OPINION —
In this column, I have explained many times how much I dislike cooking but love eating.
Also, I have shared my cooking catastrophes such as setting the stove eye on fire and grabbing an iron skillet’s handle, which was still very hot. At least on the latter occasion, I learned that iron retains heat much longer than other skillets do, so I am careful about touching them without an oven mitt.
Recently, I visited Chef Jim Sikes, an expert in the culinary arts. Sikes owned Jimmy’s in Opelika for 10 years; at the time, I lived in LaGrange and didn’t know about the restaurant.
I wish I had had the opportunity to dine at Jimmy’s; people tell me it was a wonderful restaurant. In addition, he has written about cooking and taught cooking classes for many years; therefore, it’s safe to say that Jim creates culinary masterpieces in his kitchen while I manage to make messes in mine.
Besides being a culinary arts expert, Jim was recently honored for being “a longtime arts advocate and East Alabama Chorale founder with the dedication of a white oak tree in recognition of his decades of service to Opelika and the arts community.” The tree was planted at the Barbara Patton Southside Center for the Arts. This was a well-deserved honor for a very gifted Opelika native. But I digress.
The day I came to one of Chef Jim’s cooking classes, I was joined by Jesse, John, Mary Ann, Fred and Miss Aimee, Chef Jim’s charming wife and adept assistant.
This particular cooking class was titled “Summer Delights.” These light dishes were designed to help us cool off during Alabama’s brutal summers but can be prepared at any time of the year.
Jim first shared how to prepare Raita Cucumber Soup, which was a cool, refreshing dish for summer.
The next dish was Tomato Chow Chow served with Cornbread. I really enjoyed the sweet, crunchy taste of this Southern dish. I said that it would be great on black-eyed peas; I’m not a big fan of peas, so I love to dress them up with Chow Chow. Jim said it would also be good on hot dogs; I heartily agreed.
Chef Jim then introduced us to his Roasted Red Pepper Cheese. He said that it was a different way to make pimento cheese because you use roasted red peppers instead of pimentos. It was very tasty and was served with crackers. Jim highly recommended Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, agreeing with the seasoning’s motto, “Great on Everything.”
The next dish was fruit and shrimp salad. It was really delicious and would cool you down from 92 degrees to 72 degrees after just a few bites.
Chef Jim’s last dish was an Okra, Corn and Tomato Quiche. As the French say, it was the pièce de résistance, or according to Google AI, “the most important, impressive or outstanding feature of something.” Or, as my people say, it was slap your grandma two times good. I enjoyed devouring that delicious slice.
Jim, this review was for you. Thank you for being so kind and patient with this catastrophic cook. Miss Aimee, you and your beautiful cat Belle, always make me feel so welcome in your home.
If you are interested in learning to cook delightfully delicious dishes, email Jim Sikes at jimsikes1@gmail.com.
Believe me, your stomach will thank you.
Stacey Patton Wallace, who retired from teaching language arts for 30 years, is a professional diner. Her column, “Making the Grade,” will appear every other week in The Observer. Stacey may be reached at retiredlangartsteacher2020@gmail.com.
