HERB ICE CUBES

Do you use your freezer to preserve herbs, vegetables, or fruit? The freezer can be a powerful, overlooked method of preserving. Pesto, strawberry puree, tomato soup — stash them away now to be used later. One of my favorite ingredients, a handful of fresh herbs from the garden, is one of the simplest things to preserve in the freezer, and I just learned a new, better way to freeze herbs: In oil!

Flower Garden Essentials

I. LOVE. CHARLOTTE. MOSS. She is my go-to style guru. From the soap in the bathroom, the flowers in the garden, the book on the bedside table, her attention to detail is unsurpassed. All are strong symbols of a life in progress. You look at these details and a beautiful world unfolds. Even though it is planned, Charlotte makes it look effortless.

Parmesan Crusted Baked Chicken Breast

My grandfather, Big Gran, is 96 and still lives on his own. My sister, aunt and I take turns checking on him, running errands, taking care of household chores and doing his grocery shopping. To be honest, the majority of the time these responsibilities fall on my sister and aunt — and thank God for them!

About a month ago Big Gran called me wanting chicken thighs. Yes he still cooks. Later that same day, I just happen to be talking with my mother. "No, no!", she said, "He doesn't want thighs, he wants chicken breasts. He doesn't like dark meat."

Restaurant Style Filet Mignon

Sometimes you just need a little beef!

Restaurant Style Filet Mignon

The reason these steaks are so amazing is due in part to having the very best, most fresh ingredients possible. That means high grade salt, FRESHLY ground pepper.....that you actually ground yourself. It means fresh herbs and honest to goodness REAL butter. The good news is that these are all things you should already have in your kitchen...okay, maybe not the fresh herbs...but you can easily pick those up at your green grocer.
SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 8-ounce filet mignons
• 4 tsp. Kosher Salt
• 4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 stick REAL unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh Thyme
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• crumbled blue cheese, optional

WHAT TO DO

• Take 1/2 stick of butter, softened and mix well with the chopped garlic, herbs and lemon zest. Place it down the center of a piece of plastic wrap, roll tightly into a log shape and refrigerate. 
• Generously season the filet's with salt and pepper, about 1 tsp. of seasoning per side. Melt the remainder of the butter and olive oil in a black, cast iron-seasoned skillet. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and heat your skillet on high heat.
• Sear the filet's in skillet for 2-3 minutes per side, or until a nice brown crust forms. DON'T MOVE THEM AROUND, turn them and leave them alone. 
• While the steak is searing, continue to spoon the residual butter in the pan over the top of the meat while it's cooking. 
• Once both sides are seared, place the skillet and steaks in the center of the oven for about 6-8 minutes. 
• In the last few minutes of cooking, take the log of compound butter and slice a nice thick piece to place on top of each steak. Your steak will be  ready when it is 135 degrees in the center. Plate, top with compound butter and blue cheese if desired. This will give you a nice medium-rare steak. 

And there you have it. It's simple as can be, as most of the best things in life are and I dare you to tell me of a better way to cook a delicious steak! If you have never cooked a steak this way give it a try.

ENJOY!

The Domestic Curator
Ronda

Roasted Fillet of Sea Bass on a Bed of Spinach, Wild Mushrooms and Potatoes

Miss Elizabeth Morganne Porter

 So sorry it has been awhile since you have heard from me but in the words of Ms. Dolly Parton we have been busier than a one armed paper hanger here at Porter South! Our daughter, Elizabeth, is a Debutante this year. For the past year we have been busy with all things DEB related. We are just about DEB-bed OUT! It is finally all coming together at a huge Cotillion Ball. Next weekend. This comes after a year of parties, symphonies, etiquette lessons, self defense classes, volunteering in the community, buying many formals, having many fittings, mani-pedis, facials, hair appointments, portraits, MANY father-daughter dance lessons and lessons for the Texas "dip", our version of a curtsy which is insanely ALL the way to the floor! Bizarre as it sounds there are no other debs in the US that curtsy this low. I do believe I have lost a few brain cells along the way! You name it WE HAVE DONE IT! We are ready to get back to our normal "teenage daughter" routine...if that weren't enough!! Mr. P and I have two great kids. They do well in school, Jared is in college (last semester....YEA!) and he consistently makes the dean's list, active in church and for the most part they both have sunny dispositions. We are truly proud of our Jared and our Elizabeth. We, as a couple, have been blessed with these two little souls. We have been entrusted as care-takers for only a short while and they will be gone all too soon. So even if we are crazy busy, we don't mind, we are glad we have been allowed to go along for the ride.