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My parents were raised in Oklahoma and my grandparents were from Arkansas, so mom's cooking had a bit of a Southwest slant to it. This was one meal she cooked regularly. She said it was a typical "Okie" Depression era meal, but I loved it.
Pinto beans with a ham hock
Fried Potatoes
Corn bread
Mustard or Turnip greens
Other things she cooked:
Chicken Fried Steak (not that deep fryer crap from coffee shops, this was done in a cast iron skillet).
Fried Chicken
Mashed potatoes with cream gravy made from chicken, chicken fried steak or pork chop drippings
Fried Okra
Baked-in-the-oven-from-scratch Macaroni and Cheese
Chicken and Dumplings
Tons of veggies grown in our quarter acre garden
For breakfast she made some of the usual Southern fare:
Buttermilk biscuits
Bulk breakfast sausage mashed into patties or fried ham
Cream gravy made from the drippings or "Red Eye" gravy made from the ham drippings
Fried Potatoes
Chocolate Gravy (kind of like a warm chocolate pudding spooned over biscuits)
Desserts:
Peach or Blackberry Cobbler
Bread Pudding
Banana Pudding
And of course a variety of pies - Custard, Lemon Meringue, Coconut Cream, Raisin, etc...
I don't think there is anything better than a Southern cook - especially one raised on a farm. It may seem like unhealthy food, but we were all healthy and fit growing up and no one suffered from high blood pressure or heart disease. Mom's still kicking at 84, but she doesn't cook anymore - hurts her knees to stand too long.
I use to eat fried chicken a lot. I cut back on that. I'll eat it but not much. However grits. Jesus I love them. Only with butter and pepper though. I love sweet tea. Not that flavored tea crap. Do not like any drops of lemon in there. Red Velvet cake is my third favorite dessert behind sweet potato pie and banana pudding. Hate okra and turnip greens. Love collard greens though. Where are the yams though?
The sugar goes in the tea, the shrimp go in the grits. With Cherokee Purple tomato, bacon, and some pepper and sweet onions.
For real southern cornbread(centuries old Georgia family recipe, sure, I'll share. It's good!)
2 cups of white self rising cornmeal
1/4 cup of bacon grease(canola oil will work in a pinch)
1 and 1/4 cup of milk
1 egg
Coat an 8" skillet with bacon grease, and put into oven
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Mix the egg, milk, and bacon grease in a bowl.
Add the 2 cups of cornmeal and mix.
Pull preheated skillet from the oven and add your mix. Should sizzle nicely.
Cook for 18-22 minutes.
Let cool for around 30 minutes, or it will crumble when cut.
Serve with beans, eat plain, or try this family favorite: Fill a glass halfway with buttermilk, and add a cake of cornbread to it. You'll need a spoon!
Why can't people just flavor their food the way they like? Being from the south doesn't mean everyone has the same tastes. Every now and then, I like milk in my grits. Question my southerness if you dare lol.
Some might find this odd, but the best fried chicken I can remember having was at a Chinese restaurant. Koreans also make the best chitlins.
Tell that to people in Mississippi, Louisiana, or Texas. I can't stand cornbread unless it has sugar and I haven't come across too many "southern" people in my lifetime that leave sugar out.
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