Shana’s Southern Fried Chicken
Serves six
Shana learned this recipe from her grandma, who used to kill and pluck her own chickens. We have left out that portion of the recipe to appease modern suburban sensibilities. This recipe is so simple Caroline could make it, although we’re a little worried about letting her near hot oil.
Ingredients
Whole frying chicken, cut up
One cup flour
One tsp. salt
One tsp. ground pepper
One tsp. paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
Vegetable, peanut or canola oil
Your choice of herbs and spices (In country cooking, you use what you have. Rosemary and thyme chopped very fine from the garden are delicious. You can also throw in some celery seed and oregano. Leave out the cayenne if you don’t like it spicy. )
Preheat oven to 350. Mix the salt, pepper, herbs and spices into the flour. Roll chicken in the flour mixture and set aside. (Hint: for extra spicy chicken, sprinkle some Tabasco or other hot sauce on before rolling in flour.)
Heat ¼ to ½ cup of oil to shimmering hot in a nice deep skillet – test oil with a drop of flour – when it browns you are ready. (If you have a thermometer, the oil temperature should be 365 degrees.) Fry chicken over medium heat for 15 minutes turning once, or till golden brown on all sides. Remember not to crowd the chicken in the pan – fry in batches.
Drain on paper towels, and then place in a ceramic baking dish or on a cookie sheet and place in oven for 10 to 15 more minutes. This finishing touch will ensure your chicken is cooked through and crispy.
Serve with lots of paper towels and more Tabasco (Big Wayne loves Shana’s chicken, but he likes a little extra heat.)
Serves six
Shana learned this recipe from her grandma, who used to kill and pluck her own chickens. We have left out that portion of the recipe to appease modern suburban sensibilities. This recipe is so simple Caroline could make it, although we’re a little worried about letting her near hot oil.
Ingredients
Whole frying chicken, cut up
One cup flour
One tsp. salt
One tsp. ground pepper
One tsp. paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
Vegetable, peanut or canola oil
Your choice of herbs and spices (In country cooking, you use what you have. Rosemary and thyme chopped very fine from the garden are delicious. You can also throw in some celery seed and oregano. Leave out the cayenne if you don’t like it spicy. )
Preheat oven to 350. Mix the salt, pepper, herbs and spices into the flour. Roll chicken in the flour mixture and set aside. (Hint: for extra spicy chicken, sprinkle some Tabasco or other hot sauce on before rolling in flour.)
Heat ¼ to ½ cup of oil to shimmering hot in a nice deep skillet – test oil with a drop of flour – when it browns you are ready. (If you have a thermometer, the oil temperature should be 365 degrees.) Fry chicken over medium heat for 15 minutes turning once, or till golden brown on all sides. Remember not to crowd the chicken in the pan – fry in batches.
Drain on paper towels, and then place in a ceramic baking dish or on a cookie sheet and place in oven for 10 to 15 more minutes. This finishing touch will ensure your chicken is cooked through and crispy.
Serve with lots of paper towels and more Tabasco (Big Wayne loves Shana’s chicken, but he likes a little extra heat.)
Belle Vista Pimm’s Cup
Serves four, or Taylor
Ingredients
Ice cubes
4 lemon slices
4 cucumber slices
1 cup 7-Up or ginger ale
1 cup lemonade
3 cups Pimm’s No. 1 Cup
Fill highball glasses with ice. Put one lemon slice and one cucumber slice in each glass. In a large pitcher, pour the 7-Up (or ginger ale), lemonade and Pimm’s. Stir and pour over ice. Cheers!
Serves four, or Taylor
Ingredients
Ice cubes
4 lemon slices
4 cucumber slices
1 cup 7-Up or ginger ale
1 cup lemonade
3 cups Pimm’s No. 1 Cup
Fill highball glasses with ice. Put one lemon slice and one cucumber slice in each glass. In a large pitcher, pour the 7-Up (or ginger ale), lemonade and Pimm’s. Stir and pour over ice. Cheers!
Lavinia Winter’s Tomato Crab Bisque
Serves eight
Ingredients
5 cups crushed tomatoes
1.5 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup flour
4 cups light cream
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 cups cooked crabmeat
8 chopped basil leaves
A dash of anger
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to make a roux. Slowly whisk in the cream to form a smooth soup base. Add the tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Stir well. Add the corn and crabmeat and basil and simmer until crabmeat is heated. Serve immediately. Demand praise for your effort.
