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Simplicity Gourmet brings you “The Newlywed Nest” with Becky G.

Is anyone else out there obsessed with watching the Food Network and the places they visit? When my husband and I first moved to Tennessee from Michigan last fall, we were pretty clueless about where to go to get a good meal.

We happened to see a show on the Food Network about “The Loveless Café,” which is located in Nashville. So, we drove out there and checked it out – WoW! They had the best biscuits we have ever eaten. That started us thinking – what other gems could we find by watching all of these shows?

Let me just tell you, we are now in the middle of a full blown obsession!

We travel a lot for work, and there is not a city we haven’t been to where we do not go to a restaurant we saw on TV. Here are a few of the ones we have been to so far:

Atlanta, GA: We visited a burger joint called “The Vortex,” where they serve up some crazy hamburger concoctions.

Louisville, KY: We went to “Lynn’s Paradise Café,” as seen on Throw down with Bobby Flay. I

St. Louis, MO: We went to “Pappy’s,” which was on Man vs. Food, and wins the award for the best barbeque we have ever had, EVER!

Memphis, TN: We had some mouth watering ribs at ‘Rendevous,’ which has been on numerous shows.

Kansas City, MO: Gates BBQ served up some “Burnt Bnds On Buns” Gates as seen on The Best Meal I’ve Ever Had.

Las Vegas, NV: Last year , we went to a really cool little diner, “The Peppermill,” which was on No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain, and we already have 2 more places lined up when we go back to Vegas next week! (Who doesn’t want to go to a place called “The Roadkill Café” – I mean, really?!?!?).

Do we need help? Does anyone else out there do this? If nothing else, it’s so much fun. We love spending time together and visiting new cities, we always get really riled up with anticipation about eating that famous meal we saw on TV! And, well, if we gain a couple pounds here and there, it’s worth it. Maybe our next big obsession will be traveling to as many different gyms as we can…

Becky G.

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Simplicity Gourmet brings you “Katie’s Kitchen.” This week’s feature: Manicotti

My ex-roommate (who is now a happily married lady) loves, loves, loves Italian food. To be more specific – she loves lasagna. Well…in the past few years of our living situation (sigh, reminisce, sigh), she started experimenting with her favorite Italian dishes and found she loves manicotti almost as much as she does lasagna. She ALSO came up with a way to make Manicotti in our waterless cookware! Fabulous! ?

So, I’ve tasted and tweaked…and tasted some more…and I think I’ve found just the right Italian combination to please the masses.

Enjoy this recipe and more at this Saturday’s cooking school at the Smyrna, TN corporate office from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm, CST. Call me @ 866-897-7676 to RSVP. Can’t make it out? Tune in online.

Happy Cooking!
Miss K

Mama Mia, Manicotti!

UTENSILS: Large Skillet, Master Kut, 10″ Saute pan, Medium Mixing Bowl
INGREDIENTS: Jumbo Shells or Manicotti Shells, 1 – 1 ½ Jars of your favorite pasta sauce, 1 lb Ground Turkey (cooked), 1 Cup Sweet Yellow Onion (finely minced), 1 Bunch Fresh Basil (minced), 2 Cups Fresh Spinach Leaves (minced) 4 Garlic Cloves (minced), 2 TBSP Italian Seasoning, ½ tsp Garlic Powder, ¾ Cup Parmesan Cheese (shredded), ¾ Cup Mozzarella Cheese (shredded), ¾ Cup Provolone Cheese (shredded), 2-3 Cups Ricotta Cheese, ½ tsp Salt, ¼ tsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat the large skillet on medium heat. When the pan is heated, add the onion and minced garlic. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Add the ground turkey and combine. Cover, whistle open, and cook on medium heat. When the whistle sounds, uncover, reduce to low and saute until the meat is browned through. Remove the meat mixture and allow it and the pan to cool.

Shred all the cheeses on the #1 Cone. Combine well. Add ¾ of the cheese mixture to the medium mixing bowl. To the cheese: Add ¾ of the chopped Basil (leaving some for garnish), chopped spinach, ¼ of the Ground Turkey mixture, ricotta cheese, and all the listed spices. Mix until thoroughly combined. Stuff the shells generously with the cheese mixture.

Add ½ the sauce on the bottom of a cold skillet. Add the stuffed shells onto of the sauce. Cover the shells with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese mixture on top of the sauce.

