Charleston Chow

New Blog and Website Address

2011-03-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

Faithful readers, as of today, March 23, my blog postings will be current and available through my website. That address is the following:

http://www.hollyherrick.com

I hope to see you there!

Happy cooking and great eating to each and every one of you...Best, Holly

Small Plates, Big Flavor at Barsa

2011-03-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, a wave of tapas mania hit Charleston with a clamor of small plates that slowly and mysteriously receded with the passing of long-time favorites like 11 Center Street, Meritage, Raval, and most recently, Chai's.

In January, Mediterranean restaurant maverick, Drazen Romic, opened Barsa, thus initiating what I consider a very welcome tapas resurrection in a town that was getting dangerously tapas-thin.

And, as Romic and John Ondo do so well at Lana, Romic and executive chef Derek Falta (formerly at Chai's) do equally well here. The ripe flavors of the Mediterranean, in particular lovely Barcelona, dance a sprite tango of Spanish twang on an enticing menu peppered with both authenticity and talent.

The dishes, like the restrained, sophisticated decor (spearheaded by Studio Caban), allow the food and the space to speak for themselves. Gone is the fluff and din of Shine (which, in my book, never really "shone"), replaced with lots of black, leather, wood, and a few touches of retro/antique Basque effects in lighting and massive original paintings. Faux painting in subdued hues on most of the walls adds to the old-world feel in the wide, open space at the corner of King and Line Streets.

Freely flowing drinks from the centrally located bar combined with flexible hours and a daily happy hour from 5 - 7 p.m. definitely contribute to Barsa's bar/lounge feel, but the food is restaurant quality of high order, any time of day or night.

I visited on a sunny, breezy, Sunday during Barsa's brunch service (11 a.m. - 7 p.m.), to find a relaxed, neighborhood mood and several acquaintances, which seemed especially Barcelona-like. Everything on the menu, from lamb meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce ($6) to tomato bread with ciabatta, roast tomatoes and manchego ($5), sounded delightfully delicious (there are even more choices on Sunday), so I asked for help from the bartender/server and my neighbors.

A pleasant mood settled in with a chunky, mildly piquant, veggie and olive-garnished Zing Zang Bloody Mary, followed by a plate of calamari ($7). Four, whole grilled squid were fanned around a central mound of fried, sliced calamari. The grilled "half" of the plate was dressed with olive oil, lemon and fresh parsley, and was refreshing, but the light, tender crunch of the fried calamari was perfect, especially with a nice, gently drizzle of a lemmony aioli. It was, however, the drunken goat fondue ($8) that practically had me bleating with glee. Thick, creamy and hot, it was served in a mini, ceramic red pot, swirling with golden and white cheese goodness. The tart kick of goat cheese was apparent, but there were several undertones that spoke beautifully of manchego and white wine. It's paired with grilled cauliflower and asparagus and thick slices of country bread that are just doughy enough to soak up the cheese, but firm enough to maintain an idyllic chewiness.

The fondue alone is enough to make a visit to Barsa, unless you count the crunchy, hot cubes of potato perfection in the patatas bravas ($3) that Raval so cruelly took away when it closed. I'm so happy to see them back at Barsa, which brings tapas to the table in a welcome, complete and authentically Spanish way.

Barsa
58 Line Street (Corner of Line and King Streets), downtown Charleston.
(843) 577-5393
www.barsatapas.com

Great Spring Eating Picks in Charleston

2011-03-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

When warm weather arrives and spring is in full bloom in Charleston, the time is right for Southern food done right. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

http://www.thedailymeal.com/5-must-try-restaurants-charleston

Duck Breast with Slathered Fresh Cherry Compote

2011-03-12T04:03:00.000-08:00

Try this delicious recipe for simply, elegant late winter, early spring entertaining. Duck never tasted so good! The sweet, dark cherries pop with the mild heat of the Slather Brand Slatherin' Sauce and triple cream brie cheese smooths all the flavors out with mellow, creamy goodness.

http://slatheriton.com/2011/03/duck-breast-with-slathered-fresh-cherry-compote-triple-cream-brie-cheese/

My Mom's Sweet Rendition of Tart Love Cover

2011-03-11T04:03:00.000-08:00

Great Goodness in The Big Apple

2011-03-08T08:35:00.000-08:00

New York is the ultimate reality show-land of extreme "haves", extreme "have-nots", and just about everything in between from just about every corner of the earth. That's why I love to go there for a few days every year. It helps me get out of my protected cushion of a world here in Charleston and see more of what's going on "out there".

The itch usually hits in late winter or early spring. So, I found myself there this past weekend to scratch it, mostly with long walks around midtown and through Central Park, people watching. As usual, I saw a bit of everything; a spoiled, loud, rude woman chewing out a sweet waitress, ostensibly because her salad was too dry, but really (as everyone could hear), because her boyfriend had dumped her. She couldn't figure out why. I resisted a very strong urge to tell her. Next came friendly shop-keepers on Lexington Avenue, a classic Russian waitress at a classic New York deli breakfast who consistently bumbled orders and consistently made up for it with her winning smile. Then, of course, there were the tragic, gaunt, faces of the homeless, the displaced, and the poor. People with faces so hardened by hard times and sad stories, the depths of which are almost impossible to comprehend.

Which, with no small irony, brought me to the next step of my NYC journey, a fund raiser held at the ultra-swank, ultra-celebrated restaurant, Daniel, on Sunday evening (March 6). A cause near and dear to Chef Daniel Boulud's heart, Citymeals-On-Wheels has delivered over 43 million meals to the doors of frail and elderly New York City residents. Boulud has been on board with "Wheels" since 1988 and has since cultivated an annual gala fund-raising tradition dedicated to this important cause. On Sunday, Boulud joined Gerald Passedat of Le Petit Nice (Three Michelin Stars) from Marseille, France and Laurent Kalkotour of DB Bistro Moderne (New York) for this year's fete with a "Burgundy, Bordeaux, Black Truffles & Blue Jeans" theme.

I've been lucky enough to feast on Chef Boulud's delices on two prior occasions, so I knew to expect his trademark celestial cuisine. I've been to fund-raisers before, but never one quite of this caliber, so I didn't know quite what to expect there. So, with memories of that mean, spoiled woman freshly etched in my mind, I braved a downpour of rain and the unknown world of the New York elite, even as I entered it through the security guard-flanked doors of Daniel.

Soulful jazz musicians performed an endless stream of tunes, while Champagne and gin, thyme and honey cocktails were poured from the bar. Servers expertly navigated the 178 person-strong crowd with endless trays of goodness, especially bites of tender, peppery, beef. Chef Boulud and Chef Passedat were there, of course, greeting guests with sincere care. The crowd was an eclectic one - young and old, formal and less formal, all genuinely friendly. After the silent auction, guests were seated at large round tables over-looking the center of the dining room where the live auction would soon begin. Meanwhile, I got to know my table mates. To my right, was Harvey, a 46 year-old bachelor and self-proclaimed foodie who had made considerable concessions to meet the $1,000 per person price of admission and who, I would later learn, had not yet given up on love. To my left, a young couple expecting their second child, who not only love great food, but also love Charleston and make a trek here to the Isle of Palms every August.

Around this time, the first course from Chef Daniel's side of the kitchen arrived; shaved slivers of fresh, exquisitely buttery Maine sea scallops set atop a frothy, savory bed of celery mousseline, punctuated with the elegant fragrance and flavor of black truffles. This, like all of the courses that followed, was expertly paired with wine, in this case a Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1 er Cru "Clos Des Mouches" Blanc, Burgundy, 2008. Chef Gerald Passedat, who is best known for his subtle fish dishes, was up next with a square of the freshest sea bass this side of the Mediterranean. It was so fresh, any fish taste was practically indiscernible, instead leaving behind a milky sweet, mild brine taste in its flavor wake. This was surrounded with a lively pesto and topped with an artistic clear gelee encased with truffle slivers and tendrils of vegetable green. After Chef Daniel's remarkable chicken, brussel sprouts, and caramelized truffles with an earthy, fragrant truffle sauce was served (pictured top left), the live auction began with several introductions, including a colorful one from New York City Mayor Bloomberg.

This was no ordinary live auction, and these were no ordinary bidders. Whimsically named packages like NYC Culture & Cuisine, La Dolce Vita a La Toscana, and La Vie Du Chateau promised days, and in some cases, weeks of indulgence at some of the world's best hotels, restaurants, and vineyards, many with personal tours and meals at select proprietors' homes. A bidding frenzy slowly mounted through the crowd, guided with the gentle urging and tempting descriptions provided by Chef Boulud and others as the evening roared on. Harvey got on the phone with his banker to check on his balance as bids by the $1,000's - $5,000, $10,000 and up to $70,000+ whirred by, gradually filling the Citymeals-On-Wheels coffers, until everything was sold, and the bucks stopped at a whopping $706,000 in earnings for the organization.

As guests supped on the final succulent dessert course, slices of frozen sliced vacherin that took on the texture of frothy marshmallow as they melted and were imbedded with candy-like tubes of exotic fruits and dressed with a tart-sweet exotic fruit coulis (picture top right). Served with an exceptionally delicate Vilmart et Cie Rilly-A-Montagne 1er Crue "Cuvee Rubis Rose" Champagne NV, this was Chef Passedat's baby, and he shyly stopped by with Chef Boulud to ask how we liked it.

After Daniel's famous tiny madeleines, chocolates and pretty petits fours made their rounds, guests began to gather their things and leave this evening of paradise. It was something to witness the amazing amount of work and talent that went on that night and many days and weeks preceding it, to ensure that lonely, displaced elderly ladies and men have something to look forward to at the end of the day. A nutritious, delicious and soul-stirring meal made possible because of the love and dedication of these chefs and their teams, other New York restaurateurs, and the City meals-On-Wheels organization, is something beautiful, indeed.

That's the kind of reality the world could use a lot more of and the kind of reality that makes one proud of their fellow man. Thank goodness!

www.citymeals.org

www.danielnyc.com

Make Time for Pot Pie

2011-03-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

Spring is tickling Charlestonians' senses with warm weather, a blush of pale green, and bouquets of blooming beauty. It's all so intoxicating, it's almost easy to forgive the brutality of this past winter.

But not so fast! No matter where you live, winter has a nasty way of roaring back with raw cold and wind in the fickle month of March, and that's the perfect time to make pot pie.

Pot roast, that soul-warming classic, gets all dressed up with a flaky pastry lid in this dish. By braising the meat with the vegetable aromats until the meat's tender and the vegetables have dissolved into the sauce, you're ensured layers of flavor. A jolt of red pepper flakes provide a little flavor surprise that will take the chill off any cold, dreary late winter day. If you can't find collards, substitute kale, spinach, or arugula.

This takes a little time the day before, but the taste and aroma dividends are well worth a little slow-cooked effort and handmade, buttery pastry.

Pot Roast Pot Pies
(Makes 6 - 8 individual pot pies)

Equipment needed: Six to eight 8 - 10 ounce oven-proof ramekins or bistro bowls
One 6" round pastry cutter

For the pastry:

2 1/2 cups White Lily All Purpose flour (use only 2 1/4 cups if using another brand)
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
2 sticks (or 1 cup) best quality, AAGrade unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/4" cubes
Ice cold water - about 3 tablespoons or enough to just hold the pastry together

For the pot roast filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds pot roast
1 onion, peeled, quartered and sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 stalks celery, trimmed, sliced into 1/4" rounds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1/2 cup red wine
2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes
2 cups beef or vegetable stock (or enough to cover the roast just over half-way)
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley

To finish:

2 cups baby carrots
3 cups collards, washed, tough stems removed, and cut into 1" squares
3 cups baby, fresh potatoes, scrubbed and pierced with a fork
1 - 2 tablespoons ketchup
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1 egg wash - yolk, pinch salt, splash of water, blended together.

The day before service, prepare the pastry. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a plastic blade, pulse together the flour and the salt. Add the very cold butter and pulse rapidly, 40 - 50 times, or until the butter is the size of very small peas. Gradually, drizzle in the water in drops, while running the machine. Add just enough until the pastry forms a clumsy ball. Pour it out onto a lightly floured surface. Form a flattened disc and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate over night.

Next, prepare the braised stew filling. Heat a large, heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. When it's hot, add the olive oil and butter. Season the pot roast, generously, on all sides, with salt and freshly ground pepper. When the fat is sizzling (but not burning!) add the roast to the pan. Brown,undisturbed, for about five minutes. Turn the roast and repeat on the second side. Remove the browned roast from the pan and set aside. Add the onion, garlic, celery, salt, pepper and herbes de Provence to the pan. Stir to coat and pick up any brown bits. Cook until softened, about five minutes. Deglaze with the red wine, stirring to pick up all the brown bits, and reduce the wine by half.

Return the roast to the pan. Add the tomatoes and stock. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar. After about four hours, add the red chili flakes and parsley, stirring in to blend. Remove the meat from the pan and allow to rest and cool. Meanwhile, using a shallow ladle, skim any excess fat off the surface. When the meat is cool enough to handle, chop it coarsely, removing any excess fat or sinew, which should be discarded. Return the beef to the pot and add the baby carrots, collards, baby potatoes and ketchup. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If too much water has evaporated, add enough water to thin to a stew consistency. Simmer, covered, another forty minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender. Remove from heat, cool, and refrigerate overnight.

The following day (or the day of service), roll out the prepped pastry into a large circle (about 1/4" thick) on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 6" rounds, using your pastry cutter. Return the rounds to the refrigerator to chill for about twenty minutes. Meanwhile, remove the stew from the refrigerator and skim off any remaining fat which may have coagulated overnight. Arrange the ramekins or bistro bowls on a baking sheet. Fill each with 1 1/4 cups of the stew. Top each with a prepped pastry round, sealing the excess pastry down around the rim of the bowl (it should be about 1/2" deep). Cut three slits into the top of the pastry and brush the top and sides of each lightly with the egg wash using a pastry brush. (Note: The pies can be compiled and refrigerated for several hours before baking, or go directly into the oven at this point).

Preheat the oven to 375F and bake for 35 - 40 minutes until bubbling, golden and beautiful. Set aside to cool for ten to fifteen minutes before eating.

March never tasted so good!

The Weight of Balance

2011-02-12T04:41:00.000-08:00

There was a big brouhaha last week when America learned what the President and his family and friends ate during their Super Bowl party. The First Lady talked about it on the Today Show, saying that the fattening feast of kielbasa, pizza (deep-dish, at that), hot dogs, etc., reflected her belief in "balance." Then she went on to say it was o.k. to be indulgent at times - that was only realistic, for her and her family.

As far as I'm concerned, they can eat what they want. In many ways, I agreed with her, though I felt their feast could have been more well-rounded. However, I felt her comments and especially the ensuing debates I read and heard about them throughout the week, were reflective of an underlying misunderstanding, especially in this country, about what constitutes "balanced" and healthy eating.

I'm not a nutritionist and I'm not the food police. In truth, I really enjoy eating - when I'm hungry. Most of the time, I especially enjoy fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, grains, fish and other healthful foods. But, there are times, when I really want a juicy burger, bacon with my eggs, or (my biggest weakness) a leg of fried chicken with a side of ooey, gooey mac 'n cheese. When that happens, usually about once a week, I go for it and enjoy it, guilt-free, but I stop when I'm full or just getting there. Then, my personal balance kicks in. I chase these indulgences with more "chaste" food options - a light dinner, a bigger work-out the next day. This plan works for me.

I wish more of us would embrace this model or something similar that works for them. I just cringe when I hear people telling me they're on a "diet" and will be eating virtually nothing but celery until they've lost 20 pounds. It's equally disturbing to witness, as is too often the case, people gorging on (usually unhealthy) food so quickly they can't even taste it or enjoy it. Or, when I see kids "sneaking" a piece of candy or chocolate because someone told them it was "bad" for them. This notion that food is bad or something to be afraid of or feel guilty about is all too prevalent and, in my opinion, is a driving force behind our profound obesity epidemic.

As Americans, I wish we could move away from it and employ a sense of balance and especially ENJOYMENT in eating. Food is good, it is our friend. It is a source of nurturing. We can't live without it. Let's introduce our children, early-on, to the pleasures of a balanced table and fresh, delicious, non-processed foods and produce. In this way, they will naturally develop palates that crave a rainbow of fresh, real food, and, yes, that occasional indulgence. Not only will they enjoy food more, they will live longer, happier, lives as a result.

Graze is Good

2011-02-02T07:18:00.000-08:00

When I think of grazing, I think of cows chomping their way lazily through a green, grassy meadow. It's a meandering, bucolic feed that both satisfies and nurtures without gut-busting greed or over-consumption distress.

Graze, a four month-old restaurant serving what it bills as "creative casual cuisine" from the space that was Coco's for a decade, serves more than a meadow. It whips up a veritable international forest via an expansive menu that borrows from the larders of Korea, France, the American south, Italy and more. Graze is green, too, both literally and figuratively. Management adheres to the once trendy, now nearly mandatory farm-to-table modus operandi. The dark, dreary and cramped Coco's predecessor has morphed into a light, fresh space with grassy green walls and little glass pots of lime green grass stationed throughout. Art created by local artists dress the walls and change seasonally with the menu.

Glaze is modern, clean, and inviting. Aside from being a little loud, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The server knew what she was talking about and was pleasant and professional from start to finish. The food is solidly (if not magically) palatable and creative as prepared by former Sette co-workers and Graze co-owners/chefs Michael Karkut and Derek Lathan. Although the menu suggests you might be in for a light graze with headings like "Tiny Grazing," don't be fooled. The Lobster Mac 'n Cheese ($10, pictured above), a sea of melting fontina and cheddar with generous chunks of fresh, sweet lobster and points of fresh thyme and black pepper that it was, proved to be anything but "tiny" in any way, shape or form. This good-enough-alone-reason-to-visit-Graze dish is ample enough to jump-start four women's appetites and bull whip one very hungry man's by the time his spoon hits the bottom of the bowl. But, boy, was it good!

Good is what Graze is all about, I think. There are ample choices, ample portions and very fair prices. The Roasted Leg of Lamb Gyro ($10, lunch menu) showcased tender, pink shards of lamb on fresh, dewy pita bread and a tart/tangy cucumber yogurt sauce, purposely served minus the dill, which I didn't miss at all. Another hearty sandwich is to be found in the sturdy, flavorful prime rib slices topped with freshly fried onion slices and a horseradish mayo, all on a fresh challah bun ($11, lunch menu). Salads, dressings and soups are all made in-house and reflect the same kind of freshness and appropriately paired flavor whimsy.

Graze seems to have attracted a loyal and diverse herd of patrons. Both times I've visited, it's been packed, even standing room only, chock full of everything from little old bespectacled ladies reading menus through magnifying glasses, couples sipping wine and holding hands, and bow tie- clad businessmen digging into Graze's big, beefy grass-fed (of course!) burgers ($9, lunch menu). No surprise, there is really nothing not to like here. The menu offers something for everyone (without over-doing it and risking mediocrity or kitchen confusion), the food is good, and the experience is pleasant without breaking the bank. But, unless you're very good and can resist the mac 'n cheese and fries, don't expect to depart on light feet. You'll leave well-fed and ready for a happy nap out in a warm pasture under the welcome shade of a sage, green tree dreaming of a meal well spent.

Graze
863 Houston Northcutt Boulevard, Mount Pleasant
(843) 606-2493
www.grazecharleston.com

Lunch/Dinner

Sage Green Apple and Aged Cheddar Tart

2011-01-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

.....An excerpt from "Tart Love"

Apples sit firmly atop my favorite fall/winter food heap. Winesap, Honeycrisp, McIntosh and oodles of other heirloom varieties tempt me with their tart, sweet and crisp goodness. Eaten raw, out of the palm or nestled into a tart, apples offer infinite variety and goodness.

In this tart, the play is on the perennial pairing of apples and cheese. The edgy tartness of Granny Smith apples is idyllic with a best-quality aged, extra sharp cheddar cheese. Sage seals the deal with its effortlessly earthy touch.

Compile it just before your cocktail guests arrive and bake while they wait. The house is filled with wonderful aromas and the tart bakes in just 20 - 25 minutes. Serve it warm while the cheese is still gooey and gently oozing from the edges of the tart wedges. This tart makes a perfect appetizer or pair it with a salad for a complete meal.

(Makes 9 appetizer portions or 4 entree portions)

Equipment Needed: parchment paper

1 sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, thawed according to package directions

1 egg wash - yolk, pinch salt, splash water, blended together

2 medium Granny Smith apples, halved, cored and sliced very thinly

2 tablespoons unsalted, sweet butter

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch kosher or sea salt

1 tablespoon dried sage leaves

3 cups grated extra sharp, best-quality yellow cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400F. Arrange the thawed pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill the pastry in the refrigerator while prepping the filling. Prepare the egg wash and briefly set aside.

Cut the apples, skin-on, very thinly. They should be so thin that you can practically see through them. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the sliced apples, pepper, salt and sage. Toss the seasoned apples to coat, and cook for five minutes, or until the apples have just begun to soften and lightly brown. Remove from the heat, place in a bowl, and refrigerate until they are cool (about 15 - 20 minutes).

Meanwhile, grate the cheese with a box grater for a medium-sized grate. When the apples are cool, toss half of the cheese with the apples. Arrange this mixture in the center of the puff pastry sheet, spreading gently and evenly to the edges, leaving an 1/2" border of naked pastry. Top the apples evenly with the remaining cheese, taking care not to drizzle over the clean pastry border. Brush the naked pastry border lightly with the egg wash using a pastry brush. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the pastry is fully puffed, a rich golden brown, and the cheese is melted and bubbling. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve immediately while still warm.

