Without a doubt I suspected loquats would marry well with Grill Man’s Snapper on the Half Shell. Great time to experiment since it will only be the two of us. Each day after work, Mennu and I do a walk about the yard on our way to pick loquats.

The natural setting is healthy for both of us. Thankfully Mother Nature allows the loquats to ripen at different times which is very helpful. Produce waits for no one. It’s ready when it’s ready.

Sweet and savory cooking ideas for loquats

This stready stream of loquats all at once creates a dilemma of sorts. How many loquats may you pick and eat in a week? In the beginning you are joyful for the fruit and whip up a daily smoothie. Then you move to an easy dessert like my Sun Kiss Loquat Cobbler. Next, I adapted my version of ice cream which I based on my Eggnog and Persimmon Icy Cream. Creating a dessert is easy when working with fresh fruit.

Yet, loquats keep coming so my creative activities moved to the savory. I must say that this fruit is versatile and becomes a lovely addition to any recipe. The longer that I am quarantined Livin’ La Vida Loca the more my kitchen lab is in full swing. What would I create next?

Sun Kiss Loquat Sauce on Red Snapper

Happily, last Summer Grill Man secured red snapper for our freezer. On more than one occasion with friends he ventured out for a short trip. I joined the crew of the Strike Back with Captain Cali and spent a lovely day on the water.

Clearly besides fun in the sun the mission included locating 2 red snapper per person. With Grill Man’s fishing “honey hole” red snapper is available when “in season”. His snapper were beautiful and delivered lovely meals. To date our best meal occurred when he cooked the snapper throats.

Since our snapper throats had previously disappeared, it was time to cook a 4-5 pound slab of red snapper on the half shell. What is snapper on the half shell? When the fish is cleaned the scales and skin is left on one side. This scale side is then placed and cooked directly on the grill. This is a great way to preserve the fish while grilling and ensures moist fish.

Thankfully, he agreed to become a part of the Dining With Mimi kitchen lab. Plan consisted of the following:

Red Snapper on the Half Shell bathed in Mimi’s Sun Kiss Loquat Sauce

Green Egg Grill (regular grill could be used)

4-5# Slab Red Snapper in Half Shell
1/2 Cup Sun Kiss Loquat Sauce
Garlic Salt
Coarse Black Pepper
Olive oil
Aluminum Foil

Preheat Green Egg grill to about 300-350 degrees.

Place red snapper slab skin and scale side down on the tray. Drizzle 4 tablespoons olive oil on top of fish. Using a spoon spread olive oil around evenly on fish side only. Sprinkle well with garlic salt and cracked black pepper . Add 1/2 cup Sun Kiss Loquat Sauce to fish. Use spoon to lightly spread around evenly. Place fish directly on to the grill with skin and scale side down. Place a single sheet of foil on top of the fish without sealing in any manner. Foil is laying on top of fish as a sheet of paper would.

With the snapper slab this size it’s important not to over cook. Alternate cooking fish with lid closed for 5 minutes first. Then cook with lid up for 5 minutes. Repeat until the fish is ready. This will allow the grill to function so that its cooking but not overcooking. Also, you will be able to see what is happening. Fish will overcook quickly if you’re not watching closely enough. Our 4-5# slab of red snapper cooked in this manner for about 30 minutes.

Grill a slab of red snapper and baste it with my new Sun Kiss Loquat Sauce. I am pretty sure that this sauce would pair well with other types of fish or protein such as chicken or pork. At this point, I have not tried it but I am sure that the flavor profiles will blend well.

Let me know if you try this and the results, I would love to hear from you.

Shout out to Alexa for John Prine. April 7th he moved on to other pastures but he certainly left his mark on the world and music. Take a listen to his song titled, Fish and Whistle. It is available on you-tube if you don’t have that bossy Alexa.

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Of course, living near the Gulf Coast  with easy access to fresh seafood will spoil you for more than one reason. Being able to buy fresh shrimp, crawfish and  fresh catch fish is a luxury I adore. If  your landlocked and not as fortunate, most seafood markets will ship fresh or frozen seafood overnight. Trust me it is totally worth it.

