Tag Archives: Charleston

Sep21

Refrigerator Pickles: Easy Bread and Butter Cucumbers and Okra

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Devany

Easy, delicious and a perfect way to preserve some of the last of this summer’s produce, in this case some cucumbers and okra. Refrigerator pickles are great, crispier and fresher tasting than their canned cousins. This is a recipe that is both sweet and tart, much like Bread and Butter Pickles. Put them on your burgers, alongside sandwiches and use the okra in Bloody Marys. Add them to a cheese plate or charcuterie platter. It is SO easy and you do not need a whole bushel of produce and lots of equipment to make these, just some clean jars, a knife (or food processor) and the ingredients. Here is the recipe to make 3 quart jars. It only takes about 30 minutes working time to do these. Well worth the effort.

Ingredients:

2 onions, thinly sliced

8 medium cucumbers thinly sliced (I used the food processor to make fast work of slicing)

4 cups okra ( I did the okra in one jar and the cukes in two others, but you could do more cukes if you are okra adverse).

3 cups of water

3 cups of cider vinegar

6 cups sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

2 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons celery seeds

2 tablespoons pickling spice

2 teaspoons grains of paradise

2 teaspoons juniper berries

crushed red pepper to taste

6 cloves of garlic (2 per jar)

6 sticks of cinnamon (2 per jar)

Method:

Slice cucumbers and okra.

The food processor makes slicing a breeze and maintains consistent size

Place in a jar with 2 sticks of cinnamon and 2 cloves of garlic slightly bruised

Pack the jars tightly

Pack the jars tightly. This can also be done in a plastic container.

Cook all remaining ingredients to a boil and then simmer for four minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pour the pickling liquid over the vegetables and close jars. Allow to cool completely, then place in refrigerator. The pickles will be ready to eat in 24 hours. You can use a variety of vegetables to make pickles, peppers, carrots, jicama, sugar snap peas, asparagus, okra, even peaches.

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Jul30

Charleston’s Newest Restaurant

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Devany

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There are some new kids on the block. I say kids because Nicole and Jay Kees are at least as young as my adult children. Though they are well seasoned food adventurers who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina just 12 weeks ago to open their new eatery, Angel Oak Restaurant. I was invited to attend a media dinner at Angel Oak last night and I was pleasantly pleased. It is not just the interesting locally based seasonal food that caught my eye, but attention to the smallest details in the choices for decor and service ware. The restaurant has a very personal feel to it and that is because everything in it was hand picked from antique markets in upstate New York before the Kees moved to Charleston. Antique bottles filled with herbs are on each table and in window frames, the tables which are covered in brown paper are set with vintage china and when you order coffee, the cream comes in old pint milk bottles. The toile banquettes were hand made by the couple, chairs bought on Craigs List and antique doors provide cover for the busing station. Though the mason jar drinking glasses are a southern staple, the decor is fresh, art filled and not at all cloying.

Now, let’s talk about the food. The Angel Oak Restaurant has a seasonal locally inspired menu which is printed up daily. All pasta is made in house. Sauces & condiments are made from scratch and interestingly presented. Their supper menu includes appetizers such as oysters on the half shell with fresh horseradish, champagne mignonette ($7), deep fried bacon drizzled with a Buffalo sauce served with home made blue cheese dressing ($6), Port Wine Pate fresh creamy chicken liver pate, green tomato chow-chow, pickled vegetables, selection of mustards, toast points ($8) and Lobster Mac with fresh lobster, creamy herbed champagne cheese sauce and a baked panko crust ($12) among other offerings.

Port Wine Pate~fresh creamy chicken liver pate, green tomato chow-chow
pickled vegetables, selection of mustards, toast points

They also have a fun “snack” menu for just $3 you can have a taste of House-Made Ricotta with toast points and local honey, Fried Green Tomatoes, Deviled Eggs and Yorkshire Pudding with Gravy. It is a playful way to taste some really interesting flavors. At our table the house made ricotta was a big hit.

