Local softshell crab is what’s for lunch this spring at Claude & Ulii’s Signature Bistro. C’est magnifique!

While I do not possess the ‘collector’ gene that my mother and her side of my family seem to embody as a way of life, there is one set of treasures that I have staunchly defended throughout the years whenever my family has moved: my collection of old cooking magazines. Mostly they are classic issues of Gourmet magazine with a healthy dose of Bon Appetite and Food & Wine plus a sprinkling of Travel & Leisure and Southern Living. Since I am firm believer in appreciating quality over quantity or one better…quality over fads, my treasured magazine collection is like an old friend and it never fails to inspire me.

No, most of the recipes found within those pages would never be considered ‘trendy’ by today’s restaurant and tv cooking show standards, but I adore them just the same. There will always be a place for classically prepared, continental cuisine and as luck would have it, there’s no better place for this indulgence in the Hilton Head Island area than Claude & Uli’s Signature Bistro.

Chef Claude in his element. Not only is he from Normandy, France, he has worked in some of the most famous kitchens in Europe and America, including Maxim’s in Paris! That’s France, ya’ll!

After enjoying a fine meal at Claude & Uli’s, I found myself again appreciating the nuances of true classic cuisine prepared by the experienced hands of a master chef who truly loves his work. Chef Claude Melchiorri is a European-trained chef and restaurateur who has, over the years cooked in some of the finest restaurants in the world – Maxim’s in Paris, the Connaught in London, and Ernie’s in San Francisco. Chef Claude and wife Uli, have created a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere at their restaurant, making it easy to understand why so many locals adore their bistro.

While there may be many a restaurant making claim to be a gem hidden among the over 200 in the Hilton Head Island area, Claude & Uli’s is the real deal. The menu here is large and yes, you will see familiar classics like Mussels & French Fries, Onion Soup Gratinee, and rack of lamb. Rest assured that whatever your choice, it will be superbly prepared under the discerning eye of Chef Claude.

Cheese crepes – a real treat for this Francophile cuisine lover. Yum!

“We make everything here in our kitchen from scratch, from the sauces to the desserts,” Chef Claude told me as he pounded out fresh veal cutlets for his melt in your mouth Wiener Schnitzel. Claude and Uli previously owned a fine dining restaurant on Hilton Head, when they sold it a few years back and decided to retire. Within a short while they both realized retirement wasn’t for them, and the kitchen came a calling again with the opening of the Bistro in Moss Creek Village, just over the bridge in Bluffton.

There are many French dishes on the menu (Chef Claude was born in Normandy, France by the way) but the menu also touches on the tastes of Italy, Belgium, and Austria while offering a nod to Lowcountry cuisine with specialties like silky she-crab soup and a lovely local softshell crab entrée. The Bistro is a sought-after dessert destination too – think crème brûlée and bread pudding with créme Anglais. Their signature dessert, soufflé Grand Marnier with chocolate sauce, hits ALL the high notes for this dessert lover. Chef Claude was kind to share the recipe with us too!

The Grand Marnier Souffle. Try making it yourself using Chef Claude’s recipe below – or just get yourself on over to Claude & Uli’s! Order it with your entree, though – remember its made from scratch.

Thinking about my old issues of Gourmet, I remember how this South Carolina gal relished reading – and then dreaming about – the oh-so cosmopolitan cities of Paris, New York, London and San Francisco, and the bastions of fine dining covered within the pages. Several of those kitchens Chef Claude himself worked in and to think now he’s right here in my neighborhood, making me lunch!

Visiting the Island and environs? Take it from me, grab your sweetheart (or perhaps a Francophile loving friend!) and point yourself in the direction of Claude & Uli’s Signature Bistro for lunch, dinner or even brunch – you’ll be shouting “c’est magnifique” in no time!

—

Grand Marnier Souffle

Claude & Uli’s Signature Bistro

• 2 oz Sugar
• 8 oz Milk (whole)
• 2 oz Unsalted butter
• 2 oz Flour
• 6 egg yolks
• 6 egg whites
• 2 oz sugar
• 2 oz cocoa powder
• 2 oz Grand Marnier

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil milk with 2 oz sugar and melt butter with flour to make a roux. Mix the sugared milk and the roux and boil again, stirring frequently. Add egg yolks and Grand Marnier – remove from heat but keep in a warm place.

Whip the egg whites and the other 2 oz of sugar together until very stiff. Combine the yolk mixture and egg white mixture with a spatula, carefully folding. Gently add the cocoa powder.

Fill prepared ramekins with the batter; fill almost to the top. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately. Serves 6.

The Seafood Fest includes the “Iron Chef” competition where local professional chefs let their creativity flow and keep their cool preparing gourmet level concoctions from the surprise ingredients found in their mystery baskets – all within 1 hour! Photo courtesy of Hilton Head Island Seafood Fest.

What do you get when you have fabulous weather, fresh locally caught seafood and expertly prepared ‘Buffalo-style” chicken wings in every flavor imaginable AND a rollicking good time?

If you’re in Hilton Head Island during March or April then you’ve set yourself up for all that and more! Spring festival season kicks off with two ‘foodietastic’ events that you will not want to miss.

If platters of hot chicken wings washed down with plenty of cold beer in a waterside Lowcountry setting make you happy, then by all accounts Wingfest is your ideal festival. Belly up to a celebration of “all things wing” on Friday, March 22 (5-8pm) and Saturday, March 23 (11 am – 6 pm) at the Shelter Cove Park on Hilton Head Island.

