By Vicky Branton

The Daily Iberian

Cheers was the name of the favorite bar in the television show by the same name. Friends would gather at the end of the day, or anytime, to enjoy adult beverages and conversation. The new location for Annie Mae’s On the Bayou in Franklin has the potential to be one of those spots you want to drop in, or take out, for breakfast or lunch. Hopefully in the future, some special night events, too. It’s only been open about five months — the new sign hasn’t arrived. Locals will call it the former name when giving directions, Joe’s On the Bayou. A spontaneous but long awaited interview during a trip to Meyers Shoe Store in Franklin brought an introduction to the eat-in or carry-out diner — a place where everyone, almost, knows your name.

How long have you had this place?

Annie Mae’s On the Bayou opened about five months ago. This is not my first business. I was on Barrow Street maybe 10 to 12 years. That was Annie Mae’s, now it’s Annie Mae’s On the Bayou. Even before that I had a donut shop off of Main Street. Food has always been my thing.

Where did you get the name since your name is Felicia Mitchell?

That’s my mom, she’s the one that taught me how to cook. She taught me everything I know. We make everything from scratch. And on top of everything, our main ingredient is love. My husband, Bernard Mitchell, is the pit master for barbecue.

What is your favorite thing to cook, or what do your customers like the best?

Just about everything. My favorite and they love it, is the bread pudding with the rum sauce (VB — big enough and heavy enough to feed four). And they love our fettuccine, we have crawfish, shrimp, chicken — they love that. I don’t really have a regular menu, whatever I want to make, and depending on the weather, that’s what we go by.

Do you eat your own cooking?

Very seldom. By the time I get through cooking, at the end of the day when I’m hungry, I do drive through. (VB — speaking of heavy bread pudding, Ed “Tiger” Verdin said it is really light, but with all the love, it feels just feels heavy.)

Tell me your favorite thing to cook or a memory from your mother.

She showed me how to make a roux. The crawfish stew, the chicken stew, you have to make a homemade roux. I can remember me standing on the chair and I was afraid. You know the roux pops, it’s hot. She’d say, you got to hang in there and stay with it. Don’t slop it or it will get on you. Once you got that roux down, you got it. That’s it.

Did your mom have a restaurant?

No she just fed us kids. Back in the day, that’s what they would do. My dad worked and mom cooked. We were six, one died and I’m the baby. I was there for it all. I have two children and my daughter helps sometimes but she has her own business, a cosmetology hair shop on Main Street.

What is your business philosophy, working with employees and customers?

Love, my secret is love. I like to mingle with my people. Love is the key, you put that love in it, you put the love in your food, that’s all you need to do. What we do now is make homemade pies and desserts and we give it away complimentary everyday. We pick a random number on the receipt. Not just one winner, two to three a day, depending on what time I get to make it. I’m not in business to get rich, I’m in business because I love what I do.

Getting Ready For Thanksgiving

Want something traditional and yet new for Thanksgiving? Try this.

Thanksgiving quiche puts sweet potatoes front and center. Sweet potatoes are a favorite side dish at Thanksgiving dinner tables. Packed with vitamins, nutrients, fiber and delectable flavor, sweet potatoes have earned their place on holiday dinner tables. While many holiday hosts bake, fry or mash their sweet potatoes, these beloved tubers can be prepared in other ways as well.

If you want to put a new twist on this Thanksgiving staple, whip up a recipe for “Sweet Potato Quiche,” courtesy of the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission. Submitted to the NC State Fair Tailgate Recipe Contest by Kristen Frybort, this recipe marries sweet tubers with decadent cheese, rich cream and savory spices.

Still looking for the perfect turkey recipe?

Try this tasty take on turkey just in time for Thanksgiving. Perhaps no day is more synonymous with a certain dish than Thanksgiving is with turkey. As tasty as turkey can be, this flavorful fowl doesn’t find its way onto many families’ dinner tables unless it’s Thanksgiving day. Secret family turkey recipes may reign supreme in some households, but holiday hosts with no such resources can consider a unique recipe for “Holiday Turkey” from Andrew Schloss’ “Cooking Slow” (Chronicle Books). By slow cooking the turkey, cooks can ensure it’s evenly cooked.

