Home cookin': three cookbooks combine legend and lore with recipes that should be in every Mississippian's repertoire.Like quilting quilting, form of needlework, almost always created by women, most of them anonymous, in which two layers of fabric on either side of an interlining (batting) are sewn together, usually with a pattern of back or running (quilting) stitches that hold the layers and letter-writing, some say cooking from scratch is a dying art. Sure, it's easy to close the refrigerator door in frustration and head to a restaurant for a nice meal. Or maybe you'll open a box of this or heat up a frozen package of that, and call it dinner. But what would your great-grandmother think? In the South, and in Mississippi in particular, a home-cooked meal has always been an institution that dare not be tampered with--never mind the busy day you've had or the lack of ingredients in your pantry. Here, inviting guests over for Sunday dinner is the ultimate show of Southern hospitality, and hosting your first supper "First Supper" is the third episode of the first season of the situation comedy Back To You. It aired on October 3, 2007. Plot When Chuck's dinner date is called off, he meets Kelly and Gracie at a nearby restauraut and awkwardly joins them for a meal. party is a rite of passage rite of passage n. A ritual or ceremony signifying an event in a person's life indicative of a transition from one stage to another, as from adolescence to adulthood. . Modern life has demanded that some adaptations be made to this rule, of course, but as three new Mississippi-themed cookbooks reveal, pulling together the perfect meal is still an integral part of Southern life. Southern Grace: Recipes and Remembrances from The W combines distinctly Southern recipes with historical anecdotes about the Mississippi University for Women • • [ in Columbus. Recipes submitted by alumni and friends share space with memorable dishes from The W's own dining hall; each has been tested by Chef Sarah Labensky and her students at the school's Culinary Arts Institute. A foreword by "honorary alumna" and author Fannie Flagg Fannie Flagg (born September 21, 1944) is an American author and actress. Biography Early life Flagg was born in Birmingham, Alabama to Marion Leona (LeGore) and William Hurbert Neal, Jr., a small-business owner and projectionist. sets the book's tone: "I have been asked many times to try to explain what makes Southerners so different from people in the rest of the country," she writes. "A hard question indeed, but I believe the answer lies in the rich culture in which we were reared, and a large part of that culture is food." The recipes that follow back up that assertion; virtually no Southern favorite is omitted, though several are updated in consideration of modern preparation methods and contemporary tastes. This is the book to turn to for a dinner party served up with a side of Southern hospitality. If there's anything Mississippians take as seriously as their food, it's their beauty pageants. The annual Miss Mississippi :For the state pageant affiliated with Miss USA, see Miss Mississippi USA Miss Mississippi is a scholarship pageant and a preliminary of Miss America. The contest began in 1934, has been held in Vicksburg since 1958, and provides more money than any other pageant is a traffic-stopping event in Vicksburg, and if the winner doesn't do well in the Miss America Miss America annually selected most beautiful young woman in America. [Am. Hist.: Allen, 56–57] See : Beauty, Feminine Miss America winner of beauty contest; femininity high among virtues desired. [Am. Hist. contest, well, we all know it had to be rigged. In Miss Mississippi Cooks, compiled and edited by Debra Dotley Brumitt, nearly 50 of the state winners from the past 62 years share their own favorite recipes, along with stories about their pageant days and advice for up-and-coming beauty queens. Few of the mouth-watering mouth·wa·ter·ing or mouth-wa·ter·ing adj. Appealing to the sense of taste; appetizing: the mouthwatering aroma of a baking pie. Adj. 1. recipes seem to fit in with the diet that might be required to achieve a Miss Mississippi-caliber figure. Among the many dishes is a peach cobbler submitted by Mississippi's first Miss America, Mary Ann Mobley Mary Ann Mobley (born February 17, 1939 in Biloxi, Mississippi). She is a former Miss America, actress, and television personality. She married actor Gary Collins in 1967. Their daughter, Mary Clancy Collins, is a Senior Vice President with MGM Television. . "If guests suddenly appear, I run in the kitchen and prepare it, and people think I have been slaving," she confides. "If I don't have fresh peaches, I just use the canned ones. It tastes exactly the same." Like many Mississippians today, Mobley adds that with her busy schedule, there's no time to prepare "long, involved dishes," so recipes like this one--and many others in the book--are perfect for easy