What Is Southern Cooking?

One of the most identifiable cuisines in the US is Southern. It's known for fried chicken and peach pie, biscuits and sweet iced tea. Yet what exactly is it? Soul food? An offshoot of African cuisine? Food of the rich? Food of the poor? Food of the whites? What should it really be called?

Julia Moskin tackled that question in an article in today's New York Times Food section. She visited Atlanta, heart of the cuisine to speak with two defining chefs, Todd Richards and Virginia Willis. Both ,like many other Southern chefs are chipping away at the stereotype of what the food  should be. More and more immigrants are pouring into the cities and coasts, fusing their recipes with these centuries old ones. There is Korean- Southern fried chicken, Vietnamese Cajun crawfish, and tacos stuffed with barbecue.Yet the question remains - just what exactly is Southern cooking?Many are reluctant to see it as a black-white divide however Chef Willis did wonder that aloud during their interview with Ms. Moskin.Many of the cooking traditions and techniques can directly be traced to Africa, invented by home chefs for both their own families and the families that either enslaved them or employed them.However Chef Richards has another take on it. It's necessarily about race but more about class and place he argues.Blacks and whites  may not have been eating together but they were eating the same dishes.

Yet soul food has come to mean black food while Southern and country refers to white cooking, even though both cuisines have exactly the same recipes.Both chefs have mirror backgrounds and food experiences.Their mothers washed collard greens and peanuts in the family washing machines (!), their recipes for potato salad are nearly identical with not too soft potatoes, hard boiled eggs, pickled relish, mayo, mustard and paprika. Ms. Moskin asked them to bring another Southern specialty  - pimento sandwiches, a filling composed of cream cheese, mayo, pimentos and shredded cheese. Both came up with their own variations.Ms Willis used it as a topping to a tomato pie,while Chef Richards added thick cut bacon and sauce from a can of Mexican chipotle chiles on toast and topped with juicy grilled peaches.Both chefs have written cookbooks, Chef Richards has Soul while Ms.Willis wrote Secrets Of The Southern Table: AFood Lover's Guide Of The Global South.Chef Richards approaches from the perspective of an African American while Chef Willis comes from a Southern white angle. Both are self taught although Willis also learned from her mother and grandmother. What they cook is Southern cuisine, just variations. It evolves constantly thanks to immigrants and new chefs with their own interpretations.

SOuthern cooking should just be known as  regional cooking.It is not black or white, rich or poor. It 's like any other cuisine, old cooking techniques being updated with new ingredients and keeping the old ones.

The Best Of Nice

One of the best cuisines is from Nice, that sun drenched city perched on the southeastern corner of Southern France. It has the best seasonings and spices along with a variety of seafood and vegetables. Blend all these together for an amazing array of main dishes and desserts. This is French cooking with panache.

One of the most satisfying dishes is the salad named after the city, salad Nicoise. This is an easy  yet fancy dish any home chef can whip up.The key ingredient is tuna, and not the typical one in canned in water. It has to be in olive oil or tonno en olio. It makes for a richer flavor with the salad. Fresh tuna is also preferred as well. Hard boiled eggs are another ingredient that add not just flavor but protein.The salad also needs boiled new potatoes along with capers. Adding a burst of freshness is Roma tomatoes along green beans and onions. The dressing is a pert lemon vinaigrette.Some add anchovies for more authenticity but if they're too salty , they can be omitted. Petit farci or stuffed vegetables are another Provencale or Nice dish that's perfect for the summer. This is a combination of different veggies , green peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and eggplants that are stuff with a blend of chopped veal,onion, garlic, bouquet garni and herbes de Provence This last is a blend of different herbs and even lavender, a staple in soaps and sachets from the region. The stuffing is partially cooked first  and then put through a mincer before being stuffed inside the veggies. They're browned in a 400 degree oven before being served with tomato puree.

