TheState.com: Food

Just peachy

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:06 EDT

The first peaches were grown in China, where in ancient times they were a nearly mystical food, believed to bring everything from luck to longevity to those who indulged.

In South Carolina, peaches are just good ol’ perfectly wonderful summer fruit. They can be mashed and blended into ice cream or baked into cobblers. But perhaps the purest way to enjoy a peach is to bite into one while sitting on the front porch, letting fresh juice trickle down your chin with every bite.

It’s hard not to be messy when you’re eating a perfect peach.

And the best peaches, no doubt, are the ones picked in the morning and sold that afternoon at a stand along the side of a road.

Cook’s Roadside Market is one of those places. A multi-generation family-run farm and produce stand, it sits on U.S. 25 in the tiny Edgefield County town of Trenton, about an hour southwest of Columbia. At that stand just a few steps from the blacktop, hundreds and hundreds of orchard-fresh peaches find their way into baskets each day.

Summer Treats

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:06 EDT

Phew! You spent all day cutting grass and pulling weeds, and the thought of turning on the oven and heating up your kitchen makes you crazy.

So just don’t cook. You still can have a wonderful summer meal without heating up the ingredients. It’s not the raw-food craze; it’s just common sense.

Fill the fridge with cheeses, chilled seafood and cold cuts.Some side salads and creative desserts are all you need to make the meal simple yet memorable. Add a bottle of wine and dine elegantly outside on your patio.

It’s a matter of knowing where to find great ingredients that can be fabulous when served as-is.

GIVE CHEESE A CHANCE

Wine Of The Week

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:06 EDT

2006 Kenwood Russian River Pinot Noir, California, $20

Aromas of red raspberries and an earthiness fill the glass. The classic Pinot Noir trait lets you know this is a wine with soft but elegant flavors.

Vanilla and white pepper were perfectly balanced by ripe cherry and raspberry flavors. The finish lingered nicely, with layers of cream soda and ripe berry flavors.

This is a versatile red that can be used with many different menu ideas. It is light enough to use in place of a white wine.

We enjoyed our bottle with grilled salmon. The light flavors of the fish were a perfect complement to the soft raspberry flavors of the wine. You also could use it with grilled chicken or pork, but keep the sauces light so they don’t overwhelm the wine’s delicate flavors.

Kids taste life in chef’s kitchen

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:36 EDT

BLUFFTON — Thanks to the ballooning popularity of a TV network devoted to food and the escalating celebrity status of chefs, life inthe kitchen can seem like a piece of cake.

But as 28 kids from the Bluffton Boys & Girls Club are discovering, the ingredients for running a successful fine dining restaurant aren’t so easy to swallow.

“In reality, it’s pretty hard work on a daily basis,” chef Todd Elliot of Sigler’s told a batch of the club’s members visiting the Bluffton restaurant recently.

The students are getting a taste of the sweet and sour aspects of operating a restaurant — from buying to preparing to cooking to serving the food — through the Boys & Girls Club’s “Show Me the Money” summer program. The eight-week crash course in making, managing and saving cash puts teens at various job sites in and around Bluffton for half a day.

The program also includes several Friday field trips. At Sigler’s, they watched staff prepare meals for both a wedding and the usual dinner menu. In the process, they caught a lesson in some of the budgetary aspects of food service.

Dinner tonight

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:06 EDT

ODORS AWAY

• To dispel unpleasant odors after cooking fish or cabbage, I bake gingerbread. It fills the house with a pleasant and enticing fragrance. I freeze the leftover gingerbread, and when another occasion arises, I put a square of the frozen gingerbread into the oven at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes, and once again the bad odors are gone. — Helen Holbrook, Laconia, N.H.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

• When saving a spice mix recipe to a computer file, print it out and use a glue stick to attach it to a small jar with a sealing lid such as a half-pint canning jar with a smooth side. I do this with all of my spice mixtures this way and never lose a recipe or formulation. When I am running low, I have the recipe right there to make a new batch. — Mimi Butler, Livingston, Texas

TWO HINTS, ONE READER

Summer goes to the (hot) dogs

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:18 EDT

What would summer be without hot dogs? Forget the weenies, we went looking for the perfect dog to go with the dog days of summer.

To start off, we went to the ultimate hot dog stand — the baseball park. For $3 at the Columbia Blowfish game, you can get a big and juicy hot dog that is flavorful even into the fifth inning.

