Eat Drink Mississippi June July 2015

eat. drink.

MISSISSIPPI JUNE/JULY 2015

+ Ravine + 1933 + Henri's + Coffee Pot Cafe + The Sicilian II

BILOXI Shrimping Trip

SODA-LIGHTFUL Summer Treats

Culinary

BUCKET LIST

Watermelon FESTIVAL

page 41

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2 • JUNE/JULY 2015

June 4-5, 2015 Wholesale show • Not open to the public

Mississippi Trade Mart 1200 Mississippi Street • Jackson, MS

mississippimarket.org • 1.888.886.3323

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 3

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VOLUME 4 • NUMBER 4

2015

JUNE/JULY

25 30 “It is a good and noble thing to eat well.”

• Anthony Bourdain •

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 5

Express

Yourself

Collect. Create. Celebrate. In Ridgeland, the masterpieces are yours in an array of galleries, the Mississippi Craft Center, the state’s premier shopping centers and the great outdoors.

With an abundance of attractions and events, more than 1,600 quality hotel rooms and over 140 great restaurants, Ridgeland is the perfect stop for travelers seeking the arts – whether it be culinary, craft, fine art or just nature’s creations.

Enjoy the Art of It All...in Ridgeland.

Check out the Ridgeland Retail Trail visitridgeland.com/RRT

800-468-6078 www.visitridgeland.com

6 • JUNE/JULY 2015

36

15 WHAT'S HOT

Great Grapes

18 CHEF'S CORNER

Chef Joel Miller Finds Success in Restaurant Business with Commitment and Hard Work

20 READY, SET, COOK!

Jackson Chefs Go Head to Head in Sharp Knife Showdown

26 MISSISSIPPI MADE Delta Blues Rice

30 SO FAB!

Mississippi Exhibit at Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans

34 CULINARY

BUCKET LIST Five Iconic Restaurants in Mississippi to Eat at Before You Die

42 IN THE BLOGLIGHT

Delicious Meets Healthy Neli Howard

44 COME SAIL AWAY

43

CONTENTS 50

48 FROM MISSISSIPPI TO BEYOND Darnell Reed Gives Chicago a Taste of the South

73

51 FROM THE BOOKSHELF

Sweet & Southern: Classic Desserts With a Twist Ben Mims

52 COMMUNITY

FoodCorps Mississippi

56 THE HILLS

Ravine in Oxford

60 THE DELTA

1933 Restaurant & Bar in Ruleville

64 THE PINES

Coffee Pot Cafe in Enterprise

68 CAPITAL/RIVER

Henri's in Monticello

72 COASTAL

IN EVERY ISSUE 8 From the Publisher 10 From Our Readers 16 Fabulous Foodie Finds 24 Deep South Dish 78 Events 80 Recipe/Ad Index 81 Coming to Terms 82 Till We Eat Again

The Sicilian II in Biloxi

76 FEATURED FESTIVAL

Mississippi Watermelon Festival in Mize

Get a Slice of Gulf Coast History on The Biloxi Shrimping Trip

ON THE COVER: Cool off this summer with soda-licious treats.

See page 41. Food Styling and Photography by Lisa Bynum. eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 7

{ from the publisher }

W

e live in a world full of lists.

Just go online for a few minutes and you will encounter lists on pretty much any subject–music, food, health, autos, appliances, travel destinations, books, gifts, and the list goes on. Frankly, it's quite overwhelming.

I often wonder who has time to sit around and create some of these crazy lists.

I would dare to say that all of us keep some kind of list from time to time. Some people keep a bucket list of things they'd like to do before they die. My bucket list centers around places at which I'd like to eat before I die. I subscribe to several food-related newsletters that often include lists that pique my interest–best bakeries in the U.S., best brunches in America, best steaks, best cupcakes, must try burgers, and, the list goes on. Whenever I read about a restaurant I want to try some day, it gets added to my list. So when I visit a particular city, I refer to my list for that city to plan which restaurants I will visit.

Our great state has a diverse culinary scene that is ever changing. Restaurants seem to come and go with the wind. There are some that have managed to withstand the tests of time. They have survived the Great Depression, world wars, hurricanes, floods, and everything else the universe has thrown their way.

They have become culinary icons.

Beginning on page 34, we have compiled a list of Mississippi restaurants at which you must eat at least once before you die. These places feature unique characteristics that can't be found anywhere else in the world. Each one has a tasty dish for which they're well-known. If you truly want a taste of Mississippi, a visit to all of these establishments is imperative.

You shouldn't leave this earth without enjoying a steak at Doe's Eat Place, without sipping Blueberry Lemonade in a woman's skirt at Mammy's Cupboard, without sampling Black Bottom Pie at Weidmann's,

without eating where Elvis ate at Johnnie's Drive In, or without devouring delicious seafood at Mary Mahoney's. It's your duty as a food-loving Mississippian to take part in these experiences.

When you head to the Coast, be sure to hop aboard the Sailfish for a fun and informative shrimping trip.

The kids and grandkids will love learning about the history of the Coast while getting a glimpse of where our delicious seafood comes from. Turn to page 44 to read more.

Nothing says summer like a sweet, juicy, ice cold watermelon. And no melon in the world can top those from Smith County. The city of Mize celebrates one of our favorite summer fruits with the Mississippi Watermelon Festival. We tell you all about it on page 76.

There are so many uncertainties in life, but one thing I know for sure is that life is fleeting and we should savor every moment. Take the time now to plan a road trip with family and friends to get a taste of what the Magnolia State has to offer.

Pack the car, hit the road, and let's eat!

the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, q "Feed r and the darkness around you will be as bright as the day." Isaiah 58:10

8 • JUNE/JULY 2015

kt_le_creuset_4.5x4.625.pdf

Why advertise with us?

Reach over 35,000 readers with each issue.

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Distributed throughout Mississippi and more than 35 states.

Mississippi’s only magazine dedicated to the food and hospitality it’s famous for.

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1

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For more information, call 601.756.1584 or email: info@ eatdrinkmississippi.com.

VOLUME 3, NUMBER 6

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MISSISSIP

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S'more(s) Give Me

/NOVEMBE

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page 20

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VOLUME 4, NUMBER 1

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MISSISSIPPI

OCTOBER

MISSISSIPPI

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015

G overnor's Mansion OVER 25 DELICIOUS RECIPES

5eat. drink.

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page 36

UNIQUE HOLIDAY COCKTAILS R2

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October/Nov ember 2014

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FARM TO SCHOO L MONTH GREENVILLE'S DELTA HOT TAMAL HUNGER GAINS: E FESTIVAL THE REVOLU TIONARY ACT OF EATING LOCAL

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Ben Burkett Receives James Beard Foundation Award for Contributions to Agriculture

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rinI k. eatM.ISd SISSIPP CHIA-liciou s FIGHTING FOR THE FAMILY FARM

December/January 2015

REALMEET TH MACA E COOKING RON WITH MAVEN CHEF DAVID CREWS FR EN CH BIS TR O IN OXFO RD HOME

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MISSISSIPPI

•1

2015

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{ from our readers } I've been very fortunate & blessed in my career, but today I'm completely humbled to see this. Thank you, Eat Drink Mississippi, for shining the blog spotlight on One Pan Nan!

Love your magazine. We've tried out several of the places featured.

Woody Davis Meridian •••

Nancy Blake Devils Lake, N.D.

•••

J.J. Carney Publisher/Editor John Carney Executive Editor

Lovely publication!

Nan Kelley Nashville, Tenn.

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MISSISSIPPI

••• Keep up the great work! Wonderful mag!

Nena Smith Wesson

I love this magazine!

Carol Simmons Indianola

Anne Morgan Carney Executive Assistant Wendi O'Neill Advertising Executive Joe Luca Newsstand Sales Consultant

b www.eatdrinkmississippi.com

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{contributors}

JULIAN BRUNT is a food and culture writer from the Gulf Coast whose roots run more than three hundred years deep in Southern soil.

He is deeply concerned with culinary and cultural traditions and thinks no man worth his salt that cannot hold forth in tall tale and willingly endure the heat of the kitchen.

LISA LAFONTAINE BYNUM is a freelance writer from Grenada. Her work has appeared in several publications in Mississippi.

She is a graduate of Delta State University where she received a BA in Marketing and her MBA. In her free time, she enjoys food writing and photography.

She currently resides in Brandon. Photo by Alisa Chapman Photography

COOP COOPER is a journalist, film critic and filmmaker based in Clarksdale. He graduated from Southern Methodist University with a B.F.A. in Cinema, and received his Masters in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Hollywood. You can read his past filmrelated articles at www. smalltowncritic.com.

SUSAN MARQUEZ lives and writes in Madison. She has a degree in RadioTV-Film from the University of Southern Mississippi and had a long career in advertising and marketing before stumbling into a freelance writing career in 2001. Hundreds of published articles later, Marquez still loves to tell the stories of the interesting people, places, and events throughout the South.

KATHY K. MARTIN is an Ole Miss journalism graduate who currently lives in Collierville, Tennessee with her husband and two children. She works as a freelance writer and chairs her church’s Christian writers group.

LINDSAY MOTT is a freelance writer on the Gulf Coast who graduated with a journalism degree from Spring Hill College in Alabama. Over the years, she has grown to love all the great food, music, scenery and more that Mississippi has to offer. Her dream meal would consist of fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, caramel cake, and coffee.

Stay informed of the latest Mississippi culinary news, events, and happenings by visiting our website. While you're there, sign up for our monthly newsletter.

www.eatdrinkmississippi.com 12 • JUNE/JULY 2015

GENNIE TAYLOR, a Forest native, is the publications coordinator at East Central Community College in Decatur and a freelance writer, photographer, and graphic designer.

She is the former editor of The Demopolis Times, a five-day daily newspaper in Demopolis, Ala., and managing editor of The Scott County Times, a weekly newspaper in her hometown. A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, she has received numerous awards from the Associated Press and the Mississippi and Alabama Press Associations. She is married to Steven Taylor and they have a daughter, Mallory Grace. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and cooking.

KELSEY WELLS is a news writer at Lawrence County Press in Monticello. She is a graduate of Southwest Mississippi Community College where she served as editor of The Pine Burr. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communications at William Carey University and served as a staff writer and life editor of The Cobbler student newspaper until she became managing editor her senior year. She currently resides in the Divide community where she is active in her church and community.

Buy tickets online!

July 24th - 26th, 2015 Featuring Chef Robert St. John and acclaimed artist Watt Waters as this year’s special celebrities.

FRIDAY

Mae Holyoak and Friends: Art & Bake Sale and Lemonade Stand for Natchez Humane Society 11 am - 3 PM

Tastings Along the River • 6:30 pm Natchez Convention Center

Chef’s Party • 9:30 pm - Until Bowie’s Tavern

saturday The Natchez Biscuit Cookoff @ The Carriage House

Progressive Lunch:

Under the Hill Salon, The Camp, King’s Tavern, Steampunk Coffee

Wine & Cheese • 1:30 pm at Dunleith

Brews, Blues & Burgers on the Bluffs 4pm-7pm Bowie’s • Live Music • Beer Truck

Invitation to the Natchez Table 7 pm Fabulous dinners with guest chefs pared with wonderful wines.

Dunleith • Stanton Hall • The Elms For more casual fare: The Art and Science of a Beer Dinner @ The Camp SUNDAY

Champagne Jazz Brunch 11 am & 12:30 pm The VUE Restaurant

Tickets available online! n at c h e z f o o da n d w i n e f e s t . c o m eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 13

Shrimp Thai Salad 3 cups shredded savoy cabbage 2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed 1-1/2 cups green California grapes, halved 1 large cucumber 1/4 cup lime juice 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 2 tablespoons brown sugar 3 tablespoons minced shallots 1 tablespoon safflower oil 1 red Thai chili, thinly sliced 1-1/2 cups cooked medium shrimp 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro 3 tablespoons Thai basil, torn Combine cabbage, bean sprouts and grapes in large bowl. With vegetable peeler, peel cucumber into long thin strips and put on top.

In small bowl, combine lime juice, vinegar, sugar, shallots, oil and chili. Pour over vegetables and mix well.

Divide among 4 serving plates, top with shrimp and sprinkle with cilantro and basil.

Servings: 4

OLD-TIME SERVICE COMPETITIVE PRICES

Missing an issue?

• Commercial and Residential Metal Roofing • Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings • Mini-Storage Facilities • Steel Components

Back issues are available online at www.eatdrinkmississippi.com VOLUME 4, NUMBER 1

eat. drink.

MISSISSIPPI DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015

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MISSISSIPPI G overnor's Mansion eat. drink.

MISSISSIPPI OVER 25 DELICIOUS RECIPES

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI

VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2

Gathering at the

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015

VOLUME 4, NUMBER 3

MEET THE MACARON MAVEN

14 • JUNE/JULY 2015

REAL COOKING WITH CHEF DAVID CREWS

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 1

+ Bishop’s BBQ + Yazoo Pass + J. Broussard's + Miss D’s Diner + Deli Diner

CHIA-licious! page 22

to Agriculture

APRIL/MAY 2015

Crawfish FESTIVALS

Ben Burkett Receives

NYC • DCfor• ATL Contributions

3 GREAT RECIPES FOR ADDING CHIA SEEDS TO YOUR DIET

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 1

- The Not So Odd Couple -

April/May 2015

601.932.0202 • 800.257.7178 • www.metalbuilderssupply.com

UNIQUE HOLIDAY COCKTAILS

PICNICS James Beard Foundation Award

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A Relationship That Will Last A Lifetime

Mississippi

February/March 2015

Metal Builders Supply

page 36

FOR KitchenFIGHTING Tools THE FAMILY FARM BLOGGER TESTED

December/January 2015

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632 N. Bierdeman Rd., Pearl, MS 39208

FRENCH BISTRO IN OXFORD HOME

5

CHICKEN & WAFFLES page 44

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MISSISSIPPI

Great Grapes

{ what's hot }

W

idely recognized as portable and tasty, grapes are an easy way to enjoy an extra serving of fruit. But not only are grapes a super snack, they're a terrific fresh ingredient to enhance any meal.

