Pat Neely - Back Home with the Neelys: Comfort Food from Our Southern Kitchen to Yours

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THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK
PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF

Copyright 2014 by Patrick Neely and Gina Neely
Photographs copyright 2014 by Alex Farnum

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC, New York, and in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto, Penguin Random House companies.

www.aaknopf.com

Knopf, Borzoi Books, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Random House LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Neely, Patrick.
Back home with the Neelys / by Patrick Neely and Gina Neely; with
Ann Volkwein; photographs by Alex Farnum. First Edition.
pages cm
Includes index.
Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-307-96133-4
eBook ISBN: 978-0-307-96134-1
1. Cooking, AmericanSouthern style. I. Neely, Gina. II. Title.
TX715.2.S68N433 2014
641.5975dc20
2013047419

Cover photograph Alex Farnum
Cover design by Kelly Blair

v3.1

Dedication

Writing this book brought back so many fond memories from my childhood growing up in the South. My ancestors who grew their own vegetables and raised their animals were true pioneers from a culinary standpoint.

I dedicate this book to all the men and women from several generations ago who inspired and encouragedand introduced me to the culinary arts!

Pat

To all families who embrace, support, and believe in passing on time-tested traditions lets bring them all back, and quick. Enjoy!

Gina

Contents

Introduction

People often ask us about our culinary roots and when we first recognized our love for food and cooking. We never have a quick answer to that question. If you are born and raised in the South, your entire life revolves around Southern food. Southern techniques and attitudes become deeply embedded in your cooking styles, and that has certainly been true for us. But the question always gets us thinking about the family and friends that first fed us and taught us. Their recipes have come to occupy a place in our personal history and present-day meal making, and in this book weve gathered many of them, as well as a handful of stories. You want to find out about someone? Have him cook a meal for you.

We have long had an appreciation for down-home cooking and fresh ingredients, and it all goes back to the wonderful memories we have of growing up in Memphis. Those were the good old days, when everything was fresh and plentiful. Even after our grandparents moved from the Country to the city, farmers still came through the neighborhood in their open-bed trucks with fresh produce. Our grandparents used their backyards as gardens, and most of the vegetables our parents and grandparents cooked with were grown in them. We dont think they knew what organic food was, but talk about organic! As kids, we felt there was nothing better than stepping outside and picking what was ripe that day. We didnt appreciate how blessed we were to have this as part of our childhood. Local ingredients define our regional cooking. Of course, its what you do with those ingredients that counts. Once we get in the kitchen, we always put our spin on themnot too much, just enough to suit our current tastes without losing out on the big flavor payoffs that these ingredients in familiar recipes are known to deliver.

From Small Batch Strawberry Jam to Deep-Fried Pickles, Blackened Catfish with Creole Rmoulade to Stewed Pinto Beans, Sausage Cream Gravy and Biscuits to Mama Daisys Chocolate-Frosted Cake, ours has been a true Southern journey. The recipes we have chosen to share with you in this book mean a lot to us, and we hope they bring as much joy to you and your family as they have to ours!

Pat and Gina

Jams, Preserves, Breads, and Biscuits

, which uses just strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. The fresher the strawberries, the better the jam. Whenever I make it, I think back to how much fun I used to have picking strawberries from Nanas garden, and how excited everyone was when Id return to the house with a pail-full of juicy fruit. I loved watching Nana turn my pickings into delicious jam, and it tasted even better with some of her yeast rolls (they were nothing short of legendary!). Remembering the process inspired me to try my own jammin and preservin, and I borrowed recipes from Nana, Mama Callie, and Mama Daisy to share with you. Now go pick some strawberries and get started!

Small Batch Strawberry Jam

Gina This version of jammin is a simple process that uses just three ingredients. All you need are sunshine-fresh strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Then just allow the natural flavors to step in and do their work. People often dont realize how easy it is to make jam. This recipe is always eaten quickly in our house and tastes great spread on hot Sunday morning buttery biscuits, in sandwiches, or even as a topping for vanilla ice cream. I like to toast some thick brioche and pile the strawberry jam on top for a sweet dessert to end my day.

1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

Heat an 8-ounce Mason jar and lid in simmering water (see for detailed instructions).

Put the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl, and toss well together. Let stand for 5 minutes, so their natural juices begin to develop. Pour the mixture into a saucepan, and, over medium heat, bring to a boil. Continue to cook, stirring, until jam is thick, about 10 minutes.

Carefully ladle jam into the clean Mason jar. Wipe the rim clean, and let cool to room temperature. Cover jar, and store in refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Makes about 1 cup

Tip If you want to process the jam fully, for longer storage, follow the instructions in the .

Hot Pepper Jelly

Gina Hot-pepper jelly reminds me of all the time I spent in the parlor as a young girl. You know, the room off to the side of the house with a sofa, side table, lamp, candle, and beautiful flower arrangement. I used to invite my friends over for some old-school entertaining in the parlor, just like I had seen my mom do. Wed get out the sweet tea (the house wine of the South), grab the homemade hot-pepper jelly and sourdough bread, and gossip for hours.

You can spread this pepper jelly over chicken or any other meat as a glaze, spoon it over a brick of cream cheese or Brie and serve it with crackers, or use it in a club sandwich. Or, honey, get that Mason jar, wrap a ribbon around it, and give it as a gift thats sure to bring a smile to someones face or warm their heart. Thats true old-school entertainingthats how I remember this pepper jelly.

2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped

1 medium orange bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped

9 medium jalapeos, roughly chopped

1 cups white vinegar

One 1.75-ounce box Sure-Jell fruit pectin

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