Surprisingly, I have never cooked shrimp and grits. Yet I thought that it would be easy based on my love and familiarity  with the ingredients. What could go wrong with shrimp, butter, seasonings, shrimp stock, garlic and grits? Plus my grits were specially sourced from my Rural Alabama Trip To Inspire.

How to cook Spicy Gulf Shrimp Gravy, Andouille Sausage and Grits

As a rule, growing up Southern you  learn about grits early.  Since I am always trying to cut carbs I rarely cook grits. It is important for me to save carbohydrate allowance for my obsession, potato chips, Doritos, chili cheese fritos, ZAPS etc.   Thankfully, the grits package  will provide instructions. You will only need to read and follow directions.

All in all gravy requires more skill but you will manage it well. Spicy Gulf Shrimp Gravy, Andouille Sausage and Grits Recipe is easy to cook. At the same time, the hardest part of this recipe is peeling shrimp and making  stock. Great idea to recruit your man for peeling shrimp while you chop vegetables. Bribe him with a glass of wine or two if  you must. Trust me it is totally worth it.

Finally, shout out to Skate Mountain Records for Jimmy Lumpkin and The Revival  My Name is Love. I have only recently discovered this band but I love the soulful sound. Visit web site for tour dates and tunes. Trust me it is totally worth it.

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Read manual and learn to use Old or New pressure cooker

Our good friend Focus gave us “the magic pot” AKA electric pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer and rice cooker. I am still harboring a bit of hesitation when using the magic pot. I remember all too well my Mom displaying red beans on our ceiling from using her magic pot. The old-fashioned pressure valve was scary enough to watch, let alone listening to the wobbly noise spit and sputter.

This new cooking technology is great.  If you have one of these cookers, I would check the internet for a brand search to make sure you have a good brand.  While researching best pressure cooking tips, I discovered pressure cooker class action lawsuits and accidents. Elmer Fudd said “Be vewy vewy careful!”

Read the manual before you use.  I have used my device several times and I still read before using this device. In general, I am a big fan of all my body parts and want to avoid any accidents. Follow directions, be smart and don’t drink and pressure cook.

Drowning Seasoned Pork Roast in Yesterday’s Wine will give a great quick meal to serve alongside any vegetables. If you have access to French Bread,  heat it, slather it with mayonnaise, shredded lettuce and top with roasted pork. You can thank me later. A table of southern vegetables will marry well together with this pork roast.

Veggie Options to serve with Drowning Seasoned Pork Roast in Yesterday’s Wine

Here are a few vegetable recipes from earlier posts.

A Vegetable Medley of Fresh Flavor 

Flavorful Italian Green Beans

Beach Ready? New Fresh Potato Salad Recipe

Truly, a slow cooker is another easy way to cook a Roast and walk away from the stove.  Let me know what you think about this recipe, Easiest Meal Ever with Roast, Potatoes and Carrots.  

Whichever cooking method  you choose will make a delicious and tender meal for your family. Happy Cooking Y’all.

Shout out to Alexa for Jason Isbell for “Alabama Pines”.

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Of course, my Momma’n’em used a pressure cooker and I have a very healthy respect for this device. To the point of being in awe of anyone brave enough to use one. On more than one occasion during my childhood, I saw the effects of a pressure cooker that had “gone rogue”.

Rogue Pressure Cooker

Momma like to cook Creole Red Beans in her pressure cooker which had a giggly top otherwise known as pressure regulator. On more than one occasion Momma’s pressure cooker spewed Creole Red Beans on our ceiling. Clearly Momma had a hot-pot which failed to work correctly whether it was the pot or operator error.

Thankfully no one was ever injured from the rogue pressure cooker but it was probably only a matter of time. As a teenager viewing the red beans being cleaned off the ceiling and everywhere else was a sight. Momma’s rogue pressure cooker managed to leave a lasting impression on me. To the point that I have always been hesitant about using one.

Just the thought that I might wind up having to clean the ceiling pretty much does it for me. In  my house, it’s hard enough to keep the walls and floors clean, let alone washing the ceiling down. I have to admit the speed of a new electric pressure cooker minus the giggly top sounded positive. Yet, still not brave enough to buy.

