No'Ala March/April 2011

MAR/APR 2011 $3.95

noalamag.com

The process has begun.

What is important to you?

Architects and planners are beginning their Follow our progress online at work on the design of the North Alabama www.ecmhospital.com/namc or Medical Center, the Shoals area’s proposed www.shoalshospital.com.namc. new hospital. Once regulatory approvals have Join our forum and tell us the features you’d been obtained, this promises to be the most like to see in our new hospital. The process has technologically advanced, patient-friendly begun on the future of medical care for the facility in the region. In an independent study entire Shoals, and we want you by the University of North Alabama, the new to be a part of it. hospital is projected to have an economic impact of more than one billion dollars.

2 | No’Ala

March/April 2011 | 3

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4 | No’Ala

March/April 2011 | 5

{ contents }

ON THE COVER: Mary Catherine Schiez and Adrianne Richards torture poor Abram Tidwell as we gathered bakers from the area to discuss who has “Flour Power.” This issue celebrates food, glorious food, and we prove that the very best food in the world can be found right here in the Shoals.

Photo by Abraham Rowe Cover photo by Danny Mitchell

6 | No’Ala

March/April 2011 | 7

{ contents } 10 12 16 24 30 32 40 43 50 68 72 74 76 78 82

Contributors Calendar Bishop’s Barbecue: Livin’ High on the Hog Edible Flowers: Pretty Enough to Eat “Chicken Stew to the Rescue,”

by Amy Cruce Flour Power: Seven Shoals Area Bakers “The Joy of Not Cooking,” by Bobby Evers Fromagerie Belle Chevre: a photo essay by Abraham Rowe and Susan King “Mama’s Tea Cakes,” by Rebecca Ross Shopping “Mother’s Cornbread,” by Sandra Poole and Jennifer Youngblood Healthy Cornbread?

Twenty Questions for a Restaurant Server “Cooking by ‘The Book’, ”

by Debra Dombrowski Parting Shot by Danny Mitchell

March/April 2011 Volume 4: Issue 2 ••• C. Allen Tomlinson Editor-In-Chief David Sims Managing Editor/Design Director Contributing Writers Amy Cruce, Debra Dombrowski, Bobby Evers, Sandra Poole, Rebecca Ross, Jennifer Youngblood Contributing Photographers Susan King, Danny Mitchell, Abraham Rowe Business Manager Frances Adams Marketing Coordinator/Advertising Sales Lyndsie McClure Administrative Assistant Claire Stewart Printing and Distribution Printers and Stationers, Inc. ••• No’Ala is published six times annually by ATSA PO Box 2530, Florence, AL 35630 Phone: 256-766-4222 | Fax: 256-766-4106 Toll-free: 800-779-4222 Web: www.noalamag.com Standard postage paid at Florence, AL. A one-year subscription is $19.95 for delivery in the United States.

Signed articles reflect only the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors.

Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of their advertisements. © 2008-2011 ATSA, All rights reserved.

Send all correspondence to Allen Tomlinson, Editor, at the postal address above, or by e-mail to atomlinson@atsa-usa.com.

Letters may be edited for space and style.

To advertise, contact us at: 256-766-4222, or sales@noalamag.com.

The editor will provide writer’s guidelines upon request. Prospective authors should not submit unsolicited manuscripts; please query the editor first.

No’Ala is printed with vegetable-based inks on 100% recycled paper.

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8 | No’Ala

{ editor’s letter }

BY

ALLEN TOMLINSON

I don’t know who said it, but I’ve always believed it: Cooking is an expression of love.

In our family, I’m the cook. (Don’t laugh.) I’ll admit I tend to stick with family favorites, most of the time, but occasionally I’ll step out and try something new, especially if it’s sweet or involves ice cream. We belong to a Supper Club—a wonderful Southern tradition that revolves around food, of course—and our favorite contribution is home made ice cream of some type. Our favorites are vanilla with coconut and chocolate chunks, pumpkin pie ice cream, and a strawberry rose flavor that uses rose water that our friends, the Loews, brought back from a trip to San Francisco. I swear, it tastes just like roses smell!

Since food is so integrated into our social lives—it’s there when we gather as a family, it’s there when we entertain, it’s sometimes the focal point of an event—it’s appropriate, we think, to make it the primary feature of this issue of No’Ala. And one thing we kept hearing, as we conducted our interviews: the people we talked to cook with love as one of their primary ingredients. We’ve tried to introduce you to some of those people and let them tell you what food means to them and how it is central to their lives and to their families, and we have recipes to share with you as well.

Food, glorious food—there is so much to celebrate!

Last issue, we introduced the Shoals Perfect Wedding contest, and we were overwhelmed by the creativity shown by the brides-to-be who entered. Choosing the three finalists was tough, and our panel worked hard; in this issue you’ll see the reaction of the three couples when we delivered bouquets to them on Valentine’s Day. Keep up with the progress at www.shoalsperfectwedding.com and follow our couple on this journey.

You’re sure to get tons of ideas for your own!

Sit back, grab your favorite snack and something to drink, and enjoy this issue. We hope you’ll be inspired to roll up your sleeves and go to the kitchen to try something new. Just remember, it tastes a whole lot better if you remember to add a little love.

March/April 2011 | 9

{ contributors }

Amy Cruce

Susan King

Sandra Poole

Rebecca Ross

Abraham Rowe

Jennifer Youngblood

Amy Cruce’s words have also graced our pages before, as a “Bless Their Hearts” writer. In addition to raising a family, Amy is the “Country Girl” of Country Girl-City Girl.blogspot.com, a hilarious blog from two “unusually observant and vocal, but lovely we assure you, women in the Deep South.” That's not you they are talking about.

Debra Dombrowski is a Northerner by birth, but a Southerner by the grace of God… and dumb luck. As a little girl, Debra wanted to be Nancy Drew when she grew up—solving crimes and writing about them. Instead she and Amy Cruce investigate crimes against common sense and blog about them. Debra lives in Florence with her husband, Jackie Hendrix, and a menagerie of rescued animals.

You can read more from Amy and Debra on their blog, countrygirlcitygirl.blogspot.com.

Bobby Evers, a friend who lives part of the time in Lawrenceburg and part of the time in Nashville, is a commercial and residential designer, loves to write…and hates to cook. When he’s not writing or designing, he’s looking for the next new restaurant or the newest place that delivers food. For information about his design firm, visit www.BobbyEvers.com.

Susan King studied art and design at The Art Institute of Minnesota and is currently finishing her degree in photography at The University of North Alabama, where she also serves as chief photographer for the student newspaper, The Flor-Ala. In addition to working for Abraham Rowe Photography, Susan works for Dish Café, and sings in one of our favorite local bands, Doc Dailey and Magnolia Devil.

Sandra Poole grew up in Alder Springs, the setting of Livin’ in High Cotton, her first novel, co-written with her daughter Jennifer. Sandra developed a deep love for literature in a two-classroom country

10 | No’Ala

© DeLon Imagery

Bobby Evers

© DeLon Imagery

Debra Dombrowski

school. For Sandra, writing is a continual journey of discovery. Sandra has a Masters in Business Administration and currently lives in Alabama with her husband and youngest son.

From her earliest days, Jennifer Leigh Youngblood has loved to read. She is proud of her southern heritage, believing that, “The oddities that make up the southern culture give it distinction.” Jennifer has a B.A. in English from Brigham Young University-Hawaii.

Jennifer and her mother, Sandra, write as a team.

The mother/daughter duo’s latest book is The Paper Rose Club (www.arborhousebooks.com). For more information, visit www.jenniferyoungblood.com or www.sandrapoole.com.

Rebecca Ross, who has written for No'Ala before, is a features/entertainment reporter for the Pensacola News Journal and an exceptionally talented writer. Her favorite things include her family, friends, writing, music, books, and her mother’s tea cakes. Not necessarily in that order. Since we can’t ever seem to get a current photo of Rebecca, we asked her sister Paula to supply one.

Abraham Rowe loves everything photography, from going to exhibits, to getting in the darkroom, or just wondering around the neighborhood with his camera. Abraham’s a storyteller—ever curious about those people that are walking across the street and wondering why he hasn’t met them yet. Most days, you are likely to find him in a coffee shop, at The Salvation Army looking for treasure, or in the woods hiking with his two boys, Jack and Malachi.

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• (256) 764-5991 March/April 2011 | 11

Calendar of events March

March 1–April 5 Artistic Renderings of Youth Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts, Florence; 9:00am–4:00pm weekdays. No admission charged. For information call (256) 760-6379.

March 3–5 14th Annual George Lindsey UNA Film Festival Screenings and events at various locations; most are free. For information, visit www.lindseyfilmfest.com.

March 4 First Friday, downtown Florence Winner of the Shoals Perfect Wedding named at Armosa Studios at 7:00pm.

March 6 Shoals Symphony presents “Music of the Nations” Muscle Shoals High School Auditorium, Muscle Shoals; 2:00pm.

Admission charged. For more information, visit www.una.edu/shoals-symphony.

March 8 Florence Camerata Presents the Durufle Requiem 7:30pm, Northwood United Methodist Church Florence, AL. March 9–15 Balm in Gilead Shoals Week of Prayer Beginning on Ash Wednesday, this is a week-long prayer event for the victims of HIV/AIDs and their families. A national event, this year Shoals area churches are participating.

March 12 The Shoals Heart Ball 2011, “A Time to Shine” Marriott Shoals Conference Center, 6:00pm; black tie; Admission charged.

The Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presents “Beyond Fantasies and Fairytales: an evening with Jodi Benson and Gary Mauer” Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, Von Braun Center, Huntsville; 7:30 p.m.

Admission charged: visit www.hso.org for details.

March 15, 29 ARThropology: Instructional Painting Sessions 6:30pm, Relique; Call Relique for details & reservations (256) 767-4810.

12 | No’Ala

March 17 Sweet Basil Cooking Class and Wine Pairing: New Orleans Bam! Sweet Basil Café, English Village, Florence; 6:00pm. Cost is $35. Call (256) 764-5991 to register.

March 18–19 Quilts by the River, 2011 Quilt Show Edgemont Methodist Church, Florence; Friday, 10:00am–6:00pm; Saturday, 9:00am–4:00pm. Admission charged. For information call (256) 757-1308.

March 19 The Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presents “Providence and Percussion” Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, Von Braun Center, Huntsville; 7:30 p.m.

Admission charged: visit www.hso.org for details.

March 19-29 Doncaster Spring Event Trunk Show of the Doncaster Spring line at the home of Jean McIntyre; for information call (256) 394-3660.

March 22 Sweet Basil Cooking Class and Wine Pairing to Celebrate Neiman Marcus’s 100th Anniversary Sweet Basil Café, English Village, Florence; 6:00pm. Cost is $35. Call (256) 764-5991 to register.

March 24 Betty Martin Memorial Earth Month Kick-Off Gas Design Center. Visit www.ShoalsEarthMonth.com for details.