The Friday night “pre-WingFest” party includes local chefs preparing wings of many flavors while local restaurant Street Meet provides a section of non-wing goodies. Live music and the popular Kid’s Zone add to the family atmosphere.

On Saturday, competition kicks into high gear with the main festival where over 6,000 lbs

Don’t fly the coop! Head over to Wingfest and sample a bounty of wings prepared in every flavor and style imaginable! Photo courtesy of Hilton Head Island Recreation Center/Wingfest.

of wings will be served, professional judges will select the top wings of the day and you can add your 2 cents by voting for the People’s Choice Award winner.

This opportunity to raise your cholesterol also benefits a good cause! All event proceeds go to the Hilton Head Island Recreation Association’s Children’s Scholarship Fund, where “so no child is denied recreation opportunities.”

Here are all the Details

Pre WingFest Party:

• Friday, March 22, 2013, 5-8 pm
• Shelter Cove Community Park
• Admission: $5 per person (children 10 & under FREE)
• Food and refreshments available for purchase with tickets.

WingFest:

• Saturday, March 23, 2013, 11 am – 6 pm
• Shelter Cove Community Park
• Admission: $5 per person (children 10 & under FREE)
• Food and refreshments available for purchase with tickets.

Do you love seafood? If that answer is yes, then you MUST attend the 6^th annual Hilton Head Island Seafood Fest on Friday, April 5^th and Saturday, April 6^th! Some of the most talented and innovative chefs on the Island tie on their aprons tight and gather up their best seafood recipes for this charitable food festival.

Take a break from all that seafood to cheer on your favorite crustacean in the popular crab races at the Seafood Fest. Photo courtesy of the Hilton Head Island Seafood Fest.

Seriously, it is a not-to-be missed spectacle of seafood delicacies focused on our locally caught seafood like shrimp, fish and blue crab. And to up the ante for the chefs, there’s the popular “Iron Chef Competition” pitting competing local chefs to create an appetizer and an entrée using “mystery baskets” containing various ingredients including two (2) core local seafood 
ingredients, in only 1 hour!

Other activities include a silent auction, Kid Zone play area and the famous (infamous?) crab races. The chefs are not the only ones who can get on some friendly competition – pony up for a hermit crab and cheer your crustaceans on to victory!

Then gather your rose buds and accolades and get back to the seafood. This year’s participating restaurants include Alexander’s, American Culinary Federation, Black Marlin, Hudson’s on the Docks, L’Woods, The Chart House, Bluffton Oyster Co., Hana Sushi, Red Fish, The Crazy Crab, Skull Creek Boathouse, Steamers Seafood, Gillan’s Fresh Seafood & Oyster Bar and more! Plus musical entertainment on Friday includes Cranford & Sons—Hilton Head Island’s Rockabilly-Folk Explosion/Low Country Stomp band and on Saturday, long-time Island favorites The Headliners will keep a fresh-n-funky Motown groove going all ‘Fest long.

The Better Show, a daily, national television show, will also be filming a segment called “License to Spill” during the Seafood Fest. The segment will feature Hilton Head Island, the Seafood Fest, and some of the local food and chefs participating in the event. Cool beans!

Check out Chef Russell Keane’s excellent oyster recipe below and visit him at his restaurant NEO, where locally grown produce and products take center stage.

It is important to note that the Seafood Fest host is the David M. Carmines Memorial Foundation that raises monies to support several beneficiaries including the Island Recreation Association Scholarship Endowment Fund, The American Cancer Society, and the MD Anderson Cancer Clinic.

David M. Carmines was a native of Hilton Head Island, a lover of all things outdoor and “Hilton Head Island”. David is no longer with us, but his positive spirit and love of life is honored by the Foundation through its volunteers, supporters and charitable recipients.

Here are all the Details

Hilton Head Island Seafood Fest:       

• Friday, April 5, 5- 8 pm
• Saturday, April 6, 11 am – 5 pm
• Shelter Cove Community Park
• Admission is $5 per person (Kids 12 & under FREE)
• Food and refreshments available for purchase with tickets

Fresh Oysters with Champagne Mignonette By Chef Russell Keane; NEO – Farm to Table Gastropub.

Local, succulent Lowcountry oysters are at their peak now! Photo courtesy of NEO – Farm to Table Gastropub.

Chef Russell Keane of NEO – Farm to Table Gastropub will be participating in this year’s Seafood Fest and shares one of his favorite recipes (and the technique) for enjoying one of my favorite Lowcountry delicacies. Chef Keane was also recently featured in Bon Appetite Magazine supporting Hilton Head Island’s growing locavore movement.

From Chef Keane: Fresh oysters, particularly the uniquely flavorful variety available in the Lowcountry, are a true delicacy. At NEO, we like to feature fresh local oysters, from the May River or Mackay Creek, showcased with a simple mignonette – condiment made with shallots, cracked pepper and vinegar. If you cannot get Lowcountry oysters, we recommend cold-water varieties, which are generally firmer and offer more robust flavor!

What You’ll Need

• Sauce Pan
• Large Knife
• Cutting Board
• Spoon
• Oyster Knife
• Demitasse Spoons or Droppers
• Ramekins
• Platter

Ingredients

• Fresh oysters*
• ¼ c shallots, diced
• 1-½ c Champagne or sparkling wine (cava or rosé)
• ½ c red wine vinegar
• ½ c apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp cracked pepper corns, or freshly cracked pepper

Preparation

1) Prior to opening your oysters, clean their exteriors well – you can scrub them with a stiff brush under cold running water – and then store the oysters on a platter (round cup side down) in the refrigerator. You can also cover them with a damp towel or cloth.

