January 2021 / Surfing, Soup, and Sponsorships
No, I didn't take up a new sport (yet)
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.
Some a Little Different From My Little Desk
Years ago, I wrote a piece called Beach in Winter, and I have to tell you, I love the Lowcountry in every season, but its brooding, often cloudy, cool days where the mist of the marsh smudges the horizon have definitely grown on me throughout the years. Surfers feel that connection to winter water too (insulated by wetsuits), which I learned during my research for an article just released about the Warrior Surf Foundation.
I met someone connected with this organization at a beer making day for vets more than a year ago at Coast Brewing, and I’ve been interested in sharing WSF’s story ever since. Moral: You never know who you’ll meet over a beer or when a story finds you!
The Washout is central to Folly Beach’s surfing culture.
Podcast Updates
I signed off on Season 5 with this episode, a “Talking With My Mouth Full” recap with only me at the mic. We all know how just … “wow” 2020 was, so I detail some changes and some bright spots of learning and eating along the way. I hope you’ll take a listen if you haven’t already. It’s involves ice cream that looks like fried chicken.
My final guest of the season was David Adedokun of The War Mouth in Columbia, SC. There’s so much more to a modern bar program than just “slinging drinks,” and David’s enthusiasm and thoughtfulness are infectious, not just because he’s sliding bourbon cocktails across the bar to me.
And … drum roll please, Season 6 begins 02/05/2021, which is mere weeks away, and I am thrilled to announce that the show will have Townsend Automotive as its presenting sponsor for the season. There will be culinary sponsors sprinkled into the mix as well, but throughout 2021 you’ll learn more about this family-owned Tuscaloosa, AL company that will be supporting my road trips throughout the South. Reliable transportation and culinary travel are a solid combo, and I am grateful to Townsend for supporting a year of the interviews I have in store for you — I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!
Other podcast episodes I like right now: Ahem, I know I might lose a few of you with these two but … the music of Andrew Bird has been one of the soundtracks of my life (including sometimes my cooking). I’ve enjoyed his evolution as an artist as a companion to my own creative journey, and he recently gave a rare interview with Marc Maron. On the other end of the spectrum, but still a little esoteric, is this episode from Dumbo Feather on biomimicry to inform human design.
On my mind: always a million things, especially at 3 a.m. But pretty much this: Words matter.
Cooking: It’s hard to choose my favorite cooking win for the month, but for the sheer fact that it’s going to be in my heavy lunch rotation, I have to say Julia Turshen’s Tortilla Soup with The Works from Now & Again. It’s like a replicable riff on Santi’s soup I can make at home.
Until next time,
Steph