Reflections on A Call to Cook

In exploring gastrography as a form of life writing, we have taken a variety of material from our lives and experiences and, centering these elements on the role of food, investigated the interaction of food with both community and personal identity. Gastrography, according to Smith and Watson’s Reading Autobiography, “designate[s] life writing that is closely linked to the production, preparation, or consumption of food” (271). Smith and Watson point out that gastrography can be employed to address wide-ranging issues such as the preservation of a unique cultural identity, colonization, or sustainability (271). As a cookbook, our gastrography goes beyond the general format of listing recipes by providing short reflections that explain the significance of the dish in our memories, lives, or relationships.

As a collaborative autobiography, A Call to Cook unifies the varied experiences with food that we have had as a result of our differences in family background, locality, and personal choice. Whereas Charles has grown up in the Charleston Lowcountry, eating seafood and enjoying signature Southern dishes, Crystal’s culinary experiences have been shaped by her mother’s Southwestern origins and her decision to avoid eating meat. These predilections characterize the recipes which are included in our cookbook and ultimately reveal a great deal about our backgrounds and lives. By situating each of our individual impressions and recipes with one another’s culinary experiences, our gastrography presents a wider range not only of foods but also of concepts. Through combining our reflections and recipes into one cookbook, we address a collective experience that, while touching on similar themes such as family and locality, allows for differences in interpretation.

Our gastrography functions within a number of the roles of self-life writing, seeking out the meaning contained in the seemingly simple necessity of preparing and consuming meals. For example, Crystal explores her ties to her family and enjoys the acknowledgement of her superb pumpkin pies in November’s entry, revealing the importance of tradition to the food that she cooks. By passing on an important family tradition to her, Crystal’s grandmother reinforces the relationship between food and relationships. On the other hand, Crystal’s recipes such as Curried Squash and Tempeh Hot “Wings” are major deviations from the foods which her family prepares, showing the development of personal tastes and choices in food paralleling the development of her identity. Charles’s recipe for Cheat’s Curry further represents this important function of our gastrographical project, as the act of making the dish serves to remind him of his ties to a friend and a community which played an important role during his year in Canada. By extending the importance of food and the interactions associated with its preparation and enjoyment into our lives with friends as well as family, we trace the development of self that characterizes the college years and young adult life.

The Process of Making a CookBook

(Front Cover)

(Title Page)

In addition to creating this fantastic blog, we also went about the tedious process of creating an actual printed cookbook. I have created blogs before, and I have always wanted to learn how to bind a book, so I thought it would be a good idea to do something different and learn how to make a book for this project. Thankfully one of my good friends, Brien, has started his own journal and book making company, Deux Mis, and he even interns at the special collections in the library at College of Charleston helping to restore old books. I really like how the book came out and the simplicity of the design. Creating a book such as this takes a while but is not actually too difficult. One of the hardest parts is actually formatting the text. In the book, the pages are folded meaning that in your word document you cannot just simply pair the text you want on the left page with the text you want on the right. Instead you have to do a very meticulous formatting in which you switch off every other page (I will spare you the details because I am still confused about how we actually got it to work).

Anyways, once we formatted the text, we simply printed it out on nice paper (the printing process took us at least five tries to get the formatting right). After we printed the text, we went to Artists and Craftsmen and picked out a heavier piece of paper for the front cover. From there we travelled to Chalmers Street to an ancient office filled with loads of old texts, such as a book about how to treat the insane from 1900. We then poked ten holes in the fold of the book and simply weaved some heavy gauge thread through the holes tying the book together. Finally, we used an old paper cutter from the 1800s to trim the edges of the book, and then let it sit in a press, essentially a machine that pushes down on the book, overnight. Finally, we created a stamp for the title, stamped the book, and the process was finished.

We intended to make a copy of the book for everyone in our Autobiography class; however, the materials cost us about 6 dollars per book, and while we love our classmates, we are poor college students. However, if you would like a copy of the book, just let us know and we can make one for you. We decided to make the blog so that the book would be easily accessible to everyone in the class and on the internet. We hope you enjoy and try out some of our delicious recipes.

