Page 14 - Robeson Living Fall 2017

Good Ole’ Country Cooking

By Barbara Gola

I think our county is well known for its spe- pudding stick that my Grandpa Britt made and used and I
cific style of cooking known as country cooking that has treasure them all.
been passed down by our families for generations. When
it comes to country cooking, I have to tout my Mama, Cleo We had a smoke house, too, and after the country hams were
Cothran and my Grandma, Lula Britt as the best cooks I cured, they hung in the smoke house along with the bacon
have ever known. They both could take a little of noth- and country sausage. I look back and realize now that those
ing and make a feast out of it. My Grandparents, Jimmy were simple times but they were the best of times.
and Lula Britt, had ten children, six of them were girls.
Grandma taught her girls to cook at a very early age and I’m probably going to get in a little trouble here with some
they were all excellent cooks. My Mama started cooking of my readers but the best vegetable meals you will ever
when she was very young and throughout her life, she was put on your table is all in the seasoning and that is lard and
known as one of the best cooks ever. She loved to cook and bacon fat. It’s been pounded into our heads that all that hog
took pride in her dishes. grease is unhealthy for us. It may be unhealthy but it sure is
good and any old school country cook still uses it and their
When I was growing up, there were three meals served dishes will make a tadpole slap a whale because they are so
every day and everything was homemade, straight off the tasty. Just give me a piece of cornbread with a slice of fat-
farm. We grew our own vegetables and raised our own back in it and I’m a happy camper. I kinda have my doubts
hogs, cows and chickens. Very little, other than staples, about it being unhealthy as claimed because that is all they
came from the grocery store. I remember oh so well when cooked with back in those days and my Grandparents lived
hog killing day came and my Grandparents, Uncles, and well into their late 80’s as did my Mama and that is all they
Aunts all came over to our house at the crack of dawn for used for seasoning. I look at my neighborhood and the ma-
a busy non- stop day. My Daddy, Grandpa and my Un- jority of our neighbors lived to a ripe old age and hog fat
cles did the butchering and Mama, Grandma and my Aunts is all they ever used for seasoning. Our hogs, chickens and
made the sausage, liver pudding and hog head cheese. The cows were organic and healthy... unlike today’s super mar-
men cooked and made the lard in a big iron Wash Pot that ket meats which are enhanced with God only knows what
would be the seasoning for all the meals for the next year. kind of stuff they are injected with. Our vegetable gardens
I still have that wash pot along with the lard paddle and were also organic and Mama and Daddy didn’t lace them
Page 14 Robeson Living ~ Fall 2017