T H E M A K E O V E R I S S U E

Before & After

How to renovate, decorate, and transform your home

Chicken Dinners Reimagined

Houseplants That’ll Make You Happy
6 Ways To Frost a Cake
JA N / F E B
2022 Plus: Strawberry Truffles for Your Valentine
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 J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2 Contents
Color Play
A Florida home
makeover that’s
full of inspiration
(page 62)

62 72 82 86
Walking on The Icing Rising and The Miracle
Sunshine on the Cake Shining of a Southern
A ranch-style house Six fantastic frosting recipes In Charlotte, Subrina and Funeral
tucked into the equestrian and decorating techniques Greg Collier have trans- Observe these rules,
town of Wellington, Florida, that will turn a boxed formed the local dining rituals, and recipes for a
gives a vibrant palette cake mix into a dessert fit scene and manifested a proper goodbye.
room to roam. for celebrating. vision that uplifts Black chefs.

SOUTHE RN LI VI NG 3
 Truffles

Bounty
51

trafficking.
every occasion

Arrangements
In Season
Valentine’s Day

What’s In Store

Southern Maker
14 Stationery for

cabbage is a nutri-
tional powerhouse.

lifts up survivors of

a moment to shine.
18 This jewelry line

20 Give carnations
11 Fresh Strawberry

16 Versatile, crunchy
Contents

4 JANUA RY-F E BRUA RY / 202 2

good life

At Home
work wonders

buzzing about.

Kelly rescues a

collected style.
Before & After
The Grapevine

Nashville home
22 Six oils that

24 Secrets to a
Natural Beauty

Southerners are

with her colorful,

down-on-its-luck
31 Designer Meg
28 Find out what
Picture of Health
99
31

Gardener

happy pets
houseplants

The Grumpy

Home School
48 Lessons in
growing pains.

Southern Tails
Growing Guide

46 Healthy and
ideas for creating

44 Alleviate your
38 Hilton Carter’s

lightens up a dated
Working the Room

bedroom in Atlanta.
an indoor oasis with

Southern decorating
42 Clary Bosbyshell
J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2

Suppertime
backing down.
Long Weekend

60 Wintergreen
The South

Resort in Virginia
revival proves this
cowboy town isn’t
Stockyards’ recent

a hearty beef stew.

on chicken dinners
99 Five fresh takes
95 Creole Daube is
The Kitchen
The Welcome Table
51 In Fort Worth, the

Wish You Were Here

38

Southern
and tricks
Over Easy

Life at SL 6

Journal 112
Snack Time
108 Stovetop

In Every Issue
Bacon Popcorn
20

110 Kitchen tips

Cooking School

Recipe Index 111

105 Good-for-you

Puff Pastry Muffins

Healthy in a Hurry

Winter Greens Pesto

106 Cinnamon Swirl

cover photograph by CARMEL BRANTLEY styling by MATTHEW GLEASON

Southern Living (ISSN 0038-4305) January/February 2022, Vol. 57/Issue 1, is published monthly except for a combined issue in January/February by TI Inc. Lifestyle Group, a subsidiary of Meredith Operations Corporation. Principal Office: 4100 Old Montgomery Highway, Birmingham, AL 35209. Periodicals postage paid at Birmingham,
Alabama, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2.) Non-Postal and Military Facilities: Send address corrections to Southern Living Magazine, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement # 40069223. BN # 13200211RT001. ©2022 Meredith Operations
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Corporation. Customer Service and Subscriptions: For 24/7 service, please use our website: southernliving.com/myaccount. You can also call 800/272-4101 or write Southern Living Magazine, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508. Your bank may provide updates to the card information we have on file. You may opt out of this service at
any time. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for change of address. Mailing List: We make a portion of our mailing list available to reputable firms. If you prefer that we not include your name, please call or write us. (See Customer Service and Subscriptions, above.) Address all correspondence to Southern Living, 4100 Old Montgomery Highway, Birmingham, AL
35209; 800/272-4101. SOUTHERN LIVING is staff produced and cannot be held responsible for any unsolicited material. Printed in the U.S.A.
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Life at SL “Gardening is an art, just as
painting is an art.” —EMILY WHALEY

Growth Opportunities
The simple joys of a 50-year-old houseplant

her. I can still picture it next to a large bay

window in her living room in Knoxville,
where it sat for years. Thankfully, it requires
nothing more than a cup of water every once
in a while and some indirect sunlight. When
I told Grumpy that our plant was almost 50
years old, he didn’t seem surprised. “If it’s A Video
happy, it’ll just keep going,” he said. “It’s also
pretty easy to care for, which is why people
Tour of
love it so much.” He told me that these plants Our Cover
are natural climbers in the wild, often scal- Home
ing trees as tall as 80 feet. All they really need Need a little sunshine?
in a home is an object that they can grab Step inside the ranch
onto—a wall, a windowsill, a bookcase—and house makeover of your
there’s no stopping them. dreams. Hold your phone’s
were to walk into our I don’t mean to go on about a common camera over the smart

I
F YO U
kitchen and look to your right, houseplant, but there’s something about this code for a personal video
you would see a vinelike plant one that makes me happy. It’s much less tour of interior designer
Ellen Kavanaugh’s colorful
that has started to climb up the needy than my dogs and children and always
Wellington, Florida, home.
wall. It’s a humble little thing with pleasant to be around. It also seems immune
glossy, heart-shaped leaves, but to the winter doldrums. I hadn’t given it much

LE FT: DAV ID MCCLISTE R; R IGH T: CA R ME L BRAN TLEY, STY L I NG: MATT H EW G L EASON
it caught us by surprise a few thought until I read our story “Happier Plant,
months ago when it began making its way Happier You,” which features Baltimore author
up the shiplap, one board at a time. After and plant fanatic Hilton Carter (@hiltoncarter).
years of being a wallflower, so to speak, it This issue is full of stories about Southerners
suddenly seemed to be stepping out of its who have made positive changes to their
small brown pot. According to Steve Bender, homes, their spaces, or their communities—
aka The Grumpy Gardener, it’s a heartleaf and Carter has done that in a dramatic fashion.
philodendron, sometimes known as the He started with a single fiddleleaf fig back
sweetheart plant because it’s often given for in 2014 and has now surrounded himself
weddings, anniversaries, and other celebra- with several hundred houseplants of every
tory occasions. What’s remarkable about ours size and shape, written three books, and
is that it was originally a gift to my late developed a big following on social media.
mother-in-law, Linda, in the winter of 1972, His philosophy is simple: “When you care
Need help with your sub-
shortly after my wife was born. Like me, for [plants] and see that they’re doing well, scription? Visit southern
it’s older than most of the people on the you’ll receive that joy,” he says. I think he’s living.com/myaccount,
Southern Living staff, but it looks like it’s just onto something. or call 800/272-4101.
getting started.
We inherited the plant after Linda passed Sid Evans, Editor in Chief
away in 2017, but it always reminds us of [email protected]

6 JA NUA RY-F E BRUA RY / 2022

Behind the Scenes

Editor in Chief Sid Evans VP/Group Publisher Deirdre Finnegan

Executive Creative Director Robert Perino VP, Brand Marketing Jennifer Staiman
Executive Editor Krissy Tiglias Associate Publisher Andrea Rogan
Director of Photography Jeanne Dozier Clayton
A DVE RT I S I N G SAL ES
ED ITOR IA L New York Account Directors Steven Cardello,
Production Director Rachel Ellis Taryn Guillermo, Meg O’Mara
Senior Editors Lisa Cericola, Valerie Fraser Luesse, Chicago Account Directors Ashley Connor, Chogie Fields
Page Mullins Southeast Account Directors Holly Belk, Sarah Smith
Senior Writer Marisa Spyker West Coast Account Manager Blair Shales
Features Editor Betsy Cribb Sales Support Britta Meier, Jenny Sikora, Kaitlyn Sutton
Travel & Culture Editor Caroline Rogers
Associate Homes Editor Grace Haynes BRA N D M A RK E T I N G
Assistant Editor Patricia S. York Brand Marketing Director Claire Stevick
Test Kitchen Professional Pam Lolley Homes Marketing Director Kristen Bryan
Business Manager Nellah Bailey McGough Brand Homes Director Nicole Hendrick
Brand Marketing Associate Director Emily Wilson
Kaitlyn Yarborough D ESI G N Homes Program Manager Lil Petrusnek
Associate Art Director Daniel Boone Brand Marketing Coordinator Haley Cinotto
A S S I S TA N T E D I TO R Senior Designer Betsy McCallen Lovell Fellow Cameron Beall
Designer Lindsay Smith
L I C EN S I N G
Part of the Southern Living team PH OTO G RA PHY VP, Licensing Kristen Payne
Associate Photo Editor Mary Katherine Morris Senior Director, Licensing Lisa DeAraujo
since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough is a Photo Coordinator Laura Evans Senior Licensing Manager Michelle Adams
Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, Photographer Robbie Caponetto
CO N SU M E R M A RK ET I N G
who covers a wide variety of topics COPY VP, Planning Philip Ketonis
for both the magazine and website. Copy Chief Libby Monteith Minor Marketing Directors Todd Bierle, Jill DeForest Colvig,
Copy Assistants Katie Akin, Katherine Polcari Julie Martin, Shana Michael
For this issue, she shares her new Retail Directors Christine Austin, Bill Wood
SOUT HER NL IVIN G.CO M
Lone Star State spirit in hopes of Senior Editors Brennan Long, Patricia Shannon
Marketing Managers Emma Squires, Diane Van Zee

inspiring your 2022 travel list (“Fort Editors Rebecca Angel Baer, Katie Strasberg Rousso P RO DUCTI O N
Senior News Writer Meghan Overdeep Production Director Kent Pollpeter
Worth’s Second Rodeo,” page 51). Digital News Writer Tara Massouleh McCay Senior Production Manager Marcia Person
Senior Video Producer Meg Pace Lovett Assistant Production Supervisor Chrystian Colin
Editorial Producer Ivy Odom Hernandez
Associate Editors Mary Shannon Hodes, Jenna Sims
Assistant Editor Kaitlyn Yarborough E X ECU TI V E V I C E P R ESI D EN TS
Fellows Emma Phelps, Marissa Wu Chief Revenue Officer Michael Brownstein Digital Sales
Marla Newman Finance Michael Riggs Marketing &
ED ITORS AT L A RG E Integrated Communications Nancy Weber
Steve Bender, Rick Bragg, Jenna Bush Hager
SE N I O R VI C E P RES I DE N TS
CON TR IBUT IN G E DI TO RS Consumer Marketing Steve Crowe Consumer Revenue
Sheri Castle, Elly Poston Cooper, Jessica B. Harris, Andy Wilson Corporate Sales Brian Kightlinger Foundry
Elizabeth Heiskell, Robert Moss, Elizabeth Passarella, 360 Matt Petersen Product & Technology Justin Law
Ann Taylor Pittman Research Solutions Britta Cleveland Strategic Planning
Amy Thind Strategic Sourcing, Newsstand, Production
MER ED I TH R ESE A RC H SO LU T I O N S Chuck Howell
Research Director Bridget Sellers
V I CE P R ESI D EN TS
MER ED I TH P R EMIU M PU BL I SH I N G Brand Licensing Toye Cody, Sondra Newkirk
Editorial Director Jill Waage Business Planning & Analysis Rob Silverstone

Sheri Castle Executive Creative Director Michael D. Belknap

Special Projects Editor Jessica Thuston
Finance Chris Susil Strategic Development Kelsey
Andersen Strategic Partnerships Alicia Cervini
Design Director Tempy Segrest
C O N T R I B U T I N G E DI TO R Photography Director Paden Reich Vice President, Group Editorial Director Stephen Orr
Operations Editor Diane Rose Keener Chief Digital Content Officer Amanda Dameron
Food writer, recipe developer, ME RE DIT H FOO D ST U DI OS
Director, Editorial Operations & Finance Greg Kayko

cookbook author, and teacher Sheri

PO RTRA ITS : COURTESY E DITO RS

Director Allison Lowery M E RE DI T H CO RP O RAT I O N

Photography Director Sheri Wilson Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Tom Harty
Castle is known for melding story- Test Kitchen Director Katie Barreira Chief Financial Officer Jason Frierott Chief
telling and culinary expertise. She’s Operations Editor Callie Nash Development Officer John Zieser President, Meredith
Local Media Group Patrick McCreery Senior Vice
the host of the PBS North Carolina ME RE DIT H N AT ION A L M EDI A GROU P
President, Human Resources Dina Nathanson
President Catherine Levene
show The Key Ingredient with Sheri President, Consumer Products Tom Witschi
Senior Vice President, Chief Communications
Officer Erica Jensen
Castle. For this issue, she developed President, Meredith Digital Alysia Borsa
EVP, Strategic & Business Development Daphne Kwon
the recipes for “The Miracle of a Vice Chairman Mell Meredith Frazier

Southern Funeral” (page 86).

8 JAN UA RY-F E BRUA RY / 2022 PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

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 W H AT W E ’ R E L O V I N G ,
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R ECIP ES: ME LISSA GRAY; FOO D STYLIN G: E MILY N ABO RS HA L L ; P ROP ST YL I NG: C LAI R E SP OL L EN

VA L EN TI N E’S DAY

MIX IT UP
One batch of this
How Sweet!
recipe can be split Same old chocolate-dipped
in half to make
two different strawberries? Not this year
flavors of truffles.

photographs by VICTOR PROTASIO SOUTHER N LI VING 11

 chocolate in a
bowl. Using a fork,
dip truffles, 1 at a
time, in remaining
melted white
chocolate until fully
coated, allowing
Tipsy Strawberry excess to drip off.
Truffles
Place truffles on a
Prepare recipe as
parchment paper-
directed through
lined baking sheet.
Step 2, substituting
Stir red liquid
1 Tbsp. brandy
food coloring into
and 1⁄4 tsp. vanilla
reserved 2 Tbsp.
extract for 1 tsp.
melted white
zest. Proceed with
chocolate until
Step 3 as directed,
desired color is
substituting 1⁄4 cup
reached. Using a
finely chopped
fork, drizzle pink
(using food
chocolate mixture
processor) freeze-
over the dipped
dried strawberries
truffles. (Or transfer
(from 1 [0.8-oz.]
pink chocolate
pkg.) for sanding
mixture to a small
sugars.
ziplock plastic
Creamy freezer bag, cut
Strawberry- a small hole in
Fresh Strawberry Truffles Vanilla Bean corner of bag, and
ACTIVE 20 MIN. - TOTAL 20 MIN., PLUS 1 HOUR, 30 MIN. CHILLING Truffles pipe over dipped
MAKES 24 Prepare recipe as truffles.) Let truffles
directed through stand at room
3 medium fresh strawberries, will be thick), about 45 to 60 seconds Step 2, substituting temperature until
trimmed total. Stir in lemon zest and salt until 2 tsp. vanilla bean chocolate sets,
21⁄3 cups (14 oz.) white chocolate chips well combined. Stir in food coloring, paste for 1 tsp. zest about 15 minutes.
(from 2 [11-oz.] pkg.) in Step 2. Scoop
if desired. Cover with plastic wrap,
1 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream and refrigerate until firm, about 1 1⁄2 and roll chilled
1 tsp. grated lemon zest (from to 2 hours. white chocolate
1 lemon) mixture into balls
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
3. Stir together pink and white
as directed in Step
Red liquid food coloring (optional)
sanding sugars in a shallow dish.
3. Microwave 1
Scoop chilled white chocolate
2 Tbsp. pink sanding sugar (11-oz.) pkg. white
mixture into 24 portions using the
2 Tbsp. white sanding sugar chocolate chips
large side of a melon baller or a
in a medium-size
1. Place strawberries in a food small (about 1 1⁄4 inches in diameter)
heatproof bowl on
processor or blender; process until cookie scoop. Working with 1
HIGH in 30-second
smooth, stopping to scrape down portion at a time and using hands,
intervals, stirring
sides as needed, about 30 seconds. roll each portion into a ball, and
after each interval, Strawberry-
Pour through a fine mesh strainer place in sugar mixture, tossing Coconut Truffles
until melted, about
into a small bowl, pressing pulp with gently to coat fully. Place on a Prepare recipe as
1 minute total.
the back of a spoon to release all parchment paper-lined baking sheet. directed, substitut-
Reserve 2 Tbsp.
juices; discard pulp. Measure 1⁄4 cup Serve immediately, or store in an ing 1 tsp. coconut
melted white
strawberry puree. airtight container in refrigerator extract for zest in
2. Combine white chocolate chips, for up to 1 week or in freezer for Step 2 and 1 1⁄4 cups
whipping cream, and 1⁄4 cup straw- up to 2 months. Let chilled truffles finely chopped
berry puree in a medium-size stand at room temperature for sweetened flaked
heatproof bowl. Microwave on HIGH 30 minutes before serving. Or (if coconut for
in 15-second intervals, stirring after frozen) thaw truffles in refrigerator sanding sugars
each interval, until melted (mixture overnight. in Step 3.

