Smokey

TO A TRUCK STOP, A TRUCK STOP I EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO GET SOME FUEL. BUT THEY TOOK THE PUMPS OUT A FEW YEARS AGO. SO WHY SO MANY CARS? WELL, WORD IS AROUND HERE THEY'RE MAKING ALL SORTS OF FOOD LIKE MAMA USED TO MAKE. TABLE ONE. GRAVY AND BISCUITS. IT'S JUST GOOD EATIN'. ALWAYS THE BEST. BRITNEY, YOU'RE UP. HERE'S YOUR TENDERLOIN DINNER. IT DOESN'T STOP, DOES IT? NO. DEEP-FRIED CHICKEN BREAST, CATFISH. BRING IT. THEY NUMBER ONE. YOU DON'T SAY? OH, YES, I DO SAY. A LOT LIKE MOM USED TO MAKE. THAT'S THE WAY JUANITA FLANNERY LEARNED BEFORE SHE OPENED THIS PLACE 29 YEARS AGO. EVERYTHING OKAY? AND JUST LIKE AT OUR LAST STOP, FOLK HERE GOT USED TO FILLIN' UP WHILE THEY WERE FILLIN' UP. IT'S THE BEST THAT YOU CAN FIND AROUND THIS COUNTRY HERE. TILL JUANITA DECIDED THE GAS PUMPS WERE TOO BIG A HASSLE AND SHUT 'EM DOWN. HAD WE KNOWN THAT IT WOULDNT HAVE AFFECTED THE RESTAURANT, WE WOULD HAVE A LONG TIME AGO. (Guy) ...YOU WOULD HAVE DONE IT A LONG TIME AGO. IS IT BUSIER NOW THAN WHEN IT WAS A TRUCK STOP? OH, YEAH. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING HERE? ALMOST 24 YEARS. IT'LL BE 14 YEARS IN MAY. I'VE BEEN COMING HERE, PROBABLY, EVER SINCE THEY'VE OPENED. REALLY? JUANITA AND I WENT TO SCHOOL TOGETHER. DEEP-FRIED CHICKEN BREAST. HOW DOES THIS STACK UP TO HOW MOM USED TO MAKE IT? IDENTICAL. AND NOTHING SAYS MAMA'S COUNTRY COOKIN' LIKE JUANITA'S SPECIALTY. BISCUITS AND GRAVY. THEY MAKE THE BEST IN TOWN. AND SHE'S DOING IT FROM A KITCHEN THAT LOOKS MORE LIKE IT'S IN A HOME THAN A RESTAURANT. YOU KEEP THE EGGS WHERE I KEEP MINE. NOW WHERE DID YOU LEARN HOW TO MAKE BISCUITS? WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD, I WENT TO A BOARDING SCHOOL. WE ALL HAD TO DO A TASK. AND MINE WAS TO MAKE BISCUITS FOR THE WHOLE SCHOOL. AND MY GRANDMOTHER MADE 'EM EVERY, EVERY MORNING. OH, SO YOU'RE A BISCUIT QUEEN THEN? WELL, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. THIS IS SELF-RISING FLOUR. IT ALREADY HAS OUR BAKING POWDER. THIS IS SHORTENING. AND YOU WORK ALL THIS IN. YOU TRY TO GET THOSE GRANULES. HOW MUCH? JUST POUR SLOWLY, AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW. GOOD POUR IS THE PREREQUISITE IN BISCUITS TO GET THE FLOUR EVERYWHERE? YES. IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT TO YOUR NOSE TO YOUR ELBOW, YOU GOT ISSUES? EVIDENTLY. OKAY, GRAVY. SHORTENING. I'M GONNA GET THIS HO. AND LET'S GET SOME FLOUR. WE'RE GONNA START THICKENING THIS UP. THIS IS LIKE A LITTLE ROUX HERE. UH-HUH. IT'S STARTING TO BROWN UP A BIT ON THE BOTTOM. OKAY, TURN IT DOWN IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE. AND I'M A GOOD STIRRER. YOU ARE. YOU'RE VERY GOOD. YOU STIR ALMOST AS WELL AS YOU EA. AS I EAT? OH, NO. I'M A CHAMPION. I'M LIKE A PRO-BOWL CHAMPION. YOU FOLD IN A LITTLE BIT OF FLOUR SO IT'S MANAGEABLE. THOSE ARE SOME THICK UN'S. AND YOU SPOON ON A LITTLE CLARIFIED BUTTER. THIS IS SHORTENING. WHOO, THAT'S A NEW WAY FOR BISCUITS. I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT MUCH SHORTENING GO ON. I LIKE IT. