New to Memphis List

The Memphis To Do List that I compiled after moving here.  To develop this list, it required months of asking every person I met, "What's your favorite place in Memphis?"  It also required me to try some of the places and know they don't make the list.  I thought I'd share the list for anyone who wants to visit me.      wink Memphis To Do List Restaurants: _x_ Huey's  ___ Bhan Thai _x_ Local ___ Arcade _x_ Flying Saucer _x_ Soul Fish _x_ Bosco's ___ Majestic _x_ The Second Line ___ Java Cafe _x_ Sweet Grass _x_ Super Submarine Sandwich Shop _x_ Chiwawa _x_ Bar Dog ___ Tsunami ___ Brass Door _x_ Cafe Eclectic _x_ Republic Coffee _x_ Jerry's Sno Cones _x_ Otherlands _x_ Kooky Kanuck _x_ Muddy Cupcakes _x_ Gibson's Donuts ___ Skewer ___ Silly Goose _x_ Alchemy ___ Earnestine & Hazel’s Bar & Grill _x_ Elfo's Restaurants (close enough to work for lunch): _x_ Huey's  _x_ Rockn' Dough Pizza Co. _x_ Zam Zamz Mediterranean Grill _x_ Memphis Pizza Café ___ 4 Dumplings _x_ East End Grill _x_ Commissary _x_ Swanky's _x_ Sakura Japanese Restaurant _x_ Bharat International's Market _x_ Osaka Japanese Cuisine _x_ Wang's Mandarin House _x_ P.F. Chang's China Bistro _x_ Pyro's Fire Fresh Pizza BBQ: _x_ Central ___ Cozy Corner _x_ Rendezvous _x_ Neely's _x_ Commissary ___ Interstate _x_ Corky's _x_ Bar-B-Q Shop Places: _x_ Shelby Farms ___ Overton Park _x_ o   Greenline ___ Gibson Guitar Factory _x_ Memphis Zoo (Pandas!) _x_ Auto Zone park _x_ Beale Street _x_ o   Redbirds Game ___ o   A. Schwab's ___ Pink Palace _x_ FedEx Forum ___ Graceland _x_ o   Grizzlies Game ___ Central Library _x_ Peabody Hotel ___ Memphis Botanic Gardens _x_ Mud Island _x_ Downtown Farmer's market _x_ Cooper-Young Neighborhood _x_ Overton Square ___ National Civil Rights Museum ___ Stax

"You don't eat bread?"

Discovering I was gluten intolerant, was the best healthy discovery I've ever had.  Once I removed gluten from my diet, my IBS disappeared.  It took more than a few weeks of gluten free food before I really saw the effects.  I feel even better when I cut out all carbs, but that's never easy.  So when I do want carbs, I stick to corn and rice.  The number one question I hear after I tell them, "No, I don't eat bread" is "Then how do you get enough fiber?".  I want everyone to know, you have options-

	Serving Size	Grams of Fiber per a serving
Split peas, cooked	1 cup	16.3
Lentils, cooked	1 cup	15.6
Black beans, cooked	1 cup	15
Lima beans, cooked	1 cup	13.2
Baked beans, vegetarian, canned, cooked	1 cup	10.4
Artichoke, cooked	1 medium	10.3
Green peas, cooked	1 cup	8.8
Raspberries	1 cup	8
Spaghetti, whole-wheat, cooked	1 cup	6.3
Pear, with skin	1 medium	5.5
Bran flakes	3/4 cup	5.3
Oat bran muffin	1 medium	5.2
Broccoli, boiled	1 cup	5.1
Turnip greens, boiled	1 cup	5
Apple, with skin	1 medium	4.4
Brussels sprouts, cooked	1 cup	4.1
Oatmeal, instant, cooked	1 cup	4
Sweet corn, cooked	1 cup	4
Sunflower seed kernels	1/4 cup	3.9
Popcorn, air-popped	3 cups	3.5
Brown rice, cooked	1 cup	3.5
Almonds	1 ounce	3.5
Banana	1 medium	3.1
Orange	1 medium	3.1
Strawberries	1 cup	3
Potato, with skin, baked	1 small	3
Pistachio nuts	1 ounce	2.9
Pecans	1 ounce	2.7
Tomato paste	1/4 cup	2.7
Bread, rye	1 slice	1.9
Bread, whole-wheat or multigrain	1 slice	1.9
Carrot, raw	1 medium	1.7
Figs, dried	2 medium	1.6
Raisins	1 ounce	1

Red items are foods I've done my best to eliminate from my diet.  Green items are foods I eat frequently.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/high-fiber-foods/art-20050948  However, all the sources I looked into had big variances between them.  But the order, was typically the same as I listed above.  If you type "fiber" and a vegetable name into Google, they have their own useful tool to calculate it for you, including boiled vs raw.

