Hickory Wings with Bourbon-Molasses Glaze

Ladies and gentlemen, I have the perfect grilled appetizer for your summer get-togethers. How about smoky, sweet, and spicy wings with the unmistakable taste of Kentucky bourbon? Be prepared to have a reputation amongst the neighbours!

I love making wings on the grill, since they're so different than what I'm used to getting in a restaurant. Once you try them, there will be no going back. Trust me, you're about to start just staying home on wing night. These wings are rubbed with a flavourful mixture of smoked paprika, mustard, garlic, onion, and chipotle before being smoked over hickory wood chips.

A glaze consisting of bourbon, soy sauce, molasses, and butter is cooked just long enough to melt the latter; therefore, you should use a bourbon that you like, since the glaze will taste strongly of it. When the wings have had a chance to get comfortable on the smoky grill, brush them with the glaze, basting them a few times until they're ready to eat.

Amazing. Serve them up with some chunky blue cheese dressing, of course (along with lots of napkins).  They'll quickly become a favourite. You may find yourself going through a bottle of Wild Turkey in no time...just a friendly warning!

Hickory Drumettes with Bourbon-Molasses Glaze: The Recipe

From "Weber's Way to Grill" by Jamie Purviance

Amanda's notes: Contrary to what you may think, this blog is not sponsored by the Weber people. What can I say? I just find myself not having to look anywhere else for great recipes for the grill. 

I use salted butter and dark molasses, and the wings taste fine to me!

Ingredients

Rub:

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

1/2 tsp granulated onion

1/4 tsp ground chipotle chile

20 chicken wings, split (about 3 lbs)

Glaze:

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp bourbon

1 tbsp light molasses

1 tbsp unsalted butter

2 handfuls hickory wood chips, soaked in water for at least 30 min

Directions

In a large bowl mix the rub ingredients. Add the wings and toss to coat them evenly. Prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium heat.

In a small saucepan, bring the glaze ingredients to a boil over high heat and cook just until the butter melts. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.

Drain and scatter the wood chips over lit charcoal or put them in the smoker box of a gas grill, following manufacturer's instructions. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the wings over indirect medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the meat is no longer pink at the bone, 20 to 30 minutes, turning and basting with the glaze once or twice during the last 20 minutes of cooking. Serve warm.

Smoked Salmon Spread

Last summer, we got together regularly with two other couples for what I like to call "Barbecue Club." Every few weeks, we would take turns hosting gatherings to which everyone brought their own meat to grill (and beverages, of course) while the appetizers and sides were a shared responsibility. It was a fun and no-pressure way to have frequent dinner parties.

Therefore, as this weekend's temperatures hit the high teens, I was delighted that we resurrected Barbecue Club. As Jeff prepared a spice rub for the steaks he bought at the farmers market that morning, I whipped up the appetizer I had agreed to provide: a smoked salmon spread.

Atlantic smoked pepper salmon was on sale at my grocery store, so I took advantage. I combined roughly equal amounts of flaked salmon and a mixture of cream cheese, mayonnaise, and fresh lemon juice by hand, folding in green onion, fresh dill, and pickled capers for extra flavour. Once it was well blended, I gently folded in more salmon flakes for a chunkier texture.

I let the spread sit for a couple of hours before tasting it. It was delicious! Very rich, creamy, and full of great flavour. I served it with an assortment of fancy crackers, but it would also be perfect on rice crackers, crostini, rye toasts, or even on lettuce leaves or cucumber slices.

Whether served at an elegant cocktail party indoors or a casual outdoor gathering with your pals next to a hot grill (my preference), this smoked salmon spread is a great way to kick off an evening of good food and conversation. I can't wait for all the delicious meals that I'll be having in good company thanks to the arrival of nice weather!

Smoked Salmon Spread: The Recipe

Amanda's notes: If you can't find smoked pepper salmon, just add plenty of freshly cracked pepper to the spread.

