Innholdsfortegnelse for September - October 2017 i Taste of the South

Dear Fall, It’s so nice to finally see you! It was such a steamy July, and August was an absolute scorcher, so your crisp mornings and cool nights are a blessing beyond belief. Don’t get me wrong—I have nothing against your sister, Summer. We had such a lovely visit, and she has so many wonderful qualities (not the least of these being tomatoes, peaches, and blackberries). But like guests can sometimes do, she overstayed her welcome. I’ve been eagerly awaiting your cooler temperatures, and the bountiful gifts of your harvest. Take your muscadines and scuppernongs, for instance. Plucked from wild vines or picked up at the grocery, these sweet and tangy orbs glow duskily in their thick golden-green and deep purple skins. Baked into a pie, roasted with chicken, or…

DIJON MUSTARD CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES Makes 4 servings This seasonal chicken dish is glazed in a zippy mustard sauce with plenty of fresh garlic and thyme. 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided 3 tablespoons minced garlic, divided 2 teaspoons lemon zest 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, divided 1 pound carrots, cut into 4-inch pieces 2 cups broccoli florets 2 cups cauliflower florets 2 lemons, halved 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided ¼ cup minced yellow onion ⅓ cup dry white wine Garnish: fresh thyme leaves 1. Preheat oven to 425°. 2. Place chicken thighs skin side up on an 18x13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons oil,…

Whether dipped out of a jar or drizzled from a bear-shaped bottle, honey is the sweet elixir that few can resist. In the South, most of us were raised on it—peanut butter and honey sandwiches are a lunch sack staple, warm honey-spiked tea is every mother’s cure for a scratchy throat, and nothing beats a slathering of honey and butter on a fresh-baked biscuit. Its flavor is distinct, robust, and addictive. While honey isn’t limited to a season—it pairs just as well with peaches and barbecue as it does with pecans and cinnamon—something about the falling leaves and cooler air makes our cravings for it skyrocket. But despite our affection for this all-natural sweetener, few know the details of how it’s made or who does the sticky work of bringing…

Often serving as the heart of towns around the South, scratch bakeries evoke memories of fresh-baked cookies, towering cakes, and immaculately decorated confections for most folks. But, as times have changed, these heirloom landmarks have dwindled, except for a lucky few. Something has to be said for a bakery that’s been open for decadesthey’re an indelible part of communities they’ve served for decades. Naegelin’s Bakery NEW BRAUNFELS, TEXAS The oldest bakery in Texas (and on this list), Naegelin’s opened in 1868 and is a New Braunfels institution. Owned by only two families in nearly 150 years, Naegelin’s has stayed true to its sweet roots—current owner Todd Granzin still uses the same recipes that Edouard Naegelin did over a century ago. We crave the 26-inch-long, 5-pound apple strudel and the fruit-filled…

Rebekah Turshen has been the pastry chef at City House since 2009, but knew long before then that baking was what she loved. What started out as something fun to do when school was out turned into a wonderful career full of breads, pastries, and pounds of sprinkles. When did you realize you had a passion for baking? In middle school, I looked through my mother’s cookbooks when I had no school and baked cookies. One summer while I was in college, I had a part-time job as a baking assistant. I knew on my first day that I wanted to make a career out of it somehow. What is your happiest baking memory? I brought my grandmother Almond Sandies when she didn’t feel like eating, and her face lit…

WINSTON-SALEM 1 ROOSTERS Farm-heavy fare The chef’s deep relationship with area farmers is evident in everything from the constant menu tweaks based on seasonal availability to the garden boxes on the back patio, where local farmers grow microgreens and veggies used in the restaurant’s modern Southern dishes. TRY: Local Cheese Board, Carolina Barbecue Plate 2 MILNER’S Brotherly love It’s a family affair at Milner’s, where chef-owner brothers John and Buddy Milner have created a menu inspired by the dishes passed around their family supper table growing up. “We’ve taken family recipes and made them much better,” John jokes. TRY: Fried Oyster BLT Salad, Bourbon Pecan Pie with Salted Caramel Ice Cream 3 THE TAVERN IN OLD SALEM 19th-century style Get a taste of Moravian culture at The Tavern in Old…

