C O L U M B I A ɀ S O U T H C A R O L I N A

LIFE&STYLE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2010 ɀ WWW.THESTATE.COM ɀ SECTION D

SATURDAY NIGHT ONION

Vidalia: Flavorful and sweeter, and a
good balance of onion and the bullion.
Palmetto: A bit saltier, but still good
The winner? A slight edge toward the
Palmetto

Ain’t she sweet

We did a taste test to see which is the true
Southern onion: Vidalia or Palmetto Sweet
the layers to find out in a sweet onion
By BETSEY GUZIOR
bguzior@thestate.com throwdown.
We pitted the two sweet onions in a taste

I
t’s David vs. Goliath. test, using both varieties in three recipes,
Or, more specifically, Vidalia vs. judged by a selected, but hungry, group of
Palmetto. onion lovers from the newsroom last week.
The Vidalia onion is a giant force in the We got help from Branson Stafford, the
PHOTOGRAPHS BY KIM KIM FOSTER-TOBIN/KKFOSTER@THESTATE.COM
PALMETTO foodie world. About this time every year, chef at Davis’, a new bar/restaurant opening
SWEET these Georgia-bred onions show this week in Rosewood.
up on grocery shelves, a long- Stafford made two onion
Average size: 2-3 awaited treat for onion lovers. INSIDE: Sweet loaves, one using the Vidalia and
inches in diameter Unlike the tear-inducing yellow onion recipes, the other using the Palmetto
onion or the pungent red onion, Page D3 Sweet. Stafford hopes the onion
Color: White these onions are so mild and fla- loaf — a pile of battered onion
Texture: Thin, vorful they can be eaten whole. rings shaped into a loaf pan and
papery skin But now comes the Palmetto Sweet On- baked — becomes a signature dish at the
ion and the Edisto River Sweet Onion. Rela- restaurant.
Spokesman: None tively petite in size, much whiter in color It was a bit harder to work with the Pal-
yet, but might we and with more delicate skin, these home- metto Sweet, Stafford reports, just because
recommend Lizard grown onions were introduced a few weeks the onion skin was so delicate and the Pal-
Man? ago by South Carolina agriculture officials. metto took a bit longer to cook.
They want to make you forget everything We also made two versions of an onion
you loved about Vidalias. dip and Paula Deen’s Saturday Night On-
How does the fair Palmetto Sweet fare ions (see recipes inside).
against the mighty Vidalia? We peeled back The verdicts of our judging panel:

VIDALIA ONIONS
ABOUT DAVIS’
Average size: 3-4
Davis’ is expected to open
inches in diameter
this week. It is located at 2910
Color: Light yellow Rosewood Drive.
Texture: Thick yellow Brent Davis owns the restau-
skin rant along with his brother
Stephen. Brent Davis helped
Spokesman: Shrek, run Cock N Bull, which closed
who is the face of at this location earlier this
this year’s spring and expects to open
marketing campaign soon at a new location on
ONION LOAF Rosewood Drive.
ONION DIP The dinner menu is mostly
Vidalia: There was lots of batter, and it standard comfort and bar food,
Vidalia: There was more seemed this version was cooked longer. but with a heavy dose of vegan
flavor and a sweeter taste with The mild taste of the onions was relatively and vegetarian dishes, includ-
this version. The cheese held disappointing. ing a cactus quesadilla and
the dip together well, and it Palmetto: The panel could taste the crispy nopales (fried cactus
was a good balance of flavors. onions better in this version; the batter was leaves). The onion loaf recipe,
Palmetto: Compared to the crunchier and it retained its shape well. says chef Branson Stafford, is
other version, this dip was The winner? Palmetto inspired by onion rings.
runny and watery.
The winner? Vidalia

