eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI: June/July 2022

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MISSISSIPPI Shady Acres Village | Mauthe’s Dairy | Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association

VOLUME 11, NUMBER 3 eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI

f f O l o Co t o H h t i w e r a F r e m m Su

Summer Destinations June/July 2022 $

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From an everything Elvis festival to a locally loved farmstead, make your travel plans for this summer

June/July 2022

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Summer Salad Destinations in JXN

BY MICHELE D. BAKER

S

ummer is coming, and with temperatures already high, it’s time to think about lighter lunch fare. These Jackson restaurants offer delectable salad menus which will make both your taste buds and your beach body happy.

BRAVO! Italian Restaurant and Bar – 4500 I-55 North, Highland Village Suite 244 The Chicken & Sweet Potato Salad at BRAVO! is a must-try: mesclun lettuce topped with dried cranberries, candied walnuts, gorgonzola, grape tomatoes and pomegranate vinaigrette. There is also the Southwestern Fried Oyster salad, seared yellowfin tuna, the Vegetable Napoleon and even the spinach salad with a warm balsamic.

Tied to BRAVO! is Sal & Mookie’s, mainly known for its delicious New York-style pizza. Located at 200 District Boulevard, this restaurant also offers seven salads on the menu. Try a classic wedge, Caesar or Greek salad, or try the Chopped Salad with sliced chicken, diced Genoa salami, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, fresh basil and shredded mozzarella. The “Y’alldorf” is made with red apples, red and white grapes, celery, toasted pecans, red onions and gorgonzola. Then, since you’ve been so good, go ahead and have a scoop with sprinkles for dessert.

Broad Street Baking Company & Café is also included with the aforementioned restaurants under the umbrella of Mangia Bene Restaurant Management Group, Inc. At 4465 I-55 North, Banner Hall Suite 101 Broad Street’s lunch and dinner menus are loaded with nine scrumptious salads, each of which comes with a slice of freshly baked bread (natch!). Deb’s Salad (mixed field greens with house-made granola, blueberries, strawberries and fresh mozzarella with honey-lemon vinaigrette) and Sol’s Salad (chopped romaine topped with smoked chicken, spinach, sweet & spicy nuts, fresh pears, red grapes and bleu cheese tossed with raspberry vinaigrette) are house favorites.

Room Service – 4695 McWillie Drive (& Butler Snow Building, 1020 Highland Colony Pkwy., Ridgeland) If you’ve never experienced a Room Service salad, you’re in for a giant treat! A longtime favorite for office lunches and meeting catering, Room Service offers an incredible 17 salads, each of which is large enough to satisfy even the hungriest executive. Salads are made with your choice of head lettuce, spinach, romaine or spring mix. Popular topping favorites include the Tampa (shrimp salad, bacon, egg, sprouts, mushroom, tomato, broccoli, cukes & red onion) and Washington (chicken, bacon, egg, walnuts, raisins, sunflower seeds, grapes, mushrooms, bagel chips). For Room Service, ring the front desk or visit www.roomservicejackson.com (pick up or delivery only).

Loaded Lettuce – 2584 Robinson Street, Suite 32 Loaded Lettuce is a salad bar offering customizable salads and buildyour-own salad options. In four easy steps—choose a salad base, pick a

2 • June/July 2022

lettuce, add up to five toppings, select a dressing—create a salad sure to please any palate. Greens include iceberg lettuce, romaine, spinach and spring mix, and toppings range from cheddar cheese to banana peppers to pineapple chunks. Order online for carryout or delivery; catering is also available. Load up on lettuce at www.jacksonsalads.com/menu.

Keifer’s – 710 Poplar Boulevard in Belhaven Neighborhood or 120 North Congress Street downtown This Jackson staple for Greek fare has been serving up the same delicious, wrapped pita sandwiches and salads for over 30 years. In addition to classic salad favorites like the Grecian or grilled chicken, try artichoke hearts or hearts of palm on a bed of lettuce. Fan favorites include the gyro salad and shrimp salad. Whether you opt for the creamy feta cheese or zazeeki, be sure to order extra salad dressing!

Get your Greek on: www.keifers.net.

Aladdin Mediterranean Grill – 730 Lakeland Drive Serving authentic Mediterranean dishes, Aladdin offers a delicious array of heart-healthy options for every diet. In addition to delicious mezze (appetizer) options like tabouli and baba ganouj, salad options include Fatouche (green salad with black olives, tomatoes, cukes, fried pita chips and house Italian dressing), Arabic salad (diced tomatoes, onions & cukes in lemon juice marinade) and shawarma salads (beef or chicken). Make your Mediterranean food wish at www. aladdininjackson.com.

Birdie’s Nourished Kitchen in Cultivation Food Hall – 1200 District Boulevard, Cultivation Food Hall Located in trendy Cultivation Hall at The District, Birdie’s Nourished Kitchen is the brainchild of owner/ chef Katie Dixon, whose heart’s desire is to nourish and heal lives with good nutrition that leaves your tastebuds singing. Birdie’s offers a range of power foods, from acai bowls and salads to healthy takes on traditional Southern fare. Salad choices include Whitty Whit (quinoa, kale, spinach, cranberries, almonds, apples, seeds & honey vinaigrette) and the Mexican Wrestler (mixed greens, corn, tomatoes, red onion, black beans, avocado, and homemade croutons). Birdie’s also offers weekly meal prep kits. Get nourished or place a catering order at www.cultivationfoodhall.com/birdies.

SOUL GRILLS. SOUL BRAISES. SOUL SAUTÉS. SOUL ROASTS. SOUL SIMMERS.

IN EVERY

BITE visitjackson.com eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 3

CONTENTS June/July 2022 Volume 11 Number 3

22 45 36 in this issue

in every issue 6 From the Editor 7

What’s Happening

10 Fabulous Foodie Finds 12 A Taste of Magnolia 48 Recipe Index 51 Till We Eat Again

14 FRESH FROM THE FARM: Mauthe’s Dairy

18 COOL OFF WITH HOT SUMMER FARE: 3 Recipes for the Dog Days of Summer 24 FISH TALES: Stickleback, Redfish and Growing Up Well Fed 28 SHADY ACRES VILLAGE: Fruit Stand Turned Farmstead 30 CHEF DAVID RAINES OPENS RAINES CELLARS: Celebrate with Bananas Foster 32 THE TUPELO ELVIS FESTIVAL 34 MISSISSIPPI’S BEST STEAK AND BURGER

4 • June/July 2022

36 REFRESHING SUMMER RECIPES 38 FROM MISSISSIPPI TO BEYOND: Chef Dru Jones 40 MISSISSIPPI MADE: Reed Food Technology 42 RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT: Starkville Café 43 SHAKE UP SUMMER SNACKS 44 FROM THE BOOKSHELF: “The Couple’s Cookbook” 46 RAISE YOUR GLASS: Dumbo’s on Duling’s “Smash and Grab”

ON THE COVER: Strawberry Ice Cream Cake by Lisa LaFontaine Bynum, page 22.

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{ from the editor }

Summer Salad Lovin’

BY REBECCA FENDING

Summer is here again, and with it, the high and humid temperatures we’ve endured for the past few months.

The season is always met with apprehension in my family: enthusiasm that it’s travel season and the sun’s out to melt away our winter blues, but dread at the inevitable state of stickiness to endure for the next five-ish months. However, each year we try to enter summer with a positive mindset and excitement for plans and parties. I mean, who can be bummed with the sun shining and more hours of daylight?

To combat the heat, there are a few different approaches you can take: Stay inside: Air conditioning, box fan, ice pack, whatever you choose. This is a tried-and-true method.

Waterworks: Cold shower, a pool, river, lake or ocean.

Taking that cold plunge is a feeling second only to a great nap.

Cold drinks on deck: Ice water, iced tea, lemonade, mint julep, whatever you please. It’s a temporary fix, but with instant gratification.

No-bake or cool recipes: Sandwiches, light snacks, salads, anything that doesn’t require a stovetop or oven to be in use.

I know most people aren’t exactly fans of salads (which I totally understand), but I can’t think of a better way to beat the heat than with an ice-cold, refreshingly crunchy salad packed with fresh and nutritious ingredients. Contrary to popular belief, salads can be quite satisfying! Top it with your favorite protein option (especially great if you have barbecued meat leftovers), sprinkle some cheese or even drown your salad in dressing to make it more appetizing. This is always a judgment-free zone, and we’ll MYOP (mind your own plate).

One salad that catches me in a gravitational force-like pull once the hot weather hits is this single-serve Apple Walnut Salad. It incorporates apples and blueberries, both of which are currently in season. This dish also includes walnuts, which had a great satisfying, buttery crunch to the salad. However, you can substitute your favorite nut or whatever you have on hand in the pantry to add a bit of extra crunch.

I also recommend getting your ingredients locally from farmers, friends or even your own garden, but however or wherever the ingredients are available to you is absolutely fine. Don’t be afraid to make it yours! This is just a rough guideline to act as #inspo. Just be sure you have enough ingredients to make as many servings as you’d like. Making this salad ahead of time only works for about one day as the apples tend to oxidize rather quickly. But if that doesn’t bother you, then prep away.

APPLE AND BLUEBERRY WALNUT SALAD SERVES 1 Balsamic Honey Vinaigrette: • ¼ cup olive oil • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar • 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons honey (local, if you can!)

• ½ teaspoon salt • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1. Add all ingredients to a jar and shake vigorously until well combined. Shake well before each use.

For the salad: • 2 cups lettuce (I suggest spring mix or 50/50 with spinach and spring mix) • 1 apple, thinly sliced or diced • 1 ounce of goat cheese, gorgonzola, feta or mozzarella • 1-2 tablespoons walnuts • ¼ - 1/3 cup fresh blueberries • Balsamic vinaigrette with honey (recipe above) 1. Wash and dry fresh ingredients before preparing.

2. Add all solid ingredients to a bowl. Toss well.

3. Drizzle vinaigrette over top and enjoy! edm

EAT DRINK MISSISSIPPI (USPS 17200) is published bi-monthly by Connected Community Media Group, 10971 Four Seasons Pl. Ste. 211, Crown Point, IN 46307. Periodicals postage paid at Madison, MS, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please mail changes of address to 10971 Four Seasons Place Suite 211 Crown Point IN 46307.

6 • June/July 2022

Keifer’s to Open Madison Location

A

Jackson staple for over 30 years, Keifer’s Restaurant is set to open a long-awaited location in Madison.

The new location will be on Highland Colony Parkway in the area near Broadmoor Baptist Church. Keifer’s is a Mediterranean restaurant that serves pita, gyros, hummus, falafel, salads and other Mediterraneaninspired dishes. Their gyros have even been featured on Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” They are also known for their feta dressing, sold by the bottle in their restaurant. The restaurant is set to open sometime this year. edm

Huey Magoo’s Opens Second Location in Mississippi

M

cComb welcomed the first Huey Magoo’s location a couple years ago, and now Pearl is the second town in our state to welcome the chicken tender joint.