Garlic is a standard in this sunny section of France and the locals make a delicious creamy mayo with it called rouille. It's simply taking three cloves and combing them with two egg yolks and olive oil. The mixture is spiced up by adding two teaspoons of cayenne pepper and a quarter teaspoon of saffron. It's usually served with fish or seafood such as lobster or shrimp but it can also be used for tomatoes or even chicken.Squash is a big part of the Nicoise garden and cooks there use the veggie  at every stage of its' development.They take the delicate squash flowers , dip them in batter and then fry them in butter or olive oil. The batter is a combination of flour, yolks and water along with a tablespoon of olive oil. The whites are beaten to a froth and then added later to it. The flowers are cut along a vein to open them and the pistils are removed. It's a quick but mouth watering fry up. Nicoise home chefs , never ones for waste , add diced zucchini to it to make zucchini fritters. dessert is usually fresh fruit , either, figs , apricots or pears. Adults enjoy an after dinner glass of pastis while les enfants get an ice cream from the local shop.

Nicoise cuisine is the perfect summer cuisine, It bursts with garden fresh veggies and fresh caught seafood.followed by fresh fruit. It is tres belle et tres delicieux.

For all the people of Nice, stay strong stay brave. You are an inspiration to the world right now.

The First Of The Summer Wines

These warms days and balmy nights call for a cool glass of wine.This is the time to enjoy one either with something fresh from the grill or the fruits of the season. Sit back and sip. Enjoy the wide array of summer wines.

Roses and white wines usually make the best bets for summer however a good hearty red wouldn't go amiss at a barbecue. For those grill days or nights think about a 2014 Penedo Borges Malbec.It's the perfect foil for a juicy steak or even a meaty homemade burger.It even has a  meaty aroma with top notes of wild herbs Its' flavor is that of ripe plums and dark fruits with a coating of vanilla .Another good red is the 2012 Cakebread Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon with its' aroma of chocolate and black current. It is rich and velvety, perfect with ribs or a T-bone.Australia has sent us some excellent vintages over the years and one summer standout is the 2013 Clonakilla Shiraz/ Viognier.It is expensive at $75 a bottle, but buy it for special occasions like milestone birthdays, engagements,graduations or promotions.Its' aroma is a mix if cracked pepper berries and plums.It's suggested that it should be served with a hog roast but it would be better with filet mignon or a Kansas City strip;A little less expensive and more down to earth are the Piedmontese Barberas. Eric Asimov mentioned it in his Pour column in the New York Times Food section on Wednesday. Have it with a homemade from the grill pizza that 's dense in sauce , cheese and toppings. It's a taste of Northern Italy in the backyard.

Whites and roses are the more preferred wines come the high temps. So many have poured themselves an iced glass of any of these as they 've cooled their feet in the pool or even the sprinkler. What are the best for sipping? They should be tart and refreshing , not to mention  ice cold. The most ideal summer wine is 2013 Domaine de l'Anjardiere La Noe and at $15 dollars a bottle a good buy. It's crisp, floral and easy to drink. It's a nice wine to serve at a brunch or outdoor bridal shower. Another ideal one is a 2014 Domaine Vincent Delaporte Sancerre Chavignol.It has a full, almost waxy purity of fruit with a bright clean finish. The  more expensive at $32 2012 Norman Hardie Chardonnay from New York's Niagara region, with a crispy white fruit taste. This is the time of year to mix the fruits of the season with wines. My family celebrates the season by adding fresh picked  strawberries to chilled flutes of Asti Spumente. The wine is from our region , Piedmonte and goes well with the berries.It's a heady alternative to sorbets along with better way to appreciate the berry's sweetness. Even though there's already a raspberry infused sparkling wine, fresh raspberries off the first harvest of the season is also wonderful in the wine. Think of it as an alternative to a tart or sorbet.

A summer's night calls for a chilled glass of a good wine. Pick one that compliments a hearty grilled steak or highlights the season's crop of berries. They're a refreshing and relaxing way to beat the heat.