Makin' Gravy

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Originally Posted by Roll_Bones

I'm from Miami, so I'm no expert in southern cooking.

Do you have any good Cuban recipes?

[Addie]

Originally Posted by Sir_Loin_of_Beef

You're not trying hard enough!

I will try to correct that with more effort. I have a list of folks I would like to feed.

[GotGarlic]

I was just watching "A Chef's Life" on PBS. Vivian Howard is a chef in eastern North Carolina who uses ingredients from the area in her restaurants; in this episode she made a four-course lunch for members of the Southern Foodways Alliance, a professional organization of chefs and enthusiasts of Southern cuisine. She compared Southern food to Italian cuisine in that different regions of the South have very different traditional foods and preparation methods. I thought that was an interesting perspective.

[Addie]

Originally Posted by GotGarlic

I was just watching "A Chef's Life" on PBS. Vivian Howard is a chef in eastern North Carolina who uses ingredients from the area in her restaurants; in this episode she made a four-course lunch for members of the Southern Foodways Alliance, a professional organization of chefs and enthusiasts of Southern cuisine. She compared Southern food to Italian cuisine in that different regions of the South have very different traditional foods and preparation methods. I thought that was an interesting perspective.

And that has been said right here in our forum. Even here in New England. You can find so many different ways to make clam chowder. There is not one way to make any dish except a glass of tap water.

That is a very interesting show.

[Cheryl J]

I can't imagine making chicken fried steak or biscuits and gravy with anything other than white gravy. In my very humble non-southern opinion, those dishes are all about the white gravy.

[RPCookin]

Originally Posted by Cheryl J

I can't imagine making chicken fried steak or biscuits and gravy with anything other than white gravy. In my very humble non-southern opinion, those dishes are all about the white gravy.

I've had chicken fried steak with brown gravy, white gravy, and sausage gravy - it's most always good. More important for me is that it's real steak and hand battered, not bought frozen and pre breaded. I've been served some rather poor excuses for chicken fried steak.

Maybe the best is a little restaurant in the mountain town here in Colorado where my sister lives... killer white gravy!

[salt and pepper]

Originally Posted by Roll_Bones

First things first. I know of no "Southern Ladies" that brown the flour or even use brown gravy. LOL.
Here in the south its white gravy with the occasional sausage added and poured over biscuits.
I take anything I hear here very lightly as I have met very few people that actually know how to cook.

Are you kidding me? What are you saying? Gravies are made for beef, pork,ham, breads, and what ever you want to flavor anything with. Wild game, vegies,salads. your talking through your butt. Now don't tell me southern woman don't know how to make brown gravy. Your the one who can't cook!

[salt and pepper]

Not only can you brown your flour but you can also smoke it and give it more flavor.

[Cheryl J]

Originally Posted by RPCookin

I've had chicken fried steak with brown gravy, white gravy, and sausage gravy - it's most always good. More important for me is that it's real steak and hand battered, not bought frozen and pre breaded. I've been served some rather poor excuses for chicken fried steak.

Maybe the best is a little restaurant in the mountain town here in Colorado where my sister lives... killer white gravy!

Yep, I'm with ya there, RP. As I said, I'm not a southern cook, but my grandmothers were, and I've kind of inherited some of their ways. I actually think that I could have just gravy with gravy.

[taxlady]

Originally Posted by salt and pepper

Not only can you brown your flour but you can also smoke it and give it more flavor.

What an interesting idea.

[Zhizara]

Originally Posted by salt and pepper

Not only can you brown your flour but you can also smoke it and give it more flavor.

Ooooooh, now that sounds yummy!

[Roll_Bones]

Originally Posted by Sir_Loin_of_Beef

Do you have any good Cuban recipes?

Sure do. I grew up eating Cuban and Italian food as my mother was Italian and my father was Cuban.
Thing is, I don't use recipes. I go from memory or copy dishes as needed.

Originally Posted by Cheryl J

I can't imagine making chicken fried steak or biscuits and gravy with anything other than white gravy. In my very humble non-southern opinion, those dishes are all about the white gravy.

This is what I tried to convey. You order chicken fried anything in my part of the country, your getting white gravy. Even Bojangles serves white gravy with their mashed potato's.

