Mount Pleasant Magazine May/June 2021

www. Char l es tonWomen . com | www. Char l es tonWomenPodcas t . com | www. ReadCW. com CW that would make everyone concede she was the best Southern cook in the family. She would start with a relish tray full of crudites and deviled eggs. Her tomatoes were so celebrated, they got their own plate, peeled and sliced. We only got peeled tomatoes when we had company.” The side dishes were the star of the show at Weaver’s house. Her mother would serve up creamed corn, green beans, fried okra, skillet cabbage and squash casserole. “Some sort of bread was mandatory to push around the plate, whether it be cornbread, hoe cakes cooked in a skillet or biscuits. If she was in a really giving mood, she spoiled everyone with Parker House rolls with soft butter. But it was all about the veggies,” she exclaimed. “Southern food is a celebration of life,” continued Weaver. “Whether it’s a family get-together, tailgate party, a wake or a Sunday afternoon, there will be food and lots of it. It’s a way of saying, ‘I love you and I am glad you are here.’ It’s meant to feed your hunger and your soul.” Ingredients 2 pounds fresh green beans (The wide Italian ones are a family favorite.) 1 medium Vidalia onion, julienned 1 pound baby new potatoes, only cut if they are large 5 pounds ham scraps, with bone if possible 3 cups chicken or ham stock, unsalted 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 ounces butter Directions 1. Clean green beans by removing the stems and snapping the beans into smaller pieces. 2. Add everything to a crockpot. 3. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Remove bone and serve. Mama Pat’s Green Beans lowcountry cuisine LAUREN MCDUFFIE – COOKBOOK AUTHOR AND FOOD BLOGGER Lauren McDuffie’s love for cooking blossomed at the same time that celebrity chefs began stepping out of the kitchen and into our living rooms through the growing popularity of cooking shows, so it’s no surprise that her food memories are closely linked with the TV. However, even with the influence of technology, McDuffie’s memories still include her family. “My Dad would spend hours watching cooking shows with me in the 1990s. I’m not sure if he actually enjoyed watching the cooking shows, or if he really just enjoyed my enjoyment of them, but either way, it was sort of our thing together, and I loved it. When the episodes ended, he’d fully support my efforts to recreate the dishes we’d just seen prepared on screen, driving me to the store and giving me a wad of cash to procure my ingredients. I’d then, of course, head home and enjoy pretending I was on my own imaginary cooking show.” Those memories go hand-in-hand with the experiences that she shared with her grandmother in the kitchen. “A couple of times a year, she’d fly from Seattle to our home in Kentucky, and I’d spend so much time planning all of the things we’d bake together. Everything we made was sweet: chocolate cream pies, apple pies, raspberry rolls, angel food cake — the kitchen came alive for me when she visited.” Though cooking shows are wonderful inspiration, they can never replace learning alongside someone influential as a child. “My grandmother would teach me small tricks and techniques, like crimping pie crusts, peeling apples in one long, coiled strand and separating eggs. My grandmother was definitely responsible for instilling not only a love of food and baking in me but also a sort of confidence at an early age, which is such a precious thing. It’s that feeling of confident pride that so vividly colors my early memories in the kitchen, and I absolutely have her to thank for it,” McDuffie expounded.