STONE MOUNTAIN YELLOW DAISY FESTIVAL

A Family Gathering In Georgia
By Doc Lawrence

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA-It’s named after a flower that can only be found here on and

around the giant monolith just outside Atlanta. The Yellow Daisy Festival is in full swing at Georgia’s magnificent Stone Mountain Park. Blessed with near perfect weather, the parking lots were jammed, but with well-trained and courteous staff to help move things along, access was easy. And with so many displays, live music, good food and places to sit and rest, there was no need to hurry.

The Yellow Daisy Festival has been around for many years and it’s one of those that continue to grow and get better. In comparison, so many festivals including the plethora of wine and food events have lost star power with many becoming lame copycats. One stand-alone advantage with the Yellow Daisy Festival is the park itself. One of the cleanest, most orderly anywhere, security is in place, traffic controlled, litter is non-existent and the people are well behaved.

This is a gathering where you take the kids.

Along with the festival schedule-which includes a performance by the world-renowned Dirty Dozen Brass Band-there’s the lake for fishing, hiking paths galore and the challenge of climbing mighty Stone Mountain to watch the sunset, see the Atlanta skyline or reach up and touch heaven.

Despite its growth from a small arts and crafts show to the four-day event that it has become today, the Yellow Daisy Festival continues to be a big show with a small-town feel. The mission of re-connecting families and friends with fun, shopping, live entertainment and good food has remained constant over the past forty-three years.

More than 400 artists and crafters from 38 States and two countries display their works for your appreciation and purchase. Daily live entertainment, Children's Corner activities, and crafter demonstrations throughout the event as well as fabulous festival foods

Voted one of the top three arts and crafts shows in the nation by Sunshine Artist Magazine, a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event and winner of multiple awards by the Southeast Festival and Events Association, the festival continues through Sunday September 8.

TAILGATING DOWN SOUTH 2013

A New Season of Kickoff Feasts 

By Doc Lawrence

ATHENS, GA- Like all college towns, everything is quiet at the moment, a brief  Dog Days interlude before the start of college football, just beyond the horizon. When the first home game in the Classic City begins, many thousands will be satisfied with the delights from the pre-game tailgating, great food increasingly as creative as many of the items on top restaurant menus, all served with ample portions of wine, cocktails, beer, sweet iced tea and goodwill.

Frank Spence, a former Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons top executive is a familiar face here and occupies the lofty position of being the unofficial historian for the tailgating nation. Franks story is even more compelling because it ties in the Civil War Sesquicentennial. “Tailgating here is a hallowed culinary ritual,” according to Mr. Spence,  “ it’s core heritage, vital bedrock and a high-octane picnic as Deep South as grits with red-eye gravy.”

Frank Spence believes that the 1861 “Great Skeedadle” and the law of unintended consequences launched the first tailgating party. A native of Nashville, Spence was referring to the Union Army retreat after the first battle of Manassas. “Congressmen, accompanied by beautiful women, set up colorful tents for a fancy hillside picnic to view the assumed quick destruction of the fledgling Confederate Army. Unaware of the looming defeat, party wagons-forerunners of today’s caterers- arrived  loaded with picnic baskets filled with fancy food, and cases of expensive French Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne. Reacting to the sudden bad turn of events, lawmakers and their ladies fled back to Washington’s fortified safety, abandoning the unpacked goodies. Exhausted Southern soldiers removed the food and wine from the rear of the wagons and celebrated, going home after the war to share the amazing memories.”

Thus, says the ebullient Mr. Spence, tailgating was born.

Last year. among the wonderful tailgating recipes we found, Josh Butler, Florida’s “Top Chef” under three governors, had the winner in his “Dog Island Grouper Burger.” The search has already started for dishes with this much imagination, local connections and flavors. The local features are impressive: Dog Island is a short distance from FSU’s stadium, Butler is a home grown chef who serves what he prepares to tailgaters and dish includes local ingredients with everything prepared just before kickoff.

