Past time in the south is food and dirinks...

Return visit to Shaggy's in Biloxi MS

Today we drove to Biloxi, which is becoming the bane of our trips south.  Last year we spent many hours waiting out the Mardi Gras parade in which we found ourselves amidst, this year it was MLK celebrations as well as local citizens celebrating the inauguration of Obama.  Besides we are seeing many changes here, everything is expanding, the small Isle of whatever Casino we liked last year has been bought out and is expanding to the Golden Nugget mega.  We liked it before, smaller, a quainter  luncheon restaurant, etc but today we saw lots of construction, and a vague bleak emptiness, not the same and we promptly left. A brief detour through old downtown Biloxi proved scary to us white yankees and we decided not to look for more trouble; the locals were celebrating their President and evidently awaiting more free things from Obumma, but that is another story.  One kind woman who proved that all is not as it appears, cussed a man in his  truck parked  sideways in the street, to "get da  F out da way, some folks be tryin' to drive down  da damn street,  move yo sef"  well perhaps you get the picture.  This was worse than what I knew as Oak Park on a bad day in Sacramento, CA.  Enough.  We waved a thank you to her while the truck driver responded with the one finger salute to us, nevertheless he moved and we returned  to the boulevard along the beach.  Biloxi was not for us today and perhaps not again.   We decided we needed lunch (I did) and so Shaggy's was fun last year; it is a chain in the south but along the beach.  It proved that somethings do not change.

Shrimp po'bou and Magnolia brew

Seated amidst the birds that fly in through the open beachfront windows, we ordered and had cold brews.  I am partial to Pecan by Magnolia Brew of MS but Jerry is just as happy with his Bud.  Shrimp po'boy for me and he opted for something  not heard of before, a turf burger.  When he asked our waitress "what's that" she replied a 1/2 lb burger, topped with fried shrimp and cheese.  Jerry does not like cheese, so he asked that it be held, but bring on the rest.  Well  the gulf shores here have the  very best shrimp in the country.  And look at that po boy!  No way could I do justice other than eating the shrimp solitary  sans the wonderful bread, and the garlic french fires at Shaggy's are to die for, some things have not changed, hooray!  Well it was now 2:30PM and as we looked at each other and our food we knew we would not want to eat tonight, this would be our meal of the day.  Which brings me to the title of this post, eating is the past time of the south.

Shaggy's bar  all open along the right side

I thought my Louisiana gal pals were untoppable for foods (Marilyn and Mary Ann) but here in MS, they all add onto it.  In Sunday's paper I read that Mississippi is the most unhealthy state in the country the state where folks are most likely to die from coronary disease, diabetes, etc.; I can see why, everything is fried and delicious.  Who can eat like this and survive?  I feel a 5 mile walk coming up to work this off.  Actually I should probably walk the  18 miles or so back to the coach, but lets not get carried away.

Jeaux, our RV host,  behind the Mardi Gras dframe

However once back home, here at Bay Hide Away RV in Bay St. Louis MS ors d'oevres awaited from neighbors....OMG  another delicacy, Biloxi butter.  Who knew butter could be  improved upon?  Tast slices with this delicious spread are to die for.  Lest I forget what and how to mix it up,  there are many variations our host tells me. I convinced Jeaux, our RV grounds host to pose behind the Mardi Gras frame at the club house...so here he is.  And here is a variation of Biloxi Butter, lest I forget the ingredients.  He warns that he cooks like I do, seldom measures, so do your best.   This will be something very new to MN and  even PA when I journey back there. Shrimp are plentiful here , shrimp and crawdads, so hardly a meal passes without them but this spread was new to me.

Biloxi Butter     Butter must be at  room temperature, not melted but soft,  mix all ingredients well and serve. May be made ahead of time and refrigerated, but bring to room temperature to spread.

                                   1/2 pound fresh shrimp, cooked, drained dry, cooled & chopped
                                  3 Tablespoons lemon juice (fresh lemons)
                                   1/2 cup butter   (real stuff, no oleos)
                                  2 Tablespoons pure ground horseradish
                                  1/2 teaspoon salt
                                  1/2 teaspoon black pepper
                                  1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
                                  drops of tabasco, to your taste

Mix and serve on crackers,  crusty french bread with great glasses of wine or gin and tonics or beer or???  Well that's the gist of food here in the south, plentiful and y'all have some now, h'yeah!.  No we did not eat this evening other than a few slices of this spread on delicious bread.  They tell me the wine rinses it down well and dilutes an ill effect.  Ok sounds good to me!  So ends another balmy sunny beach day along the MS gulf shores.