Jessi Parker Stevenson

“I think everyone can cook, I just think some people do not trust themselves in the kitchen,” said Jessi Parker Stevenson of Saltillo and formerly of Bruce. “That is the one place in the house that shouldn’t have rules, except to clean up after yourself.”
Her earliest kitchen memories come from her mom (Martha Parker) and sitting on the counter watching her grandmother (Maxi Harrelson), in the same house where her parents live now. “I really got my start in her kitchen grating cheese for tacos, something I still do about once a week for my own family now.”

Her folks moved from Bruce to Pittsboro to her grandparents’  home and “every time I enter this kitchen I remember being put in charge of meringue for Grandma’s lemon pie. As an adult I enjoy preparing holiday meals with my mom there. Now this kitchen holds many more memories.”
“I guess you could say I come from a line of great cooks.  Mom makes the best potato salad in the world, and Grandmother Maxi made the best fried chicken, pot roast, and chocolate muffins anyone ever had. Aunt Nelda Patton is another great cook, and we plan our Thanksgiving and Easter feasts around her broccoli chicken casserole. Her sweet and sour pork chops will always hold a special place in my recipe book,” she said.

“The cook I take after the most is Mammaw Margaret Parker. Mom often calls me Margaret when she sees my Instagram or Facebook posts because she knows I rarely use real recipes and that is how Mammaw cooked–a little of this, a little of that, and a little more just for good measure. I’m a lot like her in the kitchen and I’m proud of that.”

Cooking like Margaret always makes Jessi think of the Parker-Bryant family reunion. She and brother Tim always looked forward to Evelyn Spratlin’s caramel pie. One of her favorites to make is mile-high meringue and Mrs. Evelyn is her inspiration. “In my humble opinion you must use five egg whites or you are doing it all wrong. I think Ms. Evelyn would have agreed!”
“I try to find a new recipe each month to draw inspiration from and cook a version of it for my family. I look for that inspiration everywhere. I find these recipes by watching television (I am addicted to Food Network–Ina Garten and Ree Drummond), tracking people’s FaceBook or Instagram feeds, or water-cooler discussions at work. Even if it is a little pricy, I spring for the best ingredients for this monthly meal and make it a production. The 20 Clove Chicken with Parmesan Garlic Bread came out of this personal challenge. It seems like an intimidating recipe but is really quite simple,” she said.

Weeknights are busy for her family–husband Chris, and sons Rourke and Riley. “We try to keep it simple by grilling or using the handy dandy crockpot.  I try to plan meals ahead on Sunday and pride myself in being creative with leftovers. I often make crockpot chicken with traditional sides on Monday. Tuesday I can turn the leftover chicken into enchiladas, BBQ chicken pizza or shred it for salads for healthy lunches for the week.” In the spring and summer they grill a lot, usually deer or chicken.
Rourke loves broccoli so they eat it at least three times a week. Jessi loves fresh asparagus, “a quick blanche and a roasting in a hot oven with a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground pepper is my favorite quick side.  I suppose the trend these days is to “eat clean” and for the most part we do,” she said. Most of her vegetables come canned from her dad (Quincy’s) garden.

Jessi says she makes healthy choices for her family. Steak is a rarity but, “I might pair it with baked onions and roasted purple passion or fingerling potatoes, and they are to die for!”  Potatoes are a weakness so most of the time she just doesn’t keep them.
“I think a good philosophy for anyone is moderation. I try to fix things we love,  just try not eat the bad things (like cheesecake) every day. When I do have cheesecake, I run! I picked up the good habit of running a few years back. I have run three half-marathons and hope to one day run a full marathon.”

She loves wild game, and if she had to pick a favorite, it would be grilled duck breast. Quincy has always been an avid hunter and fisherman, and Chris is equally devoted in this love of the outdoors.  They spend summers at Chris’ family’s place on the Tennessee River “so by default I love fish, cooked just about anyway I can get it.” Grilled or baked bass is her favorite, but her “guilty pleasure” is fried crappie.
The Stevensons belong to Gum Tree Presbyterian Church in Tupelo where there is a monthly fellowship meal. “We have some great cooks in our church and secretly I think we all try to out-do each other. The dessert table is something to look forward to!”

