June/July Mud& Mag22

Mud&Magnolias October.

July 2020November June/July 2022 2013

FOOD &

drink

OUTDOOR KITCHENS | TRAVELING RESTAURANT | ST. LEO

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the Perfect Gift

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FURNITURE WAREHOUSE SAME AS CASH FINANCING & SAME DAY DELIVERY AVAILABLE BEN HALL, OWNER 211 WEST BANKHEAD STREET, NEW ALBANY, MS 38652

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HALLSFURNITUREWAREHOUSE.COM 5/18/22 9:02 PM

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Imagine Career Connections allows businesses in Northeast Mississippi to provide tours to high school students across seventeen counties served by the CREATE Foundation, Inc.

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Students Tour Businesses Schedule a tour for your business today!

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CONTENTS

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40 14 22

SALADS THAT SIZZLE

What better way to celebrate delicious seasonal produce than with a summer salad?

DIY: COMPOUND BUTTERS

47

GASTRONOMY

Southerners know that some of the best food to be found is at their local gas stations. We stop by three North Mississippi establishments to see what they do to make people come back for more.

These rustic DIYs add a bit personality to your seasonal dishes.

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June/July 2022 vol. 10 no. 10

ON THE COVER

DAIRY STORE 61 MSU You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream and cheese?

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GRILLING THE GRILLER

Tupelo Ace Hardware general manager guides us through the process of choosing the right grill for your backyard

Lighter food fare can still spark your taste buds.

Cover Photo by Thomas Wells Page 14

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when I was growing up in south Al-

abama, I spent just about every summer in the pea patch with my mother.

We lived in town, our home too shaded by huge pine trees to have any sort of garden, so my mother befriended a farmer named Mr. Ott. Mr. Ott lived out in “the country,” and he and his wife had acres of lady peas, purple-hull peas, pink-eye peas, butterbeans, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, corn, peaches and plums.

On the way to Mr. Ott’s, Mama would stop at the Pak-A-Sak, where we would get cold 6-ounce Coca-Colas in bottles and, if I’d been good, a book of paper dolls.

Once at the farm, my mother would get bushel and peck baskets from Mr. Ott, and we’d head to the fi lds.

Mama would plunk me down at the start of a row, with my Coke and paper dolls, and she’d pick that row up and down. Then, we’d move over a row and do the same until she’d gathered what she needed for the day.

Because we started out early, we’d usually be home by 10 a.m., the back end of the station wagon full of warm produce.

Mama would spread the tomatoes, peas and butterbeans out on newspapers in front of the air-conditioner in the den, and the rest of the fruits and vegetables went straight to the kitchen for processing.

My sister and I would sit in front of the TV and shell peas and butterbeans, while Daddy often shucked corn at the breakfast room table. Mama usually started jellies and jams in the late morning, before the kitchen got too hot.

I miss those days. I miss my parents. I miss the rhythm of my family pulling together to help Mama fill the pantry and the deep freeze, so that we could enjoy the bounty of summer even in the dead of winter.

May your summer be filled with good food, cold drinks and memories to last a lifetime.

1242 S Green St. Tupelo, MS 38804 662.842.2611

ISSUE EDITOR Ginna Parsons

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Adam Armour Brooke Bullock Burleson John Luke McCord

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Shannon Johnson

FEATURED SALES CONSULTANTS June Phillips Sonja McCord Teresa McDonald John Turner

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Allie Allsup Blake Alsup

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Thomas Wells Adam Robison

If you have any thoughts about this issue, please email us at editor@mudandmag.com.

subscriptions@mudandmag.com advertising@mudandmag.com info@mudandmag.com mudandmag.com

Like what you see? Sign up for our weekly newsletter at www.mudandmagnolias.com 8

This magazine is a monthly publication of Journal, Inc.

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Tupelo De tal Group Serving Northeast Mississippi since 1975 105 Parkgate Dr. Tupelo, MS 662-844-7231 Peter L. West, DDS; Chris S. Hester, DMD Sanders West, DMD 10

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COMMERCIAL MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL

flight.design ARCHITECTURE email: main@flight.design website: w w w.flight.design Benjamin Rossetti, Architect

662.200.1930

Congratulations Tupelo High School Graduates!

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PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

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Bryan & Cindy Wilson

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Salads That

SIZZLE

What better way to celebrate delicious seasonal produce than with a summer salad? Whether you want the salad to be the entree or sweet or savory, these recipes will give you inspiration for your next picnic or barbecue.

Bacon Blue Cheese Potato Salad

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Chicken Caesar Salad

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Caprese Salad

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Summer Fruit Salad

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Summer Garden Pasta

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Recipes By GINNA PARSONS Photos By THOMAS WELLS

CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD INGREDIENTS 3 garlic cloves 4 anchovies or 2 teaspoons anchovy paste 1 1/2 ounces Parmesan, divided Zest of 1 lemon Juice of 1 lemon, divided 1 cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 thick slices of crusty bread Mixed spring greens DIRECTIONS Finely chop and smash together the garlic cloves and anchovies until a coarse paste forms.

Transfer to a medium bowl. Finely grate 3/4 cup Parmesan (about 1 1/2 ounces) and add 1/2 cup to the bowl. Add the lemon zest, the juice of half the lemon, the mayonnaise, soy sauce and Dijon mustard.

Transfer half of the dressing to a shallow dish, and set the other half aside. Pat the chicken dry, season with salt and pepper, then add chicken to the dish. Let marinate about 90 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium.

Add the chicken and cook until golden brown and juices run clear, about 6 minutes per side.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the slices of crusty bread and toast until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and season with salt. Cut into croutons.

