From the South

Nothing about me is from "The South". Parts of my family have been in North America since the beginning of what we now call the United States, except I'm a Yankee, from the North. If I ever get the paperwork in order, I could belong to the DAR association, better known as Daughters of the American Revolution. A distant ancestor of mine fought in the Revolutionary War but was from Massachusetts. I have a couple Oakies (Oklahoma natives) in the family but that's as close as I get to being Southern on my side. There are many similarities. My Great-grandfather owned a diner in Oklahoma and when I was young, made some of his great recipes (without looking at any cookbook of course) like, Pineapple Upside-down Cake,
Sweet Potato Pie, and biscuits and gravy.

When I met Michael, his Southern charm ultimately won me over. Once Mike and I "got serious", we took a trip to Virginia to meet his family and then to North Carolina where I met all of his close friends from college. After meeting Mike's friends and experiencing "The South", it was another thing that I just fell in love with. So much so that just about everyday I listen to James Taylor's Carolina in my Mind. Yes, Mike has me thoroughly brainwashed and, by the way............ GO WOLFPACK!!

I'm reminded of my fondness for the south because my Aunt sent me this great cookbook by Paula H. Deen. Food Network fans may know her show. This book is filled with down-home Southern cooking. I've really enjoyed some of her comments in the beginning. Here's a small exerpt:

"Authentic Southern food is not about pretension. It does not require a sophisticated palate. It's a poor-man's food. Kids don't have to acquire a taste for it. They love it from the start. And Southern food is distinctly Southern. Nothing is flown in. It's all home-grown. There's no quail, no pheasant, no filet mignon, no foie gras, no truffles, no snails, no caviar, and no crepes. Southern dishes do not require split-second timing. They do not fall in the oven. We don't go in for ornate presentation, either, or sculpted desserts. We just heap food on the plate. There are some things we do that would made a French chef sick. Like, for instance the we we make red eye gravy--country ham cooked in a skillet with water and strong coffee. But let the French chef taste it, and he'll get over being sick real quick! Southern cooks are proud of their cuisine, and they are not hesitant to tell you that, stacked up against any other cookery, it comes out on top. I've never heard anybody say, 'Gee, golly, I can't wait to get up to New York so I can have some of that good Yankee food.' "

I do enjoy all types of cuisine (The top of my list will always be California Cuisine) but there is something about the wintertime that makes me want to just make some good down-home cooking.

There are recipes in this book that go by the name of 'Piggy Pudding', 'Bubba's Beer Biscuits', 'Chocolate Damnation', and 'Low Country Cookies'. Wish me luck. I'm going on a culinary adventure. Stay tuned to my cooking site the next couple of months. Thanks Auntie, this book will come in handy!