Ingredients

150 g smoked pepper salmon, flaked, divided

3/4 block of cream cheese, softened 

2 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 green onions, finely chopped (including green parts)

2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

1 tbsp pickled capers, drained, roughly chopped

Directions

Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and lemon juice in a bowl, working with a spatula until very smooth. Mix in 3/4 of the flaked salmon until smooth. Fold in green onions, fresh dill, and capers until incorporated. Gently fold in the rest of the flaked salmon, until just mixed through. 

Let spread sit in the fridge for at least a couple of hours. Garnish with a sprig of dill, and serve immediately with a selection of crackers, rice crackers, crostini, rye toasts, or mound onto lettuce leaves or cucumber slices. Enjoy!

Alton Brown's Onion Dip from Scratch

Is anyone having friends over to watch Olympic events? We might have a gathering or two for the gold medal hockey games when the time comes, so I've had my favourite snacks on the brain.

I made Alton Brown's Onion Dip from Scratch a few times last summer and at Christmas to rave results, and for good reason. Once you make this, you will never go back to purchased. Toss out the soup mix, readers, and get ready for the real thing.

This dip is not only delicious, but also extremely easy to make. Anyone who can chop an onion is already an expert. Simply saute your onion in olive oil until it's beautifully carmelized.

Then, once it's cooled, mix it with mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Now, it's going to be hard, but you'll have to let it sit before digging in. The sweet flavour of the carmelized onions needs to permeate the creamy surroundings. Just walk away! You can do it.

You will be rewarded in the end. Alton Brown has created the ultimate chip dip! Caramelizing the onions brings out a sweet, deep flavour that you just won't find in a purchased dip. Also, this recipe contains the perfect ratio of mayonnaise to sour cream.  Neither too thick nor too thin, it is the ideal consistency for your favourite rippled chips, crackers, or crunchy veggies. As my friend Emilee exclaimed, "Tastes like Ruffles! But better!" Set it out in front of your pals, and watch it disappear.

Alton Brown's Onion Dip from Scratch: The Recipe
Amanda's notes: I've used both yellow (stronger) and vidalia (sweeter) onions with fine results.
White pepper is a bit less hot than black pepper. I think that the only reason it's used here is to keep the dip white in colour. Use freshly cracked black pepper if you prefer.
I like to let my dip sit overnight, but a few hours should be fine if you're pressed for time.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced onions
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
In a saute pan over medium heat add oil, heat and add onions and salt. Cook the onions until they are caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Mix the rest of the ingredients, and then add the cooled onions. Refrigerate and stir again before serving.

Crab Cakes

I've mentioned before that I am trying to recover from a life-long irrational fear of seafood; now that I've conquered cooking fish at home, crab cakes were next on my list to try. Jeff and I looked online for recipes, but we were overwhelmed by all of the variations. After reading a few different ones, we decided to just forge ahead with our own ideas.

In addition to the crab and mayonnaise, of course, I was insistent on green onions while Jeff was insistent on corn; in they both went! We also added panko bread crumbs, fresh lemon juice, sriracha hot sauce, cayenne pepper, and an egg. Next, I pressed the patties into more panko before frying them in a skillet so that they would be extra crispy. I served the hot crab cakes with some tarter sauce into which I whisked a whole bunch of fresh lemon juice.

I really enjoyed these crab cakes. The corn brought out the sweetness in the crab while also adding a different texture to the mix. The green onions and lemon juice provided plenty of brightness, while the hot sauce and cayenne pepper made the cakes perfectly spicy. What can I say about panko? The contrast between the crispness of the outside of the cakes and the tender inside was to die for; I'll never use another kind of bread crumb.

Keep in mind that I've only tried crab cakes a couple of times, so I don't have the greatest frame of reference; however, Jeff, the household Crab Cake King, assured me that these were very, very good. With his endorsement, I am confident in recommending this recipe. Enjoy!

Crab Cakes: The Recipe

Amanda's notes: Next time, I may add another egg to this recipe because the cakes were a little fragile; however, it was nothing that gentle handling couldn't take care of.

The next day, I broke up the leftover crab cakes into the leftover rice, added some green peas, and fried everything in a skillet with a little bit of soy sauce. Tasty!

