5.28.2009

Garden & Gun and Good Ol' Southern Food

My friend Amy just moved to Florida a few weeks ago, and before my visit she spent hours combing the web for the best local seafood joint. Amy stumbled upon the Garden & Gun Magazine Website. I had never heard of this magazine before, but I'm now thinking of subscribing. I'm not sure about the magazine's title, though I imagine that the publishers were just looking for something catchy to capture the imagination about the "old south". The beautiful photographs and well-written, entertaining articles make it easy to lose a few hours exploring. Of course, this also makes me want to jump in my car and drive down Mississippi's Highway 51 or seek out the 100 best southern restaurants.










One of the many reasons I love the Southeastern U.S. is the food. Why did I include this in the Garden & Gun post? Because I really wanted to post that fried chicken picture that you'll see as you scroll down. Here is a list of some of my favorite traditional southern food indulgences. Warning: Vegetarians look away! Honestly, I don't eat these foods regularly as they are not-so-healthy, and I don't usually eat very much meat. Some of these of these foods are only worth eating when prepared by someone who knows how to cook them, i.e. My Boy's family or in a good restaurant. My landlocked location also limits my access to good fresh seafood. That just makes these dishes even more of a treat when I do eat them! Yum:

Barbecued Crabs
Boiled Crawfish ("Pinch the tail, eat the head!")
Fried Chicken
Grouper Sandwich
HotFish Sandwich
Oyster or Shrimp Po-Boy
Low Country Boil (a medley of shrimp, sausage, corn on the cob, and red potatoes)
Smoked Mullet Dip (and you thought a mullet was just a bad haircut - it's also a fish!)
Fried or Blackened Catfish
Chicken Salad
Chili-Slaw Dog
The Hot-Brown Sandwich
Pulled Pork Barbecue with Memphis or Carolina sauce
Deviled Eggs (we serve these at every holiday meal)
Fried Green Tomatoes
Pinto Beans & Cornbread
Shrimp and Grits
Crawfish Etouffee
Sweet Potato Casserole
Buttermilk Biscuits & Gravy
Slow-simmered Green Beans
Tomatoes (fresh from the vine)
Fresh Fried Pies
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pie
Blackberry Cobbler

Ok, now I'm hungry. Something tell me that oatmeal just isn't going to satisfy me this morning. What are your favorite foods of the region in which you live?
All images from Garden & Gun.
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15 comments:

  1. Jessie CacciolaMay 28, 2009 at 9:56 AM

    looks amazingly good.

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  2. Alicia @ boylerpfMay 28, 2009 at 10:01 AM

    Oh boy...what a tough question! I live in a German area and frankly, there isn't much that I crave from here. I can, however, say that when we lived in the mountains of North Carolina, there was the coolest BBQ shack...and I mean literally a shack...that did the absolute BEST pulled pork BBQ sammies. Tucked away in the mountains, people would come for miles just to have one. I'm a veg so you've got to know it was great just for me to crave one!!

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  3. ChristinaMay 28, 2009 at 12:09 PM

    um yes, i'll take one of everything thanks. hold the oatmeal:)

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  4. Carol {Everyday Delights}May 28, 2009 at 2:12 PM

    I am hungry just looking at these! I love the seafood they offer here in Seattle. All my mom's family is from the south, so I have a good appreciation for southern food too. Yum yum!!

    I love getting Corkys BBQ when I visit my grandma and pa in Memphis (or when I can't make it, they ship it over!)

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  5. LenoreNeverM♡reMay 28, 2009 at 3:36 PM

    Excuse me while I drool...slurp!
    I love that name ; Garden & Gun...what a charming combo!

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  6. Sixpence and A Blue MoonMay 28, 2009 at 4:42 PM

    YUM! I am hungry now.I've never heard of the magazine, but anything with 'Guns' gives me the creeps. It doesn't appear to have anything to do with guns? Love the pics!

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  7. drollgirlMay 28, 2009 at 5:03 PM

    SALIVATION TIME!! that food looks and sounds so good!!

    and love the scary tree pics. beautiful!

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  8. StacyMay 28, 2009 at 5:07 PM

    I love the roof in the top photo.

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  9. Hello LindelloMay 28, 2009 at 5:10 PM

    I've always wanted to try authentic deep south food. Especially gumbo. I think I would LOVE it. I'm too lazy to make it myself, and I know it wouldnt be the real deal, so I'll probably have to take a vacation down there just to eat!

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  10. Pretty Little WorldMay 28, 2009 at 5:42 PM

    This looks like a fabulous magazine! Those pictures where it's just slightly foggy are really lovely!

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  11. BethMay 28, 2009 at 8:03 PM

    I live in Maine, so my favorite food experience is to eat fresh lobster at a picnic table overlooking the ocean. In my mind, it really doesn't get much better than that.

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  12. Kitty StampedeMay 28, 2009 at 8:09 PM

    Hot Brown Sandwich?? haha...that list is amazing. i totally want to go to the us just for food like this.
    Seafood is quite big here, mostly deepfried, soo good but so very bad.
    Do you guys eat Poutines in the states? Donairs? haha...I have no idea..there's prob not a whole lot of difference between us and canada except it seems better down there especially that deep southern cuisine...mmm..mmmm..:o)

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  13. Awesome SaraMay 28, 2009 at 10:14 PM

    are you going to make any of these for me??? i live in south fl and we eat cuban food. but these look and sound so yummy!!!! i would eat one of each and then be all fat and have sauage fingers. then i would eat my fingers!!

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  14. TikimamaMay 30, 2009 at 11:39 PM

    I'm one of the vegetarians, so I carefully averted my eyes from all the meat dishes, but man, do the veggie ones look delish! I love deviled eggs, and blackberry cobbler - just the thought makes me drool!

    I'm from So. Cal. so we get everything here. Nothing really "native", I guess, unless you consider Mexican food. What I crave from time to time is Indian food...yummmm.

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  15. LisaMay 31, 2009 at 2:31 PM

    Looks fantastic! Would also love to try the 100 best southern restaurants - yum! :P

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Thanks for your lovely comments, they always make me smile!