March 27–May 6 Shoebox Sculptures Tennessee Valley Museum of Art, 511 N. Water Street, Tuscumbia 9:00am–5:00pm weekdays, and 1:00pm–3:00pm Sundays; $5 adults, $3 children; Sundays free. Every three years the University of Hawaii Art Gallery in Honolulu challenges artists around the world to create sculptures within the dimensions of an everyday shoebox—and the results are fascinating.

March 31-April 3 Shoals Community Theatre presents Disney’s Aladdin Jr. Directed by Jennifer Kilpatrick; Shoals Theatre, Florence; admission charged. Visit www.shoalscommunitytheatre.com.

April April 1 The 38th Annual Crescen-Dough Auction The Von Braun Center, South Hall, Huntsville, Alabama The Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild (HSOG) is the largest single donor to the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra. The Guild’s two major fundraisers are the Crescen-Dough Auction, held every April, and the Symphony Ball, held each fall. The HSOG provides generous financial and volunteer support annually to the Symphony and its educational programs.

OnStage Presents: The Calder Quartet April 7, 2011 at the Shoals Theatre April 1 First Friday, downtown Florence April 2 First Saturday, Rogersville April 5–May 4 Designs by Basket Master Mary Jane Everett Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts, Florence; weekdays 9:00am–4:00pm, no admission charged. Call (256) 760-63779 for information.

April 7 OnStage presents the Calder Quartet Shoals Theatre, Florence; 7:30pm. Admission $35; visit www.shoalsonstage.com to purchase tickets or for more information.

Chinese Auction to raise money for the Florence City Schools Education Foundation Marriott Shoals Conference Center, Florence; 6:00pm. Admission charged; call (256) 768-2680 or write gfox@florencek12.org for more information.

Discover G3, a nutritional supplement with 70x more Lycopene than tomatoes, 60x more Vitamin C than oranges, 40x more Zeaxathin than yellow corn and 10x more Beta Carotene than Carrots. Come in for a sample and get a non invasive antioxidant level scan, on us, to give you a bio marker of current carotenoid antioxidant levels in your body. www.pharmanexscanner.com Sponsor ID is US9265944

www.centerforskincareandwellness.com April 9 Songwriters in the Round & Earth Friendly Dinner for Earth Day Sweet Basil Café. Visit www.ShoalsEarthMonth.com for details.

April 9–10 Alabama Chicken and Egg Festival Lion’s Club Fairgrounds, Moulton; Saturday, 10am-10pm; Sunday 11:00am–5:00pm. Admission $3; children under 5 are free. Visit www.alabamachickenandeggfestival.com for details.

Continued page 14

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Calendar of events

Continued from page 13

April 14 UNA Writer’s Series presents Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson, reading from The Warmth of Other Suns UNA Performance Center, GUC, 12:30; no admission charged. For information call (256) 765-4238.

April 16 The Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presents “A Fond Farewell” Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, Von Braun Center, Huntsville; 7:00pm.

Admission charged: visit www.hso.org for details.

April 19 ARThropology: Instructional Painting Sessions 6:30pm, Relique; Call Relique for details & reservations (256) 7674810.

April 20 8th Annual Empty Bowl Luncheon Marriott Shoals Conference Center; 11:30am–1:30pm. $12/$15 at the door. Sponsored by the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary.

Last year, over $50,000 was raised to feed the hungry in the Shoals area; this is one of the most popular annual fundraisers in the Shoals.

April 24–30 Shoals Scholar Dollars Fundraising Week Headed by the Florence and Greater Shoals Area Rotary Clubs, the entire Shoals area comes together this week to raise money for scholarships so that every high school student in the Shoals who maintains a “B” average and good attendance will be able to continue his or her education. For more information visit www.shoalsscholardollars.com.

April 29-May 1 Scrapping For A Cure Charity Scrapbooking Retreat Doublehead Resort, Town Creek. Begins at noon on April 29; admission charged to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. Visit www.valleychiropractic.com/scrappingforacure or call (256) 3898250 for more information.

April 30 Shoals Earth Day Fest Florence-Lauderdale Coliseum; visit www.ShoalsEarthMonth.com for details.

14 | No’Ala

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256-718-6868 March/April 2011 | 15

{ everybody’s business }

TEXT BY ALLEN TOMLINSON

16 | No’Ala

» PHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELL

Allsboro, Alabama, is not exactly on the beaten path. It’s west of Cherokee, headed toward Mississippi, and then quite a few miles off the main highway, along a curvy two-lane road.

If you’re looking for L.O. Bishop’s place, though, you’d be advised to follow your nose; the closer you get, the better it smells.

Bishop’s Barbecue is cooked in a building that looks like an old-time country store. It has a wide front porch that you can actually drive in to, and the whole operation is set behind the house where L.O. and Grace, his bride of 57 years, live. It’s no joke about following your nose; on cooking days, the air is filled with the smell of hickory smoke and barbecue, and you’ll be hungry within minutes.

March/April 2011 | 17

“You can add sauce if you’d like— but if it’s cooked right, all you need on it is your teeth.”

On this day, we were greeted by L.O. himself, a trim and youthful looking man whose appearance belies his 76 years. He’s always smiling and making jokes, and you’ll be smiling too before it’s over.

If you grew up in the Shoals, you’re probably somewhat of a barbecue connoisseur. Our region of the country is on the barbecue map because of places like Gibson’s in Decatur, Dreamland in Tuscaloosa, Dick Howell’s, Bunyon’s and Singleton’s in Florence, and all of the famous barbecue that comes from Memphis to our west. L.O. Bishop and Aaron Singleton were good friends, and they shared an interest in cooking, but L.O.’s interest was limited to cooking on a pit in his backyard for friends and family gatherings.

Two thousand five hundred pounds of pork is a lot of meat.

In fact, it’s about 130 tons of meat every year, carefully packaged and sold through distributors to grocery stores and restaurants all around the region. According to Luther, who has his father’s wit and easy smile, the butt is the best part of the hog and makes the most tender and delicious barbecue.

“We get it hot quick, and then cook it slow,” he explains. Meat that is put on the pit at 10:30 a.m. on Monday or Tuesday will cook through the night and be ready to take off around seven the following morning. Unlike other barbecuers, the Bishops add a little salt but nothing else; “Mopping with a sauce doesn’t really work,” says Luther. Instead, the Bishops place the pork fat side up on the grill, and they don’t turn it the entire time it

“We cook our barbecue differently,” he said, and so his interest in barbecue grew. In 1975 he decided to build a 30’ x 40’ shed to contain his pit, but he still was only cooking for fun and not for the general public. (“We’d cook for Labor Day, weddings, birthday and divorces,” he said. “Special occasions. Seems like every time the wind changed direction, we’d have a barbecue.”)

He was also getting to be in demand for political functions, and would be called upon to cook barbecue for rallies and political gatherings. His friend Aaron was urging him on, and his three children, Darlene (now married to Bruce Morgan), Patty (now married to Sam Mangum) and Luther (now married to Cissy Floyd) were growing up, so he decided to take the plunge and begin to cook commercially.

Three years after he upgraded his facility and got his state inspection, the entire place burned to the ground. And that, he says, is when Bishop’s Barbecue really began.

Fast forward to today. It’s a cooking day, and Luther, L.O.’s son and the man L.O. says is the backbone of the business, is checking the meat to see if it’s ready to take off the grill. The Bishops cook five thousand pounds of Boston butt every week, in two shifts; 2,500 pounds go on the grill on Monday and come off on Tuesday, and another 2,500 pounds go on Tuesday and come off Wednesday.

L.O. Bishop is always smiling.

18 | No’Ala

cooks. This allows the moisture to remain in the meat, but because of the temperature and the length of time on the grill, the finished product has very little fat content. The fat cooks away, although there is enough there to retain the moisture in the meat, and tests on Bishops Barbecue show that their product has less fat in it than a four ounce lean hamburger. It must be true; not one single member of the Bishop clan is anything but tall and lean, and you know they have had all of the barbecue they ever wanted in their lives.

When the meat is ready and is removed from the grill, a small army of workers goes to town, removing bone and any remaining fat and preparing the meat for packaging. This army, wearing white coats, hair nets and gloves, works quickly at stainless steel tables, and it’s fascinating to see how skilled they are and how fast they can prepare a barbecued butt for weighing. One person, at the end of the table, measures out the pork and places it in bags, which are vacuum sealed and then boxed; the boxes are put in the cooler to get ready for shipment.

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Some barbecuers smother their meat in sauce, but the Bishops wouldn’t think of that. What comes out of their packages is moist, tender meat, with a hickory smoked flavor and excellent texture. You can add sauce if you’d like—in fact, the Bishops have a sauce they bottle that is vinegar based and is spicy, especially when you shake the bottle—but, as L.O. says, “if it’s cooked right, all you need on it is your teeth.”

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In 1989, after the fire that destroyed their original pit, Luther decided to join his father in the business, and they rebuilt their operation from the ground up. At that point, they had their winning cooking method and the knowledge they needed to make the product; they had served so many people their delicious barbecue that they felt there was a market. The operation today has two large pits, long brick structures with chimneys at the end that allow the meat to sit at the right position above the coals. The pits are contained in a separate part of the operation entirely; the remainder of the building contains the processing area, all stainless steel and sanitary white, and the cooler, with loading docks for shipping. Bishop’s Barbecue is sold to stores and restaurants throughout Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.

FLORENCE: 110 S. Pine Street Ph: (256) 764-2141

www.alabamalandservices.com March/April 2011 | 19

But it’s people who are the most important things to L.O. and to his family.

“We’re nothing without other people.”

Barbecue may be what L.O. is known for most, these days, but it certainly isn’t the only thing he does. He keeps an avid interest in politics, and on the day we spoke had just returned from catering one of the inaugural events for Alabama’s current Governor, Robert Bentley. “We’ll let politicians eat, too,” he said. “We can’t deny them just because they hold a certain position.”

One of his interests is the Coon Dog Cemetery, which is located about fifteen miles from his house and is the resting place for more than 200 coon dogs. He points to pictures of a funeral that took place not long ago, complete with flowers, a casket for the dearly departed, and eulogies, followed, of course, by dinner on the grounds, courtesy of Bishop’s barbecue. L.O. is a sought-after guide for the Cemetery, because his sense of humor really shines. “Nothing is more serious than life, but it’s important to laugh and have humor in our lives,” he says.

Luther Bishop, says L.O., is the “backbone” of Bishop’s Barbecue.

20 | No’Ala

But it’s people who are the most important things to L.O. and to his family. “We’re nothing without other people,” he says, and then, laughingly, jokes that he built his business by giving it away. Hundreds of people would agree, because the Bishop family is so generous with this wonderful thing they have created.

And, to paraphrase what L.O. himself would say, the biggest disappointment you will have after reading this article is that there isn’t a plate of Bishop’s hickory cooked pork barbecue sitting in front of you. But they can remedy that. N

Ricatoni’s is equal parts mouthwatering, watering hole and social center. It’s just one of the many places I can introduce you to when you decide to make the Shoals your home. Whether you’re relocating or moving across town, I know all the best places. Come to the source!

