Southern Dishes

Some of the best recipes are found in family, church, Junior League and regional cookbooks. Here are some favorite recipes from local cookbooks featured in 1986.

“People outside the Southern states are drawn to Southernness and Southern cooking, too. They want recipes from the South. They know that if they have a Southern dish, they've got something good,” said Bevelyn Blair, author of Meet Me in the Kitchen.
Here are two recipes from the book.

Graham cracker cream pie
Crust:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (reserve 3 tablespoons for meringue)
1/3 cup butter, melted
Filling:
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 cup water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Meringue:
3 large egg whites
Dash salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
To make crust: Combine all crust ingredients, except reserved crumbs. Press firmly on bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees about 8 minutes. Cool.
To make filling: Combine egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in top of double boiler. Blend well. Gradually add milk, water and vanilla. Cook over boiling water, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to thicken. If lumps begin to form, beat vigorously and they will disappear. Spoon into cooled crust.
To make meringue: Beat egg whites, salt and cream of tartar until whites are frothy. Gradually add the sugar until mixture is stiff and shiny.
Top pie with meringue and sprinkle reserved crumbs over the meringue. Place in a 350-degree oven about 5 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Cool. Cut and serve.

Broccoli-cheese dip
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 10-ounce package frozen broccoli, cooked and drained
2 cans (10 3/4-ounces each) cream of mushroom soup
1 8-ounce package garlic cheese
Saute onion, celery and mushrooms in the butter until tender. Cook and drain broccoli thoroughly. Combine the first mixture with the broccoli and soup in top of double boiler. Add cheese and cook until the cheese is melted.
Transfer to a chafing dish when ready to serve.

Monterey’s Cedar Creek Community School published a cookbook in 1986 as a fund-raising project. To make sure the community was represented, the committee members contacted almost everyone in the small town, asking for recipes. They canvassed neighborhoods to get recipes and put boxes at the general stores and the bank and advertised so everyone who wanted could submit recipes.
Here are two recipes from the book.

Chili bean spoonbread
1/2 pound dried beans
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1 onion, chopped
Oil
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 jalapeno pepper
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Salt, to taste
Topping:
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cornmeal
4 tablespoons oil or butter
4 eggs
Soak beans in water overnight or about 8 hours. Add bay leaf and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until done. Add more water if necessary. Cut up 1 medium onion and saute in oil. Add tomatoes, 1/2 jalapeno pepper, garlic, cumin, chili powder, parsley and salt to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes. Combine milk and salt in saucepan. Heat to almost boiling and add cornmeal gradually, stirring constantly. When mixture has thickened, remove from heat. Stir in oil and eggs.
Turn bean and tomato mixture into greased skillet or 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Cover with cornmeal mixture. Bake in 350-degree oven for 30 minutes until firm and golden.

Greek stewed vegetables
3/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
12 to 16 tiny whole onions
6 carrots, chopped
4 potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 eggplants, cut in large chunks, unpeeled
1 teaspoon flour
1 tablespoon dried dillweed
1 tablespoon mint
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt and pepper
Use a very large skillet. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until very tender. Add all the vegetables to the hot oil and stir for several minutes, until the potatoes brown. Add the flour, dill and mint and stir well. Squeeze in the juice of two lemons, add some salt and pepper and enough hot water to cover vegetables. Cover the skillet. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.

In 1986, Marie Jackson wrote Meditations & Menus, which was filled with recipes from many University of Kentucky basketball stars such as Mike Casey, Rick Robey, Jack Givens, Kyle Macy and Jim LeMaster.

Marie Jackson and her husband, Dr. V.A. “Doc” Jackson, served as houseparents for the UK basketball team and lived at the Wildcat Lodge for four years. Jackson served as team physician for 17 years.
While living at Wildcat Lodge, Marie Jackson got the idea for a cookbook. “We had a cook at the house who prepared breakfast for the team. I noticed everybody ate a different thing," said Jackson, who thought compiling recipes from each of the athletes who had such varied tastes would make an interesting cookbook.

Here are two recipes from the book.
The recipe for shrimp chow-han is from Japanese basketball coach Mototaka Kohama, who came to Kentucky to study coaching with Coach Joe B. Hall.

Shrimp chow-han
Cook enough rice for 4 people. The rice should be somewhat dry. Leave open to cool. Wash and drain 3/4 pound of small shrimp. Pour 2 tablespoons sake and 1/2 teaspoon salt over the shrimp. Cover and heat on high just enough to steam. Beat 4 eggs. Add a dash of pepper. Cook these in 3 tablespoons of salad oil. Cook over high heat while beating. Then set aside.
Pour 1 tablespoon salad oil in a wok. Fry the cool rice until it separates. Then add 1/2 teaspoon salt, dash of pepper and dash of Accent. Stir in green onions, the steamed shrimp and the scrambled eggs. Fry together. Combine 1 tablespoon of sake and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Pour this mixture around the edge of the wok so that it will run under the fried rice and steam it. The key is to fry it on high heat.

