La Belle Cuisine

Gigi's Deviled Eggs

Gigi (my mother) insisted that this is her mother's recipe. Maybe so. And believe
me, I know better than to argue with Gigi, especially about food. But I just gotta tell ya that these eggs do not taste like my grandmother's. And while I'm at it, I
suppose I may as well confess that my deviled eggs (using this recipe, of course)
do not taste like my mother's or my grandmother's. What can I say?
I would suggest that you try the superb deviled eggs at Irv and Judy's Old Tyme Delicatessen in Jackson MS, but it too is gone, just like Gigi...

12 large eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise (GOOD mayonnaise,
like Hellman's, or homemade!)
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet pickles
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
A little minced onion is fine, but not too much!
Finely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives, fresh chives
if available, and paprika, for garnish

Place the eggs in a large pot, cover them with cold water by about 1 1/2 inches, partially covered with lid, and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat
to low and cook the eggs, covered completely, 30 seconds. Remove
pot from heat, cover completely, and let sit for 10 minutes. Rinse the
eggs under cold water 5 minutes [3 minutes will do] to stop cooking. [Alternatively, you can you a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to a bowl
of cold water and ice cubes and let them cool for 5 minutes.]
Peel the eggs carefully and halve them lengthwise. Carefully remove the yolks and mash them in a bowl with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, celery, and salt and pepper to taste to the yolk mixture and stir
with fork until combined well. Carefully spoon the yolk mixture into the
egg whites, mounding decoratively.
You can assemble the deviled eggs a couple of hours ahead, but wait until just before serving to garnish them. And be sure to serve on Mammy's special deviled egg platter. [Yes, seriously. Don't you have one???]

Favorite Blueberry Congealed Salad

One 15-ounce can blueberries
1 medium can crushed pineapple
Two 3-ounce packages blackberry or
dark cherry Jell-O
Topping:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces sour cream, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
Drain the blueberries and pineapple well, reserving the juice. Add enough water to the juice to equal 2 cups. Bring this mixture to a boil, mix in the
Jell-O, and stir well to dissolve the Jell-O completely. Then add 1 cup cold water and the well-drained fruits, stirring to combine. Pour this mixture into
a 13-by-9-inch glass dish and refrigerate until congealed, about 4 hours.
For the topping, combine the cream cheese and sour cream, mixing well.
Add the sugar and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Carefully spread this mix-
ture on top of the congealed mixture. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans. Refrigerate the salad, covered, until ready to serve.
Note: Being a cherry freak, I quite often make this salad with dark
cherries rather than blueberries. Either way it is deeeeeeeelicious!

Favorite Scalloped Corn

One 17-ounce can creamed corn
One 10-ounce package frozen corn
1 cup crushed saltines or Club crackers
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced scallions
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon seasoned salt, such as Lawry's
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup milk

In a large mixing bowl combine both corns and the cracker crumbs.
Lightly sauté the celery and scallions in the butter until they are tender.
Add them to the corn mixture along with all of the remaining ingredients.
Stir to combine well. Pour the mixture into a greased 1 1/2-quart round casserole and sprinkle with paprika. Bake 50 to 55 minutes at 350 F.

4 cups fresh bread crumbs
1⁄4 cup melted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, or
other fresh herb of your choice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 ripe tomatoes, thickly sliced

Favorite Banana Split Cake

Straight out of the 70s... We double dog dare you!