Cover, whistle open, and cook on medium heat. When the whistle sounds, turn it to “C” for closed and turn the burner to low. Cook for 15 minutes on low. Turn the burner off and allow to stand covered for 10-15 minutes to set up. Garnish with reserved chopped Fresh Basil.

Serving Options: Green Side Salad and Garlic Bread

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Simplicity Gourmet brings you ‘Pick of the Patch’ – how to pick your tastiest fruits and veggies from your local grocer or farmer’s market.

PICK OF THE PATCH: the Honeydew

It’s time for the last of my series of blogs on how to pick the perfect summer melons.

We have conquered the Granddaddy: the Watermelon and I hope you have had success in choosing this one and impressing your friends and family with its sweet, juicy, yummy goodness! Then, I examined how to choose The “First Lady” of Melons: the Cantaloupe.

Today, I want to finish with telling you the inside tips on how to choose The “Lottery Queen” of melons: the Honeydew. When you get lucky enough to have picked a sweet one with a great firm texture out of about 40 in the bin, you feel as though you have won the lottery!

Here is what my Internet research turned up…Smell the end where the vine was attached, remember this is called “the disk.” If it is fragrant and smells like the fruit, this is a good sign and one of the most oblivious that it should be ripe. Next, you can pick up the honeydew and give it a shake, it should rattle from loose seeds. I think this one is rather difficult. I don’t think I have ever heard the seeds rattle. Hum…maybe I just don’t have an ear for call of the honeydew. This must surely be an acquired talent our grandmother’s had!

Next, look for spidery veins that run across the base of the melon. This is the best advice tip of them all and of course, I got it from my friend Bill, the produce manager from my local Smyrna Publix. He also says to run your thumb upwards on the skin of the melon and if it is tacky, then you have a ripe honeydew and you have found the “Lottery Queen” – winning the Melon Lottery!

I have enjoyed bringing you this blog series on choosing sweet, ripe melons. I am glad to have gotten to know Bill. He is a wealth of knowledge and he loves to share that knowledge with others. Get to know your produce manager and see how much better you become at picking the best and most ripe fruits and veggies!

Enjoy the last of summer’s bounty! I would love to hear your comments on picking ripe melons.

Until the Next Pick,

Renee

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Picking the Perfect Cantaloupe with Simplicity Gourmet

As you walk through the fresh produce at the grocery store or your local farmers market, you can’t help but admire all those gorgeous melons that are in abundance this time of year. It is the peak of the summers’ bounty! Your mouth waters at the thought of a ripe sweet cantaloupe or honeydew.

Once again, you are in a quandary as to how to pick one of these jewels. I am going to share with you my secrets to success that I have uncovered for picking a sumptuous sweet cantaloupe. Again, through my research on the internet and then consulting with Bill Ryder, who’s 18 yrs of experience as the Produce Manager from my local Publix grocery store, I have discovered the secrets to consistently choosing a great cantaloupe.

According to the internet, picking a ripe cantaloupe is easy…hum. Out of all the melons that I have picked over the years, I have had the most consistent success picking a cantaloupe and one that my family would eat. That is the real test…one that your family will eat!

Here are the internet tips…cantaloupes have what is called a “disk” on one end. This is where the melon was attached to the vine in the field. Look at the disk; it should be a light tan, golden in color, not green. Next smell the disk to see if it has a sweet fragrant smell coming from it. This suggestion is the one that has helped me to have the most success in choosing a ripe cantaloupe. The last consideration is the overall color of the cantaloupe; it should be evenly golden in color with little to no green.

Bill added one very important clue to picking a ripe cantaloupe…he said, “grocery stores have the worst lighting and the florescent lights can be mislead

ing when you are deciding which one has the best color.” He suggests that you back up from the cantaloupe

s about 4 feet, then survey which ones have the best golden even color and choose accordingly.

Last week, I picked a watermelon and cantaloupe based on all the tips that I have shared with you…my husband said, “That was the best watermelon I’ve ever eaten!” and the cantaloupe was just as delicious! So, don’t be afraid, get out there and

enjoy The First Lady of melons, the cantaloupe.

Try pieces of fresh cut up cantaloupe over vanilla ice cream for a great summer dessert or treat. It is so yummy!!!

Next week I will share how to pick honeydew! This is by far the most difficult one for me!

