Miss Debbie's Casual Kitchen

Within every family, is the one person who is most well known for superior culinary skills; in her family, Miss Debbie [Chestnut] has spent 60 years fine-tuning her favorite family recipes. Now they are all gathered her in book format so her grandchildren can have easy access to them. These recipes always provide openings for a quick trip down memory lane, as their origins range from the tropical influences while living in the jungles of Panama back in the late 1950's, to the salty, rocky coasts of New England's regional specialties, to her earliest beginnings with a traditional coastal Carolina and piedmont flavor. As a military brat, moving from one US region to another, tastes and recipes expanded Miss Debbie's Southern origins to include the tropical flavors while living in Panama during her pre-school and kindergarten years, that includes many elements of both Spanish and tropical cuisine; there are also a number of French-Arabic influences from her high school days living in the northern African country of Morocco. Miss Debbie has always been a creative cook, as well as great at arranging holiday entertainment, in her home and professionally during her early working years in Wilmington, North Carolina. In the gathering of material for this book, Miss Debbie spent days and weeks talking with her mom, now 86 years old, who provided many of the background snippets during her earliest years. As is the Southern tradition, Miss Debbie has included recipes of her favorite elderly friends and extended family, that date to the WWII years, with its restrictions, rationing, and food shortages. It is Miss Debbie's hope this collection will inspire all readers to grab an apron and [grand]children, while making your own memories...happy cooking!