spoonbread fever

i’m not too excited about the bodega challenge tomorrow, mainly because i’m still pretty sick with a cold. i did manage to come up with a decent entry though, i think. not sure if it’s a winner, but it’s all i can do right now. i like it!

Spoonbread Fever

• 2 cups fiesta corn
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups milk
• 2/3 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup cabot extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup boar’s head pepper jack cheese
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat casserole dish with 1 tbsp butter.
2. Combine, milk, butter, corn, cornmeal, and salt. Bring to a boil, and simmer until mixture is thickened.
3. Stir in cheese, followed by egg yolks.
4. Beat egg whites and add into cornmeal mixture. Pour into dish.
5. Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes.

la eggplant de mon reve

so tonight was the casserole cook-off at the brooklyn label, hosted by the lovely emily farris of casserole crazy fame. the competition was intense– 30 entries, including meaty, vegetarian, and non-savory casseroles. i entered a vegetarian polenta and eggplant bake, which i was rather proud of because it was something i had created specifically for the event. i wanted to do something with eggplant, because it’s one of my favorite vegetables, but i didn’t want to do anything that was too much like a lasagna. i’d always wanted to learn how to make polenta, so i thought this was my chance to figure it out. i also wanted to achieve that cheesy, bubbly, and perfectly browned top, because in my opinion, that’s what makes any casserole so delicious. in the end, my idea worked, because i won the category for best vegetarian casserole. i didn’t win best in show, but when i thanked the judges at the end of the night, they commended my originality, which really meant the most to me.

la eggplant de mon reve

for the polenta:

• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup parmesan, finely grated
• 2 tbsp butter

for the filling:

• 2 lg eggplants
• marinara sauce (i used this really good jarred variety my friend david gets imported from ohio)
• canola oil for frying
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup romano cheese
• fontina cheese, lots of it, for the top

again, i’m too lazy to write directions, but you basically make the polenta and use that as the bottom layer of the casserole. then on top of the polenta, layer sauce, ricotta mixture, and eggplant (lightly fried). repeat, and top with fontina cheese. cover with foil and bake @ 425 for 10 min, then reduce to 375 for 30 additional minutes. remove foil and broil for 10 minutes.

exile in pieville

4 years ago, i was on a date and, having just moved to williamsburg a month prior, i asked him to take me somewhere fun in the neighborhood. we ended up sitting around at mccarren park and then we went to enid’s where there happened to be an apple pie bake-off going on. we tried all the pies and chatted and had a nice time, because come on– how can you have a bad time at an apple pie bake-off? i never saw him again, but every year since then, i’ve told myself that i NEED to enter this contest. last year, i called and asked for details, only to be told it had happened THE DAY BEFORE. but this year, i FINALLY got my act together and am ready to compete. i’m going for a clean sweep in all categories. it’s long overdue.

EXILE IN PIEVILLE

• 1 1/2 recipe pie crust (butter, water, salt)
• 5 lg apples (cortland, jonagold, jonathan, macoun)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice + lemon zest
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 5 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp heavy cream

unless you’ve never baked a pie, you know what to do with these ingredients (too lazy to write directions).