Fall 2011
Quick & Delicious
Americana Music Festival
Fall Dinners
celebrates local roots
Hearty meals perfect for crisp autumn evenings
SOUTHERN SPOTLIGHT:
Oxford, MS An irrestible college town
Craft Beer Guide
Acclaimed Appalachian Writer
Lee Smith
describes her latest novel, regional style and banned works
The best regional brews
Fashion Week Heads South From Nashville to New Orleans shows highlight hometown designers
our very best
Tailgating Tips
10
plus food & drink recipes for your game day party
(including this cinnamon hot toddy!)
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In this issue...
10 13 14 20 28 38 44 48
Simple & Rustic Fall
Autumn decorating inspiration and tips for your home
DIY: Natural Wreath
Create a perfect fall accent with an easy bittersweet vine wreath
Stock The Bar
Our recurring series features creative game-day food and drinks
Traditions: Tailgating
Tips and recipes for hostings the perfect tailgate
Southern Spotlight
An inside look at Oxford’s southern charm
Quick & Healthy
Easy diners perfect for hectic evenings
Craft Beer Guide
Julep picks the best of the best regional craft brews
Tin Roof Brewery
Louisiana brewery uses local ingredients to create unique brews
52 54 58 64 70
Roots Renewal
Americana Music Festival sees resurgance in regional sounds
A Star is Sewn
Project Runway star is designing her own path in fashion
Fashion Show South
From Nashville to New Orleans, local designers are celebrated
In Her Own Words
Appalachian novelist, Lee Smith, on her regional inspirations
Smoky Getaway
A weekend guide to the Great Smoky Mountains
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27 page
10
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editor’s letter
F
all will always feel like a new beginning to me. Growing up, fall signaled a new school year complete with brand new pencils and notebooks. I love the the promise of an empty notebook with it’s pages begging to be filled.
As an adult, fall still marks a new start. To me, setting goals and making plans seems more appropriate in the beginning of autumn than on the last day of the year. Call me crazy, but my resolutions often take form in the middle of October, not at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. This year, my resolution is simple: I’m resolving to appreciate. Whether it’s a perfect fall day or a traffic jam, I’m going to be happy in the moment. It’s too easy to get caught up in the small minutiae of everyday life and become frustrated instead of thankful. Not this year. This year, I’m going to live every moment and appreciate them. This issue is all about savoring the best of a southern fall. For many, fall represents a start to football season and tailgating with friends and family. We’ve pulled together our best tips and recipes to make those gatherings even more special. With delicious new recipes, simple decorating tips and weekend getaways, this fall issue will inspire you to make this most of this gorgeous season. This fall, soak up every moment. Enjoy the weather, the leaves and the promise of a new start. -Rebecca
Highlighting modern Southern culture and lifestyle, Julep Magazine is an exclusively digital publication striving to inform and inspire the increasing contemporary Southern audience- Each quarterly issue will give voice to rising Southern artists, explore vibrant points of destination, examine reinvented traditional foods and drinks, and include fresh designs, fashions and their creators. Julep Magazine is a publication of Heritage Media, LLC. Editor: Rebecca Wilson We are taking submissions! If you are interested in contributing to Julep Magazine, please email editor@julep-magazine.com Find us online JulepOnline.com facebook.com/JulepMagazine twitter.com/JulepMagazine Question or Comment? email them to: editor@julep-magazine.com For information on advertising please email: ads@julep-magazine.com
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ju l lep. noun. 1. A classic drink made of muddled mint, simple syrup, and plenty of bourbon poured over crushed ice. 2. A fast-growing digital magazine for the modern Southern lifestyle. Known for profiles of fascinating Southerners, delicious food and drink recipes, fashion tips, party guides, travel hotspots and stunning photography.
Advertising opportunites now available. Contact ads@julep-magazine for more information.
contributors The writers and photographers featured in this issue
(Photo: Silas House)
JASON HOWARD
Jason Howard is the coauthor of Something’s Rising and the forthcoming One of Us: Americana Music in Kentucky and Beyond, which will be published in 2012. His features and reviews have appeared in The Nation, Sojourners, No Depression and Paste; and his commentary has been featured on NPR. He is a sucker for strong female voices, and cannot wait to see the legendary Connie Smith belt “Once A Day” during her showcase performance at this year’s Americana Music Festival.
