Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

In our house, we celebrate the rich diversity of American cooking. We also love to celebrate our holidays. For Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we explore Southern cuisines. That almost always includes Blackeyed Pea Soup with Greens, and cornbread on the side. Dessert could be any one of a number of great American (and Southern) pies.

Blackeyed Pea Soup with Greens

This is a wonderfully substantial soup, almost a stew, reminiscent of another Southern dish, Hoppin' John. It's become somewhat of a tradition for us to serve this dish on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We have it with either corn bread or popovers. Also, as condiments with the soup, we serve sour cream with sliced scallions and grated cheddar. This recipe serves at least seven.

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Macaroni and Cheese

This is comfort food with just a little pizzazz. We heighten the flavor with just a few additions. It's a very satisfying cool-night meal.

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Pie Crust, Traditional

There are so many different recipes for a rolled pie crust. So far, though, this is my favorite. This recipe came about as a result of combining some other pie crust recipes used in the past. This recipe is for a two crust pie; however it may be divided or multiplied for however many crusts needed. Also, I use the pyrex deep pie plates, so this crust is pretty generous in its coverage. Notice how often the adverb, "gently," is used in this recipe. Especially in pastry work, gentleness is much needed.

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Pumpkin Pie Filling (9-inch pie)

It took me a while, but when this recipe finally happened, that was it. This is a very deep flavored robust pumpkin pie. If you like your pumpkin pie subtly flavored, this is not for you. The hardest part of this recipe is making sure you have all the ingredients.

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Shredded Wheat Rolls

These robust rolls make a perfect accompaniment to salads. We particularly enjoy these rolls with Chef's Salad. And, they're scrumptious without any accompaniment at all. It must be mentioned that I am indebted, once again, to my husband's Aunt Sally, of "Aunt Sally's Brownies", for this wondrous recipe.

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