House made ricotta with honey

Fried Bacon with Buffalo Sauce and house made blue cheese
Pate with house made pickles, mustard and green tomato chow chow

Entrees, salads and sandwiches fill out the rest of the supper menu. The entrees vary from Southern staples (Chef Kees is from Southern Missisippi and trained at the C.I.A.) to interesting plays of local ingredients. Their stellar Buttermilk Fried Chicken, drizzled with five spice herb honey served with macaroni and cheese gratin and collard greens ($17) made several diners smile. Shrimp Carbonara with sautéed Low Country shrimp, house made pasta with peas, roasted lardons of local bacon tossed in a creamy herb sauce ($16). My Steak Au Poivre; seared peppercorn crusted local grass fed sirloin finished with a brandy cream sauce were served with herbed shoestring fries in a brown paper bag ($21) was a perfectly cooked medium rare. Other offerings round out the supper menu. Sides ($3) include herbed shoestring fries, macaroni and cheese gratin, roasted corn on the cob,creamed smashed potatoes, stone ground grits, braised carrots, collard greens & seasonal vegetables.

Classic Steak Au Poivre ~ seared peppercorn crusted sirloin finished with a brandy cream sauce & herbed shoestring fries

Perfectly cooked crispy fries served in a brown paper bag

After all of that good food, it might be difficult to save room for dessert, but their banana pudding served in a jelly jar was worth the extra calories.

Banana Puddiing

Restaurant owners: Executive Chef Jay Kees and Manager Nicole Kees

Sunday Brunch is served from 10-4, Lunch is served buffet style with lemonade or tea from 11-4 Tuesday-Friday ($8.95~ call for menu items as they change daily) and dinner is available Tuesday-Thursday till 9 and Friday-Saturday till 10. Angel Oak is located near Johns Island, 3669 Savannah Highway Johns Island, SC 29455. Indoor and out door seating is available. For reservations call 843) 556-7525. Go to Facebook and “like” Angel Oak Restaurant to stay in the loop on what is happening at this fun new dining spot.

If you are not from Charleston, you might want to read more about the namesake of this restaurant, the Angel Oak Tree. It is thought to be the oldest living organism East of the Mississippi River.

The original Angel Oak on Johns Island, SC

I am looking forward to return visits and having a chance to taste more of Chef Kee’s creations. I will be sharing them with you then.

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Jul17

Goat.Sheep.Cow Charleston’s Cheese Nirvana

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Devany

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I have been living in a cheese deprived state for the last four years, sequestered on the most isolated land mass in the world. I am happy to say that there is a special little shop on Church Street in Charleston that is full of wonderful and interesting cheeses from all over the world. They have more than cheese too; wonderful wines, breads, olives, honeycomb, crackers, nuts, condiments and a collection of incredible charcuterie ! To me this could be called Nirvana… Cheese Heaven!

Of course I brought along Mr. Garlic and we parked on the quiet street as a carriage rode past. Inside was a wonderland of cheese. My Facebook friend Trudi is one of the owners of this fabulous shop and she had lots of treats in store for us. We sampled, clicked pictures and yes, bought some awesome cheese!

Trudi and Mr. Garlic

Three partners brought this lovely shop from the Jersey Shore where it was called The Wine Concierge to Charleston where it gained the catchy new name and a city look and feel. We in Charleston can count ourselves blessed! Sommelier, Dr. Michael Cohen (a retired orthopedic surgeon) and his wife Patricia (former owner of a custom bridal business) joined forces with Trudi Wagner who held a seat on the NYSE for Goldman Sachs. They each bring to the table a group of talents that make this shop something very special.

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You can find goat.cheese.cow on Facebook, on their website or by driving down Church Street and finding #106. Don’t live in Charleston? No problem, they also offer online shopping and direct shipping. Of course their selection changes frequently, so if you want something special you can also give Trudy a call at 843.480.2526. They are open Monday-Saturday from 11:00-6:00. They do party platters, picnic baskets and more.

Honeycomb from Savannah Bee

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Jul14

Charleston Farmer’s Market

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Devany

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Today I got to go to my first Charleston Farmer’s Market. My friend Holly Herrick took me through and introduced me to all kinds of wonderful farmers and producers. I took home a full load of fun things to work with from tomatillos to fresh chorizo. I got a half bushel of those great South Carolina peaches and some stone ground grits from the Colonial Charleston Kitchen.

I had a Vietnamese Five Spice Pork Taco for breakfast

And, the best thing about going to the farmer’s market is what you make for lunch! Two big slices of a “Pineapple” tomato, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with smoked salt and fresh ground pepper.

Monday afternoon, James Island has a farmer’s market, so of course I will have to check that out too!

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Jan29

HUSK…. America’s Best New Restaurant

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Devany

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Bon Appetit hailed it as the Best New Restaurant in the US…. accolades have been streaming ever since. It is not all hype, the food is amazing, creative and interesting. Husk is the newest offering from James Beard Award-winning Chef Sean Brock of McCrady’s and the Neighborhood Dining Group. He transforms the essence of Southern food.

