Evelyn's Blog - Taste of Gourmet

Plantation Pie...it's a mystery....

Plantation Pie is a yummy combination of coconut and chocolate chips all wrapped up in a sort of custard...it's just so good it's hard to describe.  It's Tony's favorite pie (if he has to choose).... which he never does since all six of our pie mixes are on the Dessert Table every day at The Crown.  

The mysterious thing about the Plantation Pie is that people who don't like (or THINK they don't like) coconut are still loving the Plantation Pie!  They are surprised when I tell them about the coconut...after they ate two pieces and still didn't realize there was coconut in it!  This "surprise" has been happening for years and just in the last two weeks, I've shocked two people with the COCONUT word!  And they went back to the Table just for one more bite to test the Plantation for coconut.

My personal favorite (if I have to choose) is Magnolia Macaroon - a sort of egg custard filled with toasted coconut - like an old fashioned macaroon cookie!  YUMMMY!  Two men today told me that Macaroon is their favorite pie too...they had thoroughly enjoyed the Dessert Table and followed directions perfectly in getting a "sliver of all of the pies!" 

Isn't it nice that none of us has to choose which pie to enjoy....you can have them all in your own home and coming hot out of your own oven...ANY TIME with my mixes!  And you too can have a sliver of all of them when you have lunch with us at The Crown! 

Place your order for pies (or any of our other goodies) before Sunday, March 1st, and you'll get a FREE box of Suddenly Salsa too!  A gift from me just because it is February!  There is ALWAYS a good reason to enjoy good food!

Vacation is over.......

Our children from Maine have returned home....leaving 75 degree weather here and returning to two new feet of snow!  Carter asked to stay here to play outside and climb the crepe myrtle trees and Izabela wanted to keep helping me plant my flower bed!  But sadly my precious grandchildren went home with Kevin and Deanna! 

We had a great time while they were here!  Carter ate his weight in Chicken and Dumplings and we made fresh squeezed lemonade every day!  Izabela made "tacos" with our Black Bean Chili...we had fun!  Sage and Prescott loved having their cousins to play with and they all enjoyed making S'mores in the fireplace!  Yes, we had daffodills AND a fire every night!  Spring in the South is wonderful!  Especially with all the grandchildren.

We all went to the B.B. King Museum on Saturday...Sage was entranced with the interactive computers and headphones.  Prescott loved the guitars that let you play chords along with one of B.B.'s songs and then listen to your own recording.  Izabela and Carter loved sitting in the "bus" and listening to the music. The Museum is incredible and everyone needs to make time to visit! 

This was our third visit - and it's still hard to believe that this Museum is in Indianola -  the very heart of the Delta!   Our guests at The Crown, who leave the Musuem to come to lunch, are always amazed at the quality - It is a jewel!  Our kids from Maine thought so too!

Cupids were flying around The Crown...

I had so much fun on Valentine's Day at The Crown.........We had a part in a number of special "Valentine Lunches" and that is just the sort of "special attention" we love to give!

Curt Owen brought his grandmother Beth to lunch...such a handsome young escort - they come together often...but Valentine's was really sweet of him.

Elizabeth Thacker and little 4 year old Eliza had lunch and then finished the meal with dessert AND a pot of tea...a Valentine's Tea Party!  Elizabeth brings the triplets often but how precious for just "the girls" to share their pot of tea - one of the English Cottage Pots!   Eliza loved the pot, even if it does drip!

Lena and her husband drove three hours or so from Aliceville, Alabama for lunch and the surprise of a dozen roses on their table when Lena sat down!  What a sweet husband....they even walked the town shopping when they left The Crown!  Then came back to buy Charles Chapin's painting of the Bayou that Lena loved. 

Alan Jones brought three gifted Italian musicians for lunch on Saturday too!  (Not a Valentine's thing of course!)  The three had been playing at several local places during the week!  And of course they had been to the B.B. King Museum!

I loved visiting with the wonderful family from Jackson, MS and Naples, FL who had come to visit the Museum and made reservations for The Crown!  The kids were just delightful and loved our food (and I loved hearing their sweet compliments!)

Ruth Cole, Hostess at the Old Capital Museum, and a friend spent so long in the B.B. King Museum they were afraid they would miss lunch. They were going back to the Museum to finish their visit...and reminded us to send visitors to them in Jackson. (www.oldcapitolmuseum.com)  There's a LOT to see in Mississippi and Southern Hospitality really is alive and well!

I've said it a million times (not a million on this blog though).....We have the nicest guests at The Crown! 

Indianola's Young People are Special....