2) Combine Champagne, or sparkling wine, and shallots in a small sauce pan and simmer over medium heat until mixture (mignonette) is reduced by half.

3) Add pepper – when you are cooking something that will take longer than 15 minutes, we recommend adding pepper later to avoid bitterness.

4) Add both vinegars and simmer for additional 10 minutes. Set aside and chill.

5) As you open your oysters, with your oyster knife and a protective glove or towel, take care to avoid spilling the flavorful natural juices (“liqueur”) inside. Properly cleaning the oysters’ exteriors will help prevent debris from getting inside and eliminate the need for rinsing away their briny goodness.

6) Carefully scrape your knife beneath the oyster to detach it from the shell, but leave it in the shell with the juices.

7) Serve the oysters with fresh, course ground horseradish and lemons, and serve the mignonette in small ramekins and demitasse spoons, or pipettes (droppers). Enjoy!

*Chef’s Note: When buying fresh, unshucked oysters, look for those that have closed shells and are free of fishy or musty smells. Refrigerate the oysters – do not soak them in water, or store them in sealed containers or plastic bags (they’ll suffocate) – and eat them as soon as possible (within a day or two).

It’s ALWAYS a great time at the Hilton Head Island Wine & Food Festival! The public tasting is Saturday, March 9th from 12 noon-3 pm.

Groundhog Day has passed and luckily we are not stuck in a perpetual rerun of February 2^nd. However, if that reincarnated 24 hours happened to be the second Saturday in March and I found myself in Hilton Head Island, then instead of some kind of purgatory I would believe I did make it into heaven. That’s because it would be Wine & Food Festival day! My love of great wine (and food) satiated into infinity among the friendly folks and warm, blue skies of Hilton Head Island.

Dialing it back from that day dream, I am thrilled to once again be looking forward to the upcoming 28^th annual Hilton Head Wine & Food Festival. Beginning on March 4th with the first of 16 Great Chefs of the South Wine Dinners, these popular events pair up a local superlative chef and a featured winery and will take place at various Island restaurants. Some of the participating restaurants this year include:

• Charlie’s L’etoile Verte (Featuring the “Sommelier smackdown”)
• ELA’s Blu Water Grille (Chef Chris Cohen and Constellation wines)
• Frankie Bones (Chef Luke Lyons and Trinchero Family Estates wines)
• Robert Irvine’s Eat! (Kobrand wines)
• RedFish (Chef Chaun Bescos and King Estates wines)
• Trattoria Divina (Chef Hugo Lee)

Yummy gourmand fare offered by Island restaurants like Red Fish makes wine tasting even more pleasurable.

There are many more so check out the Festival webpage and with the restaurant(s) you’re interested in, to get details and updates. 

On Friday, March 8^th, the Festival wines kick it up a notch for a great cause. The Grand Tasting & Silent Auction offers the opportunity to learn about, taste, and purchase premium wines ($50+ retail) in an intimate setting. Enjoy a variety of wonderfully eclectic appetizer offerings, like peppered tuna tartar with seaweed slaw and wonton tuiles and smoked pork loin on blue cheese polenta cakes, paired with specialty selected premium wines poured during this event.

At the tasting, not only can you sample sophisticated wines, but the same bottles are available for purchase and/or are up for bid during the auction which benefits the John F. Curry Educational Hospitality Scholarship. The Grand Tasting & Silent Auction begins at 5:30 pm at the Sea Pines Country Club.

On Saturday, March 9^th the quality meets quantity during the Festival’s showcase public event, (formerly referred to by locals as Winefest) called the Wine & Food Festival. Beginning at 12 noon 400 wines, including all the Festival award winners, will be available for tasting in the tents set up on the grounds of the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn. Ticket holders will also be able to bid on an impressive array of wines during the second silent auction and sample delicious offerings by local restaurants. Again this year there will be several fine Island chefs holding court at the Outdoor Gourmet with many using locally grown and/or sourced ingredients.

The waiter’s race is a fun competition among the Island’s F&B elite.

Chefs include Next Food Network Star contestant Orchid Paulmeier, Old Fort Pub’s Chef Keith Josefiak and Gullah cookbook author and educator Sallie Ann Robinson. Bragging rights are on the line (and cash prizes too!) so cheer on local bartenders and wait staff as they compete in the much-anticipated annual Bartender’s Challenge & Waiter’s Race. The Health & Wellness Stage and the Celebrity Lowcountry Authors Tent are sure to add a deliciously educational angle to your wine tasting experience.

Lest I forget there was a wine judging that started this whole ‘Fest 28 years ago. So without further ado, here are the “Best of” and “Double Gold” award winners at the 2013 International Wine Judging & Competition at the Hilton Head Island Wine & Food Festival:

• Best of Show: Bellow Family Vineyards, 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, California
• Best of Show White: SA Prum, 2009 Riesling Kabinett
• Best Value Wine: J. Lohr, 2010 South Ridge Syrah
• Double Gold: Raymond Vineyards, 2010 Napa Valley Selection Cabernet Sauvignon
• Double Gold: Buehler Vineyards, 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
• Double Gold: MacRostie, 2011 Chardonnay
• Double Gold: J. Lohr, 2010 Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon
• Double Gold: Vino da Monticello – Red, 2009, Le Mandorelle, Mosel
• Double Gold: Salentin, 2010 Malbec, Mendoza, Valle de Uco
• Double Gold: Pollack Vineyards, 2010 Merlot, Monticello
• Double Gold: Round Pond Estate, 2009, Rutherford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
• Double Gold: Trapiche-Oak Cask, 2011, Argentina, Mendoza
• Double Gold: Cupcake, 2011, Malbec, Mendoza

Silent auction wines benefit the John F. Curry Educational Hospitality Scholarship. You can get some great deals at the auction!

