Culinary Creations: Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich

This first time we had this flavor combination was at the Bubble Room on Captiva Island. As I'm not a huge fan of cole slaw, I thought combining BBQ pork and cole slaw sounded absolutely vile. It appealed to James, so he ordered it, and I'm glad he did. The flavors of the cole slaw really did compliment the flavors of the BBQ pork, and I've since (sort of) become a fan of cole slaw. We've had this sandwich at various places since then, one of James's favorites coming in the form of a wrap at the Southend Brewery in Charleston.

The "Boston Butt" cut of pork works best for shredding. While the pork is coming up to room temperature, I heat my slow cooker on "low" for about 30 minutes, adding 1 small sliced onion to the bottom. Next I add the pork, lightly seasoned, adding a roughly sliced clove of garlic or two and various fresh herbs to the crevasses. If I have extra veggies like carrots or celery in my fridge, I like to add them to the bottom of the slow cooker as I use the juices at the end of cooking at a later date. Cook for 6-8 hours, until pork is easy to separate with a fork (usually about 6 hours).After I put the lid on the pork, I move on to making the cole slaw:

* 1/8 cup of white-wine vinegar

* 1/4 cup of Duke's Mayonnaise

* 1 tsp Dijon mustard

* 1 bag of Cole Slaw Blend (cabbage & carrot mix)

* celery salt to taste

Combine the wet ingredients, whisk, then pour over Cole Slaw Blend. Stir and refrigerate while to pork continues to cook.

Once the pork has finished cooking, let cool for around 1/2 hour. While the pork is cooling, I transfer the liquids from the slow cooker into a freezer safe container to be used for soup or sauces (I usually leave about 1/4 cup of the liquids in the pot). Once the pork has cooled, take two forks and start pulling ir apart, returning it to the slow cooker.At this point, you can use any type of BBQ sauce. My favorite is Sticky Fingers Mustard based sauce, but as I was out of it I used a smoky tomato BBQ sauce. Coat to your liking. I add a little more sauce as it will absorb into the pork while reheating. Once coated, put the lid back on and let heat for about 1/2 hour. If your slow cooker runs on the hot side, you might want to turn it down to the "keep warm" setting to do this.

While the pork and sauce are warming, I get the buns ready. First I fire up my broiler to the highest setting. Next I butter the buns, season with a salt free garlic blend, then broil until nicely toasted.
Once everything is ready, I slap a nice amount of pork onto the toasted bun, topping with cole slaw.Not only will your taste buds thank you, but so will your nose as it makes your house smell divine! Enjoy!!!

Food Memory: Magnolias ~ Charleston, SC

A couple years ago we were fortunate enough to stumble upon Magnolias restaurant in Charleston, SC. Advertised in many local paper and magazines, we had to have a look at the menu. Billed as "Uptown Down South", we had to try. (Mel27 - this place is totally you! Kate, if you haven't tried yet, you must!)

Most of the restaurants that we ate at in Charleston had their own cookbook, so we asked our server to see theirs. While we were expecting a softback, spiral bound book we were presented with an amazing hardback book, with beautiful photography, signed by Donald Brickman himself! This was a "souvenir" I could not leave without. (Photo of Magnolias Cookbook from Amazon.com)
As we had been eating glutinously for a week and it was our last day in Charleston, I opted for a lighter meal. I had a bowl of their Ham Stew to start with, followed by the Wadmalaw Field Greens with Lemon-Lingonberry Vinaigrette. Both were good. Very good. I'd even goes as far as to say amazing. I can't remember what James had to start with, but for a main he had the Bacon Wrapped Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Tasso Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Collards, and Creamed Corn. If it sounds like a lot of food, it was. And I was even happier at the sight of it that I had only ordered a salad. I'm salivating just thinking of it now. If I were told that I had one day to live, Magnolias is where I'd spend it. Eating my way through the menu. I'd probably goes as far as saying that it is my favorite restaurant in the US. From the food, to the decor, to the wine list, it is truly an elegant experience.

