The setting just under the Stono Bridge is the perfect local for a Lowcountry sunrise. The docks are situated in a spot overlooking the Eastern dawn and there is nothing to interrupt except the sounds of the birds and maybe a golf cart of two.
Enjoy this photo gallery from this morning.
Good morning Charleston
Oak Steakhouse – 17 Broad Street, Charleston, SC
Serves 4
Ingredients for Root Vegetable Puree
3 Parsnips, peeled & chopped
3 Carrots, peeled & chopped
12 Garlic Cloves, peeled whole cloves
1 large Rutabaga, peeled & chopped
Ingredients for Mash
4 Yukon Gold Potatoes
½ cup Cream
8 tbsp Butter
Salt
Ingredients for Braised Beef Short Ribs
4 boneless Beef Short Ribs
5 ribs of Celery
2 Onions
3 Carrots
4 Garlic Cloves
½ bunch of Thyme
2 Tomatoes
1 cup Red Wine
2 cups Beef Broth or Veal Stock
2 cups Chicken Stock
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Method for Root Vegetable Puree
• Place parsnips, carrots, garlic cloves and rutabaga in a roasting pan, season with salt and pepper.
• Roast at 350°, covered with foil for about one hour until fork tender.
• Then chop by hand or put through a rice mill. This will be folded into mashed potatoes.
Method for Mash
• Boil potatoes until cooked through, drain and add cream, butter and salt to taste.
Method for Braised Beef Short Ribs
• Chop celery, onions and carrots into large dice, and sauté over medium-high heat until they start to take on golden brown color.
• Season shortribs with salt and pepper and sear in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
• Remove and deglaze with red wine.
• Reduce by half and add beef broth or veal stock and chicken stock.
Wild Olive – 2867 Maybank Highway, Johns Island, SC
Serves 10
Ingredients for Fennel Sformato
2 cup Fennel
2 tbsp toasted ground Fennel Seeds
¼ cup Fennel Fronds
2 ½ cup Heavy Cream
¼ cup grated Parmesan
1 tbsp Cornstarch
4 count Eggs (1 yolk, 3 whole)
Method for Fennel Sformato
• Pre-heat the oven to 250º.
• Steep the shaved fennel in heavy cream, on a low simmer, for 30 minutes with a sachet of the toasted fennel seeds and fennel fronds.
• Pull off heat.
• Whisk in the parmesan and cornstarch.
• Purée the mixture in a blender and strain through a strainer.
• Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and temper with the fennel purée.
• Let sit for 15-20 minutes.
• Ladle the mixture into ceramic dishes or aluminum cups that have been sprayed with pan spray.
• Fill them ¾ of the way full and place in a baking dish with a water bath.
• Cook for about 40-45 minutes or until set. Not runny.
• Pull out of oven and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Serve in a dish or un-mold according to preference.
• Serve with a citrus salad.
Blu Restaurant & Bar – 1 Center Street, Folly, Beach, SC
Serves 2
Ingredients for Dumpling Dough
1.75 cups All Purpose Flour
6 Egg Yolks
1 Whole Egg
1.5 tsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Milk
Ingredients for Dumpling Filling
150 grams Pork Belly Lardons
35 grams Spanish Onion, finely diced
50 grams Red Wine Vinegar
50 grams granulated Sugar
50 grams Pork Stock
Ingredients for Corn Soup
400 grams Corn kernels, roughly 4 ears
300 grams Chicken Stock
300 grams Heavy Cream
1 sprig Thyme
20 grams granulated Sugar
Ingredients for Grouper
2 each 5oz. Grouper filets
Kosher Salt
White Pepper, ground
Vegetable oil for searing
Method for the Dough
• In large mixing bowl add all ingredients and gently kneed by hand until dough is formed.
• Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Roll the dough through a pasta roller to roughly ⅛” thick. Once the sheet of dough has been rolled cut the dough into circles with 3″ in diameter.
Method for the Filling
• In sauce pan, render pork belly until crisp.
• Remove and drain on paper towels.
• In same pot add Spanish onion and saute until translucent.
