TheState.com: Food

Dining out

Thu, 15 May 2008 21:49 EDT

Shane’s Rib Shack

2001 Beltline Road and 471-1 Town Center Place at the Village at Sandhill

• In honor of May as National Barbecue Month, Shane’s will offer free ribs to the first 100 customers at each restaurant Saturday, May 17. Guests receiving free barbecue also will receive a T-shirt marking their number in line. Both Columbia shops open at 11 a.m.

The Deli at Rosewood Market

2803 Rosewood Drive

Shirley Sease’s sweet strawberry surprise

Tue, 13 May 2008 21:47 EDT

When Shirley Sease was teaching home economics, one of her students grew weary of making banana pudding and asked an interesting question.

“What about strawberry pudding,” the student queried after an outing in which the students had picked fresh berries.

Intrigued, Sease considered the idea and the result is a recipe for strawberry pudding that she continues to use some 12 years later.

Sease isn’t teaching home economics any longer, but her roadside market, The Farmer’s Shed in Lexington, is always passing along good recipes like this when berry season arrives.

“I’ve made it every season since,” Sease said.

Sauces, steamed veggies easy to make, taste good

Tue, 13 May 2008 21:47 EDT

The barrage of new products on the grocery shelves can leave you wondering which ones are worth your money. This monthly review will help you navigate the grocery aisles.

This month we tried two spaghetti sauces now available in microwaveable pouches, a pasta with more fiber than traditional pasta and those new Zip n’ Steam bags by Ziploc.

First the pasta sauces. We tried Ragu and Bertolli, both available in 13.5-ounce microwaveable bags. We found the Bertolli on sale at Bi-Lo, $2; the Ragu, at Publix, $2.19.

AA: I’d call these an even split. We tried both one night, sampling each sauce on top of ravioli. We liked different things about each. The Bertolli was thinner and slightly fresher tasting. The Ragu was thicker and a bit sweeter. Either would be great to have with you on a camping trip or in the pantry on a night when you have no plans for dinner.

LJ: We tested Bertolli’s Champignon and Portobello Mushroom flavor and Ragu’s All Natural Garden Veggie.

Flavors hard to forget when mom’s cooking

Tue, 06 May 2008 20:12 EDT

For one reader, the tart flavor of lemon evokes memories of Mom and her lovely lemon meringue pies.

“My taste buds for MaMa’s tart lemon meringue pie even surprised her,” writes Dale Holsenback of her mother, the late Willette Fox, whose affection for lemon meant that she added 6 to 8 tablespoons of lemon juice to her pie filling, which is made from scratch.

For another, it is a moist pineapple cake whose flavor a daughter can still recall.

“She passed away 20 years ago, so the details of when and how her cake was served aren’t sharp. What I most remember is how moist the cake was,” explains Nancy Ogburn of the pineapple cake her mother, the late Alma Gardner Porter, used to serve to family and house guests.

The lasagna and marinara sauce another mother makes for Christmas every year is a cherished food memory for her daughter.

McKissick set to serve up some Southern barbecue

Tue, 06 May 2008 20:12 EDT

IF YOU GO

• “BBQ Joints: Stories and Secret Recipes from the Barbecue Belt” will be at the McKissick Museum on Saturday, May 10, through July 19.

• Admission is free. Located on USC’s historic Horseshoe, the museum specializes in Southern culture and folk life.

• Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays and holidays.

• Gallery talk with photographer David Gelin and reception with Hite’s barbecue, 5:30 to 7 p.m. June 13

Cook’s calendar

Tue, 06 May 2008 20:12 EDT

Food events in the weeks ahead

• Taste sweet-potato ice cream and participate in a sweet-potato baking contest Saturday, May 10, at the Lower Richland Sweet Potato Festival. Activities from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hopkins Adult Activity Center, 150 Hopkins Park Road.

• Each Thursday in May from 6 to 9 p.m., Riverbanks Botanical Gardens will host Rhythm and Blooms, an after-hours social event including live music and samplings of food and wine. Cash bar and gourmet picnic dinners available for additional charge. Admission $5 for members, $7 for general public.

• CarolinaChildren’s Home hosts its 21st annual BBQ Cook-Off Festival May 16-17 at the State Fairgrounds. The anything-but-pork event is 7 to 10 p.m. May 16. Tickets, $8 or two for $15. Judging and sale of barbecue plates takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 17. Plates are $8 at the door or $7 if purchased in advance. Tickets for kids 11 and younger, $3. Call (803) 782-1421 to buy tickets. For more information, go to www.carolinachildrenshome.org.

