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| Southern Comfort An excerpt from Somebody Stole the Cornbread from My Dressing: A Hilarious Comparison between the North and South through Recipes and Recollections
In Chapter Two, “Tailgating,” Susanne has a whole new appreciation for SEC tailgating parties upon showing up completely overdressed to a Northern college football game, only to find everyone in cut-offs literally hanging off the tailgates of their trucks. It was no Ole Miss picnic––nothing like what we Southerners perceive as customary: dressing to the nines and serving cocktails in monogrammed cups with real, homemade party food on tablecloths. Elizabeth satiates that desire for normalcy with an all-out Southern spread of fried chicken, pimento cheese sandwiches, Bloody Marys and other comforting bites. – Melissa Townsend Tailgating Menu: Pimento Cheese Sandwiches Deloris’s Fight Your Best Friend for It Fried Chicken Avocado Salsa with Blue Corn Chips Sober Me Up Egg and Olive Sandwiches Big Will’s Bloody Mary Peanut Butter Bars Pimento Cheese Sandwiches 2 cups white cheddar cheese, shredded (Buy the block and shred it yourself. It makes a huge difference.) 1 cup Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, no substitution 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 6 ounces roasted red peppers, diced (You can find the peppers in the specialty section of your grocery store.) 1/4 cup chopped pecans 1/4 cup chopped green onions 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco 1/4 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Mix all ingredients together. Serve as a sandwich or a spread for crackers. Deloris’s Fight Your Best Friend For It Fried Chicken 1 package assorted chicken pieces 2 tablespoons Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning 1 gallon peanut oil 4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup seasoned salt Mix dry ingredients then taste. You may need to adjust the seasoning to fit your taste. (The first time I was told to taste those ingredients, I liketa died, but it is the only way to ensure it is seasoned correctly. So now I gladly taste the flour every time.) Pour flour mix into a paper bag. Add chicken and shake until well coated. Pour peanut oil into a deep fat fryer. Fry until the chicken is golden and floats on top of the oil. Timing will vary by piece. It is important to wait for the chicken to float to the top of the oil. Drain on a paper bag covered with paper towels. Avocado Salsa With Blue Corn Chips 2 chopped tomatoes 4 ripe avocados cut into cubes 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 1/2 medium onion, diced Salt and pepper 2 limes, juiced 1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced, discard seeds 1/4 teaspoon cumin 1/4 teaspoon chili powder Mix well. Let sit in refrigerator for at least one hour. Add salt and pepper to taste. Press plastic wrap on the top of the salsa to prevent oxidation of the avocados, or put it in a freezer bag and make sure to remove all the air. Sober Me Up Egg And Olive Sandwiches 1 dozen hard-boiled eggs, chopped 1/4 cup cooked, chopped bacon 1/2 jar (12-ounce) olives with pimentos Salt and pepper, generously 1/2 cup Hellmann’s Mayonnaise (don’t you dare substitute anything else) 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco Mix ingredients, spread on wheat or white bread. Big Will’s Bloody Mary 1 48-ounce bottle V8 juice 3/4 cup fresh lime juice 4 tablespoons prepared horseradish 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 11/2 cups vodka 1 teaspoon celery salt Blend all but the vodka and celery salt. Mix vodka in right before serving. Store up to one week. Run a lime around the rim of the glass and pour celery salt on a plate. Invert the glass to celery salt the rim. Don’t forget pickled okra and a green bean for extra garnish. The glass will look like a salad once you have the celery stalk, green bean, lime, and okra, but it will offset all the vodka. You gotta get your veggies somehow! Peanut Butter Bars 1 cup butter 1 cup peanut butter 1 1-pound package powdered sugar 11/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 1 12-ounce package chocolate chips In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar until well mixed. Add vanilla wafers, mix until blended well, and press mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish. Put in refrigerator to chill. In the meantime, warm heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Pour over peanut butter mixture. Place in refrigerator to stiffen. Cut into squares. |
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September/October 2011
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© 2011 Coopwood Magazines, Inc
Delta Magazine
P.O. Box 117
P.O. Box 117