I’ll start the new season at Tuscaloosa, Athens, Tallahassee, Clemson and Knoxville. That’s just the beginning. It’s a long way from August to the bowl games of December and January.

As in past years, appropriate wines and cocktail recipes will be showcased.

All recipes are welcome. If you have photos of people enjoying the feast, send them and we’ll use them. editors@docsnews.com or info@southwind.com

May your team go undefeated in 2013!

The Dalai Lama Returns to Gerogia

THE DALAI LAMA AT EMORY THIS OCTOBER

By Doc Lawrence

ATLANTA-You might see him dining at Mary Mac’s, the venerable shrine of Southern cuisine on Atlanta’s fabled Ponce de Leon Avenue, or speaking impromptu to huge gatherings at Centennial Olympic Park across from CNN’s headquarters. But, he’s most accessible on Emory University’s campus where he maintains a close association that includes prestigious faculty status.

His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, Presidential Distinguished Professor at Emory University, returns to Atlanta this October for a series of public and campus events, including programs on responsible citizenship, ethics and education. Emory’s president, James Wagner, made the announcement recently: "The Dalai Lama has made invaluable contributions to our understanding of what it means to be an ethical citizen of the world. We are looking forward to the return of Emory's Presidential Distinguished Professor and the opportunities for our faculty and students to engage with him on these vital issues."

Two public events are scheduled for Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at The Arena at Gwinnett Center.  In addition, the Dalai Lama will spend two days afterward on the Emory University campus teaching students and engaging with the faculty.

The Dalai Lama last visited Emory in 2010 for a series of events on science research and meditation, creativity and spirituality, interfaith dialogue, and a teaching on compassion. In 2007, he was named Presidential Distinguished Professor at Emory, the first university appointment accepted by the 1989 Nobel Laureate. His appointment was an outgrowth of the Emory-Tibet Partnership which was founded in 1998 to bring together the best of Western and Tibetan Buddhist intellectual traditions. As Presidential Distinguished Professor, the Dalai Lama continues to provide teaching sessions with students and faculty during Emory's study-abroad program in Dharamsala, India.

Often referred to as “our professor,” by Emory students, faculty and alumni, both actor Richard Gere and Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker described His Holiness as a role model and a source of inspiration. during a 2010 panel session at Emory.

FEAST THE 4TH

Jim Sanders Georgia Brunswick Stew

 By Doc Lawrence

ATLANTA. He was the unchallenged “father of fine wine” not only in Atlanta but the entire Southeast region. A French-trained chef, Jim Sanders stayed true to his Southern roots, producing a cookbook pairing the great dishes of the South (his recipes) with the great wines of France. No counterpart exists today.

Each July 4, Sanders served his barbeque pork along with his treasured recipe Georgia Brunswick Stew, something he learned during his childhood days in Covington, Georgia. It is the traditional accompaniment to genuine Deep South barbecue and his recipe is credible.

INGREDIENTS:

1 four-pound baking chicken

4 pounds ground pork

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1-tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon thyme

1 tablespoons cayenne pepper

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup red wine, preferably Rhone style

3 to 4 tablespoons bacon drippings 

36 ounces tomato juice

4 ounce tomato catsup

3 cups cut corn

Kosher salt and black pepper

PREPARATION:

Boil the chicken until it is very tender, cool, de-bone and chop the meat finely. Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, braise the pork until half done. Add half the chopped onions, one chopped garlic clove, chili powder, thyme, cayenne pepper and a generous sprinkling of kosher salt and black pepper. Continue to braise until the meat is well browned, stirring every few minutes to break up any lumps and combine with chicken. Add the tomato juice and catsup and simmer for 11/2 hours. Add the rest of the chopped onions, another chopped garlic clove and simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste for salt and spoon off the fat before serving.

WINES:

Beaujolais goes well with Brunswick stew. It does not fight the spices and it has a lot of refreshment value. Otherwise, fairly heavy red wines like Cotes du Rhone complement the spice and flavors nicely as do several Italian reds like Chianti, Bardolino and Montepulciano.

