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B and I got the very fortunate opportunity to move to LA… Not the LA you are probably thinking about but LA as in Lower Alabama. Yes, Alabama people call it LA. I had spent some time at Fort Rucker and Enterprise, AL when I was dating B, but I had no idea what to expect when I moved down there. When you live in Enterprise, AL (population: 22,000) and you don’t have any friends or job, you might take it upon yourself to take up a hobby. Cooking wasn’t really a new hobby for me..but I rejuvenated my cooking skills in LA, with a southern flair.
The first full-day we were in Alabama, we were looking for a place to kennel Deke. It was lunchtime and we had just dropped him off. We were starving and B suggested eating at the place across the street, “Cutts”. He had eaten there once in flight school and thought it was pretty good. If you walk into a dive in the south that is packed..and pardon me not being too “PC” here..but the kitchen and serving line are full of friendly, loud talkin’ black women who call you “honey chile”, then you are probably in a good spot. Cutts is famous for their chili dog, as the big mural on the wall will suggest, but I was more intrigued with the cafeteria style serving line. Every day, Cutts served black eyed peas, creamed corn, green beans in ham hock broth, mac and cheese, collards, etc. Their main dishes rotated…all traditional and homestyle. I filled my plate with mac and cheese, green beans, fried chicken, and a hoecake. Although these selections might not all be true southern dishes, the way they were prepared WAS southern. And oh, boy was it delicious. I learned a few things right away. First, mac and cheese in the south has eggs in it. Almost every vegetable was cooked in a broth of pork fat, particularly ham hocks. And finally, southerners do not take their cornbread sweet. It’s salty, dry, and it’s sole purpose is to soak up all those delicious porky juices. I ate it all immediately..and I knew I was coming back. And that I did. I came back every week..sometimes a few times a week. I tried pintos, black eyed peas, collards, among many others. I may not have particularly liked them all, but I loved the way they tasted. And I gained many pounds during our time in Alabama.
From then on, I attempted to acquire every southern cookbook I could get my hands on. This started my obsession with Paula Deen, as I purchased her two books “The Lady and Sons Cookbook” and “The Lady and Sons Cookbook, Too” at the Wal-Mart. I remember B and I went fishing once..and I took them with me, reading them earnestly as I held my pole. How southern is that?! I watched her show religiously every day and I tried many of her recipes. I’ll save my blog on Paula Deen for another time, though. After we lived in Alabama, southern cooking became “my thing”. I made it a point to visit southern style restaurants all over the country and I continue to collect southern cooking cookbooks and try southern style dishes. I have to add a shout out to my favorite southern girl, Misty Watkins. Misty and her hubby made me a fabulous southern meal the day after B deployed to the Iraq. I was a little squeamish to try it but they made cheesy shrimp and grits. MMM MMMM was it tasty. Misty was the first to inform me…never sugar your grits. And of course, add lots of butter.
So, here’s a sum-up of my thoughts and knowledge on southern cooking I’d like to pass on to you…from the “non-southern” gal. You won’t see me drink sweet tea. I still prefer my cornbread sweet with honey..although a hoecake with maple syrup is fabulous. And I just can’t eat collards or too many dishes with rice. Paula Deen, hands-down, has the two best southern cookbooks ever (The Lady and Sons) and “Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House” and “Blue Willow Inn Cookbook” are close runners-up. Cutts in Enterprise, AL and The Lady and Sons Restaurant in Savannah have a tie for best southern buffet restaurants. Bubba’s Oyster House of Savannah, GA and Hyman’s Seafood of Charleston, SC are some of the best southern seafood restaurants. And finally, little ol’ Big Daddy’s of Enterprise, AL downright has the best BBQ and pulled pork sandwich I’ve ever put in my mouth. Finally, if you want a monthly delivery of wonderful southern-style recipes, just subscribe to Southern Living. It’s a magazine I will subscribe to till I die and I love it. Some of my best recipes have come from that magazine.
So, as Paula would say, put some “south in yo mouth” and get cookin’. And if any of you southerners would like to comment or add your favorite southern recipe, please do so!
Sassy Recipe of the Week: Sarah’s Favorite Southern Style Green Beans (I made this up!)
1 lb of fresh green beans, washed with ends snapped off
1 small onion, diced
4-6 strips of bacon, diced
2 large containers of chicken broth
Few pinches of house seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic powder)
In large pot over medium heat, cook the diced bacon and diced onion till bacon is lightly browned and onions are clear. Pour green beans in pot and coat with bacon and onion mixture. Saute for a minute. Add chicken broth, cover, and cook over medium simmer till green beans are soft--about 30 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Serves 6-8.
**If you don't have fresh bacon on hand, the "real" bacon bits (NOT BACOS--you'll burp Baco for hours!) work well. Cook the onion with a tablespoon of olive oil and add the bacon bits when you pour in the chicken broth.
