Sherry Kay’s Fried Chicken

Pulling into the familiar drive off of Dixie Crescent as I have many times before feels a little different this time. Is it because we haven’t seen each other in months due the novel corona virus or the fact that our country has been pushed to the breaking point amid racial tensions? I don’t know the answer but I do know I want to sit at the picnic table in the back yard with my friend, Sherry Kay Williams and enjoy a cold beer. I hopped out of my car with a 6-pack of Miller Genuine Draft (Sherry’s favorite) and was greeted with open arms.

Sherry has a laugh that is throaty and contagious. Her clothes are ironed to a sharp precision with a pointy crease running down the front of her jean shorts. Her hair is always sassy in a curled pony tail and her lips are tinted a light shade of fuchsia. She is my lead line cook at Honey Café and my friend. I admire her mad skills in the kitchen and I respect her.

Sherry Kay’s Fried Chicken

1 Frying Chicken

¼ c Texas Pete Hot Sauce

3 Tbs. Water

2 Tbs. Salt

1 Tbs. Seasoned Salt

1 Tbs. Pepper

3 ½ c Self-Rising Flour

Oil

Cut chicken into pieces and wash with cold water. Place cleaned chicken in a bowl with Texas Pete, water, salt, seasoned salt, and pepper. Mix with hands until chicken is well coated. Add ½ cup flour. Mix thoroughly until a paste like batter coats pieces of chicken. Place 3 cups flour in a paper grocery sack. Add chicken to the sack and close sack tightly. Shake vigorously until chicken is coated. Deep fry in oil preheated to 325 degrees for 15 minutes. Drain on paper sacks and serve hot.

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Pimento Cheese and Strawberry Balsamic Glaze

When the first hints of emerald, lime, and sage start to peak through the fields and forests of South Georgia my mind begins wandering to my favorite spring activities. I hear the crack of the bat hitting a homerun ball, feel the sun browning my bare toes as I kayak down the Ogeechee, and I smell the sweetness of a batch of strawberry preserves simmering on the stove at my family’s kitchen house. As the gloomy days of winter pass, I know the earth will soon flourish with new life.

Each spring I anticipate the drive down Hwy 17 to Jacob’s Strawberry Farm. The long beds of strawberries glistening in the sun are waiting to be picked by little fingers and grandmothers’ hands alike. My crimson stained hands dripping with the sweet juices of my labor inspire me to create new recipes and remember old favorites.

My love affair with strawberries began when my grandmother and I planted a strawberry pot. The urn shaped terracotta pot was placed at her back door where we routinely checked the plants for the first sign of a white bloom and as the blooms faded, we anxiously awaited signs of our newest berry. It seemed to take months for those green berries studded with tiny seeds to grow pink, then red and ripe for the picking. We enjoyed those berries warm off of the bush or sliced in our favorite cereal. She is gone now and I don’t know what happened to our strawberry pot. I know planting that sweet little pot each spring would evoke fond memories of our days together.

The recipe below is a combination of favorite dishes. The pecan crusted chicken is a throw back to my early career as a chef at Statesboro Brews. We served this popular dish with house made whole grain honey mustard with hints of dill weed. The pimento cheese and strawberries are reminiscent of The Plains Cheese Ring made popular by First Lady Rosalynn Carter. My grandmother served this at Christmas as an appetizer. The addition of the balsamic vinegar adds a nice acidic flavor to the strawberries and helps thicken the sauce as it cooks. Each element of this recipe could stand alone or be added to another dish to create a new recipe!

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Pimento Cheese and Strawberry Balsamic Glaze

Chicken Breast

4 small Chicken Breasts or large Chicken Breasts cut in Half

3 c Crushed Pretzels

2 c Finely Chopped Pecans

2 c House Autry Chicken Breading

2 c Flour

4 Eggs (beaten)

Olive Oil

Mix pretzel crumbs, pecans, and chicken breading together. Dip chicken breast in flour and shake off excess. Dip in beaten egg. Then dip in pretzel pecan mixture. Press the breading firmly around chicken to make sure every piece is coated completely. Continue process until all chicken is coated. Heat oil in skillet and brown chicken on both sides. Place on pan and finish cooking in oven. Cook for approximately 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until internal temperature registers 160 degrees.

Pimento Cheese

1 c White Cheddar Cheese

1 c Mild Cheddar Cheese

4 oz Cream Cheese

1 c Mayo

2 Tbs. Finely Chopped Onion

2 oz Pimento

Mix all ingredients until well blended and refrigerate.