Yes, with a burst of juicy flavor, fresh grapes can make good-for-you foods taste even better. Vibrant color, crunch and a light touch of sweetness make them an unexpected but appealing addition to countless dishes.

These recipes show how grapes balance the distinct flavor of Brussels sprouts and complement smoky mozzarella.

In addition to great taste and versatility, grapes are also healthy. They are a natural source of antioxidants and other polyphenols, which contribute to a healthy heart. edm

Grape and Smoked Mozzarella Flatbread 2 large wholegrain flatbreads or naan (about 8 ounces) 1-1/4 cups grated smoked mozzarella 3 cups arugula 1 cup sliced red, green and black California grapes 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 small clove garlic, minced Salt Freshly ground black pepper

Heat broiler to high.

Place flatbreads on baking sheet and broil until crisp and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Turn and cover with mozzarella.

Broil until melted, about 2-3 minutes.

While mozzarella is melting, toss together arugula, grapes, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Place on top of flatbreads and cut into wedges.

Servings: 4

Sweet and Savory Garlic Ginger Brussels Sprouts and Grapes 1 pound Brussels sprouts 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup halved red California grapes 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons honey 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped Cut off woody stem on each Brussels sprout and remove any tough or bruised outer leaves. Slice sprouts very thinly to make mound of feathery ribbons.

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprouts, grapes, salt and pepper to skillet and saute 3-4 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, ginger, mustard, honey and vinegar to pan. Continue to saute approximately 1-2 minutes, until sprouts are tender and bright green in color.

Turn off heat and add walnuts to pan. Gently mix to combine.

Servings: 4 (1/2 cup each) eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 15

{ fabulous foodie finds }

Don't Forget DAD!

y Father's Day is June 21st!

Say no to the tie. Give your food-loving dad a Father's Day gift he will relish. We've selected some unique gift ideas that will surely delight.

Foodie Fight Trivia Game, $22.95 Barnes & Noble

Monogrammed Forged Steak Brand, $49.95 Williams-Sonoma, online only

see page 80 for store information 16 • JUNE/JULY 2015

Grill Right Wireless Talking BBQ/Oven Thermometer, $49.95 Oregon Scientific

Gourmet Guru Grill, $697.00.

The Guru Cart Table, $298.00.

Gourmet Guru Grill

Brass Knuckle Meat Tenderizer, $12.95 DadGifts.com The BBQ Trunk, $35.00 Taste Trunk

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 17

{ chef's corner }

Commitment and Hard Work Pay Off in the Restaurant Business by chef joel miller

W

e didn’t move to Mississippi with the idea that we would open a restaurant. We were living in California, my wife was in the medical field, and I was managing the front house of a restaurant. Then we confirmed that she was pregnant with our first child, while thousands of miles away from the nearest family support. It was a no brainer; we had family in nearby Memphis, but we had already lived there for a number of years. My mother and stepfather were living in Oxford, and welcoming us back with open arms. We returned to Oxford, Mississippi 18 • JUNE/JULY 2015

on Christmas Day, 2006.

I got two jobs immediately in a responsible attempt to support my family in any way possible. After about two months, I realized that I was 32, getting ready to have a child, and still a line cook in a restaurant. I found a business plan online, filled it out, and submitted it to five banks, two of which accepted. I picked one, signed my life away, and Ravine opened in September 2007.

What a long and amazing eight years have passed.

Football seasons, Double Decker Festivals, and graduations

all add up to a lot of work. Don’t forget equipment breaking, credit card companies trying to shake me down, customer tirades, employees quitting at the worst times, theft, and the list goes on. We almost ran out of money in 2009. Then one day in early 2010, the tide began to turn a bit.

There were a lot of reasons for that uptick in business, I am certain of that. But one thing that definitely stands out in my mind is that my hard work started to pay dividends. Customers noticed my near constant presence in the restaurant—even if I wasn’t delivering their drinks and making each and every salad, I was there watching, overseeing, editing, and firefighting (as we call on the fly problem solving in the business).

You see, I have worked in this business my whole adult life—since I was 16, some 24 years now. It’s the only job I have ever had, a rarity in this day and age. The most successful restaurants I ever worked in had owners who were present.

One that is there polishing silverware, answering the phones, making chicken stock, listening to employees concerns, everything. The worst restaurants had an owner that was hardly ever there, and if he/she was there, it was not in a caring, responsible fashion. Frankly, the staff wants to work harder for me knowing that I will roll up my sleeves and help in whatever way possible. I have established some great relationships with many staff members because of a mutual respect that we build up between one another.

I am getting older, and cannot quite move as fast throughout the building as I did eight years ago. I know my roles will change over the years as I age, but I will always be committed to Ravine. I take pride in what I do for a living, always trying to do my best for our customers. If only more

of the service industry took their jobs more seriously. Look around the next time you go into a restaurant—do you see the caring owner quietly working behind the scenes to improve your experience? Where is that celebrity chef, is he even cooking tonight? Is there even a general manager talking to tables, helping expedite food out of the kitchen?

It makes a difference. edm

RAVINE’S BLUEBERRY TRIFLE Lemon Pound Cake Simple Syrup Lemon Curd Blueberries Whipped cream Mint sprigs Slice the pound cake lengthwise and brush with simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water). This will help keep the pound cake moist. For the assembly, cut the pound cake into cubes. Layer some of the cubes in the bottom of a martini glass or deep glass bowl, then coat with lemon curd and add blueberries. Repeat as many times as you wish or until the dish is full, and top with whipped cream and mint.

LEMON POUND CAKE 2-1/2 cups sugar 12 ounces butter, softened 6 eggs 3 cups cake flour 1 cup cream 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Lemon zest Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time.

Alternate adding flour and cream until well blended. Add vanilla and/or lemon. Start in a cold oven, bake at 300° for 1-1½ hours. Cool completely before unmolding. Makes 2.

LEMON CURD 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 3/4 cup lemon juice 9 egg yolks 3/4 cup butter, warmed to room temperature In mixer, combine sugar and lemon juice. Whisk one minute or until thoroughly combined. Add yolks one at a time, mixing well. Add butter one cube at a time, allowing 20 seconds between additions. Mix will appear curdled at this point. Place over medium heat and stir constantly with spatula, covering all parts of the pan so no eggs stick/cook.

Mixture will thicken after approximately 7-8 minutes. Place curd in non-reactive container and lay plastic wrap flat against surface of curd so no skin forms. eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 19

Ready, Set, COOK! Jackson Chefs Go Head to Head in Sharp Knife Showdown

story by Susan Marquez photography by brice media 20 • JUNE/JULY 2015

-vs.Christopher Freeman

Kyle Sanderford

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for our conversation. “The first time I came to Mississippi it hat happens when two chefs are given one hour to was for all the wrong intentions,” he admitted. “Andy invited create two dishes with a surprise ingredient? It’s the me, because he heard I was traveling around the United States Sharp Knife Showdown, held monthly at Capitol with the idea of meeting real people and inviting them to share Grill in Jackson. Throw in a celebrity judge or two and it’s a their food experiences. I stayed in Jackson one night, at the crowd-pleasing event, despite its late-night start time.

I don’t care what day of the week it is, 10:30 p.m. is past my Fairview Inn, and met some of the most passionate people. bedtime. So when I got an assignment to write about the Sharp The first place I ate was at Brent’s Drugs at the soda counter.

I realized then there was a lot more to this state. I ended up Knife Showdown, I planned ahead to take an early evening hunting in Drew, eating seafood in Biloxi, visiting a hog farmer power nap. It worked! I arrived at the venue by 10 p.m. and in Como, and doing a demonstration in Oxford.” was greeted at the door by Andy Chapman of the eatJackson His new book is the third of a trilogy. “ I had a great job website. Chapman filled me in on the event and how he was in book publishing, but a series of events led to me having able to get Simon Majumdar, a recurring judge on Iron Chef, a nervous to judge the breakdown. competition.

I quit my job Turns out, and wrote for Majumdar was one of the first in town for a food blogs in return visit to London. I spent promote his the next year on book, Fed, White the road, and and Blue: Finding that journey America with My turned into Fork. my first book, Chapman Eat My Globe. introduced me While on that to Majumdar, and arranged trip, I met my wife. My second for us to sit at book was all a table for a brief interview. about food in England, called Majumdar Eating for Britain. ordered a pint Simon Majumdar, Tom Ramsey, and Jack Lyles judge dishes in I wrote this and settled in Capitol Grill's Sharp Knife Showdown. eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 21

Christopher Freeman served his showdownwinning catfish dish with a beer butter emulsion, potato risotto, spaghetti squash, green tomatoes, and bell pepper.

Kyle Sanderford prepared blackened catfish over rice made with Lucky Town’s Ballistic Blonde beer with grit risotto and a Ballistic Blonde brown sugar glaze.

22 • JUNE/JULY 2015

third book because I went through the process of becoming an American. I wanted to have a meaningful relationship with America, so I asked Americans to see their country. I spent a year on the road, doing everything from fishing in Alaska, lobstering in Maine, picking peppers in Santa Fe, and going to a barbeque festival in Kansas City. There’s a point when America became not just the place I lived, but my home.”

Majumdar explained that being on television is just one part of what he does. “I love writing, and my books are the lens on how I see the world. And food is the common thread. There are many different kinds of people in the world, but food is the unifying factor.”

It was time to head to the bar area to start the competition.

Majumdar took his seat alongside Tom Ramsey, owner of La Finestra in downtown Jackson, and Jack Lyles, chairman of KLLM Trucking. The two chefs were introduced by India Gammill of Capitol Grill. The first competitor was Christopher Freeman, owner of Chrississippi Local Eats, a catering company in Jackson. Competing against Freeman was Kyle Sanderford, sous chef at Babalu Tacos & Tapas in Fondren.

Gammill then presented each contestant with the first of two secret ingredients: Simmons Mississippi farm-raised catfish.

As the chefs took their catfish around the partition to the kitchen, the bartender competition began. It was Jimmy Quinn of La Finestra vs. Adie Smith of Parlor Market. Each was given a bottle of grapefruit-flavored vodka and ten minutes to create a cocktail. Quinn began with the entire bottle of vodka, followed by copious amounts of Jack Daniels, St.

Germaine, champagne, lemons, orange juice, and water. The result was a surprisingly drinkable cocktail. Smith worked more on presentation, with miniature marshmallows topping each of the 50 or so shot glasses filled with her vodka concoction.

She then used a handheld burner to toast the tops of all of the marshmallows. It was a people’s choice competition, and Smith’s drink was the crowd favorite, with Smith winning the bartender competition award for the evening.

India Gammill had the idea for the Sharp Knife Showdown competition while watching Food Network competition shows with her husband, Lance, who also works at Capitol Grill. “I wondered why no one else was doing something like that in Jackson,” she said. “We had the first competition about eight months ago with Tom Ramsey competing, just after he was eliminated from The Taste on ABC. “It’s been so well received, particularly by the food industry folks in town. That’s why we do it so late, so they can come when they get off work.”

At the thirty minute mark, the chefs were asked to come out of the kitchen long enough to be presented with the second mystery ingredient: Lucky Town beer. “That kind of threw me for a loop,” admitted Sanderford. “I had to rethink the dishes I had started in order to incorporate the beer.”

When the hour was up, the dishes were presented. Freeman served his catfish whole, head-on. It was prepared with a beer butter emulsion, potato risotto, spaghetti squash, green tomatoes, and bell pepper. His second dish was a potato risotto. “Risotto is Italian, meaning ‘to coat,’” explained Freeman. He said he used the risotto to get a creamy texture

along with cream, onions, fresh herbs, and lime zest with paneed catfish filets.

Sanderford’s dishes included blackened catfish over rice made with Lucky Town’s Ballistic Blonde beer with grit risotto and a Ballistic Blonde brown sugar glaze. His second dish was a curried fish head soup.

The judges weighed in on each dish, and in the end, Freeman was declared the winner. “The texture of the fish was perfect,” said Majumdar. “I absolutely love Simmons catfish.

I have it shipped to my home in California. I felt the skin on Chris’s fish was a bit over seasoned, but the flesh was perfectly cooked.” Majumdar complimented Sanderford as well, saying he loved the way Sanderford thought of making fish head soup. “It was a work in progress, to be sure. It needed at least another 45 minutes to simmer. Curry powder, to me, is the single most disgusting ingredient in the world, but the lemon zest you added gave a little pop to the soup. Good job!”

As the winner of the competition, Freeman won a large meat clever and a chance to defend his title in a future competition. Sanderford got a smaller cleaver as a consolation prize. “I just enjoyed the opportunity,” said Sanderford. “I had a great time!” edm Sharp Knife Showdown at Capitol Grill 5050 I-55 Frontage Rd., Jackson 601.899.8845 www.capitolgrillofjackson.com

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 23

{ deep south dish }

Food. Family. Memories.

