Author: Ed Hart

Categories
Eat

Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Shrimp & Grits

Shrimp & Grits

This is a reproduction of Tyler Florence's Ultimate Shrimp & Grits, probably my favorite of the many shrimp & grits recipes I've made over the years.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Low Country
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the grits
  • 3 cups milk
  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the shrimp & sausage
  • 2 lbs fresh gulf shrimp peeled
  • 1 lb Conecuh spicy sausage
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 white onion medium, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • ¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • splash hot sauce
  • ½ lemon juiced
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley chopped
  • 4 green onions sliced

Method
 

For the grits
  1. Add milk and cream in a 3 quart pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the cornmeal. When the grits begin to boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer, stirring often. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture is smooth and thick. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Add additional cream if needed to thin. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
For the shrimp and sausage
  1. Use a deep skillet over medium heat. Coat the skillet with olive oil.
  2. Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until soft and aromatic. Add the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
  3. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until the sausage is brown and there's a fair amount of fat in the pan, 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to create a roux. Slowly pour in the chicken stock and stir to avoid lumps. Add the bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
  4. Stir in the shrimp and poach them in the stock for 2-3 minutes, until they are firm and pink and the sauce is smooth and thick. Add the cayenne pepper, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Remove from heat, add parsley and green onions. Serve over grits.
Categories
Eat

Raspberry Sauce

Raspberry Sauce

Quick and easy raspberry sauce for my Biscoff Cheesecake! Can be used with any other dessert you like. I created this recipe to use one 6oz container of raspberries since I'm usually making it in small batches for dessert, but you can, of course, double the recipe if you're serving a larger party.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 6oz pkg Fresh raspberries
  • 1 tsp Lemon Zest
  • ¼ tsp Vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp water

Method
 

  1. In a small saucepan, add the raspberries, water, and sugar. Heat on medium until the sauce boils and the sugar completely dissolves.
  2. In a separate bowl or ramekin, mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water until completely incorporated. Then pour into the raspberry mixture and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes until raspberries break down and sauce thickens slightly.
  3. Let sauce cool. Serve over Biscoff Cheesecake.
Categories
Eat

Biscoff Cheesecake

Biscoff Cheesecake

Print Recipe
Cook Time 55 minutes
Servings: 10 Slices
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pkg Biscoff cookies 1 package is 8.8oz and will yield about 2 C crumbs
  • ½ cup Unsalted Butter, melted 1 stick
  • 1 tbsp Grated lemon zest divided
  • 3 8oz pkg Cream cheese Softened
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • ½ tsp Vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp All purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • ¼ cup Milk

Equipment

  • 1 Springform Pan

Method
 

To prepare the crust
  1. To prepare crust, use a food processor or rolling pin to crush Biscoff into fine crumbs.
  2. butter or spray the side of a springform pan and attach to the bottom.
  3. Combine 2 cups crumbs and ½ of the lemon zest in a bowl. Add butter and stir until combined. Press crumb mixture into the springform pan so that it covers the bottom and the sides up to about 1½ – 2 inches.
To prepare the filling
  1. In a large mixer bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, the other ½ of the lemon zest, and vanilla, until fluffy. Add the sugar, flour, and salt to incorporate. Add the 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk, beating at low speed until combined. Stir in milk.
  2. Turn the filling mixture into the crust lined pan and bake at 375° for 50-55 minutes. After baking, turn the oven off, crack the oven door, and let the cheesecake completely cool.
  3. Loosen the sides of the cheesecake with a spatula and remove the springform pan sides. Cool in the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.
  4. Top with raspberry sauce and serve.
Categories
Write

Lencten

We’ve just completed the first week of this year’s Lenten season. I didn’t know, until I read it in Wikipedia, that the word derives from the Old English word “lencten” meaning spring season. Here are a few things worth sharing this week:

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Categories
Gardening Woodworking

3 Bin Compost System – a Free DIY Plan

This year I finally decided to build a composting system to enrich the soil in my raised bed garden. Here’s an assembly schematic for building your own 3 bin compost system. There are a lot of plans on the internet for cheap and supposedly free compost bin systems. This is not that! This is a well designed 3 bin system designed to last for many years and also look nice. I riffed on a design that’s in the vegetable garden area at my local botanical gardens, and I’ve tried to incorporate a few specific features.

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Categories
Home Improvement Plans Woodworking

DIY Window Bench with Storage

I was recently asked by some friends to design a window bench for their kitchen. This particular bench is custom sized to 70″ wide, 18″ deep, and a standard 18″ height, however the plan can be easily modified to fit any size.

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Categories
Woodworking

Tatami Inspired Platform Bed: Full Size Cut List

To make a full size version of the tatami inspired queen size platform bed, the length and width of the frame need to be reduced by 5″ and 6″ respectively. Otherwise the construction and joinery is the same as the queen version. The materials list is the same as if you were building a queen version, but below is the cut list with the new measurements.

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Categories
Create Home Improvement Woodworking

How to Build a Bohemian Style End Table

I’ve been looking for a project to make use of some really cool ceramic tiles that I’ve collected and decided that they’d make really unique and stylish end tables.  First I needed a basic end table design that would be elegant enough for a nicer living room setting, but could also be dressed down for a more casual setting.  As with almost all of my plans, I’ve used materials that can be readily found at big box home improvement stores.

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Categories
Woodworking

Loft Bed Plan with Desk and Bookcase

This loft bed plan is inspired by the Rhys Loft Bed from Pottery Barn and Ana White’s loft bed plan, particularly her construction of the frame enabling it to be disassembled.

I’ve designed 2 versions of this with the only difference being whether or not the desk has drawers. This post illustrates the basic desk version with no drawers.

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Categories
Read

My 2021 Reading List so far…

I was recently listening to one of my new favorite podcasts, The Literary Life Podcast, and the hosts were talking about their 2021 reading challenge, called 19 in 2021. I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to level up to that, but here’s my running list of what I’m reading this year.
Continue reading “My 2021 Reading List so far…”