Event(s) Details:

Great Chefs of the South Dinners, March 4-9 at various locations and times throughout the Island

Grand Tasting & Silent Auction, Friday, March 8 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the Sea Pines Country Club

Wine & Food Festival, Saturday, March 9 from 12 noon- 3 pm at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn

Uncork the Festival includes a fun and funny wine stomping contest.

Wine lovers come together for old-fashioned fun and wine-centric competition at the 2013 “Uncork” The Festival on Hilton Head Island, January 26^th from 6-8 pm at The Beach House by Holiday Inn. The official kick off the to the 28^th annual Hilton Head Island Wine & Food Festival, local festival sponsor teams and civic groups literally get their grape on during the hilarious grape stomping competition.

Each team must have at least one “I Love Lucy” dressed team member and a cash prize is awarded to the doppelganger who wins the people’s choice as the best “Lucy”. The teams that produce the most grape juice earn cash donations for their favorite charity.

Besides the obvious fun of a grape stomping competition, this is the only event open to the public to mix and mingle with the judges who have gathered this weekend for the Wine & Food Festival International Wine Judging & Competition. It is also a wonderful opportunity for the wine enthusiast to “uncork” that vintage bottle they’ve been holding onto for a “special occasion”. The atmosphere doesn’t get much more magnificently conducive for a

Pop the cork on that ‘special’ bottle you’ve been saving and join fellow oneophiles to truly savor the wine among friends.

Lowcountry oenophile than at this intimate event, where a Master Sommelier will be on-hand to discuss the fine art of palate cultivation and wine tasting.

So if you are partial to the grape like me, there is just no reason not to join in the fun at Saturday’s Uncork The Festival. After attending almost two dozen Hilton Head Island Wine & Food Festival over the years, and even working as a server during the judging one year, I have to say that nothing beats partaking of a good wine with like-minded folks. Yes, learning the correct way to taste, the technicalities of varietals and subtle nuances of various vintages is essential to truly appreciating fine wine, but just kicking back with friends with a wonderful glass of ‘vin’ is also one of life’s best activities.

At “Uncork” you do get the opportunity to rub elbows with wine experts and perhaps ask that pivotal wine question of the ages but hey, even if that isn’t your bag, there’s still great wine to drink and delicious food to enjoy. Bring a great bottle of wine, a friend and make it a party!

Details: Uncork The Festival

• Where? The Beach House by Holiday Inn on Hilton Head Island
• When? Saturday, Jan. 26, 6-8 pm
• How much? Tickets are $35 per person and are available online at http://www.hiltonheadwineandfood.com
• Attendees will receive a souvenir glass, select vineyard wine tasting and delectable hors d’oeuvres but please bring your own “special” bottle of wine to enjoy and perhaps share!

Pulled pork sliders from Bomboras Grille and Chill Bar has won several people’s choice awards for their barbeque at local festivals and cook-offs.

Happy New Year, and while officially the holidays are over, foodies still have a reason to celebrate with the 5th Annual Chamber Restaurant Week, being held January 26 – February 2, 2013 in Hilton Head Island and Bluffton. From the looks of the list of restaurants participating you can nab an attractive discount with specially price-fixed “prix fixe” menus at several of the Island’s trendy and classic eateries, or venture out to discover new favorites.

I spied a personal favorite, Santa Fe Cafe, participating and to my delight one of their prix fixe first course offerings is their painted desert soup – so creamy and rich it needs it’s own bank account, and so gorgeous it deserves to win grand prize at a juried art show. And their churros! They are so crunchy and light…there’s no better reason I can imagine to go ahead and break that New Year’s Resolution!

I also took notice of several Fresh On the Menu member restaurants participating in Restaurant Week including The Jazz Corner, Alexander’s, Frankie Bones and River House restaurant (located at in Bluffton at Palmetto Bluff) among others. Even in the midst of winter, I am thrilled to see many participants utilizing seasonal, distinctively local ingredients in their special menus.

The churros from Santa Fe Cafe are a delightful way to end a fabulous meal at this popular Tex-Mex restaurant! Photo: Santa Fe Cafe.

For instance, The May River Grill’s appetizer choices include ‘baked oysters Bluffton’ and ‘Daufuskie–style’ crab cakes, and Charlie’s L’Etoile Verte is offering ‘flounder sautéed meunier’ and grilled fresh catch of the day (now that’s ‘local’!) as entrée selections. Finish off your fine meal here with a choice of Southern caramel cake, bread pudding with crème anglaise, or ‘pave au chocolat’. How can one choose only one from that tantalizing triumvirate? My mouth is watering, folks!

Bistro 17, located at Shelter Cover Harbour, offers many tasty entrees like their delicious peppered mustard salmon AND outside dining on the sheltered patio! Photo: Bistro 17.

