After years of helping other chefs into the spotlight on PBS, The Discovery Channel, Lifetime TV, and other places, it appears Georgia born Virginia Willis is about to take the stage and become the next celebrity chef, according to this interesting article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Author of the popular cookbook, Bon Appetit, Y’All: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking, Willis is a classically trained chef with degrees from L’Academie de Cuisine and Ecole de Cuisine LaVarenne who has worked for Southern food expert Nathalie Dupree of Charleston, SC, later becoming the kitchen director for Martha Stewart’s original television series in New York.

According to Virginia’s official biography:

“As part of her work for Martha Stewart, Virginia was also responsible for preparing private events for Martha and her guests — including among others, President Clinton, Aretha Franklin, and Julia Child. As Executive Producer for Epicurious on The Discovery Channel, she traveled the world taping fantastic stories about food - from harvesting capers in the shadow of a smoldering volcano to making mustard in Dijon.”

Here’s 5 Easy Seafood Recipes by Virginia Willis:

You can enjoy more recipes from Virginia Willis on the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s recipe pages here.

If you liked this article, you might also enjoy: 911 Cooking Emergency: Nathalie Dupree to the Rescue.

RSTaylor100 has made an informative video about spearfishing with the Low Country Diver Team which you can see below (or here).

Looking for a good recipe that won’t bore your family to tears? Try this Grilled Grouper Tangerine Recipe from Florida Key Treasures.

Ingredients:

4 grouper filets (6 to 7 ounces)
Juice and zest from two tangerines
2 tablespoons dry white wine
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon course ground black pepper
vegetable cooking spray
2 tablespoons minced scallions
2 tablespoons red bell peppers (diced)
fresh herbs to garnish

How to Make Grilled Grouper Tangerine

See More of Hugging the Coast’s Fish For Friday Recipes

A letter to the editor by Frank Blum, executive director of the S.C. Seafood Alliance raises some interesting points about a state truth-in-advertising bill (H3028) that if passed, would make illegal for restaurants to market the seafood on their menus as local while substituting higher profit margin imported fish in its place.

Published in Anderson, SC’s Independent Mail, he makes the point that just about everyone benefits from the passage of this bill; restaurants benefit from the freshness that can only be obtained by selling truly local seafood, the fishing industry benefits when it can fairly compete with imported seafood, and diners benefit because they can have confidence that they are getting exactly the fish they ordered.

The SC Seafood Alliance website states that more than 200 varieties of fish and shellfish are native to South Carolina and approximately 30 of them are used in the kitchen. According to Blum, passage of House Bill H3028 will, “tend to level the playing field for imports vs. local and after a few offenders are caught and exposed in the media, others will be reluctant to lie to their customers.”