Have you ever had Cajun food?  Not blackened fish from a restaurant that claims you're getting Cajun food, but authentic Cajun food. If you haven't then Real Cajun by Donald Link is a great place to learn what Cajun food is really about.

Donald Link was raised in the heart of Cajun country (Acadia Parish in Louisiana).  He grew up on Cajun food, explored his passion for food by becoming a chef and then returned to Louisiana to focus on Cajun food. 

Not surprisingly, in Real Cajun Link shares recipes for gumbo and jambalaya as well as recipes that make use of Louisiana's bounty of crawfish, crab (see recipe below) and shrimp.  Rice and pork also take center stage in much of Cajun recipes. But, you may be surprised to also find a lot of sausage and other foods that may at first glance appear German.  That's because many of the people who settled in Cajun country were German.  Explore these recipes more and you'll see how the German influence morphed into Cajun food. 

Crab Cakes with Jalapeño Remoulade

amazon.com

Serves 4

I have a list of things that I almost never order in a restaurant, and crab cakes head the list. Too often they are made with low-quality crab meat and taste more like wet bread than crab. For those craving the real deal, look no further: This recipe creates entirely different crab cakes. They are both rich and zippy, thanks to the chile, scallions, mustard, and dashes of hot sauce and lemon juice. The Jalapeño Remoulade truly sends them over the edge.

The most important thing to remember when making crab cakes is to not overwork the mixture. The cakes should be loose, just barely holding together. Chilling them before they are cooked helps firm up them and hold together without too much binder (bread crumbs).

Dungeness and Peeky Toe crab can be used in this recipe, but my favorite is blue crab from the Gulf. I have actually gone to the trouble of cooking live crabs and picking them myself, but trust me-if you can buy good lump crab, that's the easier way to go. Even for a pretty accomplished crab picker like me, it takes a while to get enough for these cakes-maybe because I always eat half of it before it ever gets into the bowl.

• 1 pound best-quality lump crab meat (not pasteurized)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ small onion, finely chopped
• ½ poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pure chile powder (like ancho, New Mexico, or chipotle)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 egg, lightly beaten        
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Creole (or whole-grain) mustard
• Several dashes of Louisiana hot sauce
• 1 scallion (white and green parts), finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ¾ cup fresh bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed
• Jalapeño Remoulade (recipe follows)

Place the crab meat in a large mixing bowl and carefully pick through for shells, then set aside.
Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, poblano, garlic, salt, chile powder, black pepper, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened but not brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a mixing bowl and set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.

Add the crab, the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, scallion, parsley, lemon juice, and ¼ cup of the bread crumbs to the vegetable mixture. Using your hands, gently combine the ingredients.

Using a 1-cup measuring cup, form the mixture into cakes, packing gently; they should look like hockey pucks, about 2 inches thick with straight sides. Cover the cakes and chill for 20 to 30 minutes, or overnight.

When you are ready to cook the crab cakes, place the remaining ½ cup bread crumbs in a pie tin. Dredge both sides of each cake in the crumbs, shaking off the excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, fry the crab cakes for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pan-fry in batches if necessary, adding more oil if needed. Serve immediately, with Jalapeño Remoulade.

Jalapeño Remoulade

From Real Cajun by Donald Link and Paula Disbrowe (Clarkson Potter, 2009)

Makes about 1 ¼ cups

For the best results, make this spicy condiment a few hours in advance and then cover and refrigerate, so the flavors have time to develop.

• 1 small jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 bunch scallions (white parts only), thinly sliced
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• Juice of 1 lime
• 
  

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Photo by Leo Gong © 2009

Why you ask? Other than that it's a bread book, the answer is because this book appeals no matter what your skill level.  Whether the mere thought of using yeast terrifies you or if you regularly make bread, I'm confidant you'll learn from this book.  Reinhart also appeals to both those that want no-knead bread and those that really enjoy getting their hands in the dough (the fun part of bread making if you ask me).

