Millions Of Peaches!

Peaches and Cream…need I say more?  I was so excited about this pie. I love peaches and anytime you can pair that with pie it is always going to be great!  Paula’s Peaches and Cream Pie is fantastic and easy to make.  While making this, I didn’t end up cooking it for as long as I needed to, so when I do this again, I will be sure to cook it for a little longer.  This pie is served cool, so it would make a great picnic item. It was not as sweet as I expected, but that was just what you need in a peaches and cream pie.  This will definitely be a summer recipe favorite! My friend Stephen complained that it wasn’t sweet enough and Jill heated hers up a bit.  It works to be heated and also goes well with vanilla ice cream.

Peaches and Cream Pie pg 333.

Place a prepared 9 inch pie crust in a pie plate and refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl mix together 3 cups peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons of instant tapioca and a little salt.  In a small bowl whisk 1 cup heavy cream, 2 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks and 2 teaspoons of vanilla.  Place the peaches in the pie crust and pour the egg mixture over the peaches making sure the peaches are covered.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degree then reduce to 350.  This is a step I forgot so I bakes at 350 but had to back a little longer.  Let the pie completely cool and enjoy.

The Lady and Sons Chicken Pot Pie

One of the best comfort foods is Chicken Pot Pie.  It is such a song of the south on a crisp fall day, or winter night.  Frankly it is good anytime in my book!  My mother never made Chicken Pot Pie, so I never had it growing up.  My first experience with it was probably in college in the cafeteria. From then on it was love at first taste. Paula’s Chicken Pot Pie is one of the best ever.  This is thicker than Pot Pies I have normally had.  The buttery crust paired with cheese and chicken make this dish a winner.  My friends Stephen and Jill enjoyed this dish with me along with making a photo just like the book!  We all had seconds!

The Lady & Sons Chicken Potpie pg 168

1 cooked chicken                           Pastry
1 can Cheddar Cheese soup          3 cups all purpose flour
1 can cream of celery                    1 teaspoon salt
!/2 cup whole milk                        1/4 baking powder                  
1 med. onion chopped                   3/4 cup solid shortening
10 ounces frozen peas                   1/4 cup ice cold water
3 carrots                                        butter
salt                                                
Pepper                                         
                                                      
Take the skin off and pull the chicken off the bone and rough chop

 

Heat the soups and milk, Stir in the chicken onion, peas, carrots salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

 

 

 

 

For the pastry.  Sift all the dry ingredients together.  Cut in the shortening. Sprinkle with 1 or 2 tablespoons of water and gently take a fork and push dough to the side until dough is moistened then form into 2 balls.

 

Flatten one ball and roll out to about 1/8 inch thick to fit a dip dish pie plate and fit to the pan.  Then fill with chicken pot pie mixture. 

 

Roll out the second ball to about 1/8 inch thick and cut into half inch strips and lay over pie in a lattice style.  Top with butter and bake until golden brown about 40-45 minutes.

 

 

 



Epic Fail On Strawberry Jam

As long as I can remember, people in my family have made jams and jellies.  Up until a few days ago, I have never tried but always depended on my mom to make her wonderful strawberry jam.  I never really appreciated how much work actually went into this process and how many things really could go wrong!  

 

My mom has had years of experience making jams, I don't think I ever remember her ever having any problems or anything going wrong.  Well, I can't say that.  My first attempt of making jam didn't go so well.  Before I started this process, I read Paula's instructions (at least 100 times) just to make sure I really understood the process.  She said to sterilize the jars, lids, and screw tops in boiling water, so I did and made sure they were completely dry.  I then made the jam, per the instructions, and let them get to 220 degrees and then filled the hot jars with the jam.  I then placed them in a water and brought them to a boil and then took them out.  

