Ree Drummond's Blog, page 113

Okay, FINE.

Of all the shiny red, happy orange, springy green, and sunny yellow KitchenAids I've given away over the past couple of years, the largest response by far was this dark gray, sturdy, masculine baby I gave away a few weeks ago.

What is that all about? Aren't most of you chicks? Wouldn't you rather have a pretty pink mixer on your counter than a cold, sturdy, gray one? What's with this plunge into masculinity? This dabbling in testosterone?

By the way, I've decided if they ever come out with a ...

A Tasty Day of Cooking

Winner #1 of Friday's contest was #7767 LindaLeigh, who submitted Wendy Darling's Tasty Kitchen recipe, Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites, which means both LindaLeigh and Wendy win the great goody bag put together by Chef's Catalog. Congrats, girls!

 

 

Guests Kate…

 

 

…and Kayla were responsible for putting the recipe together.

 

 

It was simple! Cut slices of bacon in half, then dredge the bacon in brown sugar.

 

 

Cute nails, Kayla!

I wonder if I could pull this off?

 

 

Then you...

Apple Cake in an Iron Skillet

I found this recipe in the depths of a closet last night, and it was like finding a buried box of sparkly, flawless diamonds. Only better. The recipe, which I'd adapted from a cake I'd watched Sara Moulton make back in the late 90's, had been scribbled on a piece of wide-ruled notebook paper, and I'd been searching for it since I moved into this house years ago. I'd loved the cake so much, it had immediately been put into my vault of "Keeper Recipes". It was so, so good.

But we moved to the ...

Delicious Hominy Casserole

Aunt Diane—Marlboro Man's statuesque mother's statuesque sister—brought this to a family gathering last week and I was reminded once again of how much I love hominy…and how underrated it is.

Hominy is, simply, kernels of corn that have been soaked in lye water. Hominy can be eaten as is or ground up to make—wait for it—GRITS, or ground even more finely to make—are you ready?—MASA, which is used in tamale fillings or (in my case) to thicken chili. It's an extremely versatile ingredient in...

Tres Leches Cake

I first made Tres Leches cake about five years ago, when my baby was still a baby and I was trying to find something yummy to make for my friend Ana for her birthday. Ana's from Mexico and taught me how to make pico de gallo and guacamole, and I asked her what her favorite kind of cake was.

"Tres Leches," she said in her sweet Spanish accent.

"Tres Leches?" I said. "Three milks?" I'd passed high school Spanish. But I'd never heard of the cake.

Ana went on to explain to me what Tres Leches C...

Quesadillas de Camarones

I have a slight problem when it comes to quesadillas of any kind. The problem is that I pretty much want to eat them all the time. All the all the all the time. It was my number one craving during all four of my pregnancies, and there's no limit to the different combinations and permutations of fillings I'll try.

My quesadilla addiction began in Los Angeles in the late eighties, by the way. Ever have a quesadilla at Del Taco in the late eighties? Then you haven't lived. Forget these...

Family Meal in the Country

 

We had a nice gathering of family at the Lodge last night. Some close—Tim, Missy, their kids, and my inlaws; and some a little more distant—my mother-in-law's brother, uncle, and nephew. Long story. The point is, we all got together for dinner last night. And everyone brought something.

That's my favorite kind of meal.

 

Missy made this. Buttery, garlicky, parsley-y bread. Bread bread bread.

 

I've always really loved Missy.

 

Missy also made croutons for the Caesar salad I made, which ...