Garden & Gun's Go-To Recipe for Fried Oysters

It's really quite simple. Don't over-think it.

If you want the best fried oysters in Columbia, my advice is to head over to Hampton Street Vineyard. They have a great fried oyster appetizer.

Oysters This Weekend? Why Not?

I can see the weekend from here.

No blogging yesterday, I was dealing with a sick child. Nothing serious, just routine being sick. In any event, Happy Friday!

If you're looking for something fun to do this weekend, why not check out the City Roots 2nd Annual Oyster and Pig Throw Down? I wrote about oyster roasts in Fig awhile back. If you're interested in the throwdown, you can buy tickets here.

My Top Five All-Time BBQ Joints (So Far)

Some ribs of my own making. (click image for higher quality picture)

I was inspired to do this post since Brad informed me that he was going to serve Memphis-style BBQ at his political re-education camps. With that, I kind of figured: How bad could re-education be?

Anyway, it got me thinking about my favorite BBQ places. These are my top five. I'm not saying they are in this particular order. All I'm saying is that these are the top five places that I've been to. If your favorite BBQ place isn't on here, then it's either a place that I've been to and not in the top five, or I haven't been there.

I've been told that I make some pretty good BBQ ribs and pulled pork, so I (very humbly) feel like I have a good palate for what constitutes good BBQ.

If one of your favorite places isn't on the list let me know! I'd be happy for you to drop some BBQ knowledge on me and recommend some places to try. I really haven't done BBQ in North Carolina that often, hence the lack of North Carolina's representation on this list. That's a glaring problem that I should fix soon. Anyway, here's my top five:

Speaking to General Jackson

Had a great time in Nashville over the weekend. At some point, I'll get around to doing a post on all the good food I had. Until then, I can sum it up as follows: Hot Chicken is awesome.

Also, President Andrew Jackson's home (the Hermitage) is located in Nashville. It reminds me of one of my favorite jokes/stories about Andrew Jackson:

A young boy, hearing that Andrew Jackson was coming to town, told his friends that he was going to see the General, and, moreover, was going to talk to him. Off he went, even though the jeers of his friends were ringing in his ears.

When they saw each other the next day, the friends taunted him, "Well, did you talk to General Jackson?"

"I sure did," the boy replied. "In fact, he spoke to me."

"What did he say?" the kids asked.

Proudly, the boy puffed out his chest. "He told me to get the hell out of the way!"

Happy Tuesday.

Traveling Friday: Heading to Nashville

I'm hitting the road for Nashville, TN today to sample their fine food, consume their local brews, and hopefully watch the Gamecocks sink the Commodores on Saturday night.

Updates and general observations from this weekend's road trip will be via my twitter account, so if you're not already following me, you can do so now. Better late than never, right?

How To Celebrate Independence Day In Columbia

If you're a South Carolinian, you're probably getting ready to celebrate our nation's birthday tomorrow, since South Carolina is the "most patriotic state in the country". Here's what you need to know if you're not sure how to celebrate in the "Famously Hot" southern-style.

MEAT: The Ole Timey Meat Market is where you should be going to get your whatever you'll be grilling or smoking this weekend. Did you know they have bacon wrapped sirloin steaks? This is where I always buy my brisket and pork butts. If you're looking for some of the harder to find cuts of meat, this is the first place to go.

FIREWORKS: Since you're already over on Rosewood for your meat, you're already right next to Casey's Fireworks, which is the best place to get fireworks in Columbia. They've been around since 1949, and they have something for everyone. Everything from sparklers to mortar shells. This is the only place you need to go for things that go bang.

SIDES: For all your other sides, (if you don't want to make them yourself) The Gourmet Shop has you covered. You can get everything from chicken salad to cheese, to wine, to cigars there.

Enjoy your Fourth of July weekend!

My Latest Fig Post - Farm to Table at City Roots

You can read the whole thing here.

Garden and Gun Fried Chicken Recipe

Since the inception of this blog, one of the most viewed pages of all-time is my Top Five Places in Columbia for Fried Chicken. Hey, what can I say? People like fried chicken.

To carry on with the fried chicken theme, I thought I would share this recipe from Garden & Gun for fried chicken:

 

The first thing that caught my eye was that the recipe had sugar in it. My wife has told me that her great aunt always put a little bit of sugar in things that she pan-fried, and it was some of the best food she's ever had.

I might have to give this recipe a try, because that finished product looks delicious. Anyone else have a favorite homemade fried chicken recipe?

How to Eat Chicken Wings

You're probably doing it wrong.

I was.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope y'all enjoy the holiday. Spend time with your family, and be thankful for the blessings you have.

I'll be hosting the extended family and smoking the turkey on my Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker. Beer will be a delicious Cold Mountain Winter Ale from Asheville, NC.

Sunday Open Thread - Smoked Wings

After enjoying the complete destruction of Arkansas yesterday, I thought I would fire up the Weber Smoky Mountain Cooker today and enjoy some spicy-rubbed, applewood smoked, BBQ glazed wings.

If you've got the time (2 hours on the smoker) this is the absolute best way to cook wings. The rub gives it a spicy base (I'm heavy with the cayenne), the smoke gives it a little flavor, and the BBQ glaze gives it a little sweetness.

I love the wings at Publick House, but mine are better. Don't worry, Publick House, I still love you!

Overall, a pretty good weekend.

