Category: party foods
Anytime is Deviled Egg time!
| April 8, 2020 | Posted by Wendy Perry under appetizers, bacon & belly, buttahhhh, cheesy, cook'n with NC goodies, corn, crab, duke's mayo!, Easter, fun food, gluten free, low carb, Mt. Olive Pickles, Our State Mag, party foods, product recipe development, published, sensational sides, wendy's signature recipes |
While recipe developer and food stylist at Our State Magazine, I was asked to give a classic deviled egg a North Carolina twist. These recipes inspired by our culture are fun to make and good to eat.
Pizza Bread Bowl Fondue
| January 27, 2020 | Posted by Wendy Perry under appetizers, Carolina Country, cheesy, fun food, Italian, Mindless Mutterings from the Teacher's Lounge, party foods, published |
Fondue… bread bowl pizza fondue! Try these fun ways to enjoy a simple supper or for a crowd at your next gathering. Get creative with fondue and dippers… here are a couple of favorites. Which do you like? Bread Bowl Pepperoni or Hawaiian Pizza Fondue?
Sticky Pig Twigs… can bacon get any better?
| December 29, 2019 | Posted by Wendy Perry under appetizers, bacon & belly, Carolina Country, condiments & accompaniments, fun food, here piggy piggy!, honey, party foods, Peggy Rose's Jellies, published, wendy's signature recipes |
Make a pile of these Sticky Pig Twigs, because they will disappear right before your eyes. Enjoy as is, or chopped on salads. Especially good on a juicy summer BLT … add more hot pepper if your crowd can take it!
Merry & Bright Holiday Cheerwine Punch… with fruit-filled ice ring
| December 15, 2019 | Posted by Wendy Perry under beverages, Carolina Country, cheerwine, cherries, Christmas, cook'n with NC goodies, party foods, product recipe development, published, wendy's signature recipes |
Having friends over for a holiday supper? No need to fret over multiple beverages … punch to the rescue! Let your imagination loose as exact measurements are not necessary with this Cheerwine punch!
Pork Tenderloin Sheet Pan Supper with Sweet Potatoes & Caramelized Onions
| December 15, 2019 | Posted by Wendy Perry under bacon & belly, Carolina Country, Christmas, cook'n with NC goodies, party foods, Peggy Rose's Jellies, product recipe development, published, roasted goodness, sensational sides, sweet potatoes, wendy's signature recipes |
You won’t go wrong serving your holiday company this Peggy Rose’s pepper jelly glazed-Heritage Farm bacon wrapped NC pork tenderloin…. nestled among seasoned NC Sweet Potatoes!
Gingerbread Banana Pudding With Molasses Whipped Cream
| December 15, 2019 | Posted by Wendy Perry under Christmas, fun food, Mindless Mutterings from the Teacher's Lounge, molasses, party foods, published, sweet treats, wendy's signature recipes |
This southern favorite with a seasonal twist feeds quite a few folks, can be made ahead, and guests can self-serve. Find a fun, hinged, wide-mouth jar to make it in and wow your company!
Apple, Onion and Rosemary Tart with Cinnamon Honey
| December 2, 2019 | Posted by Wendy Perry under appetizers, apples, cheesy, garden goodness, honey, Mindless Mutterings from the Teacher's Lounge, party foods, pie please, product recipe development |
…a delightful sweet and savory tart to enjoy as an appetizer, side, with salad for brunch or as an outside-the-box dessert!
Big Mama’s Sticky Biscuits… thumbprint pepper jelly treats!
| October 20, 2019 | Posted by Wendy Perry under appetizers, baking (she said in terror), breads, fun food, Mindless Mutterings from the Teacher's Lounge, party foods, Peggy Rose's Jellies |
You will want to keep some tea biscuits on hand in your freezer to make some of these little treats with Peggy Rose’s Jelly… anytime!
Cinnamon Candy Apple Nut Brittle
| October 13, 2019 | Posted by Wendy Perry under apples, candy, Christmas, fun food, party foods, published, sweet treats, wendy's signature recipes |
Published in Carolina Country Magazine October 2019
YaY! It’s finally NC State Fair week. Most everyone loves the fair, for so many different reasons. I have fond memories of fairs with friends during high school… fun dates… and taking my now 15-year-old nephew Wyatt in his younger years and loving every minute of glee in his little eyes and giggles on the kiddie rides and playing the games where he’d win a toy for $20 that we could buy at the dollar store.
Or a fish in a bag!! LOL
Another enjoyable thing for me is to find a bench to plop down on… and just watch people.
You see some of the damndest things at the fair. I’ll leave my thoughts and comments right there!
I have no idea what year it was… 15-20 or so ago, when I was first invited to be a judge for the daily cooking contests. By far, this may be my most favorite fair thing of all! As a recipe creator myself, I always love sitting in that little room and seeing what will show up on the days I judge… and enjoy the camaraderie of those of us in that little room all tasting… oooh-ing and ahhh-ing… and sometimes saying “nope, can’t do that!” I do admire all who enter their recipes, but some need to be sure and have a back up plan if they have aspirations of a culinary career.
So… back to this recipe! This is my final of 3 recipes to blog here I created for Carolina Country’s October 2019 fair-inspired recipes. I had this idea in my head, and it took me a couple of times to get it like I wanted it… so I do hope you will enjoy. My best advice for making this, as with most all candies, is to not make it on a humid day. When creating and testing this candy apple brittle, it just fell that way in my schedule a couple of times.
