tabasamu

Deep Fried Cucumbers

2006-10-09T13:12:00.000-04:00

Only my people can take a healthy veggie and do their best to make it as unhealthy as possible. But this is awesome, and it's a way to get my kid to eat his veggies. My mom used to make them, and I love them too. I also like fried pickles (which is really the same thing!)

4 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup bacon drippings

Season cucumbers with salt and pepper. Dip slices first in egg and then in bread crumbs. Fry in hot bacon drippings. Brown on both sides, drain, and serve hot.
6 to 8 servings.

Scrapple

2006-08-23T18:28:00.000-04:00

I love this recipe. It's fantastic for breakfast on a lazy Sunday morning.

2 cups pork, cooked and shredded or diced finely
3 quarts of broth from cooked meat
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
4 cups cornmeal

Boil pork in 4 quarts water; drain. If you're going to use the broth, don't forget to drain it into a bowl instead of throwing it away.

Chop meat. Bring reserved broth to a boil and add seasonings. Stir cornmeal into boiling mixture along with the meat. Cook slowly in a heavy pot for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour into loaf pans and chill. When cold, slice 1/4-inch slices and fry in hot fat until quite brown and crisp (most scrapple is not crisp enough).

Serve with maple syrup. Some serve it with ketchup or tomato sauce, but I like it best with real maple syrup.

Spicy Onion Jam

2006-07-28T13:00:00.000-04:00

I have an unnatural love for sandwiches with aged cheddar cheese and my homemade onion relish. This goes great as a chutney in a cheese sandwich, or makes a nice addition to a pickle and cheese tray. It also makes a fantastic barbecue glaze for chicken.

Spicy Onion Jam

2 huge vidalia onions chopped (about 5 cups)
1 1/4 cup golden sugar
2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water

Place onions in a large saucepan and saute over medium heat for 5- 10 minutes, stirring frequently until onions begin to soften and sweat. Add remaining ingredients, except cornstarch/water mixture, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes or until flavours are well blended and onions are fairly soft, but retain some crunch. Stir through cornstarch mixture and cook a couple of minutes more. Pour into clean hot jars. Loosely apply lids and set aside to cool. When cool, tighten lids and refrigerate. Jam should keep in the fridge for 4 to 6 weeks. Makes 5 jars.

Creole Chicken Gumbo

2006-06-02T19:41:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:

1 large chicken-cut up
4 tablespoons cooking oil
1 large onion-chopped
2 quarts chicken stock-heated
2 tablespoons parsley-chopped
2 tablespoons green onions-chopped
1 teaspoon chopped thyme-if fresh or 1/2 teaspoon if dry
1 clove garlic-minced
3 bay leaves 1 pound smoke sausage (or andouille)
1 pint oysters
1 tablespoon filé cayenne pepper to taste
salt and pepper to taste
thyme

Instructions: Use a heavy pot (iron if possible), and brown the chicken slowly in oil. Remove the chicken. Sauté the onions until soft. Return the chicken and any juice that has drained off to the pot with onions. Cover and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add the heated stock, parsley, green onions, garlic, and bay leaves. Season generously with thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook over low heat until chicken is tender. Add precooked sausage and cook for 10 minutes. Add oysters and oysters' water and cook for 10 minutes more. Remove from heat and immediately add filé powder, stirring while adding. Serve in large bowls, pouring it over steamed rice.

I got this recipe from my cousin in Louisianna. She makes a mean batch of it!

TC's Smoky BBQ Beans

2006-05-20T14:32:00.000-04:00

These were so yummy, this huge batch disappeared in a matter of minutes. It serves a lot - close to 10 or 12 as a generous side dish...

TC's Smoky BBQ Beans

1.5 pounds dried white haricot beans
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup italian parsley, finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz can diced stewed tomatoes
5.5 oz tin tomato paste
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
dark soy sauce to taste
1 teaspoon dried hot chilli flakes
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons hot English mustard
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
chopped smoked / barbecued meat
4 cups chicken stock

Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cool water. Drain and rinse.

Chuck it all in a big ole pot (at least 8 quarts!), bring it to the boil and let it simmer for 7 to 9 hours. Check on it periodically. If it looks like the liquid is getting thick, add an extra few cups of water. You'll probably have to do this a few times during the cooking process.

Towards the end, dice the meat quite small and throw it into the pot.

Mama's Roast Lamb

2006-04-13T16:15:00.000-04:00

(Stuffed Lamb Roast)

It's a family tradition that my mom always makes roast lamb for Easter supper. I made it for the first time last year. My sister will be doing it this year, but last weekend I decided that I wanted lamb, and I ran across this recipe. It turned out awesome! It's kind of Greek but I bet you won't find it in Tarpon Springs anywhere. The pics aren't mine, but I'm posting them here because sometimes it's nice to see what you're going to be doing.

I'm sorry that I haven't posted sooner. I realize that some of you may be sick of waiting around for the next recipe, and I'll try to step it up. I moved, and the packing and moving really took up more time than I thought they would. Do me a favor and post some of your own recipes, and I'll put them here, too!

You'll need:

Feta cheese to taste
1 pkg. thawed, chopped spinach
Fresh pepper to taste
Fresh garlic to taste
3/4 C. bread crumbs
1-2 eggs to get it to a good consistency

Spread it on top of a boned leg of lamb, butterflied. Roll it up and tie with twine and rub the outside all over with a mix of minced fresh rosemary (1 Tbl), olive oil (1/3 cup) and salt (1 tsp).

Roast it in the oven at 450F for 30 minutes plus 400F for 30 minutes or until done all the way through. To make au jus: deglaze the roasting pan with red wine and add another sprig of rosemary and add some sauteed garlic.

The outside (as you can see) got all nice and crispy and the inside was lovely rare-ish with a flavourful stuffing that stood up to the strong taste of lamb.

Strawberry Festival Time!

2006-03-03T14:19:00.000-05:00

OK, it's time for the Florida Strawberry Fest! Here's a recipe from their 1989 Award Winning Recipes Collection:

Strawberry Frosted Sugar Cookies

1 C butter
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C sour cream
1 t vanilla
1 t baking powder
1 t soda
4 1/3 C flour

Cream butter, sugar, sour cream, vanilla and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Refrigerate overnight. Roll 1/4 inch thick on cookie sheet. Bake till done. Cool, frost.

Frosting

1 box powdered sugar, 2 sticks butter, 1/4 C whipping cream, 1/2 t vanilla, crushed fresh strawberries to taste.

A Recipe From Oprah

2006-02-21T14:54:00.000-05:00

OK, I am probably the last black woman on earth who doesn't care for Oprah. She built one amazing empire, and for that I'll give her props, but she just doesn't impress me as a person. But here's a recipe of hers that I love:

Lemon Risotto with Garlic Crab

INGREDIENTS

1 pound lump crabmeat
1 clove garlic, minced
5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Place crabmeat in a medium bowl; pick through for any shells and discard. Add garlic and toss well. Refrigerate.

In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil; reduce to simmer. Add lemon juice and keep warm on a back burner.

In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When just smoking, add shallots and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until lightly golden and tender. Add rice and stir 1 minute to coat. Add 1/2 cup hot broth, stirring constantly. Continue cooking until almost all liquid is absorbed, then add another 1/2 cup broth. Repeat until rice is tender and almost all broth has been used, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add crab; stir until blended. Add 1/4 cup broth and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon zest, and thyme; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Nutritional information: 553 calories

Recipe For Love

2006-02-10T09:27:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I'd like to share a Voudou (a.k.a. Voodoo) recipe that was given to me by a relative from New Orleans. It was so cute, I couldn't resist it:

Love Spinach for Women (To Draw a Man)

(2) 10 Oz. Bags of Fresh Spinach
2 Cups Fresh Mushrooms - sliced
1/2 Stick Butter
1 Oz. Swiss cheese - chopped
1/2 Cup White Wine
1/2 Teaspoon Orris Root
1 Cup Sour Cream
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook spinach in 1/2 cup water, drain in colander and chop. Sautee mushrooms. Return the spinach to the pot with mushrooms, then add sour cream, salt and pepper to taste. Stir and add Swiss Cheese and butter, stir and then turn off the stove. Now add the white wine and pinch of Orris Root Powder, stir. Serve by candlelight.

Just For Luck

2005-12-31T15:30:00.000-05:00

My grandma used to make Hog Jowls and Blackeyed Peas for good luck on New Year's Day. She passed away many years ago, but here's a modified version of her recipe (most of you will pass on the hog jowls, I'm sure!) I know I have another version under my "Folk Recipes" column, but this one is for the slow cooker.

I'm also going to throw in a recipe for African Peanut Soup, which won a blue ribbon at the state fair many years ago.

