Nettleton caterer finds joy in cooking for others
Jun. 29—NETTLETON — Teresa Swain figures she's had about 30 jobs in her 55 years. She's done everything from being a bank teller, secretary and ditch digger to driving a tractor, running a bread route for Sara Lee and working at a mortgage company.
In 2018, she found her true calling. The next year, she made it a reality.
"I was working at General Atomics, and I'd been cooking for some girls at the plant who had children," Swain said. "At first, they were just asking me for recipes, but then they asked me if I'd cook it for them."
Swain started putting out a menu each week, and if anybody wanted something she was making, all they had to do was place an order.
"I knew this was my calling," Swain said. "I love to serve people. I knew this was what the Lord wanted me to do."
So one day in September 2019, she went home and told her husband, David, that she was leaving her job at the plant.
"And he said, 'Are you crazy? What are you going to do?'" Swain said. "And I said, 'I'm going to cook.'"
Once she got her catering kitchen in order and the all-clear from the Lee County Health Department, Swain began preparing casseroles and plates of food for people who would come to her house and pick them up. She even had a few drug reps she'd cater for.
"When COVID hit, I couldn't go in the clinics anymore," she said. "But I had six or eight older people I'd prepare meals for because they couldn't get to the store. I'd just cook and give it to them. My dad said, 'That's your ministry. The Lord will bless that.'"
After her dad, Jimmy Cayson, died in 2020, those blessings came quicker than Swain could handle them.
"The business is so busy I had to hire people to help me," she said. "Word of mouth is the best advertisement you can get."
Most of the recipes Swain uses at Kitchen 107 belonged to her grandmother, who had Riley's Restaurant in Nettleton for 50 years. Her aunt then had the eatery for another 30 years.
"My mom cooked, my grandmother cooked, my aunts cooked," she said. "It was just inbred in me. My mom and dad had had Cayson's Clothing Store, so my sister and I had to have supper done when they got home from work."
Swain said when she stared her catering business, her husband gave her one piece of advice.
"He said, 'Give them more than they ask for, and make it taste better than they thought,'" she said. "So that's what I do."
On the first Friday of every month, the Swains have "Steak Night" at their house. Folks go online to www.Kitchen107.com and pre-order, then drive up to the Swains' home and pick up their cooked-to-order ribeyes or fillets with all the trimmings.
"People have begged us to open a restaurant, but I've got a good thing going," Swain said. "If I don't feel like cooking, I don't put a menu out. I want to control the cooking. I don't want the cooking to control me."
DO YOU KNOW A GOOD COOK? Send your nominations to Ginna Parsons, Cook of the Week, P.O. Box 909, Tupelo, MS 38802. Or you can call (662) 678-1581 or email them to ginna.parsons@journalinc.com.
CHICKEN SPAGHETTI
1 stick butter
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/4 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, cubed
5 chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded
1 pound spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 to 2 cans Ro-tel tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
Italian seasoning
Dried oregano
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
Melt butter in a skillet. Add onion, bell peppers and garlic and saute until tender. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted.
In a large bowl, combine cooked, shredded chicken and the cooked, drained spaghetti. Pour warm vegetable mixture over all. Add Ro-tel tomatoes, cream, broth and seasonings. Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese and 1 cup Cheddar cheese, and stir to combine.
Pour mixture into a deep 9x13-inch greased casserole. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup each of Parmesan and Cheddar cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until bubbly.
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COCA-COLA CAKE
CAKE
1 cup Coke
1/2 cup oil
1 stick butter
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
ICING
1 stick butter
2 1/3 tablespoons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
For the cake, combine Coke, oil, butter and cocoa powder in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
In a large bowl, sift together sugar, flour, salt and baking soda. Pour Coke mixture over flour mixture and beat well. Add eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and beat well.
Pour batter into a 9x13-inch baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
For the icing, heat butter, cocoa powder and milk until heated through. Add vanilla and confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth. Pour over cake.
MONTEREY JACK SALSA
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes, drained
1 can chopped black olives
1 can chopped green chilies
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup Italian dressing
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve with tortilla chips.
FRESH SALAD WITH STRAWBERRIES AND ROASTED PECANS
SALAD
Mixed greens, chopped
Cucumber, small dice
Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
Strawberries, sliced
Shredded Parmesan cheese
1 stick butter
1 package Ramen noodles (discard flavor packet)
1 cup chopped pecans
RED WINE VINAIGRETTE
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2/3 cup oil
In a large serving bowl, combine greens, cucumber, tomatoes, strawberries and cheese.
In a small saucepan, melt butter. Break Ramen noodles in small pieces and add to butter along with pecans. Cook, stirring, until pecans are roasted to desired doneness. Sprinkle pecan/Ramen mixture over salad.
For the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake well. Pour desired amount of dressing over salad and toss to combine.
SOUTHERN GREEN BEANS
2 (28-ounce) cans cut green beans
1 onion, chopped
1 russet potato, skin on, cubed
2 to 3 slices bacon, chopped
Oil
Sugar to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and place in a Crock-Pot. Cook on low overnight.
GRILLED STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS
Chicken breast halves
Cream cheese, softened
Jalapeños, seeded and chopped
Seasonings of choice
Bacon slices
Butterfly chicken breast halves by cutting them in half horizontally, but not all the way through, and open them up like a book. Spread softened cream cheese over chicken and sprinkle with jalapeños. Fold chicken breasts back together and wrap with bacon to help keep them closed. Grill until done.
