Mississippi Friends in the Mountains

When I look outside of my window and see mountains in any direction, that instantly cheers me up.  It's so cool to get out of my car and look in front of me to see the glow of the home lights on the side of the mountain. 


So, my good friend, Mary Margaret, put me in touch with a friend of hers named Neal - a fellow Mississippian and Delta boy - and what's more, a fantastic chef.


One of our first excursions once we got settled in, was to Brevard.  We wound our way to Neal's house, where the promise of a good meal waited.  He had gotten a couple of rainbow trout (that very morning, and were swimming around in his sink just before we got there) and made an amazing smoked trout dip.  There are no pictures of the dip because it went FAST - a testament to its flavor and how hungry we were!


A venison backstrap thawed while we talked and ate.  In the meantime, he toasted some aromatic spices - that "smell like Christmas" - and chopped them up in the food processor.  He coated the venison in the aromatics and put them in a huge iron skillet to cook on the stove top.  


We also got to know Neal's friend, Emily, who is so much fun! She's a fantastic cook as well.  We had so much fun!


Neal began to prepare the plates and put down a bed of pureed sweet potatoes, sliced the venison and arranged it just so, then topped it with sweet pea shoots tossed in homemade vinaigrette.  Divine, I tell you!!  

Take a look at this: 

  

I'm doing a story soon for DeSoto Magazine about Neal, Emily, and her husband, Brandon, for DeSoto Magazine about North Carolina fly fishing (Neal & Brandon are working on being guides), so if you're in the area and can pick up a magazine in May/June, stay tuned!  

Two Party-time Recipes For Your Mouth

I love throwing a good party. The most important “part” of the “party” equation is tasty snacks. You know they talk about you otherwise, right? Yes, well, they do. 

The first recipe became a standard just a couple of years ago. My husband is a book editor for The University Press of Mississippi and we went to a Book Friends party launching You Are Where You Eat: Stories and Recipes from the Neighborhoods of New Orleans by Elsa Hahne. This is a lovely book combining heartfelt stories, history, photographs and recipes from several New Orleans neighborhoods.

So imagine our joy when we arrived to find the hostesses serving a slew of the recipes from the book!  (FAB idea by the way for all you future/current cookbookers.)

We had Alligator Shooters (it was really just made from avocado), Sour Cream and Onion Pie, Mother-in-Law Meatballs, desserts and more. One menu item really stuck out to me, though, and that was the Pecan Tapas. Part of the attraction was the name and the other part was the sweet and spicy flavor coating the roasted pecans. They will be a favorite at your house, too, if you allow them space in your little heart.


This is, of course, meant as a teaser because you really do need this cookbook in your collection. You can buy it through the Press or at Amazon. Trust me.

Pecan Tapas is a fun recipe to play with because you can add spices to suit your palate, experiment with flavored honeys and/or syrups or choose a different kind of nut altogether.


*Please note I don't have accompanying photos with my recipes (shameful, I know- but I will make more soon and post them)


Pecan Tapas

1 lb. pecan halves (or nuts of your choosing)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of cayenne (red) pepper

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1 teaspoon oregano or thyme (or both)
1/3 cup of honey or honey/syrup combination

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat, add spices and then honey. (Turn the eye on AFTER you have added your spices to the oil. Don’t add the red and black pepper spice mixture to the hot oil. It will run you – and your significant other – out of the kitchen coughing and hacking!! Not that I would know from personal experience but a friend of mine told me that it happened to her……..)



Stir and simmer over low heat for a few minutes. You are trying to get rid of some of the water in the honey but not cook it so much that it will clump instead of coat the pecans. (If you choose to use syrup, it doesn’t need to cook as long. That same friend of mine ran into this problem when she used Delta Cane syrup.)


Fold pecans into mixture, coating well. Transfer pecans to oiled cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes until darker, reddish brown. Take out and leave them on stovetop or heat-safe surface while they cool.

 Stir pecans periodically until they cool, or they will cling to each other and the cookie sheet. (Sometimes, that’s not always a bad thing in this case because you can break them apart later)

For those of us who live in humid locales, don’t despair if your Pecan Tapas is a little sticky or slick to the touch once you set them out at your party. That’s what happened to me – I mean – my friend on our unseasonably warm New Years Eve.

These are a great and healthy go-to snack in the party off-season, too!