 

Luckily, I was able to get them to seal, but after about 48 hours I realized the only thing I made was strawberry syrup!  I will have to say this would go great on waffles or ice cream but it doesn't make great jam for a warm buttery biscuit.  I think I know where I went wrong, in the process of bringing them jam to a boil, I did not bring it to a hard boil which caused my jam not to set.  So, this weekend, there will be another attempt on Paula's Strawberry Jam.  This time I hope all goes well!  If anyone has any suggestions on jam making I would love to hear them. 

Strawberry Jam pg. 424

First make sure your jars, lids, and screw tops are clean, and then boil them in water for about 10 minutes.  Let them completely dry.

 

 

Combine the 3 lbs of strawberries with about 3 cups of sugar and let stand, stirring occasionally until the sugar is almost dissolved, about an hour.  Then mash with a potato masher.

 

 

Add the zest of one whole lemon and about 1/3 cup of lemon juice and bring to a boil and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Reduce to a simmer and bring to 220 degrees, stirring occasionally.  Skim off the foam.

 

 



Fill the jars with the jam and leave about 1/2 inch of room at the top.  Place on screw tops and the lids and place in a pot of water on a rack of a folded up towel and bring to a boil, covered and boil for 10 minutes.  Place on kitchen towel for 24 hours, once sealed you should hear a pop. If they are sealed your lid should be concave.

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=SEa1NJxPngAC&pg=PA424&lpg=PA424&dq=paula+deen+strawberry+jam+recipe+southern+cooking+bible&source=bl&ots=am-iKE7zp2&sig=XKIx2tCurtJBGW7uE5kVLDCVyTs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2X08UqzYHI7m8wTdjoCYBQ&ved=0CFAQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=paula%20deen%20strawberry%20jam%20recipe%20southern%20cooking%20bible&f=false



My Birthday Cake

I know this post is a little late but it's all about my birthday cake!  My friend Jill let me pick the cake I wanted for my birthday and as soon as she said it, I already knew what I wanted.  She thought she was smart and said "I already know which one you will pick", but she was wrong!  She thinks just because she has known me for about half my life she knows everything about me, but I guess she doesn't know everything.  She thought I was going to pick the Blackberry Cobbler, which she is right, this is one of my all time favorite desserts, but I ended up picking the General Robert E. Lee Cake. 

 

As soon as I read this recipe I knew it was something I would love.  The cake is filled with the refreshing flavors of lemon and orange and then is frosted in a bright citrus buttercream frosting.  I love anything citrus.  Citrus reminds me of sitting on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean with some sort of island cocktail.  One thing that attracted me most to this cake was the lemon curd filling.  Up until recently, I wouldn't eat anything lemon flavored, but lately I can't seem to get enough.  Everywhere I go I seem to be getting something with lemon.  The lemon curd really makes this cake bright and refreshing.  The only thing that I was disappointed in was the citrus buttercream.  The buttercream tasted great but I have never seen a buttercream made the way Paula made it.  She whisked the egg whites together and then put the bowl on top of simmering water and cooked to 140 degrees and then beat until soft peaks formed.  I don't know if we did something wrong, since I have never made a frosting like this but, the texture was a little lumpy and grainy.  But even with the frosting this cake was still a winner and I will be making this again to see if I can figure out this icing recipe.  Maybe I need to get a lesson from the master, Paula Deen herself!  

 
General Robert E Lee Cake
Pg. 386
 
Lemon Curd
Combine all the ingredients except the butter and cook over medium heat until thickens about 10-15 minutes.  Take off the stove and stir in the cold butter and strain then chill for at least 2 hours.
 
Cake
Beat the butter until creamy; then add sugar and all the zest and beat until fluffy then add one egg at a time until they are well combined.
 
In another bowl combine all the dry ingredients, then in a small bowl whisk together the, buttermilk and vanilla.  Alternating the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture combine into the egg mixture making sure you begin and end with the flour mixture. 
 

Pour into 3 - 9inch greased pans and bake at 350 degrees until done, about 25 minutes. 
 
Buttercream Frosting

First bring a pot of water to a simmer.  In a mixer, beat the butter until creamy then add the orange and lemon juice until combined.