Strawberry Glaze

3 c Finely Chopped Strawberries

¼ c Balsamic Vinegar

¼ c Brown Sugar

Cracked Black Pepper to Taste

Place all ingredients in sauce pan and cook until thickened.

To Assemble:

Once chicken is cooked completely top with pimento cheese and bake 5-10 minutes until cheese starts to melt. Remove chicken from pan and place on serving platter and top with strawberry glaze. Asparagus is a perfect accompaniment for this dish or it can be served atop a bed of greens.

Red Fish Bienville

Every now and then a trip is just what the doctor ordered to cure a tired body and soul. After a hectic wedding season, I ventured some 500 miles west. Catching reds and specks was the name of the game. Redfish, red drum, spot tail, spots, speckled trout, sea trout, paper mouths, and channel bass are all names for sporty little fish that pull like heck at the end of a line. They are pretty good eating too.

My husband, Johnny, my sister, Mary Beth, and I were the last remaining participants of a fishing trip originally planned for eight. We drove the 10-hour trek past New Orleans to Apple Jack fishing camp in Port Sulphur, Louisiana. We navigated through a rough looking trailer park and topped a steep levee to reveal rows of houses on stilts lining a road flanked on either side by water. The waterside community reminded me of my place on the Ogeechee River back in Georgia and I knew I would come to love this fish camp far from home.

Returning home refreshed and recharged I wanted to capture Louisiana in a single recipe. Combining our haul from the fishing trip and a traditional topping for oysters married the flavors to represent the tastes of our trip.

“There’s no such thing as bad food in south Louisiana. It’s on a level with heroin.”- James Lee Burke

Red Fish Bienville

• ½ cup shallots, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, finely minced

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 4 tablespoons flour

• 1 cup chopped mushrooms

• 1 cup chicken broth

• 1 cup half and half

• 1 egg yolk

• 1/3 cup dry white wine

• 1 cup peeled and deveined shrimp, chopped

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 4 red fish filets

• 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 tablespoons butter

• Lemons and Fresh Parsley

PREPARATION

1. Sauté the shallots and garlic in butter and slowly stir over a very low heat until the onions are well cooked, but not brown. Sprinkle with the flour and cook until the flour begins to brown. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken stock and half and half and stir until smooth. Beat the egg yolk into the wine and add to the chicken broth mixture. Season with the salt and pepper, and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes until thickened. You may need to add chicken broth if mixture gets too thick. Add shrimp and cook until just pink.

2. Place red fish in baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Cook filets for 10-15 minutes until just done.

3. Mix Ritz, Parmesan cheese, and melted butter together for topping.

4. Spoon the sauce over each filet and sprinkle with Ritz topping. Return to the oven and bake until Ritz mixture is lightly browned.

5. Garnish with lemon and parsley. Serve with rice or grits.

Stewed Pears with Biscoff Crumble

If you have been wondering what to do with all of those beautiful pears that are wasting away on your trees this is the recipe you have been looking for!!!
If you have never heard of Biscoff then you haven’t tasted heaven in a jar!! Nona Bohannon Farmer introduced me to this yummy goodness and we have been foodie friends ever since! You will love it in your crumble if you don’t devour the whole jar by the spoonful!

Stewed Pears with Biscoff Crumble

6-8 Fresh Pears
2 Lemons
1c Sugar

Crumble:
1 stick Butter
1 1/2 c Self Rising Flour
1 1/2 c Oats
1 c Brown Sugar
1/2 c Biscoff Cookie Butter
Cinnamon and Nutmeg to Taste

Peal, core, and slice pears. Mix pears with juice of two lemons and sugar in a pot and cook over medium heat until pears begin to soften. Do not fully cook pears. Drain juice from pears. Place pears in deep pie dish or 9X13 casserole. 
Melt butter and mix with remaining crumble ingredients. Crumble over the top of pears. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until topping is browned. Serve with Vanilla Icecream.

Sausage, White Cheddar, Pear, and Pecan Tart 🍐 🍐🍐

Lots going on in this rustic pastry!! The tang from the white cheddar, peppery sausage, and a sweet hint of pear make this the perfect breakfast, brunch, or light supper food.