Originally Posted by RPCookin

I've had chicken fried steak with brown gravy, white gravy, and sausage gravy - it's most always good.

I have had beer poured over cereal for breakfast before, but that did not make it a traditional dish.

Originally Posted by salt and pepper

Are you kidding me? What are you saying? Gravies are made for beef, pork,ham, breads, and what ever you want to flavor anything with. Wild game, vegies,salads. your talking through your butt. Now don't tell me southern woman don't know how to make brown gravy. Your the one who can't cook!

I make all kinds of gravies and sauces. I am speaking to the traditional southern gravy and that just happens to be white gravy or "milk gravy" as its referred to here.

Now, I don't know you, nor do you know me. Personal attacks on this forum are frowned upon. This is what you have resorted to, as its apparent you had nothing of substance to reply with.

There is a function on this site called "ignore". Why not put me on it?

[bakechef]

Originally Posted by GotGarlic

I was just watching "A Chef's Life" on PBS. Vivian Howard is a chef in eastern North Carolina who uses ingredients from the area in her restaurants; in this episode she made a four-course lunch for members of the Southern Foodways Alliance, a professional organization of chefs and enthusiasts of Southern cuisine. She compared Southern food to Italian cuisine in that different regions of the South have very different traditional foods and preparation methods. I thought that was an interesting perspective.

I think that it's kind of cool how she's bringing a new perspective on food to a place like Kinston. This is a very "country" town, most food here is rooted deep in tradition and the area is pretty much the opposite of metropolitan. A good friend of mine grew up there, and I spent a couple weeks there once. I think that being a native with family there really helped her gain acceptance.

I feel a little weird seeing the trials and tribulations of her relationships. I don't usually watch "reality TV", but since this is on PBS, I feel that it is more real, maybe a bit too real.

[bakechef]

Originally Posted by GotGarlic

Absolutely! People from the mountains and the coasts and in between have very different food traditions.

Living more central, in the city, the two sides almost blend, but with eastern cuisine pushing ahead of course since we are a bit more eastern.

The cuisine between the mountains and the coast is pretty different, it's pretty cool actually, I know in this state it's like two different versions of NC.

[tenspeed]

Originally Posted by salt and pepper

Not only can you brown your flour but you can also smoke it.

Are you a renegade from the 60's that also smoked banana peels?

[Dawgluver]

Originally Posted by tenspeed

Are you a renegade from the 60's that also smoked banana peels?

"And They Call Me Mellow Yellow", Donovan.

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by bakechef

I think that it's kind of cool how she's bringing a new perspective on food to a place like Kinston. This is a very "country" town, most food here is rooted deep in tradition and the area is pretty much the opposite of metropolitan. A good friend of mine grew up there, and I spent a couple weeks there once. I think that being a native with family there really helped her gain acceptance.

I feel a little weird seeing the trials and tribulations of her relationships. I don't usually watch "reality TV", but since this is on PBS, I feel that it is more real, maybe a bit too real.

It's been really interesting learning about small-town life in North Carolina. I agree that her family connection helps a lot. I do like the openness and honesty she provides about the stresses of running now two restaurants in a small town.

We're going to Oak Island, NC, in July where my mom rented a house for us and other family members. We're going to try to arrange to have a meal there, probably on the way back since it's closed on Sundays and Mondays.

http://chefandthefarmer.com/

[RPCookin]

And interesting read in Wikipedia on the origin of "chicken fried steak". It is believed to have been first made from the pounded tougher cuts of beef in Texas, but the Oxford English Dictionary shows their first known use of the name in a Colorado newspaper. It is often called "country fried steak" too, and there is a lot of "country" not located in the south.

[tenspeed]

Originally Posted by Dawgluver

"And They Call Me Mellow Yellow", Donovan.

Quite rightly.

[taxlady]

Originally Posted by RPCookin

And interesting read in Wikipedia on the origin of "chicken fried steak". It is believed to have been first made from the pounded tougher cuts of beef in Texas, but the Oxford English Dictionary shows their first known use of the name in a Colorado newspaper. It is often called "country fried steak" too, and there is a lot of "country" not located in the south.

I read that a while ago. I was curious about the name, 'cause it just seemed like beef schnitzel to me. And basically, that's what it is.