http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV0Ar0QSu-8

The dish was a success… in an informal Top Chef Challenge at the potluck dinner I brought this to, it won 2nd prize (a bag of videos that might be best left undiscussed). The 1st place winner was Andrea James’ Cat Litter Box Cake!

By the way, I’ve decided to gather my small-but-growing series of cooking videos on one page here: http://www.calpernia.com/video/cooking-with-calpernia/

Cooked Cabbage with Spicy Pork

Mmm, today I had a hankerin’ for some delicious cooked cabbage. In this crazy economy, I’m trying to save money every which way I can, so I’ve been stopping off at the 99 ¬ ¢ Store before I go to the regular grocery store on shopping days. You really can find most workaday products there — cleaning, laundry, kitchen accessories, etc. True, the brands are often weird and you have to use your educated shopper’s eye to choose products that will deliver over products that are awful (like the sawdust-tasting coffee I got last week), but you can save loads of money before going to the regular grocery store and getting your necessities that the 99 ¬ ¢ store didn’t have.

I’ve always skipped over the food choices they offer… A combination of weird sounding brand names, old looking products and a lack of diet food options kept me away. But they have produce sections and freezer sections now that a brave bargain hunter can scan through if she is brave.

Today I got some nice Del Monte canned sweet peas and canned new potatoes, a very healthy looking head of cabbage, a package of Farmer John extra spicy sausage links, a package of fresh Roma tomatoes and a package of fresh mushrooms. Here’s what I made, I made all these recipes up from half-remembered dinners in Nashville so change whatever you want:

Buttermilk Biscuits

I make these almost every day, sometimes from scratch and sometimes from Bisquick. Bisquick is just as good, so get some and use buttermilk instead of regular milk.

Tomato Salad

6 Roma tomatoes (or any kind)
Fresh mushrooms
Vinegar
Cheap Red Wine (something that’s plentiful in my household)

Cut up the tomatoes into hearty chunks. Ideally, put in a resealable container, mixing tomato chunks and halved mushrooms together. Pour in 2/3 white vinegar to 1/3 red wine mixture so that the tomato chunks and mushroom bits are sitting half covered (not submerged) in the liquid. Add a dash of nice quality olive oil if you like. Let this soak and chill in the fridge, it’s good to make this first so that it can be soaking while you’re making the cabbage.

Peas and Taters

This one is easy, open the cans, drain off excess liquid, put in a little pot and simmer with some butter while everything else is cooking.

Spicy Cooked Cabbage

1 head of cabbage, core removed and cut into thick wedges
1 package spicy sausage links (8)
2″ of butter (yes, I measure all kinds of food in inches, I’m an idiot)
Salt
Bring 1/2″ water with some salt to a boil in a big, deep pot. While that’s doing, cook up the sausage links till brown. Pour the grease into the cabbage pot, chop the links into small nuggets and put them in the cabbage pot, too. Pile in the cabbage, mix them around with a wooden spoon or whatever and turn the heat down to simmer covered for about 8 minutes. Take the lid off, gently turn the ingredients over and simmer another 8 minutes to cook down the liquid. Near the end, put in the butter and mix it in. You want the cabbage tender and slightly al dente, not a mushy mess. so take it off the heat sooner if need be.

Buttermilk Bacon Fried Chicken

Oh, and here’s the recipe:

Calpernia’s Buttermilk Bacon Fried Chicken Recipe: The recipe for the chicken is easy. I like to soak it in buttermilk for an hour or more, which supposedly breaks the chicken down a little and makes it more moist. Then I dip it in egg, flour with some pepper in it, and pan fry in 320 ¬âˆ« mixture of up to half-and-half bacon grease and corn vegetable oil, turning once or twice as it browns and crisps. Check the inside of a thick piece with knife before serving. I’m still perfecting my fried chicken skills, though. It’s an art form.

I had a fun night Saturday at the release party for the Perry Twins‘ new music, then got up early this morning to shoot an episode of the forthcoming “Dishin’ It Up” cooking show with hostess Erin Foley. Tons of fun!

Buttermilk Pie is a sort of egg custard pie. Here’s the recipe, if you dare:

Mama Bessie’s Buttermilk Pie

A pinch of salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 whole eggs (beat real good first)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all up, put in a deep dish pie shell, bake 30 mins @ 350 or till done! Test by poking it with a toothpick in the center… if the toothpick comes out clean, it’s probably done!