I grew up in butter country. Unfold a stick (or three) and drop it in hot potatoes ready to be mashed, leave a tub of it on the counter ready to be spread to make a grilled cheese, and cut it into biscuit dough. Butter country is food country, and food isn’t just a love language out here, it’s everything.
I can remember the occasions Mamaw would pick me up from school because everyone else was at work or baling hay, leaving me to sit and watch as she married the kitchen for the third time that day- every meal was important! She would chat as salt and butter flew fast into every dish. I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving that meal without a taste, so as soon as someone came to pick me up, the begging would begin. The picture of Jesus hanging by the kitchen phone saw the fish multiply every time: Mamaw always had enough for everybody to stay and eat.
My childhood proved golden as the butter that made it. I watched my mom (and my dad, to be fair!) fix supper night after night, having no idea not only how blessed I was, but how much I was soaking in. Salt the water, no…salt it more. Cornbread rarely turns out the first time. This knife is only for tomatoes. Tried and true meals of potatoes, homegrown vegetables, beans, plates of fresh onion and cucumber, sugary sweet tea and more. Mom always had the Food Network on, introducing me to a world of food I had never known. I learned even more in the throes of the church kitchen. Have you ever seen a swarm of church ladies fix a full multi-course banquet meal in a days time? Or served plate after plate while the church men fry up more fish that you’ve seen in your life? Nothing will teach you more than when you are thrown into the thick of it.
I believe that cooking is a labor of love. Sure, sometimes it can be quick, but don’t fear the food that might take a little extra time…a little extra love. I don’t measure much, but I will do my best to for you! Don’t be afraid of seasoning, put as much as you’d like. My hope for this new adventure of Foodie & Co. is to create a collection of recipes that you will come to love, and moreover, you will love others with. I can’t wait to give you a little piece of my heart as I share.
See you soon!
Amanda
Foodie & Co. 