OPINION —
In her spacious kitchen with a large island, Deborah Price Williams creates delectable meals for her family, as well as tasty treats she shares with friends and offers through her cottage business, Baked by Deborah. After living in various places in the Southeast, Deborah and her husband, Larry, moved to Opelika and remodeled her childhood home in the Collinwood community.
Deborah, who grew up in Opelika, has deep roots in local history. Her grandparents, Mary “Bubber” and Manley Canon, lived in a beautiful home on Geneva Street where her grandmother and mother grew up. Deborah’s grandfather was the owner of Canon Motor Company, which was once located where Smith T Hardware is today, as well as a couple of other locations.
Her parents, Ann and Bob Price, were well known in Opelika. Deborah’s mother worked as a physical education teacher in California before returning home to be near her parents and accept a job offered by the mayor to begin a parks and recreation program for Opelika in 1947. In the 1960s, she taught at Auburn University, known as API at the time.
When Deborah was in the sixth grade, she remembers her mother became the PE teacher for Opelika elementary schools. She taught for more than 30 years.
When Deborah was growing up, the family had a maid who cooked, but her mother prepared a roast beef lunch most Sundays. Her father enjoyed grilling and smoking meats. Deborah didn’t have any interest in cooking growing up.
After graduating from Opelika High School, Deborah attended Auburn University, receiving a degree in office administration. She moved to Birmingham and worked at Alabama Gas Corporation for four years.
While in Birmingham, an Opelika friend asked Deborah to work on George McMillan’s campaign for lieutenant governor. After winning the election, Lieutenant Governor McMillan asked her to become his legal secretary at his law office in Birmingham.
She enrolled in paralegal school in Atlanta, and then returned to Birmingham when McMillan ran for governor to work on his campaign staff. When the long hours became overwhelming, she went back to work at his law firm. McMillan lost the election to George Wallace.
Deborah met Larry while visiting her sister, Magoo Price Hamilton, in Greenville in the southern part of the state. Larry was the priest at her sister’s church. After they married, Deborah moved to Greenville.
After the couple lived in various places, Deborah and Larry moved to Opelika in 2017.
“When I graduated from Auburn and moved away, I never dreamed I would come back here because it was nothing like it is now,” Deborah said. “When Mama died, we thought we had the house sold, but it fell through. My sister said we have moved around our entire married life and didn’t have a home base.
“I never thought about living in this house, but we became interested. Most people downsize but we didn’t. We have three bedrooms upstairs and added a master suite to the first level. The house is familiar but new. We have lived in church houses and bought our own. I have really enjoyed being back in Opelika.”
They have plenty of space when their three children visit. Mary Canon, who lives in Auburn, teaches Spanish at Auburn Junior High School. Cecilia is married to Seth Williford and resides in Statesboro, Georgia, with their two sons, Price, 5, and Tate, 3. Their son, Chris, and his wife, Caitlin, have a 2-month-old daughter, Avery. They live in Washington, D.C.
While Deborah enjoyed cooking for her family over the years, she didn’t develop a passion for baking until the children were grown. When they were living in the Atlanta area, Deborah was home sick from work and saw a cooking show on television about a baker who had written a cookbook on making cakes. It sparked her interest.
“I thought that looked like so much fun,” Deborah said. “I bought her cookbook but didn’t like some of the recipes.”
She found a cupcake cookbook that used a cake mix that was enhanced with other ingredients. She started making cupcakes, and people where she worked began ordering them for their children’s birthdays.
Deborah has a large collection of cookbooks from places they have lived. When cooking, she follows a recipe exactly. She can read a recipe and determine if it is going to turn out good.
She also has a large collection of recipes she has gathered over the years from family and friends. If she has a dish at someone’s home that she really likes, she always asks for the recipe. Deborah will share her recipes too, except for ones she uses for her cottage business.
For two years, Deborah baked muffins and breads and prepared her specialty pretzel snack mix to sell at the O Grows Farmers Market in Opelika. She still takes baked items from her cottage business to the Auburn United Women in Faith Christmas Market. When she is cooking for her family, she will often share with neighbors and others.
Deborah has become involved in the Opelika community. She serves on the board at the Museum of East Alabama and is a member of the Blue Stocking Club, following her mother and grandmother, who were both members of the study club.
Larry is the priest at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Opelika and will retire at the end of the year. He will continue working as a supply priest for other churches.
Deborah has enjoyed being back home in Opelika, and now her sister, Magoo, and her husband, Dr. Bill Hamilton, moved back over a year ago.
When Deborah looks out her kitchen window, she sees the same view she saw growing up. It is comforting and brings back happy memories as she is baking cakes, muffins and cookies, filling the house with sweet aromas.
LAURA BETH’S APPLE PIE WITH CRUMBLY CRUST
9-in. pie shell
4-5 Jonathan apples, sliced
4 Tbsp. water
2/3 cup sugar
Cinnamon
Topping:
1 stick butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
Cinnamon
Prick pie crust in pan with toothpick. Mix apples, water and sugar together and pour into crust. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top of apples. Cut the butter into remaining topping ingredients and sprinkle over top of apples. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 min. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for about an hour or until bubbly and caramelized.
Sweet Potato Taco Bowl
My daughter, Cecilia, discovered this recipe.