Summers on The Point T

BY MARY FOREMAN

he dog days of summer are upon us and that means summertime social events are in full swing. Festivals, dinners on the ground at church, socials, potlucks, and, of course, family reunions are all on the menu. Mama and Daddy both came from families of seven and five children, fairly large by today’s standards, though much smaller when compared to many families here along the Gulf Coast. Two prominent Biloxi families I grew up with, the O’Keefe and Joachim families, had thirteen and seventeen children, respectively, and I am blessed to call a few of them lifelong friends.

You don’t really think about family a lot because, well, they’re always there. And then one day… they’re not. As you get older, the natural progression of life occurs and we find we’re attending more funerals than we ever thought we would, and we also begin to take note of that empty spot at the table at family events.

As I write this, my sister Sandra is organizing our first family reunion on Mama’s side of the family in many years. It’s been so many that I cannot remember the year of the last one, but back in the day, we all gathered together once a year and spent the day together as one big family – all of my cousins, aunts and uncles – with lots of delicious, homemade food, good music, and taking home some awfully good memories.

While many of my Southern friends in sister states were spending summers running around barefoot on their grandparents’ farms, my family's life here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast was a little different. Mama grew up on The Point and she and Daddy lived on Circle Point at the Biloxi Bay for several years when I was younger, then moved to a rental in West Biloxi and finally purchased a home there. By the time I was growing up and in school, we seemed far removed from The Point. Many summer nights were spent catching up with our cousins at sleepovers and our days revolved around horseback riding and exploring places on The Point. I have such

Mary Foreman, a native of Biloxi, is the author of the popular website deepsouthdish.com, where she shares her favorite, homespun, mostly from scratch and, very often, heirloom and heritage, Southern recipes.

24 • JUNE/JULY 2015

fond memories of the little store on Oak Street with the wooden screen door that slammed every time you went in and out of it. I remember climbing up on a root beer crate to fetch a cold, bottled Coke or Barq’s out of the bottom of a crusty, old slide-top cooler, and, if lucky enough, finding one that had a plug of ice in the neck of the bottle. Later on, we would trade those bottles back in for a few pennies to buy some candy.

When we weren’t running around barefoot with my cousins on The Point, we were barefoot on the Biloxi beach and later, as we got old enough to drive, many lazy days were spent at the cliffs on the Tchoutacabouffa River at Biloxi, where you had to be mindful of the changes in the tide to avoid having your car stuck on a sandbar the rest of the night. Teenage boys would swim across the river to climb the top of this high cliff and jump off into the river while we teenage girls would lay out on a blanket on the beach thinking about how brave and crazy they were. A big rope swing hung from a tree, where even a few girls would venture to, but not me. I was always creeped out by what might be on the underside of that murky river water. After a day at the river or the beach, it became a ritual to stop at the Milles stand on Biloxi Bay to get a snowball. I mostly liked the berry flavors, or a rainbow cone, sometimes frosted over with a little sweetened condensed milk. Nothing would cool you off after a hot day in the sun like that.

I’ve had a lot of excitement in my life the past month. I had spent the better part of my adult life building a legal career that was uprooted practically overnight in 2005 by a hurricane named Katrina.

That life event led to the development of a successful and popular Southern recipe blog and my writing for Eat Drink Mississippi, all of which opened the door to the publication of a cookbook, mostly due to the demand from Deep South Dish readers. I feel extremely blessed by the whole process, but it is yet another event that reminds me of the many relatives, now gone, I wish I could have shared this with. It’s a reminder in this fast-paced world that we all live in now, to slow down and take time to love on the ones who are here, because in the blink of an eye they will not be. I miss all of those who have passed on, but I’m anxious to see my cousins and their families at our reunion this summer, and especially all of the new babies in my family now. It is my hope that they will carry on this tradition.

This Shrimp Creole recipe has little to do with any of that except for the fact that our lives here are so central to the sea life that lives out in the Mississippi Sound and Gulf of Mexico. For many of my fellow southerners, eating fresh shrimp, crabs, fish, and oysters isn’t common, but for us, it’s as common as the sun rising every morning.

This dish utilizes fresh shrimp, the trinity of vegetables so central to our cooking here in the Deep South, and delicious vine-ripened summer tomatoes. There could be no better fitting tomato than the Louisiana-grown Creoles either, if you can get your hands on some.

They just so happen to be in season right now. edm

Shrimp Creole ©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

1 pound of (31-35 count) medium shrimp, peeled & deveined 1 tablespoon of olive oil 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter 1-1/2 cups chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper, chopped 1/3 cup chopped celery 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 bay leaf 5 cups of chopped, skinned tomatoes with juices 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons of water 1 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning, or to taste 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Couple dashes hot sauce, optional, to taste 1 green onion, sliced 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley Hot, steamed rice Peel and devein the shrimp, rinsing well. Pat dry with some paper towels and set aside.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil and butter together over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, green bell pepper and celery and sauté until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Whirl the tomatoes through the food processor just until crushed, leaving some texture; add to the veggie mixture. Add the salt, cayenne pepper and bay leaf and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until reduced and thickened.

Make a slurry of the flour and water and stir into the tomato mixture. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning and add immediately to the tomato mixture. Add a couple of shakes of the Worcestershire sauce and the hot sauce, and stir together. Cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until shrimp is opaque and cooked through. Stir in the green onion and parsley and keep on low until well incorporated and heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve over steamed rice with a side salad, sweet tea and hot French bread with butter.

Cook’s Note: May substitute canned whole tomatoes – you’ll need one large (28 ounce) plus one small (15 ounce) can of whole tomatoes, chopped.

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 25

t s e R e h t e v o b A n i a r G

A

{ mississippi made }

Delta Blues Rice Feeds the Body While Feeding the Soul story By GENNIE TAYLOR photos provided Delta Blues Rice built on the slogan “Feed the Body. Feel the Soul.” is grown, artisan milled and packaged in small batches on a multi-generational family farm that has been operating in the Mississippi Delta for more than 90 years. The company describes their rice as “not your average rice,” and its flavor as “far superior to your typical grocery brand.” Its flavor is credited to only using one variety of rice; therefore, the flavor is rich and consistent.

How it began “The idea of Delta Blues Rice began in the fall of 2013, and it was a long process before we ever sold our first bag of rice,” said David Arant Jr., who manages the mill in Ruleville, Miss.

David Jr. along with his grandfather, Hugh Arant and father, David Arant started the company and began selling rice in the summer of 2014.

“We had been giving rice away for decades utilizing our old mill,” David Jr. said. “People really seemed to like it and always wanted more, but we never knew if it was because of the taste or because of the price.”

David Jr. said the positive feedback from friends and family helped encourage the family to start their own company.

The company was born on the shop yard one day when the Arants were discussing how people liked their product.

“We have early morning meetings every day to discuss what needs to be done around the farm, and on one particular day, we were discussing how people want to know where their food comes from and we wanted to be part of that,” David Jr. explains. “It has been a huge learning process and has required much more than we ever knew it would, but it is worth it to see the company grow.”

Because the Arants began the venture from the ground up (literally), David Jr. said they have learned a great deal through trial and error to get to where they are now.

The History The legacy of farming for the Arants of Ruleville, Miss., began in 1924 when Newton W. Carver moved to the area from the Alva community in Montgomery County.

26 • JUNE/JULY 2015

Delta Blues Rice owners are, from left, David Arant, David Arant, Jr., and Hugh Arant.

The second generation of farming began when Hugh M. Arant, Sr., married Kathryn Carver, daughter of Newton W. Carver, in December 1949. Hugh Sr. began his farm with 300 acres that his wife inherited from her father, where they mostly grew cotton. Through the years, the farm grew substantially and the Arants began to change the crop mix by growing wheat, rice, soybeans and catfish.

Hugh Jr. and David Sr. continued building Arant Acres in the third generation. They worked together to improve the land and implement conservation practices by forming the ground with dirt moving equipment and installing water recovery systems. These improvements helped to irrigate the crops efficiently and prevent soil erosion. They also continued to diversify their operation by adding corn into the crop rotation.

How it’s Made “We oversee and carryout each step in the farming, milling and packaging operation,” David Jr. said.

He said at the beginning of each year, the Arrants select the best rice variety and plant seed rice that they have grown and stored during the winter.

“Our seed meets the highest industry standards and is identity preserved,” he said.

During the growing season, the Arants continue to utilize

farming practices to help conserve the water and soil resources while also growing a healthy crop, David Jr. said. In the fall, they harvest the rice and store it for milling in small batches to ensure a quality product, he added.

The Products Delta Blues Rice has three products available including Long Grain White Rice, Rice Grits and Brown Rice. The products are sold in 1 and 2-pound retail packages and also 25-pound packaging for individuals, food distribution companies and restaurants. The retail packaging can be ordered online at www.deltabluesrice.com. In addition, the retail packages can be found in select stores throughout the eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 27

southeastern U.S. “We are growing a small amount of rice organically to see how it works,” David Jr. said. “This will not be USDA certified organic at this point, but it will be grown organically.”

In addition to the rice and grits, the company also sells promotional T-shirts.

A Grain Above the Rest Delta Blues Rice is truly a “farm-to-table product,” David Jr. said.

“Our rice is artisan-milled and each step in the growing, harvesting, milling and packaging process is done by our family.”

In addition, the Arrants only use one variety of rice in all of their products, so the taste of the rice and its cooking properties stays consistent.

Quality makes Delta Blues Rice superior to other rice, according to David Jr. “We only use seed-quality rice, which means that the grains meet the highest standards before being milled,” he explains.

Most Popular David Jr. said Delta Blues Rice has steadily increased sales and production capabilities since first selling their products.

“We have gone from milling for family and friends at Christmas to selling to more than 50 stores,” he said. “Also, we have many wonderful restaurants cooking with our products.

One of our favorite parts of this business is getting to know and support the chefs and restaurants that use our products. It is a very tasty perk.”

David Jr. said the company’s partnership with Eat Y’all has helped to expand their vision and product reach.

“It has been a beneficial relationship that continues to help us grow as a company.”

Rice Grits are the top seller of all products, David Jr. said.

28 • JUNE/JULY 2015

“They are a specialty product that is versatile in the kitchen,” he said. “People love them because they have the taste of rice, but have a really creamy texture. They are great for holding sauces or cooking like a risotto.”

In the Future “Our goal is to continue to expand our product reach and consumer demand,” David Jr. said. “We hope to grow the business so that future generations of children can come back and work, if they so desire.”

He said he hopes to build a business that his two sons and another son on the way can be proud of and can give them the opportunity to come back and invest in agriculture and the Delta one day. edm Delta Blues Rice 3731 Highway 8 East, Ruleville 662.618.2060 www.deltabluesrice.com

Basic Rice Grits 1 cup Delta Blues Rice Grits 2 cups water or chicken stock 1 pat of butter 1 teaspoons salt Combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Stir once. Cover and simmer on low for about 20 minutes or until water has absorbed and rice grits are tender. Keep covered, remove from heat, and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve with your favorite sauce or gravy.

Taco Rice

Rice Grits Risotto

1 cup rice 2 cups water 1 teaspoon Chicken Better Than Bullion 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons Amore Tomato Paste 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons taco seasoning, recipe follows 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 3/4 teaspoon cumin Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil. Stir again and cover. Reduce heat to low, and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered for 10 minutes. Fluff and serve plain or with your favorite toppings (lime juice, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, etc.).

Taco Seasoning 1 tablespoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 3/4 teaspoons sea salt 3/4 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper

1/2 onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1/3 cup baby bella mushrooms, roughly chopped 4 tablespoons butter 1 cup Delta Blues Rice Grits 6 cups chicken stock 1 Turkish bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon thyme Italian cheese blend or Parmesan cheese Heat chicken stock over medium-high heat until it simmers. Lower the heat to keep the stock just below a simmer for the entire cooking process.

Melt butter over medium-low heat in a large sauce pan.

Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms, and sauté until the onions are translucent.

Add rice grits and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes.

Add one cup of chicken stock, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir. Cook rice grits uncovered at a low simmer.

As the liquid absorbs, add one cup of chicken stock at a time until the grains are tender, gently stirring occasionally.

Serve warm with Italian cheese blend.

Combine all ingredients.

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On desktop computer, visit www.magzter.com and search for Eat Drink Mississippi or visit www.eatdrinkmississippi.com for a direct link.

Getting a taste of Mississippi has never been easier!

Mon-Sat 11-9 Sun. 10:30-2:30 601.856.3822 107 Depot Dr. Madison, MS strawberrycafemadison.com

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 29

Mississippi Exhibit at SoFAB in New Orleans Is...

story by Susan Marquez photography by J.J. Carney

30 • JUNE/JULY 2015

“So Fab!"

M

ississippi is known for a lot of things, and one of them most certainly is its food.

From grits to honey to seafood and barbeque, every section of the state has its own regional specialty that’s celebrated by the people who consume it. Those unique foods and places are also celebrated at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, located in uptown New Orleans, just three blocks off St. Charles on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard.

The museum was started

by Liz Williams. A lawyer, Williams says she went to law school when she didn’t know what else she wanted to do.

“I was always interested in the intersection of food and culture. Even if people don’t think they have a culture, they do.” Her interest in food and culture led her to become the CEO of the Southern Food and Beverage Foundation, located in the old D-Day Museum and the Ogden Museum of Art. “We got delayed a bit by Katrina, but opened our doors in 2008 in the Riverwalk.” The museum closed and reopened in its current location five years later. The building was originally the old Dryades Street Market, which opened in 1849. “We’re excited to put it back in the food business,” says Williams.