To serve, place spring lettuces into a big bowl or on a platter. Squeeze the juice of the remaining half lemon over the greens, sprinkle with salt, then toss to combine. Add the remaining reserved dressing and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and toss to combine. Thinly slice the chicken. Add to the salad and season to taste with salt and pepper, lemon, and Parmesan.

Sprinkle salad with croutons.

BACON BLUE CHEESE POTATO SALAD INGREDIENTS 2 1/2 pounds red potatoes 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 4 to 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 4 green onions, chopped 3 ounces crumbled blue cheese DIRECTIONS Peel the potatoes, then cut each one into eighths. Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, and boil until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and set aside to cool.

In a measuring cup, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth.

To serve, place the potatoes in a large serving bowl. Add bacon, chopped green onions and blue cheese. Fold in dressing (you may not want to use it all) and gently stir. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

SUMMER FRUIT SALAD INGREDIENTS 2/3 cup fresh orange juice 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups cubed fresh pineapple 2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced 3 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced 2 oranges, peeled and sectioned 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved 1 cup blueberries 1 cup blackberries DIRECTIONS Bring orange juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, orange zest, and lemon zest to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.

Place pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, orange sections, grapes, blueberries and blackberries in a large serving bowl. Pour the cooled sauce over the fruit. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

SUMMER GARDEN PASTA INGREDIENTS 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved Good olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 5 large basil leaves, julienned, plus extra for serving 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper akes Kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 6 ounces dried angel hair pasta 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving DIRECTIONS Combine tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, red pepper akes, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for about 4 hours.

Just before you’re ready to serve, bring a large pot of water with a splash of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil and add pasta. Cook according to the directions on the package, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the pasta well and add to the bowl with the cherry tomato mixture. Add cheese and some extra julienned basil and toss well. Serve in bowls with extra cheese on each serving. Serves 4 to 5.

CAPRESE SALAD INGREDIENTS 3 to 4 ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick 12 ounces fresh Mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves 3 tablespoons olive oil, for drizzling 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze (optional) DIRECTIONS Start by layering slices of tomatoes on a serving platter. Tuck slices of cheese between each tomato so both are visible, then tuck whole basil leaves between the cheese and tomatoes.

Arrange the slices so you can see every layer.

Season generously with salt and pepper, drizzle all over with extra virgin olive oil and drizzle with balsamic glaze, if desired. Serve at room temperature. M

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MILLWORK

CABINETS

Serving Tupelo & the Surrounding Communities

177 CR 1758, TUPELO, MS | 662-844-7007

Locally Owned & Operated

dgarner@garnermillwork.com

We design & build custom cabinets, countertops & special millwork.

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PERFECT FOR FATHER’S DAY!

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SALES • SERVICES

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL

In House Service Deptartment

505 Cliff Gookin Blvd • Tupelo, MS (662) 844-0308 517 HWY 7 South • Oxford, MS (662) 380-5073 M &M

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DIY:

Rustic Compoun Butter

By BROOKE BULLOCK BURLESON Photos ADAM ROBISON

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Butter from the store? Broke.

Butter made at home? Bespoke.

Even as more and more of portions of our daily lives come prepackaged and readymade, some things are still worth taking time to do ourselves. That’s especially true in the kitchen, and in recent years, there’s been a revival in the art of homemade butter-making. Home chefs are finding new and interesting ways to turn this daily spread into something truly special.

This month, we tried our own hand at churning out a trio of homemade compound butters, each delicious in its own way.

Homemade Butt

Berr , Berry Butt

Materials

32oz heavy whipping cream Hand or stand mixer and mixing bowl

Directions

Pour all whipping cream into mixing bowl.

Start mixing the cream on a low setting and gradually increase speed.

The butter will turn into whipped cream first, then it will slowly start to separate. Once the butter produces liquid at the bottom of the bowl, it is ready.

Drain the buttermilk off of the butter (you can keep it for other recipes or throw it out). Use a cheese cloth or your hands to drain the butter of the remaining buttermilk. Rinse the rest of the liquid off with cold wate , and dry the butt

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Lemon and Chi Garlic Butte

Materials

16oz butter, softened to room temperature 1/4 cup mixed berries (blackberries and raspberries were used for the pictured butter) 1 tablespoon honey Pinch of salt

Directions

Mash berries with fork until they are easy to use in butter mixture.

Add berries, honey and salt to butter.

Mix until well combined.

Roll butter into log with plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for later or enjoy with toast.

Materials

16oz butter, softened to room temperature 1 tablespoon diced green onion 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon grated garlic 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions

Mix all ingredients into butter until well combined.

Roll butter into log with plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for later or enjoy on top of freshly seared steak. M

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Grilling the griller

Tupelo Ace Hardware general manager guides us through the process of choosing the right grill for your backyard

By DENNIS SEID Photos ADAM ROBISON

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On previous spread: George Booth III, talks about the Weber Grills inside his ACE Hardware store in Tupelo.

Top left: Blackstone Griddle, fueled by Propane Top middle: Weber Kettle Grill Top right: Weber Genesis II Special Edition

S

ummer has arrived, and it’s the perfect time for those friends-and-family gatherings around the pool, and tossing some burgers hot dogs and veggies on the grill to feed them all.

But what if you don’t have a grill? Are you confused by all the options? Should you get charcoal or gas? And what exactly are wood pellet grills?

George Booth III, the partner and general manager of Tupelo Ace Hardware on McCullough Boulevard, has been helping pair would-be backyard chefs with the perfect grills for years. He recently spoke with Mud & Magnolias about what to look for in a backyard grill.

M&M: I’m looking for a grill; where do I start?

GB: More important than the features or function of the grill is your grilling personality. How much time do you want to spend grilling.

We can talk about how much to spend, which is probably the second-most important question, but the biggest thing is to fin out what kind of grilling personality you are.

