Old Fashioned Cooked Icecream with Bourbon Vanilla

I have tried many different ice cream recipes, and I keep coming back to this particular one. Cooking the custard takes some additional time but the end result is well worth the effort. I love the custard flavor from the egg and the bourbon vanilla really elevates the flavor of this classic recipe. There are many variations. You can add fruit, chocolate, or other flavors but we will savor this classic until next time!

Old Fashioned Cooked Vanilla Ice Cream

4 c Whole Milk

6 Whole Eggs

3 c Sugar

2 c Half and Half

3 c Heavy Cream

3 Tbs. Bourbon Vanilla and

1/2 Vanilla Bean

Combine milk, beaten eggs, and sugar in heavy bottom pan. Cook on low until mixture begins to thicken. About 30 minutes. Do Not Boil. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon. Place mixture in fridge until completely cooled. Once mixture is cool add half and half, heavy cream, and bourbon vanilla. Scrape the seeds from half of a vanilla bean and add to mixture. Stir well.

Place all ingredients in ice cream churn and churn for 30 minutes.

Grandaddy's Dirty Rice

It is only appropriate to begin this blog series with the beginning of me. My earliest memories of food revolve around the kitchens of my grandparents. Their kitchens were a sacred place for me, as a young girl, to begin a journey with food that would last a lifetime.

In the beginning there was the land, shortly thereafter there was the Grandfather. The above line encapsulates the first chapter of one of my favorite novels, Run with the Horsemen by Ferrol Sams. No truer words could be spoken of my Paternal Grandfather Dolan Edward Brown Jr. He was larger than life especially to his grandchildren. He left behind a legacy of love for food, farming, and family.

Every Saturday Granddaddy loaded all of the Brown grandchildren who were old enough to sit up and feed themselves without assistance into his yellow four door Mercury Marquise and headed to one of our favorite lunchtime haunts. They were usually of the BBQ variety, Hook’s in Millen or Boyd’s ín Statesboro were two of our regulars. I don’t really remember the food we ate, but I do remember we laughed, sang, cried, cussed (Granddaddy, not the children), and otherwise had the time of our lives.

We did not always have to travel to find a good meal when we were with Granddaddy. He spent most of his time in what the Brown family still fondly calls the “Kitchen House”. Most folks would use the term Pond house or Club house, but not the Browns. After all, we all knew from a very young age the kitchen is the center of any home. The kitchen house always had the most distinct smell. It still does. The cedar walls are infused with the smells of years meals prepared there. The tang of vinegar and pickling spices, the unmistakable odor of caramelized onions, the sweet perfume of blackberry syrup, the smoky aroma of meat straight from the pit, the hint of muscadine wine fermenting in a wooden barrel welcome you at the door like an old friend.

What I would give to have one more of my Granddaddy’s kitchen house meals. The menu: chicken and dumplings, grilled pork sausage (fresh with a hint of black pepper and sage), cathead biscuits that commanded their very own bowl for sopping cane syrup, and fresh creamed corn from the garden. I can hear the plink, plink of the big wheel on the Price is Right, the creak and groan of Granddaddy’s indoor hammock, the pop and sizzle of frying fat back, and the peal of the dinner bell as it called us together. The meal was prayed over always ending with, “…. this food to the nourishment of our bodies and us to thy service” and we were blessed to have been a part.

A recipe can remind us of a moment in time. A smell, a taste, a sound can take us immediately back but mostly it is our love for one another that makes each ingredient so dear to our hearts. I promise not to be so nostalgic in future posts, but the value of a truly wonderful recipe is in the eye and heart of the beholder.  I have no original recipes hand written by Granddaddy. The recipes provided here are my adaptations of dishes prepared by Granddaddy or any number of family members as his recipes are now our recipes.

My Granddaddy

Dolan Edward Brown JR.

Grandaddy and later my Uncle Mark always cook dirty rice for a crowd of hungry farmers, the Baptist mens’ brotherhood, or family dove shoots at the farm. This recipe feeds a pile of folks(20-30 grown men), but if you cook it I promise somebody will eat!

Dirty Rice Recipe

1 c Diced Onion

1 c Diced Celery

1c Diced Bell Pepper

4 c Sliced Mushrooms

2 sticks Butter

5 cans Campbell’s Beef Consume

5 cans Campbell’s French Onion Soup

5 c Rice

2 lbs Ground Sausage

2 lbs Kielbasa Sausage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 2 sticks of butter in 12 quart casserole dish. Place in preheated oven until butter is melted. Remove from oven and pour both soups into casserole dish. Use soup can to measure 5 cans full of rice. Pour rice into casserole dish, and stir to distribute rice evenly. Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove of foil and stir. Replace foil and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes until all liquid is absorbed and rice is fully cooked.