NOTE:

Over three decades, Jim Sanders taught thousands in his wine classes in Atlanta, a rich mixture of governors, members of Congress, physicians, Georgia Supreme Court Justices and regular men and women. Although a product of the Deep South, Jim was more French than anything. After World War II-he was wounded five times in the Pacific campaigns-he went to France, bicycled the countryside and found his passion in wine and food. He learned to cook in Lyon and Paris and met Armand Cottin, president of Labourie-Roi and through this brotherly friendship, developed his own cuvee of 179 Burgundies garnering numerous awards. Each day, in the rear of his retail wine shop in Atlanta’s Buckhead, Sanders served most anyone who came in wonderful dishes he prepared along with pours from countless bottles of perfectly paired wines. There was no charge.

Jim’s wines, all under his JSANDERS label, are sold exclusively in Atlanta’s Sherlock’s Wine Merchants.

On the eve of his death in 1999, Jim Sanders entrusted me with his priceless wine notes, lectures, stories and recipes.

A FEAST FOR GREAT MEN - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

DAD’S SPECIAL DINNER

By Doc Lawrence

Sunday is a wonderful day in America. We gather to celebrate dad. They come in all sizes, ages and for many, they remain precious memories. Nothing thrills Dad more than having you with him and here in the Deep South, we celebrate these moments with a feast. No doubt Dad has some favorites, but I asked Chef Lara Lyn Carter to provide something special from her South Georgia kitchen that is original, tasty and just begs for some wonderful wine.

The gourmet celebrity chef on WALB-TV in Albany, Georgia created these and even unveiled her Georgia version of pesto: “Yes, there is a southern version of pesto. Use pecans and local olive oil for amazing flavor!”

South Georgia Pecan Pesto Grilled Bread

2 cps fresh basil leaves (packed) 

¼ cup toasted pecans

1 clove garlic chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 cup Georgia Olive Farm Olive Oil

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 loaf of your favorite bread (I use ciabatta)

In food processor blend basil, pecans, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped. With the food processor still running add olive oil to obtain a smooth but still thick consistency. Transfer mixture to a bowl and blend in cheese. This can be made a day ahead.

Split the bread and spread and toast under the broiler until warm and cheese is golden. You can also use this pesto with pasta, chicken, fish, or vegetables. With pesto the possibilities are endless!

Gulf Coast Roasted Red Snapper

4 eight-ounce red snapper fillets

4 tablespoons of Georgia Olive Farms Olive Oil

2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

1 cup of sliced cherry tomatoes

½ cup of chopped fresh basil

¼ cup finely chopped fresh sweet Vidalia onion

2 lemons - 1 sliced and 1 for juice

Arrange fish on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil and coated with a non-stick cooking spray. Drizzle fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange tomatoes, onion, basil, and lemon slices on top of the fish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove fish from the oven and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the fillets.

Doc’s Wine Pairing

The complex yet very compatible flavors in Chef Lara Lyn’s recipes make wine selection even more

fun. It’s searing hot in the Deep South this time of year and the right white wines work better with these delights.

Viognier is widely available. Either the French originals or a great Viognier from North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley legend, RagApple Lassie will bring big smiles when dad and others at the table enjoy the celebration.

Another choice is rosé. Not even remotely related to white zinfandel, this is the real deal. Try a bottle from Provence, chilled of course. It’s lovely poured in a crystal stemware and the flavors and body fit quite well with our fruits from Gulf waters.

                     

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

GEORGIA’S BEST SHRIMP AND GRITS

By Doc Lawrence

Lara Lyn Carter’s popular television cooking show on Albany Georgia’s WALB-TV, provides viewers with a regular experience of fresh ingredients, skilled preparation and gentle presentation. While others do research, hoping to learn something about the reality of farm to table, Lara Lyn simply does what she’s been doing from the first time she put a skillet on the stove. “Everything I’ve enjoyed cooking has always been available close to my kitchen. This area of Georgia is fertile and produces the finest vegetables you can find anywhere. And have you tried our olive oil yet?”

