Cinnamon Sugar Dusted Beignets

I recently went on a road trip to Detroit and met some kindred spirits. We some how decided to make Beignets after talking about a trip to New Orleans. Beignets, a traditional French pastry, most notably identified with New Orleans are essentially a fancy doughnut that can be topped with confectioneries sugar or stuffed with savory meats. I decided to take some liberties with the traditional form of beignets and rolled my beignets into orbs instead of the rectangle shape, feel free to play around. This recipe requires some prep time to allow the dough to form, but if you don't feel like waiting around, most speciality food stores sell pre made beignet mix that only requires water and no rising time. I hope you enjoy these fried treats as much as we did!

Read More

Summer Eats: Fried Okra with Sriracha Aioli

Deep into the August harvest, I pretty much have okra coming out of my ears. The hearty, green and tubular seeded pods have received a nasty rap in our eastern neck of the woods. Every person I talk to about okra is dumfounded as to what to even do with this stuff and has some horror story to offer of it being slimy and inedible nuisance. However I am here to spread the gospel that okra is not only flavorful and healthy (3.2 g of fiber per 100g!) but delicious! In this recipe I call on a favorite southern method of dealing with okra, frying, that is sure to change any disbeliever into a life long follower. Though, lets be frank, anything breaded and fried is palatable, but I find that okra's sweet and unique flavor still shines through the grease.

Read More