February 2021 / Podcasts & columns!
Let's get this party started
Hi all —
Here’s my (try as hard as I can) monthly round-up for those of you who want to learn / keep up a little more with me and the work that I do. Hope you enjoy.
Hope you’re hungry! Three new columns
You read that right! January 2021 was a big month for me since three new long-term writing projects were published for the first time.
In a real “pinch me” moment, my first “Best Thing I Ate This Month” column for Saveur debuted, featuring my affinity (ahem … obsession ???) for oysters on the half shell and a 1982 Dodge Rampage named Danny DeVito. Not all mignonettes (my favorite oyster accoutrement) are created equal, so this slurp was a sure standout.
Next up, if you’re looking for what to eat in Charleston (and I know many of you are itching to get back here to chow down!), then each month, I’m sharing a 10-spot “Hit List” for Resy Charleston. January’s list shared some of 2020’s go-tos, and this month, it’s all things take out, so if you live here or have plans to visit here, make sure and sign up for the newsletter so the hits come automatically to your inbox. ;)
And finally, my byline has returned to the publication that originally brought me to Charleston in 2005, this time with a new home cooking column called “Food Chain” that features a farm’s seasonal ingredient, and then shares three recipes from the Charleston community. I really clocked into my home kitchen in a new way in 2020, so I’m excited to bring that experience back to The Post & Courier. This column spot was previously held by the grand dame Nathalie Dupree, so I have some big shoes to fill.
Fried quail from Manchester Farms Quail
Podcast Updates
Season 6 debuted with a bang / I had the opportunity to drive down to Savannah for the afternoon and interview Chef Mashama Bailey of The Grey, along with her business partner, John Morisano. That restaurant is simply phenomenal. After you take a listen, check out her episode on Netflix’s Chef’s Table if you haven’t already.
During a cold and rainy afternoon, I chatted with Brittney Miller of Manchester Farms Quail, the oldest quail farm in the nation located in Columbia, SC. Her description of the quail she’s enjoyed from some of the best chefs in the South makes me hungry just thinking about it!
Other podcast episodes I like right now: As a former bartender, server, and hostess, I always wondered how $2.13/hour as base pay came to be, and Gastropod taught me that it’s tied up with the history of tipping, something many in the industry are now reconsidering. On the complete other end of the spectrum, I first heard about Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s music last spring. Little did I know (until I listened to this episode of Death, Sex, & Money) that at that time, he was going through some challenges. His reaction and retelling in this podcast illustrates for me “grace under pressure.”
On my mind: always a million things, especially at 3 a.m. But at the moment, we’re deep in tax filing season, so …. you know, that.
Cooking: I’m not generally a fan of baking cookies (too much in and out of the oven with pans and rounds of scooping sticky dough), but these Forgotten Chocolate Cookies, from American Cookie by podcast alum Anne Byrn have changed my mind. Easy, and the kind of deep chocolate flavor and crunchy, chewy texture I love.
Until next time,
Steph