entertaining. If you're still hungry for more Mississippi morsels, Grits 'N Greens and Mississippi Things by Sylvia Higginbotham offers a taste of some of the state's most unique destinations and traditions. Part travel guide, part history book, and part cookbook, the volume devotes a chapter to each of five areas of the state, plus extras on "History and Happenstance hap·pen·stance n. A chance circumstance: "Marriage loomed only as an outgrowth of happenstance; you met a person" Bruce Weber. " and "Mississippiana." "Every region has its own set of circumstances and memories, and for many Mississippians, those distant memories are forever embellished as the best of times," Higginbotham writes. In a section on Natchez, recipes include those that might be served at a dinner party there--things like "Planter's Punch," "Southern Pecan pecan: see hickory. pecan Nut and tree (Carya illinoinensis) of the walnut family, native to temperate North America. Occasionally reaching a height of about 160 ft (50 m), the tree has deeply furrowed bark and feather-shaped leaves. Chicken," and "Creola's Curry Dip." Up in Tupelo, barbecue rules, along with desserts like lemon bars and ambrosia ambrosia (ămbrō`zhə), in Greek mythology, food and drink with which the Olympian gods preserved their immortality. Extraordinarily fragrant, ambrosia was probably conceived of as a purified and idealized form of honey. . And on the Gulf Coast, where fresh seafood is plentiful and casual relaxation is often the order of the day, favorite recipes include "Lobster Pie" and "Baked Tomatoes Bay St. Louis." If these three books tell us anything, it's that food--really good food--is as important to Mississippians today as it always was. Sure, we may buy our greens at the local supermarket instead of growing them in the backyard garden, but the dishes we serve up now would still make our ancestors proud. SOUTHERN GRACE: RECIPES AND REMEMBRANCES FROM THE W Published by the Mississippi University for Women Alumnae Association. Hardcover, $25.95 (proceeds used for student scholarships and alumni association projects). Favorite Recipes Press; order by calling 877/462-8439, ext. 7295. BAKED CATFISH PARMESAN 2 cups bread crumbs 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped parsley 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano oregano (ərĕg`ənō), name for several herbs used for flavoring food. A plant of the family Labiatae (mint family), Origanum vulgare, 1 teaspoon paprika paprika: see pepper. 1/4 teaspoon dried basil 6 catfish fillets 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted Mix the first eight ingredients in a shallow pan. Dip the fish in the melted butter and then into the bread crumb mixture, pressing to coat evenly. Arrange the fish in a well-greased shallow baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. Garnish with lemon wedges. Yield: 6 servings. "W" PRALINE DELIGHT PIE 6 tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup chopped nuts 1 (9-inch) pie shell, baked 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons cornstarch cornstarch, material made by pulverizing the ground, dried residue of corn grains after preparatory soaking and the removal of the embryo and the outer covering. It is used as laundry starch, in sizing paper, in making adhesives, and in cooking. 2 2/3 cups warm water 1 1/4 cups powdered milk 5 egg yolks, beaten 1 tablespoon butter 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 2/3 cups whipping cream, whipped 1/4 cup chopped nuts Mix melted butter, brown sugar, and cup nuts in a bowl. Spread in pie shell. Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes or until bubbly. Remove to a wire rack, and let cool. Mix sugar, salt, cornstarch, warm water, and powdered milk in a saucepan. Whisk in the egg yolks. Cook over medium heat until boiling and thickened thick·en tr. & intr.v. thick·ened, thick·en·ing, thick·ens 1. To make or become thick or thicker: Thicken the sauce with cornstarch. The crowd thickened near the doorway. 2. , stirring frequently. Cook for 10 minutes longer. Remove from the heat, and stir in 1 tablespoon butter and the vanilla. Chill in the saucepan until cold. Pour into pie shell. Top with whipped cream, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped nuts. Yield: 6-8 servings. MISS MISSISSIPPI COOKS Compiled and edited by Debra Dotley Brumitt; desisted by Woody Brumitt. Hardcover/spiral-bound, $29.95 (some proceeds used to fired file Betty Jean Mires Memorial Scholarship). Lynnwood Books; order by sending $29.95 plus $3.50 shipping and handling per copy (Mississippi residents, also add $2.10 per copy for sales tax sales tax, levy on the sale of goods or services, generally calculated as a percentage of the selling price, and sometimes called a purchase tax. It is usually collected in the form of an extra charge by the retailer, who remits the tax to the government. ) to 1458 Parkside Dr., Vicksburg, MS 