Welcome to the River City Diner
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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 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.
There’s more than just cooking going on here. The Stories dropdown in the header above leads to personal stories about things like baseball games, county dress codes, a bit of history and geography and more.
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 (rbyrd@rbyrd.net)..
Chili Pie
I did a version of this for our Canterbury Students. Sherry loved the cornbread crust. I used mushrooms and spinach because I had them on hand and I wanted to "stretch" the results. For a more "Mexican" feel, you may omit these. I'm not a fan of ground beef, so...
Pizza Recipes
Pizza #1 For years, I made my pizza dough with corn meal as in the recipe pictured here. Have fun with it, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Pizza #2 Ingredients 1 package dry yeast3 tablespoon butter; softened1 1/2...
Mushrooms and Onions
Ingredients1 pound mushrooms; cleaned and sliced1 large yellow onion; diced2- 4 T soy saucegarlic powdersalt and pepper1 tsp, plus toasted sesame oilDirectionsIn wide skillet (with a lid) saute the onions in the olive oil for a few minutes; add the sliced...
Oatmeal Muffins
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats1/2 cup flour1 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp ground cinnamon1/4 tsp ground nutmeg1/4 tsp salt1 Large Egg, beaten3/4 cup yogurt1/4 cup milk1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup1 tsp pure vanilla extract1...
Sweet Potato Tots
You can make these ahead of time (before baking). Place frozen tots in oven and bake until done. Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Ingredients 1 3/4 cup mashed sweet potatoes (3 medium sweet potatoes) 1 egg yolk 1/2 cup grated cheese 1 small brown onion...
We Both Went Shopping!
I fired up the smoker and cooked two family packs of chicken wings. I got them on sale for $1.49/lb at Foodarama. Also cooked up a huge batch of green chili sauce. Why a huge batch? Because Sherry and I both picked up the same items at the grocery. A...
Hot Water Cornbread
I used to help my mother make this back in our Frayser days. Ingredients 2 cups Cornmeal (Yellow or White) 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup grated onion or chopped 1-2 tablespoons melted butter 1 cup ( or more ) boiling water Instructions In a...
Spaghetti Squash with Peppers and Onions
We will definitely do this one again. Prepare Peppers and Onions, but without the cheese topping and without baking. That is, just do the stove-top part and use that to top your spaghetti squash "noodles" when serving. Ingredients 1 large spaghetti squash 1/2...
Bacon, Sausage, and Shrimp Tetrazinni
This makes up enough to fill two half-trays (9" x 13"). Ingredients: 1 lb breakfast sausage 1 lb bacon 24 ounces small shrimp 2 large sweet yellow onions, chopped 1 orange or red (or green) bell pepper, chopped 1 pound rotini pasta 1/2 pound grated cheddar cheese (or...
Instructions for the Smokenator
(Instruction Booklet PDF - 2017) www.smokenator.com (Phone 888.205.1931) ________________________________________________________ LONG Cook Times - Set Up and Temperature Management A loaded Smokenator box will fuel a cook of about 6 hours. To...
Hazael’s Salsa
Our son's good friend, Hazael, brings this over when they come to dinner. It's superb! The card to the right is Hazael's writing. Ingredients 3 red tomatoes, grilled and chopped1 poblano,grilled and chopped2 T olive oil1 clove garlic, mincedsalt and pepperjuice...
Apple Date Bread
I got this one off a package of dates. Ingredients: 1 cup chopped apples 1/2 cup chopped nuts 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup chopped dates 1/2 cup butter 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon Instructions: Cream the butter...
Substitute for Canned “Creamed” Soup
We're not fans of canned soups because of their tendency to be LOADED with sodium. So when a recipe calls for a "Cream of This or That" soup, we like to use a version of this instead. INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 1/2 cup chicken broth...
Pan Seared Scallops
Ingredients 1 to 1 1/4 pounds sea scallops2 teaspoons unsalted butter2 teaspoons olive oilKosher saltFreshly ground black pepper Directions Pat scallops thoroughly dry. Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat. Salt and...
Sweet and Sour Cabbage
We enjoyed living around the corner from a public library in Memphis. It was there I found an interesting Chinese cookbook. Each recipe was given in English on one page, and in Chinese on the facing page. When I cook this one, the family leaves the house until...
Three Ingredient Cookie
1 cup peanut butter 1 cup white sugar 1 egg, beaten Preheat the oven to 350F Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the peanut butter, white sugar and egg. Mix until smooth. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet; flatten the mounds a bit....
