Nothing motivates one to get in the kitchen more than a funeral. We all seem to harbor that primordial need to comfort with food. And there are fixed ideas – recipes that we keep in mind, or maybe on a card at the front of the recipe box for easy access. A hearty, comforting dish that we know how to make and how to make well that we can whip up the instant the call comes. … [Read more...] about Tomato Aspic
Southern Specialties
Pralines for Idiots
Candy making is not something I typically try my hand at. All that talk about thermometers and stages and testing methods. Those recipes always look like the kind of thing I don’t have the patience for. Plus, once you’ve been badly burned by hot sugar, it makes you candy-shy. But this is an exception. I call it Pralines for Idiots, because it really does away with all that … [Read more...] about Pralines for Idiots
Royal Crown Short Ribs
Cooking with cola is a Southern tradition undoubtedly dates back to the days when the first glass bottles clinked onto the shelves of the Piggly Wiggly and the Jitney Jungle. Frankly, in most parts of the South, cola means Atlanta’s own Coca-Cola, or as we call it Co-cola. I love to cook with cola, from rich chocolaty co-cola cakes to ribs cooked in root beer. I have even … [Read more...] about Royal Crown Short Ribs
Bacon Popcorn
Bacon Popcorn. Yep. How about a giant bowl of this in front of the big game? Slightly sweet, perfectly salty with the amazing flavor of crispy bacon. Popcorn cooked in bacon fat is nothing new. I imagine it was a popular method before cooking oil could be readily bought and folks were a bit more thrifty about waste. I often use bacon fat from my stove-side canister to … [Read more...] about Bacon Popcorn
Green and Gold Collards
Greens on New Year’s Day are an important tradition here in the South. It’s a wish for prosperity in the new year, you see, greens representing the foldin’ money you hope to have in your pocket. Collards are a traditional green and here you can add a little wish for some jangly change in your pocket too with the golden coin-like dumplings. Serve them with some black-eyed peas, … [Read more...] about Green and Gold Collards