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. sweet smoked paprika
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
¼ to ½ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into approx. 1” to 2” cubes
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium avocado, sliced
Optional toppings:
Chopped cilantro leaves, sour cream, jalapenos, sliced green onions, lime slices, crumbled feta, etc.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper, if using. Toss sweet potatoes in vegetable oil and half (about 2 Tbsp.) of the seasoning mixture. Bake about 30 min. until tender and cooked through. Meanwhile, cook beef over medium-high heat for about 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through. Drain extra fat from skillet, leaving about 1 Tbsp. Add beans and remaining seasoning mixture. Toss to fully coat beans and beef with seasoning. Continue to cook until beans are heated through. To serve, place sweet potatoes in individual bowls and add desired toppings.
SOUR CREAM CORNBREAD
From Polly Jernigan’s cookbook, “Good! Good! Good!”
1 cup self-rising cornmeal
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil (I use ¼ cup)
1 cup sour cream
1 small can yellow creamed corn
Mix all together. Pour into a hot, 9-inch greased skillet and bake at 400 degrees until done (about 35 minutes). This can also be baked in a baking dish.
Susan’s Pecan Pie Bars
1 pkg. (20 oz.) Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 pkg. (8 oz.) English toffee bits
1 cup chopped pecans
Prepare sugar cookie mix by following directions for cutout cookies. Line a 13×9 in. baking dish with parchment paper. Press prepared cookie dough evenly in the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 min. until edges begin to brown. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat condensed milk, egg, vanilla and salt until smooth. Stir in toffee bits and pecans; spread evenly over baked cookie crust. Bake until lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack until thoroughly cooled. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.
ROXANE’S ITALIAN SAUSAGE SOUP
1 to 1-1/2 lbs. mild Italian sausage
4 cups water
24 oz. V8 juice
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 to 14 oz. cans petite chopped tomatoes
1 clove garlic, pressed
Fresh spinach, chopped (as much as you would like in soup)
4 oz. cheese tortellini
6 oz. meat tortellini
Cook sausage and drain fat. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta. Cook to boiling, then add pasta and simmer for about 30 minutes or until pasta is done.
*If making this soup ahead of time to eat later, I suggest adding the pasta when you are reheating the soup to prevent the pasta from falling apart.
Winter Salad
Curry Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup wine vinegar
1-1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 drops Tabasco sauce
¼ cup ketchup
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
¾ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground pepper
Salad:
1 grapefruit, peeled and separated into sections (or jarred grapefruit)
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1 bunch watercress
1 head Boston lettuce or 2 heads Bibb lettuce
¼ cup sunflower seeds
Combine dressing ingredients, mixing well. Chill. Cut grapefruit sections and avocado into bite-size pieces. Tear lettuces into small pieces. Add all ingredients to salad bowl and toss with dressing.
Barbecue Burgers with Creamy Coleslaw
1 lb. ground chuck
1 lb. ground pork
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. barbecue sauce, divided
2 tsp. liquid smoke
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. garlic salt
6 sesame seed hamburger buns
Creamy Coleslaw, recipe follows, or store-bought coleslaw
Dill pickle slices
Spray grill with non-stick, non-flammable cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium-high heat at 350 to 400 degrees. In large bowl, combine ground meats, 2 Tbsp. barbecue sauce and next 3 ingredients. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions; shape each portion into a 5-inch patty.
Grill patties, covered with grill lid, for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until desired degree of doneness. Grill buns, cut sides down, for 1 to 2 minutes or until toasted.
Spread remaining ½ cup barbecue sauce over bottom halves of buns. Top patties with Creamy Coleslaw and pickles. Cover with bun tops. Serve immediately. Makes six burgers.
Creamy Coleslaw
16 oz. tricolor coleslaw mix
6 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
¾ tsp. celery salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
Mix all ingredients. Makes about three cups.
McGriddle Muffins
A takeoff of McDonald’s McGriddle Breakfast Sandwiches
1 lb. sausage
2 cups pancake mix of your choice
1-1/2 cups water
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook sausage until done. Prepare pancake batter with syrup, water and cheese. Add cooked sausage to batter. Place batter into greased muffin tins. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool a few minutes before removing from tins. Makes 12 regular-sized muffins.
Asiago Potatoes
Recipe from David Abernathy, Larry’s brother-in-law
16 small Red Bliss potatoes (about 2 inches in diameter)
12 garlic cloves
½ cup olive oil
10 large basil leaves, minced
½ lb. Asiago cheese, grated
1 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
Generously cover potatoes and 1 Tbsp. salt with cold water in a medium pot, then simmer until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and rinse with cold water. Cool to room temperature in refrigerator, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook garlic in oil at a bare simmer in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 12 minutes. Drain garlic, reserving oil for another use, then mash to a paste.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the middle of oven. Stir together the minced basil, garlic paste, cheese, mayonnaise and salt and pepper to taste.
Using a small melon ball scoop or a teaspoon, scoop out a hole in each cooled potato, leaving a ¼ inch shell. Stuff potatoes with cheese mixture and bake in a pan until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 20 minutes.
Garlic Cheese Grits
1 cup quick grits
1 tsp. salt
4 cups boiling water
1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup butter
½ cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 garlic clove, minced
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir grits into salted boiling water. Return to boiling, reduce heat and cook for 2-1/2 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cheese and rest of ingredients. Pour into a greased 2-quart baking dish. Bake for 1 hour.
Cumin-Roasted Carrots
2 Tbsp. coriander seeds
2 Tbsp. cumin seeds
3 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut into 4 x 1/2-inch sticks
3 Tbsp. coconut oil or butter, melted
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
Minced fresh cilantro, optional
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a dry, small skillet, toast coriander and cumin seeds over medium heat for 45 to 60 seconds or until aromatic, stirring frequently. Cool slightly. Grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle until finely crushed.
Dining and Cooking