Southern Kitchen

Cranberry Relish

2005-11-17T20:28:00.000-05:00

With Thanksgiving coming around the corner, I always reach back into my childhood memories and pull out a couple of my favorite recipes to prepare for the holidays. Comfort food if you will. One such recipe is cranberry relish that my grandmother made every year. I can only guess how old this recipe is, 75 years old or better, and unfortunately I have no idea where she acquired it. This cranberry relish will wake your taste buds up between bites of turkey, dressing and sweet potatoe casserole - it cleanses the palette which enhances the flavors of all the other offerings presented on your holiday table in a very delicious way. Besides boosting the flavors of your food, it really is a very pretty condiment to adorn your table and gives your guests an alternative to plain old cranberry sauce. I hope you try this very old recipe. It has always been a family favorite at our table. Enjoy!

Cranberry Relish

1 pound fresh cranberries (1pkg) frozen
1 small can crushed pineapple - drained
3 oranges - preferably seedless - quartered
3 cups sugar

In a blender, grind cranberries and oranges (peel and all) together until coarsely chopped. Next, add the pineapple and sugar and blend until mixture is incorporated. Let the relish stand refridgerated overnight or for at least 12 hours before serving.

A Pretty Picture Of Frosty Cranberries

Notes:

The orange rinds help to make this relish tart while the sugar and pineapple adds the sweetness.
Make sure you freeze your cranberries first - they chop up much easier.
My grandmother would always eat a slice of sharp cheddar cheese along with her apple pie to cleanse her palette between bites. If you've never tried it, maybe you should because it really works!
The cranberry relish makes a perfect gift. Present in a small pretty glass container (with a tightly placed lid) adorned with a ribbon. Picture perfect.

White Beans and Pork Chops Like You've Never Had Them

2005-08-18T14:48:00.000-05:00

The following recipe is an Emeril Lagasse production. I know he isn't a true Southerner but this particular recipe it a true Southern keeper in my book. My husband prepared this dish for me for Mothers Day and has since cooked it on another occasion when we entertained dinner guests (in which they asked for the recipe). Lord knows it was good! Being the true Southerner as I am, I passed the recipe along to my father who prepared it for his girlfriend Mary and needless to say they absolutely loved it and continued to pass the recipe along! Not only is it a scrumptious dinner but it is a beautiful dish that you can practically eat with your eyes - can you imagine that - plain old white beans and boring pork chops. So here I pass it along to you.

As a warning, the recipe is rather time consuming. However, if you have the time, I urge you to jump in with both feet and whip up this absolutely mouth watering meal that won't be soon forgotten in your household - I promise! P.S. This is a stick to your ribs dinner.

Slow-Cooked White Beans with Pan-Fried Pork Chops and Caramelized Onions

6 (8-ounce) center-cut pork chops
2 tablespoons Essence, plus 1 tablespoon, recipe follows
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Slow-Cooked White Beans, recipe follows
Caramelized Onions, recipe follows
6 sprigs fresh thyme, garnish

Season the chops on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the Essence.

Combine the flour, cornstarch and remaining tablespoon of Essence in a shallow bowl. Dredge the pork chops in the flour mixture.

In a large cast-iron skillet or saute pan, heat the oil over high heat. Add the pork chops in batches and cook until golden brown and medium, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon the beans into the center of 6 large plates. Top with the pork chops and spoon the onions over the chops. Garnish each plate with thyme and serve immediately.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Slow-Cooked White Beans:

3/4 pound dried Great Northern beans, picked over to remove any broken beans and stones
1/2 pound bacon, diced
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Essence
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with their juices
1 (12-ounce) bottle lager or ale - we used beer
1/2 cup cane syrup or molasses
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup Canadian whiskey - we used Jack Daniels whiskey
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves

In a large pot, place the beans and cover with water by 3 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the beans are just tender, about 1 hour and 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside. In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until brown and the fat is rendered, about 6 minutes. Add the onions, cayenne, Essence, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and their juices, and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the beer, syrup, sugar, stock, whiskey, mustard, Worcestershire and bay leaves. Stir well and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and continue to simmer until tender, about 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally and adding more water as needed to cover the beans.

Remove from the heat and adjust seasoning, to taste. Serve with the Pan-Fried Pork Chops.

Yield: 6 servings

Caramelized Onions:

4 ounces unsalted butter
2 pounds yellow onions, peeled and very thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Salt

In a large skillet or saute pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add the thyme and salt to taste, and stir. Remove from the heat and keep warm until ready to serve.

Yield: 2 cups

NOTES:

To present this dish - put beans in the middle of the plate - place pork chop on top of the beans - heap a large amount of carmarelized onions on top of the pork chop - finish off by sprinkling parsley over the entire dish. It looks absolutely beautiful!
Give yourself enough time to cook the onions. They need to be a golden brown which makes them very sweet. You might consider doubling the recipe for the carmarelized onions because they really make the dish.
This recipe does great when served the next day for leftovers.

Pepper Sauce

2005-04-23T16:05:00.000-05:00

Pepper sauce is something I have mistakenly assumed that everybody in the United States knows about since it is quite literally a staple in all Southern kitchens. Whether you buy it at the store or make it homemade, pepper sauce is to turnip greens like ketchup is to french fries; they simply go hand in hand down in the South. The origins of this condiment is still a mystery to me even though its been gracing Southern tables for generations. If you have never tried pepper sauce, I encourage you to whip up a batch if for no other reason because it looks so pretty sitting on the table.

PEPPER SAUCE

Small chili peppers in assorted colors, washed and dried
White vinegar
Stainless steel saucepan
Funnel
1 wooden skewer or chop stick
Clean glass bottle with a cap or cork
1 straight pin or safety pin

(This recipe has no exact measurements. As my friend use to say, you will have to eyeball everything.) Depending on the size of bottle you are using, pour desired amount of vinegar into a stainless steel pan and bring to a boil then turn down heat to a simmer. Meanwhile, estimate how many peppers will fit into your bottle and poke each pepper 4 or 5 times with a pin. Using a wooden skewer or chop stick, stuff the peppers into the bottle making sure not to pack the bottle too tight with the peppers. Next, using a funnel, pour the hot vinegar into the bottle slowly filling it until the bottle is full. Cap the bottle and set aside for a week or two before using.