That period of incubation let Williams and her staff know what they wanted in a museum. “We knew we wanted a kitchen where we could interact with food and people. We started out just using a burner.” Now the kitchen is fully equipped with professional grade appliances and is arranged so that guest chefs can do cooking demonstrations and classes.

“Unlike other museums, we encourage our guests to get a

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 31

drink and walk around to see the exhibits. We have trash cans in the display areas. In the summer, we’ll be serving snoballs.

Food is interactive!”

Williams says that the displays at the museum are organic.

“Nothing is static here. When there’s a party, we’ll put the band in The Shed.” The Shed she is referring to is a recreation of the infamous barbeque and blues joint in Ocean Springs. The original restaurant burned in 2012 and the charred floorboards were used to build the replica inside the museum. The Shed is part of the permanent museum collection, and it’s in that general area where you’ll find all things Mississippi food related. As you walk through the museum, one state moves into another, with all southern states represented.

Mississippi was the featured exhibit throughout the month of March, with activities such as Mississippi’s First Lady, Deborah Bryant, attending the opening of the exhibit the first weekend of March. “We will feature Mississippi again in the future,” promises Williams. She reports that the Southern Foodways Alliance will soon provide a Craig Claiborne exhibit for the museum.

Among other things, the Mississippi exhibit includes a crab trap and a replica of William Faulkner’s grave stone. “It’s an important way to see how food culture is collected,” Williams says. “People don’t leave books or manuscripts on his grave.

The standard rite is to take a swig of whiskey at Faulkner’s grave and leave the bottle.”

Also in the exhibit are bee hives. “Honey has become very important in Mississippi,” says Williams. There are cookbooks by Mississippi authors, menus representing some of Mississippi’s oldest establishments, food products produced 32 • JUNE/JULY 2015

in Mississippi, and a representation of the new distilleries and breweries popping up around the state.

Just next to the Mississippi exhibit is the Museum of the American Cocktail, celebrating, preserving and educating people about the rich cultural history of the cocktail. “We have 12,000 beer bottles,” boasts Williams. “We are the only museum in the country doing this.” A special exhibit celebrating New Orleans’ absinthe culture shows the important connection between New Orleans and France.

An exhibit on Antoine’s, the longest continually operating family restaurant in the United States, shows how the restaurant, and restaurant industry, have changed since 1840.

A film showing the presentation of the famed Café Brulot Diabolique plays in the exhibit, as well as showing a history of the iconic New Orleans restaurant.

Looking at all that food might make visitors hungry. No worries, as the museum’s restaurant, Purloo, is located just next door. Chef Ryan Hughes serves lunch and dinner daily, except on Mondays.

The museum is open Thursday through Monday, 11a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Adult admission is $10, students and seniors over 60 is $5. Children under 12 are admitted free with an adult.

Memberships to the Southern Food and Beverage Foundation are available and members get special invitations to events throughout the year. edm Southern Food and Beverage Museum 1504 Ortha C. Haley Blvd., New Orleans 504.569.0405 www.southernfood.org

TOP LEFT - Mississippi First Lady Deborah Bryant helped kick off Mississippi Month at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum recently. ABOVE - Chef Regina Charboneau and Chef LaMont Burns presented cooking demos at SoFAB's Mississippi Month.

Photos this page by stephen binns eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 33

O Culinary Bucket List

Five Iconic Restaurants in Mississippi to Eat at Before You Die

By Lisa LaFontaine Bynum

You don’t have to travel far in Mississippi to find some great restaurants.

Whether you want a perfectly medium-rare steak or Southern fried chicken, the dining scene in our state runs the gamut. However, sometimes a restaurant’s appeal is more than just the food. It’s the history that surrounds it. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite historic, unique restaurants in Mississippi everyone should visit at least once before they die.

34 • JUNE/JULY 2015

T

upelo’s claim to fame is the King of Rock n’Roll. As the birthplace of Elvis Presley, fans come from far and wide to get a glimpse of what life was like in the early days of their favorite blue-eyed performer. It should come as no surprise that Johnnie’s Drive In, which has been in business since 1947, has its own bit of Elvis lore attached to it. According to legend, Elvis was a frequent patron during his youth and occasionally stopped in during visits home once he skyrocketed to stardom. Today, the walls of Johnnie’s Drive In are adorned with Elvis memorabilia. Patrons even have an opportunity to sit at Elvis’s favorite table, which is marked by a plaque and a picture of The King himself sitting in that exact booth.

Current owner Don Knight bought Johnnie’s Drive In from the original owners in 1977. While he can’t confirm or deny that Elvis actually ate at Johnnie’s, he does think the diner’s recipe for continued success lies in the service his provides

Johnnie's Drive In 908 E. Main St., Tupelo 662.842.6748 every customer. He keeps the menu simple. “Old fashioned stuff ” like sandwiches, barbecue, blue plate specials, and the Johnnie burger and fries – the diner’s most popular item.

Says Knight, “When people come in, I want to make sure they are greeted and then thanked when they walk out the door. I want everyone to know we appreciate their business, whether you order a cup coffee or a barbecue plate.”

photography by lisa browning

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 35

Doe's Eat Place 502 Nelson St., Greenville 662.334.3315 www.doeseatplace.com

I

n the Mississippi Delta, the name “Signa” is synonymous with dinner plate-sized steaks and handmade tamales. Doe’s Eat Place was founded in 1941 by Doe Signa and his wife Mamie.

In the beginning, the couple ran a honky tonk in the front of the restaurant, while Mamie sold her tamales and Doe served the occasional steak in the back. As word got out about the food, the Signa’s closed the honky tonk and focused solely on becoming a

restaurant.

Doe’s has had the last 70+ years to perfect their craft, creating a reputation for themselves as one of the finest places in the country to eat a steak. They’ve been visited by countless food personalities and in 2007 were awarded a James Beard American Classics Award. Despite its notoriety, Doe’s doesn’t look like your typical steakhouse. The restaurant is still located in the small white clapboard grocery store where it all began. First time diners may be startled to walk in the front door and right into the kitchen, where they are usually greeted by someone tending steaks under the broiler. Frequent patrons know not to ask for a menu – there isn’t one. But it’s unique atmosphere adds to the charm.

“We’re not real fancy, but a lot of people like off-the-beaten path,” says Charles Signa, son of Doe and Mamie. “We’re still family owned and a lot of people like that. We’ve had three and four generations of families coming in here. Our customers aren’t just our customers, they are also our friends.

While Doe’s serves up some whopping porterhouses, their most popular menu item is their 10 ounce filet, followed by their broiled or friend shrimp. The house salad – drizzled with lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic – is also a big hit.

Adds Signa, “We’ve remained popular all these years because even if you are a stranger coming in for the first time, you still feel at home.”

photo by j.j. carney

Photo by wesley smith

36 • JUNE/JULY 2015

Mammy's Cupboard 555 US-61, Natchez 601.445.8957

I

f you happen to be traveling Highway 61 south of Natchez, be sure to stop by and say hello to “Mammy,” a 28-foot African American woman who houses a restaurant in the folds of her big red brick hoop skirt.

Mammy got her start in the late 1940’s as a roadside attraction. Her original owner, Henry Gaude, owned a gas station and thought capitalizing on the recent popularity of the movie “Gone with the Wind” would be the perfect way to attract business. Over the years, Mammy dutifully watched over passersby on Hwy 61, serving up barbecue and catfish to the hungry. She survived near demolition in the 1970’s and ramshackle disrepair in the 1980’s and early 90’s. In 1994, Mammy was restored to her former glory and once again serves hungry travelers a variety of blue plate specials and other tasty lunch items.

Lorna Martin has worked at Mammy’s Cupboard since 2000 and became the restaurant’s owner in 2012.

She’s says the restaurant’s unique appearance is what initially attracts people to stop. However, the home cooking is what keeps them coming back. The chicken pot pie, which is served every Friday, is her most popular special, in addition to the chicken salad and Reuben sandwiches served on homemade sourdough bread.

“People are intrigued by the appearance,” Martin says.

“We have people come back year-after-year during the [Natchez] pilgrimage. Our food stays consistent.”

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 37

Weidmann’s 210 22nd Ave., Meridian 601.581.5770 www.weidmanns1870.com

W

eidmann’s has the distinction of being Mississippi’s oldest continuously operating restaurant. It was founded in 1870 by Swiss immigrant Felix Weidmann. It originally began as a hotel lunch counter with only four stools.

In the early 1920’s it moved to its current location.

Weidmann’s owner Charles Frazier acquired the restaurant in 2010. In the last five years, his goal has been to offer his customers new and traditional Southern dishes

while honoring a restaurant whose legacy spans across three centuries. Popular dishes included the fried green tomatoes coated with seasoned breadcrumbs and panko and the Redfish Hannah. For dessert, the black bottom pie and the lemon almond pie – both original Weidmann’s recipes – are the biggest sellers.

Another tradition that has been passed on through the generations – crocks of peanut butter served alongside an assortment of crackers. It’s a tradition that has been an integral part of the restaurant’s lore since the early 1940’s when, according to legend, rations during WWII caused butter to become scarce. The crocks are handmade by a local potter and are sold at the restaurant.

“So many people passing through have a connection to this restaurant,” Frazier says.

“They have a family history.

They remember coming here with their grandparents.

Today, we still want to attract and retain customers by providing good quality food in a good atmosphere.”

LEFT - Handmade peanut butter crocks ABOVE - Black Bottom Pie 38 • JUNE/JULY 2015

A

mainstay for the last 51 years and survivor of two major hurricanes, Mary Mahoney’s has become as iconic to the Mississippi Gulf Coast as the Biloxi lighthouse. The white-brick, French-inspired building that houses the restaurant, nicknamed the “Old French House,” was constructed in 1737 and believed to be the oldest building in Biloxi. The Mahoney family acquired the house in 1964, converting it into the restaurant it is today.

A visit to Mary Mahoney’s gives patrons a small glimpse not only into the restaurant’s history, but Biloxi’s. In the center courtyard stands an oak tree determined to be over 2,000 years old. Mixed in with various artwork on the wall are pictures of famous patrons, a telegraph from then presidential-hopeful John F. Kennedy, and a personal letter from President Ronald Reagan.

The menu specializes in steaks and fresh Gulf coast seafood. Some of the restaurant’s most popular signature dishes include Shrimp and Lump Crabmeat St. Partick, pasta shells stuffed with spinach, jumbo shrimp and topped with garlic butter and crabmeat, and the Veal Antonio topped with sautéed lump crabmeat and served with pasta.

Today, Mary Mahoney’s is a family restaurant in more ways than one. Mary’s children, Bobby, Jr., and Eileen, oversee restaurant operations in addition to a few aunts, uncles, children, nieces, nephews, and cousins. But the family

Mary Mahoney’s 110 Rue Magnolia, Biloxi 228.374.0163 www.marymahoneys.com atmosphere extends beyond the Mahoney name.

“All of my employees have been here a long time,” says Bobby Mahoney, Jr. “We have had 4-5 generations of families come in here to celebrate all kinds of events – weddings, birthdays, bar mitzvahs. We’re just following in my mother’s footsteps. Take care of your customers, provide them with good food, in a good atmosphere.”

Photo by susan guice

Photo by ben fant

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 39

Doe’s Broiled Shrimp 24 peeled and devined (21-25 count) shrimp 3/4 stick garlic butter 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning 1 tablespoon Spanish paprika 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place shrimp in a 9 x 11 baking pan. Blend butter and minced garlic together, add garlic butter, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.

Sprinkle Creole seasoning, paprika, and Italian seasoning over shrimp.

Place shrimp in the oven and cook uncovered for 12 minutes until shrimp turn pink.

Mammy’s Chicken Pot Pie 1 baking or stewing hen (or about 6 chicken breasts) 1 family size package frozen mixed vegetables 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 1 family size can cream of chicken soup Broth Salt Pepper Basic pie crust (recipe below) In a large pot, cover poultry with salted water and boil until tender.

Remove meat from bone and cut into chunky pieces. Set aside. Strain broth and set aside. In two quarts of strained broth, cook vegetables and potatoes until barely tender. Turn off heat. Add softened cream chesse and stir until blended. Add chicken, soup, and season to taste.

Line casserole dish (one large or two small) with Basic Pie Crust. Fill with chicken pot pie mixture and cover with crust, crimping edges. Cut small slits in crust to release steam while cooking.

Bake at 350 degrees until crust is nicely browned.

40 • JUNE/JULY 2015

Mammy’s Basic Pie Crust 1/3 cup solid shortening 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt Ice water (about ½ cup) Sift flour and salt. Cut shortening into flour with pastry blender (or mix in with fingertips) until mixture resembles course cornmeal. Sprinkle on and use just enough ice water to hold hixture together and form into a ball.

Place ball on floured cloth and roll into a thin sheet (about one-eighth inch thick). Place in pie tin. Trim to one-half inch over edge of tin. Fold edge under and crimp to form rim.

For chicken pot pie: Quadruple (4x) ingredients and roll to shape for a baking dish. Add filling. Roll top layer, trim and crimp top and bottom together. Cut clits in top crust to allow steam to escape.

Weidmann's Black Bottom Pie Crust: 14 gingersnaps 5 tablespoons butter, melted Filling: 2 cups scalded milk 4 eggs, separated 1/2 cup sugar 1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch Chocolate filling: 1 cup filling from above recipe 1-1/2 squares bitter chocolate 1 teaspoon vanilla Second filling: 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin 2 tablespoons cold water Reserved filling from above recipe Topping: ½ pint whipping cream ½ cup sugar Chocolate to shave Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crush gingersnaps finely; add melted butter. Pat into a nine-inch pie pan.

Bake for 10 minutes; cool.

