Product Description
From two South Carolina-bred brothers comes the ground-breaking cookbook for new Southern cooking: The Lee Bros. Simple, Fresh, Southern. Matt and Ted Lee were raised on long-simmered greens, slow-smoked meats, and deep-fried everything. But after years of traveling as journalists and with farm fresh foods more available than ever, Matt and Ted have combined the old with the new, infusing family recipes with bright flavors. Using crisp produce, lighter cooking methods, and surprising combinations, these are recipes to make any night of the week.

From The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern: Ginger Lemonade

If we were musicians, we’d write a torch song about ginger and lemon, a match made in heaven. And though we’ve been drinking fresh lemonade as long as we can remember (Coca-Cola was taboo at 83 East Bay Street), we never thought to make a cold fresh-ginger lemonade until recently. Now we’re making up for lost time. This drink is easy to make, super-refreshing, and happens to be a kick-ass mixer with bourbon and tequila, so those of you who are of age should mix up the Lemon Gingerita variation that follows.–Matt Lee and Ted Lee

• 2 ounces fresh ginger, peeled, cut into thin disks (1/3 cup)
• 1/4 cup honey, or more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 large lemons)

Serves 8

Directions

1. Put the ginger in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring 2 cups cold water to a boil, then pour it into the bowl and stir to agitate the ginger. Slowly pour in the honey, stirring until it’s dissolved in the concentrate. Add the salt, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes.

2. Strain the concentrate into a large pitcher (it will keep for 5 days, covered, in the refrigerator), reserving the ginger slices. Add 3 cups cold water and the lemon juice to the pitcher, and sweeten to taste with honey. Set the pitcher in the refrigerator to cool further; store the ginger slices in the refrigerator as well. (The lemonade and ginger slices will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days.)

3. Fill each highball or pint glass two-thirds of the way to the rim with ice, and pour the ginger lemonade over it. Garnish with a slice of the steeped ginger.

Time: 10 minutes steeping, 5 minutes preparation

Here’s a shot of the Lee Bros. with me and son Travis

The Lees speak at the Fly Creek Cafe in Fairhope

For more, visit their web site at www.boiledpeanuts.com

http://vimeo.com/7439544

This DVD release from MicroWerks is an enjoyable exploration of the Blues Cruise phenomenon. Highlights include the searing guitar work of Michael Burks as he strolls through cruisers decked out in Hawaiian print shirts and sipping ice cold boat drinks. Taj Mahal gives a cooking demonstration and Otis Clay delivers a riveting version of OV Wright’s “Nickel and a Nail.” And you can’t help but be charmed as the one and only Bobby Rush performs a real wedding ceremony for legendary blues photographer Dick Waterman and his bride. Look for our old friend Jimbo Mathus in the bonus features. Great stuff and a must-have for blues fans & veteran blues cruisers alike. So grab your red fez and jump on board. This is next best thing to being there!

For more — go to   http://robertmugge.com/deepsea/deep_sea.html

Here’s another fine re-release by the folks at Concord Music Group. This collection is a bit of a musical road map as Brother Ray travels from state to state and burgh to burgh — musically, that is. The CD is pretty strong throughout, although I must confess I strongly prefer The Raeletts to the Anita Kerr Singers when it comes to the backing vocal choruses. That’s pretty much a no brainer if you’re under the age of 85.

There are a couple of flat tires along the way - most notably Deep in the Heart of Texas and Blue Hawaii. Ray often had the ability to elevate cheesy material with his magical interpretive prowess, yet these 2 cuts are really hard to sit through. The latter is just too closely identified with Elvis, while Texas  is a toss away novelty romp and that should have been tossed away … period.

The bonus tracks are OK and include a swinging version of Bill Monroe’s Blue Moon of Kentucky. The Beatles’ The Long and Winding Road is awkward at best and John Denver’s Take Me Home Country Roads is an obvious mistep. All in all the hits outweigh the misses, making this a pretty enjoyable road trip with one of the great vocal stylists of our time – or any time for that matter. Buckle up and hit the gas pedal! 

