robertmalonesc has made an interesting video about Charleston’s historic downtown area which you can see below (or here ).

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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ETVRoadShow has made an interesting video about Charleston’s food heritage which you can see below (or here ).

When you ask for an ‘order’ of onion rings at Bessingers or Melvins (and many other barbecue restaurants here in Charleston), you only get one onion ring.

But that’s okay, because these are not your run-of-the-mill onion rings: they’re thick, meaty cuts from colossal yellow onions, generously battered and deep-fried to a rich golden brown. More often than not, the onion ring is larger than the hearty sandwich it comes with!

Before I moved here, I’d only ever had the small, skinny type of ring where the onion was more implied than actual. I’ve really come to love these crispy, Brobdingnagian delights that give the onion a starring role, so when I found some truly enormous yellow onions recently, I got the urge to experiment with some onion ring-related “What if…?” ideas I’d been having lately.

The results? Some of the most beautiful and sinfully delicious onion rings I’ve ever tasted. Best of all, they’re a snap to make! But take note: these aren’t for the faint of heart or the clogged of artery. These onion rings are decidedly not diet or health conscious. They will, however, fill and enrich you in ways that have nothing whatsoever to do with their calories, for they are a joy to behold and a delight to eat. Their fragrance is like the lost, sacred incense of the gleaming roadside diner and the drive-in (not ‘thru’) burger joint. Breathe deeply and let memory speak . . .

Is Moderation, as Hesiod advised, best in all things, or does the Road of Excess, as William Blake proposed, lead to the Palace of Wisdom? That is for each of us to decide, but I do know this: the sweetest onions are the ones that are biggest around the middle. If we, too, must be big around the middle to be sweet than so be it!

A Few Tips for Making the Onion Rings

I used yellow onions and Vidalias in these recipes and they both produced fine results. Use the biggest onions you can find (there’s no such thing as too big!) and cut them 3/4 of an inch thick. Don’t worry about the onion being ‘raw’ or too strong: by the time the coating cooks, the onion will be mellow and tender (while still holding its shape.) Also, if you want to fit more in your skillet or fryer, you can break the onion slices into large chunks and make jumbo-sized Onion Chips (a favorite in Eastern PA); batter, dredge, and fry them the same as rings.

Some of the proportions will be approximate depending on the size of the onions you use, how much you choose to coat them, how spicy or sweet, etc. Let your own tastes be your guide and feel free to improvise and experiment.

Regarding the batter, I wanted to start with something basic that I could work variations on. Some of the ideas I had been thinking about could begin with a beer batter, but others would need something more subtle, like milk. The following Basic Batter Recipe works perfectly with either.

Basic Batter:

1 cup self-rising flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup of milk or beer

Mix the dry ingredients well. Add the wet ingredients and whisk gently until smooth. Makes 2 cups.

The Basic Batter Recipe creates a thinnish, crispy coating which is very nice on its own, but it’s really just a jumping off point for imagination. The first idea I wanted to try was a corn-chip encrusted onion ring, and while I didn’t get what I was after on the first attempt, the solution was a revelation that opened up a world of exciting (and tasty!) possibilities.

Frito Encrusted Onion Rings:

I ground up some Fritos corn chips in the food processor and heated about 3/4 inch of oil in a large, heavy, high-sided skillet (better than a home deep-fryer in this case because of the size of the rings). Then I dipped a ring in the batter, dredged it in the Frito crumbs and slid it into the oil. The resulting ring was good, but it didn’t have the flavor and texture I was after. I decided to give the old ’some in, some on’ theory a try. I stirred about 1/2 cup of Frito crumbs into the batter, let it sit for 5 minutes, and tried again.

The second time was the charm: a thick, intensely corn-flavored coating with a crunchy exterior and perfectly cooked onion inside. Heaven on a June day!

Ingredients:

2 cups corn chip crumbs, divided
2 cups Basic Batter (made with beer or milk; either one works well)
Oil for frying
1 very large yellow or Vidalia onion, cut and separated into 3/4 inch rings

Preparation:

Mix 1/2 cup of the crumbs into the batter. Spread the remaining crumbs in a shallow bowl. Heat 1/2 to 3/4 inches oil in a heavy skillet to 375 degrees. Dip an onion ring into the batter, coating thickly, and dredge in the corn chip crumbs. Lay it gently into the oil and cook until golden, turning once. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining rings. You can do 2-3 at a time depending on the size of your skillet, but take care not to crowd the pan or let the temperature drop too much, or the rings will turn out greasy.

Variations & Serving Suggestions:

• 1/2 tablespoon chipotle powder or chipotle sauce added to the batter definitely raises the ‘zing’ level quite nicely.

• A Salsa con Queso dipping sauce would be delicious with these.

• For a smoother, less crunchy surface, you can skip the crumb-dredging step.

Join us tomorrow to read Doug’s new recipe for Hawaiian Sesame Coconut Onion Rings as part of his Week of Onion Rings Series which celebrates the official start of Summer.

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 Gigantic Frito Encrusted Corn Chip Onion Rings
  

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

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.

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.

Ever wonder where top chefs like Anthony Bourdain, Thomas Keller, and Tom Colicchio like to go on vacation, area restaurants they can’t resist, what their guilty culinary pleasures are on the road, and more?

