DANGER: DO NOT SIT ON THIS STOOL

Taken at Edna's Restaurant in Chicago, IL

Just a simple photo today. On my way to Tennessee for this.

A good weekend to all.

SIX THINGS IN MY PURSE

Alexa over at Pop Elegantiarum tagged me for one of those share-some-quirky-info-about-yourself things, and I promised to oblige. I am, however, only answering the first of the handful of queries. Following through with one is all I can manage--at least for right now. Also, I'm supposed to share five things found in my purse and, while I have a lot of love for the number five (hi, hon ;), six objects grouped together look way better. 

So here we go:

1. Lifetime Membership card from Graceland Too in Holly Springs, MS. I'll have you know that I became a Lifetime Member in 2002. And if you haven't been, you don't have any idea what you're missing. I mean NO IDEA.

2. A photo of my old girl, June.

3. A pen from the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, NM. Great museum, great pen.

4. A two-dollar bill that was given to me by someone in Apalachicola, FL. 

5. A flattened penny from the Tillamook Dairy in Tillamook, OR. It reads: "Pig-N-Ford Races, Tillamook County Fair."

6. An oilcloth pouch that holds my trusty point-and-shoot camera, stamps, and some information on buying donkeys in Panola County.

Y'all should take a gander at Alexa's blog. I learned all kinds of things over there. Take, for example, the Lebowski Fest. Who knew?

THE GREAT TORTILLA CAPER

The other day, I casually mentioned that I would try making handmade tortillas for a fajita dinner. Well, I really did it. And--to my complete and utter surprise--they were spectacular. And spectacularly easy.

Part of my excitement related to the idea of making tortillas was the opportinty to use my tortilla press. This thing has a pretty odd story behind it. You'd think, being from Texas, I'd have one of these handy gadgets as a basic kitchen necessity. Well, you'd be wrong. I bought this tortilla presss in--of all places--Baltomore, when I was in college. My roommate and I (Hi, Katie!) were frequent visitors to the Disabled American Veteran's Thrift Store on North Avenue, and I happened to find it on one of our visits. No idea what I paid for it but rest assured, it was a bargain. The thing is, though, that I've lugged this thing around since 1991--from house to house, city to city--and I'd never used it before last weekend. Shocking, I know.[Side Note: also on North Avenue in Baltimore is the Blacks in Wax Museum.]

Okay, so, the tortillas. I couldn't begin to tell you where/when/how I got the recipe. I can tell you, though, that there's nothing to these things, just water, flour, and shortening. I've seen some other recipes that don't use shortening, which I might try one day, but these just might be too good to push aside.

But now, a confession: I hate my tortilla press. Sure, it looks cool, but it is a headache to use. Maybe I didn't have the right technique. All I know is that the thing makes a thick, lopsided tortilla. To get anything like what I wanted, I had to press-and-turn, press-and-turn, press-and-turn too many times. So I eventually cursed the thing and got out my rolling pin. The rolling pin made quick work of the dough and got it right thin, but my next problem was making them perfectly round, as you can see from the picture here. But I'll have you know that an oblong tortilla tastes the same as a round tortilla.

And the chicken fajitas that went in the tortillas were pretty awesome, too. The Ninfa's-esque green sauce and marinated carrots sure didn't hurt.

So the Great Tortilla Caper ended with a feast--a feast that would have made Mama Ninfa proud.

MMM, COOKIES

Buttermilk cookies made from this recipe.

Homemade tortilla recap to come.

A STORY ABOUT VERMICELLI

I love Vietnamese food. You know that. When I moved to Mississippi from Texas, I thought I'd miss all of my favorite Tex-Mex restaurants the most. I was wrong. I missed Van Loc. 

A couple of weeks ago, Van Loc came to me. Kind of. Poppy and Liz, two of my high school girlfriends, came to town. (That's the three of us pictured above: Poppy, Liz, and me.) One night, Poppy made us dinner: Bun Heo Xao (stir-fried pork with vermicelli). It was awesome. Somehow I never realized that vermicelli noodles could be found at our local Kroger. I had to catch my breath as Poppy picked up a package of vermicelli from the bottom shelf on the Asian Food aisle. I had never--not once--noticed vermicelli in my Kroger. I felt like an idiot but was certainly glad to know vermicelli could now be had any time I wanted it. What a revelation.

 So last night, after Kurt and  went grocery shopping, I came home and made Bun Tom Xao (stir-fried shrimp with vermicelli, pictured up top). It was awesome, too. There are a couple of things I'll do differently next time, but for my first time out of the gate, I must say, it rocked. 

