Grits With Attitude: The Times says we're cooking a revolution

The New York Times sent Julia Moskin to South Carolina in search of the latest proof of a Southern cooking revolution. While Moskin focused almost entirely on South Carolina (mostly Charleston, actually), she sussed out some interesting thinking from the new crop of Southern-centric young chefs and farmers (mostly Emile De Felice of Caw Caw Creek Farm).

De Felice is the heirloom-pig farmer who inspired people like Natalie Veres and Cassie Parsons of Grateful Growers and Sammy Koenigsberg of New Town Farms to try growing better pork chops.

Two interesting bits from Moskin's article: "Like California in the 1970s — when Alice Waters collaborated with farmers, foragers and cheesemakers on the food at Chez Panisse — the South today has just the right combination of climate, culinary skill, regional chic and receptive audience."

And this:

"Today, purists believe, Southern cooking is too often represented by its worst elements: feedlot hams, cheap fried chicken and chains like Cracker Barrel. 'My mother didn’t cook like that, and my grandmother didn’t cook like that,' Mr. DeFelice said. 'And if you want to come down here and talk about shrimp and grits, well, we’re tired of that, too. Southern cooking is a lot more interesting than people think.'"

The link is here, although remember that the Times has a paywall: If you're a member, you can only get a limited number of articles in a month.

Best food picture ever

I'm not ashamed to give praise where it's due: Food staff at the New York Times, that's just a classic.

The picture is the work of photographer Tony Cenicola. The story it illustrates isn't a slouch in the interesting department, either: Sarah DiGregorio's article on chefs who are cooking chicken skin, including Sean Brock at Husk and McCardy's in Charleston. (I'll be in Charleston next week, and already had Brock's buttermilk-marinated, deep-fried chicken skin on my list.)

You can read the Times chicken skin story here. You can read some of the background on how Cenicola got the picture here. Or you can just admire that picture. Up there.

Bravo, Times People. Nicely played.

Good news for N.C.'s Bamboo Ladies

In our guide to N.C. food gifts in December, Andrea Weigl and I included Bamboo Ladies Pickles, made in Raleigh by Carla Faw Squires. Squires got a little more attention today, with a shoutout by Florence Fabricant in the New York Times. (Oh great - now we'll never be able to get them!)

The pickles really are unusual and delicious. Yes, they are made from bamboo, from a family recipe. They get attention when you put them out for hors d'oeuvres or on an antipasti platter. In Charlotte, I found them at Dean & Deluca and the Common Market, ranging from $8 to $10 for an 8-ounce jar. Or you can get information at www.bambooladies.com.

Carolina morning: Charlie Sheen and Cheerwine

Looking around the Web this morning turns up some interesting views of North Carolina:

First, Salisbury-based Cheerwine has jumped back into the spotlight. The New York Times debates why sales of our favorite cherry soda have suddenly boomed nationally. And Grub Street, the food site for New York magazine, chimes in with its own reason: Sillies, because the New York Times ran a picture of it last year. (Something tells me it takes more than that to actually push sales. But the Times blog also has a link this morning to my story about the Hatcher Crackers. So we'll see what it takes to start an actual trend.)

Meanwhile, on Charlie Sheen Watch, Grub Street also makes a connection to The Old North State by interviewing the owner of the N.C.-based HawaiianShavedIce.com (could I make this stuff up?) about the popularity of the flavor Tiger Blood, a mix of cherry, strawberry and watermelon syrups with a hint of coconut. Sheen, of course, was shown drinking Tiger Blood and waving a machete in one of his many taped rants.

So far, there are no sightings of Sheen with Cheerwine. But if he gets hold of a SunDrop, I think it would be a good idea to duck.

Photo: The Huffington Post