Southern Living April 2021

LATE IN THE summer of 2020, when the pandemic seemed to be abating, my family took a road trip to the South Carolina coast that felt a little bit irresponsible. We had been exceedingly careful, quarantining at home since March and keeping our distance from pretty much everyone, but we needed a change of scenery and a few days at the beach. On the recommendation of a friend, we stopped at Sweatman’s Bar-b-que in Holly Hill, South Carolina, a charming wood-framed building on a country road surrounded by fields. They’ve been in business since 1977, but they’re still something of a regional secret. I’d heard good things about their hash and rice as well as their mustard-based barbecue sauce (both specialties of the state), and their banana pudding was said to…

Katie Jacobs LIFESTYLE EXPERT Katie Jacobs is a fourth-generation Nashville native, stylist, and author of So Much to Celebrate. The mom of three is also the creator of the food-and-entertaining blog Styling My Everyday (stylingmyeveryday.com). She shared fun ideas for celebrating special occasions at home in “Gather in the Garden” on page 37. Cedric Angeles PHOTOGRAPHER Based out of New Orleans and New York, Cedric Angeles is a regular contributor to many lifestyle and travel brands. For our South’s Best issue, he captured the natural beauty and energy of Sanibel Island, Florida, which appears on the cover as well as in “Island Treasure” on page 86.…

WHAT WE’RE LOVING, SHARING, AND CELEBRATING Spicy Strawberry-Goat Cheese Crostini Cut 1 (12-oz.) French baguette into ¼-inch-thick diagonal slices; place on a large baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Cool completely, about 20 minutes. Stir together 2 cups chopped strawberries, 1 Tbsp. minced jalapeño chile, 2 Tbsp. honey, 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt in a small bowl. Spread about 1 rounded tsp. softened goat cheese from 2 (4-oz.) logs on each baguette slice. Top goat cheese with 1 slightly rounded tsp. strawberry mixture. Sprinkle with chopped fresh mint. ACTIVE 20 MIN. - TOTAL 50 MIN. - SERVES 10 Roasted Strawberry Compote Gently stir together 2 lb. strawberries, halved (or quartered if large); ¾ cup powdered sugar; 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice; and ⅛ tsp. kosher…

LEARNING TO ENTERTAIN as a newlywed in Madison, Georgia, was something of a baptism by fire, says Vera Stewart. “In that small town, if I had a dinner party, I invited the people across the street, who were old enough to be my grandparents; the local House of Representatives official, who was my parents’ age; and then my peer group,” says Vera. “I found out early on that I had to bring my A game if I was hosting in Madison.” More than four decades and a move to Augusta later—with a catering company, a cookbook, and nine seasons of a syndicated TV program (The VeryVera Show) to her name—it’s hard to imagine her ever being a novice hostess. She’s especially busy during Masters Tournament week in April, when (in…

IN HIS 10-PLUS years of glassblowing, Hayden Wilson’s most valuable lesson is one that might make other artists cringe: Destruction is inevitable. “Things break, and it’s not something to get too upset about,” he says. “But I might have that perspective because I’ve been breaking glass since I was a child.” A second-generation glassblower, Wilson grew up in a “houseful of glass” tucked away in the scenic mountains of western North Carolina. It’s a region where the claim to fame would likely be the incredible vistas were it not for the unique concentration of glassblowers (including Wilson’s father, David) who call it home. They’re lured by the community (glassblowing is a “team sport,” says Wilson); the world-renowned Penland School of Craft about an hour from Asheville; and, yes, the killer views.…