With a handheld mixer, beat the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt and place the bowl over then simmering water and heat until 140 degrees.  While over the water, make sure you whisk by hand.  remove from the pot and beat until mixture cools completely and soft peaks form.  Add the butter mixture a little at a time and beat until well combined.

Assemble the cake

Place cake on plate, spread half of the lemon curd filling top with second layer and spread the remaining lemon curd filling.  Place the final layer of cake on top and frost with the Butter cream frosting. 

Birthday Dinner Part Two

Cajun Flank Steak With A Kick
pg.218

Who doesn't love steak?  For my birthday dinner, my friends Jill and Stephen made me Paula's Cajun Flank Steak with a Kick.  This steak combines two of my favorite things, steak and spicy.  This was a perfect selection for my birthday meal.  I can say my friends know me very well and usually nail what I like on the head.  I know a lot of people who, even though they love steak, cannot grill a steak to save their lives, but my friends cooked this steak to perfection!  It was medium rare to medium, tender and juicy.  With all the spice and the perfectly cooked meat, you won't need steak sauce for this bad boy.  Since I live in a condo in downtown Wilmington NC, we didn't have access to a grill so, to do this, my friends used our grill pan and it still turned out wonderfully.  If you love steak, you gotta try this one!  

Season the steak with some salt, then combine remaining ingredients and rub this mixture into the steak and all sides and let marinate overnight.

Grill over medium high heat and cook until your desired temperature.  Paula recommends 4-5 minutes for medium rare.  Once you remove this from the grill, make sure you let this rest for about 10 minutes before you cut into it.

 

1 1/2 pounds flank steak                         4 tsp. Cajun seasoning

salt                                                           1/2 tsp. hot sauce

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil                          Pinch of cayenne pepper

 

*****Could not find a link for this recipe

Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary
pg. 252

Everyone knows steak and potatoes go great together.  My friends paired this meal with Paula's Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary.  Paula uses a mixture of red potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes for this dish.  The mixture of rosemary and garlic are perfect compliment and give the potatoes awesome flavor.  We made this as per Paula, and she takes her potatoes out when they are tender, but I prefer my roasted potatoes a little on the crunchy side, so, if you do too, you may want to let them cook for a little longer than she recommends. 

Combine olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper together.  Toss with the potatoes and pour out on a baking sheet.

Bake until golden brown and tender about 30 minutes.

http://books.google.com/books?id=SEa1NJxPngAC&pg=PA252&lpg=PA252&dq=Roasted+Potatoes+with+Rosemary+paula+deen+southern+cooking+bible&source=bl&ots=am-iED4Fp-&sig=yQoD9GIGopRlN9Ly4yVEtO5tMUg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pSUzUpvbKY6I9AS98IGIBQ&ved=0CF0Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Roasted%20Potatoes%20with%20Rosemary%20paula%20deen%20southern%20cooking%20bible&f=false



Maque Choux
pg. 261

My friends also decided to make Maque Choux, which, to be honest, I have never heard of and I am now sorry I have never tried this before.  Paula says this is an authentic Louisiana recipe and the ingredients definitely demonstrate that.  This side dish is filled with summer vegetables: corn, bell pepper, celery, scallions, onion, and tomatoes.  So, if your looking for a dish to make sure your eating your vegetables, this may be the one.  After she cooks these vegetables for a bit, she then adds a little bit of heavy cream and then reduces.  So far, this may be my favorite side dish I have tried in the Southern Cooking Bible!

Over medium high heat add onion, pepper and celery and cook in the butter until soft. Add your corn and scallions and reduce your heat to a medium  and cover, cook for around 5 minutes.

Add the tomato, thyme and cayenne pepper (I would add more than just a pinch, but I love spicy) and cook until the tomatoes are soft. 

Pour in the heavy cream and cook this for a few minutes until the cream has reduced slightly.  Season salt and pepper to taste.