39180. MARY ANN MOBLEY'S PEACH COBBLER 6-8 large, very ripe fresh peaches, peeled, or 1 large can sliced cling peaches 2 cups sugar 1 stick butter 1 cup self-rising flour 1 cup milk Vanilla ice cream (optional) If you are using fresh peaches, seed, peel, and thinly slice them. Put sliced peaches in a plastic bowl, and pour 1 cup sugar over the peaches. Stir well. Cover tightly, and place in refrigerator for 2 hours. Place butter in the bottom of a rectangular Pyrex baking dish at least 3 inches deep. Heat in oven at 400 degrees until butter melts, then remove pan from oven. In a separate bowl, mix flour, 1 cup sugar, and milk, and beat well with a whisk. Pour mixture over melted butter (don't mix), and spoon peaches on top, using natural juice. Very important: Do not stir peaches into the batter. Bake at 400 degrees until top becomes golden brown. (The mixture will come up around the peaches and turn golden brown.) Serve hot. Mary Ann Mobley Miss America 1959 Beverly Hills, California CUCUMBER-AVOCADO BISQUE bisque 1 n. 1. a. A rich, creamy soup made from meat, fish, or shellfish. b. A thick cream soup made of puréed vegetables. 2. Ice cream mixed with crushed macaroons or nuts. 1 medium cucumber 1/2 medium avocado 3 green onions, chopped 1 cup chicken stock 1 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Garnish with paprika. Susan Akin Miss America 1986 Carthage SAN FRANCISCO SALAD 1 cup chopped pecans 3 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper Brown nuts in butter in a Teflon pan. Let cool. Mix sugar and pepper in a plastic bag. Add nuts. Toss salad with Dressing. Yield: 6 servings. DRESSING: 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 4 cloves garlic 1/4 cup red onion, chopped 1/2 teaspoon parsley 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup vinegar Blend all ingredients in a blender. Lynda Lee Mead Lynda Lee Mead Shea (born c. 1939), from Natchez, Mississippi, attended the University of Mississippi, where she was a member of Chi Omega fraternity, and won the Miss America pageant in 1960.[1] She is married to John J. Shea, Jr. and they have three grown children. Shea Miss America 1960 Memphis GRITS 'N GREENS AND MISSISSIPPI THINGS By Sylvia Higginbotham. Paperback, $19,95. Parlance Publishing, www.parlancepublishing.com. GRITS AND GREENS 1 cup whipping cream 4 cups chicken broth, divided 1 cup stone-ground grits * 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk 1 pound flesh collard greens Noun 1. collard greens - kale that has smooth leaves collards cole, kail, kale - coarse curly-leafed cabbage ** 1/4 cup butter or margarine 1 to 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper Cooked bacon or ham as garnish Combine whipping cream and 3 cups chicken broth in saucepan. Bring to a boil; gradually stir in grits. Cook over medium heat until mixture returns to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually add milk, if necessary, for desired consistency. Remove and discard collard collard Headless form of cabbage (Brassica oleracea, Acephala group), in the mustard family. It bears the same botanical name as kale, differing only in that collard leaves are much broader, are not frilled, and resemble the rosette leaves of head cabbage. stems and any bad (discolored dis·col·or v. dis·col·ored, dis·col·or·ing, dis·col·ors v.tr. To alter or spoil the color of; stain. v.intr. To become altered or spoiled in color. ) spots. Wash greens thoroughly several times. Drain, then cut into 1/2-inch strips. Combine greens and remaining 1 cup broth in a large skillet; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until greens are tender. Run cold water over greens to stop cooking process; drain in colander and then on paper towels. Add butter, cheese, and pepper to grits, stirring until butter and cheese melt. Stir in drained greens. Cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly heated. Garnish with ham chunks or crumbled bacon. Serves 6-8. * Can use regular grits if stone-ground are not available. ** Raw collards collards: see kale. will yield approximately 1/4 the original amount when cooked. Collards are better after they've been through a frost. SPICY CATFISH AMANDINE a·man·dine adj. Prepared or garnished with almonds: swordfish amandine. [French, from amande, almond, from Old French almande; see almond.] 1/4 cup butter, melted 3 tablespoons lemon juice 6 (6-ounce) catfish fillets 1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning 1/2 cup sliced almonds Combine butter and lemon juice; dip each fillet fillet /fil·let/ (fil´et) 1. a loop, as of cord or tape, for making traction on the fetus. 2. in the nervous system, a long band of nerve fibers. fil·let n. 1. in butter mixture. Arrange in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle fish with Creole seasoning and almonds. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with fork. Serves 4-6. |
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