- The Southern Food and Beverage Wiki is up!!
Featured on the site is Matzoh Ball Gumbo, Culinary Tales of the Jewish South, by Marcie Cohen Ferris, edited by the extremely capable Miriam Rubin.
Chapter 1, There’s No Place Like Home, page 1: Ms. Ferris writes about Blytheville, Arkansas. There was the Dixie Pig, where you could order barbecue chopped, shredded, plate-style, or a “white pig sandwich with cheese,” possibly one of the most nonkosher combinations in the world.
This is a lovely book, a dream of a read, loaded with fascinating photographs and, hazarding a guess, an eye-opening education for most of us.
- Miriam and I cooked together about a bazillion years ago at Le So Fab Pavillion . Whew. Glad those days are behind me and I lived to tell the tale. Just about died from the exhaustion of cranking out about a bazillion half-inch carrots and turnips – seven sided and one-eighth-inch wided. And that was just in the first 3 minutes of each double shift.
- Read Miriam’s lovely Passover story for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette here.
- Poked around a bit on the SoFab site with muffulettas, po-boys and oyster loaves in mind, and found this (a very nonkosher recipe, and out of season to boot), from New Orleans Chef John Besh:
“BLT” Buster Crab, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich
Serves 1, Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 each buster crab, cleaned
2 tsp. aioli
1 pinch micro greens
1 slice brioche, toasted
¼ c mixed red, yellow and green grape tomatoes, peeled
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 dash 25-year-old balsamic vinegar
1 pinch minced chive
¼ c cornmeal
¼ c seasoned flour
¼ c canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
In a sauté pan heat the canola oil over a medium high flame. Season the buster crab with salt and pepper. Toss into a mixture of seasoned flour and cornmeal. Place the crab into the hot canola oil and allow cooking for one minute on each side.
Season the tomatoes with salt, pepper, vinegar, chive and extra virgin olive oil. Place the tomatoes over a well- toasted brioche crouton and place onto a serving plate.
After cooking the buster crab, remove and allow it to drain over some absorbent towels for a moment. Place the crab over the tomatoes and top it with a dollop of aioli, which you in turn cover with a pinch of micro greens or any lettuce sprout.
To Serve:Garnish the plate with additional chopped chives, chive oil and beet juice if you please.
Mmmm. Beet juice. Mmmm. I do please.
The Lunch Encounter 