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