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The very FIRST National Pig Pickin’ Day:

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The very first Official National Pig Pickin’ Day was held on May 18, 2013… a day that will go down in BBQ history.  You probably missed it this year and, if you did, its all MY fault.  I totally accept full responsibility for you missing out on this special event and, to make matters worse, it was indeed the very FIRST one ever held in the whole wide world.

But, take heart, all is not lost on this day.  I can gladly say that the very First and Official “National Pig Pickin’ Day” Event went off very well.

Any National type event has to start off somewhere… right?  The very first National Pig Pickin’ Day event was held this past Saturday, May 18, 2013 in Sanford, North Carolina.  Sanford is situated in Lee County, better known as the heart of North Carolina.  We’re a growing community, conveniently located to Raleigh-Durham, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, Southern Pines, Fayetteville and Gulf, NC.  Gulf is a much smaller community where country singer and musician Charlie Daniels first learned how to play guitar.  I’m proud to say I know the man that taught him and, the lady that claims to have sold him his first guitar.

But more about National Pig Pickin’ Day 2013. 

Back at the first of the year, I had this great idea to put on a BBQ Cooking Competition in our area based on the fact that my brother sells one of the best pig cookers you’ll find anywhere.  He’s sold over 1600 of them in the past few years and they’re all handcrafted right here in North Carolina and, made to last a lifetime.

The plan was to host this BBQ Cookoff and invite the owners of the Carolina Pig Cooker to participate.  We’d do it just to have some fun with the owners of the grills and also as a fundraiser event for Family Promise which helps provide shelter for the homeless.  About 10 churches in our area participate in Family Promise and like most non-profits, they can always use some extra funds.  A family that has lost a home, for whatever reason, can spend one week in each of the 10 churches that provide shelter, warm food and lots of encouragement so, hopefully by the end of the ten weeks, the family will have saved up enough money to get back into a home.  It’s a good program and my brothers church participates in it.

I shared the idea with my brother and how we could bring many of the Carolina Pig Cooker grill owners together for some fun, fellowship and a little friendly competition.  We’d get at least 10 of them together, provide them each with a pig to cook, judge one as the best, chop up all the pig and make BBQ then, we’d sell plates until it was all gone.  Easy huh?

Well, we kind of thought so at first but, the more we dived into it, the more we realized, we just didn’t have enough time to properly pull it off by May 18th, the date I had determined would become National Pig Pickin’ Day.  I had selected a day in May because the entire month of May is already recognized as National BBQ Month anyway.  It just seemed like a logical fit for it.

The more excited we got about the idea, the more we realized that we might should put it off until the fall of this year.  So, we’ve set the month of October as a time to hold the BBQ Competition and plate sale.  Now, we just have to really get busy and make it happen.

However, we couldn’t just let May 18th pass us by without doing something.  Afterall, it had already been declared National Pig Pickin’ Day.

The local auction house that I attend almost every Friday and Saturday night had been asking me about having a pig picking as a promotion for the auction house.  I approached the owner about doing a fundraiser plate sale at his place of business on the official day set aside as National Pig Pickin’ Day and… as they say… the rest is now history.  I have the picture to prove it.  No, that’s not a typo, its meant to be singular because ONE PICTURE is all I managed to get to prove we actually did celebrate National Pig Pickin’ Day.

Allow me to explain:

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Three weekends ago, Carolina Pig Cookers was asked to throw a real Southern style Pig Picking at the home of an attorney in Charlotte, NC.  His name is Jim and he wanted to invite 100 guests to his house for his annual party.  Seems he lives right on the golf course down that way and, they were hosting the Wells Fargo PGA Tournament that weekend.  So, my brother, my nephew-by-marriage and, yours truly, packed up the gear and headed to Charlotte to cook some pig for the pig picking.

We travelled about three hours and having visited the site, made some last minute shopping and, picked up some boxed chicken for supper, we settled down in our hotel room just about midnight.  We all tried to get some sleep about 1:00am but didn’t have much luck with it.  We were all back up at 4:00am and at Jim’s house with the pig on the cooker and cooking at 5:05am.  It takes a long time to slow cook a pig.

It was still dark and we started unpacking for the day.  The photo above was taken around noon time as my brother and Wren began setting up the serving area.  Guests would start arriving around 5:00pm.

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Wren, on the left and, my brother, pictured here on the right, began prepping the food for the day.  My whole purpose in being there was pretty much the driver and photographer.  You see, I wanted to take full step-by-step photos and some video of how to cook a pig on one of the Carolina Pig Cooker grills. 

I got up at 4:00am to drive everyone else back over to the work site and, I had planned to go back to the hotel room once the pig was placed on the grill and take a shower for the day.  But then, we discovered we needed another item or two and I ended up driving my brother over to one of those big box stores.  There really wasn’t anything for me to do at that particular time so I offered to drive for him.  I’m just that kind of guy.

We got back around 10:00am and I took a couple of pictures of the work in progress.  We shot a little video about the pig and I was about ready to go back to the hotel room for that shower.  As it turns out, Wren had decided he’d like to get back home that night as opposed to us staying over night as had originally been planned.  We all agreed that it would be fine so, I headed back to the hotel room to collect our things, shower and, check us out by 11:00am.  It was 10:45 by the time I got back to the room but, the very nice desk clerk lady gave me another hour to grab that shower and get us all packed and checked out.

Arriving back at the catering site, work was moving along on prepping all the food for the day.  Wren had been busy chopping Bell Peppers, Onions and slicing some Bacon for the Baked Beans while my brother had been working on his famous BBQ Sauce and some other goodies for the pig.

Our menu for the party that evening was as follows:

Chopped Pork Barbecue
Baked Beans
Green Beans with White Potatoes
Cole Slaw
Hushpuppies
Banana Pudding
Sweet Tea

It was approaching 1:00pm by now and I was informed that the crew had saved the making of the Banana Pudding for me.  I already kind of knew that since my brother had first mentioned that Jim had requested we serve Banana Pudding for dessert that evening.  The original plan was to try and use the hosts kitchen to make Banana Pudding from scratch with a cooked custard and egg white meringue topping but, we had to abandon that and go for the regular catering version instead. 

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Around 3:30pm, my brother called Jim over to give the now cooked pig a taste test.  That’s Jim with the big smile and a couple of ribs in his hand.  I’m sorry but I don’t remember the name of the guest on the left.  Jim gave his full approval to the pig taste test and with that… the party was on.

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Once Jim tried another rib or two, my brother went into action and started chopping up the BBQ.  This is his specialty and, in about an hour, he had it all chopped up, sauced up and ready to be served.  You can see Jim in the background and a couple of the guests that milled around the cooker while the work continued.

I had completed making my two large pans of Banana Pudding while Wren had all the other items ready and was setting up the serving area.  We were right on schedule and the first of the guests gathered under our tent to fill up their plates.

I just need to say that Jim and all of his family and friends were one of the nicest bunch of folks we have ever worked for.  We were pretty well give out tired by this time but, the guests boosted our moral and spirits with all of their kind and gracious compliments.  They could have treated us like the hired help we were but, instead, they all came over to talk with us about the food, pig pickings in general and made us feel like part of the family.  It was Awesome!  Thank you Jim and to all your friends as well.  You made us very happy and it was a pleasure to have been a part of the experience.

We monitored our buffet line until around 7:00pm, moved the remaining food over to one of Jims tables and by 7:30pm, Wren and I were sitting in the packed truck waiting for my brother to wrap things up with Jim.  Jim came out to the truck to speak to Wren and myself and, then he made us all promise that we would come back next year and do it all again.  How cool is that? 

We were all exhausted after such a long day and still running on just a few hours overnight sleep.  I knew that my brother and Wren were counting on me now to get us back home safe and sound.  We pulled out tired but happy and, feeling as good as we could about all the great compliments we had received that evening and just settled back for the ride home.  I got Wren home about 12:00 midnight and I got home about 12:30.  My brother had to drive himself home from my house and it was about 1:00am he said before he got into bed.

Now, the point of this story is that I was suppose to take pictures.  I wanted to use the pictures to setup a recipe for National Pig Pickin’ Day.  Problem is, once we got past the point of the pig being ready, I never had the chance to take any more pictures.  I had missed the opportunity.  Ugh.

But, I knew that the following weekend, my brother was scheduled to cook not one but, TWO pigs for our local Arts Council fundraising event.  I still had a chance to get the photos and create the recipe and step-by-step photos in time for National Pig Pickin’ Day.  But wait, pretty much the same thing happened again.  It was just my brother and myself this time, Wren was at his full time job and again, once the pig came off the grill, there wasn’t time to take pictures.  I had missed my second and final chance to get something up BEFORE National Pig Pickin’ Day.

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That brings us to this picture. 

This past Saturday morning, just after midnight, I was back at my brothers house as we removed yet another pig from cold storage and placed it on one of the Carolina Pig Cooker grills.  It seems all of my pictures of placing a pig on the grill have been made with flash… in the dark. 

The pictures turned out OK, it’s just not much to look at.  Pig looks better once it’s all cooked so I’m going to spare you, for now, on seeing the pig just after it went on the grill. 

We were cooking THIS PIG for National Pig Pickin’ Day.  It had to be ready by 10:00am because we would start serving at 12:00noon.  It was about 2:00am Saturday morning before I got home and into bed and, 5:30am when the alarm clock went off to get back up.  Somehow, we just don’t get any sleep when it’s time to cook pig. 

It was just going to be me and my brother again this time and, we were responsible for getting everything ready by noon serving time.  So, we met at the auction house about 8:30am on Saturday morning, set the tent and tables up and jumped right in on prepping the food to be served.

The menu for the very first, officially sanctioned, National Pig Pickin’ Day event is as follows:

Pulled Pork Barbecue
Candied Yams
Baked Beans
Texas Toast
Banana Pudding

We might have been about 5 minutes late in getting our first plate out but, let me tell you, we started making plates at 12:05pm as the tent was immediately surrounded with folks and we never stopped until an hour later when… we had sold completely out of barbecue. 

I made plates on one side of a long table and Wanda, wife of the auctioneer, made plates on the other side.  We handed those off to Patricia who was taking up tickets and handing out prepared plates along with taking donations for a cup of Banana Pudding.  My brother had finished chopping and saucing up the Barbecue and was moving hot pans of food from the cooker to the table about as fast as we were making plates.

Every once in awhile I got a chance to sneak a peek at the long line of folks waiting for their plates and, it was nothing but relief when I saw only two folks waiting for plates.  That’s when I told Wanda that the old man had to sit down.  I don’t know how I had managed to continue to stand up for even that length of time.  The legs have given up their youth and being up for more than 10 minutes at a time usually is all I can handle.  I can only give thanks to God for the strength to keep pushing out plates.  Thank you also to Wanda and Patricia for their help with the serving line, to Charles for holding down the styrofoam hinged lid plates as the wind tried to blow them away and, to Ricky and his son Joseph for allowing us to be on the property of the auction house, slinging BBQ left and right.

By now, you may have figured out WHY I only have this one picture of the pig on the cooker.  That’s right, once it was ready, there never was time again to get any more pictures.  We had the very first Nationa Pig Pickin’ Day fundraiser and, I don’t even have one single picture of our setup, the auction house or anything else to share with you.  How could that have possibly happened three times in a row?

Since we were all donating our time to Family Promise, we did manage to raise a little money for them and, hopefully a little awareness of the program with those that purchased plates.  We had a good time but we were all exhausted once again by the time it got around to cleaning everything up, afterall, there was an auction coming up just a few hours away. 

Thank you to everyone that stopped by for a plate and again for your compliments on the food.  We do hope you enjoyed it.

Thank you very much to Ricky, Wanda and Joseph at R&W Auctions for hosting the very first, officially sanctioned, “National Pig Pickin’ Day” Event… ever held in the entire world.  We truly made history on May 18th and I promise, good Lord willing, we’ll do much bigger and better next year.

We knew we had to start somewhere and we can’t wait to see where we’re going.

Be Blessed!!!
Steve

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How To Freeze Strawberries In Sugar:

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Note:  Strawberry season is getting started about two weeks later than normal in my area.  Still, those ripe red berries are only here for a few short weeks so saving them is always in the plans.  Here’s a simple and easy way to have local berries all year round.  I first ran this the week of May 14, 2012 and I hope you’ll take the time to store up some fresh local Strawberries while they are still available. 

Freezing Strawberries is a great introduction into home preservation of fruits and vegetables.  It’s so simple to do and the rewards are awesome because you can enjoy them for many months to come.  In this “How To” section, we’re adding some sugar to our berries for added sweetness and flavor.  You can certainly freeze the berries without sugar and, we have another “How To” on preserving them that way. 

My first venture into Food Preservation was trying to make sweet pickles like my mom did years ago.  I always loved her sweet pickles and she used the juice from them in lots of her recipes.  The juice was more of what I was really after because it just makes so many dishes that much better.  Mama used the pickle juice in things like potato salad, deviled eggs, chicken salad and other things.  I always believed and, still do, that it was her “Secret Ingredient” for such great food.

Of course, the Sweet Pickles recipe was quite an adventure unto itself.  The entire process takes about 3 weeks overall, and then you water bath canned them to store and keep them throughout the year ahead.  We’re going to do that recipe later on this summer so be on the lookout for it.

Strawberries, on the other hand, are probably one of the things that got me more involved in home food preservation.  A friend shared a quick and easy recipe for Strawberry Freezer Jam and it was just super delicious.  That led to creating regular  Strawberry Jam and using the water bath method of preserving to “put up” some jars of jam. 

If you’re interested at all in learning how to do some Canning and Freezing, let me suggest that you start with some Strawberries while we still have them available.  With freezing, you don’t need any special equipment other than freezer approved containers to store your berries in.  So, if you’re ready to give it a try….Let’s Get Cooking!!!

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Freezing Strawberries in Sugar:  You’ll need these ingredients.

WOW….how much easier does it get?  Just fresh Strawberries and some Sugar are all you’ll need.  See…I told you this would be simple.

There are some things to consider before we start though.  First of all, fresh Strawberries are highly perishable and must be handled gently.  Whether you go out in the field and pick your own or, you buy some already picked, be sure to look for plump fresh looking berries with bright green caps..or hulls…as they’re called.  You want the freshest and best berries you can find. 

Sadly, depending on your source, you might find lots of unripe berries at the bottom of the bucket or container if you’re not careful.  Older berries may be placed in the bottom of a container and then topped with fresher berries in order to make a sale.  Most reputable farms and produce stands don’t do that though.  Still, you’ll need to watch for them.  Look for any leakage around the bottom of the container.  If the bottom of the container looks wet or stained, it’s probably because the berries on the bottom are overly ripe, avoid those and, look for some that are better.

Strawberries do NOT get any sweeter once they are picked.  They will turn darker and get mushy but, they do NOT get any sweeter than they are when picked.  Keep that in mind when you make your purchase.  The hulls (caps) should be bright green in color.  If the caps are turning dark, it’s a sign the berries have been picked for a day or two.  Look for the ones that are bright green and fresh in appearance.

If at all possible, plan to pick up your Strawberries on the same day that you intend to freeze them.  Berries can be picked in the morning and worked with in the afternoon or evening.  You can get away with placing them in the refrigerator overnight but try to avoid that if you can.

DO NOT WASH the berries until you’re ready to work with them.  If the container is inside a plastic bag, remove the container, spread the berries out onto a sheet pan and give them breathing room before placing them in a refrigerator.  Try to keep them away from the fan area that would be blowing air directly on them.  I know it sounds like a hassle but, these few steps will assure you of a tasty finished product.

You might also want to seek more information about how to pick the best fruits by searching out the local Cooperative Extension Service in your area.  They will normally have pamphlets or material online that can assist you.  You’ll find them a great source of information for both canning and freezing….plus….many times they offer classes on how to do it.  So….let’s get started.

