Being from South Alabama, I never realized that pinto beans were a thing, something to be sought out, a comfort food. We just never ate them. We ate red beans and broad axes and navy beans and lima beans, but never pinto beans. In fact, I didn’t even know they existed until I was in … Continue reading Pinto Beans Just Like Mama Used to Make
Category: Recipes
Red Beans and Rice — A Comfort to Your Soul
Beans beans, good for the heart! The more you eat, the more you … like ‘em! You know I just couldn’t resist! Seriously, red beans are good for you — full of iron, protein, and vitamin B. And they’re good for the wallet too! You can feed nearly a dozen people for under $10. And … Continue reading Red Beans and Rice — A Comfort to Your Soul
Mama’s Oyster Stew
I grew up near the Gulf Coast of Alabama, so naturally we ate a lot of fish and seafood. Shrimp, crab, and oysters were always plentiful. And while we ate shrimp and crab all year long, there was always one hard and fast rule about our bivalves: You should only eat oysters during months containing … Continue reading Mama’s Oyster Stew
Aunt Lois’ Hushpuppies
After I graduated from college, I went back to Citronelle for a while and worked with my Great Aunt Lois on her farm. We did everything from planting flowers to baling hay to canning pears and peaches to bathing the calves’ infected navels in Epsom Salt water (that’s a whole other story for another time). … Continue reading Aunt Lois’ Hushpuppies
Granny Mac’s Cold Oven Pound Cake
It’s November, and that means it’s time to blog like crazy — 30 posts in 30 days. This year, I’m going to write about something that brings all southerners (heck, most everybody everywhere) together: food. My family is that family who's barely finished one meal before they start talking about what they'll cook for the … Continue reading Granny Mac’s Cold Oven Pound Cake
Pam’s Apple Cake with Praline Glaze
There is a certain type of Southern cook who is the envy of us all. You know her. She is the queen of the covered dish. The preacher never refuses an invitation to her house for Sunday dinner. When a relative dies, the silver lining for the mourners is that she will bring a casserole. … Continue reading Pam’s Apple Cake with Praline Glaze
Creamed things on toast
With Thanksgiving looming before us, it's time we had a little cooking lesson. I am going to share with you the the first thing Mama taught me to cook. With this recipe she gave me the key to making most anything reasonably palatable, using up leftovers, and making the perfect gravy. Just this one basic … Continue reading Creamed things on toast
Sweet Potato Cobbler and a Lesson in Love
If it’s true that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, then my husband’s heart belongs to another woman. Since we’ve been married, he has sung the praises of her pinto beans, her cornbread, her fried pies. She had the culinary Midas touch. At her hand the most common ingredients turned into … Continue reading Sweet Potato Cobbler and a Lesson in Love
It’s that time of year – the time for gingerbread
I’ve got gingerbread on the mind. It’s just that time of year. The time of year when fall’s chilly winds begin to blow and the leaves begin their lazy descent to the earth. The time of year for sweaters, and hot toddies, and pumpkin carving. The time of year scented by clove, cinnamon, and spicy … Continue reading It’s that time of year – the time for gingerbread
Pickled Figs
Pickles. Dill. Sweet. Bread and Butter. Refrigerator. Southerners love them all. From the fanciest market to the most humble filling station, you have to try hard not to find some locally-made delicacy. More often than not, the tart treats will be prominently displayed right by the cash register, not merely assigned to a shelf with … Continue reading Pickled Figs