April Thrifty Week #3 ~ Southern Elegance and Traditions

Southern Elegance, published in 1987. All recipes were complied by the Junior League of Gaston, North Carolina. A brief chapter with menus starts us off,  with some of the options including a bridal brunch, an after theater supper, an Easter egg hunt, a funeral luncheon, an oyster roast, Octoberfest and a supper club dinner.

The recipes begin with Down Home Cookin' (aka Good Ole Southern Recipes) with oyster stew, cheese grits, Brunswick stew, BBQ chicken (or ribs), fried okra, biscuits, pound cake, lane cake, garlic pickles and a Persimmon pudding, while Tasties is all about appetizers ~ almond stuffed dates, bacon roll-ups, caviar mousse, shrimp (pickled, on toast or in a ball) plus the usual dips, pate, spreads and mini sandwiches. Toddies are beverages which range from coffee infused options, ciders, eggnog, punches (including the every popular Artillery) , mint cups or juleps and a vast array that utilize alcohol,  for example a Between The Sheets is made with rum, brandy, triple sec and lemon juice.

Soups and Stews offers borscht, she crab soup, chowders, crab stew and gumbos, with Greens & Fixins focusing on an array of salads. There are many congealed choices, plus cucumber aspic, pasta & rice selections, other molded salads, slaw and of course dishes made with veggies, greens, chicken and fruit. Heartier fare is on deck in Main Courses, which features filet mignon, tenderloin, pot roast & brisket, sukiyaki, moussaka, several pasta dishes, poultry & game (3 ways to prepare dove) and a Low Country seafood boil.

Meanwhile, Side Dishes pitches fruit, rice and vegetables in various incarnations (scalloped, baked, or in a casserole or compote), with Eggs & Cheese covering breakfast casseroles, quiche, souffles and Swiss eggs. Breads is filled with muffins, coffee cakes, rolls, cornbread, pancakes and a Moravian cake.

In Pickles, Relishes & Sundries, we tackle BBQ sauce, marinades, giblet gravy, pickled beets, butters, jam and chutney. Bringing up the rear is Sweets, with cakes (Austrian Chocolate Ecstasy), pies & tarts, cookies & brownies, cobblers & crisps, puddings, candy (fudge and toffee) and cheesecake (made with whiskey!).

Southern Traditions, published in 1997. The recipes were gathered from seven generations of the Crenshaw family, with the first 20 pages of the book detailing the family's history, followed by a short essay on plantation cooking and kitchens.

Of course Appetizers starts off the recipes with cheese straws, buttermilk pecan chicken fingers, bacon biscuit balls, spreads and dips. In Salad and Dressings there are dishes made with cornbread, chicken, potatoes, various meats or veggies, plus couscous, aspic or fruit such as the Heavenly Hash, a concoction of fruit cocktail, gelatin, lemon juice creams cheese and mayo.  Chapter three is all about Breads including a recipe for 1825 Tavern biscuits (old family receipt), plus biscuits made with crackling, cheese, peanuts and ginger. There are also sweet potato or corn breads, Indian muffins, spoon bread, hoe cakes, corn fritters, batter cakes, rolls and the usual breads made with carrot, bananas or pears.

Cheese & Egg Dishes offers strata, souffles, cheese pudding, omelets and quiche, while Soups & Gumbos is filled with all manner of soup ~ beef, fried okra, turkey bone, chicken, collard green, pea and camp stew. Pork dishes include fritters & croquettes, chops, casseroles, meat (or should that be pork?) loaf, ribs, roasts and scrapple.

Moving onto Chicken, a few choices include casseroles, lots of fried variations,  chicken with dumplings or almonds, in a loaf or the infamous pressed chicken. A few of the Beef and Lamb offerings are steaks, stroganoff, beef burgundy, kabobs, bakes & casseroles, chili, lasagna, leg of lamb and mutton stew, while Game gives us dishes comprised of venison, rabbit, squirrel, pigeons, quail, possum and rattlesnake.

Some of the varieties of Fish and Seafood are perch, snapper and oyster made into casseroles, curries , etouffee,or served with grits. Meat Sauces & Gravies consisting of BBQ, mushroom, brown and catsup. Vegetables and Sides has options ranging from casseroles & bakes to fritters and souffles, plus dressings & stuffing featuring an array of ingredients (beans, corn, collards, rice, grits, potatoes and squash) with a few of the usual Southern dishes of curried fruit, hopping John and fried green tomatoes.

Up next are the sweets, beginning with Cakes and Icings ~ there are pound cakes (made with sour cream, cream cheese, eggnog or wine), a Lady Baltimore cake, red velvet, pecan, blackberry or blueberry cakes, a Robert E. Lee Cake, the even popular 1-2-3-4 cake, sponge cakes, fruit cakes, mocha cakes and icings comprised of caramel, divinity, pineapple and an eggnog whiskey sauce. If you prefer Cookies & Candies, options include brownies, fig cookies, macaroons, doughnuts, gingerbread, tea cakes, pralines, fudge, caramel or divinity.

The last of the desserts are Pies, Puddings & Other Desserts with a multitude of pies (strawberry, pecan, fig, scuppernog, shoo-fly, buttermilk, peach, sweet potato or green tomato), custards, ice creams, puddings (banana, pecan, bread, fig, persimmon) and a Charlotte Russe. Pickles & Preserves pitches BBQ sauce, chow chow, relishes, brandied peaches, jelly, jams & marmalade (made from corncobs, kudzu blossoms, quince or rose petals) and we end with Beverages ~ wines (scuppernog or muscadine), punches, ciders, eggnog, sangria and homemade ginger ale.