Angie Burns

“Food makes a memory and it makes a connection,” says Angie Burns, who said she started “really” cooking about 10 years ago.
She likes to travel, and tries to meet with her friends when she does so.
“I love to eat,” and calls herself adventurous, since she does a lot of improvising when she cooks and tries new things.
She prefers cooking to baking, where you have more leeway. “I don’t do a lot of baking. That’s a science,” she said.
Angie makes and shares food with her parents, Carter and Mildred Burns, her “guinea pigs.” Although they mainly like simple, tried and true recipes, she and her mom experiment a lot in the kitchen.

Their holiday plans are traditional and basic, but her mom always make an asparagus casserole as part of their Christmas meal.
Angie loves Julia Childs, and how Ree Drummond cooks. “She does the basics really well.”
She doesn’t cook a lot of Italian, but likes it. “Bold, spicy flavor,” is what she loves, and eats at Rice and Spice in Oxford when she gets a chance because that is food that she cannot make or get at home.
She had her first Tex Mex while living in Texas, and experienced “meat and threes” in Nashville, notably Monell’s.
She follows several cooking pages on Facebook and also posts things, including some of her “flops—to keep it honest.” Angie has a thick binder of “tried and true” recipes and a pile of “I want to try” recipes, of which she will probably try about half.

“I could make every kind of appetizer!” She has attended Viking Cooking School more than once, and her favorites were the crab stuffed mushroom cap and also the goat cheese in Phyllo cup appetizers.
She lived in Portugal a couple of years, working at a missionary school. She ate a lot of pureed soups there, and caldoverde, which means “green pot.” She says it is similar to the kale, potato and sausage soup served at Olive Garden.
Her grandmother, Mildred Burns, inspired the love of food in her, and showed her love by cooking. Teacakes and biscuits are a couple of things she made for Angie, and at the time she didn’t realize what she was witnessing when her grandmother was making biscuits. She wishes she had paid more attention.

Her maternal grandmother and great-grandmother died early so she didn’t get the chance to learn from them, but her mother makes their chocolate gravy.
When out-of-town guests visit, she likes to serve her spaghetti, “pretty much a staple” that she has tweaked and calls “a little different.” The recipe is from a friend who was raised in Italy by missionary parents. “I can still see Jessica chopping the bacon and onion while laughing and visiting with me.  She had no doubt made this dish many times.  It’s a simple and beautiful pasta, quickly made for company. Leftovers are even tastier the following day, if you have any!” she said.
The breakfast scone recipe was given to her by a friend Kim, “who could whip these babies up in just minutes for hot scones any time of day!”

“When you want a quick and tasty lunch, clean out your fridge and make a quesadilla with whatever you find! This idea came from a Hello Fresh meal kit I received,” she said.
The pancakes and apple syrup have a story, too.
“A lifetime ago I traveled with a friend across Europe. In France, we stayed with a couple of missionaries and the husband was a former French baker.  He made these pancakes for us on our last day there. So if you run out of Bisquick, give this a try!”

“I found a recipe online for ‘Big Daddy’s Blackened Tilapia’ and have since made and kept this spice mix to have at-the-ready for fish or chicken. Great stuff.” she said.
“Two words: Buttermilk Ranch. I have to admit it. I am a Ranch dressing snob.  I just can’t eat anything bottled or packaged after knowing how easy it is to make the good stuff.  Here’s the Ranch dressing dry mix to always have on hand.  Then drizzle it on salad or use it as a dipping sauce for your pizza. I like to chop some Mezzetta jalapeño peppers to mix with Ranch (along with a teaspoon full or so of the jalapeño juice) and slather that on a baked potato. Everything tastes better with Ranch.”

