Fried Pickles

Fried Pickles. Have you had them? If not, try them. They are delicious.

Todd and I are HUGE fans of the Minnesota State Fair. Every year, on the first opening weekend we wake up really early and head to the fairgrounds, where we meet my brother Tom. We, the hungry threesome, begin our full day adventure by first talking about what is an absolute must stop. Fried pickles are ALWAYS a unanimous vote.

I have often thought to myself, "can it really be hard to fry pickles?" and I always answered myself with a no. However, the breading. The breading could be difficult. Nope, it turns out it was really, really easy.

Don't they look scrumptious!?

So, that being said, here is the recipe:

Fried Pickles
Serves: 2-4

Ingredients: 
Pickles (I used the already sliced Vlasic Ovals, but you can slice them if that's your thing.)
1/2-3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil, for frying
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup buttermilk. (I used 2%)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Ranch dressing, for dipping

Directions: 
Pull out three shallow bowls. In one, lightly beat egg and buttermilk.
In the second, add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. In the third, combine the remaining 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Stir to combine.

Pour oil to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a large skillet; heat to 375°.

Using a fork, dredge each pickle slice in plain flour first, then in egg mixture, and then in cornmeal mixture. Drop into hot oil. Working in batches, cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels or a rack and sprinkle with salt.

Tip:
These could easily be fried up ahead of time and re-heated later on for a great crowd-pleasing appetizer. Just bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes!

Additionally, the breading is just a base. Add in any additional spices that tickle your fancy... and then tell me about them!

Source: A modified version of My Recipes

Home-made French Fries (+ GIVEAWAY Winner Announced!)

First and foremost,
A big thank you to everyone who submitted an entry in The Little Bitchin Kitchen's first giveaway in honor of our one year anniversary.

Secondly, congratulations to Laurie, who followed all of the entry directions and was excited to make her first ever batch of sugarless fig jam! (I am actually dying to know how that turned out, so Laurie, if you want to share your recipe, please do!) I will contacting you soon for shipping details. I hope you enjoy the Barefoot Contessa cookbook as much as I do!

Now, for some good grub:

Last Sunday was a day of rest at our house. Most of it was spent re-cooperating after a night out to celebrate my  friend Krystle's birthday.  Let's just say that shots, mixed drinks, and late nights are not as easy to bounce back from these days!

In addition to being a wee-bit under the weather, it was football Sunday and what better excuse to indulge a little, right? These golden fried fries complimented my mushroom and swiss sliders wonderfully.  I guarantee you will love them, that is, if you try them. (So try them!)

Home-made French Fries
Serves: Four (4) as an appetizer, Two (2) as a side dish

Ingredients:
Four (4) medium sized russet potatoes
One (1) teaspoon kosher salt
One (1) lemon
Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
Seasoning salt or kosher salt, (to taste,) after frying

Directions:
Peel and rinse the potatoes thoroughly. Now, cut them into sticks by cutting the potato in four or five vertical pieces, then cutting each piece into sticks. (I prefer mine to be about 1/2 inch in thickness, but thicker or thinner is your preference.)

Add your cut potatoes to a large bowl of cold water and add one (1) teaspoon of kosher salt. Squeeze the juice of one (1) lemon over them, making sure to catch the seeds, and then toss the lemon into the bowl too!

Let the potatoes soak for a minimum of 2 hours, but no longer than 24 hours.  I prefer a little longer, but 2 hours will be just fine!

Remove potatoes from the bowl and discard water and lemon. Place potatoes on a baking sheet lined paper towels and pat dry.

In a dutch oven, heat oil to approx. 300°F degrees.  If you have a thermometer, use it!
300°F is ideal, but you could get by on medium/high heat. You just don't want them turning brown and crispy... yet. If they are turning brown within the first 4 minutes, turn your heat down.

Next, in batches, add your potatoes to the oil and par-cook for about 5 minutes per batch, or until potatoes are soft. Remove each batch and return to baking sheet lined with new/dry paper towels.

Once all potatoes have gone through their first batch of frying, turn up the heat to 400°F. When the oil is hot, start to fry each batch again, this time until each batch starts to get perfectly golden brown and crisp around the edges. Remove from the oil and set on new/dry paper towels and sprinkle with a seasoning salt or kosher salt.

You just put restaurant fries to shame. Seriously... how good do they smell right now? Get out some ketchup and chow like no one's watching!

Source: Slightly adapted from: The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

Our first anniversary and a GIVEAWAY!

Happy Birthday to me, Happy birthday to me! The Little Bitchin Kitchen is 1!

One year ago I set out on a entrepreneurial journey to own my own business, start a food blog, and have some fun in my kitchen... for a living.  We have had some great successes in the first year and have high hopes for the years to come! I have lots coming this year, so please stay tuned!

In honor of the first Little Bitchin Kitchen anniversary, I am happy to announce that I am offering a giveaway to say thanks to those who have supported us in the first year!

This is one of my very favorite cookbooks.  I enjoy it for its simple and basic, yet wonderful and delicious dishes.  In fact, some of my favorites from this book include the grilled steak and arugula and the pink grapefruit margaritas!

So here it is:

Here's what you need to do to enter for a chance to win it:

1. Head over to our Facebook page and hit "like."
2. Next, follow us! Sign up to follow us via e-mail, subscribe, or follow us via Google connect! (You can do all of that in the right hand column.)
3. Lastly, leave me a comment below and tell me what you are most excited to cook or bake this fall!

If you already like our Facebook page and follow us, then just head to #3!

That's it!
The contest will end this Saturday at midnight. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on
Note: This giveaway is not sponsored, this is just a cookbook I enjoy and want share.