Innholdsfortegnelse for March - April 2012 i Taste of the South

SPRING EXCITES ME MORE THAN ANY other time of the year, from the first tiny chartreuse leaves that burst from trees to the vibrant shades of green at the farmers’ market. This season is all about opportunities. Try new recipes with the freshest ingredients available (think English peas, dill, radishes, sugar snaps, and more), start a small backyard or container garden, and find more occasions to share a home-cooked meal with family and friends. This issue is full of recipes I can’t wait to cook at home. From start to finish, our Easter Lunch (page 20) should be on everyone’s table April 8. It’s full of Southern classics like deviled eggs, spoonbread, and a hot-baked ham. And the Best-Ever Brunch on page 30 features a fantastic menu for casual entertaining.…

Charleston Wine & Food Festival The first weekend in March, the streets of downtown Charleston will teem with food lovers seeking morsels of Southern goodness from chefs, pit masters, authors, and more. You’ll find everything from beer dinners and harvest luncheons to gospel brunches and grand tasting tents. (charlestonwineandfood.com) MORE food festivals around the SOUTH Florida Strawberry Festival, March 1-11, Plant City, Florida Outer Banks Taste of the Beach, March 15-18, Outer Banks, North Carolina Louisiana Crawfish Festival, March 22-25, Chalmette, Louisiana Elberta German Sausage Festival, March 31, Elberta, Alabama Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend, April 18-22, Charlotte, North Carolina Barnesville BBQ & Blues, April 26-28, Barnesville, Georgia Irvine Mountain Mushroom Festival, April 28-29, Irvine, Kentucky THE YEAR OF Alabama Food Throughout the year, all things food will be celebrated…

pavlova with fruit and lavender syrup Yield: 1 (8-inch) 2-layer pavlova 11⁄2 cups sugar, divided, 4 large egg whites, at room temperature 1⁄2 cup water 11⁄2 teaspoons dried lavender buds 3 cups fresh strawberries, halved 1 cup orange sections, halved crosswise 1 cup fresh blueberries 11⁄2 cups heavy whipping cream 3⁄4 cup sour cream 1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar Garnish: sliced fresh mint 1. Preheat oven to 200°. 2. In the top half of a double boiler, whisk together 1 cup sugar and egg whites. Place over simmering water, whisking constantly until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are warm to the touch, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. 3. Transfer egg-white mixture to the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer. Beat at low speed with the whisk attachment for 2 minutes.…

EMERALD GREEN WATERS, SUGAR WHITE sand, and warm salty breezes—the recipe for the ultimate beach experience. Every expanse of waterfront has its own character and charm. Maybe I’m prejudiced, but I believe the 20-mile string of coastal communities on a county road known as Scenic Highway 30A boasts the best the beach has to offer. Nestled between Destin and Panama City, Florida, the community called simply 30A was relatively undiscovered until the 1980s when Seaside drew national attention for its inventive architecture and town planning. The opening, 26 years ago, of Seaside’s iconic restaurant, Bud & Alley’s, laid the foundation for the region’s culinary awakening. Where fried flounder and shrimp baskets were once the high watermark of a night out, scores of upscale restaurants now serve a bounty of fresh…

Husk cornbread In the article “Every Skillet Has a Story” in the February issue, I was so taken by the photo that appeared with Chef Sean Brock of Charleston, South Carolina [page 36]. It appears to be cornbread in a skillet. Do you have that recipe? It looks so good that I get hungry each time I see the picture. —Bob Echtle Emory, Texas Sean Brock of Husk and McCrady’s in Charleston, South Carolina, graciously shared his recipe for cornbread with us. Chef Brock bakes his cornbread for 8 minutes in an 800° wood-fired oven. Since home ovens won’t reach that temperature, we’ve adapted his recipe to bake at a more user-friendly 425°. Cast iron on glass-top ranges? I remember my grandmother using a cast-iron skillet; I would love to…

set a seasonal table Touches of nature make this Easter table look just like spring. Tuck wheat grass into egg cups, clip hydrangeas from the yard, and nestle farm eggs into a compote with moss. These easy ideas will delight everyone at lunch. herbed deviled eggs Yield: 24 servings 1 dozen large eggs 1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream 1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill 1 teaspoon salt Garnish: fresh dill sprigs and whole fresh chives 1. Place eggs in a large saucepan. Cover eggs with water by 3 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Cover, and remove from heat. Let eggs rest for 10 minutes. 2. Drain…

portobello and arugula sandwiches Yield: 4 sandwiches 6 large portobello caps, stems removed 1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1⁄3 cup mayonnaise 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh basil 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic salt 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 cup sliced red bell pepper 1 cup sliced baby vidalia onion 6 slices havarti cheese 4 kaiser rolls, split and toasted 2 cups arugula 1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine mushroom caps, vinegar, and 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Let sit for 15 minutes. 2. In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, basil, garlic salt, and lemon juice. 3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add red pepper and onion to pan. Cook until onion begins to caramelize, 5 to 6…

