Ok, I can not believe that I am going to share this recipe with everyone. Everyone has that ONE recipe… you know, the ridiculously simple one that makes you the envy of all your friends. Well, this is mine. I first made this for my NYC pals soon after moving here. Since doing that there hasn’t been a single occasion where this casserole has not made an appearance. I always swore I’d never tell, but…
Continue reading Shoepeg Corn Casserole
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Ok, lots of people have lots of different ways to make cornbread. SOme like it puffy, some like it sweet, some like it dense, some like it moist. There are actually several different ways I like to eat my cornbread. But when I am looking for the baked kind (not fried—”hoe cakes”) the following recipe is what I always make. When I graduated high school and left for college, everyone showered me with gifts, and money, and giftcards, and all kinds of crap. The best gift I ever received was a perfectly seasoned Cast Iron Skillet from my Mama Jean. All my life, my grandmothers and mother taught me proper Cast Iron etiquette. The rules are simple: Don’t put soap on it. If you use soap on your Cast Iron, then you might as well have started all over. A well seasoned skillet is like a walk through history. My grandparents had skillets that had been passed through the family through the years. Mama Jean talked about a skillet that her Mama (“Big Mama”) had that had been around so long it remembered the times of open fires and wood-burning stoves. Mama Jean’s sister had a cast iron pot that was a hearth pot. One that was used to warm soup, stew, or chili on the open hearth fire. That’s just cool. I saw all the members of my family make corn bread through the years, and I have distilled the knowledge into “my” recipe. I like my cornbread a little on the sweet side. Grab your skillet, put on some country music, and make yourself some Southern Comfort in the form of my cornbread…. Continue reading Cornbread & Cast Iron Skillets Ok, I knew that would get your attention. Now, when I lived in Asheville, NC, I worked at the Belks at Asheville Mall for Estee Lauder. After I had been there a few months, we got a new employee by the name of Gale. She was (and still is) one of the nicest people I have ever met in my entire life. Imagine Paula Deen. But selling you makeup. That girl was unstoppable. Why buy makeup from little ole me when you could buy it from Paula Deen?? Well, when we had inventory, we all had to work real late and real long hours. We all dreaded it. Gale came in happy as a lark, and bearing cake. We all started eating the cake (I ate HALF of it). I asked her what in the hell was that cake….she said “That’s my Better Than Sex Cake”. I commenced to laughing. She was a mature woman, and I said….well it definitely gives sex a run for its money, but I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s better than. She said, “Then why did you just eat half of it?” Then she just rested her case. I begged and begged for her recipe, and she finally gave it to me as a going away present (along with some Slap Lime Pickles, various jellies and jams, and a big ole’ hug.) And now I present it to you. And let me tell you. It. Is. Good. Keep reading…. Continue reading Better Than Sex Of, y’all, when I was a little kid I fancied myself a magician. I had all these little magic kits and I would go around making pennies disappear in a trick box, balancing a vase on a piece of rope, doing silly card tricks, and pulling scarves out of people’s ears. Now, when I say people, I mean my family. And looking back (because I know how ridiculously awkward I am) I know that the “trick” was probably obvious, but my entire family would sit and act dumbfounded saying things like “Where in the world did that scarf come from?” (Knowing all the while you could see it in my tiny hand. We have also established that I love pies. Probably because they are just about the gayest food in the whole world. This pie that follows, I had forgotten all about until I opened up my recipe box. It was Mama Jean’s favorite pie. Read on, and you will see why she called it her “Magic” Pie. Continue reading Mama Jean’s Magic Coconut Pie
My search for the perfect burger brought me to 5 Napkin Burger. Outfitted with bistro tiles and meathooks hanging all over the restaurant, you are struck with one thought upon entering: “I am about to eat some meat”. So a little back story on this place. The owners of the restaurant Nice Matin have a 5 Napkin Burger on their menu. Apparently it was so popular that they decided to structure an entire restaurant around it. And boy, we should be glad that they did… Continue reading 5 Napkin Burger
Today’s post isn’t going to be the most seasonally appropriate food, but this pie is so darn good, I will make it all year round. Veteran’s Day is always a special day for me. For generations, my family has served in the Armed Forces. Since arriving to the USA in the 1400’s, the Merediths have fought in many wars up to and including the Civil War. There is a legend that one of my relatives (on the other side of my family) stopped Sherman from burning her house down as he marched through the north Alabama area. Who knows if it’s true or not…and who cares. It’s a great story!!! Another great story is the story of this pie….. Continue reading Veteran’s Day and Pie One of the greatest things about living in New York City is that we have the best pizza in the world. (Well in our opinion). I am going to have a guest blogger posting about his hunt for the most authentic food in NYC. One of his first tasks will be to find a great slice. Now, this guest blogger–Chris– introduced me to my current favorite slice: Bleeker Street Pizza in the West Village. Stay tuned to see if we can beat that one. Now full discloure: this photo is not Bleeker St. pizza. It’s another slice–we’ll talk about that later. Where should I send Chris to get pizza??
I have been eating aioli since I moved to NYC. The restaurant down the street serves a panini with lemon aioli, I have had rosemary aioli, and I have had traditional aioli. I love it, but I have never even wondered what it was or how to make it. Well, it’s time to figure it out.
You should have all of the ingredients at room temperature before you start. Make this in a bowl that is heavy enough that it won’t move across the counter as you’re mixing. Mix the garlic, egg yolk, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a heavy mixing bowl with a hand mixer until the yolk lightens and thickens slightly (about 1 minute). Start adding the olive oil, drop by drop, mixing all the while with your hand mixer. You can add it a bit faster as you go along, but as with mayonnaise, the key to success is going very slowly. When you are done adding the oil you can adjust the seasoning as suits your taste. This makes 1 cup – maybe you should double the recipe, it is so good. |
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My Mama Jean (who y’all all met earlier when she made me eat a crow) used to always make Ham and RedEye Gravy. Now, many of you probably have never heard of RedEye Gravy. Redeye Gravy is a type of gravy primarily prepared in the South. Other names for this sauce include poor man’s gravy, bird-eye gravy, bottom sop and red ham gravy. Another popular way to serve red-eye gravy, especially in parts of Alabama, is with mustard or ketchup mixed in with the gravy. Biscuits are commonly dipped the the gravy (“sopped”). Now, I know y’all can’t wait to make this so, without further ado, here is how you do it. 
