Monthly Archives: November 2012

Ramblings: “All In” at Palmetto Bluff’s Music to Your Mouth.

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Hugh Acheson’s (Empire State South in Atlanta) roasted Caw Caw pork belly with woodland fermented carrot and radish, kimchi, sorghum soy lime vinaigrette and “Anson” benne. Caw Caw is an ‘artisan’ pork producer in St. Matthews, SC.

Fall is an awesome time of the year to be in Bluffton, South Carolina! Not only is it the season for oyster roasts and all manner of outdoor activities, when the calendar rolls over to November then it’s time to gear up for Music to Your Mouth (MTYM) at Palmetto Bluff. Attending the Culinary Festival during this week-long event is an honest-to-goodness gift of the highest order, if you are, like me, a foodie.

Music to Your Mouth is now in it’s seventh year of laser-focusing attention on all things delicious and Southern set against the wild, beguiling beauty of Bluffton’s May River and environs. And being the good neighbors they are, MTYM dedicates a portion of ticket sales to local non-profit Second Helpings, who distributes food destined for landfill to the disadvantaged in Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton Counties in South Carolina.

Chef Acheson’s visual recipe explains the genius behind this great concoction…

During the week leading up to the crescendo of the Culinary Festival (and afterwards too) there are food-centric events like a “foraging cruise” nearby Daufuskie Island, a cooking class with James Beard award-winner Chris Hastings and a floating cocktail party aboard the resort’s circa 1913 yacht, dubbed the “Stink & Drink”. I love that name!  Add in the annual Potlikker Block Party and the Kiss the Pig Oyster Roast and you’ll find that the “best sips, swills, sweets and savories in the south” and the most “talented local and regional chefs and artisans” are to be found at MTYM.

The bacon “forest” complete with sweet and savory porkalicious offerings.

Not only that, but this year there was even a “bacon forest” – I am not joking people! The Culinary Festival also included a veritable king’s cellar of fine wines and spirits for the sampling and cooking demonstrations by the likes of celebrity chefs Kevin Gillespie, Mike Lata, Sean Brock, Hugh Acheson and Ashley Christensen. Southern Foodways Alliance director and all-around Southern food enthusiast, John T. Edge, hosted all proceedings for the day.

Even with all the regional chef-celebrité under the tent it was exciting to see local favorites Orchid Paulmeier (One Hot Mama’s), Ted Huffman (Bluffton BBQ) and Matt Jording (Sage Room) bring on the creativity. Ted’s creamy, smoky pork barbeque with traditional crunchy slaw started my culinary tour off right! Orchid kicked it up with her “Lowcountry sushi” and Chef Jording’s duck with microgreens and crisp sesame noodles was perfection on a plate.

Chef Chris Hastings

Chef Chris Hastings and his wife, Idie, hard at work under the big tent. In the two years I lived in Birmingham I could not make it to his restaurant, Hot & Hot Fish Club (dang it!), but I do have his cookbook, which is excellent by the way!

Other favorites were Chris Hastings lamb with quinoa and Craig Diehl’s paté wrapped in pastry. I am not exaggerating when I state that everything I tasted was over-the-top fantastic. However, I will go out on a limb or rather a palm frond, and pin my top taste “award” of the day on Chef Sean Brock (Husk & McGrady’s restaurants in Charleston, SC) and his ‘apple salad’.

At first glance this plate deceivingly presents a few crisp apple slices with what appears to be black sawdust on top. Huh? Just dig in with a fork… and surprise! There’s local lump crabmeat nestled underneath the black butter (not saw dust!) and thin apple slices, lightly drizzled with delicious hazelnut oil and circled with a trace of bright green tarragon puree. Managing to get a bit of it all in one bite, it was in two words: extraordinary and sublime, all at once. Chef Brock, you did it, again. If my mouth could swoon then it just did… and I’ll be trying to figure out how to make black butter for the next month.

Chef Sean Brock’s FABULOUS apple “salad” with fresh lump crab, hazelnut oil, a trace of bright green tarragon puree and that unusual black butter. It was great.

Once again the Music to Your Mouth Culinary Festival delivered the goods – in every way possible, I may add. If you’ve never been, its a unique and wonderful foodie experience like no other, and if you have, then lucky you! Either way, may the foodie Gods (and the fine folks at Palmetto Bluff) hold another fabulous MTYM in 2013. Count me all in!

Bacchanalia (Atlanta) served a yummy hand pie with hot pot likker consomme – great on a cold day as it were. Some more table “art” too. Chef Anne Quatrano participated on the chef’s demonstration stage and was quite the card. It’s refreshing to know these “celebrity” chefs don’t take themselves or their “art” too seriously!

