Boeuf a la Bourguignonne    ”Serves 2 generously with leftovers, or 4 people”    

“6 strips bacon, cut into 1/2″” pieces “        
“3 lbs (or more) beef chuck or rump, cut into 1/2″” cubes”        
“6 carrots, peeled and sliced (I like to use Publix’s bagged “”Microwavable carrots”" as a time saver)”        
“1 medium onion, diced”        
1.5 t salt        
1/8 t pepper        
3 T flour        
10 oz can of condensed beef broth or beef consomme        
1 T tomato paste        
“2 cloves garlic, minced”        
1/2 t thyme        
1 bay leaf        

The following gets added later in the recipe:        
“1/2 pkg of Birds Eye Frozen Pearl Onions, defrosted”        
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms (or one can button mushrooms)        
2 C (or more) Burgundy wine (Gallo’s Hearty Burgundy is an inexpensive choice that works well)        
1/4 c flour  

2 T butter        
“Small Shell noodles, cooked”    

“Crisp bacon in a 6 qt pot. Remove and drain on paper towels, saving grease. Add beef cubes , carrots and onions to brown in bacon grease. Once browned, add flour and cook 3-4 minutes while stirring. Add crisp bacon pieces, salt, pepper, broth, tomato paste, garlic, thyme & bay leaf. Add wine (2 C, at least, enough to cover meat). Bring to a boil on top of the stove and then cook slowly over low heat (can be done on stove top or in 350 degree oven) for 3 hours or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally. In a separate pan, fry fresh mushrooms until barely cooked (this step is not necessary if you use canned) and add these along with Pearl Onions to stew and cook for an additional 1/2 hour. In a small bowl, combine flour with butter (cutting it in much like you would if you were making a pie crust, adding more flour if necessary - you want it to be drier rather than too buttery. Add this mixture 2 T at a time while mixing in order to thicken the sauce. (Mixing the flour with the butter eliminates lumps.) You want the juice to be slightly thick but not as thick as regular gravy. Serve stew over shell noodles (they catch the good sauce!). This can be made ahead and I believe it actually tastes better the next day, as the flavors meld. “        

(By the Picher, serves +8)

2 cups Pimms #1

1 cup Firefly Mint tea flavored vodka

2 cups club soda

2 cups Sprite or 7 up

The juice of one lemon

Cucumber pealed, and sliced into spears

One orange in small wedges

One lemon in small wedges

Mix the liquor and lemon juice. Immediately before serving, mix in club soda and Sprite.

Pour over ice and garnish with a lemon squeeze, orange squeeze and a cucumber spear.

(For a Single dink) 1 jigger of Pimms #1

¼ jigger of Firefly Mint Tea Vodka

Pour liquor over ice and top with equal parts club soda and Sprite!

Use lemon squeeze, orange squeeze and cucumber garnish.

1 Zatarain’s Jambalaya mix (low sodium if available)- Cooked according to the package directions- but OMIT the meat!

¼ cup finely chopped bell pepper

¼ cup finely chopped sweet onion (or red onion)

1/3 cup finely chopped celery

 ¼ cup sweet pickle relish

1/3 cup dill pickle relish

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped

2 Tablespoons Zaterains Creole Mustard ( if not available use

½ cup smart balance mayo

Approx.. 1 ½   pounds roasted turkey, cut into small bite size pieces

(Chicken or shrimp may be substituted)

Ground pepper and salt to your taste

Mix all of the wet ingredients above- relishes, mustard, mayo. Add finely chopped bell pepper celery, and onions. Mix. Toss the meat with the prepared rice from the jambalaya mix and then add the mustard/mayo mixture. Season to taste with salt and ground pepper. This saves in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Serve on a bed of mixed lettuce or to the side of greens with a sprinkle of dried cranberries, chopped parsley or cilantro. 

If you misplace this recipe, one almost exactly like this is printed on the back of the Zatarain’s Low Sodium Jambalaya Mix box!

For Buffet: double or triple this recipe!

For a very pretty presentation, press the Cajun Turkey Salad into a bowl. Pack down to remove any air pockets. Press Saran Wrap over.  Chill several hours or over night and un-mold onto a bed of greens and sprinkle with a chopped green herb of your choice and dried cranberries.

Hey there Queens and Public. Why name this drink “Paul Palmer”?  Because an Arnold Palmer is half lemonade and half iced tea.  This is made with Paul Newman’s Lemonade, and Firefly Sweet tea favored vodka. Maybe “Arnold Newman.” OK. I will work on the name, but the mix? It is done!

I have just made the best little cocktail. Serve in a Mignon Fiaget from NOLA,  Krewe Crown Old-Fashioned glass. Also make sure you have your linen beverage napkin and some homemade cheese straws on hand!

 On the rocks -mix 1 jigger Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, 2 jiggers Paul Newman’s Lemonade, with a big ol’ mint leaf sprig. You can muddle the mint in the glass for a really nice summery twist. BTW- the recent nasty freeze did not kill my mint in the backyard.  Ya’ll need to come by and have a drink and enjoy the beautiful cherry tree in bloom. Hey. It is a party concept! Happy Hour: Drinks and Petals.

 (Queen Carolyn Giving some tidbits of advice)

Carolyn’s Pear Salsa

Chop all of the ingredients and serve with chips. This as a wonderful relish with Thai entrees & grilled fish.

Pears

Onions

Red bell peppers

Heavy garlic

Lime juice,Lemon juice (you can use one or the other, or both)

Cilantro

A little mint 

The Founders and 2004 MJQs met for lunch and planning today and reached some decisions.  (Leslie was in Thomasville, Stacy had a Telfair deadline, and Cathy had family matters that called. ) Founders, Mary, Carolyn, Becky, & 2004 Queens Annie, Sue, Dottie, Dee and Linda attended.  We had a little shrimp and crab salad that consort Stephen prepared and My “6 P Salad” that is my recipe. Also Fab cookies from Back in the Day Bakery and brownies. 

First, we will cap our membership, for the time being at 30 Sovereigns.  We may change this cap as we see fit in the coming years, but for 2008, this is the top number of members. Maybe we can have our Royal arms twisted and we increase to 32. We sahll see.

Next, a collection to stock the Royal Treasury will be enacted.  Each MJQ will be asked to pay $50.00 per year to cover certain needed expenses.  A yearly assessment will be sent out to note this collection.  Postage, paper, trolley, banners for New Queens and photographer are the accepted expenses. If you find that at this time membership in this group is just not a priority, at this point, please let me know since we have a waiting list of Ladies that want to join us for flouncing. Look for snail mail note with deadline for submission so we an see how many openings we will have for new royal members, should you be unavailable.  The next Coronation date will be April 12th.

On Coronation matters, every Mint Julep Queen will be required to wear green evening clothes and tiara.  Some of our past royal choices have been white evening pants and Thai silk jacket, rebuilt prom dress, or Bella Mia neon chiffon.  Do you have to wear green evening attire and tiara? Yes. Any concerns or questions will be directed to Sue, Annie, Carolyn, or myself.  All the MJQs need to look like Queens at Coronation. Get advice from Sue if you need help deciding what to wear or finding the right look.

Another topic was attendance.  If you are interested in attending only parties with your consort, then you need to excuse yourself from MJQ Reign.  You have mistaken our group for some other organization. Please let us know how busy you are so we can invite a Royal that has time to flounce.

Our next gathering will be for all Queens and Friends of Queens.  We will go to Alligator Soul and then to the Mercury Lounge on Congress Street and flounce in Boots, Jeans, and Tiara.  Dee says the jeans & dress shirt with cowboy hat is called a “Texas Tuxedo. ” What should we call our Lounge-Look? Watch for the The MJQs Leap Year Lounge Party invitation and details in an invitation to be sent by Feb. 14th.  Oh, and by the way, what happens at Mercury Lounge stays at the Mercury Lounge.  Queen Linda even uses a stage name when there:)  

On travel plans, the trip has been postponed until October or so.  More on that from Carolyn and Sue.  

A suggestion was made that we get julep cups that we would bring to bars for cocktails.  Ross Simmons has sets 6 cups at of silver plate at good prices.  Then we have them engraved with our name and maybe our logo.

MJQs lunch tray was re-newed when dear Vernice had lunch for 4 at Savannah  Quarters Country Club last Friday. Ya’ll, have the grouper tacos if you are invited. The tangerine sorbet was luscious! Conversation fun.  Honeys, I gotta start reading more. Terri and Vernice were up on some novels I have got to read. I just don’t know when I will fit it in.  Terri had the tray passed to her so she will host the next luncheon.  Thanks Vernice for a fun, delicious lunch.