• Cookingclasses available at Let’s Cook Culinary Studio, 1305 Assembly St., letscookculinary.com, and Fleur de Lys Home Culinary Institute, 3001 Millwood Ave., www.fleur-de-lys.us. Visit both Web sites for schedules and prices.

Media Bites

Tue, 06 May 2008 20:12 EDT

A preview of food shows, cookbooks, food books and Web sites to consider in the month ahead

As a gift for Mom this year, consider one of these cookbooks:

• The women of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Cayce have put together a collection of recipes in their “Family and Friends” cookbook. Proceeds go toward the church building fund. Cost, $12. The book includes recipes for great old-fashioned favorites such as red velvet cake as well as new ideas such as fresh collard dip. Call (803) 796-6776 to order a copy.

• For Trisha Yearwood fans, here’s another collection of homegrown recipes, “Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen: Recipes from My Family to Yours” ($29.95, Crown Publishing). The book includes pretty photographs of food as well as stories about the recipes’ origins or how Yearwood serves the dish today.

• Here’s a very appetizing book, “Bon Appetit, Y’all” by classically trained cook Virginia Willis who also is a self-proclaimed Southern belle (10 Speed Press, $32.50). Recipes have Southern roots but are prepared with a classic flourish. Examples include vidalia onion quiche, Georgia peach souffles, Nathalie’s oyster casserole and Coca-Cola-glazed wings. There are beautiful photographs as well as lessons on cooking techniques.

Wine of the week: Fruit flavors give syrah oomph

Tue, 06 May 2008 20:12 EDT

2006 Smoking Loon Syrah, California, $10

The syrah’s aromas of dark jam and spice fill the glass, leading to a flavor that explodes with silky fruit.

The flavors were exceptional — blueberries, cocoa powder and hints of rosemary. The finish allows all these flavors to glide across the tongue. Hints of white pepper, raspberry jam and clove finish out the tasting experience.

This wine is soft enough to stand up to shark, tuna and swordfish and big enough to handle steak or wild game. A great pairing we tried was blackened tuna steaks topped with a strawberry cilantro salsa. It sounds weird, but the sweetness of the berries with the heat of the spice allowed the fruit to shine through in each sip. If beef is more your style, then grilled steaks — plain or with a reduction sauce — would complement this wine perfectly.

This is a new label for this winery, so if you are used to the big loon on the old label, take note of the new look. This wine is the brain child of the Sebastiani clan, Don, August and Donny, representing the third and fourth generations of this great winemaking family.

The Diet Detective: The clues in your poo

Mon, 05 May 2008 17:23 EDT

Warning: If you have an aversion to your body’s waste, don’t read any further. However, if you’re like most people, you’re probably very interested in what your stool can tell you about your diet and your health. Who better to tell us a bit about our poo then Anish Sheth, MD, a gastroenterology fellow at the Yale School of Medicine and the co-author of the best-seller What’s Your Poo Telling You? (Chronicle Books, 2007). Here are a few diet situations and how they affect your poo:

Anti-Diet: White toast, no fruits or veggies (no fiber)

A lack of fiber causes infrequent, hard stools that require straining during defecation (“logjam”). Fiber, both insoluble and soluble forms, is vital to soften the stool and aid in its effortless passage through the GI tract. Low-fiber diets produce dry, pebbly stools and, in severe cases, can result in fecal impaction — a condition in which stool forms a rock-hard plug that prohibits passage of any stool at all.

Plant Eater: Steamed broccoli, tofu burger, apple and asparagus

Vegetarians tend to eat balanced diets high in fiber. The good news is that their stools are frequent (sometimes up to three times a day) and soft in consistency, making trips to the loo satisfying and enjoyable. The downside can be the formation of gas. Because our bodies are unable to digest many of the plant products we consume, these substances undergo fermentation by the bacteria in our colons. The formation of carbon dioxide causes bloating and excessive flatus production but is otherwise harmless. In fact, vegetarian flatus, and feces for that matter, tend not to smell as bad as carnivore-produced waste.

