I like to play with my food. I like to take something that I have eaten one way all my life and throw in different spices (broccoli masala, anyone?) or make it into a fritter (kalamata olive and spinach fritter – just one of the best things ever) or roast it when it’s “supposed” to be baked (insert anything here, because I am a big, big fan of roasting).
But sometimes, I just need plain fried okra. Because I’m Southern, and that’s what we do. I don’t bread it, because breading vegetables is generally more trouble to me than having a crunchy shell is worth. I just want the okra.
Also, I love that pan, but that’s another story.
I suppose I did something non-traditional with it. I put it over rice – something simple to let the good, honest flavor of the okra shine.
Themes, Observations, and Lessons:
– Few (inanimate) things make me happier than fried okra. I am fighting the urge to throw a stereotypical Southern metaphor in here. Suffice it to say that, if I were a porcine animal, tossing myself to and fro in a pit of filth, I wouldn’t be any happier than when I’m eating fried okra.
– This is another example of a meal that doesn’t take a lot of time but yields results so delicious that it trumps anything I could ever get from fast food. Yes, even Whataburger onion rings. Big talk.
– I like planning elaborate meals, but I rarely have time to do so. This does not stop me from making Cooking For Myself And Others a bigger deal in my head than it actually is in reality. I will continue to practice cooking simple, tasty meals like this one on my own, but I also want to make a couple of simple meals to share with friends.
M. Suzanne Terry 
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