On the Menu @ Tangie’S Kitchen: A Celebration of Spring

By Tangie Holifield

If you love food and enjoy to the art of preparing dishes with seasonal produce, then this is the cook book for you.

A Celebration of Spring" is dedicated to the way we are eating right now, and features recipes for traditional and innovative dishes based on regional cooking found in the Southern United States and influenced by the global cuisines of Africa, Asia Europe and South America.

Bring the celebration of spring into your home with this enticing collection of recipes including---Almond-Crusted French Toast withRaspberries, Classic Gazpacho, Gumbo Ya Ya, Black Eyed Pea Salad and Coconut Layered Cake.

Full- color photographs, that are delightful to look at, along helpful tips and charts are also included to bring the full cooking experience to you at your finger tips.


Happy Eating!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 16, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524555115

Tangie Holifield

Tangie Holifield was a research scientist for over twenty-five years, but as a home cook, her hobbies and her first passion has always been growing her own vegetables in her backyard, cooking, and entertaining family and friends with her creatively delicious dishes. She has traveled globally, collecting authentic recipes, and has adapted many of the traditional Southern dishes she learned from her mother and grandmother to create her own original recipes for all food lovers who enjoy the culinary offerings found in every nook and cranny of the world.

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 by Tangie Holifield.   745496

Library of Congress Control Number:   2016917946

ISBN:   Softcover     978-1-5245-5512-2

             Hardcover   978-1-5245-5513-9

             EBook         978-1-5245-5511-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 05/08/2017

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Dedication

This cookbook would have not been possible without the love and support of my family and the people who have been a part of my life since the day I began this new journey in pursuing a lifelong dream of writing and publishing a cookbook.

To my friends, both old and new, thank you for inviting me to your table and giving me the opportunity to share some of my favorite dishes with you.

And this book is dedicated in loving memory of my Grand,

Jennie M. Adams

Contents

Dedication

Introduction

Before You Cook

Kitchen Tools and Equipment

Breakfast

Soups

Salads

Main Courses

Side Dishes

Breads

Desserts

Beverages

Sauces, Broths, Stocks, Etc.

Useful Information

Metric Conversions

Introduction

Anyone who loves to cook will always be asked these inevitable questions: Who taught you how to cook? Where does your passion for all things edible come from?

After all these years, I can remember like it was yesterday when it all started for me at the age of three in my grand’s kitchen on the family farm in North Alabama. There was nothing more satisfying than being in the kitchen with my beloved grand, who put me on a very tall stool because I could not reach the counter, as she allowed me to crack the eggs that we had just gathered together from the henhouse to bake a cake. And the greatest reward that day was being able to lick the wooden spoon and the mixing bowl clean.

I also learned from my mother the secret to a succulent baked chicken served up with a fresh corn bread dressing and pan gravy, one of those quintessential meals served on a Sunday afternoon after church. And then through my adolescent years, it was the assortment of aunts and uncles who would share their recipes and talents for cooking with me as well, like how to make a butter roll or peach wine. And like many of our family recipes, nothing was ever written down. It was all committed to memory and how things felt by hand while one was cooking, as it was a matter of oral history being passed from one generation to another.

So for me, learning to cook is a lifelong process and a passion, which makes for happy memories, for sure.

I see food as the common bond in all things that connects us with nature, with our families, with our friends, and with the memories across a lifetime. I have spent most of my life in academia and research, but the one common thread to the many aspects of my life is food—in particular, how to grow it, how to prepare it, and how to share the fruits of my labors with others. Cooking is my sanctuary from the rigors of the workplace. And the kitchen is my refuge. It was a place where I could commune with the sprits of my ancestors, but most importantly, it was a place where I could connect with the spirit of my grand. Her loving presence always guides my hands to create a satisfying meal. My grand cooked with her heart and her soul and sustained our family for generations. So that is why, for me at least, cooking is about all about love: love for the gifts produced from the soil, love of nature, love of family, and love for friends. And down in the deep South, when a dish is cooked exceptionally well and enjoyed by all, it is said that She put her foot in it! And my grand would say that if your mind ain’t right and if there is no love in your heart, when you enter the kitchen, you can forget about preparing a well-cooked meal, for it only spells disaster when your heart is not in your cooking. And it shows literally and visually on the plate, as well as in the unappealing lack of flavor to the palate. You will even get the side-eye from your family as someone reaches for a phone to call for a quick delivery from a very convenient fast-food joint.