For appetizer portions, cut through the tart in three even bars, both vertically and horizontally. For entree portions, cut the tart into four even squares. Garnish with a final pass of ground black pepper and a light drizzle of dried sage leaves if desired.

Tart Love Cover Is Born

2011-01-21T12:34:00.000-08:00

So excited to finally have a look for my next book, all about wonderful tarts, both sweet and savory.

This is the finalized cover which features the Pear and Chocolate Tartlets from the book, to be released September 1, 2011 (Gibbs Smith). Bravo to Helene DuJardin for her smashing styling and photography and to the talented design team at Gibbs Smith.

Look for upcoming posts featuring recipes from the book to whet your appetite for a fall full of tart love.

Fondly, Holly

Hotmail/Facebook Hacker on the Prowl

2011-01-15T09:28:00.000-08:00

Hello friends,

I want to make you aware of a situation I am dealing with. No, I am not stranded in Scotland, as some sick hacker would have any of my email contacts, personal or professional believe.

I want to make all of you aware of a few things. Aside from being extremely frustrated, I am fine! Also, please do not be concerned for any safety compromise on your end. Just delete the message. They've managed to access my password, not yours! Please accept my sincere apologies for this. Also, take a note of warning. Be extremely wary of any email, no matter HOW VALID it looks, asking you for anything suspect. Trust your gut!

I'm currently working on convincing Hotmail and Facebook that I am who I am - crazy! Once it's resolved, I should be back on track with a valid password and hotmail account and more tasty food news.

Best, Holly

Super Sundays in Charleston

2011-01-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

Ahh, Sunday mornings. The stuff of reading The New York Times and lazily sipping coffee in bed.

In Charleston, it's all that and more. The day begins with a haunting bout of old church bells pealing, usually peaking at about 10 a.m. and finishing about noon. I almost always use this time to walk and build up my appetite for the day for all of the juicy Sunday offerings to be found here.

One of the juiciest, and perhaps with the largest underground following, is Sticky Bun Sunday at WildFlour Pastry. Talented chef/owner Lauren Mitterer opens her doors at 8 a.m. to a fervent crowd of Sticky Bun worshipers who have followed their noses down this unsuspecting stretch of Spring Street to find the golden, caramelized goods. The sticky bun party lasts until 1 p.m. where revelers get their fill of said buns (either slathered with frosting or with pecans as pictured) for a scant couple of bucks, which go down oh-so-well with a steaming cup of hot milk, chai tea, coffee or mocha, all in the sincere and doting presence of always hands-on chef Lauren. If buns aren't your thing, fuel up on savory or sweet tarts, myriad cookies and gorgeous cupcakes.

If you're like me, you'll save half the bun for later, and after a few hours, head on downtown to Tristan, in my mind one of the best brunch spots in town. Unlike those clunky, heavy buffet brunches that rattle the memories of my youth, Tristan has a fabulously light and diverse a la carte offering, complete with a trio of live musicians and seamless service. It's the kind of experience that invites lingering and solitude for the right price, to boot. You can be happy there alone (as I was this morning) or in a group of multi-generational families, friends and even young lovers. All were present to take in Chef Nate Whiting's sophisticated yet never over-dressed and always delicious fare.

Warm, assorted buns and creamery butter and endless mimosas and chunky Bloody Mary's ($10) start the show rolling on linen-lined tables on a stage of refreshingly minimalist decor that invites without suppressing formality. Benedicts, waffles, burgers and the unusually well done usual brunch suspects are all offered, but, so too, are a plethora of extra special gems worthy of note. In particular, the Bergamo Breakfast, which features super creamy, fluffy (almost souffle-like) polenta over a bed of gooey, fragrant Taleggio cheese topped with a tiny quail egg fresh from Sumpter, SC and dressed with delicious dots of truffle butter ($13). Or, try the sophisticated shrimp and grits in a sweet/spicy tomato gravy enhanced with pungent local shrimp and perfect seasoning ($14).

One leaves Tristan feeling super satisfied and sated, but not weighed down. The perfect prelude to a Sunday afternoon nap.

WildFlour Pastry
735 Spring Street, downtown Charleston
(843) 327-2621
www.wildflourpastry.com

Tristan
10 Linguard Street, downtown Charleston
(843) 534-2155
www.tristandining.com

Hampton Roads Picks Charleston Chef's Table

2011-01-07T09:00:00.001-08:00

Charleston Chef's Table Cookbook was selected as one of the top six cookbooks for Hampton Roads annual selection. Thank you and go Charleston!

http://hamptonroads.com/2011/01/halfdozen-cookbook-winners-announced-congrats

Five Must-Try Southern Restaurants in Charleston

2011-01-06T03:38:00.000-08:00

The Daily Meal has posted a story of mine about what makes Charleston special from a culinary perspective and features five delicious recipes from The Charleston Chef's Table. Here's the link:

www.thedailymeal.com/5-must-try-restaurants-Charleston

Give them a try. I especially love the oyster and mushroom recipe from The Fat Hen. It's the perfect dish for this time of year and the ingredients are so seasonal right now.

Happy Cooking!

Vegan & Vegetarian Sprout on Spring Street

2011-01-03T10:51:00.001-08:00

At least two or three times this past summer and fall, I spied an exuberant Ellis Grossman in his chef's whites chatting with the good folks of Thackery Farms at their booth at the Charleston Farmers Market. Like me, he was shopping for the very best fresh and organic goods that can be found there.

It always makes me happy to see young chefs excited about beautiful food, something he puts to deliciously crunchy good use at his new restaurant, Black Bean Co., which opened in September. It joins a small but growing army of vegan/vegetarian/organic dining options popping up in this section of town near Upper King (Dell'z Deli) and along Spring Street.

It seems a bit lost amidst the melee of fast and soul food restaurants in this neck of the woods, but its presence is welcome, at least based upon my recent visit. Grossman chatted amicably with guests even as he answered incoming delivery calls with a cheery allusion to the restaurant's "energy food" motto. The space is bright and light and full of happy colors and assorted attractive art, all by local artists. My favorite of these were the adorable, glossy and fragrant pie candles by Rachel Pitts of Pitts Wicks (www.pittswicks.com). They literally looked good enough to eat and briefly fooled even my very practiced pie (and tart) eye.

Settle into a long list of energizing breakfast, lunch, and super beautiful vegan dessert options here from soup to wraps to gyros to salads. Meat-eaters won't despair with hearty offerings like the Honey Turkey Bacon Club ($9) or the Gouda Baby ($8) wrapped fat and round and plum full of chicken or turkey, gouda cheese, sweet peppers, arugula, sprouts, basil oil and Dijon mustard. Grossman tastily flexes his Culinary Institute of Charleston trained skills and palate across the board here, including in the meaty-though-vegan Portobella Wrap ($10, pictured) and Fresh Spring Rolls (2 for $4) I sampled. The mushroom was marinated in a pungent blend of vinegar, oil and herbs and woven into a garden-full of spinach, red peppers, and onions all wrapped in a pliant, fresh and delicious spinach wrap. Meanwhile, the slivers of red cabbage, carrots and more shone like gems through the translucent rice wrapper, all ready for dipping in a fresh ginger marmalade.

Grossman and our local farmers (Thackery Farms provides 80% of the produce here) deserve our support for all the goodness they provide. Black Bean Co. is just the place to do it.

Black Bean Co.
116 Spring Street (near Rutledge), downtown Charleston
(843) 277-0990
Carry-out, free delivery and catering
www.blackbeanco.com

Creamy White Turnip Soup

2010-12-28T04:09:00.000-08:00

Featured on the daily meal's web site and adapted from Southern Farmers Market Cookbook, this is a simple and elegant soup for your New Year's Eve table. Happy New Year!

http://www.thedailymeal.com/creamy-white-turnip-soup-spring-onions-and-roasted-garlic

Christmas Cooking Past, Present, and Future

2010-12-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

Those of us who enjoy cooking are probably each drawn to it for different reasons. Artistry, beauty, creativity, nurturing...the list is undoubtedly a long one.

As I started prepping Christmas dinner a few days ago, several ideas and emotions floated to the surface of my mind, reminding me what I love about cooking. Above all, I love getting lost in it. I find that when I'm cooking I'm happy and completely worry-free. I kiss my dog more, I laugh more, and I sing more - well, at least when I'm alone.

But also, there are those memories, very precise vignettes, that come along as I prepare dishes attached to stories and/or people, and truly, what dish isn't? For example, while skimming the fat and foam off of the top of the beef stock that will form the backbone for Saturday's French onion soup, I saw the faces and heard the words of my precious French chefs at Le Cordon Bleu, from many years ago. The words were in French, of course, but they translated nicely in my mind at the moment. "One must not trouble the stock," from one. "Don't forget this is not a vegetable soup. Stock is mostly about bones," from another. "Never salt, are you in love?," from yet another sly one.

Similarly, all those months of making tarts for Tart Love (Sept., 2011, Gibbs Smith) brought me right back to my cherished mother-in-law Dori's kitchen, or to the garden of my personal French queen of tarts, Simone Firtione.

Cooking is so wonderful that way. It's the gift that keeps on giving. When my guests and I sit down to Christmas dinner on Saturday, I hope we'll all forge new and delicious memories we can savor years from now, at the most pleasantly unexpected sips and stirs.

Here's what will be on our table this year:

Miniature Bagels with Cream Cheese, Scottish Smoked Salmon, Red Onion & Capers

French Onion Soup

Artisinal Greens Mixed Salad with Fresh Pomegranates and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Roasted Hubbard Squash Puree

Cornmeal and Oyster Dressing

Roasted Organic Free Range Turkey with Pan Gravy

and, for the first time: Persimmon Tart with Coconut Ice Cream

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and of course, Happy Cooking!

Okra

2010-12-19T08:23:00.000-08:00

There is a nice story about Charleston Chef's Table Cookbook by Stephanie Burt in the new issue of the online magazine, Okra. Here's the link:

http://southernfood.org/okra/?p=176

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Super Sexy Scuppernong & Pomegranate Tartlets

2010-12-07T06:43:00.001-08:00

The flavor of the scuppernong is intensely grape-like. The outer skin is bitter, but the interior is sweet and gelatinous, which lends itself to the thickness of the sauce (or coulis) for this tartlet. Pomegranate juice (available at most grocery stores) adds brilliant, deep-red color and a sweet, acidic edge. So, why not pair the unlikely duo?

The results are smashing! The crunchy, pop-in-your-mouth pomegranate seeds form the first layer of the filling that is topped with a lemony, cotton-white mousse. Prepared puff pastry shells for the tart casings, while the coulis swirls around the plate in unrestrained regal splendor. All can be prepared ahead and plated at the last second, which makes this the perfect tartlet treat for your Christmas and holiday table. If scuppernongs are not available where you are, substitute Concord grapes or another full-flavored grape.

Super Sexy Scuppernong & Pomegranate Tartlets
(Makes 12 individual servings)

Equipment Needed: Parchment paper, baking sheet

2 packages Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells (or 2 Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets cut into rounds with a 2" round pastry cutter)
1 egg wash - yolk, pinch salt, splash water, blended together

For the coulis:
3 cups whole, fresh scuppernongs, rinsed
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons sugar

For the mousse:
1 packet Knox unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon warm water
1 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
Zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup honey, preferably local
1 cup cold whipping cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the garnish:
Seeds from one pomegranate, flesh and pulp removed (see directions below).

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the thawed pastry shells on it, about one inch apart. Brush the tops (not sides!) of each lightly with the egg wash. Bake until golden and fluffy, about 25 minutes. Set aside to cool when done.

Meanwhile, prepare the coulis. Combine the scuppernongs, pomegranate juice, water, cinnamon stick and sugar in a medium sauce pan. Bring up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the scuppernongs have popped and the liquid has reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the mousse. Combine the gelatin and water in a small glass or cup. Stir to combine with a spoon, or use your fingers. Once fully dissolved, whisk the gelatin in a medium bowl with the yogurt, lemon zest and honey. In a separate cold bowl, using a hand mixer or a whisk, mount the whipping cream with the vanilla. Whip until fluffy and firm. To finish the mousse, whisk one third of the cream into the yogurt mixture. Fold the remaining cream, in two batches, into the yogurt mixture. Chill, covered in the refrigerator. (Note: This can be made several hours in advance).

To finish the coulis, remove and discard the cinnamon stick and smash the cooled mixture with a masher or a fork to release as much flesh as possible. Drain the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing with the back of a ladle to release the juices, into a small bowl. Discard the grape skin/seed solids. The remaining liquid is your wonderful coulis! Chill the coulis.

Now, separate the seeds from the pomegranate. To do this, cut the pomegranate into quarters. Peel the seeds away from the pulp (also called aril). Do this with patience, it takes a little time. Your goal is to separate the bitter pulp away from the seeds and then discard it.

To assemble the tartlets, gently peel the "tops" off the baked pastry shells, along with some of the inside pastry, to form a "home" for the tart filling. Place one tablespoon of the pomegranate seeds into the bottom of each. Top with two heaping tablespoons of the mousse. Serve on individual plates with a generous swirl of the coulis, and a drizzle of pomegranate seeds. Keep cold until serving (up to one hour) or better yet, serve immediately.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!

Adapted from Tart Love - Sassy, Savory, Sweet and Southern, by Holly Herrick (Gibbes Smith, Fall, 2011). Photograph by Helene DuJardin, www.mytartelette.com

More Hubee D's, Please!

2010-12-02T07:45:00.000-08:00

Every once in a rare while, a restaurant comes along that transforms the usually healthy eating me into a virtual glutton. Hubee D's is the latest cruelly delicious contender. I visited it three times this week, even in the fattening wake of Thanksgiving indulgence. I was so pleasantly and guiltily sated every time I started fantasizing about shouting Weee Weee Weee all the way home, just like Max the pig in the Geico ads.

So be it. Hubee D's is just that delicious, or "Deelicious!" as their logo accurately deems this exclusively chicken - of the (mostly)fried kind - palace. Co-owners John Ferguson and Dana Sinkler, both Charlestonians and seasoned veterans of the restaurant scene here, wanted to come up with a restaurant concept that reflected Charleston. At first they thought about burgers, given Five Guys and others success, but then the idea morphed into all chicken, until finally they winnowed it down to their winning formula: fried chicken and wings, according to Sinkler. The unusual but highly memorable name comes from Ferguson, a collector of old trucks, like the one pictured above. When he saw it, he declared that it looked like something that should be called a Hubee. After that they tagged on the "D" for delicious.

Back to delicious! You've never had wings or sauces this good, anywhere. They come from Sinkler's family reipe file are honed with his talent to perfection. All of the sauces (save the Honey Mustard) are his creations. I cannot get enough of the Lowcountry Buffalo Hot (it also comes in mild and very hot) or the Black Tie Bourbon. The first plucks at your tongue with deep notes of vinegar and its rich coral color is a feast for the eyes, while the latter is deeply sweet and savory all at once. All the chicken comes from a SC chicken farmer and can be mixed and matched at the succulent "sauce bar".

The fried chicken (either tenders, nuggets or sandwiches) takes a long bath in buttermilk before getting dipped in a thick batter that crisps to crunchy perfection in a fryer - all made to order along with the hand cut fries that are served heaping and hot in every basket. The Hubee Sauce that comes with all of these is another huge Hubee winner. All smoky and slightly sweet, it reminded me of a smoke-infused Russian dressing. It's highly unusual and entirely irresistible. Sizes and prices for the items range from an easy $3.99 to $6.99. And, Hubee's throws in a crispy, tangy red cabbage, green cabbage and carrot slaw, cake-like sweet cornbread for added delicious good manners.

Hubee's has successfully usurped my long-standing wings King (Buffalo South)and sent it tumbling from its still tasty throne to mere Prince status. Hubee's are more meaty and come either slow smoked in hickory wood or simply dry rubbed style or "naked". Then there are all those delicious sauces for dipping.

Hubee's joins new restaurants Yobe yogurt and Pizza Pie pizza at the newly formed mini-strip mall at the renovated St. Andrews Shopping Center in West Ashley. A kind of celebrated food courts of sorts, Hubee's looks so franchise-like and impersonal from the outside (save for that cute truck) that I automatically wrote it off as same and thus avoided it until I kept reading all of Marion Sullivan's (Charleston Magazine's Food Editor) enthusiastic tweets about it. Even though it has the franchise look, it doesn't have the franchise taste. Not by a long shot!

It is a little like Five Guys in that sense, except it tastes extremely homemade and real. There is no production-line aura and nobody screams at you when you place your order. Indeed, service is extremely pleasant and personable, the restaurant is spotlessly clean, and the food comes fast (but not rushed), even when it's busy. Sit back and nosh on the salty boiled peanuts and take in the nostalgic country mural while you wait. The biggest mystery of all to me is how Hubee's smells completely clean and fresh, even with all that frying going on. The only answer is very clean and well-tended fryers, which makes being bad taste so very good.

Speaking of baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad, so bad I haven't yet done it, dig into D's Famous Fried Banana Pudding ($4.99). It's Sinkler's "de-constructed" version of a Charleston dessert staple, banana pudding. His version pools a cloud of cool vanilla pudding with a beignet batter-dipped banana that is fried and served hot with a dusting of crunchy vanilla wafers and hot chocolate and caramel drizzled over the top. C'mon now! As Sinkler says, "It's a great dish to share with friends."

If you want to be a little kinder to your waistline, Hubee's also serves three knock-out fresh salads and you can take that sandwich grilled, if you like. Kids will revel in the kids basket ($3.99) while the assorted size platters will likely be the hottest ticket in town come Super Bowl Sunday.

Hubee D's
975 Savannah Highway
St. Andrews Shopping Center, West Ashley
(843) 556-0330
www.hubeeds.com

Recipe Reparation

2010-11-26T03:48:00.000-08:00

Please note, the salt measurement for the Drunken Bourbon Pumpkin tart should be 1 teaspoon salt in the filling, not 1 tablespoon. It is modified in the blog listing, but in case you've already printed it out, I wanted you to know. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

2010-11-24T15:04:00.000-08:00

A hush descends upon the 'hood,

Foreshadowing all things good,

For a Thanksgiving Day that would,

Deliver all that it should.....

Health, happiness, fellowship and deliciousness to all!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cranberry Dreams

2010-11-23T03:50:00.000-08:00

Reflections on childhood Thanksgivings' past, as lovely as they really were, always include nightmares of those scary cranberries in a can. You remember the stuff? Gelatinous muck that comes out in the shape of a tube and sticks on the wall when you throw it. I'm sure that my brothers, sisters and the Lally kids, with whom we shared practically everything Thanksgiving, were guilty of that at least once. Sorry, Mom and Aunt Nancy.

There is really good news to be thankful for this Thanksgiving and for the entire holiday season: Cranberry Chutney. It's simple to make, delicious, infuses the house with holiday fragrance as it cooks, and, it even gets better the longer it sits. I make this delicious chutney a couple days ahead (that would be today!) of Thanksgiving. I found it in Bon Appetit magazine almost 20 years ago and make it (in a modified form) every year. It's the kind of thing people ask for, it's that good. Here's to cranberry dreams! This recipe includes apples. Use Winesap if you can find them. Happy Thanksgiving.

Cranapple Chutney
(Makes 18 servings)

1 pound fresh cranberries (4 cups)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup water
1 cup diced sweet onion
1 sweet/tart apple (recommend Winesap or McIntosh), cored, chopped
1/2 cup pecan halves

Simmer first 10 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the berries pop (about 15 minutes). Reduce heat, stir in onion and apple, simmer uncovered until thick (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat and cool. Refrigerate in an air tight container for up to one month. Stir in pecans just before serving.

Drunken Pumpkin-Bourbon Tart

2010-11-21T04:48:00.000-08:00

People tend to have strong opinions about pumpkin pie. They either love it or they hate it. In the South, where I live, most of my friends prefer pecan or sweet potato pies for their holiday feasts, yet nobody ever turns down my pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. In fact, I'm making two of these babies this Thursday to share with said friends.

This tart is similar to a traditional pumpkin pie, but, it's sleeker and sexier. It's not as deep and not as filling as pie, but it's plum full of fresh, roasted pumpkin flavor. Please don't substitute canned pumpkin unless nothing else is available. It literally pales in comparison in every way and it's so easy to roast pumpkin. Look for the petite pie pumpkins that are on grocer's shelves as we speak. They can be roasted off and pureed days in advance (see directions below).

In this recipe, the custard gets pumped up with bourbon and plenty of spice so that it takes on a beautiful, burnt caramel color and layers of festive flavor. It is best served cold or at room temperature served with a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream. Maybe it will become part of your holiday table's annual offerings. Happy Thanksgiving!

Drunken Pumpkin-Bourbon Tart
(Serves 8 to 10)

Equipment Needed: One round 9" X 1" round tart pan with removable bottom

For the pastry:
2 1/4 cups White Lily All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup sugar
generous pinch sea salt or kosher salt
2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
approximately 1/4 cup ice cold water, or enough to just hold together the pastry

1 egg wash - yolk, pinch salt, splash water, blended together

For the filling:

2 cups of roasted pumpkin flesh
3 large eggs
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon best-quality vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
2 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare the pastry. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a plastic blade, pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the cold butter all at once. Pulse 40 - 50 times or until the flour is the size of tiny peas. Gradually, drizzle the ice water through the mouth of the food processor, while pulsing. Stop just when the pastry begins to hold together. Pour out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a disk using your hands. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (Note: This can be done several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until baking day, which, for me, will be Thanksgiving).

Meanwhile, cut the pumpkin in half horizontally, and remove the pulp and the seeds using a stainless steel spoon. Discard the pulp and the seeds. Turn the pumpkin halves cut-sides down on a roasting sheet and cook in the pre-heated oven until the flesh is soft to the touch and beginning to implode, about 45 minutes. When the pumpkin is done, remove from the oven and cool at room temperature.

