Want to cook like your Lowcountry granny? Just ‘eye-ball’ the ingredients

Would someone please tell me how old grandmothers should be before they start feeling like a “Granny?”

I’ve come to the conclusion that they never reach that age because I’m both a grandmother and a great-grandmother and still don’t feel the age I imagined my grandmothers to be. Granted, I have reached the age that my grandchildren probably think of me as “old Granny,” the same way I thought of mine, but I don’t think of myself that way because I’m still young-at-heart.

I realize that’s exactly how my grandmothers likely felt about themselves. On the outside they seemed to me the picture of an old granny’ with their silver hair pulled up in a bun and drying their wrinkled hands on their aprons that were part of their daily attire around the house. But I loved them none the less and really loved their cooking.

Now, after all those younger years of puttering around behind them in the kitchen — also being taught by my mama as a teenager how to cook and then, a young bride, helping my mother-in-law, Mammy, cook-up those big family-gathering’ meals — I find myself cooking like a granny. Mammy could sure cook-up a mean’ pot of collard greens. But no matter how hard I try, according to my husband, “they just don’t taste as ‘good-as-mamas’.”

She’d rip those collard leaves from the stem in the middle, wash the heck out of them, layering them in a large pot with a sprinkle of salt on each layer until the pot was full. Then she’d add water to almost cover them and toss in a pinch of sugar — to sweeten them she’d say — “in case they hadn’t been kissed yet by an early frost.”

While the pot was coming to a rolling boil, she’d cut some thin slices of “streak-o-lean” or fat-back, brown them in a pan and pour meat, grease and all, with a sizzle, on top of the greens.

Who gave any thought to high cholesterol back then? That’s the reason a lot of modern-day cooks either bake or broil chicken for their meals, but if I’m eating chicken, I’ll take mine fried, thank you.

My granddaughter recently asked me for my vegetable beef soup recipe. I told her: “Cheryl, I don’t have a recipe, pur se. I just throw it all together. I don’t measure anything. I just “eye-ball” it.”

“Meema, I’m not an experienced cook like you are, so I don’t know what an eye-ball’ measurement is,” she said. “I need to know how much of this, that and the other goes in the pot, and, while you’re at it, go ahead and write down your your shrimp pilaf recipe and your deviled crab casserole recipe please.”

Here they are:

VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP

The night before the day I plan on having it for lunch, I place 1½ lbs. of bite-sized stew beef in the crock pot sprinkled with an “eye-ball” measurement of salt and pepper. I cover it with water and cook it 8 hours on the low setting, usually from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

In the pressure cooker, I cook a 1 lb. package of frozen, green baby lima beans seasoned with a strip of bacon, an “eye-ball” sprinkle of salt and enough water to cover (takes about 10 minutes).

Meanwhile, in another pot, I cook until fork tender 3-4 peeled and diced Idaho potatoes along with 1 cup of cut, fresh or frozen okra, a shake of salt and just enough water to cover while cooking.

When all of these vegetables are done, they’re added to the beef in the crock pot along with 1 can of drained kernel corn and 1 can petite, diced tomatoes. Turn the setting to warm and viola, lunch is ready.

SHRIMP PILAF

1 lb. cooked and peeled shrimp (set aside).

Throw 4 strips of bacon that have been cut-up in a large fry pan with lid, browning on medium heat. Toss in the shrimp with an “eye-ball” measurement (1/2 tsp. salt and black pepper) and a pinch (1/4 tsp. red crushed pepper) to brown a little.

Add 1 cup of raw white rice seasoning with another dash of salt, (1 tsp.) and 2&1/2 cups water.

Bring to a boil, give it a taste test. Add more seasoning if necessary. Pop the lid on, put on low setting, and cook about 45 minutes. I got a Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker as a gift. I sometimes put the combined ingredients in it. I set the timer for 45 minutes and it will automatically switch to the warm setting. Lunch is ready.

DEVILED CRAB CASSEROLE

Saute the 3 following ingredients:

½ stick butter or margarine

½ cup chopped green peppers

¼ cup chopped onion.

In mixing bowl, mix: ½ sleeve crushed saltine crackers

1 cup evaporated milk

1 egg

Stir to soften crushed crackers.

Add ¼ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. dry mustard

½ tsp. horse radish

¼ tsp celery salt

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 lb. crab meat (about 2 cups)

Mix all ingredients together and spoon in a greased casserole dish.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

With the holiday season approaching, that means guests and extra cooking. Please share any tips and recipes with me. Send them to the email below.

And keep cooking!

This story was originally published October 9, 2017 at 7:37 AM with the headline "Want to cook like your Lowcountry granny? Just ‘eye-ball’ the ingredients."