sturlington's Reviews
17 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 17Sort by: Title 
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Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen
By Sara Foster, Lee Smith
Random House - 2011
Arugula Pesto Green Beans : page 255
We don't care much for arugula, and we have way more than enough basil from the garden these days, so I made this with traditional pesto. It was a fast and tasty accompaniment for an Italian meal; would be faster still with pre-made pesto. I like subbing almonds for the pine nuts, since pine nuts are a budget buster right now.
useful (0)
Baked Butter Beans : page 237
I have found my standard baked bean recipe. These beans were delicious: spicy, smoky, sweet. And they weren't at all hard to make. They were perfect for a cookout. Raves all around.
useful (2)
Buttermilk Green Goddess Dressing : page 284
This is a nice light dressing that is adaptable to whatever fresh herbs you have available. It came out a little thin for my tastes, perhaps because I substituted plain yogurt for mayonnaise, as suggested.
useful (1)
Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa : page 62
All salsas follow a similar formula, and this one is no exception. I liked the addition of basil and avocado, which makes this salsa a bit more substantial than most. I used it to top tacos.
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Cream Biscuits with Sugared Strawberries : page 53
These biscuits were dead simple to make: only three ingredients, and they rose nicely. However, they didn't have a tremendous amount of flavor, which is why they need to be paired with the strawberries (or perhaps used in another dish, like chicken and biscuits). Whip the leftover cream for a quick and easy strawberry shortcake.
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Creamed Vegetable Rice : page 216
This is a yummy, creamy, Southern version of a risotto. It is very rich, so I served it as a main course. Although I think the addition of country ham would be good, I did not have any, so I used bacon instead. Country ham as an ingredient is troublesome, because this is not something I would order without having a special occasion in mind; I would not use it for everyday cooking. The bacon worked fine as a substitute, though. My husband thought this had too much squash, but I like squash, and the addition of lots of vegetables helps make this a one-pot meal.
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This is a very easy take on buttermilk fried chicken, suitable for cooking on a weeknight. The coating is delicious and can be varied in many ways. Paired with a fresh salad and herby dressing, it's well suited to late spring, early summer. It would be appropriate to substitute other dipping sauces or to swap the chicken for catfish or flounder.
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Cucumber and Heirloom Tomato Salad : page 269
There wasn't much to this recipe, certainly nothing to make it special. It tasted fine, but was just a tad disappointing since it doesn't really measure up to the other recipes I have tried from this book.
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Fried Green Tomato BLT : page 79
I didn't have green tomatoes, so I did this with an under-ripe tomato and some homemade basil mayonnaise. Very good, but it doesn't compare to a pure BLT at the height of tomato season.
useful (1)
Easy and good. I didn't have real green tomatoes, so I will have to try this again when I can get some from my garden.
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Granny Foster's Simple Pound Cake : page 315
Making this convinced me that baking cakes is just not my forte. I followed the instructions to the letter, but even after extending the baking time to over 2 hours, the inside of the cake was still runny. Fortunately, it set up while it cooled, and we were able to eat it. It actually tasted very good -- perhaps a bit too much on the sweet side -- but there is clearly something off with the ingredients or the instructions. Also, this makes a gigantic cake.
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Pimiento Cheese with Cornbread Toasts : page 18
I'm not a huge fan of pimiento cheese, but it is far better if you make it yourself. This recipe is very simple, but it makes a lot. I cut it in half and I still don't think I'll eat it all.
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Salt and Pepper Skillet Cornbread : page 57
This cornbread is amazingly good. I love the bite of the pepper. It is also very easy to make. I would definitely make this my go-to recipe for cornbread.
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I made these for a light supper, although I think they would work best as an appetizer or a brunch dish with eggs. They tasted a lot like hushpuppies, which I liked, since they are pan-fried rather than deep-fried, which is easier and less messy. I think they could have used a bit more punch, maybe by adding a little chile pepper. The accompanying salsa was very good.
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Summer Squash Casserole : page 257
I had to admit that I was very skeptical about this recipe. Squash is not one of my favorite things, and this recipe includes a healthy amount of mayonnaise, among other not-good-for-you ingredients. Was I wrong. The casserole is sweet, creamy, but not overrich, with the bacon providing just the right contrast in terms of crunch and saltiness. This would definitely be a hit at any potluck.
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This was much better than I thought it would be. The watermelon added a lot of sweetness and flavor, and perked up tomatoes that aren't quite in season yet. This should be a summer staple.
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West Tennessee Thick and Sticky BBQ Sauce : page 307
This is a great barbecue sauce and very easy to make. We used it for barbecue chicken, and I'll also use it to make baked beans. It has just a hint of bite, but a lot of tanginess, which is what I like. The recipe makes a lot, so I cut the amounts in half, and I still had plenty.
useful (2)