Then you’ll enjoy this series of interesting pieces from Fodors which features 14 top chefs including Alice Waters, Anthony Bourdain, Thomas Keller, Tom, Colicchio, Ming Tsai, Suvir Saran, Lidia Bastianich, Govind Armstrong, Michelle Bernstein, Gavin Kaysen, Bobby Flay, and Suzanne Goin, sharing their favorite foodie meccas (excerpts below):

Anthony Bourdain on New York:

“What do we do in New York better than anyone else in the world?’ The answer to that question is deli…It’s the food that I miss when I’m away, no matter how well I’m eating. Even in places with fantastic food — Singapore, Hong Kong — the food that I miss first is deli.”

(You can read more from Anthony Bourdain on the subject here.)

Thomas Keller on the Napa Valley:

“When I think of lunch in Napa, I think of something quick that’s kind of comforting. And one of the places I like is Taylor’s Refresher. They have great hamburgers and fish tacos and you can sit outside in the beautiful weather because they have a big lawn right behind it. One of the things about Napa Valley, which is so unique, is that all of our restaurants are really good…People come to Napa Valley primarily to eat and drink, so we have great wine and great restaurants.”

(You can read more from Thomas Keller on the subject here.)

Tom Colicchio on Charleston, SC:

“What’s great about the South is that the idea of hospitality is second-nature. One of my favorites in Charleston is Hominy Grill. It is just the epitome of Southern casual dining. Breakfast, lunch, dinner — every single meal is just wonderful. Usually when I go to Charleston, I go right from the plane to Hominy Grill. I try to get there for breakfast — they do shrimp and grits and different egg dishes. Whatever they serve is usually seasonal, wonderful, delicious. Last time I was there I had shad roe and scrambled eggs for breakfast…

For me, going to South Carolina, it’s not so much about the beaches, it’s about the marshes. It’s just wonderful to get a kayak and go through the marshes. You see everything from redfish to alligators to dolphins. It’s amazing — the amount of birds and wildlife…

There are so many little fish shacks around Charleston. There’s a little place called Bowen’s Island, an oyster grill where you sit at a picnic table, and the guy comes by with a shovel full of oysters that come off the grill and just puts [them] on the table on top of newspaper and they’re kind of steamed open from the grill — and that’s it. You dip them in butter and that’s all they serve…”

(You can read more from Tom Colicchio on the subject here.)

Also, you can see photos of Bowen’s Island on our FlickR Photoset here as well as read the full series of top chef interviews here.

Robertmalonesc has made a nice video slideshow featuring dramatic photos of coastal Charleston and the Isle of Palms which you can see below (or here ).

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?

ETVRoadShow has made an interesting video that talks about the chefs that make Charleston, SC’s famous Lowcountry cuisine which you can see below (or here ).

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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Amydeanne has made a short but sweet video that shows what it’s like to drive on the beautiful Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge in Charleston, SC which you can see below (or here ).

The Arthur Ravenel is the longest cable stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere, with a main span more than 1500 feet long and is definitely one of the most visually interesting bridges on the East Coast.

You can find out more about how it was built here.

When you go on a fishing trip or go camping in the mountains, do you enjoy celebrating the pleasure of the great outdoors with a gourmet meal cooked on an open fire?

Fans of outdoor cooking at its finest (as well as gourmet food in general), won’t want to miss the four Redwood Creek Campfire Classic events taking place across the country throughout the spring and summer to kickoff the 2008 camping season.

The most recent event will be held on May 17th, 2008 as part of the Food and Wine Festival at National Harbor in Maryland and will feature the semi-final competitions for the contest for already selected competitors from both the North and Southeast (with Hugging the Coast’s own Doug DuCap competing in the Southeastern Division!).

In addition to the Redwood Creek Campfire Classic cookoffs, the Food and Wine Festival at National Harbor will also feature demonstrations by Michel Richard, the critically acclaimed chef of Citronelle and author of Happy in the Kitchen as well as lectures and samples from dozens of culinary experts from around the country.

Two other Campfire Classic semi-finalist cookoffs will be held in Seattle, WA on May 31st as part of the Pike Place Market Street Festival and in Chicago, IL on June 7th as part of the Chicago Botanic Garden Wine Festival which will determine the finalists from the Northwest and Midwest divisions. (The finalists from the Southwestern division were chosen on May 3rd at Mayfest in Fort Worth, TX.)

Winners of the Campfire Classic Semi-Finals will be awarded $1,000, plus an all-expense paid trip to New York City to compete during the first week of summer for a chance to win a $10,000 Grand Prize. The finals will be judged by Redwood Creek winemaker, Cal Dennison, and Bob Blumer, host of the Food Network’s Glutton for Punishment and The Surreal Gourmet.

Like the poster above? You can get it free here. Also, please see the 2007 Campfire Classic Finalists’ Recipes below to help inspire you on your own culinary campfire adventures:

• 2007 Grand Prize Winner: Coal-Roasted Chuckbox Pozole-Stuffed Onions by Leah Lyon of Ada, Oklahoma

• Chincoteague Scallops by Julia DeCastro of University Park, Florida

• Rocky Mountain Pinon Paella by Paul Heitzenrater of Denver, Colorado

• Down East Lobster Scampi a la Campfire by Brian Mulligan of Bath, Maine

• Lost in the Woods Pork Tenderloin by Kim Wittmers of Minneapolis, Minnesota

FinalCutpro78 has a nice video homage to Charleston South Carolina which you can see below (or here).