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{ guess who I saw }

Radiology Cardiac Floor 3rd West Micah Hood and Tyler Harrison CCU Nurses

Medical Records

Roberta and Betty

CCU Nurses

Cardiothoracic Unit

Above: ECM Hospital’s “Go Red For Women Day”

Below: 360 Grille Business Appreciation Dinner

FEBRUARY 4, 2011  ECM HOSPITAL , FLORENCE

JANUARY 25, 2011  M ARRIOTT HOTEL & SPA , FLORENCE

Chef Josh Quick

Rachel Holder and Tabitha Creekmore

Kristy Bevis and Brian Tallman

Kiley Sellner and Joyous Hodges Jeffrey Bibbee and Jennifer Highfield 22 | No’Ala

Lindsey Hamm and Rachel King

Randal and Jessica Fuller

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Pretty Enough to Eat It started after Mary and John Smith decided to put in an herb garden. As they were doing their research, learning about the types of herbs that grow in the soil here in north Alabama, they learned that certain herbs produce flowers that are also edible.

Some, in fact, are gorgeous—and tasty—so they made sure to plant a variety in their garden that would give them beauty and good taste.

TEXT BY ALLEN TOMLINSON

Enter Dr. and Mrs. Joel Rainer, friends of the Smiths and, at the time, friends with the chef at Louisiana the Restaurant, which was located at Cypress Lakes Country Club, where Table 18 currently resides. Matthew Wood, the chef and owner of Louisiana, was very interested in the ability to add something unique to his savory dinners, so he made contact with the Smiths and they began supplying the restaurant with edible flowers and the herbs he had trouble finding otherwise.

“This was Mary’s passion,” said John. “We wanted impact and good taste, but we also wanted to grow edible flowers that didn’t require exceptional care. In other words, we wanted to grow things that were easy to grow around here. We didn’t have anything that required more than normal watering or care.”

So, can anyone grow edible flowers? John and Mary say you can, but caution that you should never eat anything unless you are very certain that it is edible. There are flowers that can cause allergic reactions, or worse—some could be poisonous. You should also never use pesticides or any other chemicals on blooming plants you plan to eat. Eat sparingly, and don’t eat flowers unless they come from your garden or the garden of someone you know and trust. Be sure before you chomp down!

24 | No’Ala

Introduce flowers into your diet in small quantities, one species at a time. Too much of a good thing may cause problems for your digestive system.

Here are just a few beautiful things that happen to also be edible. Bon appetite!

Tuberous Begonia leaves, stems and flowers are edible, with a slightly sour taste. Be careful if you have kidney stones or gout.

Wax Begonias leaves and flowers are edible, raw or cooked.

Marigolds add color and a spicy, peppery taste to a dish.

Sometimes they are called “Poor Man’s Saffron.”

Carnation petals are surprisingly sweet; the miniature member of the carnation family, Dainthus, has a nutmeg scent.

Chrysanthemum petals are slightly peppery in taste, but remove the flower base and only use the petals.

Dandelion flowers are sweetest when they are picked young, and can be eaten raw or steamed. Some people make dandelion wine.

Day Lilies are edible, but be careful—too much of this delicacy can have a laxative effect. The taste is between asparagus and zucchini.

Chive blossoms are edible, and the flowers tend to have a stronger flavor than the leaves.

Basil flowers are either bright white, pale pink, or a delicate lavender. The flavor of the flower is milder, but similar to the leaves.

Cilantro/Coriander flowers have a strong herbal flavor.

Dill flowers are tangy, like their leaves, but stronger.

Fennel has star-burst yellow flowers that have a mild anise flavor.

Lavender flowers have a sweet, floral flavor, with lemon and citrus notes. Do NOT use lavender oil unless you know it has not been sprayed and is safe to eat.

Mint flowers are minty, but with different overtones depending on the variety. Mint flowers and leaves are great in Middle Eastern dishes.

Oregano flowers are a milder version of plant’s leaf.

Rosemary flowers are also a milder version of leaf.

John and Mary Smith of Sheffield, AL

Honeysuckle flowers have honey flavor. Only the flowers are edible—the berries are highly poisonous so do not eat them!

Impatiens have a sweet flavor. They can be used as a garnish in salads or floated in drinks.

Nasturtiums are among most common edible flowers. The blossoms have a sweet, spicy flavor similar to watercress.

Pansies have a slightly sweet green or grassy flavor. If you eat only the petals, the flavor is extremely mild, but if you eat the whole flower, there is a wintergreen overtone.

Queen Anne’s Lace is edible with a light carrot flavor. The flowers are small and white, and bloom in a lacy, flat-topped cluster. Great in salads. NOTE: Queen Anne’s Lace is closely related to, and looks almost exactly like another wild plant, Wild or Poison Hemlock, which often grows profusely in similar habitats, and is said to be the most poisonous plant native to the United States. The best way to differentiate between the two plants is to remember that Queen Anne’s Lace has a hairy stem, while the stems of Wild Hemlock are smooth and hairless and hollow with purple spots.

Roses have flavors reminiscent of strawberries and green apples: sweet, with subtle undertones ranging from fruit to mint to spice. All roses are edible, with the flavor being more pronounced in the darker varieties.

Sunflowers are best eaten in the bud stage when they taste similar to artichokes. Once the flower opens, the petals may be used like chrysanthemums, and the flavor is distinctly bittersweet. The unopened flower buds can also be steamed like artichokes.

Corn shoots may be eaten when they resemble large blades of grass, and have a

March/April 2011 | 25

Do not eat flowers from florists, nurseries or garden centers.

In many cases these flowers have been treated with pesticides not labeled for food crops.

strong sweet corn flavor, which could be used as a garnish for a corn chowder. The whole baby corn in husk may also be eaten, silk and all.

Radish flowers may be pink, white or yellow, and will have a distinctive, spicy bite (and has a radish flavor). Best used in salads, the radish shoots with their bright red or white tender stalks are very tasty and are great sautéed or in salads.

Squash and pumpkin blossoms are edible and taste mildly of raw squash.

Violets have tender leaves and flowers which are great in salads.

IMPORTANT Eat flowers only when you are positive they are edible. If uncertain, consult a good reference book on edible flowers prior to consumption.

If pesticides are necessary, use only those products labeled for use on edible crops.

No flower is safe to eat unless it was grown organically.

Wash all flowers thoroughly before you eat them.

Introduce flowers into your diet in small quantities, one species at a time. Too much of a good thing may cause problems for your digestive system.

Remove pistils and stamens from flowers before eating. Separate the flower petals from the rest of the flower just prior to use to keep wilting to a minimum. Eat only the flower petals for most flowers except pansies, violas, and Johnny-jump-ups (in which they add flavor).

If you have allergies, introduce edible flowers gradually, as they may aggravate some allergies.

DON’TS: Do not eat flowers from florists, nurseries or garden centers. In many cases these flowers have been treated with pesticides not labeled for food crops.

Do not eat flowers picked from the side of the road. Once again, possible herbicide use eliminates these flowers as a possibility for use.

Just because flowers are served with food at a restaurant does not mean they are edible. Know your edible flowers—some chefs do not.

It’s easy and very attractive to use flowers for garnish on plates or for decoration, but avoid using non-edible flowers this way. Many people believe that anything on the plate can be eaten. They may not know if the flower is edible or not and may be afraid to ask.

Pick your flowers in the morning when their water content is at its highest.

Like Mary and John Smith, No’Ala hopes this will stimulate you to research the world of edible flowers… but we do not accept responsibility if you sample without researching and become ill. Venture carefully—and have fun!

26 | No’Ala

If someone you love is subject to bullying and harassment, reassure them that it gets better. Then learn more about the Alabama Safe Schools Coalition.

Wine and Beer Tastings to celebrate Spring Join us for these fun events and help toast the change of seasons!

WINE TASTINGS: FIRST FRIDAY, March 4 Friday, March 18 FIRST FRIDAY, April 1 TAX DAY, April 15 Friday, April 22 Friday, April 29 BEER TASTINGS: Friday, April 8th

324 North Court St. Florence, AL 35630 256-766-1568 wineseller@att.net Offering the most unique selection of wine and beer in the Shoals area.

March/April 2011 | 27

{ guess who I saw }

Ann Marie Russ, Sausha Mitchell, and Melanie Nix

Ureka Malone, Erica Gholson, Meccosia, Diamond, and Casey Eggleston, Lorenda Pryor, Janice Turner, and Melanie Smith Erica Gholson and Ureka Malone

Gloria Warren, Olivia and Selenia Pryor

Sausha Mitchell

Jhimara Simmons, Lorenda Pryor, Sonya Russell, Aftan Boddie, Samantha McCall, and Marilyn Thompson Casey, Diamond, and Meccosia Eggleston, and Jacob Wallace

Timmy Ray, Brad Greene, and Bethany Oliver

Brittnie Branville

Below: Cabaret Supper Club

Above: The Premier Fashion Show JANUARY 8, 2011  WEBSTER HOTEL & SUITES, SHEFFIELD

JANUARY 29, 2011 TURTLE POINT YACHT & COUNTRY CLUB, KILLEN

Tom and Claire Pebworth

Claudia Vance and Tom Ross

Suzanne and Barry Morris Sue and Cecil Miller, Catherine Naumann, Hannah Brake Mike and Kristy Van Rensselaer

Sam and Marie Stribling Arlene Ashe, Susan Borden, Marie Stribling

Braxton and Arlene Ashe

28 | No’Ala

If you have trouble with your wisdom teeth, we have the advice you need!

There are three major ways your wisdom teeth can cause trouble for you:

(256) 383-1499 Gum Disease

Tooth Decay

Cysts and Tumors

Problems cleaning in the back of the mouth can lead to gum disease and infection. Because wisdom teeth are hard to brush, decay can set in. A tooth embedded in the bone (impacted) can form a fluid filled sac (cyst). All of these are painful conditions, and most of the time require wisdom teeth surgery. At Oral & Facial, we’re the place to turn for wisdom tooth advice. Call Doctors McIlwain, Nester or Frederick at 256-383-1499 to arrange for an appointment. We’d love to help you look and feel your best!

398 Ashe Boulevard Sheffield AL 35660 www.oralandfacialoftheshoals.com

Mark R. McIlwain D.M.D., M.D. Christopher B. Nester D.M.D., M.D. Jonathan W. Frederick D.M.D., M.D.

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153 S. Cox Creek Parkway Florence, AL • 256-764-3532

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I’m a Juice Plus+ Wellness Educator, Call Lucy Crosby and I would like to give you information to help you along that path. Ask Juice Plus+ Wellness Educator me about Juice Plus+, your good 256-577-8106 health, and how to sponsor a child for www.lcrosbyjuiceplus.com free!

March/April 2011 | 29

{ essay }

BY

AMY CRUCE

Chicken Stew to the Rescue About Center Star and chicken stew and changing history…

My mother, a native Tennessean, has always marveled at the fact that people from Center Star believe Center Star to be the center of the universe. Being firmly rooted here I can tell you…it is.

