saying hello, oysters, and beyond the flavor goodness

Hello friends! I just wanted to say hi, that I miss you all, and that I will try to be better about getting recipes up on Bella Eats a little more frequently! Life has been amazing....and busy. Until I can get another recipe up (I have high hopes for this weekend...we shall see!) I wanted to share a few fun things happening in Charlottesville at the moment. 

The Blue Ridge Oyster Festival is on Saturday!!! We're going, are you? There will be oysters from Mobjack Bay, amazing food from Ben Thompson of The Rock Barn, and beer + wine from Devils Backbone, Starr Hill, Cardinal Point, and Blenheim Vineyards.  See you there!

[above images from my styled bridal brunch for the Clutch Guide!]

Beyond the Flavor is going strong and has had tremendous support from our community! Sarah and I are so excited about this project, and thrilled with the feedback we've had so far. Please stop by to check out some of the wonderful recipes that have been submitted by food folks in the Charlottesville area!

Above, Arugula with Prosciutto and Fig-Sherry Vinaigrette from Gail Hobbs-Page of Caromont Farm.

Fois Gras + Pork Belly from Justin Hershey of Zinc.

Orecchiette con salsiccia e rapini from Megan Headley, the Food + Wine Editor of Cville Weekly.

Thank you for your patience!  See you soon!!!

blackened pork chops with red gravy + creamy cheddar polenta

We've felt like spring in Virginia since, oh, February 1st. Despite the incredible temperatures, it was just last week that suddenly, happily, grilling season hit me hard. I'm not sure if it was the trees pushing open tiny buds of vivid green amongst blossoms in bright white and rosy pink, or the craving for rosé and sauvignon blanc in place of sultry red wines, or the backyard grass growing a foot overnight. Whatever the trigger, the need to add a smokey layer to the hyacinth-scented air is suddenly foremost on my mind. I am ready for charred burgers, and grilled pizzas, and sizzling bratwursts. Or, these blackened porkchops with red gravy. They, too, would satisfy my cravings.

These 'chops were prepared after a quick trip to Richmond in February, which always involves a stop at Belmont Butchery. Along with lamb bacon (a necessity, truly) and a beautiful pork shoulder, I brought home these cut-to-order, 1.5-inch thick, local porkchops for Brian. He was thrilled. The quickest way to my carniverous husband's heart is to present him with a lovely cut of pig. He immediately pulled out his favorite cookbooks, searching for a quick but worthy preparation. The Big Green Egg was fired up (another sure way to put a smile on B's face), the cast iron pan heated to 600°, and a shimmering pool of melted butter added. The sizzle and pop of meat followed and dinner was served just 15 minutes later. Oh, Spring. Welcome; please stay awhile, won't you?

Blackened Pork Chops with Red Gravy

adapted from Weber's Big Book of Grilling

serves 2

• 2 bone-in, center-cut pork chops, 1-1.5 inches thick each
• 4 tbsp butter, melted

for the sauce:

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell peppers
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 1 can (14.5oz) chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

for the rub:

• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp ground oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne

method:

1. First, make the sauce. In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, thyme, paprika, cayenne, and pepper. Stir occasionally until the vegetables are brown, 4-5 minutes. Add the red wine and cook until all the liquid is evaporated. Add the tomatoes and salt. Stir and simmer for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and purée. Return the mixture to the sauté pan and simmer until smooth. Set aside.
2. Second, make the rub. In a small bowl combine the rub ingredients. Season the pork chops evenly with the rub and let stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling.
3. Start your grill, heating it to as hot as it will go. Add a large cast iron pan and let heat until white ash starts to form across the inside bottom of the pan. Pour in the melted butter and immediately add the chops, which will sizzle and pop and smoke. Close the lid of the grill and let the chops sear for about 3 minutes per side, then continue to cook until the juices run clear when the chops are sliced into, another 4-6 minutes. 
4. Warm the sauce over medium heat.  Serve the chops over a bed of polenta with a generous helping of sauce over top.

Creamy Cheddar Polenta

adapted from Emeril Lagasse

serves 4

ingredients: 

• 4 cups water
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 cups polenta (corn grits)
• 1/2 cup high-quality cheddar cheese, grated

method:

1. In a large saucepan bring the water, cream, and butter to a boil. Add the salt to the liquid and whisk in the polenta, whisking constantly for the first 3-4 minutes to prevent clumps. Lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, partially covered and stirring every 10 minutes, until the polenta is thick, smooth, and creamy. Add additional cream or water if needed. Add the cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.  Polenta should be served within 20 minutes of preparation. To reheat leftovers, add additional cream or water to a pan with polenta and stir over heat until creamy.

introducing...beyond the flavor

Hello! Hi. Remember me? I've been busy. I promise, there are a few recipes queued up for you here at Bella Eats and it is my goal to post them this week. But first, I am so excited to share a project I've been working on at Andrea Hubbell Photography, in collaboration with Sarah of Cramer Photo. We are both lovers of food, photography, and life. Together we are reaching beyond the flavor to capture the stories behind meals shared at the tables of local chefs, farmers, bakers, and food enthusiasts, because we believe that recipes are deeper than the ingredients used to prepare them. 