Reign On!

Erica’s 6-P Salad

1 lb. bag frozen, small green peas

1 can white acre peas drained, rinsed,

1 small to med onion chopped and sauted

1 can field peas, rinsed and drained

6 oz. chopped pimento, drained

1 cup pearl pasta, (aka Israeli Couscous) cook according to package directions

½ cup shaved parmesan cheese

½ cup olive oil

½ cup salad vinegar

Chopped fresh cilantro (¼ to 1/3 cup)

Salt to taste

 2 Teaspoons of sugar

Cajun seasoning to taste

Mix all ingredients in mixing bowl and add drained hot pasta. Stir Gently.

Chill and marinate at least 24 hours.

Mix in shaved parmesan cheese serving.

Serves 8-10 as side

I waited just the right amount of time to disclose this secret.  I am not going to be like Granny of The Beverly Hillbillies fame and tell you right off.  I will savor the moment and slowly determine just the right timing for a tell-all, confidential admission.  My consort loves hunting and we do serve lovely marinated vension backstrap from time to time.  Plus, every now and then, when you say, “This has to be Stephen’s vension.  It is so good.  I never knew I liked vension so much ’til I came to your house.  Goodness.  I wish my husband cooked this good.”  Hold on. Deep breath. Well, I need to fess up. Once in a blue moon, it is Road kill. Honey, it’s not posssum or armadillo, but Stephen did not shoot it.  It was hit by a car.

This time it happened in Vernonberg, a township in Savannah that is it’s own municipality (like Thunderbolt).  Late one night, on a drive home, a friend of ours hit a little doe when it ran right out in front of him .  Deer will do that. Really messed up his old beat-up whatever-car that he probably needs to replace.  If it had been a big deer, it could have put him in the hospital or even killed him.  Then serving the vension would have been in horribly bad taste.

Thankfully, it was a small deer, so he calls a neighbor and says, “Hey. I just hit a deer.  You want it?” The guy says he would be right over. Lucky thing. It was a sizable enough deer not to want to waste, so he fixed it right up, on the spot and brought some of the meat to my husband ’cause hunters share like that, (even road kill.)

After work, my husband comes home with this freshly butchered venison that his friend has shared with him. He tells me what happened and nobody was hurt and “Oh boy, these hams are sweet, tender meat and will grill up nicely. ” No matter.  I just could not stop laughing when I thought about the fun opportunity ahead of me, should I take advantage of it.  Would I intentionally avoid or spare potential diners the shock? Maybe shock is a harsh word. The concern. Or would I tell ‘em?  ”Yes,” I could say. “Honey, it is his grilled vension. ‘Cept I think you ought to know, some of it is road kill.  Hummm.  I wonder if it’s bad luck to eat deer that was hit by a car? ” I would muse to myself. “You know? I guess not. I just bet it’s good luck since the driver was not injured. Well, eat up.  We got more ready to come off the grill. Sure is good.”  (We serve grilled backstrap with bisquits, horseradish sauce and a sweet-hot apricot, chipotle jam-like stuff.)

Just so you know, we also like ground vension, so on spaghetti night, be forewarned. Look. It really is OK! Promise. I absolutely know that it didn’t lay on the side of the road for too long!  All that would be way too unpleasant.

I am an ex- waitress and I am sometimes the best and the worst customer to wait on.  I over-tip, blame the kitchen for slow service, and help stack plates.  However, if you are just ill-informed, have bad manners or shamelessly try to up-sell my wine order, watch out. I never walk out without tipping, but I will call a manager over to my table and diplomatically point out the server’s short-comings, then I leave a 14% tip to prove a point.

I had an opportunity a couple of weeks ago to point out the short-comings of an out-of-her-league server at Garibaldi’s. Prior to our 6:00 reservation, my husband and I had a cocktail at the house. I had a Marker’s Mark Mint Julep.Yum. Frosty silver cup, bourbon with a hint of sweetness, and refreshing infusion of mint I had picked from planters on my back porch. We were greeted by Flo, (name is changed to match her service level).  She offered the typical wine or cocktail before dinner option.

“Flo, I had a Mint Julep here a couple of years ago. Do ya’ll have the ingredients tonight?” Flo confidently assured me that yes, they did.

