Cooking in Stilettos Turns 1!

Holy crap! Can you believe it? An entire year has gone by since I began my baby steps into the blogosphere. It has been a fun journey. I have learned so much and met so many cool folks in the process. Who knew that the hardest part (at least for me) would be overcoming my perfectionism and just posting already. Yeah, still working on that. But, I have ideas in the works, my lovelies, ideas in the works.


In the mean time, it's New Year's Eve! Now, I have to confess, I have not always been the biggest fan of NYE. It always seems to be filled with expectations that somehow fall flat, leaving you with this sense of disappointment and, I don't know, loser-dom. However, I changed my attitude over the last few years. I embrace whatever I end up doing and make sure there are elements to it that are sure to make me feel great. Having said that...


Last year my lovely friend and neighbor along with her husband and children joined us at our house (see NYE at the McKane's), and we had a lovely evening filled with great food, fun conversation, and of course a bit of bubbly. This year my neighbor is returning the favor and hosting us at her house. I am contributing the dessert, Tres Leches cake, and my husband is making the bread, a lovely ciabatta. In addition, I am bringing over the makings for limontinis and amaretto sours.


I have the most lovely outfit planned for this evening! While visiting my father in Portland, OR over Christmas, I bought the most gorgeous vintage emerald green wiggle dress at The Pop-Up Shoppe. Coupled with decadent stockings and the most divine lime green and black lace bra and panty set from Jane's Vanity (you guys know how I love them!) I will feel like I am ready to start the new year off well dressed and well loved.

Notice how I balanced the brightness of the green with a neutral black stocking and black patent stiletto? If it were spring or summer, I would have gone with a nude heel, but it being winter and evening, I chose to set off the rich color with a black.


I am going to show you two recipes today, my dears. The first is true, from scratch Southern biscuits. I've been meaning to show you this recipe for a while, but never got around to it. Seeing as that it is the end of the year and all, it seemed like a good time to just post it!

No, this is not the best quality photo.  It's my iPhone. But, my camera battery is dead and I really wanted to post this recipe this year, so, well, there it is. These are not sweet, gummy, pasty biscuits like you may have had passed off on you at chain restaurants. They are tender, flaky and melt in your mouth.

Southern Baking Powder Biscuits:

2 c. bread flour (This is important. The bread flour creates the crispy crust and tender crumb. I have used all purpose before. They're good but not the same)

3 t. baking bowder

1 t. salt

1/3 c. shortening

1 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together. Blend shortening into flour mixture with fork or pastry blender until pieces are about pea sized crumbs.  Add buttermilk. Fold in gently until just combined. Again, this is the important bit. If you over mix it and try to make the dough uniform in consistency, you will have biscuit bricks. Not even kidding. You will be able to build a house with those suckers.

Turn out the dough onto a well floured counter. Fold in half and press flat to 1 1/2 inch thickness. Turn dough 90 degrees and repeat. Dough should be smooth and very soft.

Cut into 2 inch circles or squares. Place on baking sheet with sides touching (they will have something to rise against) and bake for 12-15 minutes until light golden brown.

Sit back, drink a great cup of coffee, and a handful of Southern breakfast goodness. I like my biscuits with sausage and blackberry jam (it's a sweet and salty thing). Or with milk gravy-a true Southern favorite.

Milk Gravy: 

4 T. unsalted butter


4 T. all purpose flour


2 c. milk


salt and pepper to taste


Milk gravy is silky, creamy goodness. Add the fact that it's dead easy and you've got a winner


Melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, stirring with a whisk and cooking for 1 minute. The butter/flour mixture should be bubbly and light golden brown, otherwise your gravy will taste like uncooked flour (blech).


Slowly add milk and cook over low heat until the gravy begins to thicken. If you like your gravy thinner, just add a little more milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. I add about 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4-1/2 teaspoon pepper. 


Pour over everything. Yep. It's that good.


Cheers! And thanks to everyone for making my first year of blogging a great one!

New Year's Day Chinese Feast

Good evening, my possibly hungover lovelies.  I hope every one rang in the New Year with style and fun. After a nice lie in this morning, my husband and I became inspired by our Taiwanese guests last night.  Hubby is dabbling with making Chinese bread (which is actually Japanese bread, but it is made in Chinese bakeries.) If you have never had Chinese bread, we are talking about the baked, rather than steamed kind. It is like a soft, delicate yeast roll filled with sweetened red bead paste or coconut custard or sometimes even a pineapple custard. Very yummy indeed.  So, taking my menu cue from his baking, we are having Chinese dishes tonight.

I also decided to keep things casual in the kitchen after yesterday's dress and heels combo.  Today it's comfy black skinny jeans, a heathered grey tank embellished with silk rosettes and beading, a lovely dark grey boyfriend cardi, and grey and purple plaid flannel flats.  Yes, you read that right.  Flats.  Don't worry, the stilettos will be back on tomorrow!

So, now for the tasties-

Gingered Chicken with Asparagus


8 oz of chicken tenderloins, sliced finely
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and broken into bite sized pieces
3+ T. fresh ginger, finely minced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 T. orange blossom honey
1/2 t. Sriracha sauce (found in the Thai section of your grocery store or Asian market)
2 T. black vinegar (also found in Asian markets)
1 T. dark sesame oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 T. corn starch dissolved into 1/4 cup water

In a bowl combine the ginger, garlic, honey, sriracha sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce.  Stir until honey is thoroughly mixed into the liquid.  Add sliced chicken and marinate for 30 minutes-2 hours.

In a wok or large frying pan, add 3 T. vegetable oil and heat over medium high heat.  Remove the chicken from the sauce (reserving the sauce for later) and add to wok/pan.  Cook over medium high heat until chicken is completely done.  Add asparagus and cook until crisp-tender.

Add reserved sauce and cook for 2 minutes.  Add corn starch mixture a little at a time, stirring and cooking, until it reaches desired thickness.

Serve with steamed rice-yummo!

Sauce ingredients.

Marination process.

Almost done!

*A note on rice.  Not all rices are created equal.  We prefer Nishiki rice, a Japanese short grain rice, but you can also use a longer grain rice or even a glutenous rice like Thai rice. And, always cook in a rice cooker rather than boiling on the stove.  The flavor is so much better this way!


Crispy Tofu with Shiitake Mushrooms


8 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 package extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
1/4 cup dark sesame oil, for frying the tofu
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 T. black vinegar
1 T. orange blossom honey
1 T. dark sesame oil
1 serrano pepper (or Thai red pepper if you prefer), finely minced
2 T. fresh ginger, finely minced
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 T. corn starch dissolved into 1/4 cup water

In a bowl, mix garlic, vinegar, honey,  2 T. sesame oil, pepper, ginger, and soy sauce together.  Add mushrooms and marinate for 30 minutes.

In a wok or frying pan, heat 1/4 cup sesame oil over medium low heat.  Add tofu in small batches and cook, turning occasionally until golden brown and crispy on all sides.  Place on paper towel lined plate when crispy. BE CAREFUL WITH THIS STAGE! THE OIL WILL SPLATTER AS YOU COOK!

When all the tofu is crispy, remove the mushrooms from the sauce (reserve for later) and cook over medium high heat until tender.  Return tofu to the wok along with reserved sauce.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add corn starch mixture slowly, cooking and stirring until sauce reaches desired thickness.

Luscious!

Last, but not least, are those fabulous sweet bean Chinese buns-honestly, my husband is a bread genius!

Wearing anything fabulous? Making anything luscious? Go forth, my lovelies and enjoy!

Cheers!