You might be a weekend warrior type with lots of friends and family coming over, and I want to present a sauce off the gri l, maybe some sides and add some sauce.

You might be a charcoal person; or you don’t want to deal with charcoal at all and all the time it takes.

So it boils down to charcoal or gas. And an intermediate version is the pellet smoker.

of people think barbecue should be.

The charcoal grill is for people who want to spend little time on their craft. They might be watching YouTube on how to make their ribs stickier. They’ll want to know about the different t pes of charcoal that can be used, the different ood chips and chunks that can be added. And there are all these different t pes of seasonings that seem to be coming out all the time.

You can go from a relatively inexpensive charcoal grill to however much you want. The Weber Kettle grill, for example, is a couple hundred bucks and is really a good deal considering what you get. And they’ll last forever. You can grill or smoke.

In general, the least expensive charcoal grill can be had for about $20 at a big box retailer to well over $1,000 or more, as well as everything in between.

M&M: Gas grills obviously are the other end of the spectrum • easy to light, quick at getting the grilling done.

GB: If you don’t want to spend the time dealing with charcoal, the gas grill is the way to go.

There are also options in natural gas if you don’t want deal with exchanging propane tanks. The natural gas grills are a great option for outdoor kitchens. Customers can contact a plumber about running a line for natural gas for the grill. It’s really become very popular.

You can get a gas grill very hot, very quickly and you can also get different ac essories for them.

Prices range from under $100 to more than $1,000, depending on the features and brand.

M&M: Let’s talk charcoal. What can you tell us about that?

GB: When you think barbecue, you think of the smoke and the fl vor. There’s nothing like it. You can get a smoky fl vor from a gas grill of course.

But I’m a charcoal guy, and I like to get that burger with that extra bit of smoke from it, giving it that extra hum. It’s what a lot

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Top left & bottom left: The Big Green Egg is popular form of grill that offers users ersatility with plenty of accessories for those who want them. Top right: George Booth III, talks grills inside ACE Hardware in Tupelo.

M&M: What about a Big Green Egg grill?

GB: It’s very versatile. You can make a pizza, bake biscuits. You can use it more like a campfire ven than just a grill. But it also gives you super-high heat for like searing a steak.

It retains heat very well because of the ceramic components. It just locks it in very tight, unlike a metal grill. It also gets to heat a lot faster.

According to the company, the Big Green Egg uses lump charcoal only – not briquettes – and can be used as a high-temp grill, a roaster, a slow smoker and an outdoor oven.

The Egg has a lot of accessories – or “eggcessories” the company calls them – that also are available to enhance the grilling experience.

They’re smokers more than grills. It’s a similar process to electric smokers, but you’re using pellets and you’re able to drive all that fl vor like charcoal into it.

I will say it’s a different t pe of taste. It’s not really smoky but more subtle, a woody ‘hum’ to it.

The thing with a pellet smoker, you have to have a plug in because it uses electricity for the fan.

Accessories such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are available on some pellet grills, allowing customers to monitor temperatures and cooking times and to adjust them remotely as well.

Pellet smoker prices start around $400 and go up from there depending on the make and features.

M&M: There’s an additional backyard cooker, but it’s not a grill. What can you tell us about that?

GB: Yes, the flat op griddle. Here we have the Blackstone.

People have gotten used to eating from food trucks, and of course, Waffle ouse. They all cook off fla ops.

People can walk outside and cook breakfast in the morning from pancakes and sausage to eggs and bacon, you name it. And you can do stir fries and hibachi style cooking.

The griddles are also easy to clean.

Prices start at about $200. M

M&M: Finally, what about wood pellet grills?

GB: They’ve really taken off in re ent years and it’s because they provide great results.

Wood pellets are poured into a hopper on the side of the grill. An electrically powered auger motor fil ers pellets into the cooking chamber, where they’re lit by the igniter and heat the chamber. While this happens, fans circulate air in the chamber to create convection and envelopes the meat.

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Saint

Cocktails fit for

By BROOKE BULLOCK BURLESON Photos ADAM ROBISON

Saint Leo in Oxford is mixing up cool, unique cocktails fi for a hot summer day 32

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S

ummer is here, and along with it comes the season to sit on the porch or restaurant patio and enjoy Mississippi’s dog days beneath a fan.

No southern summer, however, is complete without a crisp and refreshing cocktail nestled nicely in your hand. Whether your palate prefers vodka, gin or tequila, Saint Leo in Oxford has the perfect 21+ beverage for you.

Marissa Wyant serves as the beverage director for Saint Leo, located off he Oxford Square.

Wyant has been with

the swanky bar for over two years, but her desire to earn a Ph.D. is what brought her to the bustling college town in the rst place.

“After high school, I moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, and seven years ago, I moved here to do my Ph.D.,” Wyant said.

She wrapped up her Ph.D. in political science in August, but that hasn’t kept her from spending time behind the bard. Wyant uses her research experience to explore the range of di erent spirits she serves at the bar.

Previous page from left to right: Electric Apricot, Strawberry Swing, Under the Tuscan Sun and Lavender Fields Forever Above: Marissa Wyant serves as the beverage director at Saint Leo in Oxford. A native of Arkansas, Wyant lived in St. Petersburg, Florida before relocating to Oxford to pursue a Ph.D. in Political Science. Wyant finished her docto al degree last August. She has been with Saint Leo for a little over two years. Left: Lavender Fields Forever is one of Saint Leo’s new summer beverages.

Made with local Wonderbird Spirits gin, the light, summery beverage is garnished with a sprig of lavender to match its purple hue.

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Her goal for Saint Leo is to provide a welcoming environment that o ers a high-end drinking and dining experience.

