Love a Locavore's Soul Food

Description

Dearest Locavores,

Hope your new years have got off to a good start. I am glad to say that I have finally emerged from a couple of months of much-needed hibernation and am about ready to Pop-Up again!

We have a little while yet until the earth yields its first seasonal delights, and we are a few months away from worrying about getting ‘beach ready’, so let’s take the opportunity to indulge in some heart-warming, tummy-satisfying Soul Food.

Ever since I stumbled upon Blues legend Howlin Wolf, I have been desperate to unite my two passions: music and food, and try and encapsulate some of that New Orleans flavour, I fell so madly in love with when I was there in 2008.

I have had the soundtrack to this night planned for ages and it is high time to play it! So sit back and let Howlin’ Wolf, Ray Charles, Johnny Lee Hooker, Bessie Smith and Billie Holliday provide the perfect backing while I dish y’all up a hearty helping of taste-bud tinglin’ Soul Food. As well as personal experience, I have sought inspiration for this dinner from a great book: Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible.

You will be greeted with homemade iced tea and served a menu something along the lines of the following:

★Canapés

Pecan and cream-cheese stuffed dates
Mini pulled pork Po’Boys

★Starter

Shrimp gumbo served with cornbread

Vegetarian option: Mac n’ cheese

★Main

Free range chicken 3 ways, served with braised southern greens:

- Coca cola chicken
- Southern fried chicken
- Chicken jambalaya

Vegetarian option: Stuffed green cabbages with fried green tomatoes

★Dessert

Sweet Potato Pie

★ Digestif, as ever, fresh mint tea

Bring your own bottle of moonshine ;-)