Sassy Southern Cooking with a French Twist

Lowcountry

Introducing The New Charleston Chef’s Table

Voila! She’s Finally Here and A Cookbook Give Away

It’s been a long time since I’ve visited. It’s been a very busy and wonderful year.  In addition to a new cookbook (number nine), I have a now sixteen month-old  puppy named Rocky (Rocken Roll) and have been enjoying writing press and news for a large Charleston restaurant group.

I deem The New Charleston Chef’s Table “number nine” with some hesitation, as I’m not sure exactly what to call a new edition of an old book (the original Chef’s Table came out in 2009). Is that really a new book? But since it’s essentially an 80% new book, that is almost all of the old book was pulled and new restaurants, chefs and recipes were added, I’m going to go with number nine.

The reason so much of it is new is that Charleston went through yet another massive restaurant renaissance during the past decade. What was delicious got even more delicious and the boundaries for types of food and restaurant locations and styles got even broader. Increasingly, Charleston taste buds veered farther from formality and more towards casual ethnicity diversification, but always, always with a demand for outstanding cuisine. Because, if it was not delivered, those restaurants went away in short order.

Reluctant at first to take on such a huge task, I was glad I did, and am grateful for the opportunity from Globe Pequot Press. The New Charleston Chef’s Table truly reflects the Charleston of now, which was my intention. I pursued recipes that were less structured and more adaptable for the home cook. Some of my favorites include Leon’s Whole Grain Spoon Salad,  Fig’s Classic Arugula Salad,  Crust’s Chilled Summer Corn Soup, Lewis’ Hatch Green Chile Corn Pudding, The Ordinary’s Fish Schnitzel, and The Daily’s Buttermilk Rhubarb Fool.  In this book, more than in the original, I let the book morph with the commentary and thoughts of the chefs. For example,  Matthew Niessner at Halls Chophouse didn’t want to share just one recipe, but an entire meal catered to this audience, just as he likes to do for groups when they come to Halls. So he shared recipes for creamed corn, iceberg wedge salad with blue cheese dressing, and how to perfectly prepare a restaurant style ribeye. Meanwhile, at Mex 1 Coastal Cantina I surfed with Ryan Jones into the Baja, California peninsula and cool surfer mentality with cantina chicken tacos and stewed lima beans slow and steady with Martha Lou Gadsen of Martha Lou’s Kitchen.

The design and editing team did a beautiful job of designing the book, which is verdant and fresh with lots of green color and beautiful photography, and has an equally more casual and modern look, reflecting an ever morphing Charleston.

New Charleston Chefs Table book coverThe book was released this past week and is available at major bookstores and online now. I’m offering a signed cookbook to one of you. Just click like on this post or elsewhere where you see it  and I’ll do a randomly picked number search on June 4 and announce the winner that day.

Wishing you a beautiful and soulful Memorial Day!

Holly

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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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Revolutionary in More Ways than One

 The Obstinate Daughter

Here is a link from yesterday’s post on The Permant Tourist Charleston about this brand new, shining restaurant on Sullivan’s Island:

http://charleston.thepermanenttourist.com/revolutionary-in-more-ways-than-one/

Enjoy!

Peas and Carrots (lower left) and SC Peach Salad from The Obstinate Daughter.

Peas and Carrots (lower left) and SC Peach Salad from The Obstinate Daughter.

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WildFlour Makes Charleston Sundays Even Sweeter

Sundays are all about Sticky Buns at WildFlour Pastry in downtown Charleston.

Oven-warm cinnamon bun from WildFlour's Sticky Bun Sunday.

Oven-warm cinnamon bun from WildFlour’s Sticky Bun Sunday.

Here’s the link from yesterday’s The Permanent Tourist Charleston

post to learn more about this special weekly event:

http://charleston.thepermanenttourist.com/sunday-best/

Bon appetit, and remember to come visit me there and invite any friends who may be interested in learning about all of the wonderful things to do, places to see, and wonderful restaurants in beautiful Charleston.

 

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Cool Soups for a Hot Fourth of July

The temperature is rising and it really is beginning to feel like the summer that officially began earlier this week.

Take advantage of these two recipes for delicious cool soups as posted earlier today at charleston.thepermanenttourist.com

These are two of my favorites from my latest cookbook, The French Cook-Soups & Stews (Gibbs Smith)  to be released Sept. 1 – details provided in the link above.

As always, happy (and cool!) cooking!

 

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