Create Your Own Soup Recipe

There's a bit of a chill in the air - not much of one mind you - but just cool enough to make you push the shorts to the back of the drawer and pull out the jeans. Here in the Lowcountry when the temperatures start to drop into the 70's, residents finally start becoming aware that Fall has arrived.

This weekend I pulled out comfort recipe's that cater to the changing of the seasons. One of the first things I wanted to do cook up was a body warming soup dish. While I didn't end up making any soup (more on that in a post to come later this week) I did find a great new soup recipe resource that I wanted to share!

The Fine Cooking website has a fantastic tool that allows you to build your own soup recipe by dragging and dropping your favorite ingredients and ultimately creating your very own personalized soup recipe. It's fun to play around with and you never know what you will come up with on your own. Try it out!

Fine Cooking Magazine is one of the many foodie mags I subscribe to and it only comes out six times a year. If you are familiar with the Cook's Illustrated it is a little like that, only glossy and filled with amazing food photographs and step by step process oriented recipe's.

I have a particular fondness for Fine Cooking because it's published by Taunton. They also publish Fine Woodworking, Fine Gardening, Fine Homebuilding, etc.

Years ago when I was contemplating moving to the Lowcountry I also interviewed with Taunton. The decision between working for a company with a magazine like Fine Cooking in the line-up, versus working for a company in the beautiful Lowcountry was truly a difficult decision! Taunton is located in Newton, CT - not exactly the lovely historic southern hospitable town of Charleston - and certainly a lot colder than the Lowcountry. So even though every once in awhile I look back and wonder...I still find that I'm happy I ended being a Lowcountry Foodie instead of a Fine Cooking Newtown, CT Foodie!

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How do you like your pimento cheese?

Vote now! Take the poll shown on the right.....

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Fabulous Fungus!

September is National Mushroom Month! Every September mushroom lovers across the nation come together in a small town in Pennsylvania called Kennett Square. This tiny nook of the world is known as the "Mushroom Capital of the World." This coming week will mark the 22nd year of the annual Mushroom Festival.

So why is Pennsylvania the home base for celebrating such an honorable vegetable? As it turns out, while mushrooms are commercially grown in almost every state in the nation, Pennsylvania delivers 61% of the total of all U.S. mushroom production. According to the National Mushroom Council (yes, there is such a thing) in 2006-07 more than 827 million pounds of mushrooms were produced!

Did you know.....?

• That a Portobello mushroom has more potassium than a banana?


• There are over 38,000 mushroom varieties? Some are toxic and shouldn't be eaten. Experts say the best method to determine whether a mushroom is safe to eat is by utilizing a method of sprinkling salt on the spongy part, or the gills. If they turn yellow, they are poisonous, if they turn black they are safe.


• Mushrooms are 90 percent water and do contain some natural toxins. It is best not to eat too many raw ones; cooking tends to kill the toxins.

Don't like mushrooms? Well then here's 12 more reasons to celebrate food in September!

1. All-American Breakfast Month


2. Hug a Texas Chef Month


3. Mom & Apple Pie Month


4. National Biscuit Month


5. National Chicken Month


6. National Cholesterol Awareness Month


7. National '5-A-Day' Month (fruits & vegetables)


8. National Honey Month


9. National Organic Harvest Month


10. National Papaya Month


11. National Potato Month


12. National Rice Month
    

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Powerful Pastry - Charleston Food & Wine Festival Launch!

Cheers to Charleston! The third annual 2008 BB&T Charleston Food & Wine Festival kicked off tonight with an official launch party. The recently renovated Mills House Hotel played host to hundreds of Charlestonian foodies and wine connoisseurs. The event serves as the official announcement to everyone - "Hey we're coming back for another year and it'll be bigger and better than ever!"

Pastry chef's from the best restaurants across the Lowcountry brought out their best delectable creations. Kiawah Island Club Pastry Chef Melissa Fritz brought the most beautiful handmade chocolates!

The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Resorts stacked chocolate so high that I wouldn't be surprised if there was drool on this table by the end of the night. Pastry Chef Claire Chapman served Chocolate Praline Fondant.

Tristan Pastry Chef Nicole J. Arhalt presented a gorgeous Lemon Curd Citrus Panna Cotta with Basil Syrup. She applied the finishing touches by hand just before the event doors opened.


The finished product was stunning!

Charleston Grill presented a Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle by Pastry Chef Vinzenz Aschbacher (whew - I hope I got the spelling of that name right!)


Fish Pastry Chef Nico Romo presented Chocolate Banana Tarts.

There are LOTS of opportunities to get involved and volunteer. Sign up sheets were available tonight for those who are interested, and the "Volunteer" section on http://www.charlestonfoodandwine.com/ website will be live very soon.

A food and wine event like no other, the Festival provides the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the country's best chefs, authors and wine professionals. Mark your calendars for the next Charleston Food & Wine Festival February 28 thru March 2, 2008. Tickets go on sale tomorrow - August 31, 2007!

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BBQ on the Mind

Ever since I attended the Southern National BBQ Championship and Bluegrass Festival at Boone Hall plantation this past weekend I've had barbeque on the mind.

