1. Dr. Bob Shipp’s Curried Fish
As both a scientist and avid fisherman, Dr. Bob Shipp loved nothing more than to share his catch with family and friends. His book, Fish of the Gulf of Mexico, includes just four recipes, and this curry is one of them. The flavorful sauce is perfect over the sometimes strong flavor of Spanish mackerel, according to Shipp. Featured in “A Recipe for Friendship,” July 2024
serves 4-6
3 tablespoons flour
2 pounds fish, deboned and cubed
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chutney
3 cups cooked rice
sliced green onions and cilantro for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour flour on a plate and dip fish in flour to coat all sides.
2. Heat butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add fish and cook, turning until all sides are brown. Remove to an oven proof baking dish and set aside.
3. Add more butter to saute pan if needed, then add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add all remaining ingredients except rice and cook for several minutes, stirring to combine. Pour sauce over fish and bake for 20 minutes.
4. Spoon fish and sauce over rice and garnish. Serve immediately.
2. Flency’s Sour Cream Pound Cake
Houstonville’s Augustine Houston, known to many as Grandma Flency, worked and played hard, and loved her family big. Featured in “Grandma Flency’s Perfect Pound Cake,” June 2024
Serves 15
1/2 pound butter, room temperature
2 3/4 cups sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon extract
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan and set aside. Cream butter and sugar using in a large mixing bowl with electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. In another bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add them to the creamed mixture alternately with the sour cream. Mix well. Add flavorings and pecans.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
*Cooks note: pound cake is best made a day ahead.
3. Spicy Mustard Field Pea Salad
Featured in “Shellin Peas,” June 2024
Serves 4
3 cups fresh or frozen pinkeye
purple hull field peas (about 1 pound)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 large sweet pepper, finely chopped
3 tablespoons coarse, whole grain mustard
1/2 cup snipped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1. In a 2-quart saucepan, cover peas with water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes or until tender. Avoid stirring to keep skins intact.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until combined.
3. After peas have reached desired tenderness, drain and let cool slightly in a shallow mixing bowl.
4. While still a little warm, toss peas with all remaining ingredients and chill in fridge at least one hour.
*Cook’s note: Keep in mind that immersion in vinaigrette will firm up the texture of the peas, so it’s preferable for them to be more tender than not.
4. Blue Crab Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are a beloved Southern party staple, but boiling, peeling and stuffing can sometimes give you fits. This Alabama matriarch perfected the art — and then passed it down. Featured in “What the Devil?,” March 2024
Makes 24
12 hard-boiled, peeled eggs
1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon horseradish
1 cup blue crab meat
Old Bay seasoning, for garnish
Chopped chives, for garnish
1. Cut the eggs in half and remove the yolks, placing them in a medium bowl. Add mustard, mayonnaise and horseradish, and blend until very smooth. Fold in the fresh crab meat.
2. Place Old Bay seasoning on a small plate, and fill a small bowl with about 1/2 cup water. Dip one end of each egg white in water and then dip in Old Bay seasoning. Carefully spoon the yolk mixture into egg whites and garnish with chives. Serve chilled.
5. MaryLou’s Shrimp Pacific
The shrimp pacific recipe was given to Louise McClelland by her good friend MaryLou Hyland. Featured in “Something Borrowed, Something New,” March 2024
Serves 8
2 oranges, peeled and cubed
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and cut into wedges
3/4 cup vinegar
1/3 cup salad oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon capers
1 cup sliced onion
1 tablespoon parsley
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, cooked
1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients but shrimp. Then gently stir in shrimp. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight, stirring occasionally.
6. Mobile Muffulettas
Muffulettas from the Battle House Hotel are made to be held (and eaten) during the Mardi Gras action. Featured in “Don’t Rain on Our Parade,” February 2024. Recipe by Tony Reynolds, Executive Chef Battle House Hotel
Serves 4-6
Olive Salad:
1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives
1/2 cup kalamata olives, drained
1/2 cup pepperoncini, sliced and drained
1/4 cup pickled cauliflower florets
1/4 cup red onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 tablespoon celery, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon carrot, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Sandwiches:
2 pounds Herbed foccacia bread
8 ounces Soppressata salami, thinly sliced
8 ounces spicy Capicola, thinly slice
8 ounces mortadella, thinly sliced
1 pound sliced provolone cheese
1. For the olive salad, use a food processor to pulse the olives, pepperoncini, florets, onion, garlic, capers, celery, carrot and dried herbs together until a uniform but chunky mixture is achieved. Be careful not to process too far into a puree.
2. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add olive oil and vinegar. Fold together, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and black pepper as needed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours to allow the salad to marinate.
3. Cut foccacia in half horizontally. Coat the bottom half of the bread liberally with the olive salad, including oil. Layer the meats on top of olive salad, followed by the cheese. Return the top of the bread, cut into desired portions and serve.
*Optional: Toast the finished, unsliced sandwich in a 375 degree oven until the cheese is melted and the bread begins to crisp. Remove from oven, cut into desired portions and serve.
7. Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa. Featured in “New Year Healthy Habits,” January 2024
Serves 6 – 8
3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped yellow onions
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon organic crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes with juice
4 cups fresh basil leaves, stems removed, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 quart organic chicken stock
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss fresh tomatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. On a baking sheet, spread tomatoes in a single layer and roast for 45 minutes.
2. In an 8-quart stockpot over medium, heat remaining olive oil and butter. Add onions, garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 10 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes and their cooking liquid.
3. Bring to a boil, then turn down to low and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes.
4. Add soup to a blender and blend to thicken.
5. Serve hot or cold, garnished with basil leaves.
8. Pork Belly Burnt Ends
As featured in Brian Baumgartner’s “Seriously Good Barbecue Cookbook.” Featured in Mobile Bay Magazine’s “Meet Viral BBQ Sensation Sean Miller,” November 2024.
Serves 7 • Time 6 hours
Best served as an appetizer on toothpicks for easy grabbing, or as a main with your favorite sides, these sweet, salty, smoky bites are sure to steal the show at your next gathering. As Sean says, “Smoke on!”
2 large foil baking pans with lids
8-10 pounds skinless pork belly
Barbecue seasoning of your choice
Avocado oil, or binder of your choice
Spray bottle of preferred liquid (water, bourbon, apple cider vinegar, etc.)
Barbecue sauce of your choice
Plenty of wood splits for the fire
1. Heat your smoker to 225-250ish. Have a stack of wood splits nearby because you will need to add a wood split every thirty minutes.
2. Square off your piece of meat, trimming off fat and skin if you couldn’t find skinless pork belly.
3. Cut the meat into 2 inch strips and then into cubes. For the cubes, you want a 75-25% meat to fat ratio, and you want the sides to be smooth so the bark will form evenly.
4. Generously apply a binder of avocado oil so the seasoning will stick really well to the meat.
5. Very generously season with your favorite barbecue rub of choice. Sean uses Key’s Southern Spice from Fairhope. You want there to be enough seasoning to cut through the barbecue sauce that will be added later on, so that you can taste the seasoning and smoke. Use your hands to make sure all of the cubes are covered. As Sean says, “If it doesn’t look good going into the smoker, it’s not going to look good coming out.”
6. Space out the cubes of meat on the smoker, allowing for 1-2 inches in between each so that there is enough air flow to create even bark.
7. Keep an eye on the smoke. White, billowy smoke signals dirty smoke, and dirty smoke means there is not enough oxygen or good airflow. When barbecue comes out of a smoker with this type of smoke, the meat will appear brownish in color and briny-ish in taste. What you’re looking for is thin, wispy smoke that is mostly clear but with a blueish tint.
8. Insert a water pan into the smoker to provide a barrier and help provide moisture.
9. Use your spray bottle to spritz the meat every hour with the liquid of your choice (water, bourbon, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, etc.) to keep it moist.
10. After 3 hours, remove the cubes and place them in a foil pan. Generously cover in your favorite barbecue sauce and toss. Place the lid back on the pan and reinsert in the smoker.
11. After 2-3 hours, remove the pan from the smoker. They should be completely bite-tender and ready to eat.
12. Serve and enjoy!
9. Pecan Pie
“It’s a little slice of home, heritage and family.” Featured in “Pass Down the Pecan Pie,” November 2024
Makes 1 8-inch pie
Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
1/2 cup ice water
Filling:
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups dark corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups pecans
1/3 cup milk chocolate, finely chopped
For the crust:
1. Grate 6 tablespoons unsalted butter and place in freezer for 15 minutes. Whisk all-purpose flour and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Add grated butter and chilled vegetable shortening to the bowl. Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut the fats into the flour until well combined and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Add ice water a spoonful at a time and mix until the dough just holds together. Do not overmix. Not all the water may be necessary.
4. Shape the dough into a disk and cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for two hours or freeze for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Flour a flat surface and roll the dough outward into a sheet. Place the sheet into a pie dish, line the dough with parchment and pour pie weighs or dried beans in the dish. Crimp and then trim the edges of the pie. Bake the crust for 20-25 minutes.
For the filling:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, corn syrup, salt, vanilla, bourbon and melted butter and mix well. Fold in pecan halves and chocolate.
3. Pour filling into the pie crust and bake one hour and 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees. Place aluminum foil on the edges during baking if they begin to darken.
4. Allow to cool completely and store in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
10. Creamy Whipped Feta Dip
Featured in “Growing Joy,” May 2024
Makes 8 Servings
8 ounces block quality feta, drained
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2-3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1-2 tablespoons crushed pistachios
1. In the bowl of a large food processor fitted with a blade, combine the feta, Greek yogurt and lemon zest. Blend well. While the processor is running, drizzle olive oil through the top opening until the feta is whipped to a smooth mixture.
2. Transfer the whipped feta to a serving plate. With the back of your spoon, smooth the top of the feta, making a well in the middle. Pour a bit of olive oil over the feta, then top with the pepper flakes, fresh herbs and nuts.
3. Serve with pita chips or pita wedges.