1 2 JAN UA RY- F EBRUA RY / 2022

 IN SEASON

5
2 6
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7 8 9

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14 JAN UARY-F EBRUARY / 202 2 by PAGE MULLINS photograph by ROBBIE CAPONETTO

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 IN SEASON

BOU NT Y

Tangy 3 Tbsp. granulated

Crazy for Cabbage Rainbow

Slaw
sugar; 1 tsp. toasted
sesame oil; 1 1∕2 tsp.
kosher salt; and
1∕4 tsp. crushed
Don’t be fooled by its humble looks. Cabbage is a Whisk together red pepper in a
nutritional powerhouse—a good source of vitamins C 1∕4 cup each large bowl. Stir
unseasoned rice in 3 cups each
and K, among other benefits. Now that it’s in season, vinegar, olive thinly sliced green
the versatile veggie is extra sweet and crunchy oil, and lime juice; cabbage and red
cabbage, 2 cups
thinly sliced
Honeycrisp
apple, 1 cup each
matchstick carrots
and thinly sliced
yellow bell pepper,
and 1∕2 cup thinly
sliced scallions
until thoroughly
coated. Stir in
1∕3 cup chopped
fresh cilantro,
and top with
1∕4 cup coarsely
chopped roasted
lightly salted
peanuts just
before serving.
ACTIVE 20 MIN.
TOTAL 25 MIN.
SERVES 8

R ECIP E: PA M LOLLEY; FOO D STY LIN G: E MILY N ABO RS HA L L ; P ROP ST YL I NG : C HR ISTI N E KE ELY
The Best Way To
Core Cabbage
Using a sharp
chef’s knife, split
the cabbage in
half and then into
quarters. Cut
off and discard
the core/stem
section from each
piece. Finally, slice
COLORFUL each quarter as
CRUNCH desired.
This slaw is great
paired with any
protein or tucked
into a sandwich.

16 JAN UARY-FE B RUA RY / 2022 by LISA CERICOLA photograph by VICTOR PROTASIO

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 IN SEASON

JEWELS OF HOPE
Hayes’ collection
includes almost
200 beautiful
designs.

SOU T HE R N M AK E R
STY LIN G: MA RY BE TH W E TZE L

Finding Sanctuary
Rescued from a life of trafficking, Holly Christine Hayes now dreams up a line of
jewelry with help from an all-survivor team
BY MARISA SPYKER

1 8 JA NUARY- FE BRUARY / 2022 photographs by ROBBIE CAPONETTO

 SOUTHERN MAKER

“When I was in
recovery, the thing
that was most
integral for me was
finding meaningful
employment that
helped rebuild my
sense of self-worth.”

Since the company’s inception, Hayes has

employed 34 survivors in every aspect of the
business, from marketing to hands-on jewelry
making. “Our goal isn’t for women to stay here
forever,” she says. “We want to help people figure
Spreading Love
out what their passions are so we can empower
Holly Christine
Hayes in her them to move into their lifelong careers.”
Nashville home In the meantime, Hayes has leveraged the
diverse backgrounds of her team to expand her
line of hope-inspired jewelry into a collection of
nearly 200 pieces. Big wins for the relatively young
I K E M A N Y W H O step through the doors of a brand have followed, including partnerships with target.com

L
church, Holly Christine Hayes has often found and the subscription box FabFitFun. After a move to Nashville
the answers she was looking for there. In her last year, she has plans to open a second office in Tennessee.
early twenties, she found refuge in her Christian But even with all the company’s accomplishments, Hayes
beliefs while overcoming the trauma of a past is quick to point out that a flourishing business is merely the
mired in trafficking, domestic abuse, and addic- by-product of a larger goal. “To me, the biggest sign of success
tion. But later, standing among the pews of a is seeing how the women’s lives have been transformed,” she
grand Parisian cathedral where she worked as a worship says. “Two of our employees bought their first homes last year.
leader, Hayes began to notice its physical beauty as well. “I One is about to graduate with a master’s degree in social work.
would look up at the stained glass windows and imagine them Watching them move into the careers and lives they’ve dreamed
on earrings or the marble pillars on a necklace,” she says. “Soon of—those are the successes I’m really measuring.”
I’d envisioned this entire line of jewelry.”
So, after returning home to the U.S. and settling in Austin,
Texas, Hayes began to realize her dream. Armed with a scrappy
sense of determination, she turned to YouTube to learn the
logistics of the craft. Once her fresh, feminine style of jewelry
started getting noticed, she asked for help from other survivors Healing Stone
she’d met while volunteering at a local jail. “First it was one Turquoise
woman working in my kitchen, and then it was four,” she says. (a symbol of
Just four years later, Hayes’ mission through her fashion protection)
Diamond Drop
line and nonprofit, Sanctuary Project (sanctuaryproject.com), Earrings, $48
has become much more about lifting up other survivors than
it is about the jewelry itself. “When I was in recovery, the thing
that was most integral for me was finding meaningful employ-
ment that helped rebuild my sense of self-worth,” she says.

SOUTHER N LIV I NG 19
 IN SEASON

AR RAN G EM EN TS

Carnations Need
Some Love
Birmingham florist Carolyn Chen
gives these modest flowers their
long-overdue shining moment

STY LIN G: CA RO LY N C HE N

20 JANUA RY-F EB RUA RY / 2022 by BETSY CRIBB photographs by HECTOR MANUEL SANCHEZ
 ARRANGEMENTS

WH E N IT CO MES to blooms, carnations compelling choice for arrangements. Bring On the Wow
may not win a popularity contest. “The “Each of them is so unique looking, espe- Inspired by moody still life
floral industry kind of publicized them as cially the trendy dyed versions that they’re art from the Netherlands,
fillers,” says Carolyn Chen, owner of Wild coming out with,” she notes. Blooms last Chen twirled up eight
Things in Birmingham. She also notes pop forever too. “This arrangement looked selections of carnations to
culture’s influence—namely a Sex and the the same for probably three weeks. They make a dramatic arrange-
City episode in which a character predicts keep their color and are some of the har- ment that’s worthy of center
a date will be bad when a man gives her a diest flowers you can find,” says Chen. stage. “The Dutch masters’
bouquet of the offending flowers. “Things Combine the variety and longevity paintings have the most
like that have snowballed into a big red X with a price of around $1 per stem, and expensive flowers in them,
on carnations,” she explains. you have a cost-effective flower that like peonies, garden roses,
But there’s a lot to love about them. packs a modern punch. Here’s how she and parrot tulips,” says the
The wide variety available makes them a made an arrangement that does just that. florist. “We wanted to show
that it’s possible to create
an arrangement like those
using the most affordable
flower and still have it look
really awesome.”
‘Solomio Tino’
spray carnation
Vary the Heights
Even if you’re working with
‘Zurigo’ grocery store flowers, you
carnation can still design a stunning
‘Antigua’ bouquet. “To help give your
carnation
arrangement a little more
‘Lege Pink’ of a dynamic feel, cut the
carnation stems in short, medium, and
tall lengths,” advises Chen.
Also play around with their
‘Caramel’
placement in the vase rather
carnation than just dropping them in,
she suggests.

Build from the

Bottom Up
Make the base by incorporat-
ing all the different carnation
‘Raffine
selections. Layer in several
Petit Fay’
spray more blooms to shape the
carnation arrangement, and fill in any
‘Hypnosis’ holes with some stems of
carnation
greenery. (Keep the foliage
minimal to let the carnations
do the talking, says Chen.)
‘Medea’
spray
Finally, pick a few colors
carnation to serve as the standout
flowers, and tuck those
in, choosing blooms that
have long stems so they are
Know Your Carnations showcased on the outside of
Ask a florist to source these spectacular heirloom selections the display.

SOU THERN L IVING 2 1

 IN SEASON

(1) Summer Fridays Heavenly

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strivectin.com (3) Kiehl’s
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22 JAN UARY- FE BRUA RY / 2022 by PATRICIA SHANNON photographs by ROBBIE CAPONETTO

 P I C T U R E O F H E A LT H

SEC RE TS TO A G O O D L I FE

Living Well After Loss

Alisha Reed is creating a community of healing for widows

about her experiences

as a mourning widow
too. “I wanted to share H OUS E CA L L
my journey of grief and
let people know that Common
you can grieve and still
be happy,” says Reed.
Cold or
“A lot of people COVID-19?
don’t believe those
things can coexist.” While we may not
She started a support know exactly what
group for other wid- cold-and-flu
ows in March 2020. season will look
Their conversations like this winter, Dr.
were therapeutic, Kathryn Moffett of
and in an effort to WVU Medicine pre-
share these insights
dicts lots of testing
with a larger audience,
for COVID-19. “It’s
Reed created The FLY
Widow podcast (FLY is
hard to distinguish
an acronym for “First between [the new
Love Yourself”). She coronavirus] and
FOR Y EARS, pharmacist Dr. Alisha Reed launched it on December 23, 2020—the other viruses unless
we test,” she notes.

MA IN IMAGE : COURTESY GRE E N STILL PH OTO GRA PH Y; R IG HT: COURTESY W VU M EDI C INE
inspired women to live their best lives one-year anniversary of her husband’s
through her blog, Nola Bougie. “Women death. “I thought, ‘Christmas will forever “The only thing that
are often told that once you’re married or be a reminder that my husband isn’t here, stands out is that
have kids, your life is no longer for you; so I want to do something that’ll make COVID-19 causes
your life is over,” says Reed. “I didn’t me happy around that time,’ ” she recalls. you to lose taste
believe that…I wanted to encourage other For Reed, hosting the podcast and and smell. All other
women to not buy into it either.” She talking to other widows has been heal-
symptoms could
shared everything with her followers, ing. “Everyone thinks that self-care has
be the same—sinus
from hotel stays to wellness tips. When to be a spa day or massage or pedicure,”
her husband unexpectedly died of a heart she says. “But it’s doing whatever you
pressure, congestion,
attack in December 2019, she opened up need to do to feel like you again.” headache, and achi-
ness.” That’s why she
says it’s important to
stay home “if you’re
feeling ill, have a
scratchy throat, or
A Rough Season for Psoriasis suspect something is
What to know this winter: Triggers for this skin condition vary from person to person, coming on.”
but winter weather can often cause flare-ups due to decreased sunlight and humidity out-
doors and increased exposure to dry, heated air indoors. If the cold irritates your psoriasis,
speak with a physician about managing symptoms. psoriasis.org

24 JAN UARY-FE BRUA RY / 2022 by BETSY CRIBB

Vitamin B1 Vitamin B12
generates energy for builds myelin sheath that
your nerves* helps protect nerves*
Vitamin B6 Alpha-Lipoic Acid
creates neurotransmitters promotes healthy blood flow
for nerve communication* to your nerves*
 P I C T U R E O F H E A LT H

Pour your
heart
G RE AT G E AR

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Made with
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26 JANUARY- FEBRUARY / 2022

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 THE GRAPEVINE
W H AT S O U T H E R N E R S A R E B U Z Z I N G A B O U T

A Music
City Classic
The grande dame of
Nashville stays is better
than ever. First opened in
1910, The Hermitage Hotel
unveiled a major redesign
last fall, including a resto-
ration of its amazing Beaux

C LOC KW IS E F ROM TO P: TH OM AS JUU L- H ANS EN ; AI MÉE MAZ Z EN GA; COURT ESY BE N RAI NES; SUSAN RAIN ES
Arts-style lobby. In Novem-
ber, it also debuted a new
restaurant and bar, Drusie
& Darr (pictured at right),
which was named for the
children of the hotel’s
general manager from back
in the 1950s and 1960s.
thehermitagehotel.com

Alabama investigative
journalist Ben Raines made
Her Descendants, and an
Flashes of
headlines in January 2018
Extraordinary Reckoning,
out January 25. “The reason
Brilliance
when he found wreckage [Clotilda and this book] are Houston designer Paloma
that was thought to be so important and powerful Contreras launched her
Clotilda, the last known ship is what they give to the first lighting collection
to bring enslaved men and African American diaspora, with Texas-based Visual
women from Africa to the which is a story most of Comfort last fall. Her line
U.S. His discovery wasn’t them don’t have...” he says. boasts room-transforming
pieces, including sculptural
actually the infamous “Some of the only firsthand
antique brass chandeliers,
vessel, but in April 2018, he accounts of the African slave
curvy glazed lamps, and
and his team located another trade, the Middle Passage, polished nickel sconces.
sunken ship off Mobile’s and life as an enslaved circalighting.com
The Clotilda, coast. Thirteen months later, person come from [the
Uncovered archaeologists determined passengers of Clotilda]...
A new book that his second find was, It’s the story of so many
explores why a in fact, Clotilda, confirming people who were brought
sunken slave ship history that had largely been here from Africa. Everyone
that’s over 160 dismissed as legend in the whose family members
years old still area. Now, Raines were enslaved now
matters has written The has an account that
Last Slave Ship: tells them their own
The True Story history, in a way.”
of How Clotilda $28; simonand
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28 JAN UARY- F EBRUA RY / 2022 by BETSY CRIBB

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 B E A U T I F U L S PA C E S F O R
A BETTER LIFE
At Home
OFF THE WALL
A graphic pattern
(Schumacher’s
Deconstructed
Stripe) dresses
up the entryway
walls. “It reads
as a neutral, so
I can layer it
with anything,”
says homeowner
Meg Kelly.

BEFO RE & AF T E R

Ranch
Revival
STY LING: MATTH EW GLE ASO N

Designer Meg Kelly

rescues a down-on-its-
luck Nashville home with
her colorful, collected style
BY GRACE HAYNES

photographs by ALISON GOOTEE SOUTHE RN LI VI NG 31

 BEFORE & AFTER

Add an Element
of Surprise
H EN I WA LK ED IN this house, it made me feel like I was at A home shouldn’t give away all

W
my granny’s,” says designer Meg Kelly. Her East Nashville its secrets the minute someone
ranch-style home had only one previous owner, and the steps through the door. To set
interiors hadn’t been redone since it was built in 1963. Out- apart the living room, Kelly put
dated features like dark wood paneling and a compact, closed- up two faux walls to establish a
off floor plan would have scared away many prospective formal entryway (below). A vin-
buyers. (“There were doors everywhere!” she says.) But thanks tage record cabinet anchors the
to her professional background in roll-up-your-sleeves renovations, she saw endless space. When she’s not tackling
potential. “I wanted a fixer-upper so I could put my influence on it,” says Kelly, who other projects, Kelly is scouring
recently launched her Nashville-based interiors studio, Clella Design (which she thrift stores and antiques shops
named after her Granny Clella, who she says “fancied herself a designer”). Kelly for treasures to fill her home.
marked projects off her checklist in phases, starting by ripping down a wall to create
an open kitchen-and-living area that’s prime for entertaining. Now, she says, “There
isn’t a single piece of this house that I haven’t touched.” With bold color combinations,
a mix of vintage and modern furniture, and an ever-growing art collection, she
infused her dated rancher with new life. Steal her decorating ideas here.

3 2 JA NUA RY-F E BRUA RY / 2022

 BEFORE & AFTER

Shown on bottom left

Lean On Old
Favorites
A beloved piece by
artist Wayne Pate
inspired the colors
woven throughout
the house. “Green
and red is one of my
favorite combos. I like
to prove that those
two can play nicely OUT OF THE
BLUE
and won’t make it
Repainting the
feel like a Christmas table’s base
space,” says Kelly. In gave the
the living room, a thrifted find a
pair of antique Taoist striking look
and tied it into
panels from Etsy ties
the color
the palette together. scheme.
“I buy what I love
and will find a space
for it,” she says. No
room of Kelly’s is
complete without
at least one quirky
piece, like the funky
wooden bench given
to her by her mom.

Before

Reimagine the Open Floor Plan

A vintage rug from Etsy helps distinguish the dining area within the
open-concept layout. “It was also important to drop a light fixture here
Dark wood paneling so it feels like its own little room,” she adds. The designer balanced
made the dining area the modern black pendant and Wishbone chairs with a vintage
feel even smaller.
Kelly accentuated the
glass-top table. “If you have a small space with light coming in from
room’s natural light by outside, take advantage of that and paint it white,” says Kelly. Salvaged
painting it white. doors open to the porch.

SOU THERN LIV ING 3 3

 BEFORE & AFTER

Before
Kelly maintained the
kitchen’s original
layout. Ripping out the
heavy upper cabinetry
helped the space feel
light and open.

GINGERLY FASHION Camouflage Budget Buys

She filled an awkward cubby While much of the existing floor plan stayed intact, the dreary kitchen needed a
above the refrigerator with
total gut job. “I wanted to maximize its footprint and have a nice island,” says Kelly,
her blue-and-white porcelain
collection, which she can easily who customized cabinetry from a big-box store with Carrara marble atop the
pull down for arrangements. island and warm butcher block along the perimeter. She painted the original
wood-paneled walls bright white (PPG’s Delicate White, PPG1001-1). “You can use
art to make a kitchen feel a bit more lived-in,” she says.

3 4 JAN UA RY-F EBRUA RY / 2022

 BEFORE & AFTER

Create a Cozy Haven

“A bedroom is where you can be playful,” says Kelly. Here, she skipped
the main living areas’ airy scheme and chose a moodier tone, cov-
ering the ceiling, trim, and doors in her signature green (Sherwin-
Williams’ Arugula, SW 6446). “It’s important to be surrounded by
pieces that I love in my bedroom,” says Kelly, who’s using her evolving
art collection to “wallpaper” the space. She chose a rattan bed for
warmth, an ikat quilt for pattern, and a fur blanket for texture.

ON REPEAT
A trio of accent
pillows brings the
entryway’s print
into the bedroom.

Think Big in Small Spaces

“Bathrooms give you the opportu-
nity to add even more personality,”
says Kelly, who brought in the
existing palette with a whimsical
Brunschwig & Fils wallcovering. “I
love how wallpaper can completely
transform a space.” The designer
balanced the simple tile wainscot
with patterned marble flooring
to elevate the look. Removing a
bulky vanity and replacing it with
a sleeker pedestal sink helped give
this compact bath a little more
breathing room.

Before
Kelly relied on the
power of paint to
give the sleepy
1960s bedroom
a modern refresh.

SOU THERN L IVING 35

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 AT H O M E

Recommended Reading
Find more inspiration in Wild
Creations, the latest book by
Hilton Carter (who’s pictured
at left in his Baltimore home).