Owners Buddy and Stacy Powell and Kristi Orr chose McComb and Pearl for their smalltown feels. The Pearl location is located near Bass Pro Shop and The Outlets of Mississippi.

Huey Magoo’s serves grilled, hand-breaded, and sauced chicken tenders, salads, sandwiches and wraps. edm

Blueberry Jubilee Set for June 10-11th in Downtown Poplarville

A

ttracting more then 10,000 visitors each year, the annual Blueberry Jubilee will take place in downtown Poplarville on Friday, June 10, and Saturday, June 11. The Jubilee is an arts and crafts fair and features storytelling, live entertainment, a 5K and one-mile fun run, car show, food vendors, and, of course, lots of blueberries. For more information and daily event schedules, visit blueberryjubilee.net. edm

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 7

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eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 9

{ fabulous foodie finds }

Must-Have Grilling Season Gadgets With grilling season in full swing, you may be looking for ways to upgrade your game or even looking for Father’s Day gifts for dad. Either way, there’s no shortage of options when it comes to

re-inventing your grilling menu. From grill mats to a quesadilla grill basket, you’ll boast the title of Barbecue Master among friends and family in no time.

Stingray 7-in-1 Barbecue Tool, $29.99 Picture a Swiss army knife, but it’s a spatula, fork, tongs and even a bottle opener—perfect for keeping all of your grilling goods in one mechanism.

Designed with one-handed grillers in mind, this tool helps you multitask while securing whatever you’re handling from the grill. Burgers, chicken, steak and even runaway vegetables are no match for this ingenious gadget.

This 7-in-1 barbecue tool from TNK Stingray can be found on Amazon, so there’s the potential to have it in your arsenal within two days!

Grill Press, $24.99 It’s easy to be pressed when it comes to standing over a flaming grill in Mississippi heat. However, with this grill press, smash burgers are a breeze. Simply press your meat (specifically burgers) to squeeze out any unwanted excess fat and grease to make your burgers feel a bit more guiltfree. Heat the press on your grill and place it on top of your food to cook it faster and get those quintessential grill marks on both sides of the item.

Although grill presses are pretty easily found almost anywhere, this cast iron press from BBQ Dragon includes a one-year satisfaction guarantee, so if you don’t love it, you can return it.

Pizza Grilling Set, $25.99 Grilled pizza? Count us in. Although it may sound weird upon first hearing about it, grilled pizza is a recent trend that aims to include even the pickiest of eaters at cookout gatherings. Whether you’re using fresh dough or premade crust that just needs warming, this Pizza Grilling Set from Yesland is available on Amazon and offers one-day delivery for Prime members—perfect for a last-minute barbecue.

Including a baking stone, pizza wheel and pizza cutter, this set is all you’ll need to create fresh and hot pizzas at home.

Well, everything besides the crust and toppings.

10 • June/July 2022

Barbecue Grill Light, $25.99 It’s too dark, we couldn’t hear you! Whether the party’s just getting started or you’re craving a midnight grill burger, this nifty gadget ensures the show goes on. This Barbecue Grill Light from Walmart offers a flexible neck and super bright, glare-free, wide light beam to illuminate your entire cooking area. It also has a powerful magnetic base, securing the light to the lip of your grill lid. This light can also hold up to any weather it may be put through. Durable and weatherproof, premium aluminum alloy casing can withstand extreme heat and a bit of rain without rusting.

However, this little light doesn’t have to be just for nighttime grilling.

It can also double its use for camping, reading and even work projects. Really, it’s a must-have tool for anything you need.

Wooden Grill Scraper, $6.99 You’ve likely heard horror stories about traditional grill scrapers with metal bristles that can lodge themselves in your grates.

No one wants to serve their family or guests metal-laden meat.

This Wooden Grill Scraper from Menards is a great alternative to ordinary scrapers, as well as an eco-friendly choice.

Scrape on top of or between all shapes of cooking grids without worrying that it will damage the porcelain enamel coating. This scraper strips tough sticky grime or charred hard bits away. You can even use it on cast iron, cast stainless or rod stainless grids.

Barbecue Prep and Marinade Tub, $36.99 Whether you’re bringing the meat to someone else’s grill or experimenting with your latest dreamed marinade, here’s the grilling addition for you. This Drip EZ BBQ Prep Tub from Thiesen’s makes traveling with barbecue goods super easy and convenient.

Dishwasher safe, collapsible and with an adjustable depth range, this tub is everything you could need when it comes to cookout prep. Use it for large cuts of meat that need to marinate, or even to hold fruit salad, pasta salad or anything else you can dream up for your cookout spread.

Quesadilla Grilling Basket, $24.99 Has there ever been a person that didn’t love a good quesadilla?

That was rhetorical, but we’ll answer it anyway: probably not. And especially not after experiencing a grilled one. This Quesadilla Grilling Basket from Williams Sonoma makes adding another menu item to your rotation a breeze. Grill up some chicken, shrimp, steak or even veggies to include as filling items for the quesadilla, assemble it in the basket, then set it and forget it. Well, don’t really forget about it.

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 11

Taste of Magnolia a

DIVIAN CONNER is a Mississippi mama of four ‘not so little’ little ones. Coming up with recipes, trying new ones, and feeding her crew of tweens and teens is her passion. Southern recipes, easy recipes, sorta hard recipes, but always delicious recipes is what you will find on her food blog, www.divianlconner.com.

Now venturing into outdoor cooking over an open fire, Divian is fascinated with camp cooking and entertaining.

12 • June/July 2022 12 • June/July 2022

Tasty Summer Cookout Tzatziki Burgers

BY DIVIAN CONNER

S

ummer is here! While I am not looking forward to the mosquitos and layering on repellant, I am definitely looking forward to the cookouts, the gatherings, the grilling, the laughing, the sharing and all of the good food that is certainly in store. Summer in the South means the grills are fired up, and anything and everything is liable to land on top of those flaming hot metal grids. When it comes to grilling, the possibilities are endless, and really, you can put almost anything on the grill.

With all of the grills being brought out of retirement, it is no secret that burgers are a grilling staple, ready to take culinary charge of the summer months with a vengeance. Can you really go to any summer event and not expect to see burgers being flipped and a table full of paper plates, condiments and toppings?

Summer means time to take bites of big juicy burgers and relish in the warmer months while poolside, or while sitting on the deck, front porch or even in the kitchen. Telling tales of what events you have planned, who is going off to what college, university, who has wedding plans and what destinations will be decided for the next great big adventure vacation. Burgers are just one of those things you expect to see here in the South.

When it comes to making burgers, I like to try different toppings. It is amazing how adding or changing a condiment can change your entire burger experience; right there at home. There is no need to order out or save that savory experience for a night out. There are so many different possibilities that can be explored. Just like how anything is game for grilling, nothing is really off-limits when it comes to creating a fantastic burger at home. Swap the fresh red tomatoes for fried green ones, switch out the pickles for fried pickles instead, crisp red onions can take a back seat to pickled onions and steak sauce instead of ketchup can add a sharp bite. Just minor tweaking and substitutions can kick up your burger prowess and leave all that partake in your master-level burger-making skills in awe.

It is no secret I love a good burger. Sandwiches and burgers are my go-to when I have any gathering, and I just cannot decide what to make. Sometimes this brain of mine goes into overdrive trying to curate menus, and I can literally not decide what to make. But the trusty ole dependable burger is always a sure win, and playing around with how to dress it leaves taste buds satisfied.

When having your next burger night or even an event, why not give this Tzatziki Burger a try?

This is a super easy recipe, as the ingredients can be purchased ready-made— all it takes are freshly grilled burgers and a little assembly. Let’s give it a go and slide into summer with one amazing burger homerun! edm

TZATZIKI BURGERS For burger assembly: • Burger buns • Tzatziki dip or sauce • French fries • Fresh tomato slices • Feta crumbles For the burger patties: • 1 lb ground beef • 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • ½ tbsp Creole mustard • 1 tsp Creole seasoning • Salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix Worcestershire sauce, mustard and Creole seasoning into the beef. Form into patties and cook on medium heat or grill until desired wellness is reached.

While cooking, douse with Worcestershire sauce every 5-7 minutes for added flavor. Sprinkle salt and pepper while cooking for desired taste. Start minimally.

2. Once done, place burger patties on toasted or grilled buns coated with Tzatziki sauce. Top with lettuce, sliced tomato, fries and crumbled feta.

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 13

{ fresh from the farm }

Mauthe’s Dairy:

Bringing History to the Home Front ARTICLE BY BRANDI PERRY, PHOTOS BY DORI LOWE Located in southern Pike County, in the small town of Progress, Mississippi, sits a family dairy farm called Mauthe’s Dairy. Jamie and Kenny Mauthe have called this farm home for several years now, and even though it looks like any other dairy in south Mississippi, what the Mauthes are doing with their milk products is not seen anywhere else in the south.

14 • June/July 2022

Dairy farming is nothing new for the Mauthe family. Kenny, a third-generation farmer, just followed in his family’s footsteps.

His grandfather started milking cows in the 1930s in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans and delivered the milk door to door.

In the 1950s, when the city started expanding and the 9th Ward

became more residential, the family moved to the North Shore of Louisiana and Folsom to have more land and soon picked right back up where they left off. The family delivered their milk door to door for the residents in St. Tammany Parish.

Jamie and Kenny got married in 1980 and moved to North Louisiana for affordable land and moved some 180 cows to a 300-acre farm there. Just four years later, they knew it was time to move back toward home, and they were able to find the beautiful green stretch of land they have now, just 45 minutes from home. Unfortunately, the dairy industry was just about

surviving for the Mauthes at the time but milking 10 hours a day as commercial dairymen put a strain on the farm and the finances. They knew they had to do something to change their current path. They were on the verge of losing everything they owned just trying to keep up with supply and demand.

In 2001, as they were making the decision to step out on their own, they decided to just start bottling their milk. Little did they know, this small decision would pay huge dividends for their family and farm very soon.

“We reached out to our local extension office to see if they eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 15

had a contact of where we could sell our milk. We just needed a starting point,” Jamie Mauthe explained. “She gave us a contact with Richard McCarthy and the Crescent City Farmer’s Market, and the doors just started opening for us.”

McCarthy wanted an overall market where someone could come and shop for all their farm-to-table needs, and he felt that Mauthe’s Dairy would fit perfectly into this equation. While at the farmer’s market, Poppy Tooker, the Governess of Slow 16 • June/July 2022

Foods, was doing a demonstration on how to make Creole Cream Cheese. The Slow Foods organization was focused on authentic and cultural foods instead of fast foods that took away from the region. For a lot of foods that were extinct in a region or headed towards extinction, Slow Foods would try to show folks how to make it to encourage a comeback. Creole Cream cheese was one such example. This authentic breakfast dish is made from skim milk cheese with heavy cream poured

on top. It was tart. People added sugar to it and spread it on French bread or just ate it straight out of the container. No one had made creole cream cheese for 20 years. Borden’s in Jackson were the last ones to do so. On the way home from the meeting at the farmer’s market, the Mauthes decided they would give making creole cream cheese a try. But, when they figured out how to make it, they soon realized they could not find any molds to put them in. One of their connections from early in their dairy career reached out and told them he had bought all the cream cheese molds from Borden. A deal was struck, and the Mauthes became the owners of all the molds, and the trade was an old rusty shotgun.

