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Summer Sapphire

Hot and Hot Fish Club's bartender, Mac Wyatt selected by the United States Bartenders Guild and Bombay Sapphire as the "Most Inspired Bartender in the South."

Wyatt's cocktail, the Summer Sapphire was designed to accentuate the botanicals in Bombay Sapphire gin and also represents the Farm to Glass style inspired by the restaurant. Using local cucumbers and honeysuckle syrup, fresh grapefruit, brown sugar and peppercorns, Mac's martini was selected along with 39 other cocktails to compete nationally in Las Vegas this August. Wyatt will also be included in an article highlighting America's Most Inspired Bartenders in GQ magazine in December.

Chefs' Secrets Videos

Brock's: Sous chef, Marx Gary shares Lobster and Handmade Spaghetti recipe and techniques. View Video

Cafe Dupont: Executive chef, Chris Dupont shares his famous Fried Oysters and Okra recipe and techniques. Exclusive!
View Video

daniel george: Chef, George McMillan III shares daniel george's Chicken Saltimbocca recipe and techniques.
View Video

Ocean & 26: Executive chef, George Reis citrus brasied short ribs recipe and techniques.
View Video

Strawberry Mojito Cocktail Recipe

Back by popular demand to Hot and Hot Fish Club's seasonal libations list is the Hot and Hot Strawberry Mojito.

There's much debate as to when exactly the mojito was invented and by whom. Many claim it was crafted in Cuba in the late 1800's. Others elaborate on this theory saying it was the preferred beverage of Sir Francis Drake as early as the 1500's. According to this theory, the English pirate Richard Drake prepared the first version using an unrefined kind of rum, some sugar, lime juice and mint. Originally named "El Draque", story has it that the drink was then introduced to Cuba on his treasure-hunting exploits through the Caribbean and Latin America. No matter which story you believe, the Hot and Hot Strawberry Mojito is a wonderful variation of the traditional version, using local, fresh strawberries, lime juice, simple syrup, and light rum. We hope you stop by our cocktail bar or patio soon to try this favorite creation!

Hot and Hot Spicy Tini

Spring is a great time to gather local fresh peppers and prepare a pepper-infused vodka.

By Hot and Hot Fish Club

Making your own pepper-infused vodka is easy and versatile. Once strained, the infused vodka will keep under refrigeration indefinitely. We use it to spice up our Blond or Bloody Marys and in Idie's Homemade Pasta Sauces. Blue cheese-stuffed olives can be purchased, but they're easy to make and also keep well refrigerated. Purchase large pimiento-stuffed green queen olives and remove the pimiento with a toothpick. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a thin, round tip with creamy gorgonzola that has been softened at room temperature. Pipe the cheese into the olives and you're done! These are a great nibble for any martini and their saltiness really balances the spiciness of this cocktail.

Playing With Ingredients

J. B. Hopkins shares his basil infused mayo recipe.

By Jan Walsh

Photography by Beau Gustafson

Food blogger, J.B. Hopkins keeps the bare minimum staples stored long term in his refrigerator. He shops each day for the fresh products needed daily. And he combines the staples and fresh products to create his made from scratch dishes.

Hopkins is the first home cook that I have known—since my high school home economics teacher, Mrs. Loyd—to make his/her own mayonnaise. Mrs. Loyd insisted her students learn how to make it as well, which was the first and last time I ever made my own mayonnaise. Yet Hopkins mayonnaises are not my “home ec” teacher’s old-fashioned mayo. Inspired by infused mayonnaise recipes in The Balthazar Cookbook, Hopkins began infusing various ingredients to complement the dish in which he uses the mayo, such as basil for a BLT and tarragon for chicken salad. “I like to play with the ingredients. It only takes three minutes to make and will keep for a week in the fridge, so I seldom buy mayonnaise,” he says.

Elton's Chocolate Soufflé with Vanilla Crème Anglaise

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Hot and Hot Fish Club is pleased to share our special recipe for Elton's Chocolate Souffle.

The recipe is also featured in The Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook. While soufflés are notorious for intimidating the average cook, this recipe is easy and yields consistent results. Idie takes great care in how the egg whites are beaten and folded into the batter. The key is to incorporate as much volume as possible when beating the whites. This causes the "puff" of the soufflé as it rises. It is ideal to whip the egg whites by hand in a copper bowl. If you don't have a copper bowl, use a mixer with a whisk attachment and add a pinch of cream of tartar to stabilize the egg whites. Have fun with this recipe which is sure to dazzle your guests!

