A gumbo with no roux — that’s crazy talk, right? Who ever heard of such a thing? A gumbo with no roux… I’m pretty set in my ways about a few things, and gumbo is one of them, as I have written before (you can read that post here). But if 2020 has taught us … Continue reading A Tale of Two Gumbos
Tag: Recipes
Divinity is the Devil
Karo Syrup. Go on. Say it with me. Kaaaaay-rooooow suuuuur-up. Drag it out. It sounds better that way. Why are we talking about Karo Syrup? Because without Karo Syrup we wouldn’t have one of the absolute level best products of the Southern kitchen — Divinity. Sounds like a purely heavenly treat doesn’t it? Don’t be … Continue reading Divinity is the Devil
The Best Thing About the Holidays
Late afternoon cocktails. That’s one of the best things about the holidays. Well, aside from the birth of Jesus, watching the children's eyes light up in wonder and joy, and peace on earth and goodwill toward men. Yes, cocktails come in about number four. But ... there’s also the love of family, and giving beautifully … Continue reading The Best Thing About the Holidays
Sister Audnitha’s Filé Gumbo
(Just a quick note before we get into today’s post: We’ve come to the end of the See Jane Write #bloglikecrazy challenge. Thirty recipes, in thirty days. And I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who followed along throughout this month. This challenge certainly gets my mind working and gets the creative juices … Continue reading Sister Audnitha’s Filé Gumbo
How to Eat Crow
Crow is a tough bird. Crow can sometimes be hard to swallow and it can certainly be embarrassing to eat crow, but there are times when crow is all there is to eat. You just have to make the best of it. Choke it down. And if there’s one dish that Southerners eat a whole … Continue reading How to Eat Crow
Pecan Pie
We are a house divided. And it doesn’t have anything to do with football. It does have everything to do with a nut. That’s right. A nut. You see my Georgia-born boo says “PEE-can” and I of Alabama birth say “puh-KAHN.” Now admittedly this is not a subject that comes up for disagreement every day. … Continue reading Pecan Pie
Sweet Potato Pie
The influence of African-Americans on Southern food cannot be ignored. From greens to okra to ham hocks and more, many of my favorite dishes originated from a culture that is not my own. And Thanksgiving always features something that is extremely prominent in traditional African-American food — the sweet potato. I love sweet potatoes. You … Continue reading Sweet Potato Pie
Cacklefruit all the ways
If you can cook eggs, you’ll never starve. Cackle fruit is as versatile as the day is long, not to mention cheap and cheerful. Here are my favorite ways to eat eggs. Now Mama makes the best fried eggs -- lacey and blindfolded. That’s where you have a crispy edge on the egg but the … Continue reading Cacklefruit all the ways
Sweet and Spicy, it’s Pepper Jelly
Sweet and spicy are two flavors that go hand-in-hand. And way before Sriracha, which lists sugar as it’s second ingredient, took over as the condiment du jour, there was another sugary, hot contender for a place on the southern table: pepper jelly. That’s right. Pepper jelly. Hot peppers cooked with vinegar in sugar syrup. It … Continue reading Sweet and Spicy, it’s Pepper Jelly
Chicken and Dumplings
Granny died fifteen years ago this past March. She was just a few weeks shy of her 99th birthday. Brother and I thought that she’d live forever, and she just about did. (I wrote about what I think her secret was to longevity here.) She’d always been the same our whole lives. White hair, twinkly … Continue reading Chicken and Dumplings