Author: Debbi Covington

Throughout history, every society has celebrated the end of the harvest. Many have set aside a day of thanks. In 1941, Thanksgiving Day became a national holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. It’€™s the one day of the year that we Americans can consume an abundance of food without a second thought about calories! The recipes this week are all Thanksgiving side dishes. Team a couple (or all) of them with a roasted turkey for a modern twist on a traditional Thanksgiving menu. All you’ll need to add is a pumpkin pie topped with sweetened whipped cream for a grand finale. Happy Thanksgiving! (Photography by Susan DeLoach)

My husband Vince and I love Greek food! Whenever we travel, we always look for authentic Greek restaurants. One of our all-time favorite Greek dishes is Spanakopita. It’s a vegetarian pastry made with spinach, feta cheese, phyllo dough and lots of butter. I started to wonder if I could find a similar recipe that featured chicken.

Spirits can play a surprisingly versatile role in cooking. The good news is that spirits are used in modest quantities and burn out most of their alcohol content during the cooking process. The better news is that even though the majority of the alcohol does dissipate, the taste definitely lingers on and can add flavor to countless recipes.

I’m on a quest. I’ve been on the same quest for years. I’m searching for the perfect ginger salad dressing. Every oriental restaurant has a different recipe for their ginger-style house dressing. Some are very orange, some are mayonnaise-looking, some contain shreds of freshly grated ginger. Some are good, some are okay, some are fabulous.

How many pounds did you gain during our recent visit from Hurricane Irma? When Vince and I realized that Irma could be a real threat to our beloved Beaufort, we stocked up with all of the hurricane “essentials.”€ You know, the important stuff like batteries, bottled water, a first aid kit, Little Debbie nutty buddies, Pepperidge Farm cookies, two kinds of nabs, potato chips, Cap’n Crunch, pretzel chips, tortilla chips, nacho cheese sauce, onion dip and canned soups – all stuff we never have in the house, at least not all at the same time.

Whether you’€™re heading to your alma mater for a fall football game and tailgate meal, or to the river for a picnic, this menu of make-ahead dishes is sure to be a hit!

Summer entertaining should be both casual and simple. This week’s dinner party menu is just that! The meal starts with a cool and delicious Chilled Cumber Soup with Basil. The creamy soup is a summertime favorite that’s easy to prepare, is served cold, and highlights the local basil that’s in season.

It’€™s a shame that Italian stews are often referred to as “€œpeasant food.” This week’s Italian Seafood Stew defies the label and is a rich man’€™s feast of flavors! The flavor base for the stew includes red pepper, anchovies, garlic, and a bay leaf. Licorice-flavored fennel, along with onion and celery are aromatic additions.

Keep it fresh! Good salads are only made with good ingredients and freshness is all-important when it comes to purchasing salad greens. Let your eyes guide you. Fresh greens look fresh. They won’t have any leaves tinged with brown nor will they be wilted or slimy. Take a look around the produce section and you’ll see leaves in many colors and textures ranging from pearly, pale Belgian endive to bright red and white radicchio. Greens also have a variety of flavors from robust and peppery arugula to sweet, nutty and mild lamb’s lettuce or mache.

Summer is a great time to entertain. The days are longer. The weather is warmer. Okay, who am I kidding? This is Beaufort. The weather is straight up hot. Anyway, the summer is still a good time to have friends over for cool cocktails and spicy Tex-Mex fare. This week’s menu features easy, make-ahead recipes that are great for serving buffet-style. Thank you, John Wollwerth, for the beautiful food photography. If you missed the last edition of Lowcountry Weekly, you can read A Taste of Mexico -€“ Part I here.