sugar, and powdered sugar until in looks creamy. Add the eggs and continue mixing. While mixing add, a little at a time, the dry ingredients and then a little of the milk.

3. Continue by alternating both ingredients a little at a time until all ingredients are blended. Place in a buttered pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

4. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into ¼ inch squares for salad. Toss together in a bowl with melted butter. Toast in oven on sheet tray until browned.

Roasting Beets:
*To roast beets, coat lightly in oil, place on a sheet tray, roast in oven at 375 degrees until fork tender. Remove from oven and let cool. Take a towel and remove the skin from beets. Cut into a medium dice. Set aside. Cornbread Panzanella Salad

Homemade Buttermilk & Chocolate Buttermilk Pie

How come no one told me that buying a house is so stressful? Well, I guess my ignorance could be based on the truth of ‘not asking’. I honestly don’t remember how many properties we’ve viewed at this point, or how many layouts we’ve scoffed at nor the times my wife has said, “Eww!” at the sight of hideous wallpapers and dirty bathrooms. No, nobody warned us, but my gosh, we’ve learned quickly. And all that late-night HGTV House Hunter watching is not necessarily the go-to if you need questions answered.

I’m learning that while looking for a home you desire some of the same characteristics that were/are present in the home you grew up in. You want to pull into the driveway and feel at home. You’d like to walk in the front door and the creak of the hinge greet you ever-so gently. You want to step foot in the room and be greeted by warm snapshots of life hanging on the walls and rays of sunlight reaching across the floor. You simply long to be at rest and to have a place worthy of providing that for you when the day is done.

Well, the search for this place continues and while I don’t want to get my hopes up. We have recently put in a bid on what I’m sure has the potential to be all those wonderful things mentioned previously. It’s the emotions of a warm slice of buttermilk pie from grandma’s windowsill. Of course, my grandmother never put pies in the windowsill, no, they were on top of the washer and dryer which sat next door to her stove in the kitchen. I remember buttermilk pie from my great grandma’s, who we affectionately called “Nanny”, like I remember walking down the hardwood steps as a child pleading for a cup of apple juice (according to my parental units).

What is it about pie that has the ability to slow the heart-rate, calm the nerves and soothe the soul? Is it that flaky crust, the warmth of that creamy or fruity filling? Or maybe it’s the warm memories that it evokes in every swift stroke of the fork? Whatever it is, its quite magical and its my desire that if you’ve never had it before this recipe will make you a believer.

Homemade Buttermilk Pie

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
3 eggs (beaten)
1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
1 cup whole fat buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest

for Chocolate Buttermilk Pie:
add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon fine ground coffee (dark roast). combine with dry ingredients.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and flour. Stir in egg one at a time. Add your butter, then buttermilk, kosher salt and vanilla.
2. Pour mixture into your shell. Bake the pie for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until you insert a knife and it comes out clean. Allow the pie to cool and serve with coffee/milk and whipped cream. I also enjoy a dollop of lemon curd on top.

Basic Pie Dough

If I may be honest with you for a minute, as a chef I hardly ever use recipes for what I have been taught to be must-have basic kitchen staples. Like making pie dough, biscuits, “mother sauces” etc. So at the bottom of this post there is a tried and true recipe for pie dough that I have used in the past that always delivers great results.

If I were to give you my recipe, it would go something like this:

1 1/2 handfuls of flour
a smidge of kosher salt that I process in my spice grinder to break it down
a few tablespoons of ice-cold water
a few pats of chilled butter or the frozen grated stuff

1. Combine butter, salt and flour until it forms into pea-sized crumbles. add water by the tablespoon until dough holds together. Then form a ball. allow to rest for 15 minutes.
2. flour your rolling surface and pin. place ball in the center and roll until the proper circle size of your pie pan. Roll the dough on to your rolling place and unroll over buttered pie pan. tuck the dough in around the sides and trim the excess. Using a flour-ed fork press the edges of your crust or use the thumb-index finger method.
3. Prick the bottom of the dough and the inside seam a few times and bake for 4-5 minutes. I do this to ensure crispy crust from top to bottom because I hate soggy bottoms.

😀 Then carry-on with the recipe as usual.

Now, for some of you. You might be thinking, oh, that’s simple enough. But for the rest of you who tend to be right-brained organize kitchen cooks here’s the play-by-play via Williams-Sonoma Pie Dough.