SLICE-AND-BAKE BUTTER PECAN COOKIES Makes 48 Studded with butter-roasted pecans, these melt-in-your-mouth cookies are perfect served with a tall glass of milk. 2 cups finely chopped pecans 1¼ cups unsalted butter, divided 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon baking powder 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar 1. Preheat oven to 350°. 2. Place pecans and ¼ cup butter on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let cool completely. 3. In a medium saucepan, melt remaining 1 cup butter over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter turns a medium-brown color and has a nutty aroma, about 10 minutes. Let cool until butter is solid but soft, about…

What Southerner doesn’t love a good sweet potato? A perfect balance of sweetness and earthiness, this root vegetable is known far and wide for its vibrant color, rich flavor, and its ability to play a starring role in both dinner and dessert. Chef, recipe developer, and author Mary-Frances Heck takes her love of sweet potatoes to the next level in her new cookbook Sweet Potatoes: Roasted, Loaded, Fried, and Made into Pie. Packed with creative recipes running the gamut from a nachos-inspired appetizer and a gorgeous galette to tender orange-hued cinnamon rolls and pillowy sandwich cookies, each flip of the page will have you thinking, “I didn’t know sweet potatoes could do that!” Why did you choose sweet potatoes? I think single-subject cookbooks are awesome for the reader. And as…

Add this vanilla extract to cakes for a rich, creamy flavor 1. WONDERMADE S’MORES MARSHMALLOWS Wondermade marshmallows aren’t the jet-puffed treats you had as a kid. These creamy s’mores marshmallows are half chocolate, half vanilla, and 100% irresistible after being rolled in graham cracker crumbs. $7.95 for 16-piece box; wondermade.com 2. BIRMINGHAM CANDY COMPANY CARAMEL PECAN APPLE When temperatures start to drop, there’s nothing we crave more than pecans and caramel. This Caramel Pecan Apple perfectly marries two of our favorite fall dessert ingredients over a tart, crisp apple. $7; birminghamcandycompany.com 3. BAKED IN NASHVILLE BOURBON VANILLA EXTRACT This vanilla extract is extra rich, thanks to the addition of bourbon. Use it in place of regular vanilla in your cakes and cookies this season for even more sweet and comforting…

HERB-BUTTER ROASTED CHICKEN WITH MUSCADINES Makes about 4 servings The grapes break down around this roasted chicken and turn into the most beautiful pan sauce. 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided 1 (3- to 4-pound) chicken, patted dry 4 cups muscadine or scuppernong grapes 5 shallots, halved 3 sprigs fresh rosemary 3 sprigs fresh thyme 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons olive oil 1. Preheat oven to 425°. 2. In a small bowl, stir together butter, garlic, chopped rosemary, chopped thyme, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Gently loosen skin from breast of chicken, keeping skin intact. Rub butter mixture…

SWEET POTATO & CHORIZO SOUP Makes about 8 servings Chorizo adds a spicy kick to this vegetable-packed soup. 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 (12-ounce) package cooked chorizo sausage, sliced ½ inch thick 1 medium yellow onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth 4 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 medium sweet potatoes) 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes ¾ teaspoon kosher salt ½ pound turnip greens, roughly chopped 1. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chorizo; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon, and let drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in pan. 2. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1…

“There are only a few people in the world making dulce de leche with sheep’s milk.” — ANA KELLY Just seven years ago, Ana and Greg Kelly were living with their two children in the suburbs of Birmingham, Alabama. “He was a professional in I.T., and I was a stay-at-home mom and food stylist,” Ana says. “We had this feeling that there was more to life than just working for a corporation.” Now the proud owners and operators of Dayspring Dairy in Gallant, Alabama, the couple is about as far from corporate life as can be. Greg is now shepherd to the more than 70 sheep living on their farm, including Poof, Puff, Blossom, Buttercup, and Latte the Lamb, while Ana has taken on the role of head cheesemaker and…