Barbeque, Bluegrass, Blooms and the Blues, Memphis Style

Memphis-Style Cole Slaw
Don't skip the celery seeds or mustard. This makes a distinctive slaw and that makes the messy pig sandwich that is so Memphis!
1 head cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely diced
2 tablespoons onions, grated
2 cups mayonnaise
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons celery seed
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Place cabbage, carrots, green pepper and onion in bowl. In another bowl mix all ingredients. Pour over the vegetables and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to meld the flavors.

For more Ruby Tuesdays visit http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com

For more Tasty Tuesdays visit http://inpassionatepursuit.blogspot.com

With 238 teams and 88 tons of pork to choose from, Sweet Swine O’Mine was named the 2009 World Barbeque Cooking Grand Champion at Memphis in May this weekend.. This grand daddy of grilling event, attended by nearly 100,000, is not just about the legendary pork competitors...it's also about legendary entertainment such as bluegrass great Ralph Stanley and blues superstar Bobby "Blue" Bland.

Banjo picking Ralph Stanley performed treasures like “Nine Pound Hammer” and “Little Glass of Wine.” Stanley recorded the soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou transforming this octogenarian into the elder statesman of authentic American music.

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Bobby “Blue” Band, electrified the crowd along the river with Cry Cry Cry and Stormy Monday Blues. His style of mixing gospel with the blues and R&B is the stuff legends are made of.

Hundreds of teams competed for over $95,000 in prizes and supreme bragging rights. Teams adorned their areas with elaborate decoration, trophies attesting to their boasting rights, and as one can imagine clever and creative team names. While grilling is the main theme, the contest wouldn't be complete without the Ms. Piggie Idol competition where grown men dress in tutus and snouts and women kick their heels (hooves) up. There is also a t-shirt competition and even a best booth contest.

After the cookoff, most drift on over to Beale Street for more blues at places such as Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero Blues Club. Tourist of course also make the pilgrimage to Graceland while others discover Memphis Botanical Gardens. Everything is lush and green in Memphis this year with all of the spring rain. Magnolias and hydrangea are gorgeous. Jacob’s Ladder are in bloom as are the William Penn Barberry which is an evergreen hybrid with small lustrous, dark green leaves which turn bronze in autumn. The pendulous, sweetly-scented yellow flowers curve along the branches in spring, turning to purple berries in the fall.
Visit other Blue Mondays at http://smilingsally.blogspot.com
Visit other Mellow Yellow Mondays at http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com
Visit other Today's Flowers at http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com
GREAT BIG THANK YOU to The Other White Meat Tour -

Partnering to feed America - BUY PORK!

More than 520 pounds of pork (enough for nearly 2,600 meals) was provided to the Mid-South Food Bank on Dudley Avenue today. And, some of Memphis’ residents are to thank for helping raise the final contribution. On May 15-16, The Other White Meat® Tour stopped by the Memphis in May BBQ to celebrate the great taste of pork on the grill and searched for Memphis’ most passionate pork fan. For each entry collected during the Pork’s #1 Fan contest, America’s pork producers pledged 10 pounds of pork to the Mid-South Food Bank!

The TN Pork Producers are a great group of people and I've been a fan for years. I've been lucky enough to judge their gourmet pork competition a couple of times and they are being featured in my next book. These organizations are part of the fabric that makes America great.