Dear Friends June is a month for picnics, eating fresh and it is also the beginning of hurricane season. To mark the beginning of the season, SoFAB opens its exhibit, Come Hell or High Water: Stories of Eating, Drinking and Surviving in Katrina’s Wake, June 22 at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp Street in New Orleans. The exhibit chronicles the rebirth of the New Orleans restaurant industry and premiered at the recent James Beard Awards in New York City, where the chefs of New Orleans were honored for their contribution to feeding relief workers and citizens in the aftermath of Katrina. The exhibit will be on display until September 30.
SoFAB participated in the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience in May. As New Orleans gets back on its feet, it’s great to see events like this a success in this great food city.
And as you are planning for that July vacation, perhaps you could consider the Sand Mountain Potato Festival in Henagar, Alabama or the International Mango Festival in Coral Gables, Florida, the K-town BBQ Cookoff and Sausage Party in Kosciusko, Texas, or the Pageland Watermelon Festival in Pageland, South Carolina. Let us know about festivals that you consider impossible to miss. Tell us why. We’d love learn about it.
It’s not too late to order your copy of Red Beans and Ricely Yours by Christopher Blake. You can purchase a copy online.
And if you are interested in theCulinary Spell Check Tool that we mentioned last month, you can find it at www.charliebaggsinc.com. To receive a discount by identify yourself as a SoFAB subscriber by typing in the code, south, when you place your order.
| Recipe: Wish's Green Mango and Lychee Salad |  |  While the lush tropical garden setting surrounding Wish pleases the eye, the delectable food elegantly served inside pleases the taste buds as well. Up and coming Chef Michael Bloise has been at the helm of this largely successful culinary venture since 2003 when he was promoted from his sous chef position. Chef Bloise draws from his Asian and Italian roots to create a truly eclectic menu that is sure to please the finest palates.
Wish is located at The Hotel on Miami Beach. The address is 801 Collins Ave. Lunch is served daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Dinner is served Tuesday through Sunday from 6 to 11 p.m. (Friday and Saturday til midnight). Reservations are suggested and can be made by calling (305) 674- 9474 or visiting www.wishrestaurant.com.
The recipe for green mango and lychee salad are the epitome of southern Florida cuisine with a touch of Chef Bloise’s Asian inspiration. The dish is fresh, light and a perfect contrast to the Miami summer heat. The recipe is a perfect representation of Chef Bloise’s simple yet artful and elegant food style.
Green Mango and Lychee Salad with Cashews and Lychee-Mint Vinaigrette
Serves 6
Ingredients:
For the salad
• 12 oz. mixed greens
• ½ lb. Florida lychees, peeled, seeded, and cut in halves
• 1 unripe green Florida mango, peeled, seeded and julienned
• 3 oz. dry roasted cashews, chopped
• 2 limes, juiced
• ¼ cup grenadine
For the dressing:
• ½ pound fresh, Florida lychees, peeled and seeded
• 1 bunch of mint, stems removed
• ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
• ½ cup peanut oil
Directions
For the salad:
Place lychees in a medium bowl. In a small pot, bring the limejuice and grenadine to a boil. Immediately pour the mixture over the lychees. Cover and chill. Once chilled, cut into halves. Toss all other salad ingredients in a large bowl.
For the dressing:
Combine the lychees, mint, and rice vinegar in a blender and puree on low speed. Slowly add the oil until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add just enough dressing to coat the salad and gently toss.
~ Compiled by Addie C. King |
| Review: Nathalie Dupree’s Shrimp & Grits Cookbook | | Published by Wyrick & Company, Charleston
It is hard to think of a topic that is more Southern than shrimp and grits. And in the very Southern tradition, Nathalie Dupree tells us, “No instant grits were used to test these recipes.” Without any irony let me say thank you. Instant grits are an abomination.
An excellent primer of both Southern shrimp and grits, Dupree introduces the cookbook reader to her subjects. Even if you never intend to cook a thing from this book, learning about the versatility and the simplicity of these straightforward ingredients is a lesson in the sensibilities of the South. And pictures by Chris M. Rogers are very appealing. Between the recipes and the pictures, your mouth waters in anticipation.
But I do not mean to recommend that you forgo cooking from this book. The recipes are both traditional and innovative. “Shrimp Succotash on Deep-Fried Cheese Grits” is wonderful. That Dupree uses panko, a very un-Southern ingredient, a good deal when she fries grit cakes. It makes for a very finished dish is testament to how cosmopolitan Southern cuisine has become. Another very creative use of grits is Dupree’s grits roll, a soufflé which takes advantage of eggs to give the sheet flexibility. I like the almost fearless use of such a humble and traditional staple.
I always knew that shrimp could be anything, but I had never looked at grits in quite this way before. I will be cooking my way happily this book for some time to come.
~ Review by Liz Williams
Order Shimp & Grits |
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