Cooking with the Movies: Celebrating 20 Years of BIFF

I had just turned nineteen years old and was attending college when I met my late husband, Vince. During the first few days of our courtship, he told me, quite proudly I must add, that he was from Beaufort, South Carolina. Fiercely loyal to my own Beaufort from my home state of North Carolina, I was like, “where’s that? I’ve never heard of it and that’s not even how you say it.” After a lengthy pronunciation discussion of North Carolina’s BOW-fert vs. South Carolina’s BEW-fert, Vince finally got exasperated and exclaimed, “BEW-fert is where The Great Santini and The Big Chill were filmed.” At the time, I had no concept of Beaufort’s charm and cinematic claim to fame. Things sure have changed since those days. Long story short, Vince and I married in 1991 and moved to BEW-fert. Little did I know the impact that movies, especially those filmed in the Great State of South Carolina, would have in my life. Thanks to Ron and Rebecca Tucker and the Beaufort International Film Festival, I’ve met and fed more filmmakers and movie stars than I can count. I’ve made friends and established relationships with people I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet if Beaufort, South Carolina had not become my home.

My association with BIFF started in 2012 when Vince and I attended our very first film festival. That year we met Tom Berenger and Powers Boothe. The next year I began writing my annual Cooking with the Movies column and was hired as the Official Caterer for the BIFF Awards Ceremony. Covington Blind and Shutter Company and Catering by Debbi Covington became annual sponsors. Over the years, we supported BIFF with the Wine Dinners at Saltus, Bourbon and Bubbles parties at Breakwater, Shorts at High Noon at TCL, and Meets and Greets all over town. For several years, along with BIFF Photographer Susan DeLoach, Ron, Rebecca, and I filmed BIFF-inspired cooking videos. Let’s not forget the popcorn! There have been so many popcorn recipes: BIFF Munch, Popcorn Cookies, Popcorn Crème Brûlée, Patriotic Popcorn, Toffee Caramel and Nut Popcorn, Chocolate Popcorn, and Something to Talk About Popcorn. After all, what’s a movie without popcorn?

Through BIFF, I’ve served food to celebrities, writers, directors, and film crews — including Andie McDowell, Vanna White, Dale Dye and Michael O’Keefe. In 2024, I catered a private dinner for Gary Sinise. Meeting these incredible and talented people has been fun and amazing, but the best thing about BIFF is the friendships that have been forged. It’s the excitement and anticipation of seeing the actors and filmmakers who return year after year. They’re the folks who have become our extended family. BIFF has turned into one great big Homecoming every February. When you walk through the front door of USCB on the first day of screenings, you’ll hear “Happy Film Festival” over and over from folks who have been waiting a whole year to be together again. It feels like a great big hug.

In keeping with the spirit of the festivities, this week’s recipes pay homage to motion pictures that were filmed locally. Thank you, Susan DeLoach, Official Photographer for the Beaufort International Film Festival, for taking these beautiful photos of my cinema-inspired culinary creations.

Many things have happened since my first film festival. I lost my Vince to cancer last March and am just now getting back to writing and cooking. I won’t be catering the official Awards Ceremony this year, but I will be catering a private afterparty for BIFF filmmakers and sponsors later that evening. Please look for me at the parties and the movie screenings. I plan to be in attendance every day. I don’t want to miss one single minute. You won’t want to either! See y’all at the movies!

 

Toffee Caramel and Nut Popcorn

There’s a scene in Forces of Nature where Sandra Bullock’s character, Sarah Lewis, is eating Crunch ‘n Munch. That scene was the inspiration for this recipe.

For the popcorn:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ cup raw popcorn kernels

Salt, to taste

3 cups nuts (pecan halves, cashews, almonds, walnuts, peanuts or any combination)

For the toffee caramel:

1½ sticks butter

1½ cups light brown sugar, firmly packed

½ cup light corn syrup

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot with a lid; add the popcorn kernels and cook until the kernels have popped. Season with salt and set aside. Remove unpopped kernels from pot. Stir in nuts. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in brown sugar and corn syrup, using a wooden spoon. Stir constantly and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to between medium and medium-high and allow to boil, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Take pot off heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla extract. Quickly and carefully pour the caramel mixture over the top of the popcorn and nuts; stir to coat well. Turn out onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Stir, transfer to a cool baking sheet to dry and set. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 16 cups.

 

Chillin’ Chef’s Salad

Do you remember the scene at the dining room table in The Big Chill? Turkey, apple pie and bread were served. Tom Berenger’s character, Sam Weber, throws a piece of cooked pasta at the wall but we never see spaghetti. They also serve a salad. It’s not a coincidence that this salad looks a little bit like the Beaufort International Film Festival’s logo.

