On my day off, I rarely want to eat restaurant food … what I want to eat is home cooking, somebody’s anybody’s – mother’s or grandmother’s food.
— Anthony Bourdain
… no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.
— Julia Child
Chefs are not generally the best source for recipes. They don’t use them the way we do at home.
—Sam Sifton, The New York Times
Cooking With Ms. Larthy is copyright © 2020 by Tom Graves and Larthy Washington. Published by Devault Graves Books, Memphis, Tennessee. All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without the permission of the publisher.
Print book ISBN: 978-1-942531-38-8
eBook ISBN: 978-1-942531-39-5
Cover design and layout: Patrick Alley
Cover photo: Susan Van Dyck
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
A Note on the Cooking and the Recipes
The Nine-Year-Old Cook
Ms. Larthy’s Cooking Tips
Recipes
Main Attractions (Meat and Poultry)
Sunday Dinner Fried Chicken
Baked Chicken
Fried Pork Chops
Smothered Pork Chops
Ms. Larthy’s Oven-Baked Pork Chops
Turkey Necks
Pork Neckbones
Oxtails
The Gay Hawk Restaurant’s Peppery Ham Shanks
Beer Can Chicken
Ms. Larthy’s Oven Bar-b-q Chicken
Ms. Larthy’s Oven Bar-b-q Pulled Pork
Ms. Larthy’s Twice-Baked Meatloaf
Lovin’ in the Oven BBQ Pork Loin
The Great American Hamburger
Dana’s Cheddar Wings
Let’s Cheat A Bit Chicken and Dumplings
Ms. Larthy’s Chicken Salad
Fried Steak and Gravy
Does It Swim? (Fish and Seafood)
Pan-Fried Catfish Fillets
BBQ Shrimp
Soups, Stews, Gumbos, Etc.
An Authentic Cajun Roux
Roux Microwave Shortcut
Tom’s Real Kitchen Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo
Bintou’s African Chicken Stew
Chili Cook-Off
Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup
Ms. Larthy’s Leftover Beef Roast Stew
Eat Your Vegetables
Tom’s White Beans and Rice
Ms. Larthy’s Extra Tasty Green Beans
Black-Eyed Peas
Soul-Style Boiled Cabbage
Home Fries
White Potatoes With Cheese
El Perfecto Baked Potato
Skillet-Fried Corn
Ms. Larthy’s Fried Corn on the Cob
Smothered Broccoli
Ooh Boy Broccoli Salad
Not Too Slimy Boiled Okra
Hollerin’ For Them Collards (Collard Greens)
Fried Okra
Fried Green Tomatoes
Breads
Cornbreads Three
Ms. Larthy’s Good & Grainy Cornbread Muffins
Mom’s Index Card Cornbread
“Jiffy” Mix Cornbread
My Best (So Far) Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe
Ms. Peggy’s Big Batch O’ Biscuits
Mom’s Quick Homemade Rolls
Sweet Tooth (Desserts)
Ms. Larthy’s Chocolate Pound Cake
Your Basic Chocolate Cake
7-Up Cake
My Granny’s “Pink Lady” Strawberry Cake
Not From Scratch But So What? Strawberry Cake
Fresh Apple Cake
Ms. Larthy’s Classic Karo Pecan Pie
My Mom’s Pecan Pie Varation
Yvonne Mitchell’s Bourbon Pecan Pie
Old Fashioned Apple Pie
Lemon Ice Box Pie
Ms. Larthy’s Fried Peach Pie
Ms. Larthy’s Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler
Sweet Potato Pie
Ms. Larthy’s Better Than Scratch Banana Pudding
Mom’s Peanut Butter Cookies
Mom’s Lady Fingers
Whistle Wetters (Beverages)
Aunt Merle’s Secret Sweet Tea
Ms. Larthy’s Special Party Tea
Traditional Ethiopian Hot Tea With Milk
Punch It Up Fruit Punch
Don’t Fail Me Fruit Smoothie
Authentic African Ginger Beer
The Ernest Hemingway Original El Floridita Daiquiri
Singapore Sling
Side Attractions
