Southern, spice: a lively indoor-outdoor dinner party celebrates rich regional flavors.Fall in Mississippi is certainly one of the most pleasant seasons. The temperatures are delightful, and every sense is touched by the beauty, texture, and fragrance of roadside October daisies daisies the flowers chatter incessantly at Alice. [Children’s Lit.: Through the Looking-Glass] See : Talkativeness , all sorts of berries, jewel-toned falling leaves and pine cones pine cone Noun the woody seed case of a pine tree pine cone n → piña pine cone n → pomme f de pin , and abundant fresh fruits and vegetables. We all stand eager to enjoy the many comfort foods that beckon beck·on v. beck·oned, beck·on·ing, beck·ons v.tr. 1. To signal or summon, as by nodding or waving. 2. us to a Southern table. It was in just this season and setting that Sarah and Phil Nelson Phil Nelson is a former tight end for the Oakland Raiders. He collegiately played for Delaware Blue Hens. of Jackson and their guests enjoyed good friends and delicious food on an evening bathed in candlelight. Guests were welcomed to the Nelsons' country French home by a pine-cone garland Garland, city (1990 pop. 180,650), Dallas co., N Tex., a suburb of Dallas; inc. 1891. Since World War II, Garland has grown from an agricultural community into an important center for electronics research and for the production of electronic equipment. with berries and wheat gracefully grace·ful adj. Showing grace of movement, form, or proportion: "Capoeira is a graceful ballet of power and control, artists kicking and jumping in synchronized movement" Alisa Valdes. looped over the front stair stair n. 1. A series or flight of steps; a staircase. Often used in the plural. 2. One of a flight of steps. [Middle English, from Old English railing. Entering the front hall, the seasonal surroundings continued with a large vase spilling bittersweet bittersweet, name for two unrelated plants, belonging to different families, both fall-fruiting woody vines sometimes cultivated for their decorative scarlet berries. and wheat, while the dining room displayed a large rusty mum arrangement among an array of appetizers. After enjoying bites to whet their appetites, guests exited through the rear French doors to a twilight twilight, period between sunset and total darkness or between total darkness and sunrise. Total darkness does not occur immediately when the sun sinks below the horizon because light from the sun that strikes the atmosphere is scattered (both by the air itself and by meal on the motor court. Framed by the main house and a free-standing carriage house, this space offered the feel of an ancient mas in Provence. Small lanterns lined walkways, hung from trees, and defined individual tables. Tables were dressed in a fall theme, with tiny pumpkins topped with fall leaves used as place cards atop earthy-hued table covers. Scalloped scal·lop also scol·lop or es·cal·lop n. 1. a. Any of various free-swimming marine mollusks of the family Pectinidae, having fan-shaped bivalve shells with a radiating fluted pattern. b. rattan rattan (rătăn`), name for a number of plants of the genera Calamus, Daemonorops, and Korthalsia climbing palms of tropical Asia, belonging to the family Palmae (palm family). chargers were topped with gold-rimmed dull green and white dinner plates, while complementary green and white striped-rim salad plates offered an elegant mixture of fresh greens, feta fet·a n. A white semisoft cheese usually made of goat's or ewe's milk and often preserved in brine. [Modern Greek (turi) pheta, (cheese) slice, from Italian fetta, slice cheese, dried cranberries A dried cranberry is a cranberry which has been dried. They are similar in texture to a raisin but more tart in flavor. The vast majority of dried cranberries sold in the world are marketed by the Ocean Spray agricultural cooperative under the trade name "Craisins", a portmanteau , and candied can·died adj. Permeated, covered, encrusted, or cooked with sugar: candied sweet potatoes. candied Adjective coated with or cooked in sugar: almonds splashed with light dressing. The main course of grillades over cheese grits grits coarsely ground hominy served in traditional Southern breakfast. [Am. Culture: Misc.] See : Southern States , roasted roast v. roast·ed, roast·ing, roasts v.tr. 1. To cook with dry heat, as in an oven or near hot coals. 2. To dry, brown, or parch by exposing to heat. 3. asparagus asparagus, perennial garden vegetable (Asparagus officinalis) of the family Liliaceae (lily family), native to the E Mediterranean area and now naturalized over much of the world. , and hot curried fruit was followed by a dessert of fresh apple cake. Kathryn Davis Kathryn Davis is an award-winning American novelist. Davis has taught at Skidmore College, and is now senior fiction writer in the Writing Program in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. of Twenty 6 Fifteen in Jackson catered the event and shares her recipes to help anyone create an autumn candlelight dinner complete with a cool Mississippi night to share memories with special friends.
