Heritage House in Hazlehurst

The Heritage House in Hazlehurst is one of the topics I've wanted to cover ever since I made a visit to Hazlehurst in late March.

(courtesy of Heritage House website)

Hazlehurst is not only the scene of Beth Henley's Crimes of the Heart but it is also the birthplace of legendary blues musician Robert Johnson.

Of course my trip involved food, so I hadn’t made it too far down the road before my car first smelled like donuts, thanks to Mr. Monroe:

And naturally barbecue, courtesy of Louise’s:

And a cold treat from the Dairy Freeze (aka a little slice of heaven):

It was like I was a 21st century chuck wagon – especially since I was driving in the lap of luxury: a Lincoln Continental, baby. (Gotta love state cars!) More on the food later.

During my visit, I was put in touch with Janet Schriver, who is the Director of the Heritage House. The Heritage House runs in conjunction with the Robert Johnson Foundation, helping Hazlehurst youth learn the arts.

This is Janet:

(courtesy of Heritage House website) 

She spearheads some incredible youth-oriented programs which teach them skills in various arts disciplines: videography, photography, art and recording music.  Janet has also created an invaluable support system for the teens, giving them a place to go when home may not be their safest option.

Janet is making such a difference in these kids' lives and it was fun to get a tour of the house that the kids have painted themselves - the brightly painted interior walls, that is. I also got to meet a few of the teens who sat out on the porch enjoying the pretty day.

She gave me a tour of Robert Johnson’s birthplace. It was originally located outside of town, was neglected and had slowly been falling apart. It was moved and sits behind the Heritage House wrapped in pink protective wrapping to further save it from the elements until they can rebuild/restore it to original condition. Apparently there was a parlor on the front and also another room that didn’t survive the neglect and move.

Here's a little about the house on the Delta Blues site, where you can see the house as it was before it was moved.

Wow.  It was really an experience to be inside where he was born with its earthy smell of years and neglect and see the planks of wood his father put together to build the house.  Looks like it had been updated at some point because there was a fairly modern bathroom tub in one area.

When we initially spoke, Janet told me about wanting to install a garden in the back yard (by Robert Johnson's house, no less) because many of the kids were unfamiliar with vegetables and did not even know how to cook. (This may sound familiar in the era of slow food, Jamie Oliver programs, Michelle Obama obesity initiatives being put into place – thankfully!)


Janet finds grant money to help sustain Heritage House projects and she called me this morning to fill me in on the newest grant they received to create a sustainable garden.


They have already broken ground!

Here is a link to the Heritage House blog where you can look at photographs, upcoming video clips of their garden project and learn more about the kids involved.

If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity at the Heritage House, they would love to have you. Hazlehurst is an easy drive down I-55 South. I can say that I’ve definitely been inspired to volunteer at some point soon.

The Week (and month) Ahead

On May 10, The Guv'nah will announce the birth of the Culinary Trail.  

I'm as serious as a heart attack (and doing a happy dance!). 

 

It's a bouncing, breathing baby [culinary trail?] with legs and all.  The itineraries will be on the web with a nifty interactive map.  (Not like what's there right now which ain't much-a nuthin', although the recipes are pretty cool.)  

I can't wait to see it and will share the link when it is up.  It is surreal to be at a point of relative closure!

Now that the bulk of the writing and research is out of the way (kinda sorta), it gives us (me) plenty of time to make a list of places to visit, people to interview and foodways to capture on video.  

I'm also looking forward to potential collaboration with a couple of other groups in the process to gather oral histories and video footage.  There's also another project or two in zygote form...More on all that when it is set in mud.

I read some blog advice somewhere recommending that you don't ever need to apologize on your blog about not posting.  People say it all the time and I don't remember why she said not to - and you see, now I'm losing focus...  

Well, it's been a minute since I've posted - lots going on around here while juggling a few deadlines, Crossroads Film Festival (W & I are board members; I had two gigs that weekend:  one at the Festival's opening reception and a St. Andrew's Parish party), wrapping up the Culinary Trail and going to Cleveland this weekend.

