Soul Food Cooking – 8 Habits of a Good Soul Food Cook

by Roy Primm

Soul food cooking that taste good down to your toes, comes from developing the following 8 habits. The more of these habits you can develop and follow the better soul dishes you’ll prepare.

1.. Knows How To Season Food.

One of the key signs of a good cook, especially soul food cook is the seasonings. Not too much because it’s overpowering and can ruin a meal. Not too little. Why? Because it can make a dish boring and listless.

A good cook seasons with just enough to bring out the natural flavors and aromas of the food. But the sign of a master is knowing what seasonings go with what foods. This is the higher echelons of cooking.

2. Good Taster: Accurate Taste Buds.

The next habit to have is accurate taste buds. Contrary to popular belief a person with accurate taste buds is not born but can develop this skill. Just like a muscle, your taste buds can grow stronger with exercise. How do you exercise them? Taste different seasonings and learn how to recognize them. The more you practice the better you’ll get at it and the better your soul food cooking skills will get.

3. Knows How To Do “Make Due” Cooking.

One of the essentials of southern cooking in most African Americans homes, especially in the south, is to learn how to do – make do cooking. Make do cooking is learning how to make a dish or a meal taste good even though you don’t have all the ingredients in the recipe. This could mean substituting an ingredient for another or adding an extra amount of another ingredient. My Grandmother was a master at this art.

4. Knows How To Make A Little Go A Long Way When Necessary.

This is another variation of step 3 ( make do cooking). But the difference is in your ability to stretch a little so it seems like a lot more. For example, if you have a small amount of meat, you can make it stretch by turning it into a soup, gumbo or casserole dish. They’re many variations, tips and tricks to making a little go a longer way.

5. Know The Top 21 Cooking Terms.

Most good soul food cooks know at least 21 basic cooking terms and the differences. For example

1. Bake
2. Barbecue
3. Baste
4. Braise
5. Broil
6. Cube
7. Deep Fry
8. Dice
9. Fold
10. Grill
11. Knead
12. Marinate
13. Mix
14. Pan Fry
15. Roast
16. Simmer
17. Smother
18. Steam
19. Stew
20. Stir
21. Whip

6. Know How To Fix Basic Food Mistakes.

No matter how good of a soul food cook you are, you’ll sometimes make a mistake. The difference between a good cook and a better one is your ability to correct your cooking mistake, without having to throw out the dish. Can you still make it edible?

Traditionally most African American families had to do that. How? By salvaging the edible parts, changing the consistency, texture or thickness of the dish. For example, vegetables that were overcooked was turned into or added to a soup. Meat that was overcooked or too dry was finely chopped and used in gravies, gumbo or casseroles or stew. Bread that was stale was added to ground beef and made into a meat loaf.

7. Knows How To Read Soul Food Recipes When They Have To.

Although our Great Grandmother seemed to know what to put in a dish to make it taste heavenly. On closer examination if you question them you’ll discover when she first made the dish she read a recipe. Or she got it from someone who read and followed a recipe.

Most cooks can read a recipe if they have to. In fact, the sooner you learn how to do it, the more dishes you’ll be able to cook.

8. Takes Pride In How A Dish Looks as Well as Taste.

It often said a person eats with their eyes. You’ll notice the first thing a person does before they place a morsel of food in their mouth is they look at it. Even babies do it.

The better or more appetizing the food looks, the more it causes our mouths to water. We can’t help it. On the other hand, the worse it looks the worse it makes us feel. That’s why a good soul food cook gives as much attention to how a dish looks as they do to how it taste. Why? Because they both play a large role in making a meal enjoyable.

Be sure to see the top 20 soul food recipes chosen by readers this month, plus watch soul food experts cook the most popular southern dishes and watch the recipes come alive before your eyes… Go to http://blackhomeownernews.com/soulfoodrecipes.html.

How to Make Homemade Yeast Rolls

This video will show you how to make homemade yeast rolls from scratch. This yeast roll recipe is so easy and virtually error proof. It bakes up some soft, light and absolutely addictive rolls. Even if you aren’t good at making homemade yeast breads I KNOW you can make this recipe!
This is a refrigerator roll recipe that is nice because you can use however much dough you need tonight and keep the rest in the fridge for tomorrow night. Just leave the dough you don’t plan to use in the fridge and shape and rise the rest. You can use this dough for cinnamon rolls also.