COOK’S CALENDAR Bakery. Tickets: $25 for Friends

Fruit from the Vine
Enjoy an evening of food and wine
as the Friends of the
Richland County Public
Library host The Literary
Vine 7 p.m. June 12 at the
Main Library, 1431
Assembly St. Taste more
than 30 wines and learn
about each selection from
wine experts while enjoying
food from local
restaurants. The Skipp
Pearson Jazz Ensemble will
be performing. Sponsors include
Southern Wine & Spirits,
BlueCross BlueShield of South
Carolina, Bonefish Grill, Carrabba’s
Italian Grill, DiPrato’s, Dianne’s on
Devine, Immaculate Consumption,
Gervais & Vine and Tiffany’s
members, $35 for nonmembers.
Available online at
myRCPL.com/friends. Limited
special reserve tasting tickets
available for additional $15: call
(803) 9293475 or
(803) 988-0885.
The farmers market at
Riverbanks Botanical
Garden has reopened
2-7 p.m. Wednesdays
through October.
EarthFare Market will
be holding cooking
demonstrations
2:30-3:30 p.m. Cooking
demonstration
schedule: Today, strawberry fields
salad; May 26, chicken stir fry with
herbed veggies; June 2, sweet
mint kaleidoscope medley; June 9,
peachy keen crepes; June 16,
grilled garden skewers; June 23,
ragin’ Cajun shrimp and bleu
cheese salad; June 30, open-faced
western chicken sandwich. The
Botanical Garden entrance is at
1200 Botanical Way, off U.S. 378
in West Columbia.
[ EVENTS ]
Test your sleuthing abilities at the
Dinner with the Family murder mystery
dinner Saturday at Let’s Cook Culinary
Studio. Hosted by members of the
Alpha Iota Kappa student chapter of
the American Criminal Justice
Association at ITT Technical Institute of
Columbia, participants will act as
detectives in solving the crime with
prizes awarded to the first two guests
to correctly identify the criminal. Chef
John Militello will present Italian hors
d’oeuvres to dinner guests. Proceeds
go to fund community service projects
and ITT Tech criminal justice student
activities. $30 per person, limited
seating, reservations required at
lets-cook@earthlink.net. Let’s Cook is
at 1305 Assembly St., (803)
Palmetto Palate, an event
sponsored by the S.C. Farm
250-2569 Bureau pairing South Carolina’s
best chefs with the best locally
The second annual Ribs & grown ingredients, returns to 701
Renaissance festival will be 11 a.m. Whaley July 22. Last year’s event
to 10 p.m. June 5 at Eau Claire
featured creations such as
Town Square at North Main and Carolina mission figs with goat
Monticello Road. Enjoy live music,
cheese, roasted pecans, seared
arts and crafts and finger-licking
pork belly and a beet reduction,
good ribs. Details at
glazed pouisson legs with sweet
eauclairecommunity.org
corn relish and a homemade
blackberry cobbler. In addition to
The 13th Annual Wine Tasting
the food, a silent auction of items
and Silent Auction hosted by the
unique to South Carolina and
Rotary Club of the Vista Night is
agriculture will be held. Proceeds
scheduled for 7 p.m. June 8 at The
support Friends of Farm Bureau
Hall at Canal and Senate, 320
Political Action Committee fund.
Senate St. Tickets are $40 per
Tickets $50, available from Kristin
person, silent auction proceeds
Lavender, (803) 936-4219.
benefit Children’s Chance. Info:
(803) 413-0446 or
vistanightrotary.org
INSIDE: More Cook’s Calendar,
Page D3.
Start salivating now. The
 WWW.THESTATE.COM ● THE STATE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA ● WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2010 D3

