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Char

Tasty Food Photography eBook

July 12, 2017 by Char

Tasty Food Photography eBook

Tired of being left out in the cold when it comes to putting your food photos on your blog or social media sites? Well, now you’ve got some real help! Lindsay from “Pinch Of  Yum” and “Food Blogger Pro” has put together the Tasty Food Photography ebook! It’s full of food photography tips, techniques and tricks to help take your blog to another level! In The Tasty Food Photography ebook, Lindsay teaches tips on lighting, composition, props, set-up, editing and more! Learn to take photos that make people’s mouths water!

Lindsay knows the ins and outs of food photography because she and her husband Bjork, grew their two businesses on their own from the ground up. You’ll be learning photography from someone who has done it, lived it, figured it out and taken her own blog to where you probably want to take yours – over 70,000 page views daily! As a student of Lindsey’s food photo classes on Food Blogger Pro, I can say that she knows her stuff! Join 8,900 other people and kick your food photography up a notch (or 10) with The Tasty Food Photography ebook!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Deer Meat Sausage

May 7, 2016 by Char

Deer Meat Sausage Pasta Sauce

Deer Meat Sausage Pasta Sauce

Wild game is one of the primary foundations of soul food. Back in the day, the slaves only ate the discards of the food, not the prime rib! We had to hunt, trap, kill, clean, dress, and cook our own food. I remember when I was a child my dad always went hunting and it was rare for him to return bare-handed.

One of my earliest memories of butchering an animal is being taught how to skin, gut, and prep a rabbit for the pot! Today, there’s a fast-food restaurant on every corner and a grocery store not too far away. For many people, this means, no longer is it necessary to hunt your own food. In fact, many hunters today, do so for sport only which I do not agree with. If you’re not going to eat it, please don’t kill it!

I happen to live in a state that has loads of wildlife that are allowed to be  hunted. We have pheasant, wild turkeys, and other small game that has permitted seasons for hunting. One of my favorite meats lately is deer meat or venison. You can buy venison in some specialty stores and online but I have friends who hunt, so for the price of a tag (license), it’s mine! It’s a real bargain to get about 20 pounds of deer meat for the price of a $6 tag and $55 meat processing fee. Deer meat is super lean so you can eat it even if you’re on a diet!

I especially like the tenderloin which is what we get when our deer is processed. Deer roast, tenderloin, sweet sausage, hot sausage, pepper sticks (deer jerky), and ground deer are what we get. The sausage and pepper sticks is a little extra but worth it! This year, I started making my own deer sausage and I’m very happy with the results! I thought you may enjoy giving it a try, so I’m including my deer sausage recipe for you. One way that I like to use deer sausage is in pasta sauce. Brown the deer meat, combine it with tomato paste & sauce, peppers & onions, etc. Add your favorite spices and seasoning, and voila! Simply delicious!

Some of the Spices I Use

Some of the Spices I Use to make deer sausage,

TIP: As I said, deer meat is super lean so to make a true deer sausage, you have to add fat. The easiest way I have found to do that is to do a 50-50 mix with one pound of ground deer and one pound of ground pork.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

How To Make Gravy Using a Roux

May 6, 2016 by Char

When my dad taught me how to make gravy, I was probably about 13 or so. I had been cooking for a while by that time, I’m sure I had made gravy before, but my dad taught me how to make graving by starting with a roux. The important thing though is that he did teach me by starting with flour and grease (we never said oil back then). Daddy never told me that his way of making gravy was called a roux. I didn’t really learn about the complexities of a roux until I went to culinary school, years later. Since culinary school, I can say I no longer make my roux with flour and grease, even though back in the day when Daddy was teaching me, the grease was mainly bacon grease – so, y.u.m.m.y!!! Today, I use roux for different reasons and in different applications. Sometimes for gravy, sometimes for sauce, it depends on what I’m making. Something else I learned in culinary school was that roux comes in a variety of colors. There are blond rouxs, brown rouxs, red rouxs and black rouxs. The darker the roux, the more intense the flavor!

