If you love spicy food, I mean, really, really LOVE all things fiery and flavorful, then you’re ready for Nashville Style Hot Chicken.

I’m telling you, this atomic fried chicken is guaranteed to burn your face off. Ah, the eye-watering pain. The mouth-burning agony. It hurts (and tastes) so good.

Yes, there are a lot of spicy fried chicken recipes out there. But what makes Nashville Style Hot Chicken so unique is the “sauce” that is brushed, dipped or poured over the chicken just before serving. That sauce is so delicious; you have to serve it with a slice or two of good old-fashioned white bread to soak up all the drippy goodness.

Oh, and you definitely need some good pickles to gussy-up the plate. That’s part of the presentation. You don’t want to go to all the trouble of making Nashville Style Hot Chicken and leave off a traditional garnish!

Several (now famous) places in Nashville have been serving Hot Chicken for decades. But as we all know, it only takes one hip website or famous food show star to get the rest of the country clamoring for the next BIG THING RIGHT NOW.

But what in the world is Nashville Style Hot Chicken anyway? How it came into being is absolutely fascinating, but, then again, I love food history and how it defines our culture, and in this case, a city.

Give a read to Dr. Rachel Martin’s post on the website The Bitter Southerner to understand how Nashville’s so-called signature dish stayed hidden in plain sight for so long before exploding into the mainstream.

Hattie B’s in Nashville, which offers five heat levels, including “Shut the Cluck Up”, inspired my Nashville Style Hot Chicken recipe. I’ve changed it a bit by adding some spices to the flour. Like Hattie B’s recipe, I dredge the chicken pieces (breasts, thighs and legs only) twice in the flour before frying.

But I don’t add quite as much cayenne pepper as Hattie B’s because, well, I may be a little high strung, but I’m not crazy.

Read this recipe all the way through before you begin. I just heard you gasp. That’s right, one of the ingredients in the secret sauce is one cup of the hot oil from the skillet where the chicken is fried.

But, like I always say, you don’t eat like this every day, and I know how much you love fried chicken!

So you’re ready to make caramel apples, eh? Well knowledge is power, so here are some ways to guarantee success.

10 TIPS FOR MAKING CARAMEL APPLES

1. BUY INDIVIDUAL APPLES. You don’t know what you are getting if you buy apples in a bag. Yes, buying the bag is cheaper, but you want to bite into a hard, crisp apple… not one that’s soft with bruises.

2. WASH THE APPLES. Apples produce their own wax naturally. Many growers (even organic) also add another layer of USDA-approved wax to give them shine and retain moisture. You’ll want to remove this wax so the caramel will stick. Simply place the apples in a colander and pour on boiling water. Dry completely to remove the white film.

3. USE FOOD-SAFE STICKS. Chopsticks, craft sticks or pop sticks are perfect for holding the apples. It’s very Pinteresty to use sticks you’ve gathered outside. Unless you’re going to boil these twigs and let them dry out thoroughly, pass up this idea. Do you really want to use something that a squirrel sat on earlier in the day?

4. CHILL YOUR APPLES. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, put the sticks in the apples and then put the apples on the tray. Refrigerate until ready to dip. This will help the caramel stick!

5. USE THE RIGHT POT. Use a heavy pot. A heavier pot distributes the heat evenly so you won’t get “hotspots” and burn the caramel.

6. GET A THERMOMETER. A candy thermometer is absolutely essential. Many recipes give you visual clues, but what I may consider “dark amber” someone else may find to be “already burned.” Don’t risk it.

7. USE A SILICONE SPATULA. A heat-resistant spatula allows you to really scrape the sides of the pot so the caramel doesn’t overcook and burn.

8. HAVE THE DECORATIONS READY. This goes back to basic mise en place; have everything in place before you begin. You want the decorations on plates and ready to go before the caramel on the dipped apples cools too much.

9. DECORATION PERFECTION. When decorating the caramel-covered apples, roll the apples in the decorations (nuts, candy, whatever) or put the decorations in your palm and press them gently into the apple. If you try to sprinkle on the decorations, they will just fall off. Get ‘em to stick the first time.

10. HAVE PATIENCE. Making caramel apples takes lots of patience. Waiting for the caramel to reach the right temperature. Waiting for the caramel to cool before decorating the apples. Waiting for the decorated apples to set before you can dive in and finally eat them…

Now that you’re armed with these 10 Tips for Making Caramel Apples, click here to find the Perfect Caramel Apples Recipe. And if, by chance, you have any leftover caramel… pop some popcorn and pour it on top. Now that’s enchantment!

 

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Now that school has started, I’m back to trying to make Meatless Monday a weekly ritual.

I found a delicious recipe that not only answers that call, but is also easy to make a day or two in advance and even freeze for the future (when School Year Reality hits hard).

Zucchini and Feta Fritters with Roasted Red Pepper Dip are perfect for this time of year because zucchini is so plentiful. Make sure you really WRING OUT the zucchini after shredding it because the fritters will not hold together… major disappointment.

Summer may be over (according to the school-year calendar), but we can still hold on to some of the delicious flavors of the season with these Zucchini and Feta Fritters!

This is sweet seduction: Strawberry Pie with Chocolate Crust.

The strawberries you’ll find in markets at this time of the year are different from the strawberries you ate a month ago. Why? Because now they taste like REAL strawberries. Sweet. Succulent. Seductive.

Chocolate and strawberries are a natural combo, so I used chocolate wafer cookies to make the crust. You can also use graham crackers or shortbread if you prefer. I folded the strawberry puree into pillows of whipped egg white so the pie is light and airy. I’ve included a step-by-step tutorial after the main recipe.

Just make sure you buy locally grown strawberries. If the package says the strawberries were picked in another country, put them back and wait a few weeks longer. Fresh strawberries are in season… succumb to the sweet seduction.

 

Tutorial: Deep-Dish Strawberry Pie with Chocolate Crust 

1. Gather your ingredients: 1 package chocolate wafer cookies; 1⅓ cup sugar, divided; ⅓ cup melted butter; 1 lb. strawberries, divided; 1 envelope gelatin; ¾ cup cold water; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; ⅛ teaspoon salt; 2 egg whites

2. Place oven rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.

 

3. Crush cookies and ⅓ cup sugar in a food processor.

 

4. Transfer crumb mixture to a large bowl and add the melted butter. I don’t add the butter to the food processor because it can get clumpy.

 

5. Press the crumb mixture into the deep-dish pie pan, including the sides (your crust will be thick). Bake 8 to 10 minutes; remove from oven and set aside to cool.

 

6. Remove the stems from the strawberries. Place 12 ounces of the strawberries (about ¾ of all the strawberries) and ½ cup sugar into a food processor and purée; set aside.

7. Pour water into a small saucepan and sprinkle on gelatin; soften for 5-minutes.

8. Add remaining ½ cup sugar, lemon juice, and salt to saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until sugar dissolves (don’t boil!). Pour gelatin mixture into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.

9. Pour strawberry mixture from food processor into cooled gelatin; stir and set aside.

10. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.

11. Fold egg whites into strawberry mixture.

 

12. Keep folding until the egg whites are incorporated into the strawberry mixture. It will be liquidy.

13. Pour into baked chocolate piecrust. Use a spatula to remove all the eggs whites from the bowl.

14. Garnish with remaining 4 ounces of strawberries (you can slice them, or just put them on whole).

 

15. Chill pie for at least 3 hours.