S.C.-made seasonings, sauces spice up flavors

S
pring is finally here ...
in a big way.
The garden has
been planted for more than
a month now, and so far, I
haven’t killed anything —
although the lettuce had me
worried for a week or so in
the beginning.
The cucumber plants
have started to put out
feelers for vining, the
tomatillos and peppers are
flowering. There’s even a
small Roma forming on one
of the four varieties of
tomato plants that I have in
the garden.
So now I turn to that
other seasonal ritual: spring
cleaning.
Allow me to share with
you some of the bits and
pieces of food-related
information that I have
accumulated over the
The
Carolina
Kitchen
Susan Ardis
sardis
@thestate.com
recent
weeks and, in the process,
perform a virtual spring
cleaning of my mind and
my work desk.
While my sister and I
were at the flower show at
the State Farmers Market
in April, we ran across a
couple of new local
products. One of my new
favorites is Willie’s Hog
Dust, a dry-seasoning mix
made in Sumter that tastes
good on just about
everything. Samples of
pulled pork, beef tenderloin
and a dipping sauce that
incorporated the mix were
offered at the show. All
were delicious. I have since
used Hog Dust when
grilling pork chops and
have sprinkled it over
popcorn and green salads.
The website,
williesrubbins.com, offers
quite a few recipes and
ordering information.
According to the site,
Willie’s Hog Dust is
available at Ole Timey Meat
Market locations, Four
Oaks Farms, Columbia
Regional Visitors Center
and the State Museum.
Another versatile product
is Mother Shucker’s
Original Cocktail Sauce
from The Oyster Bar in
Columbia. Patrons of the
Vista restaurant at 1123
Park St. will recognize this
sauce immediately. Served
warm, it’s a perfect
accompaniment to fish and
seafood.
Mother Shucker’s is
available online at
oysterbarcolumbia.com and
at various local farmers
markets (I found it the first
week at the Forest Acres
market on the roof at
Richland Mall).
I have not yet tried this
one, but I found the
marketing information
intriguing: Japanese Pink
Sauce from Native Tongue
Gourmet Sauces of
Spartanburg. The idea for
the company sprang from
the mind of Jason
McElveen when he was a
student at Wofford College.
His class project involved a
business/marketing plan for
a local hibachi restaurant.
After a collaborative project
fell through, McElveen
started making and
marketing a sauce on his
own.
Online recipes suggest
using the sauce not only for
dipping but as an
ingredient in pimento
cheese or as a substitute for
mayonnaise. Japanese Pink
Sauce is available locally at
Simply Savory on Devine
Street, Mary & Martha’s on
Forest Drive, various Piggly
Wiggly stores and online at
nativetonguesauces.com.
Perhaps the most helpful
item to recently cross my
desk is a copy of the South
Carolina Specialty Food
Association Membership
Guide, published by the
state Department of
Agriculture. The guide lists
farmers, producers and
retailers of local specialty
products (such as sauces,
mixes, beverages and
baked goods), along with
contact information and
description of available
items.
This is not to be confused
with the Certified Roadside
Markets online guide,
follow the link at
agriculture.sc.gov, that lists
roadside market hours and
seasonal availability of
products. Both guides are
great starting points for
discovering a new food
source or, as with the
roadside market guide,
planning a day trip.
Speaking of which, it’s
time for me to clean out the
collapsible cooler that I
keep in the car and head
out in this sunny weather.
Who knows what I’ll find
next?

