Sassy Southern Cooking with a French Twist

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News about Holly Herrick, her books, appearances and writing.

Charleston Farmers Market Tour and Cooking with Holly

I am pleased to announce the first in a series of farmers market tours and cooking classes I will be conducting throughout the year at Charleston’s downtown farmers market. We’ll begin at the market early on Saturday mornings and come to my kitchen to cook from what’s inspired me and a group of just six students and finish up the day with a delicious three course meal at my table.

The fruits of summer season on display at Charleston Farmers Market.

The fruits of summer season on display at Charleston Farmers Market.

More details and registration information are provided in this link from yesterday’s post at The Permanent Tourist Charleston.

http://charleston.thepermanenttourist.com/new-farmers-market-tour-with-me-the-permanent-tourist-charleston/

Please feel free to follow me directly there and on facebook at facebook.com/tptcharleston and twitter:@tptcharleston

Happy cooking!

Holly

 

 

 

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The Permanent Tourist – Charleston

Having called Charleston, SC home for over 14 years, and still loving it as much as ever, I continue to feel every day like a tourist in my own town. However, I know this town, restaurants, events, personality like a native. So, I decided to join forces with a blog franchise based out of Sea Island, Georgia. With the help of founder, Melissa Lee, I’ve just launched a new blog by the name of The Permanent Tourist, Charleston. In it, I’ll take you to all the best places to see, do, eat so that tourists and locals alike can help find all the wonders that call Charleston home.

In Permanent Tourist mode, yours truly. Photo by Joe Loehle.

In Permanent Tourist mode, yours truly. Photo by Joe Loehle.

Please come visit me there and subscribe if you’re interested in receiving regular posts. I’ll continue to post new posts from that blog here, as well as keep the events page and books news current on this website.

Today’s post is all about what makes baseball games so much fun at Charleston’s Minor Leaugue ballpark – The Joe!

http://charleston.thepermanenttourist.com/fun-is-good/

Thank you!

Holly

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Souffles Rising

Cookbook Review and Giveaway

It seems everyone who loves to cook or eat, particularly French cooking or eating, has a souffle story. Some are happy, some are rather sad. I have my share of both. But for Greg Patent, author of The French Cook – Souffles (Gibbs Smith, March 1, 2014),  most of his life has been a souffle love story. And, it began with the French Chef herself, Julia Child. Already a talented baker under the guiding hand of his Granny who mesmerized him whipping egg whites with a fork during in his “first childhood” in Shanghai, Julia later seduced him with her balloon whisk, copper bowl, and stunning souffles.

Patent, who travels to cooking demos with his own copper bowl and balloon whisk, expertly details all of the elements of making both sweet and savory souffles in this beautiful book (photography by Kelly Gorham). His writing is concise, detailed, and at times almost scientific in describing the how-to’s of making souffles puff. His passion for cooking, baking and souffles comes through in every syllable. At times, it’s as if you can practically hear his soothing “voice” in your ear, building your souffle-making confidence all along the way.

Patent begins the book with an excellent series of descriptions of the four types of souffle bases (bechamel, veloute, bouille, or fruit/vegetable puree), and especially helpful lessons on mounting egg whites, folding, breaking egg whites, the debate over fresh or older egg whites, finally confessing in his down-to-earth manner, “I tend not to fret over the freshness of egg whites in making a souffle.” Beyond the base and the whites, the bottom line is timing. As Patent wittily states, “You must wait for them (souffles); they won’t wait for you.”

If you’re like me, you won’t be able to wait to make the likes of Green Garlic Souffles, Crab & Morel Mushroom Souffles, Meyer Lemon Souffles, and Cold Passion Fruit Souffles. Patent includes all kinds of wonderful derivatives from a standard souffle, including a souffle stuffed crepe, souffle roulade, and frozen souffles, as well as several sauce recipes. The James Beard winning author has penned several cookbooks  and has another winner on his hands in “Souffles.” Julia would be proud.

The French Cook-Souffles by Greg Patent. Photography by Kelly Gorham.

The French Cook-Souffles by Greg Patent. Photography by Kelly Gorham.

Cookbook Giveaway

Like Patent, I love making souffles, but as I said before, I’ve had a few sad souffle stories, including a woefully underdone chocolate souffle at Tour D’Argent in Paris, and a fallen souffle for a tardy photo shoot.

Do you have a souffle story? If so, please share it with me here in the comments section. I’ll select a winner on May 1 and will mail you a copy of Greg’s book.

As always, bon appetit!

 

(Please note: Souffle should be finished with an accent on the “e” but my formatting will not allow me to do it!)

 

 

 

 

 

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A Real Book Page Turner

Thank you to The Times and Democrat for a nice  article about me and my books as well as the other two authors participating in next week’s sixth annual Page Turner event, the newspaper’s biggest annual fund-raiser. I enjoyed speaking with reporter Dionne Gleaton. To read the entire story, click on the link below.

http://thetandd.com/entertainment/books-and-literature/page-turner-authors-to-bring-eclectic-mix-of-romance-mystery/article_012d59de-9b50-11e3-a74f-001a4bcf887a.html

Otherwise, here’s a short except and quotes from yours truly:

She  said her first cookbook was based on a newspaper column she had written about shopping at farmer’s markets.

“It really hasn’t stopped since then. It’s been fun. I still love going to farmers’ markets or a beautiful grocery and finding something spectacular. It’s about sharing the knowledge and love of cooking and doing it in such a way that everybody will love and enjoy it,” Herrick said. “The goal is to make it inspirational and fun.”

Herrick said perseverance is a critical to the art of writing.

“You just have to do it. Dreaming doesn’t get it done. The actual art of any kind of writing is to be attuned with what is going on around you all the time. The key is to be very observant and to try to be a good listener. Try to get the undertones as much as possible because that sensitivity will come back through your writing,” she said.

She said food writing is as much an art as novel or poetry writing.

“I think of the myriad of examples of experts in food writing like James Beard and Julia Child. They’re all people who described food and had a poetry of their own. I went to one of the biggest cooking schools in the world, but I learn something new every day even in my own kitchen,” Herrick said.

France, French cooking and her current book series are among the topics which she said she will touch on at the Page Turner Luncheon.

“I’m sort of between two cultures right now, but there are similarities between Southern cooking and French cooking, which most people think of as fancy and impractical. But French cooking actually stems from frugality and freshness,” Herrick said, adding, “I promise to make it fun.”

Here’s more specific information about the event on March 4. I hope to see you there!

pageturnerpromo

 

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Books & Beignets for Valentine’s Day

beignets_v4

Wondering what to get your sweetie for Valentine’s Day? How about some sweets for your sweet? Learn how to make fried choux pastry (beignets) with a fresh raspberry coulis from my demonstration and perhaps purchase a signed copy of one (or two!) of my cookbooks after. They really do make lovely gifts anytime of the year for anyone that enjoys cooking. I would love to see you there. It’s going to be fun and delicious.

Bon appetit!

 

 

 

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