Center of the universe. And one of our qualifying characteristics is our food.

Back in the day, before I had all these kids and turned back into a pumpkin, we used to get out and about. We’ve eaten lovely food in lovely places and no matter where we were or what we were eating, I’d find myself comparing the basics of our meal to something my grandmother used to make. With a heavy ScotsIrish heritage, complemented by a few Germans and a Creek Indian thrown in to improve the bone structure, the food I grew up on was as pure and simple and based on the local fresh cuisine as any cutting edge, nouveau hotspot New York City has to offer. Now, I’ll grant you Virgie (we called my grandmother Virgie because that was her name and no one else’s) never stacked ANYTHING juillienned on top of ANYTHING cut into diamonds, and she SURE never sprinkled weeds about the plate, but the premise was the same and hers was as fresh and palatepleasing as San Fran’s best. She never ate a meal without a fresh cayenne alongside the food and trust me…it was not for garnish.

Feel the need to do something “new” with vegetables? Send your grandchildren out into the field to pick corn for supper, and then “twice cut” it. Within 15 minutes of it coming off the stalk. This is a PAIN, and while I know how to do it and occasionally do so? There aren’t a lot of sous chefs running about this casa and I seem to be missing some of my patience these days.

On a golfing trip once, we had paella in Carmel. (No, Clint Eastwood didn’t come in but he COULD have.) We had to call ahead to order our dinner, because of the risotto starter, and when we sat down they brought out our appetizer…small slices of braised duck breast on a bed of “milky corn kernels doused in cream and tossed with slivered truffles.” And I took one bite and thought, “This corn needs some bacon grease.”

I was right, too.

We had “flash-fried calamari cut from steaks” in Fort Worth and while I literally stole the recipe for the dipping sauce? (Different story involving an obscene tip, a good-looking waiter and…an obscene tip.) Virgie’s delicate fried catfish, which somehow never absorbed a spot of grease, beat that eight-limbed sea creature without question. I’ll concede you the bread in San Francisco but otherwise? No one has ever touched the ethereal lightness of Virgie’s rolls. She patted the dough out and cut it into circles and baked two round cake pans of rolls. Every time.

Didn’t matter how many people or what we were doing…we had

30 | No’Ala

two round cake pans of rolls and needless to say? We were tickled to death with those two cake pans and I promise you I’ve never had better. (Although. When she got too tired to make the rolls, I took over the baking. The first Christmas I did so, I used a recipe out of Southern Living and the rolls were amazing.

When we put the basket on the table, Virgie picked up one, hmmphed and said, “Mighty stingy little roll.” Although she still ate several of them, in hindsight she was right and when I make them now? I double the recipe for the same number of rolls.

Live and learn.

Which brings us to chicken stew. It can be a food group or it can be an event. “Having chicken stew for supper.” “A Chicken Stew.” Mark your calendar. I thought everyone, everywhere, had chicken stew. Five basic ingredients…chicken, tomatoes, onions, corn and potatoes. The ultimate reunion/fundraiser/ comfort food/funeral dish and do NOT put anything else into it. Chicken stew. Did you know that 17 miles north of here, in Collinwood, they’ve never heard of chicken stew? Did you know that in Birmingham, you know, BIRMINGHAM, they’ve never heard of chicken stew?

When I moved to Texas, we lived on a dead-end street with 15 houses. There I was, all new and happy and friendly (and delusional) so I decided to have a neighborhood party and invite the entire street so we could all be neighborhood friends. Someone just get me a cardigan.

Oh. My. Turns out? The neighborhood and the golf course on which we lived had originally been a family farm. All of the family, divorced, estranged and otherwise, still lived on the street and none of them spoke. To each other. So when I decided to have a party, they all had to come because if they didn’t, well…guess who we’d talk about?

So I made chicken stew and saved the neighborhood. No one there had ever heard of chicken stew, much less tasted it. They all stood ‘round the pot and looked at it. Warily. (Okay, I’ll grant you it’s not first choice for the cover of Food and Wine. Perhaps a little…homogenous?) But after the first bowlful? With the obligatory white loaf bread, Tabasco and saltines? Honey, everyone on that street was suddenly best friends. With the chicken stew, with me and with each other. You have never SEEN such a party.

Later on, looking back, I started thinking and I realized something. You know all that tacky carrying-on at the Alamo? All that fighting and ruckus and uproar? If I’d just gotten there a little sooner, cast iron kettle and chickens in hand, we might have avoided all that unpleasantness. Instead of fighting? We could have had a chicken stew. And who KNOWS what might have happened to the course of history? N

presents

The Calder Quartet

The Shoals Area’s Newest Jewel: Jewell’s!

Tuesdays-Fridays. 10-6 Saturdays, 11-4

111 North Court Street, Florence 256-712-5988

Thursday, April 7, 7:30pm, at Shoals Theatre Tickets available at the door, at the Kennedy-Douglass Center, or online at shoalsonstage.com

BENJAMIN JACOBSON, violin ANDREW BULBROOK, violin JONATHAN MOERSCHEL, viola ERIC BYERS, cello The On Stage Season is underwritten in part by a generous grant from CB&S Bank

MEMBER FDIC

YMCA of the Shoals

2121 Helton Drive, Florence • 256-246-9622 March/April 2011 | 31

TEXT BY ALLEN TOMLINSON

32 | No’Ala

» PHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELL

Mary Catherine Schiez A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta, Mary Catherine is responsible for those delectable sweet things at The Sweet Magnolia Café. Cakes (wedding and otherwise) and cupcakes are a speciality, but on this day, she brought a delicious pear tart.

The Sweet Magnolia Café, 1154 North Wood Avenue, Florence; (256) 765-2234.

Abram Tidwell Abram experiments. His friends are glad. A contract baker for several area restaurants, Abram plans to open his own bakery in the Shoals; in the meantime, he continues to experiment and refine his craft. On this day, he brought a multi-layered party cake decorated in colorful fondant.

Abram’s Bakery, (256) 577-2777.

Adrianne Richards A senior at UNA majoring in art, Adrianne has been baking for years because it’s a creative expression. Her business, called Glory Through Sugar, specializes in birthday and wedding cakes, cookies and anything else that can be baked. On this day she brought a luscious chocolate groom’s cake. Glory Through Sugar, (205) 388-0375.

S

ome people believe that baking is nothing more than chemistry, that the proper combination of the correct ingredients will result in chemical reactions that make cakes rise and flavors blend. Others believe that baking is an art, and that it’s as important to make the end product look good as it is to taste good.

No’Ala believes that the seven bakers who gathered in our studio recently are the Shoals area equivalents of Leonardo Da Vinci. They are scientists who can produce outstanding results, and are also artists who can create eye appeal to make our mouths water. Each has a different style and a different specialty, but on one thing they all agree: there is power in that flour.

The best news? You can partake of their delicious creations by visiting their eateries, their shops, or by ordering a special creation to call your own. Bon appetit!

March/April 2011 | 33

Judy Oliver At the Victorian Tea Room in Muscle Shoals, Judy bakes birthday cakes, petit fours, croissants, cheese straws, homestyle cakes, cookies, brownies, macaroons, wedding cakes, and grooms cakes.

But their signature petit fours are one of their most popular confections. These delicious, mini cakes melt in your mouth; on this day, Judy brought her original almond flavor. They didn’t last long.

Victorian Tea Room, 702 Michigan Avenue, Muscle Shoals; (256) 314-4447

Ryan Matthews Ryan oversees the preparation of the gourmet treats you’ll find in the 360 Grille and at Swampers at the Marriott. He and his staff can prepare mouth watering treats for hundreds of wedding guests or for a romantic table for two at the upscale restaurant. Today, Ryan brought gourmet strawberry cheesecake covered in white chocolate. 360 Grille, Marriott Hotel and Spa, Florence; (256) 246-3660

34 | No’Ala

Harley Rast Williams Harley doesn’t just create wedding cakes—but it’s what she’s known for. Her cakes are colorful, creative and tailored to the bride’s style (and budget.) Sugar on Top, her bakery in Florence, is a visual treat.

Even though she’s about to dig in to Garry’s cake (below), on this day she brought a multi-layered wedding cake accented in pink and black. Sugar on Top, 112 East Tuscaloosa Street, Florence; (256) 760-2253.

Garry Thomas Garry is the baker for Sweet Basil Café in English Village, and he’s best known for his colorful, playful and delicious cakes. And brownies.

And cookies. And just about everything else! Today, Garry brought a chocolate birthday cake decorated with aquamarine buttercream icing and white sugar dots. Sweet Basil Café, 1627 Darby Drive, Florence; (256) 764-5991

March/April 2011 | 35

There’s magic in that flour

Mary Catherine Schiez, Harley Rast Williams, Abram Tidwell, and Adrianne Richards break the ice with a surprise flour fight.

36 | No’Ala

March/April 2011 | 37

{ guess who I saw }

MediSlim of Florence Free to Dance Studio of the Arts Tae Kwon Do Academy

Alacare

Hospice of the Shoals

Helen Keller WellCare Center

Shoals Outpatient Surgery Family Vison Center

Above: 2011 Wellness Fair

Below: Chapeaux Christmas Social

JANUARY 22, 2011  REGENCY SQUARE M ALL

DECEMBER 4, 2010

Janet Stewart, Brenda Lawhern, Jo Ann Harris, and Rhonda Blackburn

Leslie Ryan, Pam Minetree, Pat Slusher, Janie Smith, and Sue Raines Suzanna Wiley and Martha Truitt

Ann Aldridge and Pat Ward

Martha Truitt, Katherine Anderson, Glenda Butler, and Brenda Lawhern 38 | No’Ala

Susan Beckett and Margaret Forsythe

Molly Kalliath The Chapeaux Club

Floral Design, Event Planning & Home Accessories • (256) 383-2299 • 214 North Montgomery Avenue, Sheffield, Alabama

March/April 2011 | 39

{ essay }

BY

BOBBY EVERS

The Joy of Not Cooking

Asking someone like me to write an article about food is…well…a bit risky. I would assume they were looking for something along the lines of my favorite recipe or about the joys of cooking. I am afraid you will find none of that here. I hate cooking. Loathe it. Many years have passed since I made any serious attempts to cook a meal. It’s just not worth the time and energy.

My range has this really annoying clock that flashes, demanding to be reset every time the power goes off…so in order to avoid unnecessary time in the kitchen resetting the clock, I keep the breaker to the range in the off position. People don’t believe me when I tell them this, but it isn’t a problem and I never seem to have a need to turn it back on. When I sold my last house, I had never cleaned the oven and it was in pristine condition when I moved out. I simply don’t cook…ever.

To me, going to the grocery store falls somewhere between fingernails scratching on a chalkboard and water torture. I figure if it isn’t in Walgreen’s food section, I don’t need it.