“I think Saint Leo o ers a really great, higher-end-yet-not-intimidating dining experience where you feel like you could be in a big city,” the Arkansas native said. “We use tons of fresh ingredients and make pretty much everything in-house.”

Although the scholar has a knack for researching, her favorite part of the job is developing relationships with clients.

“I love it when a guest trusts me to make a recommendation,” she said.

For future guests, Wyant advises customers to make reservations on Resy. Saint Leo reserves half its restaurant space for reservations; the other half is kept open for walk-ins.

So if you nd yourself in Saint Leo on a hot summer evening and in need of a fresh, unique adult beverage, Wyant’s got you covered. No matter if you’re a regular or newcomer, she’ll serve as your guide to an unforgettable beverage experience.

“I think the philosophy is to be really really fresh,” she said. “As local as we can get and crafted with a lot of deliberate thought and detail without making it intimidating.”

Saint Leo is open Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, visit their website at eatwithsaintleo.com.

Top Above: Saint Leo uses Wonderbird Spirits gin out of Taylor, Mississippi for many of their gin-based cocktails. Above: Saint Leo rotates specialty cocktails seasonally. A few of the summer beverages on their menu include Electric Apricot, Lavender Fields Forever, Under the Tuscan Sun. 34

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L TUPE O SMA

L, P PITA .A. OS

ANIMAL H LL

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Have restaurant, will travel Foodsmith takes fine dining on the roa

By ALLIE ALLSUP Photos courtesy of DAVID LEATHERS

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W

ith the latest in his long line of culinary adventures, David Leathers is answering a question that, perhaps, no one has ever asked: Why go out to a restaurant to eat out restaurant could come to you?

That’s the idea behind Foodsmith, the 43-year-old Fulton native’s latest outside-the-box project. It’s a self-sufficient mobile restauran housed inside a custom-built trailer, that brings the restaurant to the customer for a one-of-a-kind, intimate dinner.

Not that there’s anything wholly unique about a mobile restaurant.

Food trucks continue to be a growing option for hungry patrons.

But like most projects Leathers creates, Foodsmith is just a bit different, a blend of the familiar with something unique y him.

“I’m from the South and I love that,” Leathers said. “No matter if I was all over the country, I always had my roots. So, I tend to honor southern food in my menu with a fun twist of creativity.”

Leathers’ name is likely familiar to anyone who’s kept even a casual eye on the Northeast Mississippi food scene. After culinary school and some years of traveling the country, Leathers went on to open not one, but two restaurant businesses, including Forklift in Tupelo.

For the past few years, Leathers has been living and working in Nashville. However, like many people, he lost his job during the pandemic. He spent three months at home before he knew something had to give.

“I told my wife, ‘I need a new chapter,’” Leathers said. “But I love being a chef and couldn’t imagine doing anything different.

Although Leathers has always enjoyed being a chef, the restaurant industry is a demanding beast, and he found the hours it required affec ed the time he could spend with his family.

“I didn’t want that life anymore,” he said. “The long hours, time on the road. I wanted to be able to come home and be with my wife and my boys.”

With that in mind, Leathers knew he had to come up with something that would allow him that time with his family while also keeping him feeling fulfi led and doing what he loved. Becoming a personal chef was an option, but he knew he needed a good kitchen he could

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work out of, which could be difficult o come by when changing venues or houses as a personal chef.

So, the idea for a traveling kitchen was born.

“The whole idea was to be mobile, so I began to think of how I could do some sort of traveling kitchen, but also the kind where you can come in and actually eat with me,” Leathers said. “In other words, a mobile restaurant.”

Leathers and his wife began putting the idea together when they realized their next obstacle: Something like this had really never been done before.

“It was a long process,” Leathers said. “It went through so many stages: Figuring out what to do and how to get it to where we wanted. But none of the options discussed had the structure we wanted or would be able to support what we wanted to do.”

So, they started from scratch, opting to build the trailer rather than buying or refurbishing one. After finding a ompany that could build from the ground up, Leathers started this new business journey.

Stretching over 30 feet long, this unique retro themed trailer has everything a chef would need to create a fine dining exp rience. The interior is split into two main sections, with one-third containing a commercial grade kitchen with beautiful subway tiles, wood shelves, and other details Leathers sets out for his parties. The rest of the space holds the dining area, with six

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chairs on either side and one at the head.

A continuous piece of exotic wood, 13 feet long, splits down the middle of the trailer.

It’ll sit 13 diners comfortably.

“It’s one of the first things that jumps ou at you when you come in,” Leathers’ said.

“But it’s also the whole experience. It’s the glassware I’m using, the pottery, the food being sourced.”

Since completing the trailer last summer, Leathers began hosting family and friends last August to work out the kinks. In September, Leathers fina ly started taking paying customers.

These days, he hosts two or three dinners a week.

A meal at Foodsmith typically includes around six courses, including an appetizer, salad, the main meal, a dessert, and a few other fun options chef Leathers provides for the night.

The entire experience is made for guests to feel at home, yet relaxed, with nothing to do but eat and enjoy.

Ultimately, Leathers has found that this type of work to be exactly what he was looking for at this time in his life and career.

“I was always a chef, but I never always knew where that chef was going to take me throughout my career,” Leathers said. “But I think this is it. It gives me the capability to be a chef, but the freedom to work as I want when I want while also being financia ly successful.” M

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Coldwell Banker Southern Real Estate can show you the best options in Northeast Mississippi. We specialize in helping find the best choices or that big decision. Whether you’re a first-time bu er, downsizing, investing or need relocation services, we can help you with all your real estate needs.