Once the pastry has rested/chilled at least 30 minutes, roll it out on a lightly floured surface, to about 1/4" thickness. Line the tart pan with the pastry, leaving enough pastry to create a slightly elevated pastry border, about 1/2" higher than the edge of the tart pan. Line the pastry with crumpled parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans, gently pressing the beans into the bottom and edges of the paper so that they're evenly distributed. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights, brush down the bottom, sides and edges of the tart shell with the egg wash using a pastry brush. Return the tart pan to the oven and bake another 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350F.

To prepare the filling, scoop two cups of the roasted pumpkin flesh out of the pumpkin halves and place in a large bowl. (Note - any left-overs can be stored in the freezer or refrigerator and later turned into a lovely savory soup or puree!) Using a hand-held mixer, blend together the pumpkin for 2 minutes on medium and blend into a smooth consistency. Add the eggs and light brown sugar, and blend together on medium for another minute, or until fully incorporated. Add the remaining ingredients and blend to combine on medium until fluffy, aerated, and fully incorporated. Gently ladle or pour the custard into the prepared tart shell, leaving a 1/4"-deep tart border. Place on a baking sheet and bake on the center rack of the oven. After 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 325F and continue baking until the custard has just set and quivers slightly to the touch, about 45 minutes total. Cool completely before slicing, or refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.

Bring on the whipped cream!

Recipe from Tart Love - Sassy, Savory, Sweet and Southern by Holly Herrick (Gibbs Smith, Fall, 2011. Photo taken and generously shared by Helene DuJardin, www.mytartelette.com)

Husk Remembers When

2010-11-19T06:24:00.000-08:00

Time changes everything. Or, maybe not. A friend of mine remembers working with Sean Brock a decade ago when he was still a Johnson and Wales student working double-time as a cook at Sweet Grass Cafe, a humble southern comfort food joint. She called the 2010 James Beard winner "fried chicken boy" because he loved Southern Culture on the Skids and enjoyed throwing it around at their concerts. She remembers how "excited" he was when he left to start a new job at the celebrated Peninsula Grill. Kind of makes you smile, doesn't it?

As a restaurant critic and long-time observer of Charleston's ever evolving and increasingly delicious restaurant scene, I remember when Sean Brock first stepped up to the chef plate at McCrady's, in the wake of much lauded local chef, Michael Kramer's departure. Just in his 20's at the time, it had to be a significant challenge, but Brock pulled it off. Still flexing his southern muscles, the West Virginia native worked a lot of foams, froths and sous vide technique into his work at a time when no one else in Charleston was doing it. His culinary identity was a little jumbled, but never his food. McCrady's, to this day, remains one of Charleston's very best restaurants. Brock's exploration and evolution and talent are three of the biggest reasons why that is so.

Yet, at the just-opened Husk Restaurant, Brock's newest baby, all fried chicken boy's passions and experimentation pay off in a 100% perfect and pure southern way. At Husk, Brock's come home to the heart of southern cuisine and is breaking ground in ways that could safely be called revolutionary, if not super human. Brock's mantra and his mission is to create a new Husk menu daily using only ingredients produced and raised in the South. On the side, he grows his own heirloom plants from seeds he's rescued, tended and loved to ensure precious crops and southern traditions are not plowed under the deadly tills of mass farm production. Let's not forget the heirloom pigs he feeds, slaughters and cures, and the fact that he has a wife he adores and a life, to boot. Yet, when he was beaming down at his smoked bacon cornbread at the soft opening I attended a few weeks ago, he looked like a little boy that had just gotten first prize at the school fair. So excited, and ebullient and jubilant was he. Kind of makes you smile, doesn't it?

Brock's passion oozes from every lovely pore of Husk. Situated in a lovingly and painstakingly restored single house on sleepy Queen Street, its decor is polished with exceptionally tasteful southern love. Just like the food, there is nothing cliche in the decor. No gingham, no chintz, no frills. Hard pine floors, muted, earthy tones, and gorgeous ceiling to floor draperies dress the setting. Dried okra pods in a vase full of stone-ground grits are the organic, lovely center-pieces while cloth, grit-fragrant, grit bags house some of the most decadent salt and benne studded Parker House rolls you could ever hope to eat.

An adorable, miniature brick kitchen house is the sleek and sophisticated-yet-still country bar. Brock pays homage to all of his well-vetted artisinal suppliers on his ambitious daily menu. A huge blackboard at the front of the restaurant repeats the theme. I'm happy to see that Brock and his team have scaled back a bit on things since the soft-opening. The man, as hard as it seems to believe at times, is a human and there are only 24 hours in a day. Gone are the "snack" options - small matter because similar options are available at the bar. It frees up time for attention to the food - and that is what outshines everything at HUSK. Above all, it is the reason to go.

I could go on and on about all the things I sampled last night when I was there - such as the sublime Cornmeal Dusted Triggerfish (pictured) on a Potato Puree that flirted with butter and fennel in the most delicious way, but there is no point. Today's menu will be altogether different. I predict that's all that's ever going to change at HUSK. Brock's brought the South home, to where it's always been best, rooted closely to the earth and heritage cooking. HUSK's only going to get better from here. Reserve your seat today. The wait's only going to get longer.

Husk Restaurant
76 Queen Street, downtown Charleston
(843) 577-2500
www.huskrestaurant.com

A (Temporary) Farewell to Tarts

2010-11-06T14:19:00.000-07:00

It's been five long months in the coming. Nights of creative tart thoughts turned into mornings of new tart recipe creations, followed by afternoons of buttery aromas wafting through the house, followed by yet another evening of tart possibility dreams.

It was an exciting time. Despite the tarts' relentless creativity call, it was a welcome opportunity after nearly a year on the road promoting Charleston Chef's Table (Three Forks, Dec., 2009) and Southern Farmers Market Cookbook (Gibbs Smith, June 2009). Being in the kitchen, is, after all, what I love best. So, to be there, snuggled in the warm aromas of baking tarts and tartlets, with the loving shadows of my dog Tann Mann and cat Chutney within flour-dusted arms reach, was pure delight.

We developed a cadence, the three of us. First stop, coffee and breakfast for me, food and walks for them. Next stop, the meditative process of making pastry, sometimes three batches at a time for the late morning and early afternoon recipe testings. Once the tarts were out of the oven, the next step was to deliver them to neighbors and, on some days, the construction crew that was building the house across the street. It was nurturing and peaceful and fluid. And, even when the taste-testing news was not always perfect, it always felt like a good days work.

Well, now the house across the street is complete, and so is the recipe testing stage of "Tart Love" - Sassy, Sweet, Savory and Southern. The simultaneous timing of the end of the house building and tart creations seems ironic and emotional, somehow. The next step, starting tomorrow, is to complete the writing of the book, which will be released next fall (Gibbs Smith). Saying goodbye to the tart-making step of the process feels a little bit like sending a young child off to school. I can bid goodbye, only knowing they'll be back later that afternoon (or later this holiday season) to warm my heart and my belly. For now, the final writing and editing stages begin and I'll have to bid a temporary farewell to my beloved tarts until they come back to me in book form sometime next year.

I can't thank my wonderful photographer Helene DuJardin enough for her tireless efforts and beautiful photography. My neighbors and pets always get thanks, just for being them. The photo above is of the final tartlet tested for the book, and it's not by Helene (just so you know!), but by me. They are Pimento Cheeseburger Tartlets, savory, final odes to a wonderful journey I will not soon forget.

Look for recipes from the nascent book in the several months prior to its eventual release in fall 2011. Happy cooking!

Trial and Failure

2010-10-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

One of the skills I truly own and accept is an ability to usually get a recipe idea right at the first pass. It saves time and it saves money. In short, it's very handy. The concept is there lurking in my tart-addled head, I work on it, and with a little tweaking here and there, it's a definite go.

Yesterday, with just five tart recipes to create before my self-imposed Nov. 1 deadline for Southern Tart Reform, I hit a recipe development road block of the highest order. Not one, but two, of my recipes were not on track. The first, Eggplant Tartlets with Goat Cheese Tapenade, I was able to rescue with a little bit of work, but the other, for the first time I can recall in over a decade, ended up in my trash can.

It seemed innocuous enough. The idea was to pair roasted cauliflower florets and sauteed bacon together in a light bechamel with a little cheddar and scallions thrown in for good measure and encase it all in a little fried pie pocket. I really thought it would work and kept thinking of it as a little quiche in a pocket, minus the eggs.

Well, it didn't work, in a big, bad way. At first, the problem was I made the bechamel with buttermilk. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but forgetting its acidity, I added super pungent, grated aged cheddar cheese to the mix. The result was heinous. So, I kept adding stuff to it. First curry, then more pepper, then sherry, then honey, then a ton of black pepper. It was still heinous, except more heinous than ever. It clung to my tongue like unthinkable nastiness. The whole scenario reminded me of my mother's home haircuts when I was a kid - with bangs. She'd start off OK, but then angle off in the wrong direction (especially with my bangs) and keep cutting more and more and more, until I looked like some kind of moulting mutant with an evil step-sister and a bad pair of scissors.

Back to the recipe, finally, in a desperate desire for salvation, I added the prepped cauliflower and bacon, hoping it would muffle the bad taste. It didn't. Hmmm. What to do? I decided to give it a night to think it over, thinking maybe I could sift the solids out of the goopey sauce and start over in the morning. Well, I tossed it all this morning and started all over. I stuck with the basics this time - milk, bacon fat, flour, salt and pepper and big chunks of Edam added into the cold bechamel before stuffing the pies. The result was heavenly (see above).

I guess it helps every cook to stay humble and to remember that mistakes happen. Most importantly, the toughest lesson of all: Less is almost always more. Unless, maybe, it's your hair.

Happy cooking!

On the Town with Herb and Hen

2010-10-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

Herb and Hen are my parents. Herb is my father's real name (short for Herbert Nicholas) and Hen is my mother's nickname. She acquired it at some point along the long journey of raising her four children and it is an allusion to the whole "mother hen" thing. Her real name is Margaret. It strikes me with no small irony that they both have "food" names, especially since they, like me, love great food and have little patience for or interest in bad food.

That's probably a big part of the reason they come to visit me twice a year here in the great food town that is Charleston on their seasonal treks to and from their dual homes in Kansas City and Naples, FL. They've been doing that for the decade I've lived here. It's hard for me to believe that Herb is now 77, Hen is now 75, and I'm now 45. Maybe it's the passage of time, maybe it's the irrepressible knock of mortality on our collective consciousness' door, or maybe it's just the growing pool of wisdom that comes with time, but each time they come, we seem to have more fun, learn more, and eat more. And, perhaps most importantly, try and be more patient and kind, as hard as that can oddly be with those you love most.

They just left here yesterday after a four-day whirlwind of "Doin' The Charleston" which, for us, meant long walks, big breakfasts (at home) and an indulgent round of restaurant dining. The hardest part was, like always, selecting where to go. Hen has her favorites (Magnolia and Hominy Grill) and is loathe to depart from the tried and true, despite my desperate urgings to try something new. Herb is a bit more adventurous, but embraces Charleston Grill as his long-standing "night out" restaurant. So, all of these (save Hominy Grill due to schedule logistic issues) made our list, and we threw Al di La into the mix, for good, Italian measure.

After a long morning walk, Magnolia was the first gustatory target on day one. Hen loves the linens and lovely look of the place; we all love it for its consistently delicious Southern flared food. The fried chicken, mashed potatoes, pepper biscuits, pan gravy and super fabulous collards was my selection. Herb and Hen were decidedly more restrained in their respective ahi ahi and flounder dishes. All was amazing and we were left pondering the amazing legacy Executive Chef Donald Barickman has left upon this town. His touch is everywhere and still graces the goodness at Magnolia.

Al di La's panini (especially the mozzarella, arugula and prosciutto variety), steaming creamy tomato soup, and shepherd's salad, all served with $7 off on all bottles of wine on a quiet Tuesday were the tasty precursors to the final coup de grace that lurked later that evening at Charleston Grill.

Is there a more beautiful dining room in all of Charleston? If so, I can only think of a few that come close. The deep, mahogany colored walls, multiple enclaves for Jonathon Green's artwork, and creamy upholstery all scream subtle sophistication in a decidedly Southern dialect. Mickey Bakst and his service staff make you feel like you're sailing first class on The Titanic. Not a single need goes unnoticed. And then, there is Michelle Weaver. Maybe one of the most behind-the-scenes, and publicly under-regaled chefs in town, Michelle does indeed weave magic. Her new tasting menu and recent additions to the standing menu - most notably the foie gras with a mascarpone cream nestled on sauteed apples and served with fryer-hot beignets - is worth a trip alone. The heirloom tomato salad (pictured above) burst with farm-fresh flavor and texture in Hen's mouth, while Hen and Herb both savored Charleston Grill's show-stopping crab cakes. All breads were warm and fresh from the oven, but the flavor that is not to be missed is the almost cake-like cornbread muffins, that sparkle with little golden gems of fresh corn.

Watch out, world! Charleston just keeps on getting better and consistently sets the most joyful stage imaginable for my familial visits. Thank you, thank you for all of you out there who make it happen! We all were walking with a heavier step and lighter hearts by the time Herb and Hen pulled out of the train station early yesterday morning. And, we'll savor all the memories forever. That's the greatest gift of all.

Fun with Pastry and Helene

2010-10-01T14:16:00.000-07:00

Today I had the pleasure of visiting and shooting in Helene DuJardin's light-filled studio. We shot pictures of prepping, rolling and forming pie crust for the upcoming, drum roll please, Fall 2011 release of Southern Tart Reform. Those are my flour-dusted hands! Helene, the photographer and stylist for the book, is amazing. I loved chatting with her about the absolute uselessness of crazy kitchen gadgets and the purity of home-made pastry.

Tart, tarting away. Thank you, Helene.

Expecting the Unexpected

2010-09-18T03:08:00.001-07:00

This week, I experienced a series of firsts. My first foray into West Virginia, my first visit to The glorious Greenbrier, and my first attendance at The Symposium for Professional Food Writers, a combination writing workshop, meet and greet among other food writers and awards/scholarship ceremony.

I had high expectations for all three, beginning with West Virginia. I was literally humming John Denver's Country Roads and thinking about "almost heaven" during the eight hour drive to Sulphur Springs from Charleston, SC. And, it was glorious. Life does feel older than the seas there. The softened curves of the ancient mountains cushion the valleys from the impatience and noise of modern day life and the air smells sweet, of sun and pine.

My father and many friends had warned me that I would be blown away by The Greenbrier. They were right. A hulking mass of white columns and startling high ceilings, it took my breath away upon first sight. It was like The Shining, minus the snow and the ghosts. The interior glows with an eclectic mish-mash of powder blues, pine greens, fuchsia, blood red and busy wallpaper designs that somehow work visual magic in a way that could only work here. The endless halls echo with palpable American history and the surroundings sweep you away with their beauty. My first morning there, a heavy cloud-bank swaddled the rooftop of the old building, just as the sun rose. It felt as if I'd accidentally caught the old girl stealing a nap and startled her into the new day.

And what a day it was, in fact what an amazing three days it was. I've been to award ceremonies before and I've been to writing workshops before. While pleasant, they're usually thinly veiled excuses for excessive partying and ugly ego battles. Though there was some partying, very little ego and so much more.

A star cast of pure talent from the publishing world, including "fonts" from newspaper, magazines and books, was on hand to generously share crystal clear and pertinent advice for food writers in today's ever-changing publishing world. Humor and unselfish giving of practical advice was as omnipresent as the delicious food and gorgeous flower arrangements. There was a genuine sense of appreciation for the unique challenges and opportunity our respective careers demand and afford; a kind of kinship that quickly forged its way into friendships with participants from around the world.

Much of the credit for this feeling of genuine camaraderie has to go to Symposium Director Antonia Allegra. Besides having arguably the best name on the planet, she also has a sincere love of the industry and exudes an almost maternal warmth, deep wisdom, and kindness. Like the cloud-bank clinging to The Greenbrier that early Monday morning, the "Allegra effect" touched everything and everyone in a way that made this symposium more than an opportunity to learn and to network, but a heart-touching memory of a lifetime.

Thank you, Antonia, and everyone involved in making The 2010 Symposium for Professional Food Writers at The Greenbrier everything that it was. It was, indeed, almost heaven.

Tart Tips from the Queen of Tarts

2010-09-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

I'm currently writing my next cookbook, tentatively titled "A Tart for All Seasons" (Gibbs Smith, Fall, 2011). I'm having a blast with it, especially the recipe testing, and am planning on making occasional blog posts and sharing recipes with you as I continue on this sweet and savory journey. One of my biggest lessons so far, in writing this book and in life, is that cooking presents constant opportunities for learning and improvement. I think that's one of the things that makes cooking so wonderful.

My lesson yesterday, as I was testing recipes for what turned out to be a slew of tasty tarts (a Rhubarb/Dried Apricot Free Form Tart and a Creamy Fresh Crab and Salmon Quiche), was that pastry can be too cold to roll. It is contrary to the technique that's been pounded into my head since forever, including when I used to shiver my way through Parisian winter pre-dawn mornings in a frigid work room making croissants with a talented pastry chef named Celeste. My fingers were so blue that one day, when I accidentally slammed one of them in a stainless steel cabinet, I didn't feel the pressure that nearly cut off my frozen fingertip. It was a cold, hard reminder why fat in pastry needs to be cold. This is because cold butter or lard makes it easier to handle the pastry and keeps the fat in tact, distributed in chunks throughout the flour, that will ensure extra flaky pastry.

The long holiday weekend provided me with an opportunity to refrigerate/rest pastry I'd prepped on Friday for three full days. Impatient to get started yesterday, I removed the pastry from the refrigerator and slowly started preparing it to be rolled out by giving long, pressing taps to the pastry with my rolling pin. The butter balls within the pastry were so hard that they cracked in spots, making for a rocky rolling road. Next time around, I'll let the pastry sit for 10 - 15 minutes before giving it a whack.

The good news is that, despite the slightly uneven edges of the quiche crust, everything tasted delicious. I particularly enjoyed the Rhubarb and Apricot Tart/Tartlets, which present a delicious taste and visual ode to the late summer pink rhubarb stalks and the fall-like, deep orange hues and chewy texture of the dried apricots. I use pre-made puff pastry here, which is so much more exceptional than it used to be and makes really beautiful little tartlets with a lot less pain and time. Oh, and the box reminds you to thaw the dough ahead of time so it's not too crisp to unfold and flatten. Here's the recipe:

Rhubarb and Apricot Tartlets
(Makes 8 Tartlets)

1 package (two squares) Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry sheets

For the filling:

5 cups coarsely chopped rhubarb (about 5 stalks, trimmed)
1 cup water
1 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried Valencia orange peel
pinch salt

Egg wash - 1 yolk, pinch salt, splash water, combined

Optional garnish: 1/2 cup slivered almonds or 1/2 cup whole, dried apricots

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the puff pastry from the freezer and allow to thaw at room temperature for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Combine all of the filling ingredients in a medium pot. Bring up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb has broken down and is tender, about 30 minutes. It should have the consistency of a thick stew. Turn the warm mixture out into a bowl and refrigerate until cold. (Note: The filling can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator).

To compile the tarts, line a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper. Lightly flour your working surface with flour. Arrange the thawed pastry sheets on the surface, and using a 6" wide round pastry cutter, cut them into rounds. Place the pastry, spacing evenly, on the prepped pastry sheet. Fill the center with 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling, being sure to leave a 1/2" thick border of "naked" pastry. This will rise up around the filling as it bakes! Brush the bare pastry lightly with the egg wash. If desired place a dried apricot in the center or drizzle the filling with some slivered almonds. Bake until the pastry is brown and beautiful and puffy, about 15 minutes.

These tarts are delicious fresh out of the oven and are also delicious served cold or at room temperature. They pair famously with best quality vanilla ice cream.

Happy tarting! Please contact me at hollyherrick@hotmail.com if you have any questions or leave a comment here.

Hydroponic Lettuce Now Available at Charleston Farmers Market

2010-08-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

Tristan's High Flying Make-Under

2010-08-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, I tuned into Oprah, and stumbled upon a show about people that were over-done with fake embellishments of every kind, mostly, it seems, because they had no sense of self or identity. Carson Kressley, make-under master extraordinaire, was on hand to de-puff and de-fluff, working wonders in the process.

Tristan, a decade-long standing powerhouse of culinary excellence that has exercised the muscles of talented chefs from Ciaran Duffy to Aaron Deal, has seemingly undergone a like-minded transition. The restaurant unveiled its "re-launch" on August 13.

I've often wondered, with all its wonders - great setting, marvelous staff, fabulous food - why Tristan hasn't automatically jumped out as a must-do in this city of all things delicious. Maybe, like Oprah's lost souls, Tristan was lacking a sense of self, too. Now, in its most naked and purest form to date, Tristan shines brighter than ever, especially in the hands of its latest maestro, Executive Chef Nate Whiting.

Gone are some of the things, I must admit, I liked. The sheer curtains that wrapped around the dining room, the zinnias that smiled prettily at the center of every table, and much of the bright, jangled art work. What's left is a pure, open space that invites peace, quiet and sophisticated dining. Gone, too, is the access to Market Street, no doubt to keep out the wandering, curious tourist masses that sometimes clogged this space in days' past. What's left is a peaceful, downtown dining enclave with freshly re-upholstered dining chairs and vanilla-hued table linens. And, the free, convenient valet parking is still intact.

Whiting, in just eight months, has composed a menu that is all his own. His style, like his smile, is refreshingly unfettered, unpretentious, slightly shy, and pure. Diners now can pick from a four course (2 appetizers, main course and dessert) prix fixe ($50), all selected from the new menu, or run rampant, selecting from the generous (but not overly done)a la carte menu.