I use a light or blond roux if I’m making the gravy for creamed chicken or chicken pot pie. I use a medium to dark roux for brown gravy or if I’m making gumbo. Different color rouxs for different dishes. This is the recipe for a basic roux. The longer you allow it to brown, the more intense the flavor and the darker the color. But be careful not to burn it, and yes there is a difference that you can taste!

1/2 cup of butter

1/2 cup plus AP flour

1 quart of broth or water

Melt butter on stove top using a 4 quart sauce pan or large cast iron skillet, using a medium heat. Once the butter has melted, turn the flame down to medium low. Add flour and stir until it reaches the consistency of peanut butter. Brown roux to the desired shade. When preferred color is reached, add liquid to the roux. I usually prefer to use broth but you can use your choice of liquid, including water, milk, juice and stock. Once you master making roux, it will be your “go to” choice for thickening soups, sauces and gravies.

Quick Tip: One of my chef instructors taught us to make a batch of roux to keep near the stove to use as needed, instead of starting a roux from scratch every time we needed to thicken a dish. I tend to do this when I’m working on a big meal and I have many dishes that will need thickened, gravy to be made etc. Make a batch of blond or light to medium brown roux. When it reaches the color you want, remove it from the heat and keep in a covered container near the stove. If you have any left over that you won’t use for a while, you can keep it in the refrigerator until you need to use it.

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Patti’s Mac and Cheese

September 30, 2015 by Char

I’ve known for years that Patti LaBelle loves to cook and that Sis Patti’s mac and cheese was something that even the rich and famous rave about! While putting this soul food recipe sharing web site together, I decided to add a category for celebrity chefs – famous and not so famous! I will upload the best recipes I can find from our beloved celebrities. The first celebrity is Sister Patti and her famous mac & cheese. For Sis. Patti’s mac & cheese recipe, we’ll go to her website  and get the recipe straight from the source! Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

The Best Pimento Cheese Ever

August 31, 2015 by Char

Pimento Cheese
Ingredients
  • THE RECIPE
  • “Lella’s Pimento Cheese”
  • • Cheddar cheese, grated, about 1/2 a food processor full
  • • 1 small jar whole pimentos
  • • dash onion powder
  • • dash red pepper
  • • dash Worcestershire sauce
  • • pinch sugar (less than 1/4 tsp)
  • • Homemade mayonnaise
  • “Lella’s” Mayonnaise
  • Makes about 1 cup of mayonnaise, we usually double it to have enough to also spread on the bread.
  • • 1 egg
  • • 1 cup oil (add 1/4 in the beginning, reserve 3/4 cup)
  • • 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • • dash cayenne
  • • 1/2 tsp salt
  • • 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
  • • onion powder to taste
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in food processor (or blender), reserving 3/4 cup oil. Add remaining oil slowly while processing. (We use the metal blade on the processor.) As I have said, my processor is old, but the tool to push food in the processor has a tiny hole to allow air in. (I don’t know if they all do.) My sister-in-law, Libby Griffin discovered this trick while learning to make Lella’s mayonnaise. If you put the pusher in the opening and pour your oil in the pusher–it allows a tiny constant stream of oil to be added to the mayonnaise while you are processing. Using this method, we never have the mayonnaise separate.
  2. Please understand, Lella was an old-timey cook. She didn’t often use measurements (usually the only time was when she was baking) so that is why the recipe reads as it does. If you consider it I will try to work on some measurements if you deem them necessary.
Pimento Cheese
  1. Blend grated cheese and pimento in food processor until well blended. Add mayonnaise as needed, blend again, add other ingredients, blend. (The pimento cheese is a solid color and you cannot see the pimentos once blended.)
Notes
Lella loved Pepperidge Farms very thinly sliced bread, both white and wheat. She would cut the edges off the bread (of course!) and spread just a dab of mayonnaise on one slice of bread, and then thinly spread the pimento cheese on the other side, put the slices together and add the sandwiches to the platter. Cover them with a dampened tea towel (again, of course!) until all were made. (She always made up the entire batch of pimento cheese into sandwiches while it was freshly made and pliable.) She would then wrap the whole shebang with Saran Wrap within an inch of its life, and put them in the fridge. (You don’t mess around with mayonnaise). When it came time to take the sandwiches to the event, she would leave them out a few minutes to return to room temperature. ( I don’t mean to imply that she made the sandwiches far in advance, for example, she usually rose around five in the morning, if she needed them that day she might go ahead and make them, and take them to a friend in early afternoon.)[br](If absolutely necessary, if I am taking the sandwiches to an event, not family I will substitute Hellman’s—but never for family, they would not forgive me!—Also there is currently a problem getting Pepperidge Farms bread in Oxford.)
3.2.2929

