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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Casseroles
As we added more recipes to our site, we found that some simply defy categorizing in one neat cubbyhole or another. To address this, I decided, at Sherry's urging, to add "casseroles" to our list of food categories. Yes, I know. "Casserole" means a very specific thing...
The Mayor and I
There 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 get the job. His...
Fresh Fig Quesadillas
Our friend from Palmer, Joey Hunter, brought us this recipe. It's credited to Fig Heaven: 70 recipes for the Worlds's Most Luscious Fruit by Marie Simmons (Willam Morrow - 2004). Wonderful combination here. (Joey adds that if you can't get fresh figs, that peaches,...
Non-cooking Links
We have other interests, of course, besides cooking. And here are a few of them. Tumbleweed Almanac - Fr. Neil Willard's Blog Roger Hutchison - Christian Educator, Artist, and Author Cajun History Kirsten Dinesen's Photo Blog Frayser69 (My high school...
Church Stuff
Some pictures of our children at church anglicans online bcp (By Section) bcp (Entire Book in PDF) bible Bible Gateway bishop doyle bishop doyle recommends bishop greg rickel childrens ministry online church calendar 1 | church calendar 2 daily office episcopal cafe...
Miscelleanous Links
AlterNet American Politics Arianna Bart Cop Bible Trivia Bill Maher's Blog Bush's House of Horrors Bush Watch Campaign Desk Capitol Hill Christian Gays Columbia Journalism Review Common Dreams Consortium News Crisis Papers Cultural Literacy The Daily...
Radio & TV
abc cbs cnn daily show directv msnbc npr o'franken pacifica pbs tallefero whaddya know abc cbs cnn daily show directv msnbc npr o'franken pacifica pbs tallefero whaddya know Back to Randal's Links
Sherry’s Apple Muffins
Sherry can't remember where she got this recipe. So we can't credit the source. These are quick, easy, and very tasty. Ingredients 1 egg 1/2 cup milk 1/4 cup salad oil 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup...
Shrimp Pilau ala Nikki
My dear friend, Nikki Merritt, served this dish to the vestry. Once again, as we've come to expect from her, she hit a homer! Thank you, so much. (Nikki says this is from one of the Junior League of Charleston Cookbooks. When I read, "Receipts" in her email, I...
Greek Tomatoes
Ingredients 2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced 1 red onion, thinly sliced 3 ounces ripe olives, pitted and sliced 1/2 pound crumbled feta cheese Fresh or dried oregano, to taste 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive...
Tex-Mex Chunky Salsa Salad
Ingredients 3 to 4 medium tomatoes, halved, seeded and cubed (3 cups) 1 large Texas 1015 onion, coarsely chopped 2 cucumbers, pared, halved lengthwise, seeded and cubed 4 teaspoons minced garlic 4 jalapeños or other small hot chiles, seeded and finely chopped...
Potato, Corn & Tomato Salad with Basil Dressing
Ingredients 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1/2 cup olive oil 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 1/2 pounds red potatoes 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved 6 ears fresh corn, cooked, kernels removed Directions Put the...
History of This Cookbook
I've been the head cook in our household since 1983, when I got laid off at the same time Sherry returned to work from maternity leave. We soon discovered that I was a much better cook than she; plus I enjoyed it much more than she did. I began writing notes...
Basil Salad Dressing
Ingredients 2 T white wine vinegar 1/2 cup olive oil 1 cup basil leaves, packed salt and pepper to taste Directions Place all ingredients in blender or food processor, and process until the mixture is emulsified.
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Soup
This soup started out as Chinese, and suddenly evolved into Tex-Mex, Cajun, and soul-cooking all rolled into one. I started out with the notion of making egg drop soup, but with a twist. I had close to a quart of "pot liquor" left over from some REALLY good...
Black Beans with Pork Neck Bone
My mother gave us her old pressure cooker, and that's how I cook these. I'm sure they'd be just as good slow cooked too, so don't worry if you don't have a pressure cooker. We try to limit our sodium intake, so I skip the smoked neck bones. If sodium is not a concern...
No-oil Salad Dressing
A little horseradish gives a lot of zip to this tart cooked dressing. Cornstarch offers a convenient way to thicken this tangy blend without oil. Update: First report in - this is good stuff according to the lady whose lunch box I helped pack this morning. (May 11,...
Fool-Proof Boiled Eggs
Special thanks to the American Egg Board for these instructions. Place eggs in saucepan large enough to hold eggs in a single layer. Cover with cold water to a depth of 1 inch over the eggs. Bring just to a boil; remove from burner and cover pan. Let eggs stand in hot...
Shrimp Stuffed Sweet Peppers
Ingredients 4-6 bell peppers1/2 small yellow onion, minced1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped1 celery stick, minced1 poblano or jalapeno, seeded and minced3 T butter for pan frying1 pound small shrimp, peeled1/2+ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning1 tsp garlic powderTony...
Chicken Pot Pie
I did this tonight, and it was GREAT! Don't be afraid to experiment. For one thing, we don't buy those gravy packets. I made my gravy from scratch, using the drippings from chicken I'd baked in the microwave. Just heat up a few tablespoons of the drippings and stir in...
