Since moving to the DEEP SOUTH, I’ve learned a whole new world of acceptable cuisine. Those of you who watch Paula Deen on Food Network get a small glimpse of the Southern palate, however, there’s so much she doesn’t divulge.
Sure butter, sour cream, and bacon are staples. So is SWEET tea. Or in my opinion, syrup with a little tea juice mixed in. When I first moved South, I was confused when the server at a restaurant would ask “sweetened or unsweetened”? This is one Southern staple that I haven’t been able to adopt.
Did you know that it’s acceptable and encouraged to put mayonnaise on fruit? Apparently, banana and mayo sandwiches are scrumptious delicacies. Okay. And mayo on pears with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese is considered edible. In all fairness, I haven’t tried either, so I’m not saying these fruit and mayo combinations are a bad thing.
Another thing that I haven’t tried, but is truly Southern, is tomato gravy. If I knew more about it, I’d describe it for you. All I know is that it is some sort of “tomato” and “gravy” concoction. I guess you put it on grits or biscuits. Everyone says it’s delicious and that I MUST try it before saying it’s gross. Anyone want to invite me over for breakfast?!
Even before moving South, I loved chicken salad. However, Southern cooks are very particular about how one goes about preparing chicken salad. It MUST be made with ONLY white meat. Many people are mayo snobs and will only use Hellman’s or they’ll only use Duke’s. Each person’s recipe is sacred and seldom shared.
I have fallen in love with several true Southern dishes. Collards, or any greens for that matter, are so delicious! I have no clue as to how to prepare these, so I usually just order this as my side item when we go out to eat.
Grits. Oh how I love me some grits. They’re delicious at breakfast with butter. They’re even better with lunch or dinner, smothered in cheese.
Po-Boys. The greatest sandwich ever invented. I like both shrimp and soft-shell crab po-boys with lots of cocktail sauce and a little bit of tarter sauce.
Crawfish/Mudbugs/Crayfish. Suck the heads!!! If you’d have told me that I’d ever eat these odd, red, hard, smelly crustaceans, I’d have told you that you were NUTS. Then I tried one. And another, and another, and another. Sure I was left with a terrible stomach ache due to all the spice, but it was well worth it!
I love eating. And not just because I’m pregnant, although I do especially love eating right now. So what are the regional specialties where you live? Please share. You can even send me recipes if you want. And to my Southern friends, what did I forget?
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I love Paula Dean! Her food isn’t the best for those trying to eat a little healthier though!
Ahh I love sweet tea. =) Crawfish huh? Not gonna try it..you’re more of a woman than I am for trying that one.
I grew up in Houston and Mexican food is huge. Well, Tex - Mex is huge, I should say.
No regional food here unfortunately…except for the Jamaaican Jerk Chicken at The Jerk House. YUMM!
Fun post!
By Lene on 04.19.07 1:11 pm | Permalink
You are making me hungry! My mom grew up in GA so we enjoyed lots of southern food growing up.
By Kara on 04.19.07 1:13 pm | Permalink
You know Paula is coming to our neck of the woods next month? I would SO lurve to go meet her, but can’t quite find anyone willing to pay the $65 dollars to go hear her speak.
Oh… and passing on the sweet tea? Shame, shame!!!
By Jen on 04.19.07 1:24 pm | Permalink
Up here, it’s of course clam chowdah and lobstah! Can you hear my belly growling?
By In the Trenches of Mommyhood on 04.19.07 1:40 pm | Permalink
And I thought Texas cuisine was, um, different…..
I do luv me some Fried Green Tomatoes! Yum!
By Dana on 04.19.07 3:07 pm | Permalink
I love grits too - and weight watchers likes ‘em!
By Oh, The Joys on 04.19.07 3:15 pm | Permalink
I am originally from the Atlanta area- southern to the core! I LOVE banana and DUKES mayo sandwiches! (Also good- pineapple and Dukes)-
Pear with Dukes and cheddar are heavenly!
Great- now I’m craving it! No- I’m ne pregnant!
By Toni on 04.19.07 3:19 pm | Permalink
How dare you forget fried okra! And you haven’t lived until you’ve tried fried dill pickles!! Yummmmmmmm.
By Suburban Oblivion on 04.19.07 3:20 pm | Permalink
Sara, I do love Fried Okra and pickles, too. I guess I didn’t think of those as being southern since I had them prior to moving here!
Actually, I love anything fried.
By Jennifer on 04.19.07 3:29 pm | Permalink
I’m southern to the core but I’ve never tried, or heard of tomato gravy. There is something other than brown or giblet gravy?
