Shooting Food

This is my friend Dennis McDaniel shooting a roasted Cornish hen with grits and roasted lemons. The photos for my citrus story in the November issue of Athens Magazine were shot Wednesday at a local restaurant, Farm 255. With the natural light and rustic interior, it made for a beautiful location. I was cooking most of the day, so I can only take credit for the food. The staff at the magazine outdid themselves with styling the photos.

Gift from Heaven

When the UPS man dropped off an unexpected package at the back door, I was more than curious. After tearing into the box like a child on Christmas morning, I found the gift of Pickled Okra. Jeff Murrie, a student in my class in Charleston, told me after class he was going to mail me a bottle of his special okra. After telling me how to use the pickled okra juice in dirty martinis, I was intrigued, to say the least.
Jeff's okra may very well be the best I have ever tasted. Here's a toast with my martini to Jeff!

Fun in Chapel Hill

I have just returned from a wonderful trip to Chapel Hill, NC. I taught a sold-out fried chicken class at Southern Season on Sunday afternoon. I was truly in awe of the store and the cooking school is one of a kind. The store is a cook's dream with 60,000 square feet of all the things I love. This is a photo of my class. They were champs at frying chicken. We didn't have a single piece burned or undercooked!

I enjoyed a delightful dinner at Crook's Corner with prolific food writer and cookbook author Jean Anderson. We had the treat of Chef Bill Smith sitting with us for much of our meal. Every forkful was unbelievably delicious. The meal was one of the best I have ever had. I brought home a copy of Bill's book to add to my recipe collection.

After a breakfast of country ham and biscuits at Mama Dip's, I completed my trip, stuffed and happy. 

Cooking on the Road

With cooking demos in different cities, I've been traveling with almost every pot and pan I own. I seem to keep packing and unpacking spoons, bowls, and all my favorite tools that I will not cook without. I joined a large group of women at Lake Oconee, Georgia, for a Girls' Night Out complete with martinis for everyone. I had a delightful time and couldn't have asked for prettier scenery.
The United Methodist Church in Kennesaw, Georgia, invited me for a Ladies' Night Out. The event was "Christmas in July" and I ate more than my fair share of the impressive desserts they prepared. The Cream Cheese Brownies (from Beth Patrick) may be the best thing I've tasted in a while. I swear I must have eaten five of them before I went on stage.
The best part of my job is meeting new people. There is always an instant connection when two cooks meet for the first time.

Picking Okra

Our garden is in full swing and I seem to be picking okra constantly. It's my favorite vegetable, so we planted 7 plants. The green pods are popping up as fast as I can clip them. Our organic garden is truly the best inspiration for me in the kitchen. Of course, I've fried batches, made okra pancakes, and even had a mishap with roasted okra. My pods were apparently too large to roast and I almost lost a tooth trying to eat one.
This is an okra flower from one of the plants. It's my new favorite flower.

Charleston Cooks!

I just returned from a fun and food-filled trip to Charleston, SC.
Teaching at Charleston Cooks is always a pleasure. With an unbelievably organized kitchen staff, the class runs almost effortlessly. With a sold-out crowd, we had another Girls' Night Out to remember. 

My friend and mentor, Nathalie Dupree, invited me over for a lovely lunch. In true Nathalie style, we enjoyed an impressive cheese soufflé, a green salad (with herbs from her garden) and homemade tart shells filled with pineapple curd. I couldn't have found a better meal anywhere in town. Nathalie knows more about food and cooking than anyone I know and always inspires me. She was literally the beginning of my career and I will be forever grateful. 

Summer Solstice Celebration

In my cooking classes, my students often ask about parties that I host at home. There is nothing like opening your home to friends and I've been looking forward to this day for weeks. Last night we hosted a Summer Solstice party in our backyard. The weather could not have been any prettier and even the humidity cooperated. We served what seemed like every kind of beer imaginable, my signature Key Lime Martinis, and White Wine Sangria. Our friends could shake their own martinis or just stand around and sip.
For supper, we served spicy slaw, a marinated vegetable salad like my mom always makes, White Barbecued Chicken, and the best hamburgers I have ever tasted. I cheated for dessert and served sliced watermelon. The burgers (from James McNair) were on the cover of BonAppétit in 2006 and have made an appearance at almost every family gathering I've hosted since. The burgers have a texture to really wrap your hands around, thanks to pecans and andouille sausage mixed right in. Try the recipe for your next cookout. You can't go wrong with these on the table.
Happy Summer Solstice!