RIVER CITY DINER
Greetings!
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 (We grew up in Memphis, but our reunions were 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 stew & 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.
The blog entries below come from recipes we enjoy around our household; from recipes I’ve yet to try; from recipes given me by friends and family, and things I’ve read about on line or in real print. Yes, I do still subscribe to magazines that come in the mail. Also there are posts about cooking equipment, techniques, sources for more information, etc. I hope you find something of interest. By all means, feel free to write
Souvlakia – a Different Take
We've always loved to make up kabobs of porl, onions, and pappers seasoned with lemon juice, soy sauce, oregano, salt and pepper, and loads of garlic powder. Usually, I grill them up and then serve them with flour tortillas, rather than with Pita bread. Tonight I...
Mushroom Roll-ups
Thirty years or so ago, I wrote this recipe into a spiral bound book Sherry's mom gave us when we got married. I served this once to then City Councilwoman Leffler; she loved them. Mrs. Leffler was our assistant principal at Frayser High School when I was in...
Sherry’s Vegetable Stew – with Bacon and Smoked Chicken
Sherry loves vegetables, and so do I. One way I make her happy is by getting in the kitchen and whipping up something that is LOADED with veggies. So this is one I made for her tonight, and it turned out pretty darned good. Ingredients 1 1/2 - 2 lbs. Brussel...
Shrimp with Peppers and Onions
I couldn't decide what to do with the wonderful shrimp I had on hand, so I went with a simple base of onions, and peppers; then added the shrimp at the end. Like a Chinese stir fry; but no Chinese seasonings; I used a low simmering heat for most of the process; and...
Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Shrimp
We visited my brother Dwayne's house for Christmas. While there, my lovely niece, Rebecca, and her good friend, Shelby, whipped up a Brussel sprouts side dish that hit the spot. I didn't get Becky's recipe, but I did copy and steal where I could on the internet, and...
Italian Sausage and Spinach
I made up some spaghetti sauce out of turkey Italian sausage. At the last minute, Sherry said it was okay with her if we decide not to serve it over pasta. So - I added a bag of pre-rinsed spinach right at the very end. Then I cooked it just long enough to wilt it....
Turkey Italian Sausage
We like Johnsonville Italian Sausage, but we also need to watch the fat intake. Thus, experiments with ground turkey. Ingredients 1 pound lean ground turkey 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1-1/2 teaspoons fennel seed, crushed 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon...
Soy Chorizo and Turkey Chili
Our grocery stocks a Chorizo made from soy. It's really tasty, and reminds me of a chili mix we used to buy 40 years ago. This is pretty darned good. Ingredients 2 large yellow onions (or more), peeled and sliced into slivers 2 poblano chiles; roasted, seeded, and...
Shrimp Etouffee
I used poblano peppers rather than green bell peppers, and I skipped the celery. I peeled and deveined the shrimp first and began my shrimp stock. In the meantime, I allowed the shrimp to sit in the fridge mixed with a blend of the salt, peppers, garlic powder, and...
Giada’s BBQ Chicken
Ingredients: 1 cup Balsamic vinegar3/4 cups catsup1 T Worchestershire1/3 cup brown sugar1T Dijon mustard1 clove garlic, mincedpinch of salt and someblack pepper Chicken thighs and breasts Directions: Combine all ingredients except chicken in a sauce pan. Simmer until...