Southern Comforts

[TRAIL TAILOR]

I'm missing the/my southern foods.. Lets see 'em fellas. Breakfast, lunch/dinner, supper, snacks and desserts of course....

I'l start it off. Cajun catfish with loaded smashed taters. Tonight is shrimp and grits... MMMHMM can't wait!

J

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

Shrimp, cheesy grits and (for JohnVee.. fried egg on top) with a spicy creole sauce.

Who's next...

J

 

[JohnVee]

Looks good. I almost got S&G at dinner tonight. Ordered something that sucked instead.

Where's the fried okra?

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

Looks good. I almost got S&G at dinner tonight. Ordered something that sucked instead.

Where's the fried okra?

That will come with the chicken fried steak and chicken fried chicken with GRAVY, fried apples and cream corn in a day or so...

J

 

[JohnVee]

Damn, native southerner?

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

Damn, native southerner?

I grew up in TX.. My grandmothers, mom and aunts were/are exceptional cooks.. I do love my southern eats.

I'll add some black eyes/purple hulls and greens in there somewhere too.

J

 

[JohnVee]

greens
J

I tried to do collards once. Once. That was many hours wasted, all for something I don't like anyway. Nobody taught me 'Southern' - had to learn it all myself. Still not the best at some of the classics since I try to eat somewhat healthy.

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

I tried to do collards once. Once. That was many hours wasted, all for something I don't like anyway. Nobody taught me 'Southern' - had to learn it all myself. Still not the best at some of the classics since I try to eat somewhat healthy.

I was lucky and sat on the kitchen counter as a boy as the official "taster".. I've been hooked on cooking ever since...

Greens are pretty easy.. Take your ham (hocks), bacon or whatever and boil it to make a "broth" then add the collards with onion and spices.. Cook on low-med for about an hour.. done...

J

 

[tag3]

Don't have a pic, the kid shredded up bout 5 pototoes, diced some onion and garlic, sour cream and shredded cheddar. Combined the tater, onion, garlic, sour cream, and 2/3 of the cheese. Spread into a casserole dish, topped with the rest of the cheese. Baked at 350 for 35 mins. Needed to do for about 50-60mins., came out undercooked. Some sausages and corn and carrots. She be learnin to cook, me as well.

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

Don't have a pic, the kid shredded up bout 5 pototoes, diced some onion and garlic, sour cream and shredded cheddar. Combined the tater, onion, garlic, sour cream, and 2/3 of the cheese. Spread into a casserole dish, topped with the rest of the cheese. Baked at 350 for 35 mins. Needed to do for about 50-60mins., came out undercooked. Some sausages and corn and carrots. She be learnin to cook, me as well.

Good for you. Some of my best times were cooking with the kids.

J

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Mmmmm. I am an absolute whore for etouffe and hushpuppies.

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

Mmmmm. I am an absolute whore for etouffe and hushpuppies.

I love crawfish/shrimp etoufee over any fish and rice. Puppies and/or corn fritters too...

J

 

[Trunk Monkey]

We had a place in a mall food court, of all places, that did crawfish etoufee over dirty rice with a side of jalapeno hushpuppies. Mouth on fire, but sooooo good.

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

We had a place in a mall food court, of all places, that did crawfish etoufee over dirty rice with a side of jalapeno hushpuppies. Mouth on fire, but sooooo good.

I made some puppies and used OB's and habanero peppers... This white boy was breathing FIRE.. BUT DAMN GOOD!

J

 

[spressomon]

I got noth'n. TexMex maybe...but even that's a stretch

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

I got noth'n. TexMex maybe...but even that's a stretch

No worries D, I'll make up for your short comings..

Crawfish pie and corn muffins tonight...

J

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

Crawfish pie and corn muffins.. I was a little IMPATIENT and didn't let the pie sit and SET.. BUT OH SO GOOD!!

J

 

[hkeller]

Hey, can we get a recipe on this last one?

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

Hey, can we get a recipe on this last one?

You bet. I trimmed the cayenne down to 1/4 teaspoon and it was still pretty spicy. We recently switched to Watkins brand spices and they are more bold and flavorful compared toothers on the market IMO.

Cheers J


CRAWFISH PIE

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped, seeded, and peeled tomatoes, or 1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes
1 pound crawfish tails
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup water
1 pie crust (use a basic recipe or store bought pre-made)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, cayenne, and black pepper. Saute for about 8 minutes, or until golden and wilted. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the crawfish tails and parsley. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes. Dissolve the flour in the water and add to the pan. Stir for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat. Let cool for at least 30 minutes. Place the crust in the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan and crimp the edges. Pour the crawfish mixture into the pie crust. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the edges of the pie crust are golden. Cool for several minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.

 

[hkeller]

Excellent. Will try soon. Thanks!