So, how’s it taste?

Good grief they were good! Super rich and fudgy. I could sure smell the whiskey when these were baking, but the flavor mellows out a bit in the finished product. The chocolate is really prominent, which isn’t a problem for me! I could only taste a hint of the whiskey if I got a bite that was heavy on the cream cheese part, but it’s still fantastic. The cream cheese swirled into chocolate with a slight background of Jack Daniel’s…I wouldn’t turn down this brownie for anything. Matter of fact, it’s been the reason I’ve gotten my butt off the couch and gone on a run for the past two evenings! These brownies are also excellent with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream. They’d also probably be excellent with a drizzle of hot fudge sauce over that ice cream, but I had to stop the dessert decadence somewhere, lol!

Whiskey Cream Cheese Brownies

Southern Living, December 2011
makes 16 brownies

Ingredients:

4 (1 oz.) unsweetened chocolate baking squares
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 large eggs, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whiskey or bourbon (I used Jack Daniel's)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.

2. Microwave chocolate squares and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at high 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Whisk in brown sugar and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. Add 3 eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Whisk in vanilla, salt, and 1 cup flour. Spread half of batter in prepared pan.

3. Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; add 2 Tbsp. flour and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, beating until blended. Add bourbon and remaining 1 egg, beating until blended.

4. Pour cream cheese mixture over brownie batter in pan; top with remaining brownie batter, and swirl together.

5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles. Gently remove foil; cut into squares.

So, how’s it taste?

I was a little worried that the quiche would be a big leek fest and I’d come away with some serious onion breath. Four cups of uncooked leeks is a huge amount. Luckily, they cook down beautifully and they aren’t as strong as some of their oniony cousins. The leeks soak up the butter and become really tender. The perfect vegetable for a delicate quiche. I added ham simply because I have a ton of it frozen and I thought the flavors would go well together. I only added a 1/2 cup of ham because I didn’t want to overflow my quiche or take away from the leeks. You could probably add up to a cup, if you wanted. This quiche would also be fantastic without the ham. Simply leave it out if you want a leek quiche.

Ham & Leek Quiche

adapted by Pillsbury, Simply Delicious Brunches, April 2006
makes 6 servings
per serving: 328 calories, 20.6g fat, 24.4 g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 15.9g protein

Ingredients:

2 medium leeks
1 refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box
2 tbsp. butter
3/4 cup fat-free egg substitute
1 cup skim milk
1 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup cooked ham, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400F. Wash leeks; remove any tough outer leaves. Trim roots from white bulb portion; cut leeks lengthwise and wash well. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices to make about 4 cups; set aside.

2. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie pan as directed on box. Partially bake crust 8 minutes or until very lightly browned.

3. Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add leeks; cook 7 to 9 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender but not brown. Remove from heat; set aside.

4. In small bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until blended. Add cooked leeks and ham. Pour mixture into partially baked crust.

5. Bake quiche 10 minutes. Cover crust edges with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Reduce oven to 300F, bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

On Sunday is the Challenge to the Chefs. Local chefs will compete by creating unique dishes that must feature at least one of these Tennessee products: Benton’s Bacon, Goo Goo Clusters, and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey whiskey. Attendees get to taste the creations by all competing chefs and there also will be a Bloody Mary bar. Sign me up! What really got me looking forward to this event was watching Chef Deb Paquette make Goo Goo Quesadillas on News Channel 5 the other day. She used all three ingredients in one dish! If that’s the kind of food I have to look forward to that Sunday, I’ll be the first person there!

Competing chefs include Jeremy Barlow of Tayst and SloCo, Thomas Cook of Prime 108, Brandon Frohne of Rutland Place Catering and Nashville Urban Gardeners, Giovanni Giosa of Porta Via Italian Kitchen, Matthew Lackey of Flyte World Dining, Deb Paquette of Etch, Kevin Ramquist of F. Scott’s Restaurant and Jazz Bar, Jarvan Springer of West End Café, Robert Spinelli of perl Catering, Keith West of Puckett’s Grocery and Restaurant, Toby Willis of Nashville City Club, and Robbie Wilson of Kayne Prime, Tavern, Whiskey Kitchen, and Virago.

