Sweet Charlotte, Redux

A while back, I wrote about wanting to make a Charlotte. Aside from the somewhat complicated recipes I had seen, one of the things holding me back was the lack of a Charlotte mold.

Until this week.

While spending part of a rainy Saturday afternoon in a local antique mall, I came upon a slightly used Charlotte mold. With probably a little too much excitement in my heart, I picked it up and saw that it was labeled a “flower holder” and had a price of $5.

Given that new Charlotte molds sell for upwards of $35 in kitchen stores, I naturally had to have it. So I brought it home, cleaned it up and am now searching for the perfect Charlotte recipe to try out.

To be continued …

Here's Pork in Your Eye

It doesn't matter what part of the South you visit, pork is bound to show up on the menu. At the Silver Skillet in Atlanta, country ham and red-eye gravy is a signature dish. Having never tried red-eye gravy, my husband and I stopped in for breakfast one Saturday morning and found eggs, grits, biscuits and red-eye gravy make a hearty meal.

At the Silver Skillet, center slices of fried country ham are first hand-trimmed and marinated overnight in soy sauce, brown sugar, paprika and cola. Drippings from the marinade are mixed with hot coffee to make red-eye gravy.

Legend says red-eye gravy got its name from a cook who worked for General Andrew Jackson, the seventh U.S. president. General Jackson asked the cook to prepare some gravy to accompany his country ham. The cook's eyes were bloodshot from drinking moonshine. Word spread around camp, and from then on, the gravy was known as red-eye.

Typical ingredients in red-eye gravy are fried ham drippings and strong black coffee. Some recipes call for additional ingredients like Worcestershire sauce and black pepper.

Watch a visit to the Silver Skillet from Guy Fieri of Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and see how red-eye gravy is made.

They're Happy Because They Eat Lard

I love mid- 20th Century propaganda posters. Their lack of subtlety, sarcasm and political correctness makes them funny and almost alien to modern sensibilities. Today, I came across this one and thought this would be perfect to share with you guys:

They sure do look thin for lard eaters, don't they? But I'll tell you this; I have the same kind of smile on my face when I've eaten something cooked in pig fat.

The Soup Season

With fall and winter on the way, there’s one thing more than any other that I look forward to: soups and stews.

They’re easy to make, hearty and filling, and are among my favorite comfort foods. In school, a lunch of vegetable soup and cheese toast filled me with delight. I loved my grandmother’s milk-based chicken stew, with butter and large elbow macaroni noodles and pieces of tender chicken. My mom often made goulash, with hamburger and noodles.

There’s nothing I like more on a cold Sunday afternoon than a slow-cooked beef stew, with chunks of potatoes, carrots and onions. But when time is short and I have a hankering for a bowl of hot, comforting soup, I use this recipe that I created one blustery, snowy February day. The best part of making soup, though, is the ability to customize and add your own twist.

Jason’s Quick and Easy Vegetable Beef Soup

1 46-oz. can tomato juice, plus 1 can water

1 16-oz. can red kidney beans, drained

1 16-oz. bag frozen soup vegetables

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained

8 oz. package frozen chopped spinach

4 oz. spiral or elbow macaroni

Thyme, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

In a large stockpot, heat the tomato juice and water. Add the kidney beans, vegetables and ground beef and bring to a simmer. Add the chopped spinach, macaroni and seasonings, and simmer until macaroni is cooked. Ladle into a bowl and enjoy!

Try using fresh vegetables instead of frozen, or a different type of pasta, or stew beef instead of ground (or no beef at all). With soup, the possibilities are almost endless!