Southern Reader

Submitted by Christi

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I now have 3 tabs!

I now have 3 tabs! Just in time for Three or More Tuesday with The Gypsy's Corner.

Have you noticed the new tab at the top of the page?  It is called Christi’s Reads. I am and always have been an avid reader. I wanted to share with you what I am reading now and what I have read in the past that I really enjoy. I would love to hear about what others are reading and what you enjoy.

If you are a reader, you are probably like me and always looking for a new good book to read. Let’s share our ideas and reviews! I hope you will enjoy this new feature and I would love to have you participate.

To let me know what you are reading or have read and would recommend, email me at christi@asouthernlife.com. I’ll work on getting the comments to work on that page but in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to send your reviews and recommendations to be by email!

Happy reading!

It's also 2nd Time Around Tuesday. Seen that picture at the top before? Yes, it is from a previous tablescape. Looks like a quiet spot for a good read.

It's also 2nd Time Around Tuesday. Seen that picture at the top before? Yes, it is from a previous tablescape. Looks like a quiet spot for a good read.

Today’s Lagniappe:  Oatmeal Carmelitas
This with a cup of coffee and a good book . . .

Preheat oven 350

2 C Flour
2 C oatmeal
1-1/2 C brown sugar
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1-1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine the above. Press 1/2 of the above mixture into greased 9×13 baking dish. Bake 10 minutes.

Top with 1 – 12 oz pkg chocolate chips
1 C chopped nuts

Top this layer with 1-1/2 C caramel ice cream topping combined with 6 T flour. Drizzle over the chocolate and nuts.

Crumble the remaining oat mixture over this layer and bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Southern Thursday Tablescape

Submitted by Christi

tabelscape

Another tablescape hosted by Between Naps on the Porch. Today’s tablescape is “coffee on the porch.” As you can see, my little doggie, Bailey, decided he liked the chair (or maybe he just wanted to be in the pics, the little ham).

The coffee set is one that I’ve had for several years. It isn’t marked. I got it at an estate sale many years ago. I love the little cups.

A cup of coffee on the porch, a good book, a sunny Spring day, my sweet dog. Doesn’t get much better than that!

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That’s Bailey in the chair.

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By the way, that is chicory coffee – my favorite!

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The book is Plantation by Dorothea Benton Frank

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The garden seat and planter are very old. The plant in the planter is a bird of paradise that I’ve been growing for about 5 years. They say it will bloom in 7 years – only 2 years to go!!

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The plants in the straw basket planter are moon flower and morning glory. They will eventually climb an open lattice trellis that I have yet to put up. The moon flowers are white and bloom at night and the morning glories are blue and bloom in the morning so I’ll have blooms during the times that I am usually on the porch.

Today’s Lagniappe: Butterscotch Pecan Shortbread Cookies
The only thing that might make coffee on the porch better is these wonderful shortbread cookies made with pecans and brown sugar.

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

In a medium size mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla together. Stir in salt and flour; add pecans, kneading in gently with hands, if necessary.

Press or gently roll out on a lightly floured surface; cut into circles or squares about 1/4-inch thick. Bake at 325° for about 20 minutes. Time will vary with thickness, so check them after 12 to 15 minutes if they’re a little thinner.

Makes about 15 to 18 cookies.

Southern Chaos

Submitted by Christi
chaotic daisy

chaotic daisy


I see that I forgot to add my daily lagniappe yesterday and, in fact, didn’t really write a post yesterday. Ever had one of those chaotic days when you just couldn’t get it together? Yesterday was one of those days for me. Hopefully today will be better – I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

I am today from my computer that it is sitting on my dining room table while the freshly cleaned carpet in the office area is drying. The office furniture has created quite the little obstacle course as it is sitting in the dining area as well.

Today, I need to start cooking for the Mardi Gras party. I need to make the king cake the pecan praline cheesecake, the cheese olive roulades, the mini crawfish pies and the shrimp balls. I could probably do some of this tomorrow after my morning seminar.

I sound like I’m complaining but I really do love cook and I’m really glad that my carpet is clean and I’m happy to be doing the seminar and I’m really happy to be having the party. I think what I need to do is just take a break, have a cup of coffee and a slice of my delicious banana nut bread and read for about 30 minutes to let my mind kind of settle.

I’m currently reading the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross. Just the kind of book I need right now. Thank goodness it isn’t one of Daniel Silva’s books in the Gabriel Allon series. I love those books but they are not books that would help settle my mind.

Okay, maybe I can turn chaos into calm.