In 2001, they launched their creole cream cheese business and started going to farmers markets in New Orleans. They thought they were doing well because they were selling 100 cream cheeses at the market, and the milk was just their lagniappe product. A Times-Picayune article by Tooker from Slow Foods about them bringing creole cream cheese back ignited a storm. She told them it was going to be a big deal, but they could not imagine what came next.

To prepare for the wave of orders they were nearly promised would be coming in, Kenny was sometimes working 24 hours a day and hired a man that had made the cheese before with Borden’s. They just knew they were prepared with what they took to market that day.

They went into the market with 500 creole cream cheeses, and they were all sold within 45 minutes. From that tremendous day of selling and from the article, 20 stores reached out to the Mauthe family, asking how they could sell it. Additionally, all the restaurants in New Orleans wanted it because the only place they could get such a product was in Europe.

By November of that year, they were attending three to four farmers markets a week, and someone suggested they should make a creole cream cheese cheesecake because they were worried the newer generation may not catch on to the creole cream cheese and it would run its course as it is an older recipe. The first order of cheesecake went to Mr. Boatner Reily, a purveyor of coffee and condiments, and just like that, another door opened for the hardworking Mauthe Family.

In the summer of 2005, Hurricane Katrina came rushing toward the south and seemed to put their life on hold for the next five years. However, the Mauthes see that time of being shut down as a blessing. They had four teenagers in school, and the event gave them time to attend school and sporting events they would never have been able to see otherwise.

In 2010, they started back and somewhat felt as though they were starting over. But they got a much-needed boost when they won the first scholarship given by the John Besh Foundation. By winning this, it allowed them to get the farm back in working order by purchasing labels for their milk and adding to their herd.

Today, Mauthe’s Dairy milks 60 cows twice a day, and they process everything on site. Summer heat sometimes creates a shortage in product, and they must determine what deliveries to make and which ones to push back. Whereas in the spring, there is often a surplus, and it usually gives them a chance to get caught up on anything they are behind on. With a brandnew production building nearly complete on-site, their hope is to take some of the overflow product and turn it into cheese.

Their hope is that the creole cream cheese remains stable in sales. They are currently selling around 1,000 creole cream

cheeses a week, and now, Perrone’s Specialty Foods is delivering their creole cream cheese to Rouse’s Supermarkets throughout the New Orleans area. Fortunately, it will not be much longer until Perrone’s starts delivering their cheesecakes to those markets as well.

At this point in their story, Mauthe’s Dairy makes and sells cheesecakes, creole cream cheese, butter, whole milk plain yogurt, buttermilk, heavy cream, chocolate milk, skim milk, reduced milk and whole milk. When asked where they thought the operation would be in three years, Jamie and Kenny both said they think that coffee milk will be the next product they try to push out, and also the cheese. The sky is truly the limit for the Mauthes, and we are so excited to see what amazing product they release next.

Mauthe’s Dairy can be found every Saturday at the Covington Farmer’s Market and they usually attend the Mississippi Farmer’s Market every week. Additionally, you can purchase their products at the Walthall County Co-Op in Tylertown, Improve Grocery and Grill in Sandy Hook, Acquistapace’s in Covington as well as several other local stores in both Mississippi and Louisiana carry their products. Finally, they do also sell directly from their store at the farm if you just cannot find what you are looking for. If you need to reach out and find out more about where you can find them, or if you are interested in stocking their products in your store, reach out to them at (601) 542-3471. They are on Facebook and are located at 2033 Joe Tucker Road in McComb. edm

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 17

Cool Off

Hot

18 • June/July 2022

BY LISA LAFONTAINE BYNUM

D

uring the dog days of summer, it’s just too hot to turn on the oven. Go ahead and toss the oven mitts aside. These easy and delicious recipes require no cooking. edm

with

Summer Fare

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 19

Strawberry Ice Cream Cake

20 • June/July 2022

Bourbon Slush

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 21

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM CAKE Ingredients: • 2 tablespoons butter melted • 16 chocolate sandwich cookies plus more for garnish • 4 cups fresh strawberries, divided, stems removed • 2 cans (14 ounces each) sweetened condensed milk • 1/4 cup lemon juice • 2 tubs (8 ounces each) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided 1. Chop cookies or process in a food processor until they become coarse crumbs. Mix with melted butter.

2. Line the bottom of a 9-inch spring form with aluminum foil. Lightly coat the bottom and sides with cooking spray.

3. Spread the cookie mixture around the bottom of the pan.

Press the mixture with your fingers or a flat-bottomed glass until the cookie layer is flat.

4. Slice two cups of strawberries lengthwise. Gently arrange the sliced strawberries around the perimeter of the pan.

5. Coarsely chop the remaining two cups of strawberries.

6. Combine the strawberries and any juice with the condensed milk and lemon juice.

7. Gently fold in one tub of the frozen whipped topping.

8. Carefully pour the strawberry mixture into the pan over the cookie crust. Smooth the strawberry mixture out with a spatula.

9. Freeze for six hours or until the strawberry mixture is frozen solid.

10. Remove the pan from freezer and spread half of the remaining tub of frozen whipped topping over the top.

Garnish with additional chopped chocolate sandwich cookies. Place the dessert back in the freezer and freeze for an additional hour.

11. Allow the dessert to sit at room temperature for about five minutes before serving to soften enough to cut. Remove the outer ring from the springform pan. Cut into equal slices and serve.

BOURBON SLUSH Ingredients: • 2 cups sweet tea, homemade or store bought • 1 cup lemonade • 2 1/2 cups orange juice • 2 cups pineapple juice • 2 cups bourbon 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the tea, lemonade, orange juice, pineapple juice and bourbon.

2. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 x 2-inch casserole dish.

3. Place the container in the freezer for eight hours until firm.

22 • June/July 2022

4. Fifteen minutes before serving, remove the dish from the freezer. Scrape the frozen liquid with a fork, then scoop individual servings into glasses.

BLT WEDGE SALAD WITH BUTTERMILK BLUE CHEESE DRESSING For the salad: • 1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into quarters (eighths if the head is large) • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved • 4 strips bacon cooked, diced For the Buttermilk Bleu Cheese Dressing: • 1 large egg • 3 cloves garlic • 1 cup vegetable oil • 1/4 cup buttermilk • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper • 8 ounces blue cheese, coarsely crumbled For the buttermilk biscuit crust: 1. In a blender or food processor, combine egg and garlic cloves.

2. While the machine is still running, slowly add oil in a thin stream.

3. Turn the machine off and add buttermilk, salt, and peppers. Blend for a few seconds more to combine.

4. Pour dressing into a bowl and stir in cheese.

5. To assemble salad, arrange one wedge on a plate. Drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle with halved cherry tomatoes and bacon crumbles.

BLT Wedge Salad with

Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 23

Fish Tales: Stickleback, Redfish and Growing Up Well Fed

BY MICHELE D. BAKER PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: MICHELE D. BAKER FAMILY PHOTOS

S

ummer is coming, and with it, the celebration of fathers everywhere. I lost my dad, Dr. John Baker, a year ago June, and this will be my first Father’s Day without him.

As I remember his life, I think about how much of it revolved around fish: as the focus of his career, as the object of his muchloved hobby and as a source of nourishment for his growing family.

FRESH OFF THE FARM My dad was an All-American farm kid.

Born in 1947 in Illinois corn country, he grew up with homegrown vegetables, eggs from his grandmother’s hens and fresh meat from relatives nearby, back when food was slow and “organic” was assumed. Life was slower then; there was time to play board games and corn cob baseball after school, and families ate together at the dinner table every evening.

Since his father was out of the picture and there were four children to feed, my dad—the eldest child—helped his mother by running a paper route on his bike, and as a teen, John and his brothers would fish for supper in nearby Kilbuck Creek using bamboo poles instead of rods.

HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS Just like in the movies, my parents met in middle school and fell in love. They were a couple throughout high school, except when my father briefly broke up with my mom to date another girl. During that time, the annual school play featured my dad as a scheming Snidely Whiplash and my mom as the French maid, and the script called for the villain to get a pie in the face (an aluminum pan with whipped cream). But

24 • June/July 2022

my grandmother was mad at John for dumping her little girl, so instead she substituted a deep-dish banana cream pie with extra-thick meringue for the prop pie. (Ker-splat!)

Two years later, my parents were back together, got married after college, and Dad went to work as a cook at the Hillside Restaurant in DeKalb. By his own admission, he made “delicious” mashed potatoes and learned to work the grill like a pro. John’s Christmas present in 1969 was the announcement

John Baker, sitting next to his baby brother and playing board games (circa 1953).

of a little bundle of joy due the following summer (me!).

FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK New Year’s Day 1970, and Dad was among the first round to be drafted into the Army during the Vietnam war, where

he served honorably in Germany as a chaplain’s assistant and sharpshooter. In September, at just six weeks of age, I was old enough to receive a passport, so Mom and I joined him in a small apartment near the military base. My maternal grandparents even came for a visit during Oktoberfest, where Dad apparently “introduced” me to that noblest of German arts: the enjoyment of fine ales and beer.

Fran and John Baker, Hattiesburg 1977 or 1978. Kevin Baker and Michele Baker

HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN Dad was honorably discharged from the Army, and we returned to the U.S. in 1973.

Less than a year later, graduate school seemed like a good idea, and as Dad wanted to study freshwater biology, Hattiesburg and the University of Southern Mississippi campus became our next home.

In 1976, we adopted my brother, Kevin (aged 6), from Vietnam, and Mom returned to school to study art. Dad worked several jobs in addition to his classes, including a stint at Pizza Hut. In those days, he was allowed to bring home the leftover dough at the end of each day, which he thriftily made into excellent bread loaves.

(Later, some enterprising young executive realized that left over pizza dough could be made into breadsticks, and the “free bread” game was up.)

Dad also took a government position as a researcher on a Gulf Coast shrimp boat, counting and ensuring that sea turtles weren’t being harmed.

When the captain realized that the scientist was also an avid fisherman and willing to work, he put Dad on the nets, earning the young student and father a share of the catch. John returned home every three weeks with huge coolers full of prawns, flounder, redfish and sea bass.

With nearly 100 pounds of fresh seafood as “pay” every month, the Baker house was the official site of weekly parties for all the starving grad students—we ate so much fresh seafood my brother and I would beg for eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 25

cereal. (To this day, my brother Kevin won’t even touch shrimp.)

THE BATTLES OF VICKSBURG Fast forward to the 1980s, and John moved his little family to Vicksburg to take a job at Waterways Experiment Station.