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE THE BISCUITS TO COOK? ABOUT TEN MINUTES. SAUSAGE GOES DOWN INTO THAT. IF YOU PUT THE SAUSAGE IN RIGHT AWAY, IT GETS TOO HOT. KEEP GOING UNTIL I HOLLER. OKAY, STOP. HOLLER THEN. AAH. THAT WASN'T A HOLLER. THAT WAS A SQUAWK. OH, LOOK AT THOSE. OW! THEY'RE HOT. AND LADLE ON? IS THAT THE RIGHT RATIO? I'D GIVE MYSELF A LITTLE MORE IF I WERE YOU, UNLESS YOU'RE NOT HUNGRY. NO, I'M ALWAYS HUNGRY. MM. THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WARM IN THE WINTER. THE BISCUIT IS SO FLAKY THAT WHEN IT GETS IN MY MOUTH, IT ALMOST JUST FALLS APART. WELL, YOU KNOW IT'S GOOD GRAVY WHEN THE FIRST BITE THAT YOU GET HAS A BIG OLD PIECE OF SAUSAGE IN IT, AND IT'S NOT JUST TEASING YOU WITH SAUSAGE FLAVOR INSIDE. MM. IT'S HOT, ISN'T IT? THAT'S GOOD GRAVY, GIRL. JUST LIKE MAMA WOULD MAKE. HARD TO BEAT. I'D EAT 'EM THREE TIMES A DAY. 'CAUSE AFTER BREAKFAST, YOU CAN GET 'EM WITH ANYTHING ELSE ON THE MENU. IT'S GOOD COUNTRY FOOD AND A GOOD COUNTRY ATMOSPHERE. WHICH MAKES THIS EVERYBODY'S GO-TO KITCHEN. WE'RE DOWN TO 90 TICKETS. RIGHT BEHIND. THANK YOU, SWEETIE. THIS IS LIKE A CULINARY BALLET. I'M IN THE WAY. Y'ALL BEEN HERE BEFORE? YES. OH, YEA. EVERY DAY. SERIOUSLY, WE DO. WE COME EVERY DAY. I CAN NOT BELIEVE YOU TURN OUT THIS VOLUME OF FOOD THAT QUICK. CRANKIN' OUT COUNTRY CLASSIC... I'VE GOT SOME BAKED STEAK, MASHED POTATOES, GREEN BEANS. AND LOCAL FAVORITES. THEIR SMOKY BURGERS-- THEY'RE HUGE. YOU GONNA BE ABLE TO FIT THAT? I'M GONNA TRY. HOMEMADE HAMBURGER WITH ITALIAN SEASONINGS IN THE BURGER-- IT'S VERY GOOD. AND IF YOU'RE GOING FOR A HOT DOG... TO EXPECT IT TO COME WITH MEAT SAUCE ON TO. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE EAT HOT DOGS AROUND HERE. IT'S A LEAN BURGE. 85/15? MM-HMM. I WILL PUT SOME ONIONS IN. NOW WHERE YOU'D LEARN HOW TO MAKE THIS ONE? JUST IN MY HEAD. NOW WHAT STARTS GOING IN? SOME SAL. A LITTLE TICKLE. SOME GARLIC. THAT'S CHILI POWDER. UH-HUH. THIS IS SOME KETCHUP AND TOMATO SAUCE. IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOT SOME SPICE IN THERE. YEAH, IT DOES. A LITTLE BROWN SUGA. OH, A LITTLE MUSTARD. I'M GONNA LIKE SOME OF THAT BITE. MM-HMM. MM, THAT SMELLS GOOD. YEAH. OH, WE DO NEED ONION. THAT IS GOOD SAUCE. A SIMPLE SAUCE, BUT GOOD SAUCE. YOU GET TOMATO FLAVOR, GET A LITTLE BIT OF THE SPICE. I COULD HAVE 3 OR 12 OF THOSE. AND SOME OF JUANITA'S HOMEMADE DESSERT. SMOKY VALLEY'S COCONUT CREAM PIE. IT'S THE BEST AROUND. WHEN WE COME BACK, WE'RE BAKING