Sour Cream

Memphis in May is a barbecue competition that takes place the third weekend of May at Tom Lee Park on the Mississippi River. It is the largest pork cookoff in the world and is often called “The Super Bowl of Swine.” The Big Bob Gibson Competition Cooking Team has attended this contest since 1997 and to date we have never finished out of the top ten. We’ve won the pork shoulder category six times, won first place in sauce three times, and won the Grand Championship twice. But it is not our success in the competition that stirs the fondest memories of this event; it is the time spent with friends and family while enjoying the relaxing atmosphere. It is a tradition for us to put on a big feed the Friday night before the most serious part of the competition begins. Our menu changes year to year but almost always includes pork tenderloin, bean salad, homemade pies, and this stacked cornbread vegetable salsa salad. I am not sure where this recipe originally came from, but my mother-in-law, Carolyn McLemore, and her friend Joyce Terry always treat us to a big batch at this annual event. It’s good and it goes really well with smoked pork tenderloin.

We hope you have a microplane grater (see page 290), because the quality of the lemon zest makes a big difference.

Imagine the best corn muffin you’ve ever tasted, but richer and sweeter. The rosemary adds a subtle flavor and aroma that is reminiscent of the holidays. It’s equally nice with a cup of tea or a glass of dessert wine. Balsamic syrup is mellow and intense with an almost chocolatey flavor that complements the rosemary.

I love corn muffins, so I’m always looking for new twists on the old standby, which can be kind of bland. These have the surprise of little flecks of sun-dried tomatoes and tender corn kernels, and the garlic makes them so rich they don’t need butter or another topping.

These playful black-and-white cookies have the simple appeal of chocolate and vanilla as well as the universally appealing symbol of Buddhist duality, yin and yang. By giving these cookies as a gift, you get the return gift of delighting the recipient. For the shortening, look for an all-natural transfat-free brand, available in many health food stores. Use Dark Chocolate Plastique (page 134) to make the chocolate side of the yin yang decoration.