Kevin and I attended high school and learned to drive a car (a stick shift, if you please) on the curving, hilly streets of downtown Vicksburg and in the confines of the Vicksburg Military Park.

Even though they’d known each other since they were 14 and my father was a great cook, my parents parted amicably in 1988 after 20 years together.

Oktoberfest in Munich, 1971. Left to right: Raymond Saathoff, Jr., John Baker (holding Michele), my mom Fran Baker, Evelyn Saathoff and Ray Saathoff, Sr. Apparently, I was allowed a tiny sip.

Dad drinking a beer about 1974 or 1975 26 • June/July 2022

THE OZARKS BECKON I went away to college, and my father married a woman he met at an “ichs and herps” conference, Dr. Susan Foster.

Susan encouraged my dad to finish his degree, and he soon defended his thesis on the Threespine Stickleback to become a full-fledged Ph.D. in ichthyology (fish biology), a lecturer and researcher.

Both professors now, Dad and Susan moved to Arkansas and adopted two infants, my brother Patrick and my sister Dylan. They lectured about biology, grew vegetables, rehabbed a historic house and hosted their grad students during holiday parties at their large home in Fayetteville.

Dad drinking a beer in April 2021 at Hofbrauhaus (Columbus, Ohio)

John in his half-acre garden in Massachusetts with the daughters of colleague Matt Wund (2012?). The house is in the background.

NEW ENGLAND FARMHOUSE Dad’s final move came in 1996 when he and Susan relocated to the tiny hamlet of Petersham, Massachusetts, to teach at nearby Clark University. With confidence born of long practice, they bought and restored a 1770s-era farmhouse, planted a half-acre garden and hosted their grad students at huge holiday parties.

The huge garden provided dozens of varieties of tomatoes and peppers, sweet corn, four kinds of squash, beans, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, melons and more, all of which benefited from Susan’s vast knowledge of canning and preserving. Friends and relatives were constant recipients of this bounty in the form of care packages containing a random assortment of potatoes, onions, jams, jellies, home-cured sauerkraut, handmade soap and cards, small toys and other oddments.

By all accounts, students loved the personal stories that really made his lessons understandable, and several commented on RateMyProfessor.com that to succeed in Dr. Baker’s “Bio 101” a student simply had to attend lectures that were sprinkled with dad jokes. His curriculum vitae expanded to 21 pages, and ultimately, he was the author/co-author of more than 100 scientific articles. By the end of his career, a rough estimate indicated that nearly 50% of all Clark students had taken at least one of Dad’s science classes.

THE CIRCLE CLOSES In April 2021, I got a call from my father asking me to accompany him on a six-week road trip to visit friends and relatives. His oncologists were advising against the trip, fearing he was too frail, but his own mindset was much more optimistic. I flew to Boston and took a bus to Clark University, where he met me at his fish lab; he was helping his graduate students get the collection ready for its shipment to Harvard.

We set out the next day, driving cross-country to Niagara Falls; Columbus, Ohio; Spirit Lake, Iowa, to visit his sister and

attend the annual Walleye Weekend fishing tournament; Pekin, Illinois, to visit his brother, Gary; to Mississippi to visit his son, Kevin, and see his new house; to Knoxville and Chattanooga to visit friends and tour the amazing Tennessee Aquarium; and back home again. Two days after we got back to Petersham, my sister took him to the hospital for the last time. He died as he had lived: on his own terms.

Now, a year later, I look back and realize what an amazing life he led and how far he came. From humble beginnings catching minnows in a creek, to raising four children, to teaching thousands of students and mentoring dozens of future Ph.D.s, growing his own food; and ultimately, eating—and living—well. edm

John Baker and Michele Baker, May 2021 at Niagara Falls, on The Great American Road Trip, our final trip together eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 27

Shady Acres Village: Fr uit Stand Turned Farmstead

BY SUSAN MARQUEZ Back when times were simpler, a car trip would often include a stop at a roadside fruit stand. With the car loaded up with juicy peaches and strawberries for homemade ice cream, or a watermelon waiting to be iced down once you reached your destination, the fruit stand was a much-anticipated stop while traveling.

When Martha and Tommy Mixon started their small produce stand on Highway 49 in Seminary, they could never have imagined that Shady Acres would become the sprawling roadside attraction it is today. “They started selling watermelons under a big shade tree,” says Katrina Shotts, who serves as general manager of Shady Acres Village. “They had a little honor box where customers would leave their money before taking a melon.”

Today, Shady Acres Village has become a destination as much as it is a stop while on the road. The sprawling business features a general store, bakery, café and garden center. “The Mixons just kept adding small buildings as they were able to,” explains Katrina. The couple eventually sold Shady Acres, and a few years later, it burned. The Mixons were able to get the land back, and they rebuilt Shady Acres before selling it to Matthew and Julia Pierce, who are the current owners. Katrina has been at Shady Acres since it reopened in 2013.

The general store features a wide array of made-in-Mississippi products, including rows of Shady Acres branded jams, jellies, pickles and preserves. In the summer, the interior is also filled with mountains of local produce. Depending on

28 • June/July 2022

the season, there will be tables filled with corn on the cob, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, onions, potatoes, bell peppers, peanuts and pumpkins. “We sell a lot of fresh vegetables, including bags of shelled peas and beans,” says Katrina. “We work with local farmers as much as we can. There is also a muscadine vineyard in the back where people can pick their own muscadine grapes, or they can purchase some inside.”

In the bakery, customers can purchase one of Shady Acres’ famous cakes, including the decadent Italian cream cake or the Hershey bar cake. Other goodies from the bakery include pies, cookies, cannolis and candied apples. Local candy makers supply pralines, fudge and other delicacies to satisfy any sweet tooth.

A freezer section offers crawfish and crab pies, corn and crab bisque and other seafood items from the Gulf coast, as well as fresh Gulf shrimp. In season, Shady Acres offers boiled crawfish, as well as King Cakes from Paul’s Pastry Shop in Picayune.

The café features farm-fresh vegetables cooked to perfection. “We have also become known for our smoked ribs,” Katrina says. Other offerings include hamburgers with hand-formed patties, topped with lettuce and locally grown tomatoes, and a dessert from the bakery. There are plenty of tables inside and even more on the large screened-in front porch.

Shady Acres now offers a full-service catering service for everything from business lunches to weddings. Shady Acres Village is located at 624 Highway 49, near Seminary. edm eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 29

C he f Dav id R aines Opens R ai n e s Cellar s, C elebr ate w i th Bananas Foster FOREWORD FROM JOE DERA

F

or almost a decade, Michelin-trained Chef David Raines has been leaving his culinary mark on Mississippi. After an international cooking tour in Japan, Australia, Italy, Denmark and New Orleans, Raines settled in Madison, Mississippi. Initially, he launched Seafood R’evolution as Executive Chef with the understanding that he would do it for one year.

Seafood R’evolution’s loss was Madison’s gain. After a year of planning, Raines opened the now legendary Flora Butcher in 2016, a farm-to-table old-world butcher shop specializing in prized Japanese Wagyu and Prime Angus beef. In 2018, his access to great beef resulted in the creation of Dave’s Triple B: Barbecue, Beer & Blues,

also on Main Street in Flora.

This spring, Chef Raines opens his third Flora business, Raines Cellars: Fine Wines & Rare Spirits, next to his Main Street butcher shop. As with his other two establishments, there is nothing ordinary about Raines Cellars. David has already lined his shelves with vintage wines, small-batch spirits and exclusive bourbon barrel picks only available at Raines Cellars.

Customer service remains a priority with Raines, and one of the establishment’s more unique features is his shop’s popular tasting bar. Here, one will have the opportunity to sample certain vintages before buying.

Chef David Raines is a registered sommelier, so you know a marriage with his culinary skills was inevitable and will result in great wine and spirit pairings.

Customers will have access to Raines’s vast wine experience by having him take the mystery out of wine pairings and spirit recipes. Eat Drink Mississippi recently caught up with Chef Raines and had him prepare his favorite summer dessert: Bananas Foster—this simple New Orleans dish has always been one of my favorites. So much so that I have prepared it for my mentor chefs in fine dining restaurants all over the world. It was something from my country, so the chefs were interested, and it always made me look good. That being said, I occasionally couldn’t find banana liquor in some countries, so I had to leave it out. It was still good, but I could certainly tell the difference. However, his recipe solved the problem of having to keep banana liquor on hand.

While opening Raines Cellars, two representatives (Scott and Fallon) of the Bumbu company came by to help move boxes and stock shelves. Taking a break at the Tasting Bar had become an instant tradition, so they had brought us some rum to try. Each one was good, but I couldn’t get over how much the original Bumbu

30 • June/July 2022

Image from The Spruce Eats reminded me of bananas foster. I made a batch for my staff next door at The Flora Butcher the following day, but substituted a little water for the banana liquor and then added the Bumbu. No one could tell the difference between the classic recipe; and it was delicious.

BANANAS FOSTER Serves 4

By Chef David Raines • • • • • • • •

2 oz. unsalted butter 1 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 oz. Water 4 bananas, slightly underripe, peeled and split 1/2 cup Bumbu Rum, “The Original” Ground cinnamon for sprinkling 4 bowls, with one very large scoop of vanilla ice cream in each

Note: The key to making this a smooth process is to have everything in place before you start. I put the ice cream in bowls and place them in the freezer first, and then put the rest of the ingredients in prepping bowls so there is zero

searching around while cooking. I also encourage you to get everyone’s attention when it’s time to flambé.

Directions: 1.

Melt the butter in a 12” nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar and cinnamon. Stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved. Add the water and increase the heat to medium-high. Stir until the water is incorporated and the mixture reduces slightly.

2.

Add the bananas round side down. Let them cook in the sauce until tender, probably 4 or 5 minutes. Turn the bananas over and remove them from the heat.

3.

Add the Bumbu and return to the heat. Tip your pan forward to let the flame ignite the rum. As you let the alcohol burn off, sprinkle cinnamon over the flames for a little show for the onlookers. It burns up very brightly before it gets to the pan and always gets an “ooh” or an “ahh”.

4.

When the flames subside, you are ready. Pull your ice cream bowls out of the freezer and distribute the bananas and sauce evenly on top of the ice cream.

Serve immediately! edm

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 31

The Tup elo Elvis Fest ival ARTICLE BY BRANDI PERRY, PHOTOS BY DORI LOWE

C

hildren in Mississippi learn at an early age that Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo. Even though he did not spend much of his life in Mississippi, it is where the King of Rock and Roll got his start and his first guitar.

The Tupelo Elvis Festival does a tremendous job at paying its respects to its local legend while also celebrating the impact he had on other towns, Elvis Tribute Artists, and other musicians

Images from event Facebook page 32 • June/July 2022

around the world. One thing is for sure, a trip to Tupelo for this festival is something everyone should experience at least once in their lives. This year’s Elvis Festival will begin in Tupelo on Wednesday, June 8, and end with a tremendous gospel concert on Sunday, June 12.

Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo on January 8, 1935, to Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room shotgun house that his father built for this special occasion. He grew up very close to his family and soon found his musical inspiration at the Assembly of God church, where his family attended.

In 1946, when Elvis turned 11, his mother took him to Tupelo Hardware, where she had planned to buy him a bicycle. It is widely believed that Elvis wanted a rifle instead, but they were able to come to a compromise and settle on a new guitar. Little did Gladys know that her decision to give her son a guitar could change music history as they knew it.

That guitar would rarely leave the hands of young Elvis, and before long, he could play entire songs. Tupelo Hardware is still just as busy as it was on the day that Elvis walked in, and the stories that circulate in that showroom when the visitors are in town seem to get better and better as the days wear on.

Additionally, Elvis’ birthplace is much the same as it was the day it was built. The house and the museum are one of the largest tourist attractions in Tupelo and draw huge crowds during the festival. To fully understand the reasons for this festival, visitors must visit both of these locations.

The Elvis Festival is held at the Bancorp Arena in Tupelo and even though you can buy

tickets for each individual session, the ticket packages offer visitors a lot more bang for their buck. The Bronze Package, which will cost you $225, will give you access to the two concerts on June 9, three events on June 10, and three events on June 11. These events include everything from concerts to the UETA Competition. The great thing about this package is you can also buy add-ons, including the Opening Night Concert, the After Party that is hosted by Jeff Lewis and Friends, and the Sunday Gospel sing. The Silver Package will cost $250; in addition to the two events on June 9, you will also get three events on June 10 and three more on June 11.

Plus, you can also add the previously mentioned events to the package! Finally, the Gold Package may be the best for your money. For $325, you will get two events on June 9, three events on June 10, and three events on June 11, plus a wide variety of add-ons! Make sure to check out the website at tupeloelvisfestival. com to choose what ticket package is best for you!

The list of Elvis Tribute Artists and other performers that will be in Tupelo is worth the price of tickets alone. The Elvis Festival simply would not be the same without the host Tom Brown. Brown will be the host of the Elvis Festival for the 11th year and is a Tupelo native who recently moved back and is the host of the local radio station,

Sunny 93.3. For more than 16 years, Brown has served as the host for Graceland’s Elvis Week and is the host of the Gates of Graceland YouTube Series for Elvis Presley Enterprises. He also serves as the Co-Producer and Host of the Nashville Elvis Festival!

Jeff Lewis is a Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter who began his career in 2011. He hosts the Jeff Lewis and Friends Music Festival and the popular Elvis Week After Parties in both Memphis and Tupelo. Everyone that attends the Elvis Festival should experience an after-party at least once.

Ben Thompson, Bill Cherry, Brandon Bennett, Cody Ray Slaughter, Cote Deonath, David Lee, Diogo Light, Jay Dupuis, Nick Perkins and Taylor Rodriguez will be the Elvis Tribute Artists performing throughout the weekend. Dean Z has traveled all over the world as an ETA and won the title Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist in 2013 and the Heart of the King Award in 2014 in Las Vegas, on the same stage that Elvis performed on. These ETAs will have you reminiscing about the times you might have seen Elvis in concert, on television or just sang along to his music while driving along the roads in life.

There is simply so much to see and do during the Tupelo Elvis Festival that you won’t be bored. When there are breaks from the event, most festival-goers find themselves in stunning Downtown Tupelo where they can take the Elvis Driving Tour, dine in the same locations as Elvis or shop in the Tupelo Hardware Store, gazing at many of the same types of items Elvis would have as a kid.

If you enjoy being active as a runner or a walker, the Tupelo Running Club hosts a 5k run on the Saturday morning of the event that takes participants very near the birthplace of Elvis and the surrounding beautiful area. This race is well organized, and you will get to leave with a nice Elvis 5k t-shirt and maybe even a medal!

If you are planning to attend the Tupelo Elvis Festival, make those plans today. You can reach out to the organizers of the event by calling (662) 841-6598 or by emailing them at info@ tupelomainstreet.com. This will absolutely be an event that you will want to attend every single year! edm

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 33

Mis sissippi’s B es t S t eak an d B u r g e r ARTICLE BY BRANDI PERRY, PHOTOS BY DORI LOWE

T

he Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association (MCA) does an incredible job in our state not only working to increase profit opportunities for beef and cattle producers in the state but also by promoting the industry.

Every fall, the MCA and the Mississippi Beef Council team up to find the best steak and hamburger in the state. The public nominates their favorites until they reach a top-five list in each category. Then, an anonymous panel will eat at each of the top five spots and then determine a winner in each category. The winner takes home far more than bragging rights for the year as both winners receive a $1,000 advertising package and is announced during the Dixie National Rodeo in February.

Andy Berry, the Executive Vice President of the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association and Executive for the Mississippi Beef Council, said the friendly competition is a great deal of fun for everyone involved. “There are so many times that people in our state don’t know what all we have to offer, and by awarding the best hamburger and steak in the state, it gives us a chance to help promote some of the best restaurants and beef in the south.”

There is no doubt this annual event promotes culinary tourism for the Magnolia State and in turn drives more people to experience everything Mississippi has to offer. In the fall of 2021, the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association and Mississippi Beef Council started the voting process. In November, the top five in both the steak and hamburger categories were chosen. The top five restaurants in the best steak category were Cheryl’s Steakhouse (Ocean Springs), Como Steakhouse (Como), Delta Steakhouse (Senatobia), Huck’s

34 • June/July 2022

Place (Columbus) and Marshall Steakhouse (Holly Springs). In the best hamburger category, three Marion County restaurants were listed in the top five, which were Debbie’s (Columbia), The Ville (Coffeeville), Zip’s Café (Magee), Reagan’s Corner (Kokomo), and R House (Columbia).

After the anonymous panel of judges had a chance to try each burger and steak in each of the top five, the winners were chosen. Marshall Steakhouse in Holly Springs was awarded the Best Steak in Mississippi, while Zip’s Café took home the Best Hamburger in Mississippi award. As soon as the winners were announced at the Dixie National Rodeo, people from all over the southeast started flocking to both locations to see what all the fuss was about. It did not take them long to figure out why each of them were chosen as the best of the best.

Opened in July 2017, Marshall Steakhouse in Holly Springs serves only prime steaks while welcoming in more than 2,000 customers a week. But imagine for a second: had owner Randall Swaney’s plans come to fruition, the steakhouse would have never been a reality. Originally from Memphis, Swaney was building a barn on his property in Holly Springs, but the continuous rain kept hindering the progress of the construction. So, he decided to buy a building instead of trying to build one. Initially, the idea was to build a sawmill, and then he thought a feed store might be a good idea. Finally, the thought of opening a firearms store came up, and Swaney said, “I just thought I might put a Weber grill in the back of the store and cook hamburgers for my customers and maybe steaks once a week.” That single thought inspired Swaney to start researching the steakhouses that were close by,

and he quickly realized that locally owned steakhouses were actually few and far between in Mississippi. “Through the years, I had eaten at the best restaurants in the country, so I knew the food and service had to be good, so I hired the best in the business,” Swaney explained. The 16-ounce ribeye and the beef filet are the best-selling items on their extensive menu that also includes popular side items like mashed potatoes, twice-baked potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

The décor in Marshall Steakhouse is almost as spectacular as the food! The tabletops are made from 300-year-old white oak trees in Collierville, Tennessee, while the columns are cut from 250-year-old cedars. Additionally, the heat in the dining rooms comes from wood-burning stoves. People from all over the southeast visit the restaurant but never do they expect the restaurant to look like a world-class lodge from Montana or Colorado, complete with a 14-foot carved grizzly bear.

A trip to Holly Springs is a must for any steak lover! If you are going, Marshall Steakhouse is located at 2379 Highway 178 West in Holly Springs. They are open Wednesday and Thursday from 4 pm to 9 pm, Saturday from 4 pm to 11 pm, and Sunday from 12 pm to 9 pm.

The winner of the Best Hamburger in Mississippi award went to Zip’s Café in Magee. Tucked just off Highway 49, Zip’s was established as Windham’s Restaurant in 1963 and has been serving some of the best food in the state since then.

Their menu includes everything from fried chicken and fish to po’boys, hamburger steaks and, of course, hamburgers.

However, the burger at the very top of the menu is the one that is turning heads in the burger world in Mississippi.

Known simply as the Zip Burger, this hand-patted burger with cheese, tomato, mayonnaise and a fresh bun may not sound like much but the instant you taste that well-seasoned beef combined with the freshest ingredients, you will understand why this is the best hamburger in the state. The special Zip’s Sauce, a homemade house sauce, is drizzled on like an extra condiment and takes a very basic burger to an entirely new level. Do not even try to find out how they make it because they are not budging on that lip-locked recipe. But the tangy sweetness could take any food to the next level.

There is no doubt the grill that has cooked thousands of these helps with the collective flavor while the quality of meat and quality of history involved in this restaurant hangs on the tongue with every single bite.

If you are making the trip to Magee, Mississippi, for the best burger, they are open Monday through Wednesday and Saturday, from 6 am to 8 pm, Thursdays from 11 am to 8 pm, and Friday from 6 to 9 am. Zip’s is located at 401 Pinola Drive SE, and their phone number is (601) 849-3385 if you want to ask them any questions before making your trip.

Additionally, go ahead and like the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association and Mississippi Beef Council on Facebook so you can be ready to nominate and vote for your favorite hamburger and steak for 2022. edm

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 35

Re f resh i ng Summer Recipes

BY KATHERINE COWGER BLACKBERRY, PEACH AND BASIL COCKTAIL The perfect refreshing summer sipper, this cocktail highlights blackberries, peaches, and basil since it is their peak season.

A homemade simple syrup gives this drink a delightful sweetness and makes for a beautiful presentation!

Simple Syrup: • 1/4 cup fresh blackberries • 1/4 cup fresh peaches • 6-12 basil leaves • Zest and juice of 1 lime • 1 cup sugar • 1 cup water 1.

2.

3.

In a small saucepan, combine the blackberries, peaches, sugar and water. Give the blackberries and peaches a rough mash to release some of the juices.

Heat over medium-low, being careful not to bring it to a boil. Once hot, turn off the heat and add the basil and lime zest, and juice.

Steep for about 30 minutes until cool and then strain, using a fine-mesh strainer. Refrigerate and store in an airtight container for about a week.

Cocktail ingredients: • 2 ounces Cathead vodka • 2 ounces blackberry simple syrup (recipe below) • Peach sparkling water 1.

In a cocktail shaker with ice, pour in the simple syrup and vodka. Shake vigorously.

2. Pour in a glass over ice and top with peach sparkling water.

Optional: Garnish with fresh peach slices, berries and fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!

36 • June/July 2022

BLT WITH WHIPPED BASIL AVOCADO MAYO Upgrade your BLT sandwich by using fresh and local ingredients. This sandwich uses sourdough from Broadstreet Baking Co. and bacon from The Flora Butcher. Good, simple ingredients make this classic sandwich all the more delicious!

