2008 Charleston Food and Wine Festival Announces Line-up

A dynamic list of national talent were announced for the third annual BB&T Charleston Food + Wine Festival, scheduled for February 29-March 2, 2008. The Festival will showcase some of the country's top culinary professionals including James Beard Foundation award winners, expert sommeliers and authors and chefs featured in local and national publications, including Gourmet magazine, Bon Appétit, Food + Wine Magazine, Travel + Leisure, just to name a few.

Renowned culinary talent of both local and guest chefs, authors, and wine professionals will make this an experience unlike any other. Some of the highlighted guests include celebrated names such as Ruth Reichl, editor of Gourmet, Marvin Woods, chef, author and host of Turner South's "Home Plate", David Chang, chef and co-owner of the Momofuku restaurants in New York City, Suzanne Goin, chef and owner of Lucque restaurant in West Hollywood California, and Gale Gand, executive pastry chef of Tru in Chicago and host of Food Network's Sweet Dreams.

The BB&T Charleston Food + Wine Festival is set to combine the city's best culinary experiences into one spectacular weekend, February 28-March 2, 2008. A food and wine event like no other, the Festival provides guests the opportunity to meet and get a taste of some of the country's best chefs, authors and wine professionals. Guests can educate their palates with Southern cuisine and the Lowcountry's unique food styles, heritage and recipes at one of the 50+ events throughout the weekend. Highlights include the Celebration of Charleston Chefs Opening Night Party, the Restaurant Dine-Around, Bubbles & Sweets, the King Street Sip & Stroll, the Lowcountry Gospel Brunch and the BBQ, Blues, & Brew. An expanded Culinary Village takes over Marion Square Park in downtown Charleston with two Grand Tasting Tents, a Culinary Competitions, Cooking Demonstrations, Chef Tastings and more.

To view the complete list of guest chefs, wine professionals, and authors, visit www.charlestonfoodandwine.com or call 843.722.5547. Tickets on Sale Now!

Chili Cook-Off in Columbia

If you’ve got the best chili in Columbia, prove it on Saturday, February 23 during the Palladium Society's 10th Annual Chili Cook-Off.

The Chili Cook-Off will be held at the Moore Building on the State Fairgrounds from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Enjoy live entertainment by Flatt City Bluegrass Band, a variety of chili recipes to sample, local celebrity judges, and prizes for the winners. Tickets in advance are $15, $10 for Historic Columbia Foundation members. Tickets at the door are $20, $15 for members. To RSVP, call 803.252.7742, ext. 29 or email reservations@HistoricColumbia.org.

Join the competition to make history and gain bragging rights. The deadline to enter your chili is Monday, February 18. The entry fee is $15. Visit our website at www.historiccolumbia.org to download the registration form or call 803.252.7742, ext. 27 for more information.

Congratulations to SC Restaurants!

Umi Pacific Grille in North Myrtle Beach was rated AAA Four-Diamonds recently (the first in the area), and chefs from the Devine Dining Group won a silver and 2 bronze medals in a recent American Culinary Federation competition.

Circa 1886, a AAA Four-Diamond award-winning restaurant in Charleston, SC., recently added the Mobil Four-Star Award to its list of accolades. One of only four restaurants in South Carolina to make the list, this is the first year the restaurant has received the honor.

Circa 1886, is making its online video debut in a new Podcast featuring Executive Chef Marc Collins. The Podcast, which is the first in a regular series offered by the restaurant, showcases the restaurant’s winter menu and provides tips on cooking with seasonal ingredients.

The Dining Room at Woodlands is a Five-Star Mobil recipient, while the Charleston Grill, Peninsula Grill, and the Ocean Room at Kiawah Island are Four-Star Mobil Travel Guide award winners in South Carolina.

Woodlands' Wines of the World

Not only has Chef Tarver King been recognized in the November issue of Esquire as a "Chef to Watch," the resort located in Summerville, SC has made it easy to do so. The Woodlands is hosting the highly-acclaimed Wines of the World food and wine series the third Tuesday of every month. December 11 and 18 will feature "Champagne and sparkling wines," while the 2008 series kicks off on January 15th with a visit to the private cellars of the top "Burgundy Winemakers."