They ARE special and we try to encourage and help and "teach" them in every way that we can - with meals and cooking "demos" at The Crown and with 4-H and Extension programs of all sorts!  The candidates for Queen and Princess and Duchess for the recent Livestock Show were a precious group of young girls and they did seem to enjoy the Chicken Allison we served them for lunch after the "grueling" interviews that morning!  Delta Fudge Pie is still the favorite of our young guests!

Lee Ann Flemming, from Greenwood, was one of the Judges and I really enjoyed my visit with her!  We've both written cookbooks (Leanne's wonderful cookbook is Recipes and Remembrances - Friends Food Family $20.95 at The Crown) and we've both loved being on Channel 6 Good Morning Mississippi with Ryan Evans!  I love doing the show, but I know I'm getting too old to get up THAT early! 

Lea Anne's article in the Greenwood Commonwealth is always fun to read and we appreciate her including Indianola, Strider McCrory's 4-H Progam (my little Sage is in the 4-H Little Sunflowers) and The Crown in this article!  Loved her recipe too!  Ya'll have a look!http://www.gwcommonwealth.com/articles/2009/02/01/lifestyle/features/02012009life2.txt

White Pizza with Chimmi Sauce...

Here's a great recipe I just got from Emily Harris Soen (from Inverness and Jackson)...Taste of Gourmet Consultants are sending in recipes using Chimmi Sauce for a Bingo Game we are playing in February... Love for ya'll to send me the way YOU use our Chimmi Sauce - our yummy garlic pesto that makes a great dipping sauce for steak or roast.

Let me see your recipes (or ideas) here on the blog or send them to me at evelyntog@yahoo.com!  I'd love to have yours too!

White Pizza

1 refrigerated pizza dough
Chimmi Sauce
1 cup mozzarella
Fresh spinach

Press the pizza dough on cookie sheet or pizza stone. Spread the Chimmi Sauce on the dough. Drop several spoonfuls of cream cheese over Chimmi Sauce. Top with mozzarella and spinach.
Variations: Omit the cream cheese to make it less cheesy.
Add artichoke hearts to the spinach topping.
Make it stuffed crust by folding 6-8 string cheese sticks at the edges of the pizza (must use a square sheet for this one).

Recipe Swaps are fun!

Yesterday I got a Recipe Swap email asking for a SIMPLE Recipe...one that was in my head and maybe wasn't even written down! The first thing I thought of is this Lemon Roasted Chicken - Tony and I love it! So I wrote it down for the Swap and sent my recipe on to Carol.  Then I thought ya'll might like to see the recipe too! 

 

Like I've said so many times about the things I cook (and the food that my mixes let YOU cook) "It's just so easy it's embarressing!"  Ya'll try this chicken and DO NOT be afraid of the 500 degree oven!  That high heat seals the meat, keeps it juicy inside and the skin crispy!  Yum!  I've made it with just the lemon slices but I adore the combination of lemon and rosemary flavors!

 

Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken Breast

Bone-in Chicken Breasts

Lemons sliced – 1 per chicken breast

Fresh Rosemary sprigs

Seasoned Salt (I use my Sassy Seasoning - you can buy it at The Crown!)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees

Place Chicken breasts in a cast iron or heavy skillet

Pull skin loose enough to insert slices of lemon and one or two sprigs of rosemary.

Place 1 or 2 sprigs under each breast as well.

Sprinkle lightly with Sassy (or just pepper)

Place skillet in the oven - set the timer for 20 minutes - the chicken should be cooked and still juicy!  On of those HUGE chicken breast may take an extra minute or two...but by the time you let the meat "rest" for a few minutes while you are getting the dinner on the table...your chicken will be cooked just right!

Serve hot with a fresh vegetable, a salad and good bread with all the juices poured over the chicken breast.

My new favorite sauce......

It just has to be RazzMaTazz - my newest sauce combining Raspberries, Cranberries and Blueberries with just a kick of Chipotle peppers!  We served it over a heart that I shaped out of Cream Cheese during Art After Hours!  For a Valentine idea, of course! 

RazzMa Tazz has such a clear, crisp flavor with the berries!  Not too hot....but lots of flavor!  And wonderful as a dipping sauce with chicken strips or ham bites or cheese cubes or fried shrimp.....Or served with pork roast, lamb chops, or plain roasted chicken!  And it's pretty!  We're serving it on the Tasting Table at The Crown this week - just poured over a block of cream cheese!  I can't keep out of it!

The favorite Creamy Delta Bisque variation that we served at Art After Hours the other night was our Hot Seafood Dip!  Tony and I had it for a late supper that night poured over pasta!  So good and so easy!  I froze the rest to bring out on another cold night in a few weeks!