TEN YEARS AGO, TWO SELF-TAUGHT BAKERS NAMED CHERYL AND Griffith Day set out to open a bakery in Savannah in August, the hottest month of the year in this coastal Georgia town. Along with a few dance moves she picked up from her days as a Soul Train dancer, Cheryl brought to the enterprise her enthusiasm for the time-honored art of scratch baking. Griffith (or Griff as his wife calls him) added his pioneering spirit and his mastery of bread baking to the mix. A decade later, they have pooled their talents once again to write their first cookbook, The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook. So tell me, Cheryl, how did you and your husband, Griffith, come to open your bakery in Savannah? Is that your hometown? No, I…

WASTE-FREE LUNCH KITS Kids will love showing off their “green” lunch kit at school. And parents won’t mind packing them, either. The Kids Konserve Waste-Free Lunch Kit comes with two stainlesssteel containers, a stainless-steel bottle, a cotton napkin, a Food Kozy (no more plastic bags for sandwiches and fruit), a lunch bag, and a nametag. $45; kidskonserve.com.…

size does matter All our recipes call for large eggs. It’s important to use the size egg a recipe specifies, particularly when baking. However, the American Egg Board does have some guidelines for substituting sizes. 1 large egg = 1 extra-large egg 2 large eggs = 2 extra-large eggs 3 large eggs = 3 extra-large eggs 4 large eggs = 4 extra-large eggs 5 large eggs = 4 extra-large eggs 6 large eggs = 5 extra-large eggs try them our way! Don’t miss our meringue recipes, beginning on page 36, and for brunch, try our Roasted Salmon Cakes with Poached Eggs and Bacon on page 35.…

southwestern grilled chicken salad Yield: 6 servings 1⁄2 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons Southwestern seasoning 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts 3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears) 2 (5-ounce) bags mesclun greens 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 3 ripe avocados, sliced 6 Campari tomatoes, quartered 1 small jicama, peeled and julienned Creamy Southwestern Dressing (recipe follows) 1. In small bowl, combine olive oil and Southwestern seasoning. Place chicken in a large, resealable plastic bag; pour olive-oil mixture over chicken. Seal bag, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, turning occasionally. 2. Preheat oven to 500°. 3. Line a small, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place corn on prepared pan. 4. Bake, stirring occasionally, until corn appears blistered, 20 to 25 minutes; set aside. 5. Remove…

WONDER WHY SOME THINGS JUST TASTE BETTER when they are homemade? Think about it. Biscuits. Gravy. Cake. Even fancy cakes from expensive pastry shops usually look better than they taste. Well, there are a few exceptions. Angel-food cake from the grocery store is sometimes passable, and pound cake from an old-fashioned bakery that uses real butter can be acceptable. But certain cakes, such as the well-liked carrot cake, are best when they’re homemade. Why is a good store-bought carrot cake so hard to find? Carrot cake is the victim of its own popularity. More often than not, store-bought versions are greasy, dense cakes topped with garish exclamations of orange and misshapen squiggles of green. There’s no real flavor; it’s just wet cake. It’s like anything that’s really popular. From designer…

Cover Location courtesy of Lee Dawkins Easter Lunch Pages 20-29: Silver chargers and Moroccan tea glasses available at World Market, 877-967-5362, worldmarket.com; linen table runners and blue napkins available at At Home Furnishings, 205-879-3510, athome-furnishings.com; Lastra baking dishes by Vietri, 919-245-4180, vietri.com; bird’s nests courtesy of Studio Flower, studioflower.com, and similar available at Hobby Lobby, hobbylobby.com; vintage ironstone platter for leeks courtesy of Tricia’s Treasures, 205-871-9779, triciastreasures.us; location courtesy of Lee Dawkins. Best-Ever Brunch Pages 30-35: Plates and napkins available at Anthropologie, 800-309-2500, anthropologie.com; Eau Minerale juice glasses by Mothology, mothology.com; espresso cups and saucers available at World Market, 877-967-5362, worldmarket.com; blue table built by John Brannon Wood Craftsman, antiqdelr@aol.com. Meringue Pages 36-43: Paper baking cups available at sweetasthepunch.com; cake stand for Pavlova, white under plates for sorbet, and pink…