TASTINGS COOK’S CALENDAR Old Chapin Road. Market hours

A weekly review of wine,
beer and spirits
2008 Big House Red, Cali-
fornia, four-bottle box (3 li-
ters), $24
It is time to think of box
wine in a new light; it is no
longer just cheap and bland
stuff. This wine is packaged
in an Octavin, an eight-
sided box that holds four
bottles. The wine is just as
good, if not better, than the
glass bottle sample. But
while four bottles would
cost $40 or so, the box wine
is about half price because
of the savings on packaging.
The flavors — a blend of
syrah, grenache, tannat,
mourvedre, sangiovesse and
barbera grapes — are big
and powerful but also har-
monious and well struc-
tured. A nose of dark ripe
berries with a hint of spice
leads into a full body that
emphasizes dark fruit with
hints of oak. The finish is
WINE EVENTS
CONNOISSEURS CORNER, Town
Center of Lake Carolina, 320 Long
Pointe Lane, (803) 708-6316
Every Thursday: 5:30-7 p.m.
Beer tasting
Every Friday: 5:30-7 p.m. Wine
tasting
CORKED, Village at Sandhill, 661-3
Promenade Place, (803)
708-4755, corkedwineshop.com
Thursday: 5-8 p.m. Beer and
wine flight. $5
Friday: 6-8 p.m. Three to five
wines, light snacks. $5
Saturday: 4-6 p.m. Same as
Friday. $5
Tuesday: 5-8 p.m. Weeknight
flight; try the featured wines in a
flight of four. $5
ENOREE RIVER VINEYARDS AND
WINES, 1650 Dusty Road,
Newberry, (803) 276-2855,
enoreeriverwinery.com
Every Tuesday through Saturday:
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Taste a variety of
wines. $3.50
GERVAIS & VINE, 620-A Gervais St.,
(803) 799-8463, gervine.com
Tonight: 6:30 p.m. Cline Cellars
tasting with Roger Gobler, six wines
with two courses, $28 ($23 wine
club members)
June 2: 6:30 p.m. Rodney Strong
like red velvet, lush and
soft.
The Macallan Fine Oak
Highland Single Malt
Scotch Whisky (15 year
old), Scotland, $70
This classic single malt
starts with rich aromas of
dried vanilla beans and
raisins, which lead into a
medium-bodied Scotch with
layers of delicate flavors.
Toasted coconut and dried
citrus zest were framed with
a slight honey sweetness
and a cinnamon-raisin fin-
ish. The overall taste was
smooth and creamy, perfect
for any single-malt lover.
The casks used to age this
Scotch are a combination of
American sherry and bour-
bon in addition to European
sherry casks, which impart
the complex flavors found
in each sip.
Samuel Adams Summer
Ale, Boston, $8, six pack
Vineyards tasting with Goodman
Sage
GOURMET SHOP, 724 Saluda Ave.,
(803) 799-9463,
thegourmetshop.net
Tuesday: 6 p.m. Icons of the
Andes Tour 2010. Wineries from
Chile and Argentina will present 30
wines, $12.50 in advance, $15 at
door.
INDIGO JONES RESTAURANT OF
CAMDEN, 511 Rutledge St., (803)
432-1616
Every Wednesday: 6 p.m. wine
tasting
MO MO’S BISTRO, 2930 Devine St.,
(803) 252-2700;
momosondevine.com
Every Wednesday: 6 p.m. wine
tasting
ROSSO TRATTORIA ITALIA, Trenholm
Plaza, 4840 Forest Drive, (803)
Samuel Adams summer
brew is a different recipe
every year, but it always
maintains a light and easy
drinking character. I noticed
a little more spice this year
and lots more flavor. It has
big notes of lemon and or-
ange zest and a slight sweet
white pepper flavor that
comes from Grains of Para-
dise, which is grown on the
west coast of Africa. Subtle
notes of clove and anise
with layers of hops and a
medium bitterness bring the
flavors into perfect balance.
This is a terrific beer for
almost any chicken or fish
meal cooked on the grill.
NOTE: For a list of upcoming wines to be
reviewed, e-mail advance@winetalk.org.
Check out reviewer Lain
Bradford’s Web site,
winetalk.org. Or follow him
on Twitter (username:
winereview). If you have
trouble finding a reviewed
item, e-mail
lain@winetalk.org
787-3949, rossocolumbia.com
Every Wednesday: 5 p.m. Sample
four Italian wines during the weekly
drop-in. $5
June 7: Dogs for Dogs Grilling
Event to benefit The Animal
Mission
SHAG BISTRO , 566 Spears Creek
Church Rd., Suite 104, (803)
419-3443, shagbistro.com
Tonight: 6 p.m. California wine
dinner. Reception and five-course
meal paired with wine, $75
SIMPLY SAVORY, 2901 C Devine St.,
(803) 256-1141, savorysc.com
Every Friday: 4:30-6:30 p.m.,
free wine tasting
TERRA, 100 State St., West
Columbia, (803) 791-3443,
terrasc.com
Every Wednesday: Pizza and
pinot, $12.
TOTAL WINE & MORE, 275-D
Harbison Blvd., (803) 407-3722
Every Saturday: Free wine
tastings, noon-6 p.m.
WINESTYLES WINES & GIFTS,
Shoppes at Woodhill, Garners
Ferry Road, (803) 695-1120
Every Thursday: 5-8 p.m. Wine