Notes:

Pepper sauce can be poured over any type of greens or peas. The flavored vinegar will cut the bitterness of the greens and add flavor to the peas.
The bottle should be clear glass so the beauty of the peppers clearly show. Also, the bottle should be made so the vinegar can be easily poured out of the bottle onto your food.
Since there is such a high acid content to pepper sauce, it does not need to be refrigerated.
When the vinegar starts to run low in the bottle, simply fill the bottle up again with additional vinegar. The peppers may lose their color but the vinegar will still be flavorful.
If you like peppers, feel free to fetch them out of the bottle to eat with your meal - that's how the old timers would do it.
Lastly, pepper sauce makes a great gift because it's so pretty and so delicious.

Pam's Hushpuppies

2005-04-12T19:26:00.000-05:00

If someone hears the words "Fish Fry" down South, immediately pictures of friends, family and a good time flash before their eyes. The more people the better, children and all. Fried fish, hushpuppies, French fries, coleslaw, white beans, and sliced onion crowded on a table is a feast no Southerner would ever turn down. Although some buy their catfish at the grocery, most people have a freezer full of fish or know someone with a freezer full of brim, bass, catfish or crappy waiting to be cooked. (A favorite Southern past time has always been fishing.) After fish, the most important dish would have to be hushpuppies at gatherings like this. Although everyone seems to have a special recipe, hushpuppies should always be crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and as light as air. Here's my recipe for the best hushpuppies you'll ever eat!

PAM'S HUSHPUPPIES

1/2 cup self rising corn meal
1/2 cup self rising flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup white milk
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/8 to 1/4 cup finely chopped jalapeno (optional)
Deep fat fryer with at least 3 inches of oil in it

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the onion and jalapeno and toss well. Next, add the egg and milk and stir until well blended. In a deep fat fryer, heat the oil to 350 degrees. With a kitchen teaspoon, drop the batter into the oil using your finger to push the batter off of the spoon. Be careful not to burn yourself. As soon as the batter drops to the bottom of the pot, it should immediately pop back up to the surface in a somewhat rounded shape. Continue dropping the hushpuppies into the oil stopping when the oil surface if full of hushpuppies making sure that they are not too crowded. When they are a golden brown on one side flip them over to finish cooking. Drain on paper towels. Repeat the process until all of the batter is gone.

Try outdoor fish fryers to cook your hushpuppies

Notes:

If you do not like onions or jalapenos, feel free to omit them from the recipe.
Try to use Southern cornmeal. If it is unavailable in your area, you can order it off the internet.
Some Southerners use beer in the hushpuppy batter, everyone has their own special way to make these little gems.
The name hushpuppies go way back when people would toss this little nugget of bread to their barking dogs and say "hush puppy". A note about cornbread and dogs. My great-grandmother would always feed her dogs pans of cornbread years ago before dog food was such a big commodity in the grocery stores. For some reason, dogs love cornbread; they go nuts over it!

Mamie Eisenhower's Green Rice

2005-04-09T21:47:00.000-05:00

Mamie Eisenhower has always been known as a charming and gracious hostess, renowned for her striking china-blue eyes and creamy complexion. In fact, during her husbands Army years, the Eisenhowers earned a reputation for fine hospitality, and their military quarters, known as "Club Eisenhower," was a popular destination. When her husband, Dwight Eisenhower, became president, the Eisenhowers entertained an unprecedented number of heads of state and leaders of foreign governments, in which Mamie's evident enjoyment of her role endeared her to her guests as well as the nation. History has been kind to the memory of Mamie Eisenhower by way of her endearing and tasty recipes. The following recipe for Green Rice is attributed to Mamie herself.

MAMIE EISENHOWER'S GREEN RICE

1 cup raw rice, cooked according to package directions
1 package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper

Saute onions in butter until soft. Layer in a oven proof casserole: rice, spinach, onions, cheese and liberal amounts of salt and pepper. Repeat layers about three times or until all is used. Sprinkle the top of casserole with 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese then bake 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Notes:

This is a great accompaniment for baked fish.
The Green Rice really looks pretty when served.
I like to garnish this dish with chopped sun dried tomatoes.
Feel free to add extra cheese, spinach or onion to this recipe. I even like to add sauted mushrooms to the recipe occasionally. Let your taste buds guide you.

Recipe Blogs Mentions Southern Kitchen

2005-04-08T20:18:00.000-05:00

Recipe Blogs

Recipe Blogs has mentioned Southern Kitchen on their site! They feature recipes that they have hand picked throughout the blog-o-sphere saying:

"Once upon a time, the only way to find recipes on the web was by going to recipe websites and directories. They were nice but pretty impersonal. Now there are lots of recipe blogs. Recipe blogs are wonderful because you get to know the people who tried or invented the recipes. You gain a little more insight into the life, personality, and culture of the person who cooked whatever dish you are reading about. You feel more connected to the recipe than you would have felt if you had found it on a random, nameless Internet recipe directory."

If you have time, why not give these folks a visit. Click on the link above to find out what Recipe Blogs is all about.

Mabel Powell's Salmon Salad

2005-04-05T20:03:00.000-05:00

Although she past away only a few short years ago, Hickory Valley Tennessee was the home to Mabel Powell. She was known as a very good cook and everyone always looked forward to her dishes at socials and potluck get togethers. I was fortunate enough to receive a collection of her favorite recipes the Christmas before she past away in which Salmon Salad held a special place in Miss Mabel's heart. She wrote, "Years ago my mother, Mrs. Hattie Vincent, had a real good friend, Mrs. Dora Mai Wilkinson. When we were small and would go on a picnic, Mrs. Wilkinson would take little small green sweet peppers stuffed with this Salmon Salad. Oh so good! I very often fix the salad and we just eat it with crackers. It is a very old recipe."

MABEL POWELL'S SALMON SALAD

1 egg
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp flour
2 Tbsp sweet milk
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 can of salmon, drained

Mix all ingredients together except the salmon. Cook in a double boiler until the mixture is thick and smooth. In a bowl, empty the can of drained salmon and flake with a fork then pour the mixture over the top. Mix well. Serve on home-made bread, with crackers or stuff in small green peppers.

National Field Dog Trials

Notes:

I'm not sure "how old" this recipe is but Miss Mabel was in her 80's when she past away.
Every year in Hickory Valley Tennessee, people from all around the country come to Yankee Stadium to enjoy a week long celebration of Southern food while attending and participating in the National Field Dog Trials (established in 1899) held at the nearby Ames Plantation.
Yankee Stadium is named in honor of all the Yankees that come down every year to enjoy all of the fine Southern cooking provided by several renowned cooking ethusiasts, one such cook was Mabel Powell.

