Author: Gail

Dining Outside the Home: Germantown Commissary in Germantown, Tennessee

Dining Outside the Home: Germantown Commissary in Germantown, Tennessee! Housed in once stood for 60 years as an old country store, Germantown Commissary is now a famous joint for serving up Memphis-style barbecue. Known for its slab of mouthwatering ribs and pulled pork, with a side of deviled eggs, the portions are large enough to share or take home. And plenty of people do just that. Carry-out seems to be as popular as dining in. For me, the allure of being closed in at a cozy table amongst authentic memorabilia lends to the experience. After all, people used to come in to buy blue jeans and household items here. Nowadays, celebrities search them out to satisfy the urge for good old southern cooked comfort food.

Dining Outside the Home: Felicia Suzanne’s in Memphis, Tennessee

Dining Outside the Home: Felicia Suzanne’s in Memphis, Tennessee! Tucked comfortably at a corner table is like feeling on the edge of a party, in my opinion. The intimate atmosphere at Felicia Suzanne’s feels festive as distant conversations emit a slow buzz. This is Friday lunchtime, when 25-cent martinis set the stage for an unforgettable weekend prelude. Order it your way: shaken, stirred, or slightly dirty. No matter the choice, it all works well with the specialized menu of southern cuisine from local sources. I guess you could describe it as farm-to-table, with a white linen finish. Fresh lump crabmeat boulettes tempt the palate with a saucy kick of pepper jelly. In a word, delectable. Coming from a seafood lover, the BBQ Gulf Shrimp was a no-brainer as well. Every item has the stamp of Project Green Fork on it, but one visit doesn’t begin to complete the truly southern experience.

Memphis is Aglow with Holiday Spirit

Memphis is Aglow With Holiday Spirit! Take a romantic stroll down historic Beale Street where twinkling lights of towering Christmas trees become the backdrop for ancient evenings and distant music. The clip-clop prancing of horse-drawn carriages fulfill childhood dreams with fairytale endings. If you’re lucky, you may sneak a peak at whimsical gingerbread displays where marching ducks waddle in tune down gilded staircases lined with curiosity seekers. How do they do that? Outside again, parades abound. Holiday happenings and light shows illuminate the night with plenty of fanfare. Soak up the allure before checking out live entertainment in open-air courtyards filled with soulful blues. Dance a little. Laugh out loud. These are memories that linger on. Well done, Memphis, Tennessee.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Pumpkin Roll!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Pumpkin Roll! Announcing a festive cake that looks as though you stopped by the bakery. Anyone can feel like a professional pastry chef with this holiday specialty. In a few simple steps, the rich pumpkin flavor is enhanced by the velvety cream filling. Afterwards all you have to do is sit back and bask in the accolades.

PUMPKIN ROLL

Ingredients for Pumpkin Roll:

3 eggs

2/3 cup pumpkin purée

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup chopped pecans

Ingredients for Velvet Filling:

8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease and line a 10″x15″ jelly roll pan with waxed paper. For pumpkin roll combine eggs, pumpkin purée, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and flour. Mix until well blended. Pour into jelly roll pan and spread evenly to edges. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake 12-15 minutes. Watch carefully. Remove from oven. Sprinkle powdered sugar on a tea towel, turn cake onto towel, and remove the waxed paper. Starting at one end, roll the cake up, and refrigerate for one hour. Meanwhile, combine Neufchâtel cheese, vanilla, butter, and powdered sugar. Mix together until smooth and velvety. After one hour, unroll cake and spread the filling all the way to the edges. Reroll cake and refrigerate two hours longer. Dust with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Pumpkin Spice Pie

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Pumpkin Spice Pie! It wouldn’t be the a feast without family traditions, whether it’s a circle of loved ones, heirloom tableware, aromatic side dishes, or pumpkin spice pie. No matter how stuffed we are from the bountiful spread, there’s always room for dessert. Am I right? Indeed! Besides, who can resist a touch of creamy custard sweetness surrounded by a golden, buttery crust, even if it is prepared by someone else.

PUMPKIN SPICE PIE

Ingredients:

1 prepared 9” pie crust

15-ounce can puréed pumpkin

2 eggs

15-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Whipped Cream for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Place prepared pie dough in an ungreased pie plate. Crimp edges as desired. Set aside. Combine puréed pumpkin, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and sea salt. Beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and continue baking 40-50 minutes until center is firm. If necessary, cover the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil to avoid over browning. A knife inserted will come out clean. Remove from oven. Cool. Garnish with whipped cream, as desired.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Roasted Turkey Breast!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Roasted Turkey Breast! Life just got a little easier. Instead of cooking an entire holiday bird, it is just as rewarding to roast a turkey breast. You still get the herb seasonings and butter-basted juicy portions, along with drippings for a savory pan gravy, without all the time and effort. It’s simple, economical, and carves up nicely. One more reason to serve turkey for any occasion.

ROASTED TURKEY BREAST

Ingredients:

5-pound bone-in turkey breast, thawed

1/8 teaspoon parsley

1/8 teaspoon thyme

1/8 teaspoon rosemary

1/8 teaspoon sage

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons butter, softened

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Place turkey breast side up in a roaster. Insert meat thermometer so the tip is at the thickest part of the breast meat. Brush the bird with butter. Sprinkle seasonings over all. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Do not use a lid. Every hour, baste the breast with butter or pan drippings. Turkey is done when the thermometer reads 185°, approximately 2 1/2 hours. There is no substitute for a meat thermometer for determining the doneness of a turkey, in my opinion. Remove from oven and allow it to stand for 15-20 minutes before carving. The skin will be crisp and the breast meat will be moist.

Dining Outside the Home: Gibson’s Donuts in Memphis, Tennessee

Dining Outside the Home: Gibson’s Donuts in Memphis, Tennessee! Who is obsessed with donuts? Anyone? Glazed. Cake. Chocolate. Powdered Sugar. Cream-filled. Sprinkles. Jelly. Bacon. Fritters. The list goes on and on. We like donuts for breakfast, snack, parties, celebrations, dessert, just about any time of day or night. That is the reason Gibson’s Donuts is such a landmark on Mt. Moriah Road in Memphis, Tennessee. Their reputation for 24-hour service requires no advertising. It’s all word-of-mouth, if you catch my drift. And they’ve been going strong for over 50 years. The donut-filled display cases keep customers pretty satisfied. You may drop by for a donut break and find yourself walking out with a boxed dozen…or two. The aromas are so amazing due to an energetic staff who work round the clock. In the end, it means the freshest donuts around.