I’m closing out reviews I began last week on the series A Savor the South Cookbook. The University of North Carolina Press has created a train of single-topic books, each spotlighting southern food specialties
This review is for Pecans by Kathleen Purvis. Kathleen also wrote Bourbon which I reviewed here last week, too.
A Georgia native, Kathleen grew up with pecans. They are native to the American south, were almost exterminated to clear space for cotton fields, and now have been heartily revived. A pecan tree is an investment for the future. It can take fifteen years for a new tree to being yielding a crop, but the tree will offer nuts for over a hundred years as it sours to 130 feet in the air.
There are no pecan beverages in Pecans. Thank God. Just good classic southern fare in four chapters:
- Appetizers and Party Foods
- Main Dishes
- Salads and Sides
- Desserts
Yes, for me the key chapter is desserts, but before you get to Page 57, there are important ideas from those other chapters:
Smoky Garlic-Mustard Pecans
Blue Cheese Pecan Spread
Cheddar Pecan Wafers
Buttermilk Pecan Chicken
Pecan-Crusted Grouper
Honey Pecan Chicken Thighs
Pecan Waldorf Salad
Roasted Broccoli with Browned Butter Pecan Sauce
Pecans have a most distinct and penetrating flavor. Even when combined with other ingredients, the pecan layer is always there in your mouth. Paired with honey or cheese or protein like chicken, pecans substantially influence a dish.
But, it is undeniable that pecans were destined for the dessert. How can you say “pecan” and not finish the phrase “pie?” It’s impossible. Beyond pecan pie, though, there is a tree load of dessert delights to consider:
Pecan Cream Pie
Chocolate Praline Cheesecake
Pecan Toffee
Southern Pecan Ice Cream
Pecan Meringue Bite
Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake with Strawberry-Pecan Butter
That last recipe is important: you can “double dip” with your pecans in a single recipe. They are a most versatile ingredient you can integrate into your entire meal, from those first appetizers through dinner and then on to dessert. Suzi and I buy five pound bags and never, never go without pecans ready to use. After all, you never know when you will have that craving for Crispy Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies.