Friday, February 24, 2012

50 Women Game Changer in Food - Week 35

Edna Lewis, at #35 of the 50 Women Game Changers in Food, was an excellent seamtress, a great cook, and a woman with strong political convictions.  Ms Lewis (as she was known) died at the age of 89, but left us with a treasure of refined southern classics.

"As a child in Virginia, I thought all food tasted delicious. After growing up, I didn't think food tasted the same, so it has been my lifelong effort to try and recapture those good flavors of the past."

And that she did, through her four cookbooks: The Edna Lewis Cookbook, The Taste of Country Cooking, In Pursuit of Flavor, and The Gift of Southern Cooking. 
It was difficult to chose one of her recipes for this post. They all seemed really wonderful but I was looking for a simple side dish to accompany some spicy grilled shrimp.  These potatoes were buttery and delicious but not overpowering.....the perfect choice!

POTATO CASSEROLE

Ingredients

2 lbs boiling potatoes
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

Preperation

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Peel potatoes and thinly slice (about 1/16 inch thick), then toss with butter, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Spread evenly in a 2-quart shallow baking dish and add broth.  Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake until top is well-browned and most of stock is absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes more.

For more recipes by Edna Lewis visit:


Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette - Healthy Living
April - Abby Sweets
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Kathleen -Bake Away with Me
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Sue - The View from Great Island
Barbara - Movable Feasts
Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds
Amy - Beloved Green
Jeanette - Healthy Living
Linda - Ciao Chow Linda
Linda A - There and Back Again

  • 7 comments:

    Valerie Harrison (bellini) said... Best Blogger Tips

    I think this recipe epitomizes what Southern cooking is about where the natural flavour of the food stands out.

    Sue/the view from great island said... Best Blogger Tips

    Another great tribute to this amazing woman. I can just imagine her slicing up the potatoes fresh from the field for this simple side.

    Bubbe Bites said... Best Blogger Tips

    I love this recipe. You picked a great one to profile. You cant go wrong with the humble potato. Thanks for sharing with us.

    Mary Bergfeld said... Best Blogger Tips

    What a lovely recipe. The potatoes sound wonderful. Thanks for participating. Your voice adds lovely tones to our choir. I hope you have a greatweekend. Blessings...Mary

    Susan Lindquist said... Best Blogger Tips

    To me this is family fare ... Southern or not ... nothing fancified or frilly ... just good solid ingredients put together to make a filling and flavourful side to go with whatever meat and other vegetables are available!

    Great post!

    BeetleBuggy said... Best Blogger Tips

    What a simple yet classic Southern dish. I'm sure it went amazingly with your spicy shrimp! This is what I love about Edna's cooking, it's simple yet brings out such delicious flavors of the ingredients.

    Kathy said... Best Blogger Tips

    Simply delicious looking! I'm so sorry I had to miss Edna...she is a class act! I so enjoyed all the post about her. Nice job!