Yoknapatawpha Arts Council!

Media Contact: CaCera Richmond
Tel: (601) 212-7506 (cell)
E-mail: crichmond2009@gmail.com


Spice up Your Winter Favorites

Oxford, Miss. – The winter season and the South are synonymous for one thing, comfort food. Who doesn’t love snuggling up on the couch with a big bowl of chili or your favorite chocolate concoction while watching television or entertaining friends? While we may not see one drop of snow or pull out our winter clothes until after the New Year, all Southerners love the thought of a nice fire and good food.

What many of us do not realize is that many of our favorite Southern dishes have been around for years. Some Southern food dishes have survived for hundreds of years through civil wars, great depressions, and many health food revolutions. Even more important, Southern comfort food over the years has begun to include adaptations from many neighboring cultures such as Mexican, Creole, and French.

So how should you add some spice to your favorite winter dishes? Maybe add some cayenne pepper or celery and cumin seeds to your flavorless bowl of chili. Or instead of just shrimp in your seafood gumbo, add oysters and crabmeat, bacon grease and Worcestershire sauce. For the veggie lovers, try Creole Butter Beans by adding crushed tomatoes, bell peppers, and chopped celery.
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And while no winter season is complete without a heap of mouth-watering desserts, make chocolate dishes the center of your meal by whipping up delicacies such as Kahlúa Mocha Parfait Pie, Raspberry Brownies, or Pecan Squares.

For the local entertainer who wants to try to spice up their favorite winter comfort foods, Square Table, a collection of recipes from Oxford residents and business owners, preserves the dishes we are used to while infusing them with other cultures. All of these recipes and many others can be found in this publication that won the 2006 National Tabasco Community Cookbook award.

Square Tables is a publication of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, the hub of everything artistic in Oxford. The arts council, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, has worked everyday since 1995 to enrich and empower the lives of the town’s citizens through the arts. Over the years, the arts council has hosted art camps to introduce students the significance of art, elevated regional artists into nationally recognized artists, and provided resources to the community to enhance the role of art in everyday lives.

To purchase a copy of Square Table, please visit the online store at http://www.oxfordarts.com or contact the arts council at 662-236-6429.