I've shared a bread recipe from this book before so today I've chosen to share Reinhart's "Best Biscuits Ever" recipe.  Not only does this recipe show the variety of bread products that this book offers, but this recipe is also great example of the details that Reinhart provides.  It's a bit long, but read it and you'll feel as though Reinhart is standing next to you teaching you how to make these biscuits.  In the book, a series of photos also guides you through the process ensuring that you really will make the best biscuits ever.

Win a copy of Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day! - details

The Best Biscuits Ever

amazon.com

Makes 12 to 18 biscuits, or more for small biscuits

I've set myself up by staking a claim to the best biscuits ever. But when I made these biscuits, I was so astonished by their flavor and texture that I decided there couldn't possibly be a more perfect biscuit-at least not any that I've ever tasted. Be forewarned, a generous amount of butter is a key ingredient here, so these biscuits are not for those who are squeamish about fat! That said, if you find these biscuits to be too rich, feel free to use low-fat buttermilk instead of cream for the liquid. Some people insist that only shortening has enough pure fat in it to make a flaky biscuit. While lard and shortening do contain 100 percent fat to butter's mere 85 percent, there's nothing to match butter when it comes to flavor. Also, I find that biscuits made with shortening sometimes have a waxy aftertaste. If you insist on using shortening, chill it for 1 hour before cutting it into the dough, and reduce the amount by about 15 percent, to 7 tablespoons (3.5 oz / 99 g).

I have heard it said that there are two types of people in the world, those who like tender biscuits and those who like flaky biscuits. (I'm usually in the flaky camp.) In this recipe, I've replaced the traditional buttermilk with cream, which essentially makes this both a cream biscuit (and therefore tender) and a flaky biscuit. If you wonder how I arrived at this idea, it was one of those aha/duh moments, in this case brought about because I had forgotten to buy buttermilk. Discovering that I had some heavy cream on hand, I realized that there was no rule prohibiting me from trying to bring the best of both worlds together.

I learned a new trick for incorporating the butter into the flour from a few of my excellent recipe testers: Freeze the butter, then use the large holes on a cheese grater to grate it directly into the dry ingredients (or use the grater attachment on a food processor, with the dry ingredients in the bowl below). Not only does this method save time, but it creates the perfect size butter pieces for the biscuits. You can use this method when making pie dough too!

• 2 tablespoons (1 oz / 28.5 g) white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice
• 1 cup (8 oz / 227 g) cold heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (4 oz / 113 g) cold unsalted butter
• 1 cup (4.5 oz / 128 g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (3.5 oz / 99 g) pastry flour (if you do not have pastry flour, use all-purpose flour)
• 1 tablespoon (0.5 oz / 14 g) sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (0.5 oz / 14 g) baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon (0.13 oz / 3.5 g) salt, or 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Do Ahead: Stir the vinegar into the cream to acidify it, then refrigerate it to keep it cold. Place the butter in the freezer, for at least 30 minutes, to harden.

Whisk the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl.

Place a cheese grater in or over the bowl of dry ingredients. Remove the butter from the freezer, unwrap it, and grate it through the large holes into the dry ingredients, tossing the butter threads in the flour mixture as you grate to distribute them. (An alternative method is to place the butter on a cutting board, and dust it and the work surface with flour. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch slices. Dust the slices with flour, stack a few of them up, and cut them into 1/4-inch strips, then rotate the stack a quarter turn and cut the strips into 1/4-inch cubes. It's okay if the butter is smaller, such as pea-size. Toss the floured butter bits into the dry ingredients and continue cutting all of the butter in the same manner and adding it to the flour mixture. You can see why I like the grater method better.)

Use your fingertips to separate and distribute the butter pieces evenly, breaking up any clumps but not working the butter so much that it disappears or melts into the flour. Add the cream mixture and stir with a large spoon until all of the flour is hydrated and the dough forms a coarse ball. Add a tiny bit more cream if necessary to bring the dough together.

Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface, then dust the top of the dough with flour. Working with floured hands, use your palms to press the dough into a rectangle or square about 3/4 inch thick. Use a metal pastry scraper to lift the dough and dust more flour underneath. Dust the top of the dough with flour as well, then roll it out into a rectangle or square about 1/2 inch thick. Then, using the pastry scraper to help lift the dough, fold it over on itself in three sections as if folding a letter.

Rotate the dough 90 degrees, then once again lift the dough and dust more flour underneath. Dust the top with flour as well, then once again roll it out into a square or rectangle about 1/2 inch thick and fold into thirds. Give the dough another quarter turn and repeat this procedure again. Then, repeat one final time (four roll-outs in all).

After the fourth folding, dust under and on top of the dough one final time, then roll the dough out to just under 1/2 inch thick, in either a rectangle (for triangle- or diamond-shaped biscuits) or an oval (for round biscuits). Use just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface.

Cut the biscuits with a floured metal pastry scraper or pizza cutter, or with a floured biscuit cutter for rounds; a 2-inch biscuit cutter will yield 20 to 24 small biscuits. Transfer the biscuits to an ungreased sheet pan (lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat if you like), placing them about 1/2 inch apart.

Let the cut biscuits rest for 15 to 30 minutes before baking to relax the gluten; this will create a more even rise (even better, if you have room, place the pan of biscuits in the refrigerator to chill). If you'd like to bake the biscuits later, see the sidebar on page 180 for make-ahead options.

To Bake

About 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C).

Transfer the biscuits to the oven and lower the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C), or 425°F (218°C) for a convection oven. Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 6 to 10 minutes, until both the tops and the bottoms of the biscuits are a rich golden brown; the baking time will be shorter in a convection oven. The biscuits should rise about 11/2 times in height.

Place the pan on a wire rack, leaving the biscuits to cool on the hot pan for at least 3 minutes before serving. The biscuits will stay warm for about 20 minutes.

Variations

These biscuits are perfect without the addition of other ingredients, but it can be fun to enhance them with sweet or savory flavors. Here are four variations. Feel free to create your own versions, using these as examples.

To make cheese biscuits, grate 8 ounces (227 g) of Cheddar or any medium-soft cheese you like, such as Gruyère, Gouda, or Provolone. This will yield about 2 cups of cheese. Each time you fold the dough, sprinkle one-fourth of the cheese over the surface before folding it. This may look like a lot of cheese, but it will melt and almost disappear into the biscuits when you bake them.

To make savory biscuits, layer caramelized onions into the biscuits when you fold them. You'll need to cook the onions well in advance, because it's important that they be cool when you layer them; otherwise, they'll cause the butter in the dough to melt, which will damage the texture of the baked biscuit. To make the onions, slice 2 large white or yellow onions into thin strips. Sauté them over medium heat in 1 tablespoon (0.5 oz / 14 g) of vegetable oil until very soft and translucent. Add 2 tablespoons (1 oz / 28.5 g) of sugar and, optionally, 1 tablespoon (0.5 oz / 14 g) of balsamic vinegar, and continue cooking and stirring until the pan juices thicken into a honeylike syrup and the onions have the consistency of marmalade. This will take 15 to 20 minutes altogether.

To make other savory variations, read on. Seasoned biscuits make a nice accompaniment to eggs, especially if made with fresh herbs. You can use any combination of fresh basil, parsley, dill, chervil, cilantro, or whatever herbs you like. Use about 3/4 cup of fresh herbs, either minced or cut into thin strips. Be careful when using strong herbs or spices, such as rosemary, oregano, sage, anise, fennel, cumin, chili powder, and the like, as they can easily overpower the biscuits. Use these stronger seasonings in moderation and in combination with milder herbs like parsley. Ground pepper is always an option; just 1/4 teaspoon will provide a surprisingly strong kick. Dried herbs will also work, but don't use more than 1/4 cup; and again, use primarily mild herbs like parsley, chervil, and basil.

