Can We Talk 2

More Southern Cooking

         I found a recipe for buttermilk biscuits, while I have some buttermilk, and followed the recipe carefully. They didn't rise. I checked the dates on the baking powder and the soda, and they were fine. So I can't blame old products. (You don't use them everyday, so it's easy to lose track of age.) I was careful not to over-handle the dough to avoid making them tough. The recipe said to cut the biscuits when the dough was 1/2 inch thick. I did, and they stayed 1/2 inch thick.

         They tasted fine. In fact, they were yummy when warm. But my father, the expert on country cooking, didn't say thanks for the extra trouble, or nice job, but instead asked, "What happened to those biscuits?" Obviously, he didn't like them. It's not like they could be used for skeet practice like Ellie May's. I will try again with a different recipe, but I won't serve them to my dad.

         This recipe warned to avoid the rolling pin, because that makes the biscuits too tough.You fold it over and pat it out gently with your hands, Not having a pastry blender or food processor, I used the two knives method my mother taught me to blend the flour and butter. You do it until you get a consistency of coarse meal and then do it some more, but it stays dry, with no visible butter chunks. Then you add the buttermilk, but don't over-mix. The finished biscuit flakes up, so that you can see the folds.You can pull it apart with your fingers into thin layers resulting from your folds. The recipe calls for 5 or 6 folds, so you get about 10 to 12 layers when you play with your baked biscuit. I think they turned out well, except for the height. That I will determine eventually.

         Sunday I made stuffed pork chops. I watched him handle a pork tenderloin, cutting thick slices. He then sliced each one almost all the way through. I made stuffing and put some inside each one, like a taco. Mom used to put a spiced apple ring on top, but I didn't have any. Dad cored and sliced an apple. I put lemon juice over them to keep from browning before we baked them. I lined the pan with foil, and put a sheet over top. I didn't add the apple rings until I turned them over. They turn white very quickly. I put salt and pepper on both sides of the meat, figuring there would be enough herbs int he stuffing. I did place some fresh basil leaves in the pan. Basil adds a sweet aroma and flavor; I grow it on the back porch. They end up being a little too big, too much meat for most people. I cut one in half for myself and probably still had at least 3 ounces of meat. If I were doing the whole procedure myself, I probably would make thinner slices.

         I made a pretty good corn pudding after discovering every Southerner is supposed to be able to make one. But I'm going to work on improving it. Another goal is to tackle grits and shrimp. I can make quick and easy banana pudding, but I want to do it the Alton Brown way, so that's another goal. While it's not particularly Southern, I want to tackle a Hummingbird Cake. I've learned, however, that when experimenting, don't let my dad sample anything with which he might be a little familiar.