Unfortunately, once every couple of years, I have to make the trek to Kroger for my blizzard and sick food. That’s the limited supply of food I keep in the house in case we have one of those once-every-hundred-year-blizzards that snows you in for several days. So I buy canned soup and lots of it, chicken noodle for illness and vegetable beef for the blizzards. This way I am covered in the event of heavy snowfall or major stomach virus. Only problem is, I thought that canned food lasted longer. Just the other day I was checking my inventory when the weather forecast looked foreboding and I noticed that most of my soup cans had sell by dates before 2007. I mean come on, shouldn’t canned soup last a little longer than four or five years? I had to completely restock.

So what do I eat? Well, I eat out or carry-out a lot. If it comes through a window wrapped in white paper or in a styrofoam box, that’s just fine with me. Or, if a man dressed in black brings it to my table, even better. As a single person, this system just seems to work for me. And when you are lucky you find some really good restaurants that go beyond good food and service…with those places, I sort of fall in love. But I can be fickle and so I still like to eat around. I know which restaurants have the best of this or that and the best times to eat to avoid the rush. I figure that considering the amount of waste I had back in the days when I did try to cook, I am not really

40 | No’Ala

spending that much more money. I mean everything seemed to go bad before I could cook it. Above all, I guess my favorite thing about eating out is the social aspect. I have made some great friends from the staff at my favorite eateries and I just love having a long conversation with a good friend over dinner…and not having to run to the kitchen every five minutes.

Some people…you know the type, those that cook everything from scratch and are always sending their food back at O’Charleys because it isn’t cooked just so…often tend to criticize and question why I don’t cook. Well, as far as I am concerned my eating habits are supporting the economy and providing jobs. People are also really quick to point out that restaurant food is less healthy than home cooking and I am sure they are correct. But I think they are overlooking one important point. When you eat out, you get one portion and when it is gone, that’s it, you are done. People who cook at home usually have leftovers and thus the problems begin.

There it is in the refrigerator calling your name all night. So instead of one portion of meatloaf, by the end of the evening, I would have eaten three. The fantastic cheesecake that I would have had one piece of at the restaurant would be half gone before I went to bed. I have no will power and I know it. On those rare occasions that good home cooked food finds its way into my home, I can’t leave it alone. If it is not there, I never even think about eating. So you see, really it’s a health issue for me. Not cooking is surely adding years to my life.

A few years ago when my Father was very ill and in the nursing home, he would not eat. He simply had lost the desire for food. The staff therapist had the idea to take him into the dining room and seat him at a table with a plate and utensils similar to what he would have used at home. The idea made sense. He had never eaten a meal from a bed tray. He always ate at the dining table and was used to my Mother’s amazing home cooking. Surely this would trigger his memory and he would start eating.

I was there with a friend of mine observing all of this and I turned to her and said, if I am ever in this same situation and lose the desire to eat, put me in the car and take me through a drive-thru window. That ought to do it. N

We have good taste in outdoor lighting As the weather gets warmer and you move out of doors, maybe it’s time to spruce up your exterior lighting. Consider these beautiful fixtures from Hinkley, which make a

statement at the front of the house or the rear. If you’re looking for good taste in your indoor or outdoor lighting, count on us!

625 S. Cherry St. Florence, AL 256-764-8481 www.sbselectric.com

For the South’s best in children’s apparel & gifts

2568 Mall Road, Florence, AL 35630

256.760.9671

March/April 2011 | 41

Our menu is delicious, distinctly different...and always fresh.

Now that’s a wrap!

256.766.2414

• Facials • Makeup and Skin Care Instruction • Eyebrow Shaping • Galvanic Treatments • Botox® Cosmetic Injections

• Silk Peel Dermalinfusion (Microdermabrasion) • Juvederm® Dermal Filler • Permanent Hair Reduction • Treatment of Wrinkles, Stretch Marks and Scars • Skin Rejuvenation

We also carry a wide selection of NuSkin and Revision skincare products

42 | No’Ala

CHEESE

WIZ PHOTOS BY ABRAHAM ROWE AND SUSAN KING TEXT BY ALLEN TOMLINSON » STYLING BY SUSAN KING

March/April 2011 | 43

Tasia Malakasis (above) believes in making old standards new using goat cheese. At Belle Chevre near Elkmont, Alabama, billed as “America’s Most Creative Cheese Company,” Tasia oversees the hand production of the small company's products. On this page, Tasia wraps goat cheese in grape leaves, something she calls a “Greek Kiss”; opposite, cheese spread on a loaf of hard-crusted bread makes a delicious addition to a meal.

44 | No’Ala

March/April 2011 | 45

Belle Chevre has a line of breakfast cheeses, including this cinnamon cheese spread that is delicious on a bagel. Another breakfast cheese includes Tupelo Honey from the Savannah Bee Company.

46 | No’Ala

March/April 2011 | 47

Every product from Belle Chevre is lovingly hand made, using Alabama products whenever possible. Below, herbs and oils are combined to create Chevre de Provence, goat cheese medallions with extra virgin olive oil and herbs. Tasia’s company has received critical acclaim from food critics around the world, who say that the terrain in Limestone County contributes to the unique flavor of the products. Belle Chevre products are available in the Shoals at Jack O’Lantern Farms.

48 | No’Ala

March/April 2011 | 49

{ essay }

BY

REBECCA ROSS

Mama’s Tea Cakes Flour. Sugar. Eggs. Oil. Vanilla.

I’ll admit, it took me a few years to see the appeal.

Deftly, my mother’s hands begin to mix the simple ingredients, shaking the old-fashioned flour sifter until a soft, white pyramid forms in the bowl. With a battered wooden spoon, gnawed upon by two generations of teething babies, she stirs in the sugar, the eggs, the oil. Finally, she tips two teaspoons of dark brown vanilla extract into the sticky dough, its sweet smell perfuming the air.

Tea cakes are hard, with crumbs that are sure to fall into your cleavage and linger, scratchily, in your bra. They’re simple.

There’s no espresso icing or marshmallow filling or “fun size” chocolate bars bursting from their innards. No TV commercial, no tree-dwelling elves, would ever tout their uncomplicated flavor. Yet somehow, through Southern woman alchemy, my mother manages to transform a simple sugar cookie into something worth savoring. My adult self, no longer dependent on cartoon characters to guide my palate, now recognizes their worth.

The oven is hot, but not too hot. The cookie sheets are greased and waiting. Mama’s famous tea cakes are about to be born.

Spooning up the mixture, she makes neat rows of dough balls march across the metal pans. With floured hands, she flattens slightly each cookie-to-be. When they emerge from the oven, crisp and perfect, the golden discs will bear the ripples of her fingers. I suspect that’s what makes them so good.

Mama has baked tea cakes for as long as I can remember. As a child, I was always disappointed by their distinct lack of cakeness, and besides, Mama’s repertoire included much more decadent treats.

Her chocolate layer cake? Divine. It was a perfect platform for birthday candles and listing ballerina figurines. A hasty swipe of a finger through its thick icing was worth the risk to life and limb.

Then, there the cowboy cookies. Studded with chocolate chips and pecans, hearty with oatmeal, they were ridiculously delicious. Today, a mere glimpse of the recipe sparks flashbacks of snitched cookie dough, smacked hands and the maternal warning of “You’ll get salmonella!”

I prefer tea cakes when they’re hot from the oven, with fragile brown edges and a soft, chewy center. One leads to two leads to three, and then a slight coma, but they’re just that addictive.

Spoon a scoop of ice cream between two tea cakes and you’ve got yourself a dessert sandwich. Zap them in the microwave for a couple of seconds, and it’s a slippery—warm and chewy— slope into elastic waist pants. They’d keep for ages, if they ever survived the initial onslaught. They’re a classic cookie.

Many have tried to replicate Mama’s tea cakes. Many have failed.

The recipe, as indicated by the ingredients, is almost foolishly simple. My own copy is scribbled on a sheet of notebook paper, spotted with grease—the only evidence of repeated, dismal failures. Even following Mama’s instructions to the letter, not easy when she stores most of her recipes in her head, my tea cake efforts are in vain.

But tea cakes, strangely enough, were the star of the kitchen stage. Friends, family, neighbors and perfect strangers begged for them. Any occasion was deemed deserving of Mama’s sweet specialty.

“Why are mine *puffy*?” I asked her once, peering at a tray of grossly deformed patties.

“Oh, did you make tea cakes?” they’d cry, false surprise in their eyes, greedy hands reaching for the bulging plastic bags. “You didn’t have to!” The plates of tea cakes — gobbled with coffee, gulped down with milk — would be bare within minutes.

I slunk away, head bowed in shame. The baking gene seems to have skipped this Southern woman entirely. And maybe that’s for the best. Mama’s tea cakes are so wonderful, after all, because they’re hers. She slips in a pinch of heart, a hint of exasperation, and presses a bit of herself into each sweet morsel.

“Oh, Bonnie,” the sated recipients would sigh, gazing adoringly at my mother. “Thank you!” Then they’d think of a friend, or that nice optometrist, who would just *love* to have some.

50 | No’Ala

Sometimes, when there’s nothing left but scattered shamecrumbs, I wish I didn’t.

Mama blinked. “Did you sift the flour?”

Love in your belly may be hell on your thighs, but it’s worth every bite. N

Chef Jeff Eubanks invites you to join him at the Shoals Area’s newest restaurant, Table 18.

Conveniently located at Cypress Lakes Country Club in Muscle Shoals. Delicious food in a relaxed atmosphere.

1311 E. Sixth St, Muscle Shoals, AL 35661

(256) 389-0466

Join Us!

Friday, April 1, 2011 Von Braun Center, South Hall

The Crescen-Dough Auction is a fun-filled evening of bidding, socializing, and dining, all to support the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra. You need an advance reservation to attend. Call the HSO at 256-539-4818 to reserve your place or visit www.crescendoughauction.org for more information.

March/April 2011 | 51

Twenty six couples from the Shoals put together inspiration boards to give the Shoals Perfect Wedding Team an opportunity to get to know them.

Only one couple can win, but we are one step closer: the Perfect Wedding Panel has narrowed the field to three finalists and three Honorable Mentions.

Finalists were surprised with wedding bouquets on Valentine’s Day; stylist Jordyn Dean chose flowers from Lola’s Gifts and Flowers and used pieces from the inspiration boards to personalize each bouquet. The winner will be named on March 4, 2011, during First Friday celebrations in downtown Florence. The announcement will be made in front of Armosa Studios on north Court Street promptly at 7:00pm.

Congratulations Finalists!

Linley Craig and Joshua Mobley

52 | No’Ala

Alex Wittscheck and Erin Speed Rules for this contest require that the bride and groom blog about their experience throughout the next year, so that you can follow their progress and get ideas for your own Perfect Wedding. Follow them at shoalsperfectwedding.com, where you’ll also learn more about the partners who are making this possible. Join us on March 4th as we announce the winning couple, and watch us help this couple have a memorable event!

