Recipe: A Visit To The Blue Willow Inn and Some Recipes....

Hello Everyone!

I am a connoisseur of authentic Southern cooking which is getting harder and harder to find. Many times you think you have found just the place only to discover that your palate is telling you, "veggies out of a can, rolls out of a container".

At the Blue Willow Inn I had the best lunch...the buffet included roast pork that melted in your mouth, juicy and tender. There was fried chicken to die for, not the cardboard dry version I have tasted at other places. They also had roast beef and gravy, a delightful chicken dish named Chicken Dominick. Since that particular recipe is not in both of their cookbooks, Chef Dominick Stella was gracious enough to share the recipe with me. Now how many chefs have you met that give you pencil and paper to copy down a recipe?

They also had the best creamiest Macaroni and Cheese, Turnip Greens, Fried Green Tomatoes, fresh squash, candied yams, rice, real mashed potatoes. For dessert, Real Coconut Layer Cake, Punch Bowl Cake, Peach Cobbler, Pecan Pie, Brownies, oh and a salad bar and a soup bar. The Peach Cobbler was incredible...a sugary brown crust on top with peaches below in a thick sauce. It was not that ghostly white glob found at other places. These folks know how to cook!

The Blue Willow Inn is in Social Circle, Georgia. It is worth the trip to enjoy real southern fare like Grandma used to make. Below are some yummy recipes from the Blue Willow Inn.

---

BLUE WILLOW INN'S MAC AND CHEESE
8-10 servings

1 8 oz. pkg. macaroni
1 tsp. shortening or veg. oil
3/4 plus 1/4 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Cheez Whiz
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp. mayo
1/2 tsp. prepard mustard
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook macaroni according to directions adding the oil or shortening to the water. Do not overcook. Drain and in a large bowl, combine macaroni, 3/4 c. cheddar, Cheez Whiz, milk, eggs, mayo, mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and pour into a ungreased 9x12 inch casserole dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes. remove from oven and top with remaining cheese, return to oven to melt.

---

PEACH COBBLER
6-8 servings

2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup self rising flour
1/4 plus 1/4 cup melted butter, divided use
1 (28 oz.) can of sliced peaches

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, coursely mix the 2/3 c. sugar, flour, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Sprinkle about 1/3 of this mixture on the bottom of a baking dish. Add the peaches and juice. Top peaches with remaining flour mixture. Sprinkle the top with 2 T. sugar and the remaining 1/4 cup melted butter. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Serve hot.

Note: If the juices from the peach can do not cover the peaches, add a small amount of water just to cover the peaches. Too little liquid will make it dry and too much liquid will make it soupy.

---

CHICKEN DOMINICK

A simple chicken dish full of flavor...

This is the way Chef Dominick gave me the recipe:

Use a baking dish, butter the bottom of the dish. Place thinly sliced tomatoes on bottom, sprinkle parmesan cheese all over, garlic powder and salt and pepper on top. Layer chicken tenders on top and layer 2 times more beginning with tomatoes, parmesan, garlic powder and salt and pepper, chicken tenders, etc.. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Take out of oven and sprinkle more parmesan all over and bake another 5 minutes.