kayb

Glad you enjoyed. I'm about to be jonesing for some ham and cheese rolls with that recipe. Been thinking about them of late.

Luck!

I, too, turned to the King Arthur Flour recipe site this week, with a loaf of oatmeal sandwich bread. But I wanted a "little something" different in it, so I subbed out a half-cup of the a/p flour for buckwheat flour. Gave it a pleasant nutty taste, and a bit of a whole-wheat look. I'll make it again. The other loaf is the sweet potato pecan bread, because I was also in the quickbread mood. As noted on the EG quickbread cookoff topic, it wants more spice; it's a little bland. Definitely tweakable. Pimiento cheese sandwich (with bacon and tomato!) on the oatmeal buckwheat bread, with tomato soup.

That's very cool-looking!

I did. See the "Road food" topic.

Homemade and canned tomato soup, pimiento cheese, bacon and tomato sandwich on oatmeal buckwheat bread.

Enablers-R-Us.

And this one: Well-Preserved: Recipes and Techniques for Putting Up Small Batches of Seasonal Foods. $1.99 US Kindle for Prime members.

I was astounded at the difference the first time I cooked a farm-raised, local, never-frozen turkey. I only cook one a year, so it's well worth it to do it right.

Yesterday it was 29 degrees when I got up, so despite it being a sunny day, I chose to stay in my PJ's and nest all day. That included baking a loaf of yeast bread and a loaf of sweet potato pecan bread. Recipe for the latter here. I doubled the pecans to 1 cup. Not bad, but I would bake the next one in an 8 x 4 pan instead of the recommended 9 x 5; it was fairly flat. Definitely needed more spices. Sweet potato taste isn't nearly as assertive as pumpkin. But definite possibilities for tweaking.

I cook, usually, for one or two people. I'll often roast a whole, farm chicken. I'll easily get five or six meals, plus a quantity of stock, from that. Kind of brings the price to a rational level, particularly as opposed to throwing yucky chicken away.

I have sad news. The pie lady from DeValls Bluff has passed on. I mourned her. That was a regular stop. Always thought Craig's was overrated -- but not the Pie Shop.

It's on St. Mary's Street, east of 65 about two-three blocks. Next to the junkyard. And very nearly indistinguishable from it. Don't miss the pie.

Oh, we rather proudly use that descriptor for all sorts of slightly on the redneck/Middle America style foods. Particularly those made with prepared ingredients -- most anything with Jello or cream of --- soup, for example. Canned crescent rolls from the dairy case qualify! I will note they didn't last long this morning.

Was making my pimiento cheese earlier today. Froze the Velveeta semi-hard. Helluva mess. Quick, though. Cheddar did fine.

The quintessential southern trailer park trash breakfast -- pigs in blankets. With honey mustard.

