How To Enjoy Living Southern

How To Enjoy Living Southern

10 Reasons Why I Like Living  In  The South

I live in the South. I live in the Deep South. I live in Dixieland. I live in Mississippi. This state to me is the core of Southern living. Historically,  it is a defiant place among our 50 United States. For all of its richness, it still has pockets of poverty that it should be ashamed of. It still lets racism hang around its beautiful countrysides and vilas. It still hasn’t raised it’s head up and targeted itself toward living to its full potential, thus benefiting all of its residents.  With all that being said, “I still love the South, especially Mississippi.”

My intentions in writing this blog are simple. I just want to promote Southern dishes to everyone in the USA and beyond. Why?, You may ask. Well,  it’s because of its simplicity, in most cases. Beyond that is the fact that Southerners enjoy bringing the family and friends together to the table to enjoy meals of splendor that people probaly wouldn’t connect with the South. Meals of Splendor…Whaaaat?  Yes folks, there are pockets of people in the South who enjoy meals that require time and pride and most of all, integrity and authenticity. Take Southern Fried chicken for example, it’s best when it has marinated for at least 8 hours and there is no shame in it marinating for up to 24 hours.

The South is a fusion of foods and until recently, cuisine in the Deep South, was mainly influenced by only African-Americans and Southern Anglos…in other words it was basically black and white, with a few dishes bought in by Chinese and Mexican immigrants, that won the approval of the discriminating southern palate.

Here’s 10 reasons that I came up with about why I like living in the South:

1. More open spaces with trees and things for children to enjoy.

2. Its freshwater creeks and rivers abundant with great fishing.

3. Its wild plums and wild blackberries.

4. Its country roads that hide the next gem to be sold on ebay.

5. Its overall friendly people who value a sense of community.

6.Its restaurants and clubs that look like shacks but have great food and music.

7. The winters here are really mild making it enjoyable year-round.

8. The availability of oldschool R&B and Blues and jazz can be heard any time.

9. The Gulf Coast and it’s abundance of fresh seafood.

10. Authentic Southern cuisine.
                                                           ©2008 oldschoozchef
At this time, I would like to share a recipe with you that is truly Southern and comes from a book called, “The

Carolina Rice Kitchen: The African Connection” (1992) by Karen Hess

Chicken Bog

Makes 8 servings

In The Carolina Rice Kitchen: The African Connection (1992), food historian Karen Hess suggests that chicken bog may have descended from la soupe courte of Provence, “an ancient festival dish, calling for mutton, petit sale or other cured pork, onions, aromatics, saffron, and rice.” It is, she continues, “not a soup but a very thick stew or a rather wet pilau.” Her theory is that with the deletion of saffron and substitution of chicken for mutton, a new dish emerged.

As for the recipe’s unusual name, some say that “bog” comes from the fact that rice is grown in bogs, others that the chicken is “bogged down” in the rice, and still others that the dish is just a “soggy, boggy mess.”

Note: Some modern cooks shortcut chicken bog by using chicken parts and canned broth. The recipe here is fairly classic.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound spicy country sausage links or chorizo, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
2 1/2 cups converted rice
6 cups rich chicken stock or broth
5 cups large-ish chunks of cooked chicken plus the coarsely chopped giblets
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste.
1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over moderately high heat for 2 minutes. Add the sausage and cook for 5 minutes or until nicely browned. Using a slotted spoon, lift the browned sausage to a plate and reserve.

2. Add the onion and bell pepper to the sausage drippings and stir-fry for 8 to 10 minutes or until limp and lightly browned.

3. Add the rice and cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, chicken, giblets, reserved sausage, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so the mixture bubbles gently, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often, or just until the rice is tender. If the bog seems soupy, cook, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes more. It should be about the consistency of a soft risotto. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.

4. Ladle into big soup bowls, and serve with butter beans, and red-ripe tomatoes.

Now if you enjoyed this recipe let me introduce you to some more:

Southern Cookbooks

 

African-American Cookbooks

 

Cathead Biscuite & Garlic Fried Chicken

 

Recipes and Food Facts

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