The Cure for "Cook's Block"

Since the holidays, I’ve been in something of a cooking funk. Maybe it was the gluttony of the season that did it … all I know is that for the last several weeks, few recipes have appealed to me. And even the ones that did weren’t enough to make me heed the siren call of the cook stove.

But then, last week, the February 2012 issue of Southern Living arrived. On its cover were three of my favorite words: “Classic Southern Desserts.” And inside, nestled amongst the recipes for Caramelized Banana Pudding and Tangerine Chess Pie, was Hummingbird Bundt Cake.

I love Hummingbird Cake (the original recipe, published by Southern Living in 1978, was submitted by fellow North Carolinian Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, N.C.), but it’s not something I’ve often had. It’s a delicacy I’ve found most frequently at church luncheons, where the best and brightest stars of the recipe box are tantalizingly displayed. This new take on Hummingbird Cake was appealing because of its simplicity; namely, being in the form of a bundt cake. (Any layer cake I’ve ever tried has been a lopsided disaster. And don’t get me started on my lack of talent with applying frosting.)

This recipe, with its simple list of ingredients, ease of preparation and quick yet delectable cream cheese glaze, will be one of my go-to recipes when an impressive yet sinfully easy dessert is called for.

And best of all, I think my case of “cook’s block” may be over.

Slow Cooker Collards?

Have any of you ever cooked collard greens in a crock pot? If so, how'd they turn out? I'm considering trying it ... but I don't want them to taste overly wilted. I think I'll give it a go. I'm still trying to create lots of prosperity for 2012!

Persimmons: What Autumn Tastes Like

Persimmon pudding has long been a fall staple in my family. When the first of the strange little fruits began hitting the ground, someone—my grandmother, my mother, my father, my uncle, me—picked them up, hoarding them in the refrigerator for a few days until there were enough to squeeze out a good supply of pulp.

And inevitably, that pulp became persimmon pudding.

I’m not sure how old I was when I realized that persimmons could be used for baked goods other than persimmon pudding: cookies, cakes, bars … even jelly. In my world, autumn meant persimmons, and persimmons meant persimmon pudding. (Our State magazine's November 2011 issue features an excellent article on persimmons and the Colfax Persimmon Festival, coming up on November 5.)

Only recently did I try my hand at making persimmon pudding. With my great-aunt Mildred’s recipe and a container of frozen pulp from my mother, I managed to create a pretty tasty pan of pudding.

And you might already know that persimmons hold another hidden ability … predicting the weather.

My grandmother always saved a few persimmon seeds, which she washed and dried, then—very carefully—cut in half lengthwise to see what the winter had in store. If the kernel inside was shaped like a spoon, there would be heavy, wet snows; a fork, a mild winter; and a knife, a “cutting” winter with icy winds.

I haven’t yet cut open a seed to see what the winter of 2011-2012 will bring. But as long as I have more persimmon pulp in the freezer, I’ll spend the season trying out new persimmon recipes. I wonder if anyone has ever made persimmon-filled fried pies … 

Hello, Sweetie Pie!

When I think about pie, I think about home. There's just something about a freshly baked pie that warms my heart and makes me feel better about the world.

So naturally, I immediately warmed up to the pecan pie from WildFlour Pastry on the cover of the October/November issue of Garden & Gun. It's one of the featured desserts in the magazine's list of 50 Best Southern Foods: Sweets. I found myself salivating over the pie line-up in particular.

Garden & Gun gives kudos to key lime pie from Bob Roth's New River Groves in Davie, Fla., chocolate peanut butter pie from Hunka Pie in Little Rock, Ark., and strawberry pie from Jim's Steak & Spaghetti House in my hometown of Huntington, W.Va.

A Healthy Dose of (Cast) Iron

I came across this article last night, about one of my favorite things: cast iron cookware. As I said when I wrote about cast iron earlier this year, it's nice to know something so versatile in the kitchen is also good for you!