Love,

Charles & Crystal

Introduction / Table of Contents

This cookbook comprises a year’s worth of the culinary endeavors of two college students, Charles Carmody and Crystal Frost. As we balance school, work, and social lives, food takes on a variety of roles. Cooking a meal can be a way to share with friends or simply one step to getting through the day. Our cookbook’s recipes range from simple to elaborate and allow a glimpse into the adventures of two students learning to cook, interpreting the culinary histories of their families while forging new connections through food.

By coupling our dishes with the stories of their origins or the sentiments that they evoke, we reflect on the interaction of food and self. Our recipes tell the story of our lives through food, simultaneously connecting us to friends and family and crafting a sense of self as we move on to create our own signature fare. We hope you enjoy!

Table of Contents

January
Cheats’ Curry Recipe
Infinite Veggie Soup

February
Poppy Seed Chicken
A Toast to the French

March
Caesar Pizza
Spinach and Broccoli Quiche

April
Dandelion Wine
Avocado Enchiladas

May
Tilapia w/ Couscous & Brussels
Curried Squash

June
Pork chops and Brown Rice
Black Bean Burgers

July
Frogmore Stew
Pancake Time!!!

August
Herb’s Crab Dip
Not-Fried Okra

September
Dr. Ann’s Mediterranean Shrimp
Cornbread: Mama Style

October
Jack’s Southwest Omelet
Tempeh Hot “Wings”

November
Deep Fried Turkey
Pumpkin Pie

December
Fried Oysters
Corn Chowder

January (Charles)

(Cheats, Me, and Sam in Italy)

Cheats’ Curry Recipe

In a wok:
1 TBS of olive oil
2 TBS of Thai Curry Paste (I prefer Red because it isn't as hot, so you add more to get even more flavor with a similar heat to the green... change the amount according to taste)
1 TBS of brown sugar

Heat these three things up for a minute on high heat so the paste mixes with the sugar and becomes a goop.

3-5 chicken breasts cut up into cubes

Zest 1 lime

Chop up a full handful of Cilantro (I like lots, but again, do it according to taste. The more the merrier for me.)

Put the chicken, lime zest, and cilantro in the wok and cook it on a relatively high heat for 3-4 minutes so the chicken becomes HALF COOKED. The cilantro and lime make it smell awesome. The cilantro is really important I find... if you don't like it you should at least try it once - it may change your mind.

Dump a can of coconut milk in with the chicken and lower heat to about 2-3. Then you can put in chopped vegetables if you like (I like peppers, zucchini, finely chopped carrots). Also squeeze limejuice into the mix (half a lime maybe). Put in 1-2 TBS of fish sauce.

It should take 25-35 minutes. Make some basmati or jasmine rice and Naan while you wait. Get drunk on Corona... whatever suits your taste. If you are making a shit load of food use twice as much curry paste, sugar, fish sauce, lime, and 2 cans of coconut milk.

Gastrography
My first year of college, I went to school in New Brunswick, Canada. I left the south and headed for a cold wintry year at St. Stephen’s University. The school was located in St. Stephen right on the border of Maine and Canada and the building in which I lived, an old hotel that Marylyn Monroe actually stayed in at one time, overlooked the St. Croix river into America. It was a weird experience to be out of one’s country but still able to look at it every day. Michael Cheatly was one of the many amazing people that I met up in Canada, and he was the one to give me this recipe.

The Canadians, at least the ones I lived with, love curry. It is a great dish to eat during the cold winter months because it literally warms you from the inside out. While the curry might not be spicy to your palate, you might find yourself starting to sweat halfway through the meal. Do not worry, this is normal. I had many different kinds of curry dishes in Canada, mostly homemade, but this recipe is the best one I had hands down. The first time I actually tried Cheats’ curry was in Paris. We were traveling together with twenty-five fellow students and professors throughout Europe for two months. We camped the entire time, and the students were broken up into cooking groups. Cheats’ group made his curry, and I could not get enough of it. I have not seen Cheats in three years, but I still cook this recipe at least once a month. The layout of the recipe may be awkward, but I wanted to reserve the document as he emailed it to me. While we may not see each other anymore, I still think about Cheats and the Canadians every time I make this dish.

