Please Help with "Southern" Menu

[Mike Boehler]

Here's the quick background. Every Christmas Eve we host the whole family. We pick a "theme" food every year. We've done Polish, German, Jewish (our favorite) etc....

Well this year, my wife picked "southern" as our theme. Here's the problem

We are a couple of pure Yankee white folks (no racial connotation intended).

We don't even know anyone who lives south of NYC.

We are taking suggestions, I think you get the idea of what we do, so the food has to have that "southern" flare.

Keep in mind that its usually about 5 degrees F and snowing like hell here on Christmas eve. BBQ is not easy.

Also, we need EVERYTHING from drinks to appetizers to main courses to desert.
I wanted to post this in the MIX forum for more exposure, but lets see what happens.

Mike

[clt_capt]

A few suggestions...

Whiskey Sours to start (Jack Black ONLY)


You can get bbq or ribs shipped in if you can't cook outside...

shrimp boil for appetizer

Shecrab soup

Collard Greens
Black Eyed Peas (or field peas if you can find 'em)
Cornbread
Country Ham
Roast pork butt
Deep Fried Turkey

Pecan Pie
Buttermilk pie
Apple pie

[SAXIS ISLANDER]

RC Cola and Moon pies.

Appetizer - Blue Crab Cocktail Claws with Makers Mark.

Nothing says says like southern like fried chicken, turnip greens cooked in fatback (not the fish), fried okra, slippery dumplings, and sweet potato biscuits. Pecan pie, Moon Pies, and either sweet tea or that RC Cola. Makers Mark as a afterdinner drink.

or you could call Pierces BBQ in Williamsburg and have them ship the whole thing to you.

[krissi]

Thats a really interesting idea, i always get the Feast of 7 Fishs and a ton of pasta, which im not complaining about, but something else would be nice every now and again. check out Paula Deen, she is like one of the top down south cooks! you can get alot of free recipes @ her website. http://www.pauladeen.com/ good luck!

[Bird Dog]

Drinks:
sweet tea
mint juleps
kegs of Natty Light

Appetizers:
shrimp and grits
fried okra

Main meal (so many options here):
deep fried turkey
fried catfish
country ham
fried venison over rice w/ gravy
BBQ
sweet potatoes
fried chicken
hush puppies
collard greens
cornbread
biscuits
chicken and dumplings

Dessert:
pecan pie
baked apples in the crock pot served with ice cream or whipped cream

[Ace1st]

Marinated dove, quail or duck breast wrapped in bacon and grilled slowly over an open flame. Add barbecue sauce if desired.

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Oysters

Clams on a half shell with bacon and cheddar cheese cooked in an oven.

Oyster caserole, layer of saltines, layer of oysters, layer of saltines, layer of oysters......you get the picture, fill to top and bake till crust is brown.

Shrimp and grits, ground yellow grits..... sauteed shrimp, onions green peppers in olive oil with milk and butter, ground red pepper, salt and pepper to taste, add seafood magic to taste and garnish with oregono.

One medium size Loggerhead turtle(FRESHWATER or SALTWATER), be sure to remove from shell , white meat marinated in worchestershire sauce and a pinch of soy, 1 cube of chicken boulion, two chunks of garlic with oregono and olive oil, sautee in hot pan with red pepper and garlic minces, pour over a bed of cracklin cornbread. Top dress with Lemon. OOOOOH WEEEE!! I cant wait till Christmas!!

And now for the MAIN COURSE.....even a yankee can do this, get you a box of 22 cal. shells, and go sit in the edge of your neighbors yard where hes been feeding the squirels. Knock you off a mess(four to be a plenty) skin um, gut um, soak in warm saltwater two hours, marinate in game tame 1 hour then batter in egg and flour, quarter um up,throw in fryin pan and brown till done, mix in with some brown rice and be careful not to let your tongue slap your teeth out of your mouth when eating........Their that GOOD!!

[clt_capt]

Start with a gallon of fresh corn whiskey

After pickling, the main course is below...


ROAD KILL STEW

4 lb. road kill (raccoon or opossum, squirrel is too meager) Preferably 2 to 3 days old. Should marinate in road oil and other highway grease at least 1 day
1 lb. whole garlic cloves
3 c. Jalapeno peppers with seeds
1 bucket of green onions
1 gal. flat beer (Pabst is GOOD)
5 c. toadstools
3 tbsp. cumin
3 c. wild weeds
Any deserving vegetables you can think of

[Bird Dog]

I forgot to add MOONSHINE to my drink list

[Mike Boehler]

Wow,
So many options. I really appreciate the input folks. We are probably going to take a conglomeration of ideas and put together a menu. My wife tends to go overboard with the authenticity of these things, we even lit a menora on Jewish night (yeah, its christmas eve.)

Christmas day is always Italian, so this is our variable.

If you've got more, send them on. I like them so far though.

Mike

[Ace1st]

Wow,
So many options. I really appreciate the input folks. We are probably going to take a conglomeration of ideas and put together a menu. My wife tends to go overboard with the authenticity of these things, we even lit a menora on Jewish night (yeah, its christmas eve.)

Christmas day is always Italian, so this is our variable.

If you've got more, send them on. I like them so far though.

Mike

A MENORA........down here we call them water bongs.