Oven warm, house made sourdough rolls and fresh focaccia begged for the room temp butter it was served with and the warm weather-winner of an amuse bouche, a citron and fresh vanilla bean gelatin topped with cream and pine nuts, that followed was lovely. Both helped set the stage for what proved to be a most stellar evening of dining. Settled into the comfortable deep blue, deep-seated banquettes that line the dining room, my dining companion and I were charmed with the easy knowledge and banter of our server, who picked wines he felt "reflected" the tasting evolution of each dish we were about to savor. He hit the mark every single time and did so in a way that was absolutely not pedantic, yet absolutely endearing. A rare quality, indeed, and oh, so very welcome.

Whiting's pared down the froth and foam of Tristan's former She-Crab Soup ($8), fattening it up with pure lobster stock (the kind made from the shells that you can really taste) and beefing it up with authenticity. One of the best in the city, it was served at the perfect temperature over a cluster of fresh crab. Heaven could not get closer to earth in either the Roasted and Raw Beet Salad ($8) or the Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes salad ($8). The former, a composed salad of raw and roasted beet perfection, was artfully arranged, with whisper thin slices of veined purple and white beets here and roasted wedges of others, there, served over a whipped bed of tart/sweet local artisanal goat cheese and topped with chunky bites of salty, roasted pistachios. The latter flaunted fat, tempting chunks of multi-hued, skinless, plum-full-of-flavor heirloom tomatoes, a delicate mustard emulsion, a fat chunk of warm, tempered house-made mozzarella, and Lilliputian, super-crunchy, buttery croutons, rendering it one of the best things I've eaten all year. Bar none!

A refreshing and welcome intermezzo of peach and sage sorbet, served in Willy Wonka-like tilting, tiny bowls introduced just the right whimsical touch and gustatory invitation to the main course.

It may sound humble, "Diver Scallops (with) Scallop Mousse, Mustard Emulsion, Sauteed Asparagus & Prosciutto ($28), but it knocked beautifully on the door of perfection, yet once again. Whiting procures his scallops from a trusted fisherman in Maine, and do they deliver in the freshness and flavor department. Whiting's extreme skill is evident not just in the pillow-like, yet toothsome girth of his pretty scallop mousse balls, but in the temperature/browning balancing act he puts to work in the searing and cooking process of the scallops. This plate is a Tristan mandate that is not to be missed. I was less enamored with the beef short ribs ($27), but maybe I was still stuttering in the afterglow of those scallops.

A silky, gently chocolate pot de creme, served in a see-through, tiny glass pot and topped with chunks of Fleur de Sel, was gorgeous with a taste of the cherry sorbet and stewed, warm cherries served with it. Our able, welcome server, described the order to consume it, and he was right. It was a one, two, three punch winner that carried me into dream-land that night.

Tristan's on a new path of individuality, successfully corralling a concert of talent like it never has before. It was similar to seeing a good, old, slightly over-done friend in an all new, modern and super-enhancing light. I think it would do Carson proud. I know it did me. Bravo, Tristan.

Tristan
10 Linguard Street
Charleston, SC 29401
www.tristandining.com
(843) 534-2155

The Unreality of Reality TV Cooking

2010-08-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

It looks a lot harder, takes a lot longer, and is a lot more expensive to make cooking look easy and real on television than it does is in my own recipe testing kitchen. I thought teaching and cooking for cooking classes was tough enough, something a friend once aptly described as similar to scratching your head and rubbing your belly at the same time. But, as decorated chef (formerly of Charleston Grill) Bob Waggoner recently demonstrated at a (mostly) live taping of his soon-to-air television series, U Cook! with Chef Bob, this is a wholly different kind of cooking beast.

The studio is housed in a huge old warehouse off Highway 162, deep in the bowels of Lowcountry country, which was cringing under the oppressive weight of the brutal August heat last week when I was invited to attend as a guest. Wine was being poured at 10 a.m. as a group of about 40 people waited in the holding tank prior to the show. I ambled off to find water instead, and it was then that I came upon the prep staff in the rear off of what I would soon learn was the studio. It was the portable version of a restaurant prep staff. There was Bob, working alongside his sous chef Jason Houser, peeling carrots and turning turnips. It was hot and the pressure was on, not unlike a real kitchen, I thought, but definitely not as convenient. For one things, the tables were very low. Both Bob and Jason, being tall men, had to hunch over and bend low to reach their cutting boards. In fact, they were prepping not just for Bob's show, but for the lucky audience members who would be offered a taste, gratis, near the end of the taping.

Soon, we were merrily guided to our round, petite tables, which were decorated with fine linens, cutlery, glasses and plates. More wine arrived and the taping began. Due to an "equipment malfunction," Bob was forced to repeat his agreeable opening comments three times. Heat was building fast as the fans were turned off in advance of the taping, and the cooking. A make-up girl with a plumber-like tool kit wrapped around her waist, enters, as if on cue, and powders the chef's face. Neither the 86'd fans or the make-up would ever make it into a real kitchen, let me tell you!

Still, Bob's a natural and his humor was on high as he walked and talked his guests and his audience through the steps of making an emulsified, cold grapefruit and avocado soup, which was absolutely impeccable. A mystery, never-to-be-identified malfunction of another sort took place, not shortly after this. It led to approximately a 2 hour long, wine-induced haze of a wait for the audience, while Bob patiently chatted with his producers and guests.

But the show, as they say in the biz, must go on, and ultimately, it did. Bob worked with his assistant to create squab seared in butter and served with a bacon, shallot, thyme and Bordeaux sauce. Though patient and kind, it was clear that his well-practiced boning skills were aching to come out to cut-away the breast from the rib-cage of the baby pigeon as his young assistant labored over the task. He showed her how to tip and then toss the beautiful baby vegetables that were eventually served with the squab and how to pluck thyme from its stem. Quickly, a stage-hand took the seared squab from the (fake) stage oven, and ran it off to the prep area where it would finish in a real oven.

Another pregnant wait as our still unfed (save some cookies and crackers that were generously provided) and mildly sodden bellies rumbled into the early afternoon, and the squab returned, all pink and pretty and ready to be plated. The assistant did the plating as Bob looked on, expertly tasting and finishing all the seasoning. Next, Bob was seated with his assistant and her friend as they finally dig in and eat what they've prepared.

Then, we all ate. Here's the most unreal part of it all. Despite all of the unnatural contortions for a natural, professional real- life chef, the food was amazing. The squab, tender, meaty and gamy, dressed with a generous mild sauce and al dente vegetable gems, was perfect, and served at just the right temperature. And, none of it had to be, not for television. It just HAD to look good. But, Bob and his staff, despite all the distractions, made it happen. Bet the food doesn't taste this good on Rachel Ray's set!

Bob's show is currently scheduled to start airing on Public Television affiliate stations across the country this November. For more information, visit http://www.ucookwithchefbob.com/

Fun in the Kitchen with Pot Pies

2010-08-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

Today, in the heart of August heat, a heavy wave of rain and dark, cooling skies presented an unexpected and perfect day for braising tough meats for tender pies. In the photo, a braised artisinal pork shank stewed with fresh figs, and finished with sweet spring onions and cubes of sweet potatoes. The exotic aromas of cinnamon and cloves danced through my kitchen while I finished the second recipe test for Pot au Feu Pot Pies. These showcased long, slow braised grass- fed pot roast (cut) beef from River Run Farms here in SC, and local, seasonal carrots, baby potatoes and heirloom grape tomatoes from Charleston's farmers' market. Hot pepper flakes and a final splash of ketchup really perked things up. These will be featured in my upcoming book, "Tarts", to be published by Gibbs Smith and photographed by Helene Dujardin. As always, bon appetit, and happy weekend.

Charleston Chef's Table Cookbook Book Review

2010-08-03T04:20:00.000-07:00

Check out this link for this nice review on the book:

http://www.pettprojects.com/brherrick.html

FISH Swimming In Excellent Waters

2010-07-11T08:57:00.001-07:00

In the decade since its inception, FISH has experienced several waves of change. New chef's faces, altered menu "themes," and a sea of new competitors on what's become a very crowded and delicious restaurant corridor on upper King. The restaurant proves that hard work, honing, and upping the ante will ultimately right the ship. FISH is rolling along at full steam these days. No longer floundering in occasional bouts of mediocrity, the restaurant is in full-on excellent mode under the talent infused leadership of Executive Chef Nico Rimo and his professional staff.

Rimo's a native of Lyon, France and a recent recipient of the rare and much coveted Master Chef of France (Maitre Cuisinier de France) award. A recent visit to FISH proves that awards follow excellence, not the other way around. Rimo's brand new summer menu is awash in fresh and local goodness, one of FISH's most ardent and enduring mantras since day one. Somehow, Rimo brings it all to a new level with a simple menu of petite plates, dim sum, cheese plates, soup/salads, a short list of sides and "large plates," each of which reflect his love of all preparations Asian and French.

His infusion of the two marry beautifully across the board, but dock especially neatly in the dim sum (choose four for $6) berth of the menu. A creamy, almost French center of chunky crab wrapped by a crisp, super hot wonton is nestled in a pert, plum sauce. Arranged beautifully on a long, rectangular white plate divided into four sections, it competed for attention with a cold, ultra crisp and fresh spring roll in a verdant pool of cilantro and mint and a mellow balloon of steamed Chinese bun filled with butter-tender shards of duck confit. Execution of each of the dim sum and their sauces was of the highest caliber.

These were preceded with a small basket, lined with a reproduction of a French newspaper, of freshly fried bread. The bread tasted like a combination of brioche and beignet and melted like hot pockets in my mouth, kicked into an even higher gear with the cayenne laced, fruity dipping sauce. Fun yet contained, this is one of the sweetest, most whimsical bread baskets around town.

Fresh from the sea scallops ($20) is a must-have dish here. The summer menu's version has the virginal white gems perched atop a bed of coconut rice and peas with an impeccable, fragrant beurre blanc. I also enjoyed the naked fish (market price), a fat wedge of firm, buttery black grouper over a bed of sauteed wild mushrooms threaded with crisp, fresh green beans.

The addition of extra seating in FISH's most recent renovation is welcome. The large dining room off to the right of the entrance is awash with sophisticated, cooling maritime touches, including a wave of cobalt blue votive candles arranged on one wall, and muted mirrors on another. Comfortable banquettes, sporting a checkered pattern of cream and aqua-hued patches are sophisticated and comfortable and flank the dining room with a welcome hush that's suited for a quiet, romantic dinner as much as a night out with friends.

FISH offers an abbreviated yet complex wine menu with something for all tastes and budgets and the excellent staff proves its knowledge in pairing with well-trained panache and a refreshing air of pleasantry.

FISH
442 King Street, downtown Charleston
(843) 722-3474
www.fishrestaurant.net

Saturday Night Special at the Fox Swamp

2010-06-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

As reliable as blueberries in June and corn in July, Ryan Kacenjar can be found roaming the aisles of the Charleston Farmers Market early every Saturday morning. Clad in his chef's jacket with notepad in hand and creativity in mind, the Swamp Fox Restaurant Chef de Cuisine seeks out just the right stuff for the Farmers Market Dinner. He prepares these dinners every Saturday night during farmers market season at the restaurant, which is situated in the Francis Marion Hotel, a stone's throw from the farmers market itself.

I ran into him last Saturday, a full year since I first found out about his market inspired menu, and found him fawning over Kennerty Farm heirloom carrots, his eyes bright, his smile wide, and his enthusiasm infectious. "I love shopping at and cooking from the market," Kacenjar said. I mentioned to him that I've been meaning to sample his market fare, and decided that it would be the perfect dinner event to share with some out of town guests I was hosting for the weekend. So, we made reservations right there at the market and anticipated the meal for most of the day.

The restaurant looks like you might expect; a kind of half-way house between a hotel guest breakfast buffet and a casual evening dining space. Clean and attractive, however, it also boasts very pleasant live jazz piano music on Friday and Saturday evenings. Our service was very efficient and our waitress was friendly and professional.

True to form, the four course ($29 each) market menu showcased many of the same gems we'd spied at the market that morning. The first course soup prepared with roasted, pureed red beets from Owl's Nest Farm was stunning in its simplicity and perfect execution. The lightly seasoned broth tasted purely of the sweetness of red beets and was brilliant in color. Chef Kacenjar topped it with thin slices of roasted yellow beets, house cured Atlantic Salmon and a dollop of Tiverton Farm garlic chive creme fraiche. Kacenjar's butter and honey enriched corn bread was served hot in mini-cast iron skillets and was an idyllic foil to the idyllic soup.

The "house" pimento cheese was served too cold to really taste and had a decidedly non-farmers market, mass-produced look to it, but it got some tasty local flavor injection from Raychelle's Fresh Pickle Works pickled vegetable garnishes.

The dinner was completed with thick, marinated then seared wedges of roasted River Run Farm beef served with the carrots the chef had been raving about that morning, and orbs of sweet, delicious potatoes and butter-tender roasted eggplant. Dessert ended a delightful evening with rich slices of pound cake baked with sweet/tart Owl's Nest Plums and Shuler Farm nectarines sandwiching a fluffy vanilla bean Chiboust.

All in all, good stuff and definitely worth a Saturday night special visit. Kacenjar's palpable enthusiasm for his hard work adds an extra sweetness to the pot for no extra fee, and then, there is that lovely piano music and views of beautiful Marion Square. The regular menu is also available and it includes a version of chicken 'n dumplings that would put some grandmothers' cooking to shame.

Swamp Fox Restaurant & Bar
The Francis Marion Hotel
337 King Street, downtown Charleston
SwampFox@thefrancismarion.com

(843) 724-8888
Reservations are requested.

Embracing Seasonal Inspiration and Recipe Liberation

2010-06-16T07:19:00.000-07:00

It's ironic that I write cookbooks and recipes for a living. That's because I don't really believe in them, at least not as a set of rules, but rather as a template for cooking. I'm adamant about that. It's not really cooking when you're burying your nose in a flour-covered book by your cutting board. That's following directions. Real cooking, and the fun and the art of cooking, is free-flow creation. The first step towards getting there is understanding basic formulas/ratios and technique. The "big picture", as I call it, first came together for me at Le Cordon Bleu. But, there are other sources for home cooks to learn these instrumentals whether it be cookbooks (my new favorite is Ratio by Michael Ruhlman) or local cooking classes. I'm constantly urging anyone who asks to go there, because that's when the fun really begins.

For me, the most inspiring source for recipe creation and cooking is the weekly farmers market here in Charleston. Last Saturday morning, I had the pleasure of leading a group of 11 students through stands rife with ripe blueberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, corn and all the delicious fresh gems of a hot South Carolina June.

I felt like the pied piper leading my merry little band of curious cooks to find the perkiest produce to make into a meal once we returned to Charleston Cooks! for the actual class. We put our heads together at each stop, deciding what we each liked and wanted to prepare. We came back with blueberries, blackberries, lemon cucumbers, baby heirloom tomatoes, a bundle of fresh basil, spring onions, artisinal four cheese ravioli, fresh corn, patty pan squash, flounder, goat cheese, and squash blossoms. Thankfully, my able assistants Emily and Season (don't you just love that name?) were on hand to help us carry it all.

Back at the school, it was time to get cooking. We grouped the products together in little piles for each dish I envisioned as I was driving back to the school. The menu ended up being a blackberry/blueberry pie with fresh whipped cream, Corn, Bacon and Green Onion Chowder, Flash Cooked Tomato Basil Sauce for the ravioli, Chevre-Stuffed Squash Blossoms, Pickled Lemon Cucumbers, and Sauteed Flounder with Patty Pan Squash. Everyone of my motley crew, which ranged in age from 14 to 60+ and who came from all over, got into the act. Each one was so excited to cook with what we had found at the market. This is part of what makes farmers market shopping so thrilling. You do the shopping and make the decisions and then you have the joy of cooking and then eating it! By the end of the two-hour class, we all got to experience that together. And, I think the students got one step closer to more enjoyable, more delicious cooking.

As you travel down a similar path, consider using your local farmers market as your culinary muse. Pick only what's freshest and seasonal and also something you like. Sometimes, consider picking something new, too. Then, think about what products make sense in a flavor/texture marriage. Plug in your imagination and as much technique as you possess and you're pretty much ready to roll.

Happy Cooking!

Charleston Cooks!
194 East Bay Street
Charleston, SC
(843) 722-1212
www.mavericksouthernkitchens.com

Charleston Farmers Market
Marion Square, downtown
Charleston, SC
Saturdays, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., April - December

Kids and Food - Keep It Fun and Fresh

2010-05-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

Wednesday afternoons at Le Cordon Bleu were always my favorite days when I was a student there. That's because Wednesday was kids day. In Paris, kids under a certain age get Wednesday afternoon off from school. Every Wednesday, a parade of peppy kids would bounce through the hallowed halls of LCB to cook, stir, and get their hands into food - real food, not the processed kind.

I loved watching the chefs working with them through the glass of my "pratique" kitchen. Everyone was always having a great time and I got such a thrill out of seeing children understand the joy of cooking, and consequently the joy of eating. They were developing a respect for food that will likely last them a life time, and, in a way that some might consider ironic, not a single one of these kids was overweight.

I don't think it's ironic at all. In my mind, introducing kids to different types of fresh foods and to hands-on food preparation is one of the biggest keys in preventing rampant over-eating. That's because, in this way, many good things naturally happen. Kids develop a palate and desire for fresh vegetables and a well-balanced diet, cooking for them is fun, and food is not a foe or an enemy that has to be analyzed and dissected. They learn that food and cooking is a pleasure, and like all pleasures, it should be balanced and not abused.

That's why I was absolutely thrilled to join Louis Yuhasz and a group of ten children participating in his Louie's Kids organization last week in preparing a healthy cooking class/dinner. The non-profit, Charleston-based group is dedicated to helping obese kids lose weight through diet, education, exercise, and more. Louis gathered his biggest weight-loss winners last week to celebrate their victory at a glamorous (generously donated) beach house on Isle of Palms, to play and run on the beach, and to cook and eat with me and my assistant, Sharon.

Watching the kids views on foods evolve through the 40-minute cooking class was fascinating. One girl stated an emphatic "I hate squash!" when I told her we would be working with spaghetti squash to go with the fresh tomato sauce that was also on the menu. I heard a few sighs when the kids saw the whole wheat pasta, too. But, as soon as we got underway and everyone got involved either in chopping or talking and asking questions, imaginative doors started opening and the excitement mounted as we started plating the food. By the end, everyone was talking so excitedly and loudly that I couldn't hear myself talk.

Out went the pasta (two types - wheat and rice), squash, a green salad with a fresh orange vinaigrette, garlic butter and bread, and fruit salad tossed with honey and lemon over Greek yogurt. The best part for a chef like me was to see that the kids were ecstatic about the food. The oldest, a high school student named John, exclaimed, "Miss Holly that's the BEST salad I've ever had. When I'm rich and famous I want you to be my personal chef."

That was great enough, but to have several others tell me they were going to cook these dishes at home, was the best. I left that house feeling as joyful as I did watching kids cook at LCB, maybe even more so. And, guess what, everyone sampled the squash. Not just because Louis encouraged them to do so, but because they wanted to.

www.louieskids.org

Charleston's Latest French Quarter

2010-05-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

First there was Rue, then there was La Fourchette, and now, sandwiched neatly between these two French restaurants on/near Upper King Street, we have the lovely Macaroon Boutique. Open just a month and owned by French and French-trained (the old school way, starting at age 14) Chef Fabrice Rizzo, the space is a gleaming, delicious ode to the stuff the French do better than anyone in the world - croissants, pain au chocolat, bread, and of course, macaroons, in all their meringue and pastel-colored glory.

As a bona fide Francophile and huge fan of warm, fresh bread and pastries, I couldn't be happier to have these perfect and much-needed additions to Charleston's culinary choices. Beautiful bubbles of fresh, endlessly flaky puff pastry practically call "Pick me!" out loud from their pretty glass cases. The apple turnover and pain au chocolat I sampled were simply impeccable - a light as air, artfully compiled, and easily the best in town.

Chef Rizzo was buzzing about in his kitchen, peaking in and out from time to time to chat with customers. One of these, a Euro-type dressed all in black entered with a breezy "bonjour" and then asked, in English, if the restaurant served coffee. "Non," was the proud but polite response. Why, asked the Euro-type? "Because I don't think it's my job." Simple enough. Apparently, Chef Rizzo would rather invest his time and energy in perfecting his pastries than steaming lattes prepared with 2% milk and faux sugar.

If you're aching for one of the shop's exquisite macaroons, don't come in on Tuesday morning, as I did. The shop is closed on Monday and they were not yet out of the oven. Macaroon choices include almond, caramel, chocolate, coconut, hazelnut praline and more and come in a pack of assorted flavors (6 small, $6.60, 2 large, $4).

Seeking a taste of Paris without leaving home? The Macaroon Boutique should be your first stop.

Macaroon Boutique
45 John Street
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 577-5441
www.macaroonboutique.com

News from Snooth on Charleston Chef's Table

2010-05-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

Go to:

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wine-and-food/recipes-from-the-charleston-chefs-table/

On the Road Again in the Upstate

2010-05-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

One never knows what to expect on any given day, let alone any given book tour or series of signings. With six months of a relatively aggressive schedule of the latter under my belt, I've gotten pretty good at anticipating results. But, with a demo and signing scheduled at a barbecue and pig calling contest in Chester, SC, followed by a tasting and signing at the Artisphere festival in Greenville, SC, I had no insight into the setting or the results, except for the anticipation of my first ever visit to either of these locales and my first ever pig-calling contest.

