One thing, however, that has remained constant in my life is my deep and abiding love for southern cooking and cuisine.
Southern cooking is not for the faint of heart though it can cause many hearts to grow faint. Perhaps it's the seasonings that are often used when cooking southern food. From the crab boil and gumbo file of Cajun Cuisine to the secret ingredient that almost every southern kitchen contains for their fried chicken recipes (and no one on earth can fry chicken like a born and bred southern grandma). I remember eating my share of fried okra, fried squash, and yes, fried green tomatoes. From fried fish (almost any variety works well when it's southern fried) to fried oysters, seafood just seems to taste so much better in the south. You can sometimes find great southern seasonings on the International food aisles in grocery stores as well. If you want to really treat your family to an outstanding meal, you should really try southern cooking for the night.
I was
born and raised in the heart of the Deep South. From as far back as I can
remember I remember long summer afternoons spent drinking iced tea and shelling
peas and butterbeans on my grandmother's porch. I have moved on from my roots
and have made my way into other regions of the world. One thing, however, that
has remained constant in my life is my deep and abiding love for southern
cooking and cuisine.
I was
probably well into my teen years before I realized that tea could be served any
other way than loaded with sugar and over ice. It was about that same time that
I realized some folks would eat vegetables that hadn't been soaked in batter,
dredged in cornmeal, and deep fat fried. Southern cooking is not for the faint
of heart though it can cause many hearts to grow faint. One thing that can be
said is that you'll never find anything else like it on earth.
People
in the south learned to make do with little in many instances. Some of the
poorest people in America live in the southern part of the country. Of course,
you will find that many of these people despite their poverty are also among
the most generous. The same can be said of food. It's the one thing that seems
to be in ample supply in most southern homes and very few will turn you away
with an empty stomach.
Perhaps
it's the seasonings that are often used when cooking southern food. From the
crab boil and gumbo file of Cajun Cuisine to the secret ingredient that almost
every southern kitchen contains for their fried chicken recipes (and no one on
earth can fry chicken like a born and bred southern grandma). Perhaps it's the
Sunday church dinners where everyone shares a little of what they have with
others or the love that goes into preparing these meals that are shared with
friends and family. Whatever the case may be, if you ever have the occasion to
experience real southern cooking, do not pass it up. You might shave a day off
your life, but a good southern fried chicken leg is really living and well
worth the sacrifice if you ask me.
Of
course it would be remiss to mention southern cooking without bringing up some
of the more delicious desserts that seem to be perfection for the south. I
mentioned banana pudding above but there are so many more. Pralines are a
perfect for those living down around New Orleans as is bread pudding. A little
to the east there are grandma's who have taken their lemon icebox pie recipes
to the grave with them so coveted were these delicious deserts and the same
holds true for pecan pies as well. We should never forget the flavorful
Mississippi Mud cake though, and so many other wonderfully delicious treats
that southern cooking has introduced to the world at large.
Favorite
vegetables in the heart of the south as I mentioned above included peas and
butterbeans, snap beans, corn, summer squash (after all, it's summer all year
in the south), and okra (fried or boiled in many southern kitchens). Not all
vegetables were deep fried though few were off limits. I remember eating my
share of fried okra, fried squash, and yes, fried green tomatoes. Life was good
back when calories weren't counted and no one really worried about clogging
arteries. While I wouldn't make these a daily dish in any household, I
certainly would recommend trying them out if you ever find the opportunity.
Another
great thing about southern cooking is the wonderful fried seafood that seems to
abound. From fried fish (almost any variety works well when it's southern
fried) to fried oysters, seafood just seems to taste so much better in the south.
If you are hoping to learn some of the southern cooking and cuisine you will
most likely need to order your spices and have them shipped unless your grocery
store has a rather extensive 'exotic'
foods selection. You can sometimes find great southern seasonings on the
International food aisles in grocery stores as well. If you want to really
treat your family to an outstanding meal, you should really try southern
cooking for the night.
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