Here’s Lara Lyn’s original recipe for shrimp and grits. Note that it is an all-Georgia production. I’ve added a wine from Crane Creek Vineyards in North Georgia that pairs beautifully with all the flavors.

Lara Lyn's Shrimp and Grits

With Caramelized Vidalia Onions

1 cup Gayla’s Grits (www.gaylasgrits.com)

4 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon pepper

8 ounces of Sweet Grass Dairy Green Hill Cheese

1 large Vidalia onion chopped

2 tablespoons of Georgia Olive Farm Olive Oil

½ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 pound of large wild Georgia shrimp peeled and deveined

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 stick of butter melted

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary

For the grits-

Bring the chicken broth, butter and pepper to a boil.  Add the grits to the broth mixture and cook covered over low to medium heat for one hour stirring frequently.  Add water ¼ of a cup at a time as needed during the cooking to keep the grits from sticking.  During the last 15 minutes of cooking add the cheese to the grits and stir to allow it to dissolve into the grits.  This part alone is creamy delicious comfort food.

For the Onions-

Place the olive oil in a skillet over low to medium heat and add the Vidalia Onion, salt, and sugar.  Cook for 20 minutes until caramelized.

For the shrimp-

Spread the shrimp on a greased baking sheet.  Melt the butter and mix in the garlic and rosemary.  Pour the butter mixture over the shrimp and roast the shrimp in a 400-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

To serve-

Ladle the grits into 4 large serving bowls and top equal portions of the onions.  Place equal portions of the shrimp around the edges of the bowls.

Wine-

Traminette, a delightful white wine from North Georgia’s heralded Crane Creek Vineyards makes this a meal for spring and summer. Your guests will enjoy this delicious and original experience created by one of the fastest rising culinary stars, Lara Lyn Carter.

Flamenco Down South

ZORRO ROCKS
By Doc Lawrence

“You are my life, the fate of destiny,
in the destiny of abandonment.
Still the same as yesterday,
I am just the same.”
Bamboleo-The Gipsy Kings

ATLANTA-Music and dance inspire rejuvenation of a sagging spirit. When Gypsies perform Flamenco, there is something that connects with an ancient flame still burning deep inside our mortal souls. Zorro, the outstanding musical at the Alliance Theatre, proved to be the equal of Frida and Diego, the art exhibit extravaganza drawing record crowds next door at the High Museum. Zorro, with it’s entertaining rythyms and harmonies, is another reminder that Atlanta is indeed an international city where risk and adventure in the arts community comes as easy as a Sunday morning..

With music by the legendary Gipsy Kings, and a cast of Flamenco dancers performing at a breathtaking pace, there was no risk of the audience being disinterested. Zorro is “the fox,” a clever masked hero rescuring his family and community after returning from military academy in Madrd to early Spanish colonial California, bringing along a band of Gypsy friends. Through song and dance, we are led to the spectacular finale with the masked hero swooping over the audience to reclaim justice and procalim love. The celebration features Flamenco dancing and songs accompanied by amazing percussion and instruments.

Zorro is billed as the first Flamenco musical. The cultural connections embrace the music, song and dance of Andulsia in southern Spain, paying homage to the Romany people, popularly known as Gypsies. The blend of Romany, Spanish and Arab cultures is there, but the speed of the musical allows no time for analysis: you just give in to the irrestible embrace of sights and sounds.

Fueled by Flamenco and balanced by amazing choreography, the feet pound out the Gypsy beat while the skirts fly around swirling dancers. Zorro incorporates over 50 actors, dancers and musicians building to a full-cast crescendo with “Bamboleo.”

Zorro celebrates the heroic tradition. The musical brings the magic of Gypsy culture to the Deep South on our most heralded stage. See it to honor love through music and dance. And bring friends and family.