Avocado Basil Mayo: • 1/2 avocado • 1/4 cup mayonnaise • 10-12 basil leaves • 1 clove of garlic • Pinch of lemon juice • Salt and pepper to taste 1.

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For the BLT: • Broadstreet Baking Co. sourdough bread • Flora Butcher bacon • Heirloom tomato slices • Green leaf lettuce • Avocado basil mayo 1.

2.

In a cast-iron skillet, cook the bacon until desired crispness is achieved. Transfer to a plate with paper towels to absorb excess grease.

Spead each side of the sourdough slices with butter or mayo (or both, you do you). In the same skillet, toast the sliced sourdough on both sides until golden brown.

Assemble the sandwich, spreading on the avocado mayo and layering lettuce, tomato slices and bacon. Enjoy! edm

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 37

From Mississippi to Beyond

Chef Dru Jones: The Student Becomes the Teacher

BY KATHY K. MARTIN

C

hef Dru Jones was once a bustling restaurant chef working long nights every weekend. Now he has happily transitioned into working only weekdays as food specialist in the department of nutrition and hospitality management at the University of Mississippi.

Through the program, he serves as chef instructor of Lenoir Dining, a 40-seat quantity food laboratory that’s open to the public with a weekly changing menu led by Jones and driven by suggestions from students, and then run by the students.

Different classes of his students work each of the restaurant’s positions every weekday for lunch, such as wait staff, dishwasher Image from Nutrition and Hospitality and front-ofManagement at Ole Miss

Gnocchi Bolognese 38 • June/July 2022

house host or hostess. Jones plans the menu and the students prepare the dishes to highlight seasonal ingredients and various themes such as Cajun, German or Italian.

Jones teaches the students how to prepare food for large numbers of people while they receive on-the-job training and class credit. “Students discover how to take a recipe for 50 people and then double it for our restaurant, which helps prepare them for future careers at hospitals, nursing homes and schools, as well as restaurants, hotels and event facilities.”

For a recent Italian-themed lunch, diners began with an appetizer of house-made focaccia, a choice of house salad or Panzanella salad, and a choice of entrée such as gnocchi Bolognese, chicken Marsala or grilled eggplant Parmesan.

Dessert choices were Zabaglione, which is a sweet marsala custard with strawberries, cannoli or fresh fruit with honey yogurt. Another menu featured entrée choices of petite beef tenderloin, seared salmon or veggie stuffed and roasted sweet pepper with dessert choices of chocolate mousse, red velvet cupcake or chocolate-dipped strawberries. The $12 per diner charge helps to cover the expenses.

“The lunch service runs for 12 weeks during the regular school year and often runs again for a summer term if students need the class to stay on track to graduate,” said Jones. Housed in an old sorority house on Sorority Row, Lenoir Hall provides two seating times: one at 11:30 am and the other at 12:30 pm.

“We tried to offer dining for dinner, but there just weren’t as many people on campus at dinner time so lunch made more sense,” says Jones, “So we have kept the program at lunch.”

Originally from Houston, Texas, Jones attended Ole Miss beginning in 1990 and began working at Downtown Grill for about three years. The experience, he said, inspired him to attend culinary school. He went to Johnson & Wales University in Norfolk, Virginia, and graduated through its accelerated program.

After graduation in 1996, he worked for the Brennan family restaurant group at two restaurants in Houston and then was persuaded to return to Oxford to work for some of John Currence’s restaurants in 1997. He worked for the Downtown Grill once again, this time as executive chef. After 18 months, he moved to City Grocery

before moving to Florida to work at two fine dining restaurants in Vero Beach. He took a brief break from chef duties and spent three years working in food sales in Mooresville, North Carolina, before becoming a catering chef at Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina.

His parents had already retired to Oxford when he was approached again about returning to Oxford. “I was talked into coming back again and making it my third time living there,” he said. He met his wife, Melissa, in Oxford, and spent about four years at Boure restaurant and another year at Lamar Lounge and Fat Eddie’s, working long chef hours again. That’s when his wife asked him to consider the food specialist position at Ole Miss.

“My wife really persuaded me to slow down the pace and so 31 years later, I’m back at Ole Miss.” While many other college nutrition and hospitality programs across the state don’t offer a student-run program such as Lenoir Dining due to the expense of setting up an extensive food lab on campus, Jones sees it as a valuable tool and integral part of the program. “While we require an internship to graduate, here at Ole Miss the students don’t have to leave campus to have experiential learning,” he said, “and many other schools require two or three times the hours we do.”

Jones enjoys the combination of cooking and teaching as he helps students prepare for their future in the industry. “If I was still a restaurant chef here in Oxford, I’d be cooking the same dish about 500 times a night during an Alabama game weekend.” edm OVEN ROASTED TOMATO CHUTNEY From Chef Dru Jones • 10 tomatoes quartered, tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme • 2 inches fresh ginger, chopped • 1 large onion, or two small, diced • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 1 teaspoon cumin • 1 teaspoon chili flake • ½ cup brown sugar • 2 cups cider vinegar • 2 cups water • Salt and pepper 1.

2.

Roast tomatoes in convection oven until they have color.

Sauté onion and ginger until soft, add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer.

HOUSE VINAIGRETTE From Chef Dru Jones

• • • • • • •

8 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 cup Dijon mustard 2 cups white balsamic vinegar 1 cup fresh lemon juice 1 cup honey 5 dashes hot sauce Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper • 4 cups extra virgin olive oil 1.

2.

Whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, hot sauce, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified.

Alternatively, you can combine all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor and purée until smooth.

OTHER MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE PROGRAMS: Alcorn State University www.alcorn.edu

Mississippi State University Mississippi State University offers several different majors that provide students with the skills to work in food service, product development, market research, food safety, among other food related careers.

The Culinology® degree program integrates food science and culinary arts so that students are prepared to work in diverse areas within the food industries—from experimental research chefs and menu planners to food manufacturing, fine dining, and product development. www.fsnhp.msstate.edu/ students/culinology.php The food processing/business concentration in food science, nutrition and health promotion combines food science and business courses to prepare students for careers in the food industry, government, or private business. The food processing/business concentration is a broad discipline that offers lots of opportunities. Students learn the food processing side, where raw materials are processed into consumable items and the business side of the industry. www.fsnhp.msstate.edu/ students/business.php The nutrition concentration focuses on the study of nutrients in food and their relationship to health and disease.

The food and nutrition concentration is an accredited didactic program in dietetics (DPD). Registered dietitians are food and nutrition experts. www.fsnhp.msstate.edu/students/nutrition. php The food safety concentration trains students to become experts in food safety, prevention and control of disease, and microbiology. www.fsnhp.msstate.edu/students/safety.php Students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree in food science can work in the areas of product development, quality control, technical sales, production management, veterinary science, as well as other areas such as food law and food packaging. www.fsnhp.msstate.edu/students/food.php Mississippi State University cheese has been a symbol of the university for over 80 years and is a by-product of its research and teaching programs. The story of MSU cheese begins at the Bearden Dairy Research Center where Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) staff milk up to 200 cows, twice daily, 365 days a year.

The Custer Dairy Processing Plant annually produces 50,000 three-pound balls of Edam cheese; 50,000 blocks of cheddar cheese; 10,000 wheels of vallagret cheese; 5,500 pounds of butter; and about 25,000 gallons of ice cream.

The dairy plant is a teaching laboratory in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and a Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station research laboratory. The facility is equipped with the most modern equipment available and provides an excellent teaching and research laboratory for the students studying dairy foods at Mississippi State University. www.msucheese.com/ University of Southern Mississippi www.usm.edu.

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 39

{ mississippi made }

Reed Food Technology

W

BY SUSAN MARQUEZ

hen you grab a packet of ketchup in a fast-food restaurant, do you ever wonder where it was made?

Or how about the breading on the piece of fried chicken you ate for lunch? Most of us don’t think about the details of what we eat, but for a company in Pearl, Mississippi, the details are the reason they are in business.

R.J. Reed went to work for McCarty Foods after graduating with a food science degree from Mississippi State University.

Always interested in the food business, R.J. worked for the chicken processing division of McCarty Foods before they sold out to Tyson. Tyson wanted to move him to Arkansas, and they wanted him to take the formulas he developed. Instead, R.J. started his own company in 1995, and he took some of the employees from McCarty with him.

In 1998, R.J. bought Specialty Foods from SaraLee, which included the production of condiments, salad dressings, barbeque sauces and juice cups. After renting a building for one year, he built a facility in Pearl in 2000, and that’s where Reed Food Technology stands today. His son, Jeff, says the company

40 • June/July 2022

took off, growing organically from 2000 to 2007. “We acquired Tastemaker Foods at that time,” Jeff says. “It was a dry foods company, making spice blends, funnel cake and pancake mixes, and breading. We moved Tastemaker from Memphis to Hernando in 2019, so now we are a Mississippi-based company.” The company is family-owned, with Jeff running the Pearl operation while his brother, Justin, runs the Hernando facility. “Dad still comes in every day for lunch,” says Jeff.

The food product developer and private label food manufacturing company makes sauces, salad dressings, marinades, breading and batter mixes for retail and industrial clients. “We supply to the food service industry and restaurants all over the world. Food is our passion,” says Jeff, who was trained as a chef. “I got a culinary and food service management degree from Mississippi State with business

information systems.”

Jeff explains that there is a research and development side of the business as well as a manufacturing side. “Someone who wants to mass-produce and sell a product may bring in their own recipe to us. We then work to match the flavor profile of a recipe, with the same taste and smell, then we take those products and put them into a wide range of packaging formats, ranging from individual condiment packets to bottles, buckets, gallon jugs, 55-gallon drums or even 300-gallon totes.”

Companies all over the country come to Reed Foods for exclusive food products for franchised restaurants, concession operations, private label customers and major food manufacturing. From dried gravy to chicken rubs, Reed supplies the spice. They make sure the products they make taste good and look good. As an SQF Level 3 certified facility, Reed’s commitment to food quality and safety is exceptional. The state-ofthe-art research lab and test kitchen feature both a dedicated technical support team and a culinary support team. They perform scientific analysis on existing food products, making targeted alterations as needed. They also generate new formulas and evaluate their performance. Reed Foods is a member of the Research Chefs Association and the Institute of Food Technologists.

“We work hard to exceed expectations,” says Jeff. “Everyone here has a passion for food, and we are dedicated to providing the best service possible to our customers.”

To learn more, visit Reed Food Technology at reedfood.com. edm

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 41

{ restaurant spotlight }

Starkville Cafe

BY SUSAN MARQUEZ Take a step into Starkville Café, and you’ll feel as though you have taken a step back in time to 1945, the year the café was founded by the Britt family. Originally called the Britt Café, not much, but the name has changed in the iconic diner since it opened. Now owned by John Peeples, the café continues to serve generations of Starkville residents as well as visitors to the college town.

