Innholdsfortegnelse for February/March 2021 i Garden & Gun

CONTRIBUTORS “The dogs are just endlessly entertaining and begging to be written about” —Jill McCorkle, who wrote the Good Dog column Jill McCorkle Tom Rankin; Graham Tolbert; Andrew Kornylak; Meredith Andrews; Kimberly Bradley WRITER In the midst of writing novels or traveling on book tours, the Hillsborough, North Carolina, author Jill McCorkle finds inspiration for short works of nonfiction—often right under her feet. “The dogs are just endlessly entertaining and begging to be written about,” says McCorkle, who has authored eleven novels and short story collections. And while the massive Bernese mountain dogs Lena and Blue star in her latest story (p. 74), her labradoodle runs the show at home. “Frankie is a diva,” McCorkle says. “She’s definitely in charge of the big babies.” For her next book, Goat Light,…

INTERVIEW A New Ranger in Town JARED PADALECKI RESURRECTS A TEXAS TV ICON By Allison Glock Jared Padalecki has been playing the good guy since he was a teen, beginning with his portrayal of flop-haired, square-jawed Dean—every mom’s vision of the perfect boyfriend on the beloved dramedy Gilmore Girls—and continuing to demon hunter and reluctant hero Sam Winchester on Supernatural, the longest-running fantasy series in American television. Now, the thirty-eight-year-old father of three is taking on the titular lead in Walker, a reboot of Walker, Texas Ranger. The role is close to his heart—the series, filmed in part in his current hometown of Austin, tells the story of the state he adores. “This Walker, he toes the line a little more than Chuck [Norris]’s Walker did,” says Padalecki of his…

BOOKS The Queen of Cross Creek BEYOND THE YEARLING, A NEW BIOGRAPHY UNEARTHS THE REAL MARJORIE KINNAN RAWLINGS By Jonathan Miles In 1928, on close to a whim, a fledgling New York writer named Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings used an inheritance to purchase—sight unseen—a seventy-two-acre farm and run-down orange grove in Cross Creek, in the central Florida backwoods. Floridians and middle-school readers may recall the rest of the story. Rawlings (1896–1953) fell head over heels for this humid, palmetto’ed landscape and a decade later was embroidering vivid depictions of its flora, fauna, and folkways into two magnificent books: Cross Creek (1942), a memoir, and The Yearling (1938), a Pulitzer Prize–winning novel that established Rawlings as a seminal figure in Florida literature, the Willa Cather of the Cracker scrubland, the queen of…

HARVEST Gold in These Fields A NEW RELATIVE OF CAROLINA GOLD RICE CROPS UP By CJ Lotz PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARGARET HOUSTON DOMINICK “To create a new rendition of Long Gold—one with the vanilla and hazelnut notes that have made chefs love Carolina Gold—Anna McClung’s team crossed the latter with even longer rice” This rice, it loves gumbo,” says Rollen Chalmers as he waves his hand over a marshy field near Hardeeville, South Carolina. Gumbo stew goes well over rice, sure, but the gumbo he means is soil—a mix of mud and clay where rice plants thrive. Chalmers steps down a bank toward yellow stalks of Carolina Gold rice. “Downwind, you can smell these fields, a nice nutty smell,” he says. Soon, he’ll plant a newly conceived descendant of this heirloom…

FORK in the ROAD A New Taste of Macon KIMCHI FACTORY BRINGS RENEWED ENERGY AND VIBRANT FLAVORS TO A REVIVED DOWNTOWN LANDMARK BY JOHN T. EDGE Illustration by Michael Spitz PHOTOGRAPHS BY JACQUELINE STOFSICK As I drive into downtown Macon, Georgia, the familiar arrow-shaped Len Berg’s sign heaves into view, pointing down the alley to the old brick shoebox of a restaurant. Founded in 1908, closed in 2005, Len Berg’s was famous across the state for fried chicken in a lacy crust, creamy fried corn, buttered early peas, and house-churned peach ice cream. My father, who worked on the other side of the alley, treated me to lunch there when I was a boy. On the way out, we took turns mashing the buzzer by the door with the sign…

