Taste of the South July/August 2021
Taste of the South helps you savor the unique dishes, cooking personalities and culinary destinations of the South - and now you can enjoy every single page on your tablet! For readers who love Southern cooking or simply experimenting with new flavors, this magazine is a guidebook. Taste of the South is for those who have a passion for good food, at home and on the road. Every issue is a guide to Southern lifestyle.
in this issue
editor’s letter
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, I look forward to the long, warm days in midsummer when the farmers’ market is brimming with some of the year’s best produce. Walking down the aisles and catching up with my go-to farmers, it’s always inspiring to see the fruits of their labor. Whether it’s perfectly sweet corn or the odd early apple of the season, I always leave excited for the week’s cooking ahead. In this high summer issue, we shined a spotlight on outdoor dining. You’ll find a handful of recipes for the grill master in your life. Nothing says “party” quite like a giant steak, right? The behemoth Reverse-Seared Tomahawk Steak with Chimichurri Sauce (page 47) is a real stunner and shows off a different way to grill thick-cut meats (starting with a low…
tastes & tools
1 EMILY G’S TRIPLE BERRY JAM What’s the only thing better than a good ole strawberry jam this time of year? How about a triple-berry-packed jam like this one from Emily G’s in Georgia? Their deliciously fresh combination of strawberries, raspberries, and dark cherries ups the ante for any summer picnic fare, warm morning biscuits, and even classic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. No matter how you plan to use it, this spread is bound to bring the flavor. $8.50; emilygs.com 2 PERFECTLY CORDIAL HIBISCUS & HONEYCOMB SIMPLE SYRUP With a variety of freshly squeezed juices, a unique blend of spices, and pure cane sugar, Perfectly Cordial’s Nashville-made syrups are a surefire hit. Just mix this hibiscus- and honeycomb-flavored concoction in with your favorite spirits, teas, or tonics to create a taste of…
nashville hot chicken
THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIED CHICKEN to the South’s iconic food journey is not to be underestimated, but we often neglect to give its newest incarnation, Nashville hot chicken, the credit it deserves for reimagining a classic so deliciously. With unique combinations of herbs, spices, or sauces, these restaurants have transformed run-of-the-mill pieces of tenderloin, breast, or wing into a spicy snack that packs a punch your taste buds can’t get enough of. For our fellow heat lovers, it’s one experience you have to taste for yourself (if you haven’t already). The trend all started at Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack more than 70 years ago. This humble meat-and-three joint in southeast Nashville even earned a James Beard Foundation award for their recipe that blazed a trail for all the others on…
recipe index
BREADS Herb and Cheese Drop Biscuits 85 DESSERTS Banana Pudding Cake 38 Blackberry Jam Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream 76 Chocolate Banana Pudding Bars 35 Easy Classic Banana Pudding 33 Lemon-Lime Mayo Cupcakes 86 Peanut Butter Banana Pudding Slab Pie 33 Raspberry-Banana Pudding 36 Watermelon Pie 28 MAINS Chicken Wings with Spicy Mayo Marinade 85 Dirty Rice 88 Dry-Rubbed Grilled Spareribs 48 Gorditas de Puerco en Chile Guajillo 90 Overnight Peach French Toast Casserole 25 Pan-Seared Snapper with Grits and Charred Tomato Chutney 24 Pickle-Brined Grilled Chicken 48 Pimiento Cheese BLT 29 Reverse-Seared Tomahawk Steak with Chimichurri Sauce 47 Smoked Pork Shoulder with Red Cabbage-Onion Relish 49 Southwest Turkey Burger 85 MISCELLANEOUS Buttermilk Vinaigrette 56 Chimichurri Sauce 47 Chipotle Mayonnaise 85 Feta-Jalapeño Ranch Dressing 50 Gorditas 95 Lemon-Garlic Mayo 85 Lemon-Lime Frosting 86 Pickled Red Onion 95 Pickled Sweet Peppers 53 Red Cabbage-Onion Relish 49 Roasted Tomato Salsa 95 Sweet and Spicy Dry Rub 48 Swiss Meringue 33 Vanilla Buttercream 38 Vinegar Mopping Sauce 49 Whipped Cream 36 Whipped Cream…
rosin potatoes
FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS, sweeping forests of longleaf and slash pines blanketed the southeastern landscape fueling the naval stores industry. Turpentine, tar, pitch, and rosin, all products made from pine resin, were used for everything from waterproofing ship hulls to making soap. However, creative and arguably daring culinarians of yesteryear found a special use for rosin: cooking potatoes. The South is home to numerous culinary curiosities, but few rival the mystery of rosin potatoes. Who, after all, would conceive of the idea of cooking potatoes in rosin? Rosin is the byproduct of turpentine (a volatile liquid commonly used as a paint thinner). Centuries ago, workers would cut slashes into pine trees and hang buckets below to catch dripping pine sap that they would then process in stills to create turpentine. What…
hot off the grill
Reverse-Seared Tomahawk Steak with Chimichurri Sauce MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS This showstopping steak is sure to impress your dinner guests. 1 (4-pound) tomahawk rib-eye steak, about 3 inches thick1 teaspoon kosher salt4 oak wood chips, soaked in water at least 1 hour2 tablespoons salted butter, softenedChimichurri Sauce (recipe follows)Garnish: ground black pepper, flaked sea salt 1. Let steak stand at room temperature for about 1 hour before grilling. Sprinkle with salt. 2. Spray grill rack with cooking spray. Preheat one side of grill to low heat (225°). Place wood chips over direct heat. 3. Place steak on the opposite side of grill; grill, covered, over indirect heat until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 115°, about 1 hour for medium-rare. 4. Remove steak. Increase grill temperature to high heat (400° to 450°). Add…