Try the pear salad. Yummy!
Don’t forget the Tomato and Hellmans sandwiches too. Try them!
By Heather on 04.19.07 3:32 pm | Permalink
I never figured out the whole mayo-on-whatever thing. I’m pretty sure that didn’t come from my part of the South.
By Aaron on 04.19.07 3:45 pm | Permalink
It’s not even 10am and now I’m starving for seafood?? That never happens. Must find food..
By brandy on 04.19.07 3:50 pm | Permalink
Warning: this is a long comment, as I am a born and raised Southern girl who knows her way around the buffet!
Sweet tea is something we grow up on, but it is a waste of Weight Watchers points…I’d rather add a shot of booze to my diet coke. Occasionally, there is a Southern family dinner that just calls for nothing else, though.
The whole mayo on fruit thing? That’s just a voilation of one of my many rules of food. The pear with mayo & cheese makes me nauseous. I don’t do bananas, either.
Tomato gravy is FINE! There will be a huge vat of tomato gravy in heaven! I’ve had two varieties…the one I grew up with was a standard white gravy with canned tomato juice added to the recipe. One I’ve grown to love is served at a girls’ Christmas brunch I go to each year (how Southern of me!) It’s got smoked sausage, bacon, tomatoes, and other yummy stuff all marinated together.
Chicken salad is sacred. How funny that I almost did a post about that when I made some earlier in the week–grapes, almonds or pecans, celery, and Hellman’s, baby!
Don’t do greens–was forced to try them as a kid. Enough said.
Grits–well, duh! It’s the name of my blog!!!! I never tried them until I went to college, though. Drunk at Waffle House about 2 a.m. they looked pretty good on my boyfriend’s plate. I married him. Funny thing is, he has two Yankee parents!
Po-Boy=excellent, Crawfish=excellent, Crawfish Po-Boy=even better!
I am a tomato whore, (and a tomato snob) so I add to the list–tomato (vine ripe, homegrown, please!) sandwich on white bread with Hellman’s mayo
and my all time favorite:
FRIED GREEN TOMATOES!!!!
By Southern Fried Mom on 04.19.07 4:15 pm | Permalink
I love love love my mom’s buttermilk biscuits and tomato gravy! I’ve been know to make it at home… but I’m the only one that will eat it. Mike and the girls look at me like I’m crazy.
By Melanie on 04.19.07 4:25 pm | Permalink
hummm crawfish are yummy but no sucking the heads here, I just can’t do it! I will be the outcast at the crawfish broil I am going to this weekend.
I had never had fried pickles until moving here either and they are wonderful!
But no grits or collards here. Sorry I guess I will never be southern!
By Tollett girls on 04.19.07 5:08 pm | Permalink
Mmmm…sweet tea. Dr. Pepper, however is also a southern version of sweet tea, I’m told. So have you had some frito pie yet? And how’s your chicken fried steak? I haven’t had chicken fried steak in forever.
Now Idaho sucks. I’m hungry.
By Kristi on 04.19.07 6:11 pm | Permalink
Ok, being a thick old English person I have no idea what grits or Po-Boys are - can someone explain!
By Suburban Mum on 04.19.07 8:02 pm | Permalink
How did you get the side bar “these blogs are my crack”? I’d love to have something like this on the side of my page. I love how it shows the title of the blog entry and the name. Thanks!
-SM
By Smiling Mom on 04.19.07 8:20 pm | Permalink
mmmm you made me hungry lady! all sounds so good.
um, except for the mayo combos. yuck.
By brookem on 04.19.07 8:28 pm | Permalink
Suburban Mum…Grits are made from corn, I’d compare it to polenta.
And po-boys are sandwiches on rolls with fried seafood, lettuce, tomato, and sometimes spicy peppers. DELICIOUS!
RE: Fried Green Tomatoes…oh yes! I love those, too!
By Jennifer on 04.19.07 9:25 pm | Permalink
So it’s Hellman’s or Duke’s mayo down south, no Kraft, huh? I make the same chicken salad recipe as Southern Fried Mom but apparently I’ve been using the wrong mayo all this time.
Maryland is known for crabs and crab cakes.
By tulipmom on 04.20.07 2:52 am | Permalink
Anything with Avocado. I’m from California, what do you expect??
By Smiling Mom on 04.20.07 3:51 am | Permalink
Mmmm…Alabama BBQ is THE best! Pulled pork with some spicy barbecue sauce on it, sheer heaven! You must have sweet tea with bbq. Also, good fried chicken. Fried green tomatoes. Biscuits and gravy. And yes, crawfish are delicious. All the yummy southern desserts, too.
