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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Mushroom and Shallot Bake
I threw this together because I had mushrooms; I had shallots; and I was hungry. Ingredients 1/2 pound white mushrooms (or your favorite) sliced 2-3-4 Shallots, chopped 1 or 2 T raspberry or other jam or preserves 1 T hot sauce salt pepper butter for the pan...
Fried Green Tomatoes
Our grocery had green tomatoes on special, so I picked up a few. I always loved fried green tomatoes when I was growing up; but until now I've not had any luck getting them right. I think the secret is slicing them very thin. Ingredients 2 green tomatoes; sliced 1/8"...
Chorizo, Green Chile, and Mushrooms – On a Shingle
When I was growing up my Aunt Marie introduced me to something she loving called "SOS." I think it was an old Navy acronymn for something served on a "shingle." Tonight, I had a couple of heals left over from a loaf of wheat bread, so I decided, "Why not?" Of course,...
Smoked Sausage and Green Chile Frittata
Sherry wanted a quick snack. This wasn't so quick, but it was worth the time it took to put it together. Ingredients 6-8 eggs (I used 8 since they were on the small side.) 2 shallots, minced 1/2 pound smoked sausage, finely chopped (I used Holmes Smoked Garlic.) 2...
Shrimp and Guacamole Panini
I've been having fun with this Nuwave Oven we recently put in to service. I've found it's quick and easy to cook up some shrimp for a snack or sandwich.Ingredients8 small to medium shrimp; peeled and deveined1 small to medium avocado1/2 Roma tomato (or a small part of...
Rosemary’s Smoked Cheese Pizza
Ingredients 1 pound mushrooms; cleaned and sliced 1 teaspoon dried dill weed 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 cup grated smoked cheese 1 cup grated mild cheese (Mozzarella, etc.) 1/2 cup scallions, chopped. oil for the cooking pan salt and pepper Pizza Dough ...
Pan Seared Steak
We used to grill steaks just about every Friday back when we lived around the corner from Southern Meat Market in Memphis. They'd cut us rib-eyes to order, and we'd grill them on a hibachi out on our front porch. Ahhhh....those were fun times. I got this recipe from...
Ensenada Slaw with Fish Tacos
I heard this story on NPR today, and thought it was worth saving the recipe. Use any flaky white fish. The rub is inspired by a recipe that appeared in Gourmet Magazine from June 2007. Slaw 1/2 head cabbage, cored and shredded (about 4-6 cups) 2 cups peeled and...
Smoky Black Bean and Neck Bone Soup
This one turned out very nicely; but then it took me two days to do it. You can do it in one day if you like. The reason it took me two days is I smoked the onions and peppers (rather than grilling over direct heat). I just got a call from Chef St. John reporting that...
Shrimp Smokenator
I tried something I've never tried before. I put some medium to large shrimp on the grill with the Smokenator fired up. It was running about 200-225, and I cooked them 10 minutes on the side farthest from the Smokenator. I didn't marinate them or put oil or any...
Microwaved Potato Skins
I got this recipe off a bag of small potatoes (Mountain King Petites). Ingredients 8 petite potatoes, unpeeled 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup picante sauce 3 Tsp bacon bits 6 chopped green onions 1/4 cup shredded cheese Directions Wash potatoes and prick with fork. ...
Peppers, Pasta, Onion and Clam
Sherry asked me to get in the kitchen and whip up something, so I came up with this. I wish I could think of names for these dishes. Ingredients 1 red bell pepper 1 yellow bell pepper 1 poblano chile 1 Texas Sweet or Vidalia onion (Red or regular yellow will do.) 1...
BBQ is Not a Verb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ubTQfr_tyY&feature=youtu.be Really fun video about southern BBQ.
Shrimp Fajitas – Stovetop
Sometimes I just don't feel like firing up the grill. This is a fair approximation of a grilled fajitas dinner. Sherry gave it a thumbs up. Ingredients 1/2 - 3/4 pounds medium shrimp; peeled and deveined. 1 red bell pepper; whole 1 green bell pepper; whole 1 large...
Cucumber Salsa
Thanks to Sherry for sending this along. I have no idea where she found it. Ingredients 2 cups finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber 1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato 1/4 cup chopped red onion 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley 1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped 4-1/2...
Instructed Eucharist by The Reverend Sam Todd
Several years ago, The Rev. Sam Todd conducted an "instructed Eucharist" at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. Fr. Sam graciously shared his notes with me and granted me permission to use them in teaching Youth Confirmation/Sunday school, and to...
Dry Milk
To make one cup of milk, mix 1/3 cup dry milk with 7/8 cup of water.
Shrimp with Mushrooms and Collard Greens
I love throwing together a quick meal for Sherry on demand. That is she says, "I'm hungry," and I say, let me see what I can fix." I had these collard greens already prepared and in the fridge, and I had these fresh shrimp and some mushrooms. It seemed like a natural....
Tommy Moore Sightings
Thanks to my brother, Dwayne, for tipping me off to these two sightings of the Tommy Moore picture. One on the local Fox News affiliate in Memphis, and the other on CNN. The Fox News segment apparently lifts verbiage straight from this blog post. For over forty years...
Shrimp BBQ’d in Skillet
First you get some shrmps. Then you heat up some butter nearly to the burning point. Then you throw in the shrimps. Then you add the good stuff. And I added a bit of Kraft BBQ Sauce too. Then, you cook until done. And put out the dog, because he's...