Individual tickets are $150 for the Celebrity Chef Dinner and $35 for Challenge to the Chefs. An all-access pass is available for $175 person. Tables of 10 for the Celebrity Chef Dinner are available for $1,250, providing a savings of $250. For tickets and more information, visit www.nashvillelifestyles.com.

So, how’s  it taste?

It’s fantastic! The bacon adds so much flavor, along with onion and carrots (I left out the celery). What surprised me was how rich and creamy the soup was without adding any cream or any dairy. The cannellini beans do it all. I could taste a subtle hint of the white wine, too. I was short on time when I made the soup, so I skipped the topping and made it the next day. Without the topping, the soup is pretty tasty. So much so, that I almost didn’t bother with the topping. But out of curiosity and an abundance of basil, I made it and whoa! I couldn’t believe how much it changed the soup…for the better. A little heat from the red pepper flakes and intense garlic and basil from cooking in the olive oil. Definitely do not skip the topping! I’ll be making this soup again, and I may not wait for cooler weather next time!

Tuscan White Bean Soup

by Michael Chiarello for Progresso
makes 6 (1 cup) servings
per serving: 390 calories, 8g fat, 55g carbs, 13g fiber, 24g protein

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, quartered lengthwise
1 medium stalk celery, quartered crosswise
1 medium carrot, quartered crosswise
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
3 cans (19 oz. each) cannellini beans, drained
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine
1 carton (32 oz.) reduced-sodium chicken broth (4 cups)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, sliced
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. In 4-quart Dutch oven, cook bacon, onion, celery, carrot, and 2 cloves garlic over medium-high heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium. Add beans, bay leaf, wine, and broth; cover and cook 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat; cool about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in 8-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon chopped garlic; cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic begins to brown. Stir in red pepper flakes; cook a few seconds. Stir in basil; cook until basil wilts.

3. Remove bay leaf from bean mixture. Puree mixture with an immersion blender directly in the Dutch oven. Stir in salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly heated.

4. Ladle soup into individual soup bowls. Top each with basil mixture.

I love this time of year in Nashville. It seems like there’s a continuous stream of food events and most of them benefit a local charity. Generous Helpings is an annual event featuring tastings of appetizers, entrees, and desserts from local restaurants, as well as fine wines and specialty beers from local distributors. This year, it’s on Thursday, May 17th at 5:30 p.m. at the Nashville Farmers’ Market. The best part about Generous Helpings is that all proceeds benefit Middle Tennessee’s Table, Second Harvest Food Bank‘s grocery rescue program. This program rescues and redistributes nearly 5 million pounds of food from more than 200 grocery stores annually. That’s an impressive amount of food saved each year!

Tickets for Generous Helpings are $40 in advance and $50 at the door. Quite a bargain when you see the list of restaurants that are participating:

55 South
AM@FM
Amerigo Italian Restaurant
Cafe Nonna
Chappy’s on Church
fido
Fish & Co.
F. Scott’s Restaurant and Jazz Bar
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
Kickin’ Coffee and Tea
Kohana Japanese Restaurant
Kroger Chef Shoppes
Local Catering
Marche Artisan Foods
Margot Café & Bar
McConnell House
Miel Restaurant
Nashville State Community College Culinary Arts
Noshville Delicatessen
perl Catering
Porta Via Italian Kitchen
Porter Road Butcher
Provence Breads and Café
Red Pony
Riff’s Fine Street Food
Second Harvest Food Bank Culinary Arts Center
Sol on Main
Solario
Sweet 16th Bakery
Table 3
tayst
The Bloomy Rind
The Local Taco
The Mad Platter
The Turnip Truck
The Wild Hare
Watermark

Are you drooling yet? It’s a great opportunity to sample food from your favorite restaurants or restaurants you’ve never tried, and you’re helping a fantastic local charity!

For one lucky reader, I’ve got two tickets to this year’s Generous Helpings!

1. Mandatory Entry: Join Second Harvest’s email list at secondharvestmidtn.org and leave a comment on this post saying you did so.

Optional entries: For up to three additional entries, do any of the following and leave a separate comment for each optional entry you do.

