BY ANN CIPPERLY
As I look back over the past 15 years of my food column being in The Observer, starting with the first issue, I am reminded of many wonderful cooks who have shared their recipes, as well as spending busy days looking through my own recipe files. The best part has always been sitting in a feature cook’s home listening to their family’s traditions and history in gathering together to celebrate good times at the table.
I was attending a neighborhood coffee when I heard Jane and Calvin Rhodes talking about a group of Opelikans who were starting a newspaper. Although I was writing for a magazine, I thought it would be interesting to write for a newspaper again. I had been a newspaper lifestyle, food and entertainment editor for 15 years. During that time, I also wrote a weekly food column called Southern Gourmet.
The Rhodes told me to call Charles Whatley about the paper. I knew Charles and Ann for years, and they were familiar with my work. I called Charles, who told me to go see Jayson Hill at the office and tell him he said to hire me.
The office at that time was in the former Woolworth’s space. Growing up in Opelika, I remember going in the store many times as a child and later in high school. As Jayson and I talked, he wanted to know about my experience. We decided I would write a weekly food column and features.
I went home to decide quickly what to call the new column and assemble recipes for the first issue. The first issue was about my mother and grandmother being outstanding southern cooks. Although I lived away for almost eight years after marrying, my heart will always treasure the dishes of the southland.
I met my husband Don when he was attending Auburn University. Our backgrounds were completely different. He was from New York and had lived in various places, including Europe when his father worked for Radio Free Europe. Don had graduated high school in Long Island, New York, when his father accepted a position at the Red Stone Arsenal.
With the Vietnam War not going well, Don decided to join the Marine Corps. We got married and moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By this time his parents had moved to Manhattan as his father just finished work at NASA in Germany.
After spending many weekends in Manhattan dining at fine restaurants, I began learning a great deal about gourmet cooking and other cuisines. Don’s mother was an excellent gourmet cook and had collected recipes from extensive travels. I began making copies of all of her recipes and reading cookbooks. All of this was developing my intense interest in cooking and learning as much as I could.
In between having three children in the next eight years, I had developed a huge collection of recipes that I cooked during their naps and after they went to bed. As toddlers, they would be in the kitchen with me, stirring a wooden spoon around a plastic bowl like they were cooking too (one became a chef).
By the time I talked Don into returning to Opelika, I had so many recipes that I began wondering what I was going to do with all of them. However, it didn’t stop me from experimenting and developing more.
When I noticed a local paper didn’t have recipes, I felt God leading me to write about food. I resisted, but finally took samples to Millard Grimes, who hired me. The first columns were about fancy crepes, tortes and recipes that probably didn’t interest many people. It became more interesting when I began writing about other cooks in the community.
Over the years, I have been blessed to travel extensively, which was also an education in good food and cooking.
With Southern Gourmet going and the kids in school, I became an assistant in the Living department and a short three months later was offered the editor’s position. That required a great deal of prayer. From laying out papers with blue ink for the composing room to laying out pages on computers, taking photos and writing features, it was exhausting. I needed a break, but then God was calling me back.
With 15 years of the other food column packed away in tubs, I began writing Southern Hospitality. Although I ran a lot of my own recipes, especially during the pandemic, I have enjoyed visiting other cooks and hearing their story and traditions.
Over the past 15 years, I have visited with many wonderful cooks and never missed a week sending in the column except for a time in the fall of 2010. I had been sick for months, and things weren’t looking so good. When surgery was scheduled at UAB, I knew I needed to take a short leave to recover.
After learning I had a rare stage four cancer, I was sent to an oncologist, who said she couldn’t do anything for me. She wanted me to take anti-depression med since it was going to be a “rocky ride.”
I will forever be thankful God already had another plan. Although it was very rare, God opened the door for me to meet two other people with the same cancer, who had found a doctor. Instead of being devastating, God provided a miracle.
Two of my feature cooks were on similar journeys going to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. When one of those friends and I discovered we were going to be there at the same time, we planned to meet. I was there on that day, but my friend wasn’t. It was the day of her funeral and one of the saddest days on that “rocky ride.”
Several other feature cooks have passed away over the past 15 years. I still make their recipes and think of them every time.