To make sweet variations, keep in mind that there is very little difference between a biscuit and a scone, so consider sweet biscuits to be flaky, tender scones and try adding dried fruits such as currants, raisins, cranberries, cherries, pineapple, apricots, or blueberries, as well as candied ginger (in moderation). Cut larger dried fruit into small bits. Add 1 cup (6 oz) of dried fruit (or more, if you like) in any combination, when you add the cream. Just don't use fresh fruit or berries, as they would make the biscuits soggy and destroy the flakiness.

Keys to a Successful Flaky Biscuit

• * The single most important technique is to use very cold butter and liquid. Some biscuit makers go so far as to chill the flour, but this isn't necessary if the butter and cream are cold. Using cold ingredients ensures that the butter stays in bits and pieces, which shortens the gluten strands (thus the term shortening, used to describe all solid fats, including butter and margarine). Using bits of cold butter creates weak points in the dough that flake off when you take a bite.
• 
  
• * Work quickly to keep the dough cold, but don't overwork the dough. Gluten is what makes dough tough, and the more you mix the dough, the more organized the gluten strands become. As a general rule of thumb, mix only as long as needed to get the job done. As every great biscuit maker will attest, it's all in the touch
• 
  
• * The folding technique described in the recipe is similar to the lamination method known as blitz. It creates many thin layers of dough and fat, causing the biscuits to puff up and open like an accordion, creating maximum flakiness.
• 
  
• * The oven must be hot in order to trap the butter inside the biscuit and increase the puffing quality. In a cooler oven, below 450°F (232°C), some of the butter might run out onto the pan, so preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C), then lower the heat to 450°F (232°C) as soon as you put the biscuits in to bake. (If you preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C), it will drop to below 400°F (204°C) when you open the door.)
• 
  
• * Chilling the biscuits before baking them not only relaxes the gluten, it also minimizes the amount of butter that may run out of the biscuits as they bake.

Make-Ahead Tips

The best way to make biscuits is to bake them 15 to 30 minutes after the dough is cut, placed on the pan, and briefly chilled. However, when this isn't always practical, it's better to bake the biscuits when you plan to eat them rather than bake them in advance and try to warm them up later. So here are three make-ahead options:

Freeze: Cut and pan the biscuits but don't bake them. Instead, completely wrap the pan (under and around the pan) in plastic wrap or use a food-grade plastic bag. If you wrap it well, you can freeze the pan of unbaked biscuits for up to 1 month. Remove the pan from the freezer at least 3 hours before you plan to bake the biscuits so they can thaw. Don't bake them while they're still frozen or they won't rise or bake evenly. If freezer space is an issue, you can also wrap individual biscuits in plastic wrap, stack them up, and freeze them.

Refrigerate: Wrap the pan or individual biscuits as described above, but instead of freezing, refrigerate them. This is especially practical if you plan to bake the biscuits within 3 days. For even baking, remove the biscuits from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking to remove some of the chill.

Parbake: Bake the biscuits as described in the recipe, but only until slightly golden on the tops and bottoms-4 to 5 minutes less than the full baking time. Remove the pan from the oven and cool the biscuits thoroughly before wrapping them individually or wrapping the entire pan and freezing. When you want to finish baking them, preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) and place the frozen biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops and bottoms of the biscuits are golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving; this allows the heat to reach the center, warming but not drying out the biscuit.

Win a copy of Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day

The registered Project Foodie user that leaves the most memorable or creative comment below will win a copy of Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day.  Keep the comments clean and relevant - tell us what attracts you to Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day and/or what you feel makes this book award-worthy and we'll select one to be the winner of Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day.

Please note that you must be registered to enter this giveaway and upon winning provide a US postal address for us to ship Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Dayto.  We'll announce the winner on May 2nd.