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662-620-2232 • www.cbtupelo.com • Gena Nolan, Managing Broker M &M

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Al Fresco Living

By GINNA PARSONS Photos by THOMAS WELLS

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Four couples use outdoor kitchens for entertaining, relaxing

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Opening spread: The living area at the Wilsons’ outdoor kitchen features sectional seating. Above:The Ellises’ outdoor kitchen is a free-standing space with about 400 square feet. Far left: One of the things that drew Gregg and Celeste to their home in Tupelo’s Joyner neighborhood was the outdoor kitchen. Left: Celeste Ellis put farmhouse touches in the outdoor kitchen. Bottom left: Gregg Ellis designed the landscaping, including the water feature, behind the outdoor kitchen.

Outdoor kitchens have quickly moved from being reserved for higher-end custom homes to becoming mainstream.

According to marketresearch.com, the U.S. demand for outdoor kitchen equipment is projected to be $735 million in 2022. And the expansion from primarily high-end installations to more mass-market versions will further boost sales.

Cooking fixtures in outdoor kitchens ca be anything from gas grills, pizza ovens and smokers to islands, cabinets, refrigerators and ice machines.

Research reveals that an outdoor kitchen needs to be much more than a place to cook.

Homeowners want an emotional connection by including features that make their outdoor space unique, fun and memorable, like bigscreen TVs, firepla es and cozy sitting areas in other words, they want their outdoor space to feel like a room.

Here we feature four families who have turned outside space into places to relax and entertain.

The Ellises

When Gregg and Celeste Ellis began house

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hunting in 2020, they knew they wanted something that was move-in ready. The home they were leaving had been nothing but one project after another, and they didn’t want to have to do any remodeling.

The couple looked at five houses, bu there was one in the Joyner neighborhood they kept coming back to – the one with the outdoor kitchen.

“I gave up having a garage for this outdoor kitchen,” said Gregg Ellis, director of marketing and communications for the Tupelo Public School District. “I’m out here all the time.”

The 400-square-foot kitchen is in a free-standing building in the backyard. It came with a sink, gas grill and a bar area. The Ellises added a refrigerator, a comfortable seating area with wicker furniture, a rug and a fla -screen television.

“I always said I’d never have a gas grill – I’d always had a charcoal grill,” he said. “I had to learn how to cook on gas. It was trial and error.”

From spring until fall, the couple is in the outdoor kitchen at least four nights a week, and even a couple of nights in the winter.

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“When you stand by the grill, it’s enough heat to keep you warm,” he said.

Celeste Ellis, an instructional coach for the TPSD with an emphasis on math curriculum, acknowledged the space is largely a man cave for her husband.

“But when it’s nice out, we all spend a lot of time out here,” she said.

In the fall, they spend weekend afternoons watching football, and on Saturday mornings, they enjoy listening to music and relaxing on the couch.

“The dog will come sit on the couch with me and we’ll watch TV together,” Gregg Ellis said.

The outdoor kitchen is in a shaded area of the backyard, surrounded by a brick patio partly covered in moss and shade plants like hostas, hydrangeas, ferns and acuba. Edison lights are suspended across the patio area.

Behind the kitchen are gravel pathways Gregg Ellis built that lead to a two-level water feature with koi and lily pads. Azaleas and phlox complete the woodland setting.

“Gardening is my escape,” he said. “It’s all selftaught. I just love being outside.”

Clockwise: Wanda Carol and Doug Sweeney of Okolona enjoy their outdoor kitchen with their 2-year-old granddaughter, Mila Carlisle. David and Scarlet Wilson’s outdoor kitchen at their home in Tupelo features a Lion gas grill wrapped in stack stone. Scarlet Wilson puts a little pop of color on the coffee table in th living area with New Guinea impatiens The seating area in the Sweeney's outdoor kitchen features wicker furniture and a stone stack fi eplace.

The Sweeneys

Before Doug and Wanda Carol Sweeney built a pool in their backyard in Okolona, they firs wanted an outdoor kitchen.

“We always wanted something outdoors with a tall ceiling and pretty wood,” Wanda Carol Sweeney said. “We wanted to get this area like we wanted before we started a pool.”

Work on the outdoor kitchen and seating area started in November 2019 and was completed the following July. The pool, designed by landscape architect Bob Mercier, was started that September and finished in une 2021.

The outdoor kitchen features a Coyote gas grill with a wooden vent hood wrapped in copper. The grill is surrounded by stack stone and the wall behind it is brick.

Behind the grill is a dining table that seats eight, and behind the table is a seating area with a couch, two chairs and a swing.

The focal point of the seating area is a stack stone firepla e. The Stone Yard of Tupelo built the kitchen and the firepla e. Tupelo Stone did the stone around the pool and patio.

“We had the firepla e built where we could burn wood, but also have gas inserts,” Doug Sweeney said.

“We love to entertain here,” Wanda Carol Sweeney said. “We had my mother’s 80th birthday party here, my daughter-in-law’s baby shower, a bridesmaids’ luncheon for my niece.”

But the real reason the couple built the outdoor kitchen area was for family.

“We just wanted a place for our kids to come, our grandkids to come, a place for the family to enjoy,” she said.

Dough Sweeney, who has Redhead Technologies in Okolona, often cooks steaks, burgers and hotdogs on the gas grill. Mostly, the couple just enjoys sitting outdoors.

“It’s really become a big room we use when the weather permits, which is a lot,” Wanda Carol Sweeney said. “The sun sets on the other side of the house, so there’s always a breeze blowing.”

“We thought about adding a television out here, but decided we didn’t want one hanging on the wall,” Doug Sweeney said. “Plus, when we come out here, we just want to enjoy being out here.”

The Wilsons

David and Scarlet Wilson of Tupelo can’t imagine a home without an outdoor kitchen.

“We’ve always had an outdoor kitchen, wherever we’ve lived,” Scarlet Wilson said. “If we didn’t have one, he built one.”