Filling: Scald milk in top of double boiler. Slowly add beaten egg yolks to the hot milk. Stir sugar and cornstarch together, add to the milk. Cook in the double boiler for about 20 minutes until mixture coats a spoon. Remove from heat.

Chocolate filling: Take out 1 cup of the custard mixture. Add 1 ½ squares of bitter chocolate, beating as it cools.

Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and pour over the crust. Chill.

Second filling: Dissolve gelatin in cold water. Add to remaining custard.

Chill.

Beat 4 egg whites with ½ cup sugar and add ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar until stiff and add 2 tablespoons whiskey. Fold mixture into reserved pudding mixture. Pour on top of the chocolate in the pie crust. Chill.

Topping: Beat whipping cream; add sugar and continue to whip until the cream holds a peak. Top the pie with the whipped cream and shave chocolate over all. *This recipe is said to have been printed in a brochure from the original Weidmann's.

Mary Mahoney’s Bread Pudding 10 ounces French bread 6 eggs 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon nutmeg 1/4 cup sugar 2 cups milk 1/2 cup cream (half & half) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1-1/2 cups seedless raisins 2 sticks butter In a bowl, combine eggs, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well. Add to this mixture sugar, milk, cream, and vanilla extract. Mix well.

Cut bread up into bite-sized pieces in baking dish. (about 1 ½ quarts).

Add raisins and melted butter to bread. Pour mixture over bread. Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves about 12.

{ raise your glass }

By Lisa LaFontaine Bynum As the weather heats up, you’ll be looking for ways to cool down. Ice cream sodas have been a fun and delicious warm weather refreshment since their introduction in 1874.

Your imagination is the limit when it comes to these sweet treats. The only requirement is ice cream and your favorite flavor of soda. To inspire your next ice cream soda creation, we’ve recreated three of the most popular varieties− grape, orange, and root beer.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream 1 cup whole milk 1 cup granulated sugar Pinch of salt 2 cups heavy cream 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract In a medium mixing bowl, combine the milk, sugar and salt until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add heavy cream and vanilla. Prepare ice cream according to ice cream maker directions.

Scoop a generous amount of ice cream into a glass. Top with root beer, orange soda, or grape soda. Garnish with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, candied fruit, cherries, and sprinkles. eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 41

{ in the bloglight }

Neli Howard Proves That Healthy Food Can Be Tasty

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by kelsey wells

hen a physician or dietician tells us to eat healthy, we here in the South tend to roll our eyes a bit and brace ourselves for a few months of bland, tasteless food. In a land where the food pyramid consists of layers of fried fat and sugar, topped off with a dose of salt and a glass of sweet tea, healthy doesn’t appeal to most.

Tax accountant by day and food blogger by spare time, Neli Howard wants to change the “healthy equals bland” mentality.

Her blog, “Delicious Meets Healthy,” seeks to show the tasty ways that healthy food can be presented. With a focus on unprocessed ingredients, vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, and eggs, and an objection to refined sugars, one would expect the recipes on Howard’s blog to seem unappetizing. But pictures of the colorful dishes leap from the screen and encourage the reader to try something new. She follows the advice of Michael Pollan, “Don’t eat anything your great-great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.”

Originally from Bulgaria, Howard first became interested in cooking while sharing an apartment with several girls from different countries during her college years in Germany.

She learned from them and came up with meals of her own through experimentation. She first visited Mississippi to attend a sister’s wedding, fell in love with the culture, and transferred to the Mississippi University for Women, where she earned a degree in accounting. She furthered her education through a graduate assistantship at Mississippi State University, receiving a graduate degree in accounting. She married in 2012 and she and her husband now reside in Huntsville, Alabama.

“As every newlywed wife, I pretty much wanted to wow 42 • JUNE/JULY 2015

Neli Howard my husband every evening with a new meal,” she explains. “In December of last year, my husband and I were casually joking that I could start my own food blog.”

“Delicious Meets Healthy” premiered in January, and in March alone garnished more than 15,000 views from over 100 countries. Staying true to its name, the blog features recipes with wholesome ingredients combined to make palatable tastes.

She also includes short stories about her daily life. Howard and her husband seek to eat healthy foods and have seen the positive effects on their health and lives. They also enjoy travel and gardening.

In the future, Howard hopes to expand her blog to include additional features such as a free downloadable meal plan and an eBook with easy but healthy dinners. To get free recipes, readers can now subscribe to Howard’s email list.

“I believe that you can make delicious healthy meals with simple fresh ingredients even if you are short on time and cost conscious. Eating healthy unprocessed food should not be time consuming, you just need to cook clever and get creative,” she said.

Above all, Howard hopes to inspire others to enjoy cooking and eating healthy dishes and have fun in the kitchen. She cites the passion of chef Jacques Pepin as a major inspiration, and lives by the words of Julia Child. “Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun.” edm www.deliciousmeetshealthy.com

Sweet Potato Hash with Sausage and Eggs

by Delicious Meets Healthy

1 pound pastured sausage 1 medium onion, chopped 2 medium sized sweet potatoes, chopped 2 tablespoons coconut oil Salt and pepper, to taste Rosemary, to taste Brown sausage. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium high, add 1 Tbsp coconut oil to cast iron skillet and sautĂŠ onions until translucent. Transfer

to the plate with the sausage.

Heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil over medium high heat, add chopped sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender (about 10 minutes). Sprinkle some rosemary, salt and freshly ground black pepper over sweet potatoes.

Cover skillet with a lid while cooking.

Add sausage and onions to the cast iron skillet and stir everything.

Crack four eggs over sweet potato hash. Place cast iron skillet in a preheated 425 degrees oven and cook for about 10-15 minutes until eggs are set.

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 43

Come Sail Away

story and photography by julian brunt There is a growing list of things to do and see when you visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Gulfport is getting an aquarium, Biloxi will soon have a baseball stadium, and the new Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum is open, but there's one attraction that has been in Biloxi for years and still draws a crowd.

The Biloxi Shrimping Trip has been going strong, in one guise or another, since 1952 when the Sailfish, a wooden boat built in Biloxi

by Lionel Eleuterius for Captain Louis Gorenflo, first set sail with a tour of the harbors and canneries that surrounded Biloxi at that time. The tour has morphed over the years and today it is one of the few attractions that describes the seafood industry back in the days when Biloxi called itself “The Seafood Capital of the World,” and the front beach and back bay were lined with factories and related industry.

Captain Mike Moore is co-owner and tour guide and likes to mix things up a bit. So, what you hear on your first tour just might not be the same if you go again, but you are sure to get a great feel for what things were once like in old Biloxi, the ins and outs of modern shrimping, the industry as it is today, and a serious introduction to the marine biology of Mississippi’s salty waters.

Gone are the days of the graceful schooners and cat boats that were once the workhorses of the industry, and gone, too, are all

44 • JUNE/JULY 2015

Get a Slice of Gulf Coast History on

The Biloxi Shrimping Trip

The Sailfish comes in to harbor as a Biloxi schooner goes out to sea in the background.

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 45

of the affiliated industries that supported the wooden fishing boats. Sail-makers, blacksmith shops, ice houses, boatyards with gangs of workers, a scattering of master boat builders, and, of course, the seafood factories that processed the catch are for the most part just history. In the 1930s, as many as three hundred wooden boats were built and launched in Biloxi in just one year. Today, not a single boat of any design is launched into these waters.

But Captain Moore will bring those heady days back to life for you and your family, while cruising comfortably in the Sailfish along the historic Biloxi channel. The highlight of the seventy minute tour is when the sixteen foot trawl is put over the stern and the Sailfish does a slow twenty minute drag to harvest the bounty of the Mississippi Sound for you to see and explore. As many as thirty-five species of fish and shrimp will be dumped in the sorting box and Captain Moore knows everyone of them by name.

The tour will end back in the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor, with a chance for the kids to get up front and personal with some of the catch and, as a grand finale, to feed the pelicans who have been eagerly waiting for the Sailfish’s return to the harbor.

This harbor has been the home of hundreds of fishing

OPPOSITE, TOP - Captain Mike Moore RIGHT - Feeding the pelicans at the tour's end FAR RIGHT - A blue crab, part of the day's catch 46 • JUNE/JULY 2015

boats over the generations, and you will walk the same piers and slice through the same salty waters as all those who have gone before you. This is a slice of Mississippi Gulf Coast history like no other. edm The Biloxi Shrimping Trip Departing from the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor 693 Beach Blvd, Biloxi 228.392.8645 www.biloxishrimpingtrip.com Check for seasonal dates

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 47

{ from mississippi to beyond }

Southern Recollection

Chef Darnell Reed

Chicago Gets a Taste of the South

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By Kathy K. Martin

hanks to Chef Darnell Reed and his greatgrandmother’s Southern cooking, Chicago now gets a taste of shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, and other classic Southern dishes. His new restaurant in Chicago’s Lincoln Square, Luella’s Southern Kitchen, is appropriately named for his 91-year-old great-grandmother, Luella Funches, who influenced him to cook with a Southern heart. Her upbringing in Morgan City, Mississippi and Reed�s fond 48 • JUNE/JULY 2015

memories of waking up in her home to the aroma of bacon frying in the skillet led him to pursue his passion for cooking Southern cuisine.

Reed recalls Luella’s fried chicken, cornbread, seafood gumbo, roast chicken, and, on Thanksgiving, roast duck. “I ask her questions about her recipes and her response is usually to ask me what I put in my recipe and then she’ll tell me where I’m wrong,” he chuckles as he recalls his conversation with her

Chicken and Waffles

about his cornbread. After he told her he used butter in his recipe, she stopped him and said that its high water content was why his cornbread was dry and told him to switch to lard.

He said that his cornbread is now moist, just like hers.

Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Reed became fascinated with food and cooking when his great-grandmother and grandmother babysat him while his mother was at work.

“I knew early in life that to get a really good meal my greatgrandmother was the one to do it.” He began watching a local cooking TV show and then took culinary arts in high school.

“The more I cooked, the more I enjoyed it and wanted to grow and develop.” His first job was washing dishes at the Palmer House, the famous and historic hotel in Chicago, and then moving on to prep cook, line cook, and finally to lead cook after just a few years. He spent the next 18 years serving as chef at Hilton Worldwide.

In addition to his travels to New Orleans, Charleston, Miami, and other Southern cities, his cooking is also influenced from his many journeys to France, England, Finland, and Morocco. “My recipes come off of family memories, but are also based off of what I’ve seen in these countries.” His bourbon chicken and waffles dish is the biggest seller at Luella’s Southern Kitchen, followed by fried catfish tacos, barbecue shrimp and grits, and gumbo. Local patrons either haven’t had grits ever in their life or they see them only as a breakfast dish, so Reed sees his cooking as a way to educate Chicago on some savory Southern favorites. His waffles are unique from traditional Southern interpretations, he said, because he makes his waffles using a European method that creates more of a yeast dough instead of a thin batter. Pearl sugar in the dough

Beignets

also adds a special touch.

Reed plans to expand his restaurant business from counter service to full service in the future, as well as to add a sandwich shop featuring another Southern classic, po’boys. Plus, he hopes to bring his great-grandmother to the restaurant soon to show her his expanded version of her Southern kitchen.

Luella’s Southern Kitchen brings a taste of the South to the North. edm Luella’s Southern Kitchen 4609 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, Ill. 773.961.8196 www.luellassouthernkitchen.com eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 49

Crispy Catfish Tacos

6 servings crispy catfish strips Vinegar slaw 6 pieces corn tortillas Spicy mayo 1 tablespoon green onion curls 2 limes, cut into 6 wedges

Assemble starting with tortilla, catfish, slaw, mayo, and garnish with green onions. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

BUTTERMILK MARINADE FOR FISH 16 ounces buttermilk 1 tablespoon creole seasoning 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1 tablespoon chopped shallots Mix all ingredients and marinate catfish before breading and frying.

50 • JUNE/JULY 2015

Vinegar Slaw 1/4 cup julienned red cabbage 1/4 cup julienned green cabbage 1/4 cup julienned carrots 1/4 cup julienned daikon Vinegar Slaw Dressing Mix vegetables and toss with vinegar slaw dressing.

VINEGAR SLAW DRESSING 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard 1 tablespoon orange blossom honey 1/2 cup grapeseed oil 1-1/2 teaspoons celery seed 2-1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar Salt Black pepper Whisk all ingredients together.

Sweet & Southern

{ from the bookshelf }

Classic Desserts With a Twist Author: Ben Mims | Publisher: Rizzoli

by kelsey wells

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he word “sweet” is synonymous with Mississippi. We have sweet tea by the gallon, call everyone “sweetheart” and, above all, are famous for our sweet treats.

For Ben Mims, growing up in rural Mississippi meant indulging in sweet treats throughout his childhood. He fondly remembers holidays and Sunday dinners where desserts reigned over large family meals. Now, after years of living on the West Coast and in New York perfecting his culinary skills, he seeks to take the sugary edge off of the desserts of his childhood and produce lighter, but still tasty, versions of the treats he remembers. He accomplishes this through his new cookbook Sweet& Southern: Classic Desserts with a Twist.

Classic cakes begin the volume with recipes for Cinnamon Crumb Cake and Mississippi Mud Cake among a plethora of tasty options. In keeping with his “healthy but tasty” theme, a Red Velvet cake recipe featuring pomegranate juice instead of traditional food coloring is included.

Pies and tarts, some piled high with perfect meringue, adorn the next chapter. Banana Pudding Pie, Chocolate Chess Pie and Lemon Meringue Pie are only a few of the temptations this chapter has to offer.