Blackeyed Peas a.k.a. Luck For the New Year

1 lb. dried blackeyed peas
3 1/2 lbs. ham (or hamhocks or hog jowls if you prefer)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 32 oz. can chicken broth
1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes (I like the kind that has green chiles added)

Rinse and sort the beans. Place in a slow cooker; add ham and garlic. Pour broth over the top of the ham. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, or on high for 6 hours. Chop up ham and stir in the diced tomatoes. Heat on high for another hour or until liquid has thickened up a little bit.

African Peanut Soup

1 cut-up chicken
1 C. chunky peanut butter
1 tsp. salt
diced pimento, to taste
2 med. ripe tomatoes or 2 Tbl. tomato paste
1 med. onion
1 tsp. curry powder or your own curry mix
1 tsp. pepper
8 C. water

Cook chicken in 8 C. water until tender. Remove bones and skin and cut up in small pieces. Skim off all of fat from broth. Add seasonings and peanut butter to broth. You may want to stir a bit of broth into peanut butter to liquify slightly. Grind tomatoes and onion in blender and add to pot. Simmer for 10-15 mins., stirring occasionally. Serve hot in bowls with pimento, if desired. Can also serve with leg or thigh in each bowl. Serves 6-8.

Fried Green Tomatoes

2005-11-29T16:41:00.001-05:00

I was reading Saur's blog the other day and realized I don't have a recipe for these up on my site. Now THAT is a TERRIBLE thing. So, here is a very important recipe for ...

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

4-6 green tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
salt and pepper
flour for dusting
3-4 eggs, beaten
cornmeal or bread crumbs
bacon grease or vegetable oil if you HAVE to...

Salt and pepper the tomato slices; dip in egg (letting excess drip off), then dip in flour. Dip back in egg (letting excess drip off) then coat well with meal or crumbs. Fry in hot grease or oil.

Now, some people like dipping sauce. I like to make my own, mixing mayonnaise, grated horseradish, and a little worcestershire sauce to taste. Sometimes I add sour cream, too. Experiment! After all, that's what cooking's all about, isn't it?

I've Been Tagged

2005-10-13T08:45:00.000-04:00

Mr. Gator has tagged me. Because I love that irascible reptile, I'm going to post something. However, I can't follow the rules because I post so rarely! And if I did, it would probably be a recipe measurement (1 C. flour). So, instead I am going to post the 23rd recipe out of my personal cookbook and share some food trivia with you. This is a great favorite of mine:

Tyropean (Cheesemaker's) Delight

10 slices white bread, crusts removed
6 eggs
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
8 oz. (2C) shredded sharp American cheese
3 C. milk
2 Tbl. chopped parsley
dash of pepper
3 Tbl chopped onion

Heat oven to 325F. Cut bread into cubes. Beat eggs, milk and seasonings. Stir in bread cubes, cheese and onion. Pour into 11x7x1 1/2 baking dish. Bake uncovered for 1 hour or until the center looks firm. Serves 5-6 for brunch or light supper.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF CHEESE

The many varieties (400+) of cheese could confuse Mickey Mouse. The earliest indication of cheesemaking was 7,500 years ago. Originally curdled milk was placed in molds with holes in them so that the whey could drain off. The Latin word for these containers was "forma". The Greek equivalent, "formos", referred to wicker recipients used for the same purpose. The French word "fromage" therefore originated with the mold and not a particular production technique. The English word "cheese" can be traced back to the Old Sanskrit "kãsi".

In 1666, a decree by the Parliament of Toulouse became the first legal document to refer to cheese - in this case, Roquefort. In 1857 Pasteur discovered the principle of pasteurized milk. A few years later, his pupil, Emile Duclaux, adapted the technique for cheese.

Many countries have claimed that they were the origin of cheese. I suspect that they all were. It's not hard to discover cheese when you're dealing with curdled milk, and in the days of no refrigeration, it would be a given that someone would eventually 'discover' cheese and yogurt.

The country most famous for cheese is probably France. They've perfected the art of cheesemaking, and with subtle variations in temperature and ingredients, they have created a cheese for every palate.

Mom's Vanilla Cream Pie

2005-09-24T15:41:00.000-04:00

I know I don't post frequently, but I am just so very busy most of the time. Please feel free to continue to contribute recipes! Michelle has recently, and you can too. If you request your own section for recipes, I will be more than happy to accomodate you!