RANK TH E FIG started it

F
all. After moving to New
Orleans as a filmmaker,
Hilton Carter walked into
a local plant shop in
search of a tree for his
new home. He left with a
bushy fiddleleaf fig, which he lovingly
dubbed “Frank.” Carter’s first houseplant
blended style and function; the organic
element would bring his bare apartment
to life while also serving as a natural
screen from the bustling streets of the
French Quarter outside. A single plant
soon became two, and by the time he
moved back to his hometown of Balti-
more, Carter had collected 60 (all of
which made the trip).
Frank and his leafy comrades had
brought more than just greenery into their
owner’s space. Through caring for them
and studying their individual nuances,
Carter had learned more about himself
too. “While tending to these plants, I
found joy in seeing the positivity of new
growth. Due to that excitement, the peo-
ple around me reaped the benefit of a
happier Hilton. I was also learning how
to be a bit more patient with and aware
of the people around me through nurtur-
ing these living things,” he recalls. While
G ROWIN G GU ID E setting down roots in Baltimore, Carter
sowed a side hustle that combined his

Happier Plant,
passions for houseplants and interior
styling. He started posting photos of ferns,
fiddleleaf figs, philodendrons, and more

Happier You
specimens alongside practical care tips
on Instagram (@hiltoncarter), which
caught the attention of the plant-loving
community. Carter’s hobby soon blos-
Step into the wild world of stylist Hilton Carter, somed into a full-blown career—he has
and take home his ideas for designing an oasis where now published three books, launched a
the indoors and outdoors meet limited-time product line at Target, and
BY GRACE HAYNES hosted a show on the Magnolia Network.

3 8 JAN UARY- FE BRUA RY / 2022 photographs by GABRIELA HERMAN

 Pugster Blue® Butterfly Bush: FRAGRANT FLOWERS,
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and testing for color, quantity of blooms, reliability, foliage and ability to
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 Carter (whose personal plant collec-
tion has expanded to include several
hundred) likes to offer this piece of
advice: “Happier plant, happier you.” He
explains, “It’s not just about having plants.
When you care for them and see that
they’re doing well, you’ll receive that joy.”
Here, Carter shares tips for creating a
stylish space with flourishing plants, plus
his top picks for novices.

Natural Shine
“Wiping down the
foliage with a damp
cloth takes off a layer
of dust and allows
more light to hit the
leaves,” says Carter.

Carter recommends using

a moisture meter to check
Personal Growth the dryness of each pot’s
Carter’s number one tip? Patience. soil before watering again.
“The more plants you bring in, the
more difficult it’s going to be to prop- Ground Control
erly manage them,” he says. Once Maintaining healthy plants starts at the
you’ve found the right amount of light bottom. Carter’s picks (on opposite page)
and water, taking the time to tend to prefer fast-drying, well-aerated soil. For
each individual houseplant will help it ‘Marble Queen’ pothos and Chinese
thrive. “Plants can transform the look evergreen, he uses a ratio of 80% potting
and feel of your house, but they also mix and 20% perlite. To grow the pony-
need the care and love you’d provide tail palm, ZZ plant, and snake plant, he
any other living thing. When you get mixes 20% perlite, 10% sand, and 70% Tools for Success
it right, you’ll reap the true benefits potting mix. For a more standard soil, For the best results, you’ll need a
moisture meter, a light meter,
of having them in your life,” he says. these three options can also be planted shears (for pruning), watering cans
Overwatering is a common mistake in cactus or succulent mix (sold in bags (with small and large spouts), and
made by beginners. To avoid harm, at garden shops or nurseries). a mister (for tropical houseplants).

40 JA NUARY-F EBRUA RY / 2022

 GROWING GUIDE

Pretty
Houseplants
That Are
Hard To Kill
Bring the look of Carter’s organic
interiors into your home with five
low-maintenance options
Snake Plant ZZ Plant
Lots of water not required. Allow it to Tolerates low light and infrequent
stay completely dry for two to three watering. Let the soil stay dry for two to
weeks before watering again; use three weeks (measuring with a moisture
a moisture meter to check the soil. Put a meter) before giving it another drink. “It’s
snake plant in bright indirect sun to important to rotate your ZZ plant every
encourage new growth; place in a low-light few weeks,” adds Carter, who says this
corner of your home to maintain its look. helps the thick stems grow upright.

‘Marble Queen’ Pothos Ponytail Palm Chinese Evergreen

Place this plant in medium light so the Be prepared: This plant requires a lot of Since it’s prone to getting overwatered,
foliage continues developing its off-white light to thrive, so set it in a spot with use a moisture meter to gauge the status
mottled look. Water once the soil is dry bright indirect light or direct sun. Rotating of the soil. A Chinese evergreen needs a
according to a moisture meter. “A ‘Marble it regularly is important for balanced drink as soon as the soil is dry. If you see
Queen’ pothos talks to you about its need foliage and growth. Once the soil is the leaves start to faint, water right away.
for moisture. If it wants to say it’s dry, the completely dry, let it sit that way for two It tolerates low light, but for new growth,
foliage will curl up,” says Carter. to three weeks before watering again. set it in medium-to-bright direct sun.

SOUTHER N LI VING 41
 AT H O M E

WORK I NG T HE RO OM

Finding the Potential

Drawing on a Dutch Colonial home’s original architecture, designer Clary Bosbyshell
lightens up a dark, dated bedroom in Atlanta’s Peachtree Heights neighborhood

H EIDI HA RR IS PH OTOGRA PH Y

PRINTS CHARMING
Bosbyshell picked a classic Colefax and Fowler fabric as the
centerpiece of the design. Though the Bowood pattern was
created in the 1930s, a new colorway (White/Leaf) kept the
look current but rooted in tradition as a nod to the home’s
history. She says Bowood is best used in a “more-is-more way”
and chose it for both the wallcovering and coordinating fabric.

4 2 JAN UARY-F E BRUA RY / 202 2 by MARY SHANNON HODES

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 AT H O M E

THE GRUMPY GARDENER

and the leaves have lots

of white spots on them.
What can I do for it?
—DARLENE

This sounds like an infesta-

tion of an insect called false
oleander scale that sucks
sap from the leaves. It builds
a shell over itself, preventing
regular insecticides from
killing it. So apply a systemic
insecticide that’s absorbed by
the plant, like BioAdvanced
Tree & Shrub Insect Control,
according to the label direc-
tions. Do this in the spring,
just as the new leaves are
unfurling.
“The court has decided. Let the beheading begin!”

Memorial
Trees
BY ST EV E B EN D ER I live in Glencoe, Alabama,
people. It’s a shame, but and would like to plant some

DEAR
it’s so true. Hope remains, pretty evergreen trees in our
though. In spring, each family cemetery to honor
stump will send out lots loved ones who have passed
of shoots. Let them get away. Perhaps sequoias?

GRUMPY
1 to 2 feet long, and then —REBEKAH
remove all except for two
well-spaced shoots that are Evergreen trees are popular
growing up and out. These for cemetery planting, as
will become the new main their foliage reminds us that
limbs. As they grow, prune seasons pass but memories
HELP! My husband told our lawn off any side branches up to last forever. Unfortunately,
person to trim everything, and my a height of 4 to 5 feet. In a sequoias don’t grow well in
few years, your crepe myr- Alabama. Our classic native
crepe myrtle that I’d been grooming tle will recapture its former Eastern red cedar (Juniperus
with a nice high canopy was beauty as long as YOU man- virginiana) is a much better
beheaded. I’m devastated! How can age the pruning. choice. It has deep green
needles and a conical shape,
I return it to its former beauty? and it’s easy to grow. South-
—AMY A Matter ern magnolia (Magnolia
of Scales grandiflora) is another good
My Southern magnolia here option (especially one named
Amy, what you wanna do? (Music by Pure Prairie League.) in South Georgia doesn’t ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’),
This is what can happen when you don’t watch lawn produce many flowers, as are American holly (Ilex

4 4 JAN UARY- FE BRUA RY / 2022 illustration by JONATHAN BROWN

 THE GRUMPY GARDENER
Ask the Grump! No question
goes unanswered on his
Facebook page: facebook
.com/slgrumpygardener.

opaca), Japanese cryptome- 3 to 4 feet high. Spreading

ria (Cryptomeria japonica), rampantly by rhizomes and
and deodar cedar (Cedrus thriving almost anywhere, it
deodara). These all get big is one plant you never want
eventually, so for something to put in a container that has KNOW
YOUR
smaller, try ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ a drainage hole. Let it come PLANTS
holly (I. x ‘Nellie R. Stevens’), up again in spring, cut it back,
‘Spartan’ Chinese juniper and then apply BioAdvanced
(Juniperus chinensis ‘Spar- Brush Killer to the fresh cuts
tan’), or common camellia according to label directions.
(Camellia japonica). You’ll have to do this more
than once. After all, this plant
survived the killer asteroid
Ancient that torched the T. rex.
Invader
Horsetail escaped from a
container years ago and is
Cutting
spreading through my flower
Advice
beds. I cut it back before I have ‘Fashion’ evergreen
frost in fall. Is there some- azaleas and am never sure
thing I can use to kill it? when to prune them. Now?
—LENDA —LISA

Also known as scouring Drop those pruners, Lisa!

Winter Honeysuckle
rush, horsetail (Equisetum Cutting back your azaleas Powerful fragrance from its little flowers
hyemale) belongs to a single now would remove all the perfumes the garden
surviving genus of plants flower buds for the spring.
that predates the dinosaurs. The best time to trim them
It forms clusters of upright, is immediately after they As my wife, Judy, and I strolled our
hollow, leafless stems about finish blooming. neighborhood, she stopped and
exclaimed, “Wow! What smells so
sweet?” I located the source some
distance away—winter honeysuckle
(Lonicera fragrantissima). The scent
THANKSGIVING CACTUS and emanates from the small, white
Christmas cactus are two of my
favorite houseplants because they
flowers for weeks in winter on this
are easy to grow and live such a long large semievergreen bush. Red
time. I’ve had three for more than a berries that form in summer can
decade, but alas, a sad truth recently cause unwanted seedlings. Prevent
manifested itself: They’re incompati-
G R U M P Y ’S ble with cats. Felines insist on rubbing
them with a good pruning right after
GRIPE against everything, but cacti are brittle the flowers drop. Plant in full to part
of the month and will snap at the slightest contact. sun in well-drained soil in USDA
Undoubtedly, someone out there
Zones 4 to 8. Winter honeysuckle
is muttering, “Why don’t you just
put them somewhere the cats can’t isn’t pretty unless it’s blooming, so put
reach?” But no such place exists. it in the background. —Steve Bender

illustration by KENDYLL HILLEGAS SOU THERN L IVING 45

 S O U T H E R N TA I L S

P ET I QUE T TE

Tech Support
Two smart gadgets
PET to simplify the lives of
OF THE
MONTH pet owners

Instagram
@houseand
gardendog
Bloom Browser
On the weekends,
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The Constant Gardener

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COURTESY PHA E DRA BROWN ; PRO DUCTS : COU RT ESY VE ND ORS

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A
W E ST I E I S

Ò
tugs on your heart,” says love of gardening. “He is my faithful assis- Cleaning Litter Box,
Phaedra Brown of her dog, tant and likes to dig holes, though never Second Generation
Wellie, a West Highland where I actually need them!” she says. With an automatic hands-
white terrier (or Westie “Wellie’s name is a perfect fit for him, as free cleaning cycle, this
for short). Odes to this he has no qualms about taking morning litter box does the dirty
work for you. Trays of
breed, including a gallery walks in the rain.” Brown calls him her
crystal litter offer stronger
wall of Westie paintings in the mudroom “little shadow” because he’s always right odor protection than
and a needlepoint collection, are scattered by her side. “Wellie loves to pop into any traditional clumping kinds.
throughout Brown’s Ocean City, Maryland, picture I take, so he’s earned the Instagram There’s even a subscrip-
home. “In my world, a house is not a home nickname #cutestfurryphotobomber,” she tion service for tray refills.
From $150; petsafe.net
without a dog. There’s a saying that goes, says. When he’s not in the garden sniffing
‘Life is better with a terrier, and it’s bestie flowers, he enjoys car rides, especially if
with a Westie.’ That fits me to a T,” she says. he can look for the wild horses on nearby
The inspiration for her pup’s name came Assateague Island.

4 6 JAN UARY-F EB RUA RY / 2022 by GRACE HAYNES

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 A DV E N T U R ES I N
T R AV E L A N D C U LT U R E

Blazing a Trail
The South
Book a trip with
Stockyards Stables,
and saddle up for a
ride on the banks of
the Trinity River.

LO NG W E EK E ND

Fort Worth’s
Second Rodeo
The historic Stockyards’ recent revival
proves this cowboy town isn’t backing down
BY KAITLYN YARBOROUGH

photographs by SCOTT SLUSHER and ELIZABETH LAVIN SOUTHE RN LI V ING 51

 LONG WEEKEND

Where the Action Is

(Clockwise from top) The Fort Worth Herd’s
cowhands are the real deal. Enjoy the Hotel
Drover’s lobby art. Cowtown Coliseum
houses The Bull Riding Hall of Fame.

historic end of Fort Worth—

the one that reflects Texas’
past—has remained largely
the same. You’ll still find
remnants of a bygone era,
HE RE WAS and they’ll be delighted to markets in the Midwest and like weekly rodeos, music-

T
a time when remind you—with a smile beyond. After the railroad filled honky-tonks, and a
Fort Worth and pleasant conversation, came to Fort Worth in 1876, working herd of hometown
was a much of course. This is old Texas, it became a playground for cattle. But now, Fort Worth’s
bigger deal and here they still heed the both cowboys and infamous National Historic District is
than Dallas, its time-honored rules of real outlaws. They came to town shaking off the dust with
cosmopolitan Southern hospitality. A tip to enjoy the rowdy riches of new museums, restaurants,
sister city less than 40 miles of the hat and a firm hand- the booming local livestock watering holes, and a reno-
away. People seem to forget shake go a long way. exchange, which earned the vated entertainment hub,
that, but talk to any Texan Back in the 1800s, when city its nickname, Cowtown. Mule Alley.
working at a boot-and-tack millions of cattle roamed Despite the exploding Don’t get distracted by
shop, running the bar at wild Texas land and ranches, growth in the past decade bigger, flashier cities down
a steak house, or leading a Fort Worth was the middle (from a younger incoming the highway. Fort Worth is a
longhorn down the street at stopping point on the long population) and a bustling destination both charmingly
the Fort Worth Stockyards, journey to the railways and corporate downtown, the stuck in time and pointed

5 2 JAN UARY- FE BRUARY / 2022

 LONG WEEKEND

100-plus-year-old livestock
buildings, but now they’re
occupied by souvenir shops,
boot boutiques, and dimly lit
steak houses enticing pass-
ersby with neon signage and
the promise of a good time.
When Brown isn’t acting
out one of his many cowboy
stories (“Remember, this is
where the West began, after
all,” he repeats again and
again), he’s warming up the
crowd before one of the two
daily cattle drives that occur
right down the main drag.
Leashed at his heel is his
sidekick, Boggy, a tiny black
dog wearing an even tinier
Only in Texas
(From top) Cowboy hats
bull-riding costume.
are custom-made and can The Fort Worth Herd is
be reshaped with steaming toward a flourishing future. made up of 17 longhorns,
at The Best Hat Store. Order Consider this town a 173- each one representing a
the chicken-fried oysters year history lesson on the decade of the Stockyards’
at Hotel Drover’s 97 West
Kitchen & Bar. Billy Bob’s
birth of the Wild West, or history. It’s the world’s only
Texas offers two-step and just call it the perfect oppor- twice-daily, year-round
line dance lessons for tunity to pull out your leather cattle drive.
beginners all year long. boots again. Contrary to how you
might think the average
WELCOME TO group of Texas drovers
COWTOWN looked in the 19th century—
“Never ever tell a Texan that rugged John Wayne types
they can’t do something, come to mind—these crews
okay?” warns Ed Brown, a would have been diverse,
tour guide who specializes in often including Black Amer-
Stockyards history. icans, Native Americans,
While talking about those Czech settlers, and women.
who built up the city’s first The Fort Worth Herd
industry, Brown stands atop drovers strive to reflect that.
the original brick flooring “The cattle drive allows us
that once saw thousands of to preserve and celebrate
cattle, horses, mules, pigs, the special diversity that our
and sheep being traded and Western heritage was built
shuttled off aboard trains upon,” says Kristin Jaworski,
like clockwork every day. who has been the Fort Worth
In its prime, Fort Worth was Herd Trail Boss for nearly
the picture of business inno- 20 years.
vation and was known as Having stood for over
the “Wall Street of the West.” a century, the Cowtown
Up and down Exchange Coliseum has seen much
Avenue, you’ll see all of the more than horse shows. It

SOU THERN L IVING 53

 LONG WEEKEND

can practically take credit Championship Rodeo. It’s

for the way that Americans said that when bull riders
define the word “rodeo.” don’t get the results they
The coliseum held the first want, they just walk out the
indoor rodeo arena in the back and across the alley to
country, and the very first Billy Bob’s Texas, the world’s
live radio broadcast of a largest honky-tonk. And
rodeo was recorded here. they’re not going there just to
The venue has also hosted drown their sorrows. Inside
historic performances by the bar is a dirt-floored ring
the likes of Elvis Presley and where professionals can
world-famous Italian opera keep bull riding the night
singer Enrico Caruso. Each away with a raucous crowd
Friday and Saturday, you cheering them on. The
can still attend events that animals here are live, not
showcase barrel racing,
roping, and crowd-favorite
bull riding. Unwind Time
You might hear a running (From top) Second Rodeo
joke about the Stockyards Brewing has live music daily
and serves house-brewed
beer. Joe T. Garcia’s has been
a Tex-Mex staple since 1935.