Finger Foods

Kathy G. shares boasts a bounty of hors d'oeuvre products and recipe.

By Jan Walsh

Photography by Beau Gustafson

Hors d'oeuvres is a French term for appetizers, which are typically consumed in one to three bites. Founder and president of Kathy G. and Company, Kathy G. Mezrano keeps the makings of a party in her refrigerator. “I love hors d’oeuvres and always have products on hand to make them,” she says.

Well Prepared

The Cook Store’s owner, Wesley Lassen is the queen of leftovers.

By Jan Walsh

Photography by Beau Gustafson

Some people avoid having leftovers. Wesley Lassen loves leftovers! And she intentionally makes more food than can be eaten at one meal in order to serve leftovers. She shares her fridge and her goat cheese and leek tart recipe.

Extreme Eats

Darlene Negrotto and Foster Smith’s fridge holds healthful and hedonistic pleasures.

By Jan Walsh

Photography by Beau Gustafson

Husband and wife, Foster Smith and Darlene Negrotto balance healthful eating with indulgence—in fine food and drink. “We both grew up and have worked in a food and wine environment. We both love the classic foods so many people demonize these days, which makes our fridge a little schizoid,” Smith describes.

Blood Orange Martini

The beautiful red-orange color of this drink in a simple martini glass is an elegant reminder of the holiday season.

Each year, Chris and Idie Hastings, owners of Hot and Hot Fish Club, enjoys hosting a holiday Christmas party for their neighborhood. And their friends and family agree that the Blood Orange Martinis are the highlight of this festive affair.

Chefs' Recipes & Techniques

Visit Chefs' Secrets for Birmingham Restaurants chefs' recipes and techniques!

Recipe for Grilling Success

Learn Fleming’s prime beef grilling techniques.

By Jan Walsh

Ah! Aromas of your neighbor’s steaks sizzling on the grill tempts. Yet memories of burned beef and doneness complaints from your kids (and those who act like kids) give you pause—help is here. Before firing up the grill, get a taste of Fleming’s Steakhouse & Wine Bar’s beef grilling tips.

Hot and Hot Blond Mary

Recipe of the Month: Hot and Hot Blond Mary

This drink is our answer to a surplus of heirloom tomatoes. The yellow tomatoes are lower in acidity than red tomatoes and make an exceptionally refreshing bloody mary. Since fresh horseradish can vary in intensity, you may need to taste and adjust the amount to suit your needs. Any pickled vegetable will make a great garnish for this cocktail. We always have pickled okra on hand in the summertime, but pickled green beans, onions, or carrots are all good accompaniments.

Hot and Hot Tomato Salad

Recipe courtesy Chef Chris Hastings

We always look for a variety of locally grown, heirloom tomatoes at our farmers' market. If heirlooms are not available, we opt for ripe red tomatoes that are grown locally. The whole baby okra make for a beautiful presentation but if it is unavailable substitute the larger sized okra and cut them into 1/2-inch pieces before breading and frying.

Cooking Class

Sweet Bones Alabama John Cowan demonstrates his Crawfish Boil recipe.

By Jan Walsh

I often get requests from viewers of Birmingham Restaurants for chef cooking classes or cooking demos. And I recently had the pleasure of being an attendee at a Sweet Bones Alabama's cooking class. I must admit I was more than delighted when I saw that it was really a cooking demo, and all I had to do was sit back on the patio and enjoy the show with a glass of wine. Bonedaddy, John Cowan prepared a pot of Shrimp Bisque, a Crawfish Boil, and a Bananas Foster.

BBQ Bloody Mary & Brunch

Sweet Bones Alabama mixes barbecue bloodys to order, tableside.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Sweet Bones Alabama makes three Bloody Marys using barbecue sauce as the base. Whether you like your bloody, mild, complex or spicy, there is one for you.

Parmesan Crisps

B&A Warehouse's Susan Mason shares a Birmingham favorite, Parmesan Cheese Crisps.

Farm Fresh Eggs

Fire's Danny Lasseter whips up a frittata with his father's farm fresh eggs.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Executive chef and restaurateur, Danny Lasseter uses his father's eggs in his Fresh Farm Egg Frittata with Chorizo, Sharp Cheddar and Pico De Gallo. The eggs are from Lasseter Farms. "My dad (Dewayne Lasseter), a retired preacher who grew up on cotton fields in Coats Bend, Alabama has worked most of his adult life bemoaning the fact that he ever left the farm. Now retired he and my mother live on this lovely little spot that my brother purchased several years ago," Lasseter describes.