The judges I spent some time with really had great things to say about the South Carolina Barbeque Association.

Just three years young this group already boasts about 650 members and judges. Al Werts is an SCBA Certified Master judge and shared with me the best thing about being a judge is the feeling of being part of a family - a family that all has the same interests at heart. According to Werts lots of family members participate in the SCBA and husbands, wives and other family members often participate in judging competitions together. Talking with Al and his cohorts Mike and Tom was truly inspiring. In fact, they talked so highly of the group that I printed out the member form on the SCBA website and have mailed it in! I've also contacted the group and plan on taking the next judging workshop.

According to Lake High with the SCBA, "In order to become an SCBA judge you have to become a member of the SCBA and attend a seminar. You then have to judge four different contests under supervision to become a Certified Judge. Members are put on a list and mailed information on upcoming seminars. The date of the next seminar has not been set but members remain on a list until they attend a seminar. We will probably hold the next seminar in early December in Myrtle Beach. The seminar is $20 for members."

So here's how easy it is to get involved:

• Visit http://www.scbarbeque.com/ and click on the "Join Us" button and print out the registration form.


• Print the form and mail in the $35 annual member fee (or $45 for a family membership).


• Attend a judging seminar for $20


• Judge 4 competitions and....you become a Certified Judge

Sound easy? I thought so!

Also, in my last post I reported the Smoke Shack owned by husband and wife Scott and Cindy McDaniel used a former race care trailer for their cook trailer. Scott has kindly corrected me and shared that the trailer is not a converted race car trailer after all. Rather it was custom built by Martin Pressley of Mid-Georgia Trailer Sales (Forsythe, GA) and Pace Trailers of Fitzgerald, GA according to their exact specifications. Scott's wife actually had told me it was a race car trailer, but apparently she gets flustered when talking to people in competition situations...and who would blame her? The stakes and these competitions are high and people like me really shouldn't bother them when they are trying to compete! Sorry Scott and Cindy! Hopefully I've set the record straight.

Here's a pic of the Smoke Shack mascot:

Hankering for a little barbeque this weekend? Join the SCBA this coming Labor Day weekend as they take part in Beach Boogie & BBQ in Myrtle Beach South Carolina. More than 100 BBQ competitors are expected for the weekend festivities. The event even features an International Federation of Competitive Eating event - the BBQ Champion Eating Championship!

Whether you desire to become the next member of the SCBA, or plan on heading to Myrtle this weekend - whatever you do - make it a safe and celebratory Labor Day Weekend!

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Lasting Impressions at the Southern National BBQ Championship

You could smell it in the air a half mile away. Tendrils of smoke curled through the tree tops of the glorious grand oaks lining the entrance to Boone Hall Plantation. On Saturday, August 25, nearly 40 professional and amateur teams, a handful of tailgating teams, and more than 2 dozen judges gathered together to participate in the 3rd annual Southern National BBQ Championship and Bluegrass Festival.

It is a busy day for all involved and as the first strains of down home music are heard across the plantation grounds, cookers and grills are being stoked in preparation for the judging that begins at noon. A clock sits atop the turn in table in front of the judges tent and contestants often stop by to make sure their watches are set to the exact time as the judges.

Four BBQ categories keep pit masters busy preparing for turn in times – Chicken is first up and due at 12 noon, ribs follow at 12:30, then pork butt at 1:00, and finally brisket at 1:30. The pressure heating up various cooking contraptions across the grounds is equal to the pressure the contestants feel as they time their days to align with the strict turn-in schedule. Time schedules are posted everywhere and notations include items like fix up box, make sauce, flip and flop, baste, and survey and grade. Its barbecue language and these teams know time is of the essence and late entries equal immediate disqualification.

An enthusiastic trio of judges lingers outside the official judging tent and they kill some time as they await the first entries to arrive.

Judges Tom, Al, and Mike are quick to offer some advice on judging best practices. Take a single small bite of each entry, they advise. Another indicates that a cook’s challenge in a competition like this is to be able to wow the judges with just one bite. Another interesting fact they offer up certainly puts their jobs into perspective - if a judge were to eat everything put in front of them it would tally up to more than 6 pounds of meat!

The 3 judges are good natured, light hearted, and gush that they do this because they just simply love barbeque! So what does it take to get past the judges? You have to pay attention to the rules and follow them carefully. Entries can easily be disqualified for a number of reasons. Everything from undercooked meat (traces of blood is a dead giveaway) to using the wrong garnish (no red lettuce or carrots – parsley only!) Contestants must turn in a minimum of 6 samples for judging, any less and a disqualification is immediate.

A tour around the smoky grounds reveals custom grills and smokers that make you stop in your tracks and stare with wonder.

A former race care trailer has been turned into the home of Smoke Shack, owned by husband and wife Scott and Cindy McDaniel whose team has been on the circuit for 12 years.

Based out of North Augusta, SC, the duo are 3-time winners of the South Carolina State Championship. Cindy views these gatherings as a hobby – one they liken to tailgating where they get to meet a lot of people and hang out with friends.

