Cobb Lane

Seven years old I went with momma to magical Cobb Lane.  I knew it was fancy because I was wearing proper clothes.  A lovely lady Mrs. Cobb greeted us and from that day on my life changed in a most rewarding manner. The best description of Mrs. Cobb is as encouraging and inspirational.  There was a doll house as big as me and I could peer into the windows to see a real home for doll babies.  The smells were divine but the best were the rolls that melted in my mouth.  I could eat the entire basket but momma gave me the LOOK and I cowered and put two back. Later when I photographed Cobb lane I went to the kitchen where Rosy cut the yeast rolls with a jigger to make the perfect size roll. Chicken Supreme was the favorite dish.

Chicken Supreme

Chicken breast with skin and bones
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of celery
 With skin side up put the chicken in a dish that can go into the oven. Pour the cans of soup and spread over the breasts.  Add one can of water and smooth. Put into a 350 degree for about an hour.  When finished sprinkle with paprika and serve over rice with a salad.  The best for company or a nice dinner for family.

For vacation bible school one year our craft was making yardstick holders using mattress ticking. Sewing the two sided together made a nice container after sewing on a ring. It looked great.  Mrs. Cobb saw my ruler holder commissioned me to make them to sell at Cobb Lane.  How exciting to get money for a project Momma and I created together. Mrs. Cobb commissioned me to photograph her grandchildren. I called it Grandmother's Delight.  I mounted the black and white photographs on 11x14 board and used rub on letters to create the words describing the photos. She gave me $100.00. I really think it began my desire to be a photographer.

When Mrs. Cobb was 42 her husband died leaving her with two children to raise.  Her tea shop as she called it became a reality because she would invite friends over and she would serve tea sandwiches which became her restaurant.  I will never forget the year Birmingham saluted France for the Festival of the Arts. Mrs. Cobb asked me the time and I said 1:00. She said oh no and pulled the comb from her hair, swooped her hair back into shape and said I think I am going to be late for Julia Childs and rushed off. The She Crab Soup and Roulage were other dishes she made famous but one she used on occasion was Shrimp Louisianne.

Shrimp Louisianne

1  to 2 pounds of jumbo peeled raw shrimp 
I can of cream of mushroom
1 bottle of cocktail sauce
two handfuls of celery chopped fine
two handfuls of onion chopped fine

Saute onion and celery in butter
Put in soup and cocktail sauce and let come to a slow boil turn down
Add shrimp and cook till they are pink
Serve over rice with a salad. Definitely for company!

Mildred was another cook who could fry chicken like no other person alive.

Chicken breast with skin and bones
Vegetable oil
Cast Iron Skillet  showing in the inside of the chicken breast. Great for picnics. Serve with Devil Eggs Potato Salad, Celery and Carrot sticks, Anything yummy for dessert.

Malcolm Memories

Happy Mardi Gras!

 