Recipe:
2 Pie Crusts
2 c Pears (pre cooked)
1 lb Fresh Pork Sausage
8 oz White Cheddar
1 c Pecans
12 Eggs
1 c Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

This recipe makes two tarts. Grease tart pan or pie plate. Line with crust. 
Peel, core, and slice pears. Partially cook pears with a little sugar. Cook sausage, crumble, and drain on paper towels. Cut white cheddar into chunks. Beat eggs and milk until combined.
Place pears, sausage, and white cheddar in pie shell. Pour egg mixture over pear mixture and sprinkle pecans over the top. Fold the pie crust over the top to achieve a rustic look. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until eggs are set in the center. Cool for 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

Pear Tarts

Pear Tarts made from what my Daddy affectionately calls “Womp” biscuits are just plain hard to beat. Cheap canned biscuits work best. The kind in the can you “womp” on the counter and they pop open are the star of this recipe. Oh and don’t forget the pears!

5-6 pears
1 c Sugar
Dash Cinnamon
2 10 count cans Biscuits
2 Eggs
3-4 c Oil
1 c Powdered Sugar

Peel, core, and slice pears. Place in a pot with sugar and cinnamon. Cook until tender. Drain pears and cool completely.

While pears are cooling work on your dough.
Open biscuits and place one at a time on floured surface. Flour your rolling pin generously. Roll until biscuits are thin and tripled in size.

Place biscuits between pieces of wax paper until all 20 are thin disks of dough. You may need to refrigerate if the dough becomes too tacky.

Beat eggs with a little water and place to the side.
Place one dough circle on flat surface. Fill with 1 heaping tablespoon of pears. Fold dough over the top of filling to create a half moon shape. Seal the edges of dough with beaten egg. You can use a fork to press edges together or fold edges over and seal with egg mixture.

Fill cast iron skillet 1/2 full with oil. Heat to 325 degrees. Gently place tarts in hot oil. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel. Lightly dust with powdered sugar as soon as they come out of the grease.

Serve warm. Or cold. These are a labor of love but oh how I love them!

Brown Sugar Bacon BLT 🥪 🐝 🥓

Brown Sugar Seasoning
2 lb. Light Brown Sugar
1/4 c. Black Pepper
1/4 c. Chili Powder
1/8 c. Garlic Powder
1/8 c. Season Salt

Mix all ingredients. Store in a cool dry place. A mason jar works great! This recipe makes enough seasoning for 8-10 lbs of bacon.

Brown Sugar Bacon
1 lb Bacon
Brown Sugar Seasoning

Place wire rack in pan lined with foil. Spray rack generously. Place bacon slices on rack. Generously season with brown sugar run. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes until bacon is crisp. Cool completely!

Sandwich Assembly:
Generously apply Dukes Mayonnaise to both sides of bread. Layer lettuce, tomato, brown sugar bacon on bread. Sink your teeth in and enjoy!!
I make extra bacon to enjoy as a snack. Bacon Candy is very popular at Honey Catering events!!

Bet Bet Blog

With each new blog I am reminded of my loved ones and just how big a piece of my heart they hold. They are with me always. The smallest things make me think of them and for that I am thankful. I am a terrible speller and my proficiency at grammar is more than lacking. Spell Check and my mother helped me through many a book report, college paper, business plan, menu, and now this blog, but the one who would enjoy proofing my blog the most left us almost two years ago. She would have relished marking these paragraphs with bold red ink in her cursive script, not out of criticism but out of love for me and the English language.

My grandmother, Betty Strickland Cramer, AKA Bett Bett, will always be one of my favorite people. She was petite in stature; her feet matched her tiny frame. They were the definition of dainty, a size 6 quad. Shoes and jewelry were her weakness. She had the former and the latter to match every outfit. She was prissy and sassy and she made no apologies. She could hold a grudge indefinitely but if she loved you she would fight for you until the end.

She taught English at Jenkins County High School for almost thirty years so at one time or another she taught someone related to every person in Jenkins County. She did not tolerate the word ain’t or unruliness. She was beyond proud of the fact she had paddled several of the JCHS boys’ basketball team. If I had a penny for every time she said I taught his/her father, mother, aunt, uncle, cousin I could retire at the age of 32!

She had a quick wit that wavered on the verge of sarcasm but she was never mean. Her delivery was cool with a hint of indifference. My mother was often the subject of these little “zings” as we called them. These episodes offered us endless entertainment at Mom’s expense. Bett Bett and Mother were closer than close. Not some silly movie screen Mommy, Daughter mush but the real-life kind. My mother practically doted on her, and we all knew their love ran deep.