Creamed Spinach

2005-04-02T23:08:00.000-05:00

Nashville is famous for its gracious recipes and imaginative eating. The ladies are known for the flair with which they serve food which is known as the Nashville touch and it's no wonder why. While the Nashville ladies were sipping tea at the Traveler's Rest and the Hermitage, other ladies of Tennessee were still building log cabins and fighting Indians. Here is just one example of the delicious dishes found in Nashville Tennessee.

CREAMED SPINACH

Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan and add 2 boxes frozen ship's and about 1-1/2 tsp salt. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes. The spinach should then be drained, chilled, and chopped very fine, as fine as it is possible to get it.
make a cream sauce of 2-1/2 Tbsp butter, 2-1/2 Tbsp flour, 2-1/2 Tbsp chopped onion, and 1 cup cream. Cook the onion in the butter for a few minutes, then blend in the flour. Let this cook over hot water in a double boiler for 10 minutes, and add 1 cup of cream. Season to tasate with nutmeg, chopped parsley, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, lemon juice and sherry, paprika, thyme. Now mix the spinach and cream sauce thoroughly. Be sure and taste to see that the seasoning is right. Put in a casserole dish and sprinkle the top with cracker crumbs. Heat in a hot (400 degree) oven for 20 minutes.

Polly's Chocolate Fudge Pie

2005-04-01T21:13:00.000-05:00

This recipe comes from a sweet Southern lady by the name of Miss Polly from Toone Tennessee (West Tennessee). She gave me this recipe 26 years ago and at that time she had been serving it to her family for many years. If you are a chocolate lover this pie certainly is for you. The smell of it cooking in the oven will make your toes curl and your mouth water.

POLLY'S CHOCOLATE FUDGE PIE

1-1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa
2 eggs
1-6 ounce can evaporated milk
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 unbaked pie shell

Mix all ingredients together until smooth and well blended. Pour into an unbaked pie shell and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 35 to 45 minutes or until set. Cool before serving.

The road to Toone - Hwy 100.

Notes:

I prefer the pie slices warmed in the microwave before serving.
Add a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on the side if you are feeling really sinful.
Miss Polly would make this pie at least once a week for her family. If she didn't, she would see at least 2 or 3 pouty faces around the house for days or so she said.
I will have to say that this is one of my favorite pies.
This recipe is found in my cookbook "Blankenship Family Cookbook". Read more about my cookbook in the right margin of the blog.

Baked Apricots

2005-03-29T22:16:00.000-05:00

Sewanee is a unique place on the Cumberland plateau about half way between Nashville and Chattanooga. This is the home of the University of the South which is patterned academically after Oxford University in England. Besides academics, the University of the South is known for its social pace from hiking, exploring caves, dances to never ending dinner parties. At these social parties, baked apricots have been a favorite for years. The recipe was first introduced to the Sewanee area by the late Mrs. Guerry whose husband once presided over the University of the South many years ago.

Baked Apricots

Butter the bottom of a baking dish. You will need two large cans of apricot halves. Drain the fruit, reserving the liquid for later if necessary. Place the apricot halves in a baking dish pit side up and dot each half with butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar and a little cinnamon. Top this with a layer of crumbled Ritz crackers. Repeat this whole process again so that you have two layers of apricots. Top the whole casserole with plenty of Ritz crumbs and butter. You probably won't need to add any juice, but add a small amount if you need to. The casserole should be moist and delicious but not runny. Bake for half hour or 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Notes:

The University of the South actually formed at a meeting of the Southern Bishops of the Episcopal Church on Lookout Mountain in 1857, it was founded to train the youth of the South.
They say once you get the love of Sewanee in your bones, it never leaves you.
When the University first opened, the only way students were able to get to it was by train. You see Sewanee sits on the very, very top of a very large mountain. The views are spectacular.

Ham In Coca-Cola

2005-03-28T23:45:00.002-05:00

In 1899, two young Chattanooga lawyers made a most fortunate investment. They signed a contract with Asa Candleer of Atlanta granting them the exclusive right to bottle a new soft drink, Coca-cola, in almost the entire continental United States. With a $5,000.00 investment, the lawyers supplied syrup to bottling plants around the country and helped promote sales of the new soft drink. Today, the success of their venture is world history. The following recipe from Chattanooga (in which I'm not sure how old this recipe is) is a tribute to the two young lawyers from Tennessee - Ben F. Thomas and J. B. Whiteside.

Ham In Coca-Cola

Put a medium-sized cured ham into a deep vessel and pour in enough Coca-Cola to half cover the ham. Set on a low flame, cover and boil until the ham is tender. (It can be baked in the oven, basted with Coca-Cola.) Test by sticking the long tines of a fork into the meat, or watch until the bone at the shank end is loose. As the liquid boils out, add more Coca-Cola. When tender, take out and skin. Slice either hot or cold.

Notes:

1. Ham boiled in Coca-Cola has a distinctive sweet taste and may be served with no additional seasoning.
2. It has often been said that the national drink of the South, at least in Chattanooga and Atlanta, is not water or even wine . . . it is Coca-Cola.
3. The descendants of the two young lawyers are many of Chattanooga's leading citizens today.

Elvis Presley's Homemade Vegetable Soup

2005-03-27T15:47:00.000-05:00

My aunt went to High School with Elvis Presley. She always tells the story about how Elvis would sit under a tree at school playing his guitar and asking others for lunch money. After he became famous and moved into Graceland, girls would sit outside the estates gate hoping to catch a glimpse of him. What nobody knew at the time was that Elvis had cameras around the front gate just to watch all of his fans coming to see him. When a pretty girl caught his eye, they would get a personal invitation from Elvis Presley himself to tour the grounds of Graceland. I suppose that's why you would always see girls sitting on the grass outside of the famous guitar gates.

ELVIS PRESLEY'S HOMEMADE VEGETABLE SOUP

1 large can whole tomatoes
2 pounds fresh stew meat
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
5 pieces of garlic, finely chopped
2 boxes frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups diced white potatoes
1 can cream style corn
1/2 cup okra
1/2 cup catsup
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp black pepper

Cook together meat, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and tomatoes in a large stock pot over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mixed vegetables and cook for another 1/2 hour. Then mix in corn, potatoes, okra, catsup, salt, and pepper. Cook for 30 minutes longer or until the potatoes are tender. Serve.

