I spent the past weekend at the Southern Foodways Alliance 2018 Winter Symposium here in Birmingham. 
I joined more than 150 people from all over the country to talk about what it means to produce, grow, cook, eat and love food in the South.
Attendees included James Beard Foundation Award-winning restaurateurs and chefs as well as some of the latest crop of nominees. There were coffee growers, food writers, oral historians, a mariachi band, educators, activists, photographers, farmers and filmmakers. Some people were there simply because they love Southern food.
And that’s good enough.
From a drink made with Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka, Good People‘s Snake Handler reduction AND Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale to breakfast cake made by Dolester Miles, the pastry chef at Highlands Bar & Grill, to Chef Duane Nutter‘s lunch of Sea Island Red Peas and Shrimp (and much more!) to Becky Satterfield’s amazing gumbo full of Conecuh Sausage, it was a delicious time worth savoring.
See my story on Alabama NewsCenter for all the details.
You’ll find that we heard CNN’s Moni Basu talk about growing up in an Indian household in the American South and how food narratives can effect change. Fawn Weaver and Clay Risen talked about Nathan “Nearest” Green, the former slave whom many believe taught Jack Daniel how to distill whiskey. Writer Julia Turshen spoke about her book Feed the Resistance: Recipes and Ideas for Getting Involved, which benefits the ACLU. Food writer and dining critic David Hagedorn explored the various meanings of Southern hospitality, and Atlanta-Journal Constitution reporter Rosalind Bentley talked about the women who fed the Civil Rights Movement and sustained protestors with home-cooked meals respectfully served on their good china.
You’ll want to put next year’s Winter Symposium on your calendar. I’ll see you there.
1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded and room temperature
In a large bowl, combine the butter and cheese and flour. Mix in the cayenne pepper, salt and garlic powder (if you’re using it) until the dough forms a small ball. You can use your hands or a wooden spoon. I like to use a pastry cutter to do this until it begins to stick together. Just mix until there are no ingredients left in the bottom of the bowl.
Pinch off a nickel-size amount and roll into tight balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about one inch apart, and flatten each with a fork.
It’s absolutely perfect if you’re feeling under the weather or even if you’re feeling perfectly fine.
Like shelves and shelves of sauces and more savory, sweet, spicy 
The soup is a two-step process. You make the amazing broth, and then you make a paste of cashews, shallots, chiles, more lemongrass and more ginger, which adds some lovely depth to this soup. But I promise, it’s totally worth the effort.
6 whole cloves
1/2 cup unsalted cashews
4 (12-ounce) packages ramen noodles (or equivalent of your favorite noodles)
I knew this would not be a PR day. I had some perfectly good excuses: It was rainy. It was hot. I had some on-and-off pain in my hip. But the fact was: I had not prepared as much as I should have done. I simply had not put my feet on the ground enough in the weeks leading up to this race.
“You do you,” I actually said out loud.
I was listening to a playlist made by two of my children, and the songs they picked out for me made me happy. From 
I took a moment to appreciate having some great shoes and even greater socks. (My 
When I finished, 
That city has embraced them, and, with a 
They collaborated at 
If you go, I’d recommend the BBQ Shrimp Jalapeno Johnny Cakes with delicious red-eye gravy, crunchy dehydrated corn and shaved country ham from 
After learning about the 
Washington said, “Our state is getting the recognition it deserves. There’s a lot of great talent in Alabama. And I think it says a lot about the state, economically, and as far as the diversity of the dining scene—from Huntsville to Mobile.
Crestline Bagel Co. has been in the heart of Crestline Village for more than 20 years, where it has become a part of the community. I expect the same thing will happen in Cahaba Heights. They’ve already put in a bicycle rack to accommodate the neighbors nearby. There’s nice patio seating outside, and when Leaf & Petal is in, with its fresh, green environment, that space will be amazing.
They make a lot of paninis and wraps at lunch as well as pizza bagels and fresh salads. You can build your own sandwich with ingredients like Boar’s Head turkey and creamy goat cheese. The three-cheese and tomato panini on the homemade focaccia is delicious. And Crestline Bagel Co. caters, too.
Darkroom: A Memoir in Black & White
The Queen of Hearts
The Perfect Scout: A Soldier’s Memoir of the Great March to the Sea and the Campaign of the Carolinas
Shadow of the Lions
But maybe not.
What I want is a deep, rich, not-too-thick soup, colored and flavored with various chiles, and filled with bite-size chunks of beef. I want some tomatoes in there, too, but I don’t always add beans. Sometimes I use red wine; other times I add beer. I’m a huge fan of cumin and coriander, and I toast and then grind my own.
3 dried pasilla chiles
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
Heat a large, dry skillet over high heat and toast the dried chiles until fragrant but not scorched, about 30 to 45 seconds each side. Remove and set aside. In the same dry skillet, toast garlic cloves in their skins, tossing, until browned in spots. Remove and set aside to cool.
Peel garlic and place in a food processor or blender. Add the soaked chiles, two teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon honey and enough of the soaking liquid to form a paste. Puree until smooth, and set aside.
Turn the heat to medium and in the same now-crusty pot, cook the onion and jalapeño peppers, stirring with a little salt and pepper, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin-coriander powder, chile powder, oregano and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add the chile puree, and stir well for one minute. Dissolve the masa harina in two cups of water and add, stirring. Add meat, tomatoes in their juices, beer, remaining 2 cups water, chocolate and brown sugar, and stir until combined.
