Favorite NC Dish? (Toast, Brunswick: live in, garden, pool)

[chickenista]

I went and made a banana sandwich.. yes. with mayo. DH thinks I'm twisted, but I'm teaching my son the right way.
The secret to the fried cornbread is to put the skillet of oil in the oven til it's frying hot, then add the batter and bake. The hot oil will fry the bottom and sides of the cornbread, giving it that crust. My favorites from deep western NC are .. well they are memories. Summer with the great-aunts. Ancient women. They would go picking in the morning, cook it for lunch. It was good hot, but later that afternoon, when it got too hot for work, everyone would sit around the table drinking sweet tea and picking at the leftovers. Room temp and yummy. Green beans and mashed potates. Field peas and fried okra. Corn on the cob and fresh tomato slices and bisciuts. OMG! That's when the stories were told and the history passed. No a piece of meat insight except for the hock in the beans or snaps. I know what's for dinner.

[chickenista]

Oh, and church socials when I was a kid. Every 4th Sunday everyone would bring something and eat after the services. A feast of Southern goodness. And the fish frys and the pancake suppers where the old men would man the pans and yell out when a fresh batch was ready. Do they still do that? Those guys were great. If you have never attended and you can find a fish fry or pancake supper, do yourself a favor and go. But don't eat for like two days before and don't plan to eat again for awhile after.

[twofour]

Chickenista, I head over to your house right this instant. I grew up with and love those dishes. Especially field peas with okras. Yummy!

[njprintman]

Originally Posted by mariegirl

I've lived in North Carolina my entire 33 years and always take the food for granted until I go out of state! There are certain things that can't be duplicated or imitated and most shouldn't even try.

My personal faves... (none of these come from a package btw )
sweet tea with everything
grits
tomato sandwiches
banana sandwiches (yes, you put mayo on it!)
collard greens - anyone know what liquor is when you make collards???
*Note - all greens must be served with a jar of cayenne peppers in vinegar
turnips
field peas
fried cornbread
biscuits
banana pudding
snowcream (it's a rarity, but sure is good)

Not from NC........YET........hopefully in a few months.
Tomato sandwiches.
Marie..........you ain't lived until you have a tomato sandwich with a Jersey tomato. I live on them during the summer. Toasted bread, little mayo, salt and pepper.................tomato...................go od Lord. Heaven.
Will I miss the Jersey tomato when we get down to NC?
Don't think so.
You all have a good tomato.
Oh yeah, do you guys do bread pudding?

[swacko]

you know whats funny here is how we are all the same. i am from the north and there are foods there that i miss but now that i'm in nc there are foods here that like very much. sure you miss things that you are use to more so with foods then anythin else but we must remmber that not all things are availible all over the world. areas of the country make do with what they have and 300 years they get good at it. if people would just learn to try something they might find they like it just as much as what they are missing. mm mary got used to new foods!!!

[Bear Creek]

Originally Posted by chickenista

I went and made a banana sandwich.. yes. with mayo. DH thinks I'm twisted, but I'm teaching my son the right way.
The secret to the fried cornbread is to put the skillet of oil in the oven til it's frying hot, then add the batter and bake. The hot oil will fry the bottom and sides of the cornbread, giving it that crust. My favorites from deep western NC are .. well they are memories. Summer with the great-aunts. Ancient women. They would go picking in the morning, cook it for lunch. It was good hot, but later that afternoon, when it got too hot for work, everyone would sit around the table drinking sweet tea and picking at the leftovers. Room temp and yummy. Green beans and mashed potates. Field peas and fried okra. Corn on the cob and fresh tomato slices and bisciuts. OMG! That's when the stories were told and the history passed. No a piece of meat insight except for the hock in the beans or snaps. I know what's for dinner.

We used to take our corn to have it milled. And the mill was covered in yellow corn dust. It smelled so good. I have some of the same memories of western NC. The aunts. The "suppers on the ground" at church. Blackberry picking. Smoke houses. It was great.

[ladysouthnc]

The best sweet tea which my grandmother taught me is to just boil water on the stove in average size pot after come to a boil add 3 reg size lipton tea bags, only brand to use, just my opinion. Take off the heat & let sit 3-5 min. In a gallon pitcher add 11/2 cups of sugar. Pour tea over the sugar while it is still hot. Stir immediately and add cold water until pitcher is full. Pour in a glass full of ice. Yummy that is sweet iced tea!!

Fired cornbread. Just take your white cornmeal mix with water to desired thickness about pancake batter like. Use cast iron skillet. Add oil to cover bottom get good and hot, but dont let oil burn. Pour batter to pancake size. Let it get thin on the edges so they get crispy. Flip once batter bubble in the center. Butter and eat hot. Great with Pintos, sliced tomatoes & cucumbers, and corn on cob. Great summer meal. Serve with the tea.

[Skipstone]

Y'all are making me soooo hungry!!!!

When I was a kid my mom would occasionally make me sugar sandwiches.

The right ingredients are important:

White bread (the kind you can roll into a ball and throw)

Butter that smears well

White sugar

Directions are specific:

Take two pieces of white bread and pat them flat with you hands.

Take a big gallop of butter and smear it really well over one side of each piece of bread.

Then, take a dozen tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle it over one buttered piece of the bread until all dozen tablespoons are empty.

Now mash the remaining piece of bread down flat over the sugared piece.

Eat until you get sick.

Then ask for more.

[Skipstone]

Sorry. Dupe from eating too much sugar sandwich while typing!

[njprintman]

Originally Posted by architect77

No one has mentioned one of my favorites-

Sliced cucumbers w/onions in vinegar served ice cold.

Butterbeans topped w/ stewed tomatoes

Fried okra, squash

Arch,
YES YES YES YES YES.
My grandmother (from Germany) was a cucumber freek. She made the onion vinegar type and also made them with sour cream (real German) and onion..............ice cold.
And butter beans..............I thought I was the only person who ate them.
I do a steak.............then after it is done add the butter beans to the juice with some ONIONS.
Onions...............love em.