With visions of "Sou-eee" and rampant swine running through my head, I set off with my driver (he called me "Miss Daisy") on the three hour trek from the Lowcountry of Charleston to the highlands of Chester, situated just south of Charlotte and Rock Hill. It occurred to us on the way up, that we better reserve lodging, as there was no way of knowing how hard hit the Chester hotels might be with the porcine-themed event. The Chamber of Commerce recommended a B & B called "An Inn on York Street." I called, a British woman answered, and the reservations were made.

We arrived to find a gorgeous, white 19th century building (and former sanatorium)with a sweeping, deep lawn and a virtual forest of pecan trees. Innkeeper Sandie Woodier greeted us with a warm hug and a welcome. After she showed us (and my little dog Tann Mann) to the room, she recommended The Summit as the place to go to eat. Off we went into the bowels of this beautiful former mill town to sup on New York Strip, baked potatoes, salad and the gentile graces of the staff.

A good night's sleep (thankfully minus any crazy ghosts) on the inn's gargantuan European beds fitted with lux linens, and the pig-calling day was upon me. Sandie, who's happily married to a fruit distributor known as The Berry King of Manchester, sated our hunger with a breakfast of stewed, spiced plums with sour cream, open-faced avocado and bacon sandwiches, blueberry pockets, and fresh orange juice and coffee topped with frilly, lace British bonnets. Off to the hog calling and signing it was then, just 1/2 mile away in the center of this tiny town with big charm.

Upon arrival,I was whole-heartily greeted by one of the festival organizers and leader of the local 4-H pack to prep the Sweet Onion and Corn Chowder and Butter Bean Bruschetta featured in Southern Farmers Market Cookbook. As I cooked, I met the armada of young folks who eventually helped me lug the books and all of the food up the hill for the tasting and signing. Rap music pulsed in the background as we set up. I introduced myself and the books and talked a bit about both as the small group of about twenty persons tasted away. One of my 4H camp declared that the soup tasted like pizza, which made me smile. I suggested it might have something to do with the thyme seasoning in the soup. He assured me he would make it at home, which also made me smile. Some twenty books signed and a trip back down to the hill later, and I was on my way. The only regret was that I had missed the hog calling contest which had occurred earlier that morning and had involved no pigs, but only people calling them.

After wrapping things up at the Inn, it was on to Greenville, which proved to be a verdant, exquisite city, complete with a waterfall and Reedy River running through it. We ate dinner at a new restaurant, The Nantucket, at the new Marriott situated in the heart of the small town in the heart of its annual Artisphere art festival. People were everywhere and the energy level was high.

The Cook's Station, a beautifully appointed cooking school and gourmet retail shop downtown, was my destination the following morning. The folks here did a fine job whipping up Crave's tapenade and hummus and Baked's brownies, both featured in Charleston Chef's Table for the book signing that afternoon. Folks flocked around to eat the food, as I sat downwind of a very smokey barbecue pit and smiled and signed. I got the strong sense that people were more interested in the food than the books, but I none the less sold a good amount of books and met a lot of nice folks from all over.

Just goes to show you, you never, ever know what to expect. On the way home, I discovered one of the Upstate's best kept secrets. Sphinx's fried chicken. A gas station and retail store chain, it serves some of the crispiest, freshest, most flavorful chicken on the Upstate side of South Carolina.

www.innonyorkstreet.com
www.artisphere.us/

Southern Farmers Market Cookbook Review on Epicureous

2010-04-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

The link to the review is:

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/farmers_market/page/2/

Southern Independent Book Sellers Nominate Southern Farmers Market Cookbook

2010-03-10T11:52:00.000-08:00

"SFM" makes the long list for best cookbook nominees for cookbook written by a Southern author or about the south: http://www.sibaweb.com/siba-news/siba-news/166-2010-siba-book-award-long-list-announced

From The Greenville News, March 10, 2010

2010-03-10T03:49:00.000-08:00

On The Charleston Chef's Table, author Holly Herrick, and Southern food trends...

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010303100028

Reflections On a Festival Well Done

2010-03-08T07:31:00.000-08:00

No matter how great a delicious meal tastes while you're savoring it, if it's a really great meal, it just keeps getting better with time, allowing you to re-visit each bite of the experience at your own pace and with the fickle selection of your own memory. Such an experience is never forgotten and can stay with you for a life time.

As I sit back and reflect upon the select moments and meals of the 2010 BB&T Charleston Wine & Food Festival which concluded yesterday afternoon, I have a similar feeling. As seamlessly, joyously and deliciously as everything flowed over the past 3 1/2 days, it's even more perfect basking in the afterglow of the past.

Considering the epic planning required to pull off such a huge event with such aplomb is mind-boggling, yet Angel Postell and her talented team did it without so much as a glitch, despite the fact that this has been the most attended and ambitious festival since its inception five years ago.

My early perspective on this festival was from the demonstration tent where I worked with Ciaran Duffy and an energetic group of volunteers to get the kitchen set up and the demonstration food prep organized and underway for the visiting chefs. Far from the glitz and glam of Bubbles 'N Sweets, it is none-the-less the heart and soul of the festival - a kind of glorified camp kitchen. Despite some late food deliveries towards the end of last week, Duffy ironed out the glitches and made it happen, so successfully that many volunteers (including myself) were excused to go play.

So, play I did. I visited the tasting tents and ate some delicious food and drank ample quantities of wine. I saw old friends and met some new ones. I appreciated the gradual warming temperatures and early bloom of spring in Charleston. I was awed by the talent, precision and passion of culinary genius Daniel Boulud as I, the luckiest person on the planet, watched him prepare a world-class feast for 65 lucky guests at an exclusive fund-raising dinner on Saturday night.I savored beautiful music and a gorgeous plate of pink duck breast with a sweet, pungent blood orange sauce and a square of crepes layered between seasoned, cream cheese from The Dining Room at The Woodland's during the Gospel Brunch on Sunday morning. I signed a lot of books!

Of all these (well, with the possible exclusion of the Boulud experience), I think it was the vignettes of people, especially chefs and locals, interacting and enjoying the festival and themselves that made it an especially unified and wonderful festival. McCrady's Sean Brock and Cypress's Craig Deihl strolling down the central path on Marion Square, heads bent in quiet, friendly banter, for example. Or, Hank's Frank McMahon laughing with Robert's of Charleston's Robert Dickson about the good old days when he started out in Robert's kitchen - a vignette made even sweeter in knowing the veteran singing chef is retiring in June, 2010.

They just kept coming and made me smile knowing that Charleston has become what she's always been destined to be - one of the best food towns around populated with some of the most talented and convivial chefs around. Thank you to the BB&T Wine & Food Festivals for providing me and nearly 20,000 others so many delicious memories to enjoy for the rest of my days, or at least until the next round in 2011.

American Farm to Table Restaurant Guide Turns on the Heat

2010-03-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

As an advocate of all things local, hopefully organic, and ideally bio-dynamic, I'm really excited about the new web site, www.americanfarmtotable.com. In the contention for the fiercely competitive James Beard Award for best culinary web sites, it's definitely one worth visiting. The site features restaurants from across the United States that buy from and cook with locally raised produce and products, and shine as a result. Charleston's own FIG and McCrady's are among the honored seated at "the table." This site, and the glorious restaurants cited in it, give huge testimony to why fresh and local makes the best food and the most delicious dining experiences available for all of us to enjoy.

Halo Radiates Goodness

2010-02-17T07:45:00.000-08:00

Onward marches the parade of single-word restaurant monikers that seems to be taking over Charleston. First there was Shine, then there was Amen (Street), and now the bread-baking Gods of goodness bring us Halo. Open just a month, it's situated in the space that used to be one very mixed up "Blend" just across from MUSC.

Mixed up no more, Halo truly does shine, largely due to the talents of long-standing Meredith food stylist and chef, Angela McCrovitz. Her eye for details is evident in the luscious spread of pastries, breads, cakes, cookies, scones and more, scattered like edible treats in the way only an accomplished stylist can do - it's a kind of visual food seduction. She mans the busy counter taking orders that stream in through the front door and just keep coming through lunch time. It can get a bit crammed at the door, but service is quick and fluid enough that time here passes quickly. Ample seating upstairs in the antique Charleston single house structure is comfortable and delivers an inviting respite from the more bustling experience below.

It's tough to sink one's teeth into the menu, it's so expansive, encompassing breakfast, soups, salads, sandwiches and all of those aforementioned desserts. There are also several kid-friendly and gluten-free options. Selection frustration only grows with the realization that sandwiches can be stacked on myriad bread selections, including pretzel roll, country white, stratia rye, vegetable wheat, croissant and vegetable wrap - all made in-house. Of these, the pretzel roll, a dark tan globe of chewy, dewy bread with a dense crust is the best. It's a knock-out backdrop for Halo's heavenly lobster roll ($7.99, served with chips and a pickle), prepared with fat chunks of lobster tossed with crisp cubes of celery, a light binding of mayo and little more. As delicious as the bread is, The sandwich could stand to beef up a bit on the filling, but was otherwise delicious.

The statuesque "mile high quiche" ($4.99 per slice) is a celestial wedge of fresh eggs with spinach, mushroom, feta and gobs of ricotta cheese wrapped with a thin, flaky layer of ricotta that no quiche-lover should miss.

Halo's not yet perfect. The service can be a little choppy and there are a few kinks in getting the food to the table, particularly upstairs. I wish they would bag the plastic cutlery. It's not very eco-friendly and it's tough to eat with plastic forks. However, Halo's young. I'm betting the hungry crowd from across the street will keep Halo's register happily ringing for a long time to come and that she'll just get better with time.

Halo
170 Ashley Avenue
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 297-8842
Halofoods@gmail.com

A Sweet Bite of Paris in Charleston

2010-02-03T07:35:00.000-08:00

Third generation chocolatier and French native Christophe Paume and his business partner/wife Carly have brought a beautiful gift to Charleston. Opening their first store, Christophe Artisan Chocolatier-Patissier, nearly a year ago in Mount Pleasant, the young couple opened a second shop by the same name on King Street two months ago.

In so doing, they've brought a gorgeous bit of France home to roost in Charleston. The French take food and chocolate seriously. It is an art form for them, a way of nurturing body and soul. Paume makes chocolates more beautiful than I've ever seen in France - including the exquisite work of Pierre Herme - or anywhere in the world. His tempered delights receive hand-painted splashes of color from bright orange to deep lavender. They look like polished gems lined up in the tiny, ever-so-French shop on King Street, that charming Carly oversees. She'll hand-pick chocolates for you and delicately arrange them just so in their gorgeous red or chocolate-brown boxes.

But what to pick? An Earl Grey infused dark chocolate ganache painted robin's egg blue with tiny dots, lemon puree in a milk chocolate ganache painted sage green with pale brown speckles, or the lavender caramel with a dark chocolate shell wrapped around homemade caramel infused with lavender? Those are just three of over twenty choices, then there are the truffles and the chocolate sculptures. Of these, my particular favorite is the delicate, deep mauve pump trimmed with burgundy, the female shoe and chocolate lover's dream come true all in one tempting, beautifully wrapped, edible package.

Even non-chocolate crazies (and until visiting here, I counted myself as one of them) have to appreciate the labor of love and pure, unadulterated talent that is poured into each one of these beauties. It's an inspiration just to walk into these shop(s) and imagine the master alone, at work, in his chocolate factory, preparing each gorgeous chocolate. Then there is that first bite. It's like falling in love for the first time - sweet, heady, rich and beautiful.

Christophe Artisan Chocolatier-Patissier

375 N. Shelmore Boulevard
Unit 1B, Mount Pleasant

365 1/2 King Street, downtown Charleston (across from Five Guys)

www.christophechocolatier.com

Asian Oasis

2010-01-12T06:33:00.000-08:00

We all have hours, days, even weeks, when we need to retreat. I was having one of those weeks last week and felt the need yesterday to go ahead and get away from it all for an hour. I didn't go to a spa, I didn't get my nails done, I went to Shi Ki Japanese Restaurant, my favorite go to place when peace, quiet, good food, good service and solitude are the order of the day.

This, along with sushi and some steaming Japanese noodle soup specialties, is what Shi Ki has been steadily serving Charleston for the past nine years. Tucked in a corner at the busy East Bay shopping center, once inside, the mayhem of the crazy parking lot, East Bay Deli crowds, and Doe Pita's painful pacing (though delicious food), is instantly erased. Once you open the small door near the green awning, it's as, as if you've entered another world or another place. With lunch plates for $8 or less, it costs a whole lot less than a vacation, but it is equally relaxing.

Service is hushed, friendly and amazingly fast, yet I've never felt rushed here. The tinkle of Japanese music glitters in the background and there is always the sushi man to watch if you get bored. Seconds pass and the first course of the best $8 lunch you've ever had arrives - a steaming bowl of miso soup enriched with tiny nuggets of tofu and shards of seaweed. Before long a bento box, always stocked with a small, hot vegetable roll, crisp Asian salad with a curled carrot and fresh ginger dressing, a mound of hot, sticky rice, and a whole orange that's half-peeled arrives. At the center of the plate, it's your choice: beef/chicken/salmon/shrimp teriyaki, chicken katsu, etc., served on a reliably good and well-seasoned bed of sauteed cabbage, peppers and onions.

A sleeve of chopsticks and the thoughtful addition of silverware is gently placed alongside, and you're off into the world of non-worries and silence and deliciousness. Shi Ki always delivers the same thing and it's always welcome goods.

Shi Ki Japanese Restaurant
334 East Bay Street, downtown Charleston
(843) 720-8568

For More on Five Loaves and Hominy Grill's Best Ever Chocolate Pudding...

2010-01-12T06:30:00.000-08:00

www.northjersery.com/food.dining/81115597_A_New_Leaf_Roasted_Portobello_sandwich.html

AND

http://erniebufflo.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/puddin_head/

Here's What OCHEF.com is saying about Charleston Chef's Table

2010-01-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

http:///www.ochef.com/reviews/chef2009.htm

Upcoming Signings - The Charleston Chef's Table Cookbook

2009-12-30T11:42:00.000-08:00

Come on out and see me, eat some good food, and get a good book!

Saturday, February 6, 2 to 4 p.m., Christophe Chocolates, Champagne and Charleston Style at The RSVP Shoppe, 141 Broad Street, downtown Charleston. Swaddle yourself in indulgence at the stylish RSVP Shoppe in the heart of Charleston's swank South of Broad neighborhood. Author Holly Herrick will be pouring Champagne and sharing Charleston's best chocolates from Christophe Patisserie while signing The Charleston Chef's Table Cookbook. Come get your romance on just in time for Valentine's Day.

Sunday, February 7, noon to 2 p.m., 1/2 Price Burgers and Fries and The Charleston Chef's Table Cookbook signing. Chef Aaron Lemieux and author Holly Herrick will sign copies of the book in this festive, pre-Super Bowl setting while digging into Rue's full-flavored burgers and fries for half the usual price - just $5.50.

Tuesday, February 9, 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday Night Author Series at J. Paul'z, 1739 Maybank Highway, James Island, SC. Tapas and libations will go down nicely with a book signing of Charleston Chef's Table Cookbook by author Holly Herrick.

Friday, February 12, 2 to 4 p.m., Harris Teeter - Book Signing, 975 Savannah Highway, West Ashley. Just in time for Valentine's Day, Holly Herrick will be signing copies of her just released cookbook, The Charleston Chef's Table, as well a Southern Farmers Market Cookbook. Paired with a box of chocolate, either books make sweet gifts for the sweetheart in your life.

Friday, February 19, 5:30 to 7 p.m., The Wine Shop at The City Marina, downtown. Friday night wine tasting ($5 per person) paired with free samples of Elwood's Ham Chowder as featured on Magnolia's pages of The Charleston Chef's Table Cookbook. Author Holly Herrick will sign copies of her book while ladling out this delicious late winter stew.

South Carolina State Farmers Market Spring Re-Opening

2009-12-20T19:46:00.000-08:00

The SC State Farmers Market is going to be a huge new belle of the farmers' market ball when it re-opens in June. A kitchen demo arena, and a huge emphasis on local farmers are some of the more exciting aspects of the new market. Another is the market's inclusion of a month-by-month recipe feature from The Southern Farmers Market Cookbook on their web site. Link into the site and the book by clicking on www.scstatefarmersmarket.com/seasonal-recipe-calendar/

Have at it! Seasonal and local is by far the best! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas....Holly

Upcoming Holiday Signings, Demonstrations and Events

2009-12-10T17:25:00.000-08:00

Come see me, just in time for Christmas and holiday cheer, for these upcoming events and signings revolving around Charleston Chef's Table and Southern Farmers Market Cookbook:

Wednesday, Dec., 16, Social Wine Bar & Restaurant, 188 East Bay Street, downtown Charleston. Green Holiday Wine Party and book signing, 6 - 8 p.m.

Watch cookbook author Holly Herrick prepare Virgina's on King She-Crab Soup as featured in The Charleston Chef's Table on Lowcountry Live, ABC, Channel 4 on Thursday, December 17 around 10:15 a.m. Free, signed copy of The Charleston Chef's Table for the caller that times it right!

Friday, Dec., 18, O'Hara & Flynn, 225 Meeting Street. Signings of both books paired with wine and free samples of Soulful Braised Pork Stew and Winesap Apples from Southern Farmers Market Cookbook, 5 - 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec., 19, Whole Foods Market, 923 Houston Northcutt Blvd., Mt. Pleasant. Holly will demonstrate how to prepare Alluette's Cafe's Lima Bean Soup as featured in The Charleston Chef's Table and sign copies of both books. Demo begins at noon and signing continues through 3 p.m.

Sunday, December, 20, Alluette's Jazz Cafe, 137 Calhoun Street, downtown. Celebrate Alluette's feature story in this month's issue of Southern Living and the restaurant's feature pages in the soup chapter of The Charleston Chef's Table. Cash bar and small bites. Signing both books, 5 to 7 p.m.

Monday, Dec., 21. The Glass Onion, 1219 Savannah Hwy., West Ashley. 1/2 price wine night at The "GO" and signing of both books, 6 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec., 22, Barnes & Noble, Westwood Plaza, 1812 Sam Rittenberg, West Ashley. Signing both books from 2 to 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec., 23. Charleston Cooks!,194 East Bay Street, downtown Charleston. Informal signing of both books, 2 - 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.

Been to The Bin?

2009-12-09T08:37:00.000-08:00

If not, you've got to swing by this fabulous new wine, cheese, charcuterie, and art gallery/shop all wrapped up in a beautiful, simplistic, design bow courtesy of Thompson Young Design. Bead-boarding and bistro-style chairs and tables set the stage for prime time sipping of wine and cheeses hand-selected by the husband/wife team that expertly navigate the space with charm and grace.

Fanny's from France and Patrick's from Brooklyn and both formerly worked at Baked, downtown. There is no other place quite like this in Charleston. Shaved, dried beef paired with nutty, French cheese was decadent with a sparkling flute of Blanquette de Limoux.

Color bursts from the large paintings by local artist Robert Hagerty and urban sophistication pulses in the most welcoming and understated way on this quiet end of King Street across from The Preservation Society.

Bin 152
152 King Street, downtown
(843)577-7359

Amen to That!

2009-12-08T07:32:00.000-08:00

Charleston hardly suffers from a shortage of raw bars. They're as ample as oyster roasts in January. Consider The Boathouse, Hanks, Abe's and, just down the street from this sparkling new restaurant baby, Pearlz, to name a few of the best. But, there are a surprisingly small number of restaurants that do local fish really well. Amen, thankfully, can count itself themselves as one that does it right and keeps it fresh and local.

Simply beautiful, Amen Street replaces the dingy shack of a space it used to be with gleaming polished wood, plenty of distressed mirrors, welcoming banquettes and a sequence of round, stunning chandeliers made out of oyster shell art. Sophisticated and smart, it recalls a marriage of the look and feel of Rue de Jean and Virginia's on King a little farther uptown.

Amen is situated in the heart of tourist country, but emotes a charm that will appeal to locals if they can put up with the pesky foot traffic that tends to march through this neck of the woods. Amen Street makes it worth your time with top-notch service and delicious, well thought-out food preparations that will have you singing to the high heavens in grateful praise. The "unique" oysters (priced daily)glisten with freshness and are served with a pert mignonette and fresh horseradish and cocktail sauces. I loved the look of the shrimp corn dogs ($10.95) being consumed by the Southern Living photographer that was shooting the day I visited. They are large shrimp coated in a cornmeal tempura and served straight up in a metal cup with Carolina mustard and cornichons - whimsical yet substantive.

The fish dishes are treated with serious simplicity. Fresh fish of the day (price varies) is served with one of three preparations: Herb Grilled with Asparagus, Tomato Vinaigrette and Herb Oil OR Blackened with Popcorn Rice, French Green Beans and Tomato Relish OR Mongolian BBQ with Stir Fry Vegetables. I selected the second option and paired it with deliciously fresh and perfectly cooked black grouper. The popcorn rice is an interesting, buttery aromatic rice which is not dissimilar to Carolina Gold rice in flavor. Truly delicious, the beans snapped with freshness and the tomato relish finished the dish with pretty aplomb.

At times, the menu ventures into some quasi-boring staple departments like burgers, shrimp and grits and seafood platters, some of which reach celestial heights ($19.95 for a seafood platter, for example), but these are necessary evils to appease the less adventurous and less discerning masses. And, in talented Chef Todd Garrigan's hands, they receive original twists such as creamed corn with the seafood platter and Nueske's bacon atop Amen burger if you so choose($7.95 +$1.00 for the bacon).

Amen Street is a great addition to the long row of good restaurants on this stretch of East Bay. Even though the competition is stiff, Amen Street stands out with a flavorful personality and good looks of its very own.

