What a Blessing
What a blessing to have been raised in Memphis by a country cook who knew what she was doing. Good cooking was just a way of life in our household and among our extended family. My mother prepared the best fried chicken in Tipton County (We grew up in Memphis, but our reunions were in Tipton County.) according to my aunts, uncles, cousins, and great aunts & uncles; I have no reason to doubt their words of praise. I saw at every family reunion whose chicken was the first to go.
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Daddy Cooked Too
And my mother wasn’t the only good cook in our house. My daddy was a master at the grill and could throw together a variety of tasty snacks inside as well. He specialized in oyster stew & Bleu Cheese Dressing; and sitting down with Daddy as we built snacks of smoked oysters, cheeses, crackers, olives, and anything else he could scrape together was a banquet in itself.
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Let’s Get Cooking
The blog entries below come from recipes we enjoy around our household; from recipes I’ve yet to try; from recipes given me by friends and family, and things I’ve read about on line or in real print. Yes, I do still subscribe to magazines that come in the mail. Also there are posts about cooking equipment, techniques, sources for more information, etc. I hope you find something of interest. By all means, feel free to write (rbyrd@rbyrd.net).
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Dal
Randal Byrd | December 25, 2016 | Story-tellingI adapted this recipe from one I found in the New York Times. Sherry loves this! The original recipe calls for double the amount of coriander, cumin, turmeric and ginger. Add more than the 1 teaspoon of each, if you...
Cauliflower Snack Chips
IngredientsCooking spray2 c. riced cauliflower1 1/2 c. grated ParmesanFreshly ground black pepperDirectionsPreheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Apply cooking spray lightly.Microwave the cauliflower in covered bowl on high for 1 minute. Stir...
Chili Pie
I did a version of this for our Canterbury Students. Sherry loved the cornbread crust. I used mushrooms and spinach because I had them on hand and I wanted to "stretch" the results. For a more "Mexican" feel, you may omit these. I'm not a fan of ground beef, so I use...
Patrick Hall Moves on to Epiphany
ews from your Missioner This is the letter Patrick Hall sent to Autry House congregants - announcing his answering the call from Church of the Epiphany.________________________________________ Dear Autry House, It has been...
Volkswagen Bug
One of my favorite memories of driving a "Bug." Running out of gas, but then coasting into the next gas station. One of my WORST memories of driving a "Bug." Stepping on the brake only to find the entire pedal assembly falling over like a line of dominoes...... ...
Pizza Recipes
Pizza #1 For years, I made my pizza dough with corn meal as in the recipe pictured here. Have fun with it, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Pizza #2 Ingredients 1 package dry yeast3 tablespoon butter; softened1 1/2...
Mushrooms and Onions
Ingredients1 pound mushrooms; cleaned and sliced1 large yellow onion; diced2- 4 T soy saucegarlic powdersalt and pepper1 tsp, plus toasted sesame oilDirectionsIn wide skillet (with a lid) saute the onions in the olive oil for a few minutes; add the sliced mushrooms....
Sam’s Houston Press Articles – 2019
Sam Byrd is a freelance contributor to the Houston Press who loves to take in all of Houston’s sights, sounds, food and fun. He also loves helping others to discover Houston’s rich culture. PS - Sam also contributes to Outsmart December 31, 2019 – Tony DeSare...
Oatmeal Muffins
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats1/2 cup flour1 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp ground cinnamon1/4 tsp ground nutmeg1/4 tsp salt1 Large Egg, beaten3/4 cup yogurt1/4 cup milk1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup1 tsp pure vanilla extract1 cup...
Sweet Potato Tots
You can make these ahead of time (before baking). Place frozen tots in oven and bake until done. Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Ingredients 1 3/4 cup mashed sweet potatoes (3 medium sweet potatoes) 1 egg yolk 1/2 cup grated cheese 1 small brown onion finely...
We Both Went Shopping!
