One day, I want to develop this into a much fuller piece. Here are some of my notes so far. I'm gonna use ya'll to help me work out the kinks and give me some ideas.
Comeback Dressing
Comeback dressing was invented by Mr. Alexander Dennery at the Rotisserie Restaurant at five points in Jackson sometime in the '30s and '40s. Both the Rotisserie and its successor Dennery's are closed now, so the reigning comeback champion is The Mayflower Cafe in Jackson, using a recipe by Mr. Kountouris. Both Kountouris and Dennery were Greek immigrants, but Comeback Sauce is much closer to French remoulade sauce. Put it on salads, fries, burgers, hell, just pour some on saltines. Everybody in town has their version of Comeback now. Besides the Mayflower, try Scrooge's, Hal and Mal's, Crechale's, and CS's.
Hot Tamales
This was my dad's favorite. So much has been written about Delta Hot Tamales I don't know what I can add. I've never found a Delta Hot Tamale at a Mexican restaurant. Look for somebody who serves them in coffee cans if possible. They should come tied in bundles of three.
Best Choices; Sollys in Vickburg, The Big Apple Inn in Jackson, and Doe's Eat Place in Greenville, but that's just the tip of an enormous iceberg. There's some discussion about whether they should be wrapped in corn husks or parchment paper. I like them both ways, but some insist the corn husks add something the paper doesn't.
This part is controversial, but Hormel makes a decent canned hot tamale. They're based in Minnesota, for God's sake, and I have no idea how they came to produce a Delta hot tamale, but they're not bad. Serve warm with saltines just like regular tamales. They're good in a hot tamale pie too.
Mississippi Mud Brownies and Mississippi Mud Pie
A 1927 recording of Bing Crosby with the line "beat your feet in the Mississippi mud" might be the origin of this dish. There are two versions of this dish. As best I can tell, the first is the Mississippi Mud Brownie which is a chocolate brownie topped with marshmallow and ganache. It was in many cookbooks in the sixties and seventies. The second is the Mississippi Mud Pie, which comes in a pie shell, often with a chocolate wafer crust, and replaces the marshmallow with vanilla ice cream. Both versions are sinfully good.
Biloxi Pressed Po-Boy
The Po-Boy (poor boy) may be a New Orleans invention, but the Biloxi version, which is pressed like a panini, is far superior. Primos Northgate used to have one of the best I ever tried. They would press it, then wrap it tightly in butcher paper which helped unify the sandwich.
Pig Ear Slider and Red Hot Slider
Big Apple Inn, on Farish Street in Jackson, MS, is home to two uniquely Mississippi dishes that are reasonably famous now. Pig Ear Sliders are actual pig ears, cooked in a pressure cooker until soft, then served on a slider bun with mustard. At least try one before you turn your nose up. Red Hots are Red Rose sausages by Magnolia meats stripped out of their casing, then cooked on a griddle and served on a slider bun with mustard.
Fried Dill Pickles
It's possible fried dill pickles were invented in Arkansas. I'll cede them that. I insist they are far more plentiful in Mississippi, though, and the recipes are far better. For my taste, the very best fried dill pickles in Mississippi come from Cock of the Walk on the Pearl River Reservoir (I don't use its official name)
Kool-aid Pickles
This one really is Mississippi Specific. Kool-aid Pickles are easy. Take a regular jar of pickles and mix in a packet of cherry Kool-aid and some sugar. Where to find them? Gas stations and roadside stands in The Delta. Don't turn up your nose. You've had sweet pickles your whole life if you're from here. These are just red.
Fried Catfish
You don't think fried catfish is Mississippi-specific? Fight me! Yeah, they have catfish all over the South, and yeah, lots of people fry things, but Mississippi is the catfish king and always will be. Best catfish in Mississippi? Boy, I really am looking for a fight, huh? Let's try Jerry's in Florence and Cock of the Walk on the Rez. Your opinion may vary.
Fried Buffalo
Often caught in the same waters as the catfish, the buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus) is prepared, dusted with cornmeal, and fried, just like a catfish. Some people consider Buffalo a trash fish, and to try one you often have to go to an older, more run-down establishment. Give them a try though. They're tasty with flaky white flesh, They don't clean as easily as catfish though, so beware of bones.
Cheese Straws
I might get some blowback on this one. Cheese wafers are made all over the South, but I insist that Cheese Straws made with a piping bag are a Mississippi creation (or at least perfected here).