In addition, on December 1, 8, 15, and 22 they are offering a Christmas lunch and tour starting at $39 per person.

But wait there's more! On December 4th, Chef King will host a truffles cooking demonstration - stay for dinner and the demo is free!

Here is the full Woodlands calendar of events.

Cure for the Turkey Coma

Take a break from leftovers and crowds at the mall and treat yourself and your family to a drive in the country. Split Creek Farm is holding a holiday open house Saturday, November 24 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Known for their artisan goat cheese and goat milk fudge, they also carry Carolina rice, Timm's Mill grits and cornmeal, Bee Well honey, and gourmet dog biscuits.

Handmade jewelry, baskets, painted gourds and fiber art will be available from arts and crafts folks. And you can get the best goat cheese pizza from their country porch kitchen.

You also might want to check out Harmon's, a tree farm and Christmas House. Enjoy a free train or hay ride, hot chocolate or cider while you pick out your perfect tree.

South Carolina Sody-Pop!

If you've never heard of Blenheim Ginger Ale then you must not be from around here. Locally brewed and bottled in Hamer, SC since 1903, Blemheim's makes four different flavors - Old #3, Old #5 (not so hot), #9 diet, and #11 Ginger Beer. If it is your first time, be warned...this sweet and spicy brew will set your head to sweating, tickle your throat and make your tongue throb, but it is oh-so-delicious. If you are near South of the Border (I-95 at the North and South Carolina stateline) stop in for a tour. The plant is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call first at 1-800-270-9344. Hard to find retail outlets outside of South Carolina, but worth the hunt.

If a smoother brew is preferred you might want to check out Dr. Root Beer's Hall of Foam, located at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach, SC. In addition to the private label root beer, the shop also makes a mean Sweet Sassafrass BBQ sandwich. Be sure to ask which antique signs were used in movies The Bridges of Madison County and Fried Green Tomatoes.

Finally, if you are in Greenville, SC it is worth the hunt to find Smoken' Stokes famous for their Cheerwine BBQ sauce. Just follow your nose.

Holiday Culinary Tours of Charleston

Strolling through beautiful, historic Charleston while savoring chocolate? My dream come true courtesy of Carolina Food Pros. Local food expert Amanda Dew Manning takes you behind the scenes with pastry chefs, bakers, and Chocolatiers while sampling deliciously decadent chocolate desserts at some of Charleston's finest restaurants, bakeries and specialty shops. Every Friday in December from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

"No Reservations" in Charleston

Did anyone catch the Anthony Bourdain "No Reservations" segment on Charleston? Although it was filmed last spring it only aired recently. If you didn't see it the first time around - watch for it in reruns. Bourdain visited Crosby's Fish and Chips, Sweatmans BBQ, TW Grahams, Jestine's Kitchen, and Gullah Grub. Here are some behind the scene pixs. South Carolina BBQ expert Lake High (yes, that is his real name) escorted the film crew to Sweatman's while discussing the four types of sauces in South Carolina etc. - great segment, but even more fun when I came across his daughter's blog. And thank you Ted and Matt Lee for pouring the champagne into appropriate glassware during the oyster roast! Next airing on the Travel Channel is November 19, 2007 at 12:00 p.m. - set your TIVO/DVR!

Pass the Cheese...and Truffles?

I found it! Split Creek Farm home to 400 goats is located in Anderson, SC. They recently brought home more awards than any other competitor from the American Dairy Goat Association's national cheese competition. The farm's newest gold medal winner, a goat milk truffle, is made using the farm's milk and butter and is hand dipped by CocoBon Chocolatier (also in Anderson). P.S. they also make darn good fudge.

They will be holding a holiday open house on Saturday, November 24 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST.

I also came across this South Carolina iMix, which was great fun to listen to during the drive...

Artisan Goat Cheese and Fried Pickles

A friendly South Carolina foodie gave me the heads up that there is a goat dairy in the western part of the state that makes amazing artisan goat cheese. I'm planning my quest for this weekend.