Midlands taquerias offer a true taste of Mexico

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:07 EDT

Originally a term for street vendors selling tacos and burritos, “taquerias” — once as foreign in Columbia as ice-skating rinks — now are opening up all over town as the Hispanic population in the area grows.

But there is a big difference between a taqueria and an Americanized Mexican restaurant. Taquerias are more like diners, where the food is as authentic and cheap as in the old country.

Inside, you’ll probably find hardworking Latin American tradesmen. There is sure to be a television blaring a telenovela (soap opera) or soccer game as well as festive music blaring from the kitchen.

Be prepared to have some of the simplest, tastiest meats you’ve ever eaten. You’ll swear off burgers forever.

A few tips for your first taqueria experience: There is no ordering by number or combination plate, as the menu will be very limited, usually soft-shell tacos and soups. A rudimentary understanding of Spanish is helpful but not necessary. You always can point.

Another roadside attraction: Interactive market listing

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:25 EDT

It's almost that glorious time of year — when we reap the rewards of local farmers' harvest. Here’s a partial listing of local markets where you'll find South Carolina farmers selling their flavorful treasures.

Many of these markets are seasonal, starting in June with the Seeds of Hope program, which connects congregations and farmers during the summer months. Others are year-round, and some are open based purely on the produce they grow.

Ah, the sweet tastes of summer — strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupes and watermelons; squash, cucumbers, green beans, zucchini and tomatoes.

So much to look forward to.

— Allison Askins

Carolina Gold rice preserved for history

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:23 EDT

More good news for South Carolina-grown products.

Carolina Gold rice has been named to the Slow Foods Ark of Taste, joining a lengthy list of premiere food items from around the world that are being preserved by the Slow Foods movement for their culinary heritage and taste.

Slow Foods is a nonprofit gastronomic organization that is committed to the production of healthy, good-tasting food that doesn’t harm the environment. The effort began in the late 1980s as a counter-response to the fast-food culture, which Slow Food members believe is robbing today’s culture of quality food and the joy of gathering at the table for food and fellowship.

The Slow Food Ark of Taste, an extension of this movement, is a collection of foods whose existence is at risk and that represent superior taste. The purpose of the ark is to spotlight and preserve these foods.

The Carolina Gold variety of rice is a perfect example of an ark food because of a rich heritage that dates to the late 1600s and a taste that is valued by culinary experts around the globe. You can purchase the rice at stores such as Rosewood Market & Deli and The Gourmet Shop.

Cook’s calendar

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:00 EDT

Food events in the weeks ahead

• The Sandhill Farmers Market, 900 Clemson Road, at Clemson’s Sandhill Research and Education Center across from the Village at Sandhill, has reopened for spring — Tuesdays through Nov. 25 from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Fresh local vegetables, meats, cheeses, plants and a master gardener booth for gardening questions.

• PalmettoPlace Children’s Emergency Shelter will host its annual dessert competition Saturday, May 3, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Columbia. Cost, $65 per person; $110 per couple. Call (803) 786-6819 for tickets.

• The 32nd annual Lowcountry Shrimp Festival takes place 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at the Robert E. Ashley Landing in McClellanville. For more information, go to lowcountryshrimpfestival.com.

• Taste sweet-potato ice cream and participate in a sweet-potato baking contest May 10 at the Lower Richland Sweet Potato Festival. Activities from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hopkins Adult Activity Center, 150 Hopkins Park Road.

Wine tastings

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:00 EDT

The Gourmet Shop

724 Saluda Ave.

(803) 799-9463

• Come to this special tasting to try 16 roses, perfect for a South Carolina summer, 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 3. Cost, $5.

Vino 100

Wine of the week: Chardonnay triggers waves of flavor

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:00 EDT

2005 Stonestreet Alexander Valley Chardonnay, California $30

Complex aromas filled the glass and alerted the taste buds to perk up and await the first sip. Baked apples and butterscotch notes filled the glass and flowed across the palate on the first sip. Like waves on the beach, the flavors would arrive with an intensity and wash slowly over the tongue, and then new flavors would emerge. Pineapple and peach flavors along with a creaminess framed the apple notes. A great chardonnay without too much oak, balanced perfectly, with just the right amount of acidity to balance the fruit.

We enjoyed this great wine with a new recipe I found in a cookbook called “Small Plates, Perfect Wines,” which is packed full of great recipes perfect for the warmer weather and lighter eating. Prosciutto-wrapped pork medallions were a great match. The saltiness of the ham and firm texture of the pork married perfectly with the flavors in each sip. This wine also will hold up to poultry or even shellfish.