Notes:

This recipe was prepared for Elvis by Mary Jenkins, one of his favorite cooks!
Elvis would usually eat dinner at 9 or 10 p.m.
There are so many stories about Elvis around the Memphis area. In all of the stories I've ever heard growing up, I've never heard a negative one. Everyone loved Elvis Presley.

Milky way Farm House Dressing

2005-03-26T00:59:00.000-05:00

In Pulaski, Tennessee, there is a historic mansion with 21 bedrooms and 12 baths situated among the largest privately owned stand of magnolias in the nation! The beautiful Milky Way Farm mansion was built in 1932 by Frank C. Mars, the founder of Mars Candy company. This Tudor mansion is now open to the public for tours and delicious luncheons.

MILKY WAY FARM HOUSE DRESSING

1/4 cup vinegar
1 small onion finely chopped
1 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup catsup

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend well with a whisk.

Notes:

Luncheons are served on a 28 foot long by 12 foot wide dining table. This table is the largest privately owned dining table in Tennessee and perhaps the nation.
The Milky Way Farm once consisted of 2,700 acres with 38 barns.
On the Farm they raised prize winning cattle and horses of the highest quality - even a Kentucky Derby winner.

Miss Mary Bobo's Tipsy Sweet Potatoes

2005-03-18T08:51:00.000-05:00

Jack and Mary Bobo in 1914 opened "The Bobo Hotel" in Lynchburg Tennessee near the Jack Daniels distillery. As the reputation of Miss Mary Bobo's cooking grew over the years the Hotel ultimately morphed into a famous restaurant called Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House that is legendary to this day. Although Miss Mary died in 1983 at the age of 101, she left her legacy through the many wonderful recipes she had developed over the years; one of which was Tipsy Sweet Potatoes.

MISS MARY BOBO'S TIPSY SWEET POTATOES

2-1/2 cups cooked, mashed, sweet potatoes
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup Jack Daniels Whiskey
Pecan halves for topping

Combine all ingredients except the pecans. Spoon mixture into a greased 1-quart casserole dish. Top with pecans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated 325 degree oven.

Notes:

Caution: Everyone will want seconds!
Above is a picture of Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House.
A lot of Miss Mary's recipes contained Jack Daniels Whiskey maybe that was why it was and is such a popular place.
My grandfather loved Jack Daniels so much that he was buried on a hillside over looking the distillery!

Raisin Pie

2005-03-16T22:33:00.000-05:00

This is a very old recipe. Raisin Pie, known also as "Funeral Pie" because how quick and easy it is to prepare with ingredients you always have on hand. When you hear of someone passing away in the South, one of the first things you do is cook. Yep, the family of the deceased receives all kinds of prepared dishes(sometimes it can be more than 100!) from family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, churches, friends of friends...All in hopes that the home cooked foods will somehow bring comfort to the family in their time of loss. A cherished Southern tradition.

RAISIN PIE

1 cup raisins, dark
2 cups water
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp grated lemon rind
1 egg, well beaten
2 - 8" pie shells

Wash raisins and soak in cold water for three hours. Drain. Combine raisins, water, sugar, flour, salt, lemon juice, rind and egg. In a saucepan cook ingredients for 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cool. Pour into pie shell. Cover with remaining pie shell and pinch around the ends to seal the pie. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Notes:

In the South, when there is a funeral procession you are expected to pull off the road until the procession has ended. It is considered very bad manners to keep driving your car along while the funeral procession is still in session. Southern Mommy, on her blog Southern Porch comments about how non-Southerns are unaware of this tradition.

Hot Cakes (Pancakes)

2005-03-15T16:28:00.000-05:00

Down South every year the schools put on a fund raiser. Hot Cake day. All the little children would go around town and sell tickets good for one Hot Cake breakfast at their local school. Everybody in town would show up if not to help the school raise money just for the best tasting Hot Cakes you ever tasted. Here is my recipe for the best Hot Cakes I've ever tasted.

HOT CAKES (PANCAKES)

1-1/4 cup flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 cup sweet milk

2 Tbsp oil
Butter

Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Heat a skillet on medium to medium high. Place a pat of butter in the skillet and when it starts to sizzle butter the skillet lightly. Immediately pour batter into skillet making the hot cakes the size of softballs. When the hot cakes start to bubble, flip them over. When the other side is a light brown, remove the hot cakes from the skillet. Repeat. Serve with butter and syrup.

Notes:

This batter stores very well in the fridge.

Keep the hot cakes in a warm oven covered while you finish cooking the remaining hot cakes.
If need be, heat up two skillets at one time to cook your hot cakes.

Vanilla Wafer Stack Cake

2005-03-14T20:21:00.000-05:00

This recipe comes from Mrs. Tennessee (1968), Mrs. E. T. Shearer II. She prepared this recipe in Minneapolis for one of the competing categories in Mrs. America. While she did not win the title of Mrs. America, she had one winner of a recipe called Vanilla Wafer Stack Cake.

VANILLA WAFER STACK CAKE

1 large box vanilla wafers
2 cups whipping cream
4 Tbsp liquid chocolate (chocolate syrup)
2 Tbsp sugar

Whip the cream until light and fluffy. Add sugar and chocolate (set aside 1/3 of whipping cream to use as frosting) and dip vanilla wafers, one by one, into the cream and begin stacking. Make a round, square or oval cake. Let stand overnight in the refrigerator, or make early in the morning for a dinner party that evening. Frost cake with reserved whipping cream. When sliced, it looks like many tiny layers of cake. The wafers soften to make a very interesting cake. This can be served with a scoop of chocolate ice cream.

Notes:

As an option, you can pat coconut on the sides and top of the cake or use prepared frosting to frost the cake.
You can use a glass bowl and use it as a mold for the cake. Just lightly oil the inside of the bowl before you start layering your cake on the inside.
Little children love to make this cake.
You can use Cool Whip instead of liquid whipping cream.