tasting. $5 (refunded with
purchase from sampled wines)
Get your wine event listed.
E-mail food@thestate.com.
Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday.
Join the fourth annual
Upstate Farm Tour June 5
and 6. Tour 20 sustainable
farms over two days
throughout South Carolina’s
Upstate and learn where
your fresh food comes from.
Highlights this year include
the Bowie Old Farm Show
where visitors can
experience traditional
farming methods of
generations past and meal
stops at Sharon Rose Farm
in Woodruff and Split Creek
Farm in Anderson that will
offer farm fresh food cooked
on-site. Tickets: $25 per
vehicle in advance, $30 day
of tour. Individual farms may
be toured for $10. Tickets
available at Whole Foods
Market in Greenville or at
carolinafarmstewards.org.
Like to plan ahead? Tickets
are now on sale for the Taste of
Charleston food festival Oct.
8-10. The weekend celebration
of Lowcountry cuisine will
feature an Iron Chef
competition at the Culinary
Institute of Charleston, an art
gallery walk and the main
event at Boone Hall Plantation
in Mount Pleasant that will
showcase more than 50 of
Charleston’s finest restaurants.
Tickets to all events can be
purchased at
charlestonrestaurant
association.com
[ CLASSES ]
The Farm Store, near
Shaw Air Force Base, offers
homemaking classes
throughout the year. June
12 and 19, cheese making
for the fun of it. All classes
are at 4 p.m., preregistration
required. Ask about special
classes for small groups and
home schools. 1191 Peach
Orchard Road (S.C. 441),
Sumter. Open 11 a.m. to 6
p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. To
sign up/more info: (803)
494-3276
Columbia’s Cooking,
healthy cooking classes
through the Cancer
Prevention and Control
Program at USC. May 28,
Girls’ Night: Cooking with
Chocolate, $20, (877)
256-5381. Register now for
Culinary Camp for Kids,
ages 8 and up. Classes in
basic and advanced
techniques, 30-minute
meals and a three-day
camp. Register by Friday..
Information:
cpcp.sph.sc.edu/cooking/
classes.htm. Columbia’s
Cooking Kitchen is at 915
Greene St.
Chef Francois Fisera
hosts cooking classes at
Fleur de Lys Home Culinary
Institute. Upcoming classes
include: Thursday and
Friday, soft shell crab;
Tuesday, international
etiquette; May 28, salmon.
Fleur de Lys is at 3001
Millwood Ave; (803)
765-9999, or fleur-de-lys.us.
Upcoming classes at Let’s
Cook Culinary Studio:
Thursday, Italian dinner;
Friday: couples cooking on
the grill; Monday: regional
French cooking. Let’s Cook
is at 1305 Assembly St.
(803) 250-2569;
letscookculinary.com
Young Chef’s Academy
upcoming classes:
Monday,traditional Mexican
cookies, spice cake. $20
per child, reservations
required. 7320 Broad River
Road. (803) 749-0670
youngchefsacademy.com
[ MARKET NEWS ]
Farmers in the Forest,
Forest Acres’ farmers
market on the rooftop at
Richland Mall, is open 3-7
p.m. today. Information:
farmersintheforest.org
The Lexington Farmers
Market has reopened in the
back parking lot of The
Shoppes at Flight Deck, 109
are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every first
and third Thursday through
October. Details: Heidi Black,
(803) 957-3602
Main Street Marketplace,
at Boyd Plaza in front of the
Columbia Museum of Art, is
open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fridays through June 25.
The Sandhills Farmers
Market is open 2:30 to 7
p.m. Tuesdays through Nov.
2 at the entrance to the
Clemson Sandhill Research
and Education Center, 900
Clemson Road, Northeast
Richland. In addition to local
products, master gardeners
will be on hand. Details:
clemson.edu/sandhill
The All-Local Farmers
Market offers produce and
such from 8 a.m. to noon
every Saturday at 701
Whaley St. Details:
stateplate.org.
[ EVENTS ]
The Biscuit House on
Bluff Road is asking for help
in compiling customer
stories and anecdotes for a
book on the restaurant’s
history. Recipes for biscuits,
cinnamon rolls and lunch
items will be included in the
publication. Submit written
entries during business
hours, 6-11 a.m. Monday
through Friday, or e-mail
biscuithouse1@aol.com.
[ CONTESTS ]
Sutter Home’s Build a
Better Burger Recipe Contest
and Cook-Off is seeking
creative recipes from
backyard chefs. Ten finalists
will be selected to compete
in a grilling cook-off on Sept.
10. The grand prize winner
will receive $100,000 in
cash. Entries will be
accepted through July 31.
Rules and information:
sutterhome.com
Have an upcoming food
event? E-mail details to
food@thestate.com.
Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday.

