Generous Helping

Just in Time for the Holidays, the Junior Service League of Panama City Serves Up the Ultimate Guide to Festive Fare and Party Planning

By Jennifer Ewing

If you have ever wanted to prepare a gourmet meal, host an impeccable dinner party or brush up on local history, the ladies of the Junior Service League of Panama City have the perfect resource. Their most recent cookbook, “Bay Fêtes: A Tour of Celebrations Along the Gulf Coast,” includes more than 200 distinctive recipes and provides historical tidbits and tips on every entertainment topic from serving champagne to planning a luau.

“It’s an entertainment cookbook,” says Sarah McKinney, chairwoman of the Junior Service League of Panama City’s Bay Publications. “We wanted something more fancy and entertainment-style that you couldn’t find in any other cookbook.”

In years past, the Junior Service League produced two other award-winning cookbooks, “Bay Leaves” and “Beyond the Bay,” as well as a popular coffee table book on Bay area history. “Bay Fêtes” incorporates elements of each, but adds a new dimension by focusing on cooking for special occasions.

Even the book’s title reflects its focus on celebrations, as fête (pronounced “fett”) is the French word for “party.” Each segment of the cookbook features a menu of recipes appropriate for celebrating a particular event, whether it be Mardi Gras or Valentine’s Day. The sections also focus on particular aspects of life in the Panama City region.

Information about and pictures of Tyndall Air Force Base accompany a menu of Fourth of July-themed recipes, for example. Similarly, another section tells the story of the Martin Theatre and offers a menu of delicious desserts for a post-ballet party. Throughout the book, colorful artwork and photography by local artists Chip Lloyd and Jann WycKoff Daughdrill showcase the beauty of Panama City’s landscape.

Many of the photos were taken at the homes of local residents, and each image offers a glimpse of Panama City culture, as do the recipes. In order to compile enough diverse dishes to fill the nearly 300-page cookbook, the Junior Service League reached out to former members and local restaurants and even advertised for submissions in the newspaper. In the end, the league had so many recipes to choose from that the selection process involved more than 50 different tasting parties.

“‘Bay Leaves’ and ‘Beyond the Bay’ were so popular that everyone knew about them,” McKinney says of the community’s response to the project.

After over a year of sampling, rating and rejecting, the Junior Service League narrowed it down to the best of the best.

“They were going for unique recipes,” McKinney says. Many of the foods, such as Key Lime Fudge, simply offer a new, often Southern, take on traditional, crowd-pleasing dishes.

“I actually make a lot of the recipes in ‘Bay Fêtes,’” says McKinney, who cites the Spinach Bacon Quiche and White Chocolate Raspberry Cake as a couple of her favorites. “I made the Piña Colada Mousse for the testing, so it has a special place in my heart.”

The range of delicious dishes featured in “Bay Fêtes” makes the book seem more like a temptation than a means of charitable giving. However, all proceeds from the cookbook will benefit local outreach programs, including the After School Assistance Program, Chautauqua House, Child Service Center, Elderly Outreach, Girls on the Run and Kids on the Block.

“In the past, when the cookbooks have been paid, we’ve started giving an annual sum to the Junior Service League’s community service account,” McKinney says.

As all printing costs for “Bay Fêtes” have been paid for at this point, 100 percent of incoming funds will go toward the service account, along with revenue from the league’s charitable events, such as Holly Fair.

“With the number of ‘Bay Fêtes’ remaining in our inventory, we have the capacity to raise thousands of dollars to impact our community for good through our in-league placements,” says Junior Service League of Panama City President-Elect Cheri Boyle.

Since its inception in 1951, the league has raised nearly $2 million for charity.

Copies of all three of the Junior Service League of Panama City’s cookbooks are available for purchase through the Bay Publications office. Copies of “Bay Fêtes” cost $37.40 each, while the league’s earlier cookbooks, “Bay Leaves” and “Beyond the Bay,” sell for $21.35 each. For more information, call (850) 785-7878 or visit jslpanamacity.org.