Southern Girls Instant Pot Intro- Venison Cutlets

Until one day our friend Focus delivered a big, shiny new Instant Pot to us.  Great gift for a busy foodie even if she is a big ‘ole scaredy-cat.  Instant Pot whips up all sorts of yummy goodness. From venison cutlets to roasts, main dishes, stew, soup, rice, yogurt, dessert all cooked very fast. Quickly a roast is delivered to the point of submission and mouth-watering tender.

Speed alone is a reason to use. Warning: Read the manual before you start using your pressure cooker. Then read it again. Do not skip reading the manual because improper use may lead to worse things than red beans on the ceiling. Scaredy-cat reads the manual every time I use my magic machine.

Even then, I am a bit nervous as I follow all the steps.  Each new cooking phase adds a little more adventure to your evening meal. Instant Pot does not have a giggly top but it does click away while cooking. FYI probably not a good idea to have a glass of wine while using this device.

In my research I discovered class action lawsuits on certain brands of  pressure cookers and a new field called Pressure Cooker Injury Lawyers.  I imagine someone saying “Y’all watch this!” just before they did something really stupid.

Read the manual. Pay attention and save wine to drink with dinner for Southern Girls Instant Pot Intro- Venison Cutlets. A friend gave us venison and it turned out delicious in my brand new shiny but intimidating Instant Pot. If there is a deficit of venison in your freezer beef cutlets could be swapped out.  Alexa Shout out to Hank Williams Jr, A Country Boy Can Survive.

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Believe me when I say that I tried many times before  I called for backup and ordered a pizza. Creole Red Beans and Rice, Beef Stew with lots of vegetables, Persimmon Walnut Sticky Bread, Salmon Quiche, Pumpkin Bread and then some. Nothing brought a smile to his face.

Somewhere around week two, I started getting a complex . Grill Man requested Popeye’s red beans and rice. By this point  I really just wanted him to eat. Happy to buy the desired Popeye’s. His taste buds turned his nose up to this as well. Ha, I have to say I was relieved.

Use Turkey Carcass to support Waste Not Want Not

Despite the challenge, I kept cooking for my patient. Using turkey carcass creating white turkey chili was an answer to a prayer.  Finally, I managed to break thru the huge barrier  of the flipping flu wall and found something he would enjoy eating.

Chicken or turkey soup is good for what ails you or your patient. Although it’s not a miracle pill it will help your patient feel better. There is nothing better than a hot bowl of homemade soup on a cold wintry day. White Turkey Chili could also be made from a  rotisserie chicken. Follow the same method but swap chicken for turkey.

Using turkey carcass creating White Turkey Chili is part  of my Waste Not Want Not category. Using a turkey carcass offers great economy and a base for a healthy soup.  Homemade stocks are delicious, offer so much more flavor and health than store-bought stocks.  Yes they are more work but so worth the extra dose of love, flavor and benefits.

Shout out to Alexa for Harry Connick Jr, Recipe for Love. Great song Harry!

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My friend Sunshine and I made a date for her to serve as guest chef. Since we both hail from Louisiana, we love cooking and entertaining. Sunshine is a great cook and I love cooking with her. Our cooking sessions include stories and laughter.  In our conversations about family memories and meals, Sunshine mentioned one of her Grandmother’s favorites, Cabbage Dressing.

Is it stuffing or dressing?

Dressing as in cornbread or stuffing not salad dressing, clearly dressing is a very southern term. Have you heard of cabbage dressing? In my review of food,  I located a million cabbage dressings for coleslaw. After my research, I was ready for Sunshine to introduce me to her Grandmother’s cabbage dressing.

Sunshine’s Grandmother Iris B. Lemoine served Cabbage Dressing on her large southern antique table. You could always count on Iris’s table to include delicious food including calas. The Lemoine family home started in Cottonport Louisiana on the bayou. A southern home filled with love, antiques and a porch to host story-telling.

