THE DALAI LAMA RETURNS TO GEORGIA

THE DALAI LAMA AT EMORY THIS OCTOBER

By Doc Lawrence

ATLANTA-You might see him dining at Mary Mac’s, the venerable shrine of Southern cuisine on Atlanta’s fabled Ponce de Leon Avenue, or speaking impromptu to huge gatherings at Centennial Olympic Park across from CNN’s headquarters. But, he’s most accessible on Emory University’s campus where he maintains a close association that includes prestigious faculty status.

His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, Presidential Distinguished Professor at Emory University, returns to Atlanta this October for a series of public and campus events, including programs on responsible citizenship, ethics and education. Emory’s president, James Wagner, made the announcement recently: "The Dalai Lama has made invaluable contributions to our understanding of what it means to be an ethical citizen of the world. We are looking forward to the return of Emory's Presidential Distinguished Professor and the opportunities for our faculty and students to engage with him on these vital issues."

Two public events are scheduled for Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at The Arena at Gwinnett Center.  In addition, the Dalai Lama will spend two days afterward on the Emory University campus teaching students and engaging with the faculty.

The Dalai Lama last visited Emory in 2010 for a series of events on science research and meditation, creativity and spirituality, interfaith dialogue, and a teaching on compassion. In 2007, he was named Presidential Distinguished Professor at Emory, the first university appointment accepted by the 1989 Nobel Laureate. His appointment was an outgrowth of the Emory-Tibet Partnership which was founded in 1998 to bring together the best of Western and Tibetan Buddhist intellectual traditions. As Presidential Distinguished Professor, the Dalai Lama continues to provide teaching sessions with students and faculty during Emory's study-abroad program in Dharamsala, India.

Often referred to as “our professor,” by Emory students, faculty and alumni, both actor Richard Gere and Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker described His Holiness as a role model and a source of inspiration. during a 2010 panel session at Emory.

FEAST THE 4TH

Jim Sanders Georgia Brunswick Stew

 By Doc Lawrence

ATLANTA. He was the unchallenged “father of fine wine” not only in Atlanta but the entire Southeast region. A French-trained chef, Jim Sanders stayed true to his Southern roots, producing a cookbook pairing the great dishes of the South (his recipes) with the great wines of France. No counterpart exists today.

Each July 4, Sanders served his barbeque pork along with his treasured recipe Georgia Brunswick Stew, something he learned during his childhood days in Covington, Georgia. It is the traditional accompaniment to genuine Deep South barbecue and his recipe is credible.

INGREDIENTS:

1 four-pound baking chicken

4 pounds ground pork

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1-tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon thyme

1 tablespoons cayenne pepper

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup red wine, preferably Rhone style

3 to 4 tablespoons bacon drippings 

36 ounces tomato juice

4 ounce tomato catsup

3 cups cut corn

Kosher salt and black pepper

PREPARATION:

Boil the chicken until it is very tender, cool, de-bone and chop the meat finely. Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, braise the pork until half done. Add half the chopped onions, one chopped garlic clove, chili powder, thyme, cayenne pepper and a generous sprinkling of kosher salt and black pepper. Continue to braise until the meat is well browned, stirring every few minutes to break up any lumps and combine with chicken. Add the tomato juice and catsup and simmer for 11/2 hours. Add the rest of the chopped onions, another chopped garlic clove and simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste for salt and spoon off the fat before serving.

WINES:

Beaujolais goes well with Brunswick stew. It does not fight the spices and it has a lot of refreshment value. Otherwise, fairly heavy red wines like Cotes du Rhone complement the spice and flavors nicely as do several Italian reds like Chianti, Bardolino and Montepulciano.

NOTE:

Over three decades, Jim Sanders taught thousands in his wine classes in Atlanta, a rich mixture of governors, members of Congress, physicians, Georgia Supreme Court Justices and regular men and women. Although a product of the Deep South, Jim was more French than anything. After World War II-he was wounded five times in the Pacific campaigns-he went to France, bicycled the countryside and found his passion in wine and food. He learned to cook in Lyon and Paris and met Armand Cottin, president of Labourie-Roi and through this brotherly friendship, developed his own cuvee of 179 Burgundies garnering numerous awards. Each day, in the rear of his retail wine shop in Atlanta’s Buckhead, Sanders served most anyone who came in wonderful dishes he prepared along with pours from countless bottles of perfectly paired wines. There was no charge.