January (Crystal)

Infinite Veggie Soup

1 can tomato paste (14.5 oz)
herbs, to taste: parsley, oregano, rosemary, basil
chili powder or a little Sriracha
a little butter for the pot
fresh or frozen peas
2 large carrots , sliced
other vegetables you like
⅓ box tricolored rotini
1 16oz. can chick peas
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
water, about 4 cups

1. Melt a little butter in your soup pot.

2. Sauté the onion over medium high heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and carrots and cook for a few minutes longer.

4. Mix in the water and tomato paste; turn the heat up.

5. Add the chickpeas, herbs, and spices. Also add any other “hard” vegetables (i.e. potatoes, squash, zucchini, etc.).

6. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover partially. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until carrots are tender.

7. Add peas and pasta, cook until pasta is al dente.

8. Season the soup with more herbs and spices to taste, adding water if it has gotten too thick while cooking.

Gastrography
As any college student can tell you, it’s always nice to have an easy meal at hand for those long nights reading, writing, or doing your arithmetic. This soup was born of desperation on a long winter night when I realized I had eaten canned refried beans for three days in a row. Absolutely disappointed in the lack of fresh anything in my diet, I started tossing everything that looked appetizing into a pot. I wanted pasta. I wanted protein. I wanted veggies. Fortunately, this soup turned out pretty well, and I survived for nearly a week on leftovers, as one of the great things about making a hearty soup like this one is that you can just keep putting in more carrots and water and spices and eat it almost infinitely.

When I make this soup, I always think about my grandma making what she calls “kitchen sink soup”—it has everything in it except the kitchen sink! She also makes a mean “kitchen sink pie,” although the ingredients are a little different. I love the idea of throwing together the odds and ends of whatever is lying around to make a big meal good for sharing or subsisting on alone for days. Make this soup your own: add whatever veggies, spices, and proteins you have leftover from other more organized culinary endeavors and enjoy a pot of Infinite Soup!

February (Charles)

Poppy Seed Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 sleeve buttery round crackers (such as Ritz), crushed
1 teaspoon poppy seeds, or more if desired
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Place the chicken breasts into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center, about 20 minutes. Drain the water, then shred the chicken.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the butter, crackers, and poppy seeds in a bowl; set aside. Blend the sour cream and cream of chicken soup in a bowl; pour half of the soup mixture into a 9x9-inch baking dish. Add the shredded chicken, then pour the remaining half of the soup mixture on top. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese, then top with the cracker mixture. Bake in the preheated oven until cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.

Gastrography

This casserole is one of my favorite dishes from my childhood. Whenever my sister Ryan and I were asked what we wanted to eat for dinner by my mom, nine times out of ten we would request, rather demand, poppy seed chicken. This dish is fairly easy to make meaning that we were often fed this casserole especially on nights when Mom and Dad held supper club, book club, or had their friends over for dinner. The recipe was originally my grandmother’s, and I remember standing in her kitchen full of cow paraphernalia (she is called Moo by her grandchildren and has a large cow collection) and crushing the Ritz crackers that go on top of the casserole. This dish has even appeared at Thanksgiving a couple of time because my family enjoys it so much. No matter how old I get I think I will always love this dish, and whenever I eat it will be reminded of sitting around my kitchen table with my dad always sitting on my right, my mom on my left, and my sister in front of me. I feel blessed to have had a family that sat down to eat together at least five times a week when I was growing up.

February (Crystal)

A Toast to the French

1 c. vanilla almond milk
2 eggs
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
French bread, old (or whatever bread you have!)
Some oil or butter for the pan

1. Beat the eggs in a casserole dish or another flat, deep dish.

2. Splash about a cup of vanilla almond milk in there. You can add more milk to stretch the batter, but it’s good to maintain an egg to milk ratio that produces a rather egg-y batter.

3. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg into the batter until the whole mixture is tinted slightly brown. Continue adding spices to taste as they get soaked up.

4. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, oiling it with a little canola oil or butter.

5. Lay a piece of bread into the batter, letting it soak until it is saturated with batter.

6. Cook the toast until both sides are a golden brown and the middle feels slightly stiff to prevent mushy center syndrome.

7. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup or honey. Sliced bananas and strawberries with blueberries provide a delicious garnish

Gastrography

I never understood the attraction to all things French, the trope of the suave French accent and the sensuous French lifestyle, until I visited Paris. French kissing. Fancy cigarettes. Cinemas. Markets full of produce and people. Wine. Cheese that scares nearby tourists and burns your tongue, changing everything you thought you knew about life. Now, I understand. French stuff is sexy.

I don’t really know how inherently French this style of toast is—I think I heard once that French toast was the cheap breakfast for French folks who bought old stale bread—but I have sneakily incorporated this breakfast into those luxurious mornings when I happen to have someone around to share breakfast. Call it my nod to French exuberance. I can’t imagine cooking French toast for one; it has always been a shared endeavor. Before I lived away from home, my brother and I would cook French toast on those summer vacation mornings after swim team practice, when we could putter around the kitchen and eat breakfast at one in the afternoon if that’s what we wanted to do.

I’ve never offered to cook French toast and been turned down, nor have I ever turned down this dish when offered. It’s sweet; it’s simple; it’s shareable. And it’s the perfect excuse to incorporate a little of that French sexiness into your morning.

March (Charles)

(The Mellow Mushroom where Charles works)

Caesar Pizza

1 head Romaine lettuce
1 tomato
1 (12 inch) prepared pizza crust
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 package of chicken (skinless and boneless breasts of course)
1 can of Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried basil leaves
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
1 bottle of Newman’s Creamy Caesar dressing

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large skillet, over medium heat, brown the chicken until cooked through. Place pizza crust on a large baking sheet. Stir together the tomato sauce, basil, and oregano. Spread tomato sauce evenly over pizza. Sprinkle cooked chicken evenly over tomato sauce and top with Mozzarella cheese. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly golden. While the pizza is baking, cut up the romaine and mix with the Caesar dressing. After you pull the pizza out of the oven sprinkle the lettuce on top of the pie. Distribute the sliced tomatoes evenly on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cut into slices to serve.

Gastrography
One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is to take recipes from local restaurants that I love and try to replicate them in my own kitchen. This recipe is one of those replications. I borrowed this recipe from Mellow Mushroom, the place where I have been employed for the last year. I chose to add this dish in the cookbook because it is one of my favorite pies at Mellow Mushroom, and this restaurant has played an important part in my life over the last year, as it has supported my frugal spending habits, I have met some amazing people, and I almost lost my hand in this restaurant. This might not be a story to tell in a cookbook, but this event has been one of the most trying events in my life thus far and the accident affects me in the kitchen even today (I still don’t have feeling in three fingers on my right hand which means I have to be extra careful when cooking to make sure that I don’t burn myself without feeling it).

The night of July 6^th I was just about to get off work. I had a beer and a Caesar Pizza waiting for me at the bar and was about to relax when a fellow co-worker asked me to carry some pint glasses up to the bar to be washed. As I was heading up the stairs I slipped and tried to catch myself with my right hand which proceeded to go through the beer mug I was carrying. I learned later in the hospital that I had cut five tendons, three nerves, and an artery. I spent the next six months going to physical therapy three times a week and with my hand in a cast. At least I have a pretty awesome scar now.