• Next add the red wine vinegar, sugar and pork stock and reduce to syrup consistency.
• Fold in crispy pork belly and cool.
To assemble the Dumplings
• Place 1 tablespoon of filling in center of the dough circle.
• Brush the edges of the dough with egg wash then fold over forming half moon shape.
• Crimp the sealed edges with a fork.
• Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling
Method for the Grouper
• Season grouper filet with salt and white pepper.
• Place into a hot saute pan with a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
• Reduce the heat to medium and allow thick crust to develop on the fish.
• Once the fish is halfway cooked flip the fish and continue cooking on the other side until cooked through.
To Plate
• Boil the dumplings in salted water for 3 to 4 minutes until tender.
• Ladle the soup into a bowl and arrange the cooked dumplings into the soup.
• Place the cooked fish on top of the dish.
Fat Hen – 3140 Maybank Highway, Johns Island, SC
Serves 10
Ingredients for Beans
2 cup dried Black Eyed Peas
1 Ham Hock
4 cup Water
Ingredients for Rice
1 cup Long Grain Rice
1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
7 strips Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, diced
2 tbsp Sweet Butter
½ cup Green Onion, minced
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
Hot Sauce, to taste
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Ingredients for Shrimp & Crab
1 tsp Olive Oil
2 oz White Wine
3 oz Chicken Stock
¼ oz julienne Zucchini
¼ oz julienne Squash
¼ oz julienne Carrot
1 oz Garlic Butter
50 Shrimp
2 oz Jumbo Lump Crab Meat
Method for Beans
• Rinse the beans.
• Put the beans in a medium sauce pot and cover with water. Add the ham hock to the beans.
• Bring the water to a boil and cook until tender. To speed up the cooking time, soak beans overnight.
• When the beans are tender, strain and cool. Reserve the ham hock.
• When cooled, pick the meat off of the ham hock and add it back to the beans.
Method for Rice
• Render the bacon and sweat the onion until tender. Add butter and melt.
• Add the rice and cook for 30 minutes.
• Cover rice with water, about 1 inch.
• Cook until all liquid is gone and rice is tender.
• Spread rice mixture on a sheet tray and cool.
Method for Hoppin’ John
• Mix the rice, beans, and green onion together.
• Season with hot sauce, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
• Remember, the mixture is cold so do not over season. When the dish is heated back up, the flavors will awaken.
Method for Shrimp & Crab Hoppin’ John
• In a sauté pan, add olive oil and heat to a smoking point.
• Add the shrimp and sauté on both sides just to color. Then remove from pan.
• Deglaze pan with white wine.
• Add the julienned vegetables, hoppin’ john, and chicken stock to pan.
• Add shrimp back to the pan along with the crab meat.
• Finish with garlic butter and season with salt and pepper. Check seasoning.
• Place on your favorite serving platter and garnish with chopped parsley.
Middleton Place Restaurant – 4300 Ashley River Road, West Ashley, SC
Serves 12
Ingredients for Tasso Ham Red Rice
1 tbsp EVO 3 Yellow Onions, small dice
2 Red Bell Peppers, small dice
2 Green Bell Peppers, small dice
2 cups Tasso Ham, small dice
4 cups Fresh Tomatoes, peeled with seeds removed
8 cups Tomato Juice
4 cups Rice
Salt & Pepper to taste
Method for Tasso Ham Red Rice
• In a large sauce pot, turn flame to medium high heat and add the EVO, peppers, and onions.
• Sweat until translucent.
• Next add the tomatoes, ham, and tomato juice.
• Bring all ingredients to a boil then add the rice until fully incorporated.
• Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook about 15- 20 minutes or until rice is cooked thoroughly.
• Serve and enjoy!
The Boathouse at Breach Inlet – 101 Palm Blvd, Isle of Palms, SC
Serves 8
Ingredients for Local Clam Pasta
60 Breach Inlet Littleneck Clams
4 tbsp Olive Oil
3 Shallots, minced fine
6 cloves Garlic, minced
4 cups White Wine
1 cup Tomatoes, diced
1 lb Bacon, small diced (preferably applewood smoked)
2 lb Spinach
3 tbsp finely chopped Herbs, such as parsley, chives and basil
Salt & Pepper, to taste 2 lb cooked Pasta, either linguine or fettucine 2 cups Parmesan Cheese
Method for Local Clam Pasta
• Heat the olive oil and bacon in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add the clams and cover with a lid, steaming the clams for about 4 minutes.