On the way to the beach one fall, we stopped at a place recommended to us in Andalusia. We were so stuffed that the remaining drive was almost miserable!
By Kathy on 04.20.07 4:32 am | Permalink
Paula Deen is my hero. I want to be Paula when I grow up!
And I LOVE me some sweet tea! I don’t know what I’m going to do when we move to California and every restaurant we go to doesn’t have the option of having half a cup of sugar in each glass of tea!
By Kim on 04.20.07 12:21 pm | Permalink
Now i am soooo hungry–thanks! First,i am a mutt w/ a SC dad and a Pittsburgh mom,born in S.FL married to a FL/VA man–so i consider myself “southern”. We do Peanutbutter/banana/mayo sandwich(i think this is an Elvis thing but it’s good)and tomato/mayo too! Here in S.FL the gator-tail is great and lots of seafood (fried catfish yummy too)and BBQ (which seems more often tomato-based although i love mustard base).For New Yr’s meal we mix the North and South doing Pork/saurkraut/tomato gravy/mashed potatoes and collard “greens” w/black-eyed peas all mixed up for good luck!Fun Post!
By ed's girl on 04.20.07 12:51 pm | Permalink
oh, and the grits must be salt/pepper and buttered–YUM!
By ed's girl on 04.20.07 12:53 pm | Permalink
I adore the health-forgetfulness of Southern cooking. it’s just like, “screw the arteries people, let’s eat!”
Here in Philly, well, it’s the cheesesteak, the soft pretzels, the water ice, all of which I have consumed before, but in the moderation that my place in the suburbs allows. Good stuff, but not really the epicurean ideal.
By Kelly on 04.20.07 4:22 pm | Permalink
HAHA When I moved here to Philly area I was shocked no one knew about sweet tea.
I admit I don’t put near the sugar in my homemade tea (1 1/4 c) as others do (2+c)though…
MMMM Tomato gravy! This is the way my grandmother made it:
Cook up some bacon or sausage (sausage is better, bacon is fine) in a skillet. Make sure you have plenty of leftover grease in the pan (you don’t need a lot though just a few tablespoons full). Add flour and milk, salt and pepper until you have a nice sawmill gravy. Then you have your choice of tomato paste, canned tomatos of your choice, tomato sauce or even fresh tomatos. Heat through and serve over biscuits (home made are the best).
I have to ask though…have you ever had chocolate gravy??? (it is NOT made with grease btw).
By Sandy on 04.20.07 7:02 pm | Permalink
Sandy, thanks so much for the recipe!!! I think tomato gravy sounds great!
And no, I’ve never had chocolate gravy…never even heard of it.
By Jennifer on 04.20.07 7:13 pm | Permalink
I’m not from the South and I’ve never lived in the South, but have a friend from Arkansas. And he would tell me to make sure you have Ro-tel with cheese on the list.
By Shauna on 04.20.07 8:04 pm | Permalink
Mmm Chocolate Gravy….*drools like Homer Simpson* When I find my recipe I will try to remember to give it to you! I know it is basically cocoa, milk, sugar, and flour…but not sure what proportions you use (it has been a while since I made it). You put it on biscuits like any other gravy.
My tomato and chocolate gravy are two of the things I remember most of my granny…we always had one on Saturday and the other on Sundays.
By Sandy on 04.21.07 2:11 pm | Permalink
OMG now I’m hungry! Thanks for explaining!
By Suburban Mum on 04.21.07 9:18 pm | Permalink
Maybe when you get a few minutes you can try this for yourself:
Chocolate Gravy
1c flour
2TBS Cocoa (or 3 if you want it really chocolaty)
Milk (how much depends on how thick you want it)
3/4c sugar (or to taste)
All all to sauce pan and whisk until lumps are gone. Simmer until desired thickness.
Pour over fresh hot biscuits. Mmm..
By Sandy on 05.01.07 1:12 am | Permalink
Do any of you subscribe to Paula’s magazine?
By Anonymous on 05.17.07 4:54 pm | Permalink
WOW I am laughing. I stumbled across this as I was looking for a recipe for Fried green tomatoes.
I grew up in the San Fransico Bay area (clam chowder anyone?) Spent 10 years in Arizona Con queso por favor. And just moved to Oklahoma where the state dish is friend green tomatoes adn gravy.
I have tons of beautiful green tomatoes and my mom is drive 1000 miles to visit me so I thought I’d make her some friedn green tomatoes.
AZBRAT
By Anonymous on 06.22.07 7:54 pm | Permalink