Jerry Wayne Odom Jr

My grandmother Mrs. Ruby Forbes cooks my ideal cornbread.    It’s just outstanding.   I went ahead and took the time to write down her instructions because neither myself or my mother can ever remember it.   So here’s Mrs. Ruby Forbes cornbread:

1 Cup Flower

2 Cups Yellow Corn Meal(preferably fresh from farmers market)

1 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 can evaporated milk

Her instructions were to have your own cast iron skillet specifically for cooking cornbread.   She has what looks like an 8-10 inch diameter skillet with about 2 inch high walls that she uses exclusively for cornbread.   It’s never washed.     She wipes it out and pours a thin  layer of vegetable oil in the bottom before adding her mix.   She bakes at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes and it’s just great!

1/4 cup bacon fat
3 tablespoons flour
2 medium onions chopped
1 large pod garlic pressed
1/2 large bell pepper chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound raw chicken giblets
a few dashes Worcestershire sauce
salt, black pepper and red pepper
1 tablespoon green onions chopped
1 tablespoon parsley chopped
2 cups cooked rice

Make a dark roux. Add onion, green pepper, celery and cook 15 minutes. Add ground meat, giblets and cook over medium-high heat until meat is slightly browned. Add enough water in which a bouillon cube has been dissolved to make a the mixture in to a thick gravy. Add garlic and a few dashes of Worcestershire and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook slowly for 30 minutes being careful that mixture doesn’t get too thick. Mix this with cooked rice and stir. Add green onion and parsley; mix, cover and allow to heat on low heat for about 15 minutes.

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.

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.

• 1/2 pound beef chopped
• 1/2 pound pork chopped
• 1 pound chicken
• 1 cup onions ground
• 1 cup sherry wine
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• 4 boiled eggs chopped
• 2 lemons chopped
• 3 tablespoons onion tops
• salt and pepper to taste

Make the roux.   boil all meats together until tender then remove bones and cut meat in to small pieces.    Add the broth and meats and other ingredients except the wine to roux and let cook for half hour.   Just before serving add the sherry wine.

• 1.5 pounds beef brisket
• 1.5 pound soup bone
• 1/2 head cabbage cut or diced
• 1 can whole tomatoes
• 1 can diced otatoes
• 1 can frozen string beans
• 3 quarts water
• 1/2 cup vermicilli
• 1/2 cup turnips diced
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1 cup onions minced
• 1 cup celery diced
• 1 cup carrots diced

Salt water to taste and put to boil with brisket and soup bone.   Let boil for one hour then add vegetables.   Cook until meat and vegetables are tender adding water if needed.   Cook vermicilli for the last 15 minutes of cooking.    Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(gree’ yods) 

• 2 pounds beef or pork
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 medium bellpepper chopped
• 1 clove garlic chopped fine
• 1/2 tablespoon parsley
• 3/4 cup water
• salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Cut meat into one inch strips.    Season strips with salt & pepper and dust with flour.   Brown strips in heated oil in  an iron skillet and remove.   Make a brown roux with flour & oil then add other ingredients.   Cook while stirring for 15 minutes or until mixture gets thick.   Add meat, cover and simmer until meat is tender.(about an hour)   Serve over hot grits or rice.