Brunswick Stew

Ingredients:
THE STEW – 1 ½ onions, 3 tbsp garlic, salt, pepper, 2 lb pork, 2 lb chicken, OR Choice of meat, Italian seasoning, 1 tsp Liquid smoke, 28 oz tomatoes, 3 cups cubed potatoes, 14 OZ corn, 14 OZ lima bean, 14 OZ cream corn.
THE SAUCE – 4 tbsp butter, 1 ¾ cup ketchup, ¼ cup yellow mustard, ¼ cup vinegar, 1 tbsp garlic, 1 tbsp black pepper, ½ tsp Liquid smoke, ½ tsp lemon juice, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, ¼ cup brown sugar.

How to Cook Baby Lima Beans

This video shows you how to cook dried baby lima beans. They take a couple of hours to cook, but boy are they worth it.

St. Patrick’s Day Food Ideas and Recipes

By Diane Watkins

St. Patrick’s Day is coming soon! If you’re Irish, you don’t need me to tell you how to celebrate. For the rest of us, its a fun holiday to put a little spark in your cooking- especially if you have kids.

How to Cook a Corned Beef Brisket

Immediately, Corned Beef Brisket comes to mind, as it is a traditional Irish dish. Brisket is a tough cut of meat, but a combination of proper cooking and proper slicing can tame this brisket into a delicious meal.

First the cooking. Corned Beef Brisket needs to be slowly cooked on low heat in order to reach its full succulent tenderness. Braising is perfect for corned beef brisket.

When you purchase your brisket, it will come with a seasoning packet. Place the seasonings and the brisket into a large pot or dutch oven. Pour in enough cold water to just cover the brisket. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Skim off any foam that accumulates and cover the pot. Simmer for about 3 hours for a 3 pound brisket or until the brisket is wonderfully tender.

Check the brisket occassionally, adding more water if needed. The brisket is done when it pulls apart with a fork.

You can add shredded cabbage to the pot during the last 20 minutes for corned beef and cabbage, or for an easy meal, add quartered potatoes and sliced carrots.

Old time cooks insisted on changing the water while cooking brisket. This is no longer necessary with todays modern processing methods, and would eliminate the spices from the cooking process.

Recipe for How to Cook Corned Beef Brisket

How to Slice a Corned Beef Brisket

The second step to good tender corned beef is in the slicing. The muscle tissue of the brisket runs in long strands. If you cut so that the strands are running long ways, you will have a tough to chew mouthful. Instead, cut crosswise across the strands for a tender piece of meat. Sometimes you will have to separate layers of the brisket and slice each layer separately because of the way the muscle is layered. Your effort will be rewarded with a wonderfully tender and flavorful meal.

Leftovers? Try Corned Beef Hash

Corned beef hash is just a hash made from leftover corned beef and diced potatoes. Add onions and even peppers if you like. Stir fry the potatoes and onions in a little oil until tender, then add the thinly sliced corned beef and stir fry a few more times. Use more or less potatoes to stretch the leftover corned beef into another meal for your family. That’s the purpose of hash.

Or, make a Rueben.

Reuben Sandwiches

• 12 slices rye bread
• 1/2 pound sliced corn beef
• 1/2 pound sliced Swiss cheese
• 1/3 cup mayonaise
• 1 Tablespoon Chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon Horseradish, optional
• 1 16 oz. can sauerkraut, drained

Mix the mayonaise, chili sauce, and horseradish. Spread rye bread. Layer the corned beef, cheese and sauerkraut on 6 of the slices

Place under the broiler until cheese is melted, then top with the remaining pieces of bread. Alternately assemble the sandwich, then toast like a grilled cheese sandwich.

More St. Patrick’s Day Ideas

Don’t forget all the usual favorite green foods: pistaccio pudding, kiwi fruit, spinach pasta…

Here’s a southern twist on green eggs. How about an avocado stuffed deviled egg? Try this recipe:

Avocado Egg Salad

8 hard boiled eggs
1 small avocado
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon mustard (optional)
1 garlic clove for rubbing sieve

Hard boil the eggs. Halve the eggs, remove and mash the yolk. Mash the avocado pulp through a sieve that has been rubbed with garlic. Mix lemon juice into the pulp to prevent browning and add to the egg yolks with the mustard if desired. Mix well and use a piping bag to stuff into egg shells. For easy cleanup you can put the filling into a plastic bag and snip off one corner. Pipe into egg shells. This is cleanly efficient, but not as pretty.

Leprechaun’s Pot of Gold Carrots

This is really my candied carrot recipe, but if renaming it gets the kids to eat their vegetables, I’m all for it.
1 lb carrots
1 c. orange marmalade
1 tsp. cornstarch

Cut carrots crosswise into ¼ -inch thick pieces. Place in saucepan containing a small amount of boiling water. Boil for about 5 minutes. Add marmalade; cook until carrots are tender. Remove carrots with a slotted spoon. Stir cornstarch into a small amount of liquid, then add to carrots; cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Toss carrots wth marmalade sauce; serve immediately.

