JEFFRY MCGEE (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) shares that his Aunt Sarah always lived with his grandparents, and while they are long gone, he’s so glad she’s remained in their house. He remembers the house as always having a wonderful, distinct smell from decades of cooking and baking by his grandmother, ERMA SMITH (Tupelo, Mississippi). After visiting Aunt Sarah recently, he unpacked his bag at home and found that some of his clothes actually smelled like the house he misses. As a child, Jeffry loved Grandmother’s red velvet cake so much he once asked her to make a green velvet cake the next time. He recalls her laughing and telling him she wouldn’t bake a moldy-looking cake. On his list of favorite dishes would be Grandmother’s chicken and dumplins, mini pecan pies, chess pie, green beans, butter beans, and homemade biscuits slathered with a pat of butter before being ladled with rich chocolate gravy. Lucky for Jeffry and his family, Aunt Sarah re-creates many of Grandmother’s dishes anytime they visit.
4 large ears fresh corn
2 tablespoons bacon drippings
2 tablespoons butter
⅔ cup water
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 Into a large bowl use the large side of a grater or a sharp knife to cut about half the thickness of the kernels off the cob. Scrape the cobs with a knife to get more of the juices out. Set the bowl aside.
2 In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the bacon drippings and butter. When melted, add the corn and stir with a wooden spoon to keep from sticking.
3 Rinse the grater with the ⅔ cup water over the skillet. If you didn’t use a grater, add the ⅔ cup water directly to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4 Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the corn is tender, about 30 minutes, stirring continuously to avoid sticking. Add small amounts of hot water if necessary, to avoid sticking.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS.