by Julia’s Simply Southern It’s officially autumn in the south and that means we are in high season for fresh local apples. Apple season is a favorite time of year to enjoy apple festivals and make trips to the orchard to pick your own ripened apples straight from the tree. What do you do … Continue reading How To Make Apple Pie Bread Pudding
by Laura Beth Peters Like most southerners, when I think of autumn, I think of cooler temperatures, leaves changing colors... and apples. As in picking apples at the local apple orchard, drinking sweet and spicy cider and delighting in thick slices of apple pie. It’s an exciting season of fall foods, so I'm sharing four … Continue reading Four Ways To Enjoy Apples In The Fall
by Stephanie Edwards Grits are a staple of Lowcountry cuisine, but few restaurants allow diners to explore as many flavor combinations as The Grit Counter in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Delicious wholesome ingredients, fun combinations, great service and the satisfying comfort of excellent down home southern food makes this casual restaurant tops in our … Continue reading The Best Southern Restaurant in South Carolina Is The Grit Counter in Mount Pleasant
by Chika Gujarathi Adding to the hustle and bustle of Raleigh’s Warehouse District in downtown, is Morgan Street Food Hall, the first eatery of its kind in the Triangle to introduce the booming trend of food-halls that is sweeping the nation. This 22,000 square feet facility at the corner of Morgan Street and West … Continue reading Chowing Down At Morgan Street Food Hall in Raleigh, NC
by Nikki Terpilowski Nothing says summertime like the sweet fresh smell of peaches, and while there are many ways to enjoy peaches in the summer... peach cobbler, peach preserves, and peach ice cream just to name a few. My favorite dessert featuring peaches has to be... peach pie. It's hard to resist buttery flaky crusts, … Continue reading How To Make Sunshine Peach Pie
by Chika Gujarathi Jessi Baker’s Shining isn’t just an amalgamation of spot-on recipes, but also a delicious lesson in Appalachian history and what can happen when one follows their heart’s calling. Inspired by the history of making moonshine, Shining links the roots of early Scottish and Irish settlers in the mountains of Appalachia, distilling spirits … Continue reading We’re Reading Shining: Ole Smoky Moonshine Family Cookbook by Jessi Baker
By Anika Williams When I first had my son, my mother loved to tell me how much of a challenge it would be. Especially when it came to getting him to eat right. “Just you wait until he refuses to eat his vegetables.” She would say. I would smile then, but as a new … Continue reading Seven Ways To Encourage Your Children To Choose Fruits And Vegetable For Snacks
By Angela Garrison Zontek All the best southern days start in a warm kitchen that smells of biscuits and something frying in the skillet. Has anything amazing ever resulted from a bowl of cold, bland cereal? Of course not. Breakfast is our first chance to make the day special, and the meal should be hot. … Continue reading Nine Essentials For A Traditional Southern Breakfast
By Angela Garrison Zontek After eating all our vegetables and making a sincere offer to help with the dishes, one likes to think they’ve earned a dessert, no? I mean, everyone loves to be rewarded for a job well done. My grandfather always said that a slice of pie aided with digestion, but I suspect … Continue reading Six Essential Southern Desserts
by Chika Gujarathi One of life’s simplest joys, I think, is the feeling you get when walking into a bakery and finding a display case filled to the brim with beautifully baked pastries. In that moment, it rarely matters how old we are, rather, we’re transformed into kids in a candy store - we … Continue reading We’re Reading Botanical Baking by Juliet Sear
By Angela Garrison Zontek Southern cakes are about occasions. We love to celebrate all things family, every calendar holiday, and all of life’s achievements, both big and small, along the way. Where certain dishes or vegetables might be seasonal, cakes are occasional. One will always find a hummingbird cake during summer festivities and a Lane … Continue reading Four Cakes Southern Cooks Love To Bake
By Taylor Brooks Eating southern brings to mind meals consisting of fried chicken and veggies often flavored with pork, But how do you enjoy southern cuisine if you're a vegetarian or vegan? For most, the response to that question would be - you don't. However, there are many ways you can still enjoy southern food … Continue reading Six Ways To Veganize Your Southern Meal
by Angela Garrison Zontek Hometown girl makes good. Who doesn’t love to see one of their own make it big? Amanda Wilbanks grew up in Habersham County, just south of my grandparents’ farm where I spent the best summers of my childhood. She’s a local girl, still living in beautiful North Georgia, and we’re all … Continue reading The Southern Baked Pie Company In Alpharetta, Georgia
by Taylor Brooks I remember when I first heard the quote, Eat to live, don’t live to eat, I had a huge realization that food is there to fuel our bodies and not just satisfy the random cravings. So when I first came across the idea of mindful eating, I was more than intrigued. What … Continue reading Six Simple Ways To Practice Mindful Eating
