My New Red Hot, Cast Iron Pan

I apologize for not blogging the past few days, but I’ve had a terrible viral infection my family doctor back home lovingly calls, “The Memphis Crud.” It’s not pretty and certainly not an appropriate topic for this delicious little blog.

The thing I am actually here to blog about is my new red hot, cast iron grill pan! My amazing Mom and Dad gave it to me for Christmas and today is the first time I’ve ever taken it out of the box! TALK ABOUT A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT! My husband, Chris, wanted to hang it on the wall! haha! Instead, we cooked some little filet mignons in it and they tasted so juicy!! They had all the right markings of a good grill pan and cooked evenly too. I am very happy about this pan and apparently Sophie, my Silky Terrier, is too.

Cast-Iron-1

Big thanks to my parents for the newest addition to my kitchen! It looks like Chris will have a little competition with a red hot cast iron grill pan. 😉 He’s not the only grill master now! Keep an eye out for more recipes that you can use with your own cast iron grill pan and more information on how to properly season, care for, and protect your own enamel coated cast ironware.

Happy New Year from our family to yours! May it be a healthy and happy one!

Hallie Hylander

Christmas Eve: Breakfast for Dinner

Xmas-Eve-1My grandmother called me about a week ago and asked me to help her prepare something for Christmas Eve. She wanted something easy, satisfying, but nothing too big or too complicated. Knowing her favorite meal of the day is breakfast, I started planning a small but simple menu. Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits filled with Glazed Ham and Dill Havarti Cheese, Mixed Fruit, Cheddar Cheese Grits, and a platter of Almond Tea Cookies (per my grandmother’s request), Collins Street Bakery Fruitcake from my family’s home state of TX, and Raisin Cinnamon Bagel Bites. My father made Stollen for the first time and I get the feeling it will be a new tradition for our family.

The Stollen was delightful! Perhaps he will teach me a thing or two about Stollen and I can share it with yall. In the meantime, the recipes below should get you started on your “Breakfast for Dinner” or as one of my friends calls it, “Brinner.”Continue reading →

Christmas Eve Eve Dinner: Beef Bourguignon

Beef-Bourguignon-1Beef  Bourguignon is a favorite in our household during the wintertime, especially the Eve of Christmas Eve or as my dear friend, Tom Dees says, “Christmas Eve Eve.” It’s rich and boozy and turns regular old steak and potatoes into something heavenly (and I’m not just saying that because of the booze).

Originating from Burgundy, a region in France, this dish became ever so popular with Julia Childs. Many people are intimidated by Julia’s recipe, but this recipe is a little bit easier and tastes just as good (if not better). My family prefers a recipe that was featured in Parade Magazine December 13, 2009. For those of you who don’t know what Parade Magazine is, it is a feature magazine inside the Commercial Appeal every Sunday and can be found online at http://www.Parade.com.Continue reading →