Amen Street
205 East Bay Street, downtown
(843) 853-8600
www.amenstreet.com

"Holly-day" Gift Ideas

2009-12-05T10:40:00.001-08:00

Both Southern Farmers Market Cookbook (Gibbs Smith, June, 2009) and Charleston Chef's Table - Extraordinary Recipes from the Heart of The Old South (Three Forks Press, December, 2009) make fabulous gifts for Christmas and the holiday season. Reasonably priced at $19.99 and $24.95 respectively, both are jam-packed with delicious recipes and beautiful photography. The former is best-suited to those interested in cooking seasonally and locally and the latter is ideal for anyone that loves Charleston and Charleston's dynamic and delicious dining scene. Both are available for purchase now (see links in the left-hand column by clicking on the covers), though "Table" won't be in bookstores until December 22. Here's where I'm doing some signings for both books in the coming days:

Charleston Farmers Market, Marion Square, Charleston - Sat., 12/12, 8 a.m. - noon

O'Hara & Flynn, 225 Meeting Street, Charleston - Fri., 12/18, 5 - 7 p.m. Wine Pairing and Tasting, Braised Pork and Winesap Stew (from Southern Farmers Market Cookbook).

Whole Foods, 923 Houston Northcutt Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, Sat., 12/19, noon - 3 p.m. - Cooking Demonstration of Alluette's Lima Bean Soup from Charleston Chef's Table. Demo at noon followed by a signing through 3 p.m.

Here are some of the local area specialty shops and retailers where you can pick up both books now for the holidays:

The Glass Onion, 1219 Savannah Highway, W. Ashley

Harris Teeter, 975 Savannah Highway, W. Ashley

Hyams Garden Center & Christmas Shop, 870 Folly Road, James Island

Whole Foods, 923 Houston Northcutt Blvd., Mt. P.

O'Hara & Flynn, 225 Meeting Street, downtown.

Happy Holly-days!

Southern Farmers Market Cookbook Demo and Signing

2009-11-13T06:39:00.001-08:00

When: Saturday, November 14, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Where: Rosebank Farms Fall Festival, 4455 Betsy Kerrison Parkway, Johns Island

What: Cooking Demonstration/Tasting/Lunch/Book Signing by yours truly!

Fun, fun, fun and tasty and it's supposed to be a beautiful day. On the menu, one of my favorite recipes from the book, Creamy Citrus Shrimp and Fettuccine prepared with fresh Rio Bertolini pasta and sweet, local Lowcountry Shrimp.

Come on out and play, eat and support your local farming community!

Mini Blog Bites: Secret Culinary School Delights

2009-11-11T07:36:00.000-08:00

Well, neither Trident Technical College's 181 Palmer Dining Room nor The Art Institute of Charleston's ever-changing restaurant(currently it's called Zest and it's theme is Asian) are really secrets. But, the truth is, far too few people realize they're even there. Both put out exceptional creations and pulse with the energy and passion of these schools' talented culinary students. And, for the most part (more below) we're all invited!

Recently, I had the unparalleled pleasure of visiting both student restaurants.

I just love 181 Palmer Dining Room. I mean, I'm a capital fan. There is nothing not to like here. The fall menu, put together by Chef/Instructor master-mind Scott Stefanelli is probably the most ambitious and delicious yet. House-Cured Duck Prosciutto with Papaya, Radish, Micro Cilantro and Toasted Szechuan Pepper and Fried Oyster Po'Boy Sliders on house-made Brioche, Horseradish Remoulade, Red Cabbage Slaw and Hand-Cut Potato Chips seduce the palate even as the complexity of these preparations challenge and hone the students' culinary skills. Magical stuff, here, and three courses of deliciousness can be enjoyed in a spotless, modern dining room with white linen table cloths and delightful service with a live view of the students at work, for just $15. All you have to do is make a reservation on line or by calling and hope that school is in session.

Meanwhile, a little further downtown near the bustling market area is Charleston's youngest culinary Mecca. The Art Institute of Charleston, at just three years old, has morphed into a world-class culinary (and arts) institution that Charleston is lucky to have. Like 181 Palmer, the restaurant is entirely manned by students who, at this address, rely on the guidance of Chef/Instructor Christopher Stallard and Joseph Raya at the front of the house. Unlike 181 Palmer, you have to be invited by a member of the faculty or by a student to sup from the restaurant's ever-evolving menu which changes at the mid-point of each semester. The current "Zest" was spot- on with exquisitely presented Asian interpretations selected from an adorable menu created by the students.

This is good stuff Charleston's lucky enough to have the opportunity to enjoy. Let's support our local culinary institutions. They support us by creating chefs that will hopefully one day work in some of Charleston's best restaurants. That's good for everyone.

181 Palmer Dining Room
Culinary Institute of Charleston - Trident Technical at Palmer Campus
66 Columbus Street, downtown
(843) 574-6111
www.tridenttech.edu.com

Art Institute of Charleston
24 N. Market Street, downtown
(843) 727-3500
www.artinstitute.edu

Let's Talk the WOK

2009-11-11T06:47:00.000-08:00

Nick Bergelt knew from the time he was about ten years old exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up - a restaurateur. And, at the tender age of twenty three, that's exactly what he has become. The President and CEO of three week-old WOK, an acronym for World Oriental Kitchen, didn't waste any time, energy, or research to achieve his goal, either. The Hilton Head-native worked in a number of restaurants during high school, which he finished in just 2 1/2 years. After that, it was off to USC to study business and restaurant management. In between he spent his summer's and free time researching and back-packing about the globe to points as far away as Dubai to come up with his first restaurant's concept.

Enter WOK, Charleston's first certified green restaurant. More than a simple noodle house, Bergelt has devised a three-part mix 'n match menu that allows diners to construct pretty much what they want from a vegan salad to a souped up noodle dish tossed with one of eight piquant sauces. Executive Chef John McMullen, a veteran of PF Chang's celebrated wok training program, came down from Philadelphia to man the lively kitchen, which reverberates with the clang and clash of myriad 900 degree (F) woks and a colorful mise en place.

The front of the house is dedicated to serving the crowd ordering at the counter, while the back of the house (really the whole restaurant) is a veritable sustainability altar composed of soybean seating, reclaimed concrete walls and 100% recycled wood tabletops. Hip and sleek, it's an appropriate and comfortable setting to sup from WOK's local, all-natural and organic menu. All produce comes in daily from Joseph Fields farm on Johns Island and the shrimp, beef and pork are all local.

Less than $10 will easily buy WOK's diverse crowd a heaping plate (well, actually a recycled "box") of fresh veggies, so the price-point is friendly. I sampled the weekly special of assorted vegetables which I tossed with noodles, shrimp and the orange sesame sauce. The corn, zucchini, tomatoes, shrimp and more were unmistakeably fresh and delicious. The sauce needed a bit more zip - a little salt or sharp citrus acidity would have livened it up to a tee.

Service moves quickly making WOK a great (albeit slightly noisy) stop for lunch or a late night bite for the many business and college students that haunt this busy stretch of King Street. Take a bike or walk to WOK. It's in keeping with their welcome and refreshing green mantra and it's a heck of a lot easier than driving and parking. Delivery and take-out services are also offered.

WOK
World Oriental Kitchen
349 King Street
(843) 577-7770
www.worldorientalkitchen.com

Upcoming Signings - Southern Farmers Market Cookbook

2009-10-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

Here's some fun upcoming fall-themed signings happening this weekend:

Pumpkin 'n Spice at O'Hara & Flynn, 225 Meeting Street, downtown. Come get your "boo" on and dig into some pumpkin cookies and pumpkin ice cream prepared from recipes in the book paired with wines selected by O & F owner, Bruce Petty. Saturday, October 31 (Halloween!)3- 6 p.m. Author Holly Herrick will be signing and selling ($20) Southern Farmers Market Cookbook.

Wine Tasting and Book Signing, The Glass Onion, 1219 Savannah Highway, West Ashley.The Glass Onion will celebrate their featured wine for November, Hedges CMS - with a sampling on Monday, November 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. Co-Owner Sarah O'Kelley will offer a taste of this Washington red to all interested diners while Holly Herrick signs copies of Southern Farmers Market Cookbook.

Southern Farmers Market Cookbook

2009-10-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

www.hollyherrick.com

You can view and purchase my latest cookbook, Southern Farmers Market Cookbook (Gibbs Smith, June 2009)at this link:
http://www.gibbs-smith.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=2711.

Rick McKee Film
www.CharlestonPhotographer.com

Mo' Pho at Party Kingdom

2009-10-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

Though I've heard glowing things about this restaurant/kids party palace since it opened a few years ago, I've been reticent to visit. Once I made a pass, but it was closed. Also, I wasn't sure what the place was all about. It's brimming with Webkinz and jelly beans and has whole sections devoted to stuffed animals and pinball machines. From outside, it was almost impossible to tell that, behind the candy counter, there is a small window that opens into a big-flavored world of authentic Vietnamese cooking prepared by Vietnamese natives.

The fragrant aromas of cilantro and lemon grass mingle with the sounds of various games bells and whistles and laughing kids. It's a curious pairing, but one that works just right, especially after you settle into a brimming, steaming bowl of the restaurant's signature dish, Pho. An indulgent Vietnamese specialty that is hard to find in these parts (the only other place I've had a good bowl was at Basil, downtown), it's stellar at Party Kingdom. The two core ingredients, a mass of springy rice noodles and a layered broth, redolent with lemongrass, beef, and subtle backdrops of cilantro and garlic, are spot-one. Add the plate full of fresh condiments like bean sprouts, mint, cilantro, peanut sauce and a tongue-singeing hot sauce stir-ins that come with it, and you're set for a feast of epic flavor proportions. The Pho comes with either beef or chicken and for just $8, is a steal of a deal.

Seating is spacious and comfortable and service at the counter both professional and friendly.

Party Kingdom
1739 Maybank Highway, James Island
(843) 795-5701

Still Trucking and Still Smiling

2009-10-28T06:21:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it's been four months since I began the odyssey of traveling through the South to promote Southern Farmers Market Cookbook. From August's scorching heat through October's mild autumnal chill, from Birmingham, to Wilmington and scores of places in-between, I've encountered so many inspiring people and stories from the people that get inspired by local, seasonal shopping and cooking and love farmers markets, just as I do.

I'd by lying if I said the adventure has not been tiring at times and that sometimes I've been downright exhausted, but then something happens to pick me up all over again and to remember why I wrote the book and why I believe in it so much. This happened twice this last weekend at two completely unexpected places and events.

The first was at the Charleston Farmers Market Saturday morning where I was shooting a video for a series of cooking demonstrations from recipes featured in the book. Even as I was reveling in the beauty and fragrance of the crisp bounty of fall apples at Owl's Nest Plantation's booth, a handsome young man with a boy's face stopped me. I remembered him from a signing a few months back. His basket was brimming with seasonal kale, turnips, apples, squash and more. He was having the time of his life and looked like a kid in a fresh produce version of a candy shop. He told me he had perused through the book that morning to plan his shopping based upon the season and some of the recipes he would use to put them to good use. Talk about making my day! That's exactly why I wrote the book - to help people do just that. And, to do it with such enthusiasm! My heart brimmed with warmth as I watched him virtually bounce away with his verdant produce cache.

The following day I was enjoying the last of The Preservation of Charleston's Home & Garden Tour on hauntingly beautiful Legare Street in downtown Charleston on an idyllic fall afternoon. Though I was strolling through beautiful gardens, food and cooking were the last thing on my mind. When, out of nowhere, a woman came running up to me. She had attended a signing I did the previous week at Snee Farm's Garden Club. She squealed with glee as she told me she had gotten so inspired from my talk about the real values and joys of shopping locally, she had headed to the Mount Pleasant farmers market that very afternoon and shopped to her heart's content.

It's stories like these, meeting the raptures of the rapidly growing universe of farmers' markets devotees, and shopping at them myself, that make the world that much brighter. And, it reminds me on those rare tired days on the road, that the work is very, very worthwhile, indeed.

Happy local shopping and cooking!

The Charleston Chef's Table - Extraordinary Recipes from the Heart of the Old South

2009-10-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

Just got my first ever copy of this cookbook, which will be released in January, 2010 (Three Forks). It's my personal love letter to Charleston's deliciously dynamic culinary scene and was written with the generous help of Charleston's most talented chefs and the inspiration of this beautiful, Southern belle of a city. Here's the cover!

Burgers and Burgers and Fries - Oh My!

2009-10-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought you'd had some of Charleston's juicy-best burger offerings, a la Poe's, Rue, and Five Guys, along comes another gutsy burger joint serving up veritable whoppers of flavorful, beefy girth - Grindz. Though the one month-old, family-owned restaurant doesn't touch its aforementioned competitors in the fries or onion rings department (both here tasted and looked pre-fabricated), its leading the front of the pack in the greater Charleston burger department.

Hand-formed patties of house ground, rib-eye beef form 8 ounce, round, mini-mountains of deliciousness that would make Wimpy whimper for more and more and more. Piled atop a sturdy, fresh buttered bun and slathered with a wide assortment of condiments from chili to sauteed onions and mushrooms, these are highly effective hunger busters with easy $11 or less prices. Aptly named burger behemoths like "The Big Sloppy" (chili, bacon, smoked cheddar cheese, mushrooms, bbq sauce, fried onion straws, pickles, lettuce, tomato & homemade ranch dressing) and "Texas Hold 'Em (pepper jack cheese, bbq sauce, red onions, bacon, mushrooms, lettuce, tomato & homemade ranch dressing) give new meaning to the phrase big bite. The most brazen beef lovers among us are invited to layer on another 8 ounce patty for good measure.

Though there was nothing amusing about the passing of Amuse, the new resident of the former restaurant's West Ashley address provides ample reasons for burger lovers to smile. Wings, salads and milkshakes are all on the menu, but burgers at Grindz are the undisputed stars.

Grindz Burgers & Brew
1720 Sam Rittenburg Blvd, West Ashley
(843) 556-0257
www.grindzbuergersbrew.com

WildFlour in Full Bloom

2009-10-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

Lauren Mitterer, Chef/Owner of this brand new pastry shop, was walking her black lab, Calla, on the beach one day while musing what she might call her not-yet- conceived business baby, WildFlour. "I saw some beautiful wild flowers and I thought, hmm, that's it," says Mitterer.

Mitterer proved her talent for creating sumptuously simple desserts with witty word-play titles at Red Drum, where she worked as Executive Pastry Chef since the restaurant's opening day six years ago. Thus followed waves of praise and award nominations, including one from the James Beard House, and a loyal legion of local Mitterer fans, myself included. The creative powerhouse finally couldn't resist the urge to open her own shop, and did so just a little over a week ago, with the enthusiastic emotional and partial financial support of her close-knit family.

Charleston is now blessed with Mitterer's very own version of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Hers is a much more maternal, feminine, and sane version, but chocolate at WildFlour, like in the movie, takes center stage in her myriad cupcakes, custards, cakes, cookies, sweet breads and croissants.

The diminutive shop situated where Spring Street and Percy Street connect looks, feels, and smells like an enchanted dollhouse. Pretty little puffs of cupcakes house flavors like vanilla, lemon curd and coconut or chocolate cake, hazelnut ganache, and raspberry and are topped with pastel and cocoa hued swirls of buttercream. They looked like dressed up edible dolls dancing to the beat of temptation even as they decorate the refrigerator cabinet situated temptingly in clear view upon entering the shop. On top of the counter, cookie jars are lined up like so many kids sweet-tooth dreams. Snickerdoodles, sugar and chocolate chip - the classic rainy day afternoon comfort cookies - are all on dazzling, disarming display.

The piece de resistance, however, is Mitterer's signature double chocolate cookie. Made with decadently dark bittersweet chocolate laced with nuggets of white chocolate, it is quite easily the best cookie in these parts, especially if it comes hot out of the oven as it did the moment I arrived. It screams for a glass of cold milk and a warm hug from momma.

Alas, cold milk is not on the menu, but you can belly-up to a soothing cup of steamed milk and a warm embrace from Mitterer seems available to all whom enter WildFlour. When she's not almost single-handily crafting her regular menu items, Mitterer pursues her second love (behind chocolate, that is), creating custom cakes for weddings and other special occasions. Savory scones and biscuits are at the ready if you're not feeling the need for sweet at Wildflour.

WildFlour Pastry
73 Spring Street, downtown
(843)327-2621
Wildflouring@gmail.com

Mini- Blog Bites: Al di La Lunch, Mia P's Pizza

2009-10-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

The once entirely celestial Al di La recently announced it's serving lunch in the charming bacaro and outside patio from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. Having been at least thrice burned by rude, almost hostile service since former owner John Marshall's departure a few years ago, I was reluctant to return to check it out. But shades of eternal optimism, the changing shades of a new, cooler season, the prospect of lower lunch prices and sweet memories of Al di La's always heavenly food got the better of me. Indeed, the wheel seemed to take over along with my subconcious, virtually steering the car onto Magnolia Road when the initial destination had been the always yummy Glass Onion situated a little farther south on Savannah Highway.

Lunch proved to be impeccable. Great, friendly service from a gentle, non-hurried staff and the scent of smoke wafting from the wood-fired pizette oven quickly softened my armor into a molten self-admission that Al di La can be as sweet as it always was, especially during the less hectic daytime hours. Soups, salads, and mini-pizza's shine with fresh flavors and top grade ingredients, not the least of which is the house-made mozzarella. The prosciutto, mozzarella and arugula panini ($8.25) served with a small, fresh salad made for a perfectly delicious lunch. Prices are as gentle as the daytime service, ranging between $5 to $8.50. Throw in a glass of wine sipped underneath a merry Campari umbrella and you're inviting a sweet, Northern-Italian style nap quicker than you can say Ciao. Perhaps this kind of comforting and nurturing lunch bodes well for improved nocturnal service experiences. For more on prices, hours, menus, visit: www.aldilarestaurant.com.

Mia Pomodori

There's been a lot of positive buzz on the streets about this tiny, young pizza shop that popped up on Charleston's hottest(seemingly all of a sudden!) restaurant corner at Cannon and Rutledge. A darling little spot owned by a Brooklyn native and his wife, it emits a wonderful stream of Italian aromas that mingle with Hominy's Southern and Lana's Mediterranean respective aromatic arsenals in a most wonderful way.

I've heard people rave about the Sicilian style pizza which has a very thick, very chewy crust. For me, it's a little bit too much and reminds me of eating an open face sandwich on a halved submarine roll. Opt for the thinner specialty pies which includes the usual suspects like margherita, bianca and carne ($16.99-$18.99, 16-inch) prepared with unusual amounts of love and sincerity from the small staff. Mia's most winning points have to be the intimate outside dining patio that feels more like a Charleston backyard/garden and a pungent, saucey red sauce. Pacing's a big problem and needs to pick up. It's painful to wait a full hour with an empty stomach while breathing in all those fabulous scents. For more information on the menu/hours, etc. visit:www.miapomodori.com.

Upcoming Charleston Area Book Signings - Southern Farmers Market Cookbook

2009-09-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

October 8, 6:30 p.m. I'll be teaching a class inspired by the book's fall recipes in a participation class called Fall Farmers Market at Charleston Cooks!, 194 East Bay Street, downtown. The fee for the class is $60. A signing will follow the class. C'mon by. This will be both fun and delicious!

October 10, 8 a.m. - noon. Charleston Farmers Market book-signing at Marion Square, downtown.

October 15, 7 to 10 p.m. and October 18, 2 to 5 p.m. I'll be hosting a signing at my home/garden in conjunction with the Preservation Society of Charleston's Fall Tour of Homes and Gardens. Will offer tasty samples of recipes from the book and libations. Should be a couple of lovely afternoons! I'd love to see you. Go to www.preservationsociety.org for more details or to get your tickets.

Also, I'll be appearing on Lowcountry Live this Friday morning, 9/25 at approximately 10:15 a.m. to prepare Red Cabbage Slaw with Bacon, Scallions, Toasted Pecans and Roquefort. First caller to get through to the show gets a free, signed copy of the book!

Rita's Does Burgers Right

2009-09-21T07:29:00.001-07:00

Like the shifting sands of time and fickle nature of fashion, Folly Beach continues to morph and change with the ongoing evolution (or de-evolution depending on whom you ask) of Charleston. Nowhere is that more evident than in the Edge of America's restaurant scene, which has gone from offering a series of beachcomber shacks and oyster joints, to becoming a virtual restaurant renaissance destination. Gone are Anchor Line and The Terrapin - enter the sophisticated waves from Blu and the bodacious burgers from Rita's across the street.

Most everyone resists change, especially at this beloved Bohemian beach and surfer land, but the addition of Rita's will be a welcome one by any red-blooded American lover of great, beefy burgers. These are drip-to-your-elbows stacks of decadence on a (slightly too soft) bun. The burgers are 10 ounce, hand-formed patties of Angus beef that are charbroiled to your preferred temperature (and at your own risk, as stated on the campy menu).The smoky, crust of the char grill recalls Burger King, but the over-the-top toppings knock these burgers well into the gorgeous, gourmet ballpark.

The Cantina Burger ($9.50) is fattened with charred red onion, jack cheese and guacamole while the Reuben Burger ($10) rolls out on rye bread with corned beef, kraut, Swiss cheese and 1000 island dressing. Bring it on! I sampled and immediately fell in love with the Southbound Burger ($9) which is simply topped with smooth, mild house-made pimiento and slabs of apple-smoked bacon. Add the fresh slivers of red onion, tomato and lettuce, and this baby was a mouthful! Shy appetites or modest eaters need to apply. A pile of hot, but otherwise forgettable fries rounds out the platters.

The restaurant also serves an array of salads, sandwiches and seafood platters, that I have not yet sampled. The latter (all about $13) looked and smelled delicious, ample and local. Still, there is something about sea air, which flows in and around through an open deck and open windows, that brings out big appetites for big, delicious burgers, and that's exactly what Rita's delivers. The prices flirt with the edge of being high for the Edge of America audience, but in my opinion, the size and quality of the ingredients in the burgers make up for it. Service is young, friendly and slightly erratic.