SMOKED SALMON APPETIZER
4 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons flesh dill chopped
1 tablespoon flesh lemon juice
1 teaspoon onion, grated
1 small loaf pumpernickel
bread
6 ounces smoked salmon
Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, dill, lemon juice, and onion
with a mixer; mix well. Using a small biscuit cutter, cut rounds out
of bread. Spread cream cheese mixture on bread. Cut salmon into
small pieces, and set on top of cream cheese mixture on bread.
Garnish with additional fresh dill. Yield: about 25-30 appetizers.
TOMATO BITES
1 box Wheat Thins crackers
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup basil, chopped
14 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 pint grape tomatoes, each cut in half
Mix mayonnaise, basil, and bacon.
Spread on Wheat Thins. Top each cracker
with a cherry tomato half, cut side down.
Yield: about 50-60 appetizers.
AUTUMN SALAD
WITH CANDIED ALMONDS
8 cups mixed salad greens
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup slivered almonds
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
teaspoon Tabasco red pepper sauce
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
cup salad oil
Mix salad greens, feta, and cranberries.
Chill, covered, in the refrigerator.
Cook almonds and sugar in a small cast-iron
skillet over high heat, stirring constantly,
until almonds are coated in syrup
and light brown. Pour onto a foil-covered
surface. Cool, and break into pieces.
Combine salt, Tabasco, vinegar, sugar,
and salad oil in a jar. Shake well.
Drizzle vinegar and oil mixture over
salad, and toss to mix well. Sprinkle
almonds over top. Yield: 10-12 servings.
GRILLADES
10 pounds beef round steak
1 cup bacon grease, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
3 cups green peppers, chopped
1 large can diced tomatoes
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 teaspoons thyme
2 cups Burgundy wine
1/2 to 1 cup water
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch parsley, chopped
Tabasco red pepper sauce to taste
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
6 bay leaves
Cut steak into strips, and brown in
about 1/2 cup bacon grease. Remove steak
from pan, and set aside. Wipe out pan,
add remaining bacon grease, and stir in
flour. Make a rich brown roux. Add steak
back to pan. Add onions, celery, green
peppers, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and
thyme, stirring until sauce has lost its
bright red color. Add wine and water. Add
all seasonings. Reduce heat, and simmer
for 2 hours. Serve over Cheese Grits
(recipe follows). Yield: 24 servings.
CHEESE GRITS
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
7 clips warm water
2 clips uncooked grits (not instant)
2 sticks butter
6 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
6 ounces garlic cheese, cubed
1/2 cup half-and-half
4 eggs, well-beaten
Salt and white pepper to taste
Add salt to boiling water, and cook
grits, covered, over low heat for 15
minutes. Stir in butter, cheeses, half-and-half,
eggs, and seasonings. Pour into a
3-quart casserole dish, and bake in a
preheated 350-degree oven for 1 hour.
Yield: 10-12 servings.
ROASTED ASPARAGUS
1 pound fresh asparagus
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pimiento strips and green and
black olives for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Break
tough ends off asparagus, and place on a
cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 10-15
minutes. Garnish with pimiento strips,
stuffed green olives, and black olives, if
desired. Yield: 8 servings.
HOT CURRIED FRUIT
1 (29-ounce) can pear halves
1 (29-ounce) can peach halves
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks
1 (17-ounce) can apricot halves
1 small jar maraschino cherries
1/2 cup white raisins
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon curry powder
teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup cream sherry
Drain pears, peaches, pineapples, apricots,
and cherries, reserving juice. Measure
3/4 cup combined fruit juice, and set aside.
Soak raisins in hot water for 5 minutes.
Mix sugar, curry powder, salt, and flour.
Add butter and fruit juice. Heat, but do not
boil. Stir until thick. Add sherry. Combine
with fruit; let sit overnight. Cook in a preheated
350-degree oven for 30 minutes.
FRESH APPLE CAKE
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 clips oil
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 apples, peeled and finely diced
1 cup walnuts, chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine
sugar and oil, and beat well. Add eggs,
one at a time. Sift together flour, baking
soda, and salt, and stir into egg mixture.
Beat in apples, walnuts, and vanilla. Pour
into a buttered tube pan, and bake for 1
hour and 15 minutes.
While cake is in oven, combine brown
sugar, butter, and heavy cream in a
small saucepan, and boil for 3 minutes.
When cake is ready, remove from oven,
and pour brown sugar glaze over hot
cake. Cool, then remove from pan. Serve
each slice of cake with Sweet Whipped
Cream sprinkled with cinnamon, and
garnish with a pansy or Johnny-jump-up,
if desired. Yield: 16-20 servings.
SWEET WHIPPED CREAM:
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 tablespoon superfine sugar
Beat whipping cream with an electric
mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat
in sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form.
Recipes by Kathryn Davis, Catering from Twenty 6 Fifteen, Jackson; 601/713-2615. PHOTOGRAPHY BY RON BLAYLOCK |
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