March (Crystal)

Spinach and Broccoli Quiche

Frozen or prepared piecrust
1 sweet yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 broccoli crown
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
Butter for sautéing
8 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
3 eggs
8 oz. half and half

Preheat the oven to 375°F

1. Steam the broccoli; drain well.

2. Sauté the onion until translucent; add the garlic and mushrooms.

3. When the mushrooms have cooked down a little, add the spinach.

4. Add the broccoli and cook for a few minutes longer.

5. Spoon the veggie mixture into the piecrust.

6. Add the cheese on top of the veggie filling.

7. Whisk together the eggs and half and half in a bowl.

8. Pour mixture over veggies and cheese, filling the piecrust.

9. Bake 35-45 minutes, or until center is firm. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Gastrography
When I was younger, we would go to my grandparents’ house for brunch, and quiche was a favorite all around. However, for most of my childhood I thought that “quiche” was pronounced “Keith” and made by none other than my Uncle Keith. My uncle didn’t usually cook, so I thought it was really cool that the one thing he made was so delicious. This belief lent quiche a certain mystical and special quality, and the first time I saw quiche on a menu I was shocked to find that it was not a special dish made only by my uncle. Of course, when I mentioned this impression my parents laughed at me and said that Keith didn’t even make quiche—Grandma did! Needless to say my estimation of my Uncle Keith bumped down a few notches.

Years later, during my first quiche-making attempt another mystery occurred. When I placed my freshly baked quiche on the counter top to cool, it exploded! Glass, egg, veggies, and cheese sprayed everywhere. Tiny slivers of Pyrex stuck in my arms and coated every inch of the counter top and kitchen floor, making every move a danger. I was completely baffled, laughing somewhat hysterically. After the dust had settled, my roommate and I realized that she had turned on the wrong stove burner: the quiche had been setting on the front burner for a few minutes, and she had meant to turn on the back burner to boil some water. She convinced me that it would be unethical to serve my quiche, and we ate cereal instead.

April (Charles)

Gastrography
You might be raising your eyebrows at April’s recipe selection, and I wish I could give you some consoling remarks about how delicious this recipe is, but the truth is I have not yet tried my dandelion wine. I made it back in March and now have to wait until September (white wine needs 6 months to ferment) until I can drink it. An old friend in Canada, Mel Weatherhead, gave this recipe to me. Mel went to St. Stephen’s University but was taking a semester off my second semester and living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We began writing letters to each other over Christmas break and continued to write each other through out the semester. Needless to say, I began to have feelings for Mel. In the end it did not work out, but it was still a very great time in life.

She sent me this recipe in one of her letters as you see it on the left. Again I wanted to preserve the original copy because this is exactly what I used to make my own wine. If it is kind of confusing (especially since the Canadians use the metric system), but no worries, just improvise. As Charles Darwin notes, “those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” I waited at least two years before I actually made the wine since dandelions are not as abundant in South Carolina as they are in Canada. However, about a month ago, my friend Brien and I were walking past an abandoned lot downtown filled with dandelions. I leapt at the opportunity, and we picked every dandelion in the field. I just hope it tastes all right.

April (Crystal)

Avocado Enchiladas

2 large Haas avocados, diced
Green onions, diced
Monterrey jack cheese
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Cayenne pepper or chili powder
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 can of red enchilada sauce
Corn tortillas
Canola oil

Preheat oven to 350°F

1. Add the lemon juice and garlic to the avocados and onions; cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate.

2. Heat enough oil to cover the tortillas in a pan.

3. Heat the enchilada sauce in a saucepan.

4. Set up your ingredients and pans in an assembly line.

5. Fry a corn tortilla in the oil until it becomes ever so slightly crisp. Cook until air pockets start to deflate.

6. Place the fried tortilla in the enchilada sauce, covering it gently; then, lay it flat in the casserole dish.

7. Fill with one spoonful of avocado mixture and a sprinkle of cheese.

8. Fold one side over the filling and roll.

9. Repeat, pressing the enchiladas closely together in rows.

10. Spoon a little enchilada sauce over the whole pan and sprinkle with cheese.

11. Bake for 30-45 minutes.

Gastrography
My mom, a native New Mexican, has always cooked the most delicious Tex-Mex. Almost every occasion, in our family, is celebrated with a big dinner of burritos, enchiladas, taquitas, tacos, chiles rellenos, fajitas, or chile con carne. When I stopped eating meat, Mom’s culinary skills were somewhat confounded, but she got inventive and revised some of her traditional recipes for me. When I tired of cheese and bean burritos, we came up with this delicious masterpiece. The avocados prove to be perfect for enchiladas, contributing a great deal of substance to the meal.