Ms. Larthy’s Work of Art Macaroni and Cheese
Ethan’s Mac and Cheese
Ms. Larthy’s Handmade Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ms. Larthy’s Lasagna
The Only Good Homemade Pizza
Ms. Larthy’s Broccoli Alfredo with Hickory Smoked Sausage
Ms. Larthy’s Sunday School Social Potato Salad
The American Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Baked Bean Super Side Dish
Cole Slaw
Mo Carlson’s Fandibulous Tomato Dressing
Mom’s Shish-Kabob Marinade
Tom Graves’ Exquisite Bay Leaf Barbecue Table Sauce
The Simple Truth Barbecue Basting Sauce
Final Touch Barbecue Sauce
DIY BBQ Rub
Aunt Nora’s Buttered and Roasted Pecans
Fresh Pineapple and Curry Powder
Christmas Dinner
Cornbread Dressing
Coconut Pineapple Cake
Turnip Greens
WHO DID WHAT? (WHO CREATED THOSE RECIPES?)
Recipes created by Ms. Larthy Washington
Sunday Dinner Fried Chicken
Baked Chicken
Fried Pork Chops
Ms. Larthy’s Oven-Baked Pork Chops
Pork Neckbones
Ms. Larthy’s Oven Bar-b-q Chicken
Ms. Larthy’s Oven Bar-b-q Pulled Pork
Ms. Larthy’s Twice-Baked Meatloaf
Lovin’ in the Oven BBQ Pork Loin
Let’s Cheat A Bit Chicken and Dumplings
Ms. Larthy’s Chicken Salad
Fried Steak and Gravy
Pan-Fried Catfish Fillets
Ms. Larthy’s Soul Chili
Ms. Larthy’s Leftover Beef Stew
Ms. Larthy’s Extra Tasty Green Beans
Black-Eyed Peas
Soul-Style Boiled Cabbage
Home Fries
White Potatoes With Cheese
Skillet-Fried Corn
Ms. Larthy’s Fried Corn on the Cob
Smothered Broccoli
Ooh Boy Broccoli Salad
Not Too Slimy Boiled Okra
Hollerin’ For Them Collards (Collard Greens)
Fried Okra
Fried Green Tomatoes
Ms. Larthy’s Good & Grainy Cornbread Muffins
Ms. Larthy’s Chocolate Pound Cake
Your Basic Chocolate Cake
7-Up Cake
Not From Scratch But So What? Strawberry Cake
Fresh Apple Cake
Ms. Larthy’s Classic Karo Pecan Pie
Old Fashioned Apple Pie
Lemon Ice Box Pie
Ms. Larthy’s Fried Peach Pie
Ms. Larthy’s Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler
Sweet Potato Pie
Ms. Larthy’s Better Than Scratch Banana Pudding
Ms. Larthy’s Special Party Tea
Punch It Up Fruit Punch
Ms. Larthy’s Work of Art Macaroni and Cheese
Ms. Larthy’s Handmade Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ms. Larthy’s Lasagna
Ms. Larthy’s Broccoli Alfredo with Hickory Smoked Sausage
Ms. Larthy’s Sunday School Social Potato Salad
Baked Bean Super Side Dish
Cole Slaw
Cornbread Dressing
Coconut Pineapple Cake
Turnip Greens
Recipes created by Tom Graves
Smothered Pork Chops
Beer Can Chicken
The Great American Hamburger
BBQ Shrimp
An Authentic Cajun Roux
Roux Microwave Shortcut
Tom’s Real Kitchen Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo
Tom’s True Blue Texas Chili
Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup
Tom’s White Beans and Rice
El Perfecto Baked Potato
My Best (So Far) Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe
Traditional Ethiopian Hot Tea With Milk
Don’t Fail Me Now Fruit Smoothie
The Ernest Hemingway Original El Floridita Daiquiri
Singapore Sling
The American Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Tom Graves’ Exquisite Bay Leaf Barbecue Table Sauce
The Simple Truth Barbecue Basting Sauce
Final Touch Barbecue Sauce
DIY BBQ Rub
Fresh Pineapple and Curry Powder
Recipes created by Emma Sue Graves-Elkins (My Mom)
My Mom’s Pecan Pie Variation