by Dianna Dames Walking into The Peppered Cupcake, I anticipated the sweet buttery smell of baking cupcakes would meet me first but was completely surprised and charmed by the quaint decor of the shop. The Peppered Cupcake has two locations – one close to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and the other, downtown … Continue reading The Peppered Cupcake Has The Best Cupcakes In Wilmington, NC
by Angela Garrison Zontek Tomato growing in the south can be a tricky task for gardeners, but we get it done. Several varieties of hybrid and heirloom tomatoes manage to thrive in our heat and humidity, and we certainly make the most of every crop. Whether you’ve got a basket of “mountain supremes” or an … Continue reading Tomatoes Three Ways Down South
by Julia’s Simply Southern Spring is a beautiful season in the south. There are countless trees and shrubs blooming and the growing season has begun. One of the first locally grown fruits to show up at farmer’s stands and grocery stores is strawberries. I've heard many farmers and chefs alike say that the mid … Continue reading How To Make Fresh Strawberry Preserves
by Chika Gujarathi The smell of butter and sugar was in the air as I pulled into a small parking lot off of Lead Mill Road in Raleigh. So much so that even though I didn't see the sign for Southern Sugar Bakery right away, I already knew I was in the right place. I … Continue reading Southern Sugar Bakery in Raleigh, NC
by Angela Garrison Zontek In southern kitchens, nothing is more iconic than the cast iron skillet. In fact, no other culinary artifact from the 20th century has enjoyed the same longevity, or popularity, as cast iron cookware. Unlike most treasured family heirlooms, the cast iron skillet never collects dust, instead, it serves as a working … Continue reading Six Reasons You Should Be Cooking With Cast Iron
by Angela Garrison Zontek Southern bread is an experience... the smell, the texture and the weight. In the south, the making of bread is a family affair, and most of us have fond memories of rolling out dough with our mothers and grandmothers. I used an amber floral drinking glass, 70’s style, to cut out … Continue reading Four Types of Bread Every Southern Cook Loves
by Chika Gujarathi In an unassuming strip mall on the outskirts of Cary’s thriving downtown, is a sweet spot that the locals love. Vida Dulce - Spanish for the sweet life - is an ice cream shop with a deliciously Mexican flair. Opened in May of 2018, Vida Dulce is still new to the … Continue reading The Best Ice Cream Shop in Cary, NC Is Vida Dulce
Going to a pick-your-own farm is a good time if you go alone, make it a family outing or a destination for your date. You're outside getting some fresh air and sun, you're becoming one with nature, getting back to simpler times... and coming home with a bucket of dessert. Whether you eating fresh strawberries alone, … Continue reading Four Best Places To Pick Strawberries In North Carolina
by Nikki Terpilowski When flowers begin to blossom and the temperatures rise, we know strawberry season is not far behind. There are so many delicious ways to eat strawberries, and one of my family's favorites is paired with cake and topped with whipped cream. In the South, pretty much anything can be made better with … Continue reading How To Make Strawberry Shortcake With Biscuits
by Taylor Brooks If you are a fan of beer, or just a fan of having a good time, you will definitely be a fan of at least one of Trophy Brewing’s three locations. For your food truck days with friends, pizza nights with the family, or dinner dates downtown, Trophy has a location to … Continue reading Fun And Games At Trophy Brewing and Taproom In Raleigh, NC
by Angela Garrison Zontek The Southern side dish is an important part of our culture. Often, our seasons are marked by the sides we choose to serve, for instance, you know it's summer when potato salad takes the place of mashed potatoes, and it’s definitely fall when the corn pudding makes an appearance on your … Continue reading Ten Side Dishes For The Southern Cook
by Taylor Brooks What would the South be without its traditional dishes? Typically, full of warmth and comfort, for those who are trying to make healthier eating choices the Southern favorites seem to be out of the question. But, with a few changes, you can make Southern food healthy. And we know healthy means different … Continue reading Ten Simple Ways To Make Your Southern Food Favorites Healthy
by Debbie Burdick The search for donuts often leads to well-known national chains, some of which have kiosks even in the local gas stations. However, one Durham donut shop can be found not in, but next to a corner gas station, and the owners and bakers are often right inside rather than at corporate headquarters. … Continue reading Stopping For Donuts At Baker’s Dozen In Durham, NC
by Nikki Terpilowski Visit one of our favorite bakeries in Fuquay-Varina in the early morning hours, and you'll be greeted by the smells of butter, cinnamon and the tantalizing scent of rising bread. You'll hear the sounds of the staff calling out to each other, the dull thump of hands pounding dough and the low chatter … Continue reading Scratch Made Goodness at Stick Boy Bread Company in Fuquay-Varina, NC