I will post pictures and video soon from the Film Festival reception. 

 W, me and our friend, Chris M.  
 Love this pic below!

My friend, Daniel was kind enough to come by the reception and snap a few pictures of us and shoot some footage of the performance. Yay!  It ended up being Anna Kline + friends - with my buddies Lizzie Wright and Emily Baker joining me on some O, Brother Where Art Thou? tunes and other things.  Emily's friend, Cindy Woolf, was in town with her partner in crime, Mike, who played upright bass.  They joined in on some tunes and I invited them to play a few while I took a break.  I love the energy in collaborating with other people.

Above picture taken by Karen Guilder 

Our sweet friend Dawn gave us a gift certificate to Christina Foto as a wedding gift, so W said it was ok by him if I used it for a studio session.  Thursday I got some photos taken to use for headshots and press kits.   So, I look forward to seeing how they turned out.


Now about Cleveland:  I'm heading to Delta State University's Delta Music Institute to record for two days.  Professor and songwriter, Tricia Walker, has been kind enough to help me get a little studio time to record some new music.  Have I mentioned yet how excited I am?!

I am backlogged with photos and posts.  They will surface soon!

Chitos with Carpe

A new foodie friend makes for fun lunchtime adventures and you can read about our lunch excursion here at her blog:  Carpe Jackson.

The two folks we met at Chitos were so kind and helpful.  They showed us how to eat the food and I was so excited to try fou fou (which was a mound of gelatinous rice and it is tastier to eat with your fingers like they showed us).  

Fou fou + egusi soup is likened to crackers + tamales.
 
My egusi soup was ... different.  It is a dish that had a miso-soup type flavor (I'm wondering if it was the ground seeds) to it with a nice, slow burn to it.  I am an adventurous eater and will try most anything but it honestly tested both my palate's boundaries and my tolerance for mystery meat with bones.  (We later deducted out it was fish with the skin)  It was tasty but I got a little tired of the fishiness level of spiciness to it but the fishy taste took a while to get out of my mouth.

I must say that the plantains they sent home with us are delicious.  I was expecting something sweet, but these were savory - they tasted a little curried and were so soft.

The moi moi was very flavorful.  That's what I'm getting next time! 

The Smell That Lingers

Realizing that a subject line like that could go one of two ways...and most people might expect it to turn in a negative direction...

It's won't. 

I mean the smell of barbeque on my clothes (not like, say, the stench a Chinese buffet that lingers in the weave of a cotton t-shirt and ends up making you feel sick). 

(picture from Jackson MetroMix)

Foolishly I didn't have my camera on me over lunch today when I ate at Lumpkins BBQ on Raymond Road.  Suffice it to say, man did that hit the spot!  Fried chicken, candied sweet potatoes, coleslaw - and beef brisket!  Heaven.  They have some kind of buffet-style spread and are adamant about customers only taking what they can eat.  It's a great price and is delicious.  They make sure the food is as fresh as they can get it without preservatives and unhealthy additives.

I ran into into friends on my way in:  Mr. Sneaky Beans himself, Byron Knight, singer-songwriter Taylor Hildebrand and songwriter & musician Valley Gordon who had all just finished lunch and raved about the catfish and coleslaw.  I was on a seriously mission, though, for fried chicken and sweet potatoes.

Just a few weeks ago, I interviewed Melvin and Monique Davis for Portico Mag, which will appear in the upcoming May issue (this month is The Mermaid Cafe).  They are such kind people and were so much fun to interview.

There are a couple of great Jackson food blogs for Jackson (and surrounding areas), if you don't already know about them:

Carpe Jackson - she's good at digging up major unheard of, out of the way places and everything in between.  The go-to place for new food in the area, too.

Eat Jxn - And as a matter of fact, Eat Jxn blogged recently about Lumpkins here.