Mom’s Peanut Butter Cookies
Mom’s Lady Fingers
Mom’s Shish-Kabob Marinade
Mom’s Index Card Cornbread
Recipes created by Other Folks
Turkey Necks – Dana Merriweather
Oxtails – Eliza Jubert
The Gay Hawk Restaurant’s Peppery Ham Shanks – Terica Bobo and Georgia Noel
Dana’s Cheddar Wings – Dana Merriweather
Bintou’s African Chicken Stew – Bintou Ndiaye
Di’s Kickin’ Chili – Lydia Dianne Lay
Ms. Peggy’s Big Batch O’ Biscuits – Peggy Brown
My Granny’s Strawberry Cake – Jasmine Parks
Yvonne Mitchell’s Bourbon Pecan Pie – Yvonne Mitchell
Aunt Merle’s Secret Sweet Tea – Merle Graves
Authentic African Ginger Beer – Bintou Ndiaye
Ethan’s Mac and Cheese – Yvonne Mitchell
The Only Good Homemade Pizza – James Newcomb
Mo Carlson’s Fandibulous Tomato Dressing – Mo Carlson
Aunt Nora’s Buttered and Roasted Pecans – Nora MacAlexander
INTRODUCTION
This book was born of frustration. During the summer of 2016 I had ruined my third batch of fried catfish, a dish we Southerners crave. Three times over that summer I had rendered it inedible. Spitting a mouthful of catfish out onto my plate, cursing that I’d have to go out somewhere and find something decent to eat yet again, a little oddball thought danced its way into my mind: I sure wish some older black lady would teach me how to cook soul food. From A to Z.
No one had ever taught me to cook. What I knew I had learned completely from books. I have a kitchen cabinet full of cookbooks. But I have no native knowledge at all about how to prepare the comfort food I most love. Soul food and country cooking are two sides of the same Southern coin. And they are euphemisms. Soul food means black cooking and country means white cooking. Are there differences? A few. But the similarities are so much more.
My mother at the time of this writing is 87 years old and still of reasonable body and mind, although greatly slowed down by her advancing years.1 She does not cook any longer and has not in several years. May she forgive me should she ever read this, but my mom was never much of a cook, unlike my grandmother, who cooked fantastically. Oh, relatives always bragged that my mom was just terrific in the kitchen, but as someone who sat at her table three times a day for 22 years I’m here to tell you that wasn’t so. My whole early life I would barely eat her cooking and I had a beanpole silhouette because of it. I especially could not eat her vegetables. They tasted like cardboard. On a good day. In high school I read the unforgettable short story “The Patented Gate and the Mean Hamburger” by fellow Southerner Robert Penn Warren and came across a passage that explained it all to me. In the story Warren reveals why poor country folk were so mad for hamburgers:
“But all those folks, like Jeff York and his family, like hamburgers, with pickle and onions and mustard and tomato catsup, the whole works. It is something different. They stay out in the country and eat hog meat, when they can get it, and greens and corn bread and potatoes, and nothing but a pinch of salt to brighten it on the tongue, and when they get to town and get hold of beef and wheat bread and all the stuff to jack up the flavor, they have to swallow to keep the mouth from flooding before they even take the first bite.”