2. Like Second Harvest on Facebook.

3. Follow Second Harvest on Twitter.

4. Follow So, How’s It Taste on Twitter and tweet the following: “Win tickets to Generous Helpings benefitting @2HarvestMidTN from @SoHowsItTaste! http://bit.ly/helpings”

Contest ends on Friday, May 11th at 5 p.m. central. Please make sure you enter a valid email address as an alternate winner will be chosen if I don’t hear from you within 48 hours. Good luck!

Congratulations to comment #6 from Heather!
I know you’re going to enjoy the event!
Winner chosen using Random.org

So, how’s it taste?

It’s magic. A few weekends ago, my mom and I went strawberry picking at Bradley Kountry Acres and it was a blast. I used to eat fresh-picked strawberries as a kid, but I’ve been led astray by those strawberries in the grocery store. Never again. The flavor of locally grown strawberries compared to those bland, barely ripe counterparts is night and day. The Bradley strawberries were so rich and sweet. I couldn’t wait to use them in this sherbet. The recipe is really simple, but I like that because it lets each part shine, yet comes together so perfectly for a scoop of cold heaven. The strawberries, of course, are the most prominent with the Chambord kicking them up a notch in the berry department. The aftertaste is a shot of rich honey and a slight creamy tanginess from the buttermilk. The lemon brings it all together and brightens it up. It’s quite addicting. I used fat-free buttermilk in my version, so the texture was a little more crumbly than what the whole buttermilk version would be. The nutrition information is calculated using whole buttermilk.

Strawberry Buttermilk Sherbet

Cooking Light, May 2012
makes 6 3/4 cup servings
per serving: 135 calories, 2.2g fat, 24.4g carbs, 1.1g fiber, 2.4g protein
(nutrition info calculated with whole buttermilk)

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped strawberries
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 cups whole or fat-free buttermilk
3 tbsp. Chambord (black raspberry-flavored liqueur)
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine berries and honey in a blender; process until smooth (about 1 minute). Add buttermilk; process until well blended. Add liqueur and lemon juice; pulse to mix. Freeze using an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

You can see how my salad dressing shaker on the left is small and although the mouth is wide, it’s hard to stuff bulky ingredients like sour cream and yogurt into the container. The lid doesn’t stay very tight so shaking has to be done very gingerly. The OXO shaker on the right has a huge opening and a nice pouring spout.

I didn’t attempt to spoon the yogurt and the sour cream in my old shaker. Look how much the OXO shaker holds! I had no problem getting both ingredients in the OXO shaker.

Adding the rest of my ingredients was a cinch. I scraped the herbs right off my big chopping knife into the shaker and squeezed the mustard right in. Getting those herbs in my old container would have made a huge mess.

Now for the fun part! Shake! Shake! Shake! The top screws on tight and the nozzle on the top forms a nice seal. No worries about splashing dressing around the kitchen here.

Flip the nozzle and you’re ready to pour. My only complaint about the OXO shaker is that with thick dressings like this one, it comes out all around the nozzle. You can see in the picture where it’s coming out where it’s supposed to under the spout, but also coming out the top. I think with thinner dressings, this wouldn’t be a problem since you wouldn’t have to turn up the shaker so much. I will say, the way OXO has designed the nozzle, it makes for easy cleaning. I closed the nozzle and ran it under the sink really quick to wash off the dressing that had gotten out and ta da! It was clean and ready to go back in the fridge. Now on to the dressing!

So, how’s it taste?

Great flavor for such a low calorie dressing! The apple gives it a nice freshness and the tarragon is wonderful. I really fell in love with fresh tarragon back when I used it in a pasta dish. It’s got a slight licorice flavor and between the apple and spicy mustard, this is a winner. You’d never guess the yogurt and sour cream weren’t the full fat versions. It does make quite a thick dressing, so if you’d like it thinner, try adding a little milk or water.

Now it’s giveaway time! The nice folks over at OXO want you to have a Salad Dressing Shaker, too! I’m giving away one OXO Salad Dressing Shaker like you see in the pictures above to one lucky reader.

Mandatory to enter: All you need to do is comment on this post and tell me what you’re doing (or what you’d like to start doing) to eat more healthy!

