1/22/2019 - National Southern Food Day Dinner

[tenspeed]

It's National Southern Food Day:

https://wjla.com/features/good-morni...with-chef-sedd

I've read that southern food is really African American food, as the slaves actually did the cooking.

Not sure if this is southern anywhere, but we're having honey sesame chicken, served over brown rice, nuked broc.

https://damndelicious.net/2013/11/02...esame-chicken/

[Whiskadoodle]

Pretty sure this is not southern. Though a pan of cornbread may well go with it, so that legally makes a difference.

I went to a neighborhood meat market the other day. Bought an in house smoked ham shank. Am simmering a pot of split peas soup for dinner tonight.

[Cheryl J]

From what I've read about southern food, it is influenced by African American cuisine, also Native American, and many other cultures as well. Hmmm....I might have to search around for a book, as this does sound like a very interesting subject.

I'm planning on enchiladas and refried beans with salsa for dinner, but Tyler is out of school at noon all week, and it's a beautiful sunny day. We might spend the afternoon outside after all the rain we've had lately.

[Andy M.]

We’re having sous vide chicken breasts and a couple of sides TBD.

[pepperhead212]

I am having some Tex-Mex food, with some fresh corn tortillas. Not really southern food, but close enough.

[GotGarlic]

I pulled a bag of Greek meatballs out of the freezer. Trying to decide how to serve them and with what sides. The freezing temperatures we've had have made my romaine all bitter - yuck - so no salad. Some combo of onions, garlic, bell peppers, potatoes and canned tomatoes. Hmmm...

[Rocklobster]

Beef and broccoli on egg noodles..

[Kayelle]

My lunch bunch had a great meal at a new restaurant owned by a friend of one of the members. It's an upscale Italian fusion place and we all thought the food was excellent. The location is great next to the downtown movie theater on Main St. so we went to see a movie too. Nice day.

Sooooo...I'll be heating up the leftover Mexican soup I made a couple nights ago. It's always better the second time around.

[caseydog]

Originally Posted by Cheryl J

From what I've read about southern food, it is influenced by African American cuisine, also Native American, and many other cultures as well. Hmmm....I might have to search around for a book, as this does sound like a very interesting subject.

I'm planning on enchiladas and refried beans with salsa for dinner, but Tyler is out of school at noon all week, and it's a beautiful sunny day. We might spend the afternoon outside after all the rain we've had lately.

It is a melting pot. Just within Louisiana, you have creole food, which has a Caribbean vibe, and cajun, with a French Canadian history. Moving West to Texas you ran-into German settlers which is probably where our famous chicken-fried-steak originated. And further West, there emerged Tex-Mex.

CD

[Cooking Goddess]

Don't forget the southeast either, cd. Gullah cooking and other lowcountry foods from SC. Country cooking from the landlocked portions of the Carolinas, Georgia, etc. And Florida...where half the chains are transplants from up north, just like the residents.


Southern would have been good today - I've been wanting to make shrimp and grits lately. However, I cooked two soups and prepped two more on Sunday. Today's beef barley has been maturing in the fridge since Sunday, and MAN is it good!

[medtran49]

Oxtail stew, onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, thyme, red wine and beef broth over mashies.

[luckytrim]

Last Night's Ground Beef under Jack Daniels' BBQ Sauce, Air Fries, Buttered Carrots w/ Parsley,Summer Slaw (I know, wishful thinking, right ??) Zippy Pickles...

[JustJoel]

Originally Posted by Cheryl J

From what I've read about southern food, it is influenced by African American cuisine, also Native American, and many other cultures as well. Hmmm....I might have to search around for a book, as this does sound like a very interesting subject.

I'm planning on enchiladas and refried beans with salsa for dinner, but Tyler is out of school at noon all week, and it's a beautiful sunny day. We might spend the afternoon outside after all the rain we've had lately.

Cheryl,
I did a quick google “cultural influences in southern food,” here’s the link to my search: https://www.google.com/search?source...99.Y9EQf5sD6mw

And here’s a link to one of the articles. I found it quite fascinating!

https://deepsouthmag.com/2012/12/03/...thern-cuisine/

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by JustJoel

Cheryl,
I did a quick google “cultural influences in southern food,” here’s the link to my search: https://www.google.com/search?source...99.Y9EQf5sD6mw

And here’s a link to one of the articles. I found it quite fascinating!

https://deepsouthmag.com/2012/12/03/...thern-cuisine/

Joel, doing a random search on any topic won't necessarily get you accurate, reliable information. I've read a lot about food history and preservation techniques and I've never heard of preserving greens with pork. (I know he mentioned vinegar, too, but the emphasis is on pork.) Nor does frying food preserve it for any length of time - unless he's talking about some sort of confit technique, but that's not what he described.

I think the slaves did have some influence on the development of southern food, but so did a lot of other cultures. The English, of course, Native Americans, obviously, the French, the West Indies and the Caribbean. Cooking in pits is a technique that developed concurrently in several parts of the world before written history. And most people in the South did not have slaves, so they were growing, cooking and preserving their own food.

Michael Twitty, who is an African-American interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg and has extensively researched cooking in the South, is one good source of information on this. This is his book: https://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Gene-...dp/B01BSJIBJI/

[Cheryl J]

[QUOTE=JustJoel;1581034]Cheryl,
I did a quick google “cultural influences in southern food,” here’s the link to my search: https://www.google.com/search?source...99.Y9EQf5sD6mw

And here’s a link to one of the articles. I found it quite fascinating!

https://deepsouthmag.com/2012/12/03/the-real-roots-of-southern-cuisine/[/QUOTE]

Thank you, Joel. Very interesting reading indeed!

[Cheryl J]

Originally Posted by GotGarlic

.........Michael Twitty, who is an African-American interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg and has extensively researched cooking in the South, is one good source of information on this. This is his book: https://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Gene-...dp/B01BSJIBJI/

Funny you should mention that, GG. After looking around a while, that's the exact book I ordered from Amazon yesterday! Looking forward to getting it.

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by Cheryl J

Funny you should mention that, GG. After looking around a while, that's the exact book I ordered from Amazon yesterday! Looking forward to getting it.

Cool. Let me know what you think of it.

[Cheryl J]

I will.