For the dressing:

2/3 cup ketchup

½ cup white vinegar

¼ cup sugar

2½ teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ cup vegetable oil

For the salad:

2 turkey breast tenderloins

Olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh rosemary, chopped

1 (8-ounce) fully cooked ham steak

8 cups salad greens

¼ cup thinly sliced red onion

½ cup shredded carrots

1 English cucumber, sliced

½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

5 hardboiled eggs, quartered

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

4 ounces Havarti cheese, julienned

4 ounces Colby-jack cheese, julienned

2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

Fresh herbs, to garnish

Combine salad dressing ingredients in an electric blender.  Process until smooth. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tenderloins on a prepared baking sheet; brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; sprinkle with chopped rosemary. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until internal temperature of tenderloins reaches 160 degrees. Heat ham steak in a dry frying pan over medium heat until lightly browned. Turn off heat and add 2 tablespoons water; continue cooking with burner off for 3 minutes. Let turkey tenderloins and ham steak cool slightly. Cut tenderloins into bite-sized medallions. Cut ham steak into cubes. Toss salad greens with red onion and place on a platter. Top with shredded carrots, cucumber, turkey medallions, cubed ham, crumbled bacon, hardboiled eggs, tomatoes, Havarti cheese and Colby-jack cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, chopped chives and chopped parsley. Garnish with fresh herbs. Serve with dressing on the side. Serves 6 to 8.

 

Gump’s Surf and Turf

When Forrest and Bubba arrived in Vietnam, Lieutenant Dan offered them steaks and beer. The movie is Forrest Gump. You’ve gotta have some shrimp, too.

For the steaks:

4 boneless ribeye steaks

½ cup orange juice

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup red wine

For the orange butter:

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon orange juice

¼ teaspoon orange zest

For the orange-dill shrimp:

2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

¼ cup minced fresh dill

Zest of a large orange

3 tablespoons capers, drained

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh dill, to garnish

Orange slices, to garnish

Place steaks in a large zip-top bag with orange juice, soy sauce and red wine. Seal tightly and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours. In a small bowl, mix softened butter with orange juice and orange zest. Divide into 4 equal portions on a piece of parchment paper; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cook shrimp in boiling water until just pink. Drain and place in a medium bowl. Add red onion, mayonnaise, orange juice, vinegar, dill, orange zest and capers. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Bring shrimp to room temperature before serving. Grill steaks on the hottest part of the grill for 4 to 6 minutes. Flip steaks and grill for an additional 4 to 6 minutes, for a medium-rare steak. Remove steaks from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Top each steak with a piece of orange butter. Serve with orange-dill shrimp. Garnish with fresh dill and orange slices. Serves 4.

 

Tomato and Mozzarella Mashed Potatoes

Stephen Simmons, played by Kevin Costner, comes home from The War, and ends up with a job digging potatoes. The family eats a whole lot of potatoes in that movie.

3 pounds baby red potatoes

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

4 tablespoons butter

½ cup milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

3 to 4 large tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Cut potatoes into halves; do not peel. Boil potatoes in a large pot of water until tender. Drain and place in a large bowl with cream cheese, butter, and milk. Mash potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Spread potatoes in a large casserole dish sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on top of the mashed potatoes. Place tomato slices on top of cheese. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with oregano and basil. Top with remaining mozzarella. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Serves 8.

 

Breakfast Crostini with Basil Vinaigrette

Jeff Bridges’ White Squall character, Capt. Christopher Sheldon, was often holding a plate of what appeared to be eggs on toast. Maybe it was eggs on a shingle? I wonder.

For the vinaigrette:

1 cup fresh basil leaves, stems removed

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Pinch of red pepper flakes

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the bruschetta:

2 slices rye and pumpernickel bread

1 small avocado, mashed

1 tablespoon butter

3 large eggs

1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

1 teaspoon minced fresh chives

¼ cup diced grape tomatoes

Red pepper flakes, optional

Place basil, garlic, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes and olive oil in a mini food processor. Process until chopped fine and well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a container with a lid and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Lightly toast bread. Divide the mashed avocado between each piece. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet. Lightly beat eggs in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Scramble eggs in melted butter to desired degree of doneness. Stir in crumbled goat cheese and cook for another minute to melt the cheese. Remove from heat and stir in chives. Top each slice of toast with egg mixture. Garnish with diced tomatoes. Drizzle with basil vinaigrette. Season with red pepper flakes, if desired. Serves 2.

 

The writer owns Catering by Debbi Covington and is the author of three cookbooks, Celebrate Beaufort, Celebrate Everything! and Dining Under the Carolina Moon. Debbi’s website address is www.cateringbydebbicovington.com. She may