Southern Grit: 100+ Down-Home Recipes for the Modern Cook

Getting Started

Hey y’all! I am thrilled to throw my doors open and welcome y’all into my little life. I am a chef, mother, wife, plant enthusiast, animal lover, thrifter, MacGyverer, and protector of tradition. I believe in the old way of doing things, but am the first to stand in line for progress and change. I cook the way your grandmother would and am an advocate for a traditional kitchen. I was raised to believe you catch more flies with honey, but I often have the temperament and brashness of a true New Yorker. I was the first to leave home, saying I would never return, and the first to come back. I am a proud Southern woman and aim to make things better than the way I found them.

There’s nothing quite like being raised Southern. There’s a certain way we keep our house, fix our food, draw out our words, and know how to do a little bit of everything. We’re frugal yet giving and have mastered the art of throwing a damn good party. We love big, and we send our thank-yous on stationary. We require a yes ma’am and no sir from our children and love them in a monogram. We know the importance of planning ahead, preparation, and putting up a summer’s crop. We are never in a hurry, with time moving as slow as sugarcane syrup, but we are always prompt.

The South is the place I ran from and then returned to. The place I decided to settle down, buy a house, raise a family, and build a business. It’s the place I called home and now, the home I’ve chosen. The South that has shaped me is what I want to share with you.

First things first: Preparation is key. Southerners haven’t been putting up fruits and vegetables for generations for nothing! A little forethought will save you buckets of time. The term mise en place (everything in its place) is widely used in professional kitchens. It’s all you need to say to someone in a kitchen for him or her to know exactly what you are talking about. Do you have your MEP ready? Have you mise’d out that recipe yet? Does the front of house have their MEP for service? It also happens to be my mantra for life and one of the most important lessons before we get to cookin’. This term was drilled into us throughout culinary school and then in professional kitchens, but it wasn’t until I returned home to the South that I realized why this idea wasn’t new to me. You see, we are born and bred to be prepared in the South. Hunters are first taught how to prepare and safely operate a gun before they ever shoot off a round. We learn to organize a toolbox properly, disassemble and master every knot before we ever catch a fish on a reel. Our cans are cleaned, sterilized, and lined up in a straight line before we ever fill them with jam. Southerners have mastered the art of being prepared. We take the time to teach, and we’re never in a hurry when doing so. Simply put, we have our shit together.

This may be hard to hear, but to appear to have your shit together, you’ve actually got to have it together. I know, I know. But I have a newborn! But I have a toddler! But I work all the time! I get it. But I swear you’ll thank me for this. Because chances are you picked up this book because you want to know how I do it all. How I tend the garden, keep houseplants alive, and put an edible meal on the table by 7 p.m. How I keep the floors clean, the toilets white, and a restaurant operating seven days a week. Sometimes shortcuts are the fastest way to your destination, and I am all about sharing my best-kept detours. I’ll be the first to admit my mistakes, tell you all about my worst ideas ever, and help y’all learn from my trials and errors. This is the thing: It doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be done.

We’re focusing on real-life solutions for those real-life time constraints. Good news: I happen to be one of those real people too, and guess what?! NOT PERFECT OVER HERE, Y’ALL. So let’s get your house mise’d out so we can get to the fun stuff—like biscuits. Everyone loves biscuits. And cinnamon rolls and gumbo and basically everything that requires at least one entire stick of butter.

Find your happy spot, pop a bottle of bubbles—it better be a brut—and let’s get started. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, y’all.

THE WELL-STOCKED SOUTHERN PANTRY

We Southerners can’t cook a meal without a few staples. Depending on where you live, you may need to source some of these ingredients ahead of time.

BACON

When I was living in New York, a friend asked me if there was anything we Southerners didn’t put bacon in. I told him yes, but then we use sausage. Thick sliced, applewood smoked is my favorite.