While rice is cooking place onion, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, ground sausage, and kielbasa sausage into pot. Cook until sausage is fully cooked. Do not drain.

When rice is done. Remove from the oven and remove foil. Add sausage and veggie mixture to rice and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Jekyll IslandShrimp and Grits Festival 2018

Well you can’t win them all! I was disappointed and a little heartbroken not to even place as a competitor at the 2018 Jekyll Island Shrimp and Grits Festival. The week was long and tensions were high, but I did take some wonderful memories away from my first cooking competition. Some of my revelations are as follows:

1. My husband Johnny and I have never cooked together in a competition setting. We made it through 2 intense hours cooking side by side without a cross word. I like to refer to this past weekend as #marriagebootcamp. We passed with flying colors! Love you Snuggles!

2. A familiar face can brighten your day and even your whole trip! Chef Liz Morris of Eagle Creek Brewery in Statesboro Ga was the first face I saw competition morning. Johnny and I were lost, hyped up on coffee, and had no idea where to go. Liz led us to the competition tent where we competed side by side. I have known Liz for over 20 years. Her mother Perri was my high school art teacher and yearbook staff advisor. They are good people!

   Liz ended up taking home the gold!! She won 1st Place!! Her win made the trip worth it for me. Her humble nature and sweet demeanor eased my nerves. We will always share this memory. I’m proud of you ES!!!

3. Jekyll in September is HOT!!

4. An ice cold beer can ease your nerves. Especially if the shrimp provided for the competition arrive over an hour late.

5. I took a chance with a not so safe or traditional recipe. I do not regret that decision. I will continue to put pepper jelly on random things like grits! Two of the four judges loved my dish and thought it was novel and fun. The other two judges didn't get it at all. They thought the pepper jelly “weird” and “over powering”. I’m at peace with all of that but who doesn't like pepper jelly??? The Recipe is Below. You be the Judge!!

6. Everyone LOVES crispy fried okra!! All four judges raved about the pecan crusted okra.

7. I could not do life with out my sister. She graciously stayed home and juggled two weddings numbering over 500 people, while I ran off to the beach to chase a dream. That's what sisters do or at least my sister. She is the BEST!

8. I think I enjoy talking about food just as much as I like cooking. I loved talking to the festival goers about my dish, ingredients, and preparation.

9. I can’t be trusted when put on the spot. My inner backwoods bubbles to the surface. In an interview, I divulged I like to cook turtle. Let me clarify this statement. I helped a friend fry soft shell turtle a time or two. It’s good. Kinda like a chicken gizzard. My Mother was horrified. Its ok. I bet they will remember that girl who likes to inappropriately use pepper jelly and fries up a mean turtle. I need a handler.

10. Sometimes you just want to go home. After the winners were announced, I looked at Johnny and said “take me home”. I was tired. Body and Soul. We grabbed cold Zaxbys and hit I-95. By 9:00 I was relaxing on my porch overlooking the Ogeechee River. My cocker spaniel Charlie by my side. I went to church that next morning with a thankful heart.

Pecan Crusted Grits Cake with Shrimp in Country Ham Gravy

Grits Cake:

8 c Water

2 c (Southern Swiss Dairy Whole) Milk

2 c Grits

2 Tbs Salt

4 Tbs (Southern Swiss Dairy) Butter

8 oz (Sweet Grass Dairy) Green Hill Cheese

8 oz (Sweet Grass Dairy) Thomasville Tomme

Rinse grits in cool water. Allow grits to settle to the bottom of a bowl of water, and strain off pieces that float to the top.   Bring water and salt to a boil. Whisk in two cups of grits. Return to boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 30-45 minutes until grits are tender. Be sure to stir every few minutes to avoid sticking. Remove from heat and stir in butter and green hill cheese. Pour grits into greased 20x12 pan or two 9x13 pans. Chill until firm and set.

Pecan Crust:

1 c finely chopped (Parker’s, Jenkins County) Pecans

2 c (Freeman Mill’s) White Corn Meal

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Egg Wash:

2 c (Southern Swiss Dairy) Whole Milk

½ c (Southern Swiss Dairy) Buttermilk

3 (Lee Family Farms) Eggs

Mix pecans, corn meal, salt, and pepper.