Optional entries: For up to two additional entries, do one or both of the following and leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

1. Follow @sohowsittaste and @OXO on Twitter and tweet the following: “I just entered to win an @OXO Salad Dressing Shaker from @sohowsittaste! You can too! Enter here: http://bit.ly/appletarragon”

2. Like So, How’s It Taste? and OXO on Facebook.

I’ll randomly select the winner on Wednesday, May 9th at noon Central. Please make sure you enter a valid email address as an alternate winner will be chosen if I don’t hear from you within 48 hours. Good luck!

Congratulations to comment #37 from Kelly!
I hope you enjoy your new OXO Salad Dressing Shaker!
Winner chosen using Random.org

Disclosure: OXO sent me a free Salad Dressing Shaker, but I was not compensated for this post.
All opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Creamy Apple Tarragon Dressing

by TLC Cooking
makes about 1 cup
per 2 tbsp: 25 calories, 0.8g fat, 2.9g carbs, 0g fiber, 1.4g protein

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
1 tbsp. fresh tarragon, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a salad dressing shaker. Shake to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

So, how’s it taste?

This is another one of those times where I wish the Interwebs were advanced enough so a brownie would pop out of your screen while you’re reading this. Nothing I type here is going to do it justice. They are incredibly rich and decadent, which a 9×9 pan makes 36 brownies and that sounds really small, but trust me, a few bites is all you need. The Pioneer Woman cuts hers into 12, which she must be a in a sugar coma after eating 1/12 of these in one sitting. I’ve got a crazy sweet tooth, and that seems too much for me. But cut them any size you like! Heck, don’t even bother and just grab a fork!

That oozing caramel gets me every time. It’s between two “brownies” which is really made from a cake mix. I’ve made these brownies twice now and used German Chocolate cake mix both times, but I’m convinced these would be over-the-top crazy good using Devil’s Food. I’m totally doing that next time. There’s also a layer of semisweet chocolate chips right on top of the caramel. It’s pure indulgent heaven. Totally worth the splurge!

Knock You Naked Brownies

The Pioneer Woman
makes 36 brownies

Ingredients:

1 box (18.5 oz.) German Chocolate Cake Mix (I use Duncan Hines)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup evaporated milk (additional)
1/2 cup butter, melted
60 whole caramels, unwrapped (I use Kraft)
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper so the paper hangs over two sides. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl or using a mixer, mix together cake mix, chopped pecans, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until combined. Mixture will be very thick.

3. Press half the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.

4. In a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water) melt caramels with the additional 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When melted and combined, pour over brownie base. Be careful as you pour as the middl eof the cake isn't as sturdy and a big splash of hot caramel may break it causing the caramel to sink to the bottom. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly over the caramel.

5. Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips. It's ok if you can't lift the entire square. You can easily top the caramel with pieces of the dough and it will come together as it bakes.

6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan by lifting the parchment handles and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours. When ready to serve, generously sift powdered sugar over the surface of the brownies. Cut into 36 brownies (or less if you want bigger brownies).

So, how’s it taste?

That beauty above is Blackberry Grits. It’s the perfect size for sharing, so the whole table dug in. I’m very anti-sweet grits. I like to refer to folks that put sugar on their grits as Yankees. Grits were meant to be savory, eaten with butter, salt and pepper, and maybe a little cheese. But never sweet…until I tasted blackberry grits. They were incredible! Creamy grits, not too terribly sweet, but just enough. Bursts of fresh blackberry and on the side was a sweet butter. Even though this fed five people, I would’ve had no problem downing the entire bowl myself.

After a torturing process of deciding what to eat, I picked Eggs Benedict. I love, love, love eggs benedict as hollandaise sauce is a favorite of mine, and you all know how I feel about runny eggs. These were served with their country potatoes. I was instantly happy with my choice. The eggs benedict were perfect and I loved the country potatoes. My only complaint is the ridiculously big serving plate. It hogged up the table and the skillet on top of the plate was unnecessary.

Lucky for me, two of my friends are Birmingham locals (they recommended this place) and they love food as much as I do (and don’t mind sharing!). My friend Kevin ordered the Plantation Quesadilla. It’s a flour tortilla filled with chicken, green chiles, onions, tomatoes, and melted cheese. It’s also served with the country potatoes plus sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. If you’re looking for something savory for brunch, this is the dish to choose. The chicken was tender and seasoned just right. I’m a condiment junkie so I love all the options it comes with, plus you get those lip-smacking good potatoes. You won’t need to eat the rest of the day after this meal!

