Category: Fried

Perfect Fried Green Tomatoes

A lot of folks are privileged to have gardens. I love reading my fellow bloggers talk about what they are producing in their gardens. I tried container gardens on my balcony but living in the city its very hard to control the squirrels and such.So I gave up. I have always loved the tartness and flavor of green tomatoes and tomatillos.Something about them just perks my insides up. I came across some some gorgeous green tomatoes at the meat whole seller I go to. They have a basic produce section that’s very ‘country’ and basic. I grabbed a few and didn’t think about them until a few days later. Usually I order green tomatoes out at restaurants like the defunct neighborhood Dixie Kitchen.I’m not a big fryer but this simple recipe yielded perfect green tomatoes.

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Perfect Green Tomatoes
4 green tomatoes
1 cup buttermilk or
1 cup milk with a few tsp of vinegar
( allow to sit for 5 minutes or more)
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup corn meal
salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
vegetable oil

Prep your station with a dish of buttermilk, a dish of
beaten egg, and a dish of corn meal . Mix 1 tsp of cayenne
and salt in the corn meal. Slice green tomatoes into 1/2
inch rounds. Dip each slice first in buttermilk, then egg, then
dredge in cornmeal.
Heat approx 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in a fry pan. Fry tomato
slices until golden and crispy on each side.Drain finished pieces
on paper towels. Sprinkle with additional salt if desired.* Serve with
hot sauce.Optional

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New Year Traditions…Akkra,Greens,and Champagne


Happy New Year!

The other day I asked my friend Gabs what are the traditional good luck foods that they eat in Australia. She said they are not into to that as we Americans are. I got to thinking what can I do besides the normal southern style Black Eye Peas ,that we of Southern descent eat on New Years Day. I started thinking of my parents and in particular a dish my Nigerian father made at times. Akkra would be my new twist and variation of the routine Black Eye Peas . I never really got into all the Nigerian food growing up. It wasn’t that it was not good , I just got tired of my father eating the same things all the time( ‘soup’ , fufu,and rice in all there different ways). I remember he brought these black eye pea fritters called Akkra to a school “Show and Tell”, once on Nigeria. He added shrimp to them and they were a hit.I decided to add some other spices and green peppers to it. Dried shrimp,if you have it adds a great touch. My mother long since divorced from him made these from time to time as well.They are popular in Brazil and the parts of the Caribbean as well in slight variations. For New Years she was the traditional Southerner and made her Black Eye Peas and Collard Greens with lots of smoked meats. Don’t forget the Champagne for good luck! Certain Someone and I picked up these deliciously gaudy glasses in Germany. See the dollar signs? They really should be Euro signs in todays economy.They are RITZENHOFF.And what appropriate glasses to ask for prosperity in the New Year!

So here’s to a wonderful ,healthful,and prosperous New Year!

Apple Fritters

I have few days off to do absolutely nothing with Certain Someone home. Today in our shopping we bought a ham among other things. With ham I thought of apples. I love my fruits and veggies , unlike my big baby. With it being cold and homey, a craving entered my head. Apple fritters. These are really easy to make , simple, satisfying, and fattening. I couldn’t stop at one. Even Certain Someone came up to kitchen counter to have one after I offered some to my neighbor. He said they taste like apple pancakes, and they do. You can dice the apples or batter up apple rings. The choice is yours. Here’s the recipe I used.