Shrimp Gravy:

2 pints (Southern Swiss Dairy) Heavy Whipping Cream

3 (Poor Robins Garden’s) Fresh Garlic Gloves

1 lb (Lord’s) Country Ham

2 Tbs. (Georgia Olive Farms) Olive Oil

Melt olive oil in large skillet. Cut country ham in short, thin lardons. Sautee in olive oil for 1-2 minutes or until slightly caramelized on edges. Add garlic and sauté for minute.

Add heavy whipping cream and bring to a simmer. Cook on medium heat stirring constantly until heavy cream is reduced by 1/3 and resembles thick gravy. Stir constantly and do not boil!

Shrimp:

2 lbs Georgia Shrimp (peeled and deveined)

2 Tbs. (Southern Swiss Dairy) Butter

1 Tbs. Each Fresh Dill, Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme, and Basil

Melt butter in large pan. Add shrimp and herbs and sauté until shrimp are cooked.

Okra:

1 lb (Jacob’s Produce) Fresh Okra Pods

1 c (Southern Swiss Dairy) Whole Milk

2 (lee Family Farms) Eggs

½ c (Freeman Mills) Whole Wheat Flour

Slice okra in thin, shoe string size slices. Beat eggs and mix with milk. Dust okra in whole wheat flour, and shake off any excess. Dip in egg mixture, and shake off any excess. Dip in pecan breading and press to make sure breading sticks. Fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Sweet Peachy Glaze:

1 c (Wisham’s) Peach Pepper Jelly

3 Tbs Franks Hot Sauce

Place in pan and heat until melted.

Assembly:

Shred Tomme and add to chilled grits.  Bngchtydk5e6dtcgbn  nbh.gylt6o56r7fujv klbn’jbhgtfyrfdessdb vbchrwqw45eForm small 2 inch cakes with chilled grits. Dip top and bottom of grits cake in egg and milk wash. Dip into pecan crust. Heat 2-3 Tbs olive oil in large pan. Cook top and bottom of grits cakes in hot oil until golden brown. Cover during browning process to cook through or finish in a 350 degree oven.

Place grits cake on serving dish. Top with sautéed shrimp and country ham gravy. Toss fried okra in sweet peach glaze and garnish to finish.

Mama Cil's Pear Relish

Mama Cil's Pear Relish is a family recipe that is perfect for topping sausage dogs, burgers, field peas, and cream cheese. It is a perfect recipe to create an extra flavor in your meal. 

Ingredients:

14 lbs Pears (after they are peeled and cored) 

4 lb Red and Green Peppers (6 red and 6 green)

3 lb Onions (4 onions)

Place these ingredients into a food processor and blend until grounded!

2 quarts of Vinegar

2 lbs Light Brown Sugar

2 tbs Black Pepper

1 tsp of Celery Seed

2 Tsp Cinnamon 

2 tbs Mustard Seed 

Tumeric(just to taste)                                                                                                                                             

Cook vinegar and spices until hot and add fruit mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook two minutes.

      Honey's Tip: Add 2 cups of white sugar and cook longer than two minutes

Stewed Pears with Biscoff Crumble

If you have been wondering what to do with all of those beautiful pears that are wasting away on your trees this is the recipe you have been looking for!!!
If you have never heard of Biscoff then you haven’t tasted heaven in a jar!! Nona Bohannon Farmer introduced me to this yummy goodness and we have been foodie friends ever since! You will love it in your crumble if you don’t devour the whole jar by the spoonful!

Stewed Pears with Biscoff Crumble

6-8 Fresh Pears
2 Lemons
1c Sugar

Crumble:
1 stick Butter
1 1/2 c Self Rising Flour
1 1/2 c Oats
1 c Brown Sugar
1/2 c Biscoff Cookie Butter
Cinnamon and Nutmeg to Taste

Peal, core, and slice pears. Mix pears with juice of two lemons and sugar in a pot and cook over medium heat until pears begin to soften. Do not fully cook pears. Drain juice from pears. Place pears in deep pie dish or 9X13 casserole. 
Melt butter and mix with remaining crumble ingredients. Crumble over the top of pears. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until topping is browned. Serve with Vanilla Icecream.

Sausage, White Cheddar, Pear, and Pecan Tart 🍐 🍐🍐

Lots going on in this rustic pastry!! The tang from the white cheddar, peppery sausage, and a sweet hint of pear make this the perfect breakfast, brunch, or light supper food.