pimento_cheese_wc_edited-2In 2003, the Southern Foodways Alliance held a Pimento Cheese Invitational, and this is the recipe that topped the other 300 entrants, courtesy of Oxford’s Nan Davis’ Aunt Lella. Pimento cheese with homemade mayo is the bomb! I found this recipe when I lived in Atlanta a few years ago. I was online searching for a good pimento cheese recipe and I found this one on the Southern Foodways website. It was when the site still had stories all over it about everything. It was so quaint, engaging and southern! I just loved that format! Today the site’s a bit different and I can no longer find the pimento cheese recipe on it. But not to fear, it’s available online if you know how to look for it – and it still tastes the same! YUM! The recipe is great and the story behind it is even better! I’ll let you see for yourself and I will include the recipe in it’s entirety – including the story. I especially like the way the recipe tells you to add a pinch of this or a dash of that. This helps make your batch your own because what is a pinch or a dash to you may be different for me. Also, it doesn’t say how much of the homemade mayo to use so I use most of it, but I keep a little extra on the side for cold leftover turkey sandwiches – it’s really good mayo! To Nan and Aunt Lella, thanks for sharing, we appreciate you both!

Photo to follow the next time I make this delicious pimento cheese.  It’s total yum!

 

 

Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged With: pimento cheese

Macaroni Seafood Salad

August 25, 2015 by Char

Macaroni Seafood Salad
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Soul Food
Author: Sweet Mother
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 1 hour 30 mins
Serves: 2 1/2 – 3 lbs
This is one of my favorite salads and as far as I know, my Aunt Winnie created this recipe! Aunt Winnie loved shrimp and she filled this salad with a pound of more of them in addition to the crab claw meat. This salad holds its own against ribs, ham, turkey and other “attention grabbing” entrees! Soul Good!!!
Ingredients
  • 1 lb cooked elbow macaroni
  • 6 hard boiled eggs – chopped
  • 3 ribs of celery – diced
  • 1/4 c sweet relish
  • 1/2 c miracle whip
  • 1/4 c diced stuffed olives
  • 1/2 c Kraft sandwich spread
  • 1/4 c granulated sugar
  • 3 T yellow mustard
  • 1 T onion powder (or fresh diced onion if you prefer)
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1/2 lb cleaned, cooked medium shrimp – cut in half, lengthwise
  • 1/2 lb pasteurized crab claw meat – picked through to remove any shell
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients together in a 5 quart mixing bowl. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.
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Macaroni seafood salad with shrimp and crabmeat was one my favorite dishes that my Aunt Winnie used to make! My Aunt Winnie was a phenomenal cook and my second greatest cooking influence after my Mom. I loved this dish even though I grew up with my Mom’s macaroni (and potato) salad and boy were they delicious! But adding the seafood to the dish elevated it to another level. No you should not use imitation crab meat, and no you should not use cocktail shrimp. The reason is because the taste would be affected. You do want to use pasturized crab claw meat – or – crack snow crab legs and use that. I buy medium shrimp that I shell, devein and poach them till they pink and translucent. You can use your favorite pasta salad recipe and jazz it up with seafood! A little creamy, crunchy and filled with sweet seafood! Yum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Salads

