Jerry Wayne Odom Jr

1 ham bone
1 pound dried red beans
1 pound ham hocks, smoked sausage or hot sausage
1 large onion chopped
1 cup green onions chopped
1/2 clove garlic minced
1/4 cup parsley chopped
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup butter
salt
Cayenne pepper or Tabasco to taste

Addition of a ham bone adds real color and flavor you won’t get otherwise. Most Cajun cooks like to bring their beans to a rolling boil for a couple of minutes then let them soak in that same water overnight. In the morning brown sausages or fat meat first to remove some of the grease. Bring beans to a boil again and add and add all other ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 3 hours. Beans should be very creamy. Serve over fluffy hot rice.

4 lbs stewing hen cut into 12 pieces
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 stalk celery cut fine
1 medium onion cut fine
1 medium green pepper cut fine
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ginger
salt & black pepper

Cut up, wash and season chicken well with salt & pepper. Put oil in pot and let get very hot. Add flour and stir constantly to make a roux. Add onions, celery, pepper and stir until well mixed. Add paprika and 3 quarts hot water and cook on low heat 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Add raw chicken. Let cook over a medium heat until chicken is tender. Serve with rice or dumplings. Will serve 6 people. Optionally you can add a few shakes of tabasco for a piquant flavor.

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pet milk
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecan halves

Combine the sugars, salt and pet milk. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Make sure to stir constantly so mixture does not burn. Cook to the “soft ball” stage(15 minutes) then cool slightly. Add butter, vanilla and pecans. Beat until creamy. Drop spoonvils onto a piece of wax paper. Makes about 35 to 40 pieces.

1 unbaked 9″ pastry pie shell
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1 cup pecan halves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash of salt

Beat eggs in large mixing bowl until well blended using a fork. Add sugar, syrup, pecans, vanilla and salt. Stir together until well mixed and pour into pie shell. Cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes then lower to 350 degrees and continue baking for thirty minutes.

1 gallon blackberries
4-5 cups of sugar
3 quarts of water

Boil blackberries, sugar and water until water starts to thicken slightly.(1-2 hours over medium heat)

Dumplings
1.5 cups self rising flour.
3 tablespoons melted margarine
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs beaten
2 tablespoons sugar

Stir flour, milk, sugar, margarine and eggs until well beaten. Drop by teaspoon into hot liquid. Turn dumplings once when cooked and continue to cook until all dumplings are cooked. If mixture becomes too thick add water and boil until liquid becomes hot again.

2 cups flour
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of soda

Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Add milk and egg; mix well. Drop by spoonful in to deep fat heated to 375 degrees. Fry until golden and drain on paper towel. Serve with syrup and butter.