Country@Heart Dinner Diaries
Tasso: America’s Great Unknown Secret Ingredient
By Tim H. Martin
So, what is tasso? I believe it’s the best-kept secret ingredient in all of American food culture. Unless you’re from the Cajun Country of southern Louisiana, you’ve probably never heard of it — even my spell-checker... READ MORE
Chicken & Sausage Filé Gumbo
By Tim H. Martin
With Quick Brown Roux Instructions! Ingredients (all except roux): • One whole chicken or 4 chicken breasts, skin-on • 16 oz. smoked sausage, thinly sliced, preferably Andouille • 2 cups okra, sliced (optional) • 4 quar... READ MORE
Old South Tomato Pie
By Tim H. Martin
Recipe Courtesy of Walters’ Gas & Grill • Society Hill, Alabama. I was beginning to think tomato pie was extinct. The dish seems to have vanished from the Deep South like cotton mills, moonshine stills and Ivory-Billed Woodpe... READ MORE
Blazing Saddle Cowboy Beans
By Tim H. Martin
This mighty meaty medley of beans is a side dish tailor-made for hunting camps, tailgates, family gatherings and church functions. An improved version of chuck wagon beans, this hearty recipe will steal the show at any potluck dinner. It pa... READ MORE
Alabama Red Beans & Rice
By Tim H. Martin
I've had a couple of friends from New Orleans ask me what made these "Alabama" red beans and rice. I reminded them that Louisiana isn't the only state with Cajun and Creole culture. Alabama has plenty of Cajuns, too, down in our own bayou ... READ MORE