3 tablespoons butter                                        1 large chopped tomato
1 medium yellow onion chopped                    1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped                           pinch of cayenne
1 celery stalk, chopped                                   1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups corn kernels                                         1/2 teaspoon salt
3 scallions chopped, tops for garnish             1/4 teaspoon pepper

****Could not find a link for this recipe

Birthday Dinner Appetizers

Because Jill, my best friend and roommate, was going to be gone the day of my birthday, her and my friend Stephen decided to cook me a pre-birthday dinner on Saturday.  I can say I probably have the best friends in the world and I should say that considering the amount of work they put into making me this meal.  I had to work Saturday morning and when I got up around 8am, Jill had already started making part of the meal and I think she had been up for a while.  When I got home she was working on one of the appetizers which was Paula Deen's Baked Brie with Fig Jam.  One thing I love is cheese and brie is always at the top of the list.  Baked brie is wonderful just by itself, but wrapping it up in a buttery pastry shell and the addition of the walnuts and fig jam made this a sure fire hit with all my guests.  I think I could have eaten it all by myself, and I think I might have!  Anyways, we wanted to make Paula's homemade fig jam but I couldn't get my hands on enough figs so we had to get store bought, but I still plan on doing the jam at some point.  Even with store bought jam, this is a winner recipe (big surprise)!  If you need a simple, elegant, and just all around great appetizer for your party this is the one I would choose.

Baked Brie with Fig Jam

Roll out your puff pastry, making sure its big enough to cover the baked brie.  Place your cheese in the middle, top with the roasted nuts and fig jam

Close up the pastry and seal the ends.  Put the brie on a baking dish and bake around 375 for about 35 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 



http://books.google.com/books?id=SEa1NJxPngAC&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=Baked+brie+with+fig+jam+paula+deen&source=bl&ots=am-hNv9Gh2&sig=EJB9Oi-0tAD3RIuJJoRiIQr_7ZI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=JHowUueyNZHY9QSf_YHYCQ&ved=0CGgQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=Baked%20brie%20with%20fig%20jam%20paula%20deen&f=false

 

 

My friends Amanda and Kate also surprised us with two other Paula Deen appetizers.  They decided they wanted in on the Paula Deen cooking so they made Paula's Bacon and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms and the Bubblin' Brown Artichoke and Cream Cheese Dip. 

 

Bacon and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

 

The mushrooms were perfection. The mushrooms were juicy and packed full of cream cheese and you couldn't even tell there was spinach in them.  Then, Paula topped these off with bacon.  How could anyone not like these?  My friends did tell me they used turkey bacon instead, but you couldn't tell the difference and they were still great!

 

Make sure you squeeze as much liquid of your spinach to start with.  After that mix the spinach, cream cheese, bacon, scallions, salt and pepper and fill the mushroom caps.  Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top and bake for about 15 minutes or until browned.

 

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=SEa1NJxPngAC&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=bacon+and+spinach+stuffed+mushrooms+paula+deen+southern+cooking+bible&source=bl&ots=am-hNvaHq1&sig=GbGP7Nj3ZA9OFkF4eP711QB5o-Y&hl=en&sa=X&ei=yn4wUr_JFZGI9gT32IDYBg&ved=0CF0Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=bacon%20and%20spinach%20stuffed%20mushrooms%20paula%20deen%20southern%20cooking%20bible&f=false

 

Bubblin' Brown Artichoke and Cream Cheese Dip

 

To be honest, I am not a fan of artichokes.  Something about their texture I just can't seem to get past.  In this dish, I couldn't even tell they were in there.  Like I said before I love cheese and any kind of cheese.  This dish is filled with cream cheese and parmesan cheese and just lots of flavor.  The cream cheese and the mayonnaise in this dish really makes this dip creamy and delicious.  Even with the artichokes, this dish is still smooth and like I said, I could barely tell the artichokes were in there.  Paula also adds some hot sauce to this dish, but I like my stuff spicy and if you do to, you can always add more than what the recipe calls for.