This cream of Bluegrass pie is from Cotton Nash, who was a senior basketball player at UK in 1964.

Cream of Bluegrass pie
1 9-inch pie shell, unbaked
1/2 cup melted red currant jelly
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
Cream filling:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon vanilla, lemon or orange extract
Bake and cool pie crust shell. Add 1/2 tablespoon hot water to the jelly; stir with a fork or small whisk and melt in a double boiler. Add the blueberries. Set aside to cool.
To make cream filling: Scald 1 cup milk in a double boiler. In a small bowl mix together flour, granulated sugar, salt and egg. Stir in 1/4 cup of the hot milk. Then return it to the double boiler and cook and stir until the mixture thickens. Continue to cook 5 minutes longer. Cool covered; add vanilla, lemon or orange extract.
Pour cream filling into pie crust. Spread the blueberry mixture over the cream filling. Chill and serve the day it is made.
Note: Cool the custard and the blueberry mixtures before pouring into the crust, as it prevents sweating and keeps them from separating when the pie is cut.

In 1986, retired minister W.B. Casey and his wife, Lucy, of Lancaster, published Sermons and Servings and Romans and Recipes to give as gifts. Casey served as pastor of Baptist churches in Central and Western Kentucky and in Miami. After retiring from Boones Creek Baptist Church, the Caseys served as Mission Volunteers to the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. They served a year in Zambia, South Africa.
Here are two recipes from Sermons and Servings:

Spiced orange pot roast
4 to 5 pound beef chuck roast
1 tablespoon butter or oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups orange sections with juice
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
Dash pepper
Brown meat slowly on both sides in hot butter or oil. Add onion and garlic. Cover and cook 20 minutes. Pour tomato sauce, orange sections, honey and grated rind over meat. Sprinkle with salt, spices and pepper. Cover and cook slowly until meat is tender, about 2 hours longer. Transfer to heated serving platter. Garnish, if desired, with orange slices and wedges, watercress or parsley.

Chicken casserole supreme
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 pound butter
8 slices toasted sandwich bread, crust removed
4 cups diced, cooked chicken
1 can (6 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and sliced
1 jar (2 ounces) pimento, drained and chopped
1/2 pound Old English cheese slices
4 eggs, well beaten
1 cup milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup buttered bread crumbs
Saute mushrooms in butter; set aside. Arrange toast in a 13-by-9-by-2-inch pan, top with mushrooms, chicken, water chestnuts and pimento. Cover with cheese. Blend eggs, milk and soups. Pour over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Top with bread crumbs and bake 15 minutes longer. Makes 12 servings.

Marenza’s Italian Kitchen, written by Enza Morris of Lexington and Maria Poff of Louisville, is filled with recipes from their mother, Virginia Maresca.
Maresca learned to cook from her mother and grandmother in Naples, Italy. She cooked in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s at the family’s restaurant, Anna and Pierre by the Marescas at Herrington Lake and at Guiseppa’s Villa in the old Congress Inn on North Broadway.
Here are two of Maresca’s recipes.

Stuffed eggplant
2 medium eggplants
1 pound Italian sausage
2 firm tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
Dash garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh basil
Grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
Bake eggplant in 350-degree oven until soft, about 35 minutes. Cool. Brown sausage in frying pan. Add small amount of water. Steam 15 minutes. Cut into bite-size pieces. Halve eggplant. Scoop out pulp. Break into bite-size pieces. Add sausage and remaining ingredients except cheese. Mix well and pile into shell. Sprinkle liberally with cheese. Place leftover filling in casserole. Bake eggplant in casserole for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Decorate with mozzarella strips. Makes 4 servings.

Polpettone
(Stuffed meat loaf)
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 parsley sprigs, minced
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
Olive oil for frying
Mix all ingredients, excluding mozzarella and oil, in a large bowl. Divide mixture in four equal parts. Flatten each part to form two bottoms and two tops for two loaves. On each of the bottom parts, place the sliced mozzarella and cover with the top parts, sealing all sides so that the mozzarella will not seep out when it melts during cooking.
Heat oil in skillet large enough to accommodate both loaves, and cook slowly until brown. Turn over and brown other side. About 1 hour cooking time.
Note: Can be served with tomato sauce and slices of mozzarella. This meat loaf can also be baked.