“I consider myself the caretaker of this restaurant,” says John, who views the café as a piece of Starkville history. “I’m all about Starkville and the people who make this town. It’s not unusual to see a college student from Mississippi State dining with his father, who also went to State, and even his grandfather, who attended State as well. That’s what makes this worthwhile to me, and it makes me want to preserve this café. That’s my business model. Anyone can make good food; that’s the easy part. The hard part is to maintain a relevant role in the community.”

The Starkville Café is open seven days a week, from 6 am to 2 pm, serving traditional breakfast fare in the morning, including eggs to order, bacon, sausage, biscuits, toast, pancakes and grits, to something hardier, like a 10-ounce Angus ribeye with a side of peppered gravy. And, of course, the coffee is fresh, and no cup goes empty.

The lunch menu is filled with sandwiches, from a Bully burger to the StarkVilly, half a pound of aged black Angus chopped ribeye steak, grilled with onions and peppers and topped with provolone cheese on toasted Gambino bread from New Orleans. There are also plates with barbecue, hamburger steak, country fried steak and chicken tenders; each served with coleslaw or jalapeño slaw, fries and Texas toast.

A place where retired men gather 42 • June/July 2022

to solve the problems of the world over a cup of coffee, where college kids settle in to study, and harried parents take their children to have lunch before afternoon soccer games; the Starkville Café is a place where generations comingle seamlessly. “We do things old school here,” says John.

“We still handwrite orders, and things don’t always happen in a hurry. It’s an old building, and it has an old kitchen.

But we make it work. Many folks on our staff have been here 20 years or more. We are thankful for those who are patient with us.”

Like most restaurants, the Starkville Café was forced to pivot to help make ends meet during the pandemic.

“That’s when we started BabyDuck’s Fish Camp,” explains John, who once worked for Ducks Unlimited and his mentor, Billy Joe Cross, gave him the nickname BabyDuck in the 1990s because John was the youngest and newest person there. Now John converts the Starkville Café into a different kind of restaurant two nights a week. “We realized there were no fish restaurants in Starkville, so that’s what we decided to do.” BabyDucks Fish Camp serves fried catfish, shrimp and aged Angus ribeyes with sides of fries, coleslaw, corn salad, greens, baked beans and baked potatoes on Thursday and Friday nights.

John and his wife have opened a second restaurant in Starkville, the Camphouse, on University Drive.

“We created the restaurant in 2015 as a place that is geared to our age group.

We serve adult beverages and good food. It’s also one of the only places in Starkville where people can bring their dogs. We have a big front patio where dogs are welcomed.”

The Starkville Café is located at 211 East Main Street in Starkville. To learn more or view their menu, visit starkvillecafe.com. edm

Shake Up Summer Snacks FROM FAMILY FEATURES Power up for summer adventures by shaking up your snacking routine with homemade recipes inspired by childhood favorites.

Tasty and versatile, California walnuts are easy to swap into your favorite snack recipes and work hard to keep you energized and full. Kick off summer with some irresistible plant-forward Walnut Chorizo Pizza Bites and Strawberry Walnut Hand Pies for delicious summer snacks loaded with the nutrition benefits of walnuts.

Visit walnuts.org/snacking for more snack recipes.

STRAWBERRY WALNUT HAND PIES Dough: • 1/4 cup California walnuts • 1 1/4 cups allpurpose flour • 1 teaspoon cane sugar • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed • 4-5 tablespoons ice cold water • 1 egg, beaten 1.

2.

3.

In food processor, pulse walnuts until fine and evenly ground. Add flour, sugar and salt to ground walnuts; pulse to combine. Add cubed butter; pulse until butter is in small pieces. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing while adding, until dough starts sticking together.

Transfer dough to clean surface; shape into two 4-inch discs. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Strawberry Walnut Filling: • 1 cup strawberries, tops removed, halved • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice • 1 teaspoon cornstarch • 2 tablespoons cane sugar • 1/3 cup finely chopped California walnuts 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

In food processor, pulse strawberries and lemon juice until slightly chunky.

Transfer to saucepan and gradually whisk in cornstarch until dissolved. Stir in sugar.

Heat over low heat until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Turn heat off and stir in chopped walnuts. Transfer mixture to small bowl; refrigerate.

To assemble hand pies: Remove one dough disc from refrigerator. Lightly flour work surface and rolling pin. Roll out dough into large rectangle.

Slice dough into six 4-by-2-inch rectangles. Place on parchment paperlined baking sheet.

In bowl, mix water and egg. Brush perimeter of dough rectangles with egg wash. Place 1 tablespoon filling on center of dough.

Roll out second dough disc, creating six rectangles of dough. Place on top of jam and crimp edges with fork to seal. Freeze hand pies 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Trim uneven edges of dough with sharp knife and brush tops and sides with egg wash.

Bake 20-24 minutes until golden brown around edges. Cool at room temperature 5 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to wire cooling rack until completely cooled.

Frosting: • 1/2 cup powdered sugar • 2 tablespoons 2% milk • 1/2 teaspoon beetroot powder • 2 tablespoons finely chopped California walnuts 1.

In bowl, whisk sugar, milk and beetroot powder until thick but smooth.

Drizzle frosting over hand pies and top with chopped walnuts. Cool 15 minutes, or until frosting is set.

WALNUT CHORIZO PIZZA BITES Walnut Chorizo: • 1 1/2 cups California walnuts • 1 cup pinto beans, drained and rinsed • 2 tablespoons lime juice • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano • 1/2 teaspoon cumin • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder • 1 tablespoon olive oil 1.

2.

3.

In food processor, pulse walnuts until finely crumbled. Transfer to mixing bowl.

In food processor, pulse pinto beans, lime juice, paprika, oregano, cumin, chipotle powder, salt and garlic powder until mixture resembles ground meat. Stir bean mixture with walnut pieces.

In medium skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add walnut chorizo and cook 5-7 minutes until lightly browned, using spatula to break into crumbles.

Pizza Bites: • 3 tablespoons olive oil • 1 cup sliced sweet onion • 5 mini bagels • 1 large zucchini, sliced 1/2 inch (10 slices) • 1 cup marinara sauce • 1 cup walnut chorizo • 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese • 1/2 cup chopped basil 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

In pan over medium heat, heat olive oil and add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, 15-20 minutes until onion is soft and golden brown.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Halve bagels and place on baking sheet. Place zucchini slices on second baking sheet.

Top each bagel and zucchini slice with 1 tablespoon marinara; spread with back of spoon. Add 1 tablespoon walnut chorizo crumbles to each bagel and zucchini slice. Sprinkle with caramelized onion and goat cheese.

Bake 10 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets. Top with basil. edm

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 43

{ from the bookshelf }

“The Couple’s Cookbook: Recipes for Newlyweds”

by Cole and Kiera Stipovich Article by Paige McKay-White

With summer and fall wedding season in full swing, you might be on the hunt for the perfect gift for the happy couple. This wedding season, reach for The Couple’s Cookbook: Recipes for Newlyweds. In the intro of this couple’s cookbook, the authors remind couples that even though life gets busy, couples can reconnect over food and “mini dates” in the kitchen with delicious recipes from this cookbook.

The authors, Cole and Kiera Stipovich, also offer tips and tricks in the kitchen, as well as staple items to keep on hand for easy and stress-free cooking. From things like spices, herbs, canned goods, condiments and sauces, they make sure couples have everything they’ll ever need for tasty meals. They also offer tips on essential kitchen equipment to have. You could even gift this cookbook alongside a kitchen item for the perfect wedding gift.

Once the couple has their pantry stocked and the kitchen is ready to go, The Couple’s Cookbook begins with “Breakfast & Brunch.” Recipes include Huevos Rancheros, Grilled Green Tomatoes and Burrata Toast, Breakfast Pizza with Crab, Overnight French Toast Casserole with Berries, Black Cherry Crumb Cake and Bourbon Granola with White Chocolate and Apricots.

After breakfast comes lunch, of course, and the “Lunch” section is filled with great lunch ideas that couples will love creating together. Choose recipes like Roasted Heirloom Tomato Soup, French Onion Soup, Kale Salad and Green Goddess Dressing, Cucumber Sandwiches, Grilled Cheese with Gruyere and Caramelized Onions, Grilled Curry Chicken Salad Lettuce Cups, and French Dip Sandwiches.

With these lunch recipes and many others, lunch will never be boring for the newlyweds that have this book on hand.

Whether the couple is hosting a gathering or it’s for themselves, the Starters & Sides section has dishes that everyone will love. Recipes include Grilled Vegetable Medley, Sausage Bread, Creamed Swiss Chard, Roasted Carrots with Hot Honey, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Dinner Rolls, Red Potato Salad with Smoked Bacon and Chives, and Chilled 44 • June/July 2022

Pasta Salad with Summer Squash and Tomatoes. Whether it’s a summer BBQ or a wedding shower, any of these recipes will please a crowd.

Couples can really test their skills and patience when it comes to cooking dinner, and the “Mains” section of The Couple’s Cookbook has recipes that will easily become favorites that couples can bond over and cook over and over again.

Recipes include dishes like Bourbon Risotto with Pan-Fried Mushrooms, Carbonara, Miso Butter Scallops, Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Mexican Slaw, Braised Short Ribs, Pan Grilled Pork Chops and Pineapples with Pineapple Rum Glaze, Country Meatloaf, Chili Quinoa Bowls and Indoor Filet Mignon Steaks.

No meal is complete without a sweet treat, and the “Desserts” chapter is full of them. Desserts include Strawberry Rhubarb Biscuits, Blackberry Crumble, Coffee Ice Cream, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Creamy Rice Pudding, Caramel Cheesecake Jars and Churros with Mexican-Style Chocolate Sauce.

Along with this cookbook, newlywed couples are sure to receive plenty of barware as gifts. They can put their mixology skills to the test with the “Cocktails for Couples” recipes from The Couple’s Cookbook. Drink recipes include all the classics like a Martini, Manhattan, Negroni, Hot Toddy, Old Fashioned, Paloma, French 75, Daiquiri and Moscow Mule.

Whether you’re in need of a gift for a wedding shower or the wedding itself, help the couple stock their bookshelves and kitchen with The Couple’s Cookbook. They will think of you each time they reach for it when they prepare dinner for date night at home or a side dish for a gathering. edm

Grilled Green Tomatoes and Burrata Toast from The Couple’s Cookbook • • • • • •

2 slices rustic country bread, cut 1 inch thick 1 large garlic clove, halved 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Pinch of freshly ground black pepper, plus more if needed 1 to 2 green tomatoes (firm, unripe tomato), stem removed and cut into 1/4-inch slices • 4 ounces burrata, at room temperature • 4 basil leaves, thinly sliced for garnish • Flaky sea salt, optional 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove from the oven and gently rub the garlic over the warm bread; discard the clove. Drizzle the bread slices with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salad and pepper. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in a grill pan over medium heat, cook the tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until slightly charred but still firm.

