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Whatever Martha

Set your Tivo. Popmuse and I have been watching the new show Whatever Martha on Fine Living and it is the perfect thing to watch through a sleepless night. It's a terrible show where her daughter Alexis and Alexis's friend Jennifer trash talk through old segments of the Martha Stewart Show. Her daughter's comments are usually more bitter and bitchy than clever or funny, but it gives great insight into their blackened decoupaged souls

Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits

I made these biscuits as part of the best fried chicken biscuit the world has ever seen and recommend you do the same. The cheddar gives it a good flavor without being crazy cheesy and the jalapeno gives the perfect amount of kick without being spicy.

Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits

3 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of ground cayenne pepper
1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
3/4 cup milk

Combine the four, baking powder, salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Cut in shortening with a fork until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheese and diced jalapeno. Add the milk and stir to form a dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 20 times. Roll doughto a 1/2 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter or rim of a glass, cut into rounds. Gather the scraps and roll out again to make more biscuits. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 450F about 11 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cider Brined Fried Chicken

A friend of mine wanted fried chicken on cheddar jalapeno biscuits for her birthday this year. I don't usually fry chicken at home because it tends to get messy and not end up that tasty. However, this recipe changes everything. Brining the chicken makes it moist and flavorful, seasoning the egg instead of the flour is genius, and the paper bag saves a lot of time and messy hands. My biggest tip to the home chicken fryer is too have a deep electric hotplate that can self regulate the temp of the oil so you don't have to worry about it.

Cider Brined Fried Chicken

2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup salt
3-pound bag boneless skinless chicken breast (thawed)
Water
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 quart vegetable shortening or oil, for frying

Cut chicken breasts in half to make fist-sized pieces. In a large bowl, whisk together cider and salt until salt dissolves. Add chicken pieces and enough water to coat and soak for 1 hour or longer in the refrigerator. Chicken should be completely submerged in brine. In a large pot, heat vegetable shortening until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 325 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with a wire rack. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cayenne and black pepper. In a paper bag, shake together flour and cornstarch. Drain chicken from brine and dip in batches first in egg mixture then in flour mixture to coat. In batches, fry chicken until golden brown, about 7 minutes per side (14 minutes per piece), depending on the size. Remove from oil to drain on paper towel-lined plate.

Dinners For Obama

A friend of mine just told me about a couple of his friends that are hosting some dinner party fundraisers for Obama. Here's the skinny on them from a recent article in the Wall Street Journal.

New Yorkers Courtney Powell, 29 years old, and Richie Williams, 28, plan to host seven dinner parties over the next seven Sundays, with hopes of raising $10,000 or more for Obama. The dinners are small—a max of 10 guests each, and a minimum donation of $150 to the campaign—with varied menus, including a vegan dinner with green tea soymilk panna cotta. Of the 70 available seats, 17 had been claimed by Wednesday morning.

For Menu information or to RSVP, VISIT THEIR SITE.

Southern Green Beans

In the south vegetables are few and often cooked beyond all recognition. Growing up the most popular of these was the southern green bean. Green Beans in the south are almost mushy and full of a salty meaty flavor. Here is my mom's basic recipe.

Southern Green Beans

3 cubes of pork or beef bouillon
2 medium bags frozen green beans
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp oil or butter
1 1/2 cups water

In a medium to large pot with a lid, saute onion and oil until softened. Break up and stir in bouillon cubes slowly stirring in water until dissolved. Stir in green beans, cover with lid, and let stew over medium heat until soft and well flavored.

Free Pie

I just found out that I missed a trailer giving out free pie on a trip across the country to help promote the ABC show Pushing Daisies. Click here for more info. Incase you miss your chance for free pie they sent me recipes to make their pies and cobblers at home.

Ned’s Apple Pie

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
½ cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup water
½ cup white sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
8 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add Water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Ned’s One Minute Blueberry Pie

Baked 9 inch pie shell
6 oz. cream cheese
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
4 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 tablespoon salt
Water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Soften cream cheese. Add milk and lemon peel; beat until smooth. Spread cheese mixture evenly in bottom of baked pie shell. Sprinkle 2 cups whole blueberries over cheese layer. Mash reminder of blueberries; spoon in 1-1/2 cups of pulp and liquid. Place in a small saucepan.Mix sugar and cornstarch Stir into the blueberry pulp. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Coll mixture to lukewarm. Spoon the blueberry sauce over blueberries. Chill pie for several hours.

Ned’s Georgia Peach Cobbler

2 cups sliced fresh peaches (or any fresh fruit)
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cups butter
¾ cups self-rising flour (see note)
¾ cups milk
Ground nutmeg

Combine fruit with sugar in a bowl; set aside. Put butter in an 11x8x2 ½ inch baking dish. Place in 350 degree oven to melt butter. Butter should be bubbly not brown. Combine flour and milk; pour over melted butter in pan. Spoon fruit mixture on top. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Do not stir. Return to 350 degree oven and bake 1 hour or until cobbler is golden brown. Note: To make your own sel-rising flour, add 1 teaspoon baking powder and ¼ cup all-purpose flour.