Innholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2005 i Taste of the South

This yummy Poppy-Seed Chicken Casserole, which I am holding, is one of Dana Van Giesen’s favorite recipes, and it is so easy to prepare. taste just a 8 Spring Few Southern gatherings would be complete without food. Whether we gather around the family table or in the fellowship hall at church, we expect to enjoy an assortment of casseroles, deviled eggs, and cakes, with several other dishes sprinkled in, of course. Dana Van Giesen of Greer, South Carolina, has published three cookbooks of recipes compiled from family and friends. We asked her to share some of her favorite casseroles with us, and she was glad to oblige. In “Take Something Good,” beginning on page 68, you will find recipes for five easy casseroles that are sure to be big hits.…

Sugar is an indispensable ingredent in Southern baking. Not only does it add sweetness to cakes, cookies, and pies, it also makes doughs tender, stabilizes beaten egg whites for meringues, and caramelizes when heated to add golden-brown crusts to baked goods. Granulated sugar, or white sugar, is the most common form of sugar used on the table and for cooking. It is highly refined cane or beet sugar. Superfine sugar, or caster sugar as it is called in Great Britain, is more finely granulated. It dissolves almost instantly, making it perfect for making meringues and sweetening cold liquids. It can be substituted for regular granulated sugar cup for cup. Brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added to give it a soft texture. Light brown sugar is more delicate in…

You know it’s spring when the tulips pop their brightly colored heads above the soil and the azaleas burst into hot pink blossoms all over the land. With the weather so perfect for being out of doors, thousands of guests flock to our amazing city, Savannah. I love to ride around the squares and see the packed trolleybuses full of visitors viewing our historic homes. Although, this spring you can find me one of two places: at my new restaurant (Uncle Bubba’s Oyster House) or in my garden. Michael and I are finally settled into our dream home, and I am having the time of my life decorating and planting my gardens. This is the perfect time of year for me to start all my new gardens. I am busy…

It may surprise many people to learn that deviled eggs are not an American invention. They’ve been around—in one form or another—for thousands of years. Eggs stuffed with spices, vinegar, and black pepper were standard fare at banquets in ancient Rome. And medieval texts contain recipes for hard-cooked eggs stuffed with raisins, cheese, parsley, marjoram, and mint. The term “deviled” was coined in the 1700’s; and, by the late nineteenth century, deviled eggs had evolved into the form we know today—a creamy mixture of mayonnaise and hard-cooked egg yolks, flavored with mustard and other spices, elegantly presented in a pearl-like egg-white shell. Among Southerners, deviled eggs have come to be the ultimate comfort food. We pack them in picnic lunches and take them to tailgating parties. We offer them as…

Cover: Candlewick plates are antiques. Goblet and tray from Target®. Location courtesy of Andy’s Creekside Nursery. Easter Sunday Dinner Pages 10–16: China and flatware by Ralph Lauren®. Stemware by Mikasa®. Glass pitcher and white serving pieces from World Market. Toile tablecloth and bread basket from Williams-Sonoma®. Parfait glasses are antiques. Location courtesy of Patsy and Mike Mitchell. Scrumptious Salads Pages 17–20: Square platter and glass plates from World Market. Salad servers from T.J. Maxx. Glass bowl and vase from Distinctive Designs International. Glass fruit bowl is antique. Table linens from Bed, Bath & Beyond. Location courtesy of Elizabeth and Jeff Ellis. Fresh Pickings Pages 36–45: Jelly dish, spoon, and napkin are antiques. Striped tray and glasses from Target®. Dishes and strawberry pitcher from World Market. “Festivity” salad plate by Wedgwood®.…

Menu Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing Apricot-Glazed Ham Scalloped Carrots Roasted New Potatoes Steamed Asparagus with Lemon Butter Sauce Angel Biscuits with Orange Butter Fresh Mint Tea Lemon-Blueberry Parfaits Angel Biscuits Yield: approximately 2 dozen Preparation: 30 minutes Bake: 10 minutes 1 (1¼-ounce) envelope active dry yeast ¼ cup warm water (105° to 115°) 2 tablespoons sugar, divided 2½ cup all-purpose flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup shortening 1 cup buttermilk • Preheat oven to 400°. • Combine yeast, warm water, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a 1-cup liquid measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes. • Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. • Combine…