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Normally, I’ll just place my fresh Strawberries in a clean sink along with my colander.  Strawberry juice can quickly stain your counter tops, cutting boards or any cloth they might come in contact with.  I avoid this situation by doing all the work right in a clean sink. 

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You can purchase a tool made specifically for removing the hulls or caps but, a simple paring knife will do the trick.  Just slip the blade under the hull and slice off a slight bit of the top of the berry along with the cap. 

A Strawberry Huller can range in price from a dollar up to about ten dollars.  It inserts into the top of the berry and with a quick twist, it removes the hull.  If you’re a kitchen gadget fanatic, you might want to look into it.  I’ll just stick with the paring knife thank you.

I prefer to remove the caps BEFORE washing the berries.  Many sources suggest that you wash them first and then remove the hulls.  I just don’t think you get them as clean that way so I remove the cap first.  The sources say that removing the caps first allows more water to be absorbed into the berry.  They suggest that you wash the berries with the hulls still on them, remove the hulls and, then wash the berries lightly AGAIN to remove the stems and any pieces of stem.  That just sounds like more work to me but I think you’ll be safe either way.

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Remove the caps from all of the Strawberries.  You’ll also want to remove any bruised or bad berries you might find.  Just toss the hulls and all into the trash or into your compost pile.

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Yes, I wash each berry one at a time.  Push the berries aside in the sink so water isn’t running directly on them the whole time.  I did that after I snapped the picture above.  Just hold each berry under lightly running cold water and gently rub it with your fingers to remove any dirt, stems or pieces of hulls left on the berry.  Place them in the colander after each one is washed.

You don’t want to just fill the sink with water and wash the berries.  First of all, you don’t want them soaking in the water and secondly, from all that I’ve studied, it’s possible that one contaminated berry could contaminate all the others in the sink of water.  Now, I highly believe in and practice safe food handling to the best of my knowledge and ability so, any step that eliminates a problem is much needed.

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Once you’ve washed each one, just let them sit in the colander for a few minutes to allow the excess water to drain off.  As you can see, I haven’t cut into the berry very deep.  A huller will dig a deeper hole into the berry to remove the cap.  I could see where using one of those might cause you to want to wash the berries before you remove the caps.  Just saying.

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Now, take each berry and slice it up.  Smaller berries get sliced down the middle into halves.

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Larger berries get sliced into quarters.  Just try to keep the pieces as uniform in size as possible.

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Slice up all the berries.  Don’t they look good already? 

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I know that up to now, you’ve probably tasted more than one or two berries, you just can’t help it, they’re so inviting.  That’s OK….because you want to know how sweet they are.  Tasting will help determine how much sugar you need to add.  If the berries are sweet…you add less sugar.  If the berries are a bit tart you might want to add more sugar.

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I used 3/4ths of a cup of sugar to each quart of berries.  I had three quarts, thus I added three scoops of sugar.  Just spread it out over the top of the strawberries in the pan.

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In no time at all, the sugar will dissolve and start pulling juice out of the berries.  Gently stir the sugar into the berries using a large spoon.  Do it slowly so you don’t break up the berries.  You just want to make sure the sugar is fully dissolved and that you don’t have any sugar crystals remaining in the berries.  Oh yeah….now’s a good time to grab another taste.  I knew you were thinking of it.  Just don’t get carried away…it’s easy to do at this point.

Let the berries sit for a few minutes to make sure the sugar has dissolved.  Just don’t let them sit for more than five minutes if you can help it.

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Gently spoon the sugared Strawberries into some plastic bags or storage containers that are approved for freezing purposes.  Not all bags and containers are designated as suitable for freezing so be sure to double check them before using them.

You’ll want to fill the containers up to about 1/2 inch from the top.  The remaining space is called “headspace.”  That’s a term you’ll see a lot in canning and freezing.  The amount of headspace needed will vary from one item to the next. 

Wipe the tops of the containers to remove any syrup or pieces of Strawberries.  Any thing left on the container tops could prevent a good seal when you apply the lid.  Once they’re ready, place the lids on the container and make sure they are sealed correctly.  If you’re using plastic freezer bags, try to remove any air from them and then seal them securely.  Don’t over stuff the plastic bags so they will lay flat in your freezer.

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Once you’ve sealed your containers….label them with the date they were packaged and it’s also a good idea to write what they are on the label as well.  Sometimes, it’s hard to tell exactly what’s in a package after it’s been in the freezer for awhile.  Once you’ve labeled them, get them in the freezer as quickly as possible.  That sugar is still pulling juice out of the berries and they don’t need to sit out any longer.

Strawberries can be stored in the freezer at Zero Degrees Fahrenheit for between 8-12 months.  While freezing them will make their texture much softer, you can substitute frozen strawberries for fresh in just about any recipe.  And of course, they are absolutely delicious spooned over some ice cream, pound cake or just enjoyed cold, straight out of the container.  Thaw them slightly before using.

I remember when mama would pull a carton of her frozen strawberries out of the freezer, she’d let them sit for just a little bit to start thawing out.  I’d grab a spoon and scrape a little of those softened berries off the top and eat them.  It was like eating Strawberry Popsicles.

See how easy it is to store up some fresh Strawberries to enjoy throughout the year?  And, by preserving and canning your own products at home, you know exactly what ingredients are in them….and….what chemicals and preservatives AREN’T in them.  I do hope you’ll give it a try and leave me a comment below to let me know how you did.  I will warn you though…you might just want to try something a little more intensive next.  That’s OK…you can do it. 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, that dish of extra Strawberries up there in the picture is calling my name.  Want some?

ENJOY!!!    Now and for later.

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Your Comments:  Have you ever tried freezing or canning before?  More than likely, your mother or grandmother did and you’ve seen all those jars stacked up in her pantry, waiting to be enjoyed all through the year.  If the full canning process scares you a bit, I do hope that at the very least you’ll give this really easy process of freezing Strawberries in Sugar a try.  Strawberries can be used for so many different things and they’re only available fresh for such a short time.  Pick up a bucket…or even a quart….and try this for yourself.  I’ll be proud of you for trying. 

As I keep mentioning, the ONLY way we know you’ve visited our website is by your Comments that you leave in the section below each recipe.  Even if you don’t try the recipes, please leave us a note and let us know that you have paid us a visit.  It helps other visitors to our site know that someone else has dropped by and it might just encourage them to leave a note as well.  I want to say Thank You in advance for doing so and, rest assured that I read your comments and will try to respond back.  So, visit us often and thanks again for dropping by today.

Be Blessed!!!
Steve

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Recipe:  How To Make Strawberry Jam
How To:  Can Strawberry Jam

Note:  We’re on a roll with Strawberries here on Taste of Southern.  This will make three recipes in a row using Strawberries but, you have to admit, those little red berries are really delicious just about any way you use them.  The season is short though so, you want to get as many of them while you can to insure you’ll have plenty to last until next year.  I hope you’ll store some away using our Strawberry Jam recipe and that you’ll share some comments with me in the section below about how you enjoy Strawberry season the most.  This recipe was originally published on May 21, 2012 here on Taste of Southern and I hope you’ll give it a try.  I’ve got a printable recipe at end of the step-by-step photo instructions.  Have fun!

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Strawberries pretty much got me started in the processes of Home Canning and Food Preservation.  And, I started pretty late in life with doing it.  But, since then, I’ve become an Award Winning Food Preservationist.  How cool is that?  Does that mean I know it all?  Absolutely not…and…I highly suggest that you read my little Disclaimer at the bottom of this post. 

It does however mean that, I can at least maybe get you started or perhaps even offer a bit of a refresher on this fascinating world of making your own Homemade Jellies and Jams…..just like Grandma use to do…..maybe even better. 

I was going to say that I wasn’t really sure what peaked my interest in home canning but, then I remembered exactly what it was.  For years I wanted to make sweet pickles just like my mother use to make.  I loved her sweet pickles.  I didn’t actually eat a lot of them but, they were just so good.  The best part was that I knew that those sweet pickles were pretty much the “Secret Ingredient” in many of the dishes that my mother prepared on a regular basis.  She used the juice of those pickles in her Chicken Salad, Deviled Eggs, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw and other such things.  They were just flat out awesome if I must say so myself.  Apparently it wasn’t just me either.  Everyone loved my moms cooking.  I just wished I’d paid better attention to what she did when she was with us.  Still, that’s what our Taste of Southern home on the Internet is all about, trying to save what little I DO know about not only mama’s cooking but, other family and friends as well.

So, a few years back, I finally gave it a try.  I made my first batch of sweet pickles based on her recipe.  It was a 3 week process overall and that sort of got me thinking about trying some other things.  Yep, the pickles turned out pretty good and certainly brought back a good number of memories for me. 

I started reading about canning and preserving here on the Internet and, as I did, my interest peaked into giving some other things a try.

A longtime friend told me about some Strawberry Freezer Jam she had made and how simple it was.  She gave me the recipe.  (You can find the recipe all over the Internet it seems.)  I purchased my first bucket of Strawberries and gave it a try.  The Freezer Jam turned out to be really good and I was pretty proud of what I’d done.  But, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking about doing some actual canning with a canner and, that Water Bath Process I’d watch mama do and, that recently I’d been learning about.

Before long, I’d purchased my own canning pot, a few canning jars and the other needed ingredients.  I think I studied the process of how to make the jam for days before I actually got up the nerve to give it a try.  I made sure I had everything I needed then….I bought more Strawberries.

I sweated it out in the kitchen that day, working through the entire process, reading notes taped to the kitchen cabinet above the sink as I went.  Then, as I lifted the jars out of the Water Bath Process canner, I started hearing those familiar “PING…PING…PING” sounds that instantly took me back to days in the kitchen with mama.  I think I was totally hooked based just on hearing that sound of success.

As it turned out, I must have got lucky because my very first jars ”set” properly.  I was SO PROUD.  Ha!!!  From there, I went on to making Fig Preserves..several times….and far more than I could ever use.  Amazingly, I got a little more comfortable with it and, it got just a little easier each time.

I could go on and on much longer but, you’re here to see how it’s done.  Again, I urge you to seek out more than just the information I’ve included here.  Learn as much as you can if you have no prior experience but DO….dive on in and give it a try.  Fortunately as it turns out, Strawberry Jam is one of the best recipes you could probably get started with.  I do hope you’ll give it a try and I also hope you’ll leave me a Comment below and share your thoughts, memories and, experiences with me and our readers here at Taste of Southern.

So….if you’re ready….Let’s Get Cooking!

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Strawberry Jam:  You’ll need these ingredients and a few recommended pieces of equipment.

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This is pretty much my typical stove setup for most of the items that I can and preserve.  On the back left side burner, I place a smaller pot for warming up the jar bands and lids.  On the front burners, I have a large pot to cook the jam in on the left side and,  on the right front burner, that’s my enameled canning pot.  The canning pot has a rack that fits inside to hold the jars and a lid.  It’s a fairly simple piece of equipment that can be found in the South in places like WalMart, some grocery stores or hardware stores.  You could also just use a large stockpot if that’s all you have.

Sometimes you might find one at a Yard Sale or Garage Sale.  If that’s the case, make sure the pot doesn’t have any holes or chips in the enamel surface.  The enamel can sometimes chip off and the pot could have started to rust or even rusted out long enough to form a hole.  Just check it carefully before you purchase it and , check it each year when you start canning your fruits and vegetables.

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I begin by filling the canning pot about 3/4ths full of water.  Then, I’ll place it on my largest burner and turn the heat up to about medium and let the water start warming up.  I’m going to need a little time to prep the Strawberries so, I can just let the water heat up gradually for the time being.  Of course, you’ll want to make sure that the pot has been washed well in hot, soapy water and is as clean as you can get it.

I’ll be using this pot to sterilize my jars once the water gets up to boiling temperature.

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I fill the smaller pot just under half full with water and place it on the lowest heat setting my stove has.  Then, I add the jar lids, placing them rubber side up and just let them gradually warm up.  The red ring is the rubber part of the lid, the rest is metal.  The rubber needs to be softened a bit in the warm water to insure a better seal.  When the lid is placed on the jar, the rubber part comes in contact with the top rim of the jar.  The band is then placed on top of the jar and screwed down finger tight.  This rubber ring is what seals the jars tight in the process and must always be handled with care. 

Jar lids, pictured above, should NEVER be re-used to try and seal jars again during canning of something else.  They are a one use only product.  Of course, you’ll keep them to close up the jar as long as you have your jam or jelly, that’s OK…just remember you can’t use them again to seal jars.  You’ll need brand new one’s for that purpose.

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While the water in the canning pot is heating up and, the bands and lids are slowly warming up, go ahead and place the canning jars you’ve selected in a sink of hot soapy water.  Canning jars are another part of the process that can be re-used from one year to the next.  Whether you’re using new jars or old jars, carefully inspect the tops and the entire jar for any chips or cracks.  Again, if in doubt, throw it out.  Better to err on the safe side.  Scrub each jar very well both inside and outside, making sure you remove any leftover jams or jellies etc., that might have been hiding in the bottom or around the rims of the jars.

You’ll also want to wash the jar BANDS that you’ll be using.  Jar bands CAN be re-used from one year to the next, as long as they are in good condition.  If using older bands, check them for rust and overall condition.  If in doubt, discard it.  You’ll want to wash them in hot soapy water before using them to make sure no food particles are on the inside of the band.  You should also wash any new bands you might be using.  Only takes a minute and worth the safety factor. 

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Once they’re good and clean, set them aside on a clean towel.  I didn’t have them all in the picture above during washing but, these are the jar lids and jars I’ve prepared.  I think it’s better to prepare more jars, bands and, lids than you think you might actually use.  It doesn’t hurt to have them handy and ready at least.

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Once the water in the canner has got up good and warm, I use some tongs and carefully place each jar in the water.  You just want some warm water at this point.  Once all the jars are inside and fully covered with water you can increase the heat and bring the water and jars up to a rolling boil.  We need to let them boil for a good 10 minutes or longer to STERILIZE them prior to adding the cooked Strawberry Jam. 

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I put my bands right on top of my lids and let them warm up gradually right along with the lids.  You don’t want to boil the lids as this could severely damage the rubber seals on them.  Just get them warm and let them stay in the water until needed.

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While the jars are warming up, you can go ahead and start the prep of the Strawberries.  I just place a colander in my sink and dump the Strawberries right along side of it. 

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Use a paring knife and carefully remove the green cap from the berries.  Cut right beneath the cap and try not to cut too deep into the berry.  You’ll also want to cut out any bruised spots you might find or, just discard any bruised or bad berries you might come across during this process.

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Remove all the caps and throw them away.

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I’ve said it before, YES, I wash each berry one at a time.  It’s quicker than you might think.  I just hold each one under lightly running cold water and gently scrub it between my fingers to remove any dirt or leftover caps and stems.  It’s also a great way to find any badly bruised spots that might need to be cut away.  Place the washed berries back in the clean colander.

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Lightly rinse the whole thing once again and just let them drain for a few minutes. 

While they drain, make sure the water temperature of the jars in the canning pot has come up to a gentle rolling boil.  Also, make sure ALL the jars are completely under water.  Add more hot water from your sink faucet if needed.  The jars will need to stay at this boiling point for at least 10 minutes or longer.  While that’s taking place, we’ll start cooking up the jam.

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Place the berries in the pot you’re going to be cooking them in.  Make sure you’re using a large enough pot for the job.  A good rule of thumb is that the pot should be just about halfway full.  Now, lets get ready to mash up some berries…ready?