Kurt and I ate our supper of Bun Tom Xao on the front porch and had this captive audience drooling the entire time. Jerry Lee has only appeared on the blog once before. He's settled into things here at  the homestead quite well, as you can see. Although Jackson still doesn't understand why Jerry Lee insists on nipping at his butt all of the time.

Also last night, I made some marinated carrots. Something inspired me to recreate the spicy marinated carrot salad they have at one of my favorite taquerias in Houston, Taqueria Tapatia on Richmond. I have to say, I don't know why I never tried this before. It's so very easy and so super awesome. It'll be just the thing to go with the Ninfa's chicken fajitas I'll be making tomorrow night. I'll also be trying my hand at making homemade tortillas. Wish me luck.

Okay, so I do miss the Tex-Mex.

LISTEN TO ME TALK ABOUT CAKE. LITERALLY.

Cakes at Edna's Restaurant in Chicago, IL

Just this morning I was interviewed by Bill Radke, one of the hosts of NPR'S Weekend America. We dished up conversation on my recent oral history jaunt to Chicago--everything from hot dogs to hoecakes. We talked about Edna Stewart feeding Chicago's Civil Rights Movement. I waxed poetic about Rose DeShazer White's caramel cake. It was a good time. Hopefully, it'll be a good listen. It airs this Saturday, May 24, so check it out on your local station or download the podcast. 

The actual oral history interviews will appear on the SFA's website soon. The break from the blog was also a break from work, and I am now woefully behind. All I need is a little patience (thanks, Axl Rose).

HOW 'BOUT A HOECAKE?

My colleague, John T. Edge, has just written a little ditty about hoecakes for Gourmet magazine's blog. If you like--or are curious about--hoecakes, then you'll enjoy his piece. Check it out right here.

The real news, though, for you Amy Art fans out there is that one of my photographs introduces the story (above). It was taken at Papa KayJoe's Bar-B-Que in Centerville, TN. I've included another photo from that visit here for your viewing pleasure. The beauty of Papa KayJoe's is that they serve their barbecue sandwiches on hoecakes, not buns.

Hoecakes can be hard to find, but I'll have you know that there are hoecakes--very good hoecakes--at Edna's Restaurant in Chicago, of all places. I enjoyed a couple--and some fried chicken and coconut cake--when I was there in back in March. 

Kind of makes you want to belly up to the griddle, doesn't it?

BABY DONKEY SAVES THE DAY

There's a very good reason for the long silence here at Made in Mississippi. All I'm going to say about that, though, is that it took a picture of a baby donkey to inspire a new post after my two weeks away.  

My friend Katherine emailed this precious photograph to me a few weeks ago, not long after my trip to Portland. I happened to visit Katherine--and her donkeys and sheep and chickens and goat--while I was in Oregon and, as you might imagine, we had a lovely visit. It did rain and the barn was muddy, but there was also laughter and pie. In fact, Katherine has told the whole story on her blog. I was going to do the same, but she beat me to the punch. I'll let her telling of my visit suffice. The only thing I'll add is that I am even more obsessed with the idea of having a donkey--okay, a couple of donkeys--of my own after spending an afternoon on her farm with Pino, Paco and sweet, sweet Lucia.

This little guy here was born, as I said, just after my visit, to Katherine's donkey-raising friend down the road. I wish they could pack him up and send him on down to Mississippi. There's really nothing cuter than a baby donkey.

Thanks, little fella, for bringing me back.

MANDALA INTERLUDE

Tibetan Buddhist monks from Drepung Loseling Monastery have been here in Oxford on the campus of the University of Mississippi all week. They're here to perform their Mystical Arts of Tibet production, which is tonight, but they've spent the week doing much more. Since Monday, some of the monks have been constructing a mandala sand painting in the Student Union. And according to Kurt, who was in line behind some of the monks at lunch today, they're getting their fill of burgers and Chick-fil-A, too.

Just yesterday, while on a little road trip to Tuscumbia, Alabama, I caught up on some podcasts and happened to catch this one. It's a good listen. And a timely one, too.


I might also add that, oh, about fourteen years ago, I had the pleasure of hearing the Dalai Lama speak in Houston. He made an appearance at the Menil Collection with his buddy Richard Gere, who had a collection of the photogrpahs he'd taken in Tibet on view in one of the galleries. It was a chance-of-a-lifetime event. I left the talk spiritually satisfied and politically motivated--and with Richard Gere's autograph.