W riting a Southern cookbook is about more than just recipes, according to cookbook author Dana Van Giesen, pictured below with her daughter and mother. It’s about reconnecting with family and sharing family history. “That’s what being Southern is all about,” she explains. The Jackson, South Carolina, native comes from a family of great cooks—“some of the best cooks in the world,” she claims proudly. “My mother is a wonderful cook, and my grandmother always had something delicious on her kitchen counter.” From these women, Dana inherited a wealth of family recipes, written in faded ink on the backs of envelopes and other frayed bits of paper, which she had stuffed into a kitchen drawer. That drawer was Dana’s resource whenever she was planning a party or choosing a dish…

Chocolate Dessert Cups Yield: 12 regular-size desserts or 24 mini desserts 1 (12-ounce) package semi-sweet or white chocolate chips 1½ cups whipping cream 3 tablespoons cocoa powder 3 tablespoons powdered sugar Thin chocolate cookies (optional) Garnish: sliced almonds, sugared edible flowers, or fresh berries • Place one 12-cup muffin pan or two 12-cup mini-muffin pans in the freezer to chill. • Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler over hot (but not boiling) water, stirring until smooth. Using a round pastry brush or the tip of a teaspoon, coat the inside of each chilled muffin cup with melted chocolate. Return pans to the freezer for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight. • To remove chocolate cups from muffin pan, apply gentle pressure to the…

Veggie-Pasta Salad Yield: 8 servings Preparation: 20 minutes Cook: 1 minute 1 (8-ounce) package bowtie pasta, uncooked 2 cups broccoli florets 2 cups sliced fresh carrots 2 cups sliced mushrooms 1 (2¼-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained • Cook pasta according to package directions; drain, and set aside. • In a large saucepan, blanch broccoli and carrots in boiling water over high heat on stovetop for 1 minute. Drain broccoli and carrots and rinse immediately in cold water to stop the cooking process. • In a large bowl, combine broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and olives. Add pasta, tossing gently to combine. Add Lemon Vinaigrette; toss well. Cover and chill. Lemon Vinaigrette Yield: approximately 2 cups Preparation: 5 minutes 1¼ cups olive oil ⅓ cup lemon juice 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1½…

Florida Strawberries have that “Very Berry” Taste Many people like fresh fruit for breakfast, but few can enjoy it as easily as Eva Nell Griffin does. When she wants to have fresh strawberries with her cereal, this mother of two just steps out the back door and picks a handful of ripe berries from her own strawberry fields. That’s just one of the fringe benefits of being a strawberry grower near Plant City, Florida, the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. Eva Nell and her husband, Russell, (pictured above) own Shady Acres, a small three-acre strawberry farm near Dover, Florida, just four miles west of Plant City. “There used to be only one red light. Now we have two,” Eva Nell boasts. But she and her husband enjoy the relaxed…

baking the perfect cake is easier when you start with the right equipment—and, of course, that means the right pans. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing your pans: Heavy metal pans with shiny surfaces are best for baking cakes. They reflect heat and produce a tender, light-brown crust. For best results, don’t use glass baking dishes; they absorb more heat and can alter your results. Heavy cast-aluminum or steel pans such as NordicWare®’s Platinum series or Kaiser®’s La Forme series are ideal choices. If you’re a novice baker, start with a set of three 8- or 9-inch round cake pans for baking layer cakes. Then add a 10-inch tube pan or a Bundt® pan for pound cakes. A 9-x- 13-inch pan for sheet cakes and…

Vivian Moody confesses, “I have a sweet tooth,” so it’s no wonder that her recipe for Banana Pudding is one of her favorites. She picked it up at a family reunion many years ago and has been sharing it with friends and family ever since. The coconut-flavored crust makes this recipe a nice change from a “regular” banana pudding. The Atlanta-based portrait artist admits that she doesn’t cook as much since her two sons, now ages 28 and 30, went away to college years ago. But she stays busy painting portraits of people and animals and taking care of her husband, Dwight, and her “loud-mouthed dachsund,” Fergie. “I’m very lucky to be a working portrait artist,” she explains. Banana Pudding Yield: 8 to 12 servings Preparation: 15 minutes Bake: 30…