Judges and fellow contestants alike are murmuring about the legend in their midst this weekend. Who is this person that people are speaking of in hushed tones and reverent admiration? The judges fill in the holes and share that Myron Mixon of Jacks Old South is competing this year. Just who is Myron? He took the State Champion title at the Prestigious Palmetto Pig Pick'n Championship in Ladson in March earlier this year. If that’s not impressive – how about the Grand Champion title at the revered Memphis in May event? Indeed –a true champion was among us – a three time world champion of the one of the biggest barbecue titles in the country. Wins in 2001, 2004, and again this year in 2007 in Memphis, had fellow competitors on alert. Mixon is rumored to have won over 140 competitions in the past 3 years alone. Could they beat the master? The day would tick by with this thought on many a contestants mind.

Mr. Champion himself is the kind of guy you’d like to call a friend. His smile is welcoming and warm. He shares that he got his start in 1996 and in addition to competing professionally; he makes a living in the ‘que world by catering and teaching barbeque cooking school classes, and selling his handmade sauce recipes and grills. Mixon's team Jacks Old South travels with two different trailers depending on the competition. The one being used today is designed to cater to Kansas City Barbeque Society competitions, and the other is a 30-foot trailer designed solely to compete in the definitive Memphis in May event. The company and branded company sauces are named after Myron’s father Jack Mixon.

Mixon is open to questions and beckons me in to the back of his workshop. All the entries have been turned in and it’s clean up time. He reaches for a slice of pork pink with smoke and he swabs it through a metal bowl of sacred sauce. With giddiness I reach for it and it disappears quicker than I would have liked it to.

I’m eating the champion’s barbeque and I’m so excited and caught up in the moment - yet I'm also completely conscious that I need to slow down and savor the experience. Mixon is up to the elbows in soap suds as he washes up from another day on the circuit. Assistant David buzzes around packaging up left-over’s and offering me more tastes of heaven. Burnt butt ends come next, then the mother load – a prized piece of chicken that would later in the day win 1st place in the chicken category.

Just when I thought the champion’s hospitality couldn’t get any better, I realized left-over’s of all kinds were finding their way into Ziploc bags and a goodie bag of sorts was being assembled in a tin “to go” platter for me. The husband was going to love this!

There’s no pretense with these guys, the only signage evident in their assigned lot is branding on their rig. No banners wave, no trophies line the table – for these pros it’s all about the cooking. Based on their winning history, it’s an approach that obviously pays off.

As the day wears on ‘que goers enjoy down home music from Home Boy Reunion, the Southland Boys, and YeeHaw Junction. The music blends perfectly with the Southern BBQ smoke tinge in the air. Children twirl and adults stomp to the infectious bluegrass beat. Well after 4:30 an electricity fills the air as a white Ford Explorer drives up next to the stage and pops open the back of the truck. The awards are here!

The strains of bluegrass fade slowly away as the MC takes the stage. Contestants pace, huddle amongst their team mates, swill cold beverages, and chatter amongst themselves. The time has come and awards slowly begin to disappear as winners are announced. Jack’s Old South picks up a 4th place win in Brisket, then a 1st place in Ribs. Pork is up next and it’s the first time Mixon doesn’t make his way to the stage. Chicken is the final category and once again Jack’s Old South picks up 1st place. The Grand Champion winner is a no-brainer and as the crowds swell into knowing applause, the Grand Champion winner is announced….Jack’s Old South takes the prize!

Earlier in the day Myron Mixon shared with me that “Any day you can walk across the stage and collect some money is a good day.”

It was a good day for Jack’s Old South and Mr. Mixon – a very good day indeed.

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Pig Pickin' Barbeque & Footstompin' Bluegrass

Looking for some foodie fun this weekend? Boone Hall Plantation is playing host to the epitome of all southern food events - the Southern National BBQ Championship and Bluegrass Festival!

This year marks the third annual celebration of the cook-off and will take place Friday and Saturday, August 24-25 at Boone Hall Plantation. Professional and amateur barbecue chefs alike will complete for cash and prizes totalling more than $10,000. 'Cue vendors from all across the Southeast region will travel over the hills and through the woods, waltz down the live oak lined entry to Boone Hall, and cook up a storm to compete in front of masses of drooling audiences.

Here's what you can expect:

• Admission prices a little on the high end - Adults $17.50, Seniors/Military $15, and Kids 6-12 are $7.50. Little 'un's under 5 are Free (thank goodness!)
• Parking is Free (Yay!)
• Footstompin' Bluegrass Music is Free
• Chairs and blankets are allowed
• Outside food, outside drinks, and coolers are NOT allowed
• Pets are not allowed (imagine dogs running around all that pork!)
• Hours: Friday 4:00 - 8:00, Saturday 9:30 - 6:00
• My advice (also free) is to not wait until noon on Saturday to make your way there - traffic will be a nightmare by then, so make an early start and enjoy the whole day!

According to a press release the event promises to have "Some of the best tasting mouth watering barbecue available in the southeast! Barbecue and beverage vendors from all other the Lowcountry will be on site for those in attendance, to squelch the hunger pangs that are sure to hit once all the great smells hit the airwaves around the plantation."

The husband and I plan on making a day of it. Hopefully we'll see you there!

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