Favorite Foods of Alabama... (Birmingham, Dothan: live, restaurants, garden)

[Keeper]

yes, they taste like normal watermellon.They probably have them at Publix since they sell them in FL..

I have to say I never tried anyone else's hogs head cheese but the one my MIL made, but it was good. But then I didn't know what it was called when I first tasted it.

[mimpdaddy]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

I have always heard it called "souse" around here. It looks nasty, so I've never had a desire to touch the stuff.

Thats what we call it too.
souse with crackers and cheese.
I grew up on it.

[MullinsCurve]

Originally Posted by mimpdaddy

If you take a trip to the blackbelt you get the real soulfood like; crawfish,hog mald, pig feet,chitilins,mustard greens , turnip greens, collard greens,butter beans, black eye peas, field beans,chicken and dumplings, gumbo,catfish,whiting fish etc.... My mom restarunt was visited by a cnn crew and oprah film crew and said it was the best food they ever ate.

I ate this food all of my life but we didn't call it soul food. We didn't call it anything special, except maybe dinner or supper. That type of cuisine wasn't the singular domain of blacks in the area (Southcentral Alabama), everyone ate it, regardless of ethnicity, except maybe some of the city folks and out-of-towners. At my house, we had usually planted and harvested or raised what was on the table.

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

I have always heard it called "souse" around here. It looks nasty, so I've never had a desire to touch the stuff.

We called it by both names.
My father convinced me to eat it when I was very young and when I got older and found out what it really was, he couldn't pay me to touch it.

[southernnaturelover]

I remember as a kid when my grandma used to fry corn in a cast-iron skillet. It was white and it wasn't sweet like the corn most people know today. What do you call that, unsweet corn? I have looked for it and cannot find it.

I also remember my grandma driving to Clanton every year to buy a big crate of peaches. She lives in Huxford so it was over a two hour drive one way. She doesn't drive as much anymore, but she sure used to look forward to that trip every year.

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

I remember as a kid when my grandma used to fry corn in a cast-iron skillet. It was white and it wasn't sweet like the corn most people know today. What do you call that, unsweet corn? I have looked for it and cannot find it. I also remember my grandma driving to Clanton every year to buy a big crate of peaches. She lives in Huxford so it was over a two hour drive one way. She doesn't drive as much anymore, but she sure used to look forward to that trip every year.

Souse....gross!! Give me potted meat and crackers any day...
I don't know what that corn was, but I got corn one day at the Farmers Market...cleaned it, boiled it and found it was the toughest, most unsweet corn I'd ever had. My mother said, "Oh, you got feed corn." It's raised for the farm animals...you can eat it, but you have to boil it a couple of hours!
Mmmm...peaches. We have peaches in neighboring Limestone County, but it's hard to beat those Clanton peaches...I always laugh at the big water tower when we get to Clanton...looks like a giant rear-end in the sky!
Maybe you should take granny on a drive to get peaches this summer...

[Keeper]

My MIL made 'fried corn'. You buy 'white or white/yellow' corn. Cut it off the cob, then scrap the cob with the knife. It makes a kind of juicey pulp. Put the cut corn and pulp in an iron skillet (or any skillet) with butter over medium heat. Cook for a about 5 mins stiring, turn heat down to low, pour enough milk to just cover the corn. Let it cook without a cover until all the milk is just about gone. Salt and pepper.. Viola.. fried corn

[southernnaturelover]

Hmm, I'm thinking my grandma used to cook it in bacon drippings or something.

[Keeper]

You know, I was thinking about that last night. I think my MIL did use bacon drippings.

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by Keeper

... Viola.. fried corn

AKA "creamed corn?"
My mom didn't make fried corn...she grew up in the mountains of North Carolina ... it was more profitable to make moonshine out of corn (I'm not kidding!)
A local favorite meat 'n three serves "fried corn" and it sure looks like creamed corn to me.

[Keeper]

It is very similar, except the way I have had it, there isn't as much liquid.

So you have the recipe for moonshine? LOL