Louisiana: Recipes of a People

By Chef Hunter Lee

Join retired chef Hunter Lee on a leisurely culinary stroll through the South and the very heart of Louisiana. This collection of recipes focuses on the foods of a region, age-old traditions, a people, and family. This is the first book in the Benwood's Surely Southern line by Lee. It is sure to kick-start an adventure that is as interesting and as unique as the culture, people, and families it embodies. Inside you will find an eclectic mix of old and new, traditional and not so traditional, but all created to please the taste buds and give readers a look into the true Southern table.

Remember, "treat your kitchen, treat yourself"

--Chef Hunter Lee

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9781639859900

Book preview

Introduction

Here in the South, food is love, food is family, food is friendship, and food is the fabric of our very lives. Funerals, weddings, holidays, reunions, birthdays, and anniversaries. Sometimes it’s even simply the reason to bring us together.

This collection of recipes is put together and shared with y’all in a series of three cookbooks. This is the first book in the series of three that retired caterer, chef, and larger-than-life kitchen personality Hunter Lee will take you on a journey into the very heart of the South and a slower way of life.

Written from his home on his family’s Sunset Plantation nestled in the piney woods of northwest Louisiana, you will embark on a journey throughout his career and life in Louisiana from the piney woods where he grew up; Shreveport, Louisiana; Lafayette, Louisiana; New Orleans, Louisiana; Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he lived and catered; and all the way back to northwest Louisiana, where he was destined to retire.

In this first book of the series, you will dive into recipes he’s created, recipes he’s used and tweaked, ages-old family recipes, and old traditional favorites in the South. These are the family recipes, some used for many generations, and cherished in the South. These are in part what the South is known for. You might even find a few surprises along the way.

It would be easy to say that this book was written and brought to you quite quickly, but truthfully this book, the recipes in it, as well as all of the books in this series and their recipes have been many decades in the making. They are shared with you here out of a lifetime of love and admiration of a lifestyle, a region, and a way of life—lived, loved, and endured by the author and those around him.

Under the direction of the author, this collection is brought to you by Benwood’s Surely Southern, a division of Hunter Lee LLC. A special thanks also to Deborah Stewart with Hunter Lee Mannies’ Trust for literary assistance and guidance to bring this project to completion.

Benwood’s Surely Southern Seasoning Original

Benwood’s

Who and what is Benwood’s?

Benwood’s spice was an original creation of Benny Mannies, Chef Hunter Lee’s late father. It was first conceived in the 1980s during the oil and gas boom in northwest Louisiana, where the elder Mannies was in public relations and catering.

In the 2000s, the chef located the original recipe and revamped it for mass production. In early 2021, Chef Lee worked out distribution and packaging to mass-produce the original flavor as well as a low-sodium version as well as a hotter version, with BBQ rub, and blackened spices as well as BBQ sauces and hot sauces scheduled to be released in the near future. Benwood’s is in the majority of Chef Hunter Lee’s recipes. Obviously, you can substitute any spice or Cajun seasoning to the recipes in this as well as all of our cookbook line, but if you haven’t tried our seasonings, well, y’all missin’ out.

Now Benwood’s Surely Southern is a namesake and is the market company for Hunter Lee LLC. They are Certified Louisiana Products and carry the seal as a Certified Louisiana Product.

A seasoning and sauce line created right here in Louisiana of traditional ingredients in true Southern fashion. We are also produced and packaged right here in Louisiana for purchase and shipment worldwide.

They are new to market at the time of publishing, and store purchase is limited, but you can learn more about them or order the seasonings and sauces online through our website and/or the following online retailer: www.benwoodssurelysouthern.com.

Chef Hunter Lee

The Southern Table

It’s where we all gather as a family to unwind and talk about our day: maybe it’s about our work, the kids telling us about the next school football game, about granny’s doctor’s appointment, maybe about the sweet neighbor down the street. It’s where we gather on the weekend with friends to talk about current events, the cousins’ upcoming birthday, how nice the new checker at the local grocer’s was and how she is so much friendlier than most of her family we have known for generations. Maybe it’s to talk about church earlier and how the pastor got a little long winded and how Merna’s dress was just too dern short or how Marybeth is always late. It’s our time to connect, gossip about some, and pray for others.

Regardless of the guest, regardless of the topics of discussion, meals in most of the South, especially Louisiana, take on a life of their own. It’s not so much about the food, even though it’s usually some of the best you will find anywhere. It’s about the process, it’s about the time spent together, it’s about family and friends. In the South you rarely go over for dinner to show up and find dinner ready. Oh no, the cooking and socializing while it’s cooked is as important as the food itself. Food is the fabric: it’s the stitches that pull families, friends, and neighbors together. It’s an age-old tradition and commonplace in the South, still to this day. One we are quite proud of and love to share with others.

Southern Table

Beef

Down South Goulash

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 yellow onion, chopped

½ red or green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

28-ounce can tomato sauce

28-ounce can dice tomatoes

1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon Benwood’s Surely Southern Seasoning (or your favorite Cajun seasoning)

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 bay leaves

2 cups water

3 cups uncooked elbow pasta

11-ounce can of corn, drained

Shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream for serving

Heat a lightly greased Dutch oven over medium heat and add the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper. Break meat apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks.

Once meat is no longer pink, drain off any liquid/grease. Return Dutch oven to heat and add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute.

Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, Italian seasoning, Benwood’s Surely Southern Seasoning, seasoned salt, paprika, pepper, and bay leaves. Simmer 5 minutes.

Add water and pasta and simmer, covered, until pasta is cooked, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves.

Stir in corn and serve with cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Old-Fashioned Dripping Beef

4-pound chuck roast

Salt and pepper

Benwood’s Surely Southern Seasoning (or your favorite Cajun seasoning)

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons of minced fresh rosemary

1 16-ounce jar of pepperoncini, juice, and all

2 yellow onions sliced

10 to 12 buttered deli rolls or fresh French toasted bread

10 to 12 slices of provolone cheese

3 cloves garlic, minced

Sprinkle the chuck roast with salt, pepper, and Benwood’s. Melt two tablespoons of the butter and the oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Sear both sides of the roast until brown, about 8 to 10 minutes in all and remove. Reduce to medium heat and add in sliced onions and sauté until translucent. Add half of the broth, and scrape the bottom of the pan. Return roast on top of onion. Add remaining ingredients. Cover pot and simmer and cover until the meat is falling apart, approximately 4 to 5 hours. Shred roast in pot and keep warm.

To serve, heap generous portion onto each roll or French bread and spoon the cooking liquid over the meat. Top with a few peppers and onions from the pot, along with a slice of provolone cheese. **

**Serve with portions of the cooking liquid on the side for dipping if desired.

Amanda’s Easy Beef Tips and Gravy

2 pounds of cubed beef (tenderized)