Ingredients

1 package frozen crab (approx. 1 lb), thawed

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

4 green onions, sliced

1 can corn, drained

1 large egg (2 if mixture isn't holding together)

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tsp sriracha hot sauce

1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne (less or more, depending on how brave you are!)

1 tsp kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

Extra panko

vegetable oil

Directions

Mix all ingredients, form into patties (6 large, 12 small). Fill a shallow dish with extra panko, coat patties on both sides. Coat the bottom of a skillet with vegetable oil, heat to medium high. Fry crab cakes until golden brown (about 3 min per side). Drain on a cookie sheet lined with paper towel. Serve cakes with lemony tarter sauce. Enjoy!

Holiday Cheese Ball

After the success I've had serving Amy Sedaris' L'il Smoky Cheese Ball, I decided to make another one to bring home for the holidays. Since my sister is a vegetarian and would therefore not enjoy a cheese ball that was reminiscent of bacon, I set out to create one with a different flavour.

I found a forgotten jar of gourmet mango chutney in my pantry, and added a few tablespoons of it to the base recipe of cream cheese and butter, substituting aged cheddar for the smoked gouda in Amy's recipe. Inspired by the pink grocery store cheese ball that my parents usually have on hand, I added a generous glug of port to the mixture. Then, for extra flavour, colour, and texture, I folded in a handful of chopped dried cranberries. Finally, I rolled the cheese ball in a mixture of chopped toasted pecans and walnuts.

This cheese ball couldn't be more different from the earlier version, but it was a fantastic and festive appetizer. The mango chutney and port brought a lot of sweetness to the mixture, which was balanced nicely with the tartness of the cranberries and the sharpness of the aged cheddar. Once again, the toasted nuts brought the taste and texture of the cheese ball to the next level.

I enjoyed this cheese ball as part of a finger food buffet dinner, spread on rice crackers and crostini, and as breakfast the following morning on 7-grain crackers with a big mug of coffee (over the holidays, I will eat absolutely any leftover for my first meal of the day. I think it's a big part of what makes Christmas special).

I'm excited to try even more cheese ball variations. With a great base recipe and tasty additions, how could it go wrong? How about, in 2010, we all live on the wild side, and experiment with our recipes? Try something new, share your results with your loved ones, and feel warm and fuzzy as you stuff yourself silly. Cheers!

Holiday Cheeseball: The Recipe

Ingredients

2 sticks cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature

2 cups grated aged cheddar cheese (I used 4 yr old Canadian)

2 tbsp mango chutney

1/4 cup port

1 cup dried cranberries, chopped

2 cups toasted pecans and/or walnuts, chopped

Directions

To toast nuts, spread on a cookie sheet and into a 350F oven for 8-10 minutes. Cool, then chop.

Using an electric mixer, mix cream cheese, butter, and grated cheese. Stir in mango chutney and port. Fold in cranberries. Let mixture chill overnight.

Form mixture into two balls. Roll into chopped nuts, pressing them into the cheeseball. Serve with crostini and/or crackers.

Enjoy!

Amy Sedaris' Cheese Ball

I attended a party last night, to which guests were asked to contribute an hors d'oeuvre. Scrambling for ideas at the last minute, and inspired by a store-bought cheese ball I tasted at a BBQ the night before, I decided to try my hand at this classic party dish.

Over Christmas, I read funny lady Amy Sedaris' book on entertaining, I like you. It was a hilarious yet practical book, throughout which she mentioned several times that her cheese ball recipe has made her famous among her friends. I decided to use her recipe, "L'il Smoky Cheese Ball," as inspiration for my own.

The smoky flavours in this cheese ball come from plenty of smoked Gouda cheese, and a little bit of steak sauce (although I used some bold barbecue sauce, since it's what I had on hand). The recipe couldn't be easier, but the results are outstanding. Aside from the flavour in the cheese, what really makes this cheese ball is the outside layer of toasted walnuts. It is to die for; in fact, I think a nice way to present this dish would be to make many individual cheese balls that could each be spread on a crostini, which would increase the walnut-to-cheese ratio.

