Southern Favorite Foods on My Table

The holiday ornaments are packed up and put away at my house, and Valentine’s Day decorating is in full swing. My family LOVES celebrations because they symbolize warmth, comfort, love of friends and sharing moments together. The kitchen is the heart of our home, and our Southern roots go deep. One of my nearest and dearest friends reminded me of a few “tried and true” recipes she still serves up at her family table for special (and everyday) occasions.

A Shrimp Mold Memory

Does anyone remember sitting down to dinner and mom or grandma presenting a shrimp mold? I can vaguely recall seeing one each year on my Aunt Stella’s holiday buffet table when we visited her cozy home. The fish-shaped mold both scared and fascinated me all at the same time. I could see the fish scales molded onto the side of the pinkish gelatinous shape and it captivated me each time I saw it. Sadly, I never ate it at my Aunt Stella’s because it was on the adult buffet table. My mother’s God-child, Laurie, still celebrates special occasions with her dad’s favorite, family classic. It’s a domestic tradition she has kept alive throughout the years as her parents have aged and family members have passed away. Over time she has forgone the shrimp mold (darn!) and makes and serves it in a Pyrex casserole dish. Here is a recipe by allrecipes.com that preps in 20 minutes and cooks in 5 minutes. Enjoy.

Following are the ingredients and the directions are in the link.

• 2 (.25 ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin
• ½ cup cold water
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 pound cooked shrimp
• 1 cup minced celery
• ½ cup green onions, minced

Don’t Waste Extra Bags of Cheese

Today I spent the afternoon using my multiple unopened bags of cheese which I overpurchased for Christmas on two different types of enchilada dishes. My southern kitchen always includes a dash of culinary Tex-Mex, from tacos to enchiladas and carne guisada. I have special memories of the enchiladas because it was my grandmother’s favorite “go-to” when she overpurchased her own bags of cheese. Our neighbors would make enchiladas every Saturday evening. Their family was from Mexico City and they would make several different versions, none of them tasting like the ones I make today. My version is not as elaborate and none of them include any hint of chocolate! I do use cumin (Comino) and love the subtle hint of flavor it adds to my dish. I am guilty of stress purchasing too much of one item, usually cheese, sour cream, butter and corn. I know this is a weird combination, but I have an abundance of all of these if anyone would like to borrow a cup of sour cream or a stick of butter or a can of corn. Today’s recipe is green chili and chicken enchiladas, along with a large dish of simple cheese enchiladas with some shredded mozzarella tossed in for good measure. Whatever is in my refrigerator is what goes into these corn tortilla casseroles.

Emily Rose’s Favorite Monkey Bread

My daughter absolutely loves monkey bread, and it is not beneath me to whip out multiple cans of canned biscuits to cut, roll in butter, sugar, cinnamon and place in a Bundt pan so my youngest daughter can wake up to the smell of cinnamon. But when it comes to biscuits with bacon and eggs, nothing is better than homemade. You can’t beat this flakey buttermilk biscuit recipe from Southern Living. Don’t forget to use cold butter, which according to this article, creates air pockets in the dough as it melts, resulting in steam when baking.  Add a little honey or jam, and you are almost in heaven!

Cornbread Classic

A true Southern girl will always have at least one cast iron skillet in her cabinet, reaching for it frequently. I routinely use my skillet for making cornbread, one of my family’s most requested dishes. My favorite cornbread recipe comes from the back of a Jiffy box and includes whole kernel corn, creamed corn, sour cream, butter and Jiffy mix! I think they still print it, but it’s not hard to find on the internet. Every single one of my friends and family members is familiar with the “family recipe”. Whether you choose to cook your cornbread in a muffin pan, casserole dish or cast iron skillet, add sugar or enjoy your cornbread less sweet, you can add almost any combination of extras to your recipe and it will generally come out delicious. Here is a basic recipe I found online.

Do you have any recipes your family has passed down? Enjoy the food but most importantly, enjoy the memories and stories attached.

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