(Photo: Rush Jagoe)
RUSH JAGOE
Rush Jagoe is a Louisiana-based freelance photographer. He is on a long-term endeavor to document communities in Coastal Louisiana and spent much of last year documenting effects of the Deepwater Horizon’s Oil Spill. Jagoe’s work appears regularly in The Wall Street Journal and sporadically in a number of other national and local media outlets. For this issue, Rush explored the mystique of Oxford, M.S. and got to know the duo behind Tin Roof Brewery in Baton Rouge, LA.
CAMBRON JEWELL Cambron Jewell received her M.S.A from Belmont University and her Bachelor of Arts from Western Kentucky University. She lives in Nashville, T.N. has written for the Tennessee Titans online and maintains Southern Sophisticate, a blog sharing the life of a simple, southern girl. She’s a self-confessed beer connoisseur and writes about her love of craft beers in this issue. When Cambron isn’t working, she loves to travel -- especially down to South Carolina’s Lowcountry.
ALISON LEWIS
CHRISTY LORIO
Alison Lewis is a nationally known Recipe Developer, Cookbook Author and Food Television and Media Spokesperson. She is the owner of Ingredients, Inc., a Food Consulting company in Birmingham, A.L. She is known for her popular food and Healthy Lifestyle blog. In her free time, Alison enjoys running, yoga, grilling and spending time with her three children. In this issue, Alison simplifies dinnertime with her quick & delicious meals and added her own twist on tailgating.
Christy Lorio is a New Orleans native and she literally grew up with a swamp for a backyard. She is a freelance writer; founder of Slow Southern Style.com and a manager of a popular Magazine Street shop. Her work has been featured in New Orleans Magazine, Gift Shop Magazine, and other online publications. When she’s not spending time discovering new Southern fashion designers she maintains bragging rights about hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon 10 times.
BETSY RHAME-MINOR
ALLISON WESTLAKE
Betsy Rhame-Minor, a Raleigh, N.C. native, is a freelance writer and editor in Atlanta. She specializes in writing for magazines and businesses, and editing manuscripts and academic journals. When she’s not working you might find her on the tennis court, listening to audiobooks on her iPod or traveling throughout the Southeast. For this issue, Betsy profiles one of her favorite cities, Oxford, MS for Julep’s Southern Spotlight special.
Allison Westlake is a freelance writer and stylist from Birmingham, A.L. A graduate of Auburn University, she currently works in public relations, after working for Coastal Living and Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade magazines. She’s crazy about local restaurants, new market trends and letterpress stationary. With a love for good food, better design, and spontaneous travel, Allison only wishes her skills carried over into gardening and she could keep her plants alive.
A Fresh Look For Fall
By Allison Westlake
Simple & Rustic Decor
As fall approaches, we as Southerners wait in anticipation for our surroundings to match the month on our calendars. It may take a little bit longer for the temperatures to cool and the leaves to fall but the anticipation for the season make its arrival that much sweeter. Fall brings bright, bold colors, textures and natural elements unlike any other season. We have ideas to help bring the outdoors into rooms throughout your house, making each room cozier and more seasonal. • Pumpkins are instant proof that fall has arrived, but white pumpkins bring a touch of unexpected elegance. A simple white centerpiece makes a statement and takes no time to put together. Start by layering your table with a natural tablecloth or table runner - burlap is a great place to start. Arrange white pumpkins and gourds on a wooden tray and place in the center of the table. • Unique to this time of year is the abundance of natural elements that can be used as decor. No longer limited to flowers, you can bring in leaves, branches, bittersweet, produce, and pumpkins; you need to not look farther than your back yard or local garden center. • Get creative with place settings and other centerpiece ideas, using household items you already have. We created a small place setting by placing a pumpkin in an individual baking dish. To personalize, rest a small card stock name tag across the pumpkin or set atop a napkin and dinner plate. Try this with pears, gourds, or a bud vase of seasonal flowers.
• With tabletop decor especially, think outside the box incorporating colors you love and give new life to everyday pieces. Mix and match with white and color, textures and vessels, sizes and shapes to create a look that fits your style. Customize for your home or event, proving that fall colors are not limited to the traditional reds, golds, and oranges we often turn to. • Red pears layered with acorns are simple and rustic in this white footed serving bowl. Small pumpkins arranged in everyday dishes bringcolor to the table. • Bittersweet is a vine that brings deep yellows, oranges and reds in small pops of color. There are plenty of way to display throughout your home - whether standing alone in a vase or pitcher, in a wreath on the door, or wrapped along a mantle with candles.