Here are some additional notes from the product description …

http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/albums/The-Genius-Hits-The-Road/

American Horizon – Los Cenzontles with David Hidalgo & Taj Mahal Produced by Eugene Rodriguez and David Hidalgo © 2009 Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center, David Hidalgo & Taj Mahal

My friend Cary Baker of Conqueroo tipped me to this roots supergroup. I am so glad he did. The music connected with me on the very first listen and that is a rarity these days. I have long been a Los Lobos fan and enjoyed meeting David Hidalgo a couple years back. He was just as I expected him to be: friendly, soft spoken and humble. Taj Mahal is another personal favorite of mine. He’s bluesy, but his diverse talents and tastes can’t be pidgeon holed into just the blues category. You might find him fiddling up a storm or releasing a collection of Hawaiian folk tunes. He is hard to pin down and I like that in a recording artist.

This time around Hidalgo and Taj join forces with Los Cenzontles. We especially liked tracks 3, 7, and 10 on this collection. The third track is titled “Suenos” (Dreams). Track 7 is “Overtime” and track #10 is “Best of Me.” These tunes caught my attention due to their unique sound and structure. You can surely detect the blues and Mexican folk influences, but the female vocals remind one a bit of Sergio Mendes and Brasil ‘66. And that, in my book, is a good thing.

Check this one out — fans of roots and world music should love it. I did!  

This is the story of a place that is a place, but also a state of mind where people come from around the world to build their lives… to rise above. People give up what they were to become something new, believing that if you work hard you can make a better life for yourself and your children. But there are those who think they own this idea, this state of mind, this place and try to keep others out But when people believe that they and they alone hold the key to a dream is when the dream begins to die because this dream is not a birthright. It is the shared belief that working together we all rise above.

http://www.themockingbirds.info/horizon/index.php

The Deen boys were in town yesterday evening to promote their new book titled “Take It Easy.” Paula’s sons have been doing quite well on their own – thanks to their uber-famous Southern Mama. The guys turned out to be friendly and very down to earth. Bobby was kind enough to pose for a photo and chat a bit with my son Travis. Travis wants to be a Food Network chef when he grows up, so it was a thrill for him. Thanks, Bobby!

The above is one of 3 Deen Boys cookbooks now in release

Taking some questions from the audience

Last night’s appearance took place in the scenic French Quarter courtyard in downtown Fairhope. The event was hosted by the wonderful Page & Palette bookstore here in town. Panini Pete’s, perhaps our favorite Fairhope eatery, provided some culinary assistance. They prepared a couple recipes from the Deen’s latest book including a Three Bean Ham Salad and some little Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwiches. The guys fielded questions from a rather large crowd on hand. Most of the audience was female and in the 45-65 age group. They asked a lot of questions about Paula … as you might imagine. “Is she as sweet as she seems?” YES. “Does she have a cholesterol problem?” NO. “Where is she today?” PHILLY. “When did you last talk to her?” THIS MORNING.  

The Deens with a hard-working Panini Pete’s employee

The Deen’s had been on the PR trail for about a week now and were looking forward to returning home to Savannah. It was a fun evening but quite sticky in the Lower Alabama humidity. No, Fall has not reached us yet!

To order the Deen Brothers latest book, go to:

http://www.amazon.com/reader/0345513266?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=sib%5Fdp%5Fpt#noop

After driving past it many times, we finally ducked into Danny’s Fried Chicken in Fairhope for a taste of bird. What we found was a mixed bag of offerings – some good, some not so good. Can we strongly endorse it? No. Will we be back? Probably not. Read ahead & decide your own course of action.

