Monday, September 21, 2009

Chocolate Gravy and Cast Iron Skillets



I saw this video on Time With Shelby's site and it made me laugh so hard. I grew up like Shelby in the Mid South and the people who live in this part of the country are hard working make do with what you have type people. I have found memories of eating chocolate gravy over biscuits made by my granny in a cast iron skillet.

My granny more that any other member of my family shaped who I am.She was known county wide for her cooking and had worked for a county home (sort of like a group home and nursing home combined)and a cafe. She could make the best corn bread,fried chicken and fried potatoes .She expressed her love for us through her food.It seems to me that sometimes now days that you have to have top of the line appliances for the kitchen and the best knives and dutch ovens that cost hundreds of dollars but the best food I have ever eaten came from Lodge Cast Iron and my granny.In the years that I have been adult and moved to different places wherever we have lived my lodge cast iron has gone with me and when I lift that big iron skillet,dutch oven or griddle I think of all the strong women in my family and of the way they expressed love to us through food. That simple black skillet or pot brings back the best memories of my life.


Photo and recipe that follows courtesy of The Bitten Word

Granny Ragland's Chocolate Gravy

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/3 cup sugar

2 cups whole milk

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix dry ingredients well. Slowly add milk until mixture is smooth. Cook very slowly over low heat, stirring frequently. When it gets thick enough, remove from stove. Add vanilla and butter.

Enjoy over biscuits.


Southern Biscuits
2 cups all purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter or shortening

3/4 cup of milk


Preheat oven to (425 F) Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Cut in butter until it is smaller than pea size. Add milk and stir swiftly. If rolling out and cutting, coat dough lightly with flour and turn onto a floured surface. Work quickly to avoid tough biscuits. Otherwise, form to the desired size by hand.
Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of your biscuits) until golden.

Sex is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn. ~Garrison Keillor

9 comments:

Char said...

I sooo love a cast iron skillet.

:)

Joni said...

I have heard of chocolate gravy, but I've never tried it...in my family, my granny always made the best tomato gravy and biscuits...mmmm...and in a cast iron skillet too!

Twisted Fencepost said...

I have heard of chocolate gravy but never actually seen or tasted it.
Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely be trying it.
And thank you for visiting!

WR said...

MMMMMM...I will give that gravy a try. What a fun surprise for company!

Thanks for stopping by the Wildwoods blog.

Nice to meet you! :)

Sue said...

I have never heard of such a thing as chocolate gravy, but what's not to like? I think it sounds wonderful. So does the homemade fried chicken. I have my grandmother's old Dutch oven. I swear my pot roast tastes better in that pan than any other.

Sue

Shelby said...

Yolanda, I am virtually huggin' and squeezin' you!! We are true soul sisters I do believe that.

One day we're gonna sit down and have us a meal together that includes southern biscuits and chocolate gravy made in a cast iron skillet.

This was the loveliest post ever I do believe.

I believe you are one of the most precious souls I have ever met in my entire life.

We might be related you know. Seriously.

I love you darlin' :)

Connie said...

Yum...Yum

I do believe your Garrison Keillor
quote is one of the funniest I've heard in a while.

Tipper said...

Oh I love chocolate gravy! One of my favorite things growing up. Granny's Chocolate gravy, sausage and biscuits-yummy!!

Tipper said...

I forgot to say-my husband says chocolate gravy is an abomination : ) you can tell he didn't grow up with it!