Next time you're craving a burger, Rita's the place to be on the beach.

Rita's Seaside Grille
2 Center Street, Folly Beach
(843) 588-2525

Express Night Out | Styles | Recipe File: Blueberry Ice Cream

2009-09-01T17:29:00.001-07:00

Express Night Out | Styles | Recipe File: Blueberry Ice Cream

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Express Night Out | Styles | She's Rolling in Veggies: A Farm-Share Newbie Shares Insights

2009-09-01T17:14:00.001-07:00

Express Night Out | Styles | She's Rolling in Veggies: A Farm-Share Newbie Shares Insights

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www.onlyatfarmersmarkets.com

2009-08-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

This is a great farmers market-oriented site I recently discovered. Check it out at the address above. To link to a review of Southern Farmers Market Cookbook and a story I wrote about farmers' markets as culinary and spiritual inspiration, go to:

http://www.onlyatfarmersmarkets.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=157

Happy shopping and cooking!

Book Signing at Tristan - Sept. 13. Come on out and Play!

2009-08-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

Southern Farmers Market Cookbook

2009-08-28T13:17:00.001-07:00

For a direct link, go to: http://www.gibbs-smith.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=2711

Farmers' Markets as a Culinary Muse

2009-08-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

Van Gogh found inspiration for his masterpieces in the fickle clarity of Provence’s brilliant light and landscape. Rodin found it in the mystery and magic of human hands. Beethoven heard it in the trumpeting sounds of nature.

I am not an artist, but I am a chef and a cook and a food writer. For me, the greatest inspiration doesn’t come from a cookbook or a fabulous meal, though these usually rank pretty high on my list. Instead, it’s a farmers’ market, any farmers’ market, any time of year that tweaks my culinary muse.

Maybe that’s why I’ve been a farmers’ market addict for nearly twenty years. It really kicked into full force when I was living in rural France where village “marche’s” were offered daily like delicious sacrificial lambs to my empty, yearning basket and curious culinary mind. Each market in this rustic corner of the Pays Cathare was different, not unlike each of the markets I’ve uncovered in the great region of the South I explored while researching and promoting Southern Farmers Market Cookbook. Like people, each has a personality, a pulse, of its very own. Some are prettier than others, some are more sophisticated, some are more local, some are more organic, but to me, they all offer a brilliant and spiritual palette from which I can “paint” while nurturing my body and soul.

Consider a table stacked with ruby red and pale purple heirloom tomatoes roasting in the morning haze of the August sun on a crude table situated at a farmers market, Anywhere U.S.A., or world, for that matter! Is there a more beautiful site to see? An aroma more intoxicating? In my mind, the tomatoes realize myriad culinary possibilities, even before they reach my kitchen. Might they become a lazy tomato sandwich, dressed simply with mayo, salt and coarsely ground pepper, maybe a sprig of basil or two, gently pressed between two soft slices of white bread? Or, a succulent tomato sauce to embrace the grass-fed beef sausages I picked up two booth’s ago? Or, a perky gazpacho? The list goes on and on, and it doesn’t matter the ingredient, as long as it’s fresh and seasonal.

As the number of farmers’ markets and their popularity continue to mushroom across the country, this is an attitude with which I hope more people will become increasingly comfortable. I hope they will let their local farmers’ market bounty dictate what they bring home and what they create in their kitchens. I hope that people will ditch their shopping lists and their plans and embrace the whimsy of freshly picked produce and artisanal cheeses, charcuterie and breads to make unforgettable meals – edible art, if you will.

For this, along with the unsurpassed communal spirit of farmers’ markets, is what it’s all about. This is what living is, and this is the culinary muse that farmers’ markets provide the artist within us all.

From the Southern Farmers Market Cookbook Recipe File

Yellow and Red Watermelon Salsa over Red Leaf Lettuce and Smoked Ham Salad
(Serves 4 to 6)

Like tomatoes, watermelons are increasingly showing up at Southern farmers markets in a range of colors and sizes. This recipe puts both the sunny-hued “Yellow Flesh” and bright red “Cannonball” watermelon varieties to good use in a zippy, cool salsa served over a simply dressed salad of summer-seasonal red leaf lettuce and cubes of sautéed smoke ham. Mix and match with whatever local and seasonal watermelon you find. Freshness is always the key, and local is always how to find it.

For the salsa:

1 cup each cubed “Yellow Flesh” and “Cannonball” watermelon, seeded and cut into ¼-inch cubes
10 mint leaves, cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons finely diced red onion
Dash of fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:

1 head red leaf lettuce, cleaned and gently dried
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 ½ cups diced smoked ham
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the vinaigrette:

Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon local honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

To prepare the salsa, combine all salsa ingredients in a small bowl and chill up to 30 minutes before serving.

To prepare the salad, clean and dry the lettuce and tear into bite-size pieces. Reserve in a bowl, covered with a damp kitchen cloth, in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan. Cook ham, tossing occasionally, until golden brown on the edges. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside, keeping warm.

To prepare the vinaigrette, whisk together the juices, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually drizzle in the oil, whisking the entire time to incorporate. Taste and verify seasoning; set aside.

To assemble, season the lettuce and dress it lightly with the vinaigrette; toss gently to coat. Arrange the greens on serving plates and top with a generous portion of the chilled salsa. Sprinkle warm ham over the top and edges of each plate. Serve immediately.

(Recipe from Southern Farmers Market Cookbook by Holly Herrick, published by Gibbs Smith, June, 2009)

Farmers’ Market Faves

Though I’m not really comfortable picking “favorites” here are few markets that I’ve visited that really impressed me and why:

Morningside Farmers Market
1393 North Highland Avenue
Atlanta, GA
(404) 313-5784

This small, intimate market is 100% organic and all produce comes from within a range of no more than 30 miles. More importantly, it swells with community support and enthusiasm. People, young and old, pour in from the neighborhood to pick up their morning produce and friendly fix and to take in live music, chef cooking demonstrations and more.

Carrboro Farmers Market
301 West Main Street
Carrboro, NC
(919) 932-1641
www.carrborofarmersmarket.com

Another tiny market, this one is huge on heart. What I really love is the palpable curiosity and enthusiasm not just of the vendors, but of the shoppers. They ask questions at every booth – “How do I prepare this?,” “What would you pair this with?” It’s intoxicating, and the setting in a small park in this hamlet of Chapel Hill is exquisite.

Spring Park Farmers Market
Spring Park
Tuscumbia, AL

This is the only farmers market I’ve ever been to, anywhere, that has a tiny choo choo train riding through and around it. As if that weren’t enough, it’s situated in an expansive, verdant and recently refurbished park. The town mayor is a regular attendee, the produce is local, the mood is light and the living is good.

Yes, We Have No Bananas!

2009-08-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

This apt phrase, reflecting the all-local theme of Columbia's All-Local Market, is etched in a large billboard on the front of the small, gray shed that houses this nascent market. Newly moved into its permanent digs, this market smacks of homespun, local pride and brims with beautiful breads, produce, pecans, Caw Caw Creek's heirloom pork, and more.

Covered and open to the balmy breezes of a summer Saturday morning, I spent last Saturday here to sign Southern Farmers Market Cookbook, chat with the locals, and, of course, do some shopping. I found the most brilliant green, petite, sweet/mild butter beans I've ever had the joy to behold (and later, eat) as well as a steady stream of regulars that clearly love their little market. Neatly nestled in the shade of Brice Stadium and surrounded by gorgeous, old 19Th century mill warehouses, this market feels, as the name implies, particularly local.

Two gentlemen, who were soon to travel to Paris for a working vacation, stopped by my booth and I signed my first ever book in French. C'etait trop bon! Another Columbia resident and native of Washington state stopped by to buy five books for her friends back home who are all "into" gardening. It is so much fun to think of people all over the world waking up to the wonders of farmers markets and buying/supporting local farmers.

It was a morning well spent and an easy drive from Charleston. If you're in the Columbia area, you can visit this market on Saturday mornings during season from 8 a.m. to noon. Breakfast is provided by a busy vendor and attendees gobble it up at a large, inviting community table.

All-Local Market
701 Whaley Street
Columbia, SC 29201
www.stateplate.org

Absolutely Not Whistlin' Dixie..These Are Great Eats

2009-08-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

Anyone who's lived in the South for any period of time has experienced tomato pie. It's a tasty summertime rite of passage that is usually memorable but not necessarily something worth writing home about. Let me tell you, the whole world should know about Dixie Supply Bakery & Cafe's tomato pie - and more.

This place blew me away in the best possible way. It's situated in a space that used to be a dreary looking greasy spoon I never found the courage/desire to enter on a slightly dingy stretch of State Street next to L'il Cricket at Cumberland Street. It looks a lot brighter these days with bold blue lettering and inviting chairs and tables with plaid covering. The scents from the tiny, tiny kitchen are staggeringly delicious and the eye candy in the pastry case - particularly the coffee cake - is fresh and sweet.

The menu, a hodgepodge of dressed up sandwiches (think turkey bacon melt, burgers and ham and cheese - all around $5 to $6), salads, and more truly shines when it steps into the Southern realm of sophisticated soul food. Enter the gorgeous tomato pie ($5.95), this one made with local, seasonal heirloom orbs of goodness stacked between layers of melted, deep-orange, aged cheddar cheese and (mercifully!) limited dabs of has-to-be-Dukes mayo. At Dixie, they dare to go where grandma never went before, giving the pie a slightly gourmet kiss of fresh basil and a drizzle of green onions. The crust, though it bore the tell-tale crimping of mass production, was golden, flaky divinity. Served alongside the fat wedge of pie was a bar of cinnamony sweet potato cornbread that landed somewhere in culinary heaven between a biscuit and cake. Mmmm.

Even though this feast was more than sufficient, I force-fed myself a virtual bowl of squash casserole ($2.25) because the owner told me it would be good because she made it. She lied. It was great! More sweet, local produce bathed in a souffle-like custard and nuggets of melting cheese, it simply doesn't get better than this.

The restaurant serves a full breakfast menu and offers a host of daily blue plate specials. Be prepared to wait. The food doesn't come out fast here, but it comes out good enough to wait. In the meantime, just breathing the scent-rich air is a wonderfully appetizing way to pass the time.

Dixie Supply Bakery & Cafe
62 State Street, downtown
(843) 722-5650
dixiecafe1@aol.com

Bluffton's Belle of a Farmers' Market

2009-08-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

Visiting a new farmers' market for the first time is a little bit like going on a first date. Exciting, anticipatory, thrilling - that is if all goes well. My visit to Bluffton did not disappoint. Indeed, it exceeded my wildest dreams. Situated between busy Savannah and Hilton Head, the joy began with the pleasant pocket of a town that happens to be dripping with visceral delights. The market itself is situated in the scenic and historic "Old Town." Late 19th century bungalows and churches and large swaths of green surround the local-only market.

The market runs on Thursday afternoons from 2 to 6 p.m. from April through November (see site for more details) and the day I was there, it was jammed from the get-go. People actually lined up like race horses at the entrance gate well before the market opened. Enthusiasm swelled the crowd, which was an eclectic one, full of locals as well as vacationers visiting from as far off as Iowa.

The market is structured around a small green where a local artist played toe-tapping,live bluegrass music throughout the afternoon. Just a happy and beautiful place filled with produce and tasty treats like fresh-squeezed lemonade and barbecue, this is yet another market to add to your list of places to visit and, of course, to shop!

Farmers Market of Bluffton
40 Calhoun Street, Carson Cottages
Old Town, Bluffton, SC
http://farmersmarketbluffton.com
blufftonmarket@aol.com
(843) 290-6831
Market Manager: Deborah Boyd

Notes from the Book Signing Road...'Bama Beauties

2009-08-05T07:06:00.001-07:00

Alabama is a large and beautiful state. One literally rolls into it traveling west from Atlanta on I-20 into that state's largest city, Birmingham. A former mill town, it's embraced with rounded mounds of mountains and leafy, green trees. Downtown sparkles with Frank Stitt's culinary wizardry at three restaurants, the mainstay being Highlands Cafe and Grill. There we supped on unforgettable fresh figs wrapped with thick slabs of smoked prosciutto nestled on savory beds of lightly mounted cream peppered with lemon zest and fresh mint. Also on the menu, succulent roasted peanut soup and a vegetable plate of garden fresh creamed corn, fried okra and eggplant gratin - all of which were heavenly testament both to Stitt's skill and the sweet bounty of Alabama's farmlands.

Fortified from the feast and time well-spent with good friends, the following day we set off for Tuscumbia, birthplace of Helen Keller and the virtual birthplace of Southern rock in neighboring Muscle Shoals.

A small town, I didn't anticipate such a large and animated market, but that's exactly what I found at the Spring Park Farmer's Market. Situated at the edges of a large, leafy park, its personality is reinforced by a carousel and the choo choo sounds of a little red train that runs through it.

Huge watermelons, bountiful tomatoes, ear-upon-ear of corn and bushel- upon-bushel of peaches weighed down tables. Quickly and eagerly, the large afternoon crowd of hungry locals lightened the tables' respective loads, as they filled their canvas bags with the goods. The town's mayor and his wife were there and it seemed everyone knew everyone. This market, unified by the able hands and ample spirit of farmers market manager Sherry Campbell, personifies the community spirit that makes shopping at farmers markets so much fun. It didn't hurt that nearly everyone wanted a book and that they loved the okra and tomato soup demo/tasting of the recipe featured in it. Many kindnesses were extended by all, including Debbie Malone, manager of fabulous Cold Water Books in beautiful downtown Tuscumbia, making it feel like a sweet home, indeed.

A hundred miles of picturesque farmland away, awaited Huntsville, home of NASA and the place of my notably less (than Helen, anyway)celebrated birth. The small and nascent Bridge Street Town Center Farmers Market hugs the edges of a gorgeous, upscale shopping center and community about 10 miles west of downtown Huntsville. Though it features just a handful of vendors, it rocks with the pulse of live, beautifully played music by a local vocalist and weekly cooking demonstrations. On this day, it was ratatouille and the mood was light. The farmer vendors next to my signing booth had also been at the Tuscumbia market and offered me all kinds of goodness, including a long, tall glass of cold lemonade and beautiful Tuscumbia tomatoes. As in Tuscumbia, the crowd was proud, friendly and so happy to be at their market. Many came by to visit and buy books.

The long trip home to Charleston was infused with feel-good memories of sweet home Alabama. The very next day, I had that anticipated tomato sandwich prepared with those sweet Tuscumbia babies. There couldn't be a more succulent way to close this delicious chapter from the Alabama book.

Spring Park Farmer's Market
Spring Park
Tuscumbia, AL
Thursday, 4 p.m.-7 p.m.

Bridge Street Town Center Farmers Market
Bridge Street Town Center
Huntsville, AL
Saturday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
www.bridgestreethuntsville.com

Back From the Road - New Local Book Signing Dates

2009-08-05T06:41:00.001-07:00

Come celebrate Farmers Market Appreciation Week!

It seems like forever to me, but it's been six weeks since I've been home to sign books. It's going to be a hot, steamy few days, but I'm happy to be around to see local, smiling faces at my upcoming signings the next few days.

Tomorrow, 8/6, I'll be at the nearby Bluffton Farmers Market from 4 to 6 p.m., signing Southern Farmers Market Cookbook and handing out taste samples. The market is located at 40 Calhoun Street in Bluffton. For directions or more information on the market, please visit www.farmersmarketbluffton.com.

On Saturday, 8/8 (which also happens to be Roger Federer's birthday -yeah), look for me at the Charleston Farmers Market downtown at Marion Square. I'll be signing the book at the market's main information counter from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

See y'all there!

The Five Guys Experience

2009-08-05T06:07:00.000-07:00

Nobody, including me, likes a food snob.

All good food is good, including chain food. It's just that my chain experiences have, for the most part, left me wanting. So, despite all the rave reviews I've heard over the past year or so since Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries opened in West Ashley, I've resisted the temptation to dig in. That was until last week when a friend told me she saw something on Twitter by FIG's venerable chef Mike Lata about how much he loved the place.

Turns out, he and the rest of the Five Guys "fanatics" (there is a page dedicated to them on the web site)are right. Eating here is an experience in fun and fabulous. A splash of red and white corralled with bushels of real Idaho potatoes, Five Guys feels at once 50's-retro and thoroughly modern. Sparkling clean, the center of action is the grill and fry station which operate like well-oiled (peanut oil only) machinery, while the guy at the register merrily calls out "patty" orders as they arise.

It's entirely systematic and delicious. Burgers are prepared with fresh (never frozen) beef and come "big" (two quarter pound patties, $4.49)or "little" (one quarter pound patty, $3.19)on a fresh, sturdy bun and hand-wrapped in aluminum foil. The extensive and free topping selections - from sauteed mushrooms to jalapeno peppers - gives a whole new meaning to the "special orders won't upset us" theme. Heck, even the celebrated fries can come dusted with salt or with Cajun seasoning.

The fries, which are literally fried to order from baskets that are stacked up near the fryer like so many stars waiting to shine, are epic. Skin-on slabs of Idaho deliciousness, they're delivered deliberately spilling out of their cup and steaming hot. Ketchup flows freely and easily into over-sized plastic ramekins (so unlike the too-little Wendy's variety) at the well-stocked and impeccably clean condiment counter. The likable quirky guy at the counter told me that the regular ($2.49) fry order feeds two, while the large ($3.99) feeds two to three people. That's a pretty accurate assessment, assuming these are pretty hungry folks. The portions are more than ample.

Release your inner food-snob and give Five Guys a try. It's one of the best burgers in town and the fries are unrivaled.

Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries
1662 Savannah Highway, West Ashley
(843) 556-5489

and

1795 U.S. Highway 17 North, Suite 2, Mount Pleasant
(843) 881-4550

www.fiveguys.com

Atlanta's Farmers' Markets, Un-Earthed

2009-07-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

Morningside is a picturesque neighborhood situated a few miles outside of downtown Atlanta, but it feels like an entirely different world. The hills roll, the streets teem with relaxed neighborhood energy and funky shops and eateries, and everyone, from the dogs, to the kids, to the adults, seems to be smiling.

Smack dab in the center of it all, in a tiny parking lot sandwiched between a restaurant and a bakery, is the Morningside Farmers' Market. Though it's small in size it's huge in heart; a veritable hot-bed of local and organic adulation. Established over a decade ago by one Ann Brewer, it is everything a farmers' market should be and spills over with the bounty of nearby Georgia farmland. Heirloom tomatoes, orange grape tomatoes, corn - the eye candy was impossible to resist from my busy little book signing table.

I was regretful I couldn't take all this wonderful stuff back to my own far-away kitchen, but will forever retain the memories of this market and its people.

Meanwhile, down a hill and a few turns and miles away, Piedmont Park is home to yet another farmers' market known as Green Market. Larger and longer than its Morningside neighbor, Green Market feels a tad more urban and more languid. People walked more slowly as they ambled along to shop and visit. Like Morningside, the weekly Saturday morning market hosts cooking demonstrations by local chefs.

Well done, Atlanta! I am told the Peachtree Market is another market wonder, but have not yet been.

Morningside Farmers' Market
1393 N. Highland Avenue
Atlanta, GA
www.morningsidemarket.com

Green Market
Piedmont Park
12th Street entrance
Atlanta, GA
www.piedmontpark.org

Worth a Visit

2009-07-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

A recent and unexplained quest for local taco-bests delivered me to the gates of Zia Taqueria yesterday. I'd been meaning to check it out ever since it emerged from the ashes of former fabulous Fez's locale next to the Terrace Theater on Maybank Highway, but have only just gotten around to doing so.

Cool and soothing, with quiet undertones of Fez's Moroccan look, golden yellow walls and Spanish tiles give Zia attractive Mexican airs. The menu is replete with enchiladas, tortas, tacos and sides with relatively gentle price points ($1.99 sides up to $12.99 platos)that pair with a nice selection of mixed drinks, beer and wine.

Tacos come on soft corn or flour tortillas and are amply portioned, but lack the flavor power of similar selections from nearby Taco Spot. The beef barbacoa, for example, had the tender texture-marks of slow cooking, but lacked the umph of spice and lime. The onion cilantro relish was barely discernible; a little more of this would be a welcome addition.

With easy and pleasant counter service and an accessible location, Zia's begs for a visit when you're in this neck of the woods and thirsty for a cool one and a tasty, if not show-stopping, taco.

Zia Taqueria
1956A Maybank Highway, James Island
(843) 406-8877
www.ZiaTaco.com

Farmers' Market Fun

2009-07-13T08:31:00.000-07:00

Conducting a book "tour" without a press agent,with a little dog and heavy book boxes in tow during a hot Southern summer is less than sexy. In fact, it's darn hard work. However, the sense of general adventure and the joy of the farmers' markets and new cities I've been visiting, have made it all more than worth the while.

Last Friday, I was greeted at The Pee Dee State Farmers Market by Suzanne Galloway and her amiable staff at The Hobnob Gourmet. "Hobnob" is located in the bucolic and beautiful red barn, across the way from the sprawling open shed where produce and goods are sold by Pee Dee farmers. Suzanne put on quite the spread; zucchini toasts, butter bean bruschetta, and other recipes from Southern Farmers Market Cookbook, along with sweet tea and ice cold lemon water, to refresh her many guests. Most had come expressly for the signing and they were a well turned-out group! One man, a veritable foodie who referred to his wife as his "kitchen goddess," merrily shared some cannoli and cookies they had picked up in Philly on a road trip made purely for the purpose of buying them.