Over the years, as a home cook, I have found inspiration in traveling, dining at all types of restaurants in different cities, visiting the farmers market, and reminiscing about the meals that I have enjoyed over the years with my friends and family members. All of these experiences have resulted in this cookbook featuring seasonal spring produce and meals that are a fusion of many cultural heritages and are inspired by seasonal produce that are wholesome, adventurous, and beautifully prepared. I anticipate that this will be the first in a series of seasonal cookbooks.

And with that being said, with the arrival of spring, the days become longer and the weather begins to warm up, bringing a new crop of fresh produce. Spring is the perfect season to spring-clean your diet after you have had your fill of heavy winter fare and your favorite comfort foods. In-season produce reaps the most nutritional value, so here is what to look for on the produce aisle or at the local farmers market. Strawberries, asparagus, and new potatoes begin to appear in our local grocery stores. Other fruits and vegetables, such as rhubarb, beets, and peas, begin to make their appearance as well. Even some more exotic fruits, like mangoes, passion fruit, and lychees, can be found in your local supermarket. Be a little adventurous and try these exotic fruits and vegetables, for they will surely add a special interest to your meals.

Spring is also the time for celebrations, especially the Easter holiday, Mother’s Day, and graduations. And the best way to celebrate those happy occasions is the sharing of a meal with friends and family. The recipes in this book center around the fresh and vibrant ingredients of the season. Even though the available seasonal produce of spring fades as quickly as it appears, I hope that you will enjoy the seasonally inspired recipes.

Before You Cook

Preparation is the key to being a great cook. To ensure a successful turn in the kitchen, do as much advance preparation as possible before you start cooking. The first rule of thumb is to make sure you read through the entire recipe, especially if you are cooking a dish for the first time.

Next, make sure you have everything that is required to cook the dish: check your pantry and assemble all the utensils and ingredients needed for the recipe.

For the best results, follow the recipe as written. Avoid substituting key ingredients unless the recipe lists alternative ingredients. Measure and mix the ingredients using the proper equipment. Preparing your utensils is just as important as prepping the ingredients. When baking, grease and flour cake pans as directed and preheat the oven as it is called for by the recipe. It takes almost ten minutes for ovens to reach the optimal temperatures that recipes will call for. Best results will also occur when you cook at the very specific temperatures listed in the recipe. To prevent overcooking or burning, test for doneness at the end of the cooking time.

And finally, follow food safety protocols and get into the habit of cleaning up the kitchen as you go while preparing your dish.

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Kitchen Tools and Equipment

Pots, Pans, and Skillets

All the dishes in this book can be cooked with conventional modern Western cookware. A selection of basic and useful cookware should include the following:

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Cutting and Grating

A basic collection of cutting and grating tools is vital to any well-equipped kitchen. A good cook’s ability to work skillfully depends on the right tools for the job. The basic rules for knives in the kitchen are: always keep your knives sharp, use them for the purpose for which they are designed, and store knives in a safe place.

Mixing and Measuring

Using the right measuring and mixing equipment ensures the best results each and every time you cook. When measuring dry ingredients like flour, sugar, cornmeal, or ground spices, level excess into a small bowl, then add the measured amount to the mixing bowl.

handheld electric mixer

stand-mounted mixer

ice cream maker

food processor

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Spices

Spices should be stored in containers with well-fitting lids in a cool, dark place away from the heat of the stove and out of sunlight. Red spices will hold their color and retain their flavor if refrigerated. Whole spices retain their aroma and flavor indefinitely if stored properly. These are a few of the common spices every cook should have in the pantry.

Herbs

Fresh herbs will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. They can be frozen for up to a year in a freezer. Store herbs in tightly closed jars in a cool place. The flavor of dried herbs does not hold up very well during long cooking processes, so add them towards the end of the cooking time to ensure the best seasoning.

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Breakfast

Grand’s Velvety Scrambled Eggs

One of the first things my grandmother taught me how to cook in her kitchen were scrambled eggs. My grand used to tell me that the sign of any accomplished cook is one that can cook eggs to perfection in