Just got back from a quick getaway to the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. It's not enough for a full-blown travelogue, so I'll hit the highlights in one post. Made it to Biloxi Wednesday in time to do a little shopping at the factory outlet mall, and on to The Reef for dinner. Hadn't been there, won't go back; touristy, and mediocre. Crab dip with pita toasts: Way too cheesy, and too peppery. Pita wasn't toasted enough. Dinner, which I forgot to photograph, was a "Reef boil." Allegedly royal red shrimp -- they were not -- with corn and potatoes. Adequate. The next night was a vast improvement. We went to Mary Mahoney's Old French House, a Biloxi standby since the 1950s, and with good reason. Classic old-style Creole and Cajun classics. We shared an appetizer of miniature fried soft-shell crabs, which were predictably excellent. My entree was one I have trouble getting away from -- Shrimp and crab au gratin. Sinfully rich and delicious. Marvelous. Predictably so. On to New Orleans the next day. Wandered the French quarter and on a whim, decided to try lunch at the Royal House Oyster Bar. Caprese with grilled shrimp. Tomatoes were a little weak, but everything else was excellent. Had to have a little midafternoon pick-me-up, so we opted for beignets and coffee... And stopped off at a candy store for pralines and truffles. This is a Bailey's Irish Cream truffle, which was excellent. For dinner that night, we chose another French Quarter standard -- Broussards. Started out with crab ravigote (please pardon blurry photo) salad, which was marvelous. Steamed and chilled asparagus in endive leaves, topped with a salad of crabmeat in the lightest of viniagrettes. Light, refreshing, perfectly tasty, just excellent. Followed by Pompano Ponchartrain. Possibly the most perfectly cooked pompano I've ever eaten. The sauce was a chardonnay butter sauce. I must confess I ignored the green beans. One must have priorities. On the way home the next day, we stopped at Middendorf's in Manchac, on the northern shore of Lake Ponchartrain. It's known for its "thinfish," quarter-inch thick filets of catfish, lightly breaded in what's almost a tempura, but isn't, and flash-fried so it's impossibly crispy but yet moist inside. Well deserved fame in the region, I'd say Slaw was average, as were hush puppies. Fries were likely a cut above average. The fish, though? Superb. Think catfish chips. Middendorf's was also celebrating Oktoberfest with a couple of traditional German (not seafood) dishes, and respectable assortment of German beer. And home, to 30-degree temps (it was 90 when I left Wednesday). I think I'll bake bread and make soup today.

Did not know Larry's had moved to Memphis. Will have to make that trek and look next time I'm over that way. Thanks for the link. Used to hang in that area some, back in my younger and more foolish days, when it wasn't the 'hood.

Best hot dog ever: On a stick, over a bonfire, at church camp.

Score!

Thanksgiving is VERY traditional at our house. The side dishes MUST include: -- Cornbread dressing. I order mine from a local diner. Mine is very inconsistent. Theirs is not. -- Cranberry salad. 1 pound cranberries, 1 tart red apple, 1 green apple. 1 orange, 1 cup pecans, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 small box raspberry jello, 1 cup water Chop all the fruit (either zest the orange or chop peel and all) (core but don't peel apples) in food processor, toss in a big bowl. Heat 1 cup water and sugar until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and whisk in jello. Pour over fruit and stir to combine. This is NOT a congealed salad; the jello makes a kind of thick syrup. It is one of the two dishes in my repertoire for which I use a Jello product. -- Sweet potato casserole. Boil about three or four big sweet potatoes until tender. Allow to cool, and peel. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, a beaten egg and a half-stick of melted butter; combine well. Turn into baking dish. Top with a streusel of 2/3 cup each of flour and brown sugar, 1 cup chopped pecans, , 1/2 stick melted butter. Bake at 350 until bubbly. -- Either mashed potatoes or mac and cheese for the kids. -- Yeast rolls. -- A green thing. Think this year it will be the sauteed brussels sprouts with farro. Sometimes it's green beans. Sometimes it's roasted broccoli. Sometimes it's asparagus. Dessert, which no one ever eats because we're all in food coma, will be pumpkin cheesecake.

This is not an appropriate thread to read before breakfast. I'm starving. And I just got back from a debauch of eating on the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans. Beautiful food!

I cook a lot for just myself. Anxious to hear your thoughts.

Don't know where to find them in Memphis...I would try a soul food place, maybe ask at Alcenia's on South Main or the Four Way Grill, whose address I disremember. Or you could head south to Helena, AR and visit the food truck in the parking lot if the Sears store on 49 N and get a batch of Pasquale's. Or go on down to Clarksdale, Miss., to Larry's or Abe's, or if you're staying on the west side of the river, my personal favorite, Rhoda's in Lake Village (get pie, too). If you go that far, do NOT fail to cross the river and have the tamales as an app for your steak at Doe's.

Au contraire. The bacon barbecue mac and cheese I had a while back at a restaurant was quite delicious. I can usually take or leave the stuff. This was a keeper.