Celebrating with Champagne

Serving champagne with style — removing the cork quietly, cooling the wine to the proper temperature, keeping it in the glass and not on your guests — is not a natural gift. It requires a little practice. Champagne should be served in long-stemmed flutes or tulip-shaped glasses to enhance the flow of bubbles to the crown and to concentrate the aromas of the wine. Never chill or ice the glass, because it takes away from the enjoyment of the wine.

Champagne should be served cold at between 43 and 48 degrees Fahrenheit. In this range, the smell and taste of the wine can be fully appreciated. This temperature can be achieved by placing the unopened bottle in an ice bucket filled half with ice and half with water for 20 to 30 minutes, or placing the wine in the refrigerator for three to four hours. Never place champagne in the freezer.

Shrimp and Grits

1 cup grits
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
milk, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces sliced bacon
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup finely sliced green onions
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 teaspoons lemon juice
hot sauce, to taste
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Cook the grits using the package directions, adding the butter and milk for a creamier consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese, adding additional milk if needed for the desired consistency.

2. Fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain, reserving the bacon drippings. Sauté the garlic in the reserved bacon drippings for one minute. Stir in the mushrooms and sauté until slightly softened. Add the green onions and mix well. Sauté for a minute longer. Stir in the shrimp.

3. Cook until the shrimp turn pink, stirring frequently. Stir in the lemon juice and hot sauce. Spoon the shrimp mixture over the grits on a serving platter. Sprinkle with parsley. Crumble bacon over the top. Serves four.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach,
thawed and drained
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed and butterflied
8 slices prosciutto
8 slices provolone cheese
Apple glaze (see directions below)

1. Press the excess moisture from the spinach. Sauté the onion, bell pepper and garlic in the olive oil in a skillet until the onion and bell pepper are tender. Combine the onion mixture, spinach, feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, pine nuts and egg in a bowl and mix well.

2. Flatten the tenderloins slightly. Arrange four slices of the prosciutto and four slices of the provolone on each tenderloin. Roll and secure with kitchen twine. Arrange the tenderloins in a roasting pan. Roast at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or to the desired degree of doneness. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing into medallions. Drizzle with Apple Glaze.

Apple Glaze
Combine 1 peeled and chopped large apple, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup water, ½ cup white wine and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil until thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in a mixture of 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch if needed to thicken.

Serves eight to 10.

Venison Meatballs

Meatballs
1 pound ground venison or ground beef
1 medium onion, minced
1 cup flour
½ cup soft breadcrumbs
¼ cup milk
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Worcestershire sauce to taste
3 tablespoons butter

Mustard Sauce
¼ cup ketchup
3 tablespoons molasses or honey
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
¼ teaspoon thyme

For the meatballs, combine the ground venison, onion, flour, breadcrumbs, milk, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl and mix well. Shape the venison mixture into balls. Heat the butter in a large skillet. Brown the meatballs on all sides.

For the sauce, combine the ketchup, molasses, vinegar, prepared mustard and thyme in a large saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add the meatballs and stir gently.

Simmer for 10 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Double or triple the recipe for a large crowd and serve in a chafing dish. Serves eight to 10.

Key Lime Fudge

3 cups (18 ounces) white chocolate chips
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons key lime juice or lime juice
2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts, toasted

1. Line an 8- by 8-inch or 9- by 9-inch dish with foil, allowing a 4- to 5-inch overhang. Coat the foil with butter.

2. Combine the white chocolate chips and condensed milk in a heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat just until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. Stir in the lime juice and zest. Add 1 cup macadamia nuts and mix well.

3. Spread the chocolate mixture in the prepared dish and sprinkle with coarsely chopped macadamia nuts. Chill covered for 2 hours or until firm.

4. Lift the fudge out of the dish using the edges of the foil. Cut the fudge into squares and store in an airtight container at room temperature for one week or freeze for up to two months. Makes 64 squares.