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BOURBON COUNTRY' Bourbon Country's Living History WITH A NEW COLLECTION OF INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES, THE CITY OF LOUISVILLE, TELLS ITS STORY LIKE NEVER BEFORE It’s no secret that Kentucky is home to a rich spirits history (they call it Bourbon Country for a reason, after all). And as the ultimate mecca for bourbon aficionados, Louisville offers an urban bourbon experience like nowhere else in the country. What many visitors don't know, however, is that this treasured Southern tradition contains countless hidden stories. From the first Black American to publish a cocktail book to the early Black growers and craftsmen of fine Kentucky bourbon. Louisville's new collect ion of Unfiltered Truth experiences paint a fuller picture of the Bourbon City's vast distilling heritage. Outside of Kentucky, the name Tom…

Find Your Paradise at the King and Prince One of the region's most iconic ,the king and princce beach & Golf Resort offers lixury and adventure in equal measure Among island accommodations, one St. Simons destination reigns supreme. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Kingand Prince Beach&GolfResort sits just steps from the shore, a stylish haven for any traveler. Here, delightful amenities abound, from three swimming pools and a pristine beach toan award-winning golfcourse and unmatched coastal diningat ECHO, St. Simons' only oceanfront restaurant and bar. kingandprince.com .800-342-0212…

SEA CHANGE AN APPALACHIAN OUTDOORSWOMAN LETS HER FEET, MIND, AND TASTE BUDS WANDER BERMUDA, WHERE ART AND NATURE PROMISE A SORT OF REDEMPTION By LATRIA GRAHAM PHOTOGRAPHS BY MEREDITH ANDREWS THE REST OF BERMUDA IS ASLEEP, but we are up with the birds and the stars. My guide, Weldon Wade, and I have trekked to the island’s largest wildlife sanctuary to watch the sun rise over Spittal Pond along the Atlantic Ocean. As we fumble our way toward the water, we find ourselves caught in that stretch of darkness before dawn: The sky has yet to lighten to lavender, which means we can only hear the high-pitched calls of the killdeer, not see the birds themselves. It will be an hour, maybe more, before the sun reveals their hiding…

OUT SIDE the LINES A CACHE of PAINTINGS BY the UNSUNG LOUISIANA ARTIST CORA KELLEY WARD LEADS the AUTHOR on a YEARSLONG JOURNEY to FILL IN the DETAILS of HER UNCONVENTIONAL LIFE-and UNDERSTAND WHY HER WORK GRABBED HIM and WOULDN’T LET GO By JOHN ED BRADLEY Photographs by MARIANNA MASSEY portrait by Harry Callahan/Hilliard Art Museum; HER NAME WAS Cora Kelley Ward, and they’d arranged her paintings in piles on the floor of a loading bay. At the start of the sale there had been around eight hundred works to choose from. Now, four days later, there were fewer than three hundred left, and the price for a canvas had been reduced to a dollar a square foot, down from two dollars. I looked out at the bizarre scene…

LETTERS “My father was asked if he had a knife handy. His reply: ‘I have my pants on, don’t I?’” TRADITIONS THAT LAST When I lived in Columbus, Georgia, our Piggly Wiggly (“Home for the Holidays,” December 2020/January 2021) was the source for all things wonderful. Local produce, a real butcher, and barbecue sauce from restaurants in town. Where else could you choose from six brands of grits milled less than an hour away? Rachel Sanchez Tampa, Florida Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s essay (“Home for the Holidays,” December 2020/January 2021) reminded me of our family walking O’Leno State Park in Florida. We give the rangers working on the holiday a pumpkin pie and then stroll along the Santa Fe River. Ann Lane High Springs, Florida LAUGHING MATTERS I enjoyed Roy Blount Jr.’s…

SPORTING SCENE Making Waves GIGI LUCAS AND THE NONPROFIT SHE FOUNDED INSPIRE A NEW GENERATION OF SURFERS By Nila Do Simon PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEFANIE KEELER On a Wednesday morning in October in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with the sun still low on its ascent, GiGi Lucas looked up from her surfboard to see a Black man walking along the sand. As she popped up onto the board, he came to a halt and began staring at her in awe, “as if he were thinking, Wow, I’ve never seen that before,” Lucas says. The “that” she refers to: an African American woman riding the waves, a rare vision among the sport’s abundance of shaggy-blond-maned males. In Jacksonville Beach, Lucas says, she’s often the sole female in the “lineup”—where surfers queue up for…