“Well, I would love one, please. And ask the bartender not to make it too sweet. It was a tad too sweet last time.”  Flo scurried off to get the cocktail and upon her return, she placed a lightly colored iced beverage in front of me.

“This isn’t my order,” I said. “This isn’t a julep.”

Flo retorted, “Try it and see what you think. If you don’t like it, we can send it back.”

To some diners, this might not strike them as completely idiotic. To me, it was a bizarre statement. You don’t have to taste something to know it’s wrong. Having a sophisticated palate is not a prerequisite, honey!  The cocktail before me was, number one, too light and number 2, utterly devoid of mint.  Imagine a Manhattan the color of light orange juice with no garnish or even a brown Martini with no olives. So that was the predicament.

I laughed out loud when Flo instructed me to “try it,” which I did.  The taste caused me to laugh even harder. It was a watered down bourbon and soda. Sadly, after my instructions to take it back and ask the bartender to try again, I was presented the same exact drink with one sad, lone mint leaf floating in the mess.  I had blamed the bartender because I am an ex-waitress and I was being easy to serve. Now I was blaming the waitress and things were getting ugly.

I told Flo, “Just bring me a glass of Pinot Grigio.” Flo insisted that they could get it right, julep-wise.  My confidence shaken, I refused, “Just a glass of your house Pinot Grigio, please.”

The episode would have been forgiven and forgotten except at this point Flo tried to up-sell me to the $12 a glass rather than racing off to get the $9 a glass I had ordered.  She justified the push by saying, “I just thought you’d like to try something new.” How she knew what was new to me remains a mystery.  I refused and for the rest of the meal we had surly service.  Entrées plopped in front of us without comment.  Proving a point, she ground pepper over my plate, angrily saying, “Just tell me ‘when.’” She had taken personally my laughing at a poorly made drink.  It was as though she had caught me talking trash about her mother.

I love Garibaldi’s for nice food. It is one of the best, but “fine-dining” experiences in Savannah are inconsistent. Good or bad service is unavoidably linked with the success of the meal. The meal I had that night was adequate; nothing to write home about and nothing to complain about either.  The whole experience was a little pitiful though, all because of a server who was out of her element.  I think Flo would be better at Bennigan’s or Chili’s. Or maybe she would screw that up too.   I can imagine a customer orders a Frozen Margarita, no salt.  Flo arrives with a light blue concoction rimmed with salt, proclaiming “Try It. If you don’t like it we can send it back.” 

I would bet that Flo will not last long as a server and when I return to Garibaldi’s, if by some wild chance she is still there, I won’t sit in her section.

  Queen Carolyn and Queen Dee have birthdays this month. C. on th 6th and D. on the 12th. ‘Tis a perfect time to invite them for lunch or cocktails. At least send a little note. Here’s some Glamorous news about Queen Emma. She was selected to fly to LA and meet a make-up artist to the stars. Emma was one a few special Dior reps to get this rare opportunity. I can’t wait for her to learn those Hollywood tricks and apply them to moi. I want to look tres jolie.

Speaking of pretty, I just heard about a fun drink. Lady Cindy’s seventy-plus year old mother, (everyone affectionately calls her “Gigi”) loves a new drink she discovered called a Cosmetology. Cindy went by her house one day to find her dear, gray haired mother singing praises to the delicious concoction she had just discovered.
Gigi thrust a chilly glass onto unsuspecting Cindy, saying, “Here, honey. You’ve got to try this new drink. It’s just about the best thing I have ever had.”
Cindy sipped the mixture and sweetly replied, “Mother, this looks just like a Cosmopolitan.”
Dear Gigi corrected her daughter. “No honey. It’s a Cosmetology. It’s has cranberry juice, triple sec and vodka, with fresh lime juice. Yummmmm.”
“That is a Cosmopolitan mother,” Cindy retorted, trying not to sound too sassy and grown, even though she was.
“Well, call it what you want,” Gigi said, prissing her lips. “After I have two, everybody looks pretty.”
So from then on, in their household, Gigi’s Cosmetology’s are made by the gallon and may appear at any little gathering, cook-out, or ladies group meeting. The large size Oceanspray bottle has a permanent Sharpie marker written on the white plastic cap so as not to confuse any of the grandchildren or great-grandchildren that visit from time to time. A friend of the family from California even stole the recipe and serves “Gigi’s Cosmetology’s” in his bar in San Jose`. It’s on the menu.

Reign on!
Queen Erica