• Add garlic and shallots and sauté for 1 minute.
• Add the wine and cover again until the clams open.
• Add the tomatoes, spinach, and butter. Swirl butter into the sauce to make it creamy and shiny.
• Season with salt and pepper and add the herbs.
• Pour the clams over hot pasta and garnish with parmesan cheese.
82 Queen – 82 Queen Street, Charleston, SC
Serves 6
Ingredients for Lowcountry Grits
1 cup Heavy Cream
¼ lb Butter
1 quart Water
2 cup Quick Grits
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Ingredients for Southern Comfort BBQ Sauce
¼ lb Bacon, diced
½ cup Red Onion, diced
½ cup Red Bell Pepper, diced
½ cup Green Bell Pepper, diced
2 14 oz Heinz® Ketchup
½ cup Brown Sugar
3-4 tbsp Southern Comfort®
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Ingredients for Shrimp
2 lb Shrimp
Method for Lowcountry Grits
• Heat cream and water to a boil.
• Add butter, salt, and pepper.
• Slowly add grits and reduce heat.
• Cook for 20 minutes, being careful not to scorch mixture.
Method for Southern Comfort BBQ Sauce
• Cook bacon until almost done.
• Add onions and peppers, and sauté until done.
• Flame with Southern Comfort®.
• Add all the remaining ingredients.
• Simmer for 10 minutes, then cool.
• Sauce will last under refrigeration for several weeks.
Method for Shrimp
• Sauté, poach, or grill the shrimp.
• Place the shrimp in the Southern Comfort® bbq sauce and simmer for 1 minute.
I’ve always been drawn to the trees in this region. Mighty guardian statues that mark the passage of time with wise knowingness. Their giant limbs spreading into the sky and stretching over the southern landscape. I admired those old guys, draped with their mossy beards that lined the driveway as we slowly drove under the alley of boughs to reach the greeting center for Mepkin Abby.
We had made the drive out to the property on a hunt for farm eggs and exercise and discovered that, instead of having to take the dog somewhere out into the forest, we were welcome to walk the property with our bouncy boy. With map in hand, we strolled through the vast gardens that sat along the Cooper River, just northwest of Charleston.
The gardens were developed in 1936 by Clare Luce, the wife of the publisher of “Time and Life” magazine Henry R. Luce. She had plenty of room and money to let her imagination go wild. The monks have been taking care of her creation since they moved out here from Kentucky in 1949. Their numbers have diminished over the years, only eighteen still live on the property. I guess there isn’t a big calling to become a monk nowadays, even though I could see the draw. The simplicity of knowing what you’re doing every day. No bills or distractions from the development of self. A fascinating lifestyle of the original minimalism, devoting your life to prayer, spiritual study, work and hospitality. All of us are so addicted to our gadgets, luxuries and distractions that the majority would probably not know how to function without them.
The monk we had the pleasure to meet who was manning the store was helpful and happy. The store was filled with everything from rosary beads and religious information to handcrafted pottery, great smelling natural soap and the fruits of labor of monks across the country contributing honey, steak rubs and candles. The local guys grow mushrooms and have developed a rich compost for an income now. No eggs for us from these monks. I guess the old guys got busted by PETA for using old school methods and decided it was wise to work with something that didn’t have a heartbeat.
I loved being enveloped by the peace of the area. It was easy to release my tight shoulders. I wanted to grab my yoga mat out of the car. Instead, we hit the Labyrinth. I told my boyfriend about how I had learned about Labyrinths being made for meditation and problem solving. Just a little gem of knowledge locked away in my noggin. I suggested, “As you follow the paths that fold back on themselves, you should try to quiet your mind and breathe deeply”. I took my own advice and trailed his footsteps around the well beaten trail. Running my fingers over the dark brown tufts of dead flower and admiring the winter vegetation with its cool yellows, copper and dark purples waist-high around me. I took a moment to reflect on my journey so far with this man in this city and warmth spread from my core. We paused when we arrived at the center of the path and sat for a moment to take in the steel-colored sky with only the bare, black limbs of the trees that were scattered across the property to break up the solid horizon. I felt grounded and purged of the mess of the metropolis. It’s great to “find yourself” in the middle of nowhere.