Today’s Lagniappe: Brennan’s Bananas Foster
Yummy and easy to make.

* ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
* 1 cup brown sugar
* ½ teaspoon cinnamon
* ¼ cup banana liqueur
* 4 bananas, cut in half
lengthwise, then halved
* ¼ cup dark rum
* 4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet. Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.

Southern Kudzu

Submitted by Christi



flowering kudzuI recently read the book Revenge of the Kudzu Debutantes by Cathy Holton. It is a pretty funny read, especially when it gets to the part about the Kudzu Ball. Back in the day, when I was involved in politics, a woman called me in a panic about kudzu. “It’s taking over everything!” The poem Kudzu by James Dickey says:

In Georgia the legend says,
That you must close your windows
At night to keep it out of the house
The glass is tinged with green, even so . . .

The kudzu vine grows as much as a foot a day in Summer months, covering everything in its path. Well, in the South, we are nothing if not resourceful. We have found many uses for kudzu. Here are just a few:

Basket makers have found that the rubber-like vines are excellent for decorative and functional creations. Ruth Duncan of Greenville, Alabama makes over 200 kudzu baskets each year and says she doesn’t mind that people call her the “Queen of Kudzu.”

Regina Hines of Ball Ground, Georgia, has developed unique basket styles which incorporate curled kudzu vines. She weaves with other vines as well, but says that kudzu is the most versatile.

Nancy Basket of Walhalla, South Carolina, makes paper from kudzu which she uses in colorful collages. Her designs vary from geometric shapes to images of rural life and Native American themes.

Diane Hoots of Dahlonega, Georgia has developed a company to market her kudzu products which include kudzu blossom jelly and syrup, kudzu baskets, and books. Her book, Kudzu: The Vine to Love or Hate, co-written with Juanita Baldwin, is an in-depth study of the South’s love/hate relationship with the vine. The book includes recipes and basket making instructions.

Henry and Edith Edwards of Rutherfordton, North Carolina have found many uses for kudzu over the past 30 years. Henry produces over 1,000 bales of kudzu hay each year on his Kudzu Cow Farm. The hay is high in nutritive value, but many people have found kudzu difficult to cut and bale. Henry says the secret is to “cut it low and bale it high.”

Edith Edwards makes deep-fried kudzu leaves, kudzu quiche, and many other kudzu dishes. She found recipes in The Book of Kudzu: A Culinary and Healing Guide by William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi, and thought this was a good use for a plentiful resource. She has demonstrated kudzu cooking for clubs, schools, and visitors to the Knoxville World’s Fair.

Kudzu blooms the end of July through September. It has attractive bunches of elongated, delicate purple flowers with a fragrance reminiscent of grapes. Use the blossoms to make jelly.

To cook with kudzu, Choose only the smallest, most tender leaves. Large leaves are too tough. Even the small leaves have plenty of body. Fresh and tender, the leaves have a flavor similar to that of a green bean. That’s because kudzu is a member of the legume family.

Wilma Clutter says: “Kudzu quiche and deep-fried kudzu leaves are wonderful. I’ve also eaten small kudzu leaves marinated in Italian dressing served on tofu sandwiches.”

Lagniappe: A recipe for Kudzu Rice Quiche
(from http://www.geocities.com/kudzufest/kudzurecipes.html)

6 servings

4 eggs
2 cups cooked rice
½ cup finely grated Swiss cheese
½ pound fresh, young kudzu leaves
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup cottage cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan
6 tablespoons heavy cream or evaporated milk
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
6 drops hot sauce

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch pie pan or use an 8- or 9-inch square cake pan. In a medium bowl, beat 1 egg. Add rice and Swiss cheese. Stir well. Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan, making a crust. Refrigerate until ready to fill and bake.
• Cook kudzu leaves in a small amount of water, press to remove moisture and chop fine. Add butter and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, beat remaining 3 eggs. Stir in salt, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, hot sauce and nutmeg. When it’s blended, stir in Kudzu. Pour into prepared rice crust. Bake 30-35 minutes or until firm.

Southern Catfish

Submitted by Christi



My husband has been wanting catfish all week long. I’m going to make it for him tonight. Like many in the South, we love catfish. We live near one of the best places on the face of the earth to get fried catfish, Fred’s Fish House in Mountain Home near Lake Norfork in Arkansas. We love the fried catfish that comes with coleslaw, tomato relish, pickles, onion, baked potatoes or fries and delicious hushpuppies – YUM! If you are ever in the area, make sure to visit Fred’s.

