A Beautiful Gift from Sidney

As many of you know, Kitty's father Sidney passed away recently. He had been ill for quite some time, but the end of great lives is always a sad occasion. He and Lynn had recently moved from a house in the country, out side of Drew, Mississippi, to a house in the big city of Cleveland, Mississippi. The new house was right next door to the library (where Lynn works) and right behind the Episcopal church. If they had a grocery store and a wine shop in the same block, they would have never needed a car, except to take the dogs to the vet. They kept the old place near Drew and today, Kitty, Lynn and I made the trip out there to pick up some furniture and other odds and ends. I managed to throw my back out lifting the first piece for furniture and luckily it was the only heavy one. JT, a big man in his 60's who had once worked for Sidney, did the rest of the heavy lifting and even managed to whip a nest of wasps into a real frenzy while removing a window unit a/c.

This was the first time Kitty and I had been out to the old house since they had moved. I felt a deep sense of regret that I hadn't had the opportunity to go back out there with Sidney and dig up a truckload of the native plants that were all around the place. While I was gingerly moving some sticks out of the way for the moving van, I spotted some wild garlic plants and asked Lynn if I could pull up a few. She told me to take all I wanted and I ignored the searing pain in my back as I pulled up about two dozen plants. They were still a little green and milky, but I figured I wouldn't have the opportunity to get back up there any time soon. We loaded them in the back of the moving van, next to the bed, the mattress, the dishwasher and the formerly wasp-filled window units and made one more walk around the old place. Kitty cut a few branches off of the big Bay Tree behind the shed and I spotted an anvil that I would seriously like to have in my workshop. Kitty got her bays home. I had to leave the anvil for another trip.

When we got home, Stuart, Kitty and I cut the bulbs and tops from the garlic and stuck them in some loose soil in the big planter on the porch. I know the bulbs will take root and I hope some of the tops will do the same. While separating the tops and the roots, I noticed that the lower half of the stalks were quite tender. I bit into one of them to check for bitterness and was delighted to find that they had bright, yet earthy taste like a cross between a ramp, a green onion and garlic. We were so tired from moving that we had discussed getting takeout for supper, but the taste of the wild garlic changed my mind. Instead of some protein-in-a-box nightmare, I got in to the kitchen and whipped up a hearty soup with the garlic stalks as the star.

As you can see, it turned out beautiful. Thanks Sidney.

Bon Appetit
~Tom

Mexican Adventure

Stuart's graduation practice was this morning and I figured he was deserving of a break when he finished around 11:30. When I asked Stuart if he was in the mood for authentic Mexican tacos, he enthusiastically replied YES!

Kitty and I recently learned about a trio of taquerias in Ridgeland, Mississippi just past County Line Road. Earlier in the week, accompanied by we tried Taqueria Guadalupe and Carneceria Valdez. Both were fantastic, but we preferred Carneceria Valdez because of the presentation of limes and radishes along with the trio of sauces. We also liked the fact that when you ordered your tacos, you saw the butcher/cook grab a handful of meat and run to the back, emerging minutes later with a basket of steamy goodness. We attempted to sample all three that day, but La Morena is open every day but Tuesday (the day we visited).

So today, with Stuart in-tow, we went directly to La Morena to complete our taqueria tour. It was certainly worth the wait. When we waled in the door and I spotted one of the cooks mashing a ball of corn meal in a tortilla press, I knew we made the right choice. Stuart ordered two tacos (one beef, one pork) and a Mexican Coke, which he had never had before. Kitty also got two tacos (one beef, one chicken) and a Mineragua and I upped the ante with three tacos (one pork, one chorizo, one tongue) and a Tamarind Soda. All were served with the traditional sprinkling of white onions and fresh cilantro and a wedge of lime.

All of the tacos were delightful, but the chorizo was my favorite. The singular thing that made La Morena stand head and shoulders above the other two places was the fresh tortillas. There is no way to duplicate this flavor with commercial brands and with the taco, the tortilla is the star. This star was a supernova. The edges were rough and rustic, the feel was firm with the grain of the corn retaining its texture. I could really appreciate the aroma of the corn as the steam rose up from the tortiallas to greet my nose. The meats were well seasoned and expertly cooked, retaining their moisture. The three fresh-made sauces offered a great variety from the bright and tart green one, the fiery hot orange one to the smoky red one. They each had their own distinct characteristics and I would have been happy to have any one of them.

