MIllion Dollar Memories to Savor

 “It’s a wild adventure,” said Missouri native David Elkins when asked what’s it like bringing Johnny Cash to life in the Tony award winning musical Million Dollar Quartet, which opened at the Fox Theater last week. “I’ve always been a big fan of Cash and its an honor that’s not lost on me because I know the impact he's had – still has on people.”

Million Dollar Quartet, which runs until May 5th focuses on one historic night, December 4, 1956, when Sun Records Sam Phillips brought together for the first and only time Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. That night became known as one of the greatest rock n’ roll jam sessions in history.

When asked if Cash's family had seen his portrayal Elkins said,“ Johnny Cash’s sister Joanne came and saw the show when we were playing Memphis and told me she knew Johnny would be proud of what we were doing.”

Joanne Cash Yates and Tommy Cash are Cash’s only surviving siblings. Both have been a driving force behind the establishment of the Johnny Cash Museum, slated to open in Nashville later this year.

“ Besides the museum here in Nashville his boyhood home in Dyess Arkansas that’s about an hour's drive from Memphis where we all grew up is being restored by Arkansas State University," said Joanne. “There are lots of memories there, especially those memories of the meals mama made.

Many of those recipes are featured in Recipes and Memories from Mama Cash’s Kitchen, which contains an introduction written by Johnny who mentions coconut pie and banana bread among his personal memories of mama’s cooking. Either recipe is prefect to make and serve before or after attending a performance of the Million Dollar Quartet.

1920 Coconut Pie

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup self-rising flour

3 egg yolks (save whites)

2 1/4 cups sweet milk*

2 teaspoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup coconut

2 tablespoons sugar

extra coconut for garnishing pie

pre-baked pie shell

In a large saucepan, combine flour and sugar. Add about 1/4-cup milk and stir until smooth; then add egg yolks. Add in remaining 2 cups milks and stir until well blended. Cook over a medium heat until thick. Stir in butter, vanilla and coconut. Pour into a baked pie shell. Place egg whites in a large bowl and beat until stiff and add 2 tablespoons of sugar. Mound and spread egg whites (meringue) over top of pie. Sprinkle top with coconut.  Place pie in a 400-degree oven to brown meringue, about five minutes. Watch pie closely during browning since meringue can brown fast. 

Makes 1 eight-inch pie.

• Sweet milk is an old term used to described fresh while milk – milk that hasn’t soured

Banana Bread

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil

2 eggs

1 large ripe banana, mashed

2 heaping tablespoons orange marmalade

1 teaspoon vanilla

/2 cup buts

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

Combine and beat all the above ingredients together until smooth. Pour into a large greased/buttered loaf pan. Bake 45- 50 minutes, or until bread tests done. To test, use a toothpick inserted in center of bread. If it comes out clean, bread is done. Makes 1 loaf, about 10 slices.