Southern flavors inspire Dearyan's cooking column

Last fall I visited Asheville, North Carolina on my way to a pastor’s wife's retreat. The Blue Ridge Mountains looked endless, and yes, they really look blue in the distance (this has something to do with a natural haze created by a compound released by the trees to protect themselves from the heat — of all things you needed to know from your friendly neighborhood cooking column), their peaks softened by the morning mist.

We spent some time hiking along mossy trails to hidden, sparkling waterfalls.

I was most excited about trying every pimento cheese dish I could find. I don’t know if the other ladies felt the same, but that became my goal.

Pimento cheese is a staple in the south, so is country ham, though I didn’t see it on the menus in Asheville. My dad, who grew up in Kentucky and loved to cook, often brought home country ham and fried it in a cast-iron skillet with fresh eggs. As the skillet hissed, the smoky perfume of the ham wrapped around us, making its way into every corner of the house.

This wasn’t the thick, mild ham you find around here. Country ham is salt-cured and aged, with a deep, savory flavor. My mom, who grew up in Dayton, Ohio, didn’t know how to cook when she married my dad, but he taught her. She hadn’t even tried grits before, but soon she was making creamy grits with over-easy eggs, which became a family staple.

I’ll admit I never loved grits, unless they’re full of cheese. And honestly, what doesn’t taste better with cheese?

Let's dive into the highlight of this month’s column, pimento cheese, of which I’ve become a fan in my adulthood. Start with good, sharp cheddar; it makes all the difference. One thing I love to do is layer it on crispy fried green tomatoes with homemade tomato jam and a slice of bacon. Creamy, tangy, salty and sweet, this is the south on a plate. I challenge anyone to find a better combination.

Have you ever tried pairing this with some grilled French bread? It might just transport you to appetizer heaven.

Snacks that brighten the time between meals are important too, like Alabama Fire Crackers, which remind me of afternoons playing games in the backyard. These spicy, crunchy treats are a southern favorite, great for backyard parties or charcuterie boards. Start with saltines, toss them with ranch seasoning, red pepper flakes and garlic, then mix and let them marinate — no baking needed. Try not to eat them all before your guests arrive because they’re fiery, tangy and hard to resist.

What recipe keeps your family’s memories alive?

No southern breakfast feels complete without biscuits and gravy. There's something special about splitting a warm, golden biscuit and topping it with peppery sausage gravy. Whether you make your own biscuits or use frozen or canned ones, both are good options.

I recently found frozen biscuits can be just as tender and flaky, whether you’re eating alone or feeding a group. Our son Jamie enjoys flaky refrigerated biscuits while his wife Sarah, who is a great cook, makes them from scratch. When I visited them in Chicago, her homemade biscuits reminded me how sharing family recipes keeps them meaningful across generations and distances.

Enjoy a taste of the south in April by making one or several of these recipes. They will prepare you for the hopefully balmy temperatures coming soon.

BISCUITS AND GRAVY

1 pound pork breakfast sausage

Unsalted butter as needed

1 yellow onion chopped

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 ½ cups whole milk

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Buttermilk biscuits

In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, set over medium-high heat, sauté the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until at least 1 1/2 tablespoons fat has rendered, about 6 minutes. If your sausage is lean and yields less than 1 1/2 tablespoons of fat, melt in butter, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, until you have about 1 1/2 tablespoons in the skillet. Add the onion, season with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is very soft and golden and the sausage is well-browned, about 7 minutes longer.

Stir in the flour until no dry bits remain, about 30 seconds.

Stir in 2 tablespoons of milk until completely absorbed. Gradually pour in remaining milk while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Bring the gravy to a simmer and cook, stirring and scraping the sides and bottom of the skillet until a silky and thick spoon-coating sauce forms, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and a generous amount of black pepper.

Serve warm biscuits with hot gravy spooned over top.

(Adapted from www.seriouseats.com/biscuits-and-gravy-recipe-7369656.)

HOMEMADE BISCUITS

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling (use gluten-free flour if needed)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fine salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, plus more for brushing the tops after baking

¾ cup milk of choice (I recommend whole or 2% dairy)

½ teaspoon white vinegar

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Lightly mist a baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper and set aside.

To a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and the baking soda. Whisk together to combine.

Using a box grater, grate the cold butter into the flour mixture. If you don’t have a box grater, you can cut the cold butter up into very small pieces with a knife. Just be sure to work quickly and handle the butter as little as possible to prevent it from melting.

Use a fork or pastry blender to work the grated butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Avoid using your hands to mix, as this can cause the butter to melt and will not give you the fluffiest biscuits.