A Cascade of Family Recipes

Kayleigh (Sill / Pileski)'s Salsa

5 ripe tomatoes 

1 white onion (roughly the same size as the tomatoes)

1/4 bunch cilantro

1 serrano pepper

1-2 limes

Dice tomatoes, salt to taste.

Dice onions and pepper.

Chop cilantro 

Juice lime(s) to taste.

Set at room temperature.

Aunt Wilma's 7 Layer Salad

Always at Christmas Day dinner

In a glass bowl, layer firmly.

1. Bottom layer. Iceberg lettuce, chopped very fine
2. 2 bunches of chopped green onion
3. 2 bell peppers, red or green
4. 1 bag of frozen green peas, not cooked
5. 1 ½ cups of mayo, mixed with 2-3 tablespoons of sugar
6. 2 cups or so of shredded sharp cheese
7. Top Layer 1 jar of bacon bits, Hormel is good

Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight or at least 6-8 hrs.

Grandma Spangler’s Gumbo

1 lg onion, chopped

1 lg green bell pepper, chopped

10-12 okras, cut into circles

pinch of hot pepper flakes

2 stalks of chopped celery

Saute the above in olive oil. Add chili powder and 1 tablespoon of flour to thicken.

Then add:

2 qts of home canned tomatoes

1 can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup

Tabasco, to taste

Garlic powder, to taste

Simmer 1 hour. Then, 15 minutes before serving, add:

Shrimp

Fish

Clams or oysters

Serve with rice.

4H Cheddar Muffins

This recipe is very similar to the cheddar biscuits at Red Lobster.  My daughters have both won ribbons in 4H with these muffins.  It’s great with soup or chili. These measurements make 12 muffins.

§  Grease one muffin tin. 

§  Preheat oven to 425.

§  Mix together:

o   2 c. all purpose flour

o   3½ tsp baking powder

o   ½tsp salt

o   1 cup (4 oz) of sharp cheddar, shredded (or more if wished)

§  Set the dry mixture aside.

§  Mix:

o   1 cup of milk

o   1 egg, beaten

o   ¼ cup of melted butter

§  Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. 

§  Pour wet mixture into the center of the well. 

§  Mix with wooden spoon only until moist.  Do not over mix.

§  Pour into greased muffin tins. 

• Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.

Grandma (Carol) Spangler's Chicken Enchiladas

1. Grate cheddar cheese.

2.  Open can of chicken, drain, and break apart.

3.  Saute in olive oil:  one chopped onion,

                                  one small can green chilies, chopped (in pantry),

                                   the chicken

4.  Place spoonful of chicken mixture onto flour or corn tortilla. Cover with cheddar. Roll up and place seam side down in GREASED casserole dish.

5. Repeat until you have at least eight (should have enough chicken if you go easy on it).

6.  When they are all in the casserole dish, cover with a can or two of enchilada sauce and more grated cheese. Sprinkle with chopped black olives

(wire shelf in laundry room 6 pack).

7.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Top with chopped lettuce, tomato, salsa, sour cream, whatever...

MJ's Cream of Potato Soup

1 stick of butter

1 med onion, chopped fine

2 stalks of celery, chopped fine

6-8 med/lg potatoes, cut in cubes

2 cans of chicken broth (or 3-4 cups homemade)

1 bay leaf

1 pint of half and half

1-2 tbls worstershire sauce

salt and pepper

grated cheddar

bacon bits, real

1.     Melt butter in soup pot.  Saute onions and celery in butter.

2.     Add potatoes and chicken broth.  Broth should cover the potatoes.  If not, add a little water.  Add bayleaf.

3.     Simmer at low boil until potatoes are soft, maybe 30 minutes.

4.     Drain off the liquid.  SAVE it.  Remove the bay leaf.

5.     Mash the potatoes.  (however you want - by hand, mixer.  You can leave some lumps or not.  I usually just go for smooth, with no cubes).

6.     Add the liquid back to the mashed potato mixture.

7.     Add about half of the pint of half and half.  Then add milk or water or more half and half until you get it to the consistency you want it.  Too much half and half overpowers the potato flavor, so if it is still to thick I usually add milk or water.

8.     Add worst sauce, salt and pepper, white pepper if you have it.

9.     Serve with grated cheddar and bacon bits.

Note:  Once you refrigerate the soup, it gets really thick.  You will probably have to add more liquid when you reheat it to get it back to soup consistency.

