Tried & True
Eat Drink Mississippi|October/November 2016

Passed-down Recipe for Chicken Pie Is a Thanksgiving Tradition.

Janette Tibbetts
Tried & True

Aunt Minnie didn’t create this recipe. And it wasn’t first made by her mother, Emma, either. Some food historians claim the Southern iconic chicken and dumplings recipe was developed as late as the depression; however, our history of the pie begins with Emma’s mother, Martha Smiley, who served it over 150 years ago.

Aunt Minnie said evidently Martha had already perfected these savory pies before the early 1860's when she served them to the U.S. troops raiding her and her Clarke County neighbors’ farms. Her husband, John Smiley, like the other men in the area, were serving in the Confederate Army when the scouts sneaked into South Mississippi to commandeer supplies and destroy farms.

The story surrounding Martha Smiley cooking chicken pies for the scouts are almost as juicy as the pies. We were told she graciously served the Yankee invaders while they were over-running area fields in their efforts to round up livestock, pilferage through farm tools, and empty corn cribs.

Martha was ridiculed by her neighbors for cooking for the scouts.

This story is from the October/November 2016 edition of Eat Drink Mississippi.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the October/November 2016 edition of Eat Drink Mississippi.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM EAT DRINK MISSISSIPPIView All
Spring Celebrations
Eat Drink Mississippi

Spring Celebrations

Tasty Sandwiches Perfect for Special Occasion Brunches

time-read
2 mins  |
April/May 2020
Local Chefs Rave About French Hermit Oyster Company
Eat Drink Mississippi

Local Chefs Rave About French Hermit Oyster Company

Anita and Mike Arguelles own what is arguably Mississippi’s most successful off-bottom oyster farm, French Hermit Oyster Company.

time-read
3 mins  |
April/May 2020
Hooray for Herbs
Eat Drink Mississippi

Hooray for Herbs

Fresh fruits and vegetables may be one of the best things about warmer weather, but don’t forget about fresh herbs!

time-read
3 mins  |
April/May 2020
Old Waverly Farm Hams are Delicious Year-Round
Eat Drink Mississippi

Old Waverly Farm Hams are Delicious Year-Round

Old Waverly Farm does one thing, and they do it well. “We make hams and we sell them one ham at a time,” says Dee Berry. And many in the Golden Triangle area of Mississippi, and now around the country, will agree it’s the best ham they’ve ever had.

time-read
4 mins  |
April/May 2020
Enjoy a Taste of the Tropics for Breakfast
Eat Drink Mississippi

Enjoy a Taste of the Tropics for Breakfast

Diet and exercise are integral parts of the formula for a healthy life. Though few people may look forward to giving up certain foods in favor of more nutritious diets, healthy, low-calorie foods don’t have to be boring and bland.

time-read
1 min  |
April/May 2020
Now's the Time to Teach At-Home Nutrition
Eat Drink Mississippi

Now's the Time to Teach At-Home Nutrition

With a lot of parents facing the challenge of keeping housebound kids happy and healthy, this is the perfect time to teach kids the basics of nutrition and eating right.

time-read
2 mins  |
April/May 2020
Growing Herbs at Home Is Fun
Eat Drink Mississippi

Growing Herbs at Home Is Fun

How many times have you needed fresh herbs and your only option was in the little plastic containers in the produce section?

time-read
3 mins  |
April/May 2020
Great Catch
Eat Drink Mississippi

Great Catch

Melissa Cookston's Salmon Series Switches Up Traditional Method of Grilling Fish

time-read
4 mins  |
April/May 2020
Alexandra Minton Earns National Honor as Level-Two Sommelier
Eat Drink Mississippi

Alexandra Minton Earns National Honor as Level-Two Sommelier

While growing up in Ocean Springs, Alexandra Minton had a passion for music.

time-read
3 mins  |
April/May 2020
A Taste of Magnoliaa: Make Tonight Pho-nomenal
Eat Drink Mississippi

A Taste of Magnoliaa: Make Tonight Pho-nomenal

DIVIAN CONNER is a Mississippi mama of four ‘not so little’ little ones. Coming up with recipes, trying new ones, and feeding her crew of tweens and teens is her passion. Southern recipes, easy recipes, sorta hard recipes, but always delicious recipes is what you will find on her food blog, www.divianlconner.com. Now venturing into outdoor cooking over an open fire, Divian is fascinated with camp cooking and entertaining.

time-read
3 mins  |
April/May 2020