Cola Brined Chicken Thighs
Clipped from: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015992-coke-brined-fried-chicken Ingredients 5 cups Coca-Cola 1 tablespoon kosher salt 10 sprigs fresh thyme 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 4 teaspoons mild hot sauce like Crystal 8 to 12 chicken thighs,...
Neely’s BBQ Sauce
Both of us always enjoyed watching the Neelys on TV. Gina is loaded with personality; and they're from our home town. This is a recipe they say is "Kansas City" style. I don't know about that. It's a lot like what we've been making in west Tennessee for generations....
Ginger Brined Chicken Wings
I recently tried a cola brine, and it imparted a delicious sweet flavor to chicken thighs. Today, I had no cola, but I had plenty of ginger ale. INGREDIENTS 16 chicken wings 2 cans of Ginger Ale 3/4 cup soy sauce 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 3/4 cup brown sugar...
Chicken and Gravy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBMqzSd3UlM Preheat oven to 375 F. Coat the chicken pieces with melted butter, working in thoroughly. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, and other seasonings as desired. Spray roasting pan with non-stick spray and place...
Upside Down Onion-Corn Bread
Ingredients 2 (8.5 oz.) boxes corn muffin mix 2 Vidalia onions 3 eggs 1 cup cottage cheese 1 cup corn, rinsed and drained 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled 1/3 cup green onions,...
Oven Fried Oysters
Ingredients 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 eggs 1 cup dry bread crumbs 2/3 cup grated Romano cheese 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 1 pint shucked oysters or 2 cans (8 ounceseach) whole oysters, drained 2...
Quarter Beer Night
ost of us have heard at one time or another a hair-raising tale about an event which was so harrowing that it caused the storyteller's "whole life to flash before" him. I'm not sure I've ever had such a "flash before me" experience; at least not...
Pan Seared Salmon – Alton Brown
e picked up some fresh Salmon today from the Blue Horizon in Rice Village. Here is a video on how to pan sear it. Thanks to Alton Brown for this. http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/pan-seared-salmon-0136160.html Here is another look I published in...
Skillet Pizza
Ingredients ¾ cup lukewarm water 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 2 ¼ cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Instructions Stir together the water, yeast and sugar. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until foamy. Mix until well...
Week’s Worth of Soup
So I did it again. I made up a week's worth of soup for Sherry. Okay - I managed to get 8 lunches out of the deal. To do it, I had to fill that big pot to within an 8th inch of the top. But I got her done. Also, I had a quart of stock in the freezer which I added to...
Multi-Grain Veggie Bread
Sherry spotted this in our Bellaire Buzz. Ingredients: 1 cup all purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 cup oat flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 3 eggs½ cup vegetable oil ½ cup...
Shannon’s Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients: 1/3 cup vegetable oil ½ cup sugar 1 egg 2 cups oatmeal 1½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon vanilla 1½ teaspoons cinnamon Raisins to taste (nuts optional) Directions: Mix ingredients together and pour into a greased 8-by-8-inch glass...
Salmon with Dijon-Brown Sugar
Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine Dijon mustard and brown sugar. Adjust to the desired amount of sweetness-tanginess. Salt and pepper the fish. Line a cooking sheet with foil. Lightly oil the sheet; then add fish skin-side down. Spread the tops of the fillets...
Banana, Strawberry, and Yogurt Pound Cake
INGREDIENTS 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup light brown sugar 3 large over-ripe bananas, mashed 1 cup fresh strawberries sliced 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup plain Greek...
Roasted Cherries with Balsamic Vinegar
A friend of ours from church, Molly Quigley, shared this recipe she got from Serious Eats Ingredients 1/2 pound fresh cherries 1 baguette of French Bread 1 T balsamic vinegar 1 T canola or olive oil Goat Cheese for topping Directions Set oven on 350°F. On a baking...
Spinach Huevos
We do up something we call "Huevos Rancheros," but it's nothing like the dish you're familiar with. Ours is more like a chili-based casserole. Lots of cheese, tortillas torn into pieces; with several eggs added whole and allowed to sort of poach in the casserole....
Smothered Chicken – Clairborne
Start with the basic recipe; then modify as desired. Green peppers, onion, celery, and tomatoes for a Louisiana flair. Mushrooms & petite onons for a French twist. This is adapted from a Craig Claiborne recipe that appeared in the NYTIMES possibly as early as...
Derby Pie
Barbara Hass from church brought this pie to a pot luck we had this evening. She graciously shared the recipe. Thanks, Barbara! 1/2 cup melted butter 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 cup flour 2 eggs 3/4 cup walnuts 3/4 cup chocolate chips Combine and pour...