Anyway, this is a super scrumptious pie with a strong vanilla (almost caramel) flavor to it.

Vanilla Cream Pie

Pie shell (crumb or regular)
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 C evaporated milk
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
4 Tbl butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425 F if you are using a basic pie crust, or 350F if you're using a crumb crust. If you're using a regular crust, prick it all over with a fork and press a piece of heavy duty foil snugly into the pie shell. Bake at 425F for 6 mins, remove the foil, and continue baking for about 10 mins, until light brown, dry and crisp. Or, (if the crumb crust isn't already baked) bake it for about 10 mins. at 350F.

Combine the sugar, flour, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir them together with a wire whisk until they are thoroughly mixed. Continue to whisk as you add the milk, by droplets at first, then in a continuous stream. Whisk in the egg yolks over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly, until the mixture boils. Reduce from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the filling and let it cool for about 15 mins. Remove plastic, stir the filling well, and pour it into the pie shell.

Top the pie lavishly with whipped cream just before you serve it.

Jean's Blushing Corn Chowder

2005-07-20T20:03:00.000-04:00

This was donated by Kathleen, of our Tampa Bay parents' group of bloggers:

Jean's Blushing Corn Chowder

1 lb of bacon
1 large onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 regular cans of tomato soup
2 large cans of creamed corn
1 Tbls. salt
1 Tbls. pepper
1 and 1/2 cans creamed corn
milk

Cut bacon across to make 1/4 inch slices of bacon. In a large skillet brown bacon over medium heat. Drain all the fat, leaving just enough to saute the vegetables in. Add onions and green pepper. Saute until wilted and slightly browned. Add, salt, pepper and garlic. Heat until hot. Add tomato soup and creamed corn. Heat thourghly on low heat for about 5 minutes. Add milk slowly until it reaches the desired consistency. Bring to a simmer and turn off.

Hints: Make the soup one day in advance. The flavors meld and it can't be beat.

Remember: good cooks always taste the food to determine the proper seasoning. Do it!

Finally, we always served this with grilled cheese sandwiches - Jewish rye with longhorn cheddar cheese. Be sure to use real butter and once done, it is delicious to dunk your sandwich into the soup. OMG! Yum.

Your Fairy Godmother's Angel Food Cake

2005-07-02T15:23:00.000-04:00

You can visit Your Fairy Godmother at http://yourgodmother.blogspot.com/

Your Fairy Godmother's Healthy Angel Food Cake

This cake uses whole-wheat flour because it's good for you! It has a nice, nutty flavor. And don't forget to clean your plate, or you won't get any dessert!

3/4 C. whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 C. sugar
12 egg whites from large eggs (to equal about 2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350. Sift the flour and 3/4 C. of the sugar together four times. In a big bowl, mix the egg whites with cream of tartar, extract, and salt. Beat them at medium speed, and when they start to foam add the rest of the sugar (don't stop beating).

Continue beating till the eggs are stiff but moist and they no longer slide around in the bowl if it is moved about. Sift 1/3 of the sifted flour mix evenly over the egg whites. Fold it in, and repeat two more times.

Pour the batter into an ungreased 10" tube pan. Cut through with a knife to burst any air pockets, then smooth the top with a spatula or spoon.

Bake 35-45 minutes, or until a long skewer or toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean. Remove the cake and turn it onto a plate to cool to room temperature (this can take an hour or so, but overnight is OK too).

You can split it and fill it with various fillings or whipped cream, or eat it plain!

This is my favorite baked good. Other fairies may prefer different ones. Tinkerbell is especially fond of jam tarts.

Saurkraut's Recipes

2005-07-02T15:17:00.000-04:00

See Saur's blog at http://franklysaurkraut.blogspot.com/

SAUR'S SPARERIBS

* 3 lbs. pork spareribs, cut into serving size pieces
* 1/2 C. orange marmalade
* 1/4 C. soy sauce
* 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
* 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
* dash pepper
* orange slices optional

Arrange ribs around sides and over bottom of a 12x7.5x2 inch glass baking dish, overlapping slightly as needed. Cover with waxed paper (I use saran wrap, though). Microwave on 100% (High) 10 minutes. Drain well. Rearrange and turn ribs over, so least-cooked pieces are exposed and more-cooked parts are overlapped.

In a small mixing bowl, combine marmalade, soy sauce, garlic powder, ginger, and pepper. Spoon sauce over ribs. Microwave, covered, on 100% (High) 20 minutes or until done, basting and rearranging ribs every 5 minutes. Garnish with orange slices, if desired. Serves 4.

