Nanner Puddin’

4 whole egg yokes

2/3 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 cups milk

1 teaspoon good vanilla extract or paste

4 bananas sliced

Vanilla wafer cookies

For the meringue:
4 egg whites

5 tablespoons sugar 

1/2 teaspoon good vanilla

Beat 4 eggs yolks slightly. Add sugar, salt and cornstarch. Add mixture to milk. Place in saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add vanilla extract.
Layer vanilla wafers and bananas in 8 inch square baking dish. Stand vanilla wafers up around sides of dish. Pour pudding over vanilla wafers and bananas.

Make meringue by beating egg whites until frothy and add 5 tablespoons granulated sugar. Beat until stiff and add vanilla extract. Spread on top of pudding and bake in slow oven 300 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown on tips.

Fried Gator

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup Hot Sauce I use Texas Pete

Flour, for dredging

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb alligator meat, cut into chunks (can substitute chicken or pork but it is not the same)

1 bottle store bought or homemade ranch dressing, for dipping

Heat a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F. Lightly season gator meat with salt and pepper prior to dredging them in flour. Combine buttermilk and hot sauce into 1 bowl. Dip the gator meat into the flour then buttermilk and hot sauce mixture and dip in flour again. Then place in deep fryer until golden brown, just a couple minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve.

Haw River Mud Cake

This is a very sweet and fattening cake, but it is so very good. It should be eaten in moderation. When I was a kid I remember going to a family reunion and someone had made this cake. It is so moist and rich and delicious that it is irrestible.

For the Cake:

Nonstick baking spray flour
3 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups boiling water

For the Mud Topping:

1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

For the Mud Filling:

1 (8-ounce) container frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow creme
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup toasted and chopped pecans

For the Frosting:

1 cup butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (9.7-ounce) box bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 1 large baking pan with nonstick baking spray with flour. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed. In another large bowl, add the eggs and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Slowly add butter mixture, beating until combined. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Gradually add to the sugar mixture, alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until just combined after each addition. Slowly add the boiling water, beating until just combined. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pans, and bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 to 38 minutes. Let cool in the pan. Let the cake cool completely. Spread the Mud filling evenly over the cake. Chill the cake for at least 4 hours. Sprinkle marshmallows and pecans evenly over the top. Store the cake, covered, in refrigerator. In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the melted chocolates, beating until combined. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth. Add vanilla, beating until incorporated. Pour the frosting over the cake and serve immediately.

Rochelle’s French Bread

This is an easy dough to handle for an easy bread with a fine texture.

6 cups All-Purpose Flour

2 tablespoons Active Dry Yeast

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 cups warm water

Cornmeal

1 Egg White, slightly beaten

1 tablespoon water

In a large mixing bowl stir together 2 cups flour, yeast, and salt. Add 2 cups warm water and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for half a minute, scraping down the bowl constantly. Beat for an additional 3 minutes on high speed. Use a wooden spoon and add the remaining flour. Turn dough onto a floured counter and kneed to make a stiff dough that will be smooth and elastic. About 10 minutes. Place dough ball in a slightly oiled bowl turning to coat all sides with the oil. Cover and let rise until double in size or about 1 hour. Punch dough down and turn out on a lightly floured counter and cut in half, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Spray a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Roll one of the dough halves into a rectangle and tightly roll along the long side, pinch the ends to form a taper. Place on the cornmeal covered pan seam side down and repeat with the second half of the dough. In a small bowl stir together the egg white and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the loaves with the egg whites and cover and let rise until double in size about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. After the dough has doubled in size use a sharp knife and make 3 or 4 cuts about ¼ inch deep across the loaves. Bake for 20 minutes. Brush tops with the remaining egg white mixture and bake an additional 20 minutes. Bread will sound hollow when tapped. Remove to a wire cooling rack.

Note: You can divide the dough into 4 parts to make French baguettes for sandwiches if you do you will need to reduce the second cooking time down to about 10 minutes.

Feeding America

I just want to pass this information along to all my loyal blog readers. I feel this is a great organization to donate to. I learned about this on The Chew. Read all about it here on their website. It is amazing to me how the greatest country in the world can have so many who go without eating every day. Here is what they have to say, Our mission is to feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger. Check out the site at http://www.feedingamerica.org/

Aunt Dottie’s Meatloaf

2 lbs Ground round

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

10 to 12 leftover biscuits

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

2 cups ketchup

3 eggs

In a skillet add the butter and melt over medium high heat. Saute the onion, pepper, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes. In a large bowl add the ground beef, sauted vegetables, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and 1 cup ketchup and crumbled biscuits. In a small bowl beat the eggs well and add to the ground beef mix well with hands to combine. In a baking dish place the beef mixture and pat flat. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove the foil and add the remaining 1 cup ketchup and return to the oven for an additional 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Serves 4 to 6

Andouille Sausage

Andouille is a spicy Cajun smoke sausage made from pork butt and seasoned with cayenne pepper and garlic. It is used in gumbos, jambalaya and many other dishes from south Louisiana.

