October 2020
Celebrating 200 episodes and iHeart Radio
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.
Who Likes Chowder?
This summer, I took a light break from writing deadlines every week. Some of that was because, honestly, the writing assignments weren’t finding me, but also some of that was because I needed a break to sit in sea breezes and hear the oysters click shut in the marsh when the tides rolled out. I needed to cook more, express less, and recalibrate like so many of us are doing this year. And I know the privilege afforded me to have that opportunity when so many others do not.
The rainy Sunday before Labor Day on the ICW near Isle of Palms, SC.
That respite began to ebb, just like the tides, in August, so I’m happy to bring you some new bylines. First up, I shared my obsession with Matt Register’s Collard Chowder for Saveur, even though I had to turn the air conditioning down to write about hot soup in the dog days of summer. The whole story is in print on newsstands now, but if you want to try your hand at cooking it, here’s the recipe, freshly added today on their site.
For Eater Carolinas, I previewed a virtual culinary concert that raises money for fresh food for those needing it in the upstate. It sounds like fun, not just because one of my favorite bands, Ranky Tanky, is the concert, but because participants will get to cook along with Gullah legend Sallie Ann Robinson too. And lastly, I also updated the road trips from Charlotte for Conde Nast Traveler that I penned last year, but I, along with the publication, stress that if you are hitting the road, please do it safely and be aware of COVID precautions for your destinations.
There’s lots more coming in the next months, so stay tuned.
Episode Updates
So much news this month!
The Southern Fork has been picked up by iHeart Radio, the number one audio company in the US, which means there’s yet another app to make it easy to catch up on all the episodes, but this one is a big step for this scrappy, independent show. I was invited to apply and thrilled to join the platform.
Please welcome new sponsor, Townsend Automotive, to the podcast — hello Alabama listeners! I’m coming your way for some episodes in 2021.
A little audio production “win’: I visited Spade and Clover farms out on idyllic Johns Island and recorded outside with farmer John Warren, then managed as a producer to keep the sounds of the birds and the farm around us in the interview. If you’re looking for a nature zen moment, please check it out.
200 episodes. I might have started simply with an idea and lots of hussle, but five years in, and I feel like there are so, so many stories yet to tell! Although my episode celebrating 200 with Dale Degroff was wonderful fun to record (just like the legend himself), the celebration is in no way over, so please follow me on Instagram if you don’t already so you don’t miss how I’m going to mark this milestone.
Other podcast episodes I like right now: Splendid Table’s “Unsung Heroes of Cooking” includes past guests Matt and Ted Lee talking catering. And I dipped into the TED Art well again with this episode that I can’t stop sharing with multiple people. It’s an 11-minute perspective shifter.
On my mind: always a million things, especially at 3 a.m: right now? Why convenience is such an idol in American life, mine included. Life is complicated, problems are complicated, and so are people. There’s power in curiosity, and there’s optimism in uncertainty, as Howard Zinn writes. In that space between the interconnectivity of things is some real power we can access if we can see it. But it’s not convenient to be uncertain, something I keep having to remind myself — even at 3 a.m. when it wakes me up.
Cooking: Years ago, a special person once wowed me with Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes (the way to my heart is often paved with a little sweet, a little spicy ;) ). I had not ever attempted to make the dish myself until some sweet potatoes were past their prime in my no waste kitchen, and I was cutting around ends and bad spots.
What resulted was one of the easiest, tastiest side dishes I’ve tried this year (thanks to this Alton Brown recipe I adapted), despite the challenge of photographing smashed sweet potatoes for Instagram. Happy cooking, and may all your food be delicious, no matter what it looks like in photographs.
Until next time,
Steph