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There are certainly more ways than one to mash up the berries.  You could do it with something like an old fashioned potato masher.  You could also place them in a food processor or blender and pulse them for a brief moment or two.  Even a large slotted spoon would probably work, anything to break up the berries.  Here, I’m using an Immersion Blender that I had recently purchased at a local auction I attend.  I got it new for just a dollar or two and it made quick work…very quick work….of mashing up the berries.  I may have even gone a bit too far with this…I was just having so much fun with it.  Seriously though, you don’t want to PUREE the berries, jams normally have some pieces of fruit in them. 

Food Preservation Lesson:  Jam is described in the dictionary as ”a preserve of whole fruit, slightly crushed and boiled with sugar.”  What it doesn’t say is that PECTIN is added to the sugar to aid in the proper set or gel of the fruit, in this case…Strawberries. 

Pectin is a white carbohydrate that occurs in ripe fruit, especially apples.  Most of the powdered Pectin you’ll find at the grocery store is made from apples.  Thus, it’s a natural product that you’re adding to the berries.  It helps to thicken or “gel” the jam or jelly.

Jam is typically made with the fruit or berry being crushed and allowed to remain in the finished product along with it’s juices.  The degree to which the berry is crushed is up to you.  You may like some chunks of berries in your jam or you may not.  Jelly on the other hand, is normally made by straining out just the juice from the fruit or berry being used.  Jellies are free of any pulp of the fruit.  

End of lesson.

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Once the berries are crushed, you’ll need to measure the pulp to see how much sugar you’re going to need to make the jam.  Pour it into a measuring cup, make note of the amount and pour that into another container.  Do this until you have an accurate measurement of all of your fruit pulp.

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Using the number of cups of fruit, measure out the proper amount of sugar that you need.  You’ll want to work with small batches of Strawberries as you make your jam, so use the ratio included in the pectin box recipe to determine how much sugar you will need based on how much crushed fruit you have.  I’m not listing an exact amount because what I made and what you will make might differ.  Use the info in the recipe and you’ll be fine.

NOTE:  Most boxes of Sure-Jell or any pectin you use will have a simple recipe on what proportions of sugar, fruit and pectin are needed.  Consult that information for making your jam.  I’m just trying to give you a visual idea of the process it takes.

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Place the pulp back in your cooking pot and place it on medium heat on the stove top.  Keep a close watch on everything at this point. 

From here on out, things are going to start happening quickly and need to be worked on as quick as possible.  The first time or two you can any type of things, it can start feeling a little hurried or rushed.  Just relax and follow the directions and you’ll have Strawberry Jam in no time.

Your jars should be boiling gently at this time with a timer counting down that they have been sterilized for a good 10 minutes or longer.  The bands and lids should be in warm water, not hot and ready and waiting to be used.

Your work area should be clear and setup with enough space to work with.  Towels should be handy, along with mitts, to handle the hot products.  Planning ahead for this moment will make things go a lot easier….trust me.  Just don’t let it get the best of you.  You Can Do It!!!!

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Now, open the pack of pectin and slowly stir it into the berry mixture.  Add it slowly and stir it briskly to keep it from clumping up.  Sprinkle a little in at a time and stir it until it’s mixed or dissolved into the mixture.  

Note:  It’s also possible to mix the pectin in with about a half cup of the sugar you’ll be using and slowly stir this in.  Some recipes on the pectin boxes might recommend that you do it this way.  They say it helps to keep the pectin from clumping.  I think you’ll be OK either way, as long as you just….keep stirring away.   

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Raise the heat just a little above medium and keep stirring.  You’re going to bring the berry pulp up to a full boil, one that can’t be stirred away.  I use a wooden spoon so I can safely scrape the bottom of the pot and keep anything from sticking or burning.

Please note that the pectin can easily be overcooked and lose it’s ability to thicken…according to the experts.  I’ll take their word for it.  Again, pectin is a naturally concentrated apple product and some jams, jellies or preserves can be prepared without even using it.  If you left it out, you’d have to cook the berries longer to reduce the liquid down to a thick mixture.  The longer it’s cooked, the more flavor and vitamins are lost in the process.  Adding the pectin reduces the cooking time needed.  It’s sort of like adding flour or cornstarch to your gravies to thicken them up. 

We could go on and on about pectin it seems.  You’ll find it in both powdered and liquid versions.  You’ll also find some that says No-Sugar-Needed or like what we’re using here….with sugar.  Pectin can help reduce the amount of sugar you use.  Thus, you could use the No-Sugar-Needed version if you’d like to make it as sugar free as possible. 

You’ll find lots of information on canning and freezing here on the Internet and through the local Cooperative Extension Agency in your area.  I highly suggest that you read up and learn more about the whole process, using a reliable source for your information.  Many local Cooperative Extension Services offer classes in canning, jam and jelly making and other home food preservation.  Check your phone book or the internet for the office nearest you.  You may also find restaurants or chef’s in your area that offer classes.  They’re fun, plus they’re a great way to learn and share with others.  It’s not necessary that you take a class but it IS necessary that you follow all the suggested guidelines so you can SAFELY prepare and store your homemade goods.  You’ve gone through the process of making it….make sure it’s safe and will have a good shelf life. 

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Once the pectin and fruit has come to a full rolling boil, ADD the Sugar.  Do it gradually, stirring it as you go…but at the same time…do it quickly.  (Does that even make sense?)  In other words, add a little sugar, stir it to let it dissolve or mix in then, add a little more and repeat.  Just keep stirring it as you go.  It’s fixing to start REALLY happening now.

Once ALL the sugar has been added in, bring the mixture back up to a hard boil.  Do this fairly slowly, over medium heat as opposed to a higher heat.  Working the heat up slowly helps to keep the mixture from foaming so much.  You’ll have some foam, that’s expected.  By bringing the heat back up to a rolling boil slowly, you should be able to reduce the amount of foam you’ll have though. 

BOIL IT HARD FOR ONE MINUTE:  As you stir the sugar and all, the mixture will start coming back up to a good rolling boil.  Again, that’s a boil that you can’t stir away.  You’ll see it continue to boil as you stir.  At that point, start a countdown of 60 seconds and continue to let it boil as you stir it for ONE MINUTE.

Remove the jam from the heat and set it on your counter top where you intend to fill the jars. 

FOAM:  I didn’t get any good pictures of it but, the foam will be easily visible in your jam.  It’s that lighter colored pink stuff you see in the picture above.  It’s not a problem and it is edible….it’s just air bubbles after all.  Most people prefer to skim off as much as possible just for appearance sake.  Use a ladle or large spoon and skim off as much as possible and place it on a plate or saucer.  It’s hot so don’t just toss it in the trash right away.  It’ll melt a plastic trashcan liner so just let it cool for now.  It’s time to start filling the jars.

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By this time, the jars in the canner should have had plenty of time to boil and become sterilized.  Use some sterilized tongs (I just slip mine in the water for a few minutes with the jars) then, carefully lift the jars out of the boiling water. 

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Place them on a folded towel on your counter, near the area where you will fill them.  Go ahead and remove them all and sit them on the towel, then start the next step.

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I like to sit my jar on a plate.  Strawberry juice and jam can be messy and hard to clean up.  Place the jar on a plate, then insert your funnel.  Funnels are relatively inexpensive and highly recommended for filling jars.  You can thank me later.

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Use a ladle and carefully add the hot jam into the jar.  Being careful means making less of a mess.  Again, you can thank me later.  I haven’t even mentioned yet that this stuff is sticky now.  Try not to let it drip on your jars.

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Headspace:  The space from the top of the jam in the jar…to the top of the jar….is called “Headspace.”  This space may vary depending on what type of jelly, jam, fruit or vegetable you’re working with.  Always consult your recipe for the proper amount needed for what you’re working on.  You can just “eyeball” it if you’re a pretty good judge of measuring.  Or, you can purchase a tool that you can measure it with.  As a matter of fact, you can purchase a canning “kit” that has a jar lifter, magnetic wand to lift the lids with and, a plastic measuring tool that will measure the amount of headspace.   I’m seriously considering making that purchase. (Smile)  Strawberry Jam normally calls for a Headspace of 1/4 inch.

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You can easily see in this picture that my jam is fairly thick at this point.  The next step is to use a knife or skewer to remove any air bubbles that might be in the jar.  Just slip a butter knife in the jar…or in this case, the skewer….and slowly work it around the edges and middle of the jar.  This will allow any air bubbles trapped inside to rise to the surface.  A few bubbles aren’t going to hurt anything so not to worry about those.  Still, you wouldn’t want a LOT of them and it really depends again on what you’re making as to how many air bubbles you might encounter.  Some things seem to have more than others.  Just look for them as you’re working and try to work them up to the top so they can burst. 

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Use a clean damp cloth and carefully wipe the entire rim of the jar.  Work all around the very top part because that’s where the rubber seal in the lids needs to rest.  Any jam on the rim could keep the jar from sealing properly, which in turn, could result in the loss of that jar of jam.  You’ve worked too hard to do that so, wipe the jar until it’s good and clean….and not sticky.

Also, wipe the outside of the jar around the threads to remove any jam that might have dripped on them.  While any food particles on them might not affect the seal, it could cause the band to stick so tight you can’t hardly remove it.  Do your best now for best results later.

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Carefully remove the warmed lid from the pot and water it’s been in.  They make a really neat tool called a wand that has a magnet on one end.  You just use the wand to pick up the lid.  Seriously, I’m saving up for one of those, I think it will be a nice investment.  OK….you got me.  I already HAVE all this stuff.  I was just moving a bit too quick to get a few pictures today and I don’t actually have one of me using it…OK?  They do work nicely though.  I used my tongs until I bought one…it came in that kit I mentioned.

Carefully center the lid on the jar, making sure it settles down on top nicely. 

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Use the same wand with the magnet to remove one of the jar bands from the pot of water.  Lower the band over the lid and make sure it’s seated correctly on all the threads.  Don’t force it….just work it gently until it feels right.  Then, use your fingers and snug it up.  They say to finger tighten the band and not use all your strength to tighten it.  You just want to snug it down…finger tight…then you’ll know everything is adjusted properly as we head into the water bath process of canning.

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Place your rack in your canner.  The rack keeps the jars from sitting directly on the bottom of the pot, which could cause them to break from overheating.  The rack also is designed so you can hook the handles over the top of the canner until you get the jars all situated in the rack.  Then, you lift the rack handles and lower them all into the water at one time so they all process evenly.  How cool is that?

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Place the sealed jars in the rack.  As you can see, they are only part way submerged at this point.  You can mix the sizes of the jars as long as the canner is big enough so that they are fully under water when you lower the rack.

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Lift the handles and lower the rack down into the water.  The jars need to be fully submerged with at least TWO INCHES of water covering the tops of all jars.  Canning pots come in different sizes so make sure your pot is big enough for it’s intended purpose.

Be sure to check the package of pectin that you purchased for the proper amount of processing time you need.  For jam, it’s probably going to be at least 5 minutes or maybe longer.  I’m not including an exact time because the time will vary, strangely enough, depending on the altitude of where you live.  It will change from sea level to higher altitudes as to the number of minutes needed for processing during this water bath method.

WATER BATH:  The process we’re using to make our Strawberry Jam is called the Water Bath Method.  It’s fine for most jams and jellies.  Another process uses a Pressure Canner to can the jars under pressure.  For safety reasons, some produce and meats being canned require the Pressure Canner Method.  We could go into a lot more detail about it but, I suggest you seek more detailed info from your local Cooperative Extension Service or your local library…or hey…maybe here on the Internet using some reliable sources.  We’ll probably be doing some pressure canning later on during the summer for beans, tomatoes etc.  We’ll save the more detailed info on Pressure Canning for those recipes. 

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When the water gets back up to a rolling boil…cover the canner and start the timing process.  As I said, for our Strawberry Jam, the pectin box recipe suggests we go 5 minutes, based on our altitude.

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Once the correct amount of time has passed in the water bath process, use some tongs or a couple of large spoons and grasp the canning rack handles.  Carefully lift the jars back up out of the water and hook the handles on the top of the canning pot.  Just let them sit here for a few minutes and rest.  You may or may not hear some of the jars ping as they seal at this point.  It’s OK if they do. 

Prepare a spot on your counter where there is no draft or air conditioning vent nearby.  The jars need to sit for 24 hours undisturbed in a draft free location.  It’s best to NOT sit them directly on the counter, especially if you have marble or granite counter tops.  The jars are very hot and if you place one on a cold counter…it could break.  That wouldn’t be good.  Fold a towel into about 2 layers of thickness and just set the jars on top.  If you have some water on the tops, don’t worry about it, it want hurt anything.  I use a folded paper towel sometimes to carefully wick the water up off the lid but, it really want hurt the next step.

PING. PING. PING.  I love that sound.  I love it when I can count the number of pings that I hear as the jars complete their sealing process.  The “ping” is the sound made by the top center button of the lid being sucked down as air is pulled out of the jar.  It’s an awesome thing to hear them all as they happen. 

RESIST the urge to press on the top of the jars for at least 24 hours.  If you press on the top, it could keep an unsealed jar from sealing.  After 24 hours you can safely press the center to see if the button in the middle of the lid is down.  If it is, you’re pretty much assured of having done it all right.  Shelf life for jams and jellies may vary but, they normally are safe and good for at least one year…maybe longer. 

If after the 24 hours have past and, you happen to find a jar that did not seal, just go ahead and place that jar in your refrigerator and use it first.  It will be perfectly OK.  There could be any number of reasons as to why that one specific jar didn’t seal but don’t fret…just go ahead and enjoy it first.  All the other jars that have sealed properly can now be stored away in the cupboard or your pantry if you have one, until needed.

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Congratulations….you’ve just made your very own Homemade Strawberry Jam.  Print yourself up some labels and mark the jars as to their contents and when they were processed.  They also make great gifts for family and friends.  You may not want to giveaway any from your first batch since you worked so hard on them but, you may just find yourself back at the Strawberry Farm…getting some more and doing it all over again.  I must warn you…home preservation of foods can become a little addictive.

See my label?  I printed up some, wrapped the tops of the jars with those little fancy cloth jar toppers, tied the labels on with string…and gave them to my family at Christmas.  I included several different jars of stuff I’d made last summer and tried to make them all look “gourmet fancy.”  Ha! 

I can’t help but think during the process of canning, about all the stuff that my mom and dad prepared as I was growing up.  I’d be in and out of the kitchen and just catching glimpses of mama as she worked with her canner.  Sadly, I can’t say that I ever gave any real thought to how much time and effort she put into making all those great things for us to enjoy year round.  She did it because she loved us.

Having canned some items of my own, I quickly came to realize that if someone gives you something they have canned themselves….they must think you’re…very special.  There’s a good deal of time, effort and love inside those jars.   

Again, canning is something that you’ll find gets easier the more you do it.  Just do your homework, use this recipe as a guide if you will…then go out and get some of the best, freshest Strawberries you can find.  You’ll be very happy to tell your friends that you did it yourself and, your family will enjoy your efforts for months to come.  There’s just something special about Homemade I think.

Let me know how it turns out if you give it a try.  I’ve got a section below just waiting for YOUR comments.

Enjoy!

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Your Comments:  Have you done any canning or freezing before?  I’d love to hear how it’s been going for you.  Are you a newcomer to the whole process and still can’t get up enough nerve to give it a try?  Maybe we can help.  Whether you’re an old pro and have canned all your life or, maybe you’re just a beginner…I’d love to hear from you in the Comments Section below. 

It’s always great to know that you stopped by and unless you leave us a comment, I’ll never know that you’ve even seen our site.  It will only take a moment.  I promise you that I read each and every one of them and, will try my best to leave you a reply as a way of saying Thank You for your visit.  I know we have lots of visitors that will never take even 60 seconds to type us a note, I hope you’re not going to be one of those.  Your thoughts and comments keep us encouraged to keep adding more to our Taste of Southern home.  I look forward to reading them. 

