What do you get when you add 12 tons of meat, an army of 1,252 volunteer chefs, and a grill nearly a mile long? The world’s largest barbecue of course, with over 20,000 spectators lined up to eat it.When you add in the factor that the event was held in Uruguay, which boasts beef almost as revered in many gourmet circles as that in neighboring Argentina, you can be sure it was a true culinary happening.

“It’s all so beautiful. It’s a record” said Guinness World Records judge form the United States, Danny Girton who was present to register the event.

According to Reuters, Army personnel were used to set up the massive grill and firefighters lit six tons of charcoal to kick off the gargantuan cookout.

The official event was launched after the record breaking grill was inaugurated with a much smaller meal of kosher beef steak.

Here’s a video from the record breaking event to whet your appetite…

According to the CattleNetwork.Com, contrary to tradition and for practical reasons six tons of charcoal was used to barbecue the beef. Traditional Uruguayan barbecue is prepared on embers of hard wood, a slow process that can take up to an hour but which also enables the meat to be smoked. Like Argentinians, Uruguayans take their tradition of asado very seriously, and enjoy some of the highest per capita beef consumption in the world.

Viewed From Above, The World’s Largest Barbecue

The previous record holder of the World’s Largest Barbecue was Mexico, which won in 2006 with a comparatively paltry 8 tons of meat.

Imagine yourself enjoying the myriad sensual pleasures of a truly stellar meal: the bold, imaginative dishes, each ingeniously presented, their flavors expertly intertwined…the visually captivating interior…the expert wine pairings…the attentive and sincere service…

So, where did you imagine yourself? Orangeburg, South Carolina, by any chance? I thought not.

But by the time you get done reading this, you will.

Like most, I was somewhat surprised to hear that a fine dining restaurant had opened in Orangeburg. Charleston’s substantial sphere of culinary influence notwithstanding, “O-burg” is pretty much off the expected path for gourmet experiences.

But even though the city is dismissed by some as “troubled” or past its prime, Orangeburg has much to recommend it: beautiful parks and gardens, interesting, varied architecture and neighborhoods, unique little shops, good barbeque, and a location on the highway between the state capitol and Charleston and not far from Interstate 95.

More importantly, it has residents who believe in its future, who want better for it, and are willing to put their money where their mouth is. One of those residents, Buck Ridge Plantation founder Michael Tourville, has brought together a group of experienced and highly talented professionals to create this world-class restaurant.

Judging by the look and feel of Four Moons, it seems that no detail was left to chance. From the moment you enter through the imposing wood & mirror doors, everything changes. Everything outside - heat, noise, and hurry - is traded for its mirror image within: a cool, restorative stillness and the whispers of falling water. The imaginative interior, designed in collaboration with architect Dan Sweeney of Stumphouse Design, is visually delightful yet relaxing - celestial, and almost dreamlike.

The restaurant manager and sommelier, Ryan Groeschel (formerly the general manager of Charleston’s famed Peninsula Grill) has trained and inspired his service staff to excellence, and has carefully built a firm, 500 label / 2400 bottle foundation for the confluence of fine wines and the visionary, whimsical, and sure-handed creations coming out of the kitchen of award-winning chefs Charles & Colleen Zeran.

After being welcomed by Mr. Groeschel, my dining companion and I were seated almost directly under one of the visual set-pieces of the room: a lambent red orb, looking like a dwarf star, set into a luminescent blue parabola. To my right, round ‘moon’ windows cast light onto the booths against the far wall, each separated by a glittery mesh curtain. At either end, circular banquettes with George Nelson-inspired chandeliers are swathed in an impression of Mombasa netting, an echo of Victorian elegance in this very modern interior.

The glass walled wine room to my left gave us all the encouragement we needed, and as an opening shot across our palates my dining companion and I chose crisp whites: for her, a tall, cool, and lightly effervescent Blanquette de Limoux and for me a Ca’ del Sarto Pinot Grigio.

