Finger Lickin' Dead

by Riley Adams

  1 cup grits, uncooked

  4 cups water

  1 stick butter

  1 box cornbread mix

  8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (or substitute 1

  pound cooked sausage if you like a little more pop)

  1 cup milk

  1 cup cheese, shredded

  4 eggs

  1 teaspoon salt

  Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Add 1 cup uncooked grits to 4 cups boiling water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 stick of butter. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 5 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat.

  Cook bacon, drain, and crumble.

  Beat the 4 eggs with 1 cup milk.

  Mix everything together with 1 box of cornbread mix. Pour into a 13-inch by 9-inch casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle the cheese on the top.

  Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

  Brunswick Stew

  1 chicken (4-pound fowl)

  1 quart corn

  1 quart fresh tomatoes, chopped

  1 pint okra, chopped

  1 pint butter beans

  2 onions, chopped

  Salt and pepper to taste

  Boil chicken until it’s tender. Pull meat from bones and cut it into big cubes (don’t throw out the broth in the pot). Put the cubes back into the broth. Add vegetables to pot and cook until the liquid thickens and the vegetables are well done. Simmer over low heat for approximately 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

  Black-Eyed Pea Salad

  2 15-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained

  ¾ cup red onion, chopped

  ¾ cup green pepper, chopped

  1 teaspoon garlic powder

  ¼ cup vinegar

  ¼ cup sugar

  2 tablespoons olive oil

  Hot sauce and ground black pepper to taste

  Combine the first 4 ingredients. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over the pea mixture. Season with hot sauce and ground black pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 12 hours or more.

  Southern Spiced Tea

  16 cups water

  5 tablespoons tea leaves

  Juice of 6 oranges

  Juice of 1 lemon

  2 cups sugar

  1 teaspoon whole cloves

  Add the tea leaves to 8 cups boiling water. Let stand 5 minutes, then strain. Make a syrup by boiling the sugar, cloves, and 8 cups of water together. Add the syrup and the fruit juices to the tea. (This makes about 18 cups.)

  Mix thoroughly. Serve over ice.

  New South–Style Peach Glaze for Shrimp

  ½ cup brown sugar

  3 tablespoons cold water

  2 cups peaches, diced and peeled

  4 tablespoons bourbon

  3 tablespoons green onions, minced

  ½ teaspoon ground ginger

  ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  Salt and pepper to taste

  In a cast-iron or heavy saucepan, stir brown sugar over medium heat until caramelized.

  Add 3 tablespoons of cold water. Add the remaining ingredients to pan and cook until the mixture is syrupy (about 10 to 15 minutes). Remove from heat. Pour the mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

  Tommie’s Pecan Pie

  3 eggs, slightly beaten

  1 cup Karo syrup

  1 cup sugar

  ⅔ cup pecans, chopped

  1 teaspoon vanilla

  ⅛ teaspoon salt

  2 tablespoons butter, melted

  9-inch unbaked pie shell

  Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together all of the ingredients. Pour into the pie shell. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a blade inserted in the center comes out clean.

  Berkley Prime Crime titles by Riley Adams

  DELICIOUS AND SUSPICIOUS

  FINGER LICKIN’ DEAD