Traditional biscuits, breads and pastries are featured next, followed by custards and puddings with a Southern twist such as Sweet Potato Pudding and Watermelon Gelatin.

The chapter Cookies and Confections covers a variety of sweets, from Pretzel-Peanut-Chocolate Candy to Brazil NutButterscotch Blondies. Vegan brownies made with coconut oil and applesauce keep the sweet tooth satisfied and diets on track.

Frozen treats round out the volume with Cream Cheese Sorbet, Vanilla Soft-Serve and more. Stunning food photography by Noah Fecks makes the book even more exciting and easy to follow for readers.

With its healthy twists on many Southern recipes, Sweet and Southern is a must-have addition to any cook’s collection. edm

photo by noah fecks

cherry-lime sorbet 1 pound fresh or thawed frozen sour cherries, pitted 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Finely grated zest of 1 lime 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons kirsch (cherry brandy) In a medium-size saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar, and salt and mash with a potato masher or wooden spoon until the sugar is soaked in cherry juice.

Place the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add 3/4 cup water, the lime zest, lime juice, and kirsch. Pour into a blender and puree until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much of the liquid as possible, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. Discard the solids, or save them for another use.

Pour the chilled liquid into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a resealable plastic container and freeze until firm, at least four hours, before serving. Because sorbets have no dairy fat, they are rock hard when frozen solid. To make your life easier, remove the sorbet from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving to let it soften lightly.

Or, better yet, churn the sorbet while eating dinner and serve it fresh from the ice cream maker. eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 51

{ community }

Connecting Our Youth With Their Food 52 • JUNE/JULY 2015

ABOVE LEFT - Students that attend a school where the FoodCorp members create programs focused on healthy food get to experience new things such as digging in a garden and learning where their food comes from. TOP - The FoodCorps service members work with local organizations

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in their service areas and take their programs to the level that the school will allow. BOTTOM FoodCorps service member Lauren Rhoades and Liz Broussard, the FoodCorps Mississippi Fellow, participate in a garden volunteer day in Jackson.

story by lindsay mott | photos provided

ood is important to life. And, sometimes, knowing where your food comes from and connecting to it can be important to a healthier life. This belief is held by the team with FoodCorps Mississippi as they work to connect Mississippi school children with the origins of their food, those who produce it for them, and how it can benefit their health for years to come.

FoodCorps is a nationwide team of AmeriCorps leaders that aims to connect kids to real, healthy food, according to Liz Broussard, FoodCorps Mississippi Fellow. The National Center

for Appropriate Technology in Jackson is the state partner and 10 FoodCorps members serve in Mississippi alongside locals in the community.

Right now, they have programs mostly in elementary schools in Jackson, Shelby, Greenwood, Oxford, and Tupelo, but they hope to grow the program in other areas of the state and reach older students as well. The service members are free to serve in a way that suits the school best, but they all follow the “common theme of connecting youth to where their food comes from,” Broussard said. eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 53

ABOVE - Students in select schools get to try new, healthy foods as part of the FoodCorps Mississippi program.

LEFT - The ten FoodCorps Mississippi service members are from all over the United States. They participate in annual terms in each state but can stay in one place for up to two years.

The service members can focus on teaching nutrition education, engage students in hands-on lessons about food (with gardening and cooking classes), connect cafeteria staffs to local farmers for fresh food, etc., with the theme of creating healthier school food environments and making food awareness a part of a school’s culture, Broussard said. This may be promoting healthy food in a school fundraiser or into classroom curriculum. Some local schools are ready to integrate this into their classrooms and cafeterias while others stick to the basics – what fresh foods are and what they look like.

The service that the FoodCorps is providing is important because of health statistics and the disconnect people have from where their food comes from, according to Broussard.

She said educating youth to make informed decisions can combat this. What these students learn at a young age can impact their eating habits for the rest of their lives and schools and organizations are getting on board.

In her time with the program, Broussard said that she has seen that people in Mississippi are starting to work together 54 • JUNE/JULY 2015

to create positive changes in school communities and service members are able to act as bridges between local organizations and schools.

“That network building is a really important role that a FoodCorps member can play to create lasting change,” Broussard said.

The service members are from around the country and serve in a single location up to two years in one-year terms.

Overall, the program began in 2010 with the first 50 service members in 50 states in 2011. Now, there are 182 service members in 16 states, plus Washington, D.C. “What drives me to FoodCorps is that not only are we teaching about healthy food, but we’re encouraged to think about food in a big picture,” Brousard said, adding that this means considering foods that are culturally appropriate and have a deeper meaning in people’s lives. edm www.mississippi.blog.foodcorps.org

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1933Ruleville Restaurant -

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Ravine Oxford The Hills

The Delta -

CoffeeEnterprise Pot Cafe The Pines

- Monticello Henri's -

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The Sicil i an I Biloxi

Capital/River

Our wonderful state is divided into five travel regions - The Hills, The Delta, The Pines, Capital/River, and Coastal. It is our goal to give equal coverage to all regions of the state in every issue. The following sections are color coded by region for your convenience. We hope you will take the time and travel to all regions to take advantage of the diverse culinary styles present throughout our state.

We do suggest that you call to verify operating hours before visiting any of these wonderful establishments.

Coastal

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 55

The Hills

Hidden Gem M

56 • JUNE/JULY 2015

The Hills

Nestled Among The Hills, Oxford's Ravine Offers Fresh, Local Fare by shanna flaschka

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able to obtain resort status for Ravine, n the welcome page of helped in part by an outpouring of Ravine’s web page, visitors customer support to the county and are greeted with the words, state.

“You’ve found Ravine, Oxford’s Ravine has flourished since those Superlative Restaurant & Inn.” It has early struggles, despite the odds of any a sort of irony to it, as the place is restaurant surviving, much less one something like the pot of gold at the situated away from Oxford’s storied end of the rainbow. There are those Square. The reason for the success is customers who claim Ravine is their obvious: the food is just that good. favorite restaurant, and those who just From the beginning, Miller has focused haven’t found it yet. on seasonal products, and some of Chef/owner Joel Miller and his the ingredients even come from the wife, Cori, opened Ravine in 2007, in garden on site. This commitment to what had been the Tree House Bed everything fresh and local can be found and Breakfast. The couple ambitiously on the bottom of every menu at Ravine, took on the tough task of running which lists local purveyors. Everything both the inn and fine dining restaurant from beef, cheese, produce, dishware, in an off-the-beaten-track location, all Chef Joel Miller and more, are sourced within driving while learning to handle their new role distance. as parents of their baby boy, Henry Along with the seasonally-changing (second son Louis came a few years menu comes a wine list to rally with later). As an additional challenge, Ravine it. About once a month, there is also a food-and-wine pairing is located outside the Oxford city limits in a dry county, so event, in which the chef serves five small dishes and I pair alcohol was strictly B.Y.O.B. Fortunately, Miller was eventually

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 57

The Hills

58 • JUNE/JULY 2015

The Hills

them with five wines, at a cost of about $35-40 per person. At these meals, I talk about the wines and Miller explains what he cooked. Like the regular menu, the wine pairings highlight seasonal foods (May’s strawberry pairing and August’s tomato pairing are among the most popular). Miller himself is wellversed in wine knowledge, and as such, Ravine is one of the only places in town to even serve wine at the appropriate cellar temperatures.

In order to get people to the door for that food or wine, though, Miller has had to be innovative. One of his successful ideas is a tapas night every Wednesday. The menu offers small, appetizer-sized dishes to share or horde, such as sautéed Brussels sprouts with shallots and bacon, beef tenderloin sliders with red onion jam and bleu cheese, and flash-fried Gulf oysters with braised greens. There are usually about 20 options, separated on the menu by Pasture, Pen, and Pond.

Similarly, there is also a Sunday Supper menu, which is a prefixe meal of any three courses for $25. The dishes include some found on the other nights, and some simpler dishes that are well-suited to the concept, such as braised local chicken with dumplings. Finally, Ravine was one of the few places in town to serve brunch on Sundays before Oxford passed legislation to allow Sunday alcohol sales. Miller recently added an early meal on Saturdays as well.

All this is not to say that there aren’t still struggles to overcome for the restaurant. Being in a college town, for instance, presents a problem when trying to find reliable workers on a long-term basis. Miller himself says his biggest challenge for Ravine is “finding people that care enough about professionalism in the business.” Tackling tough problems is something he’s good at, though, so like the customers who have not yet been to Ravine, the answers just likely haven’t found him yet. edm

Ravine 53 County Road 321, Oxford 662.234.4555 www.oxfordravine.com

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 59

The Delta

Southern Swank 60 • JUNE/JULY 2015

The Delta

story and photography

by Coop Cooper A.K.A. The Small Town Critic

D 1933 Restaurant & Bar Turning Heads in Ruleville

elta farmer Stafford Shurden is no stranger to the restaurant business. He caught the bug ten years ago when he opened “Stafford’s” lunch spot in his home town of Drew. This past July he opened his new upscale restaurant in downtown Ruleville called “1933” which marks the year prohibition ended.

1933 can be described as a New Orleans-style restaurant and bar serving fresh seafood from the Gulf Coast, steaks, and Cajun-inspired cuisine. Sticking with the prohibition-era theme, the bar serves traditional cocktails from that era as well as original creations invented by Shurden and his staff. Patrons can order an “Old Fashioned,” the house favorite the “Southern Bliss,” or the cocktail inspired by Shurden himself, the “410 Judge.” Although the prohibition era interests Shurden, there is another meaning behind the theme.

“I’ve always thought it was pretty neat, but I guess with us not serving alcohol at the other restaurant (Stafford’s) in Drew and now we’re serving alcohol here, it’s kind of an inside joke, too,” says Shurden. “It’s got a double-meaning to it, but also a lot of history in this country and the state.”

Built inside of a former hardware store, and superbly decorated by Stacy Davis, 1933 features pleasant lighting and a comfortably chic atmosphere.

“She’s got really impeccable taste. I had some say in it, but she picked everything.

We kind of let her have carte blanche about what she wanted to do. I’ve known her for a long time and anything she does is going to be first class. The décor exceeded my wildest expectations. I wish I had ‘before’ pictures because you really can’t believe what it looked like. It was rough,” says Shurden.

In addition the the dining room and bar downstairs, the upstairs level houses a second bar and two function rooms. The larger room with the bar is ideal for larger parties such as wedding rehearsal dinners and offers a unique decorative feature: A vintage freight elevator which operates via a rope and pulley system. The smaller room dubbed the “Ruleville Room” is used primarily as a meeting room for civic clubs and organizations. Shurden hopes to get a lot of use out of these rooms as they plan for special events in the upcoming months.

“We love special events,” says Shurden. “We’ve been talking to some other chefs about coming in and taking one Wednesday night a month to do a pop-up restaurant which has become a popular thing to do recently and maybe show the locals eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 61

The Delta

something they haven’t seen before.”

The dinner menu offers a variety of appetizers such as fried grits, oysters, shrimp, etouffee, fried portabellas, fried green tomatoes, and the popular “Duck Poppers,” which are duck breasts wrapped in bacon and stuffed with pepper jelly. Salads include the Classic Wedge, Seasonal Green, and the beautifully presented Heirloom Tomato Salad. The kitchen serves up rib eyes, filet mignon, pork medallions, ahi tuna, and grilled chicken as off-the-grill entrées. Tasty-sounding original entrees comprise the rest of the menu: Sunflower County Catfish, The Angry Olive (tortellini mixed with olives and an assortment of garnishes), Shrimp Puttanesca, Chicken Lafitte, Shrimp and Grits, Fresh Gulf Shrimp with rice pilaf, Fried Green Tomato Parmesan, and the aromatic Blackened Biloxi Snapper smothered in etouffee. A la carte sides include Truffle Fries, pasta with marinara, Edam potatoes au Gratin, rice pilaf from Shurden Farms, seasonal vegetables, sauteed asparagus, and the Vardamen Bulleit Burbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Special entrées are offered nightly.

“Since I’m a farmer, we try to use our own rice when we can get it and have it available. We try to use local products like Delta Grind Grits, we use Mississippi State Edam cheese, so when we can find local products we can fit in our menu, we do that,” says Shurden.

While the dinner menu is robust, Chef Cody Norris keeps the lunch menu simple, often with a selection of three different specials to choose from on any given day.

A native of Greenville, Chef Norris studied the culinary arts at Mississippi Delta Community College, studying under the award-winning chef Dave Crews who introduced Norris to Shurden.

“Cody has actually worked for me over the years. He started out at Stafford’s and we did some stuff at night there before we opened here. People enjoyed his food and he kind of developed a following,” says Shurden.

Norris also adds a musical component in addition to his food preparation duties. He provides amps, speakers and guitars for the live music area which sits in a front corner of the restaurant. 1933 often hosts musical guests on their busiest nights, but Norris himself is known to take a break and play a 62 • JUNE/JULY 2015

song or two for customers while bar and floor manager Tyler Muzzi holds down the fort.

Muzzi, a recent graduate from Delta State University, was formerly on the staff at Crawdad’s Restaurant in Merigold, but a persistent Shurden convinced him to jump ship to 1933 for the managing position.

The establishment receives most of its business from outof-town as 1933 is centrally located near larger towns and cities.

“I think we get more out-of-towners right now because Ruleville is a small town. We are in a town of 3,500 people, but we are five miles away from 15,000 (in Cleveland), and then another 3,000 in Drew just four or five miles in the other direction and we are only thirty minutes from places like Greenwood and Indianola, so we are getting a lot of traffic from those places and from people following the ‘Blues Trail’ since we have a marker for Jimmy Rogers right across the street from us,” says Shurden.