POTATOES DELUXE

2 lbs. frozen hash browns, thawed
1 C. chopped onion
1 C. cream of chicken soup
1 pint dairy sour cream (non-fat will do as well as regular)
1 stick (8 oz.) butter or margarine, melted
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste
1 C. crushed potato chips

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Put in 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with crushed potato chips. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees F. Serves 12.

Michelle's Recipes

2005-07-02T15:12:00.000-04:00

Summer Steak and Pasta Salad

1 - Sirloin steak, cooked how you like, cut into strips or bites
1 - box macaroni noodles, or what you like best.
1 - small package frozen green beans.
1 - small bag radishes, sliced
1 - onion, raw or cooked in the sirloin juices

For dressing I use red wine vinegar, olive oil, and a pack of Hidden Valley Italian Seasoning. You can use Italian dressing. If you are good with spices make your own. Mix together and chill.

Beef Stroganof

Brown beef strips or already diced stew meat. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste and you can add chopped or sliced onions if you'd like. Add one can Cream of Mushroom Garlic Soup. Add one container Sour Cream– the regular size. Add one jar lof sliced mushrooms Once simmering, put a pot of water on to boil for your rice or egg noodles. (I like it with rice better)

FOLK RECIPES

2005-05-19T22:30:00.000-04:00

These are some of my favorite family recipes. I don't claim they're original, but I love them all. Go ahead and try them out, and bring some soul cooking into the heart of your home.

FRIED CORN

INGREDIENTS:
6 ears corn
2 tablespoons fresh bacon drippings or butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

PREPARATION: Slice the corn from the cob. Scrape the cob downward to get any remaining corn left near the cob. Heat a heavy skillet and add the bacon fat or butter. When hot, add corn and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar, and pepper. Serve hot. Serves 4 to 5.

SWEET POTATO PIE

INGREDIENTS:
4 large potatoes
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
1 store-bought pie crust or your can just line a pan with vanilla wafers instead
1/2 cup milk

DIRECTIONS: Boil the potatoes until tender. When you stick afork in them it should go in easy but you don'twant them to fall apart. Let the potatoes cool and then peel them. Put the potatoes in a large mixing bowl and mash them thoroughly with a potato masher. Melt the butter and pour it and the other ingredients in the bowl of potatoes. Stir until well mixed. Whether you used a ready made pie crust or just cookies, pour the potatoes mixture into the crust. Put into an oven preheated to 375 degrees. Cook for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. I like to eat the pie while still hot with Breyers vanilla bean icecream. It's good cold too... though.

COLLARD GREENS

INGREDIENTS:
2 - 3 medium smoked ham hocks or 2 pounds smoked pork neck bones
5 pounds of collards or several large bunches (If you can't get them fresh, frozen will do)
2 teaspoon of salt or to taste

DIRECTIONS: My favorite way to cook collard greens is very simple. I take 2 or 3 smoked ham hocks and put them in a large (6 quart) pot of water. Bring the water to a rolling boil and let it boil for about 1 1/2 hours. Add more water as it boils down. The idea is to boil the ham hocks until they begin to fall apart. You want the ham hocks to be falling apart before you add the collard greens.

Take the collard greens and separate the leaves (if fresh) . Now rinse each leaf individually under cold running water. After you rinse the collard greens thoroughly, stack several leaves on top of each other. Roll these leaves together. Then slice the leaves into thin strips using a cutting board and large knife. Rolling them together speeds up the process as you are slicking through several leaves at once.

Next, add your collard greens to the pot. Since this is a lot of collards, you will need to add them until the pot is full. Then allow them to wilt as they cook - then add more. Add salt to taste, cover and cook for thirty minutes on medium heat. Stir every few minutes to distribute the smoked meat taste evenly. Taste to confirm they are the tenderness that you prefer. Serve with your favorite meat dish. Eat the ham hocks or neck bones right along with the collards.
If you used frozen collards, simply pour them - frozen - right from the package to the pot.
If you use smoked neck bones, they usually don't take as long to cook as ham hocks.

P.S. People in my neck of the woods usually sprinkle lots of hot sauce on their collards. I like them that way. Give it a try. Since this is a large pot full, just save the extras in the refrigerator. They should keep for a long time and actually get better as the juices settle in.