I often find that whites are served too cold; they might be refreshing when nearly frosty, but so is Gatorade. Both of these wines arrived quickly and at the correct temperature to both refresh and to allow their nuances to emerge, no doubt the result of the sommelier’s careful attention. These were soon followed by an amuse consisting of one perfect wine-chilled shrimp on peppercress greens dappled with a tart and lively blackberry horseradish dressing. A nice way to energize the tastebuds for the meal to come.

Now about the food… (click here to read more)

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At last month’s Redwood Creek Campfire Classic event in National Harbor, MD, four semifinalists from the South (including myself) and four from the Northeast met in a combined event to compete in our respective regions.On contest day, we were each assigned to share a preparation table with a semifinalist from the other region who we weren’t competing against.

I had the pleasure of sharing a table with Melissa Mullins, a charming and talented woman who persevered in the face of unforeseen technical glitches to produce first-rate examples of her beautiful, scrumptious sounding Blackberry Hand Pies with Jar-Whipped Lavender Cream and win the finalist spot for the Northeast Region.

I say scrumptious sounding because, sadly, in all the excitement of the event I never did get a chance to taste them!

But they must have been pretty darn wonderful because, I’m thrilled to report, my tablemate went on to win the Redwood Creek Campfire Classic Grand Prize in NYC this weekend!

Hooray for Melissa! Now I really wish I had gotten to taste those pies!

As it says in an article about the 2008 Redwood Creek Campfire Classic Contest in Epicurious:

“Mullins’s empanada-like pies are baked over the campfire in mini-foil ‘ovens’ that allow the air to circulate, helping the crust get crispy. She says shortening works better than butter for the great outdoors since it doesn’t spoil and also aids in crisping the crust.”

Melissa’s love of local ingredients and culinary ingenuity gave her the inspiration for the winning dish. “The campground we were at was just surrounded by blackberries.” Then she found frozen pie crusts at the camping store, and turned her grill into an oven with tinfoil, according to New York’s Daily News.

Want to make her winning dish during your next cookout? You can see her full recipe here on the Metro Sports NY site.

Happy Independence Day!

A 4th of July Celebration, St. Helena Island, SC, 1939 (more photos from the event here.)

The Library of Congress has more historical photos taken of Independence Day celebrations around America here…enjoy!

• Southern Hoe Cakes from Group Recipes

• Fried Corn Meal Mush From About.Com: Southern Food

• Lavender Flavored Lemonade from Southern Sandra

• Buttermilk Fried Chicken from Simply Recipes

• Carolina Fish Muddle from History.Org

• Colonial Corn Pudding from Foodreference.Com

• Georgia Peanut Salsa from Taste of Home

• Thomas Jefferson’s Ice Cream From Slashfood

• Colonial Innkeeper’s Pie from Cooks.Com

Enjoy the Holiday!

Join us tomorrow to enjoy an interesting series of historical 4th of July photos taken across the United States, courtesy of the Library of Congress.

This zesty relish gets its fiery nature from lots of freshly grated ginger, but the bite is tempered by sweet oranges, dried cherries, honey, and spice. It goes great with roast pork, turkey, or game (especially venison) and a dab on a hot, buttered biscuit is a fine way to kick-start the morning, too.

Here’s a photo of the Firecracker Chutney below.

Ingredients:

2 cups dried cherries (about 14 oz)
1 cup grated fresh ginger root
3 large oranges, peeled & chopped (white pith and seeds removed); juice reserved (see below)
2 Tbsp orange zest
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp brandy
Water plus reserved juice from oranges to equal 1 cup

PREPARATION:

Place all ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding
a bit more water if needed. Chill thoroughly before serving. Makes about 2 pints.

Cook’s Notes:

• 5 or 6 tangerines (depending on size) can be substituted for the oranges.

• Southern Comfort, Grand Mariner, bourbon, or dark rum can be substituted for the brandy, or it can be omitted.

• For another layer of zing, try adding a finely minced jalapeno pepper.

Enjoy!

You Can Read More of Doug’s Recipe Corner Here.

Note: This original Hugging the Coast article also appears on eHow as:

• How to Make Delicious Firecracker Chutney With Oranges, Ginger, and Dried Cherries
  

(You can see more Hugging the Coast eHow articles here.)

