White: Take a break from New England cuisine, try Southern food

I love living in New England, especially Connecticut. And I'm very much a Northeast woman, having been raised in upstate New York and spending years in western New York. But the two latter areas did nothing for me, culinarily.

Massachusetts, Connecticut and, for that matter, all of New England has deep roots and I love the food we grow, harvest and cook. On the other hand, if it weren't for the fact that I live here, the food of the Deep South is what I truly pine for.

OK, Southern food can be a bit buttery and floury. And, yes, there is that whole thing with celebrity chef Paula Deen and her Type 2 diabetes, which she decided to keep to herself as she continues to show us how to, perhaps, get Type 2 diabetes for our "ownselves" (as they say in the South). But the truth is, no one has to cook or eat that buttery, floury food every day or even every week.

As I recently pursued this month's issue of Bon Appetit recently, it was all I could do to stop myself from running into the kitchen to make a recipe or two. The entire issue, with a headline, "Savor the South with 41 Soulful Recipes from America's New Food Capital," is a keeper.

Here is some of what is offered:

Roasted Peanut Soup with Honey Whipped Cream

(From Bon Appetit, February 2012, "Southern Recipe Revival.")

2 heads garlic

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 and one-half cups unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

3 cups sliced onions (about 2 onions)

3 cups thinly sliced celery stalks (about one-half bunch), leaves reserved

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 quarts low-salt chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 Yukon Gold potato (about 8 ounces), peeled, cut into one-quarter inch cubes

three-quarter cup chilled heavy cream, divided

kosher salt

1 tablespoon (or more) honey

1 tablespoon roasted peanut oil or one-half teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice off and discard top third of each head of garlic. Place garlic on a sheet of foil. Drizzle with 2 tablespoon olive oil; wrap foil tightly around garlic. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until soft and caramelized, about 45 minutes. Let garlic cool slightly, then squeeze cloves into a small bowl, pouring in any oil remaining in foil.

Pulse peanuts in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer one-quarter cup chopped peanuts to a small bowl, then continue pulsing remaining peanuts until a smooth butter forms, about 2 minutes (there will be about two-thirds cup peanut butter).

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add sliced celery, butter and reserved roasted garlic with oil; cook, stirring frequently, until celery is softened, about 15 minutes. Add chicken broth and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Add potato, simmer until potato is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf.

Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Working in batches, carefully puree soup in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute per batch, adding peanut butter to last batch. Pour through prepared strainer. Whisk in one-quarter cup cream. Season to taste with salt.

Whisk remaining one-half cup cream and a pinch of salt in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually whisk in honey and peanut oil; whisk until stiff peaks form.

Divide soup among bowls. Top with a dollop of honey whipped cream. Sprinkle with reserved chopped peanuts and celery leaves.

Nibbles

I hope everyone is going to the Garde Arts Center in New London to watch the fabulous movies that Garde executive director Steve Sigel has chosen for us to see before the Oscars in late February. I plan to see at least nine of them, even some for the second time — why not, at $4 for each movie, on comfortable seats viewing them on the big screen?

In addition, please have dinner before the movies at Chaplin's on Bank Street. I went on a Wednesday and a Friday, with one friend, then two others. We all ordered fish — seared tuna, stuffed flounder, roasted cod, bouillabaisse and scampi. All the entrees were under $22, one at $16. Every one was perfectly cooked, nicely presented and incredibly delicious. By the time you read this, I will have visited Chaplin's a few more times.

Chaplin's

165 Bank Street

New London, CT 06320

860-443-0684