If you have not yet registered with Project Foodie, please take a moment to do so right now--it's absolutely free; and we promise never to share your email address with spammers or other unsavory types.

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I've long been a fan of "Everyday Food'' magazine for its compact size, modern look, and streamlined recipes. It's a magazine for folks who don't want to fuss too much in the kitchen, but still want to be able to put food on the table with flair, flavor and contemporary appeal.

"Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast'' (Clarkson Potter), the cookbook, is no different. It serves up 250 recipes with the lovely, evocative photos we've come to expect from Martha Stewart Living, creator of the "Everyday Food'' magazine.

These are dishes designed for today's harried cooks, whether they're preparing breakfast, dinner or dessert, from the likes of "Cottage Cheese Pancakes'' to "Pasta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Asparagus'' to "Pork Chops with Bulgar Stuffing'' to "Cherries with Cinnamon Dumplings.'' Moreover, there are helpful recipes designed to do double-duty. For instance, make "Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Apples and Leeks'' and have enough pork leftover to make "Pork and Soba Noodle Salad'' and "Pork Enchiladas with Green Sauce'' later in the week.

amazon.com

Canadian-Bacon Strata

Reprinted from the book Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast.  Copyright © 2010 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.  Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc.

Serves 6 prep time: 15 minutes  total time: 4 hours (with soaking)

• Unsalted butter, room temperature, for baking dish
• 4 English muffins, split, toasted, and cut into half- moons
• 1/2 pound Canadian bacon (about 10 slices), cut into half- moons
• 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (5 ounces)
• 1 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (4 ounces)
• 8 large eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 4 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon hot- pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

1. Butter a shallow 2- quart baking dish. Arrange muffin halves and Canadian bacon cut sides down (see below) in dish. Sprinkle evenly with both cheeses.

2. Whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, a pinch of pepper, and the hot- pepper sauce until combined. Pour into dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours (or up to overnight).

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until puffed and set in the center, about 1 ½ hours. (Tent loosely with aluminum foil if strata browns too quickly.) Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Layering Ingredients: The muffin halves and Canadian bacon are arranged upright in the baking dish for easier serving. When cutting, you'll be able to see the layers and make sure each portion contains a few pieces of bread and bacon.

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Get Cooking by Mollie Katzen (HarperStudio, 2009) is a 2010 IACP Cookbook awards finalist in the General category. For a list of all the finalists check out the Project Foodie IACP Finalists' Guide.

For those who fondly remember the hand-written Mollie Katzen books of the past, Get Cooking, brings a whole new face to Mollie Katzen - and cooking for that matter. 

Get Cooking aims at introducing cooking to those that don't cook.  As shocking as it may be to die-hard foodies, their is a whole generation out there that doesn't know how to cook. Even tasks we take for granted like boiling water for pasta can be unfamiliar.

Katzen digs right in and provides detailed directions, photos and tips for those aspiring to cook.  The recipes she showcases are not plain Jane, instead they highlight the variety expected by today's generation including this scrumptious Thai Green Curry.  So what are you waiting for? Get Cooking!

Thai Green Curry with Coconut Milk, Vegetables, and Tofu

amazon.com

As ethnic food products become more readily available in supermarkets, it's easier than ever to make quite credible simulations of our favorite restaurant dishes at home for a fraction of the price. In the Thai arena, Thai Kitchen is among the best- known supermarket brands. I love their curry pastes that come in little jars; you can use just a bit (and be advised, "just a bit" packs quite a punch) and then simply screw the top back on and stick the jar in the refrigerator for next time. This recipe uses green curry paste, which is complex, authentic-tasting, and surprisingly fiery. All you do is whisk it into a blend of coconut milk and vegetable broth, add a few other touches of seasoning, and simmer vegetables directly in the sauce, so it's a one-pot wonder. (Actually two pots. You'll need to cook some basmati or jasmine rice ahead of time-see page 181.) Thai Kitchen also makes a fermented fish sauce, called nam pla. It's pungent and salty-a thin, clear, amber liquid made from fermented salted fish (usually anchovies) that adds another layer of complexity to the flavor. It keeps forever in your cupboard. If you don't have fish sauce, or you want to keep this totally vegan-vegetarian, you can substitute soy sauce.