BACON FAT

Every time I cook bacon (as well as chicken, FYI) I reserve the fat and keep it in a Ball jar in the fridge. It will keep for up to 6 months and will be a game changer in some of these recipes.

BUTTERMILK

You’ll see this tangy cream in a lot of my recipes. If you forget to pick it up at the store, substitute by adding 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to 2 cups [480 ml] of milk. It will curdle like the real stuff.

CONECUH SAUSAGE

This Alabama-made product is my favorite. In my house we eat it at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s not greasy and has a balanced smoky and spicy flavor. We buy it in bulk and keep it in the freezer. If you can’t source it, I suggest asking for a smoky, slightly spicy sausage, tasting and finding the one you love.

CORNMEAL

When I competed on Top Chef, we were allowed to bring twelve of our own ingredients in a chef bin. My chef bin for the finale had five bags of different types of cornmeal. While you don’t need all five, I do recommend you keep both white and yellow cornmeal on hand, as they cook completely differently and are used for different applications. Some of my favorites are Dixie Lily, Indian Head, Lakeside, Abbitt’s, and Atkinson’s.

CREOLE SEASONING

I can’t think of anything that doesn’t taste better with a dash of Old Bay.

DUKE’S MAYONNAISE

This is the official mayonnaise of the South. If I’m not making my own (and let’s face it, with a restaurant and two young children at home, I am not), this is what I use every time. Mayonnaise is the main ingredient in the Cheat Sauces that serve as the finishing touch to many of my recipes and make you look like you’ve whipped up something fancy, so might as well grab two jars! If you can’t get your hands on this Southern favorite, no worries—just find your favorite high-quality mayonnaise and sub it out for that.

FIELD PEAS

By field peas I mean lady peas, lima beans, butter beans, and black-eyed peas. Down South, it’s an ordeal and often an entire summer day spent putting up peas where we blanch, clean, bag, and label them to freeze for the winter. I keep at least four bags in the freezer. Whether you put them up yourself or buy them already frozen, just be sure you have some on hand. They’re the best quick side dish or add-in to salads.

FRESH HERBS

There are fresh herbs aplenty at the store, but I highly recommend growing your own. They will always be fresh; they will green up your kitchen, windowsill, or yard; you’ll save money; and you’ll be able to add brightness and flavor to any dish without having to leave your house. Win, win, win.

GRITS

By grits I mean stone ground yellow grits. I never mean quick grits.

HAM HOCK

I keep hocks in my freezer. I use them in everything from soups to collards. Their smokiness is like no other.

HOT SAUCE

My go-to Southern brands are Crystal and Tabasco. They both have the right balance of heat and vinegar.

KOSHER SALT

Throw out that iodized stuff, get rid of that shaker, and buy a grinder if you want a finer salt for the table. Unless I indicate otherwise, when a recipe calls for salt, I mean coarse ground kosher salt.

OLIVE OIL FOR COOKING AND FINISHING

I primarily cook with an average store-bought extra-virgin olive oil. It’s also good to stock a nice olive oil—specifically Italian imported—for finishing dishes.

ONIONS

Unless I indicate otherwise, when a recipe calls for onions, I mean white or yellow.

PEELED GARLIC

PSA: It’s just as fresh as an unpeeled head of garlic. I have literal nightmares from my time at Café Boulud where, as a rite of passage, I had to peel garlic for hours on end in the basement. I smelled like a big old bulb of garlic for a solid 6 months.

PURE HONEY

There is a big difference between pure honey and your average store-bought kind. Many store-bought honeys are cut with corn syrup, which cuts the flavor and the health benefits. Find a local honey source and stock up. We add ours to our coffee every morning, and our son drizzles it on his waffles in lieu of syrup.

SORGHUM SYRUP

If molasses and honey had a baby, it would be sorghum. It’s sweet and flavorful without being maple or floral.

SWEET BARBECUE SAUCE

I make my own, but I also keep a few store-bought bottles in the pantry for when I’m in a pinch. Sweet Baby Ray’s is a Southern staple and personal favorite.

