Happy Bastille Day!

Today is the French celebration of independence (much like July 4th for us) and as a complete francophile, it is a day I always celebrate. Bastille Day is seen as the start to the French Revolution in 1789 when the disenfranchised peasants of Paris were tired of being mistreated and very hungry from lack of food available.  So they decided to storm the Bastille, which is essentially a jail in the middle of the city.  The expectation was free a bunch of political prisoners, but the only prisoners in the Bastille were some petty thieves and such.  But things got a little rowdy and out of hand, so the peasants ended up beheading a few people (maybe the main jailer, I'm not too sure...) and parading heads around the city.  They felt very powerful and the act ultimately scared the royals and aristocracy who were outside the city hiding in Versailles.  So, while the actually storming of the Bastille may not have done anything radical (much like our Boston Tea Party) it did have an effect on the French people and give them the courage to stand up for their rights and from that act the French Revolution began.

So, Vive la France!  Celebrate today with some champagne and a French pastry.

(image via Bergdorf Princess)

Southern Fried Fourth

Last week for the 4th my friends and I made way too much good food which lured us into an early food coma.  For my part, I made buttermilk fried chicken.  While the thought of frying chicken can seem intimidating, the recipe I use is actually very easy to follow and produces perfectly moist chicken every time.

The most important part of the chicken frying process is brining.  Brining involves soaking meat in water with salt in order to marinate it.  For buttermilk fried chicken this means soaking raw chicken in buttermilk and kosher salt.  It's suggested to brine your chicken for 2-4 hours, but I like do it for as long as possible.  The longer it's brining, the more flavor you'll get.  I brine the night before, but even the morning of would be good.

Ingredients

• 3 cups of buttermilk
• 1/3 cup of kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds meaty chicken pieces
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I add this if I want a to make a spicy batch of chicken)

Instructions:

• For brine, in a resealable plastic bag, combine 3 cups of buttermilk with kosher salt and sugar.  Add all chicken pieces to the brine and seal bag.  Chill for 2 to 4 hours.  When ready to fry, remove from brine, drain chicken and pat dry with paper towels.  Discard brine.

• In a large bowl combine flour, salt and pepper (and cayenne pepper if desired).  Place the 3/4 cup of buttermilk in a shallow dish.  Coat chicken with flour mixture then dip in buttermilk before coating again with flour mixture.  

• Meanwhile, in a deep, heavy pot or deep-fat fryer, heat 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil to 350 degrees.  Using tongs, carefully add a few pieces of chicken to the hot oil.  Fry chicken for 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees for breast, 180 degrees for thighs and drumsticks) and coating is golden, turning once.  Drain on paper towels.  If desired, keep fired chicken warm in a preheated 300 degree oven while frying remaining chicken pieces.  Do not fill the pot up too full with chicken.  Cook in batches.

Southern Fried Chicken! So delicious!

Recipe courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens New CookBook 15th Edition

Happy 4th of July

I hope everyone is enjoying some time outside with good friends and cold drinks.  Isn't that what America's all about?  Here's to independence!

(image via Pinterest)

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! While I would love to be doing nothing by the pool and celebrating the beginning of summer, I am in class.  Yes, I have class.  On Memorial Day.  And I have a presentation and a final on Wednesday.  So while my summer does not officially start until 1:35pm on Wednesday, here's some inspiration for the rest of you.

Soak up some sun for me...

Bridget Bardot in St. Tropez by Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

(images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Derby Days

In the midst of celebrating Cinco de Mayo on Saturday, I also celebrated the Kentucky Derby.  Before heading out to Chuy's I stopped by a friends for mint juleps and to watch the races.  I brought my favorite bourbon treat (my favorite hard liquor, btdub) Bourbon Balls.

I got the recipe from the Williams Sonoma Baking cookbook.  These bite-sized treats pack a real punch because they contain a hefty serving of bourbon and don't bake, making each bite equivalent to the sip of a cocktail.

Here's how I made Bourbon Balls, eat responsibly.

Ingredients: 

• 1 box vanilla wafers
• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I use chocolate chips)
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup (I use Karo syrup)
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups pecans, lightly toasted and finely chopped 

*I use this recipe without pecans, but it's totally up to your preference.  I use powdered sugar  to dust the outside instead.

Instructions: 

• In a food processor, pulse the vanilla wafers into a fine crumb.  You can also do this by putting the cookies in a plastic bag and rolling with a rolling pin.  

• In a double broiler, melt the chocolate.  You can create a double broiler by placing a glass bowl over a saucepan with some water in it.  Make sure the bowl does not touch the water and do not bring the water to a boil but simmer.  It will take a while for the chocolate to start to melt, but once it does keep stirring so as not to burn it.  You can do this in the microwave as well, but it's easier to accidentally burn the chocolate that way.  

• Add the melted chocolate to the vanilla wafers and add in brown sugar, corn syrup, bourbon and salt.  Stir until blended together.  If you want to add pecans, here add half to the mixture.  

• Spread wax paper out and sprinkle powdered sugar (or pecans if you prefer).  Roll the batter with your hands (slightly dampened) into 1 inch balls.  Then roll in either powdered sugar or pecans.  Arrange in a container in layers with wax paper and refrigerate for 24 hours.  Serve at room temperature.  You can keep the balls in the fridge for 2 weeks or freeze and keep good for 1 month.  

Recipe via Williams Sonoma

Cinco de Mayo

In Texas, Cinco de Mayo is a big deal.  I'm not sure how they celebrate in Atlanta, but I'll be spending today with good friends enjoying Tex-Mex and margaritas at Chuy's.

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

(image via Pinterest)