5 4 JAN UARY-FE BRUA RY / 2022

 Honky-Tonk Luxuries
(From left) Second Rodeo
Brewing’s unique bottled drinks
include a take-home flask. Hotel
Drover’s Texas-size lobby features
a bar, fireplace, and ample seating.

mechanical, so it’s a real

spectacle—even for Texans,
which is saying something.
Tucked away in the back
(as much as it can be), the
in-house rodeo is hidden
enough that you could be
two-stepping to live music
by the stage without ever
once seeing or hearing it.
That’s how big Billy Bob’s is. Built into the Stockyards’ Rodeo Brewing, where the be a getaway all on its own.
refurbished horse and mule indoor-outdoor seating and Inside and out, it embodies
LONE STAR SPIRIT barns, Mule Alley is now a bar consist of colorful lawn old Texas style with an air of
Fort Worth is no stranger to busy few blocks with lit-up chairs on turf; it seems to sophistication. Take a peek
kicking up some dust, but it storefronts that don’t look make the live music even around the lush gardens to
refuses to fade into it. After nearly their age. You’ll find more enjoyable. (The on-tap find in-house restaurant 97
decades of watching historic heritage-brand stores like grapefruit-infused ranch West Kitchen & Bar or the
buildings sit empty and in Lucchese Bootmaker and water is another tempting accompanying Veranda Bar.
a sad state of disrepair, the King Ranch Saddle Shop as sipper.) Brunch is best taken With twinkling lights on the
city began a long road to well as Instagram-friendly at The Biscuit Bar. Have an trees and cozy seating clus-
restoration (that got a lot food and drink spots where order of the Hot Honey Bis- tered around firepits, the
smoother recently thanks to you’ll most likely see more cuit with fried chicken and a property makes a quiet oasis,
extra funding) to help bring than one bachelorette party cereal-milk cocktail. walkable to everything in
new restaurants, shops, and sporting hot pink, sparkly Anchoring the renovation the entertainment district.
a swanky hotel to a previ- cowgirl hats. Grab a bottled of Mule Alley, Hotel Drover You can mosey into any
ously neglected area dubbed cocktail in a souvenir flask is a 200-room property that steak house near Exchange
Mule Alley. from newly opened Second opened last year and could Avenue for an old-fashioned

Some establishments may experience COVID-19 closures. SOU THERN L IVING 55

 LONG WEEKEND

Now There’s
an App for
Pet Parents
Like Us

Hanging Around
(From top) Heim BBQ’s popular
menu items include Bacon Burnt
Ends and Loaded Mac N’ Cheese.
Pose for pics with the many murals
that adorn the city.

oad
Scan to downl * Immerse yourself in Western
ts
and earn poin culture one last time by visiting the
recently opened museum next to
Cowtown Coliseum, John Wayne: An
American Experience. This exhibit
gives you firsthand looks at the
many prized personal possessions
(including costumes, pictures, and
correspondence) of Hollywood’s
most famous and beloved cowboy
rib-eye meal (chef Tim Love’s actor. Wayne’s inspirational quotes
Lonesome Dove Western Bistro also are plastered on the walls, reminding
offers other meats like rattlesnake visitors of his lasting impression on
by Blue Buffalo and elk in a setting where you could Texas and beyond.
easily imagine time-weathered The museum is just one of many
ranchers talking shop). Or venture ways that Fort Worth holds onto its
out of the historic district altogether roots while embracing the new. Even
to hit Heim BBQ for a plate of Texas’ as it bustles with fresh energy, the
famed smoked meat. This city has city continues to honor those who
always been in the business of built it from the saddle, like the drov-
beef, so it’s only appropriate. While ers who tipped their hats and shook
you’re in that part of town, explore hands firmly. You might come for
the Fort Worth Water Gardens and the rodeos and neon lights, but you
Sundance Square for shopping. can leave with something more.

56 JANUARY-FEBRUA RY / 202 2
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 THE SOUTH

WISH YOU W ER E HE R E

Winter
Wonderland
Set on 11,000 forested
acres in the Blue Ridge
Mountains of Virginia,
Wintergreen Resort is a
popular cold-weather
destination. Each year,
visitors bundle up to ski
the fresh powder, ride the
lifts, and launch snow tubes
at The Plunge Tubing Park.
Don’t miss the Devils
Knob and Founders Vision
Overlooks to take in pan-
oramas of the ice-blanketed
landscape, and be sure to
Z AC HA RY MA R LOW E

enjoy the resort’s après-ski

amenities after a day filled
with fun on the slopes.

60 JAN UARY- F EBRUA RY / 202 2 Some establishments may experience COVID-19 closures.
 SL Travel Planner S TA R T P L A N N I N G TO DAY: S LT R AV E L P L A N N E R .C O M

NC’S BRUNSWICK ISLANDS

A001 Alabama A018 Louisiana A026 Montana A042 Tennessee

1 Sweet Home Alabama 12 Louisiana Office 27 Yellowstone Country 41 Nashville, TN
of Tourism Montana 42 Tennessee Tourism
A004 Arkansas
2 Arkansas, The Natural A020 Maryland A033 North Carolina A043 Texas
State 13 Kent County, MD 28 Corolla, NC - Currituck 43 The Great State of Texas
14 Maryland Office Outer Banks
A008 Delaware of Tourism 29 NC’s Brunswick Islands A046 Virginia
3 Visit Delaware 15 Talbot County ncbrunswick.com 44 Virginia is for Lovers
16 Visit Frederick 30 Visit North Carolina
A009 Florida A059 Washington DC
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A048 West Virginia
46 Elkins-Randolph County
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7 Georgia Department of 47 Lewis County, West
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22 Visit Mississippi 36 Southeastern Wildlife
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24 Visit Oxford 37 Thoroughbred Country,
10 Dant Crossing
25 Visit Ridgeland South Carolina
11 Experience Kentucky’s A064 Beaches & Cruises
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Unbridled Spirit 51 American Cruise Lines
26 Visit Yazoo County, Carolina
Mississippi 39 Visit Oconee SC
40 Visit Summerville

GET STARTED PLANNING YOUR TRIP TODAY!

Visit SLTravelPlanner.com, fill out and return the supplied card, or scan the
QR code to receive free information from the destinations listed above.
Think Pink
The exterior, painted in
Benjamin Moore Sheer
Pink (894, cut 50%), was
given a toned-down twist
when homeowner Ellen
Kavanaugh finished the
shutters in a black-green
powder coat.
 The clear cypress ceiling
with a limewash finish was
a gift from Kavanaugh’s
father, who owns Florida
Cypress Wood Products.

WA L K I N G
ON
RUG: COURTESY H EIR LOO MS VINTAGE RUGS

S U N S H I N E
A ranch-style house tucked into the equestrian town of
Wellington, Florida, gives a vibrant palette room to roam

BY PATRICIA SHANNON PHOTOGRAPHS BY CARMEL BRANTLEY

STYLING BY MATTHEW GLEASON

SOUTHE RN LI V ING 63
Embrace Creative Solutions
Working within the kitchen’s small space required a total
reimagining. They chose a Sub-Zero refrigerator column
and skipped the freezer but went for the 48-inch Wolf
range (no need for a vent hood thanks to an adjacent
wall of sliding doors). The mix of flat-front and Shaker-
style panel drawers and doors keeps the room classic
and clean while two sets of open mahogany shelves
deliver custom furniture-like details above.

I T F E LT L IKE HOME when interior designer Ellen Kavanaugh

first set eyes on this run-of-the-mill ranch in Wellington, Florida.
She and husband Chip Valle of Island Construction are always made to work within the original footprint. But with a fresh coat
on the hunt for fixer-uppers and found the ideal project in the of Benjamin Moore Simply White (OC-117), which Kavanaugh
even proportions and bungalow-style architecture of this house deems “the perfect shade of white,” on nearly every wall, the
that’s just under 2,500 square feet. But it was more than good place was primed for her signature take on color. From there,
bones that hooked Kavanaugh. The Old Florida charmer was she injected statement-making hues and meaningful design
remarkably similar to her childhood home, lending an instant elements to create a space that’s cheery, comfortable, and filled
air of nostalgia to the restoration the couple was about to begin. with memories. “There’s no particular style. It’s family heirlooms,
They were under no illusions: Compromises would have to be the combination of the old and new,” she says. “I wanted the
house to feel warm and just kept coming back to holding onto
this traditional look—and I’m glad I did.”

64 JA NUARY- F EB RUA RY / 202 2

Open for the Season
With Wellington’s average highs hovering in the upper 70s
through the winter, taking advantage of the mild weather with
a wall of sliding doors leading to the pool and patio was a
simple choice. During the warmer months, they crank up the
exterior ceiling fans and continue soaking up the sun and fresh
air. “It just provides a casual ease of living,” says Kavanaugh.

SOU THERN L IVING 65

Treasure the Details
The dining room, which
opens into the living room,
needed to play off the pink
tones of the sitting area.
They added ceiling beams
for architectural interest and
scoured eBay for antique
chairs that they painted
chalk white for what she calls
“a cheap and cheerful dining-
chair solution.” But if you
ask Kavanaugh, the real star
of the space might be the
silver candelabra from their
wedding. “I use that even if
we’re just having a casual
dinner,” she says.

T HIS PAGE: PA IN TIN G COURTESY CO REY MASO N/ BR IN TZ GA L LERY; OP POS I TE PAGE : L AMPS COURT ESY M ASS I MO F RANK L I GHT I NG
Keep It Real and Relaxed
What was once a dark and dated family room was refreshed with a
coat of paint (Simply White on the walls and stone fireplace and
Super White, PM-1, on the ceiling, both by Benjamin Moore). The
space’s blank canvas allows Kavanaugh to swap out accessories
on a whim, including the dark blue rug that’s optimal for hiding
muddy paw prints left behind by the couple’s two dogs, Sunny
Bear and Trooper. “It’s good to be practical; that way, you can just
live in your home and not have to worry about it,” she advises.

Welcome a Second Act

Kavanaugh was set on turning the laundry room into a mudroom
but knew it would come with a few concessions. “When you’re
renovating, you’re not creating a new house,” she explains.
“You have to be able to compromise.” Once the appliances were
relocated to the garage, she doused the space in a bold and
easy-to-clean satin paint (Benjamin Moore Garden Cucumber,
644) and floral wallpaper (Rebecca Atwood Blooms in Soft
Green) with a vintage-inspired hexagon tile underfoot.
Celebrate Old-School Charm
“We were thinking about opening up all the walls and realized we
kind of liked the separate living room,” says Kavanaugh. They
kept the walls intact and let the playful sofa (upholstered in
Michael Szell for Christopher Farr Cloth Peonies in Hot Pink) and
Paul T. Frankl rattan chairs do the heavy lifting. “I wanted the area
to just seem collected with no specific style,” she says. Feeling
nostalgic for a time when gathering for dinner was a daily occasion
and cocktail hour was a given, they decided to keep the space
electronics free. “When we’re in the living room, we’re going to
have a conversation and focus on each other,” says Kavanaugh.

68 JA NUARY-F EB RUA RY / 202 2

Strike a Soothing Balance
Antique mirrors from Kofski Estate
Sales were hung above a set of
upholstered twin beds. Kavanaugh
crowned the room with the same
limewashed cedar ceiling found in
the entry to tie the spaces together.

70 JANUARY-F EB RUA RY / 202 2

 Pair Pretty with Practical
Loving the look of chinoiserie in a powder bath,
Kavanaugh opted for wallpaper panels that appear
hand-painted but were much more budget-friendly.
The ceiling’s cool tone (Benjamin Moore Blue
Allure, 771) subtly highlights the Maysong Spring
design by The Mural Source.

Play Up the Blues

“I’ll admit it: I’ve always wanted a canopy bed,” says Kavanaugh.
To her relief, Valle was on board. She kept the walls the same
Simply White found throughout the rest of the house but
painted the ceiling a pale blue—Benjamin Moore Breath of
Fresh Air (806, cut 75%).

SOUTHER N LI VING 7 1
 S I X FA N TA S T I C F R O S T I N G R E C I P E S

A N D D E C O R AT I N G T E C H N I Q U E S T H AT W I L L

T U R N A B OX E D C A K E M I X

I N T O A D E S S E R T F I T F O R C E L E B R AT I N G

BY LISA CERICOLA RECIPES BY ANNA THEOKTISTO PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANTONIS ACHILLEOS

FOOD STYLING BY EMILY NABORS HALL PROP STYLING BY MARY CLAYTON CARL JONES
 BERRY-SWISS
MERINGUE
BUTTERCREAM
FROSTING
P. 80

How To Frost a Rose Cake

1. Frost the layers, (or large ziplock up. Starting at the
sides, and top bag with 1 corner center of the top
of the cake as snipped off) fitted of the cake, pipe a
directed, using with a Wilton 127D small cone-like
about 3 3/4 cups petal tip. Hold the shape. the arching lines of the cake, make around the sides
of frosting. Place bag so the tip is 2. Pipe small as you work your 2-inch arches with of the cake from
remaining frosting straight up and arching lines way toward the top the pointed end the top to the
(about 3 3/4 cups) down with the around the center edge of the cake. of the tip facing up, bottom to finish
into a piping bag pointed end facing cone. Lengthen 3. To frost the rest working your way the “rose.”
How To Make
Perfect Petals

1. Starting along outer

edge of cake layer,
pipe a 1-inch circular
dollop of frosting onto
cake. Drag piping bag
in toward center of
cake while squeezing
to create a 1 1/2-inch
teardrop shape out
of frosting.

2. Repeat, making 7
more petals around
edge. Drag an offset
spatula through
the center of each
teardrop toward the
center of the cake,
creating a petal-like
appearance.

MALTED
3. Using spatula,
CHOCOLATE
smooth the frosting BUTTERCREAM
in middle of top cake
P. 81
layer (where petals
meet in the center),
spreading into a circle
to create the center
of the flower.
How To Frost a Smooth-Sided Cake
1. Put a cake plate to spread a thin thick layer (1 cup) of
on a stand. Place 1 layer of plain reserved sprinkle
cake layer on plate, frosting (about 1/2 frosting on the
and spread plain cup) on sides of sides, rotating the
frosting on top. cake, rotating the cake as you work from the spatula as the sides with the straight, spread
Repeat with 2 other stand as you work. to make the sides you go. Fix cracks spatula, if needed. excess icing toward
cake layers. Use a Chill 30 minutes. as smooth as by spreading a little 3. To make the top the center. Then
bench scraper or 2. Using an offset possible. Wipe off more sprinkle edge of the cake smooth the top
large offset spatula spatula, spread a excess frosting frosting. Smooth look smooth and with the spatula.

VANILLA-
SOUR
CREAM
FROSTING
P. 79

SOU THER N LIV ING 75

How To Frost a Ruffle Cake
1. Using an offset spatula down while 2. Place remaining
spatula, spread a spinning cake, frosting in a piping
thin, smooth layer making a spiral. bag fitted with a
of frosting over Remove cake plate Wilton 104 petal tip.
of 1 side of the down slightly to cake, overlapping
the entire cake. with cake, and chill Hold the bag with cake, turn cake create a ruffled each previous ring
Starting with the until frosting is firm the pointed end while piping a ring, effect. slightly until you
outer edge of and set, about 30 of the tip facing up. gently moving the 3. Repeat process reach the bottom
the top layer, press minutes. Starting at the top piping bag up and a bit lower on of the cake.

