Good Eats in Savannah

Last month I went on a short Southern Adventure down to Savannah, Georgia.  I met up with my friend Chelle who was there for work in Augusta.

The first night I got there we wanted to try out the famous Mrs. Wilkes’ fried chicken, but we realized they are only open for lunch!!   It was quickly on to plan B, Sweet Potatoes Kitchen!  When we pulled up we got excited since their marquee claimed they had the Best Banana Pudding in the WORLD- according to Andrew Zimmerman!  

 

For my dinner I went with Corn Pudding, Brussel Sprouts and Peach BBQ Chicken. 

Chelle got Macadamia Nut crusted Chicken with a peach salsa, Cheesy Grits and Tomatoes and Okra.  This was totally yummy and I want to try to make the chicken soon!   

Of course we had to try the Banana Pudding…  It did not disappoint!  And Chelle wanted to try the Chocolate Pecan Pie which was pretty good too. 

The next morning we decided to walk a mile to the Farmers Market at Forsyth Park (same park they filmed Forrest Gump at).  Let me tell you, it was so hot and humid!! 

I wanted to buy all of these jams!  Ginger Lemonade, Grapefruit Lemon Lime?  Yes please! 

It seriously was so hot at 9am, I could not resist getting a Peach Ice Pop to help cool me down.  Speaking of peaches, they looked gorgeous at the farmers market!

After freshening up, we were on our way to Tybee Beach!  These beaches were so different from the ones I grew up with in Hawaii, or the ones that I see in Los Angeles. 

We hung at the beach for a bit and then decided to grab some beer and lunch.  By the way, did you know that Savannah is one of the few cities that allows you to walk around with an open bottle of alcohol?  Anyways, we decided to stop at Shrimp truck and see how the South did their Shrimp!  Gerald’s Pig and Shrimp is so similar to the shrimp trucks I would see back home in Hawaii. 

The star of the show was the jalapeno hush puppies (can you believe how many we got in one order?) and the Cajun shrimp was expertly seasoned.  They had an amazing hot sauce too, I wish I had taken a picture of it. 

In part 2 I’ll share with you the best meal we had in Savannah at The Olde Pink House and our last stop, Bojangle’s!  

Pumpkin Mochi

I made this to bring over to my friend Linly when we went over to meet her new son Liam!  This is like Butter Mochi with some pumpkin flavoring, I had been wanting to try this for ever! 

Pumpkin Mochi
from Friends Husband Ed

1 box mochiko
2 tsp baking soda
29 oz Pumpkin Puree
1 cup butter, melted
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl combine mochiko and baking soda.

2.  In a large bowl combine all other wet ingredients and add in dry ingredients.

3.  Pour mix into a greased 13x9 inch pan and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.  Allow the cake to cool for several hours and then cut and serve.

Crockpot North Carolina Style BBQ

Sometimes your love life bleeds over to your cooking.  You may have remembered all the great eats I had when I visited North Carolina last year for my friends wedding and I have been infatuated with the South ever since.  I was also lucky enough to start dating a “Southern Gentleman” from North Carolina. 

I needed a crockpot dish for a work potluck and when I saw this I knew it was a great opportunity to test run a dish I could make for my boyfriend.  I served it on King’s Hawaiian sweetbread rolls, so it was a little bit of me and a little bit of some Southern goodness as well.  It was a perfect match! This dish is so easy and while it may create a vinegar sauna in your house, its well worth it.  The pulled pork was a hit at the potluck. 

Crockpot North Carolina Style BBQ
adapted from Allrecipes

6 lb Pork Shoulder or Pork Butt
1 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
salt
pepper
2-3 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Texas Pete’s Hot Sauce
2 tsp. cayenne
2 tsp. red chili pepper

1.  Place the pork shoulder in the crockpot and season well with salt and pepper.  Pour the vinegar around the pork.  Cover and cook on low for 12 hours. 

2.  Remove pork and shred with a fork.  Reserve 2 cups of the liquid and add in all the seasonings.  Add the pork back in and mix well.  Leave on warm till you serve. 

I would let the pork sit in its juices for at least 30 minutes.  I found that the sauce developed in taste the longer it sat.  Serve these with your favorite rolls/buns, another dash of Texas Pete’s hot sauce and some coleslaw for one of the best sandwiches! 

Another simple Southern style dessert that takes minutes to make when you get a little help from Trader Joe’s is Strawberry Shortcake.  I had seen these Shortcake Biscuits at TJ’s and had wanted to try them.  They do not disappoint!!

Just serve with some berries and a dollop of whipped cream. Perfect for summer nights!  Thanks Trader Joe’s!!