Memphis Style BBQ Sauce

2005-03-12T23:21:00.000-05:00

Each region of the South has a particular style of BBQ sauce. The Carolina's specialize in a mustard sauce, Alabama likes vinegar based sauces while Tennessee, especially Memphis, favors a sweet, thick and slightly hot sauce. This Memphis Style BBQ sauce recipe happens to be my favorite; I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

MEMPHIS STYLE BBQ SAUCE

2 cups Cattlemens BBQ sauce
2 Tbsp prepared mustard
2/3 cup sorghum molasses
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
1/2 Tbsp allspice
2/3 Tbsp brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir frequently so the sauce won't stick to the bottom of the pan. Immediately turn the heat down and gently simmer the sauce for 1 hour. Store in the fridge.

Notes:

This recipe comes from a famous BBQ restaurant in Memphis TN. Don't ask my lips are sealed.
My dad found this recipe in an old filing cabinet that he purchased at an auction years ago. The previous owners obviously forgot their secret recipe was hibernating in the bottom drawer. Too bad for them but good for us!

Cornbread Dressing

2005-03-11T23:53:00.000-05:00

There has been a few things that I always seemed to have a hard time making, for some reason or another. One of those things has been Cornbread Dressing. Sometimes it would come out to dry other times too spicy and still others times the dressing would come out of the oven soupy. Not too long ago, Paula Dean on Food TV aired a recipe on Cornbread Dressing that is, in my opinion, the perfect, fool proof Cornbread Dressing recipe. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have.

CORNBREAD DRESSING

1 pan cornbread, crumbled
7 slices oven-dried white bread, crumbled
1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
2 cups celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
8 Tbsp butter, melted
7 cups chicken stock, warmed
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sage
1 Tbsp poultry seasoning
5 eggs beaten

Combine cornbread, white bread and crackers in large bowl and set aside. Saute celery and onions in butter until soft. Combine vegetables with the bread and add the stock. Combine then add all seasonings, taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Finally mix in the eggs. Cook in a large greased pan (uncovered) in a preheated 350 degree for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes:

You can add cooked shredded chicken to the dressing before you cook it or just layer the chicken on top of the dressing before cooking.
The recipe turns out perfect every time if you just follow the easy directions.

Baked Country Ham

2005-03-10T20:06:00.000-05:00

The following recipe comes from the Dickson Cookbook published in 1947. Inside the front cover reads "This cookbook is simply a collection of tried and treasured recipes prepared by a number of ladies of Dickson, Tennessee. For best results....Use level measurements throughout, Mix thoroughly with good will, Serve generous portions, Put what is left over in easy reach of the children."

BAKED COUNTRY HAM

Wash country ham then trim it well and allow to set in water overnight. In the morning, rinse the country ham off and place in large roaster, skin side up. Cover the country ham well with heavy brown paper. (grocery brown bags) Bake 25 minutes for each pound of country ham at 325 degrees. Remove the country ham from oven and remove paper and remove the skin from the country ham. Score ham in a checkered pattern and place a clove in each square. Put back into the oven and bake until a rich brown. Baste the country ham with the following mixture several times during the last baking.

Baste: One small can crushed pineapple, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 Tbsp flour, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 tsp black pepper. Mix all ingredients together then baste ham several times while its cooking.

Note:

Do not skip the step of soaking the ham. Country ham is very salty and this step helps to remove much of the salt from the ham.
Country hams originate from the curing process Southerns used to preserve their meat.

BBQ Salad

2005-03-09T18:53:00.000-05:00

Recently, I've been posting traditional recipes but today I would like to share a new invention, if you will, from the South - BBQ salad. Before you turn your nose up at the sound of this, I can assure you it is very delicious and extremely easy to prepare. I won't be going into the process of making BBQ today however you'll probably be able to purchase pre cooked BBQ at your local grocery store. If not, you can order some from www.Corkysribsandbbq.com - the best BBQ around as far as I'm concerned.

BBQ SALAD

Iceberg lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
Purple onion, sliced into rings
Tomatoes, chopped into chunks
BBQ sauce, your choice
Pork BBQ, pulled and if you just have to, you can chop it.

Warm the BBQ in the oven on low heat until ready to use in the salad. Assemble the salad(s) in individual salad bowls. First add lettuce to the bowl, top with onion slices and chunks of tomatoes. Continue by topping the salad with warm BBQ (don't be stingy) then finish off with BBQ sauce. (Use the BBQ sauce just like you would use salad dressing.) Serve

Notes:

When you warm up your BBQ, make sure it is tightly wrapped with aluminum foil so it won't dry out.
The BBQ sauce can be room temperature or cold. A hot BBQ sauce could wilt the lettuce.
You can serve the salad with crackers and iced tea. The salad makes a beautiful presentation at luncheons.

Chess Pie

2005-03-07T21:25:00.000-05:00

Charlotte was a young country girl that was taught how to cook by her grandmother and how she could cook. The only bad thing (for me any how) was that she tended to guard her recipes like a hen would guard her chicks. After years of trying, the only recipe I was ever able "to get out of her" was her recipe for Chess Pie. I remember she would sprinkle chocolate chips over the pie before she baked it which really put that extra special touch on an already delicious pie.

CHESS PIE

3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 unbaked pie shell

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and pour into an unbaked pie shell. (You can sprinkle chocolate chips over the pie at this time if you would like.) Place pie in oven and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to cook until the pie is thick and golden brown. Cool before serving.

Notes:

Here again is an example of fluctuating heat during the cooking process that so many Southern cooks seem to do.
This recipe can be found in my cookbook - Blankenship Family Cookbook - which you can see on the right hand side of the blog.
You didn't read the recipe wrong; it does call for vinegar.

Black Eyed Peas

2005-03-06T22:08:00.000-05:00

Black eyed peas and cornbread with a slice of onion on the side is simply a piece of heaven for the taste buds. Fresh peas are always the best but dried black eyed peas are just as good. The secret to a great pot of peas is the seasoning of the water. Some cooks use ham hocks, some neck bones, some fat back while others use just plain flavorful bacon. In this recipe I'll use ham hocks.

BLACK EYED PEAS

1 small bag dried black eyed peas
large pot of water
1 ham hock
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot of water (filled at least 1/2 way up) add 1 ham hock and bring to a boil. Then turn down to a simmer. Salt and pepper the water and let simmer for 1 hour. Rinse peas under cold water to clean them then add the peas to the pot with the ham hock. Cover with a lid and simmer for several hours until the peas become tender. Serve with a slice of onion and cornbread.

