Classic Southern Recipes Go Mainstream

ATLANTA -- Soft grits. Fried chicken. Spiced pecans. There was a time when eating these and other regional foods could mean only one thing: that you were dining in the American South. Some Southern dishes once served as a veritable road map for this region. Shredded pork on burger buns, for example, practically guaranteed you were in North Carolina. With a plateful of other Southern dishes, one could imagine places like Cajun Louisiana (gumbo), the Mississippi Delta (catfish) or South Georgia (pecans).

Today Southern food still holds claims to a unique identity, but not the same borders. Comfort food specialties like gumbo, fried green tomatoes, smoked ham and casseroles with pecans are just some of the many Southern dishes that can now be found on tables far beyond the Mason-Dixon line. And not just by displaced Southerners yearning for a taste of home. A greater interest in regional foods in general also explains why the export of Southern food to other states has burgeoned.

"With so much of the cultural landscape becoming homogenous, many Americans are embracing the idea of cultural differentiation and are seeking experiences, including cooking and eating, that feel real and tied to some place," says John T. Edge, director of the Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi. "Southern cooking, because it's so unpretentious, has a very special appeal."

The foods of the South are mouthwatering to many American palates-a fact clearly supported by the vast popularity of superstar chef Emeril Lagasse. His New Orleans-style cooking reaches over 50 million homes daily and his book sales have surpassed two million.

Other chefs have also transplanted their version of Southern food around the U.S. with great success. Sylvia's restaurant in New York City has been serving her brand of Southern soul food since 1962, expanding the seating over the years from 35 to more than 400. In Chicago at Zinfandel, chef/owner Susan Goss spotlights seasonal Southern salads with pecans, while at Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch in Marina del Rey, Calif., smothered pork chops and fried catfish have been customer favorites since the restaurant opened in 1985.

Adolf Dulan, the owner of Kizzy's, says the reason Southern food draws customers from all over is because "it feels like home cooking, even if it's served in a restaurant. It is simple food served in generous portions, which is comfort food for many people. It's food that people can relate to even if they aren't from the South."

While many veteran establishments serve the always-popular "grits and gravy" style of Southern food, in other places innovative chefs are creating a "new Southern" food. At Atlanta's South City Kitchen, the result is choices like Pecan-Crusted Georgia Rainbow Trout, Duck Breast with Cornbread-Pecan Stuffing and other Southern-inspired dishes. South City chef Jay Swift says, "the term 'Southern' encompasses a broad variety of food these days. If there is any defining characteristic, it is in the raw materials you start with, such as local products like pecans, corn, pork and fresh produce."

Modern southern country cooking brings a sophisticated fusion of flavors to the plate while still serving food that's recognizable and hearty-foods reconstructed from traditional indigenous ingredients. For example, Neal Langermann at Georgia Brown's in Washington, D.C., offers both a Duck and Spinach Salad with Pecans.

Reinventing the use of traditional ingredients, yet still creating "real" food is part of the proud evolution of Southern foodways. "Every Southern cook knows how wonderful Georgia pecans are in desserts, but now we are becoming better acquainted with how the earthy sweetness of pecans works in savory dishes, too," Edge explains.

The sweet crunch of pecans lends Southern flavor to a wide variety of main dishes and simple sides. In a classic pone, or baked pudding-like dish, pecans provide a crunchy, toasted top crust; in condiments and relishes the Georgia nut adds an earthy flavor and hearty consistency. And with any vegetable dish, Georgia pecans are a natural match.

This is good news for home cooks who want to recreate the Southern experience at home, because pecans are so readily available. According to Buddy Leger, chairman of the Georgia Pecan Commission, it is estimated that approximately 115 million pounds of pecans will be harvested this fall in Georgia.

The harvest typically occurs during November and December, but this year's harvest is expected to begin in mid-to-late Oct. Consumers can store their pecans in airtight containers in the refrigerator for nine months and in the freezer for up to two years.