Spaghetti in the Style of Italy
1 small pkg. penne pasta (may not use entire package)
1 lb. bacon (trim and discard any excess hunks of pure fat, then cut slices into 1” bite-size pieces)
1 medium onion, chopped
1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes (w/wo Italian seasonings)
Dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 pint (small carton) heavy whipping cream
Cook pasta according to package and set aside. In large (deep) skillet, cook bacon. Add chopped onion to cook in bacon grease. Drain majority of the grease, leaving just a bit for flavor! Add tomatoes and cayenne. When heated, add heavy cream and simmer a few minutes until it’s so luscious you can’t stand it! Add in enough pasta to be fully coated in sauce. Buon appetito!

Chocolate Chip Scones
2 cups flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg, slightly beaten
2/3 cup chocolate chips
2 tsp. milk
1 Tbsp. sugar
Preheat oven to 400°. Combine first five ingredients (flour through salt) in medium bowl. Stir well. Cut in chunks of butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add sour cream and egg, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in chocolate chips. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead gently 4-5 times. Pat dough into 8” circle on greased baking sheet. Brush top with milk. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut circle into 8 wedges with sharp knife, separating wedged slightly. Bake at 400° for 14-16 minutes or until lightly browned. (Variation: Make plain scones with strawberry butter. Mix 1/2 cup softened butter and 2 1/2 Tbsp. strawberry preserves and high tea is served!)

Roasted Veggie Quesadilla
(Use recipe as a template… Substitute any veggies
you have on hand–black beans, corn, sliced mushrooms)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
A few fresh asparagus spears, cut into chunks
Red bell pepper, sliced into strips
Onion, thinly sliced
Some dried oregano
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 flour tortillas
Chili mayo:  Mix 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise and 1 tsp. chili powder
Serve with sour cream, guacamole or salsa
Preheat oven to 400°. On large, foil-lined baking sheet, toss onion, pepper and asparagus with 1 Tbsp. oil.  Sprinkle oregano, salt and pepper.  Roast in oven about 13 minutes, until crispy on edges and soft in the middle. To assemble, spread some chili mayo on a tortilla. Heat about 1/2 Tbsp. of oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Place tortilla in pan. Top with cheese, veggies, more cheese and then crown with another tortilla. Once bottom is crisp, carefully flip to crisp other side. Repeat for second quesadilla. To quickly whip up some guacamole:  Peel, pit and mash an avocado. Chop a bit of tomato, some onion and  and cilantro if you prefer (though it’s simple and delicious without it). Mix together with salt, pepper and some lime juice. Forgot to buy tortillas?  Just make some!

Flour Tortillas
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 Tbsp. oil (or butter or lard)
About 2/3 cup water
Mix dry ingredients and then work in oil (or cut in butter or lard) Make a well in center and add in enough water to form dough ball. Roll out into a very thin round. Brown in warm skillet. Then try not to eat them all before you make the quesadilla!

Pancakes w/Apple Syrup
2 1/2 cups flour, sifted
6 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 cups milk
4 Tbsp. oil
Mix thoroughly and pour a little at a time onto hot griddle or skillet.  Makes 7-8 large pancakes.
Apple Syrup: 1 cup water, 2 cups sugar, Dash of cinnamon, Golden apple slices (He actually just used the apple peelings, but either way works great!) Place apples (peels) and other ingredients in saucepan and cook on low until it thickens. Avoid overcooking as mixture will crystallize.

Blackening Spice Mix
3 Tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. dried ground thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
In small bowl, combine all the spices.  Keep in an airtight container. To use on tilapia filets: Press a heaping Tbsp. of spice mix onto each filet so both sides are liberally coated. Allow fish to sit 15 minutes at room temperature prior to cooking. In large skillet, heat some oil (preferable grapeseed, about 2 Tbsp).  When oil is *almost* smoking, add  filets and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with lemon juice and transfer to platter.

Ranch Dressing Mix
5 Tbsp. dried minced onions
7 tsp. parsley flakes
4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
Mix and store in an airtight container. For dressing:  Use 2 Tbsp. of mix with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup buttermilk. For dip: Use 2 Tbsp. of  mix with 2 cups sour cream.