Even though turkey may be synonymous with Thanksgiving, hosts and hostesses should not shy away from serving something different. In fact, turkey may not even have been on the menu for the first Thanksgiving. Host a turkey-free Thanksgiving with a Thanksgiving goose, a more likely option at the first Thanksgiving.

SWEET POTATO QUICHE

2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into small cubes

3/4 cup yellow onion, diced

2 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Black pepper to taste

EGG MIXTURE:

4 eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

1/2 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded

Pre-baked deep dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix together the first five ingredients and place on baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. While sweet potatoes and onions are roasting, shred cheese and set aside. Whisk the egg mixture and set aside. Once potatoes and onions have finished roasting, spoon them into the pre-baked pie shell. Next, layer the shredded cheese on top of the sweet potatoes. Reduce oven to 375 F. Pour egg mixture over the cheese and potatoes. Place quiche in the oven on a center rack. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until eggs are set. Makes 8 servings.

Kristen Frybort, Metro Creative Services Recipe

HOLIDAY TURKEY

1 fresh turkey, about 15 pounds, preferably free-range

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 quart apple cider

2 teaspoons dried poultry seasoning

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove giblets and discard (or save for another use). Rinse the turkey inside and out, pat dry and rub all over with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours. The surface of the turkey will become visibly dry and the skin will tighten; this encourages a nice crisp skin on the finished bird. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put the turkey on a rack set in a large, flameproof roasting pan. Drizzle oil over the top. Roast for 1 hour. Reduce temperature to 175 degrees. Pour the cider into the roasting pan and sprinkle the poultry seasoning in the liquid. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh (but not touching bone) registers to 170 degrees. Transfer the turkey to a carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for about 15 minutes (see tip). Skim the fat from the surface of the liquid in the pan. Put the roasting pan over two burners and bring the pan drippings to a boil over high heat. Cook until juices reduce and thicken enough to coat a spoon, about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Carve the and serve with cider pan juices.

RESTING TIP: The reason for resting meat that has been roasted at a high temperature is to allow juices that have collected in the cooler center time to migrate back into the dryer (hotter) exterior sections after it comes out of the oven. A brief resting time does allow the meat to become a little firmer as it cools, making it easier to carve. Makes 15 servings.

Andrew Schloss, Metro Creative Services

ROASTED GOOSE WITH CRISPY SKIN

1 12-pound goose, neck and giblets reserved, visible fat removed (Au jus tip at Iberianet.com)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 1/4 cups warm water

1 1/2 Tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon Tabasco

1 teaspoon potato starch dissolved in 2 Tablespoons red or white wine

Beginning at the neck end, work your fingers under the goose skin, snipping any fibers and sinews with kitchen scissors; work fingers as far down over the thighs as possible. Using a sharp knife, cut halfway through the wing and leg joints to help the bird cook evenly. Generously season inside and out with salt and pepper. Set the goose on a rack in a heavy roasting pan, breast side up. Add the neck, gizzard, heart and 4 cups of the water to the pan. Cover with foil and seal all around. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and steam for 45 minutes. Remove and let cool. Transfer the rack with the goose to a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered overnight, until the skin is very dry, like parchment. Strain the pan juices and refrigerate. Bring the goose to room temperature before roasting.

MAKE THE JUS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix honey with Tabasco and 1/4 cup of water. Return the rack to the pan and roast the goose for 1 hour, basting occasionally with the Tabasco mixture. Turn goose breast side down and roast about 30 minutes longer, basting occasionally. When an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 170 degrees, turn off the oven and let it cool to 160°. Transfer the goose to a heatproof platter, breast side up. Return to oven and rest for 20 minutes.

Pour off the fat in the roasting pan. Scrape the solidified fat off the refrigerated pan juices and refrigerate for another use. Add the juices to the pan and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Pour the juices into a small saucepan. Stir in the potato starch slurry and simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Season the jus with salt and pepper and strain it into a gravy boat. Carve the goose and pass the jus at the table.

Jacques Pepin, Foodandwine.com