When the couple, who owns Scarlet’s Donuts on Cliff Gookin Boul vard in Tupelo, built their home on Mount Vernon Road in 2020, David Wilson designed the outdoor kitchen.

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“Well, I started with a plan and kind of reworked it,” he said.

The area has concrete flooring and gra stack stone from the Stone Yard that starts around the wood-burning firepla e, extends to the outdoor kitchen and then goes all around the house.

In the kitchen itself, there’s a Lion gas grill, a small refrigerator and storage drawers. The cooking area is surrounded by a granite-countertop bar with four stools. Recessed lighting dots the bead board ceiling.

“In the springtime, we’re out here three or four times a week and every weekend,” David Wilson said. “If it’s just the two of us, we’ll have anything from steaks to hamburgers to breakfast. It smells really good when you’re cooking bacon on that grill – it has a griddle on it.”

On the weekends, the Wilsons’ daughter and her family often come over. At Easter, Scarlet Wilson’s whole family visited, and the couple entertained about 40 people.

The seating area has a sectional couch that faces the stack stone firepla e with its black walnut living-edge mantel.

“When we got iced in last year, you’ve never seen so many country people having parties,” Scarlet Wilson said. “We had grills going ev-

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erywhere. People got on their 4-wheelers and drove over here.”

The Youngs

When Anna and Cole Young bought their home in Tupelo in the fall of 2018, there was nothing in the backyard.

“It was a blank canvas,” said Anna Young, a pharmacist.

“I wanted something I could make into an outdoor entertaining space,” Cole Young said.

“When I first met with urt Luke from Luke Landscape Design, I told him I wanted something that was magazine-worthy.”

And that’s just what he got.

The 3,700-square-foot area has the three things Cole Young requested: an outdoor kitchen, a living space and a pool.

“We started planning it in October 2019, broke ground in June 2020, and finished it i December 2020,” said Cole Young, an emergency medicine physician. “So it really was a yearlong process.”

Rob Morgan designed the living space and kitchen, Luke did the landscaping and helped with the design and layout, and Green Pools, now Aqua and Oak, built the heated saltwater pool.

Top: Cole and Anna Young of Tupelo enjoy entertaining friends in their outdoor space, which includes a kitchen, seating area and pool. Above: The living area in the Youngs’ outdoor kitchen has a brick fi eplace, bigscreen TV, facing couches and chairs that can swivel toward the pool area.

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“I was flexible about some of the in erior finishes,” Cole Young said. “I knew I wanted both a gas grill and a Big Green Egg, and a Sonic Ice Maker. That ice maker was the most expensive thing in the kitchen, but it was a must-have.”

Cole Young said he’s been cooking on a Green Egg for about 10 years, and enjoys smoking brisket, pork shoulders and turkeys.

“But I love the convenience of a gas grill,” he said. “We can do hamburgers or something quick when we don’t have a lot of time.”

Cole Young, whose undergraduate degree was in engineering, designed the outdoor stereo system, which is hidden in the living area’s ceiling and controlled by his smart phone.

“I can put a sporting event on TV and hear

it through the speakers, so we can watch it and hear it from the pool,” he said. “You just turn the chairs around from the tanning ledge of the pool and watch it.”

In the living area, there are two facing couches, two swivel chairs and a coffee tabl built by a friend.

“We like to have people over and enjoy the space,” Anna Young said. “When the weather is nice, this is where we are. But it’s totally Cole’s space. He even picked out the furniture.

I change out the throw pillows – Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Christmas. We like to make it seasonal.” M

Top: Cole Young wanted both a gas grill and a Big Green Egg in his outdoor kitchen.

Left: A little pot of vinca adorns a post at the end of the Wilsons' kitchen counter.

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{

gastronomy noun gas·​tron·​o·​my | ga-`strä-nə-mē Definition of gastronomy

1. the art or science of good eating 2. culinary customs or style

}

(3)

3. the creation and sale of really delicious gas station food

If there's one thing gas stations are known for ... it's gas. But if there's a second thing, it's got to be food.

For some gas stations, food comes first Across Northeast Mississippi, service stations are serving up the kinds of plate lunches, sweet treats and deep-fried deliciousness that give people a reason to drop in to fill u , even if their gas tanks aren’t empty.

This month, Mud & Magnolias dropped by three local gas stations that are quickly becoming, or have always been, foodie destinations.

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TJ’s BBQ offers Southern soul food classics

By ADAM ARMOUR Photos by THOMAS WELLS

T

hose who aren’t looking for TJ’s BBQ could very easily pass it by; those who know about the place seldom do.

Located on South Eason Boulevard in Tupelo, across from what was the VF Factory Outlet, TJ’s is relatively nondescript. An A-frame sign out front, near the row of gas pumps, features an image of a grinning pig and the words “DAILY PLATE LUNCHES” in bold, all-capped letters. “Best plate lunch in town,” the sign boasts.

Inside, the store is equally sparse. There are a few tables and chairs, and coolers packed with bottled drinks line the back wall.

It’s the front of the store that offers the main a traction: a couple of large commercial warmers along the counter where the day’s rotating selection of Southern classics awaits the day’s customers.

They trickle in as the lunch hour approaches, and owner Terry Bumphis greets each like an old friend.

Some of them are.

“Laverne, how you doing?”

“What can I get for you, big dog?”

“You want a rib tips? I got you.”

“What kind of dog is that you got in your truck?

Bet you give him a bone, and he’ll do whatever you want.”

It’ll be like that, he said, until around 1 or 1:30 p.m. when the crowd fina ly dies down. TJ’s is the kind of place where the hours are somewhat flexible. They’ll open around 7 a.m. on weekdays and roundabout 10 on Sunday mornings, and then close up shop at rough-

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ly 2 p.m. or whenever the day’s food runs out.