by Debbie Burdick Helado. The Spanish word for ice cream slides over the tongue as easily as ice cream itself. At Pincho Loco, the ice cream and dessert shop tucked between Broad and Ninth streets in Durham, this creamy delight takes on many forms. True to a Latin American sense of style, the little shop announces … Continue reading Enjoying An Ice Cream At Pincho Loco In Durham, NC
cby Taylor Brooks As if you needed another reason to venture into downtown Raleigh, I’m about to give you one more. Ashley Christensen is an award-winning chef, located in Raleigh and she owns five restaurants and bars scattered around downtown. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit one of her restaurants, Chuck’s Burgers. … Continue reading Dinner At Chuck’s Burgers In Raleigh, NC
by Nikki Terpilowski Pancakes are the ultimate in comfort food. Wonderful at breakfast paired with whipped cream and fresh fruit, as a side to scrambled eggs and sausage or bacon but perfectly delicious alone with butter and Maple syrup. One of the ways Southerners have traditionally prepared pancakes is with buttermilk, which gives them that … Continue reading How To Make Old Fashion Fluffy Southern Buttermilk Pancakes
by Angela Garrison Zontek Every good Southern cook knows the basics of meal planning: meat, bread, and a side (or two or three). There are certain mainstays in the pantheon of Southern dishes—if you're cooking Southern, you should know these. Dressed up, or scaled down, these Southern mains are down-home, traditional, and always satisfying. Let’s … Continue reading Nine Classic Entrees Every Southern Cook Should Know
Who doesn't like fluffy buttery sweet pancakes for breakfast? Or lunch? Or dinner? It's one of those meals that can appease the finickiest of eaters, both child, and adult. We know it's pretty hard to mess up pancakes and they're actually really good, whether you get them at a drive-thru window at a fast-food restaurant, … Continue reading Three Best Places To Eat Pancakes In North Carolina
by Debra Burdick Early afternoon on a Saturday, a woman stands in front of the counter at Halgo speaking Polish, ordering kielbasa and other meats. A couple proudly tells Ziggy Gorzkowski, the proprietor, that their families are from Poland and they are transplants from Michigan in search of good Polish food. But customers don’t need … Continue reading Lunch At Halgo European Deli & Groceries in Durham, NC
by Angela Garrison Zontek Southern food is a living record of the people, places, and cultures that have contributed to the evolving landscape of our unique little corner of the world. Too complex and varied to ever achieve a conclusive origin story, the history of Southern food is best examined by considering its major influences—the … Continue reading A History of Southern Food
Growing up in the south, that is the southern region of the United States, the humble biscuit is beloved like a member of the family, recalled as fondly as a favored pet and evokes nostalgic feelings of comfort, happiness and warmth. If you're from the south and you move away, a really good biscuit can … Continue reading Why Do Southerners Love Biscuits So Much?
There's nothing we love more than a soft, flaky buttery biscuit. Whether you're making a sandwich of it with fried chicken, slather it with butter and molasses or use it as a side to a traditional southern entree, there's nothing quite like it. And we absolutely had to compile a list of the best biscuits … Continue reading Five Best Biscuits In North Carolina
Isn't it annoying when you're mad for some good Polish food, you do an internet search and find a bunch of German or vaguely European restaurants? Hello, they're not the same. Don't worry, we've done the search for you - hey, we know how hard it is to find a good Polish place to eat … Continue reading Three Best Places To Find Polish Food in North Carolina
Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, good fried chicken is subjective. If you were born in New Jersey, your idea of fried chicken will not be the same, as say, someone who grew up in South Carolina. Well, we're southerners, and our bar is high. We're not looking for fancy-pants fried … Continue reading Three Best Places To Find Fried Chicken In Raleigh
It's not difficult to make a good burger and every restaurant and diner seems to have one, and yet some burgers are just better than others. We've done our research, cross-referenced the results and finished off with the ultimate in taste tastes. Hard to believe it, but we've compiled the seven best hamburgers in North … Continue reading Seven Best Burgers In North Carolina
I remember discovering craft beer. And then I realized I was a porter and stouts kind of gal. The darker and the thicker the brew, the better. And almost immediately after that, I recall thinking that the stout beer I was drinking would probably taste awesome in a cup of vanilla ice cream. I immediately … Continue reading Six Best Places To Find Boozy Ice Cream In The South
We are always down to celebrate the awesomeness of fried chicken. And what better way to enjoy some good eatin' and travel the south, than to plan your travel around three of our favorite fried chicken festivals. If you live in Louisianna, North or South Carolina, Tennessee or Georgia, these events might not be new … Continue reading Five Must Visit Fried Chicken Festivals In The South