No matter what higher power you seek, the Mepkin Abbey is a great opportunity to get out of town, turn off your phone and enjoy a contemplative stroll or the quite companionship of another. The gardens are open to the public daily and they have tours during the week. This summer the fields of flowers will be amazing. Pack a lunch, grab your dog’s leash, shimmy on your yoga pants and enjoy a day away from it all.
Contributing Writer: Tatiana Fisher
Special Thanks to jerrysphotos.us for the photos
By Mark A. Leon
Charleston is known for many rich traditions; its history, dedication to family, high school and college football, tradition and fresh honest to goodness Southern cooking. As locals, we are fortunate to know where the hidden treasures of the South lie. Just a few miles outside of the hustle of the peninsula lies a place filled with fresh organic delight, family service with a smile and a sense of home and that is the Stono Market & Tomato Shed Café.
From the moment you step inside, you are swept away by the elegance of the marketplace with ornaments, trees and holiday décor all around. In the far corner, they are proud of their achievements including the 2012 Critics Choice Award for the Mac Off right in the center of all the press praise. To your right, the market; left the dining area and outside a rustic porch that reminds you of the old country.
It isn’t often you can knock off three birds with one stone, but this is a rare place indeed. There are some lovely holiday decorations ordained throughout Charleston; yet we have not found any as magical as this place. The ornaments and home décor are shining off the shelves waiting for good homes.
The market is a wellness dream from fresh arugula to jams; relishes to red potatoes, shrimp to beets. The entire selection of greens, veggies, seasonings, seafood, jams, relishes and wines will meet all your home cooking needs.
The food in the café is so fresh, it almost melts before it hits your mouth. Here at the Tomato Shed Café, we keep it simple. No fancy plates or glasses. No gimmicks. Just great food that speaks directly to your palate.
The tomato pie, squash casserole, speckled butterbeans and creamy cucumbers and dill were of particular delight among a laundry list of fresh sides to choose from. If you are having challenges choosing a side, order the vegetable plate and select four as your entrée.
Whatever you are in the mood for, there is a selection to meet your appetite. Perhaps a Crab Cake Plate or Wadmalaw Island BBQ Plate or Tomato Shed Shrimp (grilled local shrimp with red and green peppers, onions and tomatoes, a slightly spicy seasoning and 2 sides)
I heard from an insider that the Chocolate Zucchini Bread is heavenly, but come in early if you expect to get your hands on some to go (Baked Fresh for Purchase).
On this day, I had the chicken salad with a side of the tomato pie. The subtle intensity of flavor was incredible. Each bite of that tomato pie and lightly toasted bread and chicken salad was truly delightful. This is also a place to share, so I got to try a few of other sides as well including an incredible squash casserole.
Tomato Shed Café isn’t a place to just come to eat. It is a place to meet, read up on local news, catch up with your neighbors and remember why we love family and good Southern cooking. This may be a little out of the way for some, but we promise you will make an effort to keep coming back.
We came for the lunch and stayed for the market and remembered the smiles and the lingering taste that stayed with us long after we left John’s Island.
Dec 13, 2016 — Mr. Marketing, an IT and Local SEO consulting firm in Charleston, SC, announced the release of Franchise Perfect Circle, a comprehensive web platform with a suite of marketing applications that will modernize and empower franchise organizations to scale up with ease. Franchise Perfect Circle fills in the gaps of WordPress Multisite, a platform that is already extremely popular and quickly gaining traction in the franchise industry. The solution includes a Sandbox system that allows franchisees and their vendors full access to their website to make changes without the possibility of causing harm or disruption to the live site. Other issues with the popular WordPress Multisite platform such as security vulnerabilities, search engine friendly URL structure (Example.com/ca-san-diego/ vs. Example.com/ca/san-diego/) and cost-effective maintenance have all been solved as part of this innovative all-in-one solution. The Franchise Perfect Circle CRM has a Review Manager to request reviews from clients and to track reviews from around the web, an email marketing system, and a truly unique SMS/MMS marketing system that takes marketing automation to a whole new level.