Jeremiah Bacon, The Mcintosh

Jeremiah Bacon’s clam filled ravioli with pine nuts and kale. His restaurant, The McIntosh, is located down the road in Charleston, SC.

The Sage Room (Hilton Head Island) and chef Matt Jording hit all the perfect notes with his duck dish – served with micro-greens and sesame ‘crispies’.

All that great food and libations were accompanied by river front scenery and some live music fitting for the day. The columns you see are the remements of tabby ruins and some brick work from the original home on the property.

The big tent at the Culinary Festival is perched adjacent to the May River and the Inn at Palmetto Bluff. Don’t be put off by the Orvis and Burberry clad “Garden & Gun” set. At this event you’ll find a veritable foodie paradise where you can actually meet some of the best chefs in the South. Ask questions too… they love that!

Down But Not Out: Nutella Cake with Dark Chocolate Baileys Irish Cream Glaze

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Nutella cake with dark chocolate Irish cream glaze

Hi Ya’ll. Projects have kept me away from southbyse.com for a while but now I am ready to get back to the blogosphere. Thanks for hanging with me! Since my last post there has been a “super storm”, election mania, and a bizarre scandal unfolding within the CIA, FBI and military.

It’s all enough to make me want to sit down and eat a huge hunk of chocolate cake! Add a tall glass of cold milk and ahhhh….now then, that’s better.

While Nutella is not a Southern concoction, it does produce a wonderfully moist and fine textured cake – both hallmarks of traditionally “southern-style” cakes. I made this one in a sheet pan keeping it all casual, but this recipe could easily be baked in 2 layers. Spread half a cup of raspberry jam in between the layers, pour the glaze over top, and sprinkle on some toasted hazelnuts for a fabulously impressive holiday dessert. Or eat it plain, sans the glaze. It’s all good.

This cake batter comes together quickly once you get your ingredients out and measured.

Add the Nutella to the batter. Nutella is made with hazelnuts and chocolate.

The batter is ready. It will be light and fluffy but thick.

Spread the batter into a prepared 9″ x 13″ pan. I butter and flour the pan and also line with parchment – better safe than have the cake stuck to the bottom of the pan!

Here is the baked cake, cooling a bit. Now make the glaze…

Simple ingredients for the glaze. This is so easy and so awesome you will not buy pre-made chocolate glaze again.

This is the chocolate I used – very rich and “chocolate-y”. Use whatever brad you prefer. I also like Scharffen Berger and Callebaut, which is sold in big hunks at Whole Foods if you’re lucky to have one close by.

Slowly melt the chocolate with the cream. Use a double boiler, or a very heavy saucepan. If you have never melted chocolate before I recommend using a double boiler and remember to go s-l-o-w!

Okay, the chocolate has melted, the sugar was added and there was a lot of stirring (or whisking).

Once the sugar has dissolved, stir in the butter and the Irish Cream.

Poke holes in the cake in a regular pattern (a metal or bamboo skewer works well for this) and then pour about half of the warm glaze over the top of the cake.

Allow the cake to sit a little bit, then cut into squares and serve with a spoonful more warm glaze over the top. Add a sprinkle of hazelnuts – or not – and enjoy!

Nutella Cake with Dark Chocolate Baileys Irish Cream Glaze

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup Demera sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup Nutella
  • 1 cup of milk (at least 2%)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ½ cup Hazelnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl or on parchment. Beat the sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs (one at a time) followed by the Nutella. Gradually add the dry ingredients alternately the milk. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Spread the mixture into a greased and parchment lined baking pan. I used a 9” x 12”. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack while you make the glaze

Glaze

  • 4 oz chopped unsweetened chocolate, good quality
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbl sugar
  • 2 tbl unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon Bailey’s Irish Cream

In a very heavy saucepan or double boiler. Melt the chocolate with the cream over very low heat. Stir until the chocolate is melted – this may take 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar. Keep stirring (or use a whisk) the mixture over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. This is very important! This may take another 10 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil or come near boiling. It should be very warm but not super hot. Once you are positive the sugar has dissolved, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time stirring and whisking. Remove from heat and stir in the Bailey’s.

To assemble:
Using a skewer, poke holes into the warm cake in intervals – not too many – about every inch and a half. Pour about half the warm glaze over the cake.

Slice into serving sized squares and top with more a few chopped hazelnuts and more glaze if desired.

Note: leftover glaze should be covered in an air tight container and refrigerated. Makes a great ice cream topping too!