Lauren Burch and Joshua Potts

Follow the entire experience at

ShoalsPerfectWedding.com

WINNER ANNOUNCED! Friday, March 4, 2011, 7:00pm Armosa Studios, Florence Casey Guinn & Trace Stewart

Katie Gruber & Nathan BanDerbort

Tanya Rawlings & Evan Fleming

SHOALS PERFECT WEDDING PARTNERS: Andy’s • Armosa Studios • Cherry Tree Lane • Coker Family Dentistry • Dish Café • First Southern Bank Grogan Jewelers • Halsey House • Jamie Hood Jewelers • Jordyn Dean • Lola’s Gifts & Flowers • Magpie Designs Meffords Jewelers • Natalie Faggioni • No’Ala Magazine • Party Pros • Printers and Stationers • Sweet Basil Café Side Lines • Table 18 • The French Basket • The Sweet Magnolia Café • The Wine Seller • Thread March/April 2011 | 53

{ guess who I saw }

Suzanne and Chris Nester, Alisha and Scott Haataja Joel and Laura Hamner, Sandi and Audwin McGee Denny Winters and Lee Nichols

Britt and Brandy Blanton

Matt Liles and Natalie Finley

Dana Trousdale, Patty Klos, and Bonnie Jenkins

Tony and Molly Kalliath

Shoals Margarita Ball Sponsored by McCutcheon & Hamner to Benefit Shoals-Area Toys for Tots DECEMBER 16, 2010  SUN TRUST TOWERS, FLORENCE , AL

Paula Wilkes, Courtney Hargett, and Jennifer Presley

Holley Cabler, Ryan Hamm, with Will and Julie Trapp Tom McCutcheon and Lauren Winters

Tom McCutcheon

Bridgett Sims, Kaytrina Simmons, and Brenda Reeder Carol and Wilder Smith

54 | No’Ala

Tara Murphree, Lauren Winters, Danielle Snoddy, Andy Alonso, and Liza Beadle-Hill

Chris and Laurie Tant, and Laura Hamner

Thursday, April 7, 2011 • 6:00 p.m.

Marriott Shoals Conference Center 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Cocktails & Silent Auction 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Dinner & Chinese Auction For Ticket Pricing & More Information: Grace Fox: 256.768.2680 or gfox@florencek12.org www.fcsef.org

Presented by:

March/April 2011 | 55

FOOD & FAMILY

FOR THESE FAMILIES, FOOD IS THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR TOGETHERNESS TEXT BY ALLEN TOMLINSON

56 | No’Ala

» PHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELL

We invited several Shoals area families to talk to us about the role food plays in their lives, but there is a twist: each of these families represents a totally different culture and style of eating. The cuisines represented include Greek, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indian, and Southern Soul with a healthy twist. The role of food in these families is different, but for each it's important.

So, what role does food play in your family, and how does your culture view its importance?

TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN INDIAN For Molly Kalliath, preparing traditional Indian dishes for her family takes a little longer, but it’s worth it. “When my children were at home, we had traditional dishes most of the time,” she said. “If we wanted American food, we went out!"

The type of Indian food depends upon which region of India you are from. “The majority of Indians are Hindus,” said Molly, “and they are mostly vegetarian. They rely on lentils for their protein. Our families come from the southern state of Kerala, which has a large Christian population, and you’ll find meat and seafood in our dishes.” That includes duck, a family favorite at the holidays when it is more readily available from local grocery stores.

An important ingredient in Indian food is curry, which is actually a mixture of spices. Molly makes her own curry, instead of purchasing the pre-mixed type, and hers includes cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, coriander, mustard and cayenne.

“Preparation time is a little longer, because I make everything fresh,” said Molly, “but it’s healthy and worth it.” Judging from the shrimp curry she prepared, life in the Kalliath home must be delicious!

SHRIMP CURRY • 1.5 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined • 1/4 cup olive oil • 1/4 teaspoon mustard seed • 2 medium chopped onions • 6 finely chopped cloves of garlic • 1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric • 1 chopped tomato • 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped • Salt to taste • 1/2 lime Heat oil to medium heat in a frying pan with mustard seeds in it. Fry mustard seeds in the pan until they start to pop; this gives flavor to the oil. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and cook for two minutes. Add cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, turmeric and salt and cook for a few seconds; immediately add tomato and fresh cilantro. Simmer for three minutes. Add shrimp and cook until the shrimp turns pink. Squeeze lime juice over the mixture and simmer for one more minute. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with flat bread or rice.

Left: The spices and ingredients used in Molly Kalliath’s Shrimp Curry, and below the finished dish.

Facing page: Molly Kalliath in the kitchen of her Florence home.

March/April 2011 | 57

GARLIC ROAST CHICKEN & ROSEMARY • 2-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks • 6 cloves garlic, crushed • 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, stripped from stems • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (eyeball it) • 1 lemon, zested and juiced • 1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend, (I recommend Montreal Seasoning) or coarse salt and black pepper • 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Arrange chicken in a baking dish (9”x13”).

Add garlic, rosemary, olive oil, lemon zest, and grill seasoning (or salt and pepper) to the dish. Toss and coat the chicken with all ingredients, then place in oven. Roast 20 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice to the dish and combine with pan juices. Return to the oven and turn oven off. Let stand 5 minutes longer, then remove chicken from the oven. Place baking dish on a trivet and serve, spooning pan juices over the chicken.

HEALTHY SOUTHERN SOUL “Food keeps the family together,” said Sharon Williams. “With three boys, we made it a point to always sit down together for a meal, because it was our time to reconnect. In fact, good food is the background of our lives; it brings us together, and when you have food, you have a feast.”

There's a twist, though, in the Williams family. Sharon takes care to make sure her traditional Southern dishes are prepared with healthy ingredients and lots of vegetables. “I like to use extra virgin olive oil, and my family loves broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach. I try to bake, instead of fry; last night, our dinner was chicken and dressing, corn casserole, green beans and pound cake for dessert.”

And Sharon will admit, her boys can put away some food. Her 22-year-old is over six feet tall and has a 16-1/2 size shoe. The entire family has been members at the YMCA since the 1980s, and exercise, balanced meals and vitamins are a part of their everyday routine.

“It’s common, among our friends, to gather together for meals, where everyone brings a dish,” she said. That’s an important part of the Williams family’s culture as well, sharing and cooking for each other.

Left: Two of the Williams boys, Calvin (left) and Marcus. (Not shown are Jimorris and daughter Kurichese, their spouses and the grandchildren.)

Facing page: Sharon and Jim Williams of Florence.

58 | No’Ala

March/April 2011 | 59

60 | No’Ala

FRESH JAPANESE For Jacky Cai, the most important thing about food is its freshness.

One of the owners of Ichiban, a Japanese restaurant in Sheffield, Jacky learned the art of sushi in New York, and “art” is an appropriate term. Not only are his creations delicious and fresh, each is a work of art—delightful to look at and even better to eat.

MISO SOUP • 1 cup water • 2 teaspoons miso paste • 1/2 teaspoon Hon-Dashi (Bonito fish soup stock) • 1 teaspoon sweet Milon Just a little of each of these: • Tofu • Seaweed • Green Onion

“The secret to making sushi is to use your heart and your mind,” he said. Your eyes are important. We want our customers to look at it and get hungry.”

Sushi is a Japanese food, and Jacky makes a distinction between Japanese and Chinese. First, he points out that Chinese food in America isn't truly Chinese; the authentic Chinese way of preparing food revolves around whole fish, usually prepared with the bones in, and steamed. Both Chinese and Japanese cuisine use rice extensively.

But what they prepare at Ichiban is Japanese, and it’s a family affair. “We spend most of our time at the restaurant, so our family's dining takes place here,” he said. His wife, his partner and his wife, and their children can all be found at Ichiban, and their cheerfulness and willingness to explain any item on the menu makes everyone who visits their restaurant feel part of the family, too. “Our goal was to bring fresh sushi, priced right but always, above all, the freshest available, to the Shoals,” he said. “That’s our family’s culture, and that’s how the culture affects what we do.”

Facing page: Tina Huang, Jacky Cai, Kevin Chen and Candy Chen at Ichiban restaurant in Sheffield; Right: Jacky adds the finishing touches to one of Ichiban’s specialties. Far right: one of Cai’s sushi creations.

March/April 2011 | 61

CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH APPLES, ALMONDS AND BRIE • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts • 1/2 cup sliced almonds • 2 tablespoons butter • 1 apple, peeled and diced • 4 slices brie, chilled • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 tablespoon butter • 1/2 cup chicken stock In a small saute pan, toast the almonds over medium-high heat, shaking occasionally to prevent them from burning, for about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan add the butter and apples and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Using a paring knife, make a deep and wide pocket in each chicken breast by piercing the plump, short end of the chicken breast with the knife, moving the knife gently from side to side, about 2 inches wide, within half an inch of the edges.

Sprinkle the inside and outside of the pocketed chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place one piece of brie inside each chicken breast, then fill each breast with 1/4 of the sauteed apples and 1 tablespoon of the toasted almonds.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over mediumhigh heat and add the olive oil and butter.

Swirl to coat the pan and add the chicken breasts (do NOT crowd the pan). Cook for 4-5 minutes, then turn and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, place a lid on the pan, and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove the lid and cook until the stock has almost evaporated.

62 | No’Ala

GREEK TRADITIONS “We were eaters,” said Frank Vafinis, “because I come from a family with five kids. At home, as a family, our parents served us traditional Greek food, such as baked Greek chicken, moussaka, Greek lemon chicken soup. We weren't much for desserts, though, except at holidays and special occasions.”

Frank’s father started George's one of the area’s eating landmarks, George Vafinis was first generation American; Frank’s mother, Vangie, was second generation. “Later in his life, my father would go back to Greece for as much as six months at a time,” he said. “He was very connected to his Greek heritage and loved it.”

Now Frank, who took over the reins at George’s when his father began to retire, still incorporates some of his Greek heritage in the dishes they prepare. “We use some Greek seasonings on our fish, and prepare Greek salads, Greek chicken and Greek snapper once a month, Greek meatballs and feta cheese. We’re a pretty traditional steak and fish restaurant, but there are ways our Greek traditions show through.”

What makes Greek food different? According to Frank, a lot of it is garlic. “We use a lot of garlic in our foods, and a lot of olive oil. We also bake and grill more than we fry, and the only cheeses you will find in Greek food are feta and goat cheese.

Oregano, garlic, lemon oil and olive oil are the main building blocks in Greek food, and that’s what makes a Mediterranean diet so healthy.”

Facing page: Frank Vafinis at the bar of George’s, his family’s restaurant.

March/April 2011 | 63

64 | No’Ala

VIETNAMESE The area of South Vietnam where Thoi Do is from, Vung Tau, is a small city near the coast. Because of that, “we cook using a lot of fish stock,” she said, “and for us rice is also part of every meal.” Add very fresh vegetables, including bean sprouts, and you have the essence of Vietnamese cuisine.

Vietnamese food is fresh—and varied. “If you look at a typical plate of Vietnamese food, you’ll be struck by how colorful it is,” said Huyen Le, Thoi’s daughter-in-law. “That reflects the variety of the foods we serve, and that variety is healthy.”