MUSIC Julien Baker’s Dark Magic THE FEARLESS SONGWRITER EMBRACES A BIGGER SOUND AND PULLS NO PUNCHES ON HER EXHILARATING THIRD ALBUM By Matt Hendrickson Alysse Gafkjen My dog has to pee,” Julien Baker says almost apologetically. We’ve been talking for about ninety minutes, and the twenty-five-year-old Memphis native is affable and chatty on topics ranging from existential philosophy and music theory to how many cups of coffee she’s had this morning. Her dog, Beans, is a hound mix she adopted from a Nashville shelter, and for an artist known for penning first-person, emotionally draining songs, focusing her attention on Beans has been a revelation. As the adage goes, “Did I save the dog or did the dog save me?” Baker concedes it might be more of the latter. Since her…

Dining on a Dream What it takes to keep a restaurant running “Neither of us had opened a restaurant before, we were not from Savannah, and we had a very young and inexperienced staff,” writes Mashama Bailey in Black, White, and the Grey (Lorena Jones Books), the riveting memoir of sorts she coauthored with John O. Morisano, her partner at the celebrated Grey restaurant. “Thank goodness we never stepped back to view it from 10,000 feet.” In a back-and-forth style, they now take the long view to share how Bailey, a Black chef with Georgia roots, and Morisano, a freewheeling Italian American entrepreneur, took a delicious dare. Each chapter ends with a personal recipe, including some from their grandmothers and one for the Paper Plane, the Grey’s perfect bourbon-based aperitivo.—CJ…

ANATOMY OF A CLASSIC Duck and Waffles ATLANTA’S DEBORAH VANTRECE PUTS A GLOBALLY INSPIRED SPIN ON A SOUL-FOOD FAVORITE By Kim Severson Food and prop styling by Charlotte Autry PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHNNY AUTRY Learning to cook came naturally for Deborah VanTrece. The owner of Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours in Atlanta with her wife, Lorraine, and daughter, Kursten, she spent childhood afternoons watching her grandmother at the stove. There was the aunt who made perfect neck bones, and another who had macaroni and cheese down to a science. Her dad was often at the grill, and her mother would head right to the kitchen after work. “I liked to eat, they cooked well, and I paid attention,” she says. VanTrece left home to become a flight attendant, eventually moving to…

DRINKS Carnival in a Glass A COCKTAIL FOR YOUR MARDI GRAS AT HOME By Wayne Curtis Food and prop styling by Charlotte Autry PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHNNY AUTRY A few years ago, I came across one of those irresistible Web quizzes. This one claimed, “We know if you like black licorice with just one question!” Oh, really? I clicked, of course. The question: “Are you eighty years old?” Licorice doesn’t get enough respect for a flavor that apparently takes eight decades to fully appreciate. In any event, New Orleans has some age on it. The city had a well-documented fondness for licorice-inflected absinthe when it was legal before 1912, and licorice-inflected Herbsaint when absinthe was banned for about a century after that. And those licorice notes remain an integral component of…

SOUTHERN STYLE Keepsake Keepers TIMELESS OPTIONS FOR SHOWCASING THE MEMENTOS OF YOUR LIFE By Haskell Harris Styling by Linden Elstran PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALICE GAO TREASURES CHEST Though hope chests began as places for women to store their trousseaux, many Southerners now use the trunks to collect all manner of memorabilia, from love letters and childhood toys to heirloom linens and family albums. This Selamat Designs trunk, featuring both exterior and interior art by the beloved British designer William Morris, offers an especially charming resting spot for all of the above ($1,250; perigold.com). CLOSE to the HEART The jewelry designer Monica Rich Kosann collected antique lockets—and other lovely objects in which to display and carry photographs, including this cigarette case she fitted with family images—long before she began dreaming…

HOMEPLACE Texas Two-Step AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN TRADITIONS HARMONIZE IN A MODERN FARMHOUSE OUTSIDE OF HOUSTON By Tom Foster PHOTOGRAPHS BY WYNN MYERS I always wanted a library–slash–dining room,” says Jill Brown, who owns a housewaresshop in Houston. “I always wanted to eat and entertain among books.” Perched at her ebonized mahogany Napoleon III table in a corner lined with shelves of art tomes, an Hermès scarf casually tossed around her neck and a spread of cheeses and crusty breads laid before her, Brown exudes the unmistakable air of someone who has spent a fair share of time in Europe. This three-bedroom country home northwest of the city, near the town of Bellville, looks equally civilized. Brown’s little pocket of East Texas, where the coastal plains give way to gently rolling…