Back to the cookbook: I love to do themed Holiday meals, and have gone "Southern" for Thanksgiving the past two years. This proves to be a popular choice, and the Magnolias cookbook is a savior when it comes to side dishes.Their Creamed Corn and Collard Greens are a must. Both are really easy to make and the results are divine. They are now family favorites, and I've almost perfected them without using the book... almost. Last year they accompanied our Maple Roasted Turkey, Mom's Stuffing, and Potato & Rutabaga Mash.

Culinary Creations: Fried Green Heaven

Last night, J made one of my favorite things: Fried Green Tomatoes! We also had this for the first time during our trip to Charleston. I don't eat a lot of fried foods, and never would have imagine being so enamored with them. The few places we tried them at all seemed to like serving them in the form of a "BLT". As they seemed to know what they were doing, who could argue? J is now a master at making them, and does so 3-4 times a year. We made them last night, and they made the perfect coupling with the left over peanut soup. When we make them, it is usually just for the two of us. Instead of halving the batter, we've taken to using the extra to make Fried Dill Pickle Chips! As dill pickles are my favorite food, it doesn't get any better than this for me...

* After slicing and and coating the tomatoes, J fries them in a small amount of oil for 3 minutes per side, on a medium-ish heat. The dill pickle chips take around 30 seconds per side. Through trial and error, we've found that Mount Olive's organic chips work best. They are a bit thicker so hold up well to the heat.

*Then drain on paper towels. Ahhh, look at that lovely golden color. I'm salivating!!!

* Paired with African Peanut Soup...

* Up close and personal. Good condiments are the key to completing this meal. For the BLT, I make a mayonnaise/hot sauce mixture. The Dill Pickle Chips are completed with a few dashed of Screamin' Dill Pickle Hot Sauce, that we picked up in Savannah.

Culinary Creations: African Peanut Soup

Two years ago we spent two weeks in Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA. I've been to Savannah several times before, so knew what to expect, but this was my first time in Charleston. We were both completely blown away by the food. We've done quite a bit of traveling, and have eaten in some amazing places, but the people of Charleston are truly privileged by what lies on their doorstep. It is my ideal "Food Heaven". After spending the first half of the week in the historical center of Charleston, we headed out to stay at the Inn at Middleton Place. There was a lovely restaurant, where the dining room is in a conservatory type setting, that serve traditional Low Country food with a modern twist. At lunch, they offer a three course meal, in which we chose the Peanut Soup for our first course. That proved to be a good choice, and we ended up having it twice. While the food is good there, it should be noted that they are a "dry county" on Sunday, so no alcohol what so ever. As no one mentioned it to us when making reservations, it was a bit of a surprise. James opted for juice of some sort and I ordered an "Arnold Palmer". Our server informed me that I couldn't have that as they didn't serve lemonade in the evenings... Ok? Anyway, here is a recipe that was similar to the soup we had there.

* Saute one large onion, chopped, in olive oil until just transparent. Then add one pound of chopped potatoes, 3 ribs of chopped celery, 1 chopped red pepper, 1 pound chopped carrots, 1 chopped tomato, 1 clove chopped garlic. Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes.

* Next add 3 3/4 cups of vegetable stock, then 7 tbsp of crunchy peanut butter, and 2/3 cups of corn, followed by a few splashes of hot sauce (my recommendation will follow in a different post). You can add as little or much as you like, but I add about 5 splashes, then more after if needed. Mix until peanut butter is blended.

* Then bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Once vegetable are tender, you can use a hand blender to to puree part of the mixture and leave half chunky, or blend all for a smooth soup.

* We decided to puree just half of the soup, then garnished with with chopped, unsalted peanuts. While we really enjoyed it, we did puree the left overs, which we both agreed had a nicer taste.

The Inn at Middleton Place: http://www.theinnatmiddletonplace.com/content.asp?catID=6295
Middleton Place: http://www.middletonplace.org/