CMT Blog: Food

Nothing says the CMA Awards are in town like pecan logs and apple butter. So the folks at Cracker Barrel are setting up a temporary store right in downtown Nashville from Nov. 7-12. It's really to celebrate the Alan Jackson Collection with more than 40 items like clothes, jewelry, CDs and rocking chairs. So if you want to browse around for all things Alan Jackson and get an autograph from Jackson himself, go to the corner of First Avenue and Broadway between 9 and 11 a.m. on Tuesday (Nov. 10). Actually, go earlier than that. Fans are encouraged to line up as early 6:00 a.m. to get a ticket for a place in line. (Like an estate sale, only countrier.)

When I picture Alan Jackson in a Cracker Barrel restaurant, I picture the waitress asking him how he liked his biscuit and him responding, "I'll be honest with you ma'am, it ain't like mama fixed it." It's just this thing I have with his music: There is always a lyric like that one from "Where I Come From" to fit any situation. So now that he has put together an entire collection of things for the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store chain, I can think of a million of his songs to go along with the more than 40 items in the line. The Alan Jackson Collection will have clothes for men and women, jewelry, throws, food items and the Alan Jackson signature rocker (Danish Walnut finish with oversized posts and Jackson's signature engraved in the headrest.) "I grew up in the South, so Cracker Barrel has been a part of my family since I was a young man," Jackson said. That is so true, especially if you believe what he says in "Meat and Potato Man" -- that he likes "Wrangler jeans, cowboy boots, cornbread and beans and country roots."

Well, she's not going to win any points with fans on low-carb diets, but I love this thing Martina McBride has going on with Barilla pastas and sauces. She says one of her favorite things to do is prepare food together with her family. "It feels great to unwind and chat while cooking, and it's a good way to get them excited about what we're going to eat. I even have a kitchen in my trailer, so we can cook when I'm on tour." How cool is that? Her favorite recipe is Barilla cheese manicotti. I personally am a fan of the adorable Piccolini mini farfalle with sausage peppers and pecorino. But her Share the Table promotion isn't just about the food. She has other dinnertime tips on the site, such as, "Once in a while, make everyday dinners seem fancier with candles, a linen tablecloth and your fine china." And for God's sake, no TV or texting allowed!

Here I thought nothing could outdo a meet-and-greet with the band. But now that Zac Brow Band's album, The Foundation, has gone platinum, they are celebrating with a pre-show feast with all their own recipes for a handful of fans. Almost a year ago, I blogged about Brown's roasted tri-color potatoes, his smoked whole rib-eye and stuffed poblano peppers. So I know the guy can cook. The band's MySpace blog says that to show their appreciation for fans, "our ‘Breaking Southern Ground' tour will be pulling out ALL the stops this fall." On Monday (Sept 7), you'll be able to get a new version of The Foundation at Cracker Barrel with three previously unreleased live recordings of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," "Martin" "I Lost It" and "I Shall Be Released." In the fall, Cracker Barrel will also start selling Brown's cookbook and "Southern Ground Grub," a rub and a sauce for cooking meat that is Brown's own recipe. Love, peace and chicken grease, indeed.

Back when Sara Evans signed on to work with Libby's on a jingle, I could not get that "Libby's, Libby's, Libby's on the label, label, label" tune out of my head. And now it's back again, because Evans did this long Q&A on their Web site all about how she makes the most of family dinners -- how it's their time to unwind and reconnect as a family and all that. For me, though, I most like her admission that she looks for shortcuts. ("I am a big fan of the Crock Pot. I just throw in some of my favorite Libby's veggies, like sweet corn and green beans, some stock and chicken and it does the work for me.") She even has to sneak veggies into her kids' meals just like a regular mom. ("Adding Libby's canned vegetables to their favorite dishes like mac 'n cheese is a great way to get them to eat their veggies without noticing it. I also enjoy making chili with Libby's organic beans, and the kids love it.") There are some great recipes on the site, too. Look for Evans to judge five original dishes, all with Libby's products, in New York City on Sept. 15.

If you follow Billy Ray Cyrus on Twitter, you know he's up to something because lately he has been all about the mayo. Saying things like "In town for Hellmann's sandwich Swap n Share supporting Feeding America" and "Just got room service. Can't go wrong with chicken fingers and Hellmann's mayo!!!! Sweetnibblets ... I'm stuffin my face!!!!" His last Tweet was about facebook.com/hellmanns, and now I finally have it all figured out. Cyrus has teamed up with Facebook, Hellmann's, Feeding America and eBay. Here's how it works: go on Facebook and have them make you a virtual sandwich. (Mine was Hellmann's, avocado and corned beef on sourdough.) Then Hellmann's will donate seven lunches to Feeding America, the domestic hunger-relief charity. Even better, if you bid on the eBay auction part of this deal, you can win the chance to swap a real sandwich with the real Cyrus backstage just before his concert in Niceville, Fla.

You may not know this, but Hazel Smith not only writes her Hot Dish column for CMT.com, she also hosts a video series of the same name on CMT Mobile. As always, Hazel dishes on all the latest news in country music, basically telling it like it is -- for better or worse. She can be very candid, and I have to admit she still surprises me from time to time with what comes out of her mouth. I never imagined she would ever talk on camera about an artist like Michael Jackson, but his death definitely made an impression on her. The usually sassy host of CMT's Southern Fried Flicks was moved by his passing and was swept away with emotion. Watch the clip and view all of her Hot Dish clips on CMT Mobile, available on Verizon V CAST, AT&T CV and Alltel TV on Demand.

Rory Feek, of married duo Joey & Rory, saw my husband and me sitting at a back corner table at the 1808 Grille in Nashville. He walked up to our table holding his guitar that read, "We Miss Country Music." In the back of my mind all I could think was, "Me too, me too." He smiled at us and asked, "What would you like to hear?" Pleasantly surprised, I grinned and answered back, "'Loved the Hell,' please."

This was our first time at the 1808 Grille, the restaurant inside the Hutton Hotel. My whole reason for going was because I had heard Joey & Rory would be celebrity chefs that evening. (Joey Feek co-owns Marcy Jo's Mealhouse in Pottsville, Tenn.)

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Start your diet now. Because come June 23, you will want a taste of this. It is being called the Unstoppable Breakfast on Denny's Allnight Rockstar menu. For $6.50, you can potentially gain 10 pounds in one meal. Enjoy biscuits, country fried steak, eggs, cheese, gravy, hash browns and bacon. But this early morning meal is actually available all night long -- from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. So guess where fans will be headed after every Rascal Flatts show? Don't think, though, that Denny's just slapped the band's name on the menu. Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney actually went into the Denny's kitchen with Chef Andrew Dismore to create this proper post-show feast. Levox even said, "After spending many late nights eating at Denny's after shows, we jumped at the chance to create a dish customers will really enjoy."

It's hard to say what sounds better: two tickets to a country concert or a $50 gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse. I mean, I'd love the chance to see Sugarland, Jamey Johnson, Lee Ann Womack or Billy Currington for free. But I'd also really love some good food. If you're lucky, and you win the grandest grand prize, please report back here and tell us who you saw and what you ate. Even if you don't win or don't want to take the 30 seconds required to enter, you can still get $2 off the latest albums from UMG artists. Maybe with the money you save, you can take yourself to dinner.