Santa Elena Style, 1566, from An Imaginary Spain. (as previously printed in the Charleston City Paper.) Our Undiscovered Charleston tour guests as well as readers of Charleston's City Paper have asked for my gazpacho recipe. CCP was kind enough to publish it. The knifework can take some time but the presentation is awesome, especially if …
The Secret History of Gazpacho
As previously published by Charleston City Paper, 8/28/2019: Undiscovered Charleston's Santa Elena Gazpacho 1566 The secret history of gazpacho and its ties to the Lowcountry A Palmetto Duende By Forrest Parker Gazpacho comes from South Carolina. You heard me right. At least, that's what I've been thinking this might point toward. In 2015, my pitch …
The Secret Cultivar
This Summer, I find myself returning to Italy, to the hidden gem called Le Marche. Situated between the Apennines and the Adriatic, this often overlooked state is a gastronomic utopia. The merroir of the sparkling azure Adriatic to the East is tasted in the local mantis shrimp and a profusion of crustaceans. The rolling plains …
Slow Foods Matter
Eaters of the World: Unite! We're super excited to announce that when booking directly, guests of Undiscovered Charleston will soon be able to make direct donations to our non-profit of choice: Slow Food Charleston. Last weekend, I was able to swing by the Slow Food Charleston cookout at the MUSC Urban Garden. (You can see …
Remembering Louis Osteen
Chef Forrest Parker: Louis Osteen taught me the language of food, these are my favorite flavor memories From Pimento Cheese to Steak and Onion Rings By Forrest Parker We're born into a language of flavor. Just like object symbols in our dreams, our taste memory returns us to moments of loss, joy, desolation, infancy. It's said …
The Mysterious Barrel of Gold
“The amount of farmers that grow Carolina Gold Rice in South Carolina I can count on two hands.” - Glenn Roberts of Anson Mills One of the most famous legends of the Lowcountry tells the story of how Carolina Gold Rice was introduced to South Carolina. It goes something like this: In 1685, a distressed …
The Whispering Ghost of Hominy Grill
Finally, the Night King has come. Hominy Grill has served its last plate of shrimp and grits. Chef Robert Stehling closed the institution on Sunday, following the lead of Chef Bill Smith, who just earlier last year stepped away from the Chapel Hill institution Crooks Corner. Chefs Forrest & RobertVery, Very good biscuits.Might as well …
Of Loquats & Larceny
Many visitors (and more than a few residents "from off") are no doubt wondering this week what EXACTLY are those orange bobbles festooning nearly every other tree in the Lowcountry right now. They're loquats of course, or Japanese plums. In the Lowcountry they're synonymous with the beginning of Spring proper. Though not native to the …
Reconciliation
Chef Kevin Mitchell Prepping for the 2015 Nat Fuller Feast of Reconciliation. 4 years ago I was blessed to be transported into the kitchen at McCrady's Restaurant. I’d volunteered in helping Chefs Sean Brock, Kevin Mitchell, the Leadership of the Culinary Institute of Charleston and a host of ridiculous talent in recreating an historic feast …
Palmetto Asparagus
(L) early 20th Century engraving of the famed Palmetto Asparagus.(R, Above) Monetta Farm's delicious Palmetto State asparagus. South Carolina became the leading grower of Asparagus in the late 19th & early 20th Century. South Carolina ALSO is responsible for introducing one of the most delicious varieties of the spring harbinger; the aptly named Palmetto. I …