Southern Scribes Blog

So I promised more about Lily and here it is…
I found out the other day that Lily was created from a recipe that is originally Nancy Silverton’s.  Nancy Silverton is the founder of La Brea Bakery (you might have seen her breads in your grocery stores).  She has really been an icon for bread bakers, both novice and professional.  When I found out that is [Read More]

This is a technique that I learned from Michel Richard of Citronelle in Washington DC.  It is an interesting way to “hide” components of a dessert.  Michel Richard is know for his Christmas Snowmen which also utilize this technique.  These meringues can be tricky, but are totally worth the effort.
Start by making a french meringue; [Read More]

“The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.
This book is full of amazing bread knowledge.  I decided that I was going to read it from cover to cover and I am thoroughly enjoying it.  There are a couple recipes from the book that I use in my daily bread baking for Woodlands, but I never gave [Read More]

I would like to use this post to explain the ingredients and the lengthy process involved in making the “forestiere” quiche.   
The ingredients are as follows:
The Dough - bread flour, salt, water, butter 
The Mushroom Filling – sauteed chanterelles, shiitake’s and crimini, butter, minced onions, parsley and garlic, salt, pepper, Blis 9 sherry vinegar, lemon juice, truffle [Read More]

We are always looking for ways to make the experience at  Woodlands Inn more enjoyable for our guests.  We have been talking about including truffles in our service, but had not yet found a way to make it feasible. 
One day while I was watching Giada De Laurentiis, (yes, I watch The Food Network) I saw that she was making balsamic [Read More]

Here is what I came up with for a Black Garlic recipe:  Crumbled Brioche bread crumbs, soft scrambled eggs, and Black Garlic Chantilly – finished with a drizzle of Blis Elixir vinegar and fresh chives.  I served this dish as an Amuse in a lion head terrine.  The contrast between the hot and cold really rounds [Read More]

This was the first item that I wanted to blog about.  Our sourdough plays a huge roll in this restaurant.  I just don’t know how to write it all down in a blog, so I am going to just start at the beginning…
First of all I have to say, just like the biscuits, this is [Read More]

If I had to bet my wallet on one random food fact, it would be that you can walk into any kitchen in Bergamo, Italy, at lunch time and there will be a pot of polenta on the stove. Guaranteed.
Polenta is to Northern Italy (especially Bergamo) as Grits are to the American South.  

As promised, here is the method/recipe for the pickled rocatillo peppers.  This recipe is highly adaptable, and can be used for any chile pepper you have in abundance.  Also, you can try it with okra, green beans, garlic, pearl onions, or whatever you feel like pickling.
Step 1:  Trim the peppers.  In this case, that means [Read More]

Cheddar and Herb Biscuits are a staple here at Woodlands.  Our guests absolutely love them.  During bread service we sell about 3 per person.  I cannot take credit for the recipe; I think we have been making them since the day our doors opened.  I will, however, share the recipe with you all.