 

Beat your cream cheese until smooth.  Add your mayo and mix well.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Place in a greased baking dish and top with remaining parmesan cheese and bake until cheese has browned.  Bake around 350 degrees. 

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=jUw66qJg-PYC&pg=PA13&dq=Bubblin'+brown+artichoke+and+cream+cheese+dip&hl=en&sa=X&ei=EYEwUp71OYW68ASAqIGwBg&ved=0CEsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Bubblin'%20brown%20artichoke%20and%20cream%20cheese%20dip&f=false



National Waffle Week!

When Paula tweeted that it was National Waffle Week, I took this opportunity to try her waffles with blackberry syrup.  I already knew this was going to be a win-win recipe.  First, I love waffles, who doesn't?  Second, I love anything that has to do with blackberries.  I remember when I was growing up, we always had a lot of wild blackberry bushes around, and we would go pick them for my mom.  She used to make jams, jellies, and my favorite, cobbler.  I think a homemade blackberry cobbler with a big scoop of ice cream on top may be on of the best things in this world!  Being a southern boy, the way to my heart really is through some good ole country cooking. 

 

Anyways, back to the waffles.  One thing I have noticed about Paula's Southern Cooking Bible is, all the recipes are simple, anyone could make these, even if you aren't the best in the kitchen.  To make these waffles, you just combine the dry ingredients then mix together the wet ingredients and then fold together.  How much easier can you get? 

 

The blackberry syrup was just as simple.  You mix the ingredients bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 15 minutes.  The waffles were perfect, but the blackberry syrup took center stage!  This syrup is smack your momma good!  I think I could probably put this on everything.  I did add one thing extra to this recipe.  I made some homemade whipped cream to top everything off.  You can never go wrong with a dollop of whip cream on anything!  Hope y'all enjoy this, I plan on making this again for brunch or another breakfast for dinner very soon!!!

Waffles

Mix dry ingredients together, in separate bowl mix together wet ingredients, then fold the wet ingredients into the dry until well combined

 Put about 1 cup of batter in a waffle iron and cook until golden brown,  if you have a small waffle iron just use about 1/2 cup. (make sure you spry your waffle Iron with cooking spray to make sure they don't stick)

Blackberry Syrup

Coming blackberries, the sugar and about 2 tablespoons of water in a pan and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes.

 

Top Waffle with warm blackberry syrup and enjoy, and if you want you can make some homemade whip cream too.  It's easy, I used about 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 tablespoon of sugar and about 1 teaspoon of vanilla and beat for a few minutes.

 

 



http://books.google.com/books?id=jUw66qJg-PYC&pg=PA301&lpg=PA301&dq=waffles+with+blackberry+syrup+paula+deen&source=bl&ots=yOAGUzSfIj&sig=7QuiG6s3iEABYmySSX37NH4NbOQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-jMtUreJBJHa8AT1iYCQCQ&ved=0CEUQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=waffles%20with%20blackberry%20syrup%20paula%20deen&f=false

Let Them Eat Cake!

One of my favorite cakes a child was chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  To me, you could not get any better than this.  I don't know about the rest of you, but normally my favorite part of the cake is the frosting.  This time, the cake was just as good as the frosting!  Even though I love chocolate cake, I have found it's hard to find a really good recipe.  Many that I have tried have come out very dry and overall just weren’t that great.  This is never a good thing.  Paula's chocolate cake did not disappoint.  This cake was extremely moist and perfectly sweetened.  I think it may have been one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever tried.  The friends I cooked for that evening loved it as well, but many wanted some vanilla ice cream to help cut the sweetness of the frosting! (I will warn you, the icing on this cake is filled with sugar, even though it tastes great, it is extremely rich and you may need a glass of milk or something to go with it.)