As in every situation, there must be a balance. Good outweighs the bad, pecans going head to head with Hot Cheese Puffs. Oh yes, we have a winner.


This recipe came to me from a bridal shower eons ago and it’s only just now that I took the plunge. Let’s just say, it was a hit. Nary a cheese puff left at the end of the night. That’s when you know you’ve hit the nail on the head. I would label this one…a party saver. If you have a faltering shindig, bring these out for an immediate shot in the arm result.

When I looked at the recipe, it seemed a little complicated – I used a make-shift double boiler and I was wary about the end result. Oh, me of little faith!


This is a recipe I promised to post for The Runaway Spoon. So here goes!


Again, this is another recipe you can play with for varied taste results. In my case, I used sharp cheddar and not Monterey Jack, and also added red pepper to it for a little zing. Internally, I balked at the use of cream cheese but it wasn’t as overwhelming as I imaged – it just heightened the cheese intensity.  By the end of the night, these were gone!

Hot Cheese Puffs


(Makes 5 – 6 dozen puffs)


1 Loaf of French bread (you won’t use all of it)
8 oz. of Monterey Jack Cheese
½ cup of butter
3 oz. of Cream Cheese
2 egg whites, room temperature

Cube bread into 1-inch cubes. Melt cheese, butter, and cream cheese in double boiler (in my case I used a metal bowl over water boiling in a saucepan. Worked like a charm).

Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into cheese mixture. Dip bread cubes into cheese mixture and place on cookie sheets.


At this point you can either:


1. Freeze them. Place in plastic bags and store up to 3 months.


Or


2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.


Let me know how it turns out and if you tinker with the recipes, what you did! Have fun wowing the crowds!


p.s. *My “To be Continued: Cleveland” post will be here before you know it. *

p.p.s. Can you believe I was asked this week to be involved in another chicken cook-off after my last experience?! haha Guess how long it took me to say, "I will NOT eat any chicken!!"

I Never Did Tell You

Nope, I never did tell you about my visit to Cleveland at the first of December. 

We caught wind that a group of European journalists were going to be in the area on a media familiarization tour.  They arrive here and are promptly whisked through various points around the South including Mississippi, Tennessee and if I'm not mistaken (but I could be) Alabama to write various articles and to get a taste of what the region is like.  So my colleague and I made tracks into the Delta to meet up with the group, film a few things and take some photographs.

Our trip took us to Dockery Plantation, the fabled location where historians say the Blues began (with Charley Patton), a place that we visited last year (wow - has it been that long??) and where the group was going to have an authentic Southern dinner in the refurbished gas station that sits in front of those old buildings above, off of Highway 8.

A lot has happened over the past year.  The Dockery family established the Dockery Farms Foundation to help renovate and preserve the plantation.  Bill Lester is a family friend, next door neighbor, local historian and all-around good guy. He is Executive Director of the Foundation, told us stories, filled us in on the history and then pulled out a coin from his wallet.  I got an up-close look at the Dockery Farms currency that used to be good in Cleveland, Ruleville and Merigold (if I'm not mistaken).

With grant money the Foundation was able to renovate the gas station, which will be turned into a multi-use building for visitors.  They still had the old Coca Cola signs (there was an RC Cola mirror in the bathroom) and were able to put everything back just like it was.  It always warms my little heart when families don't throw things like that out - just like the old cash register and scales above and the old butcher block nearby.

Here are a few other things still sitting around:

  

You can imagine my excitement when we showed up and I saw someone unloading dinner.  It wasn't just anybody:  it was Chef David Crews. I'd read about him before while researching the Culinary Trail because he got his start at the restaurant Crawdad's, in Merigold - most widely known as the location for McCarty's Pottery and The Gallery Restaurant.  David now serves as Chef Instructor at Mississippi Delta Community College in the Culinary Arts Program as well as working at Stafford's on Main in Drew. (Drew is known as "duck hunting central").

The man is a culinary mastermind - just trust what my stomach is saying, ok? 

Please take note his menu for the evening:

He has a post on his blog about the evening as well.  It was quite the spread and an absolutely, hands down, terrific dinner.

