My besttest friend ever is original from Georgia and was transplanted to Iowa by her hubby. She is feeling super homesick so I want to cook her a southern meal. I need help because I want authentic recipes not Northernized ( Her term) southern food. Thanks
Paul Deed has plenty of good Southern recipes on foodnetworks.com, check out the website and scroll down to her name and check out the recipes. Some I have tried and were delicious, especially her fry chicken. Hope this helps somewhat.
I would go with the greats... biscuits n' gravy, southern fried chicken, and green beans that are cooked in bacon grease! (I'm a mountain girl to the core!) Don't forget your sweet tea to drink!
My friend and I make sweet potato casserole two or three times a year for our extended families and that stuff gets eaten UP!
Don't forget fried green tomatoes and/or fried okra!
Most of the cooks in my family don't use recipes for our everyday southern food. I would definitely try Paula Deen's recipes, although it's somewhat different from what I'm used to. She lives on the coast of Georgia, where as I'm in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Do you have any particular veggies or dishes in mind?
I'm not a southerner, but my dh is and we lived down south for four years... if there's one thing they can't do without, its their sweet tea!!!!! Brew some tea on the stove and then mix about a cup and a half to two cups of sugar to a gallon of tea.
I'm a homegrown Georgia girl myself!!!! And proud of it Paula Deen is a great choice. I grew up eating in Lady & Sons, her rest. in Savannah.
Gosh, where do I begin? Turnip greens cooked in bacon drippins, can u get them there? Homemade cornbread with lots of butter, in an iron skillet of course Blackeyed peas, cooked with a little onion and bacon, of course! Fried Chicken!
I could go on and on. PM me if you have any questions! Give your bestest girlfriend a big ole Georgia hug for me!
God Bless Us G.R.I.T.S K'ly
I know my Avatar says I'm from Florida, but don't be fooled.. I grew up in Tennessee in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains.. So here's my take on the Southern food:
Cornbread! (Iron skillet a must for this one).. And I agree with the biscuits and gravy and fried green tomatoes and okra as well.
Hmm.. some others that come to mind are fried potatoes (my grandma used to make those for me), chicken and dumplings, and my mom makes a homemade chicken pot pie that you'd kill someone for! If you'd like the recipe PM me and I'll send it on..
And for dessert, peach cobbler! (I also have my mom's killer recipe for this one if you'd like it, as well as her how-to's on how to make good homemade southern white gravy!).
No one has mentioned what I grew up calling Macaroni Pie. My northern friend calls it baked macaroni & cheese. You can PM me for my great-grandma's recipe.
I grew up in LA, that's lower Alabama for you Yankees (actually it's the most western part of the Florida panhandle right near the boarder!). Anyway ya gotta have a southern dessert! We like our sweets to end a good meal. You could try pecan pie, sweet potato pie, peanut butter pie, or a black berry cobbler. If ya have fried chicken, don't forget the pan gravy to accompany the potatoes!
Okay...how about this dessert-Chess Pie, let's see if anybody knows about this...it's truly a "Southern Thang"
kjt
I didn't need any recipes. But reading this post has made my mouth water Any southern fried chicken recipes would be greatly appreciated. DH loves fried chicken. Always looking for a good recipe for that. And I never heard of green beans cooked in bacon grease. I gotta know how to do that one DH would love that one also.
Mommykicksbutt - where did you grow up? Baldwin County? That's where I am...we're about 20 minutes from the FL state line or the FloraBama bar, which is ON the state line.
I agree with everyone else's suggestions....also chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy is another good one. I would love some good 'ole grits if I were away from the South for very long, but they're kind of hard to get right if you've never made them before. Sweet potatoes done any old way will please a true Southerner, as well as the sweet tea and a pecan pie. Homemade ice cream is something else us Southerners love, I think....and since she's from Georgia, you could throw some sliced peaches in there...YUM! Cobblers, fried chicken, fried pork chops, MAN..y'all have me starving for some good home cooking for lunch tomorrow...a traditional Southern Sunday meal!
I also forgot about the chicken and dumpling DH loves those to. Recipes for them as well PLEASE
Okay...how about this dessert-Chess Pie, let's see if anybody knows about this...it's truly a "Southern Thang"
kjt
my mouth is watering , just thinking about chocolate chess pie with a big dollup of whip cream! Don't forget collards and corn meal dumplins . Ther is nothing like good old southern cooking.
Sweet Tea -- done southern, must be a minimum of 2 cups of sugar per gallon and is even better with fresh lemon wedges!
