D'lish has landed and more

D'Lish sauce is in bottles now and are sold in all the Taste stores in the hampton roads area and of course right here at Stove as well as here on dis new web site. there are a few other locations we'll soon be in as well, more later and remember, you should get some, it's really good and my kids need shoes

Now, here is a video that is in the archives of the Southern Food ways Alliance's new oral history project.  It's really cool and a 100 years from now folks from all over the world and parts of the moon can see this and others so go to the site and check it out.  Sara Wood made the video and interview and loved eating all my pork products.  check it out and enjoy, sydney

http://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/cured-south/

Here's another just launched piece that ran locally and up in Richmond Va. as well, this link will show the food writers-Lorraine Eaton & Jim Haag's top 30 places to eat before u die! We love being in that group and here's a link:www.styleweekly.com/richmond/menus-for-miles/

OMGordon, my good ole home state of  Mississippi has a great magazine which somehow found me and did a little mention on me and Stove in the April/May issue of 'Eat.Drink.Mississippi' and it's a dam good mag. If you get a chance go to http://southernfoodways.org/  and check it out, join it even.  They are devoted to the preservation of the southern foods, history and documenting every part of it.  I am a member and it just happens to be about 45 minutes from my house when I lived in Mississippi.  It's location is Oxford Mississippi at Ole Miss University.  Anyway, check it out and get involved.

June 3rd 2015 WHRO, our local public tv and radio plus now internet station is kickin with new creative shows and stories.  below is a link from a feature they did on their segment called 'The Scene"  it's about featuring local artist on their web site and if any of them turn out to b good they may even make it to television.  i was feature in early june, my peace titled 'Appetite for Creation'  Kenny and Shannon rocked this thing out, it's a great video and if i can figure out how to do a link you can go straight there.  Till then go to WHRO.org, once there search sydney meers and it should come up. well, i'm challenged.  i don't know how to make it a hyperlink so just copy and paste if interested, ha  

http://www.thescene.whro.org/video-vault/94-sydney-meers-appetite-for-creation 

 

Fried Chickn' (da best in da world)

VA Pilot Food Writer Lorraine Eaton called me up the summer of ‘12 and told me she was doing a story for Leite’s Culinaria. She ask me if she could come over and me show her how to made my deep south fried chicken, she wrote her story, they loved the chicken, she won like a 300 dollar prize and she was also selected to be in their up coming 'Best food writing 2012' book, how bout that. Here’s my recipe, make it and enjoy the decadence

 Here we all are fryin up my chicken, it's delicious and out in the garden with mint juleps and chicken, what else is needed.

Sydney Meers’ Fried Chicken | Serves 4 to 6
It’s not every day that a born-and-bred Southerner will take the time to walk you through his grandmother’s recipe for foolproof fried chicken. Which is why we fell all over ourselves saying yes when Sydney Meers, owner and chef of the quaint, quirky, aptly named Stove restaurant in Portsmouth, Virginia, said he’d indulge us. Syd, we’d write you a proper thank you, but our gratitude upon tasting this is rendering us wordless. 
–Renee Schettler Rossi

LC Saying Grace Note: We know it’s tradition to say grace before a meal. But we think this fried chicken will make you want to say grace after as well, regardless of whether you consider yourself religious.

Active time: 30 minutes Total time: 60 minutes

For the brine
1 1/2 gallons cool water
1 cup salt
5 dried bay leaves, crushed
1 sprig fresh rosemary
One whole 3- to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces

Brine the chicken for 30 minutes, remove from liquid and place in a mixing bowl and set aside

For the fry
    Sift the flour and cornmeal together in a shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the chicken pieces from the mixing bowl, flicking off any pieces of herbs that may cling to the skin. 

    Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, flipping and flouring the meat until it’s completely coated or place in a large paper bag and shake till coated well.

    Heat about a 1/2 inch of lard or bacon drippings in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it bubbles and the sound it makes shifts from a sizzle to a gurgle. If you want a more foolproof indicator, it’s ready when you drop a pinch of flour in the oil and it hisses. 

    Using tongs, snuggle the chicken, skin side up, into the skillet, being careful to handle only the big ends of the bones. You may need to work in batches and adjust the heat slightly so the chicken doesn’t brown to quickly. 

    Fry the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes on each side, until all the chicken pieces are a shimmering golden brown. Remove them from the pan and let rest a spell on paper towels before diving in.