I have to tell you about this.  David let me try a little bit as he was setting up - he would have to explain it to you himself (because my description won't do it justice). Look at the circular white dish right in front of the napkins with a knife sticking out of it.  That would be because he and I dug into it.  For good reason.  Think of it as something akin to duck paté.   Except it isn't duck - it's pork.  More specifically it is "pork shoulder rillettes."  A mixture of the deepest, smokiest pork reduction spread over crackers that will ever hit your mouth - sounds a little reckless, doesn't it?  I swear, it's a wonder I stopped myself from smuggling the dish home.  It was unlike anything I have ever tasted which translated into the unbelievable.  A bite was good on its own or just as fine when topped with the pickled green tomato chow chow.  It is the epitome of hog heaven. (sorry for the pun but it's the truth)

*Update on the rillettes*: I asked David to explain a little of the process of how he made the spread and this is what he shared with me:

"The Rillettes is an "old School" way of preserving meat.  Typically it is pork shoulder or belly that has been cured in salt then slow cooked in pork fat until tender, it is the pork equivalent to Duck Confit.  The one thing that I do different is that I dry cure mine in both salt and ground dried peppers, then as opposed to cooking it in the oven, I render it in a smoker that is burning sweet pecan wood...then let cool to room temp before going in farther. I think that this step not only gives it that "southern" smokey flavor it also give the meat time to release it's water and began to absorb some of the pork fat.  Also this step will add some time to it's shelf life because smoke has an antimicrobial effect on the surface of the meat.. Then remove the meat from the fat and grind to a paste. Finish by adding paste to a mason jar and cover with warm pork fat as a "lid". I cover mine with an actual lid but saran wrap will work, then refrigerate (for optimal storage) or leave on the counter covered..." 

There you have it folks. The answer to a question of pure divinity. Thanks, David!

A view from the other side:

Because you can never have too many action shots of the Southern Pecan Braised St Louis Style Ribs, Southern Slaw, Southern Pecan BBQ Sauce:

Leaning in for the close up.

And, we score!!

A lovely view of the chicken leg quarters, or rather Fig and Muscadine Compote glazed Slow Roasted Poussin with the Delta grind grits.

You didn't think I'd leave you hanging without a close-up of the grits soaking in thyme-infused poussin stock?!  

 

My personal favorite was the pork belly tamales, smothered in caramelized onions and drizzled with Tabasco Comeback Sauce.  I unabashedly went back for seconds on that. 

Below is the fresh greens with cherry tomatoes, avocado, Lauren Farms freshwater prawns (there's nothing like them), fresh cilantro and as you can see below, he tossed the salad in freshly squeezed lime juice and (the pièce de résistance) Tequila.  This garnered major applause as Chef Crews described it to the hungry crowd gathering impatiently around.

For dessert, we had banana pudding cheesecake.  I must figure out a way to make this at home.  I shared a piece with my coworker, Mary Straton and I am not ashamed to say, I distracted her while I ate a major portion of it.

You thought we were done with dessert?!  The night isn't over yet!

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.

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? 

Just the Two of Us

Over the weekend QB and I made a recipe from our fun new(lywed) cookbook called  Cooking for Two: Perfect Meals for Pairs by Jessica Strand given to us by QB family friends.

Now, suffice it to say that I cannot keep mentioning every single wedding gift we received because they are all fantastic.  Many are lovingly used each day and we think of the people who donated to the cause and thank our lucky stars for your kindness.  The nifty PUR water filter is just one example (you know who you are - ha!).  No name dropping here...

Moving right along.  Lately, my taste buds have clamored for scallops in a fierce sort of way and the front cover of this book has great upsell value.

We took a stab at the seared scallops on a bed of fresh English pea and mint puree.  

We started out with frozen peas 

(I'm not a huge fan of peas in the first place 

because the canned kind have a funky taste to me

and I avoid them like the plague.  

I have now seen the light.)

The peas were cooked for about a minute.

We chopped up the freshest mint we could find at this time of year (...) and stuck it in a blender with garlic and salt & pepper to taste.

 

You guessed it:  it got blended right up. 

Look at the pretty specks of mint!

Now at this point, I realize the sight of the photo above might lose a few people.  Granted, you'll no doubt come up with a few analogies about what this looks like. Nooope, just keep it to yourself.  I get it.

The truth is, it smells - and tastes - really good and fresh. (trust me)

We then got the pan ready for the scallops.  

Instead of using lemon juice, QB wanted lime - it was a good judgment call.  

 There was some remaining flavored olive oil in the pan from sauteing some mushrooms, we threw in a little hot paprika and let that heat up for a minute.

 

Look at it!  Just look at it!