Tann Mann and I regretted leaving such a pleasant setting, not to mention such a gorgeous gourmet shop, but Wilmington, NC beckoned. I struggled to find a hotel, but ended up with a lovely room in the Hilton over-looking the Cape Fear River, which happens to be around the corner from The Riverfront Farmers' Market we were scheduled to visit the next morning.

A first time visit to both Wilmington and this vibrant market (headed by Farmers' Market Manager extraordinaire R.T. Jones)that just pulses with positive community energy while over-flowing with local produce and friendly farmers. Again, so many happy stories were told by the people that came by to look at and buy the book, it was impossible not to have a good time. One young lady bought a book for her fiance, another bought two for friends. The market is situated on the edge of the river, which provided welcome, lifting breezes and charming vistas. Children, dogs and smiles were everywhere I looked. This is a not-to-be-missed market. It's not surprising it's ranked the #1 community gathering place in town.

My last ten books were snapped up by one David Holden at Holden Brothers Farm Market in Shallotte, NC, just before the SC border on the return home. A roadside market selling produce grown on Holden's farm, the large shack was thronged with people hungrily snapping up fresh goods on a warm Saturday afternoon. As he pondered the book, the salty, time and weather-seasoned farmer flipped through it with his slightly grimy farmer's thumb, leaving a brownish,ingrained spot on the edge of the pages. Somehow, this seemed fitting and endearing, especially when he pulled $140 in cash out of his pocket and put it in my hands, even before he had the books! "That's allright, I trust you," he said. Having thought those days were gone forever, I smiled and went out to sign the books. When I returned with them, he turned and showed his daughter, proudly stating, "Look, honey, they're signed."

Sometimes life is just too sweet. Hope you get out to your local farmers market soon for a little taste from the same lovin'cup.

Pee Dee State Farmers Market/Hobnob Gourmet
2513 W. Lucas Street, Florence
www.pdfarmersmarket.sc.gov

Riverfront Farmers'Market
N. Water Street - Historic downtown Wilmington, NC
Riverfront
www.localharvest.org/farmers-market/M9307

Holden Brothers Farm Market
5600 Ocean Highway West
Shallotte, NC
(910-579-4500

Spot On!

2009-07-09T10:37:00.000-07:00

Forget Taco Boy, Taco Spot's Jason Vaughn is Charleston's taco man.

The (two) Taco Boy restaurants deliver huge style and decor dividends, but I've always found the food to be relatively pedestrian and generic. Taco Spot's tacos, burritos, wraps, and quesadillas are packed with grown-up, sophisticated ingredients paired with a sense of contemplative playfulness. Here, blackened grouper or chicken meet a cayenne ranch dressing while blackened steak dances with hot, house made salsa.

Johnson & Wales graduate Jason Vaughn smoothly orchestrates this tempting taste temptest in a tiny open kitchen that wafts with the fresh scents of cilantro, chile, and garlic and pulses with the beat of hard rock tunes, imparting a decidedly masculine mood. A sunny paint pairing of green, yellow and a large orange "spot" logo set an inviting, albeit spartan, stage.

Dining is take-out or dine-in on one of the seven stools that line the open kitchen and impressive array of international hot sauce bottles or in one of the three tables in the small back-room.

A creamy house made queso dip ($1.49, 2 oz ramekin with chips) is dotted with the pungent house made salsa and a dollop of pureed fresh jalapeno. Rich and thick, it makes for a more than adequate starter, especially when the humble price is factored in. The restaurant boldly claims near the front door that it serves the best fish tacos in town, and I've got to admit, this is no exaggeration. Tacos are served either on a soft flour tortilla or a freshly fried corn tortilla; the grouper with cilantro aioli ($2.49) paired swimmingly on the fresh, flour tortilla. The fish could have been snared and filleted on the spot, it tasted that fresh, sweet and delicious. Topped with a crunchy tomato and cucumber pico and a dusting of clean-tasting cilantro, it was impeccable. I also sampled the seared steak and hot salsa taco ($2.49) which hit all the right notes, especially when tempered with a spot of cooling sour cream.

This taco sweet spot is located a stone's throw from Home Team BBQ in a small strip mall with convenient parking. Swing on by and give it a try!

The Taco Spot
1301 B Ashley River Road, West Ashley
(843) 225-7426
Mon.-Fri., 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.
Sat., noon-9 p.m.
Closed daily from 4 to 5 p.m.

Hot Barrier Island Weekend Book Signings

2009-06-26T04:54:00.000-07:00

Though the weather's predicted to be hot, all eyes will be on farmer fun this weekend. Come on out to join me for one of two book signings I'll be attending this weekend for Southern Farmers Market Cookbook. On Saturday, June 27, I'll be joining Sidi Limehouse and the gang out at Rosebank Farms (4455 Betsy Kerrison Parkway, John's Island) from 3 to 7 p.m.

The following afternoon, I'll be jumping on the wonderful Slow Food band-wagon at Thackery Farms on Wadmalaw Island for a Farm-to-Plate picnic. Tours of the farm will be held, there will be a pie auction and I'll be signing the book from 4 to 8 p.m. The event is a Slow Food Charleston fund-raiser for the Sander's-Clyde elementary school's organic garden initiative. I will donate $2 from each book sold to the cause. So come on out, it's a good one!

Fabulous Faces and Facets of Southern Farmers Markets

2009-06-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

Edible Metro & Mountains, a magazine celebrating the local foods of Greater Atlanta and North Georgia, published a story I wrote about Southern Farmers Markets in their summer 2009 issue. Feel free to check it out at:

http://www.ediblecommunities.com/metroandmountains/pages/articles/sum09/ed

Click on the "Fabulous Faces...." headline in the masthead. It includes interviews and quotes from farmers around the region.

I hope you like it!

Saving Fish While Sustaining the Soul

2009-06-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Culinary Institute of Charleston, working in tandem with the South Carolina Aquarium's Sustainable Seafood Initiative, culinary students, and a host of talented guest chefs, achieved a resounding missionary and culinary trifecta at the Sustainable Seafood Dinner held at 181 Palmer on the school's Palmer campus last Tuesday (June 16).

A fund-raiser extraordinaire, the goal was to raise funds and awareness for the aquarium's Sustainable Seafood Initiative, showcase the talents of the students and the chefs, and present an award-winning, five-course feast to the evening's guests. Served within the intimate, soothing space of the school's working classroom/restaurant, 181 Palmer, the event achieved all this and more.

Between courses, Megan Westmeyer, the aquarium's Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SSI)Coordinator, provided informative and humorous anecdotes about the significant progress the initiative has made in improving the lives and longevity of the fish that populate our coastal waters. From improved long-line techniques and gentler and kinder lures that prevent wastless ensnarement (and murder) of the denizens of the deep to the chivalrous mating habits of male triggerfish, Westmeyer had the small crowd of 40 alternating between waves of laughter and hushed, appreciative enlightenment.

The menu showcased 100% sustainable fish, including blue crab, yellowfin tuna, triggerfish and swordfish and each course was paired with wine, every bottle retailing for $20 or less. Hank's Seafood Chef Frank McMahon's pink, seared slices of yellowfin tuna swam in a cool sea of sweet corn, tomatoes, tangy pickled okra and dill while Waterscapes at the Marina Inn (Grand Dunes) chef James Clark triggerfish went Lowcountry with the round, rich flavors of sweet peas, country ham, shrimp and Vidalia onion relish. Dessert came in the delightful form of a round scoop of fresh peach ice cream served on a crisp shortbread cookie with a blueberry buckle; a type of sophisticated spoon bread.

Students worked with the chefs to create the dinner, just as they do every day of the school year with chef Scott Stefanelli in the school's kitchen laboratory. One of Charleston's best kept restaurant secrets, 181 Palmer serves a three-course lunch ($15)throughout the year when school's in session, and everyone is invited. Just be sure to make a reservation. Stefanelli and his students infuse the food and the dining room with talent, skill and unbridled positive energy that's on par with any five-star restaurant anywhere in the world.

Culinary Institute of Charleston/Trident Technical College - Palmer Campus
66 Columbus Street, downtown
For required reservations: (843) 820-5087, ext. 2
www.culinaryinstituteofcharleston.com

Market Love From Both Sides Now

2009-06-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

For easily a decade, I've been a farmers' market addict. It doesn't matter whether it's a neighborhood market in a mega metropolis like NYC or a tiny village in the Pays Cathare in France. If there's a market, I'm there, sniffing, touching and buying my way through the gorgeous produce, usually chatting it up with the farmers, and sampling some tasty morsel like a ham and cheese crepe or a fresh pickle. But, in all those years, I've never seen a market from a vendor/farmer perspective - until last Saturday at the Charleston Farmers' Market and yesterday at the Daniel Island Farmers' Market.

It's entirely different, yet equally compelling. In both cases, of course, I was there to sign Southern Farmers Market Cookbook. At Marion Square, I was almost sadistically positioned straight across from those dreadfully seductive mini-doughnuts, flanked on my right by Frank Fleming of Simply...Bananas and on my left by an ambrosial, aromatic sea of exotic lily's and lavender. The lavender followed me again, this time from Thackery Farms, to Daniel Island. Talk about olfactory over-drive.

Behind the booth, the focus was on the people, not the produce as I'm accustomed. Endearing vignettes unfolded again and again before my eyes. The husband/father with two, beautiful children who was there to secretly buy a book for his wife while his little girl squealed in delight, "It's a secret!" The couple visiting from New England describing how they split culinary duties and the sweet daughter buying a gift for her Dad. All of it so entirely feel-good it was enough to make one nearly explode with joy and completely forget all the bad stuff we've been hearing about for so long.

But, it was the man buying flowers for his girl-friend (talk about feel-good) at the lily booth that said it best. As the vendor wrapped them with care and handed them over to him, she said, "Have a good day." He beamed, practically danced and opened up his arms in wonder, saying, "How can I not? I'm surrounded by beautiful flowers, warm mini-doughnuts, and farm-fresh produce on a beautiful day?"

I could not say it better myself! No matter how you slice it, or what angle you're looking at it from, a local farmers' market is a thing of beauty of the human kind. If you're lucky, fringe benefits include good restaurant tips from a fun neighboring vendor (Frank Fleming told me about Pollo Tropical and H & L Asian Market in North Charleston - even drawing a detailed map!)and then, there are those doughnuts. The former are on my most pressing must-do list and the latter, well, they're history - until next time.

Southern Farmers Market Cookbook

2009-06-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

On bookstands now. Also available at amazon.com and http://www.gibbs-smith.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=2711

UPCOMING SIGNINGS IN THE CHARLESTON AREA:

Charleston Farmers Market, Marion Square
Saturday, June 13, 8 a.m. - noon

Daniel Island Farmers Market, Daniel Island
Thursday, June 18, 3 p.m. - dusk (7:30 p.m. or so)

Preservation Society
Corner of King and Queen Streets, downtown Charleston
Saturday, June 20, 10 a.m. - noon
Signing and Chow-Chow Shrimp Deviled Egg Tasting

WaldenBoooks
Downtown, Meeting and Market Streets at Charleston Place
Tuesday, June 23, 10 a.m. - noon
Signing and Chow-Chow Shrimp Deviled Egg Tasting

More coming....

Crescent City Cajun

2009-06-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

The Holy City has a new choice for gutsy, Big Easy-style eats. Formerly a catering kitchen, The Crescent Connection expanded into restaurant turf three months ago. All the usual New Orleans suspects - crawfish etouffee (lunch, $6), red beans and rice (lunch, $5), and a tasty cast of Po'Boys (lunch, $5-$9) - grace the small menu with unusually authentic treats. Chef/owner Iran Coleman hails from New Orleans and, according to our server, "has worked with all the best New Orleans chefs." Unsuccessful at getting chef Coleman on the phone to confirm his resume, I can tell you his food offers the compelling earmarks of a well-trained chef, regardless of where he's worked in the past.

Most of the ingredients, from the crawfish to the beans and sausage, are shipped in from New Orleans to ensure the authenticity of the flavors of the seafood and produce of the region.

The Crescent City Connection jumps over the moon with its gumbo (small, $3.50, large, $6), a heady, brown gravy layered with smoky heat and spice, thick with roux and savory morsels of meat and seafood. A scoop of buttery, nutty rice is presented on top at the table, consequently sealing the deal on what's essentially a meal in a bowl. Similarly, sides like macaroni and cheese, corn macheux and smothered okra, are satisfying, stick-to-your ribs fare on the cheap. The corn macheaux (small, $3.25, large, $4.75) stands out as a fancy creamed corn winner of roasted corn nuggets awash in a spicy, sweet sea of cream and flavor points of fresh thyme. Alas, an otherwise sublime crawfish etouffee was marred with the lingering after-taste of burnt roux and was light on crawfish. Still, it's a worthy eating endeavor and one that was probably just having a quasi-bad day.

Little bars of slightly dry corn bread, served without butter, arrived mid-meal. Indeed, timing was off throughout the meal, which is an area where Crescent can and should improve. After all, most of this food is prepped well ahead of time. Thus, there really is no explaining slow, awkward, stop-and-go service timing, except for lack of organization in the kitchen or other distractions. Since we were two of a total of six diners in the small restaurant, it can't be attributed a sudden order- glut. If this glitch is ironed out, Crescent Connection should make an excellent lunch choice for the many professionals that work in the nearby Park Circle and North Charleston area. Until then, bring snacks or a good dose of patience, or your stomach will be rumbling (like mine was) louder than the New Orleans-style music that permeates the merry little space.

Indeed, Crescent Connection's location, in a little strip mall near the corner of Montague Avenue, is an odd one. However, parking is easy and the food and super endearing staff make it worth a visit to bring your heart just a little bit closer to the Big Easy, if only for a day. Dinner offers a broader menu of choices at slightly higher prices. Take-Out and catering are also available.

The Crescent Connection Bistro
1910-E Montague Avenue
North Charleston
(843) 529-0777
Lunch, Tuesday - Friday, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Dinner, Tuesday - Saturday, 5 - 9 p.m.

Mojito Madness

2009-06-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

Dog days of summer got you down? Never fear, Jason Hall is here. The mojito magician/bartender is whipping up a batch of seriously refreshing cocktails at Charleston Grill's handsome bar in preparation for the fourth annual Charleston Bacardi Mojito Challenge which will be held at the aquarium on June 23rd.

We caught him muddling away last Saturday night, but instead of traditional fresh mint leaves, he coaxes the flavor from fresh pineapple-sage leaves to create his incredibly crisp, cool and savory creation he calls a "Pineapple Sage Yuzo Mojito." He wouldn't share the precise recipe but conceded it includes the aforementioned herb leaves, yuzo, vanilla, honey, Bacardi rum (of course), a mint simple syrup, lime juice and soda water. Clear as water and peppered with shards of green, taking one sip feels like jumping into azur Carribean waters.

Hall just might be the guy to beat at this year's contest. Not a rum fan? Try Hall's "Cool Breeze," a sultry blend of Hendrick's gin, muddled fresh cucumber and lemon with fresh ginger, simple syrup and soda water.

Both go down remarkably well with the bar side gratis goodies of candied/smoked nuts, olives and pickled onions and even better with executive chef Michelle Weaver's artful fare, especially the crunchy hot bites of fried mac 'n cheese and the corn beignets.

A girls' night out never tasted so good!

Charleston Grill
224 King Street, downtown
(843) 577-4522
www.charlestongrill.com

Charleston Magazine - Market to Market!

2009-06-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

Marion Sullivan, Charleston Magazine's talented trumpeter of the local food world, has included a beautifully written piece on Southern Farmers Market Cookbook in the June issue of Charleston Magazine. Look for it on newstands now, or go directly to: http://www.charlestonmag.com/charleston_magazine/feature/to_market_to_market to get an on-line look.

OK. After today, I'm done with the shameless self-promotion and on to a new restaurant review gig which I will share with you tomorrow. Hint - it's Cajun and in North Chuck.

Until then, happy fresh and seasonal cooking. Best, Holly

Market Fresh

2009-05-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

Teresa Taylor, Food Editor at The Post and Courier, wrote a nice piece in today's paper about Southern Farmers Market Cookbook. You can find it in today's paper or go to www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/may/27/market_fresh83663

TO VIEW OR BUY the book now, go to http://gibbs-smith.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=2711

Happy and healthy seasonal cooking!

Holly

See Southern Living's May Issue - On Stands Now

2009-04-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

Southern Living Magazine generously devotes three pages to my new book, Southern Farmers Market Cookbook (Gibbs Smith), in this month's (May) issue. You'll find it in the South Carolina People & Places section. Check it out and see why it's important to "buy local, buy right." Look for the book at major bookstores and around town (including the Charleston Farmers Market) after June 1. It can be "viewed" and/or pre-ordered now at www.gibbs-smith.com and www.amazon.com.

Here's a seasonal recipe from the book to whet your appetite for the glorious, local bounties of May. In this case, strawberries. In a week or two, it will be high time for blueberries, which would make a fine substitute for the strawberries in this salad.

Spinach and Mesclun Salad with Fresh Strawberries and Sweet-Hot Pecans
(Serves 6)

The earliest yield of Southern spring harvests include sweet, plump, ripe strawberries and tender leaves of spinach, mesclun, and baby lettuces. Paired with sugar and paprika-coated pecans pulled hot from the sauté pan, a pert vinaigrette and the clean bite of mint, these spring produce belles are as beautiful, yet demure, as can be. If you come across a mellow, soft local cheese, it would be lovely scattered across the top before serving.

14 large strawberries, halved (vertically)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

For the vinaigrette:

1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon local honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pecan halves
1 tablespoon sugar
Dash of paprika
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups fresh spinach
4 cups mesclun
8 leaves fresh mint

Up to 1 hour before serving, combine the strawberries in a small bowl with the balsamic vinegar. Toss and marinate for at least 30 minutes, but no more than 1 hour. Strain the berries, reserving the juices; place berries in the refrigerator until ready to use.
For the vinaigrette, combine the strained juices from the berries with the shallot, mustard, honey, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually incorporate 1/2 cup of the olive oil, whisking well to emulsify. Taste and verify seasonings.
Meantime, in a small sauté pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pecans, sugar, paprika, salt and pepper. Toss and watch, toasting until the nuts turn a light golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.
To serve, toss the spinach, mesclun, minute leaves and a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper together in a large bowl with a light dressing of the vinaigrette (you probably will only need about half – save the rest for later). Serve on individual plates or on a large platter garnished with the marinated strawberries and warm pecans.

Recipe from Southern Farmers Market Cookbook by Holly Herrick (Gibbs Smith, June, 2009)

No Lunch, Free or Otherwise, at The Atlantic Room

2009-04-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

Some days just beg for a leisurely midday indulgence. The crystalline, cool, sunny days of spring in Charleston can be a potent force in bringing on such a craving. These forces, along with business requirements on Kiawah Island yesterday, collided in such an overwhelming wave of indulgence justification, I decided to top off the morning with lunch at The Atlantic Room at The Ocean Course Clubhouse, dubbed "Kiawah's Premier Seafood Restaurant."

Decidedly in the mood for something exotic and oceanic, like the Mediterranean sea bass with asparagus, grape tomato, leek, rocket citrus-rosemary vinaigrette and three onion soubise ($16) I had read about on the restaurant's web site, my anticipation and mood mounted with every twist and turn of the long (nearly 7 miles) and scenic road that runs from The Sanctuary to the clubhouse's gorgeous front door.

The entire setting is so perfectly beautiful and peaceful, it seems surreal. White dunes and grasses wrap around the early twentieth century style mini-manse of a clubhouse while the surf crashes all around. Mega-manse private homes, many of them with similar architectural, shingle-clad styles, dot the higher ground like jewels of the super-rich to whom they must belong. It's easy to get swept away and dream you're one of them, at least for a day.

The Atlantic Room, with relatively pricey lunch-time rates ($10-$18) and prime ocean views, seemed like just the place to play this particular dream game. Alas, it was not to be. I was informed upon arriving at the empty (albeit sumptuous) dining room that lunch is not being served at the restaurant "this season," but instead is offered in the neighboring Ryder Cup Bar. My spirits dimmed slightly as the anticipatory edges of my dream lunch started to fray, but I figured I'd still be able to select from The Atlantic Room's menu even if I had to eat it in a bar with a bunch of rowdy bankers and a distracting flat-screen television.

Wrong again! As the menu proved, this is a soup, salad, sandwich and sushi room only - with more of those blindingly beautiful views. Resigned to have a good time, I settled into a glass of Chardonnay and the "bagger burger" ($15). A great burger it was, too. Composed of perfectly cooked-to-temperature ground Black Angus beef and topped with savory pepper bacon, gooey smoked cheddar, a garden-full of fresh Bermuda onion, tomato and crisp lettuce, it was served with a mound of lukewarm fries and hot onion rings.

Though lunch at the Ryder Cup Bar was good, there are times that demand something more than a good sandwich. This was one of them.If the web site hadn't promised lunch at The Atlantic Room, I probably would have stayed at The Sanctuary and supped at Jasmine Porch.

It just goes to prove, don't believe everything you read. One should expect more from a resort of Kiawah's caliber. At a minimum, restaurant menu/hours information should be accurate. If it was just a few days out of sync, no problem. But, when I politely suggested to my young server that someone at corporate should be told, she apologetically explained that they had been told about it several times but nothing had been done about it to date.

I'll have to wait a while for this kind of mood to strike again and venture out to sample the enticing-looking Atlantic Room for dinner, but next time I'll call first. For now, I'm going to go downstairs and rejoin the masses while I consume the left-over half of the Ryder burger in the relatively humble confines of my real life living room. I wonder if it will taste as good? I'm betting not.

The Atlantic Room/The Ryder Cup Bar
The Ocean Course Clubhouse
Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Call (843) 266-4085 to make reservations at The Atlantic Room (or to confirm hours!)
www.kiawahresort.com