Pot & Cover

it seems appropriate to start with simple beans...to quote a family member "i'm so poor i can't buy a bean"...now that's poor! well, we eat our share of beans and they are divine...i've been eating beans since as long as my memory goes back...although raised a california girl, i've got southern roots and we had many family meals of a pot of pinto beans, fried okra, fried taters, fresh sliced tomato, and cold "wienies" (hot-dogs). i didn't like the wienies...but i recall warm, fluffy cornbread and cold milk. i haven't eaten that combo since, but it brings back warm memories of sitting at my grandma's table as a child with a glass filled with cornbread and milk. the beans must be pinto, the fat must be bacon and salt added at the end so the beans are tender. over the years the recipe varies...sauteed onion adds sweetness, whole garlic cloves melt right in once they've cooked, cayenne or a toothpick full (seriously) of "dave...

8.2.09...our precious friend D.G was heading off to China...and we were attending a party in his honor...which, let's just be honest...the secondary guest of honor was the award winning ribs served by our hosts...Mr. Griggs makes some mean BBQ! Anyway..we were asked to bring a 'side', so i made beans, beans I know...and tried a baked bean recipe based on Emeril's mom's recipe..and let it be said...its very spicy..but also very sweet....just right! Scott loves sweet baked beans...so this in also in honor of him and trying to find a recipe he likes as much as Market Street's Cowboy beans...I think I have a winner here. Well D.G is in China, teaching English, looking forward to meeting up with his 4 kiddos in Spain in October and serving JESUS! I hope the heat from these beans was representative of his passion for Christ...I know it is! We're praying for you D.G! Recipe based on Emeril Lagasse, Miss Hilda's Baked Beans Ingredients 2 pound dried pinto bean...

I could have just had a plate of the green beans and been extremely happy Inspired by an Anne Burrell cooking show...which was actually for trout and green beans...we decided to do the green beans exactly and chicken instead, but with the same herby bread crumbs and lemon sauce. Wicked Bacon Braised Green Beans, based on a recipe by Anne Burrell Extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 pound bacon, cut into small pieces, and 1/4 lb of diced pancetta (or use just bacon or just pancetta) 2 garlic cloves, smashed Pinch crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 pound baby bella mushrooms, sliced Kosher salt 1 pound string beans, stems removed (got em at Costco, already stemmed) 1 cup chicken stock Coat a large straight sided skillet lightly with olive oil. Add the bacon, and bring to a medium heat. Cook until the bacon has gotten brown and crispy and has let off most of the fat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes When the garlic becomes golden brown and very aromatic, remove and discard. As Anne sa...

This blog started with beans...and a momentous occasion occurred in these last few weeks...My momma made her Eaton Family famous beans.  Beans wouldn't seem like such a big deal...simple, humble beans.  But, in our family they are history and presently, they are a victory, a triumph.  My momma...who filled my young belly with extraordinary delights and taught me the value of a well cooked meal and the joy that can be experienced in it's creation, hasn't been able to cook for many years. At times due to business...and most recently due to disability and poor health.  But the Eaton Family has experienced a victory! In the form of a little dry bean, which was transformed into a succulent, tender, savory, protein and carb infused wonder.  A nourishment available to the poorest and also enjoyed by the most wealthy (if they are smart!) Last week Momma called to say she had made a pot of beans...which in my family means COMFORT FOOD....warm flour tortillas are all th...

Beef Enchiladas 2 lbs ground beef 1 sauteed onion 1 can green chilis 6 oz shredded monterey jack 8 oz shredded mexican blend cheese 15 oz can red enchilada sauce 12-18 corn tortillas (we like white corn) freshly made pinto beans (about 1 cup) Preheat oven to 350-375 (look on back of enchilada sauce can...which always has a recipe) Prepare a 9X13 baking pan by drizzling about 1/4 C of enchilada sauce in bottom, spreading around. Brown beef and season with s&p, and favorite spices...or use a taco seasoning packet...we used bay leaf, cinnamon, cumin, red chile powder, cayenne, crunchy roasted garlic...after I brown it, I add water to cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, which makes the meat very tender...an old trick I learned from one of dad's h.s. buddies who owns my favorite mexican restaurant on the planet...La Esperanza in CA. I also over season the water with beef buillion or salt to make sure the meat is well seasoned...then drain, cool slightly...adding all other ingr...

