Southern Living March 2022

Jeanne Dozier Clayton DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Shoot producer, schedule juggler, and inclement-weather evader Jeanne Dozier Clayton has been with Southern Living since 2010 and still encounters surprises daily. Most are good ones, like that rhubarb desserts can be cover worthy (page 94)! For a predictably beautiful story, also see “The Future Is Bright” (page 84). Marisa Spyker SENIOR WRITER Born-and-bred Floridian Marisa Spyker believes flip-flops and margaritas are always in season. A Southern Living wordsmith since 2019, she enjoys reporting on everything from the South’s creatives (“Out of the Box,” page 16) to the best home-decorating tricks (“The New Rules of Wallpaper,” page 27).…

“All serious daring starts from within.”—EUDORA WELTY IF YOU’VE BEEN reading this magazine for a while, you’ve probably encountered more than a few articles by Valerie Fraser Luesse, our Senior Travel Editor, who’s retiring from Southern Living this spring after 28 years. Val grew up in rural Alabama, but her job took her all over the South, from the juke joints of the Mississippi Delta to the funky towns of the Florida Keys to the dance halls of Acadiana. Before Rick Bragg started writing our Southern Journal column every month, Val contributed about 30 of them, each one capturing a little slice of Southern culture. She finds good stories the way some people pick out sharks’ teeth on a beach, and—better yet—she knows how to tell them. Val once told me that…

WHAT WE’RE LOVING, SHARING, AND CELEBRATING Asparagus with Eggs and Prosciutto Cook 1 lb. asparagus (trimmed) in salted boiling water until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes for thinner spears or 4 to 5 minutes for thicker spears. Transfer to a bowl of ice water; let stand 1 minute. Drain. Whisk together 1 ½ Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, and ½ tsp. maple syrup. Gradually whisk in 3 Tbsp. olive oil until smooth. Whisk in 2 Tbsp. minced shallot. Arrange asparagus on a platter. Top with 2 oz. torn prosciutto and 4 soft-cooked eggs (peeled and halved). Drizzle with dressing; sprinkle with flaky sea salt, black pepper, and fresh basil leaves. ACTIVE 15 MIN. - TOTAL 15 MIN. - SERVES 4 Creamy Asparagus Soup Trim 2 lb. asparagus; cut into 2-inch pieces. Set…

MARIA OSORIO DRISCOLL was supposed to spend just one summer in Virginia, helping her aunt with a newborn baby. “The first week, I met a boy and found my future husband,” says the Bogotá, Colombia, native with a laugh. She transferred to Roanoke to finish her art degree and has called it home ever since. “One summer turned into 22 years,” she says. For the better part of that time, Maria has been sharing her vibrant Colombian style with the South through her artwork, filling canvases with bold strokes and bright colors (@mariaosoriodriscoll). “I love being an artist,” she says. “For me, it’s about the connections that I’ve made with people, how they react to my art, and the joy it brings them.” WHERE I FIND INSPIRATION “Colombia—the natural beauty is incredible. There’s…

STEP INSIDE the imaginative world of Phillip Ashley Rix and you’ll see why he’s often compared to the candy magician from Roald Dahl’s classic tales. “My goal from the beginning was to make that stick of gum from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory—the one that changes flavors from tomato soup to roast beef to blueberry pie,” he says. “But I wanted to do that with chocolate.” It all came to him in a dream. While working a day job in corporate marketing and contemplating culinary school on the side, Rix found himself with a middle-of-the-night epiphany that quickly pivoted his path toward sweets. So he began toiling away with cocoa in his kitchen, learning the nuances behind flavors, melting points, and methods for formulating a ganache. “I felt like once…