1 lb. Ground Pork Butt

1/4 pounds pork, fat rough Chopped

1/2 tablespoon Salt

1/3 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/2 teaspoon Rubbed Sage

1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves

1/2 teaspoon Ground Mace

1/2 teaspoon Ground Allspice

1/3 teaspoonGround Black Pepper

1/2 teaspoon Ground Bayleaf

1/4 teaspoon Thyme

1/2 clove Crushed Garlic

Rinse the casings thoroughly in cold water, then place in luke-warm water to soak.

Using a meat grinder fitted with a coarse (3/8″ or 1/2″) plate, grind meat and pork fat.

In a 4-quart mixing bowl, combine ground pork mixture with remaining ingredients; knead well using hands. Taste test by frying a small quarter-size patty to see if you approve of the flavor as is.  Make changes if needed. Make a small patty about the size of a quarter. Place the sausage patty in a 7-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat and fry until crisp and no longer pink in the center, about 3 minutes on each side. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Carefully stuff the sausage mixture into the casing, filling the casing snugly but not so tight it will burst during the linking process.  Continue until the entire casing is filled. Every 4 inches pinch the filled casing gently between thumb and forefinger; twist four or five times in one direction. Move down another 4 inches and repeat the process, twisting in the opposite direction. Repeat until all the sausage has been twisted into links. Smoke over your choice of chips — hickory, apple, or pecan. Use a water tray over the heat source and watch out for fire from the fat drippings. Smoke slowly under 200 degrees until the sausages reach 175 degrees. They'll be fully cooked at that temperature, and ready to eat or to be frozen. Don't smoke them too fast. Cut the sausages on the diagonal and use in your favorite recipes.

Cold Cucumber Soup

My Aunt Patty used to make this for us to eat for lunch with sandwiches, in the summers when I was 11 to 15 my brother and I would travel to West Virginia to work on my aunt patty and uncle Ed’s cattle ranch. My aunt Patty’s cooking is some of the best I have ever eaten. I loved this soup and wanted to include it for all to try. You can still make this in the winter. There's nothing like a cup of icy cold gazpacho for a perfectly refreshing summer lunch on a blistering hot day. Flavorful tomatoes are key here--don't attempt this recipe with unripe tomatoes. If you can not get fresh ripe tomatoes use the best san marzano canned tomatoes.

3 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped, more for garnish

1 jalapeño pepper seeded and roughly chopped

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and roughly chopped

1 small sweet onion, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 to 2 small cans V-8 vegetable juice

Salt to taste

Put tomatoes, garlic, cucumbers, jalapeño, red bell peppers, and onions into a large bowl and toss to combine. Working in batches, pulse vegetables in a blender or food processor until uniform, adding a little water if mixture seems too thick. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in juice and salt. Cover and chill well before serving. Garnish with chopped cucumber and homemade garlic croutons if desired.

Serves 6 to 8

Barbeque Shrimp

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, I like Lea and Perrins best
1 teaspoon black pepper
A few of dashes of hot pepper sauce, or to taste. I use Texas Pete
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemons, sliced

In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the olive oil.  Add the Worcestershire sauce, pepper, hot sauce, Italian Seasoning, garlic powder, paprika and salt. Mix well. Bring to a simmer and simmer about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the shrimp and sliced lemon. Cook, stirring occasionally until the shrimp turn pink. This should only take maybe 4 or 5 minutes. This is great served over rice or just with some crusty bread on the side to sop up all of the wonderful juice!

Shrimp Appetizers

I learned this recipe from my good friend and fellow artist Vic Gillispie. I can remember going down to the shrimp boats near Holden Beach North Carolina and buying these huge shrimp to cook this dish.

1 lb fresh shrimp unpeeled heads on if possible

1 stick butter

Worcestershire sauce to taste

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cloves garlic minced

Old bay seasoning to taste

Melt butter in a cast iron skillet when the butter melts and starts to turn slightly brown add chopped garlic, stir, add shrimp stirring until pink about two minutes add soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and a sprinkle of old bay serve right away.