I received an email from Jeff Price of Schlater last week. He told me that he enjoys reading my column each Sunday. His aunt and uncle had passed away, and he was going through some of their household belongings. In the kitchen, he had found a copy of the 1982 Greenwood Commonwealth Cookbook. Jeff wanted to know if I would be interested in having the copy and said he would mail it to me. I was very interested, because I happened to have won the contest that year. Thank you, Jeff, for your kindness and thanks for reading.
As I have written before, I have always loved to cook and read cookbooks as if they are novels. Beginning in 1970, the newspaper held a recipe contest each year. Entries were mailed in under seven different categories. There was a winner in each category, and then a Grand Prize Winner was selected. I don’t remember when the contest ended, but I do remember helping to judge one not too many years ago.
Steve and I were married in 1980 and lived in Starkville while he finished school and I managed a dress shop. We moved to Cruger, and I saw the contest in the newspaper and decided to give it a try. I entered at least one recipe in every category. Most of them were ones from my mama and my maternal grandmother, Mamaw.
I got a phone call one day from Susan Sheridan, who told me I had won a category. She wanted to come down and interview me, but she wouldn’t tell me which category I had won. When she arrived, she informed me that I was the Grand Prize Winner and gave me the prize-winning check for $250. You could have knocked me over with a feather, and that money was really something for newlyweds just starting out. She told me I was one of the youngest cooks to enter the contest and the youngest to ever win the grand prize.
As I read the article, I remembered that I said I was going to put the money in my fund for a microwave. Back then, they were as big as a house and about $500.
Steve and I have had the best time reading the articles, interviews and looking at the ads from the areas businesses. The photos from the tasting party they had for the judges were pretty entertaining, too. In fact, Steve was reading through the recipes I had entered and expressed an interest in several he would like for me to make real soon.
My picture on the cover shows a very young and extremely skinny young bride who was slicing a homemade pound cake she had made for the photo of the article. I never would have dreamed that 33 years later I would be writing a weekly food article for that very paper. In fact, today’s article is one of almost 700 that I have written for The Greenwood Commonwealth.
Thanks again to the thoughtfulness of one of my readers. Y’all are awesome.
Today’s recipes are ones that I entered in the contest and still prepare today. Hope you will give them a try. Thanks for reading.
GRAND PRIZE WINNING SEAFOOD RICE SALAD
2 cans shrimp, drained
1 can tuna, drained
3 cups Minute rice, prepared and cooled
½ cup finely chopped onion (Now, I use green onions.)
½ cup finely chopped sweet pickle
1½ cups finely chopped celery
½ cup diced pimiento
3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in the order given. Toss lightly, season to taste and chill before serving. Serve on salad greens, and garnish with tomato wedges.
(This makes a large amount of salad.)
MAMA’S CHRISTMAS CHEESE BALL
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon diced pimiento
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Dash of cayenne pepper
Dash of salt
Chopped pecans
Combine cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Mix until well blended. Add all other ingredients, except pecans, and mix well. Chill this mixture. Shape into a ball, and roll in chopped pecans. Serve with your favorite crackers. (This freezes well.)
MINIATURE CHEESECAKES
3 (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
5 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Line muffin tins with paper liners. Mix the above ingredients and fill 2/3 full. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.
Mix:
2 cups sour cream
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix and pour a spoonful on top of the cheesecakes, and bake for an additional five minutes. Cool and refrigerate.
(These were topped with canned cherry and blueberry pie filling before serving. Now, I have kicked it up a little bit and top with this delicious praline sauce.)
Praline Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
1½ cups brown sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 small can evaporated (Pet) milk
¾ cup chopped pecans
Melt butter in a saucepan, and add sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, then remove and cool. When slightly warm, add evaporated milk and pecans. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Heat in microwave if serving later. This is great on ice cream, too.
• Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
