Moore leaned on grandmother for tips

Kaski Moore grew up watching his grandmother Betty Moore cook for the entire family — and neighborhood. 

His grandmother’s cooking repertoire extended from classic Southern soul food like chicken, cornbread, and macaroni and cheese to desserts like red velvet and caramel cakes and pies.

“I used to call her when I started to cook on my own because I wanted my food to taste like hers, but I could never get it,” he said. “Everything was from scratch. I’ve never seen her use a recipe book, and I’ve never used one. I just look at it.”

When he’s not cooking, Moore works as a contractor for MaxxSouth Broadband. He is married to Jerlisa Moore and together they have a 12-year-old daughter, Kenadee, and attend Jerusalem Temple Church.

Through trial and error over the years, Moore has become a well-known local meat cook by word of mouth. He often receives cooking requests from people in the community to cook turkeys, hams, roasts, and even wild game-like hogs for various family events and celebrations.

“The food that you can just walk into Walmart and buy is too easy,” he said. “I like things that are more challenging like the big lumps of meat. If you bring me a big piece of elk, I believe I can make it taste good, even if it’s my first chance at doing it.”

Moore's expertise shines during the holidays, when he smokes 16 to 20 turkeys for families, showcasing a unique recipe that involves cinnamon sticks, candied ginger, green apples, and red onions for stuffing. This started about 12 years ago when he smoked a turkey for his family.

“When I got ready to leave, it looked like somebody dropped that turkey in a pond of piranhas. There was nothing but bone left,” he said with a laugh. “Everybody was asking ‘Who made this turkey?’”

A plate was fixed for a family friend to take to her Thanksgiving dinner, and she complimented the turkey so much, she wanted her own for Christmas. Ever since then, Moore smokes a turkey for her every year, and word quickly got out as more requests and his reputation grew.  

Last year, he generously gave away five turkeys to random church members, a number that doubled this year due to popular demand and people offering to pay.

Inspired by his grandmother’s giving spirit instilled in him, Moore also often prepares meals for visitors to his home, no matter the time.

“Sometimes during the middle of the week around 10 at night I get up to make chicken and black-eyed peas for people that come to my house,” he said. “That’s just something I picked up from her. I feel like if you can feed a person, you don’t know how big of an impact that can have on that person’s day.”

For Moore, cooking is more than a skill. It serves as a time of self-reflection.

“It’s always an opportunity for me to sit and think about what I have done and want to accomplish,” he said. “I get to put my thoughts into perspective while I’m in the kitchen.”

His secret to a well-cooked meal lies in using MSG-free, low-sodium seasonings, and steering clear of common additives. He emphasizes the importance of avoiding high-sodium options for both flavor and health. 

Moore’s commitment to unique ingredients and methods sets his cooking apart, making each meal a distinctive experience for everyone to enjoy. 

SHEPHERD’S PIE

½ pounds 90% lean ground beef

½ tsp. baking soda

2 ½ lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

¼ cup sour cream

5 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks

¼ cup half & half

4 oz. bacon, diced (about 3 slices thick-cut bacon)

2 medium yellow onions, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup red wine

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ cups chicken broth

1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

½ cup frozen peas

2 tbsp. finely chopped chives

• Place the potatoes in a pot on the stove and cover with cold water. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cook for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.

• Drain the potatoes in a colander, then return to the pot. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper and mash until creamy.

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a large oven-safe sauté pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for a minute. Then add the diced carrots, diced celery, and lamb. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the meat is browned. Use your spatula to break up the meat while cooking. 

• Drain the fat from the pan and add the broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened.

• Add the frozen peas and stir together. Turn off the stove and use the back of your spatula to flatten the meat mixture into a single layer.

HOLIDAY TURKEY

For Turkey Brine

One 14-16 lb. frozen natural, young turkey

1 gallon vegetable broth (homemade or canned)

1 cup kosher salt

½ cup brown sugar

1 tbsp. black peppercorns

1 ½ tsp. allspice berries

1 ½ tbsp. candied ginger, chopped

1 gallon H20, iced

For Roasting

1 red apple, quartered

½ onion, quartered

1 stick cinnamon

1 cup H20

4 sprigs rosemary

6 sage leaves

Canola oil

• Two to three days before roasting, begin thawing the turkey if frozen. To thaw safely, do so in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees.

• You can also make the brine at this time: Combine the vegetable broth, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice, and candied ginger in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and salt. Once the mixture comes to a boil, remove from the heat, cover, and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least until completely chilled, or until the turkey is completely thawed.

• Early on the day of or late the night before you’d like to eat, bring the turkey. Combine the chilled brine and the ice water in a 5-gallon cooler. Place the turkey (giblets and other innards removed) in the brine, breast side down. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, then set in a cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird halfway through brining.

• When you’re ready to roast, heat the oven to 500 degrees. Adjust the oven racks so that the turkey will fit on the lowest rack in the oven.

• Remove turkey from the brine and rinse the inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

• Place the bird on a flat roasting rack on a half-sheet pan or roasting pan and pat very dry with paper towels.

• Pre-form an aluminum shield (aka turkey triangle) by folding a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil to form a triangle. Grease lightly with canola oil, then place over the turkey breast so that the point is towards the legs. Press on the sides of the foil to form it to the breast and hold its shape. Remove and set aside for now.

• Combine the apple, onion, water, and cinnamon stick in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add the steeped aromatics (not the water) to the turkey’s cavity, along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin lightly with canola oil.

• Roast on the lowest level of the oven for 30 minutes, open the oven and slide the rack out to access the turkey. Working quickly, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, avoiding any bones, and top with the turkey triangle. Slide the turkey back into the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Set an alarm on the probe to go off at 155 degrees. A 14-to 16-pound turkey should take an additional 90 minutes to 2 hours, but the temperature of the meat is more important than the time it take to get there, so pay attention to the probe.

• Let the turkey rest, still on the roasting pan and lightly coated with foil for at least 15 minutes longer before transferring to a cutting board and carving.