Irish Coffee

• Black coffee
• sugar, to taste
• Irish whiskey to taste
• Whipped cream

Prepare your black coffee as usual. Into each cup, mix in a teaspoon of sugar, or more to taste, and a little Irish Whiskey (or a lot, only you will know). The sugar will keep the cream floating on top. If you don’t want to use sugar, ok, just don’t be disappointed when the cream mixes into the coffee. Float a head of whipped cream on top. Variations of this recipe use Bailey’s Irish Cream or Bourbon Whiskey.

How to Cook Dried Beans

Good tips for cooking dried beans.

I disagree with the video about adding salt at the beginning of cooking. If you add too much salt in the beginning the beans will not soften and you will get tough beans, so I save the salt for the end.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Still working on these luscious fresh strawberries from Plant City. Here is a recipe and video that shows you how to make strawberry pie with cream cheese and cool whip filling. Enjoy!

Fresh Strawberry Pie

2 Cups strawberries
1 T apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
3 T corn starch
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 tub cool whip
1 pie crust

1. Bake the pie crust according to the directions.
2. Place 1 cup strawberries into a saucepan with 3/4 cup water. Bring to a simmer at medium heat.
3. Reduce heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Mash the berries while they cook. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Mix together 3/4 sugar and 3 T cornstarch. Add to the simmering strawberries and continue to cook until thickened.
   Remove from the heat.
5. Mix together the cream cheese with the vinegar or lemon juice.
   Spread the cream cheese into the pie crust. Line the outside of the cheese with sliced strawberries for decoration.
6. Top with the cooked strawberry filling mixture.
7. Refrigerate for several hours until cold and set.
   Top with cool whip, garnish with more strawberries, slice and enjoy.

How to Make Corn Fritters

Use fresh corn cut off the cob to make these corn fritters. My grandmother taught me to slice the corn off with a knife, then use the back of the knife to scrape out the “milk”. Watch the video for their tips on how to do this- probably easier than granny’s method, and complete instructions on the fritters.

Corn Fritters

• 2 ears of corn, corn cut off
• 2 more ears of corn, corn  grated off and stripped (see video)
• 3 T corn meal
• 3 T all purpose flour
• 2 T heavy cream
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 egg
• pinch cayenne pepper
• fresh shallot, minced
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Mix together all the ingredients except the oil. Heat the oil and drop rounded tablespoons of corn mixture into the oil. Fry for 1 minute, then turn and fry for 1 minute on the other side or until brown. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Serve as a side dish or appetizer.

This video by Cook’s Illustrated shows you how to make corn fritters.

How to Barbecue a Brisket

This brisket recipe  makes a lot, so be sure to have a crowd to feed, or plans to use the leftovers. The brisket is started on the grill for a great smokey flavor, then finished in the oven for speed. Be sure to watch the video for complete instructions.

Barbecued Brisket

1 whole Brisket- 10 to 11 pounds

Brisket Seasoning Rub

Mix together:

• 1/4 cup paprika
• 2 T chili power
• 2 T dark brown sugar
• 2 T ground cumin
• 2 T salt
• 1 t ground oregano
• 1 t white pepper
• 1 tblack pepper
• 1 t white sugar
• 2 t cayene pepper

Rub into brisket. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 2 to 48 hours for flavors to meld.

Smoke over low heat on the smoker using hickory chips for 2 hours.

Wrap the brisket in foil and move the brisket to the oven at 300 degrees for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until done and fork tender.

Let the brisket rest for 30 minutes and then carve it across the grain.

Make a sauce from the drippings:

Mix equal parts of de-fatted drippings and barbecue sauce. Serve over brisket slices.

This video from Cook’s Illustrated discusses how to choose a brisket and illustrates this recipe, for a moist tender brisket every time. The video also shows you how to slice it across the grain- very important for a tender bite.

Delicious and Easy Oven Fried Chicken Meal

This is fried chicken flavor without all the fat. Don’t worry, most of the oil and butter end up on the bottom of the pan, not the chicken. Throw some Cajun Potatoes in to roast during the last 20 minutes and serve with a tossed salad for an easy meal.

Oven Fried Chicken Recipe
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. butter
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. dried marjoram
8 or 9 pieces chicken
Place oil and butter in a shallow cooking pan and place in 375 degree oven
to melt butter, set aside. In a large paper sack combine dry ingredients. Roll
the chicken pieces 3 at a time in butter and oil then drop into a sack and
shake to cover. Place on a plate until all pieces are coated. Leave any excess
butter and oil in pan. Place chicken in the pan skin side down or its just as
good if you remove all the skin first. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes
with spatula, turn chicken pieces over and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or
until crust begins to bubble.

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