My latest fines, go support them if u can

I search Virginia on my day off looking for local farmers.  I found the Darden's.  They farm veggies and have a great little general store just before you get to Smithfield.  They hang about 900 salt cured hams and peppered aged and smoked.  they don't require soaking, just wash and slice like prosciutto, boil and\or bake them.  very good stuff here.  I found them by accident, I was on the way to another farm that once we ate the ham biscuit I had to have a tour of the ham house.  It is just crazy, Dee Dee and her husband Tommy hang them in February and they are ready around august.  To reach the Darden's General Store call 757-357-6791 or at 16249 Bowling Green Rd, Smithfield, Va 23430

I have been using this farm for a few years now, Judy now even has eggs, added some black berry bushes and all kind of greens and veggies.  Judy works the land, the store and the peacocks.  she has some beautiful veggies and the best okra I've found up here in the mid-Atlantic area.  Right now she has the biggest Hubbard Squash I've seen and the flavor is very earthy, rich dark orange meat with a buttery flavor on the finish.  She rocks, she's in Chesapeake about 5 miles from me so I go there early before the tourist get there so I can get the best picks of the day.  To reach her call Clark Farm, they'll give good directions CLARKE FARM, 3831 BRUCE ROAD, CHESAPEAKE, VA23321 757-484-6000 or http://www.clarkefarm1.com/

One of my good friends and farmer Curtis Hall has a family farm in the Great Bridge area of Chesapeake and mostly grows crops for grocers but he also lets me have a bit, incredible corn and the best greens, he does a mix of Hanover, mustard and collards which I also get the benefit of.  

Lauran and Mike Kauffman from the Norfolk are Honey Bee keepers.  I you want to host a hive they'll hook you up.  They maintain the bees and hive as well, they just need people who'll host these guys so they can take care of the neighborhood and really up to 20ish miles a day and still come back to the queen bee, make some babies and more honey, what a man, anyway you can contact them at this number, 757.623.2052 and tell them syd sent u.

My ole Sous Chef, Gail Hobbs and her hubby Daniel have had for some time a goat farm and just about 2 or 3 years ago they got their certification for their dairy and now I get great cheeses from them up there near Charlottesville, a town called Esmont and some dam good cheese she makes, been in the Southern Living Magazine, just about all papers you can find to read and really just take my word, call her and eat her cheese.  Reach her by email at  caromontfarm@yahoo.com and tell her hi for me.  

Bruce Edmunds of Sam Rust Seafood is a good friend and has a small but great little fish company that he and his brother run.  Bruce does frequent fishing excursions he says are product hunting.  I call it 'I've gone fishing' day and he still manages to bring in some great local and distant caught fish.  Currently he is bringing in some big Alaskan Halibut, Coho Salmon and now Rock or Stripper Bass is starting to run again.  Bad news, you can buy from him, he's wholesale but follow the link and if you want a product that u can't find he can tell you if it's available, where u can get it and he may even be able to sell it to you.  Bruce Edmonds [Bruce@samrust.com]  

On the Eastern Shore of Virginia there is a Winery I am especially fond of called Chatham Vineyard just past Eastville.  His wines are some of the best I've had in Virginia in a long time.  His approach is very much like that of the Frenchman in Bordeaux.  go www.chathamvineyards.com and see his vineyard, his dad even helps with the winery and grapes.  he gave me some merlot grapes and I'm making some jelly for Sunday brunch. 

I have become a farmer of sorts myself.  curing some hams, make sausage, growing tabasco's just to name a few and I grown food across the street at my house for stove.  I have some bee hives which this year I'm glad about that so not only will my blooms love it but I'll also have some honey too.

I also use a lot of produce, fish and oysters from the eastern shore this year.  W.T. over at the Picket Harbor Farm just once you hit land on the shore has almost everything, peaches, blackberries, tomatoes of all kinds, i mean lots of stuff and he has a market right on the farm so go there.  H.M. is a great crabber on the bay side, Tom the oyster man on the bay side but also on the sea side as well plus Eddie Bell in oyster virginia, dam good and salty oysters.  there's more, pigs, produce, even wine at Chatham Vineyard as i mentioned above.  i love the shore and will always go there even if i don't need any foods it just fun and beautiful, go check it out

Enjoy and support small local sustainable farms, it's healthier for u and helps small businesses which are the back bone of America, the end.  xo sydney