Jim’s wines, all under his JSANDERS label, are sold exclusively in Atlanta’s Sherlock’s Wine Merchants.

On the eve of his death in 1999, Jim Sanders entrusted me with his priceless wine notes, lectures, stories and recipes.

Celebrate America. Enjoy the Fourth of July!

A FEAST FOR GREAT MEN

DAD’S SPECIAL DINNER

By Doc Lawrence

Sunday is a wonderful day in America. We gather to celebrate dad. They come in all sizes, ages and for many, they remain precious memories. Nothing thrills Dad more than having you with him and here in the Deep South, we celebrate these moments with a feast. No doubt Dad has some favorites, but I asked Chef Lara Lyn Carter to provide something special from her South Georgia kitchen that is original, tasty and just begs for some wonderful wine.

The gourmet celebrity chef on WALB-TV in Albany, Georgia created these and even unveiled her Georgia version of pesto: “Yes, there is a southern version of pesto. Use pecans and local olive oil for amazing flavor!”

 South Georgia Pecan Pesto Grilled Bread

2 cps fresh basil leaves (packed)

¼ cup toasted pecans

1 clove garlic chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 cup Georgia Olive Farm Olive Oil

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 loaf of your favorite bread (I use ciabatta)

In food processor blend basil, pecans, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped. With the food processor still running add olive oil to obtain a smooth but still thick consistency. Transfer mixture to a bowl and blend in cheese. This can be made a day ahead.

Split the bread and spread and toast under the broiler until warm and cheese is golden. You can also use this pesto with pasta, chicken, fish, or vegetables. With pesto the possibilities are endless!

Gulf Coast Roasted Red Snapper

4 eight-ounce red snapper fillets

4 tablespoons of Georgia Olive Farms Olive Oil

2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

1 cup of sliced cherry tomatoes

½ cup of chopped fresh basil

¼ cup finely chopped fresh sweet Vidalia onion

2 lemons - 1 sliced and 1 for juice

Arrange fish on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil and coated with a non-stick cooking spray. Drizzle fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange tomatoes, onion, basil, and lemon slices on top of the fish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove fish from the oven and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the fillets.

Doc’s Wine Pairing

The complex yet very compatible flavors in Chef Lara Lyn’s recipes make wine selection even more fun. It’s searing hot in the Deep South this time of year and the right white wines work better with these delights.

Viognier is widely available. Either the French originals or a great Viognier from North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley legend, RagApple Lassie will bring big smiles when dad and others at the table enjoy the celebration.

Another choice is rosé. Not even remotely related to white zinfandel, this is the real deal. Try a bottle from Provence, chilled of course. It’s lovely poured in a crystal stemware and the flavors and body fit quite well with our fruits from Gulf waters.

                     
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

FATHER'S DAY 2013

        WORLD’S GREATEST DAD

By Doc Lawrence

He’s a wizard at the grill, pours appropriate wines with any meal, loves fishing and adores his family and friends. Because he’s so generous, we want to give him something that shows not only appreciation and honors him as a practical and talented man.

Give him a bottle of Patrón Reposado, the world's number

one ultra premium tequila. He’s sure to make some custom Margarita’s and the flavor is a nice option for tequila drinkers looking for more complexity and smoothness in their cocktails.

For more than 40 years, T. Colin Campbell, PhD, has been at the forefront of nutrition research. Like all of us, Dad isn’t getting any younger and if he’s looking for creative ways to work more fruits and vegetables into their menus, The China Study Cookbook (BenBella Books, May 7, 2013) offers hundreds of appetizing simple-to-make recipe options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

Grilling and outdoor dining minus those gnats and mosquitoes is possible using the new Stinger Insect Zapper Lantern, a portable, cordless and rechargeable bug zapper. This unit uses both black UV light technology, which has been scientifically proven to eliminate up to 40% more flying insects than white UV light, and an Octenol lure, that work together to dramatically reduce the amount of mosquitoes and flying insects in Dad’s personal spaces. 

A companion device is the Stinger Portable Bug Zapper, a hand-held device that kills insects on contact with 3000 safe volts of zapping power. The racket incorporates a flexible rubber neck for use on walls or other flat surfaces, while the angled head easily reaches into corners. It operates on batteries and eliminates insects without leaving a mess.