Must mention that Southerners do like to fry things...and I had my first fried pickle recently. My gramma taught me how to make homemade sweet and dill pickles (yep, using a crock and changing the brine) and that is the way Terra makes their homemade dill pickles too. But they take it a step further, coating pickle slices in a cornmeal breading, deep frying, and served with a chipolte mayo dip. I admit it took me a couple of glasses of great wine to consent to try a basket of their "bar snack," but it was pretty good. It certainly made for interesting table conversation! Terra's is a friendly place near the Congaree River in West Columbia (100 State Street). They have terrific brick oven pizzas and a dynamic view of downtown Columbia. If you are in the area - try it!

Blue Cheesy

Had to attend a business dinner recently and luckily landed at Mr. Friendly's in the Five Points area of Columbia, SC. Their signature dish is a perfectly cooked filet mignon topped with what they call "French Quarter Pimento Cheese." It is made with blue cheese and roasted red bellpeppers - yummy! The blue cheese was a perfect match for the steak. It was such a rich, luscious dinner that I had to walk back to the hotel!

During dinner, I learned that Clemson University in upstate South Carolina produced some of the best blue cheese - so, obviously, I had to take a road trip! The cheese is only available in the Hendrix Student Center. The cheese is fabulous (as is their ice cream - try the Tiger Rag) but I was surprised that the cheese came with an interesting history. It was originally aged in the Stumphouse Tunnel near Issaqueena Falls.

Guess what I'll be grilling next weekend! I'll let you know how it turns out.

Sublime Pimento

I had the good fortune to dine at Peninsula Grill in Charleston recently. As our group was chatting, our server placed a “gift from the chef” before each of us – an amuse bouché of pimento cheese!

I readily admit that I did not grow up in a southern household. The only pimento cheese that I knew about came from a little glass jar from the grocery store and as I would try to spread it on a slice of white bread, it tore big out chunks which could be “glued” back together when smushed together with another slice of white bread. Did I mention that it also stuck to my teeth when I bit into it? Not a great experience, nor appetizing and certainly one I never thought I ever repeat.

So imagine my horror when, here, in this elegant and highly rated Charleston restaurant, I was served a pimento cheese amuse bouché. But being the adventuresome diner that I am – I pushed my childhood memory aside and took the bite.

Who knew that pimento cheese could be fashioned into such a sublime bite? The texture and the flavors signaled that I was tasting real pimento cheese for the first time. Boy, have I been missing out on a real southern treat.

So for those of you who can still enjoy the pleasures of cheese – here is my attempt to recreate Chef Carter’s tantalizing tidbit.

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons of sour cream
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 dash of Tabasco sauce
2 Tablespoons pimento
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together (I used a pastry blender to cut up the grated cheese into finer pieces) and serve on warm, deep fried triangles of pita bread.

Welcome!

Welcome to the new Savor South Carolina blog – it’s all about the cuisine and culture of South Carolina – with a few “insider” trips to special places in the Palmetto State.

In honor of full disclosure – yes…the authors on this blog are state employees – but we are big foodies too! And who better to guide you to some of the lesser known, but great spots within the state! We want to write about our food experiences (we pay our own way – no freebies) and we pledge to be honest. For example, Beverly wants to tell you about her favorite road side stands and when is the best time of year to get peaches. Jason, a die-hard USC fan will be touring some of the best tailgates in – and out of – the state. Chaunte has a new winery that she wants you to know about.

But more importantly, we want to start a dialog with you, our readers. Where have you taken your grandkids for their first taste of Calabash seafood? What is your latest restaurant discovery? Do you have a favorite boiled peanut stand? Tell us about it!

If you haven’t had a chance to visit our new website http://www.savorsouthcarolina.com/ please check it out. We’ve got a list of food festivals, surprising information on some of our famous flavors, and my personal favorite – our Chef profiles – we have some incredible talent here. We have a shopping section where you can purchase South Carolina products such as Carolina Plantation Rice and American Classic Tea.

We’ve changed the video section monthly, offering tips from Celebrity Chefs such as Sara Moulton and Ming Tsai that have come to South Carolina recently for special events.

And don't miss Ms. She-Crab who made her debut. You’re all invited to her ball (beach ball, that is)!