Be Blessed!!!
Steve

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Disclaimer:  The steps listed in our canning and freezing section are to be used as guidelines to help you make your own Homemade Strawberry Jam.  The Water Bath canning process has been around for a long time.  Times change, procedures for safety change.  This information is the best we can provide at the date it was first presented.  I highly suggest that if you have an interest in preserving foods for you, your friends and/or your family, that you seek out more information that just what we’ve presented here.  Stuff happens.  Things go wrong, errors are made, sometimes jams and jellies don’t set.  There’s more information available than what we have given here.  Seek it out and learn all that you can about safe and proper home preservation of foods.  If your jam doesn’t set, it could possibly be processed again and given a second chance of doing what it’s suppose to do.  More information, even classes, are readily available through your local Cooperative Extension Service location.  You’ll find one pretty close to just about anywhere you live.  Even though I’ve won some awards for my Food Preservation, I do not hesitate in encouraging to learn all that you can and proceed with safety….knowing you’ve done all you can to protect anyone that you share your goodies with.  Thank you once again.

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Mama Ruth’s Strawberry Cake Recipe:

Update Note:  With Strawberries coming back in season here in North Carolina, I’m excited to bring back one of our most popular recipes from last year.  I do hope you’ll give it a try and I’ll be looking for your comments in the section at the bottom of this page.  We’ve got complete instructions and a printable recipe for you below.  Originally published on May 07, 2012 and still as good as ever.   

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This is Mama Ruth.

I don’t even know where to begin telling you about Mama Ruth.  She’s such a joy to see walk in the door.  She’s always smiling and always ready to give you a great old big hug whether you’re working or not.  It’s just the Mama Ruth way.  And, her reputation for being a great cook is well known around the area.  Afterall, we talk about her all the time where I work.

Mama Ruth brings us all cakes on our birthdays.  Most of the time, she’ll bring one of her home made Cheese Balls, some crackers and other goodies as well.  At Christmas, it’s always lots of great homemade cookies and candies.  Yep…we’re spoiled. 

A few years back, it was Mama Ruth and Papa Cleo that would make the delivery.  Papa Cleo is no longer with us but, Mama Ruth keeps those goodies coming and, for that, we’re all very grateful.  We miss you Papa Cleo.

I’m not sure how it all got started, her bringing cakes to everyone that is but, I was really excited the day I first saw her walk through the door with one for me.  I’d heard all the talk about how good her cakes were and I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d ever actually get one of my own since I was the newcomer at the time.  Mama Ruth didn’t disappoint.  That was about 4 years ago I think, and the cakes have been there each year since.  Thank you Mama Ruth.  She’s even been dropping hints to see what type of cake I might want for my next birthday which is getting closer and closer.  She must have them written down because she knows all of our birthdays.  How cool is that.

Seriously, I could write all kinds of good things about her.  I just hope that you might get to meet her one day.  You’ll be blessed if you do, I promise.  Until then, you can check out lots of our recipes here on Taste of Southern and see the comments she’s left for me.  She is always encouraging my efforts with the website and for that….I’m also very grateful.  (Keep it up Mama Ruth.)

Mama Ruth enjoys talking about recipes about as much as I do I think.  She has even written her own cookbook….for her family.  She created it for her children so they could have copies of her favorites and I’ve been lucky enough to have received one myself.  She typed it all up, made the copies and created a really neat little book.  Please follow her lead and at least start writing down some of YOUR favorite recipes for your family so they don’t get lost forever.  It’s very important.  That’s the reason I started Taste of Southern….to try and save the traditional family favorites from my growing up years. 

She put a lot of time and love in creating her cookbook.  I’m sure she knew WHY she was doing it and, I know that not only her family but, lots of her friends will be forever grateful.  She even hand wrote a personal note to me in mine and that just makes it that much more special. 

So, hopefully this is just the first of many of Mama Ruths recipes that we’ll get to share with you here on Taste of Southern.  As I said, I could go on and on about this very special friend.  I’m blessed to even know her….let alone….enjoy her cooking. 

I know you want to give it a try so….grab some fresh strawberries and…..Let’s Get Cooking!

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You’ll need these ingredients.

Fresh strawberries are just perfect for making this cake but, since they aren’t available all year around, feel free to substitute some you may have frozen earlier.  You can also use the packaged berries found at the grocery store.  Either way, I’m sure you’re going to love this cake.  By the way, Mama Ruth’s recipe actually called for Duncan Hines Cake Mix.  I already had this so I went ahead and used it.  Just sayin.

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IMPORTANT:  Follow the directions on the box for the particular cake mix that you’ll be using.

I started not to include the step-by-step for the cake mix since each manufacturer has their own way of doing things.  But then, I decided why not and, went ahead and took the pictures.  I just wanted you to see the whole process as we re-create Mama Ruth’s Cake.  Here, we’re adding the cake mix flour to a large mixing bowl.

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Add the water.

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Add the oil.

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This boxed mix called for just the Egg whites and we’re adding three.  Save the yolks for a breakfast omelet later.

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Use your mixer and start off slowly to incorporate all the ingredients.  Mixers can throw all of the ingredients out of your bowl in less than a second if you aren’t careful.  Now, I’m not saying that’s ever actually happened to me.  I’m just trying to warn you in advance that it COULD happen.  OK?

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Once you have everything slightly mixed, you can increase the speed up to medium.  The directions on the box that I’m using said to mix at medium speed for two minutes.  Double check the box you’re using and follow whatever it suggests.

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After I mixed for the required two minutes, I thought my batter looked pretty smooth.  The box said I’d probably have some lumps in the batter but I think I took care of them pretty good. 

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This is my sheet cake pan.  I poured a couple of Tablespoons of cooking oil in the pan, then used a paper towel to coat the bottom and the sides of the pan to help keep the cake from sticking.  Normally, I’d also add some flour and shake it all around but, the directions on the box didn’t call for doing that.

OK….lets go ahead and get this out in the open while we’re here.  Yes, this is my one and only sheet cake pan.  Yes, it looks a little rough but, those are just memories of lots of great cakes gone by.  There’s a lot of history behind this particular pan.  It’s been in my kitchen ever since I got married years back and its seen some use.  I know I need another one but, hey, this one still works.  Besides, it doesn’t look like that until you use a digital camera and blow up the size of the pictures and post them on the Internet.  If you could see it in real life…..oh never mind….it just looks the way it looks.  Let’s move on.

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Pour the batter into the lightly greased sheet cake pan.

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Scrape out the bowl and be sure you get it all.

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Use the back of the spoon and starting in the center, gently work the batter out into all the corners and edges.

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Spread it out as evenly as possible.  I always try to leave it a little lower in the middle of the pan since it’s going to rise up in the middle once it starts cooking.  I don’t know if it really helps to do it but, it’s worth a try right?

Bake at 350º for about 25-30 minutes, or as directed on your box.

Again, you’ll need to follow the baking directions printed on the box of mix that you’re using.  They vary, so check the recommended baking times carefully.  Also, depending on where you live, you may need to adjust depending on your altitude. 

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While the cake is in the oven, go ahead and start working on the strawberries.  You’ll begin by cutting off the green caps from each strawberry.  Use a small paring knife for this step or, if you have it, use a strawberry huller.  You just need to cut off the cap without cutting away too much of the red fruit. 

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You’ll need to remove all of the caps from the berries.  You may also find some bruised berries that need to be thrown out.  Just discard the caps and any bad berries.  I toss them in the trash instead of washing them down the drain…..in case you were wondering. 

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Now, you want to wash the berries to remove any leftover stems, pieces of caps and any dirt that might be on them.  Yes, I wash each berry one at a time under lightly running cool water.  It’s really quicker than you think and, that way, you know each berry is good and squeaky clean. 

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After they’re all washed, slice each berry into a medium sized sauce pan.  Smaller berries get sliced once down the middle, larger berries get sliced two or three times, depending on just how big they are.  Try to keep them all about uniform in size.

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Go ahead and add about 1/2 cup of Sugar to the sliced Strawberries.  The sugar will dissolve very quickly and start pulling juice out of the berries.  Place the sauce pan on the stove with the burner set at about Medium heat.

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Let the berries come to a low rolling boil.  You’ll need to stay with them and stir constantly letting them cook for about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

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Keep a close watch on your sheet cake as well.  Oven times will vary as we’ve mentioned. 

You’ll want to test the cake to be sure it’s done.  I do this using either a wooden toothpick or a wooden skewer.  I really like the skewers and keep them in my kitchen drawer.  You can get a bag of them for about a dollar and, for me, they work great for testing cakes and breads.  Just insert the skewer into the thickest part of the cake then, pull it out.  If it comes out clean, the cake is done.  If not, you need to let it bake a minute or two longer.  I tested the cake before removing it from the oven, its just a little difficult to get a good picture of it that way.

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Gently poke holes throughout the entire cake.  The wooden skewers really work great for this.  They leave a bit larger hole than using a fork but, a fork will also work.  Just have fun with it and do it while the cakes still hot.

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Remove about 1/4th to 1/2 cup of the juice from the pot of cooked Strawberries.  Set aside and save for later.

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Now, spoon the remaining berries and the juice over the top of the sheet cake you just riddled full of holes.

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Spread the berries over the cake as best as you can, allowing the juice to sink into the holes in the cake.

Set the cake aside and let it cool completely.

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Unwrap the Cream Cheese and place it in a large mixing bowl.  The Cream Cheese should be at room temperature by now and just the right consistency to work with.

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Add 1/2 cup of Sugar right on top.

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Add the Vanilla Extract. 

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Add the Strawberry juice that you reserved earlier.

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Once again, gently start mixing on your lowest speed.  You just want to stir up the Cream Cheese and mix it slightly.

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Pull the container of Cool Whip out of the refrigerator and dump it all into the bowl.

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Mix it all together until it’s fluffy.  Fluffy is a really neat word isn’t it?  Wonder who came up with it.  Fluffy…say it out loud.  Fluffy!  (Smile)

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Bring back the completely cooled cake.

OK…the pan is really bothering me now.  Seriously….it didn’t look that way when I was cooking the cake.  What could have happened?  It seems to look worse and worse in each picture.  That’s it….I’m getting a new one before I make another cake.  Situation resolved.

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Grab a spatula and scoop out great old big hunks of the whipped topping.  Plop it right down the center of the cake. 

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Gently start spreading the frosting out towards the sides and corners of the pan.  Do this slowly so as not to disturb the berries and get them all mixed in with the topping.

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Keep working it until you’ve got it as evenly spread out as possible.  Then, have some more fun by making all kinds of swirly designs in it.  Just use a light touch and don’t go too deep.  If it doesn’t look right, smooth it out and do it all over again. 

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If you want, you can add some fresh sliced berries to the top.  Decorate it anyway you want, it’s your cake. 

While I like the look of the fresh berries on the top, just keep in mind that the red juice from them is going to start to run out into the frosting before long.  The cake is best I think, if it’s refrigerated overnight.  The juices that seeped down into the holes just add to the moisture of the cake itself and, it just seems to get better and better the longer it lasts.  Well, that is…IF it lasts.

Thank You Mama Ruth…for ALL the Strawberry Cakes you’ve shared with us over the years.  And, for all the other cakes and goodies as well.  I really appreciate you and hope I’ve done your cake justice here on Taste of Southern.  Now, we’re sharing it with the entire WORLD. 

I’ve had lots of folks ask me about Mama Ruth’s cake so,  now that she’s shared the recipe, maybe everyone can try it for themselves.  I’m sure they will love it just as much as I have. 

Enjoy!!!

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Your Comments:  What’s your favorite thing to prepare using fresh Strawberries?  Do you can or freeze any for later use? 

Feel free to jump in and share your thoughts.  Comments on our recipes are always welcomed.  We have no other way of knowing that you’ve stopped by so, please take just a moment and leave a quick comment in the section below.  We always love hearing that you have tried one of our recipes and hope that you’ll share your results with us.  Besides, how else are we going to get to know YOU.  It only takes a moment.  And, even if you don’t try the recipes, just let us know you’ve found our website. 

Your comment will not show up immediately as all comments are moderated.  We will get it online just as soon as we can though…so say Hello while you’re here.  Thank you in advance for your visit.  I hope you’ll come back soon.  We currently try to post a new recipe each Monday morning.

Be Blessed!!!
Steve

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Pulled Pork BBQ, in the oven.

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Pig Pickings, pulled pork, chopped or sliced barbecue, it’s all just a way of life and living here in the South.  BBQ is KING!

I realize I’m stepping into an area that can stir up a lot of emotions and opinions, especially here in North Carolina.  Still, I’m willing to do it so I can share this recipe on how you can enjoy some fresh Pulled Pork BBQ at home.  Purists will say it can’t be done in a crock pot, it can’t be done in an oven and, it can’t be done without wood and lots of smoke.  I’d tend to agree but, sometimes you just have to do the best you can with what you have to work with.

If I can’t cook it outdoors on a big grill or a pit, I’d certainly rather cook it in the oven than in a crock-pot.  Ooops, I’ve stepped on toes again.  Of course, you’ve got time and space for your own opinions about barbecue in the Comments section below.  I’ll be looking for you to chime in and share yours and don’t be afraid to speak up… OK?

While this is my first post about barbecue, lets just say that it probably will not be the last.  There is just so much to cover when it comes to making barbecue and I’m only going to scratch the surface with this recipe.  I’ll provide you with a simple Dry Rub you can use plus, I’ll give you a recipe for our Eastern North Carolina Vinegar Based Barbecue Sauce to finish it all off with it.  I didn’t say I’d give you all the family secrets just yet though. 

I have fond memories of my dad stacking cinder-blocks to make a fire pit so he could sit up all night cooking a pig.  It all began of course with “hog killing” time which is a whole bunch of other stories all unto themselves.  Once the pigs were prepared or, dressed, as it was called, daddy would start up a wood fire in the pit he had made a few days before.  He’d sit up all night tending to the cooking pig and by morning, he was ready to start breaking it down so he could bring it into the kitchen where he’d chop it up to make barbecue.

It was all about the smells, the aroma’s, the smoke, the taste and, even the mess of… making barbecue.  Daddy did it all and everyone enjoyed what he prepared.  I could go on but, let’s just dive right in and get started, I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.  How about you?  Ready to cook some pig?  Good… Let’s get cooking!

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You need some pork of course.  Here’s a quick look at where it’s coming from.  If you’re having a pig picking, you’ll need the whole thing.  We do those too but, we’ll be working with either a Boston Butt or a Fresh Picnic Shoulder this time around.  Can you find it on the chart?

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Oven Pulled Pork BBQ Recipe:  You’ll need these ingredients to get started cooking.  I make my own dry rub and my own vinegar based barbecue sauce.  The store labelled this as a ”fresh whole picnic.”  Boston Butts are pretty much a favorite around my area with the picnic shoulder running a close second.  This piece weighed just a bit over 9 pounds.  You’ll need to figure on about half of that for actual barbecue once it’s cooked.

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I just place it in a clean sink and remove the outer plastic wrap.

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Give it a good rinse under cold running water, washing all sides, the top and, the bottom.  If the tray its sitting in has one of those pads that absorbs liquids, throw that away along with the plastic wrapping.  I like to leave it sitting in the tray while I’m working with it.

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Pat it dry with clean paper towels.

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I like to trim off a lot of the excess fat.  This will be another area of contention amongst folks that cook pig.  There’s going to be plenty that doesn’t get removed so, taking off some of the visible excess isn’t really going to be a problem in my humble opinion.  You need a sharp knife and just be careful as you trim away any loose pieces of meat or, any of the excess fat from the top and sides.

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You may also find a large vein as you’re trimming.  Hopefully it belongs to the pork and not you.  (Smile)  I like to remove it as much as possible just for better presentation purposes.  Sorry, I guess I should have warned you about this picture ahead of time.