WHITE
CHOCOLATE-
CREAM CHEESE
FROSTING
P. 81

76 JAN UA RY-F EB RUA RY / 202 2

 SALTED
PEANUT
BUTTER
FROSTING
P. 79

How To Create an Icing Drip

1. Make sure the 2. Spoon more 3. If needed,
drip icing is cool icing around top use the spoon to
but not cold. edge of cake so nudge the icing
Slowly pour about that it drips down. down the sides of
half of it over the Spoon remaining the cake. Use an
top of the cake. icing onto center offset spatula to
of cake. smooth the top.
 LEMON-
THYME
FROSTING
P. 79

How To Make Smooth Ombré Stripes

1. Spread 1 cup bench scraper or the darker frosting
undyed frosting large offset spatula, in a ring all the
in a smooth layer spread a thin layer way around cake.
over the top of 1 Leaving space
of undyed frosting again with the more stripes.) around the sides of
cake layer. Repeat above the dark
over sides of cake. undyed frosting. 3. Using a bench the cake to smooth
with remaining line, pipe a ring of
2 cake layers and 2 Chill 30 minutes. the lighter frosting (Alternatively, leave scraper or large and press the rings
cups of the undyed 2. Starting at the all the way around less space between offset spatula, together, creating
frosting. Using a base of cake, pipe the cake. Repeat the rings to make drag the flat edge an ombré effect.
 THE 1 (151/4-oz.) pkg. confetti cake mix
(plus ingredients listed on box for

RECIPES
preparing cake)
Baking spray with flour
11/2 cups butter, softened
41/2 cups unsifted powdered
sugar
Extra-special frosting flavors that will have 1/2 cup sour cream
everyone asking for a second slice 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup rainbow candy sprinkles, plus
more for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare confetti

cake mix according to package direc-
Devil’s Food Cake with Salted Peanut speed to low; gradually add powdered tions. Divide batter evenly among 3
Butter Frosting and Ganache sugar, vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup of the (6-inch) round cake pans coated with
Our Test Kitchen called this salty-sweet cream. Beat on medium-high speed until baking spray.
peanut butter frosting “out of this fluffy, about 3 minutes. (You will have 2. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden
world.” Not only is it lick-the-spatula about 4 cups frosting.) pick inserted in centers of cakes comes
delicious, but it also spreads easily and 4. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting in a smooth out clean, 20 to 23 minutes. Cool in pans
smoothly, which makes decorating a layer over top of 1 cake layer using a large 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks;
breeze. Top it off with drips of chocolate offset spatula. Top with remaining cake cool completely, about 45 minutes.
ganache. If you’re in a pinch, you can layer, and spread 1 1/2 cups frosting in a 3. Beat softened butter in a large bowl
substitute jarred hot fudge, but the smooth layer over top, spreading some with an electric mixer on medium speed
homemade version is worth a few of the frosting on top layer in a thin layer until smooth, about 2 minutes. With mixer
extra minutes. around sides of whole cake. Chill until on low speed, gradually add powdered
frosting has firmed and set, about 30 sugar, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
ACTIVE 25 MIN. - TOTAL 1 HOUR, 20 MIN., minutes. Spread remaining frosting Beat until fluffy, stopping occasionally
PLUS 55 MIN. COOLING (about 1 cup) over sides of whole cake, to scrape down sides of bowl, about 3
SERVES 12 smoothing as you go. minutes. (You will have about 5 cups
1 (151/4-oz.) pkg. devil’s food cake mix 5. Microwave remaining 1/2 cup cream in frosting.) Set aside about 1 cup of frosting
(plus ingredients listed on box for a small microwavable bowl on HIGH until in a separate bowl, and fold in rainbow
preparing cake) steaming, about 1 minute. Stir in choco- candy sprinkles.
Baking spray with flour late chips until mixture is smooth. Cool 4. Place a cake plate on a stand or a lazy
1 cup butter, softened 15 minutes. Susan. Put 1 cake layer on plate; spread
1 cup creamy peanut butter 1 cup plain frosting over top, smoothing
6. Slowly pour about half of the chocolate
3 cups unsifted powdered sugar mixture over the top of the cake. Spoon top using a bench scraper or an offset
1 tsp. vanilla extract more of the mixture around top edge, spatula. Repeat with remaining 2 cake
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, allowing it to drip down sides, and then layers and 2 cups of the frosting. Using a
divided bench scraper or large offset spatula,
spoon any remaining chocolate mixture
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips spread a thin layer of frosting (about 1/2
onto center of cake. If needed, use the
Chopped roasted salted spoon to nudge the icing down the sides cup) over sides of cake. Chill until frosting
peanuts has firmed and set, about 30 minutes.
of the cake. Smooth the top with an offset
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare devil’s spatula, and sprinkle with peanuts. 5. Spread a thicker layer of reserved
food cake mix according to package sprinkle frosting (about 1 cup) on sides of
directions. Divide batter evenly between Confetti Cake with cake, smoothing as you go. Spoon any
2 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with Vanilla-Sour Cream Frosting remaining frosting into a piping bag fitted
baking spray. Dress up your favorite confetti cake mix with a medium round tip. Pipe dollops
2. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden with an icing that’s pleasantly tangy, around top edge of cake. Garnish with
pick inserted in centers of cakes comes additional sprinkles in center of cake.
thanks to the addition of sour cream.
out clean, about 22 minutes. Cool in pans Salted butter also makes a difference
10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks; here and balances out the sweetness Lemon Cake with
cool completely, about 45 minutes. Lemon-Thyme Frosting
of the cake.
3. Beat softened butter and peanut butter A frosting that’s infused with fresh
with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle ACTIVE 30 MIN. - TOTAL 1 HOUR, 20 MIN., herbs sounds fancy, but it’s just as easy
attachment on medium speed until PLUS 55 MIN. COOLING as making a cup of tea. Heat up the
smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer SERVES 12 heavy cream, and then let the thyme

SOUTHER N LI VING 7 9
sprigs steep. Fresh rosemary would also piping bags fitted with different star tips Baking spray with flour
pair nicely with this lemony cake. (such as Wilton 21, 32, and 2D). Set aside 11/2 cups freeze-dried raspberries
all piping bags. (about 1 oz.)
8 large egg whites, at room temperature
ACTIVE 45 MIN. - TOTAL 2 HOURS, 45 MIN., 6. Place a cake plate on a lazy Susan or
PLUS 55 MIN. COOLING stand. Put 1 cake layer on plate; spread 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
SERVES 12 1 cup undyed frosting in a smooth layer 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
over the top. Repeat with remaining 2 13/4 cups, plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar,
2 (151/4-oz.) pkg. lemon cake mix
cake layers and 2 cups of the undyed divided
(plus ingredients listed on box for
preparing cake) frosting. Using a bench scraper or a large 3 cups (11/2 lb.) unsalted butter,
softened and cut into 1-Tbsp. pats
Baking spray with flour offset spatula, spread remaining undyed
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream frosting (about 1/3 cup) in a thin layer over 2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 oz. thyme sprigs (about 1 handful) sides of cake. Remove cake plate with 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare white
2 cups (1 lb.) unsalted butter cake from lazy Susan. Chill until frosting cake mix according to package direc-
1 (2-lb.) pkg. powdered sugar sets and firms up, about 30 minutes. tions. Divide batter evenly among 3
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large 7. Return cake plate with cake to lazy (8-inch) round cake pans coated with
lemon) Susan. Using the dark yellow frosting baking spray.
Yellow food coloring gel in the piping bag with the snipped tip, 2. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden
White sugar pearl sprinkles start at the base of the cake, and turn cake pick inserted in centers of cakes comes
while piping a straight line, creating a ring out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in pans
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare lemon
of frosting around the cake. Leaving space 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks;
cake mix according to package directions.
above the dark yellow line, repeat the cool completely, about 45 minutes.
Divide batter evenly among 3 (9-inch)
piping process using light yellow frosting.
round cake pans coated with baking spray. 3. Process raspberries in a food proces-
Repeat with undyed frosting. (Alternatively,
2. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden leave less space between the rings and sor until a fine powder forms, about 1
pick inserted in centers of cakes comes repeat series of dark yellow, light yellow, minute. Sift raspberry powder through a
out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans and undyed lines to make more stripes.) fine mesh strainer; discard any unsifted
10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks; Turn cake while dragging the straight pieces and seeds. Set powder aside.
cool completely, about 45 minutes. edge of a bench scraper (or a large offset 4. Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and
3. Heat cream in a small saucepan over spatula) around side of cake (holding kosher salt with a stand mixer fitted with
medium until just simmering. Add thyme scraper at a 30-degree angle toward a whisk attachment on medium speed
sprigs, pressing down using a spoon to cake), smoothing and pressing the frosting until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes,
submerge. Remove from heat; cover and lines together to create blended stripes gradually adding 1/4 cup plus 2 table-
let stand until cream has cooled, about of frosting around cake. spoons of the sugar.
1 hour. Remove and discard sprigs. Set 8. Using the reserved dark yellow, light 5. Bring 1/2 cup water and remaining 1 1/2
aside cream. yellow, and undyed frosting in piping cups sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan
4. Beat butter in bowl of a stand mixer bags with star tips, pipe small rosettes over medium-high. Cook, undisturbed,
fitted with a paddle attachment on and flowers on top of cake. Garnish with until mixture reaches 230°F to 240°F
medium speed until smooth, about 2 sugar pearl sprinkles. (soft-ball stage), about 5 minutes. With
minutes. With mixer on low speed, mixer on medium speed, gradually add
gradually add powdered sugar, lemon White Cake with Berry-Swiss hot sugar mixture to egg white mixture.
juice, and infused cream. Increase speed Meringue Buttercream Frosting Increase speed to medium-high, and
to medium-high, and beat until fluffy, There’s not a drop of food coloring in continue beating until meringue is room
about 3 minutes. (You will have about this pretty pink dessert. The freeze-dried temperature, about 10 minutes. Remove
7 cups frosting.) raspberries (available at Target, Whole whisk attachment from mixer; fit mixer
5. Measure 1 1/4 cups frosting into each Foods Market, and other retailers) add a with a paddle attachment. With mixer on
of 2 small bowls. (Reserve remaining nice rosy hue and a bit of tang to offset medium speed, gradually add softened
undyed frosting in mixer bowl.) Add 4 the richness of the buttercream. If the butter to meringue, 1 tablespoon at a time,
drops food coloring to 1 small bowl of frosting separates a little as you are beating until butter is combined and
frosting, and stir to combine. Add 2 making it, pop it in the refrigerator for 15 mixture is smooth. (If mixture begins to
drops food coloring to remaining small minutes. Then continue to beat again. look broken, continue beating until it
bowl of frosting; stir to combine. Spoon comes back together.) Beat in vanilla
2/3 cup each of dark yellow frosting, light and raspberry powder until combined.
ACTIVE 1 HOUR, 10 MIN. - TOTAL 1 HOUR, 25 MIN.,
yellow frosting, and undyed frosting into PLUS 55 MIN. COOLING Increase mixer speed to high; beat until
3 separate piping bags. Snip a 1-inch tip off SERVES 12 just fluffy, about 1 minute, stopping to
of each bag. Spoon remaining dark and scrape down sides if needed. (You will
1 (151/4-oz.) pkg. white cake mix
light yellow frostings (about 1/2 cup each) have about 7 1/2 cups frosting.)
(plus ingredients listed on box for
and 1/2 cup undyed frosting into 3 separate preparing cake) 6. Place a cake plate on a lazy Susan or

80 JA NUARY- FE BRUA RY / 2022

stand. Put 1 cake layer on plate, and 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks; Baking spray with flour
spread top with 1 cup frosting. Repeat cool completely, about 45 minutes. 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
with remaining 2 cake layers and 2 3. Microwave semisweet chocolate chips 2 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
cups of the frosting. Using a large offset in a microwavable bowl on HIGH until 10 cups unsifted powdered sugar
spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting melted, about 90 seconds, stopping to stir 10 oz. white chocolate, melted and
(about 3/4 cup) over sides and top of entire every 30 seconds. Let cool 10 minutes. cooled slightly
cake. Spoon remaining frosting (about 2 tsp. vanilla extract
4. Beat butter in a stand mixer fitted
3 3/4 cups) into a piping bag fitted with a
with a paddle attachment on medium 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare red
Wilton 127D petal tip. Hold piping bag so
speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. velvet cake mix according to package
pointed (thin) tip is angled upward. Pipe
With mixer on low speed, gradually add directions. Divide batter evenly among
a small cone-like shape in center of top
powdered sugar, malted milk powder, 3 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with
of cake to create a rosebud. Pipe small
and cream, beating until just combined. baking spray.
arching lines around cone, slightly lifting
and dropping your wrist as you pipe and Add melted chocolate and vanilla extract; 2. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden
lengthening arches as you work toward beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, pick inserted in centers of cakes comes
outside edges of cake, to create rose about 3 minutes. (You will have about 5 out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans
petals. Starting at top of cake, pipe 2-inch cups frosting.) 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks;
arches around sides of cake, working 5. Spoon frosting into a large piping bag, cool completely, about 45 minutes.
your way toward the bottom and and snip a 1/2-inch tip off bag. Create 3. Beat softened butter and cream cheese
overlapping arches slightly, to create frosting flower petals on top side of 1 with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle
petals around cake. cake layer: Starting along outer edge of attachment on medium speed until
top of cake layer, pipe a 1-inch circular smooth, about 2 minutes. With mixer
dollop of frosting onto cake; drag piping on low speed, gradually add powdered
Yellow Cake with Malted
Chocolate Buttercream bag in toward center of cake while sugar, white chocolate, and vanilla.
squeezing to create a 1 1/2-inch teardrop Increase speed to medium-high; beat
One of the most nostalgic combinations is
shape. Repeat process 7 more times, until fluffy, about 2 minutes. (You will
yellow cake with chocolate frosting. This
working around top edge of cake. Drag have about 10 cups frosting.)
version, which has a touch of malted
a small offset spatula lengthwise through 4. Place a cake plate on a lazy Susan or
milk powder in the buttercream, will bring
center of each frosting teardrop from stand. Put 1 cake layer on plate; spread
back sweet memories. It makes enough
outer circle toward center of cake, creating top with 1 1/4 cups frosting. Repeat with
to cover the cake completely. If you frost
a petal-like appearance. (Dip spatula in remaining 2 cake layers and 2 1/2 cups of
it using the flower design and leave the warm water and wipe dry before dragging the frosting. Using a large offset spatula,
sides bare, you will have leftover butter- through each frosting teardrop.) Repeat spread a thin layer of frosting (about 1
cream, which can be stored in the process using remaining 2 cake layers. cup) over sides of entire cake. Using an
freezer for your next baking project. Carefully stack frosted layers on top of offset spatula or the back of a teaspoon,
each other. gently press into outer edge of frosting
ACTIVE 30 MIN. - TOTAL 50 MIN., 6. Using offset spatula, smooth the frosting on top cake layer. Spin cake to create a
PLUS 55 MIN. COOLING
in middle of top cake layer (where petals spiral pattern in frosting, moving to center
SERVES 12
meet in the center), spreading into a circle of cake. Remove cake plate with cake
1 (151/4-oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix to create the center of the flower design. from lazy Susan, and chill until frosting is
(plus ingredients listed on box for firm and set, about 30 minutes.
preparing cake) 5. Place remaining frosting (about 5 1/4
Red Velvet Cake with White
Baking spray with flour cups) in a piping bag fitted with a Wilton
Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting
11/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 104 petal tip; set aside.
This classic Southern cake calls for a rich
11/2 cups butter, softened 6. Return cake plate with cake to lazy
cream cheese frosting, and our recipe
3 cups unsifted powdered sugar Susan. Hold piping bag with pointed (thin)
delivers with extra sweetness from white
1/3 cup malted milk powder end of the tip facing straight up. Starting
chocolate. Even if you skip the ruffled
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream at the top of 1 side of the cake, turn it
design, our Test Kitchen says this dessert
1 tsp. vanilla extract while piping a ring around it, gently
will steal the show. Keep the frosting cool
moving the piping bag up and down
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare yellow because it can soften and melt.
slightly to create a ruffled effect. Pipe
cake mix according to package direc-
another ruffled ring a bit lower on cake,
tions. Divide batter evenly among 3 ACTIVE 50 MIN. - TOTAL 1 HOUR, 45 MIN., overlapping first ring slightly. Repeat
(6-inch) round cake pans coated with PLUS 55 MIN. COOLING
process around cake, making each ring a
baking spray. SERVES 12
little lower and overlapping slightly, until
2. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden 2 (151/4-oz.) pkg. red velvet cake mix you reach the bottom.
pick inserted in centers of cakes comes (plus ingredients listed on box for
out clean, 20 to 23 minutes. Cool in pans preparing cake)

SOUTHER N LI VING 81
 Rising
and
Shining IN CHARLOTTE, SUBRINA AND GREG COLLIER
HAVE TRANSFORMED THE LOCAL DINING SCENE AND
MANIFESTED A VISION THAT UPLIFTS BLACK
CHEFS BEYOND THE CITY LIMITS

BY KEIA MASTRIANNI RECIPE BY SUBRINA AND GREG COLLIER PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRIE WILLIAMS

SUBRINA AND GREG COLLIER move as a unit—always have. About are unapologetically themselves. The unmistakable Memphis-
a decade of business partnership, marriage, triumph, loss, and laced cadence that flows from their mouths remains even as
trial and error has created something in them that resembles they have made the Carolinas their home for the last decade.
a well-tended garden that’s free of weeds and has plenty of It’s hard to imagine that when they moved to Rock Hill, South
space to grow. They are companion plants thriving next to one Carolina, in 2012 to open The Yolk (a rollicking breakfast joint
another and seeding the next generation. located in a tiny strip mall), they had barely been married two
The first thing most people notice about them is that they years and didn’t know a soul there.