 Someone who didn't know my history said I noticed the blog said your brother was killed in 1983. That brought up a lot of memories.  Momma ruled the house and education was the king.  We all were expected to finish college. We befriended a family in Mexico the summer of 1968.  Another story another time. Malcolm's dear friend Hector visited Alabama and when Malcolm was headed to college he chose the University of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico. Malcolm had worked construction in the summers to pay for his education. Christmas, 1974 a school bus that had been converted into a glorified Hippie RV grunted up to the top of the hill.  Out popped Malcolm and a couple. After many hugs he started bringing out wooden boxes, probably hundred boxes.. He opened them and they were filled with African trade beads, and an array of colored and shaped beads no one could  imagine.  He then told momma and daddy he had used the money for his last semester of college to buy the beads and he was quitting college. He had one semester to complete his degree in Anthropology.  Momma stood in shock.  Daddy who rarely got involved in these sorts of things looked at momma and said, Well Jane what do you think? She was silent. He quit and never returned to college.  He and Virginia Cobb were dear friends.  When he was 10 he worked for Mrs. Cobb going into the woods to gather ferns she would put on the fountain. Guests would eat their chicken supreme and other treats to the sound of the bubbling fountain. Another blog for later. Dr. Clayton owned the Victorian house going up the hill on 20th street and it was going to be torn down for parking for Cobb Lane.  Malcolm told Dr. Clayton he would restore the house if he could open his gallery and sell his beads he turned into exquisite necklaces. The Signature House was born.  He gathered artists and and potters and weavers and glass blowers who needed a place to sell their wares and gave them a home.  The second floor became a gift shop known as The Different Drummer. Malcolm was very active in Southside and found a grant that would revitalize the community.  Horror stuck and Malcolm simply did not come home. His car was in the parking lot but no Malcolm.   We became front page news and nothing turned up.  Momma and I were frantic. The people in the gallery were dumbfounded.  A man in Shelby County was looking for coins and spotted his body and Malcolm had been found dead.  The man who confessed to murdering him had hugged my mother and told her he would return.  I can't go into this now. We decided to complete the Five Points project which was almost complete to have a fountain in the spot where a very simple wrought iron fountain had been  proposed.  We set to work and Malcolm's friends came to the rescue. Malcolm was friends with Frank Fleming and Frank Stitt. Frank Fleming had the concept of a lion reading to the animals with the theme of the peaceable kingdom.  Frank Stitt said he would have a fundraiser at Highlands Bar and Grill. Invitations had the design and were mailed to all of Malcolm's customer's and friends and all who loved Birmingham. Elton B. and Alysis Stephens were invited.  Alysis was asking Frank Fleming about the design and whispered to him what about the lion's private parts. Frank gave a little laugh and the lion became a Ram wearing britches.  And that is the story of how the fountain became the way it is.  Never was it a pagan symbol.  All that was absolutely crazy.

Please forgive my lapse in blogging.  Things are going fine but alas the delay came because I was selecting the next thing to talk about and determined it would be my beloved brother Malcolm. I  edited potential photographs and took them to be scanned and thought hey this is a great story I should pitch this to B Metro. I sent Joe O Donald a text and he wrote back and we set a time and day which I eagerly put in my calendar. I decided to wait on the blog post till I knew what was to happen.  Put on my outfit  went to the magazine, something I had really mustered courage to do.  Walked in ten minutes early and cautiously asked if Joe was in.  He was gone so I pitched my idea and showed images to the creative director and she was going to give the story idea to Joe  Nothing back. Their loss because it is a great story which will be told at another time.

So what recipe will you get. A while back a friend who is involved with the Dixie Art Foundation in Wetumpka which my mother was a participant asked me to help with the next meeting. Sure I said but it was lunch for 35 people and I was to do the chicken salad.  Actually it was a pleasure to do it but it did take some planning.  One cannot purchase the chicken too early because it could go bad nor could one purchase it too late because you could run out of time.  Making chicken salad till the wee morning is not my idea of fun.  So I bought two gigantic trays of chicken breasts and two smaller packs of boned and skinned chicken breast.  White meat for this chicken salad. It is the recipe used at the Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta which  I enjoyed with Mrs. Virginia Cobb. She got so excited when we got the yummy treat.  Look she said there are sliced grapes in the chicken salad. Now it's a common occurrence but back then, oh I was probably ten, a true novelty. So boil the chicken till the bones almost fall off.  Put celery tops and green onions in the pot with chicken. Boil then turn down to very low and let is simmer for about three hours.  That's the day before.  Day of making the chicken salad give yourself about three hours.  Two stalks of celery and four lemons and lots and lots of Hellman's Mayo. I dust off the food processor for this.  Typically I will only use a knife to prepare things but this would be so labor intensive the food processor with the slicing blade and the grinding blade are the best solution. Chicken is cool so remove all the meat from the bones leaving only skin and gristle for the dog.  Prepare celery by cutting tops and stems off and wash.  Squeeze the lemons. I put the slicing blade on and process the chicken putting it in a very large bowl.  I process the celery using the slicing tool and then the grinding blade. Use quick pulses because you want the celery to provide a nice texture not a liquid mess. Aunt Jennie made chicken salad for the birthday picnic for momma. She sliced the celery with a very sharp knife she kept in the back drawer away from children's fingers.  She put it in cardboard. Remember this is for 35 people so amend as you need to. Wash grapes and pull off the stems.  Start mixing everything using your eye to determine the desired results.  Mix chicken, celery, mayo, and lemon juice. About an hour before serving add the grapes which you slice in half. The luncheon was a big success and everybody enjoyed the goodies.  Lots of fun. 

