Category: Recipes

I was raised in the Midwest, a place where fruit-flavored gelatin offers virtually endless possibilities for culinary creativity. Fruit, vegetables, and various creamy substances all found their way into the many congealed salads of my youth. I thought myself well desensitized to any and all strange Jello dishes until I found a North Carolina recipe that puts all my previous experiences to shame: Tuna Fish Ring. If you are interested in recreating the experience for yourself, the recipe is as follows:

Tuna Fish Ring
1 package lime jello
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped stuffed olives
1 cup finely chopped sweet mixed pickles
1 small can tuna fish (flaked)
2 teaspoons vinegar
pinch of salt

Prepare jello according to directions. When slightly congealed, mix in all ingredients. Pour into ring mold and place in refrigerator for several hours. Turn out on large flat dish and surround with lettuce.

From Carolina Cooking, a cookbook published by the Chapel Hill Junior Service League, 1955.

The Jargon Society, founded by North Carolina poet Jonathan Williams, has been publishing fine press editions of innovative poetry and art for more than half a century. But apparently that’s not all they do. I ran across White Trash Cooking (Jargon Society, 1986) in the North Carolina Collection stacks this afternoon. Of all of the outstanding recipes in this book, if I had to pick just one to share, I think this would be it:

FRIED SQUIRREL

Make sure all the hair is cleaned off the squirrel. Cut it up. If it’s old and tough, put it in the pressure cooker for about 15-20 minutes.

Salt and pepper it. Cover with flour and fry in a cast iron skillet on a medium fire until brown and tender. This is a real sweet meat.

You can smother a squirrel just like a chicken.

This begs the question, what kind of wine would you serve with a fried squirrel? I think the answer is obvious: Cheerwine.