The Good Life at Home

Southern Hall of Shame

 

I consider myself a fairly confident cook....except when it comes to typically Southern foods - which one might consider odd because I am, in fact, Southern. I can get in the kitchen and cook sans recipe with marvelous results most of the time, if I do say so myself. I also enjoy cooking out of various books and learning new cuisines. That, too, usually turns out wonderfully. I'm not bragging, just making a point. Yet, when it comes to southern foods, foods I grew up with and ate often - foods that are home - I suddenly lose my nerve. I lose all faith in any bit of culinary acumen I thought I possessed.

Case in point - This morning I woke up to a dreary, gray day.  I marched downstairs. I really wanted toast, but my husband has been on an eating plan that bans flour. Therefore, I am also on an eating plan that bans flour. Thus, no bread in the house. Therefore, no toast. (As much as I miss the "evil" bleached flour, I must say that I have lost over five pounds on this plan.)

That's when I remembered the grits - which I had smuggled up from my previous trip home. In fact, the drive back to Rhode Island was predicated on what time the cafe opened so that I could pick up said grits. These aren't your ordinary, every day, run of the mill (no pun intended) grits. (If you didn't get that joke, you will when you see the label on the grits bag below.) These are special.

So, even better than toast...I'm going to have a good old Southern staple, one that says, definitively - with  a drawl, "I'm Southern." I pull them out of the freezer where they reside due to a moth invasion. (The freezer is the only safe place.) I untie the string which always looks like it was put on by someone attempting to tie it with one hand. I pry apart the crumpled paper and suddenly doubt creeps in. It sounds something like this:

Gosh, do you remember how to make grits? It's been a while. What are the proportions of grits to water? ...and how long do you cook them? Do you even remember how long to stir it? Lid on or off - or a little of both. Maybe it's all the above.

As the voice continues, I can see that unless I regain my Steel Magnolia backbone in the kitchen, I'm obviously destined to doom future generations ...

You know, you really have to start remembering and practicing these things. You do want to pass these foods onto your children, don't you? You don't want them to grow up without a knoweldge and love of Southern foods, do you?

I wedge my hand into the bag and shame creeps over me as I grab the 2 inch by 4 inch piece of bright yellow paper onto which the recipe is printed. I have to look because I, in fact, can't recall how to do it from memory. Maybe it's because I'm now living in the "North" - maybe Southern food memory doesn't survive well above the Mason Dixon line...although I have had some exceptional examples of southern food up here - have even found a couple of good versions of gravy & biscuits, and that's hard to find even in the South! (Don't tell.)

So, here's the simple recipe that I can't seem to remember:

GRITS
1 cup Old Mill Grits
3 cups water
Salt, pepper, butter to taste. Bring water to boil, add salt. Add grits, stir constantly. Cook until thick - 10-15 minutes. Serve with butter. For cheese grits add grated cheddar cheese once grits are cooked.

They came out great...and I only stirred until the grits were incorporated then I turned down the flame and covered with a lid - which I'm proud to say came to me as if by magic, by rote even...it turns out that I do remember some of the things I learned while watching my "momma" in the kitchen. So that voice of southern shame can just "kiss my grits!"

• My favorite way to eat grits is with a tangy cheddar, butter, salt, and pepper. There's a white Irish cheddar, called Dubliner, that's outstanding with grits.
• I also suggest grits for dinner. Add cheese and green chiles, and serve with chicken mole. (I had this particular pairing in Newport at a fabulous, funky place called Salvation Cafe. The fact that they serve grits and are named salvation strikes my "fire and brimstone" southern funny bone as rather amusing.)
• Grits are plural by the way, you can't have just one grit.
• Know what the acronym G.R.I.T.S. stands for? My husband did...and that's one of the many ways he won my heart, but that's another story. It stands for "Girls Raised In The South."

What is the Good Life at Home?

"The Good Life at Home" will be different for everyone. I can't tell you what your "Good Life at Home" will look like. It probably won't look like mine. It'll be an unique expression of you. What I can do, and what I hope to do, is inspire you to find your own version of the "Good Life", to create that solid home-base foundation, and share basic tools and routines that help me create a life that I love at home.

Beyond the unique expression of who you and your family are, there are certain things that each home requires in order to be "at its best" and to serve you in the manner it should. These will be covered under "Routines" and "Daily Duties". These are little things that you can do, that I would strongly encourage you to do in order to keep your home runing smoothly. The great thing is that these are pretty standard in and of themselves. They're simple...sometimes I think it's because of their simplicity that people, including myself, feel that they sometimes can ignore these steps. Don't kid yourself...these little things have a HUGE impact on whether or not you have a "Good Life at Home." Forgetting to do these is like forgetting to have the oil changed in your car...it can ruin the engine.

Your home is like your health...take care of it and you'll function well and feel great. It pays you back in spades with more energy and vitality. If you ignore it, simple things can become difficult. Your energy wanes. Your disposition is affected as is your attitude. This then seeps into all areas of your life and can snowball out of control.