Looking Back: 6/23/2008-6/29/2008

Monday: A Week of Onion Rings: Frito Corn Chip Encrusted Onion Rings

Tuesday: A Week of Onion Rings: Hawaiian Sesame Coconut Onion Rings

Wednesday: A Week of Onion Rings: Cheese and Chive Onion Rings

Thursday: A Week of Onion Rings: Curly Ramen Crunch Onion Rings

Friday: A Week of Onion Rings: Stuffed Potato Skin Onion Rings

Saturday: A Week of Onion Rings: Southern Style Sweet Corn Onion Rings

Sunday: You are here

Also, please join us tomorrow to see Doug’s recipe for Sun and Moon Orange and Sweet Onion Salad which is perfect for July 4th family gatherings and picnics.

In a recently published article by the San Francisco Chronicle, executive food and wine editor Michael Bauer points out that many of the winning chefs of the 2008 James Beard Awards came from smaller neighborhood restaurants and modest cafes instead of the more famous, brand name restaurants of previous years.

As the article says…

“In New York, David Chang of the modest Momofuku and Momofuku Ssam Bar beat out competition from high-profile places such as the Modern and Gramercy Tavern.”

Anthony Bourdain is a huge fan of Momofuku Ssam Bar. As he says in an interview with Fodors:

I don’t think it’s possible to overpraise Momofuku Ssäm Bar. I think it’s one of the few cases where a place totally lives up to the hype. It’s that exciting. Call ahead and go for the Bo Ssäm, the whole pork butt. They also have a frisée salad with a spicy tripe stew underneath that’s just mind-blowing. That’s one of those places where you just go and eat as much as you can.

“Robert Stehling of the Hominy Grill in Charleston, S.C., won for his cafe that gives a gentle modern twist to Southern foods.”

(If you’d like to learn more about his win, as well as enjoy a recipe roundup featuring eight of his recipes, we recently blogged about it here.) You can also enjoy more of Stehling’s recipes here.

“Michelle Bernstein of Michy’s in Miami said in her acceptance speech that she was especially gratified for the win because her restaurant is located in a part of city better known for prostitutes than for dining.”

Alas, Michy’s doesn’t have a website, but there’s a great thread about it on eGullet here.

“Holly Smith of Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, Wash., won for her personal take on Northern Italian food in a suburb about 16 miles from Seattle.”

The Robb Report named Cafe Juanita one of the Best 57 Fine Dining Destination Restaurants in the USA.

What does it all mean? As Michael Bauer posits, “What all this says to me is that as a dining nation we’re growing up. Winning doesn’t necessarily mean glitzy surroundings, high-profile names and chic locations; it’s about how the people behind the stove translate their passion to diners.”

If Bauer’s right, that can only be good news for smaller local restaurants in second-tier cities like Charleston who choose to focus on the quality of their ingredients and the innovation of their menus instead of the finer points of their decor which are supposed to quietly complement rather than overshadow the dining experience itself.

Good news indeed.

• Dutch Pancakes (Pannenkoeken) from eGullet

• Red Flannel Hash from The Common Room

• Elk Burgers W/Honey-Chipotle Mayo from Hot Sauce Blog

• Mac and Cheese with Buffalo Chicken from Epicurious

• Rellenos De Papa (Stuffed Mashed Potatoes) from Recipezaar

• Sauerbraten from Spice House

• Beef and Guinness Stew from About.Com: Home Cooking

• Apple Pork Pie from Taste of Home

• Braised Lamb Shanks with Sour Cream and Capers from About.Com: Home Cooking

• Southern Brownie Pie from Suite 1010: Southern Cuisine

• Lumberjack Cake from Recipezaar

Enjoy the Holiday!

Tomorrow, I’ll be sharing an original summertime recipe for Cucumber, Apple, & Spinach Salad With Curried Pecans and Lemony Coriander Dressing.

The winners of the 2008 James Beard Awards have been announced. (You can see a full list of all the winners here.)