The affable Shurden interviews as easily and confidently as a politician, a role he can also claim. Somehow in all his farming and restaurant entrepreneurship, he finds the time to serve as the Sunflower County Justice Court Judge, a job he has performed since 2006. He is currently running for re-election, but he doesn’t let all of his other jobs slow down his passion for his restaurants.

“No pun intended, but I guess you could say I’m a ‘glutton’ for punishment,” says Shurden. “At my first restaurant, I didn’t have much money and I spent five years renovating the building, the electrical and the plumbing, with my own two hands before I opened it. Everybody thought I was crazy, of course, but I love food, obviously,” says Shurden as he pats his belly. “Stafford’s has lasted for ten years so far and hopefully this one will last just as long.”

1933 is open for lunch Wednesday-Friday and for dinner Thursday-Sunday. edm 1933 107 W Floyce St., Ruleville 662.618.6025 www.facebook.com/1933restaurantandbar

The Delta

CLOCKWISE, FROM OPPOSITE PAGE 410 Judge and Southern Bliss Duck Poppers Heirloom Tomato Salad Creme Brulee Shrimp and Grits 1933 Owner Stafford Shurden eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 63

The Pines

64 • JUNE/JULY 2015

The Pines

Coffee & Pie a

Lin Carruth keeps diners coming back for more at Coffee Pot Cafe.

Satisfy Your Cravings at Coffee Pot Cafe in Enterprise

story and Photography by Shea Goff

W

e will get to it. Actually we are going to have to visit several times to get to it. It is that one thing you go to a restaurant to get, but if they have already sold out you are not disappointed because there are all those things you can get at that restaurant. The Creekside Coffee Pot Café is that restaurant or diner or the place you go to to get the food that you have been starving for all week.

It does not matter what day you go. Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. till 2 p.m. Lin, Mona Lisa, Abby, Aimee, Jackie, Mary, and even Ed are there to see you, seat you, feed you, smile at you, and make you feel like you are home.

We’ll start with the crawfish etouffee because Lin cooks home, and her home before Mississippi was Louisiana. When Lin was a child smack in the middle of eight, her Mama found feeding was about making do with what you had. There was a creaminess to making do when making do tasted great. It is how the rice stuck that today makes you know someone loves you enough to start in the kitchen when they plan to feed you.

Someone soaks the beans in your red beans and rice. No cans here.

Someone smiles when they deliver your food to the table.

They suggest what you may love today is a special of ribs and jambalaya with shrimp so big they remind you of visiting the Gulf Coast except now you are not on the beach. You are having this perfectly toasted French bread and sweet little corn in Enterprise, Mississippi.

It is an old mechanic shop, which now houses Lin’s work.

Ed owned the property and thought he would tear that building down, but Lin said, “Ed, you know I need a place to put my work and the things I love.” That is why Ed cut down trees on the property and began working with Lin to create a home away from home. From St. Francisville, La. to Enterprise, Miss., Lin lives the old saying, “Home is where you lay your head.” And, put your gumbo pot in Lin’s case.

Try the gumbo which one woman from Louisiana asked, “Is it red or brown?” Aimee came running into the kitchen to ask Lin, and Lin getting plates ready said, “What?”

The gumbo was being questioned by a woman who knew gumbo and was certain she could not find a bowl in Mississippi that would equal one from her state. The community nestled in the north end of Clarke County smiles when they hear the story, because they have tasted the gumbo. They already eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 65

The Pines know the ending. The woman could not even admit it after Lin brought a sample to the table and explained that she, too, hailed from that great state. It’s the only complaint Lin has received in the eight months she has been serving customers her cooking.

Only eight months ago, women visiting her shop at Creekside Mercantile told her, “Lin, you need to open up a little café in here and serve some pies and coffee.”

And here we are at it. The pie and coffee. This is that food that your Mama or Grandmother or someone who loved you a whole lot would make for you on that day you did exceptionally great.

If you go to a restaurant, you go for the food which pleases you. What food pleases you? Is it chocolate? Coconut? Lemon, maybe? Or wait. Maybe you love a good strawberry in season.

If you ever are near Clarke County at a time when little white blooms have turned into fruit, then you must, must stop by the Creekside Coffee Pot Café and try a slice of pie with strawberries so big you will be grateful they have extra napkins at the table.

The name Coffee Pot comes from a café in Brookhaven, which stayed in Ed Carruth’s family for three generations.

Originally established in 1930 the place was known for its ability to serve good food at affordable prices. You can find a menu at today’s Creekside version in Enterprise.

Depression era pricing meant you could have a special served to you anytime between 11:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. for only thirty cents.

66 • JUNE/JULY 2015

Ed says they can’t match the price or the hours, but both Lin and he have worked hard to keep the cost affordable to the customers they see returning every week. The customers agree.

You are likely to have one walk by your table, look at your plate and say, “It’s good. Isn’t it?”

The menu “special” will change daily in accordance to what Lin describes as, “How the spirit moves me.” Always on the menu are those meals in which you can’t go wrong. Order right with the gumbo, a shrimp creole, etouffee, jambalaya, Lin’s special chicken salad, or poboys. A burger called the Driftwood is always a crowd favorite along with grilled cheese sandwiches made with old fashioned hoop cheese.

Don’t worry. You can carry some of the hoop cheese home with you. Just add it to your ticket and notice the antique scales and cheese cutter set in the room. They are from Ed’s maternal grandparents’ country store. edm Coffee Pot Cafe at Creekside Mercantile 120 W Bridge St., Enterprise 601.659.0500 www.facebook.com/creeksidemercantile

The Pines

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT - Gumbo, shrimp poboy, crawfish etouffee, chicken salad with grilled cheese, bread pudding

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 67

Capital/River

Tradition Renewed

Alex Hodge, Margaret Garrett, and Mandy Ericson

68 • JUNE/JULY 2015

Capital/River

Monticello Eatery Reopens Thanks to Next Generation by kelsey wells

Catfish St. Bernard

N

estled in the heart of downtown Monticello, an unassuming burnt orange front door opens to one of the state’s most unique restaurants. Its namesake is as unique as its flavors. Most would assume that the name “Henri’s” refers to a man, but it is actually in memory of Henri Defrance Meyers, a female relative of the original owner’s husband. After being a town icon in the 1980s and 1990s, the restaurant closed. Now, under the leadership of a determined granddaughter, Henri’s has returned to serve up its traditional favorites and some new, exciting dishes.

Margaret Garrett is the original owner of Henri’s. Having lived in the Mobile, Alabama area for 23 years and attended cooking school, she purchased the current building as a fallingin cleaners in 1986.

“We need this,” she explains, noting that the restaurant was and is a great place to sit down, chat, and visit with family and friends over a casual yet tasty meal. The original menu focused heavily on fresh seafood, such as fish and shrimp, and salads were a staple. Daily specials added variety to the menu, and heartier country-style meals helped fill every appetite.

When Garrett was forced to close the restaurant, she did so with the hope that one day her family would bring it back.

Thanks to granddaughter Mandy Ericson, that dream became a reality on February 17th of this year. Now the owner and head chef of Henri’s, Ericson grew up in the original restaurant and says that it feels like a family member. She once lived on the Gulf Coast and worked at two family-owned coast restaurants.

“I went into nursing, but this [restaurant work] is in my blood,” she explains. She moved back to the Monticello area and threw herself into a six-month-long renovation of the Henri’s building. She and fiancé Al Hodge did much of the work themselves, and many of the building supplies were bought locally.

“I would walk into the hardware store and they would ask, ‘What do you need this time?’” jokes Hodge. A Facebook post about the reopening of the restaurant caused a flurry of excitement among locals, and many speculated that it would be open by Valentine’s Day. The opening missed the day of love by just a few days, but reflecting back Mandy knows they opened at the best possible time. The restaurant is now open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.2 p.m. each day, in keeping with a tradition begun with the original restaurant.

A perfect lunch break treat, the atmosphere is casual and relaxed. Jeans and t-shirts are welcomed here, as are suits and ties. With Hodge’s New Orleans influences and Ericson’s coastal background, seafood again reigns supreme. New daily eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 69

Capital/River

Shrimp over Grits Cake

70 • JUNE/JULY 2015

Capital/River specials such as Catfish St. Bernard and Velvet Shrimp help add new flavors to the traditional menu. Salads are back, including fried and grilled chicken salads, shrimp pasta salad, and Ericson’s favorite, the Combination Salad. Appetizers include crab claws, broccoli, pickles and mushrooms, all lightly breaded and fried to golden perfection.

Po-boys, burgers and sandwiches, and chicken and seafood lunch plates round out the menu with both tradition and creativity. Every day has a featured special, and surprises from Ericson’s imagination pop up to keep things interesting. Sweet and unsweet tea flow freely here, and sodas and coffee are also available.

As they look ahead, Ericson and Hodge are always creating and innovating. Cooking and running a restaurant, they explain, are very creative endeavors. A chef has to keep moving ahead and thinking at all times.

The influences and recipes of three generations of chefs come together to bring back a Monticello legend at the newly reopened Henri’s. If you venture in, it’s sure to become a tradition for you, too. edm Henri's 321 E. Broad St., Monticello 601.806.5039

Combination Salad

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 71

Coastal

Chef Hristo Drakopoulas

Irresistible

ITALIAN 72 • JUNE/JULY 2015

Coastal

Savor the Flavors of Sicily at The Sicilian II in Biloxi story and photography by julian brunt

T

o find a great Italian place that also serves a great pizza, really is an event worthy of some celebration. So when The Sicilian II opened in Biloxi recently, flags started to wave almost as soon as the doors opened. This is indeed a rare find, and must rate as one of the top Italian places in the state.

Chef Hristo Drakopoulas is no novice to the trade, in fact he started working in his dad’s kitchen in Chicago when still a teen. He learned the business from the ground up, starting out washing dishes, moving into the kitchen, and then working for other restaurants, but he has been an owner and chef now for many years.

If you get the idea that the pizza is all this place is about, you would be dead wrong. The pizza is stunningly good, every aspect of it made from scratch, but the rest of the menu is just as good.

If you are going to start with an appetizer, look at the antipasto or the fried calamari, both would be good choices. A big surprise is how good the salads are, with the Greek Village, Aegean Isle salads at the top of the list. The Aegean Isle is at its heart a made-to-order potato salad loaded with tomatoes, onion, pepperoncini, feta cheese, and a great dressing.

There is also a good handful of classic Italian dishes, like lasagna, baked ziti, and ravioli, and, again, everything is made from scratch.

The Mediterranean listing is just as

Greek salad

Meatballs and spaghetti eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 73

Coastal

good with lamb shanks, an outstanding gyro platter, and green chicken pasta as standouts. It is hard not to overemphasize that what makes this place so good is the freshness of ingredients, house-made everything (even the sausage is hand-made by Chef Hristo), and the number of dishes that are made to order. Only the long cooked ingredients, like the red sauce, are made in advance.

Ok, it’s time to talk about the pie, pizza pie that is. The dough is made from scratch every day. When you order your pie, a pre-measured round of dough is taken out of refrigeration, slapped into shape, then tossed into the air to form those critical bubbles of air inside the dough. Toppings are added, then it is placed in a 650° F oven on a traditional pizza shovel and baked for seven and one half minutes. But it is not left unattended. Chef Hristo keeps a watchful eye and moves the pie from side to side, making sure it is baked evenly and perfectly. Out of the oven it comes, quickly sliced, and to your table in an amazingly short amount of time.

This pizza is good, really good. Try the Chef ’s favorite with fresh tomatoes, fresh oregano, lots of pepperoni, and housemade sausage. It’s not often I will go out on this limb, but this has got to be the best pizza I have ever had. Hands down.

The Sicilian II is just west of Keesler Gate Seven at the eastern end of Pass Road in Biloxi. Find your way there, and you will be back many, many times. edm The Sicilian II 1670 Pass Road, Biloxi 228.355.8819 www.facebook.com/biloxipizza

74 • JUNE/JULY 2015

Coastal

ABOVE - Gyro platter OPPOSITE - Pizza RIGHT - Lasagna

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 75

{ featured festival }

A Seed-Spitting Good Time 76 • JUNE/JULY 2015

Celebrate Summer at the Mississippi Watermelon Festival in Mize

I

story by susan marquez | photos provided

f there’s watermelon, it must be summer! Folks in the know wait all spring for the world-famous Smith County watermelons to mature to the perfect degree of ripeness.

After all, biting into a sweet, juicy piece of watermelon on a hot summer day is one of life’s true pleasures and legend has it that the watermelons in Smith County are the best in the world.

Those watermelons are celebrated in a big way each July in the Smith County town of Mize. Down in Sullivan’s Hollow on July 17 and 18, folks will gather to see some of the area’s biggest watermelons, see the Watermelon Festival Queen and eat all the free watermelon they desire.

Now in it’s 37th year, the festival was started in 1978 by the Mississippi Watermelon Growers Association. Assisted by the Mize Volunteer Fire Department, the little festival gained a reputation early on for the fun-for-the-whole-family atmosphere. After a few years, the Fire Department took over the event, and it became a fund raiser for the department.

Terresa Stewart, Assistant Fire Chief for the department is also the festival coordinator. “We work on this all year,” Stewart says. “We want it to be the best festival of its kind in the country!”

The festival countdown begins in May with the Mississippi Watermelon Festival Queen Scholarship Program held at Mize High School. The Queen will be a year ‘round ambassador for Smith County watermelons around the state and will receive a $1000 scholarship.