JUANITA'S WAY. THAT'S ***! KENTUCKY... OKAY, I'VE GOT THIS HOME FRY. JUANITA FLANNERY'S COOKIN' UP ALL THE LOCAL FAVORITES. IT'S JUST LIKE WE MAKE AT HOME. DELICIOUS. LIKE HOME COOKING. ...COOKING. ESPECIALLY THE PIE. COCONUT CREAM PIE. (whistles) VERY FEW REAL RECIPES AROUND HERE. THIS IS GREAT FOR ME, 'CAUSE I CAN'T BAKE TO SAVE MY LIF, AND NOW WE'RE NOT EVEN GONNA HAVE A REAL RECIPE. BEAUTIFUL. AND WE NEED A LITTLE BIT OF SALT AND A LITTLE MORE. AND THIS IS YOUR SHORTENING. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BEAT THOSE UP FOR ME WHILE WE DO THIS, OR WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DO IT? DUMB EGG! HOW OFTEN DO YOU MAKE THE PIES? TWO OR THREE TIMES A DAY. A DAY? UH-HUH. ALWAYS ROLL FROM THE CENTER OUT. FOLD IT OVER. LOOK AT THAT. WHAT A PRO. LOOK HOW NICE IT TURNED OUT. OKAY, THEN WE'RE GONNA DO THIS. POKING A LITTLE BIT OF HOLES IN IT-- LET'S IT BREATHE SOME OF THE STEAM SO IT DOESN'T BUBBLE UP. EXACTLY. AND THAT'LL GO DOWN FOR WHAT? 15 TO 20. WE'RE GONNA MAKE THE COCONUT CREAM? YEAH. CORN STARCH. AND A LITTLE BIT OF MILK. AGAIN, THOSE MEASUREMENT RATIOS I LOVE. AND WE'RE GONNA CUT SOME SUGAR IN IT. THEN WE'RE GONNA PUT OUR YOLKS IN HERE AND MIX THAT TOGETHER. WE'RE GOING TO STRAIN THIS MIXTURE INTO OUR MILK, BECAUSE THERE COULD BE SOME EGG WHITE IN HERE THAT WOULD CAUSE SOMETHING FUNNY. SO YOU'RE JUST GONNA CONTINUE TO STIR THAT UNTIL IT THICKENS. YOU GOT CORN STARCH IN THERE, SO THAT MIXTURE STARTS TO HEAT UP, THAT'LL REALLY START TO TIGHTEN. LET'S GET OUR PIECRUST. THAT LOOKS GOOD. WE'RE GOING TO PUT SOME BUTTER. AND A LITTLE BIT OF VANILLA EXTRACT? THAT'S MY SECRET. THAT'S ***! YOU SEE WHY THEY LIKE 'EM SO WELL. WHOO! THEY ALL KEEP COMING BACK. A LITTLE BIT OF COCONUT. WANT TO LICK THE SPOON? THAT IS HEAVY. WE SHOULD MAKE SOME MERINGUE FOR IT. GET ANGRY WITH IT. OH, I DO. AND NOW A LITTLE BIT OF SUGAR? BRING IT. LOOK OUT. ROBBIE, THAT IS-- THE MAGIC YOU DO WITH JUST A SPOON-- A LITTLE COCONUT. AND THAT'LL CRISP UP BROWN WHEN WE PUT IT IN THE OVEN. WOW, IT'S CHRISTMAS IN FLAVOR TOWN. LOOK AT THAT THING. I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE EVER JUMPED INTO AN ADVENTURE OF THAT MUCH OF THAT. WOW. GOOD MERINGUE. YOU'RE PRETTY EXCEPTIONAL. MY FAVORITE PART IS THE CRUNCHY COOKED COCONUT ON TOP. MMM, YEAH. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, COME TO KENTUCKY, AND BUY YOUR PIES. IT'S JUST DELICIOUS. LIKE MY MOTHER USED TO FIX. LIKE JUANITA FIXES EVERYTHING... ANYTHING ELSE FOR YOU GUYS? UP AND DOWN THE MENU. GOOD HOME COOKIN'. IT'S DELICIOUS. VERY FEW PLACES SERVES FOOD LIKE THIS. THEY'RE ALL HERE FOR YOUR HOME COOKIN' LIKE MAMA USED TO MAKE. A LOT OF HAPPY FOLKS. I MEAN, THE PLACE IS PACKED. YOU GAVE ME TOO MUCH. OH, WELL, THAT'S BETTER THAN NOT ENOUGH, RIGHT?