“Franchise Perfect Circle is the culmination of franchise IT problem-solving and internet marketing strategies developed over the past few years. Previously Mr. Marketing has grown from our private label resellers, but with the launch of Franchise Perfect Circle we are going to build a brand and connect with franchise organizations directly. It is a very exciting product, and our team is very excited to demo it for prospective clients,” said Matthew Rubin, President of Mr. Marketing.
Mr. Marketing is an IT and Local SEO firm specializing in marketing franchise, multi-location chains, and real estate agencies. Mr. Marketing works through their agency partners and directly with clients using innovative solutions to lower marketing costs and advanced internet marketing strategies to increase customer acquisition. Mr. Marketing has offices in Mount Pleasant, SC, Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Quezon City, Philippines, and currently employs a team of 19. More information about Franchise Perfect Circle is available at https://franchiseperfectcircle.com or call (843) 410-1046.
Media Release: CHARLESTON, S.C. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seized a large shipment of cocaine upon its arrival in Charleston, S.C., this week.
The shipment of cocaine originated in Cartegena, Colombia, and was ultimately destined for South Carolina. CBP and HSI discovered the cocaine as part of its regular duties pertaining to the investigation of people and goods entering the United States.
HSI investigation into the source of the drugs and their intended recipient is underway. Additional details are not releasable at this time due to the ongoing investigation.
HSI encourages the public to report suspected drug trafficking and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.
By Mark A. Leon
Charleston caters to all kinds. With an expansive plan of growth and development, the thirst for unique individualistic opportunity is prime. Now, more than ever, groups who have been limited by this historically quiet and charming historic town, are now seeing the dawning of a new day.
One such group is the hipster population. What was once a community thriving in areas such as Brooklyn, Minneapolis and Austin, are now seeing places that appeal to their senses.
This is our Ode to the creative and proud hipster population. Here are some places we know will fuel your appetite for adventure and leisure.
If you find yourself taking the half mile walk down the concrete pathway to Morris Island Lighthouse Beach, you will notice something different. Due to the creative artistry of some locals, it is now the Walk of Love. This true “Labor of Love” is a testimony to the meaning of the season and the commitment we have in the Lowcountry to love one another.
This beautiful walk reminds you of how special our home is and why we looked upon with admiration.
Enjoy this picturesque adventure down the Charleston “Walk of Love”
Spread the love Charleston
By Mark A. Leon
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was given the rarest of gifts; a brilliance so rare it was incomprehensible in his time. He felt the music of the world and served as a messenger with his composition. Hints of his brilliance are captured in Kyle Barnette’s latest What If? Productions of Amadeus playing at the Threshold Repertory Theatre.
This carefully scripted masterpiece is only matched by its hauntingly beautiful acting. Brannen Daugherty as Antonio Salieri is triumphant as a man who must fight his inner demons and jealousy for the divine prodigy Mozart while maintaining poise and a level of rationality. What may be one of the most compelling scenes in Charleston theater this season, Daugherty closes the first act with an monologue and impassioned conversation with the Almighty Lord that builds on his madness and jealousy. The power and rawness of this scene is complimented with flawlessly choreographed music and lighting that leaves shivers throughout the audience.
College of Charleston Senior Theater Major Nathan D. Cooper has a promising future ahead of him. His depiction of Mozart is spirited, channeling the madness of genius throughout the performance. His nervous laugh, unrelenting grip on childhood innocence and fierce determination for musical perfection is exquisite. He delivers a performance as inspiring as the compositions of Mozart that have lasted the test of time.
As Mozart’s physical and mental decline is catapulted like a mudslide into a dark cavern, you can see him falling further away from reality to a point where his mind and body are behind his own control. Yet, in these moments where his dreams are leading him to the angel of death, his reaches the pinnacle of success. He greatest requiem occurs when sanity and insanity become one.