Notes:

Check your water occasionally to make sure the peas are always covered.
You can stir the peas every now and then but do it gently so the peas won't break apart.
Also, to prevent the peas from breaking apart, never boil the water.
The water will eventually turn a muddy color that has the most amazing taste. (Another example of pot liquor.)
Lastly, black eyed peas and turnip greens are always eaten on new years day for good luck.

Mamies Southern Fried Chicken

2005-03-05T22:43:00.000-05:00

Southern fried chicken is probably one of the most famous dishes to come out of the South. Some have made millions on their secret fried chicken recipe (Kentucky Fried Chicken) while others still struggle to produce the perfect fried chicken. Crisp on the outside but light, juicy and tender on the inside. I felt it appropriate for this post to dig out an old recipe from a Southern family cook. Although there is no exact measurements, this recipe is as authentic as they come.

MAMIES SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

In a bowl, put 1 cup of milk. Wash chicken good by putting in the sink in salted water. Dry off. Dip in milk and then in flour mixed with salt and pepper. Heat an iron skillet or electric skillet very hot and melt shortening in it...Enough to make about 1 inch deep. When the shortening is hot, but not smoking, put in the chicken. Don't crowd it, about 4 or 5 pieces at a time. When it begins to get brown, turn down to about medium heat. Cover and let cook slow and gently. Turn every once and a while. At last take off cover and turn heat up so that it will be crisp. It will take 20 to 30 minutes.

Notes:

You can see there are not any elaborate seasonings in this recipe; it's the cooking technique that matters the most.
Some people use eggs mixed in with the milk but Mamie used only milk. Both are good.
The art of changing temperatures when you fry takes a little practice but makes all the difference when it comes to Southern cooking.

Tennessee Iced Tea

2005-03-04T21:32:00.000-05:00

I suppose iced tea has been drunk in the South for ever, probably because it is such a cheap beverage that really tastes good. The tea down South seems to be a little stronger and sweeter than what you normally find in other parts of America. Tea is drunk all day long especially on hot summer days. You'll always find iced tea in the middle of a bunch of ladies visiting and catching up on all the local gossip. In the small towns in the South everybody knows what everybody is doing; you can go to the bank on that one.

TENNESSEE ICED TEA

3 family sized tea bags, (I use Louisiana brand)
1 cup sugar

In a small saucepan, filled 3/4 full of water, add the 3 tea bags with the paper tags torn off. Put over medium heat and bring to a boil then turn heat down to a simmer for 20 minutes. In a gallon pitcher, add the sugar then pour the tea over the top. Stir until the sugar dissolves. With the tea bags still in the saucepan, fill the saucepan again with water. With the back of a tablespoon, push down on the teabags as you pour the liquid into the pitcher. Repeat until the pitcher is half full. Now taste the tea. If it is still to strong for your liking, add more water with the tea bags still in the saucepan. Store the tea in the refrigerator.

Note:

Everytime I visit my in-laws, they always have a pitcher of iced tea waiting for me.
Traditional Southerns never drink their tea hot.
You can add a lemon wedge for flavor or even an orange slice which is really good.

Fried Corn

2005-03-02T21:11:00.000-05:00

My husband, after we were first married, requested fried corn for dinner one day and politely asked if I knew how to prepare it. "Sure" I told him "I know how to fry corn". That night while I prepared dinner, I grabbed 2 cans of corn and dumped them into a frying pan then added a stick of butter. I turned the heat up and fried that corn to a golden brown. Later as we ate, my husband wondered out loud, "I thought you were going to make fried corn tonight." "I did make fry corn, it's right there" I said. "That? That's not fried corn." he said pointing to my corn. "Yes it is fried corn. " I said. "I put the corn in the skillet and I fried it."

What I prepared that night was not fried corn. A sweet old lady a few days later helped me out by sharing her recipe for fried corn with me and here it is.

Fried Corn

6 ears of fresh corn, shucked and washed
2 Tbsp bacon drippins
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp of sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the kernels off the cob into a bowl, but not too deep. With the back of a knife, scrape the cob - this makes all the white sweet juice come out of the cob. Put about 2 Tbsp of bacon drippins into an iron skillet, heat until hot, and then add the corn. Add salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup milk. Turn down the heat and stir occasionally so the corn won't stick to the bottom of the pan. When the corn has absorbed much of the juice, add a 1 tsp of sugar then stir well. When the corn becomes creamy you know it's done. Serve.

Short note:

I still laugh about the night I fried my husband corn. As you can see, Southern fried corn is close to cream corn that you find up North.
Your corn needs to be fresh so you'll get enough juice.

Fried Green Tomatoes

2005-03-01T19:08:00.000-05:00

During the summer, in small Southern towns, you can find card tables (draped with red and white checkered cloth) scattered here or there in the front yards of country homes. Tomatoes (red and green), paper bags, a scale and a money jar are on each of these tables and it's noticeable that no one is there to wait on you. Bag up your tomatoes and leave the money in the jar; it's the Southern honor system that nobody would dare to break.

Red tomatoes are ripe while green tomatoes are simply unripe tomatoes. Leave it to the South to conjure up a way to eat those green tomatoes, fried of course!

Fried Green Tomatoes

3 medium green tomatoes
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
Bacon drippins
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cover the bottom of a frying pan with bacon drippins and heat on medium to medium high heat. Mix flour and meal into a bowl and toss in the sliced tomatoes which are cut 1/4 inch thick. Toss tomatoes in the flour and meal mix making sure they are coated well. Place tomatoes in a gently sizzling pan turning once they are brown then brown on the other side. Drain on paper towels or a wire rack. Repeat, adding bacon drippins to the pan as needed until all tomatoes are fried. Serve.

Notes:

Do not cook the tomatoes on high heat; they need time to cook through.
When you put the tomatoes in the pan; do not move them around or the coating will come off.
The tomatoes are done when they are just soft; you do not want them to be mushy.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2005-02-28T21:26:00.000-05:00

We've been talking so much about gravy which spun another special request for a biscuit recipe. Thank you for the request! Most Southern recipes aren't finicky however biscuits sometimes have a mind of their own. They are not hard to make; they just take a little practice. My father taught me how to make biscuits. He would have me make a batch of biscuits then throw them away and we would start on yet another batch until I had it down pat. I can't remember how many batches I made that day but it was quite a few. Remember, Southern cooking just isn't complete without biscuits.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

4 cups flour
5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup shortening
About 1-1/3 cup buttermilk
Butter

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl or on a table. Add the shortening and start rubbing it into the flour and between your fingers until it looks like course cornmeal. Make a well in the middle and add the buttermilk. With a fork, stir until mixture makes a ball. Knead 8 to 10 strokes on a lightly floured surface. Pat out 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick and use a glass to cut out the biscuits. Cook in a skillet or on an ungreased cookie sheet at 450 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until the biscuits are lightly brown. Immediately after coming out of the oven generously butter the tops of each biscuit.