Charlie Clark, Vice President of Communications at the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, tells me “The restaurant scene in Lowcountry is vibrant and becoming more and more recognized regionally and nationally as a premier dining destination. Restaurant Week is a terrific way for locals and visitors alike to sample food from great Hilton Head restaurants at delicious prices! For instance, Sublime Prime Steakhouse is offering three courses with entrée choices like filet mignon and Ahi tuna for $26.95 per person.

Restaurants relatively new to the local dining scene are jumping into Restaurant Week too. The special 4-course at ELA’s Blu Water Grille includes pan seared diver scallop with short rib and ther coastal bouillabaisse. Bomboras Grille and Chill Bar offers a 4-course prix fixe includes their award-winning pulled pork sliders and favorites like crab cakes and shrimp & grits.

One can NEVER go wrong at The Jazz Corner with dining, dancing and great live music. This is their pork tenderloin with blueberry demi-glace, spiced peach butter, sweet potato puree & edamame succotash. Photo: The Jazz Corner.

So, if you have ever wanted to try out a specific Island restaurant this certainly would be the week to make a reservation and support local restaurateurs at the same time. If you’re a foodie planning a visit to our fair isle then by all means check that calendar and get down here!

And if you are jaded by uninspired prix fix menus please don’t be, just check out the various preview menus online where you will most certainly find creativity flowing freely in every delectable course.

Chef Amanda’s house made spinach tagliatelle…a swirled sea of tender pasta waiting its turn to make you very happy!

Comfort is a wonderful word and the phase ‘comfort food’ is even better. Lately I’ve been pondering the term and thinking about the foods that soothe and cheer a Southern soul. As sure as this is a personal choice, certainly there are more than a few that land in a Southerner’s top five. May I suggest grits, homemade biscuits, macaroni and cheese (NOT from a box!), squash casserole and here in the Lowcountry most any “one dish meal” made with rice (pilou, red rice, crab rice, etc.).

When I was growing up, all these were simply “supper” – they were not regarded as special as we ate them quite often. Now, something that was regarded as “special”, was a creation of another land – and from the perspective of a child growing up in the 1970’s South this would mean China, Mexico or Italy. Italian was by far the favorite of these at our house and my mother even learned to make lasagna from scratch, complete with Béchamel sauce. Maybe the fact that our backyard garden overflowed with tomatoes every summer had something to do with this.

Melanzane Napoleone: flash fried eggplant layered with fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato, finished with basil oil and 25 Year Balsamic from The Oilerie.

But besides lasagna and the ubiquitous spaghetti with red sauce, my experiences with “Italian” food came to a halt – at least until I was let loose into the world after high school graduation. Then I discovered many more flavors born of Italian lienage: caprese salad, gnocchi, zuccotto, and the wonders of fresh, homemade pasta. I even bought a hand cranked pasta machine (which is still in use). To me, good Italian cuisine is an intriguing mix of tradition and innovation that provides ‘comfort’ and also continuously offers something new. This is especially true when your plate arrives from the kitchen of a talented local chef … a chef like Amanda Russ of Hilton Head Island’s Pomodori Italian Eatery.

Chef Amanda began her Italian inspired culinary adventure on Hilton Head Island in March of this year, with Pomodori already receiving rave reviews by locals and visitors alike. What’s all the fuss you say? It’s “just Italian”. Well, it’s Chef Amanda’s “Italian”! This means homemade gnocchi and tagliatelle made on the premises. It also means a concentrated menu with variety, but kept small, so each delicious dish you order is custom made and ultra fresh.

House made ricotta and spinach ravioli in Pomodori’s own chunky tomato sauce epitomizes “comfort food”.

Pomodori also offers several specials daily – taking advantage of “what’s best that day at the local seafood and produce markets”, according to Chef Amanda. Italian cuisine is second nature to Chef Amanda as she is of Italian descent and learned the ways of the Sicilian kitchen from her Grandmother. She received her formal training at the Italian Culinary Institute in the region of Calabria… land of Sopressata, caciocavallo silano and abundant seafood hauled in from both the adjacent Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas. If Sicily is considered the “football” of Italy then Calabria is the “toe”.

Pomodori’s Osso Bucco is a one pound veal shank with fennel and tomatoes, and topped with a crispy potato haystack.

A mid-westerner by birth, Chef Amanda, was a frequent visitor to Hilton Head Island throughout her childhood, and as it seems to occur quite often to many, she felt the tug of the familiar Lowcountry after culinary school. We are so glad she made her way back – this time as a permanent resident! So while Hilton Head Island is not the island of Sicily, take comfort that a taste of Calabria and modern Italian cuisine is on the table right here at Pomodori Italian Eatery.

Oh, and if you’re thinking about New Year’s Eve on Hilton Head, think Pomodori! Chef Amanda has created a spectacular 4-course menu with champagne toast for just $60 per person. The meal includes eight options per course (Yes, eight options!) with amuse-bouche, salad, entree and dessert. To make a reservation call 843-686-3100.