As the two worlds of Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart merge, we are brought into a tangled web of deceit, jealously and spiritual uncertainty. This is an empowered evening of drama that is one of the finest shows of the season in Charleston.
James Ketelaar and Bess Lawson, both coming off their triumphant performances in Evil Dead continue to shine as Emperor Joseph and Katherina Cavalieri.
Kimi Hugli is wonderful as Constanze Weber, Mozart’s devoted wife who must compromise her principles and at times her very being to stand firmly by her husband, who spends his life battling demons he cannot control. Her most riveting scenes occur in Act II when she must endure the pain of watching her most loved slip away from her and having no control to stop the inevitable.
A special consideration must be made to Taylor-Ann Spencer for bringing the period of the 1700 and 1800’s Austria to life with the beautiful costume design.
Sometime you find hope in tragedy and theater is a mechanism that can derive extreme emotion. What If? Productions adaptation of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus is a triumph and must see.
By Mary Kiser
The Charleston Music Hall served as a venue to the 9th annual season of the Charleston International Film Festival. The total sixty-five films were separated into blocks throughout Nov. 2nd-6th, but any information about the shorts, features, and documentaries are on the website. That Saturday’s Block 5 showed seven pictures that ran for ninety minutes, and after the curtain call, people rose from their chairs, stretched their limbs, and wandered into the nooks and crannies of Downtown Charleston. Before dessert, I met with a couple directors to learn about their setbacks, achievements, and inspirations.
Test Drive (2 minutes)
American Director Jim Ford based this piece on the principle of authenticity. His visceral representation of a salesman and his client crashed together the fast and the humorous. Stuntman John Vincent Mason drove his vehicle into disaster before announcing, “I’ll take it!” to the stunned onlooker. While this film is shorter than a bathroom break, location derailed Ford for six months. Liability from the wreck generated opposition, and scouts scrambled for locality. A sexagenarian offered her Massachusetts farm in exchange for one bottle of Malibu, and her thirst for rum saved this production from a blowout. Test Drive is not caged, cut, or edited, and the stripped scenes leave the piece with more than just a broken fender captured on-camera. This short is a protest against the humdrum, and Ford and Mason will collide again for the 2017 Hollywood blockbuster Live by Night. Mason doubled as actor Jake Gyllenhaal in certain clips, and Ford offered his services as a seasoned director with over a decade of exposure. Watch the trailer to learn more about this illicit drama.
Barry (10 minutes)
American Director Matthew Graves killed the production with his short about requited love. A man awoke from life to find himself dead underground. His only accompanied treasure is a golden locket with a picture of his wife on the inside. Mimicking a nervous twitch, he gazed at her face every time he heard noises from above. The continuous rumbling startled this man until he lost his possession to an inconvenient hole in his coffin. With only stale air and a blue bottle, he almost unraveled. The clamor grew louder and louder until a random hand broke through dirt and decay to find his. Her palm revealed a golden locket with his picture on the inside, and the man sighed with relief. He gripped his wife’s hand, and they both rested in eternity. Graves and his crew completed the film inside a college dorm within a time limit of two days. He channeled his fascinations with movies like Halloween, entertainment studios like Pixar, and legends like Tim Burton to reel a twist on the quintessential cliché, “Love conquers all.”
The Charleston International Film Festival stemmed from co-founders Summer and Brian Peacher. They moved from Los Angeles, California, to Charleston, South Carolina, because her husband’s hometown resembles a miniature New York City. The thought of fried okra, sweet tea, walking tours, and performing arts are mouthwatering enough, and the Charleston International Film Festival always has a seat for the unconventional Charlestonian. Unlike Redbox movies and mainstream media, this non-profit organization encourages the eccentric, embraces the weird and disavows tradition. Inside the auditorium, viewers can feel the homey vibe. Even though there are opportunities to meet renowned directors and staff, the intimate atmosphere mirrors the warmth of home videos versus the seclusion of empty, isolated picture palaces.
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