I was born and raised in the heart of the South. As long as I can remember, I remember the long summer afternoons drinking iced tea, eggplant and white beans on the porch of my grandmother's house. I left my roots and made my way to other parts of the world. One thing that has remained constant in my life, however, is my deep and enduring love for Southern cooking and cooking.
I was probably in my teens before I realized that tea can be served differently than with lots of sugar and ice. Around the same time, I realized that some people eat vegetables that have not been dipped in flour, dipped in cornmeal and fried. Southern cuisine is not for the faint of heart even though it can make many hearts swoon. One thing that can be said is that you will never find anything like it on earth.
In many cases, Southerners have learned to do little. Some of the poorest people in America live in the south of the country. Of course, you will find that many of these people, although poor, are also among the most generous. So is the food. It's something that seems to be present in most Southern homes and very few that will disappoint you on an empty stomach.
Perhaps these are spices often used when cooking southern dishes. From Cajun Cuisine's Boiled Crab and Okra comes the secret ingredient almost every Southern kitchen has for their fried chicken recipes (and no one on earth can fry chicken like a Southern grandma. born and bred). Maybe it's a Sunday church dinner where people share a bit of what they have with others or the love for preparing those meals is shared with friends and family. Either way, if you have a chance to experience true Southern cuisine, don't pass it up. You may shave one day in your life, but a good Southern fried chicken thigh is really alive and well worth the sacrifice if you ask me.
Of course, it would be remiss to mention Southern cuisine without mentioning some of the best desserts that seem to be Southern delicacies. I mentioned banana pudding above, but there are many more. Pralines are perfect for those who live around New Orleans, as is the pudding. A little further east, there are grandmothers who have taken their coveted frozen lemon cake recipe to the grave, it's delicious desserts and so is pecan pie. However, we must never forget the delicious Mississippi Mud Pie, and the many other delicacies that Southern cuisine has introduced around the world. Favorite vegetables in the central South, as I mentioned above, include beans and butter beans, snap peas, corn, summer squash (it's summer all year in the South) and okra (fried or boiled in many Southern dishes). Not all vegetables are sautéed, but some vegetables are off-limits. I remember I ate my portion of fried okra, sautéed squash and, yes, sautéed green tomatoes. The good life is back when calories don't count and nobody really worries about clogged arteries. While I don't make them an everyday staple in any household, I definitely recommend trying them out if you get the chance. Another great thing about Southern cuisine is that great fried seafood seems to abound. From fried fish (almost all types work well when fried in the south) to fried oysters, southern seafood tastes so much better. If you're hoping to learn Southern cooking and cooking, you'll probably have to order spices and have them shipped unless your grocery store has a large selection of "exotic" foods. You can sometimes find great Southern spices in the international food aisles of grocery stores. If you really want to treat your family to a special meal, you should really try Southern cooking for the evening.
