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
Green Pea Soup
Sherry loves green pea soup; and it's easy to make. Try it; you'll like it! This is GOOD stuff! Ingredients 1 pound dried split peas 1-2 pounds smoked pork neck bones 3 T butter 1 onion, chopped 2 sticks celery, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 5 cloves garlic, minced 1...
Cajun Seasoning
I don't know where I got this recipe; it might have been from a chef friend back in Memphis, Buddy Bland. But I just don't remember. Ingredients 3 tsp salt6 tsp Paprika4 T onion powder3 tsp garlic powder3 tsp filé powder3 tsp thyme1.5 tsp...
Rachel’s French Dressing
We have this recipe hand written by Rachel taped to the inside of one of our cabinet doors. I don't know when Rachel wrote this. Ingredients 1 cup salad oil 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup white vinegar 1/3 cup ketchup 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 T Worchestshire 1/2 onion,...
Smothered Cornish Hens
Ingredients 10 cloves garlic, finely minced 2 Cornish hens olive oil salt and pepper Directions Stuff garlic under skins of hens. Truss the hens and place in baking pan breast side up. Pre-heat oven to 375. Allow hens to come to room temperature. bell pepper, chopped...
Mushroom and Shallot Bake
I threw this together because I had mushrooms; I had shallots; and I was hungry. Ingredients 1/2 pound white mushrooms (or your favorite) sliced 2-3-4 Shallots, chopped 1 or 2 T raspberry or other jam or preserves 1 T hot sauce salt pepper butter for the pan...
Fried Green Tomatoes
Our grocery had green tomatoes on special, so I picked up a few. I always loved fried green tomatoes when I was growing up; but until now I've not had any luck getting them right. I think the secret is slicing them very thin. Ingredients 2 green tomatoes; sliced 1/8"...
Chorizo, Green Chile, and Mushrooms – On a Shingle
When I was growing up my Aunt Marie introduced me to something she loving called "SOS." I think it was an old Navy acronymn for something served on a "shingle." Tonight, I had a couple of heals left over from a loaf of wheat bread, so I decided, "Why not?" Of course,...
Smoked Sausage and Green Chile Frittata
Sherry wanted a quick snack. This wasn't so quick, but it was worth the time it took to put it together. Ingredients 6-8 eggs (I used 8 since they were on the small side.) 2 shallots, minced 1/2 pound smoked sausage, finely chopped (I used Holmes Smoked Garlic.) 2...
Shrimp and Guacamole Panini
I've been having fun with this Nuwave Oven we recently put in to service. I've found it's quick and easy to cook up some shrimp for a snack or sandwich.Ingredients8 small to medium shrimp; peeled and deveined1 small to medium avocado1/2 Roma tomato (or a small part of...
Rosemary’s Smoked Cheese Pizza
Ingredients 1 pound mushrooms; cleaned and sliced 1 teaspoon dried dill weed 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 cup grated smoked cheese 1 cup grated mild cheese (Mozzarella, etc.) 1/2 cup scallions, chopped. oil for the cooking pan salt and pepper Pizza Dough ...