Ship and Share the Pleasures of Memphis Foods with Friends, Family Near and Far
by Jennifer Biggs (The Commercial Appeal)
Memphis, TN --
Dec 9, 2009 --
This story is funny but true -- and one I wouldn't believe if I didn't know the guy involved. Some years back -- 10 or maybe even 15 -- a friend who'd moved to Chicago wanted to share the love from Gus's Fried Chicken with his new boss. He was at the Mason store, the only one there was back then, and asked if he could have chicken packed and shipped.
After all, ribs were being shipped. Why not chicken?
Well, sure, they said. So he paid, put in his order, and called his boss with the good news. A few days later, a package arrived in Chicago.
There, tucked inside an uninsulated cardboard box, was -- literally -- a mess o' fried chicken, wrapped in aluminum foil. No ice. No nothing.
Nowadays, you can share all sorts of good Memphis foods with friends far away, and with no fear of poisoning them, as many of our restaurants and businesses ship local staples overnight. For friends in town, you can collect your own favorites and create a personalized gift basket, purchase a ready-made basket, or just spring for an inexpensive -- but locally made -- condiment to stuff in a Christmas stocking.
And don't forget gift certificates to local restaurants. This year, consider the bounty of Memphis and the surrounding area when you make your list for the food lovers in your life. It's good for local businesses, and it tastes good, too.
Pigs do fly
You can share our barbecue with friends all over the country, all packed up safe and neat in dry ice. I recommend sending a care package to folks you know in Kansas City, Chicago, North Carolina and most parts of Texas. You know, the people who think they know what good barbecue is? There are numerous packages available, so visit the Web sites or call for pricing information.
Charles Vergos' Rendezvous. Go to hogsfly.com or call (888) HOGS-FLY (464-7359).
Corky's BBQ. Go to corkysbbq.com. 685-9744 is the phone number for the East Memphis location.
Central BBQ. Visit cbqmemphis.com; the phone number for the Central Avenue location is 272-9377.
Germantown Commissary. The Web site is commissarybbq.com; call 754-5540.
You can make it easy on yourself and give a ready-made basket or gift package of goodies from here and hereabouts. Here are sources:
Midtown Farmers Market offers baskets of local products carried in the store; 1632 Union. Call 726-1031 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Beaux Cadeaux is a local gift basket company that offers several Memphis basket selections ranging from $50 to $150. Visit thebcgiftcollection.com online or call 794-4438.
The sweet stuff
Dinstuhl's is a local treasure, offering candy and chocolates year-round and specialty items such as chocolate-covered strawberries in the spring and candies decorated for the holidays. The candy is made and sold at the 5280 Pleasant View location; 377-2639. Retail locations are in Laurelwood and Saddle Creek, and many items are available at Kroger and Schnucks, as well as specialty stores. Visit dinstuhls.com for a full list of items and locations.
Make somebody love you by giving them treats from Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies at 5729 Raleigh LaGrange (380-5250) and 2370 Airways (745-2667). They'll ship cookies, you can buy them in a bouquet or gift box, or you can just pick up a few to put in a gift basket you make. The butter cookie is the specialty, but there are numerous varieties. Visit makedascookies.com.
Jams, jellies and honey from local producers include Pinkie's Jams, Jellies and More, which are sold at the Midtown Farmers Market and include the unusual banana butter. House of Webster, based in Rogers, Ark., sells various jellies at the market, including mayhaw, wild blackberry and Concord grape. Brother Juniper's Spreadable Fruits, with no added sugar, are available at the restaurant for $6.50 and $8 (3519 Walker; 324-0144; brotherjunipers.com)
Wolf River Honey (877-7763; wolfriverhoney.com) offers plain or creamed honey and honey products from $3.50. Deaton's Bee Farm sells honey at the Midtown Farmers Market.
Delta Pecan Orchard in Tutwiler, Miss. sells locally at Miss Cordelia's and Midtown Farmers Market. Pralines, sugared pecans, spiced pecans and a turtle-type candy called Delta Dollars are all available. Not sweet, but interesting, is the Delta Blues 100% Pure Virgin Pecan Oil. Use it like you would any other nut oil -- sparingly and to finish.
Miss Cordelia's, 737 Harbor Bend Road, carries numerous local items, including Isa's Pistachio Cake. At $4.99 for a small loaf cake already festooned with a ribbon, you can't go wrong with these delicate cakes, similar to a pound cake but lighter, for hostess gifts.
Going Nuts Pecans (goingnutspecans.com; 494-0116) offers chocolate-covered pecans, sugar-coated pecans and peppermint-chocolate bark. They're sold at Miss Cordelia's; look online for other sources.
Savories
Aunt Lizzie's cheese straws will really impress out-of-towners, but no Memphis foodie will be disappointed, either. If you haven't had them in a while, you might not have tried the sun-dried tomato or jalapeno cheese flavors, or the cheese and olive bites. Order from auntlizzie.com, or find them in most local groceries or specialty stores.
Give a bag of Delta Grind grits from Oxford, Miss., and you might get invited over for shrimp and grits. It's worth a try. Buy them at Miss Cordelia's or Midtown Farmers Market, or visit gritgirl.net for more information.
Stonehouse 27 offers Indian cooking sauces with a Portuguese-Anglo influence. Visit stonehouse27.com.
Clifty Farms pork cracklins are sold at the Midtown Farmers Market, and conveniently, there's a recipe for cracklin' cornbread right on the package.
Drinkables
McCarter Coffee Co., 5995 US Highway 51 N. in Millington, roasts high-quality beans from around the world and sells them for $10 per pound online at mccartercoffee.com. You can also buy them at the store, or locations around town. Visit the Web site for a list.
What makes Memphis Mary Bloody Mary Mix different from the others? A touch a barbecue sauce, of course. Visit memphismary.com for a list of retail locations.
Make your beer buddies happy with a growler of Ghost River beer. Choose from four varieties or be a real pal and splurge on all. Growlers, which are half- gallon, are $10 plus a $3 bottle deposit. Visit ghostriverbrewing.com for hours and information, or call 278-0087.
Ugly Mug Coffee is all about fair trade, and that's good for all of us. Find the coffee at various places in town; the Web site is uglymugcoffee.com and the toll-free number is (877)UGLY-MUG.
Cafe Las Flores is owned by the Palazio family, which include Memphian Lucia Heros. The coffee is grown in Nicaragua and sold from Memphis. Find it online at cafelasflores.com.
Condiments
OK, we are a condiment-lovin' community, and my fridge and pantry attest to it: I suffer overcrowding. Barbecue sauces and rubs from the pork sellers listed above are available online from their Web sites and at many local retailers. Most of the items listed below are available locally; if you don't find them at your grocery, call Miss Cordelia's at 526-4772:
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