Saturday, August 30, 2008

Catfish and Catchup Connoisseurs

About eleven o'clock we escape the maw of the single wide ... and headed toward Greenwood. If Buddy Love had shoved his black nose into my face earlier than eight this morning - there's a chance we might have made it out ... fifteen minutes earlier.

Our plan in Greenwood was to visit the Alluvian Hotel ... and their restaurant Giardina's. However side trips to Paul Michael's and Fratesi's Grocery and Service Staion, delayed our arrival until after they stopped serving lunch. So we ignored our stomaches and browsed in Turnrow Books. We spent a little too much time in the Mississippi Gift Company, where I broke down and bought the book, "A Cook's Tour of Mississippi" with an introduction by Willie Morris.

While we were in Greenwood, Mr. Fish called to tell us he'd caught a fifteen pound Appaloossa Flathead Catfish. The "Bulga Caviar" of catfish. Our dinner plans immediately changed ... and we decided it would be a fried catfish and hush puppie dinner.

On our home we stopped at the Indianola Pecan House and purchased something for my "Taste of Home" partner Warm Olives and Cool Cocktails. The last stop of the day was my favorite ... at Chillie's Package Store in Greenville, MS. This is one of my favorite wine stores in the US. The anassuming fascade hides a man with a passion for wine and a great memory. There is someone in the Napa Valley who produces some amazing wines. He and I share the same last name. Within moments of walking in the door, Chillie remembered me and was doing his best to sell me some "bargain" $150 bottles of wine. Why just last week he got in two cases of $600 bottles. Was I interested? I always have to remind him I'm not "that side" of the family!

It has been IH8T24's ambition to teach me how to fry. Tonight she succeed ... catfish and hush puppies fell from my spoon into the hot oil. As if this were not enough of a shock, when we sat down to enjoy our feast I also received a lesson on Catsup. Apparently Heinz is the only catsup is worthy of patronage by this family. Me? I'm happy to let them make any declaration they want, as I don't like Heinz, Hunts, or Del Monty. Actually, I don't like castup at all - so I guess their plan to turn me into an "honorrary Southerner" might fail.

Scotch and Catfish ... this is the way you fry, right?

And this is what it should look like, right?

Here's how you flip 'em ... so they come out golden brown, full of corn goodness - and calorie fortified.

1 comment:

Gina Eaves said...

Hmmmm....an SW...Scotch...and hushpuppies.

Can life get ANY BETTER! Screw the ex boyfriends and their new loves...I ENVY YOU!!!!!

We will most definitely be frying some hushpuppies in the near future!