• Candles and luminaries make fall come alive. Off-white pillar candles, lanterns, tea lights and wooden candlesticks are great to have on hand for decorating and entertaining in this season. • Dress up every day tea light votives by wrapping bittersweet around the base and either tucking in the ends or securing with floral wire. Try this with feathers, burlap and jute for a different look. As autumn continues and evolves, take advantage of the variety of textures, colors, produce, and foliage right out your back door or down the street. Decorating for this season need not be elaborate nor expensive. Instead, look for natural elements to add a rustic fall touch to your decor. There are endless opportunities to bring the beauty and seasonality of fall into your home.
Decor DIY: Wreaths Displaying natural wreaths is especially easy this season. The one shown here is made of bittersweet and grapevine but the possibilities are endless with so many natural textures and plants. To create this wreath, purchase a grapevine wreath at a craft store along with floral wire. Wrap bittersweet vine around the grapevine wreath, securing the stems to the wreath with floral wire.
Stock the Bar Fall Favorites
Whether tailgating or cheering on your favorite team from home, fall lends many opportunities to gather together. We have pulled our favorite cocktails and appetizers that promise to be crowd pleasers. From a smoky Memphisinspired Bloody Mary to crisp kettle chips dripping in blue cheese – we have picked flavors that celebrate the season pay homage to our Southern roots.
Beer and Lime Punch 3 (12 oz.) bottles beer 8 ounces tequila 1 can frozen limeade, thawed 2 tablespoons lime syrup 1 lime, sliced Combine first four ingredients, stirring well in large pitcher. We used a darker beer for fall, but recipe can also be made with light beer. Slice 1 lime and add lime slices to pitcher.
Kettle Chips with Blue Cheese 1 (4 oz.) wedge Maytag blue cheese 1 (5 oz.) bag kettle chips Spread chips evenly on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spread crumbles of blue cheese on top of chips and bake at 400 degrees for five minutes. Serve immediately.
Apple Ginger Bourbon 2 (12 oz.) bottles ginger beer 2 cups bourbon 1 cup apple brandy Apple slices Ice cubes Stir ginger beer, bourbon and apple brandy together, careful to incorporate all ingredients. Serve over ice and garnish with red apple slice.
Sweet and Spicy Rosemary Cashews 2 (10 oz.) jumbo cashews (Emerald) 1/4 cups soy sauce 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon red pepper 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary Combine soy sauce, olive oil and red pepper. Place cashews in single layer across baking sheet and cover with mixture. Bake at 350ยบ for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 250ยบ and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle sugar and chopped rosemary on top of cashew and bake for additional 10 minutes.
Vodka Lemon Tea 3 1/2 cups sweet tea vodka 3 cups lemonade Ice lemon slices for garnish Combine sweet tea vodka and lemonade, stirring to mix well. Serve immediately over ice. Garnish with lemon slice.
Traditional Hummus 2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo bans, drained and rinsed 2 garlic cloves, mashed 1/2 cup water 1/3 cup tahini 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Place garbanzo beans and garlic in a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until mixture is fully incorporated and smooth. Add salt to taste. Serve with mini pita rounds and celery.
Hot Toddy 4 ounces bourbon (1/2 cup) 1/4 cup honey 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 cup boiling water 4 cinnamon sticks, lemon or orange slices (optional) Combine bourbon, honey and lemon juice in a small pitcher. Add hot water and stir until honey is dissolved. Serve immediately with cinnamon sticks and lemon or orange slices, if desired.
Memphis Bloody Mary 1 32 oz. bottle Zing Zang 1 cup vodka 1/3 cup barbecue sauce 1 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons horseradish 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice Celery Barbecue rub Jalape単os Combine first six ingredients, stirring thoroughly to combine. Rim the top of a high ball glass with dry barbecue rub. Pour drink over ice and garnish with celery and jalape単os.