New Orleans always makes me smile. Walking down Bourbon Street in the 60's with four children my dad and mother, can you imagine. I remember momma shuffling us down the street with Daddy and Malcolm sauntering along peering into the houses of ill repute. Having breakfast at Café Dumont with the most divine tastes, Beignets and Chicory coffee, I squeal with delight at the thought.  At that time Jax Beer was still being produced and the smell of the waterfront, chicory coffee and Jax Beer all made the aroma unbearably stinky. I remember as we ate our donuts at all hours of the day the horrible smell but that's the way the real world is.

As adults the four children took momma to New Orleans, Daddy died in 1979. It is a bittersweet memory because it was the last time the four of us were together. Malcolm was murdered in 1983.We went into Felix Oyster House ordered five dozen with beer. The waiter stopped by, scooped up the trays of oyster shells and Malcolm spun his finger to say do it again. Gluttony at it's highest, but there are no permanent sins in New Orleans.

I took Momma and my children to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.  We went to parades on Canal a week before Fat Tuesday. I didn't want to be in New Orleans with all the crazies.  We went to a parade known as Barkus, the actress Delta Burke was the Grand Marshal which celebrated the animals of New Orleans who were dressed accordingly. It was such fun shooting in New Orleans but I never published anything although I got great images.  It always seemed the headlines were about four murdered so a story about children in New Orleans didn't seem appropriate. We rode the Street Car Named Desire. Of course, the Aquarium was part of the trip and although we didn't go, the zoo is suppose to be fantastic.  Riding on the Paddle boats up and down the Mississippi was a treat. Just wandering through the streets was an adventure.  I loved the Print Gallery which had Fine Art Photography on Royal Street. We went into an antique shop where David became mesmerized by a coin collection of pennies.  We bought him two Indian Head pennies and said if you are interested we will help you with your collection. Never did I think he would stick with it but I  spent the rest of his growing up at Coin Shops.  I would leave him and come back two hours later when he was still pawing through giant stacks of pennies.  I cursed not buying him that collection we had seen.  He did complete the collection much to my pocketbook's horror minus one.

I have or perhaps thought I would include the images shot from the New Orleans trips. I went to my files of slides (nobody can figure out what a slide in now but I digress). There are about twenty five three ring binders filled with  page after page of favorite images. I pulled out my light table dusted it off and found my loope I paid $90.00 for and began searching for the page of slides I know have my favorite New Orleans images. Page after page I searched to no avail. Still haven't found them. I did find two card boxes filled with slides that have favorite portfolio quality images just sitting there.  Memories flooded.  I do have enough New Orleans to have scanned and put on the blog so I decided to have those scanned and continue on my way.  I called my favorite Photo Shop, Wolf and they closed yesterday the man from corporate told me. What????? Being the Google Queen I asked for camera stores in Birmingham.  Nothing anymore.  Yipes!!!!! Where is Dennis Womack or Bill Trotter? Not to be denied I started to explore where I can get images scanned. Someone said Costco or Walmart so I called but it takes months and the slides must be send away and I do not trust sending my images away through Walmart.  Some of my best experiences in life have been at Walmart but not my photographs. Then I decided I would get out my scanner with the slide feature and hey I am an intelligent woman right. Nothing, only black images appear.  I just can't seem to get these gizmos.  Not to be undaunted I remembered a photography shop in Montgomery I used when I lived in Auburn and was a real photographer not caregiver/photographer. Just got off the phone with them and they can scan slides. I am headed to Montgomery! I still have not located my Binder with my best New Orleans photos but sadly you  get my seconds. Enjoy! I told my dilemma to a friend and she told me Perry Computer might scan slides.  They do! I went back to look for the very best of my seconds and pulled a sheet from the stack in the tub and magically the sheet I had looked for appeared. Poof Magic! I took them to Perry Computer and after I give them $41.00 then Vestavia you will be able to enjoy the First picks from my New Orleans shoot.

