Southern Hostess: Rebecca Gordon

I’ve been excited about this post all week! Allow me the pleasure of introducing to you, the epitome of the Alabama hostess: Rebecca Gordon. I met Rebecca last Fall when Husband & I headed down to Charleston for an event with Southern Living to celebrate the release of The Official SEC Tailgating Cookbook. At that time, Rebecca was serving as SL’s test kitchen director (she’s currently a Contributing Editor) and her enthusiasm was contagious when she cooked. I immediately fell in love with her absolutely delicious recipes as well as her passion for Alabama football–both of which are front & center on her blog: Buttermilk Lipstick.

Buttermilk Lipstick quickly became my favorite recipe stop on the web. The thing I love the most is that Rebecca doesn’t just give you recipes, she shares tips & secrets from her years of experience that make those recipes foolproof! A couple weeks ago, I tried my hand at her pimento cheese (*delish*), tonight I’ll be making her Southern cornbread (obviously), and this weekend, my mom will be getting these m&m chocolate chip cookies. So let’s get to know Rebecca a little more, shall we?

rebecca-gordon-belle

Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama

Southern Destination of Choice:

The Houndstooth Capital of the South, Tuscaloosa, of course (!) …especially on game day Saturday’s. And when the United States Air Force is scheduled for a flyover before kick-off in Bryant-Denny Stadium… Umm, chills. Witnessing the Crimson Tide bust out of the end zone and onto the field before a home football game just can’t be beat. I’ve been known to get a little teary at times… there’s a passion in that stadium that can’t be duplicated and so many moving stories are represented from the players, to the coaches, to the fans of why they love Alabama football so much. For some it’s based on family roots and for others, they’re converts based on a job move from another state and they had to declare an allegiance to one of the state schools or be pestered relentlessly. Southern college football brings folks together from all walks of life and unites them in a way like nothing else… Roll Tide!

A close second is Charleston. I attended Johnson and Wales when it was located in the old cigar factory on East Bay Street. I can lose myself in the architecture and the history walking around downtown, not to mention the food scene can’t be beat. Being close to the beach doesn’t hurt either. The houses on Sullivan’s Island are simply gorgeous. They’ve done such a fine job of preserving the integrity of the area.

Favorite Southern Tradition:

Not to be a goose and all, but there again, tailgating and watching Alabama football. I don’t mean to rile anyone up or anything, but I do have the 3rd Saturday in October circled with vigor on my calendar each fall. (We do too, Rebecca. Don’t you worry!) I, my friend, lived through the “lean years” and let’s just say, an elephant never forgets.

Be Sure to Say Hello!

Rebecca’s Blog: Buttermilk Lipstick
Buttermilk Lipstick on Facebook
@ButtermilkLips on Twitter

Southern Living Takes It to the Tailgate

A few weeks ago when Husband and I visited Middleton Place, we also had the opportunity to attend The Southern Living Taste of Charleston event to top off our weekend. Southern Living was nice enough to invite us, and when I saw that they were doing a special demonstration for the new Official SEC Tailgating Cookbook, I knew we had to attend.

Football is like a religion of sorts here in the South and, regardless of my personal interest in the sport, tailgating is an art form that most Southern Belles need to learn early. From decking out your tailgating space to preparing food that will still look tasty 3 hours after you arrive is really something. Luckily, this book is full of really great recipes… as if we ever expect anything less from Southern Living, right? A few that we got to try at the event: Buttermilk Chess Tarts, Deviled Eggs (a particular hit with Husband), and these amazing little Mini Bourbon-and-Cola Bundt Cakes…

The unexpected treat of the day? Meeting Southern Living Test Kitchen director Rebecca Gordon, an Alabama girl who was cute as a peach! In fact, she even has a tailgating blog, Tidefan Fare, where she shares stories, recipes, as well as a few Q&As with SEC heroes. (For Tennessee fans like us, here are a couple Tennessee parents you may be interested in: this Q&A with Barbara Dooley or this one with Archie Manning.)

I couldn’t post about the book without giving you a little sample of the goodness, so I asked if I could share a recipe. This one was an obvious choice; what belle doesn’t need a little more bourbon in her dessert library? Enjoy!

Mini Bourbon-and-Cola Bundt Cakes

Makes 3 dozen

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup cola soft drink
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Bourbon-and-Cola Glaze (Recipe below…)
– – – – – – – – –
  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar; beat until blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat at low speed until blended.
  2. 2. Stir together cola, buttermilk, and bourbon in a small bowl. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients in another bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with cola mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Pour batter into 3 lightly greased 12-cup Bundt brownie pans, filling each three-fourths full.
  3. 3. Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool 30 minutes. Drizzle warm Bourbon-and-Cola Glaze over cakes.
  4. Go Big: Batter can be poured into 1 greased and floured 15-cup Bundt pan. Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Bourbon-and-Cola Glaze

Ingredients: 
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 3 tablespoons cola soft drink
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon
  • 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
– – – – – – – – –
Cook first 3 ingredients in a 2- qt. saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until butter melts. Remove from heat; stir in bourbon. Beat in powdered sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
© Southern Living 2012 The Official SEC Tailgating Cookbook

Rocky Top in the Big Apple

I was born in Tennessee, but, for the first few years of my life, my family didn’t actually live here. Then, when I was 9, we moved to East Tennessee. I was less then thrilled at my new surroundings, and this was only exacerbated when, on the 1st day of school, I was shoved into a large group of singing 4th graders. They had just burst into a song about a girl that was ‘half bear the other half cat’ and something called ‘corn from a jar.’ I was appalled.

Husband and I in 2005. We actually used this picture for the ‘guest book’ at our wedding, and it now hangs in our bedroom.

Fast forward 18 years and my husband & I are both UT graduates, two of our best friends actually said their wedding vows on that ‘hallowed hill in Tennessee,’ I have been known to partake of ‘corn from a jar,’ and I have seen for myself the original written lyrics of “Rocky Top” hanging in the home of the esteemed former Pride of the Southland director WJ Julian. (For the record, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant literally crossed a few other animals off the list before deciding she would be ‘wild as a mink but sweet as a soda pop.’)

Now, I will be the first to tell you that football is not my thing. Sure, I love picking out a cute outfit and tailgating for a couple of hours up the hill from Neyland stadium. I appreciate the spirit & talent of the SEC, but the main reason I go to football games is to see the band form the Power T. I am known to leave football games after the halftime show because, by that time, I have usually lost interest whatever it is those boys are doing on the field.

However, today, football may have been just what I needed. Around 4, Husband and I made our way to a bar in Midtown Manhattan called Traffic and watched the game with a room full of other Big Orange fans dressed, of course, in orange and singing “Rocky Top” loud and proud. In a week full of high fashion, busy streets, and hot subway rides, it was exactly what I needed. New York City is fun, but it can get overwhelming and make a southern girl like me feel very alone. Isn’t it funny how a song that at one point in my life I found so alienating can now make me feel so at home.