Happy New Year from the Food Vibe!
Chef Russ’ Delicate Tomato Sauce
Pomodori Italian Eatery

• (4) 28-oz cans of whole peeled San Marzano tomataoes, pureed
• 10 cloves of whole peeled garlic
• 3 carrots, diced small
• 2 red onions, diced medium
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• 2-3 medium sized rinds from parmigiano reggiano cheese

Coat the bottom of a heavy sauce pan with olive oil, enough to fill the bottom about 1/6 inch. (The wider the pan the better, more surface area and less chance of sticking or burning…tall pots are not ideal in this situation…the restaurant uses what’s called a rondo…)

Prop the back of the pan up so that the olive oil all concentrates to the front of the pan and add the cloves of garlic and a 1/2 tsp of kosher salt. On low medium heat, saute the garlic until it is transparent…you don’t want to brown the garlic or it will taste bitter. This will take about 15 minutes but it is every bit worth the time. What you are doing is infusing the olive oil with the flavor of the garlic. Once the garlic is soft and golden, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon. At this point if you whip that garlic with some butter and smear it on a loaf of italian bread you will have the makings of quite possibly the BEST garlic bread EVER!

Remove the prop you made from the back of the pan and allow the pot to sit regularly on the burners. Add the diced onions, carrots and 1 tbs kosher salt and saute over medium heat, careful not to brown the veggies or they will turn bitter. Again, this will take 15-20 minutes.

When the carrots are baby food soft, add the pureed tomatoes and parmigiano rinds and lower the heat to medium low. Allow the sauce to simmer about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring every so often to prevent the cheese rinds from sticking and burning. A good rule of thumb for tomato sauce is when the foam dissipates from the top of the sauce, you’re probably done. I reccommend that you taste your sauce every 20 minutes…it’s a good way to familiarize yourself with the cooking stages of tomato-based sauces.

When it no longer tastes tart or acidic, you’re done. Pull out the cheese rinds and strain through a china cap or a chinois (fancy words for strainers with small holes) Be sure and push the sauce through the strainer with a ladel or a spatula so you don’t waste any of the yumminess. Discard the pith left in the strainer after you’re finished.

VOILA! Delicious, fresh tomato sauce! Use this on anything from pasta to poached eggs!

It’s a festive atmosphere at Taste of the Season!

Every year the Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce throws down the culinary gauntlet with an event they call Taste of the Season. Yes, it kicks off the holiday season and yes, there are plenty of exciting tastes. But after this year’s amazing showcase of food deemed both creative and tasty, I’ll call it virtually a serious foodie’s paradise!

With almost three-dozen local restaurants and eateries represented, there was absolutely no lack of variety to be found. My only challenge was managing to fit a bite or two from each booth into my belly. Luckily this was not my first rodeo, so I paced myself and had a plan of attack formulated in my mind as soon as I walked through door. After making a quick pass by all the participants and taking a few notes, I circled back to get on with the eat’n.

After stopping only to make a few notes and take a sip or two of water between bites, I doubled back to speak with a few chefs, inquiring about their dish(es) and thank them for their obvious awesomeness.

Chef Brad Blake of Skull Creek Boathouse, offered their cocoa seared sea scallops with pineapple salsa and cocoa butter to an eager crowd. Chef Brad looks forward to this annual event, “ Taste of the Season kicks off the season and really gets every one – chefs and patrons alike – in the holiday spirit. All the chefs bring their “A-Game” to this event, they realize it’s a great chance to shine the spotlight on their talent and their restaurants. It’s a lot of fun too.”

Chef, I could not agree more! So rather than ramble on about who made what, I’d rather show you! Rock on foodies with this culinary tour of the 2012 Taste of the Season!

Top honors for the night went to Hugo’s Seafood & Steakhouse and their “Surf n’Turf Lollipops” – Lobster Wontons & Hawaiian-seared Filet Mignon with Celeriac Puree, Parsnip Chips & Soy Vinaigrette. Yum!

Upon entry to the ballroom what should appear? Not sugar plums, but this impressive chocolate cake by Fusion restaurant.

Skull Creek Boathouse served up their seared sea scallops with cocoa and pineapple salsa.If you missed this at Taste of the Season, now worries – this is a regular menu item at the restaurant!

What a fabulous “line up” of wonderful food from local restaurants!

Marley’s Island Grill nabbed second place with “Savory Surf & Turf Rockefeller”.

Upon entry to the ballroom what should appear? Not sugar plums, but this impressive chocolate cake by Fusion restaurant.

Scallops and a creamy bisque offered by Conroy’s – conveniently located in the Marriott – hosts to this years Taste of the Season!

Upon entry to the ballroom what should appear? Not sugar plums, but this impressive chocolate cake by Fusion restaurant.

Receiving honorable mention for their desserts (Flourless Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Bark, White Chocolate and Pumpkin Crème Brulee Cheesecake and Miniature Christmas Tree Cupcakes) was Flatbread Grill.

Orchid Paulmeier of One Hot Mama’s served up some scrumptious smoked turkey with dressing and gravy.

No matter if you prefer your oysters as clusters or ‘singles’ like you see here you can get your fill at the annual Hilton Head Island Oyster Festival!

Over the many summer trips to our local Hilton Head Island beaches my 5–year old daughter and I go on “sheshell” hunting adventures. It is as gratifying for me to witness her bubbling enthusiasm and wonderstruck awe in every newly found object, as it is for her in the moment of discovery. Our bucket full, we head home to examine our treasure, one by one we inspect them all, exclaiming the best quality of each. “This is beautiful Mommy, look how it is shaped like a heart!” or “This one is purple inside, purple is my favorite color!”

It does not surprise me to find that most of our collection is oyster shells, of countless shapes and color ranges. I stopped pointing out that most of the shells we see are “just oyster shells” two summers ago. To my daughter it doesn’t matter that they are numerous, because to her, each one is unique. I like that premise and I like that she appreciates oyster shells and that even at the tender age of 5 (no 4!) she scarfed down a dozen small

Big fun for kids and lots of oysters for all, at this event.

steamed oysters we roasted at home last winter.