 

The gumbo recipe made me think of New Orleans. Oh New Orleans! Momma and Daddy were married March 12, 1942. They had their honeymoon in New Orleans the year Pat O'Brien created The Hurricane, a real hurricane had just passed through. Somehow they were at Pat O'Brien's and of course they ordered the new drink.  Momma said they sat on the stool and the room began to spin, the next thing that happened was she began  to spin. What a night! The cab driver took them out to a black part of New Orleans and he told momma and daddy to stay in the cab. The cabbie brought them a sandwich made with French Bread, it smelled divine and she took a bite of an oyster poor boy.  
For spring break we fentured back to New Orleans as a child.  I remember going to a lovely restaurant called Galatoires. Money was always an issue so momma would give us an amount we could spend. Galatoirs was a white table restaurant with waiters running everywhere. Water was provided and we were treated with great respect although there were four very wiggly children and momma and daddy. I believe we could each spend $2.00. It was the early 60's so that was almost doable. They provided French bread in baskets with butter which we gobbled up. Momma ordered Clear Oyster Soup. Momma was so charming she asked the waiter for the recipe which is included in the blog. I made it one time but it did not taste right not sure what I did wrong.
One time we went we also had a French foreign exchange student with us. We stayed in a beautiful inn on Royal Street called the Cornstalk Hotel. Momma met a film crew from the local TV station and we were featured on daily news.

Clear Oyster Soup

5 dozen large oysters
4 green onions or shallots
2 spoonfuls of flour
1/4 cup of butter
3 sprigs of parsley 4 bay leaves
the liquor of or the juice of the oysters and 6 pints of water

Put the butter in the soup pot, let melt add the onions parsley with two spoonfuls of flour and 2 bay leaves let brown Then add the oysters and the juice of same and water. let cook for one hour Season. Suit to taste

Sorry about the condition of the scanned recipe Momma used it to prepare Clear Oyster Soup for us and alas spills happened.  Another favorite was the Gumbo Shop. Enjoy the prices!

Gumbo

January 1, 2017

Well I was a bit of a coward last night.  I was going to the dance, just made sure all was well with Edah and drove home.  I had a slew of toasted pecans and a dozen devil eggs that are sitting in my refrigerator. It was a little past nine and I had visions of me  looking while everyone was embracing with kisses and the shutter made me drive home curl in bed with the cat. At 12:02 I awoke noticed the time, rubbed the cat, and went back to sleep.

This morning the service at church was devoted to change for the new year. There was a time of prayer. I got through praying for the Lord to get me through the estate settlement and perhaps returning to love for my siblings and then another minute went by POP in my mind the blog and the gumbo recipe which I prepared just this past week.  It was too greasy, nothing worse so I have shifted the recipe.  Here I am suppose to be praying but rethinking my gumbo recipe. I am nothing but sinful.

All gumbo must have the trinity, that is onions, peppers and celery. I had sauted and bagged, and froze some vegetables  for a future gumbo. Freezing can make vegetables a little limp so I like to begin by sautéing fresh onions and peppers and celery with bacon. This was my flaw in my last gumbo which can easily be remedied.  Cook the bacon and remove. Dump all but a little of the bacon grease. Saute vegetables for about three minutes. Use a cast iron skillet for best results. At this time I add gumbo seasoning that I chuckled when I bought it at Walmart but it is really tasty, Slap Your Momma, also garlic. Put in  the frozen vegetables. Slice some sausage, Bratwurst is good, add to skillet. You can add tomatoes canned or fresh. Let simmer about ten minutes. Add sliced frozen okra unless you can get fresh.  Do not buy okra larger than your index finger. Stir and turn down heat to low.  Add about a 2 cups of chicken broth. Let simmer about thirty minutes. I have good success with frozen shrimp. Do not buy cooked shrimp. It is tough and not good in soups. Peel shrimp and add to gumbo. when the shrimp are pink they are done.


Serve over rice or in the bowl alone. Enjoy!