Orange Pork

Had some pork chops in the fridge and I've wanted to try an orange marmalade and soy sauce idea I caught from a cooking show. I couldn't find a mixture of just soy and om that I felt confidant trying. So, I tried a mixture of a cup of BBQ sauce (sweet, know your audience), a cup of marmalade, and three tablespoons of soy sauce. We'll see how it turns out tonight.

Andrew Elkins

Football Caviar

I've been asked for my recipe for boiled peanuts. I have two variations, indoor and outdoor. 

 
For the indoor recipe you will need at least one crockpot, two pounds (+-) of green peanuts, a fair amount of water, and enough salt. If you have one four quart crockpot you can fit roughly a pound and a half of peanuts in it. If you have a four quart and a two quart, put a pound and a half in the 4qt and a half pound in the 2qt. Cover with water. Turn on high for about an hour then add salt. I use somewhere around 1/2 cup per pound. Stir the salt in and top off water. Turn crocks to low and let them go for about 20-24 hours. Check and continue if they aren't soft enough for you. 

 
For outside, get up before the sun. Break out the turkey frier set up, hook it up and see if it still works (prep night before, you're not going to be awake enough). Dump 2 pounds of peanuts in the pot, fill with water, pour in a half to a whole cup of salt and fire off the burner. Boil until the peanuts sink. That'll be a good many hours. I actually prefer this method when the weather turns cold because I'm weird.

Andrew Elkins

This Just In

I got this from Allrecipes.com.
If you do not have an ice cream maker, you may freeze it in a tall canister. Freeze for 1 1/2 hours. Remove and stir with a whisk. Return to the freezer and stir about once every hour for about 4 hours. The more times you stir, the more air will be incorporated, resulting in a lighter finished product.

Andrew Elkins

The Quintessential Southern Sorbet

I had the most awesome revelation looking through sorbet recipes. Iced Tea Sorbet!!! (there is iced tea and unsweet iced tea) Here is the ingredient list:
3 cups tea*
1/4-3/4 cups lemon juice (this is an option I guess)

Here is the to do list:
-Mix tea and lemon juice
-Pour admixture into ice cream maker and follow manufacturers instructions.
-Put in freezer safe container
-Freeze for an hour (till firm)
-EAT!!!

You could probably get away with unsweet tea but then you'd have to call it ... well I'm sure I don't know what you'd call it.

*For those who may not have a clue how to make tea, this is how I make tea. I take 8 iced tea bags and 3 green tea bags and place them in a 4 cup measure (you can tell which one I use for tea because it has a permanent brown tint) filled with water. Sit this in the microwave for 7 minutes. Let the tea steep for 12 to 15 minutes. After the tea has steeped pour into a gallon pitcher that you have a cup to a cup and a half of sugar into. Stir the brew and sugar to dissolve the sugar. I use a wooden spoon called the "Teaspoon" that has only ever been used to hold tea bags back and stir tea and sugar together. Fill the rest of the gallon pitcher with water. Refrigerate or fill a glass with ice and drink.

Side note, I have been known to steep tea for a few hours before, won't hurt a thing. If you do this, however, you will need to make a simple syrup of the sugar and and 2-4 cups of water heated 3-4 minutes in the microwave.

Wow, the instructions for the tea are more involved than the sorbet itself.

Andrew Elkins

Time To Make The Butter

I started making some butter from the cream I skimmed off the milk I got this week. When the punkins got dressed they had to "help." Pearce even showed Mr. Artichoker, his pet turtle.

My next project with this milk is to make some mozzarella. Stay tuned for that. Oh and there may be video later.