nolvis
01-28-2007, 02:15 PM
Food fit for a King
A Journey thru the King's stomach
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The young Mr.P
Of all of baby Elvis' nursery foods, the one he lived for (and on) was
peanut butter on crackers. Elvis' personality shows through in his
voraciousness for these crackers. As soon as he could walk,"he could
eat his weight in peanut butter an crackers", according to Elvis' uncle
Vester, Vernons brother. Uncle Vester used to tease Elvis by telling him
that he was going to eat up all the peanut butter and crackers before
Elvis could get to them. Elvis would become hysterical. At the mere sight
of Uncle Vester he would scream to his mother, "Hide them, Uncle Vester
is going to steal them". And if she didn't, Elvis would pull up a chair to
the counter and hide them himself.
Young Elvis, fussed over by his mother, was content with this basic diet
of bread,lard,peanut butter, and greens. There was only one thing missing:
meat. Because Elvis never had steak, he never missed it; steak just wasn't
eaten in the homes of poor people like the Presleys. Even Miss Vertie,
despite her generosity to Elvis' mother, never gave Gladys valuable food
like beef, which she kept in an icebox with the Coca-Cola
But though there certainly was no beef on the Presley's table, meat did make
an occasional appearance. The Presleys were country people. They could
live off the land. Nothing was more mouthwatering to Elvis than the sight of
his father returning home with a shotgun in one hand and a freshly shot
squirrel in the other. Gladys cooked squirrels with dumplings - just like
chicken - or fried them.
Fried Squirrel
To cook a squirrel, first go out and try to kill a very young one. This is
the most important thing as old ones are too tought. When skinning the
squirrel, make extra sure to remove all the hairs.
2 young squirrels, skinned and cleaned
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
After carefully washing the squirrels, pat dry. With a mallet, gently pound
the meat until the bones are crushed and the flesh is tender. Season the
meat with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a skillet (preferably cast-
iron) over medium-low heat. Dredge the meat in flour, and add to the melted
butter.Brown and turn. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the
meat is golden brown and cooked through. (Pierce with a knife to check
doneness. The juices should run clear when cooked). The process should
take 25 to 30 minutes.
A Journey thru the King's stomach
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The young Mr.P
Of all of baby Elvis' nursery foods, the one he lived for (and on) was
peanut butter on crackers. Elvis' personality shows through in his
voraciousness for these crackers. As soon as he could walk,"he could
eat his weight in peanut butter an crackers", according to Elvis' uncle
Vester, Vernons brother. Uncle Vester used to tease Elvis by telling him
that he was going to eat up all the peanut butter and crackers before
Elvis could get to them. Elvis would become hysterical. At the mere sight
of Uncle Vester he would scream to his mother, "Hide them, Uncle Vester
is going to steal them". And if she didn't, Elvis would pull up a chair to
the counter and hide them himself.
Young Elvis, fussed over by his mother, was content with this basic diet
of bread,lard,peanut butter, and greens. There was only one thing missing:
meat. Because Elvis never had steak, he never missed it; steak just wasn't
eaten in the homes of poor people like the Presleys. Even Miss Vertie,
despite her generosity to Elvis' mother, never gave Gladys valuable food
like beef, which she kept in an icebox with the Coca-Cola
But though there certainly was no beef on the Presley's table, meat did make
an occasional appearance. The Presleys were country people. They could
live off the land. Nothing was more mouthwatering to Elvis than the sight of
his father returning home with a shotgun in one hand and a freshly shot
squirrel in the other. Gladys cooked squirrels with dumplings - just like
chicken - or fried them.
Fried Squirrel
To cook a squirrel, first go out and try to kill a very young one. This is
the most important thing as old ones are too tought. When skinning the
squirrel, make extra sure to remove all the hairs.
2 young squirrels, skinned and cleaned
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
After carefully washing the squirrels, pat dry. With a mallet, gently pound
the meat until the bones are crushed and the flesh is tender. Season the
meat with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a skillet (preferably cast-
iron) over medium-low heat. Dredge the meat in flour, and add to the melted
butter.Brown and turn. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the
meat is golden brown and cooked through. (Pierce with a knife to check
doneness. The juices should run clear when cooked). The process should
take 25 to 30 minutes.