And I just have to say...God Bless Deep Fried Kudzu, or rather the blog's proprietor, my friend, Ginger!  She has been so helpful to me, with proofing the Culinary Trail and offering suggestions and insight...and the newest level of awesomeness:  giving me some info on Southern Jewish cooking and how the two cuisines have fused over the years.  I can't wait to see what she has for me! (There is such a rich Jewish tradition in Mississippi - and the South)

Her husband publishes Southern Jewish Life Magazine - really cool!  Here's the Facebook Page.

And this is completely un-Food related. 

A friend recently gave me a heads up about this website: 

Regretsy 

"Where DIY Meets WTF."

HA!

Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka

No doubt you've already heard about Firefly Sweet Tea vodka. 

I went to our neighborhood liquor store, Kat's Wine Cellar, over the weekend and noticed the Firefly Vodka display by the register with several different flavors of airplane size bottles.  Happiness! 

At the St. Patty's Day Parade, I was able to try some sweet tea vodka (it wasn't Firefly and let's not go into the reason why I have no recollection what brand it was, ok?) and it was absolutely incredible.  It had the dark, strong taste of home-brewed sweet tea with a bit of the alcohol burn.  I am not the kind of girl who can handle straight liquor on the rocks but this was really sublime.

Needless to say, I've been dying to try this again - you don't have the heart of a real Southerner if you say it's not captured your interest - and there were quite a few different flavors to choose from including mint, raspberry, lemon, original and peach.  So, I picked up two lemons and two peaches.  (Should have also grabbed a mint but will try that next time.)

Now, I did add two to three ice cubes to water it down just a touch and it really helped bring out some of the flavor (and truth be told was easier for me to drink).  I love the peach flavor, so that was the winner for me, but I also enjoyed lemon, too. 

The Firefly website also includes recipes you can try and lets you upload your own, too.  One recipe is the "Blood-tea" Mary (with lemon flavor tea vodka) and it sounds incredible!

They also have regular vodka AND Muscadine Wine Vodka!  Sounds like they's some kindred spirits over thatta way!

His Eye Is On the Sparrow

A little over a month ago, I finished reading the biography His Eye Is On the Sparrow: The Ethel Waters Story which was so riveting to me. I'm a bio junkie at heart. My mother read the book, which originally belonged to my Grandmama, Mable, and passed it on to me. My Grandmama was a huge fan of Ms. Waters and loved her music.

My brief description here does not in any way do her life's story justice, so please get the book if you are interested. It is an insightful and vulnerable story – she throws her heart into it – and gives a look into blues and jazz history as well as Civil Rights struggles of the day.

Ethel Waters (1896-1977) grew up in the slums of Philadelphia, the unwanted product of a rape. She raised herself and lived on the streets most of her days. She was a foul-mouthed street urchin whose family taught her to memorize her street address at a very early age, so if the cops picked her up they would be able to take her back home. She was a tall girl who always looked older than she really was and she began singing and dancing on the black Vaudeville stages in her teens. She rubbed shoulders with the likes of Bessie Smith and other famous performers.  Her numbers were blues ballads and audiences fell in love with her mellow, rich voice. She was the first to sing a string of popular standards including "Dinah", "Heebie Jeebies", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Someday, Sweetheart", "Am I Blue?" and "(What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue."

There is a really good page on her here with music and a filmography.

Over her career, she recorded songs, received numerous accolades on Broadway and lived in Hollywood for a time making pictures. Waters turned down a lot of jobs because they did not portray the black characters in a positive light. She was a very strong woman and became a devout Catholic as a result of going to Catholic school at a young age.

Her best-known recording was her version of the hymn, "His Eye is on the Sparrow", and she was the second African-American ever nominated for an Academy Award for the film Pinky (which was written by a Mississippian, by the way). Her performance in The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers was a huge success.  McCullers even rewrote part of her character for the film version, so it would portray her in a positive light. 