Rice for 100
Most of you will probably never have to cook rice for 100-120 or so, but I did it last night. Thanks to Ken Brown for this recipe. Ingredients 1.5 gallons water + 1.5 cups 1 gallon rice cup of butter or margerine Directions Stir together in deep hotel tray. Seal...
Stuffed Mushrooms
I'm sure there are a million ways to stuff mushrooms, and I don't always do them the same way myself. But this is a pretty good dish, and can be modified to your liking and depending on what you have around the house. Ingredients 14 medium mushrooms3 green onions1 1/2...
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...
Shrimp and Oyster/Clam Sauce with Pasta
I made this up for Sherry just from stuff we had around the house. I keep some frozen shrimp on hand at all times. Luckily, I also had some cans of oysters and clams. I try also to keep the Cotija cheese on hand. Ingredients 1 pound shrimp, peeled 8 ounce can of...
No-Knead Bread
A client gave me this recipe and swears it's top notch. Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour (more for dusting) 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast cornmeal or wheat bran as needed Directions In large bowl, mix flour, salt and yeast. Add 1 5/8 cups water and stir...
Baked Apple Pancake
Ingredients 2 tablespoons butter1 cup peeled, sliced tart apples1/3 cup chopped pecans1/4 cup sugar1/2 teaspoon cinnamon2 large eggs1 cup flour3/4 cup milk1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon baking powderPinch of salt Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt...
Rice, Sausage, and Mushroom Casserole
Okay, I made this one up and had no idea where I was going with it, but I'm pleased with how it turned out. I was making stuffed mushrooms, and wound up wth more mushrooms than I needed. And I also happened to have some left over bround rice and some Texas Style...
Bacon Explosion
Sounds weird, eh? My little brother turned me on to this, and I'm thinking about trying it. The New York Times featured this recipe recently, as did Good Morning America Update (February 1, 2009 - Super Bowl Sunday): I did it, and it wasn't nearly as tricky as it...
Poblano – Tomatillo Sauce
This versatile and tasty green sauce is great for enchiladas, dipping, over eggs, and even as a base for soup. Ingredients 1 pound Poblano Chile1 pound tomatillo1 onion diced1 teaspoon salt1 bay leaf3 cups chicken stock (or seafood stock if appropriate)*3 cloves...
Not So Irish Stew
My mother recently gave us her old Mirror-matic pressure cooker, and we've had fun seeing what it will do. She still had the old 1970's instruction and recipe booklet, and that's where we got the idea for this recipe. We adapted it from their Irish Stew. We didn't...
Caribbean Chicken
I stumbled across this one on Food TV, and it looks like a winner. I'm thinking of doing these on the grill. Ingredients * 1 habanero, seeded and chopped * 1/4 cup soy sauce * 1/4 cup honey * 1/4 cup brown sugar * 2 tablespoon sugar * 2 teaspoons fennel seed * 2...
Seafood Bisque
I threw this together because I couldn't think of anything else to do. I debated "red?" or "white?" And "white" won out. This is as much an Alfredo as it is a bisque. I got the base for the recipe off a can of Tony Chachere's Instant White Gravy, and he called it a...
Here I Stand: Pacts with the Devil and Haiti
The Rev’d James W. Nutter January 14, 2010 From today’s Houston Chronicle: “Evangelical broadcaster Pat Robertson says Haiti has been ‘cursed’ because of what he calls a ‘pact with the devil’ in its history.” Well, I couldn’t quite believe that such words were said,...
Macaroni & Cheese with Lobster
This recipe was adapted from The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever by Beatrice Ojakangas. Use freshly steamed lobster meat or frozen, cooked lobster meat that has been thoroughly defrosted. A total of 3 1/2 pounds of live lobster ought to yield enough for this recipe, or...
Winterizing
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Banana-Coconut Pie
Ingredients For crust: 2 1/4 cups dried dates pitted and soaked in water for an hour if too dry 1 1/2 cups almonds 2 cups walnuts For filling: 2 coconuts 8 small, ripe bananas 2 tablespoons raw honey or agave nectar 1 cup pitted dates 6 to 8 strawberries Directions...
Cheesy Mexican Corn Bake
JR brought this over on Christmas Day (2009), and it was suberb. He sent me the link to the Betty Crocker site where he got the recipe. Ingredients 2 bags (12 oz each) Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ Niblets® frozen corn 1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 cup chopped...
Slingshot Around the Moon
My first attempt at painting with acrylics (on 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" card stock) I did this on January 4, 2010.
Grill Medley
I fired up the Weber tonight and added some hickory chunks. I banked the fire on two sides, placed an aluminum drip pan in the center, and prepared a vegetable medley for the grill. Ingredients purple onion, peeled and sliced 3/8 inch thick 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms,...
Corn Pudding
The food service people at the university did this one for a party at the president's house. It was such a hit, that they shared the recipe. Ingredients 2 cups of corn (fresh, canned, or frozen) 4 eggs, beaten ½ cup Monterey Jack Cheese (grated) ½ cup of Cheddar...