Porter - At My Grandmothers Knee

2011 by Faye Porter and Bryan Curtis All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc. Edited by Heather Skelton Photography by Ron Manville Food styling by Teresa Blackburn Page design by Walter Petrie by Alison Miksch, Brand X Pictures Getty Images Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Porter, Faye, 1966
At my grandmothers knee / Faye Porter.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-4016-0036-5
1. cm.
ISBN 978-1-4016-0036-5
1.

Cooking, AmericanSouthern style. 2. Cookbooks. I. Title.
TX715.2.S68P67 2011
641.5975dc22 2010042585 Printed in the United States of America 11 12 13 14 15 QGT 6 5 4 3 2 1 I dedicate this book to Grandma Ferkan and Grandma Porter;my mum; my aunts: Lois, Wilma, Sara, Margaret, Emma,Esther, Helen, Sue, Jane, Max, and Shirley; and all the womenin my life who have shared with me the joy of cooking, baking,loving, making a home, and giving from their hands and hearts.And to my priceless nieces: Lillian, Ava, Olivia, and Sophiamay you always be surrounded by such love and joy.
Special thanks to Bryan, Joe, Chip, Violet, Kelly, Lauren,Mandy, and Chloeyour help has been priceless. Contents Y ou jump out of the car the second its put into park. You think you closed the door behind you, but youre not really sure cause your heart is beating fast and youre beaming with excitement.

You move up the stone walk as fast as your little legs and feet will take you and nearly collapseinto outstretched arms. Arms that pull you in and hold you with a closeness that surely feels like a little piece of heaven on earth. Arms and a heart overflowing with joy, pride, comfort, nurturing, and a love so sacred, pure, and unconditional that it could only be from your grandmother. And what does she need in return? The smile on your face as you enjoy a fresh-baked tea cake, as you lift your plate to ask for another helping of her chicken-fried steak, as you ask her to show you how to make her famous Southern sweet tea, or as you settle in to her big mushy chair for an afternoon nap with a peaceful look on your face. Its these simple, unspoken expressions of gratitude that make her life content. Grandmothers continue to express their unique love for us with countless gestures throughout our lives.

If were lucky, we get to enjoy our grandmothers for a really long time. Some of us get to share our lives with them for only a short timeand we yearn for more details about them from older cousins, parents, or aunts and uncles who can help us fill in the missing pieces. Some of lifes sweetest memories are centered around meals and rituals that over time become our family traditions. The moments that truly matter are the occasions when we are together and laughing, the times when our cheeks ache from smiling so much as we enjoy food prepared by the hands of those who love us the most. Even after a grandmother has passed on, we relive those memories anytime we smell a long-cooked roast or a particular brew of coffee, or see an almost velvet-like dark green pickle like she used to can, or taste a chocolate icing so dense and rich it could only be homemade. Especially in the South, so many memories are tied to food and its smell and taste.

And, if were open, we can learn so much about love and life from how its prepared and served, and what it took for so many of those before us to do that day in and day out for their families because they didnt have convenient options. When times were lean, our Southern grandmothers gave what they hadfresh vegetables or fruit from their land, eggs and dairy from their chickens and cows, or meat from their husbands hunt. Or they prepared food and shared it by offering it to those in need or by hosting folks in their home. So much of what they knew and taught us about love and friendship started in their Southern kitchens. And that brings us to this special book that I like to say is part cookbook and part history book, because it captures the love and guidance that so many of us soaked up from watching and listening to and asking questions of our Southern grandmothers as we helped them prepare a meal or bake for some special occasion. Recipes allow us to pass on the love and legacy of a grandma so she can be remembered, revered, and celebrated for generations to come.

I hope you will enjoy the recipes and stories in the pages of this book. May they cause you to pause and fondly remember your grandmother or, if youre younger, think about the traditions you want to start that can be passed on to the next generation that can, when treasured, long outlive your lifetime. FAYE PORTER J. MARIE HEGLER (Mount Juliet, Tennessee) shares that you cant let her Grannys silver hair and diminutive stature fool you into thinking she is the typical sweet little ol grandma. Marie says, While she is sweet, she is also the biggest jock in the family! She was very into competitive sports in high school and even played in leagues out of high school. Granny rules the TV remote.

If there isnt a baseball game on to watch (particularly a Braves game), you will find her flipping the channels to see what other sports are on. There have even been desperate times when the main three sports were on hiatus and weve caught her watching soccer and golf. This Granny is MARGARET POOLE EILAND (Opp, Alabama). 1 pound ground sausage 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 3 cups milk, divided 1/8 teaspoon Mortons Natures Seasons 1 In a large skillet brown the sausage, but do not drain off the drippings. 2 In a large bowl whisk the flour with 1 cup of the milk until the lumps are gone. 3 Pour the milk and flour mixture into the skillet with the sausage and drippings.

Stir well, add the remaining 2 cups milk, and sprinkle the seasoning on top. Stir and simmer until the texture is smooth. Serve over biscuits for breakfast. MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS. SYLVIA DAVIS, known to her grandchildren as Ma, was born in Clay County, Tennessee, and later lived in Rutherford County. Granddaughter SANDY JACKSON (Hendersonville, Tennessee) shares that Ma sometimes made fried corn and fried chicken for breakfast! Sandy says, Ma had particular bowls for mixing things such as bread and the best biscuits ever, and often did not use measuring cups or spoons.