southern skillet
Southern cooking is more than fried chicken, grits and collard greens.
And food writers and Memphis natives Paul and Angela Knipple have set out to prove it, according to Virginia Willis, Southern author and chef.
In their new cookbook The World in a Skillet: A Food Lover’s Tour of the New American South, the food writers look at modern Southern cuisine through the lens of first-generation immigrants to the region.
Through 50 main recipes and stories of more than forty immigrants, the book traces the evolution of Southern food and its role in the immigrant experience.
The book gives a nod to Southern tradition by shaping their global story in the context of the iconic cast-iron skillet, marrying traditions past and present, near and far.
You will find recipes for Father Vien’s Vietnamese-style pickled mustard greens, Bolivian corn casserole and creamy beer soup. You will also learn that fried catfish works great in sushi rolls.
Published by the University of North Carolina Press, the cloth book is $35.
Learn more about the Knipples at paulandangela.net
metal & modern
Growing up in New Jersey, Marc Maiorana learned the fundamentals of blacksmithing from his father. Later, he took various art classes in college but found he was always drawn to metal.
In 2001, Maiorana earned a degree in metalsmithing from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. The following year he headed South to the renowned Penland (NC) School of Crafts as a resident artist.
In 2008 he relocated with his girlfriend to Cedar Bluff, VA, and started Iron Design Company, which combines traditional metal work with contemporary design.
Soon requests started coming in for the simple, round bottle openers ($15) he first made at Penland. It is pictured below.
Maiorana enjoys making sleek, everyday objects, including his tension candles holders ($125 each), modern andirons ($2,400) and book sconces ($125) for a special or first-edition book you want to display.
But he also welcomes larger, custom designs, such as staircase railings.
His best-selling design, here and in Europe, is a wine rack ($250). A curving strip of steel that rolls in and out from the wall, the rack holds six wine bottles.
Maiorana said that many of his designs, like the wine rack, began at home, where he was short on counter space.
To learn more about his designs and products, visit www.irondesigncompany.com
pillows with perks
Even as a child, Elaine Smith had a sense of style.
Her parents, members of England’s National Trust and antique dealers, often came home to find Elaine had rearranged the living room, moved art and often created new space. They loved the changes — most of the time.
No surprise that she later launched her own interior design company: Elaine Smith.
When she need pillows to complete a project, Smith designed. Smith enjoyed the process so much she decided to start a pillow line in 2004.
Her Florida-based company designs and makes decorative pillows that are decorative and durable.
The colorful pillows also work indoors — and out, thanks to their high-performance, easy-to clean fabrics. That is something home entertainers and on-the-go families with children and pets appreciate
Pillows range from $49 to $165.
To find a source near you, check www.elainesmith.com.
Online sources include: Frontgate.com, Horchow.com and GrandinRoad.com
foodies guide to lowcountry
For architecture, history and a taste of the New South, head for Charleston and Savannah.
To find the best places to eat and nosh, pick up a copy of the “Food Lovers’ Guide to Charleston and Savannah” by Holly Herrick.
Herrick, who has lived in Charleston since 2000, is a Cordon Blue-trained chef, author and longtime food writer. Her work has appeared in Southern Living, Bon Appetit and Gourmet.
Her new guide ($14.95) covers trendy and landmark restaurants, plus food festivals, like the popular Charleston Wine + Food Festival (poster below). It also includes spots in town and on the beaches that locals favor.
For good measure, the tuck-in-tote-paperback features a few recipes, ranging from Spiced Georgia Nuts from Savannah’s Green Truck Pup (which also cooks up grass-fed burgers) to the lemony Broccoli & Lentil Salad served at Charleston’s Caviar & Bananas.
In the guide to these two great eating towns, find Sean Brock’s award-winning restaurants (Husk and McGrady’s in Charleston) among the tasty listings along with Savannah landmarks, like Elizabeth on 37th.
You will discover there is a world of Southern food beyond fried chicken and BBQ.
piece of cake
When Carol Chanin built her home more than 25 years ago, the Macon woman insisted on three ovens in the kitchen because she loved to bake.
The former school teacher never thought about turning her part-time passion into a full-time business.
But when Loretta Webb, a friend and longtime housekeeper, needed help when her husband became ill, the two women decided to bake and sell pound cakes for the holidays.
Word spread about the cakes.
Three years ago, the duo combined their names, kitchen talents and rented a commercial kitchen to start Caroletta’s Cakes.
Their Signature Sour Cream Pound Cake ($35), which serves 12 to 14 guests, is a best seller for birthdays, holidays and showers. For an extra $7, add caramel or chocolate icing.
Other freshly baked favorites include a lemon pound cake with a lemon glaze, plus cakes shaped like sunflowers, roses and hearts.
The cakes are gift-wrapped in cellophane and tied with a colorful organza ribbon.
The company recently added Wedding Cookies with pecans ($25). A tin holds four dozen of the old-fashioned cookies.
To order, visit www.carolettascakes.com.
bottled-up
Dr. T.A. Peterson, known as Dr. Pete to his patients in Savannah, often made house calls. But at home, he enjoyed cooking for family and friends. His grilled steaks and wine marinade was a favorite.
In 1985, his daughter and son-in-law, Jan and Joel Coffee, began bottling some of the family recipes and selling them under the Dr. Pete’s label.
The Burgundy Marinade was their first product, and it continues to be the company’s best-selling marinate.
The company also offers other tasty marinades (Coffee Balsamic) and gluten-free dressings (Parmesan Pepper and Southwest Lime).
But it is Dr. Pete’s Praline Mustard Glaze ($8.25 for an eight-ounce jar) that gets raves from foodies and longtime fans. The glaze, a combination of brown sugar, mustard, spices and pecans, works on meats, cheeses (like brie) and vegetables.
Three years ago, the company began to offer baking mixes, like lemon and Key Lime, wrapped in burlap bags for $7.25 per bag.
Marinades and dressings in 12.7-ounce bottles are $8.25 each.
To order, visit www.dr-petes.com.
true grits
Greg Johnsman knows grits. As a middle schooler in upstate South Carolina, Johnsman was introduced to milling by Jack Brock, a third-generation miller.
After high school, Johnsman put milling aside when he headed to Clemson University and later to a corporate job. But milling eventually drew him back.
Three years ago, encouraged by his wife, he opened the Geechie Boy Mill on Edisto Island, SC.
The 1945 mill, which Johnsman had restored, sits inside the Geechie Boy Market, a seasonal fruit and vegetable market. The red mill is pictured below.
Johnsman uses the antique mill year-round to grind corn (mostly from Kentucky) into grits and cornmeal.
By summer’s end, he plans to have three more mills running in a new mill room.
Bon Appetit magazine has said his grits are a must-have for your Southern pantry. And many of Charleston’s top restaurants, including Husk, McGrady’s and FIG, won’t use anything else.
A two-pound bag of stone-ground grits (white or yellow) is $5. Choose white for a shrimp and grits dish. A two-pound bag of cornmeal (white or yellow) is $3.
To order, Visit www.geechieboymill.com.
Or, if you are traveling to the Charleston area, stop by and pick up a bag. The market (seen below) is at 2995 Highway 174, Edisto Island, SC.