Enough to make a Lowcountry mom and foodie proud! And enough to make me hungry and eager to taste this season’s oyster harvest now that the “R” months are upon us. Luckily the Island Recreation Center is right on time this coming weekend with three days of bi-valve splendor at the Hilton Head Island Oyster Festival. Island Rec and title sponsor South Carolina Bank & Trust, have organized the perfect set up for a true oyster-fest with buckets of local cluster-style oysters and regionally harvested “oyster singles” ready for your shuckin’ and slurpin’ enjoyment -provided by local seafood authority, Captain Woody’s Bar and Grill.

The traditional southern oyster roast set up with saw horse table (hole in the center with trash can beneath to catch the shells) and piles of fresh oysters – the only thing missing is YOU!

The fun continues on Saturday, Nov. 10 and Sunday, Nov. 11 with more oysters (and shrimp, grilled chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, etc for those non-oyster eaters), plus big screen video for all those football fanatics out there. Of course no party can get started without live music and Oyster Festival again keeps it rockin’ with local favorites Bobby Ryder, OCD Band, Matt MacKelcan, Twistedlegs and Big B & the Stingers.

And lest anyone thinks the kids will be bored – think again as the “kid zone” will offer all manner of energy sapping activities like moon bounces, carnival games, prizes and more from Jumpin Jaxx. Kids are very welcome at the Oyster Festival and

This festival is great for tasting all kinds of oyster sensations, like these grilled oysters. Shrimp and seafood delights like gumbo are also on the menu at the festival.

rightfully so, as the underlying purpose of the festival is all about them!

The Hilton Head Island Rec Center is a place for all children to play team sports, make friends and in plain and simple terms “be a kid”. It is in this spirit that the Island Recreation Association’s Children’s scholarship fund insures that “no child is denied” recreation opportunities. All proceeds from Oyster Festival benefit this scholarship fund. There is a nominal admission charge of $5 per person (with children 12 and under being free) for the Festival. All food and beverages are sold separately.

And if the thought of briny succulent oysters freshly plucked from the sea isn’t enough to get you in the festival mood, then add 25 arts and crafts vendors AND a silent auction chocked full of fabulous finds like rounds of golf, restaurant gift certificates and local art. I also heard there’ll be gumbo and fried oysters a plenty to be found at the festival. So there’s nary a reason to not make someone happy… eat an oyster!

Festival Details: Hilton Head Oyster Festival to benefit the Island Recreation Center

Location: Shelter Cove Community Park

Dates & Times:

• Friday, Nov. 9: 4:30 pm – 9 pm
• Saturday, Nov. 10: 11 am – 5 pm
• Sunday, Nov. 11: 11 am – 5 pm

Crabs cakes? Shrimp? Fresh local seafood? Try it all at the 8th Annual Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival! Photo courtesy of the Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival.

Sure, you may know the Hilton Head Island Lowcountry and even it’s neighbors, Bluffton and Daufuskie Island, but do you know one of the top coastal fall food festivals is right here in our own backyard? The 8th annual Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival is a weeklong annual event celebrating the “Bluffton State of Mind” and features locally harvested seafood, rich history, a juried art show, and more. Since this blog is foodcentric, be mindful that while I appreciate artisan crafts and their skillful makers, I am all about the food at this festival!

Bluffton’s burgeoning food scene is kick’n it into high gear throughout the week during this festival starting with Oyster Fest on Sunday, Oct. 14 at 5 pm. If you’re a bi-valve lover get yourself down to the Bluffton Oyster Factory Park off Wharf Street for the first official oyster roast of the season. There will also be local barbeque and seafood boil for those hankering for full-on 3-course meal. Live music and friendly folks lingering over good food and a May River sunset complete the first night setting of this festival.

The festival runs October 14-21 with the 2-day Street Fest (with its myriad of local food vendors) taking place along Calhoun Street on Saturday and Sunday, the 20th and 21st.

More exceptional Lowcountry specialties are on hand during the week as well. Go behind the scenes of the one of the country’s largest and most sophisticated facilities for mariculture research, the Waddell Research and Development Center, and then dine on a Lowcountry boil buffet with chili, cornbread, and more. Friday Night at the Promenade (Oct. 19th, 6 pm) includes a family friendly movie under the stars as well as environmental activities and food provided by local restaurants like Bluffton BBQ, Captain Woody’s and Parrot Cove Ice Cream Cafe.

The foodie fun reaches toward its crescendo as the weekend and the Art & Seafood Festival “Street Fest” approaches! On Saturday, the 20^th it’s a seafood battle of the ages when top local chefs compete at the Iron Chef Challenge in Neptune’s Galley beginning at 11 am. Will defending champ Sean Walsh of Red Fish again capture the crown? Or will an upstart talent, with superlative seafood savoir-fare, garner the accolades of the crowd? It’s anyone’s guess during this tongue-in-cheek clash of culinary titans. If this competition

Chefs put the finishing touchs to their entry in the “Iron Chef” Competition during the Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival. Photo courtesy of the Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival.

leaves you hungry don’t be surprised but be swift and head over straight away to the “midway of food” along Calhoun. Street. Yes, there will a veritable bounty of ocean-caught delicacies transformed into every imaginable seafood treat from spicy seafood gumbo to heavenly crab cakes to fried oysters served with a horseradish mustard sauce.