Notes:

Always use fresh baking soda and baking powder so your biscuits will rise high.
Use the amount of shortening that will make your flour look like course cornmeal.
Don't be tempted to over knead the dough, this will ruin the biscuits.
If your dough is sticky add more flour a little at a time, keeping in mind not to over knead the dough.
With a little practice, everyone will be raving about your biscuits.

Red Eye Gravy

2005-02-27T21:35:00.000-05:00

Whether the origin of the name was President Jackson’s red-eyed cook, or because the evaporating gravy is said to make a red “eye” in the center of the pan, this is a traditional Southern accompaniment to county ham. Red Eye Gravy is usually served with country ham because you need the ham drippins to make the gravy.

I received a request for this recipe in the comments section of this blog along with a request for a biscuit recipe. Please feel free to leave requests for recipes and I'll do my best to post them. (Tomorrow I'll post a recipe for biscuits.)

RED EYE GRAVY

Strong black coffee
Country ham drippins

In a skillet after frying and removing country ham, drain enough of the grease leaving just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat up to medium high and let the grease heat up but not smoke. Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of strong black coffee into the pan and scrape the bottom to loosen any bits of ham. Bring to a boil then remove from heat and serve.

Notes:

In my opinion, they call this red eye gravy because if you weren't awake before eating the gravy, you will be after eating it because of the caffeine.
Country ham has a lot of salt in it so usually it is unnecessary to add any salt for seasoning.
The gravy is not thick but boiling it down a little will thicken it somewhat.

Chocolate Gravy

2005-02-26T22:57:00.000-05:00

This is an old recipe which is hardly served any more. It is one of those recipes that are slowly fading away from memory as the generations are not carrying it forward any longer. This was a treat for breakfast that my husband loved as a young boy. Again, I thank my Mother In Law for passing this down to me.

CHOCOLATE GRAVY

1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
3 cups white milk
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt

Mix together the sugar cocoa, flour and salt then add milk and vanila in a saucepan over medium heat stirring with a fork until all the ingredients dissolve. Cook until mixture starts to thicken. Serve over biscuits for breakfast or for a snack.

Note:

This is but one example of why I'm writing this blog. I want to keep alive those old recipes, such as this one, that are doomed to extinction in Southern history.

White Gravy Also Called Sawmill Gravy

2005-02-25T11:16:00.000-05:00

This has to be one of the backbone recipes of Southern cooking. I call this recipe White Gravy some in the South (my dad) call it Sawmill Gravy. Biscuits smothered in white gravy has to be my favorite while fried chicken and white gravy is adored by my husband. Once again you'll find bacon drippins in this recipe, it might not be good for you but it sure is good.

WHITE GRAVY ALSO CALLED SAWMILL GRAVY

Bacon drippins (this is the grease leftover after you fry bacon)
flour
white milk
salt and pepper

In a skillet over medium heat, combine 5 or 6 tablespoons of bacon drippins with 5 or 6 tablespoons flour. Blend to make a smooth paste and cook until the paste is a light golden brown. Add 3 or 4 cups of white milk and stir until paste is dissolved in the milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil (stirring occasionally so the gravy won't stick to the pan) and cook until the gravy thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve over biscuits, mashed potatoes or fried chicken.

Notes:

If you notice, the recipe calls for white milk which is simply regular milk. I don't know why but the folks down South always call regular milk - white milk.
The reason you cook the flour and bacon drippins for a while is to get rid of that flour taste.
If the gravy gets too thick, just add milk to thin it down.
Crumbled cooked sausage can be added to the gravy. Replace the bacon drippins with the sausage grease in the recipe.
Lastly, like a lot of Southern recipes, there just isn't exact amounts of this or that in the recipe directions. Don't worry this recipe is so forgiving that you just can't mess it up.

Backwoods Mashed Potatoes

2005-02-23T22:32:00.000-05:00

This mashed potato recipe came from a gentleman, Mr. Jim, that lives around Loretta Lynns place close to the Tennessee River. It's a prime example of what a Southern recipe is best known for, taking hardly nothing and making something delicious out of it. If you don't believe me, try this recipe.

BACKWOODS MASHED POTATOES

Peel 4 medium potatoes and cut into 1 to 1-1/2 inch cubes
water
1 stick butter
salt
pepper

Bring water and potatoes to a boil in a large saucepan making sure potatoes are completely covered in water. Season with salt and pepper. Boil until potatoes are fork tender. Drain potatoes catching all the liquid in a bowl. In the saucepan or in a bowl, add the potatoes and butter and coarsely mash with a potato masher. Pour out most of the caught liquid leaving the whitish potato residue and about 1/2 cup liquid. Slowly pour this over the potatoes and mash until creamy. Serve while hot.

Notes:

The potatoes have such a rich flavor due to the starchy residue left in the pan during the boiling of the potatoes.
Around Loretta Lynns place, there are a lot of hallers. A haller is a little valley.
Country folks know you don't walk into someone's haller unless you expect to be chased off with a shotgun.

My Husband's Brother Died Today

2005-02-22T18:14:00.000-05:00

My husband's brother unexpectedly died today. Jim Blankenship, 57, of Texas is survived by his wife, 3 children, 4 grandchildren, mother, father and 2 brothers. He was a loving husband, a great father, a devoted son and a loved big brother. We will all miss him dearly. Today there will be no further posts in honor of his memory. God rest his soul.

Pear Salad

2005-02-21T17:14:00.000-05:00

This has to be one of the easiest Southern deserts on the planet not to mention the tastiest. I can't tell you how many times I've seen this salad sitting on a Southern table or taken to pot lucks. Once you try it I know you'll love it.

PEAR SALAD

1 can large or small pear halves, drained
mayonnaise
grated cheddar cheese
lettuce

On a plate, arrange a layer of lettuce leaves. Place pear halves, hole facing upwards, on the lettuce. In each hole in the pears, drop a dollop of mayonnaise around 1 tablespoon. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the mayonnaise then serve.