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Here, I’m getting into it pretty deep.  I want to get some rub on these spots before I start cooking and, as you can see, there is still a good amount of fat being left on. 

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I managed to trim this much away from the top and along the sides.  There’s a bunch more on the bottom but I’m not worried about that at the present time.

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Now, shake on a couple of Tablespoons of the Worcestershire Sauce.  Give it a good overall coating.

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Shake on about a Tablespoon of Liquid Smoke.  You can probably find this product in your grocery store, usually around the spices and marinades sections.  We’re trying to add some flavor since we will not have the luxury of actual smoke during the cooking process. 

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Use your hands and just rub the liquids into the meat.  Work it under any flaps that might be attached and cover as much area as you can.

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Squeeze a couple of Tablespoons of Mustard onto the meat.  You can use about any type of Mustard you prefer here.  The mustard isn’t going to actually add any flavor to the meat.  We’re going to coat the pork with mustard to help hold the dry rub spices that we’ll be adding shortly.

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Use your hands again and, rub the mustard over the pork to lightly coat it.

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Flip it over.  This skin side is called the “fat cap.”  We’re going to coat it as well although it’s not really going to absorb any of the spices.  It’s not even going to end up in the finished product, I just wanted to show it to you.  Besides, I like to be thorough in these things.  We could have just trimmed it away in the beginning and baked it later to make pork skins.  I’ll save that for another recipe.

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Give the fat cap a coat of mustard as well.  It’s going to melt into the fat at the bottom of the pan but may add some flavor along the way.  Just rub it down with a thin layer of mustard. 

If we were cooking this out on the grill, the skin would crisp up and get hard.  Some folks like to add a bit of that into their barbecue.  Its pretty tasty when cooked that way and, daddy always chopped it up into the barbecue he made.  However, since we’re baking this in the oven, it will not end up crispy from sitting in the bottom of a roasting pan once the fat starts breaking down. 

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Flip it back over and lets add the Dry Rub.  The dry rub is just a mixture of spices for adding flavor to the meat.  You will find thousands of versions of how to make dry rub if you start searching for them.  Most of the folks that cook ribs, briskets, chicken and pork, make their own rubs.  You should give it a try sometime and create one of your own.  Then you can have your own “signature” rub.  Keep it secret though, thats the fun part. 

You can also purchase a variety of dry rubs in your local grocery store.  Lawry’s Seasoning Salt would work well along with many others.

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It’s called a dry rub for a reason.  You’re suppose to rub it into the meat and work it into it really good.  The problem here is that it’s covered in mustard and trying to rub it just causes it to form little balls of spice and doesn’t seem to really accomplish the needed effect. 

Just use your fingers and pat it into the mustard coating.  You just want to be sure it’s sticking to the outside.  I did the top, bottom and all sides until it was coated all over.

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Next, line a baking pan with Aluminum Foil.  You need something a couple of inches deep because this meat is going to produce a lot of fat in the bottom of the pan.  The foil makes for simple cleanup of course.

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Place some plastic wrap across the the pan in both directions.  Place the meat inside the pan.

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Fold the sides of the plastic wrap up and around the meat.  Wrap it securely and then just sit the whole pan in your refrigerator overnight. 

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That’s right… overnight.  We want to just let it soak up the spices as much as possible before we start cooking.

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Next Day:  Remove the plastic wrap AND, the TRAY, if you had left it in.  We’re ready to start cooking some pig… low and slow.

Preheat the oven to – 250 degrees.  Once you’ve reached cooking temperature, place the pan on one of the lower racks in your oven. 

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Just as if we were cooking this on the grill, we’re baking it Low and Slow.  The temperature needs to be at 250º and the time will vary based on the weight of the meat being cooked.  You should figure just about one hour for each pound of meat that you have. 

If you wanted to cook this on the grill, you should cook it over indirect heat at the same temperature and this will also take about one hour per pound of meat being cooked. 

You will want to check it after its cooked for about 4 hours.  At that time, we’re going to start basting it with some of our vinegar based sauce and, we will do that once each hour until the meat is done.  Hopefully, you’ve got a good Meat Thermometer to keep track.

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Speaking of grills… this is a pig cooker.  Yes, this is a shameless plug for my brothers grills.  We believe its one of the best pig cookers you’ll find anywhere around.  He started renting and selling these years ago at his grocery store.  He kept the cooker part of the business when he retired from the grocery business and he’s sold a ton of these things.  I’ve been riding with him over the past several months as we deliver them to places all over Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky.  He’s got them all across America and down in the Bahamas.  They’re just that good.

I built a website for him several years back and you can learn all about them at www.CarolinaCookers.com.  I’ve even got some video’s of the folks we’ve been delivering too.  My brother and I have joked about making a reality type TV show about delivering cookers.  Maybe one day.  Do check out the website though.  The cookers have many available options.  You Know You Want One!

I’m sorry.  I guess it’s just the former radio announcer in me coming out.  I have to do a commercial every once in awhile.  Thank you for listening.  We now return you to our regular scheduled recipe.

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This is after four hours at 250º in my oven.  It’s looking a little dry on the top but that’s what I wanted.  That crispy outside edge is called the “bark” and it will be full of flavor when its finished.  I love it.

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Use a basting brush and, brush on some of the Eastern North Carolina Vinegar Based Sauce.  I’ve included the recipe in the printable at the bottom along with the recipe for the dry rub.  Daddy use to call this a “mop.”  He would make a brush using a stick with some cotton rags tied to the end of it to brush the sauce over the whole pig as it cooked. 

It keeps the surface of the meat moist as it’s cooking so it doesn’t dry out too much.  He would also add some butter and a couple of slices of lemon into the mopping sauce he made.  It wouldn’t take much lemon juice, in the small amount of sauce we’re making, to overpower it and, the butter just rises to the top in the sauce after it cools.  I’d do it if it were a whole hog though… just to follow the family tradition.

In case you aren’t familiar with it… North Carolina has a bit of a “controversy” over which way to prepare barbecue.  The Eastern part of the state prefers what we call a Vinegar Based Sauce while the Western Part of the state has it’s Tomato Based Sauce, also often referred to as Lexington Style.  Since I’m in the Piedmont area of the state, I’m pretty much located in the middle but, my house prefers the Eastern North Carolina Vinegar Based Barbecue Sauce as opposed to the ones that are made with ketchup or, some form of tomato sauce or paste.

I like them both but, given a choice, I’ll opt for the vinegar based.  If you travel a bit further South, like down to South Carolina, they have one that is Mustard Based.  I believe its Alabama that has one called a White Sauce that is made of well…wait for it… mayonnaise.

The BBQ Song below will give you a good idea of what all the confusion is about.  Since we’re cooking this pork low and slow… we’ve got time for some entertainment.

You might like to check out THE BBQ SONG, as performed by Rhett and Link from nearby Lillington, North Carolina.  These two guys do a lot of comedy videos about all sorts of things.  They live about 30 miles from my town and, they stopped by for a visit on one of my radio programs back in my broadcasting days.  It pokes a bit of fun about the whole Southern BBQ thing.  Just be back before the pork is done… OK?

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Pork is considered done nowadays at an internal temperature of 145º.  You will want to cook your pork shoulder, picnic or Boston Butt up to 190º.  This higher temperature will cause the proteins and collagen to further break down and, make the pork juicer and more flavorful.  Let it cook on up to the full 190 degree mark before taking it out of the oven.

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When the pork is done, remove it from the oven.  Be careful not to spill all those hot juices on you.

If you recall, I started out with a 9 pound piece of pork.  The actual cooking time for me was 7 hours.  I couldn’t find my oven thermometer and I suspect that my oven is cooking a bit warmer than it indicates.  But again, you’re looking to cook it on low heat for as long as it takes to reach that 190º mark.  Your actual cooking time will vary based on your oven.

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Remove the pork from the pan and place it on a large sheet of aluminum foil.  I just used a couple of forks to lift the pork from the pan.  The fat cap on the bottom stuck to the foil in the pan and it just pulled away from the meat as I lifted it up.  I’m not using it anyway so, no problem.

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Gather the foil up and wrap it tightly around the cooked pork.  What… you thought you were fixing to eat it NOW?  (Smile)

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Next, grab a clean towel and, wrap it up really good. 

If you have a cooler, you can place this inside the cooler.  If not, just do like I did and leave it out on the counter top.  The meat needs to REST for about one hour before you pull it apart.  This just requires patience and restraint.  You can do it though and you’ll be happily rewarded for it.

Allowing the meat to rest like this will make it much more juicier than if you just started ripping it apart now.  During this time, the internal temperature will rise another 5º to 10º or so.  This carry over temperature allows time for the juices to absorb back into the meat and, makes the finished product hold the juice that you would otherwise see running out if you sliced it right away.

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After the meat has had an hour to rest, remove the towel and the foil and, place the meat in another clean baking or roasting pan.  As you can see in the photo above, this is the bottom.  The fat cap pulled off when I lifted it from the roasting pan so I don’t have to bother with that.

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I grabbed two forks and just scraped away some more of the fat that was remaining.  You may like the fat and want to leave it in but, I just have never acquired a taste for it.  Some folks leave it in their BBQ while others remove it.  Its a personal choice so make yourself happy and do what pleases you.  I promise not to argue with you about taking it out though.

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Use the forks like bear claws and start pulling the meat apart.  Remember, its still pretty hot so, don’t burn your fingers trying to pull it apart. The bone will pull out really easy if the meat is cooked properly. 

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Continue to use the forks and pull the meat apart… thus the name… Pulled Pork.  Creative huh? 

Sometimes, when we do a whole hog or, pig picking, we just let folks come up and pull off what they want of the pig thats been cooked.  That’s OK if you’re cooking with wood and smoking the meat a good bit.  You’ll have some good flavor from the smoke ring that forms just beneath the skin as it cooks.

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Here’s a piece of the top of the meat with it’s bark.  Once it was all mixed up, it had a good flavor from the spices that had been baked into the meat.  It was really quite tasty at this point but… let’s make it even better.

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I weighed this out and had just an ounce or two over five pounds of meat.  I started out with nine pounds so, I lost four to the trimming, cooking and removal of the bone.  Its still a lot of meat and well worth the time to fix it.  To be considered “pulled” you will want to leave it in shreds like its pictured.  You could also chop it up if you desire, its just whatever makes you happiest when it comes to barbecue. 

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Start out slowly in adding the sauce.  Sauce is meant to compliment the meat and not overpower it.  Of course, this is the good part because, you get to add a little sauce, taste it… then add some more and taste it again.  Drizzle the sauce over the cooked meat and then stir it in.

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Just jump in with both hands and mix the sauce in really good.  Be gentle with it though… you don’t want it turning into a bunch of mushiness from overworking it.  Taste it, then add more sauce, vinegar, pepper, whatever you think it needs.  Make it your own Special Sauce.

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Serve it while it’s warm.  Barbecue is best when enjoyed shortly after its made.  It will keep in the refrigerator for several days… if it lasts that long and, it can be frozen if absolutely need be.  It will change the taste a bit in my opinion but, I’ve got several cartons of this in my freezer as I write.

This stuff makes some great sandwiches.  Just add some of our Creamy Cole Slaw and you’re good to go.  Serve it with Baked Beans, Potato Salad or, whatever your favorite side dish might be.  Don’t forget the Sweet Tea either.  Just be sure to keep some extra sauce close by, along with the Texas Pete and some pepper flakes so, your family and guests can spice it up the way they like it.  I could eat this stuff everyday… even for breakfast.  Must be a Southern boy… right?

Enjoy!!!

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Your Comments:  Have you ever made Pulled Pork BBQ in the oven?  I’d love to hear your thoughts about our recipe.  It will only take a minute or two to share them with us in the Comment section below.  It might just help someone else to consider giving our recipe a try.  Please note that all comments are moderated.  That just means that I personally read each and every one of them before they are approved for our family-friendly site here on the Internet.  I also respond to as many comments as possible so, please check back soon for those as well.  I do hope you’ll give the recipe a try and I’ll look forward to hearing how it turns out for you. 

Subscribe to our Newsletter:  Each week, I send out a Newsletter to keep you up to date with the newest recipe we’ve posted here on Taste of Southern along with any other news and updates that might be taking place.  Its absolutely Free of course and all you have to do is place your Email address in the box below or, the box on the top right hand side of each page.  I hope you’ll do it while you’re here and just let me say Thank You in advance for signing up.  If you like what we do, please tell your family and friends about us.  I’d greatly appreciate you doing that also and again, Thank You for your support.

Be Blessed!!!
Steve

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Our State Magazine – April Issue Launch Party

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I was recently honored to receive an Invitation to attend the April Issue Launch Party of Our State Magazine, which was held March 19, 2013, at Crooks Corner Restaurant over in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  This was ”Big Time Stuff” for me as it was the first time Taste of Southern has been invited to attend any type of event since we started our site back on January 01, 2012.  I took this as a sign of progress for our little website of Southern Cooking recipes.

It was much like the same invitation I had received back in April of 2012 from Our State Magazine to contribute a recipe or two for their Online Newsletter.  Andy, the Digital Marketing Coordinator for Our State, sent me an email saying he had visited Taste of Southern and, he thought I might be interested in submitting a recipe for use in their monthly Newsletter.  I was highly honored and quickly accepted.  While I haven’t actually made the print magazine…YET… I do have a couple of my recipes that went out in the Newsletter and are still available on their website at OurState.com. 

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This was the scene just inside the front door of Crooks Corner Restaurant in Chapel Hill as I arrived.  I must admit that I arrived “fashionably late,” for the event but… it wasn’t my fault.  No really, it wasn’t.  I’ll spare you all the details of fighting traffic around Franklin Street, what with the gridlock at the stop lights and stopping for all the youngsters running across the street at every corner. 

Chapel Hill is a bit of a college town you see, home of the University of North Carolina and the Tar Heels.  The Town of Chapel Hill website bills itself as “The Southern Part of Heaven.”  Around here, everyone knows that God is a Carolina fan because he made the sky Carolina Blue.  And, it was a beautiful Carolina Blue Sky type of day and warmer weather had just returned to our corner of the world.  College students were in abundance all up and down the streets, many in shorts, running for exercise, from one end of town to the other.

Parking was at a premium as I finally pulled up to Crooks Corner.  An earlier Email had stated parking would be available around back of the restaurant and although I circled the block twice, there wasn’t an empty spot to be found.  I ended up parking well over a city block away and walked to the restaurant.  If only I had the energy of those college students, I might have got there on time but, I’m an old man and my knees and legs do all they can to just get me out the front door these days.  I might have also been breathing a bit hard by the time I entered the restaurant.

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This is Bill Smith, Chef and Owner of Crooks Corner Restaurant with the microphone.  Right behind him is Elizabeth Hudson, Editor of Our State Magazine.  See how she’s looking right straight at my camera and giving me a smile.  I was all the way across the room and barely did get this picture with my camera but, it reminds me of the photo I took recently over at Southern Seasons when The Lee Bros. held their cooking class.

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Remember this photo I posted just a week or so ago?  That’s Ted Lee on the left and Matt Lee on the right.  See how Matt is looking right straight at my camera?  The Lee Bros. were in town promoting their new cookbook “The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen.”  I attended a cooking class they were giving at A Southern Season and caught this photo.  Two events, one week a part and, I get the same “looking right in my camera” type of photo.  How cool is that?

OK, so this may be just another way to get a shameless plug in for The Lee Bros. new cookbook.  They weren’t at the Launch Party but, I bet they would have been had it been a week earlier when they were in town for several days.  Lets move on.

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Ms. Hudson was introducing Chef Smith as I arrived.  I’m truly sorry that I didn’t get to hear her comments about the April Issue.  I may also be a bit envious of her job because, I follow her on Twitter and, she is all the time posting pictures of the many fabulous places she’s visiting across our beautiful state of North Carolina.  I don’t know how she manages to be so small after eating at all those great restaurants she mentions either. 