The cheese ball was a hit at the party, and I received a few requests for the recipe. As I was hoping, the smokiness of this appetizer is really appealing; a friend of mine even thought there was bacon in it. If you ask me, it's never a bad thing for a dish to taste like bacon!

I think I've found my go-to appetizer for entertaining, and for potluck-style parties. It's great to have a recipe that you can count on, that is easy, and always pleases; so, I'm happy to add this one to my collection. I must warn you, however, that the word "l'il" in the name of this dish is very misleading (although, duh, the two packs of cream cheese listed in the recipe should have tipped me off to its size.) This cheese ball is gargantuan! Halve the recipe for small gatherings, and you'll still have leftovers.

Oh, leftovers. Sigh. If only I had hosted the party, and had been privileged to keep L'il Smoky's remaining deliciousness...

I would have had a wonderful breakfast today.

Amy Sedaris' L'il Smoky Cheese Ball: The recipe

Amanda's notes: I don't have a mixer with paddle attachment, so I used my regular hand-held mixer to blend the butter and cheese together, and then mixed everything else in by hand.

I used salted butter and added in freshly cracked pepper. I substituted an equivalent amount of smoky barbecue sauce for steak sauce, and threw in some basil and oregano for a little extra colour.

Since I decided to make this cheese ball at the last minute, after forming the mixture into a ball, I put it on a cookie sheet and froze it for about 45 minutes to get it firm enough to coat with the walnuts. After coating, I sat it in the freezer for a couple of hours, and then let it thaw to room temperature before serving. I served this with crostini, but it would also be good on your favourite cracker.

To toast walnuts: spread 2 cups walnuts on a cookie sheet, and toast at 350C for 8-10 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through, until nuts are lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside to cool, then chop. You can't skip this step! It makes the cheese ball.

"2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese, room temperature

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons steak sauce

1 cup toasted chopped walnuts or pecans

Crackers, for serving

Place Gouda, cream cheese, butter, milk and steak sauce in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix until well combined. Transfer mixture to refrigerator. Let chill overnight. Roll cheese mixture into a ball. Place nuts in a shallow dish. Roll cheese in nuts to fully coat. Serve with crackers."

Enjoy!

Memories of Tzatziki

Growing up in Fredericton, New Brunswick, I was exposed to amazing Greek food; in fact, the quality of the Greek food is one of the things I am most proud of about my hometown. As a young girl, I developed an obsession with tzatziki sauce, the so-garlicky-it-burns condiment made of cucumber and yogurt. Whether I slathered it on pita while I shared a cold pikilia platter with my mom at Dimitri’s, or eat it spread on a Pano’s donair for breakfast at the Boyce Farmer’s Market on Saturday, tzatziki sauce has always held a very special place in my heart. I’ve eaten it with a spoon from the Styrofoam takeout container, people; true love knows no manners.

Now that I live in the neighbouring city of Moncton, I find myself hard to please when it comes to my favourite condiment. While there is a perfectly lovely Mediterranean restaurant here, it does not specifically identify itself as Greek; therefore, its version of tzatziki, which is neither thick nor garlicky enough for my tastes, just isn’t the same. Grocery store brand obviously won’t do, either, so what’s a girl to do? Well, this girl makes it herself.

I read dozens of online recipes for tzatziki sauce, and combined elements from the ones that sounded most like what I can get at home. After little tweaks here and there, I finally have a formula that I love to call my own.

If you think tzatziki is only good for pita bread or donairs, think again. I make it every single weekend in the summer, because it is so versatile. I love it as a condiment for sausage, chicken, burgers, steak, pork tenderloin, or potatoes, as a dip with any vegetable, dolloped on top of an omelette, as a dressing for pasta salad, and in a big bowl surrounded by chips or crackers. The possibilities are endless.

While it would be nice to be able to run out and pick up a container of delicious tzatziki sauce whenever I please, I don’t mind taking the time to make my own. It’s rewarding to satisfy my cravings in my own kitchen, by successfully recreating a taste that I've always adored. However, even though I really enjoy my own version of tzatziki, some things just can’t be changed: when I’m at Mom and Dad’s, it’s Greek takeout all the way.