There it was, “nothing but a pinch of salt to brighten it on the tongue.” That was my mom. No flavor. No seasoning. In my mother’s defense, I have to say she made excellent desserts, and I have included some of her best recipes in this book. Mom, like me, had a sweet tooth, and satisfied it with cakes and pies and pastries and something new and creative all the time. Mom became so good at baking cakes and decorating them that her wedding cakes and birthday cakes were in great demand in our Parkway Village neighborhood in Memphis and she turned her talents into a small cottage business, enough to keep her in some folding money. Enough that my brother, Norris, and I can barely stand to eat cake to this day and will not touch icing.
But my mom’s skinny and eldest boy (me) started to grow up and though still living at home with the parents went off to college every weekday at Memphis State University, meeting new people, exploring new worlds, and for the first time eating exotic foods that he wouldn’t have touched with ten-foot tongs only a few years earlier. And he, me, couldn’t ever get enough. I had discovered food. That skinny boy began to muscle up and by graduation was beginning to look more like a football player than the basketball player I was always mistaken for.
After graduation from Memphis State I wasted no time in getting married to a nice Italian girl who could cook, but hated to, and thus began the long cycle of eating out. We raised a lovely daughter, Allison, who ate reasonably well, and after 23 years my wife and I decided to go our separate ways, as so many do. Single again, I painted the town every color of the rainbow for several years and then went completely mad and married a beautiful and charming West African from Senegal. Bintou Ndiaye was a terrific cook and when homesick for her native cuisine would prepare wonderfully exotic dishes—cassava leaf anyone?—which I very much enjoyed. But she hated cooking just as much as my first wife, yet never tired of my cooking. In fact, even though as I write this she and I have been divorced now for over eight years, she still comes over periodically to eat my gumbo and other Cajun dishes.
At present, I am between wives, an aging bachelor with an undiminished appetite and no one to cook for me. Thus three batches of ruined catfish. And the germ of an idea for a way to improve my culinary circumstances and write a book about the experience.
A NOTE ON THE COOKING AND THE RECIPES
Shortly after I first got married, I found myself idle one day while my wife, Denise, was at work at a local hospital where she was a heart echocardiography technician. I knew next to nothing about cooking at that time in my life, but that sure didn’t stop me, and I had sent off for a chili recipe booklet from, of all places, the Marlboro cigarette company. One particular recipe intrigued me, one that called for several cloves of minced garlic. I went to the nearby market, rounded up all the ingredients, and brought them back home to make a surprise dinner for the little lady.
I did not know the difference between a head of garlic and a clove of garlic. I tried to mince one of the garlic heads by hand and found that the task was far beyond my kitchen skills. Clever lad that I am, however, I decided the Waring blender that had been a wedding gift would do a fine job of grinding up those tough garlic thingamabobs. So, I inserted them into the blender, pressed the button, and presto!, a minute later I had finely minced garlic.
Undaunted, I stirred the garlic into the chili fixings in a pot with a nice flame underneath, sending a sickeningly pungent odor into every square inch of the house and out into the front and backyards. Still wondering if I had made a wrong turn somewhere, the wife arrived and nearly retched as she walked into the kitchen. I explained what I was doing and she instantly seized on my mistake, in language that began to blister the paint and wilt the houseplants.
That batch of chili went straight into the garbage can, was then taken out to the bigger garbage can out by the curb, carted off by the sanitation trucks, and today is still radiating stink waves in a landfill somewhere, making a no-fly zone for vampires in the Memphis area. Sometimes I think I still smell that garlic.
And now 40 years later I have someone to finally teach me the basics of good cooking.
When I began this project I was adamant that I did not want someone to partner up with who had worked in a restaurant or in any professional cooking capacity. The reason is because chefs and professional cooks do not prepare food for the family table. They prepare food for masses of people, many of whom are highly discriminating gourmands who place a variety of demands on those who prepare their food. Chefs prepare elaborate, highly-seasoned foods using ingredients and methods not typically found in most households. They use industrial kitchen tools and appliances that can do things ordinary homes cannot. One reason homemade pizzas are seldom the equal of those from your favorite pizzeria is because your oven can’t remotely compete with the high heat of the professional ones.
