Deep South Dining

The hustle of Thanksgiving is done. Maybe your leftovers are too. If not, guest April McGregor has some ideas for your leftover turkey and are in the mood for gumbo. A favorite of Malcolm's, April talks through her turkey gumbo recipe, and Carol asks about other leftover ideas with cranberry sauce and dressing. Also, the Deep South Dining crystal ball is sharing predictions about the upcoming food trends of 2022.

The countdown to Thanksgiving is winding down and final preparations are happening. Today Malcolm and Java are without their skillet buddy Carol but get a very special call-in guest to help with the show. Also, Malcolm schools Java on the particulars of a wet salad and why adding a little something extra to your traditional Thanksgiving dressing won't hurt. From pillowcase turkeys to macaroni & cheese and everything in between, the table is set for a very thankful Thanksgiving. Let's eat y'all!"The Best Sweet Potato Casserole" courtesy of Bob Yarbrough (Charlottesville, Virginia)All good Southern cooks (and even those not so good) and eaters have a favorite sweet potato casserole recipe. Below is mine and this will mark the 30th consecutive year I’ve baked it for our Thanksgiving celebration. This year I’ll make a half recipe. I’m afraid if we don’t have this dish, I’ll hear from Stacy’s attorney. For those of you who need the fluffy white things on top of your sweet potatoes, I’m sorry. This recipe is marshmallow-free.The recipe is found in a wonderful cookbook given to me as a Christmas gift by my sister and brother-in-law. It’s “A Taste of the South” by Terry Thompson and if I place the book on my kitchen table, it falls open to a sweet-potato, brown-sugar-smeared page 117. A woman named Alma Smith created this recipe. It may be prepared ahead and baked just before serving; it tastes even better the next day. Ms. Smith, I bow down before you in honor. A final note…this recipe is not for the faint of heart and there will be absolutely no attempt made to calculate the caloric and/or fat content therein.Ingredients4 large sweet potatoes (about 3 lbs. total), peeled, cooked and hot1 cup unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature (set the butter out overnight)1 cup sugar4 eggs2/3 cup evaporated milk2 teaspoons vanilla extractTopping2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar2/3 to 1 cup unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature (same thing, overnight)2/3 cup all-purpose flour2 cups chopped pecansDirectionsPreheat oven to 375F (190C).Lightly butter a deep-sided 13” x 9” baking dish; set aside.In a large bowl, mash hot potatoes thoroughly. (There are no instructions in the book on how to arrive at the hot sweet potato stage. I always bake the sweet potatoes. Just rub them down in oil, slap on a foil-lined cookie sheet and throw in a hot oven until the caramel starts oozing out. Maybe 400F for 45 minutes or so. I have heard tell of others achieving satisfactory results from peeling and boiling the potatoes.)Add butter or margarine (I have never used margarine, by the way, so I can’t testify whether it makes the recipe better, but given the option, butter damn near always trumps margarine in my kitchen), sugar, eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until blended and smooth (3 to 4 minutes).Spoon mixture into buttered baking dish.To Prepare ToppingIn a bowl, beat together brown sugar, butter or margarine and flour until smooth and fluffy. Fold in pecans. The original recipe calls for 2/3 of a cup of butter, but I’ve found that the whole cup works as well. What the hell, it’s Thanksgiving!Spread over potato mixture (spread isn’t exactly the best descriptor of how to get the topping on the potatoes; you have to glop and very lightly attempt to spread it on in small forkfuls. Distribute the mixture as best you can, secure in the knowledge that the topping melts together to cover any exposed potatoes.).Bake in preheated oven until set and lightly browned on top (about 35 minutes or so). Then let it cool for a bit. This puppy gets all kinds of hot.

"A New Take on Cake" is Anne Byrn's latest cookbook and is a modern update to her bestseller "The Cake Mix Doctor". Before her book tour comes to Mississippi she joins Deep South Dining to talk with Malcolm and Carol about why she returned to the subject of cake mix baking after over 20 years and several other cookbooks later. Also during the show, Malcolm is given some well-deserved flowers and Carol continues with tips to help manage the countdown to Thanksgiving. Let's eat y'all!

Stress during the holiday season is unavoidable but the way we deal with that stress is what gives us the strength to carry on. As Dr. Buttross states during this episode of Deep South Dining, sometimes looking for stress relief activities in the kitchen can yield some pretty delicious results. Today Malcolm and Carol continue the countdown to Thanksgiving and get some tips for dealing with holiday stress from Southern Remedy: Relatively Speaking host, Dr. Susan Buttross. Also, Malcolm shares what happened during a recent trip to Virginia, which included several states, classic barbeque, and Armenian dishes. Let's eat y'all!