I did get to introduce myself to her later.  She has a very contagious smile and was still going strong even at the end of the party.  I bet its because she had a really good parking space right at the door to the restaurant.  Just saying.

I also had the chance to introduce myself to Chef Bill.  He has an article in the April Issue about how he grew up splitting his time between two different churches, one Presbyterian and the other Catholic.  According to Chef Bill, “the Presbyterians had layer cakes and, the Catholics had Kibbe.  His essay on the church supper makes for a good read and, I highly suggest you grab a copy of the April issue and check it out.

Super Secret Stuff:  Please don’t tell but, I found this secret, hidden link to the Chef Bill story online.  Do you think Editor Elizabeth Hudson knows about this?  Read the article at this link about Chef Bill Smith and Kibbe.

Speaking of Kibbe…

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Kibbe was a totally new dish to me, something I’d never even heard of, let alone tasted.  I had to ask Chef Bill what was in it before I dug into it.  Seems its made of Bulgur Wheat, Onions and some type of red meat like beef, lamb or, goat.  Chef Bill was honest enough to tell me he wasn’t sure what meat was used in the dish being served that night.  I think the dish was prepared by friends of his from another nearby restaurant.

It’s not something I’d go out of the way to find but, it wasn’t terrible either.  I’d liken it to something like a drier textured Liver Pudding if you’re from the South enough to know what that’s all about.  It was a little bland for my personal taste.  You can also learn more about it here… Kibbe or Kibbeh, on the Wikipedia website. 

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On the other hand… this was more like it for an old Southern boy.  Another table was spread with lots of Deviled Eggs, more on those later.  There was a veggie tray, wafers, cheese straw like crackers, made in the shape of a pig and, some delicious ham biscuits.  The ham had been cooked in a Coca-Cola glaze type of recipe and was really good.  I’m getting hungry.

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Then, there was the dessert table.  A beautiful poster displayed a page from the magazine and an article about The Deviled Egg Dish.  We… OK… I (as in me) ate a fair share of the Deviled Eggs that were served.  I’ve always been a fan of Deviled Eggs but, more on those later.

The above photo shows the dessert table after it had been attacked more than one time.  I’m not saying I did that all by myself mind you.  I must apologize that I can’t tell you the name of the cake that has all but disappeared in the photo above.  If you look closely, you will see a few scraps of it left.  Don’t get the wrong idea though, the Brownstone Cake at the top of the plate disappeared shortly after I snapped this photo.  They had to bring out another tray of both after that.

Again, Brownstone Cake wasn’t something I had ever tried to my knowledge.  I’m beginning to sound like I’ve led a sheltered life all of my life thus far huh?  But, thanks to one of our readers and subscribers to the Taste of Southern Newsletter, I had at least already heard of Brownstone Cake.  You see, about a month ago, one of our readers asked me about Brownstone Front Cake and suggested I might do a recipe for it.  Up until then, I hadn’t heard of it.  Turns out its a very delicious cake and I’m going to be working on a recipe for it very soon here on Taste of Southern.  Search our Recipes for it and give it a try once I get it posted.

Brownstone Cake, even though its a Chocolate type of cake, only has a very small amount of cocoa or chocolate squares in it to make it.  Chef Bill just happened to mention to me that Brownstone Cake only had about three Tablespoons of cocoa.   It goes back to days when chocolate and cocoa were pretty scarce I think. 

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Photo Property of Julian Charles Photography. 

One of my favorite sections of the April Issue is a beautiful Photo Essay entitled “Peace In The Valley.”  It features photos by North Carolina Photographer – Julian Charles.  Originally from New Zealand, Julian Charles offers Commercial, Wedding, Portrait and Tourism photography services.  Please visit his website and take a look at all the great pictures he’s posted online at:  Julian Charles Photo.  Its a true delight for the eyes.

As it turned out, I had seen a Tweet about this article just hours before I left for the Launch Party.  I visited the Julian Charles Photography website and spent a good amount of time that afternoon looking through all of his photos. 

I was sitting next to the dessert table, enjoying my plate of Brownstone Cake, when a young gentleman came over and spoke to me.  I had spent most of the night in that chair because as I mentioned, the legs just don’t work like they use too.  I was holding my camera and juggling my plate of food when this fellow introduced himself as… Julian Charles.  I quickly recognized the name as being the photographer whose website I had recently been admiring. 

He asked me if I was a photographer but, I’m sure, he already knew that I wasn’t.  We chatted for a few minutes and exchanged business cards.  I was even more surprised the next day when he sent me a very nice Email.  You’ll just have to get the April issue of Our State Magazine to see the photos and read the stories, I’m afraid I don’t have a secret link to the photo essay.

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This is the patio of Crooks Corner Restaurant.  I liked the sculpture of the fish at the fountain area.  I would have “done good” to have brought my plates of food out here to take my pictures.  Wait… did I say “plates” of food?  I must have meant to just say “plate.”  (Smile)

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And this… this is the outside front of Crooks Corner Restaurant.  It’s located on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill and depending on which way you approach the building by car… you might have a hard time seeing that pig up top.  Seriously.  I may have rode by it at least once myself.  Just saying.  The famous pig is pretty well hidden in the trees, even in the Winter.  But…just look for the hubcaps.  ???

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That’s right… HUBCAPS.  They were on the side walls to the restaurant.  Its a wild guess but I’m supposing these may have been found in the yard of the restaurant over the years.  I could be highly wrong of course but, it would make sense I guess.  Folks turning the corner too sharp could have a hubcap come off and roll up into the grass of the restaurant.  Then again, maybe I should have just asked Chef Bill Smith the meaning behind them all.  It’s Chapel Hill though… hmmmm.

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There are so many other great articles and stories in this issue of Our State.  While this one was based around Southern Foods across North Carolina, you’ll find it a smorgasbord of reading both in the print issue and online.  Check out this link to see a lot of the April articles, stories and recipes that are featured each month in Our State:  Down Home in North Carolina.  You might even want to subscribe to it yourself.

OK… we’ve come down to the part about Deviled Eggs.  As you can see, there is a very nice photo of them on the cover of this April-2013 issue.  There is also a really neat article inside about Deviled Egg Serving Plates.  Deviled Eggs may be the only food item that has it’s own very special serving dish… or, plate.  And, there’s a really neat part about a lady in Wilmington, North Carolina that has a collection of over 800 different Deviled Egg Plates.  She’s working on acquiring a thousand of them and then she hopes to have it declared a world record.

Super Secret Hidden Egg Stuff:  Here’s a special link to read all about the Deviled Egg Dish.  Its an article written by Andrea Weigl, Award winning food writer and cookbook author at the News and Observer Newspaper.

Gosh, if Elizabeth Hudson finds I’m posting all these links to Our State magazine… I might get in trouble.  Maybe I should stick with my own stuff.

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Deviled Eggs Recipe:  Here is a link to the recipe that I did for Deviled Eggs in honor of the April issue of Our State magazine.  It’s pretty quick and easy and, I think you’ll really like them if you just give them a try.

I may have tried to emulate the cover of the magazine a bit with my photo above.  As it turns out, I got an Email just a few days ago from Wendy Perry.  Wendy is a subscriber to our Taste of Southern Newsletter and, although we didn’t actually meet, she was also at the Launch Party for the April issue.  Wendy told me she does some of the food prep and styling for Our State Magazine and, its her Deviled Eggs that are featured on the cover.  She had another cover, featuring a specialty cake, back in February of 2012.  I’m so jealous… truly I am.

Check out WendyPerry.com for lots of information about all the food adventures that Wendy is involved in.  She’s a busy lady.

Finally, thank you to Andy, Elizabeth, Chef Bill, Julian and all the other folks that I met at the Launch Party.  I was honored to be invited and it was so nice to finally get to meet all of you.  I hope you’ll keep me in mind should you ever do it again.  I’m not a really socializing kind of guy when it comes to these type of events but, I still had fun.  It was even nicer when I realized I had made it back to my car way down the street.  Whew… I’m getting old.

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Your Comments:  Are you a subscriber to Our State magazine of North Carolina?  Isn’t it a great magazine?  I’d love to hear your comments about the magazine or any of the things we’ve mentioned here.  It will only take a minute or two of your time to leave us a comment.  Please know that all comments are moderated.  That means, I read each and every one of them before they are approved for our family-friendly site here at Taste of Southern.  I also try to respond to as many of your comments as I can so be sure to check back again for that.

Subscribe to Our Taste of Southern Newsletter:  Each week, I send out a short Newsletter to let you know about our latest recipe or anything else that is going on in the life of Taste of Southern.  Its just a quick reminder to keep you up to date.  All you have to do is enter your Email address in the box below or, the box at the top right hand side of each page of our site.  I’d greatly appreciate it and, I thank you in advance for your support.  You also need to know that I will not share your Email address with anyone else. 

Be Blessed!!!
Steve

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Deviled Eggs Recipe

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Deviled Eggs:  Its a strange name for one of the more popular dishes, served most any time church folks gather at their place of worship, to fellowship together with a meal.  Even with the name, you’ll be hard pressed not to find it on the table anytime a church social is held.  Most of the time it’ll even be sitting pretty in a special dish made for transporting and showing it off in all it’s “glory.”  How many other dishes do you know of that have their own special plate?

The name goes back to around the 18th century as a way to describe foods that were spicy and included eggs that were prepared with mustard and-0r, pepper.  And, even though we claim them as our own here in the south, Wikipedia states the dish may go back as far as ancient Rome.  Who knew?

I think we may claim the more simple version of the eggs though.  That’s what this recipe is all about… keeping it simple.  They are extremely versatile though in how they are often made.  You just didn’t find any Deviled Eggs that contained “caviar or salmon,” at any of the dinner on the grounds church events that I ever attended.  We just always enjoyed them straight and simple.

Like their cakes, most Southern cooks take great pride in how well they make Deviled Eggs.  You wouldn’t think there could be much variance in them considering the few ingredients but, gaining bragging rights for making great Deviled Eggs is a long sought after reputation builder.  It’s all in how much of this or that ingredient you add that can make a difference.  And for me, they have to be made with Duke’s Mayonnaise to even fall into consideration.  Enough said!

If you’ve never made them, they’re very simple to do.  The biggest problem most folks have is in how to peel the eggs and keep them whole.  You can find 101 different ways on how to hard boil eggs and peel them.  I’ll just show you the way mama did hers and let you explore all the other ways on your own later.  Create our simple but, basic recipe below first.  After that, you can expand your horizons and try out all kinds of other ingredients to create your very own special rendition of Deviled Eggs.  Ready to give it a go?  Then… Let’s Get Cooking!

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Deviled Eggs Recipe:  You’ll need these ingredients.

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Place the eggs in a deep sauce pot and let them come up to room temperature before proceeding.  This takes about 30 minutes or so to just let them rest and then you can proceed.  It’s also best to use eggs that are about 5-7 days old when making Deviled Eggs.  Really fresh eggs tend to be a little more difficult to peel.

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Fill the pot with cold water, enough to cover the eggs about one inch.

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Add about one teaspoon of salt to the water.  Supposedly, this will help keep the eggs from cracking open as they boil.  Mama used salt but it seems a lot of other folks like to use baking soda instead… or even a little vinegar. 

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Place the pot on a cold burner.  Turn the heat on to Medium-High and let the water come to a rolling boil.  Once the water reaches the boiling point, set a timer and let the eggs boil for TWO MINUTES ONLY.

Please follow the cooking and rest times carefully.  You want the eggs to be hard boiled but not over cooked.  Over cooking eggs causes the yolks to turn dark green in color or, it could leave a green ring around the area of the white where the yolk was resting. 

The process is simple.  You boil the eggs for two minutes.  Then, you cover the pot and remove it from heat.  The eggs will continue to cook in the hot water for 15 minutes and then you drain the hot water off and plunge them into cold water.  The steps for doing this are below. 

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After two minutes, cover the pot and REMOVE it from the heat.  Do not let it sit on the hot burner.  Take it off and set it on a cold burner or a trivet to let the eggs continue to cook as the water cools down for 15 MINUTES.

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While the eggs are cooling down, I hope you’ll subscribe to our Newsletter for weekly updates about Taste of Southern.  You’ll find a signup box on the top right hand side of this page or, at the bottom of this page.  Now, back to our recipe…

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After 15 MINUTES, drain off the hot water.

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Run some cold water into the pot and cover the eggs again.  Some folks like to add ice cubes to the water so the eggs will cool quickly.  I find that just draining off the water and filling the pot again with cold water comes pretty close to doing the same thing. 

Years back, folks didn’t have the luxury of ice makers in their home refrigerators.  Cold water, as it comes straight from the faucet was used and, you just repeated the process a time or two to quickly cool the eggs down.  You can just let them sit in the water for a few minutes until they get cool enough to handle without burning your fingers.   

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When the eggs are cooled enough to handle, take one and, tap the big round end on your counter top or sink.  Place the egg under your hand and gently roll it to crack the shell all over.

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Start at the big end of the egg and gently pull away the shell.  Just under the shell is a very thin membrane that you want to get under as it will make peeling the egg fairly easy.  The big end of the egg has a small air pocket and you can best get under this membrane by starting in this area.  Once you’re under it, the shell will normally pull right away.  If you don’t get under it, you’ll know it and, will struggle to remove the shell.  Fresher eggs are harder to peel because of this membrane which is why we suggest you use eggs that are about 5-7 days old.

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Sometimes, it helps to just try and peel them under cool running water.  If you’re having problems, try this.  Most of the time though, I’ll just dip them back into the pot of water to get them wet again.  I find that works pretty good.

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Once you’ve slipped the shell off the egg, rinse the cooked egg under cool running water and sit it aside.

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Repeat the process until all the eggs are peeled.  More than likely, you’ll have one or two that just don’t want to play right.  I always boil one or two more than I need just to be safe.  Besides, you’re going to sample them when you finish and you don’t want an empty spot on that egg plate now do you?  Having an extra one also insures you have plenty of “filling” for your finished eggs.

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Take a sharp knife and slice each egg in half lengthwise.  If the yolk sticks to your blade, wipe it with a damp paper towel after each cut to keep them all looking good.

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Gently squeeze the backside of each egg half and pop the yolk out.  If they don’t pop right out, you can also take a spoon and gently remove the yolk from the white.  Use caution so you don’t tear the egg white apart.  If one does split, you can just add it into the yolks and mix it in with the rest of the yolk mixture in the steps below.

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Repeat the process until you have all the yolks in the bowl.

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Place all the egg whites on a large plate and set them aside.

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Take the back of a fork and mash up all of the egg yolks.

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Now, add the Mayonnaise.  (I just hope you’re adding Duke’s Mayonnaise.)  Smile

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Add the Mustard.

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Add the Salt.

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Sprinkle on some Black Pepper.

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I chopped up some of my Sweet Pickles that I made last summer to use in place of the Sweet Relish.

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Add the Sweet Pickle Relish to the bowl.  These slightly bigger pieces of pickle also give the finished product a little crunch when you bite into them.  I kind of like that.

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Mix all the ingredients well with your fork.  Give it a taste and see if it needs a little more of one of the ingredients.  Adjust as needed to suit your taste preference.

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At this point, you could just go ahead and spoon the mixture into your egg bowls.  Or, spoon the mixture into a Zip-lock type plastic bag and close it up. 

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Using some scissors, clip off one of the corners of the bag.

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Squeeze enough of the mixture into each of the egg whites to fill it up and above the top. 

Some folks like to use pastry bags with cake decorating tips to make their eggs look a little more fancy.  If you think you’d like to do this, reduce the amount of Mayonnaise that you add in the beginning so the mixture will be much thicker.  You’ll need it somewhat drier and thicker in order for it to hold its shape once you start to pipe it out into the egg bowls.