We will all have storms to walk through, which is why it is important to make the best of every day. Don’t wait to plan a gathering with family and friends. Forget that the carpet needs replacing, you don’t have nice dishes or that the yard needs work. Everything will never be perfect. People will enjoy whatever you offer and just being with you.
I have had a great time at people’s homes eating something simple, such as a hot dog on a paper plate. I never noticed the yard or how the interior looked. We were sitting around the table telling stories and laughing. This is what hospitality is all about.
With the holidays coming up, now is a great time to plan on offering hospitality. Just use whatever dishes you have, and cook what your family enjoys. To make hospitality failproof, gather a few recipes together that you can make ahead and maybe freeze a casserole or dessert. Set the table a day ahead. Then, all you have to do is warm the prepared dishes and serve them buffet style.
I have been blessed to meet so many wonderful cooks in the community and share their story and recipes. I would like to tell about every special one, but there wouldn’t be space.
The following recipes are a sampling from over the years. I couldn’t pick favorites as it would take the entire paper to run.
Mini Cheesecake Roll-ups with Cinnamon
Ann Cipperly
These are wonderful to keep in the freezer for teas, brunch or any occasion.
1 loaf very thin white bread (Pepperidge Farm)
Two 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup or more butter, melted
Trim crusts from bread. Roll flat with rolling pin.
Mix cream cheese and sugar. Spread two teaspoons filling on each slice of bread. Roll up.
Combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
Dip each roll in melted butter, then roll in brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place on cookie sheet. Neatly trim edges of each roll (if desired) and cut in half. Chill or freeze until ready to use.
Bake on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Good warm or room temperature.
These freeze well. Freeze rolls before baking. Great to keep on hand to quickly bake to serve with a cup of tea or coffee.
Pear Salad with Bue Cheese and Sugared Walnuts
Nancy Whatley
10 oz. bag of baby spinach
1 ripe Bartlett pear, cored and thinly sliced (you might place it in a paper sack to ripen before you make the salad)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4 oz. pkg. crumbled blue cheese
Sugared Curried Walnuts
Maple-cider vinaigrette
Sugared Curried Walnuts:
6 oz. pkg. walnut halves
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. curry powder
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
Toss walnuts (or pecans) in melted butter. Stir together sugar and next four ingredients in a medium bowl; sprinkle over walnuts, tossing to coat. Spread in a single layer on a nonstick aluminum foil-lined pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack; separate walnuts with a fork. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Maple-Cider
Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tsp. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2/3 cup olive oil
Whisk together first 5 ingredients. Gradually whisk in oil until completely blended. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Salad assembly:
Combine first 5 ingredients of salad in a large bowl. Drizzle with Maple-Cider Vinaigrette, gently toss to coat. Sprinkle walnuts over top and serve. Serves 8 and is beautiful in a trifle bowl.
Marinated Pork Tenderloin or Pork Loin with Apricot Mustard Sauce
Martha Hicks
1 cup red wine
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup canola oil
Chopped garlic
Chopped fresh rosemary
Black pepper
Combine ingredients. For pork tenderloin, marinate for three or four hours and for a pork loin, marinate over night or all day.
Grill pork tenderloin on medium heat, turning for about 20 to 30 minutes.
For a pork loin, place on grill to brown and then finish tightly covered in a slow oven at 325 degrees until desired doneness.
Apricot Mustard Sauce:
1 small jar apricot preserves or orange marmalade
¼ cup grainy mustard
¼ stick butter
Lemon juice
Heat all together until butter is melted. Serve with pork.
Foolproof Beef Tenderloin with Mustard Horseradish
Tiffany Denson
1 (4-5 lb.) whole beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied
Vegetable oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Coarse kosher salt
*Note: Sometimes I add fresh, chopped rosemary to the salt and pepper.
Remove beef from refrigerator and allow to rest for 30 minutes before roasting. Preheat oven to 500 degrees and position rack to center.
Rub meat lightly with oil using your hands. Coat tenderloin well with salt and pepper. Place beef in a shallow roasting pan.