So, as a nice treat, I decided to take what was left of this cake to work and let my co-workers try it.  Their reaction was even better than my friends!  My friend Jackie actually got 3 pieces, and no, not to eat all at once, but she took some home.  I informed them that this cake is the best served warm, but no one took my advice at first.  They said the cake was good as it was, but Jackie decided to take my advice after having a few bites and she finally realized this cake is even better warm!  The warmth helps make the frosting become gooey and just plain good!  If you love chocolate cake you definitely need to try this recipe!  In the words of Marie Antoinette "Let them eat Cake!"

First whisk all dry ingredients together expect the cocoa powder.

Dry ingredients

 Next mix eggs, butter milk and vanilla

Egg mixture

Mix together the cocoa and water and dissolve completely, then stir in your butter.  Once done then mix in your egg mixture and fold in your dry ingredients.

Cake batter

Pour into your prepared 13 x 9 and bake at 350 degrees for around 30 minutes or until done.




Before



After

 

 

 

Fudge Frosting

 

Mix together granulated sugar and cocoa powder then whisk in the milk, butter and corn syrup and bring this mixture to a boil. 

 

I did something a little different here than Paula's instructions.  I then poured the mixture over my powdered sugar and stirred until dissolved then added my vanilla. Icing the cake immediately, while its still warm.

 

 

Note I may have gotten a little to much powdered sugar so my icing is extremely thick.  But it was still awesome!

 

http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/recipe_view/texas_sheet_cake_with_chocolate_fudge_frosting/

 



 





Perfect Summer Sides! Sauteed Yellow Squash and Easy Cole Slaw

I love Summer. It's a great time of year to be outside at the beach or just sitting back and relaxing on porch with a glass of ice cold lemonade or sweet iced tea.  But the thing I love the most, are fresh vegetables.  When I was growing my up, my parents had a huge garden.  I remember the days when I could walk out to the garden and pick a vine ripe tomato or fresh cucumber right off the vine and have a perfect summer snack.   One of my favorite vegetables is yellow squash.  I can eat yellow squash any way you wanna cook it.  My favorite is fried but the Sautéed Summer Squash by Paula Deen is definitely a close second.  The blend of butter, onions, squash, and some fresh thyme make this dish refreshing and a little sweet.  I agree with Paula, I like my squash picked on the smaller side so they have a little bit of a sweet flavor and right now is the perfect time to find it.  Besides the crab cakes, this side a close second to a crowd favorite.  Its quick and easy with loads of flavor! 

To make the Squash, cut up about  2-3 yellow squash and rough chop some onions.

 

You want to melt your butter in a pan and add the onions and a little salt until the onions are soft.  Throw in squash, thyme, salt and pepper and cook until the tender.   (Note fresh thyme works the best, but dried thyme works ok too)

Sautéed Summer Squash



 

 

2 Tablespoons butter                         2 small yellow squash or zucchini, cut

1/2 medium yellow onion                 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt                               1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 

 

 

Easy Coleslaw

 

Coleslaw is one of my favorite sides.  But I am very picky on how its chopped and tastes.  Some think I'm a little prude, but I'm a momma's boy and I love the way my mom makes her coleslaw and that's just the way I like it!  I like it chopped fine, not stringy, and I want mayonnaise-base not mustard or Asian.  Sorry, if you don't agree with me, but it's one of the few foods I can honestly say I have to have it my way or I just won't eat it.  This coleslaw recipe reminds me of exactly how my momma makes it.  Basic ingredients but a lot of flavor.  This recipe only calls for cabbage, apple cider vinegar, sugar and salt and pepper. How much easier can you get?  Even with so few ingredients, this coleslaw is perfect!  There is no need to change anything.  When I have tried making coleslaw before I have never been able to get my proportions right between the dressing and the cabbage.  Paula's recipe makes it easy for you and this will come out perfect every time.  I think my friend Jill, who says she doesn't like anything "goopy" made with mayo, even liked this dish a little. 