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Sprinkle the tops with a little Paprika to give them some added color.  I suggest you sprinkle them before you place them on your Deviled Egg Platter if you’re using one of those, especially if its white.  It will make for a cleaner looking presentation to not have the dish covered with Paprika. 

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Serve and Enjoy!

As I mentioned at the start of this recipe, Deviled Eggs are very versatile and can be made in so many different ways.  This is just a simple and basic recipe to get you started.  You can make them as spicy as you like by topping them with Jalapeno Peppers or, good and savory with some chopped bacon, spring onions, sliced olives and… the list just goes on and on.  I hope you’ll give them a try and be sure to leave us a comment in the section below to tell us how you like them. 

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Your Comments:  How many Deviled Eggs can you eat at one time?  Do you like them fairly simple, like ours or, do you prefer them all spiced up and fancy?  I’d love to hear your comments about our recipe and maybe some of the memories you have of enjoying Deviled Eggs at some special occasions.  It will only take a minute or two of your time to share your comments and, you just might help one of our readers decide whether or not they want to give our recipe a try.  Please note that all comments are moderated.  That just means that I personally read each and every comment before its approved for our family-friendly home here on the Internet.  I also try to respond to as many comments as possible so be sure to check back soon for my reply.  I’d love to hear from you and I’ll just say Thank You, in advance, for sharing your comments with us.

Subscribe to our Newsletter:  Before you leave, be sure to sign-up for our Newsletter.  Each week, I’ll send you a quick note to let you know that I’ve posted another recipe here on Taste of Southern.  It’s a great way to keep up with whats happening with us and I promise I’ll not share your Email address with anyone else.  I also hope you’ll at least share your first name with me when you sign-up.  It will take less than a minute and you can use the box below or at the top right hand side of this page. 

Thank you for your support and I invite you to stop by for a visit again real soon.

Be Blessed!!!
Steve

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Beef Tips with Rice and Gravy Recipe:

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Here’s a really simple recipe that just needs about an hour to slow simmer before its ready to serve.  You can take advantage of some cheaper cuts of beef anytime you find them on sale and, whip up some great Southern comfort food that can be served with rice, mashed potatoes or even noodles.  It’s your choice.

Stew beef works very well for this recipe or, you can use eye of round steak like we did.  You can even go all out and make it with a finer cut like Ribeye steak.  The really great part is, whatever you find on sale, can probably be used to make our Beef Tips.  Buy it while its on sale, freeze it and have it ready for a quick and easy lunch, dinner or Sunday dinner.  I think you’ll like it about any time of the day.

Around the south, just about all the local mom-and-pop style restaurants feature Beef Tips with Rice and Gravy on their menu.  It’s an old diner favorite that is also usually one of the cheaper menu choices because it can take a somewhat tougher cut of beef, slow simmer it to make it tender and, then serve it up with a large portion of rice and gray to cut costs. 

Its so versatile in that it tastes great when served over rice, over mashed potatoes or, even over noodles.  I really think you’ll love it once you try it and I’ll look forward to hearing from you after you do.  You can follow our step-by-step, photo illustrated instructions below or, skip on down to the bottom for our printable recipe.  Ready to get started?  Alright then… Let’s Get Cooking!

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Beef Tips with Rice and Gravy:  You’ll need these ingredients… and some rice of course.

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I’m using this eye of round steak so I needed to cube it up first.  You can use stew beef that is already cut into pieces if desired.

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Use a medium size sauce pan to cook in.  Place it on the stove, over medium heat and, add some cooking oil.  I like to add a little extra flavor by using about a Tablespoon of bacon grease.  It’s not required, olive oil or any other type of cooking oil or shortening will work just as well.

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I even tossed in a Tablespoon of Butter.  It’s optional of course.

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Add the beef to the sauce pan.

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Peel and slice the onion and, toss it in on top of the beef pieces.

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Stir it around as it cooks, let the beef brown a bit and until the onions start becoming translucent.

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Add the Beef Broth.

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Bring the mixture to a good rolling boil.

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Cover the pot, REDUCE THE HEAT down to a low simmer and let it slowly cook for about one hour.  Now, lets make the rice.

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Prepare the rice:  After the meat has simmered for about an hour, go ahead and prepare the rice.  You’ll need some good rice and a little salt.

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You’ll find lots of different ways to prepare your rice.  I’m using one of my favorites here.  About any type of rice will work, just use what you have available.  I like to rinse my rice first so here I’m adding one cup of rice into a small sauce pan.

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Place the pot under cool running water and just let some water run into the pot.  The rice usually stays on the bottom and I swish it around a little to help remove the dust particles and a lot of the starch that rice contains.  Once the water starts to run clear, you’ll need to drain that water off. 

Rinsing rice is a choice and not always necessary.  It seems to keep your rice from being so sticky and clumping all together.  Of course, Instant Rice or Boil-in-Bag types of rice are other choices that usually turn out pretty much perfect.  Again, its all your choice. 

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Once the water starts to run clear, drain off the excess by just tilting the pot carefully and letting the water run out.

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Now, add two cups of cool water back into the pot.  You need about a 1cup rice, 1-1/2 cup water or, 1 cup rice and 2 cups water ratio.  I added just a little over a cup and a half back into the pot. 

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Add the salt but, don’t stir it.  Stirring the rice in the water will release more of the starches and that will just cause it to be sticky.  Instead, gently swirl the pot a time or two and place it on the stove over Medium-High heat.

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Leave the pot uncovered and bring the rice to a good rolling boil.  Let it boil for about 2 minutes at a rolling boil and then reduce the heat.

REDUCE THE HEAT:  Reduce the heat down to about Medium-Low and let the rice simmer.  DO NOT STIR.  We want to let it cook long enough for most of the water to be absorbed by the rice or evaporate out.  This could take 5-10 minutes or so.  Just keep a close watch on it.

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Once most of the water has cooked out of the rice, you’ll start seeing little open pockets in the rice.  Watch it closely, without stirring and, without letting all of the water boil away completely.  You’ll need just a little of the water in the bottom so the rice doesn’t burn and stick.  Burnt and sticky rice is NOT a problem you want to have.  You can thank me later. 

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Now, cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and remove it from the heat.  It needs to sit for about 10 more minutes.

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While the rice is resting, add about 2 Tablespoons of Corn Starch into a small cup or bowl.  We’re going to thicken up our gravy.

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Add about 3 Tablespoons of warm water.

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Use a small whisk or fork and, mix it up well until it is all liquid.

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Slowly add the cornstarch and water mixture into the pot with the beef.  Add it slowly, stirring constantly.  This mixture will thicken up the liquid in the beef and make a gravy.  It just needs to cook a few minutes longer to thicken up properly.  If its still too thin for you, make up about half a batch more of the cornstarch and water combination and add it into the beef. 

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After the rice sits for about 10 minutes, remove the lid.

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Use a fork and gently lift the rice from the bottom of the pan.  Gently lifting the rice will fluff it up and separate the grains.  It’s now ready to serve.

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You could even toss in a pat of butter for a little added flavor but… its optional.

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Place a serving of Rice on each plate, top it with some of the Beef Tips and Gravy.  Ummm… good.

If I have leftovers, I just mix it all together and store it in the refrigerator for later.  This will keep your rice from drying out once it goes into the refrig.  How easy was that?  Enjoy!

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Your Comments:  What do you think about our Beef Tips with Rice and Gravy Recipe?  Have you ever tried it?  What do you do differently when making yours?  I’d love to hear your comments and invite you to take just a couple of minutes of your time and share them with us in the section below.  It’s a great way for our other readers that haven’t tried this recipe to get a better understanding on how they might like it.

Please remember that all comments on Taste of Southern are moderated.  That just means that I personally read each and every one of them before they are approved for our family-friendly site here on the Internet.  I also try to respond to as many comments as possible so, be sure to check back for that. 

Subscribe to our Newsletter:  I send out a Newsletter each week to let you know about the new recipe I’ve added.  I sometimes send out one to let you know about anything else that might be going around Taste of Southern.  It’s a great way to keep you informed of any news or updates as we add them.  I also send out some additional tips and information just to our subscribers.  It’s absolutely free and we will not share your information with anyone else.  I do hope you’ll sign up and if you don’t mind, at least include your first name so I’ll have the chance to get to know you better.  If you like what we do, it’s a great way to show your support and we never mind it when you tell your family and friends about us either. 

Let me just say Thank You in advance for stopping by and for your support.  It’s greatly appreciated.

Be Blessed!!!
Steve

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A Southern Season – Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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I recently had the great opportunity to attend a cooking class at A Southern Season located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  As expected, it turned out to be one more great evening and, I wanted to share it with you here on Taste of Southern this week.  I don’t have a lot of pictures but maybe I can give you a glimpse into what took place.

I’d been saving my Christmas of 2012 Gift Certificate to ‘A Southern Season” for just the right occasion.  I’d been wanting to attend one of their many cooking class offerings and, the moment I learned The Lee Bros. were coming, I called and made my reservation.  Good thing too, the class completely Sold Out in a very short time from what I hear but… more on that later.

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Meet Matt Lee and Ted Lee.  (Photo copyright: The Lee Bros.)

The Lee Bros. are from Charleston, South Carolina.  They are self-proclaimed, home cooks and they have just published their third cookbook entitled “The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen.”  Did I mention they are from Charleston, South Carolina? 

Let me sum that up for you.  They cook, they have THREE cookbooks AND they are from Charleston.  Oh wait, they are contributing editors at Travel + Leisure, have written for The New York Times, Bon Appetit and many other publications.  They won the 2007 James Beard Award for Cookbook of the Year and… the list goes on.

I’ll let you visit their website to learn more about them.  It’s at:  www.mattleeandtedlee.com  You can read all about them, see lots more pictures, check out their cookbooks, even order Boiled Peanuts from their online store.  That’s right, they sell already cooked Boiled Peanuts -or- a kit so you can make your own.  And, if that isn’t enough for you, they even have a Twitter account.  How cool is that?

The guys are brothers, grew up in Charleston, moved away for college, got a bit nostalgic for the foods of their homeland and, started an online business to sell Boiled Peanuts and other Southern goodies.  They were asked to write a story about road-tripping the foods of South Carolina for a travel magazine and that launched second careers as food and travel journalists.  It’s quite an interesting story and I encourage you to check out their website to learn more about them.

I became a Twitter fan of The Lee Bros. sometime back and follow their cooking adventures via Twitter, their website and, all the numerous news stories they keep showing up in.  With the just released, third cookbook, the guys are currently touring the country and A Southern Season was on the list.  Actually, they spent several days around our area with various book signings, dinners and cooking demonstrations.  I just like to think that A Southern Season was the highlight of their North Carolina visit and, I was able to be there.

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As I mentioned, this is “A Southern Season” in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  They bill themselves as “the premier destination for specialty foods and products.  And, for good reason… THEY ARE! 

I could write a ton of information about them but, again, I’ll just invite you to visit them at www.southernseason.com and spend some time browsing all they have to offer.  They too have an online store and you can order all kinds of really neat “kitchen stuff,” from them online.

On the left side of the above photo, you should be able to see the Weathervane at Southern Season Restaurant.  It may be a bit upscale for a country boy but, I may actually have a very special member of the family that is a manager there.  OK, I also have another one that works in the restaurant as well.  Just sayin’… and I’m very proud of both!

I could spend all day in this place.  Not just because I’m old and moving slowly these days but, it just has so much… kitchen and food stuff.  They also have a LOT of cooking classes.  I’ve been wanting to take a class at A Southern Season for quite some time and as I said, when I learned about The Lee Bros. coming, I used my Gift Card and made a reservation.  Let’s go inside.

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As soon as I walked in, I spotted The Lee Bros., working their magic in the kitchen.

This place was totally awesome.  I must go ahead and tell you that I have dreams of having just such a place of my own like this one day.  Can’t you just picture it… The Taste of Southern Kitchen Store and Cooking Classes?  There… I said it. 

The classroom had a large counter at the front with a couple of cook-tops in it and lots of prep space.  Right behind that, I could see a range, sinks, commercial refrigeration units, all kinds of appliances and a microwave.  Not sure about the microwave though… do people really use those?

Large mirrors over the counter would give a great view of what was being prepared.  Two large TV monitors would also give close up shots of all the action once class started.  It was high tech and I was eager for it all to begin.  In my typical fashion, I arrived just a minute or two before class started.  I had just been given a tour of the Weathervane Restaurant and sampled some of their delicious Sweet Potato Fries.  Only a few though because, I didn’t want to spoil the evening.

I quickly found a seat and placed my camera down on the table.  I was invited to some Iced Tea or Water by members of the Cooking Class Staff and accepted the tea as I sat down.  I wont get into the fact that they only served Unsweetened Tea, at least not right now.  Dim the lights, its Show Time!

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OK, so a lot went down between the last photo and this one.  I’ve already mentioned that I didn’t have a lot of pictures though.  See that?  That’s Matt Lee on the right hand side of the photo.  He’s looking right straight into my camera.  Direct eye contact with my lens.  I can’t help but wonder what he might have been thinking.  Ted had a knife in his hand so I’m glad he wasn’t looking at me right then. 

Matt had told us earlier about his last visit to the cooking class at A Southern Season.  Seems he was trying to remove a large seed from an avacado or something and, when he went to chop into the seed with his knife, he missed and hit his hand instead.  Ouch!  

Sorry Matt, I felt it was important to relay that story.  It’s always good to stress proper knife skills but, like the rest of us, accidents will happen in the kitchen some times.  Not only do these guys show you HOW to cook, they teach you how NOT to do some things as well. 

In this photo, Ted is beginning to demonstrate a recipe using Brussels Sprouts.  He’s listening to a question from a member of the audience at the moment.  It was great to be able to just interrupt and ask a question.  It was like we were all right in the home kitchen of the Lee Bros.  I managed to squeeze in a few of my own throughout the evening. 

On The Menu:

The class was called “Flavors of Charleston.”  Recipes were taken from The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen Cookbook.  Here’s what was prepared and served to those attending the class.

1.  Boiled Peanuts:  Each of us received a small dish of The Lee Bros. prepared Boiled Peanuts.  What a great way to start.

2.  Henry’s Cheese Spread:  A cheddar cheese type dip served with round crackers.  I make no apologies that I did not try this dip.  It is made with an “ale” type of beverage.  Since I’ve never touched a drop of this stuff in my life, I passed on this one.  I try not to judge anyone on what they do, its been my personal choice to refrain and I’m proud of my record.  I knew this would be a part of the class offering going in and that there might be something prepared that I wouldn’t try.  I did enjoy the crackers though.

3.  Brussels Sprouts with Benne and Bacon:  As you can see in the photo above, Ted is just beginning the process of making this dish.  As with all the dishes prepared, The Lee Bros. shared a bit of history and some stories behind the recipes.  For reasons unknown to me, Brussels Sprouts are one of the few “green” vegetables that I actually enjoy.  I don’t eat them a lot but that is about to change I think. 

4.  Skillet Asparagus with Grapefruit:  A bit of a unique combination in this recipe.  Again, I enjoy Asparagus every now and then but not on a regular basis.  And, I have never had it with grapefruit before.  Hmmm.

5.  Shrimp and Grits:  I was sooo looking forward to this dish.  I read all the time about how popular this dish is here in the South.  Truth be told, I had only had it once or twice before this night.  Mama never made this for us around our house.  Having worked in the Seafood Restaurant with my brother, I’ve fried up tons of shrimp in my day and boiled a bit as well.  Still, we never served Shrimp and Grits.