Kale and Asparugus with Shrimp
Yes, we are on a kale kick around here. It's inexpensive; it's healthy; it's easy to prepare; and it's delicious! It's hard to go wrong with this stuff. For this meal, I happened to have on hand some fresh Gulf shrimp. Ingredients 1.5 pounds smoked pork neck bones (Or...
Kale with Chaurice and Pasta
We have this most delicious Chaurice sausage by a company called "Frenchy's" here in Houston. I happened to have a bunch of Kale on hand, and decided to look around for possibilities. Thanks to the people at Epicurious.com. I'm sure their recipe is a good one too....
Souvlakia #2
I did a version of Souvlakia today, and we were quite pleased. Ingredients 2 pounds pork country ribs; cut into 1" dice 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup Soy sauce 1/4 vinegar black pepper salt onion powder garlic powder thyme basil oregano 1 yellow bell pepper; cleaned and...
Quesadillas with Chicken and Kale
Yes, I know it sounds strange, but trust me on this. One of the fun things we do around here is play "stump the cook." Sherry will say, "I'm getting a bit hungry; can you fix me up a little something?" Magic words I LOVE to hear. *S* Nothing is more fun for me than...
REVEALING HEAVEN
Our good friend, the Rev. John W. Price, has written about his conversations with over 200 people who've had a "near death experience." His book, REVEALING HEAVEN - The Christian Case for Near Death Experiences, is available online and in bookstores now....
More about Dumplings
Growing up in the south in the home of one of the finest country cooks in west Tennessee, I acquired an early appreciation for a good dumpling. An old Kraft Foods rep I used to do business with years ago gave me a simple dumpling recipe that works well. I think,...
Cornmeal Dumplings with Greens
Our neighbor made these for us, and we thought they were fabulous. I finally got around to trying it myself. Easy to do, and very tasty. Ingredients 1 lb. smoked turkey necks or wings 1 bunch collard greens 2 or 3 turnips, peeled and cut into a large dice 1 onion,...
Slow Cooker Candied Carrots
While watching the Hungry Girl show on the Cooking Channel. I started to type out the instructions when she posted her web address. Duh! Ingredients 1/4 cup apricot preserves (low sugar) 2 T brown sugar 1 1/2 T butter (lite spread) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon...
Roasted Garlic and Onion with Shrimp
Sherry asked me to cook something, and I said, "But we have nothing to work with." She knew better and invited me to figure out something. I roasted most of the vegetables in a dry skillet. Toward the end, I did drizzle a bit of olive oil in the pan to prevent...
Pork, Cabbage and Hominy Stew
This was going to be a version of green chile and cabbage dish Sherry loves so much. But I didn't bother to look up the recipe, and just winged it. This is what happened. I don't have a slow cooker big enough to hold it all, but I bet it would be a natural for those...
Wilted Kale
Sherry picked up a bunch of Kale, and I had no idea what to do with it. Let's just say it wasn't something we saw much of in the Byrd household when I was a child. Turnip greens, mustard greens, collards? You bet. But Kale? I don't know. Sounds so "arugula" to me. *S*...
Shrimp with Sweet Potatoes
Sherry said she wanted a snack, so I threw this together in a hurry. I already had the creamed sweet potatoes in the fridge. So I just quickly pan fried some shrimp in butter; warmed the sweet potatoes in the microwave; then topped the potatoes with the shrimp, a few...
Carnitas
Found this interesting approach to Carnitas. Tried it on Jan. 24th with country style ribs rather than a roast. I put most in a 2 liter corningware, and the rest in a small cast iron skillet. I covered both with foil. After 3 hours in a 250 F oven, the ribs in the...
Pollock and Shrimp Pan Fry
We had some pollock fillets down from the freezer that had thawed a couple of days ago. Along with other good stuff we had on hand, this turned out to be a pretty darned good breakfast. Not traditional by any stretch of the imagination, but the sort of thing I love...
Seafood Combo
Ingredients 1 lb. frozen Seafood Combo 1 lb good smoked sausage or Andouille cut into bite sized pieces 4 yellow onions (peeled) 15 ounce can of tomatoes in their juice 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 green pepper, cleaned and chopped 1 can chopped clams with juice 3 cups...
Christmas Dinner
When we first planned for Christmas Dinner, it was going to be Sherry, Sam, me, and possibly Sam's housemate Jeff. I had pretty big plans for a variety of non-traditional menu items. The question of whether to expect Jeff wasn't really an issue; we had plenty either...
Crock Pot "BBQ"
A work mate of Sherry's gave her this recipe, and I thought it looked promising. Haven't tried this yet, and I probably will not put beef in mine. Thanks to Hanh Nguyen for this. Ingredients 1 1/2 lbs beef cubed stew meat (beef roast) 1 1/2 lbs lean cubed pork...
A Walk in the Park
We are lucky to have a city park and a public elementary school right down the street from our end of the culdesac. The dog loves to take a walk around the park and school grounds, and today, for the first time we toured the on-campus Urban Harvest Garden. The...
Southern Style Biscuits
My grandmother used to make about 2 dozen of these every morning. She made enough so there would be leftovers for the dogs. I'd stand on the back porch and throw biscuits to Toby and Bullet; they'd catch them in midair and practically swallow them whole. Ingredients ...
Links
These are links to sites having to do with food and cooking. I've set up another page for links to things having nothing to do with cooking. aluminum foil faq Thanks to Reynolds amazing ribs asparagus recipes - California Asparagus Commission beer can...