Fresh Catch

Fox Valley combines gulf crab and shrimp in one delicious dish.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Fox Valley's Baked Crab Stuffed Jumbo Gulf Shrimp is a great catch. "We buy our seafood from Lee Cary, who owns Snapper Grabber's in Vestavia. Their products are pristine and flawless," co-owner and chef, Sue Lemieux describes.

Piquant Pork

Table spices up Fudge Family Farms pork with jalapeno grits.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Table plates a seared pork loin with jalapeno cheese grits and a brown butter sauce. But this is not an ordinary pork tenderloin. This pork is a Fudge Family Farms pig. Fudge Family farms breeds Duroc pigs with Berkshire pigs, resulting in flavorful and tender pork. No antibiotics or added hormones are used. And the hogs eat plant derived feed and live outdoors with access to forage. In addition raising their own hogs, the farm also has 20 co-producers, most of whom are Amish families.

Dixie's Figs

Daniel George's fig tartlet is made of figs from Dixie Youngblood's trees.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Daniel George has a number of small farmers who tailor their produce to the needs of a restaurant. Dixie Youngblood and her son, Rhett, have an idyllic yard with apple trees, blueberries, grape vines and-fig trees. Pastry chef, Geri-Martha Cornelius shares her stash and her recipe.

Candy Stripe Salad

Satterfield's cold vegetable salad features a variety of local, fall veggies.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Satterfield's Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad includes butternut squash, green beans, apple, and Havarti. But this cold vegetable salad's primary focus is beets. Not just any beets, but David Snow's local, organic beets. "It's important to use gold or candy stripe beets because they will not bleed through the salad," says executive chef Haller Magee.

Big Beautiful Berries

Find Petals from the Past's blueberries at Piggly Wiggly.

By Jan Walsh

Last summer I discovered the biggest and best blueberries ever. After taking home a couple of pints of these berries from Piggly Wiggly at Rver Run, I was grateful that no one else in my family was a blueberry lover. Juicy, sweet and delicious, it was love at first bite. And they were all mine.

Southern Greens

John's City Diner creates a South Pacific Chicken Salad with southern, organic greens.

By Jan Walsh

Adams Produce supplies John's City Diner with organic greens and spinach. Co-owner and chef Shannon Gober shares his recipe for the Southern Pacific Chicken Salad. And for the preparation of the dish you will need the following equipment: large salad bowl, two measuring cups, ladle, tongs, small mixing bowl and rubber spatula.

Summer Salad

Veranda on Highland's popular salad keeps diners coming back for more.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

At Veranda, executive chef Thomas Robey strives to use the freshest ingredients possible. Robey says that it is important to him to use local purveyors, to keep the money spent in the restaurant here in Birmingham to strengthen the City's economy, which hopefully for him will mean more diners at Veranda.

Crowd Pleaser

The Bright Star's squash casserole is a popular dish made of Kontos Brothers' squash.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

The Squash Casserole is one of the most popular dishes at The Bright Star. And it has been for many years. "We have had the pleasure of being associated with Kontos Brothers Produce for many years," business manager, Stacey Craig says. "Kontos Brothers Produce provides us with a consistently excellent yellow squash which translates to a successful dish." Chef Robert Moore shares their recipe for this comforting Southern favorite.

Spring Soup

The Gardens Cafe creates a carrot ginger soup with Snow's Bend Farm's organic carrots.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

One year ago we began this Real Food column as an effort to support the Birmingham convivium (chapter) of The Slow Food Movement.

Whole Hog

Hot and Hot Fish Club goes whole hog over Fudge Family Farms.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Hot and Hot Fish Club's Chris Hastings is always in search of the best, local purveyors in an effort support the local economy and bring the highest quality ingredients to his guests. And Henry Fudge and his Fudge Family Farms are the latest addition to his family of purveyors.

Best of Bass

Catch the whole striped bass at Icon Restaurant and Bar.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Inland Seafood supplies Icon Restaurant and bar's Executive chef Benjamin Leingang with whole striped bass. And Leingang makes a delicious dish of this beautiful fish.

Grits and Grains

Oakview Farms Granary adds local flavor to Brock's menu.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Brock's at Ross Bridge uses a tasty variety of Oakview Farms Granary's grits and grains. The breakfast buffet's oatmeal is made from their oats. Their grits are found in the shrimp and grits. And their cornmeal is used to make cornbread and for battering the fried oysters.

