Check out my progress on What Is Southern Food?
I have just returned from another session of my gastronomy class, and much to my delight, it was just as foodie-tastic as last week’s session. We spent much of the class discussing the origins of our favorite foods as part of our assignment from last week. Indeed, we spent no less than two and a half hours chatting about everything from the history of hummus to the appropriate baking dish for macaroni cheese to the monoglycerides in boxed cake mix.
The highlight of the class, however, was the conversation we had regarding Southern food culture. After watching a clip from Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie, my professor posed the question: “If you were to bring a dish to a Southern potluck, what would you bring?” In essence, this question began an exploration in defining Southern cuisine. Among the first items suggested were sweet tea, collards, biscuits, and sweet potato casserole.
Whether you’re a girl from the Heart of Dixie like me, or a Northerner to the core, tell me: what does Southern food mean to you? To me, fried okra is the epitome of Southern fare—both the vegetable itself and the preparation method were totally foreign to me until I moved to ‘bama.
My eats today could hardly be classified as Southern cuisine…but they were all Broccoli Hut favorites.
After seeing pictures of scrambled tofu of the past last night, I had a sudden craving for it this morning. Tasty as ever.
Once lunchtime rolled around, I put some pumpkin to good use by whipping up a batch of Pumpkin Hummus. Is it fall yet?
For dinner, I modified a Clean Eating recipe for Cavatappi with Spinach Ricotta Pesto (Jul/Aug 2010 issue). I substituted cottage cheese for the ricotta and increased the amount several times over—what can I say? I love me some cottage cheese. You’ll notice I also used spaghetti instead of cavatappi and added chopped tomato on top. I’ll be sure to post the recipe if you’re interested.
Off to catch up on my Google Reader!
Filed under: Meals
Caroline Yoder, dietitian-to-be and all-around foodie.
Fried catfish and mac and cheese is southern food for me – I lived in Georgia for 2 years and those were my faves!
Southern food to me means biscuits and gravy. I grew up in Minnesota but my aunt from Kentucky would always make this with sweet tea every time we went over to her house! I’ve never had collard greens, okra or black eyed peas.
MAC AND CHEESE! Love it
Grits are what comes to mind first for Southern food. Very creamy, cheesy grits. Especially when they are in the form of shrimp and grits. Also, lots of fried food and sweet tea that is wayyyy to sweet for my liking.
freaking yum!!! bagels and eggs always fill me up like crazy! its amazing how much power is in that combo!
ur pasta is so delish mmm a cheese a spinach sauce couldnt look more fabulous <3
Mmmm, I believe I saw spinach- ricotta spaghetti recipe in last months clean eating issue. Never thought of making it since it was paired with beef
DO post the recipe— that’d be great.
Never been to the south– and if I do I’m visiting y-o-u
, however I LOVE sweet potatoes so that’d be my fav…
Loving the look of that spaghetti. I dont know much about southern food so please excuse my naivity, i woulda said fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, macaroni salad and cornbread, but i could be completly wrong. ;D
x
Pasta looks so creamy and delicious! You definitely have to post the recipe.
I have never been to the States, but I always think of lots of cornbread and gumbo in the South.
it is seriously ultra necessary that i get my paws on a subscription to clean eating mag! i always drool whenever i see someone make one of the recipes from there!
when it hink about southern food i alwaaaays think about cornbread hahaha
pumpkin hummus. that needs to be in my life right away!
Mmmm cornbread! My favorite southern food by far!
The pasta looks yummy! I wonder if I could figure out a diary free version…
Mmmm cornbread! My favorite southern food by far!
The pasta looks yummy! I wonder if I could figure out a dairy free version…
I love learning about food! It is my dream come true… I must have picked the wrong profession
Your gastronomy class sounds *so* intriguing. I would love spending time discussing foods and cultures and the like. So fun.
I’m a “to-the-core” Northerner, but I always think of cornbread. Which just so happens to be one of my favorite breads ever.
That pasta is genius! I often use cottage cheese instead of ricotta… it looks perfect!
That class sounds like something I would definitely love!! And pumpkin hummus? Girl I think you’re after my heart!
I’m very Northerner, so when I think of Southern food, cornbread always comes to mind. Weird maybe? Fried chicken is up there too lol
I would bring devilled eggs. No question. A staple at all Southern events. Why, I was so excited to get my very own devilled eggs serving platter. But you’re so right about fried okra (though I grew up calling it ok-re). Quintessential South. Had to teach my Yankee husband about it from the vine to the plate.