Because of the area’s bumper crop of great chefs, fine dining, and fresh ingredients, local congratulations go to Robert Stehling of Hominy Grill in Charleston, SC who has won in the Best Chef: Southeast category.

(You can see our list of all the JBA nominees here.)

Here’s eight of Stehling’s recipes in case you want to experience a taste of Lowcountry inspired goodness in your home kitchen:

• Robert Stehling’s Buttermilk Pie from The New York Times (also an exploration of the recipe from The Wednesday Chef)

• Robert Stehling’s Shrimp and Grits from Discover South Carolina

• Bacon-Roasted Turkey with Sweet-Onion Gravy from Food & Wine

• Grilled Portobello Mushroom and Barley Salad W/ Basil Puree from Big Oven

• Citrus-Pickled Shrimp from Food & Wine

• Robert Stehling’s Spinach Potato Cakes with Roasted Tomato Sauce from Cookie

• Shrimp Burgers from My Recipes.Com

• Avocado and Wehani Rice Salad from Astray Recipes

If you’d like to learn more about Charleston’s Hominy Grill and see the chef in action, click here to watch a brief clip from the Food Network.

John Travolta may have said it best in the movie, Pulp Fiction, “It’s the little differences…”

One of the things that makes travel enlightening (whether it’s a trip from Charleston, SC to Asheville, NC eating regional barbecue along the way or a longer journey to India, Morocco, Korea, Malaysia, or Fiji sampling local foods and flavors) are all those little differences.

When you travel, all the common daily signposts of your everyday life are replaced at every turn with (sometimes slightly, sometimes vastly) different options and opportunities.

You can’t just pop down to your default neighborhood restaurant after work, absentmindedly order the daily special, and bolt right after finishing; because there is no default, everyday way of doing things the first time one visits somewhere new. There is no “regular’ or “the usual” to order.

There’s just you: having a fresh experience with a new place: learning to navigate new customs, people, and ideas; and in a way, made more than a little new yourself by the encounter.

As the American author of the food blog, From Argentina With Love writes about her experience with one of the “little differences” she encountered on visits to her husband’s home country:

“This is how I knew I was going to fall in love with Argentina:

Argentinos eat gnocchi together on the 29th of every month, and it’s a national holiday.

Excuse me while I swoon.

Yes, that’s right–people all over the country get together on the same day every month just to eat gnocchi. Now, that’s my idea of a national holiday! I didn’t grow up with any sort of food traditions that are celebrated like this on a national level. But in Argentina, the tradition is that on the 29th day of each and every month, one is supposed to eat gnocchi. Okay, twist my arm…

Argentinos are fond of the expression ‘a full belly, a happy heart,’ and on the 29th they prepare Ñoquis (as they spell it) at home and invite friends over to share the meal; it’s also quite common to find ñoquis on the menu in restaurants on this day. Either way, diners end up both full and happy.”

You can read more of her post about her experiences eating gnocchi on the 29th, (as well as her recipe for gnocchi) here.

You might also want to read Heidi Swanson’s informative post on How to Make Gnocchi Like an Italian Grandmother here.

More than 20 million Argentinos have at least one Italian forefather, making Italians the largest ethnic group in Argentina (giving them the third largest concentration of people of Italian origin in the world).

As a result of this concentration, food influenced by Italian cuisine is popular and readily available in most parts of Argentina.

Uruguay, Argentina’s tiny neighbor to the east, also celebrates gnocchi day each 29th. 1.5 million people in Uruguay are of Italian ancestry, (almost half of its population) so Italian cuisine exerts a large culinary influence there as well.

What “little differences” have you found on your travels (whether around the world or to the next town) and how did they change you?

Spring is here and there’s nothing that celebrates Spring quite like a Southern festival…good music, good food, good company!

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, here’s a roundup of some of the best Southern food festivals for Spring and Early Summer 2008.

Highlights of the season include Charleston, SC’s world famous Spoleto Festival, the International Bar-B-Q Festival in Owensboro, KY, Tryon, NC’s Blue Ridge Barbecue Festival, and the Appalachian Evening Summer Concert Series and Appalachian Dinner in Robbinsville, NC.