In my family, enchilada making is a team sport. When Mom has all the ingredients ready, we all choose a task and prepare the enchiladas assembly line style. Working together, we can fill up pan after pan with enchiladas, making this meal a popular one to share with extended family or to bring to a potluck or party.

May (Charles)

Sautéed Tilapia with Couscous and Brussel Sprouts

Tilapia Fillets (I like to do one or two per person)
Big Bag of Brussel Sprouts
Box of Couscous
Olive Oil

Sear Tilapia filets in 1-2 tbsp olive oil (about 2 minutes per side). Make sure oil is hot before adding fish. When brown and flakey remove from pan.

Cook couscous according to directions on the box.

Brussel Sprouts: Cut rough ends off of brussels. Put brussels into a zip lock bag. Add 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper to bag. Close bag and mix all together. Place brussel sprouts on a cookie sheet in an even layer and bake on 375 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until a bit brown and crispy, but not too brown or crispy.

Gastrography
My mother is a great cook, but when I think of her cooking three recipes come right to my mind (all three of which are in this cookbook). She discovered Tilapia when I was in high school and after this discovery we ate a lot of this fish. Tilapia may be a bottom feeder, but it is a delicious bottom feeder and one of the cheapest fish in the grocery store. At one point in my life, after reading Jonathan Safron Foer’s Eating Animals and watching Food Inc. back to back, I was seriously concerned about the food I was eating and even became a vegetarian for a whole week. This book and movie made me realize that the cliché, “You are what you eat,” actually holds some truth. As a society we need to be conscious of the food we are eating. I think the most important thing for me is to try and buy locally as much as possible. Even if you are buying grass fed beef from the grocery store, you still do not have a guarantee that the beef is actually grass fed. Companies are allowed to put “free range” on their packages as long as their chickens merely are able to see sunlight. Chickens cooped up in a shed with a couple of windows does not seem free range to me. I consider myself “food conscious,” but the problem is that I just don’t have the time or the money to be too food conscious at the moment. Alright, so maybe I am just a little lazy, but I hope that one day I can live out my food beliefs, but until then I will keep eating farm raised, bottom-feeding Tilapia.

May (Crystal)

Curried Squash

Zucchini, sliced
Yellow squash, sliced
One medium potato, diced
Onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. coconut milk
Curry powder
Turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Sauté the onion with some salt.

2. Add the potato, spices, and coconut milk.

3. Cover and let cook until potato is mostly tender but still crunchy in the center.

4. Mix in the squash and zucchini slices. Add the garlic.

5. Cover and cook until all vegetables are tender but not mushy.

6. Serve with basmati rice or toasted bread.

Gastrography
Seasonal squashes abound! My first experience with this dish was during a splendid cooking session at some friends’ house after a long but satisfying day working in the Bogarden. With a bunch of produce and a bunch of friends, we cooked up a storm, everyone cooking something that he or she felt comfortable throwing together in one pan. Four burners and four pans were what we had to work with, and about an hour later we had a veritable buffet of curry, stir-fry, sautéed vegetables, and rice. We put all the pans on the table, grabbed some spoons, and shared it all, wiping every pan clean. That time, I made the okra dish featured for August, but I observed and adapted this recipe from something a friend made that night.

June (Charles)

Pork Chops and Brown Rice

4 bone-in thin pork chops (or one if you are eating alone)
2 cans beef broth or beef consommé
1 cup Uncle Bens rice

Brown pork chops on both sides in a large frying pan (about 2 minutes on each side). When chops look brown, pour the two cans of soup into the pan, and then add the rice, dispersing it around the pork chops evenly. Cover (with tin foil if you don't have a top) and simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until the rice has soaked up the liquid. Serve and enjoy!!

