soul food Archives - Frugal Bites

Skillet Cornbread for 12″ Skillet

August 30, 2012 by frugalbites Leave a Comment

Skillet Cornbread for 12″ Skillet

After visiting the south, skillet cornbread was on my list of things I wanted to make when I got home. Any soul food restaurant worth its salt knows how to get cornbread just right, and I wanted to add it to my list of culinary accomplishments as well. Plus, I just so happened to have a brand new Le Creuset cast-iron skillet waiting to be broken in.

When I searched for skillet cornbread recipes, most of them were for an 8″ skillet. Since I have a 12″ skillet, I had to adapt my recipe accordingly. This recipe was not only easy, it was a big hit with my kids. While it wasn’t quite as delicious as the skillet cornbread we tasted at Sweetie Pie’s, I will definitely be making it this way again. Apparently the south, it goes against everything that is well and good to do it any other way. As Mommysavers member Phoenyx says, “If I ever made cornbread in anything BUT a cast iron skillet, my grandmother would come out of her grave for the sole purpose of kicking my arse.”

What are your favorite skillet recipes? Let me know what you make in your cast-iron skillet.

Skillet Cornbread for 12″ Skillet

Recipe type: Bread

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

2 C. cornmeal
1½ C. flour
2 C. buttermilk
2 C. corn
½ C. butter, melted
¼ C. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
Crisco for the skillet

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine butter, eggs, corn and milk. Next, combine wet and dry ingredients.
Heat the Crisco in your 12″ skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Pour batter in skillet and heat 2-3 minutes until the edges start to pull away from the sides. Continue cooking in the oven for about 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when insert in the middle of the bread. Serve while hot. Drizzle a little honey butter on top for added sweetness.

17th Street Grill: Home of BBQ Champ Mike Mills

August 26, 2012 by frugalbites Leave a Comment

17th Street Grill: Home of BBQ Champ Mike Mills

When we stumbled upon the 17th Street Grill in Marion, IL we had no idea of Mike Mills’ status as a legendary BBQ cook. We were just looking for a good bite to eat close to our hotel. When we walked in the door, we were greeting by walls of his accolades and mentions in nationally-known publications from Food & Wine to Vogue. This guy knows his stuff (check out all of Mike Mills’ credentials)!

Like with most southern BBQ restaurants, the sides don’t play second fiddle. My husband liked the beans (not the canned stuff) and the kids liked the Macaroni and Cheese.

For lighter appetites like my own, I’d highly recommend the ribs sampler. They were a delicious way to taste what Mike Mills is known for, and the onions served with them were delicious too.

17th Street Grill
2700 17th Street
Marion, IL 62959

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: bbq, soul food, southern food

Sweetie Pie’s: Soul Food Heaven in St. Louis

August 16, 2012 by frugalbites 1 Comment

Sweetie Pie’s is soul food heaven. Being from the north, I didn’t grow up on sweet potatoes, fried chicken and okra – but this place makes me wish I had. Given both the Guy Fieri Triple-D and Oprah seal of approval, how could it not be good? Plus, with its own show, Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s, (on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network) at the very least the cast of characters would be interesting.

We read on Yelp that the line to eat at Sweetie Pie’s can be up to 90-minutes deep. We re-arranged our schedule to hit the restaurant during off-peak hours to avoid the wait. Arriving at around 2:30 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon seemed to do the trick. The restaurant was full, but there was virtually no line.

Instead of ordering from a menu, guests at Sweetie Pie’s grab a tray and go through a cafeteria-style line. First, you’ll choose your meat and then move along to select sides to go along with it. The cornbread is gratis, and comes with all combo meals. The meat + three sides combo runs around $10-$15, depending on the meat you order. It’s enough food so that nobody leaves hungry, and most will either be stuffed to the gills or have a lot left on their plate.

I tasted my husband’s fried chicken, but my favorite main course was my own braised oxtail. It was flavorful and falling off the bone, with the kind of flavor that reminds you of Sunday dinner at Grandma’s house. Sides don’t play second fiddle at Sweetie Pie’s. My favorite side was the macaroni and cheese. Far from cafeteria-style mac and cheese, Sweetie Pie’s was a rich blend of real cheddar and spices, not processed, bland goop. It reminded me of my own macaroni and cheese (if you’re looking for a copycat Sweetie Pie’s Macaroni and Cheese, try my recipe and let me know what you think). The sweet potatoes were also divine, and sweet enough to be eaten as a dessert.

Staff was friendly and added to the fun, casual atmosphere. I admit I have not seen Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s, so I didn’t recognize anyone – although they were happily taking pictures with guests that did.

Sweetie Pie’s at The Mangrove
4270 Manchester
St. Louis, MO 63110
314.371.0304