First of all, the sign reads GREAT fried chicken. Not good … or delicious. GREAT! In reality, it’s average at best. Nothing the least bit unique about it. I liked the baked chicken on the lunch buffet far more than I enjoyed the fried variety. It was moist with a nicely seasoned skin and a few sliced sweet onions on top. Even looked homemade! 

As you can see from the above image, it’s sort of a dingy little place from the outside. It was actually bordering on dirty on the interior. The trays they provide for transporting the chow to your table were, well, pretty darn nasty. Nothing special about the place on the inside either. Sort of depressing, honestly.

The chunky potato salad at Danny’s was pretty good, while the cole slaw was thick and heavy with way too much mayo. Yuck! The biscuits (I would call them rolls) were also nothing to write home about. The fried okra was straight from the freezer and the fries were the crinkle cut, SYSCO style that you find everywhere. Not a lot of TLC shown around here.

On the bright side, the green beans were nice & smoky and the peach cobbler really hit the spot for dessert (although finding the canned sliced peaches inside the cobbler was like playing a game of “Where’s Waldo?”) 

Danny’s has several locations along the Central Gulf Coast, but why bother, folks? You can get better fried chicken and fixins at Popeye’s or KFC. 

OK, so there I have said it. Been there, done that. Turn the page.

Baked some of these babies up earlier today. Really, really good.

It’s the nutty little pecan chunks that make these wafers special.

The product comes in a frozen tube – much like cookie dough. Cut off just what you need (slice ‘em about 1/8″ thick) and save the rest for later. Can’t beat that right out of the oven freshness. And don’t worry about them sticking to the cookie sheet. The wafers are made with at least 35% cheese and slide right off like a much tastier version on an air hockey puck.

I hope to tour the facility in the not too distant future. Stay tuned!

Susan Thompson and Barkley Shreve began producing Mamie’s Famous Cheese Wafers in Mobile, Alabama in November, 2003. These two good friends are thrilled to share this old family recipe for cheese wafers with you! Busy cooks will appreciate the convenience of these frozen slice-and-bake hors d’oeuvres, which are baked at home to guarantee a delicious homemade taste and aroma. Keep several rolls in the freezer for surprise guests, holiday gatherings, hostess gifts, football parties or any occasion when you want to serve a home-baked treat. We hope you enjoy eating your cheese wafers as much as we enjoyed making them!

Mamie’s Famous Cheese Wafers are frozen ready-to-bake cheese flavored snacks with not less than 35 percent real cheddar cheese by weight. The cheese wafers are packaged as a 14 ounce roll of frozen dough wrapped in FDA-approved polyethylene. There are no preservatives. The dough must be kept frozen until used. This delicious hors d’oeuvre is perfect for entertaining or snacking. The tantalizing aroma of cheese wafers instantly creates a festive atmosphere. Keep several rolls in the freezer for surprise guests, holiday gatherings, hostess gifts, football parties or any occasion when you want to serve a home-baked treat. We hope you enjoy eating your cheese wafers as much as we enjoyed making them.

www.mamieswafers.com

Manci’s Antique Club in Daphne, AL serves up a spicy Jezebel sauce on one of it’s burger specials. It adds a blend of sweetness and bite – thanks to a mix of mustard, fruit preserves, and horseradish. Folks who love the more readily available Red Pepper Jelly should dig it .

Here’s some history on the sauce and a few recipe variations …

Jezebel sauce is a spicy sauce (like Jezebel herself) that contains pineapple preserves, apple jelly, horseradish, and mustard. The Jezebel sauce (or glaze) is often served over ham. A Southern origin of this dish seems certain, with Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida all putting in claims.

Jezebel Sauce

You find it in cookbooks from Louisiana back to the 1950s at least, and it probably goes back farther than that. Jezebel sauce can be served as a side to pork, beef, or chicken, or it can be poured over cream cheese and eaten like a dip with crackers.