Make an indentation (or well) in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the milk and vinegar into the well and stir until a soft, craggy dough forms (rough and uneven with some lumps). Not all the flour will be incorporated into the dough.

Turn the dough and any loose bits of flour out onto a lightly floured, flat surface.

Use your hands to quickly pat the dough into a rectangle that is 1-inch thick.

Working quickly, fold the rectangle of dough in half and then press it into a rectangle again.

Repeat this fold-and-press process 4 more times. By now all the flour should be incorporated into the dough, but the dough won’t be perfectly smooth, and that’s OK.

Shape the dough once again into a rectangle that is 1-inch thick. This is the final shaping. Use your hands or a bench scraper to make the edges tidy.

Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut the dough into eight squares.

Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1-2 inches apart.

Bake the biscuits for 12-13 minutes or until the tops are a very light golden brown.

Remove the biscuits from the oven and rub the top of each biscuit with a pat of cold butter if desired (I highly recommend not skipping this step). Serve the biscuits warm.

(Adapted from www.therealfooddietitians.com/best-homemade-biscuits/.)

ALABAMA FIRE CRACKERS

1 cup olive oil

4 tablespoons ranch dressing mix

1 tablespoon dried parsley

2 tablespoons red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 package (16 ounces) of saltine crackers, club crackers or oyster crackers

Place the olive oil in a large gallon zip-top bag. Add all the dried seasonings and stir them in.

Add the crackers to the bag of seasoned oil and seal the bag. Gently turn the bag several times until all the crackers are evenly coated.

Let the bag of crackers sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours, up to 24 hours. The crackers will absorb the oil and can be served as is. You'll find they are perfectly crispy once they are ready.

(Adapted from www.peanutblossom.com/blog/alabama-fire-crackers/.)

PIMENTO CHEESE FRIED GREEN TOMATO APPETIZERS

Fried green tomatoes

2-3 green tomatoes (each tomato will yield 4 3/8-inch slices)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup flour or more as needed

1/2 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs or more as needed

1-2 eggs, beaten

1/8 cup milk for egg wash

Enough cooking oil to fill a large skillet to a depth of 1/2 inch

8-12 slices pork belly bacon or thick sliced apple smoked bacon, cooked crisp and drained

12-ounce Pimento cheese spread, homemade or purchased (recipe below)

Tomato Jam

3-pound tomato can, use a combination of regular and romas

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Lightly salt and pepper both sides of the green tomato slices. Make an egg wash with 1 or more eggs and a little milk in a bowl large enough to accommodate the biggest tomato slice. Mix the flour with a little salt and pepper in another bowl and pour the panko crumbs in a third bowl. Flour both sides of the tomato slices, then coat thoroughly with the egg wash and dip in the panko crumbs. Place on a large platter.

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet until the surface is shimmery. Place several slices in the pan without crowding too much and fry until golden brown on one side, then flip and fry until golden brown on the other side. Remove the slices to a paper towel-covered baking tray and place in a warming oven while you continue with more batches if necessary. Place fried green tomatoes on a platter. Top each tomato with a dollop of pimento cheese spread and 1 strip of bacon cut in half and criss-crossed. Finish with a spoonful of the Tomato Jam.

Tomato Jam

Peel the tomatoes by placing in boiling water for about 1 1/2 minutes and then move to an ice water bath in a large bowl. After they cool, you can easily remove the skin by hand. Cut the tomatoes into a medium course chop and place in a large pot. Add the sugar, salt, pepper, paprika and red pepper flakes. Stir it all together and let it sit for half an hour to generate some liquid before heating.

Bring the mixture to a boil uncovered while stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to a heavy simmer and continue to cook uncovered. Stir once in a while to make sure it isn’t sticking and burning on the bottom. It may take up to an hour for the jam to thicken. Just keep an eye on it and remove from heat once it has reached a jammy consistency.

You may have more than you need for the fried green tomatoes, but it will keep well in the refrigerator. It also can be used as a topping for crostini.

(Adapted from www.food52.com/recipes/41071-the-best-fried-green-tomatoes-ever.)

PIMENTO CHEESE

4 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayo

4 ounces diced pimentos

1 tablespoon white or yellow onion, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Be sure to grate your own cheese as it tastes much better than bagged shredded cheese. Mix together thoroughly. Using a mixer works best to completely incorporate the cream cheese.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

(Adapted from www.meatchurch.com/blogs/recipes/pimiento-cheese?srsltid=AfmBOoqQt7m4AwZIufK0PETh5trTySYWECPJNPmU5Xd4oeQ8fvgq4fzU.)