Gastrography
This recipe is my third favorite recipe that my mom makes. Pork chops and brown rice were one of the staple meals in my house when I was growing up, and we probably had this dish at least once every two weeks. It is just a perfect combination that culminates into a meal of deliciousness. I had a great childhood, but I definitely lived a very suburban childhood. Not to say that the suburbs are the root of all evil, well they might be, but I definitely feel like I grew up in a little safe bubble. I went to the same small private school for twelve years and lived a comfortable life that pushed complacency on me from all sides. I think this is why my year in Canada is so meaningful to me. I went from living in Mt. Pleasant, the land of Suburbans, sprawl, and riches to St. Stephen, a mill town located in the poorest county of the poorest province. Everyone knows the lovely cliché “money can’t buy happiness.” When I was younger I thought this line was just stupid. Of course money can buy you happiness, look how happy that guy riding in his Porsche is. It was not until I went to Canada that I realized the truth behind this cliché. True happiness does not come from things but from people. Why do pork chops remind me of what true happiness is? Maybe because they are delicious. Maybe because the thought of eating with my family, something that rarely happens now that my sister and I are in college, makes me happy.

June (Crystal)

Black Bean Burgers

1 lb. cooked black beans
1 red onion, diced
1 c. corn, cooked and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
Cumin and chili powder
¼ c. flour
1 Haas avocado
Sliced Muenster
Honey mustard dressing
Burger buns

1. Mash the beans and corn with a potato masher.

2. Add the spices, garlic, and onion.

3. Mix well, adding flour gradually until bean mixture can be formed into cohesive patties.

4. Pan-fry the patties in a little vegetable oil. You can also grill the patties, but you might want to fry them a little first so they will hold together better.

5. Top patties with Muenster to melt.

6. Dress bean burgers with slices of avocado and top with honey mustard.

Gastrography

These black bean burgers were the main feature of the first vegetarian meal I ever prepared for my family. I learned how to make them from a friend who claimed them as his signature dish, and I was excited to share them with my family the next time I went home. However, I tried to make them without a very clear idea of the process, used the wrong kind of canned corn, and attempted to mix the ingredients together with a hand mixer. I ended up with an overly gooey mess that was nearly impossible to salvage, and the burgers I ended up with fell apart and fell off the buns. My dad said they were “alright…” My brother refused to eat. My mom was encouraging but clearly unenthused about my culinary skills. My subsequent endeavors have been much more successful, but I will never forget those early days when no matter how hard I tried to show my family that vegetarian cooking could be delicious and fun, they just wanted me to leave them alone so they could cook their burgers.

July (Charles)

Frogmore Stew or Beaufort Stew or Lowcountry Boil

This recipe serves a crowd.

1/2 lb. shrimp per person
Small new potatoes (about 3 per person)
1/4 lb. kielbasa or andouille sausage per person, cut into 2 inch slices
1 or 2 small ears corn per person (cut in half)
Zatarans shrimp boil or seafood seasoning (Old Bay)

Bring a large amount of water to boil (there shoud be roughly twice the volume of water as the volume of ingredients)
Add packet of Zatarans or sprinkle in an ample amount of seafood seasoning
Add potatoes and boil for 7 minutes
Add sausage and boil for 7 minutes
Add corn and boil for 7 minutes
Add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes (do not overcook, shrimp cooks quicker than you think)
Drain and serve in large bowl or tub or on an outside table covered in newspaper

Gastrography
If you live in Charleston, South Carolina, my hometown for the last 21 years, you most likely have had this delicious multi-named dish. The first thing I think about when I hear Frogmore Stew is the beach, and this meal is usually served whenever there is a family gathering during the summer. Frogmore Stew is best served with sand, salty wind, and summer sweat. While you can cook it on a stove, the best way to prepare this meal is to get a big propane burner and cook the meal on the beach or in the backyard. My Mom’s family has a family reunion every other year down in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, and all fifty of us will gather down on the beach on the last night every year and cook up a giant portion of Frogmore Stew. The best way to serve this dish is to just dump it out on a table covered with newspaper. The last time I had this dish, and probably one of the most memorable times was at my Dad’s 50^th birthday party last August. We rented a big party boat for him that picked everyone up at our dock, and we toured around the harbor for three hours drinking at eating the Frogmore Stew that they made on the boat. The night ended with my entire family, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, playing drinking games, such as flip cup, in my parents’ basement. I will never forget the image of my sister and Dad giving each other a high five after Ryan had just chugged a beer and successfully flipped the cup on the first try winning the game for her team. It is events like these that Frogmore Stew inspires.