Iris’s family were German and migrated from Nova Scotia and settled in Louisiana. Iris married a Frenchmen, Theofield Lemoine and raised  the family in Cottonport. Sunshine speaks lovingly of Iris and Theofield captured in  memories which center around an idyllic childhood. Memories which include listening to grandparents speak in French so little ears would be protected.

Life in a small town

In Cottonport, life centered around the Catholic Church, small town events and life of the bayou. Iris shared her love and happiness with all that came into contact with her. Passing lessons of love on to her family including  manners and etiquette.

During December, Lemoine’s would host a Christmas on the Bayou. An Open House for friends, family and neighbors. Of course, tables of food, huge pot of gumbo and treats to tempt the palate. Surely, if I close my eyes, I can see the huge mimosa trees covered in moss bordering the bayou, shading the Open House.

Lush green grass filled with chairs and blankets for guests to relax and share a meal. In the background, nature, laughter and Christmas music infiltrating the southern day on the bayou.  Uniquely, if only I had a ‘back in time” button, I would press it to meet Iris B Lemoine and her Frenchmen Theofield. For certain, I would love our time together.

Family and friends called Iris “The Pink Lady”. Sunshine describes her Grandmother as a Grand Lady. Iris loved entertaining, cooking,  her family and everything pink.” Clearly Iris could share secrets of being a great host and Southern belle. I am dying to know how she introduced boots to her classmates at LSU .

After all, Iris B Lemoine’s Cabbage Dressing is an old southern rice dressing recipe. Certainly, not a recipe that I have been familiar with but I love it. Sunshine and I spent an afternoon in the kitchen  cooking during which I learned how to make Cabbage Dressing. Sunshine shared memories with me while we cooked cabbage dressing and reminisced about families.

In conclusion, whether you call it Iris’s cabbage dressing, cabbage stuffing or old southern rice dressing  this recipe will yield rave reviews from your guests. Serve as a new side dish on your holiday table and start your own tradition with family.

Alexa Shout out to Billie Holiday’s “I’ll be Seeing You”.

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There are a couple of things that I would give up before my crock pot. And it’s not because I have a fancy-smancy crock pot. Oh no, my crock pot is a hand-me-down. My last crock pot was attacked in his home on the bottom of the pantry. A high-level canned good took ‘ole crock out. Our house went into mourning, our  beloved crock pot had delivered  for a long time.

Finally, just when I thought I was going to get a high-tech crock, my bonus Mom came to the rescue with a slightly worn but loved extra. Best part about my slightly worn crock is that it is simple. No bells and whistles for me to ponder over or operating manuals to read. Besides, it’s only a matter of time before a high-level canned good takes it out.

Roasted vegetables in the oven for an hour add extra flavor to this sauce. While the vegetables are roasting, I use this time to cook the sausage. When the sausage and vegetables are cooked, its time to marry together all the ingredients in the crock pot. Set the dial of the crock pot on low and leave it for 12-16 hours.

A delicious hearty and thick sauce that will stand up to any pasta. Serve with crusty  garlic bread, salad and a glass of vino. In my research I found a great wine and food pairing site. Check out their wine suggestions for red sauce with pasta. Food and wine pairing is always an important thing to consider for a meal.

Alexa shout out to Dean Martin for “That’s Amore”.  I enjoyed watching the suave and talented men in the “Rat Pack” as a girl. Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis were witty, dancing men that could sing and make a girl swoon.

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Sunday lunch was a great time to cook Flavorful Italian Green Beans and test it on my family. Whether your entertaining friends, organizing visits from family or dinner parties  you will need a stockpile of recipes for this time of year. I needed an easy meal to prepare, full of vegetables and low in calories. A meal that didn’t taste like diet food and or come in a box and would please the toughest critic.

Grill Man is the perfect critic. Thankfully, he loves me madly but absolutely does not mind critiquing. At times, I must make a facial expression that surely shows my displeasure with his comments. Grill Man’s typical reply is “You want me to be honest, don’t you?”  even before I have time to say anything. Hhhmmmmmmmm?

My judging panel consisted of Grill Man, his Mom  (my bonus Mom ) and son (my IT genius).   This trio of taste testers represent a good cross-section of palates. Sunday lunch offered an opportunity for me to share quality time with family and test a few recipes. A busy girl must learn to multitask if she is going to survive.