Smells so good...left over chili for dinner again...i had little burritos mixed with our killer pinto beans and Scott had a frito boat...love leftovers...all the joy and the work's already done! Like a food mutual fund! I cooked herby tender dressing, green bean casserole ala Paula Dean, sauteed carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms...how could it not smell devine?! We laughed so hard tonite we cried.."food baby" oh from the mouth of babes. Laughed over silly stuff and it felt so joyful...Christmas eve marriage joy...nothing like an evening cooking, eating and laughing with your love & best friend of 20 yrs. There were tubs of potatoes...literally 10 lbs...a pyramid of butter...now tucked in bed with "Little Women"...here's a little of what we did tonight . Twas the night before Christmas....and 10 lbs of taters were being readied for mashing, Scott peels them, boils till tender and rices them for a silky smooth texture Pallets of the most delici...

soft beef tacos are what's for dinner tonight. a family staple. another one i remember momma cooking at home. we even had soft tacos for my 15th bday party, with shredded beef. they are addictive and almost impossible to stop eating. i remember both my parents and my grandma wanda cooking away in the kitchen of our little town house while all my buddies and i were bouncing on the trampoline in our backyard that was only slightly bigger than the tramp. there were a lot of dents in the fence. cooking the beef is very important. ground beef tonight. i'm pretty sure that there is a mexican influence on the method, i think maybe "joe" from "la esperanza" in california. i think he was a high school buddy of dads, but not sure. i do know that if i could transplant one restaurant from my hometown, it would be "la esperanza". they have the best beans, rice, chile rellenos and espe (sp?) chips on the planet, or at least the part of the planet i've been t...

I've made a version of this a few times, but not lately...I've made it with bacon/pancetta instead of sausage...and sometimes with mushrooms and even mushroom soup. I was on a roll yesterday, inspired by the Christmas spirit...wanting to get the apt cleaned up so I could decorate. I changed out my potted garden on the patio...planting pansies, crocus bulbs & a few ornamental cabbages...the purple and green ones. I couldn't bring myself to buy the big ones, so I got little 99 cent ones and we'll see how much they grow. I worked on laundry, and a little organizing in the kitchen...which inspired cooking...beans to begin with. Scott went to the store for me to get chicken breasts...sausages were in the freezer. We had red and yellow bell peppers that needed to be used...so they seasoned the beans and the etouffee. ez etouffee 2 sausage links, already cooked like Earl Campbell, cut into chunks 2 chicken breasts, sliced into large chunks (like small chix fingers) 1...

We'd done the beef skewers and vegies  and baked beans before, but these onion rings are by far the best ever...Vidalia onions, drenched in Frank's hot sauce, whole milk buttermilk...soaked then dredged in flour, egg, flour again, left to dry in the fridge and fried to crispy (not a hint of greasy) perfection by Scott.  oil heating up for rings...peppers and onions and beans warmin up peppers and onions Bush's baked beans...grillin style baby bella mushrooms, quartered freshly ground black pepper...so satifying to grind it by hand with a mortar and pestle fresh lime juice for the marinade sauteeing mushrooms with the peppers and onions drenched and dredged onion rings ready for the oil the skewers are on the grill the best rings I've EVER put in my mouth...Thx honey Sirloin was marinated in asian marinade (lots of freshly ground black pepper and freshly squeezed lime juice)...posted on here already...grilled till charred and tender.  Onion, bell peppers and baby bella...