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.
CSI-DDI
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.
CSI-DDI
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).
CSI-DDI
Craters
Acrylics on 18" x 18" Canvas Click on Image for Larger View
Six Moons
I shot a photo of Sherry's egg carton paint palette, and that moved me to try replicating the image on canvas. Well, sort of. Acrylic on Canvas 16" x 20" Click on Image for Larger View Back to Top
Acrylic on Ceramic Tile
Acrylics on 8 1/2" x 13" Ceramic Tile Click on Image for Larger View
Jalapeno Poppers
I did these for the first time for a gathering over at our neighbors' house. I got the idea from my son and his friend, JR. This is really simple. Just keep an eye on them and try to bring the bacon to crispy without over doing the cheese. Once the cheese started to...
Collard Greens
This is NOT the way my mother does greens, but I'm telling you, this is GOOD! I got the idea from our neighbor, Chef Joel St. John. Until I had his greens I'd never thought about all the other things that could be added to the pot. He sometimes adds tasso, venison...
Huevos Rancheros
There are probably a million ways to do this simple dish. You can make it as complicated as you like. Simple is easy and tasty. I like to "poach" the eggs on top of the salsa. If you wish to do this, use a pan with a lid. Ingredients 1 onion, chopped 1 poblano, seeded...
Acrylic on Plastic
Sherry's refrigerator egg container that she uses as a pallet. To me, it's abstract art.
Shrove Tuesday Pictures
These are a few of the pictures from our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church. All proceeds go toward supporting Youth Mission Trips.
Pancakes
These are so simple and so much superior to the store-bought mixes. You owe it to your family to make pancakes from scratch. Ingredients 3/4 cup flour1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking powder2 tablespoons sugar2 eggs1 cup milk1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions...
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...
Chicken Cacciatore
This dish can be as Italian as you want; or you can shift gears and go Louisiana style. I tend toward the Cajun myself. Ingredients 8 chicken thighs or legs; skinned1 onion; diced3 cloves garlic; minced8 ounces fresh mushrooms; chopped14 ounce can of diced tomatoes...
Flounder Baked in Mushroom Sauce
A good way to do flounder. Very flavorful; I just dreamed this up on the spot, and we were both very pleased with how it turned out. Ingredients 1 lb flounder filets Old Bay Seasoning 8 oz fresh mushrooms; chopped 1 onion; chopped 4 cloves garlic; minced 1 stick...
A Very Special Ring
A friend who owns a pawn shop gave this ring to my mother in law. She told me that she can't think of anyone she'd rather wear it than me. Check it out. https://youtu.be/8Cgqw6FWwVQ?si=X-mAdt7gQ-T6i2y-
Mushrooms in Garlic Butter
I stumbled across the delightful Smitten Kitchen cooking blog quite by mistake. I still don't know where I found the link, but I'm glad I did. I adapted the following recipe from Deb Perelmans Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms Visit her site and enjoy. She's doing a...
Oyster Po’ Boy
We used to get slam-bang Oyster Po' Boys at a place called Jerry's in Pensacola, FL. I finally decided to give a try at making this delicacy also known as a "Peace-maker." This is not quite like those we got at Jerry's or like those we've had at other diners between...
Souvlakia – Marinated Pork, Peppers and Onions
We used to do this a lot when we lived in Arkansas. For some reason, I think maybe I've not done this in the 12 years since we moved to Houston. Today, that changes. Ingredients 1.5 pounds pork stew meat; cut into 1" cubes1 yellow onion, peels and cut into 1" square...
Taco Stew
My friend, Kathy Jackson, served this at Vestry, and it was a hit. She kindly sent the recipe to a few of us who requested it. Thank you, Kathy! Ingredients 1 lb ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 1 (15 1/4 oz) can whole-kernel corn, undrained 1 (10 oz) can Rotel...
Lima Beans I
My mother gave me her old Mirror pressure cooker that's probably close to 40 years old. We've been having a blast with it. We make chicken stock with it, and use the stock in recipes like this one. Ingredients 1 lb small dried lima beans (soaked and drained)3 cups...
Labels
Americanappetizerart autobiographybeans bread bread breakfastcajun casserolechicken Chinese creole crock potDaddy dessertdressingeggsfigsfish tacosGreek greens grill IndianItalianKathy LagniappeMargaretmarinademeat...
Apple Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients 2 cups cranberry juice 1 (6-ounce) bag sweetened dried cranberries 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half 1 cup sugar 2 Gala apples, peeled, cored and diced 2 teaspoons corn starch Directions In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the cranberry juice,...
Green Tomato and Vidalia Onion Gratin
Okay, I shamelessly stole this from FoodNetwork's Claire Robinson. (I just learned today that she's a fellow alumna of U. Memphis.) If you can't find Vidalia onions, try Texas Sweets. Ingredients 1/4 pound bacon 1 cup fresh bread crumbs 2 large Vidalia onions, peeled...
Sweet Potato Salad
Ingredients 2-3 medium sweet potatoes2 sticks celery, chopped1/2 small yellow onion, minced1/2 cup mayo (Or More!)2T prepared mustard (Or MORE!)4 boiled eggs (Or More!)1 small to medium minced carrot (optional) Directions Boil potatoes for about 30...