As I was flipping through April's issue of Southern Living today, I spotted the name Ethel Waters and a terrific collage-style picture advertising a stage play about her life. It is being performed April 11 – May 2 at the Triad Stage at the Pyrle Theater in Greensboro, North Carolina. 

I immediately called my Mama to see if she would be up for a road trip! We're going to put our heads together and hopefully get up there to see it.  I'm SO excited!

The End Is Near

I am under a tight deadline for the Culinary Trail.  

Next Friday is the day.  This is the capital F "finish."  The last region of the entire state.  What a thought! 

So it's head down in my rabbit hole:  reading, scribbling notes and constructing the final region.   

It makes me a little sad because this part is coming to a close; yet, I am looking forward to all the promotion and enjoying the celebration of the completed project.  There are some exciting events in the works.  Tourism is so much fun, especially when your state is Mississippi!

I have so many stories to share but they will just have to wait for right now.

This Friday, I'm going to go exploring the area for the day (more barbecue and other pig products on the menu) and will report back with a-plenty, there's no doubt about that.

GritsNSoul Confessionals Continue...

It's been great because a friend of mine works Downtown and just recently we've realized that.  We've been so glad to have each other as an available lunch buddy!  So, on a cold, windy day like we had earlier this week, Southern comfort food was in order.

Maybe because it's spring and it is time to figuratively shed my skin.  Maybe because when living in denial one can never truly move forward. 

GritsNSoul Confessional of the Day: 

I ate lunch at Two Sisters Kitchen for the first time on Tuesday.  (I know, I know!)

(exterior pictures taken Summer '09 when it was sunny and green)

So now that it's off my chest, the next admission is that it was an affair to remember. 

Two Sisters is located in a large, old two-story former residence on Congress Street next door to the Welty Commons (aka the site where of the home where author Eudora Welty was born, turned cool art/music/community space complete with coffee shop).

It's got an almost kitschy feel to it but not surprisingly, very homey.  (I have a soft spot for old houses as it is.) When you enter through the front porch door, especially on a chilly day like we did, greeted with the site of a buffet, well, that's comfort food at its peak.  

Honestly, it's hard to remember what all was there but you can see from my plate below the smattering of everything I got.  What's fun is there is seating upstairs and downstairs.  You grab a plate, fill 'er up and find your table.  Ours was "upstairs, second door to the right."  It was a little confusing because I didn't want to sit in the wrong place.  I found the room and even the lady upstairs was a little confused where we should set up camp for lunch.  They have a speaker system to talk back and forth with, thank goodness.  Everything got cleared up, I sat down and ordered my sweet tea, then went downstairs and readied my plate like so:

Now about that fried chicken:  I spoke to owner Diane Alford several months ago when I stopped by to take photos for Culinary Trail-related things.  She told me that Cat Cora had nominated her as the best fried chicken she ever had for the Food Network Show "Best Thing I Ever Ate."  Don't know what happened with that, but nevertheless, I can second that emotion.

The mac and cheese was a little on the dry side but the crispy fried okra made me very happy!  And the black eyed peas, turnip greens and yams hit the spot.  We had a fun lunch.

And the sweet tea? 

It got a 3 to 4...overall pretty good but not as good as Catfish Country.

p.s. 
thank you, Neola, for the use of your camera!!

p.p.s. 
Neola says they ain't no chicken like Mr. D's fried chicken at the Old Country Store in Lorman.  
I've heard about this place a few times before and it warrants a road trip.  Very. Soon. 

p.p.p.s.  
Any place that has fabulous fried chicken has probably got a level 4 or 5 sweet tea.
I'm absolutely sure of it.

A Rendezvous With Memphis 'Cue

GritsNSoul Confessional #1: After living in Memphis for a helluva long time, there are a few things that I never did because it just seemed too touristy to me:

• I have never entered the pearly gates of Graceland (but I've been to Graceland, Too several times)

• Didn't ever go to Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous because I was in love with Tops BBQ on Union and Colemans No. 43 in Hernando; and, also just because people made such a big deal about it - I can now say in hindsight - I  foolishly assumed it was all hype.