After we ate, I visited with the owner while we browsed through the selection of boots, cowboy shirts and Mexican grocery items in the back. When we first arrived, I saw a young boy (her son) get very excited when one of the cooks emerged from the back part of the kitchen with a steaming bowl of meatballs. I asked her about them and she explained that each day she has a different special and that today's was a braised meatball. Although we were full from the tacos, I had to give one of these a try.

I went back to the service counter and asked about the meatballs. The cook flashed a big smile and brought me a bowl of rice with two meatballs, topped with a rich tomato and tamarind sauce. i called to the back for Kitty and Stuart to try this with me. I regretted that I had to share. They were one of the best things I've ever had, and that is saying a lot. The meat was well seasoned, but no overly so and each ball contained a little surprise in the center...a quarter of a boiled egg. The sauce was the perfect silky consistency and had small slices of carrot and garlic. When the cook saw how happy we were, she brought out a little more rice and sauce along with three steaming, fresh tortillas. We ate every bite and sopped up the last bits of sauce with the last pieces of tortilla.

When we left, Stuart proclaimed that he would never even bother with Mexican food anywhere else and debated whether he would tell his friends about La Morena or just keep it as his own little secret.

I wanted him to try the chicharones at Valdez so we made a quick stop there and picked up a half pound to enjoy on the ride home. Kitty REALLY loves chicharones, but we were so full that some of them managed to make it home, where they were devoured by Zak after school.

I can recommend any of these three spots, but the best is clearly La Morena. Just remember that they are closed on Tuesday and they don't accept credit cards. Oh yea, and save some room for the candied fruit.

Bon Appetit

~Tom

Have I ever mentioned how much I love chicken thighs?

You're probably sick of hearing this, but I really do love chicken thighs. I used them in a Ragout for one of the TV segments this week and I cooked them low and slow with wine tonight. Earlier in the week, I boned them and made Chicken Thighs Stuffed with Bacon Squash and Cheese. About two weeks ago, I grilled them with a little pecan wood and served them with julienned zucchini and squash. If I could make a hair gel out of them, I would wear them on my head.

Kitty voted that the thighs cooked in wine tonight (and served with a blender sauce made from the pan drippings, the veggies, some cream and a bit of butter) were the best thing she has eaten all year.

Here are the photos. If you want any of the recipes, just shoot me an email tom@tomramsey.com

Bon Appetit!
~Tom

Chicken Thighs Braised in Wine

Boneless Chicken Thighs with Cheese Sauce and Bacon, Squash and Onion Stuffing

Pecan Grilled Chicken Thighs

A Very Long Trip

Yesterday, I got out of bed at the unholy hour of 4:00AM, grabbed a quick shower, brewed up a shot of Cuban coffee and hit the road. If I'm going to keep up the efforts to launch my culinary career, I have to occasionally do some real work in the lobbying/government relations world. Yesterday was one of those days. I had a meeting in Carrolton, GA with the Mayor and the City Manager to discuss automated traffic enforcement. The meeting was scheduled for 11:30 and with the loss of an hour by traveling East, I had to get on the road by 4:30.

Around 10:00 I had to grab a little bite to eat to calm my coffee/Diet Coke sloshing stomach. I pulled into a truck stop and grabbed a couple packs of Nabs. When I was a "road warrior" traveling across the country selling cigars for my old brand, Avalon, I used to keep a stash of at least a dozen packs of Nabs in the glove box of my old Volvo. When someone would ask me about the stash I would reply, "Well...I don't have any gloves. Had to put something in there."

The Nabs held me over until the lunch meeting at the Carrolton Country Club (a very nice BLT and a cup of Loaded Potato Soup). The visit was a success and it looks like I'll be able to keep playing "Tom the Cook" for a little while longer. The ride home went by a little faster than the ride up and I made it back home in time to eat supper with Kitty and the kids. I was asleep by 9:30.

I don't miss being on the road all the time, but I do miss the satisfying, salty, crunchy goodness of the lowly Nab. I guess it just reminds me of when I was a kid traveling with my parents. Back then, seatbelts were purely ornamental and all three of us kids would fight over who got to stretch out on the speaker deck behind the back seat of Mom's Town Car. Mom and dad would be in the front seat, smoking their asses off with the windows rolled up and Neil Diamond on the 8-track. Sweet Caroline...good times never seemed so good...