Results = Total Sticky Pull-Your-Teeth-Out FAIL!
So when you’re missing fair time, and a good ole candy apple, give this a try. It might help satisfy your craving just a bit. It makes a pretty red Christmas red for your holiday festivities.
I hope you’ll give it a try and come over and add your comments or questions on my facebook community.
…and hope you can make it to the NC State Fair next week too!
For those who might miss our NC State Fair, I stirred up something reminiscent of those iconic candy apples. My nut brittle will tickle your taste buds with its crunchy texture and candy apple flavor filled with toasty NC pecan pieces, plus a hint of cinnamon! Made in less than 10 minutes in your microwave.
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup toasted pecan pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons flakey or coarse ground sea salt, optional
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Combine sugar and syrup in an 8-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave on high for 5–6 minutes until it reaches a rolling boil.
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Carefully remove and stir in ¼ teaspoon salt, butter, extract, spices and pecans. Microwave 1–2 minutes longer until boiling. Remove and quickly stir in food coloring and soda.
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Pour onto greased slab or cookie sheet and spread with back of spoon. Sprinkle with salt.
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Let the brittle cool at least 1 hour. Break into pieces and store in airtight container.
Variation: Unsalted roasted peanuts or other nuts can be substituted for the pecans.
Tip: Best not to make this (or most candy) on humid days. You may end up with chewy rather than crunchy brittle.
Country Ham Lollipups with Molasses Mustard
| October 7, 2019 | Posted by Wendy Perry under appetizers, cornbread & hushpuppies, country ham, fun food, House Autry, molasses, party foods, published, stick foods, wendy's signature recipes |
Ham biscuits and corn dogs … now there are a couple of fair favorites … along with those hot and crispy hushpuppies in the education building. I’ve combined this threesome into one fun food you’ll be sure to enjoy.
Tomato Swiss Slab Pie
| August 15, 2019 | Posted by Wendy Perry under appetizers, garden goodness, party foods, pie please, published, sensational sides, tomatoes, wendy's signature recipes |
What makes a juicy ripe tomato even better? How about a cheesy, buttery flaky crust underneath with the bright, fresh flavor of dill! Serve this Tomato Swiss Slab Pie in small wedges as an appetizer, or in bigger wedges as a side dish. Perfect alongside a salad for a light, meatless meal.
Butterbean Hummus
| July 14, 2019 | Posted by Wendy Perry under appetizers, butterbeans, butters 'n spreads, cook & eat nekkid, garden goodness, party foods, published, wendy's signature recipes |
Published in Carolina Country Magazine July 2019
Hummus is one of those things we southerners didn’t grow up eating… at least in my neck of the woods! As for international cuisines, Italian was about the limit of our exposure. We surely didn’t know of any Middle Eastern/Mediterranean concoctions. It has only been in the last decade or two we started learning of such, and took a liking to it.. at least some of us. You would have never opened up a southern lady’s pantry and found chick peas sit’n there on the shelf to fix something with.
I’m not a chick pea fan. I tried. Just not the pea for me. But I do like the idea of hummus, so like my pimento cheese, had to create a recipe of my own that suits my fancy.
My mostest favorite bean is the butterbean. I’m the butterbean cook’n queen to a lot of friends and family… some even pay me to cook some for them. At all our meal events, it is expected I cook some for my nephew Wyatt.
I especially those little tiny ones. But they are the hardest to shell, and Lord, I did shell many a bushel of butterbeans on my grandma’s porch on hot summer days… back in the day! Children now have no idea what they missed. I hated it at the time, but now… oh, what I would give for more of those days, in locally hand-made rocking chairs, with mama and grandma, shelling beans. I didn’t have sense enough to know at the time we were making memories that are still with me today. And they tasted so much better too, knowing the toil and strife that went into shell’n those butterbeans.
A few years ago, I decided to throw some butterbeans in my processor with some stuff, and make myself some hummus… butterbean hummus! So without further ado, I share with you, my southern gal’s version of hummus…
Butterbeans make great hummus, but do know that any of our summer field peas make great hummus too! Who needs a chick pea? And what are they anyway?
We do love our butterbeans here in NC. Did you know you can use those, or any of our tasty summer field peas, to make hummus? Just say no to canned garbanzo beans when gardens and farmers’ markets overflow with beans and peas. (FYI, it’s the butter that makes this hummus extra creamy!)
- 3 cups fresh or frozen butterbeans
- 2 cups chicken broth or water
- 6-8 cloves fresh garlic
- 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
- 1 cup toasted sesame seed*
- 1 cup toasted pine nuts
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup olive oil or other preferred oil (I use garlic oil)
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Cook butterbeans in broth until almost done, but still a bit firm and green. Drain and cool.
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Set aside a few nuts for garnish.
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Put butterbeans into food processor bowl and add remaining ingredients. Process on high, pausing to scrape down sides, until nice and creamy. Garnish with a drizzle of oil and a scattering of toasted pine nuts.
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Serve at room temperature with crackers, celery sticks or your favorite dippers! Will keep up to a week in the refrigerator.
*Note: Find the best buy on toasted sesame seeds at Asian grocers. You can also substitute store-bought tahini if a creamier hummus is preferred.
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