I fired up the smoker and cooked two family packs of chicken wings. I got them on sale for $1.49/lb at Foodarama. Also cooked up a huge batch of green chili sauce. Why a huge batch? Because Sherry and I both picked up the same items at the grocery. A...
The Magician’s Assistant
Once, at a Gridiron Show cast party, the magician’s assistant made a play for me. I wasn’t interested and tried to dodge her. She persisted.One of the other acts was a lady barbershop quartet. They saw what was going on. They liked me too; but weren’t at all...
Hot Water Cornbread
I used to help my mother make this back in our Frayser days. Ingredients 2 cups Cornmeal (Yellow or White) 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup grated onion or chopped 1-2 tablespoons melted butter 1 cup ( or more ) boiling water Instructions In a large bowl,...
Shrimp Etouffee by Paula Deen
Ingredients 1/2 cup oil 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra flour, optional 1 cup chopped yellow onion 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 cup chopped celery 3 cloves garlic, finely minced 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 1/2 teaspoon cayenne...
Spaghetti Squash with Peppers and Onions
We will definitely do this one again. Prepare Peppers and Onions, but without the cheese topping and without baking. That is, just do the stove-top part and use that to top your spaghetti squash "noodles" when serving. Ingredients 1 large spaghetti squash 1/2...
Bacon, Sausage, and Shrimp Tetrazinni
This makes up enough to fill two half-trays (9" x 13"). Ingredients: 1 lb breakfast sausage 1 lb bacon 24 ounces small shrimp 2 large sweet yellow onions, chopped 1 orange or red (or green) bell pepper, chopped 1 pound rotini pasta 1/2 pound grated cheddar cheese (or...
Sam’s Houston Press Articles – 2018
Sam Byrd is a freelance contributor to the Houston Press who loves to take in all of Houston’s sights, sounds, food and fun. He also loves helping others to discover Houston’s rich culture. PS - Sam also contributes to Outsmart December 20, 2018 – Decorations...
Instructions for the Smokenator
(Instruction Booklet PDF - 2017) www.smokenator.com (Phone 888.205.1931) ________________________________________________________ LONG Cook Times - Set Up and Temperature Management A loaded Smokenator box will fuel a cook of about 6 hours. To...
Hazael’s Salsa
Our son's good friend, Hazael, brings this over when they come to dinner. It's superb! The card to the right is Hazael's writing. Ingredients 3 red tomatoes, grilled and chopped1 poblano,grilled and chopped2 T olive oil1 clove garlic, mincedsalt and pepperjuice...
Apple Date Bread
I got this one off a package of dates. Ingredients: 1 cup chopped apples 1/2 cup chopped nuts 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup chopped dates 1/2 cup butter 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon Instructions: Cream the butter...
Substitute for Canned “Creamed” Soup
We're not fans of canned soups because of their tendency to be LOADED with sodium. So when a recipe calls for a "Cream of This or That" soup, we like to use a version of this instead. INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 1/2 cup chicken broth...
Pan Seared Scallops
Ingredients 1 to 1 1/4 pounds sea scallops2 teaspoons unsalted butter2 teaspoons olive oilKosher saltFreshly ground black pepper Directions Pat scallops thoroughly dry. Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat. Salt and...
Sweet and Sour Cabbage
We enjoyed living around the corner from a public library in Memphis. It was there I found an interesting Chinese cookbook. Each recipe was given in English on one page, and in Chinese on the facing page. When I cook this one, the family leaves the house until...
Dodging the Flood
Randal Byrd | August 31, 2017 | Storytelling We dodged a bullet! This picture was sent to us at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday morning (August 27, 2017). It was taken by our across the street neighbors. Our neighborhood became a river and a lake. Not one drop of water, though,...
Murals at Palmer
I just love these two murals by friends of ours from Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church. They are the collaborative works of Jackie Campbell, Kaytee Esser, and Kelly Bourgeois. The murals each are about 20 feet wide. What spectacular work. Thank you, Kaytee, Kelly, and...