Crawfish Cornbread
1 pkg. Jiffy cornbread mix
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup oil
2 eggs, slightly beaten
4-6 seeded jalapeno peppers
1 can creamed corn
6-8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lb. crawfish tails
Seasoning to taste (Old Bay/Garlic Salt)
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 9×12 pan with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients together.  Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving. (can substitute shrimp)

Key Lime Pie/Mile High Meringue
5 egg yolks, beaten
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup key lime juice
Zest of 1-2 key limes to taste
Graham cracker crust (deep dish style)
Meringue:
5 egg whites
Vanilla flavoring (to taste)
6-7 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cornstarch (optional)
Pinch of salt
In medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and condensed milk. Stir in lime zest and lime juice. Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake until set. Meanwhile, in medium bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form. In a second bowl, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Add sugar mixture, a little at a time, to egg whites, beating between additions. Continue to beat until sugar dissolves. Spoon meringue over hot pie filling. Torch meringue to give golden color to the peaks, or bake  10-12 minutes or until peaks start to brown. Serve pie chilled or at room temperature.

20 Clove Chicken & Crusty Parmesan Dipping Bread
Chicken:
8 chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head garlic, separated into whole cloves, papery skin removed (about 20 cloves)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. herbes de Provence
1 tsp. flour
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 lemon, juiced
Crusty Parmesan Bread:
1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 baguette
Chicken: Preheat oven to 350°. Rinse and pat dry chicken. Salt and pepper liberally, allow to temper on cutting board while you prepare garlic. In large ovenproof saute pan over medium heat, cook the whole garlic cloves in olive oil and butter, stirring occasionally until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Remove garlic from  pan and set aside. Increase heat to medium high and brown chicken skin-side down until skin is golden and crispy, about five minutes. Turn chicken over, sprinkle on herbes de Provence. Add garlic back to the pan and place hot pan in oven. Bake chicken until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Once chicken is done, remove thighs and garlic to a platter. Place pan over medium-high heat and sprinkle the drippings with flour and stir to incorporate. Deglaze pan with the stock and lemon juice. Pour the sauce over the chicken on a platter and serve with bread for sauce-mopping and garlic-spreading.
Bread:  Preheat broiler to low. In a small bowl, mix butter, mayonnaise and cheese, season with salt and pepper. Cut baguette in half both crossways and horizontally. Evenly spread cheese mixture on bread. Place on baking sheet, broil until golden, about three minutes.

Crock-Pot Rotisserie Chicken
1 whole chicken (about 4-5 lbs.), insides removed
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
(Ranch packet and pantry seasonings to taste can be substituted for the above listed seasoning)
Aluminum foil
Rinse chicken thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. In small bowl, whisk together paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder until combined. Rub seasoning mix all over chicken– outside skin, inside cavity, on chicken breasts underneath skin. Roll up a few small balls of foil and place on bottom of slow cooker bowl to serve as  “rack” for chicken, so it doesn’t cook in  juices that will accumulate in bottom.  Place chicken on top of foil. Cover and cook low  6-8 hours, or on high  4-5 hours until it is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 160°. Carefully remove chicken from slow cooker, discard bones, and serve as desired.
TIP: I serve it with traditional sides like quick blanched asparagus and roasted fingerling potatoes day 1, then shred leftovers for a quick weeknight meal.
 
Ms. Gale’s Toll House Pie
1 unbaked pie crust (9”/deep dish)
2 eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1 and ½ sticks butter, softened
1 cup semi-sweet  chocolate  hips
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat over to 325°.  Beat eggs in mixer until foamy. Beat in flour, granulated and brown sugar. Beat in butter. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Spoon into pie shell.  Bake 55-60 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool before slicing.  Best served warm with ice cream or whipped topping. Also wonderful served at room-temperature or chilled.