Sandeman Port, whether the 10, 20, 30 and 40 years old Tawnies, are great gifts for dad, the consummate gourmet who enjoys an elevated lifestyle. (He’s earned the right!)

Some of our best bonding moments with Dad are over a glass of wine. Estancia Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are produced by a winery committed to renewable energy. They reduced their carbon footprint while not compromising the high-quality vino. Solar technology generates 75% of the winery’s energy, keeping 1,492,335 pounds of greenhouse gases out of the air annually, the equivalent of taking 237 vehicles off the road, planting 27,000 trees or 248 acres of forest, powering 164 homes, and not driving 2.6 million miles.

Gillette’s Fusion ProGlide Styler is a high-tech affordable device that reduces shaving discomfort plus extra grooming features that actually work well. With the first 3-in-1 power groomer, the Fusion ProGlide Styler trims evenly, shaves closely and edges accurately.

Few accessories are more welcome by Dad, a snappy dresser, than a beautiful wrist watch that functions well. Armitron, a trusted brand, has a line of stylish high fashion watches including more rugged models for outdoor wear.

The consummate kitchen wizard, Dad will love the advantages of the Chef’s Choice Electric Food Slicer. The model 615 efficiently slices a variety of foods including meat, vegetables, bread and cheese. The perfect solution for home chefs open to options for preparing meals, entertaining cost effectively, controlling portions and enjoying freshly sliced foods.

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The Spice Lab has gift sets of sea salts that have function and place in Dad’s kitchen. The range of selection is impressive and is one of the best bargains out there. Easy to order online: thespicelab.com. Dry aging beef can be done in Dad’s refrigerator. It’s a simple procedure that takes an ordinary steak to the level of Morton’s or Palm restaurants top selections. Visit the company website for this one: http://golbsalt.com/dry-aged-beef-kit/

We acknowledge aging and many other health complications with more openness and acceptance. Dad may have diminished hearing caused by anything from service in the military to a sports injury. Instead of ignoring it, why not help him regain the comfort of good hearing with one of the hi HealthInnovations premium digital hearing aids, featuring state-of-the-art digital technology equal to or superior compared to many much more expensive devices. Leveraging UnitedHealth Group's scale, hi HealthInnovations obtains high quality hearing aids at a significant volume discount and transfers the cost saving directly to customers. This eliminates many of the markups that are placed on hearing aids by distributors and other intermediaries.
hi HealthInnovations premium digital hearing aids include fully automatic digital algorithms that adapt to Dad’s  environment and a number of other comfort advantages including a noise reduction system. Best news is this can be ordered online, and any needed adjustments are available locally.

Dad can make the perfect pizza using the grill-top pizza kit. The round stone allows him to cook his masterpiece on the grill to create a crispy, bubbly delight. From Mr. BBQ,

It includes 15" grill-top pizza stone, over-sized spatula, and pizza cutter, ideal for gas grills and indoor ovens. Widely available.

A portable camera is one of the handiest devices for Dad, the skilled photographer. There are times when too much bulk won’t work. The Vivitar S1527 is compact, affordable and gets the job done anywhere.

Grooming and hygiene products for Dad have never been better or more available. With so much to select from, check out the line of designer products at the Body Shop, www.thebodyshop.com. The Absinthe brand skin products are high quality, containing Community Fair Trade ingredients.

Dad’s great conversation piece is Dad’s well-stocked bar. Giving him something other than a useless gizmo or a bottle he doesn’t like isn’t much of a choice. Jim Beam’s latest expression, Jacob’s Ghost White Whiskey is one of the better spirits products out this year and Dad’s who enjoy a smooth pour sipped neat will treasure a bottle of this delightful elixir. George Dickel Tennessee Whisky is a mainstay in America with a history of wonderful taste and pure enjoyment.

No gift, regardless of the cost, means as much to a good-hearted father as our being with him. Take time to visit. Treat him to brunch. Propose a toast telling him you love him. The days dwindle down and these moments are precious.

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, all items are available through Amazon or are easily located through Google.

