Pretty Southern

Category: Food

Food

  • Bacon Waffles and Ice Cream!

    At summer camp we were treated to a fantastic breakfast treat each session: waffles with a scoop of ice cream. Thanks to our friend Wes Jones at Honeysuckle Gelato, we were able to recreate the magic for grownups.

    Honeysuckle Gelato has a fabulous new flavor called The Kang. A tribute to The King, Elvis Presley, this yummy flavor is a toasted banana base with ribbons of peanut butter caramel. They would have added bacon to their ice cream but the Feds would have to shut ’em down! We added the bacon into PrettySouthern’s recipe. This dish does take a while to prepare, so in true Southern fashion, we used ingredients we had to create a starter!

    Sugar Glazed Bacon Twists

    Sugar Glazed Bacon Twist top sweet ice cream The Kang by Honeysuckle Gelato

    1 package of Bacon
    1/2 cup Brown Sugar
    1 TBSP Nutmeg
    1 tsp Cinnamon
    1/2 tsp Ground Mustard
    Freshly ground black pepper to taste
    1 Scoop of The Kang

    Preheat oven to 350. Mix Brown Sugar, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, and Ground Mustard in a shallow tray or bowl. Lay Bacon in dry rub then twist in the mix to form a Bacon Twist. Place Bacon Twists on a baking rack (with a foil lined tray underneath to catch the drippings). Bake for 25 minutes, remove and let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving atop a scoop of The Kang.

    This treat was a great way to prep our palettes for the delicious Bacon Waffle concoction. Either eat the Bacon Twist in between bites of The Kang or break it up and mix it into your ice cream…it’s all going to the same place. While munching on your sweet appetizer, start working on your main course.

    Elvis Presley’s Breakfast for Dinner: Bacon Waffles topped with The Kang

    Can of Non-Stick Cooking Spray
    1 pound of Bacon
    1 3/4 cups all-purpose Flour
    1 tablespoon Sugar
    2 teaspoons Baking Powder
    1/2 teaspoon Salt
    1 TBSP Vanilla
    3 eggs, separated
    1 1/2 cups Milk (do not use Skim or Soy!)
    1/4 cup melted Butter (or use margarine)
    Lots of Good Maple Syrup (your choice)

    Buy 1 quart of The Kang from Honeysuckle Gelato (purchase remaining ingredients from grocery store).
    Cook Bacon to a crisp, but not blackened. Place on paper towel and set aside. Select a few whole strips to use as garnish. Once cooled, chop the rest of your bacon into pieces (y’all want to have chunks of the bacon visible in the waffle). We used our Slap Chop to get perfect sizes of bacon. Separate your Eggs, Whites in one bowl and Yolks in another. Combine Yolks with Milk, Vanilla and Butter. Mix Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder and Salt together then mix with your wet ingredients. Beat the Egg Whites until frothy then mix with your batter. Add in Bacon. Start your Waffle Maker, spraying the iron down with a good helping of Non-Stick Cooking Spray. Bake your Bacon Waffles, then top with a scoop of The Kang and a slice of Bacon. Drizzle with Good Maple Syrup.

    What’s so great about this dish is how well they salty & sweet flavors compliment each other: the savory bacon works with the peanuts in the ice cream and the rich sweetness of the banana-caramel-syrup combo is truly a delight.

    For more information on Honeysuckle Gelato, check out their website or their Facebook page.

  • Pie Shop: Atlanta’s Newest Sweet Spot

    Everything about Pie Shop is as sweet as the label on their “Shugah”. Mims Bledsoe is one fabulous lady resurrecting the pure art of making homemade pies. To help her at Pie Shop, she recruited Kim Keene: a pastry chef with years of experience under her cute belt.

    “It was just fate.” Mims told PrettySouthern over coffee one morning. “Kim was best friends with my older sister. Who do you know better than who you grew up with?”

    Mims who has a background in research; however, she loved spending time in the kitchen working with her hands. “I decided to start my own business because it was intellectually challenging,” she explained. “You don’t see homemade pies anymore.”

    Our sampling of tasty treats at Pie Shop

    It’s a science to create the perfect crust (which took two months to perfect). The inspiration for Pie Shop’s pastries comes from many sources, including old cookbooks which Mims collects from bookstores, thrift shops, and other random places. On the day PrettySouthern visited, we noshed on several samples including Coconut Creme, Butterscotch, Grape and Strawberry Pies plus “bites’ including a Cheesecake topped with a fresh strawberry, crispy Fried Apple, Chocolate with Peanut Butter Creme and even a Vidalia Onion with Cheddar Cheese sauce.