The Golden Isles Essentials Before you embark on the perfect trip, add these can’t-miss experiences to your itinerary. Explore the St. Simons Lighthouse ST. SIMONS ISLAND This centuries-old landmark offers unparalleled views of the coast (including rare sights of Jekyll Island and Brunswick)to anyonewho braves its height. Playa round of golf ' SEA SLAND Golf fanatics from all over the world travel to the Golden Isles fora chance to tee upon oneof Sea Island GolfClub's three championship courses. Guests of the island have access to the links, as well as resident golf pros. Take in the history JEKYLL ISLAND On idyllic Jekyll Island, the rich history dates back some 3,500 years. Explore the historic houses, landmarks, and museumsforafuller picture of the region. Taste the bounty LITTLE ST SIMONS ISLAND On…

WEEKENDS Fredericksburg’s Big Texas Welcome THE HILL COUNTRY HAVEN MARKS 175 YEARS THIS SPRING, AND A CREW OF LOCALS KEEP IT FLOURISHING By Sallie Lewis PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICK SIMONITE On a freezing afternoon late last winter, I drove west on I-10, leaving my home in San Antonio for a yearlong sabbatical in Fredericksburg. Though only seventy miles away, the town couldn’t feel more removed from my life back home. Fredericksburg may be little, especially by Texas standards—population 12,135—but it boasts a big reputation. Known for its sweet summer peaches, a booming wine industry, and its German heritage, it will begin celebrating its 175th anniversary this May with a year’s worth of festivities. But even a weekend exploring its mix of historic and modern charms—and reveling in its springtime wildflower show—can…

Kids Afield A memorable first hunt No doubt my greatest joy of this past duck season was my son’s first duck hunt. Sam is still too young for a gun, but I suited him up in a new pair of Gator Waders, put on his hearing protection, handed him his own flashlight for the pre-dawn trek to our small wood duck hole, and made sure his first experience was all about him. The woodies were sparse that morning and I didn’t fire a shot, but I did take a brief spill in the cold water while picking up decoys, much to Sam’s delight. It was a morning neither of us will soon forget. The turkey woods are next.…

Social Chatter GARDENANDGUN.COM AND BEYOND WE ASKED... What’s something that feels Southern but isn’t? On Facebook and Twitter, readers told us what non-Southern people, places, and things seem right at home around here. Poutine. I mean, gravy, cheese, and french fries? How is that not Southern? Kalisa Hobbs Hyman Canadian butter tarts were born to be baked in the South. @AlimoMorrison Creedence Clearwater Revival sounds straight from Muscle Shoals. @quamchata Julia Child felt very Southern to me. Beth Yarbrough Paw Paw, Michigan. The name and the low rolling hills seem like someplace out of the South. Paul Shibley Shania Twain. Rodney Hale The farther north in Maine you go, the more Southern it feels. Rv Wills Scrapple. It originated in Pennsylvania, but we’re good at making and eating weird meat…

ARTS True Colors LAURIN MCCRACKEN’S VIVIDLY RENDERED STILL LIFES MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME By Michael J. Mooney PHOTOGRAPHS BY TREVOR PAULHUS Laurin McCracken dabs his paintbrush into a lukewarm jar of water, then into one of the five different shades of black he has on his palette. After testing the color on a scrap, he takes the brush to the three-hundred-pound soft press Italian paper on his desk and makes four or five smooth, delicate strokes. “You can see the water soak into the fibers of the paper,” he says, his native Mississippi brogue apparent in every word. He’s about halfway through a still life: three blazingly bright clementines and a matte pewter tea set on a folded white cloth. Thin layers of tracing paper, secured with tape, protect…