The official start of the festival is July 17, with a concert by country star Daryle Singletary. Saturday morning kicks off

early with a 5K walk/run. A car and truck show will be held downtown from 8am to 3pm and is open to all makes and models. The car show is free to the public.

But the real draw is the watermelon! Stewart suggests bringing lawn chairs and getting there early to grab a spot under the shade trees. Mize City Park is filled with pines, oaks, dogwoods and magnolias, all typical of Southern Mississippi.

The creek that runs through it is a perfect spot to take a dip to cool off on a hot summer day. Food vendors with all types of delicacies will be set up throughout the festival area. “Each vendor serves something different,” says Stewart. “We don’t have any duplicates!” And of course, there’s the watermelon.

Free slices of watermelon is given out all day long.

Highlights of the event include the popular watermelon seed spitting contest, and the watermelon eating contest.

Everyone marvels each year at the abnormally large melons vying for the biggest watermelon prize. “They aren’t edible,” laughs Stewart. Yet, people will pay top dollar for the seeds in hopes of growing the biggest watermelon next year.

As with most festivals, there will be plenty of activities for children and plenty of toe-tapping music throughout the day.

Those who want to shop will enjoy the many arts and crafts vendors that will be selling their wares in the park.

As the sun begins to set, and bellies are full of watermelon and other goodies, the main stage will be the center of attention with Restless Heart as the headliner. Tickets for the show will be available at the gate all day. For more information, visit www.mswatermelonfestival.com or go to www.facebook. com/MSWatermelonFestival. edm eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 77

{ calendar }

Fill Your Plate

June 5-6 Atlanta - Mississippi Picnic

Mississippians gather annually at Atlanta's Chastain Park for authentic Mississippi food, entertainment, and goodies. For more information, visit www. mssocietyofga.org.

•••

June/July 2015

Food Festivals & Events

June 13 New York City - Mississippi Picnic

Hosted each year in Central Park, this annual event brings together some of the best of what Mississippi has to offer, including outstanding music, inspiring art, delicious food and, of course, a healthy dose of Southern hospitality. For more information, visit www.thenyms.org.

•••

Photo by Meg Lake

June 12-13 Kiln - McLeod Park BBQ Cookoff and Car Show

Come spend the day and enjoy BBQ, a car show, kids games, live music, silent auction, and more.

This is a family-friendly event that is sponsored by Friends of McLeod Park. For more information, call 228-669-1597 or visit www.facebook.com/ friendsofmcleodpark.

78 • JUNE/JULY 2015

June 20 Washington, D.C. - Mississippi on the Mall

Hosted each year by The Mississippi Society of Washington, D.C., this event offers fried catfish, live music, and more at the northeast corner of the Lincoln Memorial. For more information, visit www. mississippisociety.org.

July 3-5 Bay St. Louis - Our Lady of the Gulf Crab Festival

The Our Lady of the Gulf Crab Festival features incomparable food, live music, arts and crafts booths, rides, raffles, crab races, and much more.

Food items include boiled crab and shrimp, shrimp and catfish po-boys, gumbo, crab stuffed potatoes and biscuits, and more. For more information, call 228-467-6509 or visit www.olgchurch.net.

•••

July 9-11 Corinth - Slugburger Festival

Highlights of the annual Slugburger Festival include a slugburger eating contest, live entertainment, green market, and more. For more information, call 662-287-1550 or visit www.slugburgerfestival. com.

To have your food festival or culinary event included in future issues, please contact us at

July 17-18 Mize - 37th Annual Mississippi Watermelon Festival Enjoy two full days of music, fun, arts and crafts, and all the free watermelon you care to eat. The festival will feature a 5K run, and a great car and truck show hosted by the Smith County Cruisers.

Be sure to join in the fun of the watermelon eating contest and the seed spitting contest and don't miss the biggest watermelon contest. For more information, call 601-733-5647 or visit www. mswatermelonfestival.com.

•••

July 24-26 Natchez Food & Wine Festival

The Natchez Food and Wine Festival takes you from one remarkable experience to the next. You will find yourself constantly surrounded with some of the region's most prominent chefs and restaurants, and indulge in the finest of food, wine, and entertainment. Make reservations soon to attend this unforgettable three-day event. For more information, call 601-442-4895 or visit www. natchezfoodandwinefest.com. info@eatdrinkmississippi.com. All submissions are subject to editor's approval. eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 79

Recipe Index Basic Rice Grits, 28 Buttermilk Marinade for Fish, 50 Cherry-Liime Sorbet, 51 Crispy Catfish Tacos, 50 Doe's Broiled Shrimp, 40 Grape and Smoked Mozzarella Flatbread, 15 Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, 41 Lemon Curd, 19 Lemon Pound Cake, 19 Mammy's Basic Pie Crust, 40 Mammy's Chicken Pot Pie, 40 Mary Mahoney's Bread Pudding, 40 Ravine's Blueberry Trifle, 19 Rice Grits Risotto, 29 Shrimp Creole, 25 Shrimp Thai Salad, 14 Southwestern Smoky Ranchero Burger, 80 Sweet and Savory Garlic Ginger Brussels Sprouts and Grapes, 15 Sweet Potato Hash with Sausage and Eggs, 43 Taco Rice, 29 Taco Seasoning, 29 Vinegar Slaw, 50 Vinegar Slaw Dressing, 50 Weidmann's Black Bottom Pie, 40

STORE INFORMATION from page 16

Barnes & Noble Gulfport, Ridgeland, Tupelo www.barnesandnoble.com DadGifts.com 2335 SE 50th Ave. Portland, OR 97214 contact@dadgifts.com www.dadgifts.com Gourmet Guru Grill 1 Bad Boy Blvd.

Batesville, AR 72501 855.307.0933 www.gourmetgurugrill.com Oregon Scientific 10778 SW Manhasset Dr. Tualatin, OR 97062 800.853.8883 www.oregonscientific.com Taste Trunk support@tastetrunk.com www.tastetrunk.com Williams-Sonoma www.williams-sonoma.com 80 โ ข JUNE/JULY 2015

Advertisers Index Boondocks Fireams Training Academy, 11 Etta B Pottery, 9 Fire & Feast, 4 Lisa Browning Photography, 13 Metal Builders Supply, 14 Mississippi Children's Museum, 83 Mississippi Market, 3 Natchez Food & Wine Festival, 13 Ridgeland Tourism, 6 Sanderson Farms, Back Cover The Kitchen Table, 9 The Manship, 4 The Strawberry Cafe, 29 Thurman's Landscaping, 81 Tupelo, 2

Southwestern Smoky Ranchero Burger with Grilled Avocado Lime Mayonnaise: 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 package McCormick Grill Mates Smoky Ranchero Marinade, divided Stuffed Avocado: 2 ripe avocados 1/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese 1/4 cup diced tomato Burgers: 1 pound 80 percent lean ground beef 4 kaiser rolls 1 small red onion, thinly sliced For lime mayonnaise, mix mayonnaise, lime juice and 1 teaspoon of the marinade mix in small bowl until well blended. Cover. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For stuffed avocado, halve and seed avocados. Carefully

remove peel, leaving each half intact. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Mix cheese and tomato. Set aside.

For burgers, mix ground beef and remaining marinade mix until well blended. Shape into 4 patties.

Grill over medium heat 4-6 minutes per side or until burgers are cooked through (internal temperature of 160ยบF). Grill avocado halves, cut-sides down, 30 seconds.

Turn over avocadoes. Place 2 tablespoons of cheese mixture into each avocado half. Drizzle with hot sauce, if desired. Grill 4-5 minutes.

Toast rolls on grill, open-side down, about 30 seconds.

Serve burgers on rolls topped with stuffed avocados and onion slices.

Press roll gently to smash stuffed avocado. Serve with lime mayonnaise.

Serves: 4

coming to terms

Of THEKitchen IN

E

TH

with julian brunt

Mise en Place Mise en place is a French culinary term that translates to set in place, or everything in its place. What it refers to is the basic organization of a kitchen before service begins. It is not only making sure the vegetables are chopped and ready, but the sauces and soups made, everything in fact that must be cooked in advance. Mise en place, or mise in the vernacular, also means that the knives are sharpened and the pots, pans, and other utensils are ready and at hand. It also refers to the front of the house being prepared for service. The tables must be set, and the dining room cleaned. Typically mise en place is accomplished by line cooks, or cuisinier to the French, and souse chefs, with the executive chef overseeing the entire operation. edm

eat. drink.

MISSISSIPPI

Visit our website for Mississippi culinary news, recipes, cooking tips, culinary events, and more!

www.eatdrinkmississippi.com

Thurman’s Landscaping Landscaping • Irrigation Waterfalls • Lighting Outdoor Kitchens & Patios Iron & Brick Work

601.270.8512 eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 81

Retraining the Palate

BY JAY REED

T

here she was, just a-walking down the street, singing dowah-diddy…no, wait, that’s someone else’s story. Mine is more like this: “There she was just a sittin’ in the pew, and you’re crazy if you think she’s going out with you.” But to my utter amazement, she did. And so began a retraining of my palate.

It was a bit of a shock, I must say, when before our first date she revealed that she was a vegetarian. Actually, it was worse. Yep, she was a vegan. I didn’t even know what that meant. I quickly learned that it meant no animal products at all. No milk. No eggs. Lots of soy.

That revelation flavored our relationship in a variety of ways. First, I had to think much more carefully about where we could go out to eat. Our first date began with dinner at Applebee’s. I asked her recently if she remembered what she ate that first night, a salad or a vegetable plate of some sort? She had no idea, but she did remember what she wore. (This is our life.) One Sunday after church I thought I had the perfect solution. In Asheville, North Carolina, where we lived at the time, there was a giant farmer’s market with an onsite restaurant, The Moose Cafe. I was pretty proud of myself. Just below us in the market were vegetables of all shapes and sizes. She would never want to leave this vegan paradise. But despite her Yankee upbringing, she had been in the South long enough to ask this question: “Is there going to be pork in all of this?”

I could not prove otherwise, so we 82 • JUNE/JULY 2015

finished our sweet tea and went a mile down the road to the Chinese buffet.

Somehow that seemed safer.

I also made the vegan thing a personal challenge. She wasn’t one to try to make others feel bad for eating meat - for her it was mostly about the health side of it. But she was willing to educate, and gave me some tips on label-reading in the grocery store. So for two weeks - just to see if I could do it - I was a vegan. I became well-acquainted with sodium caseinate, a dairy derivative that was previously off my radar and is apparently in a bunch of food products.

After a full fortnight of spending hours in the grocery reading every stinking label, I decided I could do it - and therefore quit.

This phase ultimately affected our wedding reception. All of her vegetarian buddies from work would be there (and they were legion), and of course she needed something besides cake to eat, too. By now she had downshifted into the less restrictive vegetarian mode, so it was a little easier, but we did have the finest display of hummus and raw vegetables east of the Smokies. It was the least I could do, given that the featured food of the rehearsal dinner was pulled pork barbecue shipped in on dry ice from Mississippi. (Thanks, Little Dooey.)

The Girlfriend-Who-Became-TheWife also had a penchant for Mexican food. Prior to her arrival, I would eat it from time to time, but it wasn’t on the top of my list. With her it became an

BILL DABNEY PHOTOGRAPHY

{ till we eat again }

Jay Reed, a graduate of Ole Miss, lives in Starkville where he is a pharmacist by day and a freelance food writer by day off. He is a member of the Southern Foodways Alliance and writes "Eats One Ate," a weekly column in the Starkville Daily News.

every-other-meal kind of rotation, since cheese enchiladas, beans, guacamole and the like lend well to vegetarian tastes.

Now it’s all about the chicken fajitas, and I’m the one checking out the veggie page.

Then there was the New Year’s Day dinner. My folks came to Asheville to celebrate, and my mother prepared the traditional dinner with greens and blackeyed peas, certain that this vegetarian girlfriend would be easily satisfied. That is, until she arrived at dinner and said, “I won’t be eating this, this, or this.”

Apparently being a vegetarian doesn’t automatically guarantee that one likes all vegetables, nor that eating for the sake of good luck and prosperity the next year is all that important.

The best story of all is the one where she finally caved. We were - or she was (however you look at it) - pregnant. We took a Bradley class and learned all about breathing and nutrition and such. A key discovery was the importance of protein in pregnancy and what a challenge it was to get all you needed from veggies.

One afternoon about halfway through the journey, she passed a McDonald’s drive-through and the pull of processed protein was just too much. One order of McNuggets later, that was the end of that. edm

orld full of explore a w ventures! scientific ad

Sid’S firSt day June 13, 2015 (10:00 AM-2:00 PM) Join us for science activities and character appearances!

Sid’S Science club Tuesdays at 2:00 PM & Thursdays at 10:00 AM Sid the Science Kid will be at the museum to teach children about science! Families can participate in hands-on experiments and learn about the scientific method. It will be super duper! field tripS Call the museum about booking your summer group visit to explore and discover with Sid!

Locally sponsored by

eat. drink.

MISSISSIPPI

opening June 13, 2015 mschildrensmuseum.com | 601.981.5469 Located in Jackson, MS at I-55 & Lakeland Drive Sid the Science Kid: The Super-Duper Exhibit! created by The Magic House® in collaboration with The Jim Henson Company. TM & © 2013 The Jim Henson Company. All Rights Reserved.

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Since we started in 1947, our chicken has been free of extra salt, water and other additives.

It’s not just 100% natural. It’s 100% chicken.

For recipes visit us at SandersonFarms.com or find us on Facebook.

84 • JUNE/JULY 2015