Enjoy Doc’s Georgia Journey:

http://mycookingmagazine.com/gourmet-highway-a-magnolia-at-andalusia/

MEMORIAL DAY FEAST

RITE OF SPRING –

Celebrating WITH FOOD AND WINE

By Doc Lawrence

Travel Rangers Lazelle Jones (r), Lynne Brandon
and Doc at Laurel and Hardy Museum

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA-It’s good to be back home, again. After a journey through wonderful Deep South destinations in Georgia accompanied by two North Carolinians Carl White and Lynne Brandon along with Lazelle Jones, the gifted journalist who has mastered the art of raising tomatoes at his home in the California desert, the trek was over, leaving precious memories of time

spent at “Andalusia,” Flannery O’Connor’s home, in Milledgeville, the Blue Willow Inn smack dab in the middle of Social Circle and the Blind Willie McTell Blues Festival in Thomson, my home near the great gray granite monolith was a place to reflect and refresh.

Television Producer Carl White at Blue Willow Inn

With the Memorial Day holiday weekend approaching, some recipes created by Georgia’s TV celebrity chef Lara Lyn Carter seemed appropriate. “Something different,” I hinted. “Who says burgers can only be beef?” she replied, offering up three originals, including amazing pork sliders, accompanied by her incredible slaw and delicious potato skewers.

Marinated Slaw

1 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

½ cup sugar

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. dry mustard

½ tsp. celery seeds

1 cabbage shredded

1 cup shredded carrots

Put cabbage and carrots together in a large bowl. Whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over vegetables. Cover, chill, and allow marinating for 2-3 hours.

Pork Sliders with Mustard Sauce

2 pounds ground pork

2 cloves garlic finely minced

1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix ingredients by hand until combined. Form in to 16 mini burgers. Grill over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Serve sliders with sliced Vidalia onion and mustard sauce (recipe follows) on Kings Hawaiian Rolls.

Mustard Sauce

1 2oz. Jar of dry mustard

1 ½ cups of white sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar

51/2 tbsp. Malt vinegar

24 oz plain prepared yellow mustard

Potato Skewers

2 ½ pounds of Baby Dutch Gold potatoes

½ cup honey

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Boil the potatoes until partially cooked. Thread potatoes onto 8 wooden skewers that have been soaked in water to prevent burning. Mix honey, mustard, and vinegar together to make a glaze. Place potato skewers on grill over medium heat and baste with glaze. Cook 6-8 minutes and flip over. Baste the other side and cook another 6-8 minutes.

Wine Pairing-Doc’s Sangria Salute

After some brainstorming with Chef Lara Lyn, we agreed that this was the perfect weekend to make some Sangria. The wine punch originated in Spain, but here, deep in Dixie, we call it our own after having made it even before the Civil War. Few wines make better Sangria than the rich, delicious Muscadine from Still Pond Vineyards in Arlington, Georgia.

4 bottles Still Pond Plantation Red Muscadine Wine

1/2 cup Tupelo Honey

1 tsp. lime zest

1 bottle club soda

2 cups vodka

Juice of 1 lemon

Blend in punch bowl, add minimum ice and tropical fruit chunks just prior to serving. Note: Muscadine wines are widely available throughout the South and any make a perfect substitute.

DEEP SOUTH GOURMET

GEORGIA’S BEST SHRIMP AND GRITS

By Doc Lawrence

Lara Lyn Carter’s popular television cooking show on Albany Georgia’s WALB-TV, provides viewers with a regular experience of fresh ingredients, skilled preparation and gentle presentation. While others do research, hoping to learn something about the reality of farm to table, Lara Lyn simply does what she’s been doing from the first time she put a skillet on the stove. “Everything I’ve enjoyed cooking has always been available close to my kitchen. This area of Georgia is fertile and produces the finest vegetables you can find anywhere. And have you tried our olive oil yet?”

Here’s Lara Lyn’s original recipe for shrimp and grits. Note that it is an all-Georgia production. I’ve added a wine from Crane Creek Vineyards in North Georgia that pairs beautifully with all the flavors.