Last was the Cinnamon Roll French Toast that my friend Amber ordered. I was so, so glad she did! It’s a merging of two breakfast obsessions. Slices of cinnamon rolls, grilled in French toast batter, smothered with cream cheese icing, banana’s foster sauce, mixed warm berries, and whipped cream. I’ve died and gone to sugar heaven! If you’ve got a killer sweet tooth, you’ve got to try it. It’s almost too much for one person to conquer, so I was more than happy to help Amber out with a few bites.

The original Broken Egg is in Mandeville, Louisiana and they’ve got several locations in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, California, and Texas. A recent glance at their online map and I see Tennessee is in blue for “sold.” Please, please, please let Another Broken Egg come to Nashville!

So, how’s it taste?

Each flavor has a suggested food pairing that I thought was pretty cool. I had every intention of following the suggestions, but I ended up enjoying most of these as a stand-alone soft drink treat. Here’s what I thought of each flavor.

Crisp White – notes of pear, apricot, and magnolia. Pairs well with Brie, strawberry ice cream, and salads.

This was the first Cascal I tried. I had it with my Brie-stuffed chicken dinner one night. It smells like apple and a hint of beer, which comes from the fermentation. It was much lighter than I expected. I see the word “soda” and I think it’s going to be syrupy, but this drink is very crisp. It was almost like drinking wine. I immediately searched where I could buy this locally (Whole Foods).

Ripe Rouge – notes of cherry, rose, and chocolate. Pairs well with Asiago, grilled beef, and chocolate cake.

It smells and tastes like mixed berries. It’s heavier on the raspberry and has a cherry candy flavor as well. This one was also light and crisp. I sampled this one with a piece (okay pieces!) of chocolate. It’s amazing with chocolate. It really brought out more of the berry flavor. There’s a slight perfumy and floral note that I noticed the more I drank. It’s still a really good flavor, but I’m not a fan of the floral notes. I think it was just telling me I needed to eat more chocolate!

Fresh Tropical – notes of mango, jasmine, and kaffir lime. Pairs well with BBQ, mango salsa & tortilla chips, and pad thai.

It smells like mango. It’s the sweetest one of the five flavors and has the least fermented flavor. This one was more like a carbonated juice as it wasn’t as crisp as the others. I really enjoyed this one and wish I had tried it with BBQ or pad thai. I can see how well they’d go together. I enjoyed this one, but I missed the fermented flavor like the others have.

Bright Citrus – notes of lemongrass, tangerine, and pineapple. Pairs well with guacamole, chicken sandwiches, and teriyaki chicken.

This one smells like a light beer and citrus. It’s very crisp and has a nice, fruity aftertaste. I could also identify carrot and pineapple. It’s bursting with fruit flavors and this one was my favorite until I tasted the Berry Cassis.

Berry Cassis – notes of black currant, tangerine, and lemon. Pairs well with hummus & pita and tandoori chicken.

This was my absolute favorite! It has a rich berry smell and prominent berry taste. I could detect a hint of grape in smell and taste as well. This one is light and crisp and reminds me of a non-alcoholic bellini.

The nice folks at Cascal want to share the tasty experience with one lucky So, How’s It Taste reader! Cascal will send the winner a case of their flavor of choice.

To enter: All you need to do is comment on this post and tell me which flavor of Cascal you’re most excited about trying.

Optional entries: For up to two additional entries, do one or both of the following and leave a separate comment for each optional entry.

1. Follow @SoHowsItTaste & @CheersCascal on Twitter and tweet the following: Win a case of @CheersCascal natural soft drinks from @SoHowsItTaste! Choose from 5 amazing, unique flavors. http://bit.ly/Cascal

2. Like So, How’s It Taste? and Cascal on Facebook.

I’ll randomly select the winner on Wednesday, May 2 at noon Central. Please make sure you enter a valid email address as an alternate winner will be chosen if I don’t hear from you within 48 hours. Good luck!

Congratulations to comment #15 from Michelle!
Winner chosen using Random.org