Recipe:
2 Pie Crusts
2 c Pears (pre cooked)
1 lb Fresh Pork Sausage
8 oz White Cheddar
1 c Pecans
12 Eggs
1 c Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

This recipe makes two tarts. Grease tart pan or pie plate. Line with crust. 
Peel, core, and slice pears. Partially cook pears with a little sugar. Cook sausage, crumble, and drain on paper towels. Cut white cheddar into chunks. Beat eggs and milk until combined.
Place pears, sausage, and white cheddar in pie shell. Pour egg mixture over pear mixture and sprinkle pecans over the top. Fold the pie crust over the top to achieve a rustic look. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until eggs are set in the center. Cool for 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

Pear Tarts

Pear Tarts made from what my Daddy affectionately calls “Womp” biscuits are just plain hard to beat. Cheap canned biscuits work best. The kind in the can you “womp” on the counter and they pop open are the star of this recipe. Oh and don’t forget the pears!

5-6 pears
1 c Sugar
Dash Cinnamon
2 10 count cans Biscuits
2 Eggs
3-4 c Oil
1 c Powdered Sugar

Peel, core, and slice pears. Place in a pot with sugar and cinnamon. Cook until tender. Drain pears and cool completely.

While pears are cooling work on your dough.
Open biscuits and place one at a time on floured surface. Flour your rolling pin generously. Roll until biscuits are thin and tripled in size.

Place biscuits between pieces of wax paper until all 20 are thin disks of dough. You may need to refrigerate if the dough becomes too tacky.

Beat eggs with a little water and place to the side.
Place one dough circle on flat surface. Fill with 1 heaping tablespoon of pears. Fold dough over the top of filling to create a half moon shape. Seal the edges of dough with beaten egg. You can use a fork to press edges together or fold edges over and seal with egg mixture.

Fill cast iron skillet 1/2 full with oil. Heat to 325 degrees. Gently place tarts in hot oil. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel. Lightly dust with powdered sugar as soon as they come out of the grease.

Serve warm. Or cold. These are a labor of love but oh how I love them!

Brown Sugar Bacon BLT 🥪 🐝 🥓

Brown Sugar Seasoning
2 lb. Light Brown Sugar
1/4 c. Black Pepper
1/4 c. Chili Powder
1/8 c. Garlic Powder
1/8 c. Season Salt

Mix all ingredients. Store in a cool dry place. A mason jar works great! This recipe makes enough seasoning for 8-10 lbs of bacon.

Brown Sugar Bacon
1 lb Bacon
Brown Sugar Seasoning

Place wire rack in pan lined with foil. Spray rack generously. Place bacon slices on rack. Generously season with brown sugar run. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes until bacon is crisp. Cool completely!

Sandwich Assembly:
Generously apply Dukes Mayonnaise to both sides of bread. Layer lettuce, tomato, brown sugar bacon on bread. Sink your teeth in and enjoy!!
I make extra bacon to enjoy as a snack. Bacon Candy is very popular at Honey Catering events!!

Bet Bet Blog

With each new blog I am reminded of my loved ones and just how big a piece of my heart they hold. They are with me always. The smallest things make me think of them and for that I am thankful. I am a terrible speller and my proficiency at grammar is more than lacking. Spell Check and my mother helped me through many a book report, college paper, business plan, menu, and now this blog, but the one who would enjoy proofing my blog the most left us almost two years ago. She would have relished marking these paragraphs with bold red ink in her cursive script, not out of criticism but out of love for me and the English language.

My grandmother, Betty Strickland Cramer, AKA Bett Bett, will always be one of my favorite people. She was petite in stature; her feet matched her tiny frame. They were the definition of dainty, a size 6 quad. Shoes and jewelry were her weakness. She had the former and the latter to match every outfit. She was prissy and sassy and she made no apologies. She could hold a grudge indefinitely but if she loved you she would fight for you until the end.

She taught English at Jenkins County High School for almost thirty years so at one time or another she taught someone related to every person in Jenkins County. She did not tolerate the word ain’t or unruliness. She was beyond proud of the fact she had paddled several of the JCHS boys’ basketball team. If I had a penny for every time she said I taught his/her father, mother, aunt, uncle, cousin I could retire at the age of 32!

She had a quick wit that wavered on the verge of sarcasm but she was never mean. Her delivery was cool with a hint of indifference. My mother was often the subject of these little “zings” as we called them. These episodes offered us endless entertainment at Mom’s expense. Bett Bett and Mother were closer than close. Not some silly movie screen Mommy, Daughter mush but the real-life kind. My mother practically doted on her, and we all knew their love ran deep.