Serves eight
Ingredients
5 cups crushed tomatoes
1.5 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup flour
4 cups light cream
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 cups cooked crabmeat
8 chopped basil leaves
A dash of anger
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to make a roux. Slowly whisk in the cream to form a smooth soup base. Add the tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Stir well. Add the corn and crabmeat and basil and simmer until crabmeat is heated. Serve immediately. Demand praise for your effort.
Bishop Charnisse Jones’ Heavenly Deviled Eggs
Perfect for a party or church picnic.
Ingredients
One dozen hard boiled eggs
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ - 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Tabasco, salt and pepper to taste
Shell eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Put all yolks and ½ white in mixing bowl. Mash egg yolks roughly with fork or potato masher. Add other ingredients and mix. (Lots of recipes call for whipping the filling till smooth and piping into the eggs. They taste much better just mashed!) Taste and adjust seasonings – add more mayo and/or vinegar if mixture is too stiff. Spoon carefully back into halved eggs. Serve at room temperature or chilled. (Some people like to top deviled eggs with paprika. Bishop Charnisse strongly advises against this.)
Bishop Charnisse thinks her eggs are perfect just the way they are. But if you insist on messing around with them, you can add some chopped sweet pickles, chives, herbs, minced ham or crumbled crispy bacon.
Perfect for a party or church picnic.
Ingredients
One dozen hard boiled eggs
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ - 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Tabasco, salt and pepper to taste
Shell eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Put all yolks and ½ white in mixing bowl. Mash egg yolks roughly with fork or potato masher. Add other ingredients and mix. (Lots of recipes call for whipping the filling till smooth and piping into the eggs. They taste much better just mashed!) Taste and adjust seasonings – add more mayo and/or vinegar if mixture is too stiff. Spoon carefully back into halved eggs. Serve at room temperature or chilled. (Some people like to top deviled eggs with paprika. Bishop Charnisse strongly advises against this.)
Bishop Charnisse thinks her eggs are perfect just the way they are. But if you insist on messing around with them, you can add some chopped sweet pickles, chives, herbs, minced ham or crumbled crispy bacon.
Big Wayne’s Spicy Rib Rub
Ingredients
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. good quality chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. paprika
Cayenne pepper and black pepper to taste (start with a tsp. and do a finger dip to taste. Big Wayne uses a tbsp or more of each for really spicy ribs)
Combine ingredients and spread nice and thick on ribs or pork butt at least one hour and up to six hours before grilling. (Keep leftover rub in an empty spice jar.) Remember to grill pork slowly over indirect heat, or the sugar in the rub will burn. If you use barbecue sauce, don’t put it on your pork until it’s basically done, just leave it on long enough to glaze the meat.
Big Wayne grills outside even if it’s 20 below and sleeting sideways. However, if you aren’t man enough for that, the rub can be used on oven roasted pork.
Ingredients
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. good quality chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. paprika
Cayenne pepper and black pepper to taste (start with a tsp. and do a finger dip to taste. Big Wayne uses a tbsp or more of each for really spicy ribs)
Combine ingredients and spread nice and thick on ribs or pork butt at least one hour and up to six hours before grilling. (Keep leftover rub in an empty spice jar.) Remember to grill pork slowly over indirect heat, or the sugar in the rub will burn. If you use barbecue sauce, don’t put it on your pork until it’s basically done, just leave it on long enough to glaze the meat.
Big Wayne grills outside even if it’s 20 below and sleeting sideways. However, if you aren’t man enough for that, the rub can be used on oven roasted pork.
Big Wayne’s Spicy Rib Rub
Ingredients
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. good quality chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. paprika
Cayenne pepper and black pepper to taste (start with a tsp. and do a finger dip to taste. Big Wayne uses a tbsp or more of each for really spicy ribs)
Combine ingredients and spread nice and thick on ribs or pork butt at least one hour and up to six hours before grilling. (Keep leftover rub in an empty spice jar.) Remember to grill pork slowly over indirect heat, or the sugar in the rub will burn. If you use barbecue sauce, don’t put it on your pork until it’s basically done, just leave it on long enough to glaze the meat.
Big Wayne grills outside even if it’s 20 below and sleeting sideways. However, if you aren’t man enough for that, the rub can be used on oven roasted pork.
Ingredients
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. good quality chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. paprika
Cayenne pepper and black pepper to taste (start with a tsp. and do a finger dip to taste. Big Wayne uses a tbsp or more of each for really spicy ribs)
Combine ingredients and spread nice and thick on ribs or pork butt at least one hour and up to six hours before grilling. (Keep leftover rub in an empty spice jar.) Remember to grill pork slowly over indirect heat, or the sugar in the rub will burn. If you use barbecue sauce, don’t put it on your pork until it’s basically done, just leave it on long enough to glaze the meat.