What’s on the menu?

Sunday Menu consisted of Easy Low Calorie Baked Salmon, Italian Green Beans, fresh okra from the garden and Lima Beans. Grill Man had been on the road a lot and needed a home cooked meal. This menu offers a low-calorie meal that is full of flavor and nutrients.

Over the course of our lunch our conversations centered around the meal and family updates. My baby sister and her family had recently visited our home. Her Super-baby is always a topic of our conversations, discussing his latest achievements and viewing recent photos. As his Auntie Mimi, I confess he is adorable and totally grabs your heart upon introduction.

I whipped out my phone to show the latest images of Super-baby. On viewing the latest photo, bonus Mom said “He’s a ditty-wa-sport!” What? I had to ask her to repeat because I wasn’t familiar with this vernacular. Through our lunch conversations, I learned Ditty-wa-sport is like calling someone a “Sport-T-Model”.

Reflecting on ditty-wa-sport made me think of my Granny Theda. My granny had the most unusual sayings of anyone that I have ever met, ever. For the longest time, I thought she created Waste Not Want Not. Mainly, because she said it all the time, gave it to my Mom who then forced  the concept on yours truly. It’s a blessing and a damn curse.

Does your family have unusual expressions?

The unusual sayings were all that I could think about. I sent my list of  “Granny-sayings” in a text to a few of my cousins and sisters for any to be added that were missing. After the continuous texts stopped rolling in, and the laughter had settled,  I realized my Granny enjoyed dark humor. I guess that is where I get it from.  Granny certainly gave me her love of cooking and entertaining , too.

My fondest memories are being at her house underfoot and sharing meals with her very large and loud family. Cooking and sharing meals allows for bonding and conversations that you may only experience while eating together. Don’t pass up an opportunity to learn about your family, some items only slip out at the dinner table. As a suggestion, wine may encourage the ‘slippin’-out, although not necessary.

Share Flavorful Italian Green Beans with your family. Please let me know how you like it. Also, if you have a family saying that makes you ponder and giggle, please leave a comment and share.   I will share mine soon. Happy Cooking Y’all

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Cooking seafood seemed mandatory today. Yesterday we had a jubilee on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. I have lived here for over twenty plus years and never ever had the opportunity of witnessing a jubilee.  For years, I have waited  patiently for “the jubilee call” but to no avail.

Typically, every Saturday I head to beach to join  Fairhope Paddle Group  to paddle board in the bay. Little did I know that this Saturday would include a special surprise.  Earlier before I arrived that morning, a jubilee started in our area.  Waaaah? Still, no one called?

Before I arrived, one of our paddlers caught a flounder with her hands and then graciously gave it to a family with a bucket. Prior to entering the water, a fisherman went by us with a single flounder trailing behind him on a line. He was looking for fish, apparently they were getting away.

We started our paddle and headed out towards the Yacht Club.  Lots of adults and children were trailing the shore line with nets, buckets and ice chests. Everyone had their head down scanning the water, looking for fish, shrimp, crabs and other marine life. Along the beaches it was a hubbub of activity and squeals of delight.

With Johnny Neptune leading the pack we paddled furiously trying to catch the last remnants of the jubilee. While out on the water I could only imagine the sights on shore. As we paddled towards the Yacht Club, a thousand birds were circling waiting on their prey, lined up in formations. We paddled out to see birds but they flew away and landed further away.

Paddling  hard we finally landed on sand. On shore, tiny little catfishes had been spit from the bay and landed on shore. One of our paddlers, Owa started scooping up the little fish and placing them back in the water. Owa continued scooping and tossing. I think I heard him say “Swim, Nemo swim”. In the water, you could see tons of little schools of fish swimming very close to waters edge.

In awe of Mother Nature

At the same time, parents and their little ones were walking up and down the shoreline. I can only imagine the glee of scooping up fish. A shrimp swam by and I was happy just recognizing the little swimmer. In the water, I reached in to grab the shrimp and squealed. Too slow apparently, the shrimp darted away. Those little suckers are fast.