SHOULD BEANS BE pan. It catches any drips but

GONE?
I’ve had in my pantry for
at least 10 years several
varieties of dried beans in
glass and plastic jars, such
as lima beans, black-eyed
peas, black beans, etc. They
are very hard. Are those
different kinds of beans still
good to cook and eat?
— Clarita Q., Houston
The United States Dry
Bean Council advises you to
toss your beans. Dry beans
can be held in an airtight jar
out of the sunlight and in a
cool, arid pantry, for ex-
ample, for about 12 months.
When loading beans into a
canister, mark the date on
the bottom so you can track
your beans and their age.
LUNCH TIP
My hint is using a travel
toothbrush holder to hold a
paring knife in my lunch
bag. I use a knife to cut
apples, and found this to be
the safest way to carry a
paring knife.
— Lynn Duncan, Brockville,
Ontario, Canada
Hints from
Heloise
www.heloise.com
Heloise, P.O. Box
795000, San
Antonio, TX
78279-5000 or fax
it to 210-Heloise
HANDY CLOTHESPIN
Wooden spring clothes-
pins work well as identifiers
for potted plants. Use a
marker to write on the
clothespin, and clip it to the
edge of the pot.
— Doris, via e-mail
VINEGARY
CUCUMBERS
For delicious cucumbers,
soak them in cider vinegar
and water for 10 to 15 min-
utes for a tangy treat. I like
full strength, but others
prefer a lighter version.
— Heloise
HANDY PIZZA PAN
In regard to the reader
who had foil adhere to the
bottom of her oven: I put my
pie plate on a 12-inch pizza
allows the heat to circulate
for proper baking results.
—
— Baked sweet onion dip
Jane, via e-mail
— 2 cups sweet onion, chopped
EASY FREEZER ID
I enjoy freezing leftovers
and smaller portions of
meats bought in bulk, but
oftentimes these smaller
packages get lost in my
freezer, and I can’t find what
I want when I need it, or I’ve
forgotten what I have.
I use the clear-plastic bins
that variety salad greens
come in by labeling them on
the front end and stacking
them on the shelves in the
freezer. I’ve got one for
chops, one for steaks, one
for seafood, etc.
.
— Susan, via e-mail
CRYING OVER ONIONS
When cutting or peeling
onions, to avoid tears, put
the onions on a plate, put
the plate on top of the stove
and turn the exhaust fan on.
No more tears.
— A Reader, via e-mail
SWEET ONION RECIPES
1
⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese 1
⁄2 teaspoon seasoning salt
13⁄4 cup mayonnaise (reduced fat OK) 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1-2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon hot sauce
■ Lightly grease a 11⁄2 quart oval casserole dish or 8- by 8-inch baking dish.
■ Combine all ingredients; transfer to casserole dish. Bake 30 minutes in a
375-degree oven until top begins to brown.
■ Serve hot or warm with crackers or tortilla chips.
Paula Deen’s Saturday Night Onions
1 serving 1 beef bouillon cube
1 large Vidalia Onion or sweet onion Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
■ Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill. Trim a slice from the top of each onion, and peel
the onion without cutting off the root end. With a potato peeler, cut a small
cone-shaped section from the center of the onion. Cut the onion into quarters from
the top down, stopping within a half inch of the root end. Place a bouillon cube in
the center, slip slivers of butter in between the sections, and sprinkle with pepper.
■ Wrap each onion in a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Place the onions directly
onto the hot coals and cook for 45 minutes, turning every so often. Or bake the
foil-wrapped Vidalia onions in a 350-degree F oven for about 45 minutes.