Organic Eggplant

Dave Garfrerick's vegetables inspire Standard Bistro's menu.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Standard Bistro was known for serving the freshest of fare, cooked to perfection. And Dave Garfrerick's organic vegetables are a staple on their menu. "Seeking out the highest quality ingredients is the most important job of a chef," Standard Bistro's former executive chef and general manager, Alan Martin explains. "Dave Garfrerick's organic vegetables-heirloom tomatoes, super sweet corn, baby squash, squash blossoms, eggplant, peppers, little French green beans, baby lettuces, and greens frequent our tables. The care and attention given is evident in the pristine quality and superb flavors. I am always inspired working with Dave's locally grown, organic vegetables."

Satsuma Squeeze

Chef Shelby Adams squeezes Petals from the Past's satsumas.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Grey House Grille's executive chef, Shelby Adams uses satsumas from Petals of the Past for his Thanksgiving side dishes. Satsumas (sat-SOO-muh) are a kind of citrus similar to mandarin oranges. "I am quite familiar with this fruit because they grow a lot in Louisiana. And while I was at Commander's Palace, we were able to get great satsumas from a farm in Plaquemines Parrish where Petals from the Past got their trees," Adams explains.

True Blue

McEwen and Son's Blue Corn Grits make the menu at Little Savannah.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Chef Clif Holt offers grits or polenta on his menus at Little Savannah. And his favorite is McEwen & Son's Blue Corn Grits. "A few years ago, I was searching for blue cornmeal to make tortillas with, but finally gave up," Holt says. "Then one day at the Pepper Place Farmers Market, I stumbled over Frank McEwen's and his grits, and the rest is history. I haven't met a soul yet who has tasted the blue corn grits and wasn't immediately taken by them."

Local Scoop

Cafe Dupont creates a dreamy ice cream using Wright Dairy's cream.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Remember homemade ice cream? My "Pappy" made his homemade ice cream- even in winter months as we wrapped ourselves in my grandmother's handmade quilts. One bite of Cafe Dupont's ice cream brings back this memory and creates another.

Fresh Filets

Salt Fine Catering's Robby Melvin catches his fish at Sexton's Seafood.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Robby Melvin of Salt Fine Catering cooks up a Destin Triggerfish dish. And at Sexton's Seafood he finds the freshest filets for his Destin Triggerfish and Summer Squash Ragout and Local Basil Purée. "When you walk in their door it smells like the ocean. It's like standing on a pier and looking out at the Gulf of Mexico, taking in the salt air. That is how fresh all of their fish is," Melvin describes. "Their commitment to quality comes through not only in their impeccable seafood, but in the way they butcher and store it, and in their customer service." Melvin also realizes that it is impossible to make superior dishes with inferior products, so he shops at Sexton's for their fresh, high quality seafood.

Full Circle Sorrel

Jones Valley Urban Farms grows sorrel for Chez Lulu's Carole Griffin.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

During the fall of 2006 Carole Griffin spoke with Edwin Marty from Jones Valley Urban Farm about her inability to find a source for the lemony-flavored herb, French sorrel. And during spring of 2007, Jones Valley harvested its first crop of sorrel-grown specifically for Chez Lulu.

Baby Greens

George Reis tosses homegrown, local organics of Michael Dean Farms.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Ocean's chef George Reis is an experienced chef with accolades abound. Yet Reis realizes that no amount of culinary knowledge or learned technique can improve the quality of the product being prepared. "I love to buy locally grown produce, not only for the freshness but for the flavor that it adds to all of our salads and entrees," he says.

GianMarco's Crusted Alabama Goat Cheese Salad

Award winning Belle Chevre artisanal cheeses make Birmingham menus.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Real Food is a new column that debuted last month. It supports Birmingham's convivium of the international Slow Food movement. In a pecan shell, Slow Food is the opposite of fast food. It is grown or produced locally and arrives fresh, full of flavor.

Satterfield's Vegetable Terrine with Tomato Consume Aspic and Pea Tendrils

Bottega's Charred Onion Dip

Frank Stitt's Winter Vegetable Cocotte

Local Flavor

Make a u-turn at the drive thru and savor "slow foods" of Alabama.

By Jan Walsh

The Slow Food Movement just sprouted a Birmingham convivium (chapter). Frank and Pardis Stitt began the local movement in an effort to champion the Southern foods and food traditions of Alabama. In a "pecan shell," Slow Food is the opposite of fast food. It is not ordered through a microphone to a faceless menu board with a loud voice anxious to add fries or super-size. Slow Food is grown or produced locally and arrives fresh, full of flavor.

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