 

Mix all ingredients except the cabbage together. Shred the cabbage (I chopped mine up pretty fine but if you want yours more shredded that works too).  Pour dressing mixture over the cabbage and stir until covered.  You may need to add more salt or pepper if you desire.  I personally like a little more pepper myself.

 

 

Easy Coleslaw



3/4 cup Mayo                                            8 Cups shredded cabbage
1/4 cup Apple cider Vinegar                     Salt
1 tablespoon sugar                                     Pepper



         

Crab Cakes That Put the Rest To Shame and Jalapeno Hush Puppies

Crab is one of my favorite things to eat, but honestly I have never really cooked with it much.  I tried making crab cakes about a year ago and they didn't turn out so well, so I was a little hesitant to try again.  The first time I ever made them, I could not get them to stay together when I was frying them.  Even though they tasted great, it wasn't exactly what I would call a "cake".  With this recipe, I decided to take a new approach.  I decided to patty the crab cakes the night before and let them sit in the refrigerator overnight.  This made all the difference.  This gave the bread crumbs time to soak in the crab and the other ingredients and allowed them to stay together nicely.  I would say you probably won't have to let them sit overnight but a couple hours should do the trick.  Now a funny story about this meal, I actually made this meal two weeks ago, but everything was so good I didn't get any pictures of the meal, so I figured I needed to make it again!

These crab cakes, first of all, are extremely easy to make and fry.  But the best part about them, is the taste!  It really puts others to shame!  I could not think of anything I would want to do differently with these.  I don't know about you, but I really hate when I get crab cakes that are mostly breading and very little crab, Paula doesn't disappoint here either.  These crab cakes are busting with crab meat.  Paula seasoned these crake bakes to perfection. With the mixture of Old Bay, Worcestershire sauce, scallions, mustard powder, and a little hot sauce these crab cakes are the best around.  My friend Stephen actually said "I think these are better than any I have ever had at any restaurant."  I think these crab cakes would also be good baked. Especially if you were wanting to make them a little healthier.  If you love crab cakes then you will definitely love this recipe,  I recommend everyone try this today, you won't regret it!

First mix all ingredients until well combined.  I personally use my hands for this, its much easier, but you can use a spoon if you want.

Form into 8 equal crab cakes with your hands

Fry in enough oil to cover half of the crab cake.  You will fry around 3 minutes on each side or until browned.  Then flip and fry another 3 minutes until done.  Be careful when flipping, you can easily splatter oil making these. 

Serve hot with sauce of your choosing and maybe some lemon.

Savannah Crab Cakes

A pound of crab meat, make sure                           1 Tbl. Old Bay

you check for shells                                                1 Tsp. Mustard Powder

1/2 cup bread crumbs                                             1/2 Tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1/3 cup mayo                                                          1/4 Tsp. hot sauce

1/4 cup scallions                                                     Oil for frying

1 egg beaten                                                            Lemon (optional for serving)

If you have the book the recipe is on page 197. 

http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/paula-deen-savannah-crab-cakes-recipe

Jalapeno Hush Puppies

You can't have seafood without some good hush puppies, it's just unheard of.  So I decided to try Paula's Jalapeno Hush Puppies.  I will have to say, these may be the best hush puppies I have ever tasted.  These hush puppies are almost like corn bread, but with a kick.  The hush puppies are a perfect blend of sweet and spicy.  I don't know how Paula does it but every thing she touches turns to gold.  I think the key to these hush puppies is using the fresh jalapenos.  If you like hush puppies definitely give these a try.

Mix all the dry ingredients together, except the jalapenos.  In another bowl mix together the egg, buttermilk and the jalapenos then add those to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Using a small scoop, put in 350 degree oil and fry until golden brown.

I was unable to find the exact recipe online.  The jalapeno hush puppies on pauladeen.com is different than the one in the Southern Cooking Bible

oil for deep frying

1 cup of yellow cornmeal

1 cup all purpose flour

1 Tbl Spoon sugar

2 Tsp salt

1 Tsp baking powder

1 Tsp baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1/4 cup Jalapeno pepper