“More than any other part of America, the South stands apart. Natives will tell you this. They are…conscious of a loyalty to a place where habits are strong and memories are long.”    Tim Jacobson, Heritage of the South

Let me start out by saying that my tastes are very catholic (not to be confused with the religion that I abandoned eons ago. Big difference). I love all kinds of exotic food, and it’s hard for me to turn down a Prohibition Era cocktail or a good glass of Champagne.

But, like my Mom, I’m a Southern girl at heart. I positively swoon over things like The Allman Brothers Band, Spanish moss dripping from big oaks, hot buttermilk biscuits, and a simmering pot of navy beans with a ham hock. And then, there’s always a damned fine glass of bourbon to look forward to.

My Mom never cooked okra, and I hadn’t either until I saw this recipe by BJ Dennis in my latest Garden & Gun Magazine. It wasn’t hard, or even time-consuming. A little bit of prep work (I noticed the okra were “prickly” so I scrubbed each and every one against the grain. Probably get laughed at by a “real” southern cook for that!) The whole thing comes together in about 12 minutes.  Easy and delicious, Mom would have loved this…I hope you do, too.

Dedicated to Evelyn O’Klock     April 24, 1931 – September 4, 1998

http://gardenandgun.com/article/cast-iron-recipe-sautéed-shrimp-and-okra

Bon apetit, y’all!

XO Donna