SWEET POTATOES

We put them in pie, dot them with marshmallows at Thanksgiving, and roast them whole for our babies. They are one of my favorite daily sweet treats, and they are packed with nutrients.

UNSALTED BUTTER

There will never, ever be a day when I call for salted butter. Using unsalted allows you to control the amount of salt in the final product, and I’m a control freak, OK?

VINEGARS AND ACIDS

I always have apple cider, rice wine, red wine, and balsamic vinegar stocked, and I keep a drawer full of lemons and limes. More often than not, the just something missing of any dish is a splash of acid to brighten it up.

CHEF’S TOOLS

When it comes to cooking gadgets and tools, I like to keep it simple. Knowing how to use the basics well will take you just as far as having all the fanciest cooking contraptions. Here are the essentials that you just can’t—and shouldn’t—cook without.

BENCH SCRAPER

I prefer a metal one—it’s the best way to clean up flour and dough. No more making glue with a sponge.

BUTCHER’S TWINE

You can’t make the most perfect roast chicken of your life without it.

CAST IRON SKILLET

I primarily cook in cast iron. You don’t need five, just one medium, well-seasoned skillet. I find the best ones at local flea markets.

FISH SPATULA

This one is tricky because the name is deceptive. Want to know what else you can use a fish spatula for? Literally everything. I mean, listen, it is the best thing to get a seared fillet out of the pan, but this little guy has so much more potential. It has a sharp, knife-like edge, so it can be used for anything where you need a razor-thin scrape. Removing brownies from a pan, serving pie, cutting lasagna? Behold the fish spatula.

FOOD PROCESSOR

There is nothing that can purée, mix, and blend like this sucker. I use mine for just about everything—chopping mirepoix for soup; making salsas, jams, and sauces; the list goes on and on. She’s my sidekick, my bestie for the restie in the kitchen.

KITCHENAID STAND MIXER

Listen, I’ve heard people say they prefer mixing by hand, their grandma always used a handheld mixer, yada yada. The reality is that you won’t go into a professional kitchen and not see a KitchenAid stand mixer. Just get one—you need it, and your elbow will thank you.

KNIVES

There is misconception in the home cooking world that you need a big fancy knife set. Really, you just need one good 8 to 10 in [20 to 25 cm] chef’s knife, plus a paring knife and a serrated knife. Learn how to sharpen your chef’s knife, and keep it sharp.

MANDOLINE

Another chef must-have. Do you ever see those paper-thin cuts and wonder how we do it so consistently? Meet the mandoline, y’all.

MIXING BOWLS

Small, medium, and large, stainless steel only. Glass is too heavy to work with and nearly impossible for tossing salads or pasta.

OYSTER SHUCKER

Look for one with a wood handle and sharp tip.

PARCHMENT PAPER

Wax paper is not a substitute. Foil is also not a substitute. OK? Bonus points if you can get the precut sheets that fit perfectly on your sheet trays. Time-saver hack.

ROUND RING MOLD SET

These come in a little tin with about ten different sizes. I use them for biscuits, cheese straw crackers, and more. They’re handy, trust me.

RUBBER SPATULAS

You cannot properly scrape the sides of a mixing bowl without these. You cannot properly bake without properly scraping the sides of said mixing bowl. Moving on.

STURDY, THICK SHEET PANS

For the love of all things holy, please throw away your entire collection of flimsy, dented cookie sheets, and all the nonstick coated ones, too. I beg you. Purge, get the good ones, and be floored when all of your cookies miraculously bake evenly!

TONGS

The best tool when the food’s too hot to use your hands.

VEGETABLE PEELER

Every chef keeps a sharp, pro-quality peeler in their knife kit. I swear by Kuhn; it’s as sharp as a razor, and it costs less than ten dollars.

WHISK

Just to be clear, I mean a good whisk. I get that y’all probably have one at home, but can you get your