Here’s a few other places to check out:

Sandy’s Famous Hot Dogs

Four area locations

Posh picnicking

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:41 EDT

Give your July 4 picnic a dash of panache with dining essentials that are anything but basic.

From contemporary flatware and melamine dishware to stylish wine totes and earth-friendly finds, we’ve rounded up everything you’ll need to ensure that you have a fabulous day outdoors.

DIG IN

• Picnic plates have long moved beyond paper and Styrofoam (much to the delight of our environment). Fresh, lightweight and reusable melamine plates are the new essential. Round red plates, $1.25-$2 each, from Pier 1 Imports. Bongenre’s vibrant “Anya Susani” melamine plates are dishwasher-safe; $11 each.

• For eating tools, we also love these simple wooden utensils, which come 10 per pack. Spoons, forks and knives sold separately. $2 per pack, at Pier 1 Imports. Light My Fire’s spoon-fork-knife combos are heat-resistant and dishwasher-safe. Available in yellow, red, blue and green. $2.50 each.

Smithsonian food project to stop by State Fair

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:41 EDT

Just about anything food related gets my attention, especially if it’s happening locally. Here is an item that caught my eye, and it’s something that I think every foodie should check out.

The Humanities Council of South Carolina is hosting an exhibit by the Smithsonian Institution that looks at the history of our national food culture. Key Ingredients: America by Food, part of the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street, will be touring five South Carolina communities in 2008-09, with an extra stop at the South Carolina State Fair this October.

The exhibit will look at the relationship between Americans and the food we eat, from growing and harvesting to preparation, presentation and consumption and traditions that have been shaped along the way.

The accompanying information booklet, created in partnership with McKissick Museum’s Folklife Resource Center, contains a wealth of information. For instance, did you know that today’s Southern fish camps started out as riverside campsites where mill workers could fry up the catfish they caught? Or that we can trace more than few outdoor cooking techniques back to Native Americans (barbecue, anyone)? Do you really know just how many uses there are for corn?

There also are some recipes included (the molasses muffins and doves in foil packages are two that I might have to try) and a brief history of South Carolina shrimping.

Wine of the Week: Powerful aromas make port a treasure

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:41 EDT

10-year-old Smith Woodhouse Tawny Port, Portugal, $28

It is not often that we write up a port, but after tasting this treasure, I knew we had to let others know about it.

The aromas were powerful. It was like they were jumping from the glass into the air.

Toasted almonds, toffee and caramel filled my nose and got my taste buds jumping for the first sip. The flavors were out of this world: vanilla, burned sugar and creme brulee, with hints of almonds and nutmeg. The finish just kept going and going, letting the warm flavors slowly dissipate.

It was not overly sweet and had a terrific balance. One sip of this, and you will be a port lover forever.

A warm day at sea hauls in a tasty catch

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:08 EDT

MOUNT PLEASANT — Before the sun has given much thought to hitting the horizon, Wayne Magwood eases his hulking shrimp boat into the waters of Shem Creek, heading east toward the Atlantic. Harvesting these coastal waters has been his life’s work, as it was his father’s and grandfather’s before him.

He’s been aboard boats for 52 of his 56 years and has worked as a shrimp boat captain since he was 16. On this warm June day, he guides the 68-foot “Winds of Fortune,” the boat he’s owned and captained since 1986. With three deck hands on board, it will be another full day of surveying the ocean, filling the nets, hoping for a good haul.

The shrimp from his boat eventually will land on the tables of local restaurants, stock the seafood counter at Mount Pleasant’s Whole Foods or be sold straight off the dock to walk-in customers at Magwood Seafood. Vacationers and locals wind their way through the Old Village and down the dirt road to Magwood’s dock and shrimp shack, passing new homes and construction sites, stark reminders of the changing Shem Creek landscape. They come searching for wild-from-the-ocean, just-off-the-boat shrimp to fry, boil, mix with grits or stir into pasta.

Magwood and a dwindling number of shrimpers are there to provide it.

It’s a life of long hours, difficult and dirty work. Boats leave the dock about 4:30 a.m. and return in mid-afternoon. Magwood said fuel costs have skyrocketed to $4,000 a week for the biodiesel he uses to operate his boat.

Cheaper Meals: Israeli couscous is easy to make, good for you

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:08 EDT

Scarcity is the mother of invention. If there is a silver lining to worldwide rice shortages, it might be that adversity can push the inventive cook to look for acceptable substitutes. Israeli couscous is one such stand-in.