Jeff Casserole

For Rachel (the first recipe we got off the internet in 1981 and started making for our starving college friends in Tech Village)….

1 lb hamburger

1 pkg of mushroom soup, cream (don’t tell Andy)

1 pkg of kraft mac and cheese

1 onion

Chopped mushrooms, optional of course.

1. Chop onion. Cook it with the hamburger. Drain grease. Mix in the cream soup.
2. Make the mac and cheese.
3. Pour mac and cheese over the top of the hamburger/soup thingy.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
5. Someimes I chop tomatoes or green onions and sprinkle over the top before I bake.

If you make a big batch, use 1.5 hamburger, two cans of soup (you can use something like cream of onion or celery too, and a bigger size of mac and cheese.

Perfect Cornbread

1 c. all purpose flour

¼ c. sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon of salt

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 eggs

1 c. milk

¼ cup of shortening (I use melted butter)

Preheat oven to 425° (or 425 with convection bake). Place medium size iron skillet with butter into the oven. Remove when melted, making sure not to burn.

Mix flour with sugar, baking powder, salt, and cornmeal. Add eggs and milk. Mix with a wooden spoon, being sure not to overmix. Make a well in the center and pour in the melted butter. Mix quickly. Pour into iron skillet and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Use a stick of butter to rub over the top of the finished bread. Cut into squares and serve from the iron skillet.

Note:  For corn muffins the temp should be 415°.

I also make this recipe at 1.5 size and put it in my large iron skillet.

I got this recipe off the internet in the late 1980s. (Article 2608 of misc. rural, a newsgroup Dave started). It’s been the only recipe I used since.

MJ's Cheese Quesadillas

Ingredients

·         Cheese, grated – sharp cheddar, taco cheese, Mexican cheese

·         Flour tortillas

·         No Stick Spray

For Dipping:

·         Sour Cream

·         Salsa – any store brand or homemade

·         Guacamole

Optional Things to Add to the Quesadillas

·         Grilled Onions

·         Jalapeños

·         Chicken, cooked and shredded or chopped

·         Tomatoes, sliced or chopped

·         Green peppers, grilled

·         Black beans

Heat heavy skillet, such as iron skillet to medium high. Spray oil on one side of tortilla. Place oiled side down in skillet. Cover with grated cheese. (add optional ingredients if you like). Spray another tortilla. Place it over the ingredients, oil side up. Brown quesadilla until cheese melts. Flip over. Brown until bottom is done. Remove from heat. Slice like a pizza into six pieces – triangles. Serve will sour cream, salsa, guacamole.

MJ's Guacamole

• 2-3 ripe avocados, pitted and mashed
• Juice of half a lime or lemon
• Garlic powder, ¼ tsp or 2 cloves fresh
• 5-6 drops of Tabasco sauce
• 2-3 Tablespoons of salsa (optional)
• Cilantro, fresh, chopped, (optional)

Pit avocados. Remove fruit from skin by dicing. Mash with fork. Add other ingredients. Season to taste. Note: if you aren’t eating right away, put the pit in the guacamole and cover with plastic wrap that touches it (so it won’t turn brown). Serve with tortilla corn chips.

MJ's Nachos for a few

• Corn tortilla chips, white, one bag
• Grated cheddar cheese, or taco or Mexican

Aluminum foil

Toppings of your choice, as many or as few as you like:

• Jalepenos, sliced
• Tomatoes, chopped
• Onions, diced
• Ground beef, cooked
• Chicken, cooked, chopped
• Black Olive
• Black Beans
• Salsa
• Green peppers, chopped
• Refried Beans
• Shrimp, cooked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet (with sides) or baking pan with aluminum foil. Arrange chips on pan, kind of spread out, barely overlapping. Sprinkle toppings of your choice. Cover generously with cheese. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven. Top with spoonfuls of:

• Salsa
• Sour cream
• Guacamole

Note: Different people can make different sections on the baking sheet to their liking.

Rich and Easy Brownies

Preheat oven to 350.

½ lb. Butter (2 sticks – forget margarine!)

4 oz unsweetened chocolate squares

Melt butter and chocolate together in microwave proof bowl for about 3-4 minutes, stirring about every minute and a half, until melted.  Set aside.

2 cups of sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup of flour, all purpose

¼ tsp of salt

1 cup of nuts, chopped (optional)

Mix above ingredients together.  Add eggs to sugar one at a time. Then add the rest of the ingredients.  Add chocolate/butter and mix until well blended.  Pour into 9x13 glass pan, greased, and bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes (do the toothpick test).  Cool slightly.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Makes about 24.