Blessing for Peggy and Steele
rom June of 1996 until July of 1998, we worshiped with the good people at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Conway, Arkansas. After we moved to Houston, I entered into an arrangement by which the weekly sermons would be sent...
Three Ingredient Cookie
1 cup peanut butter 1 cup white sugar 1 egg, beaten Preheat the oven to 350F Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the peanut butter, white sugar and egg. Mix until smooth. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet; flatten the mounds a bit....
Cola Brined Chicken Thighs
Clipped from: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015992-coke-brined-fried-chicken Ingredients 5 cups Coca-Cola 1 tablespoon kosher salt 10 sprigs fresh thyme 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 4 teaspoons mild hot sauce like Crystal 8 to 12 chicken thighs,...
Neely’s BBQ Sauce
Both of us always enjoyed watching the Neelys on TV. Gina is loaded with personality; and they're from our home town. This is a recipe they say is "Kansas City" style. I don't know about that. It's a lot like what we've been making in west Tennessee for generations....
Sam’s Houston Press Articles – 2017
Sam Byrd is a freelance contributor to the Houston Press who loves to take in all of Houston’s sights, sounds, food and fun. He also loves helping others to discover Houston’s rich culture. PS - Sam also contributes to Outsmart December 26, 2017 – Sounds of the...
Ginger Brined Chicken Wings
I recently tried a cola brine, and it imparted a delicious sweet flavor to chicken thighs. Today, I had no cola, but I had plenty of ginger ale. INGREDIENTS 16 chicken wings 2 cans of Ginger Ale 3/4 cup soy sauce 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 3/4 cup brown sugar...
Inform Your Face
This is a piece I wrote years ago at the behest of our rector. He challenged me to write an Evangelism article for our monthly newsletter. I struggled for weeks, writing, rewriting, trashing my draft, and then writing again. Then, it hit me in a flash, and I dashed...
Coming to Houston
ack in 1998, we were invited by Houston Baptist University to come to Houston.1998She received her call on Monday, June 29, and they flew the two of us down on Wednesday, July 1, 1998. They made their offer to hire on...
Chicken and Gravy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBMqzSd3UlM Preheat oven to 375 F. Coat the chicken pieces with melted butter, working in thoroughly. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, and other seasonings as desired. Spray roasting pan with non-stick spray and place...
The Mayor and I
here once was a county clerk in Memphis, by the name of Dick Hackett. He was a hard line fundamentalist right winger who required female employees to wear bras. I wrote him and volunteered to be the county bra “inspector.” Needless to say, I didn't...
Saturday Morning Rassling
A recent post to the Frayser High Class of 1969 website by Gary Harrison (class of ‘72) mentioned famous wrestlers, Tojo Yamamoto and Jackie Fargo. It reminded me of two other famous personalities from that same era, and I thought I’d relate this tale to my...
Upside Down Onion-Corn Bread
Ingredients 2 (8.5 oz.) boxes corn muffin mix 2 Vidalia onions 3 eggs 1 cup cottage cheese 1 cup corn, rinsed and drained 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled 1/3 cup green onions,...
Oven Fried Oysters
Ingredients 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 eggs 1 cup dry bread crumbs 2/3 cup grated Romano cheese 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 1 pint shucked oysters or 2 cans (8 ounceseach) whole oysters, drained 2...
Sunday School – 2016
Sunday School - Fall, 2016 Here it is - another school year! 9/11 Tom/Shannon 9/18 Shannon/Randy 9/25 Randy/Tom 10/2 Shannon/Randy 10/9 Randy/Yuko 10/16 Tom//Shannon 10/23 RETREAT 10/30 NO SUNDAY SCHOOL 11/6 Tom//Shannon 11/13 Shannon/Randy 11/20 Randy/Tom...
Schools and Unions
So much talk about this that and the other ---- how about our schools? Teachers, tests, standards, on, and on, and on.... Yes, all of this is important. Did you ever think about who cooks the food? Who waxes the floors? Who carries out the trash? Well, I DO think...