Let's hope there is room for forgiveness, like most transgressions.  So, Walter and I did some touristy things and I thought ok, ok, it's high time we try the Rendezvous.  

The Rendezvous is located in an alley between 2nd and 3rd Streets Downtown, right across from the Peabody.

 

It's a good thing we got there for an early dinner.  (Breakfast was so big, we didn't have lunch.  By the time we got there we were hungry!) 

You go in, go down the stairs to the left and stick your name on the list.

Then you go back upstairs and wait for your name to be called over the loud speaker.

There was only about a 10 minute wait and not enough time to explore the upstairs area (at that point anyway). 

We were escorted downstairs and into the depths of what we would soon realize is a little slice of heaven.  We got seated and look around at the walls and ceiling decorated with memorabilia, found objects and who knows what.  I got my camera out and was fiddling with it and the waiter walking past our table took it out of my hands because he thought I wanted him to take a picture.  I told him no, not right now, I was adjusting something and it's kind of complicated to work anyway. 


Then I realized...hey, this guy looks familiar.  Dean?  Dean Reese from high school (please people don't judge me)?!  Yep!  Wow!  It was great to see him after literally years.

He told us a little about the building, built in the 1860s and that he was the first white feller hired to work at the "Vous".   It was great to see him after all this time and he was so kind to send a little something special to our table to kick off the food frenzy or what I like to call the "Carnivore Carnivale."

It was the Ham, Cheese, and Salami plate, covered in dry rub tasty goodness.  Holy cow (or rather, pig). 

 Walter's meat, meat and biscuit "sandwich"

We decided to get a couple of things to share and ordered the pork ribs and brisket plate and the pulled pork plate.

Now, let me press pause and say that many people have waxed poetic about the barbecue here at the Vous - and for good reason.  I will not attempt to rewrite what has already been written.

The official Barbecue Wars (Texas VS Mississippi) continued full force, however the skirmish came to a complete stand-still at approximately 4:37 p.m. on 27 February 2010.  It is important that it be duly noted here.


Let it be said that no fewer than 20 expletives were uttered with awestruck reverence after the food arrived and began to be consumed.

I won't name names but whispered comments about the exceptional quality of Memphis barbecue and how perhaps prior judgment and trash talk may have been  inaccurate were sheepishly confessed.  Maybe I was just hearing things...

Needless to say there was quite a bit left over.

Leftovers are serious business.

So, then we went to Riverside and saw the beautiful sunset over the Mississippi River. 

It was still pretty cold out but we walked a little ways, heard the trolleys roll past on the rails and made our way back to the car.

Next stop:  Beale Street.

Discovered Ani DiFranco is playing in another month.  I saw her at the New Daisy several years ago and it was so much fun.  I love that venue and have seen some terrific shows there.

We mainly just wandered around people watching and listening to music.  Eventually we went into A. Schwab's and looked around.  It is the only original remaining Beale Street businesses.  Even the police precinct and museum is gone.  Mr. Lansky is now in the Peabody, so it's just the Dry Goods store (although they do sell cans of potted meat passed off for "road kill" on the 1st floor, which is where all the kitschy stuff is located)

Truth be told, I had been on the lower floors, but from what I can recall hadn't really explored upstairs.  It was fun to look through everything on the second floor, which was Schwab memorabilia - lots of fun!  It's still got a great vibe to it.  I think it's because I like old wood and metal.

Where can I find the Diabetic socks?  3rd Floor, right next to the panties and slips! 

They sell everything in all the old wooden bins.  Hats, aprons, souvenirs and real stuff.  I wonder how much business they do with all the real products?  And who buys the kitchen pots and pans?


