Part Two – Taste the State
South Carolina’s
Signature Foods and Recipes
With David Shields and Chef Kevin Mitchell

We’re back with Part 2 of Taste the State – South Carolina’s Foods and Recipes.  We could not leave you with just two food items featured in part 1.  There are so many foods and recipes that are signature and delicious foodways of South Carolina.  This brand new book by Southern Food
Historian David Shields and Culinary Instructor Chef Kevin Mitchell features great history along with classic and contemporary recipes.  You can try them all.

 There are so many foods associated with the south and Southern Foods, and South Carolina has roots in those foods and their preparations. During our conversation in part 2 we explore a truly Southern favorite – biscuits and cornbread.  Did you know there is a debate between which is most favored?  Most people love them both, but may have a pecking order of which one ranks higher on their list than the other, when they should be eaten and with which foods.  There are foods which have been influenced by the people of South Carolina through the years like shrimp and grits.  During our conversation David shares the history of the combination and how it has changed through the years as various grains moved through popularity and their availability.  

 The book is available for pre-order now and will be released in August of 2021.  It is not just a great gift for cooks, foodies and historians, it is an extraordinary book for travelers to learn more about a region and its Foodways, and how influences through the years have created the dishes we love today.

David Shields is a distinguished Professor at the University of South Carolina and has studied, and researched Southern foods from their origin to their use in the classic recipes of early settlers.  When you want to know more about the history of foods, David has researched it and written about it.  His Facebook page is a history lesson on Southern Foods, in particular those in South Carolina along with photos which highlight the early cooks and chefs of the region, his Facebook page can be an educational reference spot.  

His earlier books, The Culinarians  and Southern Provisions take you on a journey of Southern Foodways and food preparations. Southern Foods – When you hear those words what comes to mind? There are so many foods considered southern and their histories are fascinating.  His books help us understand how they have become southern favorites both classic recipes and more contemporary ones too. Many recipes date back to the Antebellum days of elegant plantation meals prepared and served by enslaved workers trained in European ways.

Chef Kevin Mitchell joined the faculty at the Culinary Institute of Charleston in 2008 where he works with aspiring chefs to follow in his footsteps. His love for food and Foodways inspired him to earn two degrees from the Culinary Institute of America.  As part of his career he worked at the Sun Dial in Atlanta, and several other hotels around the U.S.A.

He became a Nathalie Dupree Graduate Fellow of the Southern Foodways Alliance, where he experienced the recipes, history and lore of Southern food.  He has a strong interest in the preservation of Southern ingredients and their connection to African American cuisine.  Although from the north, he grew up learning about Southern foods from his grandmother who instilled a love for many foods from the south.  Chef Mitchell is also the founder of Bridging Culinary Awareness, a mentoring program promoting culinary arts as a career option for challenged high school students.  In 2020 he was placed on the roster of South Carolina Chef Ambassadors for 2020.

Gather ’round and listen to the lively conversation with Annita, David and Chef Kevin. You’ll want to plan a visit to South Carolina to enjoy a delicious meal or two.  

To plan a trip to South Carolina visit the website www.visitsouthcarolina.com 
Do you want to visit South Carolina’s beloved low country city – Charleston?  www.explorecharleston.com