Graham Weerts moved to Healdsburg, Calif., in 2004 to become Stonestreet’s winemaker. He relocated there from Cape Town, South Africa, where he worked for many smaller up-and-coming wineries. He learned about California and, more importantly, the Alexander Valley area from working the 1999 harvest for some of the top wineries in the area. He has a strong belief that no other product humans make offers the complexities and artistic value of wine.

Bradford tries to review only wines available in South Carolina. If you have trouble finding one, e-mail lain@winetalk.org.

Stressed out? Bad eating habits make it worse

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:46 EDT

NEW YORK — Breakfast is diet Pepsi and two packets of M&M’s. For lunch, macaroons and white chocolates filled with marzipan from the farmer’s market near Wall Street.

After learning her job would be cut this summer, Kelly Daly started reaching more frequently for the soothing effects of sugar.

“It’s a stress reliever. Especially now that a bunch of us are going to be laid off,” said the 49-year-old Daly, whose job reviewing medical insurance records in Manhattan’s financial district is being cut after 11 years.

As the credit and housing crises rattle Wall Street, pressures over bigger workloads, job security and shrinking nest eggs are upending diets and fueling unhealthy habits across the country.

Stressed workers often reach for calorie-rich foods, skip the gym after a taxing day or forego meals because of heavy workloads. Or they indulge in other bad-for-you behavior like smoking, drinking or staying out late.

As rice supplies tighten, Darlington grower feels the squeeze

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 21:46 EDT

PRICE COMPARISON

• Two-pound bag of Carolina Plantation Rice at Rosewood Market & Deli, $8.99, 28 cents per ounce

• Two pounds of Rice Select, a higher-end rice sold at Publix, $6.99, 19.4 cents per ounce

• Two pounds of Publix long- grain rice, $1.59, 4.97 cents per ounce

The state’s only commercial rice grower is fielding calls daily from international buyers in search of rice.

Get the salt out

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:00 EDT

Small steps can take us a long way toward lessening the amount of salt, or sodium, in our diets.

“I tell people to think about it like you do when you go from whole milk to skim,” said Brook Harmon, director of dietary interventions for the University of South Carolina’s Cancer Prevention and Control Program.

But why is this necessary? Because a reduced sodium diet can help a person with hypertension, or high blood pressure, live a healthier lifestyle. In fact, some hypertension patients who combine a low-sodium diet with other healthy eating habits and increased physical activity can eliminate the need for medication altogether.

That seems a worthwhile trade-off when we consider that unchecked hypertension can lead to such serious conditions as aneurysms, kidney damage or heart enlargement.

Harmon, who conducts classes on healthy eating habits, directs her students to begin with small efforts that lower the amount of salt they take in rather than going cold turkey and totally eliminating salt from their diets.

Some Southern flavor for the soul

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:00 EDT

Want your shot at fame by being on a local “Got Milk?” ad?

Or how about tasting a new Blue Bell flavor that was created specifically with South Carolina in mind?

And then there’s the downtown restaurant that’s serving a completely South Carolina-produced menu Thursday, April 24.

I’ve got a bit of a collection this week to tell you about.

Let’s start with the “Got Milk” ad.

Cook’s calendar

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:00 EDT

Food events in the weeks ahead

• If you want to learn more about making jams and preserves on a large scale or to sell, Blue Ridge Food Ventures in Fletcher, N.C., outside Asheville, is hosting two workshops Thursday, April 24, and May 12 and 13. Go to blueridgefoodventures.org for more.

• The Sandhills Farmers’ Market, 900 Clemson Road, located at Clemson’s Sandhill Research and Education Center across from the Village at Sandhill, reopens for spring Tuesday, April 29. The market will be open on Tuesdays through Nov. 25 from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Fresh local vegetables, meats, cheeses, plants and a master gardener booth for gardening questions

• The All-Local Farmers’ Market will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 26, in the parking lot of Rosewood Market & Deli on Rosewood Drive. Locally grown produce and breakfast, rain or shine

• PalmettoPlace Children’s Emergency Shelter will host its annual dessert and more competition May 3, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Columbia. Cost, $65 per person; $110 per couple. Call (803) 786-6819 for tickets.