  

Next time we should get fresh scallops.  The ones we got were frozen and just fine, for convenience's sake, but it made me wonder about getting better.

Mine didn't turn out the pretty brown like the picture (whose ever does except show-offs) but it was still delicious!!  The smell in the kitchen was wonderful.  

We served the scallops with sauteed mushrooms and raw red bell peppers - good flavor combo.  The butter from the scallops ran into the pea mixture and that was GOOD.  QB made a note to add more garlic to the pea mixture next time.  I must concur.

Spending the day in Ocean Springs

Over the weekend, I began to feel extremely self-conscious because as I began to bounce back from the head cold/sinus infection that came from the depths of Hades, I also got my appetite back.  With a vengeance.  I kid you not.  It was almost like I was hungry. seriously. every. other. minute.  It was the story of my life:  We had just eaten and I was hungry again.  (No, I'm not pregnant.) 


I was the epitome of a bottomless pit and kept asking the guys if they were hungry like every other second it seemed like.  

So, that leads me to the next restaurant we visited during our trip...The Shed in Ocean Springs.

This is a BBQ joint that I've heard a lot about and QB perks up considerably when BBQ is the topic at hand.  

Of course, since it's Mississippi (me) vs. Texas (him), there is a considerable amount of BBQ trash talkin' before, during and after a carnivorous barbecue frenzied food fest : smoked pork vs. beef brisket, tangy mustard & vinegar vs. sweet & spicy tomato-based sauce - you get the idea.  You should hear us discussing the subject of tamales!!


I digress.


First of all, you know it's good 'Cue when this is the first thing you see from the road.  BBQ joint adjacent to the RV Park.  You know it to be true.

You order, sit down at one of the picnic tables and wait for your name to be called.

They call you first name, verify your last name and the food is yours, awaiting consumption.  I ordered the baby back ribs, potato salad and baked beans and sweet tea - QB and Nate got the beef brisket.  

This barbecue is no joke!  The meat had been cooked "low and slow," no doubt about it.  It fell off the bone and if I do say so, I licked my fingers and smacked my lips.  Oh what?  We're in public? 

The beans were pretty good (not the best I've ever had but good) and the potato salad I lurved most especially - the kind with potato skin and bacon in it.  The sauce was tomato-based, sweet with a subtle spicy kick to it.  QB grabbed and applied Crystal's Hot Sauce because he could have taken it a little spicier.  We didn't hear much from Nate during lunch.  He was busy eating.  

Truth be told, I grew up on the tangy mustard & vinegar-based sauces, so I'm still partial to that.  But the sweet and spicy is a good change and it wasn't overly sweet - it was a good balance.  I would definitely go back, but honestly, I'd probably get the beef this time around.  The sauce just seemed to compliment the brisket better, in my opinion.  But I'm also curious about the pulled pork, so further inspection is needed.  !


Afterwards, we went to the Walter Anderson Museum of Art.  The live oak trees on the coast are gorgeous.  They lined Washington Street and the surrounding areas of Highway 90 and I love they way their tree limbs can drag the ground.

The museum was amazing.  The rowboat Anderson used to travel to Horn Island was hanging in the gallery above our heads and the bike he rode was on the other end.  

The connecting Community center really is incredible.  Anderson wanted to and was then commissioned to paint the interior walls in the 1950s and it is mind-boggling to me how the different murals he painted have such a cohesive fluidity to them. 

There were no breaks in the design and each design, conceptually, blew me away - from far away what looked like a mere pattern was in actuality an animal or wave or whatever it happened to be.  (I could take pictures as long as I didn't use flash) 

His daughter, Martha Anderson, stopped by the museum while we were there and QB spoke to her briefly.  The University Press did a book with her and he worked with her.  Who knows where I was wondering at the time, so I didn't get to meet her.  :(

Below is his room from his home on Horn Island.

And below, some Shearwater pottery he did and a really cool table he carved!  QB and I wanted one for our very own.  Oh well.

Other works from Coastal artists were on display.  Dusti Bongé was one of the artists on display - Mississippi's first modernist.  Really cool stuff.   (See Anderson's bike at the far end?)

I don't remember who did this one but I loved the spider web!

Sadly, the one place we didn't make it to during our Coast weekend was Le Bakery in Biloxi, the Vietnamese-owned bakery with traditional cuisine, French bread and other goodies.  It's on my list for next time!!