“Our busiest day is going to be Sunday,” Bumphis said. “They come and go throughout the day.”

They’ll dish up between 50 and 100 plates a day, he said. And the business is still growing. He and his wife, Jewel, opened this location in early 2021 following the success of their original joint, TJ’s Quick Stop on South Green Street.

Most of the food served at TJ’s is the kind you might find gracing the tables of homes across th South on a Sunday morning. Bumphis walked down the line, pointing a finger at each i em on offer tha day: “Squash. That’s black-eyed peas. Baked beans. Fried okra. Turkey legs. Course, you know bread. Tater tot casserole. Fried pork chops. Goulash …”

A customer standing on the other side of the counter interrupted.

“Terry, you make that?” he said, finge -tapping the glass above the pasta dish.

Bumphis laughed.

“No, my wife.”

The customer nodded, seemingly satisfied with tha answer, and Bumphis continued.

“Ham hock. And, of course, rib tips.”

The last item, he said, is easily the eatery’s most popular. Smoked by Bumphis himself and drenched in a deep red barbecue sauce, the meat on each rib tip practically melts from the bone.

They’re Bumphis’ personal favorite menu item, too.

“I’m not supposed to have them, though,” he said.

“But sometimes I cheat. It’s tough. It is tough.”

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Dressing is another big seller, he said. Candied yams are the bestselling item among the vegetables they offe , all of which are scratch-made by his wife based on his own recipes.

“It’s all from my head,” Bumphis said. “I read a lot of cookbooks, but I don’t ever use them. It all comes from my head.”

It’s a menu that’s constantly changing. A customer can drop by multiple times a week and never eat the same dish twice.

“Every day, it’s different,” Bumphis said. “ very day. We don’t do the same thing.”

As he was talking, another customer stepped through the door. Bumphis grinned and greeted him like an old friend, the same as every other customer he’d seen that day.

“What would you like?” Bumphis said.

The customer, staring at the line of food at the front of the store, scratched his chin as if contemplating a great riddle.

“Man,” he said. “I’d get a bit of everything, if I could.”

Somehow, Bumphis’ grin grew even wider.

“We can do that,” he said, and he grabbed a Styrofoam container. M

Opposite page: Terry Bumphis, owner of TJ’s BBQ in Tupelo, awaits a customer’s order. Top left: Customers pick up lunch at TJ’s in Tupelo. Top right: Fried pork chops are one of TJ’s big sellers. Middle left: An employee of TJ’s BBQ in Tupelo fills a Sty ofoam container with a selection of southern soul food, including black-eyed peas and goulash. Bottom left: A sign out front of TJ’s boasts they have the “best plate lunch in town.”

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Oxford’s 4 Corners Chevron is home to state’s most famous chicken on a stick

By BLAKE ALSUP Photos by THOMAS WELLS

O

xford’s 4 Corners Chevron is an unassuming eight-pump gas station at the corner of University Avenue and South Lamar Boulevard; it’s also home to arguably – or inarguably to its fans – Mississippi’s most famous chicken on a stick.

Ray Rupani has owned the convenience store, often referred to simply as “chicken on a stick,” for 12 years, although the store’s been around for far longer than that.

According to Rupani, the Oxford icon has been in business for more than 50 years, and has been serving its most famous fried food for at least three of those decades.

Some may wonder: What makes this gas station, with its deep fried kebabs, one of Oxford’s can’t-miss food spots in a city packed full of them? After all, plenty of other gas stations sell chicken on a stick, some fried with onions and potatoes.

But there’s only one 4 Corners Chevron.

“This is not just chicken on a stick,” Rupani said. “It’s a tradition in Oxford.”

One key to 4 Corners’ success, perhaps, is the fact that it serves up deep-fried deliciousness until the wee hours of the morning. Ole Miss

students know that when the bars close, fresh chicken on a stick is just a short walk away.

Along with its star menu item, the gas station also serves pizza sticks, crispitos, corn dogs, egg rolls and potato logs.

Sales start ramping up on Thursday nights as college students venture out to the Square, with Friday and Saturday also being big nights. Other days, things are “pretty normal,” Rupani said.

On weekends when there are baseball or football games at the University of Mississippi, or large events in Oxford like the Double Decker Arts Festival, 4 Corners can easily sell over 1,000 orders of chicken on a stick.

Chicken on a stick has been a staple at the 4 Corners Chevron for decades, and Rupani said the staff strives o maintain the taste and service customers expect.

“My biggest thing is the customer service,” Rupani said. “I want to make sure all my customers that come here, they feel comfortable, they feel at home.”

Customers are happy, he said, unless the store is out of their favorite late-night snack.

“When we don’t have chicken on a stick, then they are mad,” he said with a laugh. M

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Opposite page: For more than 30 years, hungry college students (often in the wee hours of the morning) have been rolling into 4 Corners Chevron in Oxford for its beloved fried delicacy, chicken on a stick. Bottom left: On busy nights, 4 Corners can easily sell 1,000 orders of its famous fried food. Bottom right: Of course, 4 Corners sells more than just chicken on a stick; crispitos are another popular item to satisfy late night hunger pangs.

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Read the

best of the south.

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Main One Stop serves up sweets by the slice

By BLAKE ALSUP Photos by THOMAS WELLS

A

longside the glass displays of mouth-watering fried chicken, biscuits and barbecue found at the average Mississippi gas station, Main One Stop in Calhoun City has a case full of freshly baked cakes, pies and cookies.

Each cake is made from scratch by Ann Langford, 74, and her husband, Johnny Langford, 76. They’ve been baking cakes at the gas station, formerly known as Buck’s One Stop, for more than 20 years. The couple got into the cake-making business when her son, Buck Langford, purchased the station gas station.

