Evelyn's Blog - Taste of Gourmet

Mississippi.....

Have you noticed that I always SPELL OUT the name of our great state..Mississippi...no abbreviation MS for me!  People all over the globe know the name....Mississippi....and they can spell it too!  So why would we shorten it at all...it has a beautiful sound...just rolling off your tongue (especially when our deep Southern accents take over!)  It's a beautiful word and I've used it to describe some of our best selling food too!

The only time I use MS is for the Post Office....and if we all wrote out Mississippi...maybe we wouldn't be getting mail that's been forwarded to us from ME or MI or MO....We are Mississippi....we're proud of our beautiful state, of Indianola...our little town of the bayou and the blues, and we are proud of the food we ship all over the country using abbreviations because we have to! 

Saveur Magazine featured The Crown...

Ben Nims wrote a piece called Southern Glories in the October issue...including 6 restaurants in Mississippi and their "specialty!"  I was so excited that Ben included The Crown...you can look at it on-line at www.saveur.com ... but I just have to quote him too...

In Ben's words, "To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi," said the native son William Faulkner.  The best way to do that, if you ask me, is to eat.  Here is a cross-section of Mississippi's soul-stirring culinary landscape."

Then he wrote, "The Crown.  The Catfish Pate and Catfish Allison (a whole filet gratineed in a scallion cream sauce) have kept this Indianola restaurant going strong for 33 years."  The article is short and oh, so sweet and I love every word Ben wrote!  He's eaten with us...lots of time...so he knows what he's talking about.  No "hearsay" for Ben! 

Then on the same page in  "Ask a Local, Amy Evans, an oral historian from Southern Foodways Alliance in Oxford, Mississippi answered the question, "Why is Catfish so popular in the state?"  with..."we raise more of it than any other state. At restaurants you find it broiled, fried, barbecued; we even have Catfish Pate."

Our Catfish Pate of course.  Thanks to Saveur and Ben and Amy.....we do love our Catfish in Mississippi and in Indianola...and we do love to eat ...especially at The Crown!  Ya;ll come eat with us!

Indianola on Saturday....Art and Music at the Museum.....

Help us Celebrate the First Anniversary of Indianola'sB.B. King Museum on Saturday, September 12!  

Art at B.B.'s is going to be wonderful!   Over 30 Artists will be exhibiting in the Open Art Market at the B.B. King Museum!  There will be live music all day on three stages at the Museum, Face Painting, Food, lots of Fresh Produce, Plants, Jellies and Pickled Okra from our Market Vendors PLUS this talented array of painters, potters and photographers from 10 to 2:00! 

 

At 7:00 pm...there is a special showing in the Museum of B.B.'s performance in 1983 with Austin City Limits!  We're really excited about that too!  We're so proud of the Museum and want you to enjoy every part of the town and the the activities that day!

 

And just think of the great "one of a kind" gifts you can buy for Christmas...and listen to live music while you shop!  It doesn't get better than that!  Just look at this list of the Artists coming and make your plans to be in Indianola on Saturday....and of course I want you to come to The Crown for Lunch....We'll be serving our yummy Catfish Cakes.......See you there!

Eva Champion                 Kappy Russell

Charles Chapin                Kathy Davis Day

Daryl Simpson                 Brenda Yants

Beth Long                        Susan Gilbert

Anna Woods                    Barry McWilliams

Lee Washington                Paul Canonici

Sydney Parker                 Jack Catlette

Susan Sheridan                James Blumenburg'

Garden Park                     Charles Herring

Lei Ann Parker                 Shea Hitchcock

Claire Boyles                    Katrina Nesbit

Laurie Noble                     Grady Robinson

Susan Steen                    Mary Jo Ayres

Brenda Barnett                 Lucy May

Lizzie Oglesby                 Laurie Fisher

Memorie Dixon                 Amy McCullough

It's the Pickled Black-eyed Peas.....

That's the WINNING new product so far!  Lots of orders for our new "Southern Tradition"....our new chow-chow, our new old-fashioned picalilli, our new yummy Pickled Black-eyed Peas!  