Happy Shopping!
Renee

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Simplicity Gourmet explores Katie’s Nanny’s Kitchen…with a little snippet of wisdom too…

So…I talk about my Nanny a lot. She was a huge influence in my life – in cooking and countless other ways. She was extremely giving and generous, sharp as a tack, and very, very sassy (gee…it’s a wonder I’m not more like her…)!

This weekend, I traveled home to East Tennessee for a visit with my mom and siblings. My Nanny passed away earlier in the year and my mom has all sorts of treasure lurking around her house from my grandmother. Perhaps my favorite thing though, is a cookbook my Nanny wrote years, and years, and YEARS ago for a church sale…for only $1! I had soooo much fun looking through all of the recipes and even remembering her making several of them.

My favorite part, though, is a little excerpt she wrote in the beginning of “Let’s Have A Parteé” (she was quite ahead of her time!) called “The Morning Party”. You see, my Nanny was no morning person – she loved to sleep late – and combined with breakfast, coffee, paper reading, and “getting ready” – she easily needed three hours to get out the door.

What struck my mom and I most about this excerpt is how very much alike my Nanny and I write –      our  wit, world view, and humor. I always thought she was just so “proper” and that somehow, I just could not seem to overcome my outlandish ways to be such a person. It made me so happy to hear her voice on these pages, a voice that was so very close to my current age when it was written, and sounding just like me…

It has always been difficult for me to realize that some people are not forced from the bed, they get up by themselves, willingly. Not only are they awake…they are energetic, cheerful, able to function and ready for the day. It has become my habit, over the years, to avoid contact with this type of person until at least twelve-o’clock noon, with the exception of morning bridges, special coffees, and neighborhood get – togethers. These are just too much fun to miss, even if one must go half asleep, to smile and appear near normal, all the while downing one cup of coffee after another, sending caffeine laden messages of help to slovenly, morning rust-covered mind and muscle.

It is our hope the following recipes will be easy “do-ahead” helps for fellow “morning droops” and yet yummy enough to please all you energetic souls in “Morningland.”
Barabara Jean Brewster

Doesn’t she sound so awesome? You’d invite her to bridge, right?

Well, I’m not going to leave you without some of those yummy recipes she enticed you with. One of which is Tullahoma’s very own “cake maker” extraordinaire, Faye Whitt’s “Pecan Tassies” and of course, my Nanny’s Christmas morning staple, “Bacon N’ Cheese Puff Pie.” I hope you enjoy them as much as my family has over the years!

Happy Cooking!
Miss K

Bacon ‘n Cheese Puff Pie – Mrs. Barbara Jean Brewster

INGREDIENTS: 10 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped (or 1 lb breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled), 3 eggs (separated), ½ Cup All Purpose Flour, Paprika, 1 Can Crescent Rolls, 5 slices Cheddar Cheese, ¾ Cup Sour Cream, ½ tsp Onion Salt (or plain salt, if you desire)

INSTRUCTIONS: Fry the bacon (or sausage) until crisp; drain. Spray the 9” pie plate with Non-Stick spray (or butter it). Unroll crescent rolls and place triangles on the pie plate, pressing together to form a crust. Sprinkle bacon (or sausage) over the crust, place cheese over the bacon. Beat Egg whites until stiff, set aside. In another bowl, combine egg yolks, sour cream, flour, onion salt and dash of pepper. Blend well, and gently fold in egg whites. Pour mixture over cheese layer, sprinkle with paprika and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. NOTE: This may be prepared the night before a party, stored overnight in the Frigidaire, and baked fresh in the morning.

Pecan Tassies – Mrs. Faye Whitt

INGREDIENTS: 6 oz Cream Cheese, 1 Cup Butter, 2 Cups All Purpose Flour (sifted) / FILLING: 2 TBSP Butter, 1 ½ Cups Brown Sugar 1 TBSP Vanilla, dash salt, 2 Eggs, 1 1/3 Cups Pecan, chopped, 48 pecan halves

INSTRUCTIONS: Cream softened cream cheese and butter together. Blend in flour. Chill dough for at least 1 hour. Cream 2 TBSP butter and brown sugar together. Add salt, vanilla, and the eggs. Beat well. To form cookies, make 48 balls of chilled dough, press into miniature greased muffin tins. Sprinkle each cookie with a few chopped pecans, 1 tsp of filling on each, and then top with a pecan halve. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Remove from tins immediately.

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