82 JAN UARY- F EBRUA RY / 2022

 GREG
AND
SUBRINA
COLLIER
at their Charlotte
restaurant Leah
& Louise
 The Colliers reinvented their success by relocating the using her voice to shape the environment she wanted to see.
restaurant to nearby Charlotte as Uptown Yolk, and they In a 2019 interview with writer Korsha Wilson on her
quickly became a fixture in the area’s culinary scene. (Uptown podcast, A Hungry Society, Greg noted, “The fine-dining
Yolk closed during the pandemic and will reopen in 2022 industry is built so that it continues to make the people it’s
in a new spot.) “The goal was to go to a place where I could built for comfortable. I almost have to look away from who I am
help create a hospitality culture—one that I wanted to be a to enjoy it.” That realization paired with the momentum they’d
part of, where I could be a leader,” explains Greg, who has fueled in the hospitality industry pushed Greg and Subrina to
done just that. set their sights even higher.
Their lauded Charlotte restaurant, Leah & Louise, named By this time in their careers, a slew of appearances at food
after Greg’s late sister and grandmother respectively, opened festivals had emboldened Subrina to act on a new vision. “The
in 2020. The “modern juke joint” pays homage to the South older I became in this industry, the more I understood that
and the ingredients that make up everybody has a space,” she says.
the Black culinary canon through “So I created one that everybody
dishes such as the Mud Island can participate in, but it’s rooted
(blackened catfish served with in Black foodways.”
smoked catfish stew, pickled In October 2021, after they’d
field peas, and rice grits). spent a tough but successful
At Leah & Louise, the Colliers inaugural year operating Leah
have cultivated a place that cel- & Louise during the pandemic,
ebrates Black culture and their the first BayHaven Food & Wine
place in it. They also mentor Festival descended upon the
young talent like Courtney Queen City for a weekend hon-
Evans, the 22-year-old co-head oring Black culinary experts.
chef who joined the opening People came from all over the
team. “They are beacons,” says country to participate and attend
Evans, who had never worked cooking and cocktail demos,
in a Black-owned restaurant tasting tents, and ticketed din-
before Leah & Louise, much less ners. Throughout the three-day
a kitchen with Black women at event—themed after the Harlem
the center. “That connection was Renaissance, a period of time
beyond words.” when African American culture
As one of the six founding flourished—the mood was cele-
members of Soul Food Sessions, bratory, joyful, and sophisticated.
a 2016 pop-up series that high- At the Harlem Nights Dinner, red
lighted the talents of Black lighting illuminated a roomful of
chefs, Greg embraced the notion partygoers decked out in pearls,
that representation matters. “It fascinators, and frills. They ate,
was the first time I personally accepted becoming a repre- drank, and danced through the eight courses.
sentative for something bigger than me and Subrina,” he says. Chef Keith Rhodes of Catch Restaurant in Wilmington,
In 2018, the vision grew and Soul Food Sessions hit the road, North Carolina, was a participant at BayHaven, and he called
eventually landing at the James Beard House in 2019. Subrina the experience mind-blowing. “Greg and Subrina have always
worked front of house while Greg and chefs Michael Bowling, been passionate about the culture. It’s been deeply important
Jamie Barnes, Greg Williams, and Jamie Turner along with to them to be able to reflect the contributions of Black food
mixologist Justin Hazelton brought a taste of the South to New and hospitality and to do it in a way that says, ‘This is who we
York City. Greg’s dish, hoecakes with catfish rillettes, showed are, and this is where we are from.’ There’s much respect for
how he cooks and what he loves without the confines of the that idea, but even more for making it all manifest.”
soul food stereotype. The Colliers bring to mind a phrase coined by writer and
“Creating our space and bringing it to the James Beard South Carolina native Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor in the intro-
House was huge,” says Subrina, who soon began embracing duction to her 1970 book, Vibration Cooking. She wrote: “Do
other opportunities like the James Beard Women’s Entrepre- your thing your way.” And that’s the Colliers in a nutshell: doing
neurial Leadership program, which inspired her to continue their own thing and planting seeds along the way.

84 JAN UARY-F EBRUARY / 202 2

 ARTHUR
LOU TART
Vibrant in flavor and color,
this dessert is a modern play
off the oatmeal cookies and
Tang that Greg’s late granny
Arthur Louise Prewitt would
give him as a snack. Top the
tart with whatever fruit is in
season, or serve it as is.

ACTIVE 35 MIN. - TOTAL 2 HOURS,

20 MIN., PLUS 2 HOURS, 20 MIN.
COOLING AND 6 HOURS CHILLING
SERVES 8

OATMEAL PIECRUST
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. oat flour
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose
flour, plus more for work
surface and hands
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter,
cubed
1/4 cup vegetable shortening with a few larger bits of fat Return to oven; bake at 375°F whisk attachment on medium-
3 Tbsp. cold water are okay). Drizzle in cold water until crust is set, about 10 high speed until frothy, about
ORANGE CUSTARD
1 tablespoon at a time, stirring minutes. Remove from oven. 1 minute. Add cream of tartar;
6 large egg yolks until dough begins to form Cool completely, about 1 hour. beat 1 minute. Beat in corn-
3 large eggs
large clumps. Transfer to a 3. While Oatmeal Piecrust starch, ground ginger, and salt
11/2 cups heavy whipping cream
floured work surface. Dough bakes, prepare the Orange until soft peaks form, about 2
3/4 cup granulated sugar
should come together easily Custard: Whisk together egg minutes. Turn mixer off.
and should not feel overly yolks, eggs, whipping cream, 6. Cook sugar and corn syrup
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. orange
powdered drink mix (such sticky. Using floured hands, granulated sugar, drink mix, in a small saucepan over high,
as Tang) fold dough until it’s combined and salt in a large bowl until stirring occasionally, until a
1/2 tsp. kosher salt (there should be no dry bits well combined. Let mixture thermometer registers 240°F,
SWISS GINGER MERINGUE visible) and fats are speckled stand until room temperature, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce mixer
3 large egg whites throughout. Shape into a ball; about 1 hour, 30 minutes. speed to low, and slowly
3/4 tsp. cream of tartar flatten into a 1-inch-thick disk 4. Fill a large baking pan with drizzle about 2 tablespoons
1 Tbsp. cornstarch using your hands. Wrap tightly water to a depth of 1 inch. Place syrup mixture into egg white
11/2 tsp. ground ginger in plastic wrap. Chill until firm, on bottom oven rack. Preheat mixture. (If you add too much
Pinch of kosher salt at least 2 hours or up to 5 days. oven to 300°F. Pour Orange syrup at once, the whites will
1/2 cup granulated sugar 2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Custard into cooled Oatmeal scramble.) Slowly drizzle
1/4 cup light corn syrup Unwrap dough roll into a 13- Piecrust. Bake until center of in remaining syrup mixture.
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENT inch round on a lightly floured filling is set, 45 to 55 minutes. Increase mixer speed to
Sliced seasonal fruit work surface. Transfer to an Turn oven off; let tart cool in medium-high, and beat until
(optional) 11-inch tart pan, pressing into oven with oven door ajar for meringue is stiff and glossy,
1. Prepare the Oatmeal bottom and up sides of pan. 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire about 6 minutes. Spread
Piecrust: Stir together oat and Coat a piece of parchment rack; cool to room tempera- meringue evenly on top of
all-purpose flours, brown paper with cooking spray; ture, 1 hour. Chill, uncovered, cooled tart. Using a kitchen
sugar, and salt in a large bowl. place, greased side down, on until cold, about 4 hours or up torch, lightly toast meringue.
Using a pastry cutter, cut cubed crust. Fill with pie weights. to overnight (12 hours). If desired, garnish with sliced
butter and shortening into Bake 20 minutes. Remove 5. Prepare the Swiss Ginger seasonal fruit. Serve immedi-
flour mixture until it resem- from oven. Carefully remove Meringue: Beat egg whites ately, or store, covered, in
bles coarse meal (pea-size bits parchment and pie weights. with a stand mixer fitted with a refrigerator up to 1 week.

SOU THERN L IVING 85

 BLOODY
MARY
POACHED
SHRIMP
|
P. 91
 text by E L I Z A B E T H PA S SA R E L L A recipes by SHERI CASTLE

The
Miracle
of a
Southern
Funeral
RULES, RITUALS,
AND RECIPES
FOR A PROPER
GOODBYE

I AM ONLY 45 YEARS OLD AND LIVE IN NEW YORK— Carolina, and we bought his body a Delta Air Lines plane ticket
ILLUSTRAT IO N : K E NDY LL H ILLEGAS

permanently, with no plans to move back home to Tennessee. back to Memphis. It wasn’t even that expensive. Ship me.
But I’m putting it here in writing for my children to find on the I don’t mind asking my out-of-town friends (whoever is
internet someday that when I die, I’d like for my funeral to be in still alive on this earth) to travel, since there’s no doubt in my
the South. I know it’s possible to stage the weeping and rending mind that Southerners throw the best funerals. I know it the
of garments many miles from home. My dad died right before same way I know our weddings are superior to Northern
Christmas two years ago while visiting my sister in South nuptials—trust me; I’ve been to plenty of both—because we

PHOTOGRAPHS BY VICTOR PROTASIO FOOD STYLING BY CHELSEA ZIMMER PROP STYLING BY CHRISTINE KEELY
free wedding guests from the drudgery of a sit-down dinner set discreetly on side tables in every room, ice buckets refilled,
and instead open the buffet and the dance floor simultaneously. furniture spaced apart to make room for everyone. Then I
Now, my funeral preference is a conclusion I’ve come to only overheard one of her mom’s close friends whispering to
in the past few years because, up until then, I had not attended another about restocking toilet paper in the bathrooms and
many. Middle age brings with it more mourning experience. directing a chicken nugget delivery to the kids’ buffet. See? A
Grandparents die. Your friends’ parents pass away. You show logistics operator. Every funeral has one, and the best part is
up (always show up) and begin to notice things that your own that they will volunteer. You, the family, don’t even have to ask.
parents and grandparents already know intimately, like how Another lesson I learned: As with weddings, there will be a
the deceased’s front door is likely wide open and that there’s guest book for people to sign at the church or funeral home. I
an overloaded buffet with a full bar in the living room. always thought these were dumb. And I still believe this about
Southern funerals are miracles when you think about it. weddings; I mean, you know who was invited, right? But
They are actually just a step or two below a wedding—except anyone can—and will—show up at a Southern funeral, including
that the reception lasts three or four days, you cry more, and your third-grade teacher (mine did), and you’ll never remem-
you pull the whole thing together in less than a week. My ber them all. My dad used to meet a group of his high school
mother, sister, and I bought plane tickets and a casket, hired buddies for breakfast at Chick-fil-A twice a week. Once, less
a musician, met with a pastor, made than a year before he died, he had a
decisions about flowers, and called dizzy spell, and a couple of the servers
or texted almost everyone we knew there (who, at that point, were very
in the same amount of time it took me familiar with the old-man coffee club)
to button up one of the 89 wedding “Anyone can—and stayed with my dad until my mother
dresses I tried on in 2004. Part of the
success of a funeral depends on your will—show up could pick him up. The day after his
funeral, my mom was flipping through
community showing up with coolers
of drinks or a side of salmon (my
at a Southern the guest book and saw two unfamil-
iar names signed in a loopy cursive.
friend Murff has a smoked-salmon funeral, including “His friends from Chick-fil-A!” and a
guy in Memphis who is so fast and
reasonably priced that she won’t give
your third- smiley face were written next to them.
If you think the funeral will be big—
you his name unless you’ve known grade teacher.” current circumstances won’t last
her since kindergarten). But that’s forever, we hope—have more than one
part of the miracle too. After my guest book.
father’s graveside service, we There are other things that South-
expected to welcome people back at erners excel at that make funerals
the house but hadn’t determined what better. We tell great stories and make
was for lunch. A few neighbors brought platters of cold cuts, good toasts, both handy skills in mourning a loved one. We
a cousin replated leftover side dishes, some sort of buttered make even cold cuts look special by transferring them to a
cheese puffs materialized, and dozens of people ate all after- silver platter. We don’t think 8:30 a.m. is too early for a Bloody
noon, loaves-and-fishes style. Which brings me to one of the Mary. We know that when we tell a long-distance friend, “Oh,
most beautiful, important lessons I learned about Southern please don’t make the trip,” we’re faking, and they know it
funerals: There’s always a logistics operator behind the scenes. and have already booked a flight.
Ours was Aunt Patti. She drove from Little Rock to my I can’t tell you what to do for the service. My father wanted
mother’s house in Memphis, all while we were still in another a recording of the Mississippi soprano Leontyne Price singing
state, to take down the Christmas tree, make all the beds, and the last movement of Verdi’s Requiem at his funeral, but we
clean the bathrooms. She then spent the days surrounding the lacked the equipment for it and had a violinist playing Mozart
service coordinating food deliveries, washing glasses and instead. What I can tell you—if you’re around my age and lucky
dessert plates, and—I’m not sure, but I think—running a taxi enough to be new to planning funerals—is that friends you
service for people who stayed too late drinking in my mom’s haven’t seen in 25 years will show up, it will be more com-
living room. When my friend Hallie’s dad died a few years ago, forting than you can possibly imagine, the food will never run
I remember walking into her mother’s house and being over- out, and it will feel like a fantastic celebration of a person you
whelmed at the thoughtful touches: boxes of tissues that were loved. I hope someone remembers to fly me down for mine.

88 JAN UARY-F E B RUA RY / 2022

 CREAMED-
CORN GRITS
|
P. 91
 BLT PAIN
PERDU
CASSEROLE
|
P. 92
 Classic Comfort
way through the dinner hour. The grits
tolerate reheating multiple times, an asset
whenever a cousin needs to replate a few

Dishes
leftover side dishes.

ACTIVE 50 MIN. - TOTAL 1 HOUR

SERVES 8

4 ears fresh corn, shucked

2 cups whole milk
Yes, indeed, it takes a lot of work to make sure
11/2 tsp. kosher salt
that the food never looks skimpy or runs out 1 tsp. granulated sugar
at a Southern funeral. Cookbook author and 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Southern Living Contributing Editor Sheri Castle 1 cup stone-ground grits
shares some of her favorite recipes 2 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
designed for versatility and ease 3 scallions
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
3 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter

1. Cut kernels from corn cobs; set kernels

Bloody Mary Poached Shrimp bring to a boil over high. Remove from aside. Scrape cobs using a spoon or the
Many a Southern host understands heat. Add shrimp; cover and let stand back of a knife to release the milky liquid.
that a big bowl of marinated shrimp can until shrimp are barely opaque in centers,
Place scraped cobs and milky liquid,
be the centerpiece of a buffet at any
about 8 minutes. Immediately stir ice into
whole milk, and 2 cups water in a
shrimp mixture to stop cooking; let stand
gathering. Guests appreciate seeing large saucepan; bring just to a boil
until shrimp are cool, about 5 minutes.
something they recognize and know over medium-high. Remove from heat;
Drain shrimp, and pat dry.
they like, but they don’t mind it having cover and let stand 10 minutes. Remove
2. Stir together cocktail sauce, vodka, oil, and discard cobs.
an unexpected twist, which is why I’ve
lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire,
made this recipe for years. 2. Stir salt, sugar, and pepper into milk
celery seeds, pepper, and remaining 1 cup
mixture in saucepan; bring to a simmer
Bloody Mary mix in a large bowl or a large
ACTIVE 40 MIN. - TOTAL 40 MIN., over medium-high. Whisk in grits. Reduce
heavy-duty ziplock plastic freezer bag.
PLUS 8 HOURS REFRIGERATING heat to low; gently simmer, whisking
SERVES 8 3. Stir shrimp, sliced celery, and onion occasionally, until grits are tender and
into cocktail sauce mixture. Cover (or thick, 20 to 25 minutes, whisking more
1 (32-oz.) bottle Bloody Mary mix, divided
seal bag), and place in refrigerator to often as they thicken and adding a little
21/2 lb. medium peeled, deveined raw
marinate at least 8 hours or, preferably, hot tap water as needed if grits get too
shrimp, tails optional
up to 24 hours. thick before they are tender. Remove from
4 cups ice
1/2 cup cocktail sauce 4. Transfer shrimp mixture to a large heat; stir in cream cheese until melted.
1/3 cup (22/3 oz.) vodka
serving bowl. Top with desired garnishes, Cover to keep warm, and set aside.
and serve immediately. (The dish can
1/3 cup olive oil 3. Thinly slice scallions, separating white
be made in advance. Store, covered, in
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons) and light green parts from dark green
refrigerator up to 3 days.)
1 Tbsp. hot sauce (such as Tabasco) parts; set aside. Melt softened butter in
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce a large skillet over medium-high until it
Creamed-Corn Grits foams. Stir in reserved corn kernels and
1 tsp. celery seeds
1 tsp. black pepper We can rest assured that someone whipping cream; cook, slowly stirring
1 cup thinly sliced celery (from about (several someones, most likely) will mixture, until corn is tender-crisp and
2 celery stalks) bring over buckets and boxes of fried liquid begins to thicken, about 3 minutes.
1 cup thinly vertically sliced sweet onion chicken and platters of ham biscuits, Stir in white and light green scallion parts;
(from 1 small onion) but there’s always a need for more sides. cook, stirring often, until corn is tender
Garnishes: celery leaves, lemon slices, The addition of old-fashioned creamed and creamy, about 2 minutes.
lime slices, pickled okra, dilly beans, sweet corn, what our moms and aunties 4. Stir corn kernel mixture into hot
and/or pitted green olives
might have called “fried corn,” to a pot of grits. Drizzle with melted butter, and
1. Place 1 cup water and 3 cups of the comforting grits ensures that this recipe sprinkle with dark green scallion parts
Bloody Mary mix in a large saucepan; will go with any meal, from brunch all the before serving.