Rudderfish with Rice Grits and Peas

Led by Brock and Chef de Cuisine Travis Grimes, a Lowcountry native, the kitchen reinterprets the bounty of the surrounding area, exploring an ingredient-driven cuisine that begins in the rediscovery of heirloom products and redefines what it means to cook and eat in Charleston.

Executive Chef Sean Brock

Starting with a larder of ingredients indigenous to the South, and set within a building complex dating to the late 19th century, Brock crafts menus throughout the day, responding to what local purveyors are supplying the kitchen at any given moment. The entrance beckons with a rustic wall of firewood to fuel the wood-fired oven and a large chalkboard listing artisanal products currently provisioning the kitchen, but like the décor that inhabits the historic building, the food is modern in style and interpretation.

At Husk there are some rules about what can go on the plate. “If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not coming through the door,” says Brock, who has even stricken olive oil from the kitchen. As he explains, the resulting cuisine “is not about rediscovering Southern cooking, but exploring the reality of Southern food.” This modern approach results in playful dishes such as Deviled Eggs with Pickled Okra and Trout Roe, and new classics like South Carolina Shrimp and Chopped Okra Stew with Carolina Gold Rice and Flowering Basil.

Sweet Tea Brined Kentuckyaki Glazed NC Chicken Wings with Sea Island Benne Seeds and Scallions

BBQ Pig Ear Lettuce Wrap with Pickled Peppers and Cilantro

Seed-saving, heirloom husbandry, and in-house pickling and charcuterie efforts by the culinary team are the basis of the cuisine at Husk. The restaurant is as casual as it is chic, evoking a way of life centered on seasonality and the grand traditions of Charleston life—one lived at a slower pace, preferably with a cocktail and a wide porch in the late afternoon. It is a neighborhood gathering place for friends, and a destination dining spot for travelers, with a little bite of the South for everyone’s palates.

Nathalie Dupree and Holly Herrick

These photos are from my lunch there with Nathalie Dupree and Holly Herrick, two Charleston based friends of mine than rank in the upper echelons of Food Writers. And so we were treated to many things that we did not order. I must say that the most amazing thing that day was totally unexpected, the fried chicken skin with honey and hot sauce. It is a dish I have reconstructed back in my home kitchen in Hawaii, within 2 days of my return.

Fried Chicken Skins with Hot Sauce and Honey

HUSK Bologna with Sorghum Mustard and House Pickle and Kentuckyaki Glazed NC Chicken Wings with Sea Island Benne Seeds and Scallions

SC Beef Tenderloin with Spinach, Caramelized Onions, Baby Carrots and Turnips, Carolina Mushroom Jus

Even the centerpieces are local... dried okra pods

Citrus Pana Cotta in a jelly jar

Brown Sugar Pecan Tart

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Jan28

The Compassionate Chefs of Charleston

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Devany

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I have some sweet memories rolling around my head right now. Last weekend I found myself in the midst of several hundred foodies and fourteen amazingly generous chefs. We were at Lowndes Grove Plantation along the slow and winding Ashley River in Charleston, South Carolina. We were there for a barn raising, quite literally. Keegan Filion Farm owned by Annie and Marc Keegan supplies many of Charleston’s restaurants with free range poultry, eggs, grass fed beef and heritage Tamworth Hogs. On December 4th a young turkey knocked over a heater and the barn built in the 1930’s was consumed by fire. More than 100 turkeys died in the fire as well as turkey and hog feed, farm equipment and tools.

Chef Nico Romo of Fish Restaurant and Randall Goldman, CEO for Patrick Properties rallied the troops. A barn raising, was planned in a little less than two months. Chefs offered their services and food. Patrick Properties provided the spectacular venue and the public came in droves to taste and celebrate together. Enough money was raised at the event to build the new barn.

The food was amazing of course! Here are some pictures of the wonderful treats we were served.

Here is the perfectly executed Lasagna with Lamb Bolognese and Goat Cheese by Chef Jacques Larson of Wild Olive

From the culinary program at the Art Institute, this beautiful Foie Gras Custard with Pickled Red Onion Mousse

From FIG, here is yet another “play with lamb dish”, AMAZING soft pillows of gnocchi with a velvety lamb ragu. This just might be the best gnocchi I have ever tasted.
It literally melted in my mouth. Chef Mike Lata is an artist in the kitchen. I would go back to Charleston just to sit at one of his tables.