Homemade mashed taters with pan dripping gravy, turnip greens cooked with bacon drippings for sure, blackeye peas, sliced tomatoes and fried chicken or cornbread chicken and dressing!!
Banana pudding for dessert! Paula Deen's "Not Yo Momma's Banana Pudding" is the ultimate!
Southerners love; fried okra, fried summer squash, fried green tomatoes, lima beans, creamed corn.
Heck, anything fried or with bacon grease or butter added!!
Since we're talking about Southern cooking, I'm wondering if anyone else keeps a cup of leftover bacon/sausage grease to use for cooking?
Or am I just crazy?? Lol. My grandma and my mom both do this, and since they taught me to cook I picked it up. My husband and all our friends thought I was crazy when they passed by the stove and looked into the cup.. I tried to explain, but it just didn't work!
This is the best chicken fried steak recipe that I've ever had.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/southern-living-magazines-chicken-fried-steak/detail.aspx
Other than that, I'd go with Alton Brown's (raised in Georgia) recipe for Fried Chicken:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_15279,00.html
Also, he had a great recipe for grits:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_29048,00.html
If you are wanting some Cajun Jambalaya, I'll post that recipe in a minute - it's FABULOUS.
Rachel
Today's recipe is Jambalaya!
3 lbs. large Shrimp peeled and deveined.
6 onions, chopped
6 green peppers
8 fresh tomatoes
6 cloves garlic
2 pt. Oysters (optional)
2 lbs Hot Sausage
2 lbs ham, cubed
3 lbs butter
5 lbs rice
Parsley, chopped
Bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
Chili Powder
Chicken Broth
Melt butter and brown onions and peppers. Add meat and cook 10 minute.
Add shrimp. Add tomatoes and seasonings and 1 cup of water. Cook 15 minutes.
Add rice. Bake in moderate oven, around 300F, until cooked adding broth as needed.
This recipe will serve from 30 40. To half recipe use 4 cups of rice. I do not
know why.
If shrimp is too pricey where you live use chicken. I also like to add cayenne and/or
White pepper. You can also juggle around the type of sausage you like.
Julie bugg- yep have my bacon grease right on my stove top! Definately a must! I am from SE GA and my favorite food is Chicken n Dumplins or chicken n rice. My favorite meal, though is baked ham, potato salad, tomatoes n rice, fresh green beans, fried okra, homemade biscuits, sweet tea (2 c sugar per gallon) and peach cobbler for dessert. That is just a meal my mom has always made together and it just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy when I go to her house for Sunday dinner........which is only 20 miles away!!! Hope you find something your GA friend likes!
Since we're talking about Southern cooking, I'm wondering if anyone else keeps a cup of leftover bacon/sausage grease to use for cooking?
Or am I just crazy?? Lol. My grandma and my mom both do this, and since they taught me to cook I picked it up. My husband and all our friends thought I was crazy when they passed by the stove and looked into the cup.. I tried to explain, but it just didn't work!
You're NOT crazy! I was raised the same way! I have a drippins' jar that I put all my grease in.
And when you set the table, don't forget the EXTRA butter.
A true southern meal isn't complete without a stick of room temp butter on the table.
I don't think you could go wrong with chicken-fried steak or chicken n- dumplings and peach cobbler. Also, fried cornbread.
Good Luck. Those sound like good recipes to me!
This thread is so funny! I add pounds to my extended family every Sunday with these food. You can't forget Mac n cheese. Every where I go I am asked to make my Mac n cheese. My SIL was over one day and saw me put 2 sticks of butter in and she said "That's why it's sooo good!
I was not raised in the South, but have lived here in SC for the past 16 years and have picked up many "southern" cooking habits. The cup of bacon grease on the counter- DH thinks great but his kids are completely grossed out, lol. I get teased alot because whenever someone asks for oneof my recipes they all start with a tablespoon (or more) of bacon fat. Whenever we go back to CO for holidays, I always make sweet potato souffle. My family loves it, but the first time I made it my mother flipped when she saw how much butter went in to it. She said, "surly that's not right." Anyway, I agree that Paula Deen is the way to go to find authentic southern recipes, that are totally easy and foolproof. Good Luck!!!
I also grew up with bacon fat on the stove. I married a Florida boy. His mom didn't do this. So, everytime I "save" up my grease he pours it out. There is nothing like frying taters in bacon fat. YUM!!! I just thought I was hungry before.
Here in Texas, bbq brisket or ribs is great. Either in the oven or grill. With sweet coleslaw, bbq bean<savory not sweet> and texas toast. Cant forget the peach or cherry cobbler, or pecan pie.
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