During a recession in Israel in the 1950s, rice was scarce. But a pea-size cereal product extruded from refined hard-wheat flour was plentiful, and the “faux grain” wound up filling the bill, eventually becoming a comfort food for the nation, according to Rebecca Wood, the award-winning author of “The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia.”

The beads of Israeli couscous are much larger than the tiny yellow flecks of North African-style couscous, a familiar staple in many supermarkets. Sometimes called pearl couscous, Israeli couscous is a round semolina pasta that resembles barley.

Unlike regular pastas, Israeli couscous is toasted, which allows the grains to more easily retain their shape and texture when served as a bed for a saucy food or tossed in a salad, like the Israeli Couscous Salad.

The package directions on Israeli couscous often add an extra step, sauteing the pearls in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to give them a toasted flavor, but our testers chose to omit this step to keep the fat content lower.

Wine Of The Week: A great Napa Valley wine for a great price

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:39 EDT

2005 Aquinas Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, California, $14

This wine has layers of great flavor in each sip for a down-to-earth price. It is not often that you can find a Cabernet from Napa for less than $20.

The aromas were perfect, with hints of mint and clove carried by sweet raspberry notes. These aromas materialized into great flavors also complemented by a leathery blueberry spice flavor with just the right amount of tannins and acidity to balance the fruit and earth flavors. The finish was extremely balanced and allowed the fruit to resurface.

With summer here, we will be doing most of our cooking outside on the grill. We enjoyed this wine with salt-and-pepper-seasoned flat-iron steaks and corn on the cob. The sweetness of the corn complemented the fruit flavors, while the beef paired nicely with the spice and earthiness. The crisp flavors and tannins were softened by the fat of the steak. You also could enjoy this wine with grilled portobello mushrooms.

This wine comes from Napa Valley, one of the most sought-after areas in the wine business. All the fruit used were from vineyards the winemaker chooses. This gives him the ability to select grapes that will make an expressive and consistent wine year after year.

Home-cooked gourmet

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:19 EDT

Ask chef Jamie Hecker to whip up a simple supper, and the guy can’t help himself.

His mind starts spinning, especially this time of year when fresh produce is so abundant.

He’s also inspired by his location at The Mill Pond Steakhouse in Boykin. The restaurant is nestled next to the 19th-century Mill Pond dam just outside Camden.

Sitting inside the rustic building that formerly housed the Boykin Post Office and General Store, guests can take in the scenic pond, which is home to alligators as well as fluttering white cattle egrets and ibises. The site is a nationally acclaimed rookery.

But back to the kitchen.

Meet the new Carolina Kitchen columnist

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:47 EDT

Hey. Welcome to my Carolina Kitchen.

By way of introduction, I’ll tell you a little about myself.

I was born and raised in Columbia, in the Woodfield neighborhood to be exact. I was reared by my grandparents, who came from the Sumter area via Charleston. Although I’ve lived here all of my life, I have traveled a bit and have been lucky enough to experience dining in two of the foodie meccas of the world, Paris and Rome.

My grandmother taught us all how to cook ... biscuits from scratch, how to cut up and fry a whole chicken, how to make gravies ... you get the idea. Grandpa would make breakfast once in a while (grits and sausage). To this day, my sister hosts the big holiday dinners, where I am assigned my dishes to prepare and of course, everyone ends up with leftovers.

During my childhood, summers were spent shelling peas and beans, shucking corn and cutting up peaches that Mama had bought by the bushel at the farmers market. And although I was grateful for the bounty in the winter months, a slight chill runs down my spine today whenever I see a stack of those square plastic quart-sized containers that she used to freeze everything.

Silky Syrah explodes with flavor

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:55 EDT

2006 Kendall-Jackson Syrah, California, $12

Aromas of black cherry and cola fill the glass and kick the taste buds into high gear anxiously awaiting the first sip. The flavors explode sip after sip, with layers of cherry, spice and subtle hints of leather rounding out each taste. The finish is soft and silky, with red fruit notes evolving throughout the tasting experience.

We enjoyed this bottle with a classic that emphasizes the flavors of the wine, in what we call lamb lollipops — lamb chops rubbed with fresh rosemary, salt and pepper and seared over the grill. The gaminess of the lamb and freshness of the rosemary drew all the flavors out of the wine.