 Bett Bett was my number one biggest fan. She did not think I was perfect or too precious to receive a reprimand. We were too much alike to never butt heads. A pop on the thigh in the Bi Lo parking lot after our bi-annual dentist appointment is still etched in my memory to prove this fact, but let someone else mess with me….. I would call my mother squalling over one of life’s injustices. She ever played the devil’s advocate and always advised me to “be the bigger person”. I would immediately hang up and speed dial Bett Bett. She would commiserate. She would threaten to call their mother, call the teacher, or write a seething Letter to the Editor to The Millen News to right the wrong. It would be all “their” fault and none of mine.

My family lived 17 miles from town so most afternoons we ended up at Bett Bett’s house, a convenient in-town squatting spot until our next engagement: t-ball, softball, cheerleading, Bible school, church, dance, or just to hang out. Her house was like a second home. We were always welcome, but there were understood limitations to her hospitality. One did not interrupt The Young and the Restless. EVER. If you wanted something to eat other than Lance Peanut Butter Crackers, Raisin Bran, or Crystal Light lemonade you should bring it with you. Plundering was also a no no. Ditto, eating on the carpet. We loved going to Bett Bett’s. She never bothered us and let us watch cable cartoon channels on her 10 inch bedroom TV. That was the life.

Bett Bett was a diehard Braves fan. The kind of rabid fan, who if out of pocket during the actual game, recorded the game on VHS to be watched later. She talked to the TV as if the entire team and coaches were a part of her 9th grade English class at Jenkins County High School. She admonished a missed catch, walk, or bad call and she likewise commended a 3-2-1 double play, a sliding catch in center field, and pick-off by a quick handed pitcher. Our bond was solidified by our love for the Bravos. We tomahawk chopped our way through the 90’s with the passion only an overweight, awkward preteen and a retired widow in her late sixties could muster. We didn’t miss a game, and if we did the next day we discussed in detail the finesse of a great catch made by David Justice, a stand up homer by Chipper Jones, or the spectacle of a Bobby Cox tirade that ultimately got him thrown out of the game. We had our favorites. Greg Maddox was always a topic of conversation. He was our favorite pitcher with his cool demeanor, Clark Kent glasses, and a touch of endearing goofiness. Fred McGriff, the “Crime Dog” was as solid as they come. A commanding presence on first, he always kept us on the edge of our seats waiting for his next homer and it was hard not to love Lemke with his boyish good looks and kind eyes. The Braves 1995 World Series win was the culmination of our years of fandom. It was our time and our moment. After the ultimate win I lost interest and ventured into my teenage years, but every time I flip through the channels and see our boys at bat I can’t help but smile.

Bett Bett’s blog took weeks to write. It’s still not perfect and will never do her unique personality justice. I asked my mother, “How do you sum up Bett Bett in just a few paragraphs?”   Well, you just don’t. I don’t have to try because at the most random moments I think of her. The other day I heard Simon and Garfunkel and I was transported to the back seat of her Cutlass station wagon with the wood grain side paneling belting out Bridge over Troubled Water. Each time I have to wait at Herndon for the train to cross the tracks I hear her say “Trains a camin’” to which I would respond “How you knew?” We would always laugh when she completed our banter with “I heard it blew!” I caught myself chewing gum in church a few Sundays ago and saw her pursed lips because I “looked like an old billy goat chewing his cud”. I cringe every time I hear someone end a sentence with a preposition or perpetuate any other atrocity to the English language. As I walk by the hearth in my living room I catch a glimpse of the little white milking stool I perched on at the foot of her recliner as we shelled peas or pealed peaches. Her cast iron skillet sits seasoned in my cabinet and ready to fry up the prettiest mess of pale white shrimp you can imagine. Her fried shrimp were a treat. The recipe below is a close as I could get!

Bet Bet’s Fried Shrimp

1 lb of Shrimp (peeled and deveined)

1 c Whole Milk

2 Eggs

2 c Plain Flour

1 c Self-Rising Flour

1 Tsp Salt

4-6 cups Wesson Oil

Cast Iron Skillet

Heat oil to 350 degrees in Cast Iron Skillet. You must use a cast iron skillet! These little delicacies just don’t taste the same fried in another vessel, and be sure to use fresh grease. These shrimp are beautiful with the most pale breading.

Beat eggs in a bowl large enough to hold 1 lb of shrimp. Add milk to egg and mix well. Add your shrimp to egg and milk mixture. Make sure all shrimp are coated well.

Mix plain flour, self-rising flour, and salt in a large bowl. Take shrimp out of egg/milk mixture a few at a time and coat with flour. Drop into hot grease and cook until a Very light golden brown.

Serve piping hot with tartar sauce. Bet Bet preferred ketchup much to my Mother’s dismay!