July (Crystal)

Pancake Time!!!

1 ½ c. self-rising flour
1 c. milk (vegan option: vanilla soy or almond milk!)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 egg (vegan option: omit and use a mashed banana)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Dash of cinnamon

Delicious options: mashed bananas, sliced strawberries, blueberries, or chocolate chips! Or any combo thereof!

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

2. Heat a pan with a little oil in it over medium high heat.

3. Cook batter until bubbles form and burst, then flip the pancake.

4. Serve with syrup or honey and fresh fruit.

Gastrography

Pancakes are one of about three things that my dad cooks like a pro, the others being spaghetti and omelets. And hash browns. Okay, he can basically cook delicious breakfasts and boil pasta.

When I went to college, I called my dad to get his pancake recipe one Sunday morning. I wrote it down carefully in my journal and cooked up a batch right away. They were awful! Thin like paper and completely flavorless. I tried again and again over the next few months, and they were always just terrible. Eventually, I called Dad again, asking why they were so bad. I read the recipe I had written down back to him. He quickly explained my problem: I had managed to write down every single measurement wrong. My pancakes have improved dramatically since then.

August (Charles)

Herb’s Crab Dip

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 (6 ounce) cans crabmeat (but preferably use fresh crabmeat)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Paprika, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Cheddar cheese, crabmeat, lemon juice, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Transfer to a shallow 9x13 inch baking dish. Garnish with paprika.

Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.

Gastrography
If you have never gone crabbing, I suggest you head to the grocery store, buy some chicken gizzards and string, and head on down to a dock because it is the best. There are a couple of methods to crabbing. You can go with the slow and patient method in which you tie the gizzard onto a long string and then lower the string into the water until it hits the ground. Once you start feeling tugs on the string, slowly start winding it in and have a friend snag the crab on the gizzard once it gets near the surface with a net. Another method is to get a crab net that lies flat on the bottom of the creek and just randomly pull it up every now and then trapping the crabs inside. However, my favorite method is to combine these two. My parents live right on Charleston Harbor and we have a long dock that is perfect for crabbing. At mid-tide I go down on the dock with a friend. One person mans the big net and the other the stringed gizzard. The water is shallow enough so that you can actually see the crabs on the bottom, and you essentially try to lure them into the big net with the gizzard. It is so much fun and extremely effective. Last time my friend Emily and I went crabbing off my dock we caught fifteen blue crabs in a little over an hour.

This recipe is actually Emily’s dad’s recipe. Herb is a man of the sea who sells electrical wiring for buildings during the week and lives on his boat on the weekends. This being said, he has some great seafood recipes.

August (Crystal)

Not-Fried Okra

1lb. fresh Okra
1 medium to large onion, sliced into long pieces
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ inch piece fresh ginger, chopped
oil
½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1. Wash and dry okra pods.

2. Score okra pods without slicing through them.

3. Sauté onions in oil.

4. Add garlic, ginger, cumin, red pepper, and turmeric.

5. Add okra and salt and cook for 5 minutes.

6. Cover and let cook approx. 10 minutes, until okra is tender but not mushy.

7. Cook uncovered until moisture has evaporated. Stir gently; okra pods should remain in one piece.

8. Serve with rice or bread.

Gastrography

As a Southern girl, I grew up believing that okra grew with breading already on it. I simply could not imagine eating it any other way. Although I hated vegetables as a child, I would gobble down fried okra any day of the week. Then again, fried vegetables hardly count as vegetables at all.

This dish has become a summer favorite for taking advantage of the abundance of late-growing okra. There is something truly satisfying about eating whole pods of okra; okra in its full form, recognizable as a vegetable and not just as a little piece of hot fried goodness. I cooked this for my family once when they visited, and they were actually impressed. None of them had ever had not-fried okra, either.