I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I think Southern Living is one of the best magazines ever. In the February, 2020 issue of the magazine the editor, Sid Evans, wrote a fascinating piece about “Community Cooking” that really caught my eye.

In it Evans says, “When my wife and I moved to Charleston, South Carolina about 10 years ago, one of the best things we did was join a supper club with some other couples. We weren’t very organized, but every few months we’d gather for dinner at someone’s house and we’d each bring a dish. The hosts got to pick the cuisine and the menus always had an international theme, from Italian to Southeast Asian to Indian.”

“The goals were to try new recipes and ingredients that were outside our comfort zones and to have some culinary adventures at a time when we were all tied down with little kids and limited budgets. When it worked, it felt as if we’d all been on a wonderful exotic trip together, though perhaps that was the wine talking.”

He goes on to describe one memorable dinner where “one couple made roast suckling pig, a showstopper of an entrée that took about two days to prepare and had us talking all week.” Don’t you love this? Then Evans comes to the whole point of why he’s relating all this: the magazine is starting a Facebook page called “What’s Cooking with Southern Living – it’s a place where readers can discuss recipes from the latest issue and share their love for Southern food.  

ONE “TEST KITCHEN” RECIPE EVERY ISSUE  

This recipe will be flagged with the red “What’s Cooking” logo – and have input and feedback from a Southern Living expert. Evans goes on to say, “This month it will be Pam Lolley who will answer questions on her “Pineapple-Ginger Upside-Down Cake recipe. She is a rock star around here, especially when it comes to Southern sweets.” Sounds fantastic so CLICK HERE for the “Pineapple-Ginger Upside-Down Cake recipe.

This peaked my interest so I slowly went through the magazine a second time and found a recipe for “Sheet Pan Hanger Steak and Vegetables” that sounded great. The last time I had Hanger Steak was in Danny Meyer’s Gramercy Tavern in Greenwich Village and it was absolutely delicious. I’ve never had it since. CLICK HERE for “Sheet Pan Hangar Steak and Vegetables.”

This issue is chock-full of great tips. I know absolutely nothing about grits (I think I’ve had them twice in my life) but nonetheless I think these three tips from Robby Melvin, Test Kitchen Director, sound very good.

ADD RICHNESS: Cook grits in a mixture of water and heavy cream (or milk) for the tastiest results. When they’re done cooking, stir in a bit more cream and, of course, butter. (Weight Watchers will be horrified.)

SEASON WELL: Add salt to the cooking liquid before you whisk in the grits to make sure they are flavored through and through. Taste cooked grits and add more salt if necessary. (Yikes! I don’t even have a saltshaker.)

SKIM: Once you add the grits to the liquid, use a spoon or a small mesh strainer to remove the bits of husk that float to the top. They will not soften as they cook and can ruin the texture.

If you are staying at our historic hotel, you can find homemade grits at the Ruby Slipper Cafe. Only about a ten minute walk from Rathbone Mansions.

There is one last thing in Southern Living that I think looks wonderful. It’s called “Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Loaf” and is made with milk, butter, flour and cinnamon – everything about it sounds and looks terrific. CLICK HERE to check out the recipe.

Happy eating! Now get that cooking gang going!  

Shaun Nelson-Henrick