Below is Doug DuCap’s recipe for Moroccan Charbroiled Lamb & Fennel Stew with Seven-Seed Couscous which made it to the  Semi-Finals of the 2008 Redwood Creek Campfire Classic, held at the Food and Wine Festival at National Harbor.

Below is a photo of the Moroccan Charbroiled Lamb & Fennel Stew which can either be cooked outdoors over a campfire, on a grill, or in your home kitchen.

Ingredients:

For the Grilled Lamb:

1-1/2 Tbsp Sweet Paprika (or a combination of Sweet and Smoked Paprika)
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Ground Coriander Seed
1/2 tsp Coarse Ground Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Salt
1-1/2 lbs lean Lamb, cut into small (3/4″) cubes
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

For the Stew:

1/4 cup Almonds, slivered or chopped
1/4 cup Pistachio kernels, whole
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup diced Yellow Onion (about 1 medium onion or 1/2 large)
3 large cloves Garlic, minced
1 medium bulb Fennel (fronds, stems, and core removed), cut in 1/2 inch pieces
Spice Mix (see below)
12 Dried Apricots, cut in half
8 Dried Mission Figs, cut in half
1/4 cup Golden Raisins
1 - 15oz can Garbanzo Beans (drained and rinsed)
1 - 15oz can Chopped Tomatoes, drained
1 - 15oz can Chicken Broth
3/4 cup Water
2 small Summer Squash, cut in 1/2 inch rounds
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/4 cup (lightly packed) Cilantro Leaves, chopped
Fennel fronds for garnish (optional)

Spice Mix: (Note: can be packed in advance)
1 tsp each Ground Coriander Seed, Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp each of Ground Cinnamon, Coarse Ground Black Pepper, Salt
1/4 tsp each of Ground Nutmeg, Ground Allspice, Cayenne Pepper

For the Couscous:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Seed Mix (see below)
2-1/2 cups Water
1/2 tsp Salt
1-10oz pkg Plain Couscous (approx. 1-2/3 cups)
1 tsp (or more, to taste) Lemon Zest (optional)

Seed Mix: (Note: can be packed in advance)
2 Tbsp Sunflower Seed kernels
1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Coriander Seeds, lightly crushed
1/2 tsp each Caraway Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Anise Seeds

Recipe follows…

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Since this site’s Doug DuCap is going to compete in the Redwood Creek Campfire Classic Semi-Finals this weekend, we thought we’d focus a bit on the joys of outdoor cooking this week…

Cooking with a pie iron is one of the simple pleasures of outdoor cooking. Often made of cast iron, these long handled and inexpensive devices offer campers, RVers, backpackers, and other fans of outdoor cooking a simple and fun way for the whole family to make toasted sandwiches, campfire “pizzas”, cornbreads, and pies over an open fire or briquets.

Commonly available in single (pictured above) or double width (so you can toast two sandwiches or pies at a time), you can find pie irons in the camping, cookout, or kitchen section of most larger stores as well as at a variety of online retailers.

As the folks at ChuckWagonDinner.Com say:

“A Pie Iron is a mold of cast iron or aluminum, with handles. Each side also serves as a small skillet. Bread is placed in first and then the filling into the generous cooking cavity. The two sides close and are then placed over hot coals.

The solid cast iron design holds up to the rigors of the campfire best but must be watched closely to avoid burning. Pie Iron’s are fun to use, and make terrific sandwiches and desserts…Other terms for pie iron fare include: Toasties, Mountain Pies, Hobo Pies, Pudgie Pies and Pie Shams.”

Cast iron pie irons should be seasoned for best performance. You can find out how here.
KOA (Kampgrounds of America) has a delicious list of pie iron recipes, as does PieIron.com.

Also, here’s a few more easy pie iron recipes from ChuckWagonDiner.Com:

• Portabella Melts

• Grilled Salmon Sandwich

• Perfect Pie Iron Pizza

• Chili Cheese Cornbread

• Peanut Butter Cup Melt

• Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

• Grog Cakes

• Fresh Fruit Pies