What a blessing to have been raised in Memphis by a country cook who knew what she was doing. Good cooking was just a way of life in our household and among our extended family. My mother prepared the best fried chicken in Tipton County according to my aunts, uncles, cousins, and great aunts & uncles; I have no reason to doubt their words of praise. I saw at every family reunion whose chicken was the first to go.

And my mother wasn’t the only good cook in our house. My daddy was a master at the grill and could throw together a variety of tasty snacks inside as well. He specialized in oyster chowder & Bleu Cheese Dressing; and sitting down with Daddy as we built snacks of smoked oysters, cheeses, crackers, olives, and anything else he could scrape together was a banquet in itself.

Cod Filets in Butter

Chicken Under A SkilletApr 29, 2025by Lodge Cast Iron This classic chicken recipe features a short list of ingredients but packs so much flavor in every bite. The secret? Weight! We sandwich a spatchcocked chicken between two skillets to help more meat make contact...

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Shrimp Poached in Butter

A simple Gulf-style skillet boil with a rich lemon-garlic butter broth Ingredients 1 lb medium or large shrimp, peeled & deveined 1 lb baby potatoes, halved 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter 1 cup water or seafood stock 4 cloves garlic, smashed 1 lemon, cut into...

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“Among the acts of love we as humans do, feeding one another is one of the most intimate.”  – – R. Byrd