4. Spread half of the burrata over each slice of seasoned toast, then top with the grilled tomatoes. Garnish with the basil, then drizzle with additional olive oil. Season with flaky salt, if using, and additional pepper to taste.

2. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast in the oven till warm and starting to crisp up slightly, 3-5 minutes. eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 45

{ raise your glass }

Fondren’s Dumbo’s on Duling Serves Up Super Snacks and Classy Cocktails

BY MICHELE D. BAKER PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: ANDREW WELCH/DUMBO’S

C

hef Paul Adair grew up right here in Jackson, playing chess at Boyd Elementary and even attending national tournaments. His passion for the game continued into adulthood and inspired the theme of his second restaurant: Dumbo’s on Duling, named for an unfortunate kindergarten moniker. Although he in no way resembles the cartoon elephant, Adair claims he had big ears as a child. “My ears have always been this size, and I grew into them,” he laughs.

“My parents are from Michigan and England, and my upbringing was fun but kind of conservative,” he muses. “My friends all had these artsy parents with quirky houses. I knew when I grew up, I wanted something like that.”

Artsy but casually comfortable décor creates a welcoming atmosphere, the perfect place to have a bite, visit with friends and linger over drinks. Designed by Mary Sanders of Ferriss and Company (the same folks that gave Jackson Fine and Dandy, Sal and Mookie’s and Cultivation Food Hall), the atmosphere is midcentury artistic with a familiar feel and includes those amazingly-comfortable Marcel chairs we had in our kitchen when I was a girl in the 1970s.

Like Adair’s other restaurant—The Gathering in Livingston, which he co-owns with Bowen Eason—Dumbo’s uses local produce like lettuces from Salad Days Produce in Flora. “When there’s such wonderful local food available, you’ve got to serve it,” says Adair. Local produce is the basis for many of the salads and entrees including the wagyu burger, Jumbo Gulf shrimp pesto pasta, southern fried chicken and local favorite: Dumbo’s chicken sandwich.

“I attended culinary school in New York, and I’ve traveled all over the world,” says Adair. “I love to browse tastes and spices and other cuisines and then bring that back home.” The excellent snack menu is the perfect place to try some of Adair’s takes on the different cultures and cuisines he’s seamlessly woven into his original menu.

Exceptional snacks include deviled eggs with fire and ice pickles, bacon and radish; Tree Tree’s pimento cheese with poblano pepper jelly and crispy andouille; the charred “French” onion dip with salmon roe served with “voodoo” chips; buttermilk fried artichoke petals; Korean fried chicken wings with gochujang glaze; white bean hummus; and the Brussels sprouts with toasted almonds, bacon and goat cheese. “For

46 • June/July 2022

those of you like me who love to browse your way through many cuisines, our Happy Hour is a great way to sample our snacks,” says Adair.

Dumbo’s is also known for its selection of wines, craft beer and an excellent cocktail menu, lovingly curated by its original general manager (sadly, she has since moved on to another restaurant), who was “very into cocktails!” Each of the 14 delectable cocktails on the menu is made from fresh-squeezed juices, and many are contemporary twists on classic favorites.

In addition to classics such as the Moscow mule, Old Fashioned and Negroni, try one of Dumbo’s signature cocktails like the Bramblin’ Fan (gin, rhubarb and lemon), Noble Steed (scotch, lime, Saint Germain and ginger beer), or the Blue Tartan (scotch, rum, pineapple, blue curaçao and coconut).

“I’m proudest of the fact that I opened Dumbo’s during the pandemic, and we’ve kept our whole staff,” enthuses Adair.

“We had to pivot, change and make things work, but we all pulled through.” Adair’s family shares in the success, as well.

As husband to Betsy and father to Mary Wynn (8), Jane (4) and son Adrien (2), Adair takes special care to strike a balance between work and home. “Sometimes it’s hard, but you have

to sneak out for soccer games and swim meets,” says Adair.

“In my 30s, I thought it was so important to always be at work, but now that I’m a little older, I know that I have to be accountable for my restaurant family and my home family.”

As the summer starts to sizzle, there will be more pivots and updates to Dumbo’s, as Adair plans to switch out the menu on a seasonal basis to take better advantage of the south’s long growing season. “I’d like to steer us toward a contemporary, seasonal steakhouse with sides, but keep our delicious snacks and our wonderful cocktails,” finishes Adair.

“We make great chicken, but we can do so much more.”

Find Dumbo’s on Duling at 3100 N. State Street (next to Duling School). Open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 9 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 2:30 pm. Happy Hour weekdays from 4 to 6 pm and all day on Tuesdays.

This Father’s Day, treat your favorite men to a “Smash and Grab”—an updated take on the mint julep—and the perfect refreshment on a hot summer day. edm DUMBO’S SMASH AND GRAB Set up a chilled rocks glass filled two-thirds with crushed ice.

In a cocktail shaker, add: • 4 mint leaves • ¼ oz. simple syrup • ¼ oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice • 1 oz. bourbon (Dumbo’s uses Four Roses) • 1 oz. Pasubio amaro Shake, strain, pour into the rocks glass and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and a few blueberries. Happy sipping! eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 47

Recipe Index Apple and Blueberry Walnut Salad, 6

Blackberry, Peach and Basil Cocktail, 36

Tzatziki Burgers, 13

BLT with Whipped Basil Avocado Mayo, 36

Strawberry Ice Cream Cake, 22

Oven Roasted Tomato Chutney, 39

Bourbon Slush, 22

House Vinaigrette, 39

BLT Wedge Salad with Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing, 22

Grilled Green Tomatoes and Burrata Toast, 45 Dumbo’s Smash and Grab, 47

Bananas Foster, 31

Easy Grilling Marinade, 50

eat. drin drink. eat. drink. eat. drink.

MISSISSIPP ISSIPPI MISSISSIPPI MISSISSIPPI

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Easy Grilling Marinade ‘Tis the season for grilling, and with it, a need to update your grilling menu. This super easy and quick marinade goes great on lighter meats such as chicken, pork and fish. Marinate meat at least an hour ahead of grilling time or overnight for best results. This recipe works best with 2-4 pieces of meat.

Ingredients: • 1/3 cup olive oil • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard • 2-3 cloves of fresh minced garlic • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, or 1-1 ½ teaspoons dried 1. Whisk together wet ingredients (oil, juice and mustard) in a medium-sized bowl. Once combined, add in the garlic and rosemary. Mix well.

2. In a sealable gallon bag, place your meat and pour about two-thirds of the marinade into the bag.

Massage and let rest in fridge. Cover and reserve the remaining third of the marinade to brush over the meat for finishing.

Share your recipes Do you have a familyfavorite dinner recipe? Or a favorite dish that never lasts long at get-togethers?

Eat Drink Mississippi wants to feature your recipes in future issues. Please send recipes to info@ eatdrinkmississippi.com, or mail them to PO Box 1663 Madison 39130.

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Till We Eat Again

Bill Dabney Photography

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, co-hosts two podcasts and blogs at www.eatsoneate.com.

A Father’s Day Conspiracy

I

BY JAY REED

t’s early summer in Mississippi. That’s Father’s Day season. What does that mean? I contend that there are far fewer brunch specials on that particular Sunday than Mother’s Day brings; and that’s a bit disappointing as a brunch-loving father. It also represents a special day that (so far) brings no limited-edition flavor of Kit-Kat bar or Peeps chick.

There will be no particular shape filled with Reese’s peanut butter unless they repurpose the egg (like they did to make the football) into the “Reese’s Dad-Bod.” But that could change.

Why? It’s a conspiracy.

I realize that’s a bold statement and a term that might pigeonhole me into an ominous category in the current age. But unlike lots of other conspiracy theories floating around social media at the moment, I have evidence. And it’s growing faster than my fat cells.

First, a little backstory. Our family is big with the Christmas stockings; I’m sure I’ve mentioned that in these pages before. And because I am 72% taste bud, I often end up with so many tasty treats that I’m still working through them in early February, if I pace myself at all. Such was the case this year when what, to my wondering eyes, should appear but the raspberry Kit Kat. I wasn’t even all the way through my gingerbread cookie Kit Kats before the raspberry was unleashed on the Valentine’s aisle at the big box store. I bought them, though, because limited editions are a real thing, and I have a healthy fear of missing out.

And I couldn’t just buy one (or three) raspberry Kit Kat bars as I did with the mint duo, the mocha duo, the key lime, the apple pie, the birthday cake or the fruity cereal. I had to buy a bag of minis—that’s the only way they came. Conspiracy.

Next came spring, with the lemon crisp Kit Kats, also by the bag, which were followed closely by the strawberry-dark chocolate duos (via the single bar, though I purchased multiple). As I write this, I am eagerly anticipating—one might say stalking, but in the nicest way possible—the blueberry muffin flavor that’s being celebrated even before making it to stores. It’s as if the Kit Kat Kartel is watching my supply and knows when I’m about to run out. Or perhaps they are trying to catch the USA up to Japanese standards, where up to 300 different flavors have appeared over time. I’m not sure we’re ready for all that … nor am I afraid of a challenge.

It’s not just Kit Kat, of kourse, that’s in on the konspiracy, it’s also Reese’s. I love my Reese’s, and though I’m a purist in the sense that all iterations are compared to the original, I don’t begrudge them for trying to lure me into buying all the egg shapes and sizes at easter, trees with and without mini Reese’s pieces at Christmas, or Big Cups with pretzels, potato chips or peanut brittle. Reese’s, however, does tend to take a pause in the summer between Easter and Halloween, which is about how long summer lasts here in the Magnolia State.

That’s helpful for the BMI, though it doesn’t mean I can’t easily find a bag of minis to enjoy in a pinch. Or pull from my stash collected from the after-holiday clearance shelves.

And let’s not even get into Oreos. Same song, different verse: love the original, but also gonna buy every flavor variation unless coconut is involved. I even bought the Swedish Fish Oreos, but that’s a tale of regret for another day.

Recently, I’ve noticed Peeps are also making a strong play to get into the one-upmanship game. What started with yellow marshmallow chicks by the dozens have now evolved into all manner of species: the coffee-flavored chick, the pancake and syrup chick, the Hot Tamales chick (the candy, not the cylinder of masa and meat beloved in our Delta), the chocolate pudding bunny, and even a peppermint chick dipped in chocolate for Christmas.

I’m not against Peeps—they make mean s’mores. But for goodness’ sake—they are chicks and bunnies, not Thanksgiving turkeys or Christmas geese. At least not yet.

By the time this issue hits mailboxes, I predict a new Kit Kat flavor on the horizon— maybe a summer fruit, like peach, with a cobbler wafer. And for the summer grillers, perhaps Reese’s will do a collab drawing Easter and Halloween together, once again repurposing the ubiquitous oval, jumbo-sized, with coloring borrowed from the FrankenCup: the “Reese’s Big Green Egg.” Now that’s a Father’s Day treat I could get behind. edm

eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 51

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MISSISSIPPI Follow us on social media to see some of the tasty, local bites we’ve discovered! @eatdrinkmississippi

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