When Buck bought the store, four varieties of cake were sold there. Ann and Johnny Langford added the rest.

“I’ve always loved to bake,” Ann said.

“A lot of these recipes are mine.”

The husband and wife duo whip up strawberry cakes, German chocolate

cakes, Butterfinger ca es, coconut cakes, yellow cakes with cream cheese, pound cakes along with several other cakes and pies.

But the couple’s blue-ribbon winner is their made-from-scratch caramel cake.

Customers have driven from as far away as Jackson to buy them, and they’ve been shipped as far away as Canada and Iraq.

When asked what each enjoys about baking, Johnny jokingly responded, “quitting time.”

Ann wasn’t having it.

“If you didn’t like to cook, it would probably be a long day,” she said. “But I love to cook.

She gestured toward her husband.

“And I guess he does,” she said with a laugh. “He’s here with me!”

For Johnny, chatting with gas station regulars and meeting new people through their work makes the days feel shorter.

Top: Main One Stop in Calhoun City is a unique gas station known for serving up decadent, homemade sweets. Right: Ann Langford and her husband, Johnny, have been baking sweets for the gas station — originally called Buck’s One Stop — for more than 20 years.

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Their son sold the business last year, and the couple retired in January. But when the new owner asked them to return, the Langfords needed little convincing.

The couple now works three days per week, five or six hours each da .

“We don’t have to be here every day,” Ann said. “As long as I keep the cakes in stock, then I can go fishing.

They churn out at least 10 cakes per day, including 20 to 30 caramel cakes per week. The store sells them whole or by the slice.

Ann’s caramel cake recipe will stay with the store, she said, even after they retire for good.

Whoever inherits the task of making them, however, will have their work cut out for them. Beating the caramel icing is a time-consuming, labor-intensive process.

And it has to be heated to just the right temperature on the stove.

Ann will have to show the caramel cooking process to her successor; no timer can tell when the caramel is ready.

“You can learn to do it, but you’ve got to be willing to work,” Ann said.

Ann just knows when the golden-brown caramel icing is just the right texture and consistency, and customers will continue to line up for as long as Main One Stop serves up sweets by the slice. M

Top: Chocolate cakes are some of Main One Stop’s most popular delicacies. Left: Johnny and Ann Langford make each cake from scratch.

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Top: Ann Langford stirs the icing of her next cake. Bottom left: Baking utensils rest atop a carton of eggs. Bottom right: Ann Langford creates the latest of a countless number of handmade cakes she’s crafted over the years.

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5/18/22 9:23 PM

CHEESE & ICE CREAM

MSU Dairy Store STARKVILLE, MS

By ALLIE ALLSUP

Odd combo make perfect partners Needing a quick treat? Look no further than the bustling college town of Starkville.

Located on Mississippi State University campus, the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES for short) store is a small shop that sells a selection of cheese and ice cream made right at the school.

While the combo of cheese and ice cream might sound a little odd, they are connected by one thing: good milk from the university’s own herd at the MSU Custer Dairy Processing Plant.

Whether wanting a cheese ball for Christmas, or a nice, cold scoop of ice cream on a hot summer day, the MAFES store is the only place people can buy either treat.

Jay McCelland, dairy plant manager, recently spoke with Mud & Magnolias about the university’s unique dairy treats and what makes them so beloved.

M&M: Can you tell me a bit about the dairy plant and, in general, when the process of making cheese and ice cream started?

JM: It started back in 1938 by Dr. Herzer. He wanted to come up with something that could draw the attention of the people, like the football team did. So, he came up with the 3-pound cannon ball. Or otherwise now known as the renowned Edam cheese ball. When the Dairy Plant was built in 1970, production really took o , and it’s been a hot icon ever since.

M&M: Between the two, which takes longer to make?

JM: Well, cheese is very hands on. Everything is done by hand, or manual physical labor, from start to finish. We normally work 10-hour days, five days a eek, and even have a full-time worker on Saturday and sanitation on Sunday.

So, there’s somebody here seven days a week, year-round for the most part.

Ice cream, on the other hand, is totally diffe ent because it’s more automated. It’s usually just a day and done. So, while ice cream does have some elements and steps it needs to go through, it’s really the cheese that takes the most effo t.

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M&M: What is the most challenging part about making the cheese?

JM: It’s kind of like baking a cake. It has a mind of its own, if that makes sense. The temperature must be right, it has to sit for a specifi amount of time, be cultured and dyed, so every day is a little different with making the cheeses M&M: How long does it take for cheese to be made?

JM: Doing cheese is a tedious process that actually lasts for months. You make your cheese, and after you get done, you put it up. You won’t know if that cheese has really made the grade, so to speak (going to be edible), until three or so months down the road.

M&M: What happens to the cheeses that aren’t up to par?

JM: We actually put those into the pepper jack cheese. You know, adding jalapeno peppers can make just about anything taste good.

ice cream. This is something that you don’t see every day, nor do a lot of people know about it unless you’re from the South. But it’s something we’ve come up with here where you take the muscadine juice and make jelly out of it. Then we just ripple it into the ice cream. There are other regular fl vors sold as well, but what makes anything good is starting off with good milk, an we’ve got one of the top herds in the state here.

M&M: How much product would you say you make?

JM: Right now, we are picking up 10,000 pounds of milk a day while there are 3 ½- to 4-million pounds made in a year between ice cream and cheese.

M&M: Finally, what would you tell those who have never tried these products?

JM: We have a very special product here that we work really hard to produce. We’re very proud of it. M

M&M: What makes your ice cream unique?

JM: One of our biggest sellers is muscadine

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