Wonder Woman
Ode to Fried Okra
Friday, August 26, 2005
Yesterday, I had one of my most favorite meals. I usually do this on a Thursday, because it is the one day that I don't work in the evening and it takes some time to get together.
The menu:
Pork Steaks (it's a St. Louis thing) w/Gates Hot BBQ Sauce
Fried Okra
Lima Beans
Homemade Ice Cream
I start in the afternoon with the coals in the BBQ pit. I soak the wood chips so that I am cooking the meat with a combination of grilling and smoking. It can take hours using this method.
I am lazy with the lima beans and just microwave frozen ones. I am a strong believer in cooking from the dry bean, but never have with lima beans (just a quirk?). However, as with most beans, the seasoning is really what counts.
The thing that really makes this my favorite meal is the fried okra. I love, love, love it! I usually go out to the farms or, if open, the farmers market to buy the fresh okra. I clip the the ends and slice it up. The okra is thinly coated in a cornmeal mix. It's fried in a thin layer of oil and fries up really fast.
While all this is going on, the homemade ice cream is churning away. I do this about once a month during the summer so that I can time the ice cream to be done about the time I am done eating.
It is the most fabulous meal. It's not overly filling so I don't just go into a coma afterwards. However, I do try to do it a little light the following days (except for the leftover BBQ the next day).
The highlight of the meal is the fried okra. The only problem with fried okra is that it really doesn't go with every meal. BBQ is great. Fried chicken is a natural pairing (but maybe too much "fried"). Meatloaf is also a nice pairing. However, one is not going to have a T-Bone steak and okra. Okra doesn't pair well with pasta. Maybe that is what makes it so special--that it isn't really an "everyday" food. It reminds me of many, many family dinners, family reunions or church picnics. Maybe that alone--the connection to childhood and easier times--is the foundation for loving it.
posted by suzyjax on 8/26/2005 07:23:00 AM
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1 comments
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name: Suzanne Jackson age: old enough family: single, no children friends: almost all don't blog boyfriend: applications being accepted favorite colors: pink is my signature color reading: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley activities: school, work, political campaigns classes: Educational Technology, American Studies major: Education / Library Science / Educational Technology obsessions of choice: the Rams, the Cardinals, my city government, soap operas dream: another SuperBowl victory for the Rams |
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1 Comments:
Yo, for someone with such an active online life you are sure hard to find an e-mail address for.
You left your driver's license here (have you been searching everywhere for it?) and it is in the top righthand drawer near the scissors at the very front.
I wouldn't have posted this except for two things:
1. I figure the chances are good that you'll be here before someone else reads this and figures out where "here" is, and
2. I'm hoping you have this thing set up to send you all new comments by email.
Here's hoping.
Ben
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