 Bett Bett was my number one biggest fan. She did not think I was perfect or too precious to receive a reprimand. We were too much alike to never butt heads. A pop on the thigh in the Bi Lo parking lot after our bi-annual dentist appointment is still etched in my memory to prove this fact, but let someone else mess with me….. I would call my mother squalling over one of life’s injustices. She ever played the devil’s advocate and always advised me to “be the bigger person”. I would immediately hang up and speed dial Bett Bett. She would commiserate. She would threaten to call their mother, call the teacher, or write a seething Letter to the Editor to The Millen News to right the wrong. It would be all “their” fault and none of mine.

My family lived 17 miles from town so most afternoons we ended up at Bett Bett’s house, a convenient in-town squatting spot until our next engagement: t-ball, softball, cheerleading, Bible school, church, dance, or just to hang out. Her house was like a second home. We were always welcome, but there were understood limitations to her hospitality. One did not interrupt The Young and the Restless. EVER. If you wanted something to eat other than Lance Peanut Butter Crackers, Raisin Bran, or Crystal Light lemonade you should bring it with you. Plundering was also a no no. Ditto, eating on the carpet. We loved going to Bett Bett’s. She never bothered us and let us watch cable cartoon channels on her 10 inch bedroom TV. That was the life.

Bett Bett was a diehard Braves fan. The kind of rabid fan, who if out of pocket during the actual game, recorded the game on VHS to be watched later. She talked to the TV as if the entire team and coaches were a part of her 9th grade English class at Jenkins County High School. She admonished a missed catch, walk, or bad call and she likewise commended a 3-2-1 double play, a sliding catch in center field, and pick-off by a quick handed pitcher. Our bond was solidified by our love for the Bravos. We tomahawk chopped our way through the 90’s with the passion only an overweight, awkward preteen and a retired widow in her late sixties could muster. We didn’t miss a game, and if we did the next day we discussed in detail the finesse of a great catch made by David Justice, a stand up homer by Chipper Jones, or the spectacle of a Bobby Cox tirade that ultimately got him thrown out of the game. We had our favorites. Greg Maddox was always a topic of conversation. He was our favorite pitcher with his cool demeanor, Clark Kent glasses, and a touch of endearing goofiness. Fred McGriff, the “Crime Dog” was as solid as they come. A commanding presence on first, he always kept us on the edge of our seats waiting for his next homer and it was hard not to love Lemke with his boyish good looks and kind eyes. The Braves 1995 World Series win was the culmination of our years of fandom. It was our time and our moment. After the ultimate win I lost interest and ventured into my teenage years, but every time I flip through the channels and see our boys at bat I can’t help but smile.

Bett Bett’s blog took weeks to write. It’s still not perfect and will never do her unique personality justice. I asked my mother, “How do you sum up Bett Bett in just a few paragraphs?”   Well, you just don’t. I don’t have to try because at the most random moments I think of her. The other day I heard Simon and Garfunkel and I was transported to the back seat of her Cutlass station wagon with the wood grain side paneling belting out Bridge over Troubled Water. Each time I have to wait at Herndon for the train to cross the tracks I hear her say “Trains a camin’” to which I would respond “How you knew?” We would always laugh when she completed our banter with “I heard it blew!” I caught myself chewing gum in church a few Sundays ago and saw her pursed lips because I “looked like an old billy goat chewing his cud”. I cringe every time I hear someone end a sentence with a preposition or perpetuate any other atrocity to the English language. As I walk by the hearth in my living room I catch a glimpse of the little white milking stool I perched on at the foot of her recliner as we shelled peas or pealed peaches. Her cast iron skillet sits seasoned in my cabinet and ready to fry up the prettiest mess of pale white shrimp you can imagine. Her fried shrimp were a treat. The recipe below is a close as I could get!

Bet Bet’s Fried Shrimp

1 lb of Shrimp (peeled and deveined)

1 c Whole Milk

2 Eggs

2 c Plain Flour

1 c Self-Rising Flour

1 Tsp Salt

4-6 cups Wesson Oil

Cast Iron Skillet

Heat oil to 350 degrees in Cast Iron Skillet. You must use a cast iron skillet! These little delicacies just don’t taste the same fried in another vessel, and be sure to use fresh grease. These shrimp are beautiful with the most pale breading.

Beat eggs in a bowl large enough to hold 1 lb of shrimp. Add milk to egg and mix well. Add your shrimp to egg and milk mixture. Make sure all shrimp are coated well.

Mix plain flour, self-rising flour, and salt in a large bowl. Take shrimp out of egg/milk mixture a few at a time and coat with flour. Drop into hot grease and cook until a Very light golden brown.

Serve piping hot with tartar sauce. Bet Bet preferred ketchup much to my Mother’s dismay!