Northeast Mississippi chefs, bloggers, enthusiasts share favorite recipes from 2022
Jan. 11—As we move into 2023, I thought it might be fun to look back at the previous year and see what area "foodies" were cooking up in their restaurants or home kitchens.
I reached out to several chefs, food bloggers, bartenders and other food lovers in Northeast Mississippi, asking for their favorite recipes of 2022.
A few couldn't help us out, but six responded, and their offerings are fantastic. Not only did they share their recipes, but they also told us why they think they're keepers.
Rusty Crump
Bartender at The Gemstone, Amory
"2022 was the year I went all-in on rum, the base spirit with the most variety built into its DNA, depending on variations in terroir, fermentation, distillation and aging. It's hard to believe that an aged Fiji rum (a warm slice of caramel cake in a glass) and a vegetal and even briny Haitian rhum agricole are both derived from the same plant. Reading Richard Foss's 'Rum: A Global History' in June, I discovered the Quarente Quatre or "44," something done in Madagascar: cutting 44 slits into an orange, filling each slit with a coffee bean, and putting the orange into a jar with a liter of white rum for 44 days. I started a 44 the same day, and the resulting citrusy/earthy spirit was the springboard for Rum Old-Fashioneds in the fall, playing with different bitters and sweeteners. Peach bitters and demerara gum syrup were a hit, but years of further research are needed."
RUM OLD-FASHIONED
2 ounces dark rum
1 teaspoon demerara syrup
2 to 4 dashes of bitters, such as orange, peach, Angostura aromatic or Fee Brothers Barrel-Aged
Orange twist, for garnish
Place a large ice cube or sphere in an old-fashioned cocktail glass. Add the rum, syrup and bitters, and stir until the drink is well chilled. Express the oils from a large swath of fresh orange peel over the drink and drop the peel in.
Lauren McElwain
Founder of Cooking as a First Language, Tupelo
"The type of cuisine that inspires me most is Middle Eastern. I love creating recipes in that genre. I made this recipe up, because I wanted to create a perfect meatball recipe, and to me, this is it."
LAMB MEATBALL BOWLS
LAMB MEATBALLS
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic
2 slices gluten-free bread
1/2 cup pecans
1 teaspoon oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound ground lamb
1 container feta cheese
BOWLS
1 package saffron rice, cooked
Diced cucumber
Halved grape tomatoes, or pomegranate seeds (not both)
Tzatziki sauce
Hummus
Kalamata olives
Feta cheese
Fresh dill
Lamb Meatballs
For the meatballs, in a food processor, grind together the shallot, garlic, bread, pecans, oregano and salt and pepper. Pour into mixing bowl and work in the lamb and feta with your hands until mixed well.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form mixture into balls (a little smaller than a golf ball). Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until all pink is gone (cut into one to check).
Assemble the bowls by placing your preferred ingredients from the list above in a decorative pattern in your bowl.
Cooper Miller
Executive chef at Forklift, Tupelo
"The food trends in the past year were all about excess. Chefs around the world couldn't use enough truffles, foie gras, uni, and most of all caviar. At Forklift, we strive to use the best ingredients and stay in line with the food trends. As a chef, it's my job to take those ingredients and prepare them in a way that is approachable for all our guests. This recipe we featured on New Year's Eve is a great example of this. It's easy to prepare and is a great way to introduce people to caviar, as it just acts as the salt component in the dish."
POTATO TOSTONES WITH CAVIAR
1 pound petite potato medley (purple, red, yellow)
1 (8-ounce) container crème fraiche or sour cream
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 package fresh dill
1 jar caviar (osetra or beluga)
Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with hot water. Bring to a boil , then drop the heat down to medium-low and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and cover with ice water to rapidly chill.
Place the potatoes on a cutting board and smash with your hands to form the tostones. Heat oil in a pot to 350 degrees and fry the potatoes until crispy, about 3 minutes. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel-lined tray to remove residual oil.
Arrange tostones on a plate. Top with crème fraiche, red onion, fresh dill, and last, but not least, the caviar.
Laura Galloway
Food blogger at gallowaygrazes.com, Booneville
"This recipe is one of my favorites because it's such a comforting, delicious take on a lower-carb meal, and it's super simple to make. It takes a little more time than other recipes, so planning ahead for a little extra time is recommended, but also very worth it."
SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH SPINACH, ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND CREAMY HERB SAUCE
2 medium spaghetti squash
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 package ground Italian sausage, cooked
6 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
1 cup shredded Gouda
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella
1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 head garlic
Olive oil
2 tablespoons salted butter, room temp
Cut squash in half, lengthwise; remove the seeds from the squash and discard. Place squash in a greased baking dish, and season the cut sides with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, mix together the cream and cream cheese until there are no lumps; add cooked Italian sausage, spinach, sage, thyme, oregano, Gouda and Mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle half of the Italian blend cheese into the bottom of each squash, then evenly divide the cream cheese mixture among the squash cavities. Top with the remaining Italian blend cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Cover the squash with foil.
Slice off the top portion of the garlic head to expose some of the cloves. Place the garlic on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap it up.
Bake the squash and the garlic at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil from squash and continue baking the squash, and garlic, another 20 minutes (until squash is tender and cheese is beginning to brown).
Let the garlic cool, then squeeze the cloves out into a bowl; add butter and mash the garlic cloves into the butter with a fork. Spread butter over the squash, then use a fork to scrape the squash into strands, mixing the cheese with the squash. Sprinkle with a little additional salt, if desired.
Brock Robbins
Chef at Jobos, Tupelo
"This dish amazes every person that tastes it, is easy to cook no matter what your level of experience, and makes the best leftovers."
PASTA JAMBALAYA
PASTA SAUCE
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 pound andouille sausage, thinly sliced
1 stick of butter
4 cups chopped bell pepper, celery, and onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (6-ounce) can of tomato paste
1 can Ro-tel diced tomatoes and chilies
1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
2 quarts chicken stock
1 pound cooked, pulled chicken
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, tails off
1 pint of heavy cream
Seasoning blend
SEASONING BLEND
2 tablespoons Tony Cachere's Creole seasoning
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Heat oil in a large pot or saucepan. Add andouille sausage and cook until seared on the sides. Melt butter in the pan, and then add trinity blend. When the onions go translucent, add garlic and then flour. This created a blonde roux. Once combined, add tomato paste, Ro-tel and chopped tomatoes. Slowly pour in chicken stock until a slightly thick, gravy-like consistency is achieved.
To finish, add in cooked chicken, raw shrimp, heavy cream and seasoning blend. Serve over al dente pasta, and top with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.
Paula McTune Jones
Food blogger at callmepmc.com, Tupelo
"We love Mexican flavors, and the boys love this hearty recipe. Dutch Oven Birria makes a lot and is very versatile. I can use the meat to make taco bowls, quesadillas, tacos and nachos. As well, it requires little hands-on time. The Dutch oven is much like a slow cooker, and does all the work. It takes a few hours to cook, but you really don't have to do anything once you season it."
DUTCH OVEN BIRRIA
6 large dried guajillo chili peppers
1 cup water
1 (3-pound) beef chuck roast
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 teaspoons ground black pepper or to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons oil
1 (14-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1/3 cup chipotle chilies, diced
2 medium bay leaves
1 medium cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons beef bouillon
1 cup beef broth (2 cups if you want a stew)
Cut the stems off the chiles. Toss them into a pan and cover them with 1 cup of water. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat, and cover the pan. Allow the chiles to sit for 20 minutes to rehydrate. (They can sit longer than 20 minutes because they don't need to be hot when you add them to the blender.) Add the peppers and water to a high-powered blender and process until smooth.
Meanwhile, trim the roast of any connective tissue and cut it into large 4-inch chunks. Salt and pepper the beef. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the beef on all sides.
Once the beef is seared add the remaining ingredients to the pot: the dried pepper mixture, roasted tomatoes, chipotle peppers, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, oregano, cumin, chili powder, cloves, vinegar, beef bouillon, and beef broth.
Stir to combine. Cover the Dutch oven and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or until tender, stirring once each hour.
When done, refrigerate the birria until ready to serve (remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick). When ready to serve, skim the fat off the top and shred the meat using two forks (reserve the fat.) If making tacos with the birria, use the reserved fat to cook the tacos.