SPICY FRIED CORN & SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup chopped white onions
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 teaspoons corn oil
1 (8 ounces) can chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 (8 ounces) package fresh, uncooked spicy sausage (try to get your local butcher's sausage)
2 cups half cooked frozen corn or fresh cut corn (unsweetened, unsalted and drained)
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Chicken Stock, Heavy Cream, Salt, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper and Tabasco. Set aside.

In a large skillet or oven-safe saute pan, cook and crumble fresh sausage until lightly brown and remove with spatula and drain on paper towels.

Save the pan drippings from the sausage and in that same pan, add the corn oil. In the pan with just the corn oil and sausage drippings, after the corn oil has gotten hot, cook the white onions until they are transparent, glassy, and sizzling, stirring and moving around with spatula.

Add the corn to the pan, frying on a medium to high heat for 5-7 minutes, moving it around with a spatula and making sure not to burn. Still on a medium to high heat-- (the corn and the onions should be sizzling) now add back the drained and crumbled cooked sausage and, add the chicken stock mixture to the pan. Stir everything together and cover with lid.

Let cook covered for 5 min more on a medium to low heat. Stir and transfer uncovered pan to a pre-heated 425 oven for 15 min uncovered.

ROAST PORK

Get a pork roast, or pork tenderloin and Good Season's Italian Salad dressing. Prick the meat all over with a fork and put it in a glass dish or glass bowl. Mix up the salad dressing and pour it all over the roast. Turn the roast every hour or so, if it's not completely submerged in the salad dressing. Let it marinate all day, then roast it in the oven until it's done all the way through. I know this sounds simple, but it gets more raves at the dinner table than anything else I make!

HUSH PUPPIES

These delectable little balls of fried seasoned cornbread are incredibly addictive. Be careful; it's easy to fill up on these!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups yellow corn meal
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Boiling water
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
Oil for frying

DIRECTIONS: Heat oil in deep skillet or fryer to 375°F. Mix all dry ingredients except the baking powder. Pour in enough hot water to make a thick mush, making sure all ingredients are moistened. Add milk, egg and baking powder and mix thoroughly. Drop by spoonfuls (or use a small ice cream scoop) into oil, and fry until golden brown.

FRIED BACON & CABBAGE

This is an artery-clogging dish that is so very easy and completely delicious. Your family will beg you to make this every night.

Start frying up one pound of bacon in a large skillet. Keep draining the fat into a clean coffee cup that you can eventually store in the refrigerator to use in other recipes. Oh yeah, solid animal fat. Your arteries are clogging just thinking about it!

As it's frying, wash and chop up a head of cabbage. Keep draining the cooked bacon on paper towels, and keep draining off the fat into the cup so it won't spatter all over you. Keep the kids away, hot fat burns badly. When the last bit of bacon is fried up, leave some fat in the skillet and remove the bacon. Add the cabbage to the hot skillet and keep stirring it around until it begins to cook down, and keep adding more cabbage as it cooks down. Crumble up the bacon while you're waiting for the cabbage to cook through. You'll be able to tell the cabbage is done when it's soft and slightly translucent. Add the crumbled bacon and salt and pepper it all to taste.

This is SO good that my stomach is now growling. I'm off to cook some up!

BLACK EYED PEAS WITH HAM
This makes a terrific main dish for two.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Water
3/4 cup Dried black-eyed peas
1 cup Sliced okra
1 small Onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon Red pepper sauce
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Chopped fresh cilantro
1 small Tomato, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup Chopped fully cooked smoked ham

DIRECTIONS: Heat water and peas to boiling in a 2-quart saucepan. Boil uncovered 2 minutes; reduce heat. Add ham. Cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender (donot boil or peas will burst); drain. Cook okra, onion, salt, garlic and red pepper sauce in oil in saucepan about 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Stir in cilantro, tomato and peas. Heat until mixture is hot.

TABASAMU’S CREAMY SWEET N’ SAUR COLESLAW
This is named in honor of Saurkraut's blog at http://sweetnsaur.blogspot.com/

INGREDIENTS:
1 to 1-1/2 pounds shredded cabbage
1 large apple, cored and sliced thinly (just before it's added)
1 C. golden raisins
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1 cup whipping cream

PREPARATION:
Place shredded cabbage in a dish; cover and refrigerate for several hours. Mix together the salt, sugar, vinegar and whipping cream; toss with cabbage to blend well. Fold in the apples and raisins. Chill coleslaw before serving.