6.  Charleston Hominy:  The “grits” part of the above Shrimp and Grits dish.  An amazingly simple dish… it’s still GRITS.  DELICIOUS GRITS!!!  I was excited to learn that The Lee Bros. carry stone ground grits from North Carolina in their online store.  Sourced from the Old Mill of Guilford, I had the privilege to visit this mill just a few weeks back.  I purchased a bag of Stone Ground Grits from their mill store and loved them.  Charleston Hominy is prepared using milk instead of water.  Mama never made grits with milk either that I can remember.

7.  Syllabub with Strawberries.  What in the world is “syllabub,” I wondered.  Since it was the last dish on the menu, you know it must be a desset of some type.  Wikipedia says it’s an English dessert from the 16th to 19th century, usually made with rich milk or cream and, lightly curdled with wine.  Who knew there could be such a big difference in recipes between the heart of North Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina?  Again, this was made using alcohol and I didn’t try it.  Its not cooked and I passed on it.  It looked a lot like whipped cream over strawberries though.  I did ask if it could be made without alcohol.  Ted said to try Lemon Tea, he thought that would work well.

The Syllabub Challenge:  Matt and Ted had a bit of fun as they made the Syllabub recipe for the class.  Each one had their own bowl of ingredients and Immersion Blenders as they whipped up the dessert.  It became a bit of a contest to see which one whipped up the best.  It was all in good spirits and the class got more than a few laughs from the “competition.”

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While The Lee Bros. gave their presentations and prepared the recipes from their cookbooks, the Cooking Class Staff worked right along with them to prepare and serve up the dishes to class participants.  This was one well organized machine, let me tell you. 

In situations like this, I often find myself watching the off-camera, behind-the-scenes, people doing all that is needed to make a performance flow smoothly.  I guess its because of my prior work history but, it fascinates me to watch how everything comes together.  If you ever have the chance to see a Ringling Brothers Circus or something like a Disney travelling extravaganza, watch all the stuff that the staff does to keep everything rolling along without a hitch. 

So, as the guys prepared the dish in typical serving sizes, the staff went about putting dishes together that would be served to the class.  Food was placed on dishes or in bowls and delivered right to our table.  Not only did we get to watch The Lee Bros. show and describe how the recipe is made, we got to taste it as well.  Servings were generous but I could have certainly enjoyed chowing down on more of those Shrimp and Grits.

I believe there were about 6 or more Cooking Class Staff members working along with The Lee Bros. during the class.  There were kitchen helpers and servers.  The servers worked quietly and unobtrusively as they served everyone but were very friendly and helpful when called upon. 

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By my count there were 48 of us attending this Sold Out class with The Lee Bros.  We sat three per table, with four tables in a row, each on a step up type level so everyone had a good view of what was going on.  You could always look at the large overhead mirrors to see what the guys were doing or, watch the TV monitors for closeups of the stirring, mixing etc.  The Lee Bros. had lapel microphones so you could hear everything that was being said without straining your ears.  It was just… well… GREAT!

Food Summary:  As I’ve mentioned, I passed on two of the dishes because of the alcohol they contained.  Again, it was just my choice to do so.  You can think I’m a bit crazy if you desire to do so.  BUT… I must honestly and truthfully say that everything I DID try was awesome… totally awesome.  The Brussels Sprouts were amazingly delicious.  I can’t wait to try them here at home and maybe I’ll even do a version for here on Taste of Southern.  The Lee Bros. chopped them up very fine and sauteed them in a combination of three different oils and some diced pieces of slab bacon.  It was served along with a portion of the Skillet Asparagus with Grapefruit and, I didn’t see any food left on any of the plates as the servers picked them up. 

One member of the audience told the guys that her father had never been one to eat Brussels Sprouts before but, he had cleaned his plate.  Everyone clapped and gave their approval as well.

The Boiled Peanuts were a great way to introduce The Lee Bros. and I could have nibbled a bunch more of those throughout the evening.  I love Boiled Peanuts anyway and the ones we were served were salted just right.

The highlight of the evening, as far as the food goes was, undoubtedly the Shrimp and Charleston Hominy Grits.  Best I’ve ever had and again, I can’t wait to try them here at home since I have some Stone Ground Grits from Old Mill at Guilford.  I wanted to ask for more but had to restrain myself from doing so.  They really were… seriously delicious.  The Lee Bros. even shared a tip for preparing the shrimp that they said a chef from Charleston had taught them.  I could go ahead and tell you but… you should buy the book I think.

A Southern Season Summary:  Thank you to everyone at A Southern Season for a job well done.  I had fun from the time I walked in until the time I left.  The staff did a great job of serving us all and I can’t wait to go back for another class in the near future.  I’ve got one class punched on my card already and I’m looking at your online class schedule, already planning my next visit.  I even managed to get a big old slice of Coconut Cake from the bakery shop to bring home.  Good stuff.

The Lee Bros. Summary:  These two guys were very impressive.  They call themselves home cooks as they have never cooked in a restaurant professionally they said.  They did say though, they had their first experience with restaurant work just a few nights before with some “pop up restaurant” type experience they presented down around Charleston.  I know it’s a lot of hard work but these two could easily have quite a following should they ever venture into the restaurant world.  Having spent the last few months travelling some with MY older brother, I can appreciate the way the guys tease each other and work so well together. 

As I mentioned earlier, The Lee Bros. have a Twitter account that I follow.  I sent them a couple of Tweets in the days before they came to Chapel Hill and they responded to a couple and Favorited a couple.  I told them I was really looking forward to the class just so I could finally figure out which one was which.  For some reason, I wasn’t finding any pictures of them that pointed out which brother was Matt or which one was Ted.  I may have broken an unspoken rule by adding their names to the photo of them in the first part of this story.  I just thought you might like to know, in case you were like me and, didn’t know.  They Favorited that Tweet. 

I also asked if they would be bringing Boiled Peanuts.  Another time, when I posted that I was headed to the class and hoped to bring back some Coconut Cake… they tweeted “and boiled p’nuts too.”

When I walked into class and sat down, it didn’t take long before Matt spotted me.  I’m a big guy so that wasn’t very hard to do but, he waved at me.  I wasn’t sure it was me he was signaling but finally realized that he must have recognized me from Twitter.  Later, during the class, they stated the class had sold out quickly following a Tweet I had posted.  I’m not sure about that one but, it was neat that they singled me out in that fashion.  I sent them a tweet when I first discovered the class coming up and they RETWEETED it.  THAT was what got it all started as THEY have over TEN THOUSAND followers on Twitter.

After class, the guys went out of the classroom to a table setup for them to sign books.  When I handed them my copy of Charleston Kitchen for them to sign, they said, “you’re Steve right?”  I just love Twitter, don’t you?  I had never met these fellows before but, they knew who I was and, called me by name, just from a few tweets that I had made to them.  Says a lot for how well they care for their “fans,” don’t you think?  They were just as down to earth as could be and, that made my first ever experience with A Southern Season Cooking Class… a TOTALLY AWESOME EXPERIENCE.  I loved it and as Arnold would say… “I’ll be back.”

Thank you Matt and Ted for the autographed cookbook and the photo with you guys.  I stayed up late that night looking through all the recipes.  I can’t wait to try some of them. 

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Your Comments:  Thank you for taking the time to read about my first experience with the cooking class at A Southern Season.  It was a really neat experience and I wanted to share it with you.  I hope that maybe one day, you too will be able to pay them a visit.  They are expanding and will be opening a store in Charleston, South Carolina in the very near future and, some others are planned for other areas after that one. 

Have you ever taken a cooking class like this one?  Did you like it?  Did you learn a lot of good stuff?  I’d love to hear your comments and look forward to you sharing a few memories with us here on Taste of Southern.  It will only take a minute or two to share your thoughts with us in the Comment section below.  Please remember, all comments are moderated.  That means, I read each and every one of them before they are approved for our family-friendly site here on the Internet.  I also try to respond to as many comments as possible so, please come back and check out my reply. 

Subscribe to our Newsletter:  Now would be a good time for you to enter your Email address in the box below.  I send out a Newsletter at the first of each week to remind you of the new recipes that I’ve posted or, anything else I think you might like to know about what’s happening here on Taste of Southern.  I’d appreciate you doing it now while you’re thinking about it.  You can also tell your family and friends about us if you like what we do.  Just let me say Thank You in advance for your support. 

Be Blessed!!!
Steve

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Seven Minute Frosting Recipe:

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I have to admit, I love Buttercream Frosting in all of its sweet goodness but, sometimes, its nice to enjoy something a bit different.  Today, we step back to days of old for this truly old fashioned, light and fluffy, meringue frosting.

Seven Minute Frosting is a truly unique taste that should bring back many memories of those cakes and cupcakes your mom, grandmother or favorite aunt might have made.  It’s light, fluffy like marshmallow cream texture, isn’t real sweet but, it does have that sugar kick to it.  You can easily add a little food coloring to use it for all types of cakes and cupcakes and, you can even add a little flavoring to kick up the taste a notch. 

I’m going to use this Seven Minute Frosting, along with some coconut, for a classic style Coconut Cake just to show you some of its versatility. 

Wait… my mind just flashed back to days of “pieing” when, the Three Stooges and Soupy Sales use to toss pies all across the room in some hilarious food fight scenes.  Remember those?  I’m not suggesting you use this recipe for that though.  But, it IS plenty versatile.

You’ll find many variations for making Seven Minute Frosting in older cookbooks and across the Internet.  Many call for making it in a double boiler but, we’ll do it without one today.  It’s very simple and, it really does only take about 7 minutes to make it.  Spread it on cake layers, sheet cakes, cupcakes and more for a traditional type frosting that isn’t going to taste like every other cake at the local Bake Sale.

Ready to give it a try?  Grab the hand mixer then and… Let’s Get Cooking!

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Seven Minute Frosting Recipe:  You’ll need these ingredients… plus… a pinch of salt.

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Begin by placing the water in a small sauce pan.

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Add the sugar but, don’t stir it.  I just swirled it around a time or two as I moved it over to the stove.

Place the sauce pan with the water and sugar on Medium-High heat on your stove top.  DO NOT STIR.  Don’t ask me why not… I’m sorry, I don’t really have that answer but, it’s what most recipes suggest.  The sugar and water will make a syrup that needs to come up to 238º as it cooks on your stove top before adding it, in a small stream, to the egg whites.  You can let it begin to cook while we separate the eggs in the next steps below.  Just remember to watch it carefully so it doesn’t begin to burn.

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Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks.  Its always best to do this using two bowls, in case a yolk happens to break.  Just saying it MIGHT happen sometimes… like in the photo above, for me. 

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Place the Egg Whites in a large bowl.  Yes, a LARGE bowl.  I thought I was good with this one but, as it turned out, it wasn’t big enough once I started whipping them up.  Now I have another dish to wash.  Sigh.

TIP:  Make sure the bowl and the beaters of your mixer are clean and free of any grease.  Many folks will wash them in vinegar and then rinse them before beating egg whites.  Any grease film in the bowl or, on the beaters, could keep the egg whites from increasing in volume as much as possible.

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Add the Cream of Tartar.

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Add a pinch of Salt.  A pinch might just be a couple of good shakes from a salt dispenser.  It’s not an accurate measurment so don’t fret about it.

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Use a mixer and beat the egg whites on high speed until they form soft peaks.

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It doesn’t take long to reach this point.  The egg whites will be just firm enough that soft peaks form when you lift the beaters out of the mixture.

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The sugar should be bolling pretty good by this point.  Use a candy thermometer if you have one and bring the mixture up to 238º.  You can also use a glass of cool water to test the sugar.  Use a wooden spoon and let a few drops of the sugar mixture drip into the glass of water.  If it forms a ball by the time it hits the bottom of the glass, it’s done.  Be ready to start adding it to the egg whites once it reaches this point.  If it cooks too long, it may start to brown and caramelize or burn.

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Carefully add the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites while you are beating them on high speed.  This part can be a bit tricky so proceed with caution.  You don’t want to get any of the syrup on your hands because it’s very HOT.  A stand mixer might be easier to work with but you don’t need one.  Just pour a very small stream of the sugar syrup into the egg whites and continue to beat them as you go. 

I suggest you also not have any children around while you do this.  Believe it or not, the sugar could hit the beaters and fly out as sharp shards if you’re not really careful.  You also don’t want to get any of it on your mixer while you’re doing this.  It sticks like crazy glue and I may or may not still have to figure out how to get it off my mixer.  I didn’t see that one coming while trying to take the pictures.  Camera is safe though.  Whew!

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As you can see, I switched to a larger bowl before adding the sugar syrup.  After about 5 minutes of adding the syrup, I added the Vanilla Extract.

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Whip it up another minute or so and you should see some fairly firm peaks form in the mixture.  You’ll need to work with it quickly from here on out as it may firm up even more.  Weather and humidity can have various effects on making Seven Minute Frosting.  Your room should be cool and not overly warm or hot and, a dry day is better than a humid or rainy day.

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You can use Seven Minute Frosting between layers or, just as a frosting for the outside of your cake or cupcakes.  You could add the frosting then, add some type of fruit filling between layers if you like.  Being a meringue type of frosting, soft and fluffy, it doesn’t really hold up thick between layers like a buttercream or cream cheese type frosting will. 

I used this to make a coconut cake so I added some flaked coconut on top of the frosting before adding the next layer. 

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Frost the outside and top of the layers as desired.

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I used the frosting sort of as a crumb coat on my four layer cake.  These are 9 inch layers and I spread a good amount of frosting between each layer.  A slightly smaller layered cake or sheet cake would probably allow more frosting for the outside which can be swirled around into a really neat design.  I’m adding coconut so that wasn’t what I was looking for.  You do believe me don’t you?

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See… I’m adding coconut to the top of the cake.  Then, I had great fun taking handfuls of cocnut and throwing it all around the sides of the cake.  The frosting is soft and the coconut clings to it pretty well.  Once I was finished “playing,” I removed the parchment paper from the base of my cake and things looked a lot cleaner around the bottom.

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Look good?  I wish I could share it with you because I think it turned out very well… if I must say so myself.

Seven Minute Frosting doesn’t care too much for the refrigerator despite the fact that it has egg whites in it.  Place it on a covered cake plate and leave it on the counter over night for serving the next day or so.  It also doesn’t freeze very well so keep that in mind if you plan to try the recipe. 

It’s just one of those old fashioned favorites, from days gone by that, you should try at least once if you’ve never had it.  I think you’ll be well pleased with the results.  As for the egg whites, if that concerns you, use pasteurized eggs in making it.

Seven Minute Frosting makes a delicious Coconut Cake, Pineapple Cake or many other types of cake. It can also be used strictly by itself to frost your favorite cake.  It’s truly a classic and, well worth trying and adding to your recipe collection.  It’s also a very pleasant change of taste after having so many butter cream and cream cheese type frosting these days.  Like I said, I love them all but, I’m willing to continue the old traditions as well.  It’s what Taste of Southern is all about. 

Enjoy!!!

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Your Comments:  Have you ever made or tried Seven Minute Frosting?  Does it bring back memories for you?  I’d love to hear your comments on our recipe.  It only takes a minute or two to share your experience with our recipes or maybe some memories you might have of it from days gone by.  It could help some of our readers in their decision to try it.  We’d love to hear from you in the section below.  Please remember, all of your comments are moderated.  That means that I personally read each and every one before it’s approved for our family-friendly site.  I also try to respond to as many of your replies as possible so be sure to check back soon for that as well. 

Subscribe to our Newsletter:  If you like what you see, please submit your Email address in the box below or at the top right hand side of each page here on Taste of Southern.  I send out a short Newsletter each time we add a new recipe or anything else that might be taking place on our site.  It’s a great reminder for you to keep in touch and we will not share your information with anyone else.  So, do it now and keep up to date with life at Taste of Southern.  I hope you’ll tell your family and friends about us and I’ll look forward to seeing you again soon.

Be Blessed!!!
Steve

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