    Pie Shop adheres to a set of standards when it comes to pie, which also coincide with Southern ideals: simplistic, rustic, unpretentious, and damn tasty. Come in here for a really warm, cozy experience and get served homemade pie.

    If location is everything, then Pie Shop has got it! For those familiar with the Barmuda Triangle in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, there’s now a Bakery Triangle comprised of Henri’s, Piece of Cake and Pie Shop. Located in the same strip containing Red Door Tavern and behind the bar Churchill’s, Pie Shop will be open until 1 a.m. come July to serve pie to late night party people. Y’all know pie is good any time!

    For more info on Pie Shop, check out their website or their Facebook page.

  • Bates House of Turkey

    Alabama: it’s a great state celebrating its own quirky goodness. Nothing exemplifies the good ole Bama nation like Bates House of Turkey.

    This haven of turkey treats is always a true delight. They offer everything including BBQ Turkey, Roasted Sliced Turkey, and the Open-Faced Turkey Sandwich. The taste is just like the food from Grammy’s kitchen.

    Our feature photo of the Turkey Salad Plate consisting of a generous scoop of homemade turkey salad, hard-boiled egg, wedge of cheddar cheese, carrot, pickle and two servings of fruit. This meal will hold you over from ten in the morning until a late supper!

    If your tummy still has room, spring for a piece of pecan pie to end your meal. Should you need the restroom, look for the sign “Roost Area”…so cute!

    Ultimately this place beats the pants off most fast food you’ll find while road tripping. If you’re looking for a good home-cooked meal while cruising through Alabama, y’all have got to stop at Bates House of Turkey.

  • Honeysuckle Gelato Savors Sweet Summertime

    Honeysuckle in the sunshine is ever so sweet. Now an Atlanta company has decided to take that decadent smell to the next level.

    There are two tastes Southern kids can always remember. One is the first time you picked honeysuckle then sipped the nectar from the flower. The second sensation is your favorite of ice cream in the summer time. Honeysuckle Gelato has combined both those loves into one outstanding product.

    Owner and founder Jackson Smith wrote “as a true southern boy, I could not resist the temptation to play around with the flavors and dessert concepts unique to the South. We now offer the South exactly what we envisioned…an ice cream worthy of its decadent culinary roots.”

    Flavors fit for ladies and gentleman (or even a Yankee palette) are available from Honeysuckle Gelato. Their Mint Julep is made with fresh herbs and the House selection of bourbon. It’s damn good as the real thing without the hangover from drinking straight liquor!

    An homage to The King, Elvis Presley, is uniquely awesome Kang. “We just wouldn’t be Southern (or inspired) without an ode to Mr. Presley’s indulgent creation,” wrote the gentlemen from Honeysuckle Gelato. “Ours features toasted banana ice cream with ribbons of peanut butter caramel. We’d add bacon, but the Feds would shut us down.”

    For a more classic taste, sample the savory refreshing Watermelon made with the real stuff as Honeysuckle Gelato doesn’t use any imitation flavors! The luscious Lavender would be ideal for a wedding or baby shower to serve alongside a piece of cake.

    Of course, Honeysuckle Gelato had to create a signature Honey flavor. The maestros whip up gelato using all kinds of local, seasonal honeys including Sourwood, Tupelo, Purple Starthistle, etc

    A full list of flavors and more information is available at www.honeysucklegelato.com. Don’t see a flavor you like? Then email the gentlemen behind the scenes to concoct your own custom creation. The boys will even be hitting the streets of Atlanta soon in their new food truck to serve up treats around the city.

    Brace yourself for some sweetness!

     

  • Pretty Southern Recipe: Mint Julep

    Pretty Southern Recipe: Mint Julep

    On a sunny day in the South, no cocktail tastes quite as sweet as a mint julep.

    For the perfect Southern mint julep, follow these instructions.

    mint julep

    Pretty Southern Mint Julep:

    2 oz. Kentucky Bourbon
    1 oz. Simple Syrup — made by boiling 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water, and allowing it to cool before mixing a cocktail
    3 Mint sprigs from a backyard garden
    1 oz. Soda Water
    Crushed Ice

    Muddle your mint in crushed ice, though if going for aesthetics be sure to set aside a sprig for garnish. In a cocktail shaker, pour 2 oz. Bourbon, 1 oz. Simple Syrup, and 1 oz. Soda. Shake with chivalry then pour over minted ice.

    Thank the stars you’re alive on this fine day and drinking something delicious. Enjoy the races.