Happy Birthday Mr. Jefferson- your slave/chef was awesome

Thanks to our Founding Father and his slave/chef James Hemmings (who earned his freedom in agreement with old Tommy to learn French cuisine and bring it back to Monticello), we got peanuts, creme brûlée, champagne, boef a la mode, ice cream, tomatoes, broccoli, and macaroni and cheese. Tonight we celebrate with Monticell's Baked Mac n' Cheese and Creme Brûlée for dessert.  I am trying to locate a chuck roast for beef a la mode (which is really a beef stew with red wine, similar one would suppose to Julia Child's Boef Bourguonne).  James Hemmings made his life as a chef moving on to Philly & Baltimore before taking his own life after a drunken evening. But he leaves behind a legacy that has become an integral part of American cooking!


This is Hercules, chef to George Washington at Mount Vernon.  No image of James Hemmings appears to exist.

Kitchen Equipment Notes of James Hemmings from Monticello.

Pizza Mac -n- Cheese

Pizza Mac 'n' Cheese

1 pkg Kraft Macaraoni and Cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 12 oz can tomatoes (diced)

1 12-14 oz can pizza sauce

2 C (8 oz) shredded italian cheese blend

2-3 oz Pepperoni Slices

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Make macaroni as directed, but add sour cream as you mix

3. pour into 13 x 9 pan

4. cover with pizza sauce

5. add pepperoni layer

6. add cheese layer

Bake 25-30 minutes.

Moscato Sangria

Giving this a try.  Photos to come!

Tropical Moscato Sangria

Prep time

8 hours

Total time

8 hours

Tropical Moscato Sangria is so easy to make and a real crowd pleaser! It’s the perfect party drink because you mix it up the day before and it no one has to play bartender.

Author: Aubrey Cota

Recipe type: Cocktail

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1.5 liter Moscato wine
11.3 oz. Pineapple Nectar
1 cup Peach Mango Juice
1 mango, chopped
2 cups strawberries, sliced
3 cups fresh pineapple, chopped
2 kiwi, sliced

Comfort Country-Style Pork Ribs w/ Cucumber Salad

I picked up boneless pork ribs at the store today, and this recipe came with them, so I'm giving it a try.

3 lbs. country-style pork ribs
6 c. red cabbage, sliced (about 1 1/2 lbs)  (I used white cabbage because I had it on hand)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 apple, peeled, cored, slice (I omitted this as I'm not fond of sweet apple with my savory foods)
1/3 c cider vinegar
2 T brown sugar
2 T olive oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place the cabbage, onion, apple in the bottom of a 4 quart casserole or dutch oven.  Season with salt/pepper to taste.

Heat olive oil in a saute pan over med heat. Add ribs and cook until browned on all sides, about 6-8 minutes.  Remove from pan and place overtop of cabbage/onion mixture.  Pour off fat if necessary, then deglaze pan with mix of vinegar/brown sugar (combine these ahead of time to dissolve sugar).  Stir to remove brown bits, then pour over ribs and cabbage.  Cover and bake 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. Serves 8.

This was DELICIOUS!  I can't believe how good it was and I will DEFINITELY use this recipe again!  So easy, and wonderful... meat was tasty and tender, cabbage/onions were a wonderful topping.   Very happy with this recipe!

On the side, I made fresh greens beans and cucumber salad.

This is my own version of the Stella Dog Cafe's cucumber salad:
1 cucumber, diced into small chunks
1-2 T. rice vinegar
1/2 dill pickle spear diced (Kosher dill, Claussen preferred!)
Sprinkle with Tajin (spice mix available in produce aisle)
Stir, chill, and serve when ready