 Lara Lyn’s Shrimp and Grits

 With Caramelized Vidalia Onions

1 cup Gayla’s Grits (www.gaylasgrits.com)

4 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon pepper

8 ounces of Sweet Grass Dairy Green Hill Cheese

1 large Vidalia onion chopped

2 tablespoons of Georgia Olive Farm Olive Oil

½ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 pound of large wild Georgia shrimp peeled and deveined

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 stick of butter melted

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary

For the grits-

Bring the chicken broth, butter and pepper to a boil.  Add the grits to the broth mixture and cook covered over low to medium heat for one hour stirring frequently.  Add water ¼ of a cup at a time as needed during the cooking to keep the grits from sticking.  During the last 15 minutes of cooking add the cheese to the grits and stir to allow it to dissolve into the grits.  This part alone is creamy delicious comfort food.

For the Onions-

Place the olive oil in a skillet over low to medium heat and add the Vidalia Onion, salt, and sugar.  Cook for 20 minutes until caramelized.

For the shrimp-

Spread the shrimp on a greased baking sheet.  Melt the butter and mix in the garlic and rosemary.  Pour the butter mixture over the shrimp and roast the shrimp in a 400-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

To serve-

Ladle the grits into 4 large serving bowls and top equal portions of the onions.  Place equal portions of the shrimp around the edges of the bowls.

Wine-

Traminette, a delightful white wine from North Georgia’s heralded Crane Creek Vineyards makes this a meal for spring and summer. Your guests will enjoy this delicious and original experience created by one of the fastest rising culinary stars, Lara Lyn Carter.

NOTE-Enjoy the visit to Montgomery and the home of Zelda Fitzgerald: http://mycookingmagazine.com/gourmet-highway-zelda-angel-from-alabama/

FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IRVING BERLIN

By Doc Lawrence

During the hallowed baseball ceremony, the seventh-inning stretch, fans at parks all over America serenade our country with “God Bless America,” preceding baseball’s anthem, “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.” The former, now almost on par with The National Anthem, was penned by the incomparable Irving Berlin and today is his birthday.

We should revisit the lives of our great artists on occasions like today. Ameica’s music continues to be a mighty force in the world of popular culture and few have contributed anything approaching the works, (should I say standards?) composed by Berlin.

With a catalogue that boasted over 1000 songs, Irving Berlin epitomized Jerome Kern's famous maxim that "Irving Berlin has no place in American music -- he is American music." When his father died, Berlin, just turned 13, became a singing waiter in a New York City Chinatown Café and soon had his first major international hit — "Alexander's Ragtime Band."

Over the next five decades, Irving Berlin produced an outpouring of ballads, dance numbers, novelty tunes and love songs that defined American popular song for much of the 20^th century. A sampling of just some of the Irving Berlin standards includes "How Deep Is The Ocean," "Blue Skies," "White Christmas," "Always," "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better," "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Cheek To Cheek," "Puttin' On The Ritz," "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody," "Heat Wave," "Oh! How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning," "Easter Parade" and "Let's Face The Music And Dance." In a class by itself is his paean to his beloved country, "God Bless America."

He was equally at home writing for Broadway and Hollywood. He wrote seventeen complete scores for Broadway musicals and revues, and contributed material to six more. Among the shows featuring all-Berlin scores were THE COCOANUTS, AS THOUSANDS CHEER, LOUISIANA PURCHASE, THIS IS THE ARMY, MISS LIBERTY, MR. PRESIDENT, CALL ME MADAM and the phenomenally successful ANNIE GET YOUR GUN.  Recent musicals culled from his screen work include IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS (Broadway, across the USA, Canada and Great Britain), and TOP HAT, currently in its 2nd year in London's West End and winner of the 2013 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.

Among the Hollywood movie musical classics with scores by Irving Berlin are TOP HAT, FOLLOW THE FLEET, ON THE AVENUE, ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND, HOLIDAY INN, BLUE SKIES, EASTER PARADE, WHITE CHRISTMAS and THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS. His songs have provided memorable moments in dozens of other films, from THE JAZZ SINGER (1927) to blockbusters like HOME ALONE (1991) and TITANIC (1997). Among his many awards were a special Tony Award (1963) and the Academy Award for Best Song of the Year for "White Christmas" in 1942.

On September 22, 1989, at the age of 101, Irving Berlin died in his sleep in his town house in New York City.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Berlin. God indeed blessed America when you set foot on the shore in New York City.

Hope you make plans to see “The Great Gatsby” Enjoy this story, a prelude to the highly recommended movie:

 http://mycookingmagazine.com/gourmet-highway-zelda-angel-from-alabama/