Warm Turnip Green Dip

August 15, 2015 by Char

Warm Turnip Green Dip
Author: Sweet Mother
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: <1 qt
Tired of spinach dip? Check this warm turnip green dip out! The first time I tasted this dip I was in a restaurant in Atlanta and we ordered it from the appetizer menu. I’m the girl who eats something in a restaurant and goes home and recreates it – so this is my version but everyone who eats it loves it! Not only different but so delicious it may become your new “go to” dip recipe like it is mine! Oh – by the way, you can make this without cooking the greens, just use frozen chopped turnip greens instead of canned. Enjoy!
Ingredients
    • 1 1/2 pkg cream cheese, cubed
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 5 green onions, sliced
    • 1 (27-oz.) can seasoned turnip greens, drained (reserve 1/4 c greens juice) or 1 (16oz) package of frozen, chopped turnip greens, thawed & drained.
    • 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
    • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
    • 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
    • 1/4 tsp chicken base
    • 1/2 cup shredded of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    • 1/4 cup shredded or freshly grated asiago cheese
  • 4-6 bacon slices, fried crisp and set aside or 1/2 c.crisp fried ham (Sugardale boneless), cubed small
Instructions
    1. Sauté garlic in hot drippings 1 to 2 minutes (be careful not to burn).
    1. Add reserved greens juice and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of pan.
    1. Chop and stir in drained turnip greens, cream cheese, sour cream, onion, chicken base, pepper flakes and 1/4 cup of parmesan and 2 Tbsp. asiago cheese.
    1. Cook, stirring until cream cheese melts and mixture is thoroughly heated (8-10 minutes).
    1. Lightly coat a 2qt baking dish with canola or olive oil spray and transfer dip to dish.
    1. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan and 2 Tbsp. asiago cheese and broil dip 6 inches from heat 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.
  1. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon or ham cubes.
Homemade Garlic Butter Pita Chips
    1. – 5 to 6 pita bread pockets cut into wedges like a pizza. You can also substitute tortilla chips, crackers, etc.
    1. – 1/4 c melted butter
    1. – 1/2 tsp garlic powder
    1. – 1 tsp parsley flakes
    1. Toss pita wedges in butter, garlic powder and parsley flakes mixture to coat.
    1. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly toasted. Serve warm with warm turnip green dip.
  1. Yum!
Serving size: 1/2 cup
3.5.3226
  • 1 (16-ounce) package frozen chopped turnip greens, thawed and drained

 This warm turnip green dip recipe is inspired by a dish that I ate at a restaurant in Stone Mountain, GA when I lived there. The restaurant was called Mama’nems, it was located on Memorial Drive and it specialized in… you guessed it, soul food! The restaurant is now closed and from the reviews I read online, I think the warm turnip green dip was a wise choice! Anyway, I loved it so I did a little research and came up with my own recipe! Enjoy!

Note: If turnip greens aren’t your cup o’ tea, feel free to sub your favorite greens. Kale should work with no problem but – be adventurous and let us all check out your recipe!

Filed Under: Appetizers

Orange Dream Cake

August 8, 2015 by Char

Orange Dream CakeThis orange dream cake is not only good, it’s super easy! My mother made her cakes from box cake mixes, 99% of the time. She was too busy working and raising kids to do everything from scratch, so she chose her battles – and desserts were where she used a lot of tips and tricks, which I’ll share with you. Even though Mommy made box cakes, they were never based on the recipe on the back of the cake box. She always “doctored it up” as she called it. The doctoring must be the trick cause her cakes were hugh successes all around! Simple, easy and delicious! Just like my Mom’s cakes, this orange dream cake will be a big hit with your family, it tastes just like a dreamsicle! This photo and recipe are the property of The Blue Rooster Bake Shop in Lawrenceville, GA! I worked for the Blue Roo as an intern during culinary school and as my first “food industry” job! I loved the owners Kyle and Doug Wright, their family and the people I worked with! If you’re in Lawrenceville, stop by and tell Kyle “hi” for me – and make sure you have something to eat! Everything’s awesome!

