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

Enchiladas Rancheros

Ingredients3 pounds chicken leg quarters ; skinned1 pound Poblano Chile1 pound tomatillo1 onion ; diced1 teaspoon salt1 bay leaf3 cups chicken broth3 cloves garlic ; minced1 or 2 cups cheddar cheese ; grated1 or 2  cups of Swiss cheese; grated1 cup black olive ;...

Grilled Duck "A L’Orange"

They say that in Paris, duckling à l’orange was the highest test of a chef’s mettle. The duck had to be roasted just so-skin crackling crisp, meat tender and juicy-and the orange sauce had to strike a perfect balance between the sweetness of the caramelized sugar, the...

Joel’s Jambalaya

Our neighbor, Joel St. John, is a chef by profession. Now and then he delights us by bringing something he's just whipped up or by inviting us to his house to dine. This is not Joel's recipe, but is my version of how to copy the flavor of his. Ingredients 4 chicken...

Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken

Hot and spicy! I fixed this for Mary Ann Murphy and she almost turned Chinese! The image to the right is a photocopy I took of a page from a book I checked out from the now defunct Highland Branch Library (Memphis and Shelby County Libraries). The book had the English...

Mediterranean Meatloaf

Ingredients   1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes 10 ounces frozen spinach ; thawed and drained1/2 cup onion ; chopped1/4 cup feta cheese ; crumbled1 1/2 pounds Ground turkey 1 cup oatmeal 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black...

Pacific Rim Chicken

Ingredients 1 onion 1 sweet green pepper 5 chicken breast 1 ounce canned pineapple 3/4 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup dry sherry 2 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 teaspoon rice vinegar 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1...

Satay Chicken

Ingredients 4 tablespoon garlic ; minced 4 teaspoon coriander; ground 4 teaspoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon black pepper 2 1/2 pounds chicken breast 1/2 cup soy sauce 4 teaspoon ginger ; minced 2 tablespoon lime juice 6 tablespoon oil 1/4 cup cilantro (for garnish) 2...

Sharli’s Chicken Wings

Sharli is a gal I knew in Arkansas. As country as the day is long. But she knew a thing or two about wings. Ingredients 5 pounds chicken wings 5 cloves garlic ; minced 5 1/2 inches ginger ; slices, peeled 1 cup soy sauce 4 teaspoon sugar Instructions Heat soy sauce,...

Smothered Chicken

Smothered Chicken

I use two versions of Smothered Chicken - the one shown here, and sometimes I do another by Craig Clairborne.   Ingredients 4 pounds chicken leg quarters ; skinnedsalt to taste (optional)1/3 cup flour (more if needed1/4 teaspoon cayenne1/2 teaspoon white...