Playing Catch Up

As my lovely kitchen cohort mentioned in one of her previous posts, I am writing to you from a new kitchen in a new state.  Work has brought me to the sunshiny state of Arizona, and I am excited to find some new recipes and types of food to share with you.  One local delight that I am already able to recommend is cactus honey.  A bottle of the Sonoran variety is currently in my cupboard and has been incorporated into many lovely treats, including Smitten Kitchen's Almond Date Breakfast bars (p. 21 of her fabulous cookbook).

For all of you - dare I say it? - foodies (ugh) out there, two things: one, we need to come up with a better term for ourselves, the discriminatingly tasteful.  Two, though I did not make it myself, I had the opportunity to try cactus fries, Indian fry bread, and rattlesnake at one of Sedona's first restaurants - the Cowboy Club  It's a must see (and eat), if you ever make Sedona.

Now, down to the nitty gritty.  I am incorporating a link to my Instagram account, used solely for the purpose of conveying mouth-watering images to you as quickly as they come across my plate (and to mask the horrific light in my kitchen).  Kileen's Kitchen

First, up - jambalaya!  The great Paul Deen's Skillet Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya, to be exact.  This one-pan wonder can be dug out of a treasure chest called The Southern Cooking Bible (p. 171).  Along with SK, SCB is a staple of my cooking library.  I highly recommend adding it to your collection.

Second, Peach Cream Pie is a must-add to your summer baking queue.  I have discovered a heavenly secret about Arizona - it's always peach season!  For those of you back in the midwest, you may have to wait a month or so, but it will be worth it.  And, it will give you something to look forward to in the depths of the August haze.

Preheat oven to 400*.

1 Cup sugar
2 heaping TBSP flour
Dash salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
Blend the above well

Peel and halve 4 peaches and place in a pie shell (my pan is a bit large, so your peaches will be tighter and covered by the cream mixture).  Pour cream mixture over peaches.  Bake at 400* for 10 min; reduce oven temp to 350* and bake 35 min. longer; refrigerate overnight before serving.  

Tomorrow, I will finish the recipes off.  Have a great night!