It's kind of like the chicken and the egg, and I believe the home is the egg. This is where it all starts.  If your life is currently chaotic and hectic...with all the stress and rushing it's a wonder everyone's lives aren't chaotic and hectic...if this is the case for you, try something simple at home, just one small action. For example, light a candle, put the dishes away, pick up all the paper off the dining table and throw it in the closet - or somewhere else it can't be seen. Do something that is immediately visible to you. (A load of laundry in a mountain of laundry may not make you feel any better...unless you really enjoy doing laundry.)

The "Good Life at Home" is about releasing you home's soul. Like a shy child who's paid some attention and encouraged to be his or her best, the home, when paid attention, will shine. It will serve you well as a place of rest, as an inspiration, and as a support in everything else that you do with your life...best of all, it'll be an escape from that chaotic and hectic world that we call life...and I think you'll find that once you've got "The Good Life at Home," the rest of your world will suddenly seem immensely calmer and more peaceful.

Twisty Ties

Don't throw out those twisty ties that come on the bread or in the box of trash bags. Save them. They are useful for a variety of tasks. My favorite: Use them to tie up electrical cords in the kitchen. It keeps those cords neat, untangled, and keeps you out of harm's way because the cords don't get tangled with other cords and bring unintended appliances down on your head. Ouch!

This tip comes from my former roommate and extraordinarily organized individual, Terese. She says she learned it from a good friend of hers. It keeps things organized and aesthetically pleasing because you don't have wires going every which way.

Try it. It's easy to implement, and it's a little thing  that goes a long way toward creating a "good life at home."

Rosemary Pork Loin

   

With just these ingredients you can have an amazing main dish easily and simply. It doesn't hurt that it's elegant, moist and packed with flavor! This is one of my favorite stand-by's, especially when company's coming. It's also especially nice around the holidays.

The best thing about this "recipe" is that there are no set rules. In other words, this is a guide. If you don't use exact amounts, it doesn't matter. So, don't stress yourself out if your measurments aren't exact. IT DOESN'T MATTER!

Here's what you need:

• 1 pork loin roast (for this recipe, I used 3.5 pounds) - Estimate about 7 -8 oz raw per person to yield about 6 oz. cooked.
• Fresh rosemary (3/4 - 1c. or 1.5/2 oz. by weight)- what you see here is 3 stalks. I used all of that on the roast and had three more to garnish
• 3 large garlic cloves
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil

Tools: Frying pan, Roasting pan, sharp knife or hand chopper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Strip the leaves from the rosemary and chop with the garlic cloves. While you chop, sprinkle in 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt into the rosemary/garlic mixture. Set aside.

Lightly season roast with salt and pepper to taste. Set frying pan over med./high heat. When pan is hot, drizzle with olive oil and place roast in pan, turning so that each side is seared. Once seared, place pork in lightly oiled roasting pan. Cover on all sides with rosemary mixture.

Place uncovered in 325 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours.

EASY SIDES:

1. Winter squash - cut in 1/2, scoop out seeds, place cut side down in pan with about 1/4 inch or so of water. Cook for an hour. (So, when roast has been in 30 minutes. Pop the squash in to cook. They'll take about an hour at 325.) In the last 10 minutes of cooking, turn them right side up. Place pat of butter and 1/2 to 1 tsp. brown sugar on each. Finish baking. OR Bake completely, then scoop out flesh and season to taste with butter, brown sugar or maple syrup. If you have graham cracker crumbs, that's also great with the squash.Estimate about 1/2 squash per person
2. Frozen English peas - fix according to package direction. Dress with a little butter if desired.

Who is Hestia?

Glad you asked.

The ancient Greeks honored Hestia, sister of Zeus. She was goddess of hearth, home, and domesticity - and was held in high regard for her work in the home. She was never out amid the fray, fighting with other gods and creating havoc for humans. She was the one who remained home tending the hearth. She was the one who welcomed the family home after their adventures.

Therefore, there isn't much written about Hestia...but not because she and her work weren't valued. Quite the contrary, in fact. Zeus recognized the importance of her hearthly duties and gave her a place of honor. Zeus deemed that Hestia be honored at the beginning and at the end of festivals. The saying, "Hestia first and last" has to do with her birth, but it also relates to the ancient Greek's celebration of festivals and honoring her "work behind the scenes" as important work, work on which all other activities was based.

Hestia's job at home was recognized as an important one, one that was valued. Today, taking care of the home isn't held in high regard - and neither are those that do it...primarily due to the "daily" nature of work in the home. It's such an everyday, common part of life, that people don't see the value. Some don't see why it's important at all. However, ignoring one's home and the quality of life lived within that home is akin to ignoring one's health. (I'm one that believes it can adversely affect one's health...although I have no proof of that - yet.)

Your psyche is intimately connected to your surroundings. The home is the foundation. It is, first and last, the foundation for the rest of your life. It is, first, where you begin your day, and last, where you end it at night. Give it more than just a cursory thought, and it will support you in your wildest dreams and provide a place of solace and rest like no other.