Southern Cuisine

Recipes

Written by Elke Probkevitz

Wednesday, 08 September 2010 09:53

Southern cuisine, also known as â€œdown-homeâ€ cooking, is characterized by wholesome farm-style cooking and hearty, satisfying dishes. It warms your heart while warming your belly and makes you feel at home even when youâ€™re dining out. Southern cuisine includes many deep-fried foods, heavy sauces, and sweet desserts. Fried chicken is the symbol of Southern cooking, although there are healthier alternatives available.

Southerners also love barbecue, although their style differs from Westerners in that they do not prefer sweet tomato-based BBQ sauces. Southern BBQ uses well-spiced or marinated meats and slow cooking methods. Varieties of greens, black-eyed peas, and corn bread are common side dishes. Pecan pie, peach cobbler, banana pudding, and sweet-potato pie are some popular desserts.

Whether youâ€™re from the Southern states and want a taste of home, or just enjoy Southern-style cooking, a new cookbook out called Simply Southern with a Dash of Kosher Soul, published by the Margolin Hebrew Academy in Memphis, might just hit the spot. It is a compilation of nearly 300 traditional recipesâ€”including â€œSouthern recipes turned kosher and kosher recipes turned Southern.â€ The cookbook also features the personal stories of several contributing families and the role that food has played in their lives.

Southern cooking, as well as kosher cooking, has been an established component in American cuisine. Yet we seldom hear anything about those Jewish communities that have been passing down tradition, as well as recipes, for generations. The new cookbook serves to â€œbring this hidden gem of American cooking to the kitchens across the country and around the world.â€ The cookbook, which stemmed from a fundraising effort for the local school, is a compilation of contributed recipes chosen to best represent Southern kosher cooking.

Simply Southern with a Dash of Kosher Soul is available at Jewish and general interest bookstores in the U.S., Canada, and Israel, as well as online at www.SimplySouthernCookbook.net.

Here is a sampling of recipes that can be added to your yom tov menu:

Apple Dijon Skillet Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 apples, cored and each cut into 6 rings
1 small onion, sliced
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. coarse Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup soymilk
1 tsp. cornstarch

Directions:

In 12" skillet, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Add chicken and cook 6â€“7 minutes on each side, until it is cooked throughout. Transfer chicken to platter and keep warm. In that same skillet, add apples and onion, and sautÃ© until browned. Add chicken stock, maple syrup, coarse Dijon mustard, and salt. Cook until sauce is reduced. Combine soymilk and cornstarch, and stir into apple mixture to thicken into a sauce. Pour over chicken and serve.

Arugula, Leek, and Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium bunch leeks
1 Tbsp. unsalted margarine
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 pounds red potatoes, cubed
6 cups chicken broth
1 bunch arugula
kosher salt and pepper to taste
finely snipped chives for garnish

Directions:

Cut off bottoms and most of the green tops of leeks and discard. Discard tough outer leaves. Cube trimmed leeks. Place in a sieve and rinse under running cold water. Drain.

Heat margarine and oil in a large stockpot. SautÃ© leeks over low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender. Discard lower halves of arugula stems. Rinse and shake off excess water. Add arugula to soup and cook until wilted. Cool slightly. PurÃ©e soup in batches in a blender. Return to stockpot and heat thoroughly. Add salt and pepper. Garnish with chives.

Eating quality, delicious meals is easy when all the work is done for you. Hire a personal chef to prepare your dinners, Shabbos meals, or small parties. For more information, contact Take Home Chef personal chef services by calling 516-508-3663, writing to elke@TakeHomeChef.net, or visiting www.TakeHomeChef.net.