The Bluffton Oyster Company and adjacent Bluffton Oyster Factory Park is the scene for both Oyster Fest on the 14th and “Rockin’ the Dock” on the 20th. Photo courtesy: Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival.

If you’re tastes desire something delish not from the sea, then you’re good, as there will be local restaurants and caterers ‘a plenty at the festival offering everything from hamburgers to traditional pulled pork barbeque to fresh baked goodies and more! And if you’re game for even more seafood and music, the popular “Rockin’ the Dock” returns to the Bluffton Oyster Company at 6 pm with more locally caught fresh seafood, more live music and fabulous fireworks to cap off the evening.

The festivals’ final day of fun begins again at 10 am on Sunday the 21^st, with art and of course, more fresh seafood all along Calhoun Street and Old Town Bluffton. Relish what will surely be a delightful fall day in Bluffton. Have a bite at any food tent you may have missed the day before – or have “just one more” of your favorite dish. No matter if it’s Asian Mahi Mahi skewers, blackened sea scallops or just good ‘ole shrimp and grits, there’s sure to be a seafood favorite (or three!) to be discovered and savored at the Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival 2012!

The Certified Angus Beef burgers are standouts at Big Jims including their Smoked Gouda and Tobacco Onion Burger, served on a brioche roll.

It’s been my experience that golfers not only hold a passion for playing the game, but most enjoy the fringe benefits associated with a day on the links. And I’m not just talking about hip madras plaid wear and sweater vests! I’m referring to a morning or afternoon spent outside in nature, good times with friends, and capped off with lunch, dinner or in the least “snacks” and drinks at the nineteenth hole. On Hilton Head Island there are a bevy of options for celebrating those birdie putts, and one of the latest to join (and some may say, rise above) the pack is Big Jim’s at the Robert Trent Jones golf course in Palmetto Dunes.

Big Jims boasts lots of indoor and outdoor seating, including this golf-tastic view of the Robert Trent Jones course!

The golf enthusiasts I know appreciate good food and can be quite discerning; they’re looking for much better post-game grub than greasy nachos and rubbery chicken wings. They want foodie-level fare along with friendly service and a view of the course they just conquered.

I have played some golf over the years and I do own some chill white and brown golf shoes. But I am not or ever have been even remotely serious about the “game of kings.” I am, however, serious about good food and Big Jim’s delivers with tasty offerings to please the golfer AND everyone else in the family too. This family vibe is alive and well at Big Jim’s because, well, the restaurant, Palmetto Dunes and Hilton Head Island are all about family.

Chris Fleury, manager of Big Jim’s, tells me that the revamped concept of Big Jim’s came about by going back to who created the Palmetto Dunes Resort. This would be the Self family and in particular, Mr. Jim Self. Mr. Self was an avid outdoorsman and accomplished golfer who assisted Charles Fraser in building the Island’s first golf course, The Ocean Course in Sea Pines. He and his family fell in love with the Island and have been involved in its development for many years.

Big Jim’s smokes all their pork, beef and chicken on site. Here’s their pulled pork sandwich topped with Mr. Jim Self’s own signature Tennessee coleslaw and those crispy sweet potato fries!

The Beef Brisket sandwich is topped with house-made pickled onions.

Mr. Self, “Big Jim,” lived an extraordinary life filled with work, family, community, fun, and great food! Apparently he was quite a good cook and as Chris said, “His Tennessee coleslaw was a specialty of his and he made his own barbeque sauce. We have infused our menu with recipes, like the coleslaw, that were Big Jim’s own creations. We also barbeque all our meats in-house in a wood fired smoker in addition to preparing everything we can fresh, ourselves. For example, we smoke the tomatoes for our one-of-a-kind smoked tomato vinaigrette dressing.”

While barbeque (ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket and smoked chicken) plays a feature role in the menu, Chris tells me that Big Jim’s has become quite “the burger joint.” Afterenjoying the delicious Smoked Gouda and Tobacco Onion Burger myself, I can attest this did not surprise me. Served with your choice of any of the 11 fresh made sides, this juicy and flavorful burger is topped with a generous mound of crunchy, slivered onions and served on a fresh brioche roll – nice touch!

Big Jim’s menu offers excellent variety, but the menu is not overwhelming, in my mind ensuring high quality instead of attempting to be ‘all things to all people’ as some other restaurants do. With their homemade, made-on-premise approach, I look forward to returning to Big Jim’s for the Beef Brisket Nachos or another one of their hard-to-resist burgers. Because, when it comes to “locally owned and operated” there’s no better place to put your money where your mouth is, than Big Jim’s at the Robert Trent Jones golf course.

Mr. Jim Self’s Tennessee Coleslaw
Big Jim’s, Robert Trent Jones Golf Course, Palmetto Dunes Resort

This recipe serves 30 easily but can be cut in half for a smaller crowd. The slaw should be refrigerated for at least 2 hours for the flavors to meld. Don’t keep for too long though, the high level of vinegar in the recipe will cause the purple cabbage to bleed and create purple coleslaw!

• 1 Gal Mayo
• 1 quart Whole Grain Mustard
• 2 Quart Dijon Mustard
• 1 Cup Red Wine
• 5 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Black Pepper
• 1/3 Cup Onion Powder
• ¼ Cup Garlic Powder
• ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
• ¾ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 Large Cabbage Heads Shredded
• 1 Purple Cabbage Shredded
• 1 Large Carrot Shredded

Mix first 10 ingredients together for the dressing and stir into the shredded vegetables. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.