1 (10 oz ) jar pineapple or apricot preserves
1 (10 oz ) jar apple jelly
1/3 cup prepared horseradish
1/4 cup dry mustard,
2 teaspoons finely ground black pepper

Place ingredients in food processor and pulse until smooth. Spoon into clean glass jars. Cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Here’s another one …

26 October 1958, Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard, “‘Mrs. Kansas’ Is a Cooking Whiz: Treats from the Sunflower State,” This Week magazine, pg. 34:
Jezebel Sauce
1 cup apple jelly
1/2 cup pineapple preserves
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1 to 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
Salt and freshly ground pepper

And another …

21 November 1967, Pontiac (IL) Daily Leader, pg. 19, col. 1:
Jezebel Sauce
1 jar pineapple preserves
1 jar apple jelly
1 jar Bahama or Coleman mustard
1 bottle fresh horseradish (or less to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix well in electric mixer.
Blend first 4 ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with baked ham or meat loaf. Yield: about 2 cups sauce.

8 March 1989, Elyria (OH) Chronicle-Telegram, pg. F2, cols. 4-5:
Jezebel Sauce is the wonderful name for an hors d’oeuvre recipe combining pineapple, horseradish and other ingredients served over cream cheese, requested by a Miami Beach reader. Quite a few readers wrote to praise the recipe—and while I was dubious about the combination of flavors, I have to agree that this is an addicting cracker spread.

“I first tried it many years ago,” wrote Joan Lang. “The recipe is from ‘Sunny Side Up,’ the excellent cookbook published by the Junior League of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The recipe is always a hit, and people wonder what’s in it. It’s so fast and easy and keep in the refrigerator for a long time. I like to keep some on hand to serve with ham.”

JEZEBEL SAUCE
1 10-ounce jar pineapple preserves
1 10-ounce jar apple jelly
1 1.12-ounce tin dry mustard
1 5-ounce jar horseradish, drained
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
Combine the preserves, jelly, mustard and horseradish, mixing thoroughly. Pour over the block of cream cheese and serve with crackers. Makes about 2 cups.

24 August 2005, Biloxi (MS) Sun Herald, “On the Trail of Jezebel Sauce” by Andrea Yeager, pg. C11:
Is Jezebel Sauce a Mississippi creation? Rodney Simmons of Bell Buckle Country Store in Tennessee wants to know. His company recently began producing Jezebel Sauce, and he would like to know the origin of the sauce. He has traced the recipe’s history to the Gulf Coast. “I thought it was Creole or Cajun, but after a recent conversation with Paul Prudhomme, we think that it originated on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, around Gulfport,” Simmons said.

Why the name Jezebel? Well, this spicy video may hold the answer …

(Trademark)
Word Mark – JEZEBEL’S SAUCE
Goods and Services IC 030. US 046. G & S: SAUCES, EXCLUDING CRANBERRY SAUCE AND APPLESAUCE. FIRST USE: 19820706. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19820706
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Serial Number 73542408
Filing Date June 11, 1985
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition November 5, 1985
Change In Registration CHANGE IN REGISTRATION HAS OCCURRED
Registration Number 1380667
Registration Date January 28, 1986
Owner (REGISTRANT) PEPPER PATCH, INC. CORPORATION TENNESSEE 1250 OLD HILLSBORO ROAD FRANKLIN TENNESSEE 37064
Attorney of Record JORDAN S. KELLER
Disclaimer NO CLAIM IS MADE TO THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO USE “SAUCE” APART FROM THE MARK AS SHOWN
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Affidavit Text SECT 15. SECT 8 (6-YR). SECTION 8(10-YR) 20060609.
Renewal 1ST RENEWAL 20060609
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

I just found this interesting little nugget on the web …

Bakers who live in the small Virginia town of Warrenton (pop. 8,877) have an especially sweet life. They can walk into Rhodes Gift and Fly Shop on Main Street and pick up a bottle of freshly made, secret-recipe vanilla extract.

The story of how this came to be starts with pharmacist J.W. Rhodes, who devised the formula and began selling his own extract in 1938, at his Rhodes Drug Store. It was only available during the late fall and winter holidays, when the need to make cakes and cookies was at its peak. It was packaged in medicinal bottles that made it seem like a tonic for whatever might ail a pudding or eggnog. Rhodes kept the recipe to himself, and started a tradition that has lasted more than 70 years.

After he died, a man named Russell Herring owned the store (from the mid-1960s to mid-’70s); he inherited the recipe and kept making the extract. Warrenton resident Duane Thompson worked at the drug store as a pharmacist for a few of those years, moved away and returned to buy it in 1976. The extract has been solely his to produce since then. One other person knows the recipe, he says, but that person’s promised not to tell.

Due to demand, Thompson began making it year-round, but always in small batches. When visitors came through and bought bottles of extract to use at home, a small mail-order business was born. He remembers when “a lady from Seattle called me and asked, ‘Can you send me six bottles?’ ” He did. A short time later, she called and ordered six more; she was giving them to her friends as gifts. “Then she sent me the check and a nice box of chocolates,” he says.

Thompson “semi-retired” in 2005; the Rhodes Drug Store ceased to be. The gift shop that had been upstairs moved downstairs and store manager Amy Leach bought the place in January 2009. “People walked in with checkbooks when they found out I was closing,” he says. “They were ready to buy every bottle I had left.”

The gift shop offered to sell the extract for him, so Thompson agreed to keep making it, maintaining his exclusive, one-man operation. Customers have asked for other flavors (non-negotiable) and for clear vanilla extract to make white wedding cakes and confections (he will leave out the caramel coloring, upon request). He reckons his annual production was more than 80 gallons, and slightly more than half that now.

The bottles are plastic, still medicinal-looking, and can be found in a homey basket at the store’s front counter with a sign that says, “Rhodes Drug Store Famous Vanilla Extract.” Google doesn’t know much about it.

Thompson lists five ingredients on the label: vanilla, glycerin, caramel, water, alcohol. (In comparison, a bottle of Nielsen-Massey’s Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract lists water, alcohol, sugar and vanilla bean extractives.) “Dusty’s original recipe card had ‘cumadin’ [a drug used to thin the blood] written on it,” he says. “It might have been a flavor enhancer. But I guess that ingredient was dropped long ago.” The ex-pharmacist will be 62 in December, but sounds like a politely stubborn kid when pressed about the main ingredient. Is it the scrapings from vanilla beans grown in Tahiti? Common chemicals?

“I have a supplier,” is all he’ll say about that. “I had to get a special permit from Virginia to get the grain alcohol, though. And this stuff is nasty to taste all by itself.” Kept in a cool dark place, Thompson says his extract can remain potent for half a decade.

Leach is a devoted fan. She uses his vanilla extract in cooking and baking, to flavor her coffee and in oatmeal. “It’s really good, and the price makes it a deal,” she says. “It tastes genuine to me.” Thompson has stuck a small list of suggested uses in the gift shop basket that include placing a drop of extract on top of a light bulb; the heat from the bulb will “send out” the fragrance. A dash added to a can of paint will take away the paint’s strong smell. And so on.

Unscrew the cap and the aroma is instantly there — not as insistent or harsh as imitation vanilla, not as complex and deep as pricey imported extract. The color’s a soft brown, and the consistency seems soft, too; the extract clings ever so slightly to the lip of a measuring spoon. It flavors a pound cake and panna cotta admirably. Sold at relatively bargain price for vanilla extract, it’s easy to see why people want Thompson to continue making it. Plus, a bit of Virginia-grown, locally made pride is always in style.

Rhodes Drug Store Compound Extract Vanilla, $7 for eight ounces, available at Rhodes Gift and Fly Shop, 77 Main St., Warrenton, 540-347-4162. (It is sold at the store on consignment.) To order by mail, call 540-270-7412; also available at Remington Drug Store (540-439-3247) in Remington, Va.