Need help in finding that perfect little piece of South Carolina to give your friends and relatives? Have we got a list for you!
We've scoured the state, looking for gifts that celebrate all the wonderful things about South Carolina. Here's a list of items that might be just right for your favorite food-lover.
Give a cookbook and maybe you'll get to test some of the recipes. Several South Carolina authors have published cookbooks in the past several years:
"Southern Biscuits" by Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Stevens Graubart. Dupree, of Charleston, has written about 11 Southern cookbooks, and any one of them would make a fine gift. You can find it at many local bookstores or kitchen shops, including Blue Bicycle Books in Charleston and Litchfield Books in Pawleys Island. You can order an autographed copy through her website. It's also available online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
"Glass Onion Classics: Recipes from a Southern Restaurant" by Sarah O'Kelley. Since O'Kelley, Charles Vincent and Chris Stewart opened the Glass Onion restaurant in Charleston in spring 2008, it has earned a reputation for delicious fresh food. This paperback includes not only great recipes but also profiles of some of the farmers, fishermen and others that she says inspire the restaurant. Go visit the restaurant to buy one or buy it online from restaurant. It's also available at Amazon.
"Gullah Cuisine: By Land and by Sea" (Evening Post Publishing, 2010) by Charlotte Jenkins. This gem of a cookbook is packed with recipes for the kinds of delicious foods. But it's also a beautiful cookbook, with colorful art throughout of prominent South Carolina artist Jonathan Green. You can buy the cookbook online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Either of the Lee Brothers' cookbooks, "The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook" (Norton, 2006) or "The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern" (Clarkson Potter, 2009). Both are excellent books that are as fun to read as they are to cook from. Matt and Ted Lee's first cookbook was the 2007 James Beard Cookbook of the Year. Order autographed copies on the Lee Brothers' website. You'll also find this cookbook in many book and cooking stores, as well as online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
OK, maybe it won't fit into a basket or a bowl, but this is perfect for the person who has everything. There are bakeries all over the state that make fine cakes and pies. A few of the specialty shops are the pies of Laurel Goodman sold at Carolina Cider Company in Yemassee or Daisy Cakes, which has been featured on "Shark Tank." Daisy Cakes, which is in Pauline near Spartanburg, ships delicious cakes, including gingerbread cakes for the holidays, all over the country.
Whether a great cook wants to improve or a novice needs to learn the basics, cooking classes could be a great gift. Here are some places that offer lessons: Abingdon Manor near Florence and Let's Cook Culinary Studio in Columbia. Also, if there is a technical college near you, check to see if they offer any short-term classes through a culinary program.
You need the right tool to break into these treasures of the sea, and the Carolina Oyster Knife, made in Greenville, does the job. The company only sells wholesale, so unless you need 144 oyster knives, check your local markets. The company website also directs you to other places to order online.