Indeed, the colors on the plate that Thoi is preparing for her family, Phong, Huyen and Tai, has bright green from lettuce leaves, bright yellow-orange from delicious crepes, a touch of pink from shrimp and white from the rice. It’s beautiful—and delicious.

The Do family gathers every night for dinner, and Thoi sometimes begins food preparation as early as four in the afternoon.

“Rice is a staple and meat is a luxury,” she explains, “but in Vietnam there is an abundance of fresh vegetables and seafood.”

Most everything she needs for a traditional Vietnamese dinner can be found in local grocery stores, with the occasional trip to Oriental Pearl on Tennessee Street for things such as rice paper, for spring rolls.

A family favorite at Thanksgiving is a turkey—but the stuffing is the stuff normally found in egg rolls, with bean sprouts.

Another favorite is pho, a noodle soup made with chicken broth. The whole family also admits to a love of Vietnamese coffee, which is flavored with chicory (endive root). It doesn’t have as much caffeine and has a richer flavor; chicory coffee reflects the French involvement in Vietnamese culture, as France was a part of the conflict between North and South Vietnam before the United States became involved. (Visitors to New Orleans, another place with French influence, will be familiar with chicory coffee.)

It’s fascinating to watch Thoi stir her meal on the stove with a spatula in one hand and chopsticks in the other. It’s an interesting contrast, but it truly reflects Vietnam, an Asian culture with much western influence.

GOI CUON: RICE PAPER WRAPPED SPRING ROLLS Typically served as an appetizer, but Spring Rolls can be a fun and tasty dish to serve at small dinner parties. Guests can prepare their own rolls.

Ingredients • Pork shoulder • Shrimp (unpeeled) • Rice vermicelli • Cucumber • Mint • Thai basil • Cilantro • Red leaf lettuce • Rice paper Prep • Pork shoulder is poached and then sliced to 1’’ x 2’’ strips about 1/4’’ thickness.

• Shrimp is poached, then peeled and de-veined.

• Rice vermicelli is boiled for 10 minutes, rinsed and drained. Once vermicelli is cooled, roll into 2’’ balls for individual servings.

• Peel cucumber and cut into 1’’ x 3’’ strips about 1/4’’ thickness.

Assembly Wet the rice paper with warm water and lay on dinner plate. Let the rice paper soften for about a minute, then select as much or as little of each ingredient as you would like—keeping in mind that the roll has to fit in your mouth—roll tightly. The moist rice paper will stick to itself.

Dipping Sauce • 2 cups Hoisin sauce • 1/2 cup of warm water • 2 tablespoons chili sauce • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1 teaspoon sugar • 4-6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (optional) • 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts (optional) Combine all ingredients and heat on stove in a small saucepan. Pour into small sauce bowls for individual serving. Garnish with crushed peanuts.

Facing page: Thoi Do

March/April 2011 | 65

DANNY MITCHELL PHOTOGRAPHY

WEDDINGS · PHOTO RESTORATION · SENIOR PORTRAITS · COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING · EVENTS · SPORTS · INTERIORS · PRODUCT · STOCK 1712 Birmingham Street · Sheffield, Alabama 35660 256-386-0944 (office) · 256-627-3056 (cell) · www.dannymitchell.com Member, Professional Photographers of America

66 | No’Ala

call for entries

No’Ala

Renaissance Awards Now accepting nominations for Shoals area individuals who have made remarkable contributions in the following areas: Arts & Culture Business & Leadership Education Service & Spirituality Science Submit your nominees (with details) by email: award@noalamag.com Award winners will be featured in the March/April, 2011, issue of No’Ala.

There is nothing like dining under the stars, especially as Spring begins. Join us for a dining experience like none other. Your table is waiting!

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March/April 2011 | 67

{ shopping }

Higher Ground Fair Trade Coffee ($12.99 ea.)

McGraws Coffeehouse (256) 765-7779

Juliska Cheese Board and Knife Set ($98) The French Basket (256) 764-1237

Perfect for Tablecloths!

Dachshund Oil & Vinegar Bottles ($39.99) David Christopher’s (256) 764-7008

So cute!

Oil Cloth (Prices Vary) Thread (256) 383-2223

Sister Shubert Cookbook ($40) Cold Water Books (256) 381-2525

Dinner Plate ($38) Salad Plate ($32) Cereal Bowl ($22) Berry Bowl ($22) Mug ($36) Recycled Dinner Glass ($15) Recycled Wine Glass ($15) Halsey House (256) 764-9294 Hey Mambo Red Wine ($12.99) Tomato Basil Zinfandel Sauce ($7.99) Vineyard Pasta ($2.49) Wine Seller (256) 766-1568 68 | No’Ala

Reed and Barton Knife Set ($50) The Yellow Door (256) 766-6950

Spoon Rest ($26) Lola’s Gifts & Flowers (256) 383-2299

Gac Superfruit Blend ($48.75) Sweet Basil Café (256) 764-5991

Set of 6 Napkins ($34) Set of 3 Bowls ($48) Firenze (256) 760-1963

Pickled Green Beans ($5.99) Mrs. Murphy’s www.mrsmurphy.com

Hometown Homemade Jalapeno Cornbread (Available at local grocery stores– Prices Vary) Red Gingham Gourmet (256) 764-2249

March/April 2011 | 69

{ shopping } Hometown Homemade Hometown Homemade

Randall Holland Homemade Bowl ($40) Artisan (256) 765-7779

Wine Coaster and Wine Print

by Trina Ross Relique (256) 767-4810

Hometown Homemade

Hometown Homemade

Corn Bread Pan ($19.99) ChefMart (256) 386-7722

Lavender Blueberry Chocolate ($2.79) Vegan Chocolate: Cool Peppermint, Fleur de Sel, Mayan Heat ($8.99 ea.)

Osa’s Garden (256) 764-7663

Brie Baker ($26) Hallelujah Hands (256) 766-4455 Monogrammed Apron (Prices Vary) Goodman Sports (256) 766-5760

Hometown Homemade

Jar Candles (Prices Vary) Scent-Sations (256) 764-8099

70 | No’Ala

Dream it.

Design it.

Discover it.

2504 EAST AVALON AVENUE SUITE A, MUSCLE SHOALS (256) 381-6889 WWW.JAMIEHOODONLINE.COM

March/April 2011 | 71

{ essay }

Why my mother spent the night before my wedding teaching me how to make cornbread (as told by Jennifer Youngblood from the collection of stories by Jennifer Youngblood and Sandra Poole)

Sometime between shopping for a last minute pair of shoes for my honeymoon and stopping by the jewelry store to pick up earrings, the topic came up that I didn’t know how to make cornbread. Now the first thing you have to know is that in the South, it’s just understood that every woman knows how to make a piping, hot skillet of cornbread. It’s a right of passage that’s so expected that it’s seldom, if ever, discussed. But don’t let that fool you. Its importance ranks right up there with football and whistling Dixie. In fact, cornbread is the great dividing factor. Let me explain. If you put ten people in a room together and divide them up between the ones that know how to make cornbread and the ones that don’t, you’ll find that the “I don’t know hows” would be from up North or out West—guaranteed! Now they might tell you that they make cornbread, but rest assured, it’s some sugary concoction that’s still trying to decide if it’s cake or cornbread. They just can’t get the formula right! That’s because it’s a well-guarded secret that’s never written down.

After my mother picked her jaw off the floor that fateful day, we went straight home where she proceeded to show me how to make cornbread. “No daughter of mine is going to get married without knowing how to make cornbread,” she said. Then she threw in a little of this and a little of that and started mixing. Just when I thought I had it down, she threw in a little more of this and a lot more of that. Needless to say, when I presented my first skillet of cornbread (that sacred creation that gave me claim to my heritage) to my newly married husband, it was drier than a piece of cardboard and tougher than wood. He was a trooper though, trying to choke it down with a big glass of milk. Finally, he just crumbled it all up and drank it like a slushy. For several months after that, he claimed that he “just didn’t care much for cornbread.”

Not like cornbread? Ridiculous! My husband was born and raised in Georgia and has a father who can give a year-long dissertation on the War Between the States, or the War of Southern Independence, or (his personal favorite) the War of

72 | No’Ala

BY

JENNIFER YOUNGBLOOD & SANDRA POOLE

Northern Aggression. How could my husband not like cornbread? He’d been raised on it, probably slurping down cornbread crumbs in his bottle before he had any teeth. All it took was one visit to my aunt Ruby’s house for me to realize that he just didn’t like my cornbread.

Aunt Ruby lived way out in the country to where the road dead-ended. With an old wringer washing machine on the back porch, Ruby reminded me of a relic of the fifties with her hair in a bun, face scrubbed free of make-up, sensible nursing shoes, and housecoat; but boy, oh, boy how that woman could cook! Every meal I ever ate at her house was a feast. Of course, if you didn’t like fried foods, you were out of luck—fried okra, fried squash, fried green tomatoes, fried eggs, fried chicken, fried fish, fried squirrel. Heck, she’s been known to fry up a possum if it happened to be unlucky enough to get too close to the back door. Her favorite expression was, “Y’all take out and eat now, ya hear?” In English, that means: don’t hold back, but eat as much as you can possibly cram into your poor, stretched stomach. I have to say that on that fateful day, my husband took Ruby at her word. He was polishing off his third piece of cornbread when I came around the corner and saw him. Our eyes met, and he knew the jig was up.

“I thought you didn’t like cornbread,” I said with that crestfallen look that only a newly married bride can perfect.

While he was trying to come up with some reasonable explanation that would keep him off the couch for a week, Ruby stepped in. “Not like cornbread? That’s his third piece, and he’s fixing to go for number four if I have anything to say about it.”

And then Ruby gave him a searching look. “Where’d you say you were from?”

He swallowed hard and looked at the floor. “Georgia.”

A broad smile spread over Ruby’s face. “Well there ya go! The boy’s from Georgia. Of course he likes cornbread!”

I’m happy to report that after twenty something years of marriage, my husband’s starting to come around—or maybe I’ve finally found my way around the southern kitchen. One thing’s for sure: when I get a craving for pinto beans, fresh collard greens, and (you guessed it) a piping, hot skillet of cornbread, I go into the kitchen and start adding a little bit of this and a whole lot of that, and before you know it…voila! The South is reborn. N

Sometimes you need a little help.

Sometimes you need a lot.

Glenwood Healthcare offers the help you need. We offer rehab services, and we were recently named one of the top facilities in the nation—one of only two from Alabama.

We offer assisted living for those who need a little looking after but can still live independently. And, we offer long-term care, for those who need round-the-clock attention.

If you or someone you love is a candidate for rehab services, assisted living or long-term care, ask around. You’ll probably hear our name a lot. We are dedicated to quality, and we work to earn our great reputation every day. We want to give you a good experience to talk about, too!

Rehab • Assisted Living • Long-Term Care

____________________________________ 211 Ana Drive, Florence, AL 35630 256-768-2775 • www.glenwoodhc.com

March/April 2011 | 73

CAN THIS CORNBREAD BE MADE HEALTHY? (HEY, SOME OF US MIGHT CARE!)