First Layer:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine, melted
Second Layer:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
Fruit Layer:
4 or 5 medium bananas
Lemon juice, for sprinkling bananas
One 15-ounce can crushed pineapple, well drained
a 1-quart carton fresh strawberries, or
three 6-ounce boxes frozen strawberries
Sugar
12 ounces Cool Whip
Optional Garnish:
Chopped pecans and maraschino cherries

First Layer: Mix together well the graham cracker crumbs and melted
butter or margarine. Press this mixture evenly onto the bottom of a
13-by-9-inch glass dish.
Second layer: In a large mixing bowl combine the 1 stick softened butter
or margarine, cream cheese, and sifted confectioners' sugar. Using an
electric mixer, cream this mixture very well, beating about 10 minutes.
Carefully spread this mixture into the crumb-lined dish.
Fruit: Slice the bananas and sprinkle them with lemon juice. Drain the crushed pineapple. Clean, slice, and sugar the fresh strawberries [or thaw
the frozen strawberries].
Assembly: On top of the cream-cheese mixture make two layers each of banana, pineapple, and strawberries. Top carefully with the Cool Whip.
If desired. garnish with pecans and maraschino cherries. Refrigerate.

Mammy's Layered Banana Pudding

Okay. If you must, toss in a layer of two of vanilla wafers.
My grandmother probably got this recipe from her mother,
and that may well have been prior to the invention of
vanilla wafers... With or without, I can positively guarantee
you that there is no comparison whatsoever between this fine
pudding and the yucky instant stuff available these days!

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
5 or 6 bananas, ripe but still firm
Optional garnish: chopped nuts

In a medium saucepan, combine the flour and brown sugar well, Stir in the milk, mixing well. Cook this mixture, stirring, over medium heat until it is thickened and bubbly. Continue to cook and stir 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat. Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Return the entire mixture back tot he saucepan. Bring to a gentle
boil, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat
and stir in the butter and vanilla. Cool the pudding to room temperature,
stirring occasionally. Fold in the whipped cream.
Layer a third of the pudding into a 2-quart glass bowl, then top with half of
the bananas. Repeat the layers. Top with the remaining pudding. Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired. Cover and chill at least 1 hour before serving.
If you are lucky, this will serve 8. If any of your male relatives are around,
a couple of them will probably polish it off in nothing flat. You might want
to make up a second batch and hide it!

Summer Holiday Recipe Index!

More Favorite Reunion Food
4th of July Buffet
All-American Barbecue Menu
Chicken, Fried, Annie Lou's
Creole Tomato Casserole
Jambalaya
King Ranch Casserole
Layered Salad
Memphis-Style Ribs
Potato Salad
Smoky Barbecued Chicken
Angel Lemon Pudding
Cherry and Peach Cobbler
Grandma Potter's Peach Cobbler
Chocolate Icebox Pie
Fabulous Fruit Pies
Lemon Ice Box Pie
Caramel Cake, Toasted Pecan
Fig Preserves Cake
Mammy's Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Mammy's Coca-Cola Cake
Mammy's Hummingbird Cake
Mammy's Mississippi Mud Cake
Michele's Bourbon Pecan Pound Cake
Southern Chess Squares
Sour Cream Pound Cake
We all scream for ice cream!

Not enough? Okay...
Barbecued Texas Beef Brisket
Black-Eyed Peas Vinaigrette
Chicken, Parmesan, Oven-Fried
Chicken Spaghetti (Craig
Claiborne's Mother's)
Corn Chowder
Cucumber Salad
Deviled Eggs
Favorite Marinated Vegetables
Favorite Mexican Layered Dip
Favorite Shrimp Dip
Greens
Guacamole
Gumbo
Ham
King Ranch Casserole
Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni Salad
Millionaire Brisket with Coffee
and Beer Mop Sauce
Pickled Beets
Red Beans and Rice
Spicy Creole Beans
Watermelon!
Sweet Stuff:
Apple Pie
Brownies
Daiquiri Pie
Key Lime Pie Three Ways
Ruston Peach Crumb Pie
Southern Pecan Pie
Strawberry Margarita Pie
Bourbon Peach Cobbler
Granny Manning's Peach Cobbler
Old Dominion Peach Cobbler
Blueberry-Carrot Picnic Cake
Bourbon Pecan Pound Cake
Chocolate Cake Collection
Favorite Chocolate Cookie Sheet Cake
 

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