Coke and Peanuts
I can't really claim this is a dish unique to Mississippi, but you've most likely seen it if you're from here. It's just a bottle of cold Coke with a packet of salted peanuts dumped through the mouth of the bottle. You drink the Coke, then tilt the bottle back to get the peanuts. The salt interacts with the coke, and the coke interacts with the peanuts, creating a profoundly southern synergy.
Boiled Peanuts
I would love to claim boiled peanuts as a uniquely Mississippi dish, but they're found all over the deep south. Peanuts originated in South America, then made their way to Africa, where they were called "goobers" or "pindars" and served boiled, then imported back to America via the slave trade. The best source for boiled peanuts is roadside stands found all over the state in the summer.
You might have heard that you can only make boiled peanuts using "green" (un-dried) peanuts, but truth be told, you can use the same dry raw peanuts you use for roasting, but soak them for 24 hours before boiling, just like you would dry red beans for red beans and rice, and they'll boil up just fine. They freeze really well, and they're good for you! Try making them with crab boil, lemons and MSG added to the brine.
State Fair Taffy
Malone's State Fair Taffy candy is based in Byram, Mississippi but sold at state fairs and carnivals all over the South. It comes in one flavor: vanilla, and softens quickly in the microwave. Off-season, you can get it from their website.
Mississippi Pot Roast
Slow cooker pot roast with pickled jalapenos and a packet of ranch dip mix. This dish is said to have originated with Mississippi State tailgate parties.
Mississippi State Cheese
In 1938, Mississippi State University Dairy Science Professor F.H. Herzer imported ten teakwood molds from Belgium to teach cheese production. His Edam cheese soon developed a reputation for quality, and now they can barely keep up with demand (and often can't). Mississippi State cheese is only sold at Mississippi State University, either through their website or from the campus store.
Hiney Ho Smoked Sausage
Produced by the Hinds Community college meatpacking department, you can only get it at the Raymond campus store in Porter Hall. It's especially good with biscuits or on a hoagie roll with mustard.
Barq's Root Beer
Edward Charles Edmond Barq Sr. first bottled Barq's Root Beer in Biloxi, Mississippi, in 1897.
Cathead Vodka
I wanted a spirit, and this is a good one. Also, their distillery on South Street was the original home of the Mississippi School Supply Company, where my dad once upset the world by hiring a black secretary and sitting her out front where people could see her.
Inez Burger
Technically a chili burger with queso sauce and pickled jalapenos. The Inez Burger from CS's is much more than that if you're from here. Get it with the cheese fries and give Inez a hug from me.
Slug Burger
Slug Burgers are indigenous to Corinth, MS, where they have an annual Slug Burger festival. Slug Burgers use potato flakes or other fillers to extend the ground beef, then the patty is deep-fried and dressed simply with mustard and pickles on a bun.
Primos Brownie (Fudge Squares)
I wanted to include a recipe from Pop Primos, but which one? The caramel cake and the gingerbread men were contenders, but the Primos Chocolate Brownie is legendary.
Pirouline Cookies
Pirouline Cookies might have a European flavor and sensibility, but they were invented in 1984 by Peter DeBeukelaer and produced in Madison, Mississippi.
Pimento Cheese
I can't really posit that pimento cheese is a uniquely Mississippi dish. I can say though that the best Pimento Cheese I ever had came from the Woodland Hills Jitney. Some people make a vicious version using Mississippi State Cheese blended with cottage cheese too.
Sliced Tomatos
This is another one that isn't unique to Mississippi, but is ubiquitous here. The concept is simple. A whole ripe heirloom or beefsteak tomato, cut in one-half inch slices (use a serrated knife) and served with salt, pepepper and a simple vinagrette or mayonase (dukes preferred) Try a scoop of cottage cheese or pimento cheese for a Mississippi Caprese Salad.
Pine-Sol
Ok, so this isn't food, but if you have a kitchen or a bathroom, you're familiar with Pine-sol. Harry A. Cole of Jackson, Mississippi, invented Pine-sol in 1929. In 1948 Dumas Milner acquired Magnolia Chemical Company producing Pine-sol, and in five years, they increased sales to twenty million bottles distributed in eleven countries. In 1963, Milner sold Pine-Sol for $17 million, and production moved from Jackson, MS, to New Jersey.
