Southern Living April 2023

“Everything in New Orleans is a good idea.”—BOB DYLAN ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO, not long before I got married, my brother, Marshall, planned a bachelor party in New Orleans that almost changed my life. I was living in New York at the time, and he rented a rambling old house in the Garden District for 10 of my best friends. On our last night, we went to dinner at Galatoire’s, the iconic French Creole restaurant on Bourbon Street, all of us sporting jackets as required by the dress code. We were sitting in the main dining room with those tall ceilings and spinning fans, and suddenly a tuxedoed waiter clinked a glass. A large gentleman stood next to his table, bowed to the crowd, and started singing an aria in a…

Ashley M. Jones WRITER Ashley M. Jones is poet laureate of Alabama (2022-2026). She was born and raised in Birmingham and received an MFA in poetry from Florida International University. For this issue, Jones wrote a personal essay on her hometown (page F16) in our special “Places We Love” flip section in the back of the magazine. Betsy McCallen Lovell SENIOR DESIGNER Betsy McCallen Lovell has been part of the creative team since 2010. She plans, art directs, and designs features and columns for the print magazine, focusing on inventive typography and striking photography, which continues to the brand’s website and digital platforms. Turn to “The South’s Best” section (page 55) to see her work.…

WHAT WE’RE LOVING, SHARING, AND CELEBRATING GO SOLO The structural shape of the palm fan is so dramatic that it can stand alone, but choosing the right vessel is very important. Use a container that has an opening small enough to keep the heavy palms from going their own way. Trim one stem 1 to 2 inches shorter than the other so that fan will turn slightly while the longer-stemmed one will stand more upright. SET A FAN-TASTIC TABLE Forgo a traditional centerpiece in favor of a pop of green to dress up each place setting. The trickiest part is picking the right size palms. Look for ones that are on the smaller side and are as flat as you can find so the leaf segments peek out from beneath the plate without making…

AS THE FOUNDER of the Texas luxury clothing line Dondolo, Catalina Gonzalez Jorba has always had an eye for detail. During the pandemic, she turned her creative attention to dreaming up beautiful tablescapes—something she’d often done with her mother as a child in Colombia. “It’s about going back to what makes you feel grounded, at ease, and peaceful inside,” says Jorba. “Setting the table helped me feel close to my parents, even though I wasn’t.” In September 2021, she launched Dondolo Home, a collection of ceramics and hand-embroidered linens designed to be used for everything from Friday pizza nights to holiday brunches. “We always try to make our meals special,” says the designer and mom of four young sons. “The boys help me set it up. They will say things…

“MY GRANDMOTHER was a wonderful gardener, but her kitchen window was what always caught my eye when I pulled into her driveway,” says Laura Digges, the Mount Holly, Virginia, artist behind Papier Fleurs (@papier_fleurs). “Even though she lived up in Pennsylvania and there would be drifts of snow 5 feet deep, she would still somehow have these beautiful geraniums growing there.” Like her grandmother, Digges has a magical green thumb. But rather than soil and seeds, she works with tissue paper and paint. In 2020, she wanted to make something for her mother’s birthday that she says “you couldn’t necessarily go to the jewelry store and get.” The artist put her appreciation for origami to use, fashioning a faux flower that looked like the one that had always brought color and…

Cheesy Artichoke Dip with Spring Crudités ACTIVE 15 MIN. TOTAL 35 MIN. SERVES 12 1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. 2. Place 8 oz. softened cream cheese, ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup grated Parmesan, 3 Tbsp. minced shallot, 1 tsp. chopped garlic, 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, ½ tsp. kosher salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper, and ½ cup grated low-moisture part-skim mozzarella in a food processor. Process until combined, about 20 seconds. Drain 2 (14-oz.) cans artichoke hearts packed in water; pat dry, and chop. Add to food processor; pulse to combine, about 2 pulses. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Top with additional ½ cup mozzarella. 3. Bake in preheated oven until browned, about 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with…