This recipe is vegan if made with soy sauce instead of fish sauce.

• 2 teaspoons Thai green curry paste
  
• One 14- ounce can coconut milk, light or regular (about 1¾ cups)
  
• 1½ cups vegetable broth or reconstituted  bouillon
  
• 1 small slice lemon
  
• 2 to 3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce or soy sauce
  
• ½ medium red or yellow onion, diced
  
• 1 small yellow crookneck or summer squash, cut into ½- inch- thick slices
  
• 1 small zucchini, cut into ½- inch-thick slices
  
• 2 heaping cups cauliflower florets
  
• 2 heaping cups chopped broccoli
• 1 medium carrot, diced
  
• ½ pound small white mushrooms, cleaned, stem ends trimmed, mushrooms halved or left whole, depending on the size
  
• Half a medium red bell pepper, diced
  
• ½ pound firm tofu, cut into ½- inch cubes
  
• 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
  

1. Put the curry paste in a medium-large saucepan, add the coconut milk and broth or bouillon, and whisk until smooth. Add the lemon slice.

2. Set the pan over high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Then turn the heat all the way down to the lowest possible setting and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Between stirrings, keep the pan partially covered. About 10 minutes into the simmering, remove and discard the lemon slice.

3. Stir in the fish sauce or soy sauce, along with all the vegetables and the tofu. Bring it back to a boil. Then once again turn the heat all the way down to the lowest possible setting. Simmer, partially covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender. Stir in the cilantro at the very last minute, and serve hot, over rice.

GET CREATIVE

Add 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger to the sauce along with the curry paste. Or add two slices of ginger (about ¼-inch-thick; no need to peel it) along with the curry paste; remove and discard the ginger slices just before serving.
Add a handful of fresh basil leaves (regular or Thai basil), roughly chopped or sliced into strips, instead of, or in addition to, the cilantro.

Top each serving with whole or chopped toasted cashews or roasted peanuts.

Add other vegetables- for example, unpeeled slices of a long, thin eggplant, or some small chunks of peeled butternut squash or sweet potato.

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Photo by Deborah Jones

In this latest cookbook “Ad Hoc at Home” he celebrates the art of home cooking, his way. Ad Hoc at Home mimics the same philosophy that chef Keller put to use when opening the restaurant of the same name -  family style meals reminiscent of home.  I know I wish every home I step into would serve dishes like these. Chef Keller’s process is methodical and detail oriented, often times the recipes will take you far longer than you would expect, even for some of the simplest dishes, but the end results are breathtaking - his recipe for Beef Stew is by far the best I’ve ever made.

Since time is always of the essence I haven’t had a chance to work my way through too much of this cookbook, but one dish that I could make over and over again are the Grit Cakes with the Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce (see below).  My daughters and I love corn grits and make them frequently at home, but this recipe takes them to an entirely different level.  Home style cooking done right with one of the world’s greatest chefs, it doesn‘t get much better than that.

Win a copy of Ad Hoc At Home! - details

Grits Cakes

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• 1 garlic clove
• Kosher salt
• 3 1/2 cups Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
• 2 cups coarse stone-ground white grits
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick; 4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
• Freshly ground black pepper
• About 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups finely ground panko crumbs
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Canola oil
• Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce (see below)
• Deep-fried oregano

Crispy polenta is an easy, satisfying dish, and it gave us the idea of trying a similar preparation using grits instead of cornmeal. When we make polenta, we sometimes enrich it with Italian mascarpone. For these grits cakes, we replace it with all-American cream cheese, and the result is crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle. These will work as an appetizer as well, topped with a small dollop of Tomato-Basil Marmalade.

Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan (or a quarter sheet pan) with parchment paper. Cut a second sheet of parchment the same size and set aside.

Finely chop the garlic. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and work into a paste, chopping and scraping the garlic with the side of a chef's knife.

Combine the garlic paste and chicken stock in a medium saucepan, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly whisk in the grits. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally to keep the grits from sticking to the bottom of the pan, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until all the stock has been absorbed and the grits are tender with just slight resistance; when a spoon is dragged through the grits, the bottom of the pan should remain visible.

Stir in the butter until it has absorbed, then stir in the cream cheese until well combined and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread the grits evenly in the prepared pan. Cover with the second sheet of parchment paper. With your hands, smooth and compress the layer of grits. Top with a second baking sheet, weight with cans or foil-wrapped bricks, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm, or overnight.

Remove the top pan and the parchment from the grits. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen them and invert the pan onto a cutting board. Peel off  the parchment paper. Trim the edges and cut the grits into 12 equal pieces.

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet.

Spread the flour in a shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Combine the panko crumbs and parsley in a third shallow bowl.

Line another baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip each cake into the flour, turning to coat and patting off excess, then dip in the eggs, letting the excess drip off, and coat well in the panko crumbs. Set on the baking sheet.

Pour 1/2 inch of oil into a large nonstick frying pan and heat over medium heat until the oil just begins to shimmer. Carefully add as many cakes as will fit in the pan comfortably and cook until golden on the first side, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until golden on the second side, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the rack and put in the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining cakes, adding more oil if needed. If at any point there are burned panko crumbs in the oil, discard the oil and replace it with fresh oil before continuing.

Coat a serving platter with some of the tomato sauce, arrange the grits cakes over the sauce, and sprinkle with the oregano leaves. Additional sauce can be served on the side.

SERVES 6

Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce

Excerpted from AD HOC AT HOME by Thomas Keller (Artisan Books). Copyright 2009. Deborah Jones photographer.

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup minced leeks (white and pale green parts only)
• 1 cup finely chopped fennel
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Two 28- to 32-ounce cans San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 Sachet (see below)
• Freshly ground black pepper
  

This is a convenient tomato sauce because it's all done in the oven-you don't need to spend time tending the pot on the stovetop. Use San Marzano tomatoes, from the eponymous region in Italy that grows the best plum tomatoes for sauces. This version is excellent with grits, polenta, or meatballs.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Combine the oil, onion, leeks, fennel, and garlic in a large ovenproof

Dutch oven or a baking dish and sprinkle with salt. Put in the oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to caramelize.

Stir in the brown sugar and vinegar and return to the oven for another 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, drain the canned tomatoes and remove the seeds.

Coarsely chop half the tomatoes. Puree the other half in a food processor. Add the tomatoes to the vegetables along with the sachet, season with salt and pepper to taste, and return to the oven for 1H hours, stirring every 30 minutes. The sauce should be thick and have a full rich flavor. Run the side of a spoon through the sauce-if it runs back together immediately, it is too thin. Return it to the oven and cook until thickened.

Discard the sachet and let the sauce cool to room temperature.

Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 1 week.

MAKES ABOUT 2 1/2 CUPS

Sachet

• 1 bay leaf
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 10 black peppercorns
• 1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
  

Sachets are used to flavor cooking liquids. A cheesecloth sachet encloses small herbs and spices such as peppercorns and cloves, and works like a tea bag. Once the contents have added their flavors to the cooking liquid, the sachet can easily be removed and discarded.     

Lay out a 7-inch square of cheesecloth. Put the bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and garlic near the bottom of the square and fold the bottom edge up and over them. Roll once, tuck in the two ends of the cheesecloth, and continue to roll. Tie the cheesecloth at both ends with kitchen twine.

MAKES 1 SACHET

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