Boiled Shrimp
I’m sure there are a thousand different ways of boiling shrimp. I’ve done it several different ways myself, and it’s usually very good. The trick is to avoid overcooking. I adapted this method from The Frank Davis Seafood Notebook (Pelican Publishing Company;...
Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients cooking spray 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 envelopes rapid-rise yeast 1 tablespoon parsley flakes 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk (very warm 120-130°F) 2 tablespoons corn oil 1 egg Filling 2 packages chicken gravy mix 2 cups cold water...
Peanut Sauce
This sauce goes well with Satay Chicken. Ingredients 1 cup peanut butter; chunky 1 to 2 tsp hot chilie sauce (I like Sriracha.) 2 cloves garlic; crushed 3 Tbsp honey 1 tsp cayenne 1/4 cup lime juice 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup peanut oil Directions Place peanut butter...
Oxtail Stew
Ingredients 4 pounds oxtails cut into 1" pieces 3 T peanut oil 4 carrots; chopped 2 turnips; peeled and diced 4 stalks celery; diced 2 yellow onions; peeled and diced 3 cups stock 1 cup red wine 2 bay leaves 1 tsp thyme (dried) 1/2 cup par, parsley 1 cup of brown roux...
Dwayne’s Fettuccine with Bolognese Sauce
My brother, Dwayne, prepared this meal for a family gathering at my Mom's house tonight. It was a big hit. The "girls" loved it. (The "girls" are our cousins Vicky from St. Louis, and Betty from San Francisco.) This is just as he wrote it for me. Ingredients 3...
Mantia’s Sweet-Dill Garlic Pickles
My mother gave me this recipe she clipped from the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Ingredients 1 gallon dill(not Kosher) pickles 1 large head garlic, peeled and minced 1/2 small bottle Tobasco sauce 2 lbs (4 cups) sugar Directions Drain all the juice from the pickles and...
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Ingredients 1 pound Andouille sausage ; diced 3 pounds Chicken ; leg quarters, skinned 1/2 teaspoon White pepper ; ground 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper 1 teaspoon Salt 1 pound Frozen sliced okra (or fresh if you prefer) 4 each Garlic ; minced 3 Onion...
Fig Bread
We have a huge fig tree in our backyard. We used to put up preserves each summer, but this year we decided to freeze the figs instead. Just place on a flat sheet in freezer. Once frozen, transfer to freezer bags. I like to snack on the frozen figs like popsicles....
Pot Liquor Soup
We had about a half gallon of delicious "pot liquor" left over from a huge mess of greens we'd cooked. It was delicious by itself, but I decided to experiment with this "Pot Liquor Soup." It's more like a pot of beans flavored with greens, but call it what you will....
Pop Tart Cake
Ingredients 1 box yellow cake mix 1/2 cup strawberries, sliced 1/2 cup blueberries, halved 1 1/2 strawberry Pop-Tarts, crumbled 1 1/2 blueberry Pop-Tarts, crumbled 1 jar white icing (with sprinkles) Directions 1) Mix all ingredients (except icing) together in mixing...
Easy Boiled Chicken
This is an easy way to boil up a chicken without cooking all the flavor out of it. We got this idea from Jeff Smith, the Frugal Gourmet. Ingredients 3-4 pound whole chicken, thoroughly rinsed. Directions Bring a HUGE pot of water to a boil. It's got to be big because...
Guacamole Stuffed Poblano
This is a bit decadent, but I had some extra chiles on hand along with some ripe avocados. Use your favorite guacamole recipe, or just throw one together following mine. Ingredients2 poblano chiles, roasted skinned, and cleaned of seeds and membranes8 ounces V & V...
Old-fashion Basic Cole Slaw
Nothing fancy about this slaw. It's similar to the one my mother makes. Plain and simple, and VERY tasty. Ingredients 1/2 head cabbage; shredded or finely chopped 3 green onions (or a quarter cup or so of finely chopped yellow onion) 1 medium carrot; finely grated...
Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients 1 lb shrimp; peeled, deveined garlic powder cayenne white pepper black pepper onion powder thyme, dried paprika 8 corn or flour tortillas (We like whole wheat.) 2 cups fresh garden salad (lettuce, tomatoes, jicama, fresh turnips, etc.) mayo or salad...
Shrimp Pilau #2
My friend, Nikki Merritt, turned me on to Shrimp Pilau, and the recipe she gave me is excellent. I did some researching on "pilau," though, and saw that it's very much like a jambalaya I'm more accustomed to cooking, but using bacon instead of sausage, and with less...
Dwayne’s Pork Ribs
Dwayne does almost as good a job on ribs as Daddy used to do. I've found another recipe that is very similar to Dwayne's. Don't be afraid to experiment. Ingredients 2 racks Pork ribs2 cups Pineapple juiceDry Rub for RibsApple ciderCooking Oil Instructions Rub ribs...
Corn, Tomato & Black Bean Salsa
Ingredients 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 2 Tablespoons olive oil 4 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped 1/4 teaspoon cumin seed, freshly ground and lightly toasted 1 jalapeno, minced 2 Tablespoon cider vinegar 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup fresh...
Easy Oven Roasted Fish
Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine Dijon mustard and brown sugar. Adjust to the desired amount of sweetness-tanginess. Salt and pepper the fish. Line a cooking sheet with foil. Lightly oil the sheet; then add fish skin-side down. Spread the tops of the fillets...