I've been watching WHO is buying them In The Crown....just out of curiosity!  I've seen older ladies here for a reunion, taking the Peas back to Texas!  A man from Indianola, just buying them to enjoy with his supper.  A young couple planning to serve them at a tail-gating party this weekend.  It's one of those things that is NOT going to sit on the shelf waiting for a special ocassion!   Our Peas are going to get open and eaten!  I love that!  Have you ordered yours yet?

 

Check out the website for a list of all the New Products.....and come into The Crown for a Taste of our new favorite....Pickled Black-eyed Peas!

 

I hope you are all coming to Indianola on Saturday for the Open Air Market's Art at B.B.'s Art show at the B.B. King Museum!    It's Indianola's celebration of the First Anniversary of the opening of the Museum....live music ALL DAY long at The Museum and an Art Show you'll really enjoy!! 

Come to Art After Hours....it's fun!

Art After Hours is THIS Thursday
September 3rd
from 5 to 7 pm
 
The Crown's Featured Artists will be: 
Susan Love - Greenville Jewelry Maker
and
Dawn Whitfield with hand-formed pottery
and
Eve Pugh Champion - Belzoni - with her paintings.
Alan Jones will be playing and singing at The Crown!

 The B.B. King Museum will be open as well and Brantley Catlette is playing at the Museum until 7:00

It's a fun evening - relaxed - great things to look at, nibble and good conversation!  Bring the Family to Indianola for Art After Hours!  You don't have to get dressed up...just come right from work or a meeting!
Always the First Thursday of each Month!  Ya'll come!

Food is also an Art Form!   Come to The Crown for a nibble!

New Products ready to ship......

I'm so excited about our new foods.....Especially the jars of Pickled Black-eyed Peas!  I played in the kitchen with the idea for months it seemed...trying this brine and that "pickling flavor"....and I'm so excited with the final version of the Pickled Peas! 

We've sampled and sold them in The Crown for several weeks now and they are really popular!  I've been serving them as a "dip" with corn chip scoops!  I put a spoon in the bowl and guests fill up their scoop..pop it in their mouths and smile!  The flavor is really fine!  Fresh vegetables are "cooked" with the peas, onion, green pepper and a touch of celery!  You'll find my Peas in the Sauces section of the website!  A 12 oz. jar is $8.95 and is some good eating!  Perfect for tailgating parties too! 

Now the Tomatillo Salsa is fabulous too!  Green chilis and tomatillos with fresh onions and peppers...ready to open and start eating.  It's a 12 oz jar for $8.95 and will make you smile without catching you on fire!  Try it spooned over a simple omelet or as a sauce on hamburgers, melt some cheese and Tomatillo Salsa together for a scrumptious cheese dip!  And of course with tortilla chips!

There's Brunch Bread too...especially nice for a lazy morning or when you have to bring snacks for coffee break at the office or have company coming for breakfast!   Takes 3 minutes to put together and 25 minutes to bake!  Hot out of your own oven...that smell of cinnamon roll...you've just got to try it!

Here's the List of new Products....on the internet and ready to order!  Or just call your local Consultant to arrange a Tasting party for you and your friends!  That's the joy of Taste of Gourmet...Tasting before you buy and learning just how to prepare and serve your new goodies! 
Sassy Seasoning Salt - $5.95
Tea Room Scones - $7.95
Cashew Caramel Scones - $7.95
Fudge Triples Cookie Mix - $7.95
Tomatillo Salsa - $8.95
Pickled Black-eyed Peas - $8.95
Brunch Bread - $7.95
Fabulous Four Delicious Desserts - $32.00
    including: All-American Apple Cake,  Toffee Crunch Cheese Cake Ball,
    Southern Praline Pie and Mississippi Mud Cake!

Love that lemon.....

I just have to share a comment I got on our website from Sandy H. from North Carolina.......
"Your Lemon Pie mix was a gift some time ago.  love it, Love It, LOVE IT !!!!" 

Don't you love Sandy's enthusiasm?  And she writes like I do...with lots of exclamation points...and emphasis and her note just made my whole day wonderful!!!   When people love the food we create here in Mississippi...it just makes us feel so good....now I'm going to try Sandy's...so good, Good, GOOD!  Thank you Sandy!

And I love the Lake Shackleford Lemon Pie too!  In fact, Tony and I had a piece last night with a bit of my Royal Fudge Sauce drizzled on the plate underneath!  My two favorite flavors!  Lemon and Chocolate!  YUM!