Put in oven and reduce temperature to 450 degrees and roast for 20 to 30 minutes (22 minutes for rare and 25 minutes for medium rare). Remove meat from oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Remove string and slice. Serves 8 to 10 for a seated dinner.
Mustard Horseradish Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard
3-4 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
½ cup sour cream, not light
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Whisk together all ingredients and serve at room temperature. Can be made ahead.
Chicken Piccata
Janine Simmons
6 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Flour
1 tsp. rosemary, optional
½ cup lemon juice
¾ cup chicken broth (I usually double the liquid)
1 jar capers
1 lb. angel hair pasta
Pound chicken breasts and cut in half. In a frying pan over medium heat, sauté mushrooms and garlic in 1 Tbsp. butter and garlic for 3 to 5 minutes; remove from pan. Sprinkle chicken with flour, salt and pepper. Brown 3 to 5 minutes on each side in butter and olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary.
Remove from pan; add lemon juice and chicken broth. Add chicken and mushrooms and heat through. Serve with pasta. Sprinkle with capers.
Portabella Mushrooms with Spinach and Artichoke Filling
Ursula Higgins
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
6 medium portabella mushroom caps
Scrape out gills and season with:
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 minced garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
Put oil side up and bake until tender, about 10 minutes.
6 oz softened cream cheese
5 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. fresh thyme
Stir together.
15 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 1/2 cans 14 oz. artichokes (whole or quartered)
Salt and pepper
Add to above cheese mixture and fill mushroom caps.
2 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme
3/4 cup panko crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
Combine these in a bowl. Sprinkle on top. Bake until filling is golden brown and hot, about 10 minutes.
Gratin of Yukon Gold Potatoes with Bacon
Linda Letlow
12 oz. bacon slices, chopped
2½ cups whipping cream
1½ cups whole milk
3 ½ lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 13 x 9 baking dish. Cook bacon until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels and drain.
Mix cream and milk in a 4 cup measuring cup. Layer 1/3 of potatoes in baking dish, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Top potatoes with 1/3 cheese and 1/3 of bacon. Pour 1 cup cream mixture over. Repeat layering.
Top with remaining potatoes. Sprinkle with ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. pepper, remaining cheese and bacon. Pour remaining cream mixture over.
Bake gratin uncovered until potatoes are tender and cream mixture thickens, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. You can prepare this a day ahead. Refrigerate and reheat covered with foil in a 375 oven for about 30 minutes.
Nana’s Caramel Pound Cake
Peggy Dyar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Caramel Frosting
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Beat sugars and butter at medium speed until blended. Add oil, and beat until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour batter into a greased and floured tube pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, remove from pan, and cool on wire rack. Drizzle with Caramel Frosting.
Caramel Frosting:
1 box light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
5-oz. evaporated milk
Dash of salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring often. Boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat; add baking powder and vanilla. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 5-7 minutes or until thickened. Drizzle quickly over cake.
Marinated Olives
Debbie Purves
1 pint Kalamata olives
1 pint green olives
1 large yellow onion, sliced
4 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup extra vinegar olive oil
2 tsp. dried thyme
3 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. fresh cracked pepper
3 tsp. kosher salt
Mix all ingredients together and marinate in the refrigerator for several days. May be served chilled or warmed accompanied with a good crusty bread.
Chuck’s Mom’s Red Beans and Rice
Chuck Beams
2 lbs. Conecuh smoked sausage, sliced into small pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sage
2 bay leaves
4 cans dark red beans
Rice, hot sauce
Cook sausage in large saucepan or Dutch oven; set aside. Sauté onion, pepper and garlic in sausage grease.
Remove sausage to pan; add seasonings and beans. Simmer for 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Serve over rice with your favorite hot sauce.
Crab and Corn Bisque
Kim Hudson
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup chopped green pepper
2 cans cream of potato soup
1 can creamed corn
1 can corn
1½ cups half and half
1½ cups milk
2 bay leaves
½ tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. hot sauce
1 lb. crabmeat
Sauté celery, green onions and pepper in butter.
Add potato soup, corn, half and half, milk baby leaves, thyme and pepper.
Cook until thoroughly heated. Gently stir in crab.
Discard bay leaves before serving.