This project has been an independent dream for each of us over the past couple of years. After several lunches, many glasses of wine, long hikes with our dogs and an inspiring trip to New Orleans with our husbands, we took the leap and combined our two visions to create this delicious collaboration. We love working together, and are thrilled to finally share our new project with you.

For an introduction to Beyond the Flavor, check out our new website, www.beyondtheflavor.com. I hope you'll sit back and enjoy the stories behind the meals that fill our town. This is just the beginning. 

raspberry lemonade cupcakes

On Monday I had the opportunity to bake alongside a professional baker. A real, owns-her-own-shop, specializes-in-sweets, baker. Tara, of Sweethaus in Charlottesville, invited me to be a guest baker in her kitchen this week. She likes to bring in members of the community on occasion, to share a favorite recipe of theirs with the patrons of her business.  I jumped at the opportunity, as owning a bakery has been 2nd on my list of coolest-jobs-ever for quite some time. The first is photography. :)

I had such fun hanging out with Tara for the day, learning her story and methods. Her sweets have a very hand-made quality to them, simple yet elegant, never sacrificing taste for appearance. I am so grateful to have met her, and especially excited that her shop is walking distance from my office.  I see many, many cupcakes in my future...

If you live in Charlottesville stop by Sweethaus to taste the special this weekend, Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes. They will be available Thursday-Sunday.  And say hi to Tara, she's a doll.

I chose this recipe to share because, as you may already know, I LOVE lemon. And raspberries are pretty special too. This would make for a great Valentine's Day treat on Tuesday, in case you're looking for something sweet for your sweetie.

The lemon cupcake is based off a chiffon cake recipe, so the crumb is very light and spongey. And the frosting, raspberry cream cheese, is divine. Enough said. :)

Rasberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients

• 5 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 2-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/2 fresh lemon, seeds discarded

Method

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350º. Line 1 standard muffin tin with 12 liners, and another with 6 liners.
2. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks, butter, milk and vanilla.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt to blend.  Add 3 tbsp of lemon zest and blend with your fingers to separate clumps. Add the egg yolk mixture and stir until well combined.  Set aside.
4. In a clean dry bowl, using clean dry beaters, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks.  Lower the mixer speed to medium and gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating the whites until they hold stiff peaks.  Stir about one-third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten.  Gently fold the remaining whites into the batter, in two batches, to blend thoroughly.
5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pans, filling each muffin cup 3/4 of the way full.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted near the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
6. Set the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes to cool.  Gently squeeze the lemon over the cupcakes to sprinkle a bit of the juice on each one. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and allow them to cool completely on wire racks.

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 16oz cream cheese, cold
• 1/4 cup raspberry puree
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 3-4 cups confectioner’s sugar

Method

1. Beat the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the raspberry puree, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat again. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until the frosting is fluffy and lighter in color, tasting after 3 cups to see if you need more.
2. Garnish with fresh raspberries or candied lemon peel.

pasta with portobello mushrooms, caramelized onions, + chèvre

Goodness, I am not doing so well in the beauty department with the recipes I've shared in 2012. But again, this one is worth trying even with the overall brownness of the dish. It is relatively quick and involves inexpensive ingredients that we typically have every day. With little flecks of green parsley it is even more tasty and just a tad prettier but, as you can see, parsley wasn't in my fridge when I prepared this meal (for the 3rd time in a month, I'll add) and it was still really wonderful. Maybe not 'share with company' delicious, but perfect for a weeknight with family, or with friends who are family.

Virginia is in a weird, in-between phase of weather right now. One day we'll have sleet and snow dust and misty skies, the next sunshine and fluffy clouds and crocuses peaking from beneath fallen leaves. Mother Nature can't decide if she should buckle down and get serious about Winter or skip on ahead to Spring. I'll take either, but the back and forth is really throwing me off. I waver between wanting a thick + meaty stew for dinner or a light salad with citrus. Grocery shopping is nearly impossible since the chances of my craving what I actually buy are slim, given that the weather is bound to drastically change 2 days later. I am falling back on old staples; meals that have proven themselves worthy no matter the time of year. Like this one, which I'll either fill my bowl to the brim with (cold, Winter day) or pair equally with a fresh salad (warm, Spring day). Either way it's a winner, and sure to stay in our rotation year-round.

Ziti with Portobello Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, + Chevre

from Food + Wine

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter, divided
• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 lb portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps halved and then cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
• 3/4 lb ziti (we use brown rice pasta in our house...just as silky as semolina, but whole grain)
• 3 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Method

1. In a large sauté pan, melt 1 tbsp of the butter with 2 tbsp of the oil over moderate heat. Add the onions, 1/2 tsp of the salt, and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well browned, about 20 minutes (I let them go for closer to 30). Remove from the pan.
2. In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp of the oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 tsp of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and brown, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved onions, the parsley, the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and the pepper.
3. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the ziti until just done. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water and drain. Toss the ziti and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water with the mushroom mixture, the remaining 1 tbsp oil, the goat cheese, and the Parmesan. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water. Serve with additional Parmesan.