SOU THERN L IVING 9 1

BLT Pain Perdu Casserole
To my way of thinking, a funeral spread
overlapping edges of bread and tomatoes
as needed to fit. “These bite-
has to include at least one casserole.
Better yet, two: one for the visitation
2. Process eggs, half-and-half, tomato
paste, salt, granulated garlic, mustard
size morsels
buffet table and another for the family powder, paprika, black pepper, nutmeg, combine the
to have at home. This version delivers
the flavors of a BLT sandwich in the form
and cayenne in a blender until smooth,
about 20 seconds. (Alternatively, place comfort of
of a savory bread pudding that can feed
several people. Because this dish tastes
mixture in a large bowl, and process
with an immersion blender until smooth.) warm cheese
best slightly warm instead of piping hot, Pour egg mixture slowly and evenly over
bread mixture in baking dish, letting it
toast with the
elegance of
it tolerates being assembled in one spot
and perhaps baked and served in another. seep down into the layers. Cover tightly
with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 8
It holds its form for a few hours, and
individual portions reheat well—traits
hours or up to 24 hours, unwrapping tiny cheese
appreciated by an ad hoc hospitality
committee working behind the scenes.
dish twice and firmly pressing down on
mixture to help bread absorb liquid. soufflés.”
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Unwrap baking
ACTIVE 40 MIN. - TOTAL 1 HOUR, 30 MIN.,
dish; sprinkle evenly with remaining
PLUS 8 HOURS CHILLING (about 1 1/2 cups) cheese. Bake until
SERVES 10 casserole is deep golden and just set
1/4 tsp. paprika
(a knife inserted into center should come
12 oz. crusty dense white bread (such as 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
out moist but not wet), 45 to 50 minutes.
a French loaf), sliced 3/4 inch thick 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
Cool until barely warm, about 20 minutes.
7 medium (about 2 lb. total) beefsteak 5 (11/2-oz.) thick-cut, firm white sandwich
tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch 4. Meanwhile, whisk together mayon- bread slices
slices naise, lemon juice, mustard, and sugar
1 lb. bacon, chopped, cooked until crisp, in a large bowl until smooth. Place in 1. Stir together cheese, butter, mayonnaise,
and drained refrigerator until ready to serve. cornstarch, hot sauce, Worcestershire,
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, salt, mustard, and paprika in a large bowl
5. Add arugula to mayonnaise mixture;
thinly sliced until creamy and combined.
toss until lightly coated. Serve alongside
12 oz. Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 2. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar
3 cups), divided or on top of pain perdu.
in a medium bowl with an electric mixer
8 large eggs
on high speed until stiff peaks form
11/2 cups half-and-half Warm Cheese Box Bites
(1 minute, 30 seconds, to 2 minutes).
2 Tbsp. tomato paste This old-school favorite has made the Gently fold egg white mixture into cheese
21/2 tsp. kosher salt rounds in family recipe collections and mixture in 4 additions, being careful not
2 tsp. granulated garlic community cookbooks for decades. These to overmix to avoid deflating egg whites;
2 tsp. mustard powder bite-size morsels combine the comfort mixture should remain light and airy.
2 tsp. paprika of warm cheese toast with the elegance of Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to use.
11/2 tsp. black pepper tiny cheese soufflés. When they are made 3. Trim crusts from bread slices. Cut
1 tsp. grated nutmeg ahead and stashed in the freezer, you can slices in half crosswise; cut each half
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper pull out as many as needed. into thirds to make a total of 30 pieces.
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
4. Spread cheese mixture evenly over
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) ACTIVE 25 MIN. - TOTAL 35 MIN., tops and sides of bread pieces. Arrange on
2 tsp. whole-grain mustard PLUS 30 MIN. CHILLING
a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
1/2 tsp. granulated sugar SERVES 15
Chill, uncovered, until firm, 30 minutes
5 oz. arugula 4 oz. extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, finely to 1 hour. (To store in freezer, freeze on
1. Generously coat a 13- x 9-inch baking
shredded (about 1 cup) baking sheet until firm, 30 minutes to
dish with cooking spray. Cover bottom 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 hour. Then transfer to a heavy-duty
of dish with half of the bread slices. Top 1/4 cup mayonnaise ziplock plastic freezer bag, and freeze up
with half of the tomato slices. Sprinkle 11/2 tsp. cornstarch to 3 months. Do not thaw before baking.)
evenly with cooked bacon and fresh 1 tsp. hot sauce (such as Tabasco) 5. While bread pieces chill, preheat oven
basil. Sprinkle evenly with half (about 1 1/2 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce to 375°F. Bake chilled bread pieces until
cups) of the cheese. Top with remaining 1/2 tsp. kosher salt golden brown and slightly puffed, 10 to
bread slices and tomato slices in 1 layer, 1/4 tsp. dry mustard 12 minutes. Serve warm.

92 JA NUA RY-F E BRUARY / 2022

 WARM
CHEESE BOX
BITES
|
P. 92
 ADVERTISEMENT

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 SOUTHERN COOKING
AT I T S B E S T
The Kitchen
Creole Daube is a
hearty beef stew
with French and
Italian influences
(recipe, page 96).
R EC IPE : LIZ M ERVOS H; FO O D STY LING: EMILY N A BORS HA L L ; P ROP ST YL I NG : CH R ISTI NE KE ELY

TH E WE LCO M E TA BLE

A Creole Classic
Daube, considered to be one of New
Orleans’ “endangered dishes,” is
made for cold days and cozy nights
BY JESSICA B. HARRIS

photograph by VICTOR PROTASIO SOU THERN LI V ING 9 5

 T H E W E L C O M E TA B L E

HEN the weather uses different cuts of meat and spices from

W
has a nip in the air, the classic French one, is a bit of the city’s
my thoughts turn history in a stewpot. Some food historians
Nail It with
to braised roasts have written that the New Orleans variant Cloves
and rich, dense is a conjoining of the French and Italian
stews. For years, (specifically Sicilian) threads that run deep Cloves get their name
from their nail-like
I’d made a variation in the city’s culinary past. Indeed, New appearance. (“Clavus”
of my mother’s beef stew, and then one Orleans food expert Dale Curry says that means “nail” in Latin.)
year in New Orleans, the late chef Leah daube is a pot roast cooked in the spaghetti When dried, these small
Chase introduced me to the Creole daube sauce that’s known there as “red gravy.” That flower buds produce a
(pronounced “dohb”). theory holds weight, as it explains how and sweetly pungent spice
that has long been a
With a major in French, I certainly knew why the dish contains the region’s flavoring secret ingredient, like
the word and was even familiar with the “trinity” of onion, bell pepper, and celery the clove-studded onion
version that I had savored in Parisian as well as cloves and tomato paste. that has traditionally
bistros—where the windows In New Orleans, daube usu- added an extra layer of
were steamy from the outside ally turns up around the year- flavor to many a French
stock. Whole and ground
chill. I had also splurged on an end holidays, but it’s perfect cloves are readily avail-
antique copper daubière, the anytime something filling and able, and just about
oval pot that takes its name soul warming is needed on everyone has some
from this stew, which is often the table. This beef stew, which lurking at the back of
cooked in it. But Mrs. Chase’s Curry describes as one of the their cabinet. However,
as with any spices, they
take on daube was a revelation for city’s “endangered dishes,” is dou- will lose their pungency
me: It had the same hearty appearance bly delightful because, as I would later over time. Buy small
but with a je ne sais quoi that was New learn, with the addition of gelatin, it can be amounts, and use them
Orleans through and through. transformed into daube glacé—a glorious, rapidly before their
Later research suggested that the distinc- terrine-like appetizer that’s sliced cold and kick is gone.
tive Crescent City version of daube, which served with crackers.

Creole Daube 5 (5-inch) thyme sprigs about 12 minutes, carefully into Dutch oven along with
ACTIVE 50 MIN. - TOTAL 1 HOUR, 3 fresh bay leaves flipping halfway through. any juices that have accumu-
PLUS 3 HOURS, 15 MIN. BRAISING lated; bring to a simmer over
1⁄8 tsp. ground cloves Transfer to a plate.
SERVES 6 medium, and then remove
5 small carrots, sliced 3. Reduce heat to medium.
3 thick-cut hickory-smoked on an angle into 2-inch
Add onions, bell pepper, and from heat.
bacon slices, coarsely pieces (2 cups)
celery to Dutch oven; cook, 4. Cover and transfer to
chopped 2 medium turnips, peeled
stirring often and scraping up preheated oven, and braise
1 (31⁄2-lb.) boneless chuck and cut into 1-inch pieces
(3 cups) browned bits from bottom 2 hours. Remove from oven;
roast, trimmed
of Dutch oven, until onions uncover and stir in carrots and
1 Tbsp. kosher salt 1. Preheat oven to 325°F. soften, about 6 minutes. Add turnips. Cover and return to
1 tsp. black pepper Cook bacon in a large Dutch tomato paste and garlic; cook, oven; braise until meat and
2 small yellow onions, oven over medium, stirring
chopped (21⁄4 cups)
stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender, about
occasionally, until it’s browned tomato paste turns a shade 1 hour, 15 minutes. Remove
1 small green bell pepper, and fat has rendered, about 8
chopped (1 cup) darker, about 2 minutes. Add from oven, and let rest 15
minutes. Transfer bacon to a wine, and bring to a simmer minutes. Transfer roast to
1 large celery stalk, chopped
plate, and reserve drippings over medium. Simmer stirring a work surface, and shred
(1⁄2 cup)
in skillet. occasionally, until it’s slightly into large pieces. Skim off
3 Tbsp. tomato paste (from
K EN DYLL HILLEGAS

1 [6-oz.] can) 2. Sprinkle roast with kosher thickened and some of the fat from broth, and discard.
21⁄2 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic salt and black pepper. Increase alcohol burns off, about 3 Remove and discard thyme
(from 8 garlic cloves) heat to medium-high. Add minutes. Stir in stock, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Return
1 cup dry red wine roast to Dutch oven, and sear sprigs, bay leaves, and cloves. shredded beef to Dutch oven,
2 cups beef stock until browned on 2 sides, Nestle roast and bacon back and then serve.

9 6 JA N UA RY-F E BRUARY / 2022

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 THE KITCHEN

SU P P ERTIM E

Old Bird,
New Tricks
There’s nothing boring
about these fresh takes
on chicken dinners

Creamy Chicken Sausage-

and-Kale Soup
ACTIVE 20 MIN. - TOTAL 35 MIN.
SERVES 4

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 medium-size yellow onion,
chopped (about 11/2 cups)
3 medium-size garlic cloves,
chopped (2 Tbsp.)
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 cups lower-sodium
chicken broth
2 medium Yukon Gold
potatoes, peeled and
cut into 3/4-inch pieces
(about 2 cups)
12 oz. smoked chicken
R EC IPES : PA IGE GRA NDJEA N ; FOO D STYLIN G: E MILY N ABORS H AL L ; P ROP ST YL IN G: CHR I ST IN E KEE LY

sausage, sliced diagonally

into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small bunch Lacinato kale,
stemmed and roughly
chopped (about 3 cups)
1 cup loosely packed
matchstick carrots
11/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper, plus
more for topping
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Shredded Swiss cheese
heat to medium-low. Cover
Hot sauce (such as Cholula)
and cook, stirring occasionally,
1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven until almost tender, about 15
over medium. Add onion; cook, minutes. Stir in sausage, kale,
stirring often, until softened, 6 carrots, salt, black pepper,
to 8 minutes. Add garlic; cook, and nutmeg. Cover and cook,
stirring constantly, until fra- stirring occasionally, until kale,
grant, about 30 seconds. Add carrots, and potatoes are
flour; cook, stirring constantly, tender and soup is heated
until just beginning to brown, through, 5 to 10 minutes.
about 1 minute. Gradually add Remove from heat. Stir in
broth, stirring constantly. heavy cream.
2. Add potatoes to broth 3. Top bowls of soup with
mixture; bring to a simmer Swiss cheese, hot sauce, and
over medium-high. Reduce black pepper.

produced by LISA CERICOLA photographs by VICTOR PROTASIO SOUTHER N LIV I NG 9 9

 SUPPERTIME

SQUASH SWAP
Delicata squash
works just as
well in this recipe
because it’s
also sweet with
edible skin.

Chipotle-Maple Chicken vinegar Rub chicken with remaining 1 bowl. Microwave on HIGH
Thighs with Candied 1/4 tsp. dry mustard tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with until slightly thickened, about
Acorn Squash 5 Tbsp. pure maple syrup, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, 1/2 1 1/2 minutes. Set aside.
ACTIVE 15 MIN. - TOTAL 45 MIN.
divided teaspoon of the black pepper, 4. When chicken and squash
SERVES 4
1/4 cup pomegranate arils and remaining 3/4 teaspoon are finished baking, increase
1 medium acorn squash, (optional) chile powder and 1/2 teaspoon oven temperature to broil and
seeded, cut into 1-inch- Cilantro leaves, for garnish cumin; nestle on baking sheet
thick half-moons remove baking sheet from
1. Preheat oven to 450°F with with squash in one layer. Bake oven. Brush top of squash with
21/2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
oven rack about 9 inches from in preheated oven until squash remaining 2 tablespoons maple
23/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided is tender and a meat ther-
heating element. syrup. Brush skin of chicken
11/2 tsp. chipotle chile powder, mometer inserted in thickest
divided 2. Toss together acorn squash, generously with adobo
portion of chicken registers mixture. Return to preheated
11/4 tsp. black pepper, divided 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive
oil, 1 teaspoon of the salt, 3/4 165°F, about 25 minutes. oven. Broil until chicken
1 tsp. ground cumin, divided
teaspoon of the chile powder, 3. Meanwhile, stir together and squash are glazed and
8 (6-oz.) bone-in, skin-on
chicken thighs and 1/2 teaspoon each of the adobo sauce, vinegar, dry beginning to char in spots,
2 Tbsp. adobo sauce (from black pepper and cumin on mustard, 3 tablespoons of the about 2 minutes. Transfer to a
1 [7-oz.] can chipotle chiles a large rimmed baking sheet maple syrup and remaining 1/4 serving platter. Sprinkle with
in adobo sauce) lined with aluminum foil. teaspoon each salt and black pomegranate arils (if using),
1 teaspoon apple cider Arrange in a single layer. pepper in a microwavable and garnish with cilantro.

10 0 JAN UARY- F EBRUA RY / 2022

SUPPERTIME

Chicken-Parmesan 1. Combine eggs, chicken,

Meatballs prosciutto, panko, basil, salt,
ACTIVE 25 MIN. - TOTAL 35 MIN. black pepper, crushed red
SERVES 4
pepper, garlic, and 1 ounce of
2 large eggs, beaten the Parmesan in a large bowl.
1 lb. ground chicken (white Gently mix with your hands to
and dark meat) thoroughly combine, taking
2 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, care not to overmix. Shape
finely chopped into 12 (1 3/4-inch) balls (about
1 cup panko breadcrumbs 2 ounces each).
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, 2. Preheat oven to 450°F.
plus basil leaves for garnish
Heat olive oil in a large skillet
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
over medium-high. Cook
1/2 tsp. black pepper meatballs in a single layer,
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper turning occasionally, until
2 medium garlic cloves, browned on all sides, 8 to 12
grated
minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2 oz. Parmesan cheese, Reduce heat to medium. Add
grated with a Microplane
grater (about 11/4 cups),
wine to skillet; cook, scraping
divided bottom of skillet to release
2 Tbsp. olive oil browned bits, until reduced
1/3 cup dry red wine
to about 2 tablespoons, 1 to
1 (24-oz.) jar marinara sauce
2 minutes. Stir in marinara
sauce. Arrange meatballs in
6 oz. low-moisture part-skim
mozzarella cheese, shredded skillet in a single layer; turn
(about 11/2 cups) to coat in sauce. Sprinkle
Garlic bread, cooked with mozzarella cheese and
spaghetti, or zucchini remaining 1 ounce Parmesan.
“noodles,” for serving
3. Transfer skillet to preheated
oven; bake until mozzarella
cheese is melted and beginning
to brown and internal tem-
perature of meatballs registers
165°F, 10 to 14 minutes. Garnish
with basil leaves. Serve with
garlic bread, cooked spaghetti,
or zucchini “noodles.”

THE RIGHT MIX

Be sure to purchase
ground chicken that
is a mix of white and
dark meat; all-white
meat is too lean and
will dry out. Ground
turkey works well in
this recipe too (also
use a combo of white
and dark meat).

SOU THER N LI V ING 101

 SUPPERTIME

Sesame-Crusted 1. Grate 1 navel orange to yield the marinade for dressing at a time, dip in egg mixture
Chicken Breasts with about 1 teaspoon zest, and set salad; cover and chill. Combine and then in sesame seeds,
Sugar Snap Pea Salad aside. Using a sharp knife, cut chicken breasts and remaining turning until completely
ACTIVE 25 MIN. - TOTAL 55 MIN.,
along curve of each orange about 1/2 cup marinade in a coated. Transfer to prepared
PLUS 2 HOURS CHILLING
SERVES 4
to remove peel and pith. Cut large ziplock plastic bag; seal baking sheet. Bake chicken
oranges into segments, and and toss to coat the chicken. until a meat thermometer
2 medium navel oranges transfer to a large bowl. Cover Chill at least 2 hours or up inserted in thickest portion
1/4 cup light brown sugar and chill until ready to use or to 6 hours, turning chicken registers 155°F, about 25
3 Tbsp. hoisin sauce up to 8 hours. Squeeze orange occasionally. minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes
11/2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil scraps into a small bowl to 3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line (internal temperature will
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger yield about 2 tablespoons a baking sheet with aluminum continue to increase to 165°F).
1/4 cup, plus 1 Tbsp. low-sodium juice; set aside. foil; lightly coat foil with cook- 4. While chicken bakes, toss
soy sauce, divided
2. Whisk together brown ing spray. Place mixed sesame together sugar snap peas,
2 small red jalapeño chiles, sugar, hoisin sauce, sesame seeds in a medium shallow orange segments, remaining
thinly sliced crosswise
(about 1/4 cup), divided
oil, ginger, 1/4 cup of the soy bowl. Whisk together egg and about 2 tablespoons sliced
sauce, 2 tablespoons of the remaining 1 tablespoon soy jalapeños, and reserved 1/3
4 (about 9 oz. each) boneless,
skinless chicken breasts jalapeños, and reserved 1 sauce in a separate shallow cup dressing in a large bowl.
1 cup mixed white and black
teaspoon grated zest and 2 bowl. Remove chicken from Serve chicken with Sugar
sesame seeds tablespoons orange juice in a marinade; discard marinade. Snap Pea Salad.
1 large egg small bowl. Reserve 1/3 cup of Working with 1 chicken breast
12 oz. fresh sugar snap peas,
trimmed, thinly sliced
lengthwise (about 4 cups)

PREP POINTER
The marinade is
also the salad
dressing. Set
aside 1/3 cup for
the dressing to
avoid cross
contamination.