74 | No’Ala

“PERHAPS NO BREAD IN THE WORLD IS QUITE AS GOOD AS SOUTHERN CORN BREAD, AND PERHAPS NO BREAD IN THE WORLD IS QUITE AS BAD AS THE NORTHERN IMITATION OF IT.” — MARK TWAIN

Few things are as iconically Southern as cornbread. It’s a staple of cooking around here, and we love it. But is there a way to make it healthy?

According to Jill Englett, of UNA’s Culinary Center, there is. She took a traditional Southern cornbread recipe and made a few substitutions to take out calories and fat. The result is moist, tasty, and almost indistinguishable from the original—but it’s better for you. Try it for yourself!

• • • • • • • • • •

Original Southern Cornbread

2 cups corn meal 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon soda 1/2 cup flour 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder One egg 1-1/4 cups buttermilk 1 tablespoon butter 1 onion, diced

About UNA’s Department of Human Environmental Sciences

198 calories per serving, 3.5 grams of fat

The Department of Human Environmental Sciences offers concentrations in five areas of study.

These concentrations are: Merchandising, Interior Design, Foods and Nutrition, Child Development, and Culinary Arts.

The Department also offers a subject field major in Family and Consumer Science leading to the Bachelor of Science and qualification for recommendation for the Alabama Class B Secondary Professional Certificate at the 6-12 level. Minor programs in Human Environmental Sciences include Retail and Clothing, and Foods and Nutrition.

Heat butter in a cast iron skillet; add onions and cook until they are translucent. Mix dry ingredients; make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add egg, lightly beaten, and buttermilk.

Mix; add to hot skillet. Bake in a 425 degree oven for at least 25 minutes until done.

“Better for You” Southern Cornbread • • • • • • • • • •

2 cups whole grain corn meal 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon soda 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1-1/4 teaspoons Truvia (one and a half packs) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 cup egg substitute 1-1/4 cups low fat buttermilk Cooking spray 1 onion, diced

Spray cast iron skillet with cooking spray; add onions and cook until they are translucent. Mix dry ingredients; make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add egg substitute, lightly beaten, and low-fat buttermilk.

Mix; add to hot skillet. Bake in a 425 degree oven for at least 25 minutes until done.

155 calories per serving, 1.5 grams of fat

Students in the designated fields of study will be prepared for positions for which preparation in Human Environmental Sciences is appropriate. The programs are designed to prepare students who plan to attend graduate school to earn advanced degrees in their chosen fields of study.

Visit www.una.edu to learn more.

March/April 2011 | 75

{ 20 questions }

20 Questions for a Restaurant Server “I don’t mind large parties—they always seem to have more fun.”

My pet peeve about customers is… …guests who are rude and hard to please.

My pet peeve from servers when I am out to eat… …is bad service in general. I know what it’s like to be busy and have a lot of tables, all while giving good service.

Therefore, I expect the same.

The one habit customers should avoid when eating out is… …cell phones—everyone’s dining experience is just much more pleasant without them. Also, another bad habit is arriving at your restaurant of choice ten minutes before closing time.

The serving habits that reap me the biggest tips are… …friendliness and promptness. For the most part, if you’re good to your guests then they’ll be good to you.

The average tip percentage I see, working in Florence, is… …15-18%.

Parties of 16 are… …exciting! I don’t mind large parties—they always seem to have more fun.

Kids are… …great when they’re happy.

My worst serving experience was… …my very first time to work our “skybox”, which is a second-floor balcony seating with a spiral staircase.

Somehow a sugar caddy was mysteriously knocked off the balcony onto the sea of tables down below. Luckily no one was hurt and needless to say, I was terrified the rest of the night!

I think the best rule of thumb for tipping is… …at least 15% of your tab, definitely 18%. If your server did an excellent job and really added to your dining experience, don’t hesitate to let them know how much you appreciate it with a good tip!

Between men and women the best tippers are… …well, it’s usually pretty even. Men leave ladies better tips and women leave guys better tips.

I always know a good tip is coming when a customer… …is friendly at first encounter, runs up a large tab, and has a few drinks.

The busiest day of the year for servers is… …definitely First Fridays in Florence. I think W.C. Handy weeks tops them all though.

The best advice to servers is… …keep those guests happy!

The weirdest order I ever received was… …If you have ever seen a commercial starring Ricatoni Valentino, then you know not much is considered “weird” in the world of Ricatoni’s Italian Grill. Not much surprises us, so we attempt to cater to exactly what you need.

The one thing I hate about serving is… …tending to a guest who’s day has just gone completely wrong.

My favorite customers are the ones who… …drink wine! They tend to be the most laid back, and leave the best tips.

To get through a long day of serving, I… …keep myself busy in order to make the time go by faster.

When alcohol is ordered… …I know these guests are going to be fun!

If you are out to eat… …be courteous. Any good server is trying their best to be good to you. If it’s a busy night, you’ll get what you need, it may just take a minute or two longer than usual.

Never forget to… …TIP!

76 | No’Ala

Shoals Christian School

Shoals Christian School is now enrolling for grades K-12 • 301 Heathrow Drive, Florence, AL 35633 • 256-767-7070 • www.shoalschristian.org SACS and ACSI Accredited March/April 2011 | 77

{ essay }

BY

DEBRA DOMBROWSKI

Cooking by “The Book” I was born into a family of reluctant cooks.

My mother and grandmother could, by definition, cook. They applied heat to raw food, rendering it edible. They kept their children alive, sated and remarkably healthy, but they took no joy from standing at the stove.

My sister and I, however, loved to watch cooking programs when we were growing up. Long before Emeril Lagasse and Jacques Pépin launched the Food Network, we tuned into public television to fill up on “how-to” programming and imagined ourselves cooking for our small family.

I have particularly fond memories of watching The Galloping Gourmet and the ridiculously funny Graham Kerr jumping around his staged kitchen—occasionally dressed in a tuxedo— fighting with stuck puddings and flambéing everything in sight.

I don’t know if it was his accent, the tux or a legitimate fascination with cooking, but my younger self considered Kerr to be a star as luminous as Big Bird and Mr. Rogers.

Some years later our local PBS affiliate broadcast reruns of The French Chef with Julia Child, another culinary authority with an unusual accent and a penchant for intentionally igniting perfectly good food. I am convinced it was during this time that I developed the desire to prepare a proper meal.

In middle school I embraced home economics and took to cooking like Paula Deen takes to butter. To this day I make cinnamon French toast exactly as my teacher Ms. Tonelli—who, bless her heart, had heavily-scarred hands, undoubtedly the result of numerous student kitchen fires—taught me to prepare it in the seventh grade.

When I moved away from home I was determined to become a good cook. The first Christmas I spent on my own, Santa Claus delivered a set of pots and pans, a microwave oven the size of a Volkswagen Vanagon, and a copy of The Good Housekeeping Cookbook—a seemingly infallible source of knowledge.

I loved The Good Housekeeping Cookbook like people love classic literature. I literally read it from cover-to-cover and carried it around like a best-selling novel.

Do you want to know how to make authentic German Sauerbraten? The recipe is in The Book.

78 | No’Ala

to set a table and to serve from the left and clear from the right.

Unfortunately it doesn’t provide a toll-free number to call for advice when a guest declares, “Oh, I suppose should have mentioned, I’m allergic to dairy, wheat and shellfish, but that’s okay.

I’m on a diet anyway.”

Considering the wealth of information contained within its stained and tattered cover, it should come as no surprise that I turned to my copy of The Book when I moved south and decided to tackle the holy grail of Southern cooking: fried chicken.

In The Book I discovered that classically prepared Southern Fried Chicken begins with marinating the meat in buttermilk before coating it in seasoned flour. I also learned that the crispiest fried chicken is cooked in shortening at 360 degrees for approximately 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 300 degrees.

What The Book failed to provide, along with that toll-free number, was an exact measurement of shortening, a warning about using too much shortening and explicit instructions regarding how wet or dry the chicken should be when you place it in the hot pan.

It would have been extremely helpful if, along with the picture of a table set elaborately enough to host the Ambassador of France, The Book offered first aid advice on the prevention second degree burn scars. Alternately, a section addressing different methods used to extinguish a grease fire would have been a welcome addition.

The day was a total loss. Even my appearance was a disaster. I have a photograph of myself taken by an unkind friend during The Great Fried Chicken Disaster of ’96. In it, I am covered from head to toe in protective clothing.

Following the initial splatter of molten-hot Crisco, I ran to the closet and donned a long-sleeved jacket, a baseball cap and long pants. I fastened a bandana around the lower third of my face, covered my eyes with sunglasses and snapped on latex gloves.

I looked like a member of a low-budget hazardous materials removal team.

Never learned how to fry an egg? Look to The Book.

In the end, the chicken consumed that evening was provided by Colonel Sanders, the apartment smelled for a week like deepfried wet hair and I never again attempted to prepare fried chicken.

If you can’t remember—or never knew—whether the soup course precedes or follows the salad course, The Book will provide. In its pages you will learn the order of a formal meal, how

Maybe the matriarchs of my family were on to something when they limited themselves to grudgingly prepared, simple meals.

My mother’s hands are remarkably scar-free. N

End of life issues are challenging for the entire family...we understand. We are Hospice of the Shoals, the first hospice in the Shoals, and a non-profit organization since the beginning. We provide compassionate care for the entire family— because we understand.

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Hospice of the Shoals—Share the Love!

From colored pencils to color printing At PSI, we have everything you need for your business... especially when your business includes running a home.

From office supplies to party invitations, gifts and everything in between, check with us for all of your home and office needs!

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Chad’s Payless Pharmacy is your source for Watkins Products, America’s original apothecary manufacturer. The best cooks use Watkins - and they get it from the best source, Chad’s!

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Introducing the area’s only comprehensive Visitor’s Guide, Destination Shoals.

An annual publication, Destination Shoals is designed to help visitors to our area find you!

To be listed or for advertising information, contact Lyndsie at No’Ala Magazine, 256-766-4222

March/April 2011 | 81

IMPROMPTU FLOUR FIGHT » DANNY MITCHELL PHOTOGRAPHY, SHEFFIELD » MONDAY, JANUARY 17, 2011 » 3:05 P.M.

{ parting shot }

82 | No’Ala BY

DANNY MITCHELL

First Southern Bank has something no other bank has:

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MEMBER FDIC • 0.50% APY as of February 8, 2011. Interest rate may change after account is opened. For balances below $2,500, APY is 0.15% as of February 8, 2011. Fees may reduce earnings.

• 0.50% Annual Percentage Yield on balances of $2,500 and above • Free personalized checks • Unlimited check writing If you’re looking for an interest-bearing checking account, come talk to your First Southern Banker about the Southern Advantage. It’s one more thing that First Southern Bank can offer that no one else does!

Don’t let allergies get in the way of life.

Milner Rushing has a complete line of products that can help you get out and get going!

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