Big Wayne grills outside even if it’s 20 below and sleeting sideways. However, if you aren’t man enough for that, the rub can be used on oven roasted pork.
Chef Caroline’s Easy Paella (So easy, even she can do it)
Serves Eight
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups uncooked short grain white rice
1 pinch saffron threads
1 bay leaf
½ bunch Italian parsley, chopped
1 quart chicken stock
2 lemons, zested
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 pound chorizo sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
In a medium bowl, mix two tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano and salt and pepper. Add chicken to coat. Cover and refrigerate. Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or Bella Cucina Paella Pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes and rice. Cook and coat rice with oil for three minutes. Stir in saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for twenty minutes. Heat the remaining olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir in chicken and onion. Cook five minutes. Stir in bell pepper and sausage and cook five minutes. Stir in shrimp and cook until both sides are pink. Spread the rice mixture on a Bella Cucina Grande Rectangular Serving Platter and top with the meat and seafood mixture.
WARNING: People who are allergic to shrimp should not be served this recipe.
Serves Eight
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups uncooked short grain white rice
1 pinch saffron threads
1 bay leaf
½ bunch Italian parsley, chopped
1 quart chicken stock
2 lemons, zested
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 pound chorizo sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
In a medium bowl, mix two tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano and salt and pepper. Add chicken to coat. Cover and refrigerate. Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or Bella Cucina Paella Pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes and rice. Cook and coat rice with oil for three minutes. Stir in saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for twenty minutes. Heat the remaining olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir in chicken and onion. Cook five minutes. Stir in bell pepper and sausage and cook five minutes. Stir in shrimp and cook until both sides are pink. Spread the rice mixture on a Bella Cucina Grande Rectangular Serving Platter and top with the meat and seafood mixture.
WARNING: People who are allergic to shrimp should not be served this recipe.
Judy Simpson’s Very Special Brownies
They say Jerry Garcia, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix were all wild about Judy’s brownies (and Judy herself, but that’s another story, not for a family-oriented website.) We’ve altered the recipe slightly to ensure these delectable brownies are legal in every state and appropriate for all age groups.
Ingredients
5 large eggs from cage free hens
2 cups sugar (preferably raw)
1 cup organic honey (preferably Judy Simpson’s for The Moon Goddess)
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. finely ground espresso coffee beans (fair trade – optional)
1/8 tsp. salt
8 oz. unsalted organic butter, (preferably from family farms), melted
8 oz. unsweetened chocolate (organic, good quality) melted and cooled
1 2/3 cups all-purpose organic flour, such as King Arthur
2 cups walnut pieces, toasted (organic, optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line an 11 ½ by 17 ½ jelly roll pan with parchment paper, coat with nonstick canola oil cooking spray, or
grease and flour well. Beat eggs, sugar, honey, vanilla, coffee and salt on high with an electric mixer till thick. Add chocolate and butter, mix till combined. Add walnuts if you wish. Spread batter in pan and bake about 18 minutes, or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool in pan, cut into one-inch squares.
Serve with “Sugar Magnolia” playing in the background.
They say Jerry Garcia, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix were all wild about Judy’s brownies (and Judy herself, but that’s another story, not for a family-oriented website.) We’ve altered the recipe slightly to ensure these delectable brownies are legal in every state and appropriate for all age groups.
Ingredients
5 large eggs from cage free hens
2 cups sugar (preferably raw)
1 cup organic honey (preferably Judy Simpson’s for The Moon Goddess)
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. finely ground espresso coffee beans (fair trade – optional)
1/8 tsp. salt
8 oz. unsalted organic butter, (preferably from family farms), melted
8 oz. unsweetened chocolate (organic, good quality) melted and cooled
1 2/3 cups all-purpose organic flour, such as King Arthur
2 cups walnut pieces, toasted (organic, optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line an 11 ½ by 17 ½ jelly roll pan with parchment paper, coat with nonstick canola oil cooking spray, or
grease and flour well. Beat eggs, sugar, honey, vanilla, coffee and salt on high with an electric mixer till thick. Add chocolate and butter, mix till combined. Add walnuts if you wish. Spread batter in pan and bake about 18 minutes, or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool in pan, cut into one-inch squares.
Serve with “Sugar Magnolia” playing in the background.