Mardi Gras Grooves Cha Wa brings the NOLA funk Cha Wa MY PEOPLE Blending funk, blasting horns, and pulsing Afrobeat rhythms, the New Orleans band Cha Wa’s blistering new album, My People, out this March, is as vibrant as a Fat Tuesday jaunt through the Garden District. Fronted by Joseph Boudreaux Jr., Cha Wa showcases the traditions of Mardi Gras Indians, mostly Black community members known for their music, dialect, and legendary costumes and headdresses that explode in a rainbow of colors. The title track is an instant parade classic, with a shout-along chorus, and the band’s energy is relentless throughout. It will make you yearn for the Big Easy’s smoldering streets.—M.H.…

ASK G&G Eau de Chapeau CAP CARE, WASP UPSIDES, AND MARDI GRAS AT HOME By Guy Martin ILLUSTRATION BY BRITT SPENCER Should you everwash a favorite hat? Just a few months ago, I’d have suggested you get in touch with a good shrink or a trusty preacher to counsel you out of that heresy. Hats—particularly ones that have enjoyed years of outings—are sacred tools in the kit. Touch them with soap? A thousand times no. Obviously, we all clean our guns, rods, and reels, just as we sponge the blood and feathers out of jacket pockets and brush mud off boots. But a recent domestic debate provided me with nuance on washing a hat. To wit: One favored cotton fishing hat has seen action in the Florida Keys, Alabama, Tennessee,…

WHAT’S IN SEASON Cast-Iron Buds A PITMASTER’S SECRET FOR NO-FAIL, PERFECTLY CRISPY BRUSSELS SPROUTS By Jenny Everett ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN BURGOYNE When it comes to brussels sprouts, it was not love at first bite for the Nashville-based pitmaster Pat Martin. “As a kid, I loved vegetables, but I didn’t like okra and I didn’t like brussels,” says the owner of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint and Hugh-Baby’s BBQ & Burger Shop. But then he met his now wife, Martha Ann, who won over his heart—and belly. “It’s her favorite vegetable, and she makes great brussels,” he says. “So now they’re one of my favorites, and I love to make them for her.” His go-to preparation involves crisping them in a cast-iron skillet (see recipe). “It’s one of those things you can’t beat…

MADE IN THE SOUTH Turkey Talkers FROM HIS SMALL WORKSHOP IN CHATSWORTH, GEORGIA, ANTHONY ELLIS TURNS OUT SOME OF THE COUNTRY’S FINEST TRUMPET CALLS By David Joy PHOTOGRAPHS BY KATHRYN MCCRARY The call itself looks simple enough—a turned wooden barrel and mouthpiece fitted together by a small metal ferrule so that the shape mirrors that of a miniature clarinet. But any hunter who has ever attempted to coax a turkey into gun range with a trumpet knows that this is the hardest call to master. That learning curve steepens when a call is poorly crafted, some being all but impossible to play. But hold a trumpet turned and tuned by a master—say Zach Farmer or Billy Buice, Charlie Trotter or Frank Cox—and you will recognize that there is an art…

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GOLDEN ISLES Endless Summer in the Golden Isles NO MATTER THE SEASON, GEORGIA'S BARRIER ISLAADS PROMIS MILD WEATHER, LUSH ACCOMMODATIONS ,AND MILES OF NATURAL WONDER On the southern coast of Georgia, a string of barrier islands and one mainland city have captured the hearts of manya visitor. Draped in aveil of Spanish moss and skirted by shimmering marsh grass, the region known as the Golden Isles has a reputation for enchantment-no matter the season. While the warmer months bring long, lazy beach days and dips in the nearest pool, sunny skies and comfortable temperatures year-round mean the spirit of summer lingers on. With highs in the mid-sixties in the "dead of winter," alfresco dining, wildlife exploration, and friendly golf tournaments are blissfully accessible, and whether you're…

ADVENTURES Silver King NOBODY FISHES OLD FLORIDA QUITE LIKE THE TARPON GUIDE DAVID MANGUM By Monte Burke Julian Gomez; Andy Anderson See that ripple in the water there, coming at us?” David Mangum is practically whispering in my ear while pointing over my shoulder into the bay, employing his innovative and unusual guiding technique. “That’s a fish, and it will be right here”—he now points to a spot in the water maybe ten feet away from the bow of the boat—“in a couple of seconds. Wait for it…wait…and go!” I cast and then strip my fly once and immediately feel the unforgettable pull of a tarpon, a fish that the baseball great Ted Williams once described as “dynamic, eager, tackle-busting…sensational, spectacular.” It’s worthy of all superlatives. The tarpon on the…