The Great American Whiskey Fair is Coming to Columbia

Do you like whiskey? Stop. That was a trick question. Of course you like whiskey.

The good news for midlands residents is that Columbia is starting to be a great place for those of us who like distilled corn. We've got Bourbon Columbia opening up soon on Main Street, and as kind of a warm-up for that, the Great American Whiskey Fair will be hosting a tasting party of sorts at 701 Whaley on October 17, 2013, from 6:00PM - 10:00PM.

On the evening of October 17th, a host of distilling luminaries, small producers, bartenders and enthusiasts will descend on the Grand Hall at 701 Whaley St. for an evening of festive appreciation dedicated to America’s native spirit and its culture, from cask to glass.

Their website isn't big on details, but here are a few things I can tell you, from what is available:

Firstly, Bourbon Columbia is a sponsor, and it's owned/run by the same person responsible for Mr. Friendly's, Gervais & Vine, Solstice, and Rosso. Obviously, those are some of the best restaurants here in Columbia, so having Bourbon Columbia as a sponsor gives the event instant credibility, in my opinion. I would go based on this factor alone.

Secondly, Belle Meade bourbon will be available. It's not as well known as some of the larger brands, but it's good. I was fortunate enough to sample some Belle Meade at a Garden & Gun sponsored event earlier this summer.

Thirdly, it's brown liquor and a party specifically to celebrate brown liquor. By definition, it's going to be good. I mean, really.

It already looks like the VIP tickets are sold out, so if you're looking to go, the only thing left is the standard admission tickets, which run $75/each.

Who Wants a Hamburger?

My two-year old son copies everything I do. (In point of fact, he's not quite two. He'll be two later this week, but as a lawyer, I'm rounding the time up and billing for 2.0 years. But I digress.)

Back to my son. He copies everything I do. One activity that he sees me doing all the time is grilling food out on our deck. He follows me out to the grill and watches as I light it, put food down, flip it over, and take it off. The whole process of dad grilling fascinates him. 

Since his birthday is coming up soon, his maternal grandmother got him a present that now allows him to be just like dad. In fact, we set it up on the deck right next to my grill.

Henry Caskey - Grilling up Some Cuteness

As you can see, he's wasted no time in getting busy grilling up a hamburger and hot dog for mom and dad. I would note that he has an excellent grip on the tongs, as I capture this right before it was time to flip the bun, burger patty and rotate the hot dog. That's why the grill is open. He knows that the proper way to grill is to keep the lid closed for most of the time.

In fact, he would not allow me to come over and look inside the grill after he had started cooking. It wasn't time to open the grill yet, Dad.

 We'll have to upgrade him to planking some salmon on the grill eventually.

 

Southern Vegetable In Season: Okra

Okra. It's easily my favorite vegetable.

Think of okra as the South’s überveggie. You can eat it stewed, fried, grilled, baked, stuffed, smothered, curried, in succotash or gumbo. Customers at Bourbon House Seafood & Oyster Bar in New Orleans enjoy pickled okra alongside their po’boys. Texans use it to gussy up their dry martinis. Naturally, the drink is called the okratini.

Okra is kind of like shrimp, in that you can do so many different things with it. However, it's obviously best when it's fried.

Ten Southern Tailgating Eats

If you're feeling more ambitious than simply going out and buying a Chick-fil-a tray, here are ten great recipes of food for your tailgate that all have a Southern flair. They range from simple (boiled peanuts) to complex (ribs).

I'm most interested in the "Southern Hot Dog" that can include Cajun remoulade, andouille sauce, and Vidalia onion marmalade.

Score.

Friends Don't Let Friends...

Indeed.

Try Some Puerto Rican BBQ

Our neighbors to the south call it "lechon". We call it BBQ.

It looks pretty good.

Are You Born With a Tolerance for Spicy Food?

Interesting piece here. As a person who loves spicy food, I can definitely say that I've almost always had this predisposition. Even as a toddler, I liked A1 steak sauce on my baby food.

According to Bryant, Mexican parents give their children packets of sugar mixed with red chili powder, which they eat straight up, in order to build their spice tolerance. “We assume that continued exposure at a young age causes nerve endings to die off,” Bryant says.

I'm pretty sure that red chili powder is hotter than A1, but maybe it's not a bad idea to start Permanent Press, Jr. on some spicier food to get his tolerance up. We'll see what Mrs. Permanent Press has to say about that, though. Just a few weeks ago, he ate some salsa right out of a cup.

College of Barbeque Knowledge

Sign me up. Most of the time great barbeque masters don't share their secrets. That's not the case with Sam Huff:

“I want more people to cook like me,” he says, laughing. Over the course of eleven hours, Pork U students
learn to prepare rubs, sauces, injections, mops, and marinades—and when to use each. They’ll see a dozen different cookers, smokers, pits, and grills. They’ll cook butts, brisket,
stuffed pork loin, beer can chick-en, baby back ribs, spareribs, wings, sausages, a few (greenish) sides, even desserts prepared over hot coals. Students prep, cook, and—yes—eat all day.

Probably the best tasting education you'll ever get.

Mexican Cake Is Back!

It's back. "The brewery has readied 6,000 bottles (500 cases) of Mexican Cake, a sharp increase from the 1,440 bottles (120 cases) produced during the initial release."

I had a growler of Mexican Cake from Morganelli's when it first came out. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a serious beer. This isn't something you take out on the boat fishing, though. This is something that you'll want to schedule some time to sit on the porch and just enjoy.