Walter and I decided on Silky's because technically we wanted to see the Irish goats outside.  It was too cold and the patio was closed.  Oh well.  Our friend and fellow former Memphian, Jacksongirl, encouraged us to make some friends and get a diver.  Maybe some other time when we can crash at a stranger's apartment or ride the train home!

I ordered a Boll Weevil, "rum, banana and juices," which was a really girly drink considering the name.  If I were to make a Boll Weevil, it'd either be brown or green.  (That has officially challenged me to make up a BW drink of my own to be unveiled at the 3rd annual Watermelon Party this summer.)


GritsNSoul Confessional #2:  I swear to Pete if I never hear the song "Walking In Memphis" again the rest of my life, I'll live out my days a happy, carefree person. 

I have a special antipathy for that song that I cannot begin to explain. I don't know if it's because it's so damn cheesy or it's just so cliche. Both, really, and also a gut feeling. An intuition. Good for him that he made millions off of it, now please go away. Seriously.

We heard that song by the chanteuse "Barbra Blue" after ordering our 2nd drink at Silky's.  You can tell so much about an artist by the cover songs they choose...

We immediately asked for the check. The ruse was to pay the woman 5 bucks to stop the song (how's that for filling the tip jar) but I was curious if 100 bucks would get her off the stage for the night. 

All in all, we had a fantastic time and it was a great weekend in the Blues City, my former hometown.  

Special Bulletin!

Mississippi is really the only place where when you order tea, iced tea, it will arrive at the table in its most precious form (at least in these parts):  Sweet.  From what I've gathered, the phenomenon occurs the majority of time, only in Mississippi.  We have an enormous sweet tooth here and it's not just a summertime drink - it's an all-the-time, every occasion sort of beverage.  

For me personally, most places usually make their tea a little too sweet so I usually ask for 1/2 (sweet) and 1/2 (unsweet) with lemon.  The type of tea that I enjoy most is  strong - I want to taste it.  Not a fan of watery tea. And I like a subtle sweetness. Top it off with a lemon and it's a go.

For the Culinary Trail project, I put together a food glossary explaining the love affair Mississippians have for certain food items like hot tamales, fried pickles and cheese straws.  There is also an explanation about running across "greens" on a menu and what that means as well as the difference between home cooking and soul food. 

Sweet tea is on the list, too.

Last week my publisher at Portico asked me where to find the best sweet tea.  I was officially stumped. 

And, in my embarrassment, I may have changed the subject quickly at that point. 

Now, I have a mission.  

My mission is to find the best sweet tea in the state. 

Without further ado, I would like to unveil my creation: 

The "Sweet Tea-O-Meter™"

(photo taken from Mr. Wonderful's)

It's a handy rating system to judge and appreciate sweet tea at the restaurants you visit. 

Because it's important. 

Because we need to know.

Because it's your civic duty.

With the Sweet Tea-O-Meter™ there's nothing to buy, here, folks. It's a 1 to 5 rating system that is completely subjective to your tastebuds and fun to put into practice during your mealtime extravaganza. 

My patented rating system is as follows:

1 - You call this sweet?

(you should be ashamed)

2 - This'll Pass

(but I'm still disappointed in you)

3 - Just Right!

4 - Cuts Like a Knife

(ouch)

5 - Jaw Cringing...

(diabetic coma)

For sweet tea heads, whose lives are lived according to the merits of sweet tea, it is imparative to share your rating with those who appreciate your discoveries.

Ok, here's what I've got so far:

Huey's Midtown (Memphis - and Memphis counts, not because of personal bias but  because it's right on the line and they maintain a lot of our food traditions): 4-5

My Parent's House (Hernando):  3

Rendezvous (Memphis):  This was tricky.  I would have given it a 4 or 5 but as the meal wore on and all the flavors competed for attention, it went down to a 3. 

Catfish Country (Hernando):  3!!!!!  It was perfect.  The tea was strong and the sweet was oh so subtle.  Ahhhh!

What about YOU? 

Where was the best sweet tea you've ever had?