Deep South Dining

The holidays are here and today Malcolm and Carol are taking a look back at some of their favorite moments of 2020 so far. There is still a month to go but this year has been full of great guest and callers. From bacon to banana peppers and cookbooks to tailgates this show covers just a sampling of all the great moments that have been heard on Deep South Dining. Show LinksBenton BaconStafford ShurdenLarrison Campbell - Vanity Fair Article

In less than two weeks Thanksgiving 2020 will be among us. Set to be different, like most everything this year, Malcolm and Carol share their thoughts about the perfect Thanksgiving plate. Does it include white meat or dark meat? How about canned cranberry sauce? And don't forget about the always debatable list of best Thanksgiving side dishes. With a few funny Thanksgiving memories from listeners to round out the show, this episode is full of thanks and great recipes for all.Sweet Potato Casserole(Cotton Country Collection, Monroe, Louisiana)Casserole Ingredients3 cups sweet potatoes (about 4 good-sized ones)1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup butter2 eggs, beaten1 teaspoon vanilla1/3 cup milkTopping Ingredients1/3 cup melted butter1 cup light brown sugar1/2 cup flour1 cup chopped pecansDirectionsCasserole: Boil and mash potatoes.Mix in sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and milk.Put in 13 x 9 inch baking dish.Topping: Melt butter and mix in remaining ingredients.Sprinkle on top of potato mixture.Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.Serves 10-12

Okra is a great southern delicacy, but is also one of the most misunderstood vegetables around. These two views of okra caused author Chris Smith to write the book, The Whole Okra: A Seed to Stem Celebration. After a 2006 trip to the US from his native land of England, Chris was fascinated with this wonder plant that often gets reduced to being fried or stewed, but is capable of so much more. Malcolm and Carol chat with Chris about his okra journey and also get a history lesson about the beloved Fighting Okra of Delta State University (Cleveland, MS) from archivist Emily Jones.Okra Fires (Recipe by Vivian Howard as found in The Whole Okra: A Seed to Stem Celebration by Chris Smith)Ingredients1 pound okra (453g; 20-25pods), split or quartered lengthwise2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil2 teaspoons ground coriander1 teaspoon salt10 turns of the pepper mill or 1/4 teaspoon black pepperInstructionsHeat oven to 400 degrees.In a medium bowl, toss the okra with the olive oil, coriander, salt and pepper.Spread the okra onto your largest baking pan, or two pans if necessary. What's important is that the okra have plenty of room to spread out. If they are piled on top of each other, they will steam, not roast.Slide the pan onto the middle rack of the preheated oven. After 10 minutes, toss the okra gently with a spatula and rotate your pans if you are using two. Cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes.When okra is done, it will be brown and crispy in a lot of places but shouldn’t smell burnt. Serve warm or at room temperature as a snack.

On the eve of the general election Malcom and Carol look back at some of the past presidents favorite meals. Think you can guess which former president was a fan of pigs feet? They also revisit a 2018 interview from author Adrian Miller where he talked about his book, The President's Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas. Then later in the show weigh in on some recent "debates" that have popped up on the Cook and Coping Facebook group. Let's eat y'all!

Deep South Dining is all about the culture of southern flavor. Defined by dishes like grits, catfish, and fried chicken many people would not place cheesecake among the greats of southern culinary heritage. Pastry chef Shaun Davis of Cotton Blues Kitchen & Marketplace is trying to change that with his cheesecakes that are Mississippi inspired and New York Approved. He joins the show and talks about the latest with the Cotton Blues Cheesecake but not before Malcolm and Carol go down the pumpkin spice rabbit hole.Show Links Cotton Blues Kitchen and MarketplaceGoldbelly.comCulinary School HacksCandy Corn Cookies (Courtesy of Fresh Tastes)Ingredients2 sticks butter, softened1.5 cups powdered sugar1 tbsp vanilla extract1 egg½ tsp baking soda½ tsp salt3 cups flourred food coloringyellow food coloringDirectionsCream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to beat until incorporated.In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to the butter sugar mixture and mix until a soft dough just forms.Remove dough from mixer bowl and separate into three equal pieces (use a food scale to weigh each piece if you want to be exact!). Mix together a little bit of red and yellow food coloring to make orange and then add the orange coloring to one of the dough pieces. Make another dough piece yellow and leave the third plain.Place a piece of plastic wrap or tin foil inside a loaf pan and pat down the white dough inside. Place the orange dough on top (pat down firmly) followed by the yellow dough. Remove dough from pan, wrap up in either tin foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least four hours.When you are ready to bake your cookies, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut 1/4th inch slices down the width of the dough. Continue cutting each slice into small triangles.Place triangles on a lined baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes until tops are puffy and bottoms are golden.Yield: 5 dozen tiny cookies

For this special "Drive Time" edition of Deep South Dining Malcolm and Carol share the details of their Fine Tuning magazine cover shoot and respond to listener emails. To show your support for Deep South Dining and MPB Think Radio visit our website, MPBonline.org or call 1-888-372-4483.