Uniquely, Mother Nature started our week with an eclipse and finished off with a jubilee. I enjoyed the camaraderie of our group chatting about the unexpected happenings of the day. Until our group rested up, we sat on our boards laughing and chatting about the days events.

In contrast we paddled back slower than when we started our journey that morning gazing at all of the sights on the water. Catfish, shrimp, sting ray, flounder, crabs and more were part of what we saw on the tail end of the jubilee.

Sadly, I went home without any seafood. Thankfully, I had salmon in the freezer. After a review of my pantry, I settled on Easy Low Calorie Baked Salmon, Sweet Baby Limas,  okra from the garden, and Italian Green Beans.   Please don’t let the name fool you, it is easy and low calorie but the salmon  dish is succulent despite the ease.

Shout out to Alexa, for Octopus’s Garden” – The Beatles (1969)

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Watching the meal planning exercise and execution with your adult child is educational. It is  amusing to hear her make comments to me about the need to cook healthy. What?  Me the Mom who has received more than my share of eye rolls, snarky comments and blank stares when I have made simple comments like:

-limit drinking soda’s or totally avoid
-stay away from junk food
-drink plenty of water
-limit fried foods

What is best way to add new healthy habits?

Learning to merge healthy habits into  your diet and cooking is a process. My belief is that adding in healthy habits are sustainable if you adjust over time. A total change overnight is harder to keep going after the “new” wears off. Cooking healthy is vitally important to our overall health. Healthy food assists our bodies to work properly and in boosting our immune system.

My girl has introduced her own healthy suggestions into our home. We are never too old to learn, even from our children. I requested muffins, meat-loaves and new chef recipe to be used on my site and a healthy mix of vegetables for our meal.  Quickly, my new chef stated that the menu would consist of ground turkey for the Muffins, Meatloaves and New Chef recipe.

Off she went to the grocery to buy items needed for dinner. Time for me to put my feet up, I could get use to this. Is it time for wine?  I moved to the couch and my computer while I waited for my new chef to whip up a recipe.

My girl and I chatted about pans, ingredients and typical meatloaf recipes in general. The healthy addition to her meatloaf recipe was ground turkey. Prior to this, Muffins, Meatloaves and New Chef recipe, ground turkey was MIA from my kitchen. In our house, we love whole turkeys baked in the oven, grilled on the egg and in the slow cooker.

But, ground? This tiny piece of information would be on the “need to know status” for Grill Man.  Certainly the meat-loaves cooked in a muffin pan would be delicious. This had been on my list to try for some time. My favorite part of a traditional meatloaf is the crispy end or edges where all the flavor concentrates. The black-ish part that appears  too burnt to eat but is oh so delicious. The multiple muffin tins would allow for more crispy edges to share less crispy to negotiate over.

To use Ground Turkey or not in Muffin Meatloaves ?

My girl had experience cooking with ground turkey therefore I was not worried about the taste. Since Grill Man was traveling, she would have time to complete the dish before he discovered the ground turkey secret. How would he like the meatloaf? Would he notice the  turkey before we shared the secret with him? Over time would he want to eat the meatloaf again after he found out it was turkey? Inquiring minds want to know.

Muffins Meatloaves and New Chef recipe is a hit. Grill Man and I loved the flavor of the meatloaf. Muffin tins provide more crispy bits of heavenly flavor to fight over. The turkey secret remained intact until I decided to share with Grill Man.

As with most “food dislikes” once the person learns of additional add of “item to avoid” they may or may not want to eat the item again. Over time, a person with “food dislikes” may change their opinion and learn to love an item once avoided. Then again, some times not. Food like and dislikes is a very personal choice.

Muffins Meatloaves and New Chef recipe is yummy with turkey.  In lieu of turkey swap out your favorite ground meat. The spices may need to be adjusted accordingly. For a completely different type of meatloaf which includes meat, meat and more meat visit Meatloaf Trifecta Beef, Spicy Sausage and Bacon

Alexa Shout out to Peter Frampton  for Wind of Change. I tried to search for the newest album Acoustic Classics but Alexa isn’t that hip yet. Grill Man has this album and loves it.

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