What’s in the Fridge

Dana Milford, owner of For His Temple Family Foods in West Monroe, talks to Cassie Livingston about her stock of refrigerator must-haves.

Photos by Kelly Moore Clark

So what’s the deal with expiration dates? Do you abide by or care?

Personally, I don’t pay any attention to expiration dates on products. My Memaw and my mom taught me “if it smells good and tastes good, go for it.” I don’t focus on what a manufacturer puts on their packaging. Don’t get me wrong, things can and do go bad – or, sometimes they just taste off. But, I don’t let a package tell me when that is.

What do you cook the most at home?

This is really difficult. On the weekends we are big breakfast eaters – we love fresh eggs from our hens, Mahaffey Farms bacon, and sour dough toast from Scratch Bakehouse is a standard thing. It never gets old to us. For supper, I love to experiment with new recipes and sometimes will through in our old time favorites. I just cooked a spicy pepper roast with butter beans and stewed cabbage. Yum! This weekend, I will stuff some Patty Pan squash, brine and grill some thinck Mahaffey pork chops (there’s nothing better) and whatever else starts to sound good at the time!

What is your favorite dish at For His Temple to cook?

I truly can’t say. I really love to cook, so it’s hard to nail down one dish as my favorite. I love when my customers enjoy the food and leave satisfied. I cook some things that I don’t personally enjoy, but others do, so that makes it fun to cook.

Is there an ingredient that you use a lot?

Roasted garlic makes the top of the list. I roast large amounts and freeze it for quick use. Also, I make trilogy at home and at the restaurant. It’s a time saving trick my Memaw taught me. It’s onion, celery and garlic chopped in a food processor and stored in the refrigerator for quick use. I made a video about it to help my followers save time in the kitchen.

What’s your go-to snack?

I love fresh fruit of all kinds – whether it’s for snacking or a fresh fruit salad. I’m also a chips and salsa fanatic. I could wipe out a bag of chips in a blink, but I try to control that. Also, a charcuterie board at home is a favorite of ours. Olli Salumeria pepperoni and salami, various Grazers cheeses, cocktail onion, pickles, Cowboy Candy (I make in batches at home, chips and crackers) – it all makes a great snack.

Butter or ghee?

I am a butter girl all the way. I use ghee at times, but much prefer better – from pastured cows, of course. Nothing is better on steamed veggies or smothered on a fresh piece of sourdough bread.

In The Fridge

1) “The Zydeco Creole Trinity is a salsa from South Louisiana, and I’m all about supporting local foods. It’s fresh, chunky and has just the right amount of heat for me.”

2) “The Wildbrine Sriracha is amazing. It’s a probiotic sauce with a kick. We love using it on taco salads. Not only is it super yum, but it is also gut for the gut – two of my favorite things.”  

3) “Elderberry is a must. It’s an herbal immune booster that we take year ‘round. By using a tablespoon every day, its keeps our immune system strong despite the time of the year. It works great if it’s a quality brand AND it’s super easy to make yourself.”

4) “Naturally Nutty Pepita Sun is a small batch brand, which I prefer over big corporate food makers. The Pepita nut butter has a touch of cinnamon and is amazing on apples, bananas or straight of the spoon.”

5) “I love a dab of jam or preserves on our weekend sourdough toast. A very special friend gave me this jar of homemade blueberry jam as a house warming gift when we moved into our new home recently. I love it.”

6) “Organic raw cheeses are the best. The flavor and texture of the Rumiana Organic Mozzarella Cheese is rich, creamy and indulgent. I love to use Rumiano and Grazers cheeses in my home cooking. Both make the best grilled cheese.”

7) Wild for Salmon spread is absolutely divine. The company uses wild caught salmon from Bristol Bay, Alaska. Nothing beats the quality and nutrition of this salmon. The spread is amazing with chips (yes, again), on crackers or stuffed in fresh jalapeños.