New Recipe Taste Test

New Recipe Taste Test
Originally uploaded by weezienyc.

Last Friday I had some girlfriends over for a grits taste test. We talked about the concept of my cookbook and had a brainstorm session about marketing to my target audience. The conversation was fascinating and the new recipes I tested were very tasty for a first try.

I served a spicy shrimp and grits appetizer, trying out a recipe for creamy grits that can be used as base for any shrimp and grits recipe that doesn’t suggest a specific type of grits. These grits were perfect and I can’t wait to re-test them with another shrimp combo.

For the main entrée, I adapted a recipe for polenta into a recipe for rosemary grits cakes, topping the cakes with broccoli rabe and serving them with a pan-seared garlic chicken breast (see above). The grits cakes were delicious, but I’m going to have to work on my pan-searing technique before the recipe is ready for the cookbook.

I was extremely pleased with both of these recipes and will be certainly including them in the book!