102 JAN UA RY-F EB RUARY / 202 2

 SUPPERTIME

Kentucky Hot Brown- baking sheet lined with

Stuffed Chicken aluminum foil.
ACTIVE 20 MIN. - TOTAL 40 MIN.
4. Rub chicken with olive oil.
SERVES 4
Sprinkle all over, including
4 center-cut bacon slices, inside slits, with remaining 1 1/4
cut crosswise in thirds teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon
(12 pieces)
pepper. Stuff 1 bacon piece
2 Tbsp. panko breadcrumbs
into each of 3 slits of each
1 oz. Parmesan cheese,
chicken breast. Stuff remain-
shredded (about 1/3 cup),
divided
ing 4 or 5 slits of each chicken
1 (5.2-oz.) pkg. garlic-and-
breast evenly with spreadable-
herb spreadable cheese cheese mixture (about 2 1/2
(such as Boursin), softened teaspoons each). Press plum
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives tomato slices evenly into
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf cheese-filled slits (it’s okay if
parsley, plus more for not every cheese-filled slit
garnish gets a tomato slice). Sprinkle
11/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided with panko mixture.
3/4 tsp. black pepper, divided 5. Bake in preheated oven
1/2 tsp. paprika until chicken is cooked
4 (about 9 oz. each) boneless, through to 165°F and panko
skinless chicken breasts mixture is light golden brown,
1 Tbsp. olive oil about 20 minutes. Garnish
1 large plum tomato, cored, with parsley.
halved lengthwise, and
cut into 1/4-inch-thick
half-moons

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cook bacon in a large skillet
over medium-high, turning
occasionally, until crisp, about
5 minutes. Transfer to a plate
lined with a paper towel; set
aside. Transfer 1/2 tablespoon
bacon drippings into a small
bowl. Stir panko breadcrumbs
and 1 tablespoon of the Parme-
san into skillet. Set aside.
2. While bacon cooks, stir
together garlic-and-herb
spreadable cheese, chives,
parsley, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt,
1/4 teaspoon of the pepper,
paprika, and remaining 3
tablespoons Parmesan in a
medium bowl to make 3/4 cup
(or 12 tablespoons) cheese
mixture. Set aside.
3. Working with 1 chicken
breast at a time, make 7 or 8
crosswise slits (spaced 1/2 inch
apart) into the top of each
breast, leaving about 1/4 inch
attached along the bottom of
the breast. Place prepared
chicken breast on a rimmed

SOUTHE R N LI V ING 103

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 THE KITCHEN

HE ALT HY I N A H URRY

Pesto with a Punch

Liven up recipes with a good-for-you sauce made with seasonal greens

Winter Greens Pesto 11∕2 tsp. honey to a food processor. Tasty Ways
ACTIVE 15 MIN. - TOTAL 15 MIN. 1 tsp. grated lemon zest 2. Add walnuts and garlic to
MAKES 1 1∕2 CUPS (24 SERVINGS) plus 1 Tbsp. fresh juice To Use It
greens in food processor, and
(from 1 lemon)
8 oz. fresh mixed winter pulse until finely chopped,
3∕4 tsp. kosher salt
greens (such as kale, about 8 pulses, stopping to
collards, and beet greens), 1. Place 2 quarts water in a scrape down sides as needed.
stemmed and coarsely
large saucepan, and bring to Add olive oil, grated Parmesan
chopped (7 cups)
a boil over high. Add winter cheese, honey, lemon zest,
1∕3 cup toasted walnuts,
chopped greens; cook, stirring often, lemon juice, and kosher salt;
1 large garlic clove, smashed
until bright green and slightly process until well blended,
wilted, about 1 minute. Drain about 20 seconds. Transfer to
3∕4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
in a colander, and rinse under an airtight container. Press 1.
1 oz. Parmesan cheese,
cold water. Squeeze firmly plastic wrap directly onto Swirl into creamy
grated (about 1∕4 cup)
to remove as much liquid as surface of pesto, and cover dips, like hummus
possible over sink, and transfer with lid. Chill up to 3 days. or guacamole.
R EC IPE : LIZ M ERVOS H; FO O D STY LING: EMILY N A BORS HA L L ; P ROP ST YL I NG : CL AIR E S PO L L E N; HUM MUS : G R EG DUP R EE

2.
Spread on the
inside of a grilled
cheese sandwich
before cooking.

3.
Brush over grilled
CAL meat or seafood
81
kebabs. Serve
CARB extra pesto on
1g
the side.
FAT
8g

photographs by VICTOR PROTASIO SOUTHE RN LI VI NG 105

 THE KITCHEN

OVE R E ASY

Sugar
and Spice
You only need six
ingredients to make
these flaky, aromatic
puff pastry “muffins”

Cinnamon Swirl
Puff Pastry Muffins
ACTIVE 25 MIN. - TOTAL 1 HOUR, 15 MIN.
MAKES 12

1 cup granulated sugar

11/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
3 frozen puff pastry sheets (from
2 [17.3-oz.] pkg.), thawed
Flour for work surface
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 12-

cup muffin pan with cooking spray;
set aside. Stir together sugar and
cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

R EC IPE : A N NA THEO KTISTO ; FO O D STY LIN G: E MILY N A BORS H ALL ; PRO P ST YL ING : C L AIR E S P OL L E N
2. Roll 1 of the puff pastry sheets into
an 11- x 15-inch rectangle on a lightly
floured work surface. Brush rectangle
evenly with butter. Sprinkle evenly
with 3 tablespoons of the sugar
mixture. Starting at longer side, roll
rectangle into a tight log; pinching
along seam to seal. Cut log lengthwise
into quarters to form 4 long layered
strands (they don’t have to be perfect).
Wrap each quarter into a spiral shape,
tucking outer end underneath. Place
each spiral into prepared muffin pan.
Repeat entire process with remaining
2 puff pastry sheets. Chill pan in
refrigerator for 10 minutes.
3. Whisk together egg and 1 table-
DON’T SWEAT THE SWIRL spoon water in a bowl until frothy.
Cutting the rolled puff pastry Brush muffin tops with egg wash.
into quarters can be a little 4. Bake in preheated oven until
messy, but don’t worry—even muffins are puffed and browned,
if they are uneven, you’ll get a about 30 minutes. Cover with
beautiful spiral. aluminum foil after 20 minutes to
prevent overbrowning. Cool in pan 10
minutes. Remove muffins from pan,
and roll in remaining sugar mixture.

10 6 JA NUARY-F E BRUARY / 202 2 photographs by VICTOR PROTASIO

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 THE KITCHEN

S NACK T I M E

Pop Star
When cravings hit, get creative with your popcorn game

Stovetop
Bacon Popcorn
ACTIVE 20 MIN.
TOTAL 20 MIN.
SERVES 4

8 bacon slices
1/3 cup popcorn
kernels
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

1. Heat a large nonstick

skillet over medium.
Cook bacon slices in
2 batches, flipping
occasionally, until
browned and crisp,
about 8 minutes.
Transfer bacon to
a plate lined with a
paper towel to drain,

R ECIP ES: JAS MINE SM IT H; FO OD STY LING: EM ILY N A BO RS H AL L ; P RO P STYL IN G : C HR IST INE K EELY
and pour bacon
drippings from skillet
into a small heatproof
bowl. Crumble bacon,
and set aside.
2. Add 3 tablespoons
of the bacon drippings
into a 6-quart pot
fitted with a lid; heat
over medium. Add
2 popcorn kernels.
Cover and shake
saucepan until kernels
pop, 5 to 6 minutes.
Make Your Own Mix
Add remaining Four sweet and savory ingredient combos
kernels; cover and
shake constantly until Maple and Smoky Chile-Garlic Jalapeño-Parmesan Ranch and Chive
kernels stop popping, Glazed Pecans Add 1 tsp. ground Add 1 thinly sliced Add 3 Tbsp. ranch
about 2 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp. pure cumin, 1 tsp. chile seeded jalapeño chile dressing mix (from a
Remove from heat. maple syrup, 1/4 tsp. powder, 1/2 tsp. to the skillet with the 1-oz. envelope) and
3. Immediately add ground cinnamon, smoked paprika, and bacon halfway 2 Tbsp. thinly sliced
salt, crumbled bacon, and 1/2 cup chopped 1/4 tsp. garlic powder through the cooking fresh chives after
and desired toppings glazed pecans after after bacon in Step 3. process in Step 1. bacon in Step 3.
to pot while popcorn bacon in Step 3. Sprinkle popcorn with
is still hot; stir to coat. 3 Tbsp. grated
Serve immediately. Parmesan cheese.

10 8 JAN UARY-FE BRUARY / 2022 photograph by VICTOR PROTASIO

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 COOKING SCHOOL
T I P S A N D T R I C K S F R O M T H E S O U T H ’ S M O S T T R U S T E D K I T C H E N

2
HOW TO CARE WE’RE LOVING
FOR A WOODEN THESE PANTRY
CUTTING BOARD FAVORITES

1 Two Test Kitchen picks

“Alecia’s
Tomato

LE FT ( 3): VICTO R P ROTAS IO, P RO P STYLIN G: C LA IR E SP OLL E N; I L LUST RAT I ONS : KEN DYL L HI L L EGAS ; TOP R I GHT: F R E DE R ICK H AR DY I I; BOTTOM R IGH T: G REG DUP REE
Chutney
is great
1. on grilled
CLEAN meats
Wipe board with a damp as well
cloth. Sprinkle evenly with
as sandwiches. I
kosher salt. Scrub with the
3 also like to swirl it
cut side of a lemon until
board is clean. Repeat on in mayonnaise with
other side. Wipe away chopped fresh lemon
excess salt with a dishcloth. thyme and a squeeze
4 of lemon juice for an
easy, tasty dipping
sauce.” $7; alecias
chutney.com
Essential Kitchen Tools —Karen Schroeder-Rankin
Gadgets that save time and energy Test Kitchen Professional

2.
OIL 1. KITCHEN SHEARS
When the board is dry, use This handy pair allows you to cut raw bacon, break down “Sauce
a clean dishcloth or paper whole poultry, slice a pizza, snip fresh herbs and flowers, Queen
towel to rub food-grade and chop canned ingredients right in the container—the Honey Hot
mineral oil evenly over the list goes on and on. Sauce is
surface. Repeat on other
2. Y PEELER honey that
side. Set aside for a few
Hands down, this double-bladed tool is the safest and is blended
hours for the oil to soak in.
simplest way to remove skins and peels. It’s also good
with pep-
for shaving chocolate and hard cheese into shards and
making “noodles” out of wide vegetables, like squash.
pers (not infused and
strained) for a chunky
3. SILICONE SPATULA
texture and lots of
Unlike a wooden spoon (another essential), this type
of spatula is dishwasher-safe and gentle on nonstick heat. Try it in salad
cookware. It can withstand high temperatures, scrape dressings, cocktails,
every trace of batter from a bowl, and even frost a cake. or marinades. Or
3. 4. RASP GRATER drizzle on cornbread
BUFF Most commonly known by the brand name Microplane, or fried chicken.” $16;
Use a clean dishcloth or this long metal tool has razor-sharp holes for grating saucequeen.co
paper towel to wipe off any garlic and ginger and making fine, fluffy piles of citrus —Jasmine Smith
excess oil before using. zest, chocolate, spices, and hard cheeses. Test Kitchen Professional

1 10 JA NUARY-F E BRUARY / 2022

 COOKING SCHOOL

Southern
Recipe Index
SOUTHERN
STAPLE Staple
White Lily Flour

Since 1883, Southern bakers have trusted White Appetizers Sweets

Lily to help biscuits rise, keep cake layers light, Bloody Mary Poached Arthur Lou Tart, P. 85
and perfect tender piecrusts. Shrimp, P. 91 Cinnamon Swirl Puff
The company, which started Jalapeño-Parmesan Pastry Muffins, P. 106
in Knoxville, uses soft, low- Stovetop Bacon Confetti Cake with
protein red winter wheat to Popcorn, P. 108 Vanilla-Sour Cream
make all-purpose and self-
Maple-and-Glazed Frosting, P. 79
rising flours that are specially
Pecan Stovetop Bacon Creamy Strawberry-
milled for a fine texture. Here
Popcorn, P. 108 Vanilla Bean Truffles, P. 12
are some ways to use the all-
Ranch-and-Chive Devil’s Food Cake with
purpose flour beyond baking.
Stovetop Bacon Salted Peanut Butter
Popcorn, P. 108 Frosting and Ganache, P. 79
■ Breading ■ Thickening ■ Making
fried chicken, gravies, stews, chicken and Smoky Chile-Garlic Fresh Strawberry
vegetables, gumbos, and dumplings Stovetop Bacon Truffles, P. 12
and seafood sauces Popcorn, P. 108 Lemon Cake with Lemon-
Stovetop Bacon Thyme Frosting, P. 79
Popcorn, P. 108 Red Velvet Cake with
Warm Cheese Box White Chocolate-Cream
Bites, P. 92 Cheese Frosting, P. 81
Cook
Strawberry-Coconut
of the and, through trial and Mains Truffles, P. 12
Month error, got comfortable BLT Pain Perdu Tipsy Strawberry
with sourdough.”
Casserole, P. 92 Truffles, P. 12
Favorite type of food to
make: “As a teenager, Chicken-Parmesan White Cake with
I often ate traditional Meatballs, P. 101 Berry-Swiss Meringue
Italian meals at the Chipotle-Maple Chicken Buttercream Frosting, P. 80
home of a friend. His Thighs with Candied Yellow Cake with Malted
father once told me, ‘If Acorn Squash, P. 100 Chocolate Buttercream, P. 81
you want to find a good
P ORTRAIT: COU RTESY D ON N A TOWLE ; ILLUST RATIO N: KE NDY L L HIL L EGAS

Creole Daube, P. 96
man, you’d better learn
Kentucky Hot Brown- Extras
Donna Towle to cook Italian.’ So I did,
BEACH CITY, TEXAS and (years later) that Stuffed Chicken, P. 103 Winter Greens Pesto, P. 105
landed me a good man.” Sesame-Crusted Chicken
Proudest moment in the Beloved Southern Living Breasts with Sugar Snap
kitchen: “When I made recipe: Corn-and-Bacon
Pea Salad, P. 102
my first loaf of sour- Fettuccine
dough bread. I started Best cookbook: Milk
Sides
baking yeast bread Street: Tuesday Nights Simplify Supper!
during the pandemic Mediterranean Creamed-Corn Grits, P. 91 Cozi, the leading
Tangy Rainbow Slaw, P. 16 family-organizing app,
makes meal planning and
Soups shopping easier. We’ve
loaded the recipes from
Join Our Cooking Group! Creamy Chicken Sausage- “Old Bird, New Tricks”
Hover your phone’s camera over and-Kale Soup, P. 99 (p. 99) into the app,
the smart code, and request to available in the App
join our Facebook community. Store and Google Play.

SOU THERN LIV ING 111

 RICK BRAGG

SOUTHERN JOURNAL

The Best Store in the World

If you can’t find it here, you didn’t need it to start with

O ME P EOPL E still call it I guess it doesn’t really matter what located right here, at the convergence

S
“the new store,” though building, which thing of wood or cement, of Williams, Pleasant Valley, and Nisbet
they have grown old at contained all that commerce. Not much Lake Roads. There has been change, of
its counter, one Dr Pepper changed when E.L. built the slightly big- course, from the days when the rolling
at a time. The original ger concrete block store and moved his land was still covered mostly in cotton
Green Store structure, inventory consisting of tools, pipe fittings, and cows and his clientele needed to
the one people call “the overalls, and saltine crackers a few feet buy laying mash, salt blocks, and hog
old store,” has been closed for decades, up the road. It was more modern—at finisher and didn’t want to fight all the
entombed in dust and gloom but still least by the standards of the Reagan traffic in a metropolis like Jacksonville,
in place, almost leaning on the new administration—but that was never his Anniston, Gadsden, or Piedmont. They
one. A cotton gin used said the word “town”
to stand here, and the like it tasted bad in their
school where I went in mouths. Some still do.
ninth grade, which is But while E.L. has
long gone now. It seems marked those changes,
like there has always his store looks much
been a store here, the same to me. The old
though in truth it has men still trickle in to
only been 102 years, talk about dogs, Black
according to the people Angus cattle, snakes,
of the Williams commu- and rain or just to sit on
nity in Calhoun County, the bench in the weak
Alabama. winter sun. They play
“Daddy built it in dominoes and lie. Can
1920,” says E.L. Green, you imagine all the fibs
and the same family has told in 102 years? It’s
owned and run that odd that E.L. can’t recall
place for generations. a single one. “I just kind
My grandfather bought of tuned it out,” he says.
Bruton snuff, work The shelves here are
boots, Vienna sausages, stacked, or jumbled,
and roofing nails. I got with hardware. You
some high-top Converse might not find exactly
tennis shoes and about what you need, but you
10,000 ice-cold bottles will probably see a thing
of Orange Crush. My little brother just priority. In a rural South that seems to you didn’t know you wanted or some-
ordered three ax handles; it’s getting grow more fallow every day, he is more thing you needed back in 1974. His
hard to find a good ax handle these days. interested in carrying on a way of life pumps offer 100% gasoline, with no
For at least 60 of E.L.’s years, he has than hurrying it along. detergents. He still lets his longtime
been behind the counter. If you stand in E.L. says, “I don’t want to brag,” but customers run a tab. And this green
one place long enough, people begin to he is glad of that. corner of the country is a better place
depend on you being there. “I take it for If there is such a thing as a time because he is here, in a store where
granted sometimes,” he says. machine on this earth, I believe it’s even a new thing can be old again.

1 1 2 JA N UA RY-F E BRUA RY / 202 2 illustration by JOHN CUNEO

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