Another great menu idea: grilled steak over a fresh garden salad. With this wine you can make the menu as heavy or light as you choose, and it will hold its own.

This iconic winery always has made strides for great quality wines at an affordable price. All the grapes used to make this wine were sourced from vineyards owned by the winery, ensuring that the quality they strive for is maintained in each bottle. The barrels used for this wine are made by a cooperage also owned by the winery. It is hard to believe that for the past 25 years this winery has been making great wine year after year.

Hot dog days to relish in Myrtle Beach

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:13 EDT

TASTES OF SUMMER

Throughout June, July and August, we’ll pay homage to the foods that make the season.

MYRTLE BEACH — A discussion of summer food must start with the hot dog. Preferably a foot-long dog, topped with chili, mustard and onions, offering in one bite a mingling of salty, sour and spicy tastes, along with plenty of messy goodness to ooze down your arm.

Besides a backyard or a ballpark, the best place to consume a hot dog is at a hot dog joint, preferably at a beach like Myrtle in a place smack in the middle of Myrtle Beach at its Myrtle Beachy-est.

It should be eaten at a counter, a short throw from the ocean, a spot where if you stretch your neck out one side you might see a bit of the Atlantic, or if you look in the other direction you can see henna tattoo shops and cheap T-shirt stores and a museum offering the odd and the macabre.

Dining: Hominy Grill chef lands national award

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:49 EDT

Robert Stehling, chef at Charleston’s Hominy Grill, was named best regional chef for the Southeast in the annual James Beard Foundation awards.

In a ceremony June 8, the foundation honored the best chefs in the country.

The top award went to chef Grant Achatz, who last July was diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer, underwent aggressive treatment to save his life and sense of taste, and by December was cancer-free.

His ultramodern style at Chicago restaurant Alinea has crafted menus that read like the shopping list of a culinary mad scientist, with items such as “black truffle explosion, romaine, parmesan” and “transparency of raspberry, rose petal, yogurt.”

The James Beard awards are known as the Oscars of the food world and honor those who follow in the footsteps of Beard, considered the dean of American cooking when he died in 1985.

Grocery Shelf: Quick-fix meals are tasty, won’t hurt your diet

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:49 EDT

The hot weather is setting in quickly this year, and already we don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen. This week, we tested a few quick-to-fix items that won’t sideline your healthy-eating plans.

Balsamic-glazed chicken and bell pepper sandwich, from NutritiousDining.com:

LJ: This simple sandwich of chicken and sliced yellow bell pepper on a whole wheat bun was tasty. The chicken, all white meat, was lightly seasoned and tender.

It was served on a bed of mixed greens with a small container of balsamic dressing on the side. It made a cool summer lunch and at 494 calories is a healthy selection.

The sandwich is a sample lunch entree from NutritiousDining.com, a new business based in Ballentine. The company will deliver freshly prepared meals to your door as part of a healthy eating plan. Menus are written by a nutritional consultant. A family meal for four is $39.99 with weekly and monthly plans offered. To find out more, go to NutritiousDining.com.

Cook’s calendar

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:49 EDT

Food events in the weeks ahead

• Williams-Sonoma at Columbiana Centre will host a series of technique classes through the summer. Classes are 1:30-2:30 p.m. Among the topics: ice cream, June 29; pizza, July 13; summer fruits and vegetables, July 27; tomatoes, Aug. 10; and cooking with olive oil, Aug. 24. Free. Call (803) 749-4442 to register.

• The Lexington County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee hosts its annual “Peachy Contest” on July 4 as part of the Lexington County Peach Festival. Entries sought in two categories: desserts and salads/main dishes. Prepared food should be brought to Gilbert Middle School cafeteria before 9 a.m. July 4. Must include written recipe and separate sheet with name and address of person entering contest. For more information, visit lexingtoncountypeachfestival.com. Cash prizes.

• Cookingclasses available at Fleur de Lys Home Culinary Institute, 3001 Millwood Ave., www.fleur-de-lys.us.

• Let’s Cook Culinary Studio, 1305 Assembly St., is hosting a series of cooking camps: June 23-25 and July 14-16, Aug. 4-6 and Aug. 15-18, Costs vary between $80 and $289, depending on length of sessions and age of student. For more information, visit letscookculinary.com.

Tastings

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:34 EDT

Total Wine and More

275-C Harbison Blvd.

(803) 407-3737

totalwine.com

• Weekly tasting of select featured wines, noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 14. Free