Home cooking is what I was after and I wanted someone whose reputation as a cook, someone who had mastered soul food cuisine, was unimpeachable. I wanted someone who had real recipes, home recipes, perfected in a real kitchen, in a real home, and prepared for the family dinner. Something that I could learn and duplicate myself, something readers of this book could also duplicate with confidence right in their own kitchens. I knew such a person was bound to be found in my hometown of Memphis, where soul food is everywhere. I thought I would need an audition process and I came up with a list of questions for the applicants, preparing myself to interview at least a dozen people.
And then Larthy Washington walked in the door of the meeting room.
The first person I thought to call to help me find the right partner for this book was Reverend Roger Brown, the pastor of The Greater White Stone Missionary Baptist Church. Reverend Brown also worked as a fund-raiser for LeMoyne-Owen College, where I was a professor of English until my retirement in 2019. I always enjoyed being around Roger Brown, buoyed by his friendliness and sense of humor, and was well aware that he had connections everywhere in Memphis. I just knew he’d know someone who fit the idea of what I needed. When I called him and told him I wanted an older lady to teach me how to cook soul food for a book, he was saying “Larthy Washington” before I could finish my sentence. He arranged for me to meet her and as soon as I laid eyes on her I got that weird ESP vibe I’ve had my entire life as a writer—an internal hum, a tuning fork, that says “Yes, Yes, YES!!! She’s the one! Don’t blow it!”
The interview became, really, an extended, warm conversation. Ms. Larthy, as I elected to call her with her and her family’s permission—my Southern upbringing does not allow me to call anyone older than myself by their first name—had cooked for her family since she was a little girl (more about that later) and those talents flowered in later life when she cooked for her children and husband and then for events at her church, Greater White Stone Missionary Baptist, where she had been a devoted member since 1961. Her cooking at her church took on a life of its own; she was in constant demand for all manner of church functions and gatherings. She learned how to prepare food in the church kitchen for small groups as well as large gatherings. Her cooking was appreciated enough that the church got a couple of plaques to hang outside the kitchen letting everyone know this was “Larthy’s Kitchen.” To see her in action in this kitchen is to know absolutely it is Larthy’s Kitchen. At the age of 80, with arthritis twisting some of her fingers just as it has knotted a few of mine, she is as graceful as a Bolshoi dancer, totally comfortable in her element, with seldom a wasted motion, a quiet confidence borne of thousands of hours spent near a stove, a patience and calm when adjustments to her cooking must be made.
Tom Graves
Tom Graves
This book contains recipes that Ms. Larthy and I worked on together in the Greater Stone kitchen, her teaching me step-by-step, teaspoon-by-measuring cup. Eighty percent of the recipes in this book are hers, made from scratch in the church kitchen, with me jotting down and confirming every step along the way. And getting to eat afterwards, a great reward I must tell you. When Ms. Larthy uses a brand name product, I name it. For example, she uses Aunt Jemima brand cornmeal in her cornbread muffin recipes. She uses Mango Tang in her wonderful tea. Using items from the grocery store shelf rather than spending needless hours creating ingredients from scratch is a necessary fact of life for today’s workers who have limited time to fuss over recipes in their kitchens.
Because this book is about a sharing of lives—Ms. Larthy’s and mine—and the coming together of black and white peoples in our hometown, I share some of my recipes as well. Some recipes are ones I’ve developed over time, such as my gumbo recipe. In spite of my fumbles and failures in the kitchen over these many years, I’ve still managed to get a few things right. I also share a few of my favorite recipes from family and friends and an ex-wife or two, all of whom are properly credited here. *My mother passed away just as I began work with Ms. Larthy for this book. Mom was very interested in the idea and she and I took down a box of her favorite old recipes and began to go through them. I have added some of her best dishes, each one something that easily fits into the broad definition of soul food cooking.,