Like many women, when Tina Walker Burgamy was a little girl, she watched her grandmother cook.
"My grandmother was one of those country cooks," Burgamy said as she was being photographed at the Columbus Botanical Garden. "She was an old country cook. She made great food."
Burgamy's favorite grandma dish was fried chicken.
"I've never mastered that fried chicken," she said sadly.
But Burgamy, 54, has mastered a lot more than fried chicken.
While she's never been to culinary school, she often conducts cooking demonstrations.
A single mother of four boys, she's taught all four to cook.
One of her sons, Brice, 20, may be able to cook, but said one of his favorite dishes that she makes is water chestnuts wrapped with bacon. There's a chicken dish he loves, too, but it's not fried.
Burgamy has been divorced for 16 years and turned to cooking to make money to rear her sons. Brandon, 26, owns a local security company called Alert One. Benjamin, 29, just moved back to Columbus and is working with Brandon. Seth, 30, works at RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, and hopes to get back into touring with shows like he did with the Springer Opera House's Springer Theatricals. Brice is a Columbus State University junior majoring in computer science.
For 18 years, she operated her own restaurant, Southern Style, while her company, Southern Style Catering, has been going strong for 25 years.
As with anyone who owns a catering company, business can be brisk or slow, depending on the month.
"This week, we had 12 events. Last week, we only had a couple. The week before, we had 13."
She said much of her business is doing corporate breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The rest are weddings, private parties and receptions.
In her 25 years, she has never advertised, but still keeps busy. A friend once told her that if she ever changes the name of her business, she should call it, "Call Tina."
Raspberry Mustard Pork Tenderloin
Honey/mustard marinade:
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Place pork in the marinade overnight. Drain off marinade. Grill pork over medium flame. Brush with glaze. Serve with Raspberry mustard.
Honey mustard glaze:
½ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Raspberry mustard
½ cup spicy brown mustard
½ cup raspberry preserves
Combine the mustard and raspberry preserves and mix well.
Summer fruit salad
1½ cup red grapes
1½ cup blueberries
1½ cup strawberries
1½ cup pineapple
1½ cup raspberries
1 can 10-ounce piña colada mix, thawed
½ cup sugar
½ cup pineapple/orange juice
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon coconut extract
Put all the fruit in a bowl. Mix next 5 ingredients well, pour over the fruit and toss. Keep chilled until serving.
Cornbread-Stuffed Tomatoes
1 box of cornbread mix. Prepare it according to instructions. After it's baked, put it in a bowl and cool, then crumble.
Add salt and pepper to taste, bacon bits and cheese. Add chopped tomatoes and chopped green onions.
Take 4 medium-sized tomatoes and very carefully cut about ¼ of an inch off the top and scoop out the insides. Turn it upside down to drain on a napkin.
Turn it over and stuff with the cornbread mix.
Top with grated cheese and put them in the oven at 350 degrees until the cheese melts.
Steve Melton's pickle rolls
Sliced roast beef
Mini dill pickles
1 8-ounce block of cream cheese
A bottle of pure horseradish
Mix together the cream cheese and half the bottle of horseradish. Spread the mixture on roast beef cut in strips. Place the pickle on one end and roll it up.
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