Tzatziki Sauce: The Recipe

Amanda’s notes: Since I can’t get Greek yogurt around here, I buy the thickest I can find, Balkan-style yogurt (6% M.F.), and strain it to thicken it even more. This can be done by placing a couple of layers of paper towel in a sieve, adding the yogurt, and sitting the sieve on top of a bowl in the fridge overnight. Discard liquid.

Because there is a lot of water in cucumber, after grating and salting, I squeeze out as much as I can by scooping it into paper towel or a clean dishtowel, and wringing.

Unlike the smooth tzatziki I grew up with, this one is chunky from the grated, skin-on cucumber. If you’d like a smoother texture, you could peel then puree your cucumber in a food processor before adding it to the yogurt.

I usually use about 6 cloves of garlic, but I really like the sting. Use 3 or 4 if you’re unsure, and more if you’re a fanatic (I once used 10, but it was bad for my social life).

Ingredients
1 large container Greek yogurt (about 2 cups)
1 cucumber, grated
6 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt
Paprika

Directions
Whisk olive oil and lemon juice in the bottom of a bowl. Fold in yogurt. Add cucumber and garlic; mix well. Salt to taste. Let tzatziki sit in the refrigerator for at least a few hours before serving. Garnish with paprika. Enjoy!

Crostini

One of my absolute favourite meals is a cheese plate. Although it is one of the simplest things to throw together, it is a gourmet experience that I find very special. I've read the rules on how to pair different cheeses for a plate, but I don't care to follow them. I'm not sophisticated in my cheese likes and dislikes; I just like what I like! So, I choose three or four cheeses that taste good, and, if you ask me, they always go together perfectly.

Sometimes when Jeff and I have planned ahead for a cheese plate, we go all out with cured meats, different chutneys, balsamic vinegar and spiced olive oil, nuts, and fruit. However, in its most basic form, all you really need for your plate is the cheese, some good bread, and maybe some olives. (Wine is a given, of course). A really easy way to bring a simple cheese plate to the next level is by making your own toasted bread slices, crostini (Italian for "little toasts.'') The small effort it takes to make them is nothing compared to what they bring to the meal, and they are a million times better than anything that comes in a bag.

All you need is a fresh baguette, sliced on the diagonal. You then brush both sides of each slice with olive oil, and sprinkle them liberally with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

In they go to the oven for a few minutes, until they look like this:


At this point, if you want to punch up their flavour, you can rub the hot toasts with a peeled clove of garlic (a trick I've learned from Giada De Laurentiis from Everyday Italian). But, since I wanted the flavour of the cheese to take centre stage in this particular meal, I simply let them cool to room temperature on the pan.

Once cooled, there is no limit to the toppings you can use on crostini: you can make bruschetta, top them with sundried tomato or olive tapenade, spread cream cheese on them and sprinkle them with fresh herbs, or just pile them in a basket and eat them plain with a selection of good cheese and olives.

If perfection has a taste, it is crostini. They are delightfully crispy on the outside, yet slightly chewy when you bite into them. The olive oil and seasoning, combined with the toasting, makes them much more interesting than a plain baguette, and far more satisfying than crackers. I can't tell you how worth it it is to take a few extra minutes to make them; you'll just have to trust me and try it yourself.

The next time you find yourself unsure about what to make for dinner, consider a simple cheese plate with crostini. I guarantee you will feel very special. Also, I know from personal experience that if you have a spread like this ready for your significant other when they get home from a long hard day, they will love you forever. Sounds good to me!

Crostini: The recipe

Ingredients

Fresh baguette (I like whole wheat, for extra flavour)

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

Clove of garlic, peeled (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350C.

Slice baguette into 5mm slices, on the diagonal. Brush both sides with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and fresh black pepper.

Bake on a cookie sheet for about 6 minutes on each side, until golden brown on the edges.

Rub warm toasts with the garlic clove, if desired.

Let toasts cool to room temperature. Top with whatever your heart desires. Enjoy!

Store toasts in an airtight container.