Orange Dreamsicle Cake
Author: Sweet Mother
The cake in the photo is decorated with candied orange rind that I had on hand when I worked at the Blue Rooster Café in Lilburn, GA where the photo was taken. My recipe is also a modified version of the one we used at the Blue Roo!
Ingredients
  • 1 c. water
  • 1/3 c. orange juice
  • 1/3 c. vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp. orange zest
  • Icing
  • 1/2 c. butter
  • 1/2 c. shortening
  • 1 Tbsp. orange extract
  • 1tsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 c. confectioners sugar
  • 1/4 c. HWC or half and half
  • Mix butter and shortening together. Add remaining ingredients. Voila! Perfect buttercream icing!
  • Add 1 c. cool whip or dream whip
  • 1 tsp. orange food coloring
  • 1 Tbsp. orange zest
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Spray two 8″ or 9″ round cake pans with Bakers Ease, flour and shortening mixture – or grease with shortening and flour. (Use baking cups for cupcakes).
  3. Mix, water, oil and eggs in large bowl at low speed until moistened. Beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Pour into prepared cake pans.
  4. Bake 30 minutes. Check for doneness by pressing lightly on cake surface. It should spring back. Also check by inserting toothpick in center. It is done if it comes out clean with no batter or crumbs clinging to toothpick. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely before frosting. Ice cake and decorate as desired.
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Filed Under: Desserts & Sweets

Calling All Cultures

August 6, 2015 by Char

We are calling all cultures to ask you to please submit a soul food recipe! We know that there is soul food in EVERY culture. The dish that transports you back to your childhood with one bite or even one smell! Please share your culture with us and upload your favorite recipe – home cooked, comfort food that made you who you are! We want to have the largest soul food recipe submission web site on the internet with the best soul food recipes from all over the world. It starts with one recipe – won’t you please add yours? If you’ve got a story and a picture to go with it, even better! Thanks a bunch!

BTW: What would you like to see on this blog? Do you want video demos? Guest chef demos?  Is there a certain soul food recipe or type of recipe you’d like to see more of? How about soul food from a particular culture based on who your favorite athlete or singer is? I mean are you like me and a Steelers Troy Polamalu fan? Even though Troy is an American and was born in California, he is of Samoan descent. So maybe you’d love to try a Samoan soul food recipe to serve on game day in honor of Troy, even though he’s retired (boo-hoo and a moment of silence please!). Do you love African actress Lupita Nyong’o and want to know a Sudanese soul food dish?  Think outside the box and nothing is out of consideration! Please let us know and PLEASE leave some comments – let’s talk!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Linguine with Beef Chunks

August 5, 2015 by Char

Linquine with beef chunks is another one of my Aunt Winnie’s recipes that she could make like no one else.  Her linguine with beef chunks was simply wonderful. Big chunks of beef with a rich, savory tomato sauce seasoned with Italian herbs and spices. She always served it over what I called “flat spaghetti” when I was a child.  Today I know it’s called linguine! 🙂

 

Linguine with Beef Chunks
Author: Sweet Mother
Prep time: 45 mins
Cook time: 3 hours
Total time: 3 hours 45 mins
Serves: 1/2 gallon
If you have a hard time controlling the flame on your stove, put the garlic in after the onion and peppers are translucent and cook about 1 minute before adding tomato. Please know that you can use fresh or your own home canned tomatoes in place of the canned tomato products suggested.
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds chuck roast – cut into cubes
  • 1 large onions – diced
  • 2 sweet peppers – diced (green, red, orange or a combo)
  • 1 pkg of mushrooms – sliced
  • 2 large cans of tomatoes (San Marzano or Fire Roasted diced)
  • 1 large can of tomato paste
  • 1 T dried oregano
  • 1 T dried basil
  • 3 large cloves of garlic – minced
  • 1 T pepper
  • 2T beef or chicken base (or 1T each)
  • 1T turkey base
  • 2c water
  • ÂĽ c olive oil
  • 1/2 c chopped black olives
  • 1/2 c
Instructions
  1. Add olive oil to a 4-6 quart stock pot. Add peppers, onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Be careful not to let your garlic over brown or burn. Add beef chunks, oregano, basil and mushrooms. Sauté 5 minutes to soften mushrooms. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook on low flame (simmer) 2-3 hours. After 3 hours check your meat for tenderness. If not tender enough continue to cook checking every 15 to 20 minutes until meat reaches desired degree of tenderness. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over cooked, hot pasta of your choice.
Serving size: 1/2 cup
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Filed Under: Uncategorized

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About Me

My mom used to tell me that I loved to cook because I loved to eat! I think she might have been on to something! Join me and let's cook and eat together! You can bet your last money, it's all gonna be a stone gas honey! As always in parting, I wish you love, peace and soul food!!! Read More…

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