Author Archive
St Louis Gooey Butter Cake
April 29, 2010 | 
Author I was told that only two good things ever came out of St Louis. One was this cake. I assume the other one is supposed to be my Father-In-Law, but I think they’re forgetting about Ted Drewes. I know he would agree.
But I digress. On to the cake!
Ingredients:
- One Box Yellow Cake Mix (18oz) (Do not use a mix that has pudding in the mix.)
- 1 Stick of Butter (Softened at room temperature) (Yes, you really need to use butter!)
- 4 Eggs
- 8 oz Cream Cheese (Softened at room temperature)
- 1 Box Powdered Sugar (1lb)
Bottom Layer
- One Box Yellow Cake Mix (18oz)
- 1 Stick of Butter
- 2 Eggs
Mix ingredients for bottom layer and pat into a well-greased and floured 9×13 inch pan. I like using the disposable ones.
Top Layer
- 2 Eggs
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 Box Powdered Sugar (1lb)
Mix ingredients for top layer and spread evenly over the bottom layer.
Action shot!
Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, if desired. (You do.)
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Cake is done when edges are dark brown and the top is golden brown. Center may be a little Gooey. Personal preference here. For more done, cook 5 more minutes.
Note: Gooey Butter Cake is a good coffee cake that freezes well and will stay fresh for several days. It will never last that long.
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Ay, there’s the rub
Memphis Style Dry Rub Ribs
I am a huge fan of ribs, but I don’t like the mess and the overwhelming flavor of BBQ sauce. Traveling in St. Louis, I came across what they called “Memphis” style ribs, done with a dry rub. I set out to make them on my own.
First, you need ribs. You can get them at any decent grocery store for $2.99 – $4.99 per pound. A full slab usually weights in around 3 pounds and can feed two (normal) people. I find that full slabs at the store are usually much larger than at a restaurant.
There are two kinds of ribs, Baby Back and St. Louis. Baby Back ribs are smaller and when cooked right will be the “fall-off-the-bone” kind of meat. St. Louis style ribs are thicker and have chewier meat. I prefer St. Louis, but have a harder time finding them.
Here’s a big half slab, 1.8 pounds.
And now for the rub. We have a store in Chicago called The Spice House. I buy of ton of different spices and rubs from them, usually just 4 ounces at a time and try as many as I can (until my heart stops). Today’s spice is Smoke House Seasoning.
Rub this all over the top of the ribs. I used about two teaspoons of rub. Any excess went on the sides. Shake off the excess. Excess can burn. Some people pull the bottom “skin” off, but I don’t. Before you cook, make yourself a drip catch out of tin foil. You can use you wife’s good cookie sheets, but you end up with discolored, burned in grease cookie sheets and an annoyed wife. Make sure you make sides to keep the grease from running off, if it hits the bottom of the oven, it will burn and smoke very badly, causing you to disable all of your home’s smoke detectors.
Set the drip tray on the bottom rack of the oven and set to 350. Place the ribs directly above. Cook for 90 minutes undisturbed.
Remove. Cut. Eat.
Tags: Dixie Kitchen – Evanston, IL
So I must have been feeling a little homesick for my momma, because when the topic of dinner came up I passed by my usual staples of Indian, Thai, or Sushi and found a “Cajun” restaurant!
A small guilt trip laid on my lovely hubby and we were off to try out “Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop” in Evanston, IL, a suburb right to the north of Chicago. In truth the “bait shop” part of the name worried me, not that I thought it was really a bait shop in the middle of downtown, but rather because the name screamed “Kitsch” and that’s not my style. But the lure of cheese grits and pecan pie was too great for me to resist.
The restaurant is a small place and is overwhelmed by all the stuff on the walls and hanging from the ceiling. The decor is just a little too cute and makes Applebee’s look like a minimalist lives there. To be fair, Joel loved the decor, saying that he felt like he was eating outside.
But enough about that, let’s talk about what mattered, the food!! It started great with a basket of warm Johnny Cakes brought out right away. Yum!! For an appetizer I gave in to the Fried Green Tomatoes and Joel went for the Popcorn Shrimp. They had both been dredged in corn meal and fried. Joel’s generous serving was gone in about 45 seconds, so I know he liked them. My portion was meant for sharing, since 5 thick tomato slices were too much for me. I’m not a fan of cornmeal anything, but the tomatoes were lovely, slightly vinegary and mild, so the overall effect was nice.
For dinner Joel ordered the Jerk Chicken, with the worry that it might be too spicy. There was no need to fear. The chicken was peppery, but not chipolte/jalapeno spicy, more black pepper spicy. It was a half chicken for $12, with a side of rice, cole slaw, and deep fried plantains. My dinner was the Trout Pecan with the creole mustard sauce also for $12. My comment to Joel after a few bites was “Sorry honey but my mouth is having an affair with the cook.” IT WAS AMAZING!! It was so moist and creamy it was like butter. (Trout butter – that sounds gross!) The trout had been dredged in pecan flour and then grilled. The result was a slightly sweet trout, but with the addition of the mustard sauce it was sublime. The plantains were warm and exactly what you would expect. My other side was the cheese grits. Oh cheese grits how I love you. I swear Dixie Kitchen makes theirs with bacon fat!! How else can you explain their yumminess?? There HAS to be bacon in there somewhere!!
I wish I could rave equally about dessert, but in a rare turn of events we were both too full to have any. 
Next time we’ll skip the apps and dive into the pecan pie and peach cobbler. And there will be a next time.
http://www.dixiekitchenevanston.com/
Total bill was $45 before tip.
My personal food scale goes like this:
- I’d eat again right now if my stomach could hold more.
- I’ll be back again soon.
- I’ll be back again eventually.
- I’ll come back only if my friends insist on it.
- I’d rather eat at McDonald’s.
Dixie Kitchen gets an “I’ll be back again soon.”
– Rebecca