Around the Table - The Rich Aroma of Simplicity

Welcome! Come on in and have a seat at my table. I’ve been busy preparing for your visit, so I hope you came hungry. Each week, the stovetop will be simmering with talk of what’s new on the Florence food scene, tantalizing events in the Pee Dee and more! I'll even be sharing some recipes for you to try at home. Well, you’re looking a little famished, so let’s dig in ...

COCKTAILS
BREAKING NEWS: Creek Ratz of Florence will be opening its doors again to the public for lunch and dinner beginning Oct. 9th! I just spoke with Richard Meyers, head chef of the Murrells Inlet locale and a partner in the business. He said everyone is excited about the reopening and that, while guests can expect the same fun atmosphere and fresh seafood, some changes have been made. First, there will be a daily "blue plate" special for folks looking for a fast and affordable lunch. The dinner menu will now include plated dinners featuring fresh catches, seafood alfredo and prime rib. "We have some of the same staff, but a lot of new faces, too," said Richard. "And we look forward to seeing all of our old customers and a lot of new ones, as well." I can't wait to check out those new menu items and spend some quality time on the deck before winter sets in!


Victor's Bistro has devised a way to make “hump day” more palatable. Wine Down Wednesday offers a little mid-week zip with drink and tapas specials for the after-work crowd. Other offerings at Victor’s include Wine 101 seminars the second Tuesday of the month and themed wine dinners the last Saturday of each month. Call Victor’s at (843) 665-0486 to reserve your spot.

APPETIZERS
Tip from the blog of The Flossip: An exciting specialty gourmet meat market/grocer/deli will open its doors in late November at Seven Oaks on Hoffmeyer Road. New York Butcher Shoppe, a South Carolina-based franchise, will offer premium, aged Angus beef, freshly made sausage, pork, chicken, veal, lamb, Boar’s Head meats, imported cheeses, fine wines, gourmet pastas, prepared dishes and much, much more! I went to the Web site and took a virtual tour – everything looked mouthwatering! I also learned that NYBS was established by the D’Elia family from Mt. Pleasant. There are about 10 locations peppering the Carolinas and Georgia. It also seems to be the closest thing to an Italian/European market we’ve ever had in these parts. I’m particularly anxious to try their Italian sausage as I currently special order mine (extra fennel, please!) from a shop in Cornelius, N.C. called Ferrucci’s Old Tyme Italian Market . Check back here for specific opening info for NYBS.

Speaking of things Italian, I was intrigued to see this on the Web site of Hobnob Gourmet: Hobnob Italian Holidays will be presented Nov. 12-13 at both the Florence Mall and Downtown Hartsville locations. I’m checking in this week with Hobnob owner Suzanne Galloway to get the scoop and will share the details with you right here next week!


ENTRÉE
I stopped by to see my parents last Thursday, and as soon as I got out of the car, the aroma of carmelizing garlic and onions greeted me. That could only mean one thing: Mama was making my favorite soup, pasta with lenticchia (pasta with lentils) While she stirred the soup pot, Wall Street was crumbling, folks were fighting at the gas pumps and John McCain had “suspended” his campaign to high-tail it to D.C. Lean times were looming on the horizon. Well, well … it was certainly an appropriate day for Mama’s Sicilian lentil soup. Let me explain.

As a child, my family lived on a modest budget which often challenged my mother to make magic in the kitchen. Feeding five growing girls and two adults couldn’t have been easy. But Mama made it seem so. Fortunately for us, she has quite a knack for stretching her kitchen resources and, even more important, for making those resources taste like a million bucks. We didn’t have trendy clothes or a fancy car, but most days we sat down to a table laden with stews and homemade biscuits, tender roasts with mashed potatoes, fried chicken, meatloaf (the best ever!) and, in keeping with our Italian tradition, Mama’s incomparable pasta and meatballs every Sunday.

But on the day before Daddy got paid, the cupboards would be seriously spare. That’s when Mama would take out the soup pot and perform her “miracle of the soup.” Like the story of the fishes and the loaves, she would take a small bag of lentils and a package of spaghetti, and not only fill the bellies of seven hungry people, but do so deliciously. And all for about 50 cents. Believe me when I say there was no feeling of deprivation at our table. Our bank account might have been close to empty, but Mama showed us there were still riches to be had.

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I thought back to those times as I walked to my parent’s doorstep last week. As I did so, the familiar smell of Mama’s soup and all of its personal associations permeated the grim stench of chaos, the predictions of economic doom, the atmosphere of greed and fear that had been seeping across the news wires (and under my skin) back at work all morning. OK. I might have to cancel travel plans to conserve gas, give up eating out, hit the consignment shop rather than the Belk sale, buy generic for a while – no big deal. In a few moments, I’d be at Mama’s table, a bowl of steaming lentil soup topped with freshly grated pecorina in front of me … I was rich, indeed.

DESSERT
Good Living in the air: I’m so excited about the Good Living Marketplace set to kick off in downtown Hartsville (in Cargill Way and Burry Park behind Applebee’s) this Saturday, Oct. 4 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. As I understand it, this will be a monthly event happening on the first Saturday of each month. Local vendors such as Ovis Hill Farms, McLeod Farms and more, will be selling their fresh produce, dairy products, flowers, artwork and more. Call (843) 332-1600 if you need more details.

Sweet ’tater time: It’s just about time for the South Carolina Sweet Potato Festival. On Oct. 11, the crowds will converge on the Public Square in downtown Darlington for the live entertainment, children’s activities, vendors, antique car show and sweet potato food items (the pie is my fave!). Call (843) 393-2641 if you want more information. Check out next week’s food page (Oct. 8) in the Morning News for some yummy recipes, too!

TAKE OUT

Mama’s Pasta with Lenticchia Soup
(Recipe can be halved.)

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Ingredients:
1 16-oz. bag of dried lentils, picked and rinsed
1 lb. of spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup of onion, chopped (any kind of onion is fine; substitute scallions for bolder flavor)
Olive oil for sauteeing
Salt and Pepper to taste
Freshly grated pecorina romano cheese

Method:
Place lentils in a heavy pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Add one teaspoon of salt to water, if desired. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until tender, adding additional water if needed. While lentils cook, sautee garlic and onion in olive oil over low heat until they are somewhat carmelized. (Do not brown garlic!) Fill a large soup pot half-way with water. Bring to a boil. Add spaghetti, stirring often to prevent overflow and sticking. Cook until al dente but do not drain. Carefully incorporate lentils and liquid with spaghetti in the soup pot. Stir in garlic and onions with the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot topped with grated cheese.


MOOD MUSIC
This blog was written to the sounds of Kenny Rogers and the First Edition’s “Heed the Call” and Al Stewart’s “Modern Times.” Remember those? If so, let me know. I won’t try to guess your age!

NEXT WEEK’S MENU
Check back for more restaurant news, the scoop on local food-related events and more. Got a tip, food news or a question to share? Leave a comment and I’ll add it to an upcoming menu.

See you next week ’round the table!

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