Looking for great catfish recipes? Try looking at The Catfish Institute website. The Catfish Institute, located in Jackson, Mississippi was founded in 1986 by catfish feed mills and their producer members with the goal of raising consumer awareness about the benefits of U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish. Today TCI, which represents catfish feed mills in Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana, conducts promotional programs throughout the United States and Canada.

We are having a wonderful version of catfish tonight. We are having Catfish Pecan Meuniere. The recipe is from Louisiana Real & Rustic by Emeril Lagasse. It is sooo good. My husband says you could put the pecan sauce on the bumper of a car and it would taste good. My husband is also a french fry connessouir. He makes the best french fries and has a special technique. I’ll see if he’ll share it with you sometime. In the meantime, here is the catfish recipe:

Catfish Pecan Meuniere

1 cup flour
4 teaspoons creole seasoning
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
4 catfish filets
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 stick butter
1 cup pecan pieces
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1.  Combine the flour with 2 teaspoons of the creole seasoning in a shallow bowl. In another shollow bowl, blend the eggs and milk together. Season the fish with the remaining 2 teaspoons of creole seasoning.

2.  Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the fillets in the flour, coating evenly. Dip the fillets in the egg mixture. Dredge again in the flour. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, lay the fillets in the skillet. Panfry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden. Transfer to a warm platter.

3. Discard any oil remaining in the skillet and wipe clean with paper towels. Return the skillet to the stove. Over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. When the butter foams, add the pecans and stir constantly for about 1- 1/2 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Add the parsley, garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and cream. Stir with a whisk for about 15 seconds and remove from heat. Add the salt, cayenne, and remaining 6 tablespoons butter, broken into small chips, and stir until the butter melts completely.

4.  Spoon the sauce over the fillets to serve.

Christi’s note: I usually cook the fish in one pan while I am making the sauce in another pan. This does mess up two pans and takes a little bit more effort with the timing but it cuts the preparation time down.

Being Dead is No Excuse

Submitted by Christi


I collect two things, cookbooks and etiquette books new and old. One of my favorite books is a combination. It is called “Being Dead is no Excuse – The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral” by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays. This is no small thing. Really, funerals are one of the things we do really well in the South. As the aforementioned book says:

“Friends and family begin arriving with covered dishes, finger foods, and sweets as soon as word is out that some body has died”.

This is why all good Southerners keep a can of cream of mushroom soup in the pantry. You never know when you will need to make a covered dish casserole for a grieving family.

After my dear Daddy’s premature demise, my Mama remarried another wonderful man who happens to be a Baptist minister. They have great funeral stories. When the hearse wouldn’t start for the ride to the cemetery at one funeral, they took it in stride. They loaded the loved one in the back of one of the pall bearer’s new red pickup truck and with pall bearers on either side they led the rest of the bereaved to the cemetery.

When we were leaving the church after my Daddy’s funeral we noticed three elderly women in the foyer crying their eyes out. We didn’t think that was strange because Daddy was a wonderful, well-loved man. However, later when we were talking about it, we realized that none of us knew who the ladies were. Daddy was buried in our home town but we had all moved away long ago so we were not familiar with the current professional funeral goers but we appreciated them showing up to show Daddy their respect just the same, bless their hearts.

I have had some great times at the home of the deceased, laughing and remembering the loved one and catching up with people I hadn’t seen in ages. Although these are sad occasions, they are rarely without some moments of levity. I recommend the “Being Dead is No Excuse” book to anyone, Southern or not. Of course, if you are not Southern, some of it may make no sense to you. If you are Southern, you will probably be nodding your head and laughing out loud.

Southern Catfish and Remoulade

Submitted by Christi


I was recently reading Julia Reed’s “House on First Street” which tells about her New Orleans experience pre and post Katrina. It is a good read and I definitely recommend it. You will get hungry reading it. At one point she talks about eating catfish with remoulade. I thought “yum!” I make a pretty mean remoulade. This is my version of catfish with remoulade.

Remoulade:

Use in amounts that suit your tastes

  • Zatarains creole mustard
  • Mayonnaise
  • Red chili sauce (not much)
  • Horseradish
  • Worchestershire sauce (a dash)
  • Garlic

Mix together. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Catfish:

  • Cut catfish into strips
  • Season catfish with Cajun seasoning (Zaterains, Tony Chachere’s, Emeril’s Essence, whatever you like)
  • Place a couple of cups of flour in a pie plate and add some Cajun seasoning.
  • Break an egg into another pie plate and add some milk
  • Dredge fish in flour then egg mixture and then flour again
  • Fry fish in hot oil until done.

Serve with remoulade sauce.