Chef Nick Wallace is one of our favorite guest here on Deep South Dining. Not only does his Mississippi roots shine in the food he prepares but his genuine caring for people can be summed up as true southern hospitality. Today Malcolm and Carol catch up with Nick about his latest partnerships with Dole and Nova Nordik that keep uplifting his mission of access to healthy meals for children and families. Also they talk about his latest restaurant endeavours in Natchez and how the pandemic really took a toll on his mental health. But before the conversation with Nick Wallace, Carol brings you into her kitchen where she and Malcolm prepared a special lunch for the Mississippi Arts Commission virtual conference.Show LinksArts Now - State Arts Conference- Lunch with Carol Puckett and Malcolm WhiteNIck Wallace Culinary PECORINO CHEESE ENCRUSTED CATFISH (from NickWallaceCulinary.com)INGREDIENTS 4-pound catfish fillets 1 cup Panko bread crumbs 2 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano and basil 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon coarse or ground black pepper 2 large eggs beaten 1/4 cup whole milk Nonstick Spray INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grab a shallow pan, sheet pan Coat the inside of the baking pan with nonstick pan spray. In a pie pan or shallow dish, mix the breadcrumbs, cheese, spices, salt and pepper; set it aside. In another pan or dish, combine the egg and the milk. Dip each fish fillet in the milk mixture. Coat each fish in the crumb mixture on both sides. Arrange the fillets in one layer in the baking pan. Bake them for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork, or the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 145°F with a food thermometer.

On this edition of Deep South Dining Malcolm and Carol spend some time with our friends on the Mississippi coast. Jessie Zenor from the Greenhouse on Porter joins the show to talk about their simple yet interesting approach to biscuit making and why opening a second location during the pandemic was not the smartest thing to do. Also food writer and photographer Julian Brunt calls in to talk about the always tasty coastal food scene and the impressive amount of restaurants opening up during these uncertain times.Greenhouse on Porter Biscuit RecipeIngredients:2 cups all purpose flour1 tbsp baking powder¾ tsp salt½ tsp black pepper1 stick cold butter1 cup full fat buttermilkDirections:Preheat oven to 425 degrees.In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt & pepper.Chop cold stick of butter into half inch cubes. Using your fingers, squish the butter into the flour mixture until the largest pieces are about the size of peas.Stir in the buttermilk, mixing only until the dough comes together, careful to not overwork the biscuit dough.Dump the dough onto a floured surface and roughly shape into a square about an inch thick. Cut into 9 pieces.Place biscuits on a parchment lined pan and bake about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.Serve with any topping you can dream up!

Football is back in Mississippi, but the pregame ritual of tailgating will be everything but traditional this year. Yet the one constant is that a good game deserves good food. Oxford based chef John Currence wants to make sure your home tailgate this year is just as delicious and festive with his latest cookbook, Tailgreat: How To Crush It At Tailgating. He joins the show and talks about how he never experienced tailgating in his hometown of New Orleans, the evolution of the Grove, and how he has managed during the COVID pandemic. Also Carol celebrated Malcolm on his retirement from the Mississippi Arts Commision.Alabama Firecrackers and Fried Chicken Salad(from Tailgreat: How To Crush It At Tailgating by John Currence)ALABAMA FIRECRACKERSIngredients ¼ cup olive oil¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil*1½ tsp. garlic powder1 tsp. onion powder1 tsp. MSG, such as Accent1 tsp. cayenne pepper2 tbsp. red pepper flakes1 tbsp. lemon pepper2 (1-oz.) packages buttermilk ranch dressing powder1 (1-lb.) box saltine-like (aka soda) crackers*For more spice, substitute 1 to 2 tbsp. chili oil instead of olive oilDirectionsIn a 2-gallon freezer bag, combine the olive oils, garlic powder, onion powder, MSG, cayenne, red pepper flakes, lemon pepper, and ranch dressing powder. Seal the top and shake gently but thoroughly to combine well. Add the crackers to the bag and mix until the crackers are evenly dressed. Allow the bag to sit in the refrigerator overnight before finishing the crackers.Preheat oven to 275°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.Remove the crackers from the bag and lay them out in a single layer on the prepared sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Store, refrigerated, in zip-top bags for up to 3 weeks.FRIED CHICKEN SALADIngredients1½ cups mayonnaise, preferably Blue Plate½ cup buttermilk2 tbsp. hot sauce, preferably Crystal1 cup minced celery¾ cup grated sweet yellow onion1 tbsp. red pepper flakes2½ tsp. salt1½ tbsp. black pepper7 cups finely diced leftover fried chicken, including the skin and fried bitsDirectionsIn a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, hot sauce, celery, onion, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper, stirring to blend well. Add in the chicken and stir until fully coated. Refrigerate overnight. Serve cold with the Alabama firecrackers.