I had big plans for this summer but those have obviously changed. Even though my plans are altered until next year and I have to stay closer to home, I can still visit some of my favorite cities, regions, and dream destinations through my kitchen.
Heading overseas by making Sylvia Carroll’s (Blue Ridge, GA) Norwegian Pancakes that are fantastic.
“As a child, these were either sprinkled with sugar or syrup, rolled up, then sliced and eaten,” remembers Sylvia. “My children have discovered they like them with cream cheese in them, then rolled up and dipped in syrup.”
They are crepe-like but the batter has more eggs than traditional crepes. That makes them more pliable to work with and easy to roll when cooked. Lightly sweet, these pancakes are heavenly served with powdered sugar and syrup. Great for brunch and weekend breakfasts.
“I started making this because my youngest son loves Feta cheese and it has morphed into something everyone requests,” reveals Heather Trice (Indianapolis, IN). “I take it to a lot of holiday gatherings because the color scheme works to bring a festive moment and everyone loves it so.”
Heather’s Feta Dip is a simple, fresh, and tasty recipe. Feta cheese, diced tomato, and green onions are a perfect combination placed on top of olive oil. Greek seasoning enhances the flavor and gives a robust flavor to this easy appetizer. I loved to soak up the olive oil with the bread and top it with the tomato mixture.
Heading to Mexico with Karina Alcala’s (Macks Creek, MO) Mexican Conchas.
“I remember when we visited my grandma in Mexico we would always go to the panaderia and buy conchas,” Karina shares. “I loved to eat them with hot chocolate or warm milk. I got this recipe from my mom and they have a ton of flavor.”
Light and airy, these little guys bring together the best of both cookies and pastry. I love the hint of cinnamon throughout this yummy dessert. Perfect with a steaming cup of coffee.
Jetting back to the United States for the next two recipes.
“Naturally, fried chicken is considered Southern cuisine,” thinks Virginia Dean (Toomsboro, GA). “My husband says I’m the champion fried chicken cooker. Don’t know about that, but everyone who has ever tried mine really loves it and wants to know how I get it so crispy.”
Make Virginia’s Southern Fried Chicken Recipe and people will think you’re kin to the Colonel. Soaking in buttermilk keeps the chicken moist. Doing a double-dip with self-rising flour results in a super crunchy coating.
Bananas Foster was created in New Orleans in 1951. It’s a simple but impressive dessert made of bananas and ice cream. A sauce made of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, rum, and banana liqueur is poured over and lit on fire. Very decadent, Juliana Evans put a twist on the recipe for her Praline Bananas Foster Cakelettes.
“This is an amazing dessert that looks so fancy and tastes incredible,” says Juliana. “This recipe is based on my grandma’s banana cake I used to eat. The dark rum makes this fun twist to bananas foster to die for.”
The banana cake alone is amazing. Add the sauce with the wonderful combination of flavors from rum and the vanilla… wow. The candied pralines top this perfectly. There are a few steps to the recipe so it would be a great weekend activity.
These Blue Ribbon favorites allow us to take a trip but never leave home. If you could visit any culinary city in the world, what would you like to visit? Share below and Happy Pinching!