Salmon Spread

INGREDIENTS

¨      1- smoked salmon piece
¨      2- 8oz  package of light cream cheese
¨      2 or 3- tablespoons of mayonnaise
¨      3 or 4- dashes of Tabasco
¨      Half of a lemon’s juice

INSTRUCTIONS
Mix, Chill, Serve

Snickerdoodle Cookies

½ cup of butter, softened

1 ½ cups of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 eggs

¼ cup of milk

3 ½ cups of all purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

½ cup of finely chopped nuts, (walnuts or pecans)

Topping: (mix)

2 Tablespoons of ground cinnamon

5 Tablespoons of sugar

Preheat oven to 375°.

• Beat butter until smooth and creamy.
• Add the sugar and vanilla. Continue beating until creamy.
• Beat in the eggs, then the milk.
• Sift flour and baking soda together. Then stir to blend with butter mixture.
• Refrigerate 15 minutes
• Form into teaspoon size balls. Roll in topping mixture.
• Place on greased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly.
• Bake about 10 minutes

Makes about three dozen.

From “The Great Big Cookie Book” by Hilaire Walden.

Southern Skillet Biscuits

Makes 6 – 8 biscuits

Preheat Oven to 450 degrees

In a glass bowl, mix:

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of flour (all purpose)

1 teaspoon of baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon of baking powder

Cut in with a pastry blender, until grainy:

2 Tablespoon of butter

Using a fork, mix in:

½ cup of buttermilk.

Do not over mix.  Turn onto a floured surface and knead lightly.   Pat out dough until about ½ inch thick.   Cut into circles with a glass or biscuit cutter.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the iron skillet, in the heated oven.

Place biscuits in iron skillet, turning them over to coat both sides with butter.

Bake until light brown, about 8 – 10 minutes.

Little Aunt Eunice (Sill)'s Sweet Potato Casserole

Always for Thanksgiving

6-8 sweet potatoes, baked, peeled, mashed

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 tsp vanilla

1 stick butter, melted

Mix together and put in buttered casserole dish.

Make topping:

1 cup of dark brown sugar

½ cup of flour

1 cup of chopped pecans

1/3 cup of butter melted

Put topping on casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Pancakes

Combine in large bowl:

      2¼ cups flour

      1½ teaspoons salt

      ¼ cup sugar

      3 teaspoons baking powder

Combine in another bowl:

      3 slightly beaten eggs

      ¼ cup vegetable oil

      1½ cups milk

Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients quickly and mix.

Senator Kempthorne's Potato Casserole

The Honorable Dirk Kempthorne

U.S. Senator, Idaho

Specialty Recipe

Potato Ala Bernice

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2 pounds of hash brown potatoes

1 cup chopped onions

1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup

2 cups sour cream

2 cups grated sharp cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups crushed potatoe chips

1/2 cup melted butter

Mix ingredients together in a 9 x 13 dish. Refrigerate. (Can be made the

night before.) Before baking, add 2 cups crushed potato chips and 1/2 cup

melted butter to the top of the casserole.

Bake at 350° for one hour.

=====

From http://www.virtualcities.com/ons/id/gov/idgvdk1.htm

It works equally well with Cream of Chicken or any other Cream of ... soup.

I use the fresh hash browns, but frozen works well, too.

Dave's Bacon, Egg, Avocado and Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

·        1 ripe avocado, chopped into chunks

·        2 boiled eggs, chopped into chunks

·        1 medium-sized tomato, chopped into chunks

·        Juice from one lemon wedge

·        2-4 cooked pieces of bacon, crumbled (optional)

·        Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, stirring not too much, but just enough to make some of the avocado and egg into mush.

Rachel's Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:

• 24 Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, crushed
• 5 Tbsp.  butter, melted
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup  creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp.  vanilla
• 1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

Directions:

MIX cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate.

BEAT cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Stir in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP; spoon into crust.

FREEZE 4 hours or until firm. Remove from freezer 30 min. before serving. Let stand at room temperature to soften slightly. Top with remaining COOL WHIP.

MJ's Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2/3 cups oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp salt

Cake Directions:
Mix sugar, oil and eggs; beat and add vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and then add buttermilk slowly.  Mix well.  Pour into a pan that has been greased and floured.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  While hot, cut into squares.

Cake Topping Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup sugar

Cake Topping Directions:

Heat in a medium pan until butter melts; do not let boil.  Pour over cake.