The month of November starting on a Monday seems pretty charmed, as it setups the rest of the month to be all about the business of the holiday season. The countdown to Thanksgiving has begun and there are plenty of items to check off to ensure success. Also remember to give yourself plenty of grace during the holiday season and maybe a pumpkin spice latte, if that is your thing. Special guest host, Joe Sherman fills in for Malcolm White and (for a time) converts Carol Puckett into a partaker of pumpkin spice. Also during the show, we hear from one of the top Cooking and Coping posters, Tim Pierce about how he achieves such beautiful food photos. Let's eat y'all!Tim Pierce’s Mom’s Chicken and DressingChicken & Chicken Stock Ingredients1 whole chicken (Mom preferred a 5-7 pound hen)1 12” iron skillet of cornbread (about 12 cups)6 slices of stale bread, buns or biscuits (Mom kept leftover bread in the freezer just for dressing)1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped, not sautéed4 celery ribs, finely chopped,not sautéed (Mom didn’t use celery but I like it)Sage and Black Pepper (Mom did it to her taste. If Dad was home he added more which she always said, ”Daddy you’re gonna ruin the dressing”).6 +/- cups chicken broth, enough to make the dressing moist but not soupyCooked chicken breast, wing, thigh and leg, (or your favorite pieces) ,rough chopped (no skin)Chicken & Chicken Stock DirectionsPlace whole chicken and giblets in a heavy stockpot. Cover with water and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and gently simmer at least 2 hours, preferably 4. Mom did not add aromatics or herbs. (After removing the meat from the bones she did add vegetables to the bones and skin to make broth for chicken soup or chicken and dumplings).Cornbread Ingredients3 cups self-rising white cornmeal¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons bacon grease1 cup full-fat buttermilk1 cup whole milk4 eggs (Add more if you like. Mom put eggs in the cornbread, not raw eggs in the dressing)Cornbread DirectionsPreheat oven to 425°. Add bacon grease to a 12” black iron skillet and heat skillet in the oven while you’re mixing the batter.Thoroughly mix the remaining ingredients. Remove the skillet from the oven and add the hot bacon grease into the mixture leaving 2 tablespoons of grease in the skillet. Stir to combine quickly. Then pour the mixture into the hot skillet so you hear the sizzle. Return the skillet to the oven and bake 20 minutes until golden brown.For AssemblyMom used a large stainless steel mixing bowl, as do I. Crumble the cornbread into the bowl and add the bread torn into small pieces. Add in remaining ingredients until thoroughly combined. Mom used her hands and made sure there were no large pieces of bread. She was always afraid the finished product would be dry. Again, make sure it’s really moist but not soupy.Pour into 9 x 13 dish (or bigger). This makes a lot of dressing and freezes well or shares well. Bake on 350° for one hour or until golden browned. Do not overbake. You should be able to scoop it to serve; not cut it in squares.*** The dressing is equally as good meatless.

On this edition of Deep South Dining Malcolm White's skillet buddy, carol Puckett is back from her international travels. With more than one story to tell, Carol shares the details of her trips and the international delights she was able to bring back to Mississippi. Also, the pair talk about several fig-related dishes and reflect on their love of a delicious condiment. Later in the show bring the scary talking about haunted restaurants in Mississippi. Let's eat yall!Fig Relish RecipeAdapted by Julia Reed from "Jeremiah Tower's New American Classics"Ingredients: 1 medium red onion, finely chopped ( 1/2 cup)8 large fresh ripe Mission figs, finely chopped (or about 20 Celestes)1 to 2 fresh Serrano chilies, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped½ cup fresh mint leaves¼ cup fresh lime juice1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepperPreparation:Soak the onion in ice water for 10 minutes, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Combine the onion and figs and half the chilies in a bowl.Blanch mint leaves in boiling water for 1 minute. Cool in ice water, drain, squeeze dry and finely chop. Add to the fig mixture. Add lime juice, salt and pepper. Stir well and taste. Add as much of the remaining chili as desired. Let sit for 1 hour so flavors can develop.

In this edition of Deep South Dining, Malcolm and Carol have a few questions on their mind. Is pizza making as popular as the Wall Street Journal says it is? How do you get your hushpuppies soft and spongy? What are savory hand pies, actually empanadas? These are not all the questions tackled during this hour of delicious inquiries, they also speak with Cooking & Coping standout Bob Yarbrough and a host of very appreciative listeners. Let's eat ya'll!

The 162nd Mississippi State Fair starts October 6th and to usher in this once-a-year buffet of food and fun we welcome the Department of Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gibson. Commissioner Gibson talks with Malcolm about fair food and the famous biscuit booth. He even shares the recipe live on-air. Since the 70's the Mississippi State Fair biscuit booth has given away tasty biscuits to hundreds of thousands of fairgoers, many of who make it a family tradtion. Then we welcome Jessie Zenor from Greenhouse on Porter who's biscuit business has built a true family-like following.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 it into a square about an inch thick. Cut into 9 pieces.Place biscuits on a parchment-lined pan and bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.Serve with any topping you can dream up!

There are a few things that come to mind when people speak of southern charm and red velvet cake should definitely be one of them. At the top of this edition of Deep South Dining, Malcolm and Carol take a dive into the history of red velvet cake and even spend a few minutes tasting a chess pie that you can prepare at home. Just follow the recipe below. Also from just up the road in Tennessee, cookbook author and CEO of the Belle Meade Winery, Sheree Rose Kelley talks about her life in food and love of family recipes.Pumpkin Chess PieIngredients 1 stick butter1 Tablespoon flour2 eggs½ tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice¼ tsp salt1 ½ cups pumpkin (cooked or canned)3 Tablespoons bourbon or water1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell DirectionsHeat oven to 425 degrees.Cream the butter, sugar and flour.Beat in eggs.Stir in spices and salt. Mix well.Add pumpkin and bourbon.The mixture will have a “curdled” appearance.Pour into an unbaked pie shell.Bake at 425° for 15 minutes, then 350° for 40 minutes.Cool and serve.(Freezes well.)