Louisiana...Food For Your Soul and Body!

In the late1950's early 1960's we lived in Monroe, Louisiana. We moved there from Natchez, Mississippi between my 3rd and 4th grade years. Mom and Dad were Salvation Army Officers back then. It was expected of Mother to work along side of our Father.

When we were little we had a wonderful lady help around the house and watch us. Her name was Ida. She was such a wonderful person. She taught me many things. I would sit and talk to her while she ironed the clothes. One time I asked her if she could teach me how to iron. She was very patient with this little girl. I was so proud of my new found accomplishment.

One of my fondest memories of her is that she sold Avon on the side. She use to bring me those little sample lipsticks. When we  moved from Monroe to Little Rock she gave me a bottle of Daisy Perfume and an entire box of little lipsticks. I was in heaven with the gift. She was a very special lady and remains so in my memories.

Part of Ida's job was to start dinner so when mom and dad got home we could sit down as a family and eat. One of my favorite recipes she made was Red Beans and Rice. The aroma in the house while she cooked was amazing.

As always mother wrote down the recipe so she could make it for us.

Ida's Red Beans and Rice

1 lb Dried Red Kidney Beans

1/2 cup Celery

1/2 cup Onion

1/2 cup Green Beans

2 lb Ground Beef

1 clove Garlic

2 cans Tomatoes

3 tbsp Sugar

Salt to taste

Wash Beans and pick through to be sure there are not little rocks. Once they are washed and picked through cover with water. (I use the quick soak method: Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Cook the beans for 1 minute, then remove the pot from the heat. cover with lid and soak for 1 hour). 

Dice celery, onions and green peppers (This combination of vegetables is called the Trinity, which is in virtually every Cajun Recipe). Saute in bacon grease (Back in the day we would save the bacon grease. We had a metal container that sat on the stove just for the bacon grease. Now when we have bacon I will reserve the grease in a jar and place in the fridge.)

Add the sauteed veggies to the beans. Add browned ground beef, garlic, tomatoes, sugar and salt. (Sugar helps cut the acidity of the tomatoes.) Cook over medium heat until the beans are soft.

Over the years I have modified the recipe by adding Cajun seasoning, such as Tony Cachere. If I use the one that contains salt I do not use salt. Other modifications are with the meat. Some people like to substitute ham, but one of my favorite is to use sausage...kielbasa, smoked, or andouille.

Yummy & Delicious Ice Box Rolls

My Grandma and her sister, my Great Aunt Hattie, made the best dinner rolls. It was unheard of to buy packaged rolls. The anticipation of having these dinner rolls was mouthwatering. I have learned the art of roll and bread making by watching and asking questions.

I enjoyed watching the yeast proof. It was like watching a science experiment. I guess it really is science.  What is proofing you ask? To make sure active dry yeast (not quick-rise yeast) is alive and active, you may first want to proof it. Here's how: Dissolve one package of yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in 1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°). Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. If it does not foam, the yeast should be discarded.

Once all of the ingredients were mixed together the fun part came. The kneading, oh the kneading that was always fun for me. As I have aged the kneading process has become a process that can help relieve stress.Watching the dough move and stretch as the gluten is activated.

What I like about these rolls is that you can keep the dough refrigerated for 2 weeks.

Ice Box Rolls

1 Pkg Yeast

1 cup Sweet Milk

1 cup Water

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Shortening

4 cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 scant tsp Baking Soda (scant = just less than the required amount)

1 tbsp Salt

Directions:

Mix Milk, Water, Sugar and Shortening in a boiler. Put on stove and scald. (scald = bringing mixture to near boil) Take off stove and let it cool. Disolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm liquid. (This where I would let the yeast proof.) Add the rest of the liquid. Add 2 cups of flour and mix well. Place in warm place, cover and let rise to double it's size.

In a separate bowl mix the 2 additional cups of flour, baking powder, soda and salt sifting it together. Add this flour mixture to the dough that has doubled in size. Work down and beat as much as you can (kneed about 10 minutes.) Place covered dish (I use Plastic Wrap) and place in refrigerator. Work down each everyday.

Pinch off the amount you desire and roll dough in in your hands (add a little flour to your hands to keep dough from sticking) in a ball shape. Place rolls on baking sheet pan and let sit in warm place free of draft and rise double to size, about 2 hours. Butter top of rolls prior to baking.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bake for about 15 minutes.

After making rolls settle back and enjoy your hot rolls with butter.

Dedicated to my Mama...Mommy...Mother! 1927-2015

I am back blogging after my extended absence. It has been awhile and like everyone else..."Life Happens". I hope to get back into the swing of things with this post. I've missed blogging and sharing recipes with you.

My sister was going through my Mother's things that were in her possession when Mother passed away. She came across some recipes and sent them to me. I'm so excited to share them with you.

Mother was a collector of recipes. She loved to cook and read her cookbooks. She had a wall full of cookbooks. She would sit and read recipes for hours on end. Occasionally she would say, "Doesn't that sound good?" I find myself saying the same thing while reading recipes. I am so proud that she passed her love for cooking and food to me, otherwise life would be boring eating the same foods over and over. 

She encouraged me to try new recipes. Taught me that it was okay to alter a recipe by substituting, adding to and taking way from it to make it my own. I was taught that a recipe was only a road map. You could veer away from it a little to make it my own creation.

She taught me that baking was like a science project. You have to have certain combinations to make it work. I was taught the difference in 1Cup of All Purpose Flour as apposed to 1 Cup of Sifted All Purpose Flour. She taught me the difference between Baking Powder and Baking Soda, which have different chemical reactions to the recipe. I learned so much from her.

As a collector of recipes she was never afraid to ask for a recipe regardless if it were a close friend, at a church pot luck, a restaurant, or an elegant dinner party. She would write a recipe on whatever she could find as shown in the picture below of her having written the Fired Chicken Recipe on the back of her check register. She would save all of those scraps of paper and place them in a box or plastic bag. If she needed that recipe she knew exactly where it was and what she had written it on.

Southern Fried Chicken Crunchy Crust

Flour Mixture:

1 cup All Purpose Flour

1/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Powder

(I add additional spices to this mixture such as pepper, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, etc.)

Egg Mixture:

1 cup Water

1 Egg

1/4 cup Cornstartch

In a Cast Iron Skillet or Dutch Oven heat up oil/shortening to medium heat. Dredge Chicken in Flour Mixture. Dip in Egg Mixture. Add Chicken to hot oil. Coated chicken should sizzle when it hits the oil.  Turn Chicken half way through frying. Breasts should cook 8 - 12 minutes on each side and Dark Meat 6 - 10 minutes. I always start with the breasts and add the dark meat after to white has been in for a few minutes, that way all of the meat is hot when taken out.

This is the most delicious cruncy chicken ever.

Thank you Mother for all of the loving guidance and patience as I learned to cook with you. Everytime I cook I think of you! You are always with me.