Note:

This salad keeps well in the fridge but don't count on it being there for long.

Blankenship Family Cookbook - Volume I Confections

2005-02-21T14:53:00.000-05:00

My initial intentions of writing this book, Blankenship Family Cookbook, was to give it as a Mothers Day present to my fathers girlfriend Mary, who I love very much. It started out as a collection of all the recipes my grandmother, mother (deceased) and I had collected over the generations, however, I quickly realized the sheer number of recipes in my possession would have resulted in an encyclopedia sized cookbook so I started over with desserts only. I had no idea how many dessert recipes I had tucked away in recipe boxes, written on napkins stored in the folds of books, scrap pieces of paper with a recipe scribbled on it; the more I searched the more I found, over 225 recipes some dating back to the early 1900's others with no date on them at all. After typing day in and day out, Mary finally received her Mothers Day present (unfortunately a few weeks late) and she loved it. Christmas rolled around and I sent them out to family and friends who also loved them. And now my husband has encouraged me to offer them on my blogs, for you my readers to enjoy.

The majority of the recipes have their origins in Tennessee however some come from Europe, Alaska and Wisconsin which reflects the traveling my family has done over many, many years. The Blankenship Family Cookbook is in Microsoft Word format which means you can have this family treasure e-mailed to you within minutes, no waiting and no shipping charges for just $9.95. If you would like the cookbook in another form such as CD or hard copy, just drop me a note at pinlow@gmail.com . You'll find the buy me now - pay pal button in the right margin along with the brief description of the Blankenship Family Cookbook where you can order the cookbook. I know you'll enjoy it!

Turnip Greens - The Right Way

2005-02-20T23:25:00.000-05:00

I have seen a lot of crazy recipes out there in cyber land for turnip greens. Tonight I'm setting the record straight on how to properly cook greens. If cooked in the right way, the turnip greens should be fork tender and full of flavor.

TURNIP GREENS

You'll need:

One large pot
Enough turnip greens to fill the pot up twice
bacon drippins
salt and pepper
water

Fill your pot half way up with water and bring to a boil. While the water is heating up, clean each individual turnip leaf under clean water and rip the stalk and main vein out discarding the stem and saving the leaf. Once the water is boiling, pile the leaves high in the pot pressing down on them until they wilt then continue to add more leaves stopping to press them down and waiting for them to wilt. After all the leaves are added to the pot, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of bacon drippins to the pot along with salt and pepper. Cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer and cook 3 to 6 hours until the greens are fork tender.

A couple of notes:

Turnip greens freeze well. Since they are a cold weather crop, making large batches of greens and freezing them is common in the South.
Cleaning the turnip greens are time consuming. Some people stuff them into a pillow case and throw them into the washing machine to clean them. (Just use water no washing powder.)
Have you ever heard the term "pot liquor"? Thats the liquid in the turnip green pot. Some folks drink it in a coffee cup along with their meal.
You can add ham or a ham bone to your turnip greens for more flavor and a heartier meal.
Down South people plant large patches of greens for others to come and pick for free. Southern hospitality at its best.

Chicken And Dumplins - Late 1800's

2005-02-19T21:50:00.000-05:00

This recipe for Chicken and Dumplins dates back to the late 1800's. I suppose you just can't get anymore authentic than this. I'm grateful to my Mother-in-law who shared this recipe with me shortly after my husband and I wed. As typical Southern recipes go, the measurements are not exact but the recipe doesn't seem to mind if you put in a little too much or a little too little of this or that.

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINS

Boil 1 chicken in a large pot of water. (Remove the inners and neck bone before boiling.)
When the meat begins to pull away from the bone in the boiling water, remove from heat and let cool.
After cooling, pick the meat from the bone and return the meat to the chicken broth. Throw away the bones and skin. Skim excess grease off the top of the broth but leave some grease on the top.
Add 1 cup of milk and salt to taste to the chicken meat and broth and bring to a gentle boil.

Dumplins: 1 cup cool broth, 2 cups flour, 1/3 cup shortening

Cut shortening into flour until the mixture looks like cornmeal. (finely course)
Make a well in the middle of the mixture and slowly add the broth mixing until you have the consistency of pie crust.
Divide into two balls.
Roll one ball out until paper thin and cut into 1 inch wide by 2 inch long strips.
Gently drop strips into gently boiling broth.
Repeat with second ball of dough.
The longer you cook the dumplins the more tender they will become.

Just a few notes:

I have found if you have very cold broth and chilled shortening it will make it easier to roll out the dumplins.
Chicken and Dumplins really freeze well.

Real Southern Cornbread

2005-02-18T22:23:00.000-05:00

Cornbread is a personal subject to those of the South. Each family passes down their recipe from generation to generation rarely writing it down. I suppose that's why I've never really found an authentic Southern cornbread recipe on the internet let alone in a magazine. For this reason, I have decided to start this blog on Southern Cooking. I hope to keep alive those Southern recipes rarely written down and to share with the world how delicious and easy Southern cooking really is.

MOTHERS CORNBREAD

1 cup self rising cornmeal
1 cup self rising flour
3 tsp fresh baking powder
1/4 tsp fresh baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup bacon drippins (grease)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk and add the eggs. Mix this up using a fork (like the ladies in the South do) until the mixture is smooth. The batter will be rather thin, and this is right because it takes a thin batter to make a light and tender bread. In an iron skillet pour the 1/2 cup of bacon drippins in and put it in a 450 degree oven to heat up. Do not let the grease smoke. This should only take a few minutes. Pour most of the grease into the batter leaving some grease in the cast iron skillet. (Be careful, the grease and cast iron skillet are very hot.) Now quickly mix the grease into the batter and pour back into the cast iron skillet and put it back into the oven. Bake it for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately turn it out onto a plate.

A couple of notes here:

If you do not have a cast iron skillet, a square 12 inch by 12 inch glass pan will do.
Bacon drippins are simply the grease left in the pan after frying bacon. The bacon should be full of flavor. All Southern cooks have a small jar or container next to the stove where they save their bacon grease for cooking.
Good cornbread should be crusty on the outside and moist on the inside.
If you do not have buttermilk, just use regular white milk and add 3 Tbsp of white vinegar to the batter.
Lastly, it matters what kind of cornmeal you use. Some Southern cooks swear by the White Lilly brand, I prefer Martha White. If you can't find Southern cornmeal in your area, you can order it on the internet.