Easy BBQ Slaw Sliders Yield: 8 sliders 1 (8-count) package slider buns (dinner rolls) 2 1/2 cups pulled pork Barbecue sauce Coleslaw Toss pulled pork in desired amount of barbecue sauce, making sure to coat meat evenly. Cut rolls in half crosswise, placing barbecue pork on bottom half. Layer with coleslaw and cover with top half of roll. Garnish with gherkin pickle and serve.
Fall Traditions
Tailgating Autumn weekends signal cooler weather, outdoor gatherings and plenty of football
He Said, She Said: The Tailgating Edition By Alison Lewis
Tailgating is a revered tradition in the South. Whether it’s before an SEC football game or a steeplechase race or a NASCAR weekend, when you get a group of southerners together with a few hours to kill before the event happens, red Solo cups full of cocktails will appear, some animal will end up over a charcoal fire and some eggs are probably gonna get deviled. It’s a wonder that folks bring their casseroles to the house before a funeral instead of just firing up the grill graveside. But that doesn’t mean that men and women have the same attitude on how to pull off the perfect autumn tailgater. I talked with food writer Chris Chamberlain about our versions of the ideal football tailgate. She Said: Attire
Must Have Accessory
He Said:
A Lily Pulitzer dress adorned in school colors, comfortable wedges or sandals, and cute earrings
Button down or game day shirt and khakis; loafers or boots where in order store the mini bottles of Jack Daniels
Sunglasses, cell phone, camera, bedazzled koozie, lip gloss, mini make-up bag, wallet, keys, extra shoes, scarf..
Bail money.
Handmade koozies bedecked with caricatures of the school mascot and tupperware filled with baked goods and side dishes lovingly prepared days in advance
Vessels that might or might not be able to safely contain a charcoal fire and coolers filled with various raw meats that everyone hopes I can heat up to a safe temperature in time to scarf down before kickoff
Beverage of Choice
Anything ending in the suffix “-tini” that isn’t actually a martini
A “something and something,” just as long as it’s not complicated and will fit inside a red Solo cup. Oh, and beer.
Arrival time to the game
Halftime or whenever my friends are ready to motivate.
Once all the meat has been consumed, and there’s just enough liquor left to save for the post-game party. Ideally though, I’d like to be in the stadium in time to watch them paint the yard-line numbers on the field.
Tailgating Equipment
Dress Up Your Tailgate Whether you are hosting a tailgate in a truck or on The Grove, here are some easy ideas to give your next get-together a bit of flair. • Use small potted flowers. They are easier to transport and the blooms are just as pretty as cut flowers. Not to mention that a couple flowers can last all the way through football season. •
Wrap up silverware. This keeps the clean separated from the dirty and it’s easier to hold on to when filling your plate with food.
• Bring plenty of blankets and quilts. They are great multitaskers. A blanket can be a tablecloth, extra seating and fight off winds during a chilly game. • Don’t forget small baskets. They will keep your supplies organized and are easy to load back into the car.
Tailgating Tips • Bring great music • Bring plenty of food and beverages • Alternate between water and alcohol to keep from getting dehydrated in the heat • Check weather conditions before hand • Dress in layers • Bring a lawn chair • Don’t forget ice • Bring a rolling cooler
Tailgate Pasta Salad Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 12 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced 3 cups penne pasta, cooked 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled or cooked, cut into cubes ½ cup crumbled feta cheese ¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese ¼ cup diced purple onion ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper ½ cup freshly chopped basil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
Preparation 1. Whisk together balsamic vinegar, Dijon, olive oil and garlic in a small bowl. Set aside. 2. Combine pasta and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing gently. Stir in balsamic vinaigrette, basil and oregano, tossing gently. Serve immediately or chill. Chef ’s hint: Feel free to add the liquid from the sun-dried tomatoes for extra flavor.
Oven-Roasted Drumsticks Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 22 minutes Yield: 8 servings
Preparation
Ingredients
2. Combine panko, chives, paprika, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl
2 tablespoons olive oil 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs or dry breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 1 teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon sea salt ½ cup Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 12 large chicken drumsticks (about 21/2 pounds)
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Drizzle oil evenly over a large shallow lightly greased baking sheet.
3. Whisk together Dijon and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl; set aside. 4. Dip drumsticks in Dijon mixture and then in breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat and place on prepared roasting pan. 5. Bake chicken 20 to 22 minutes or until cooked though.
Chef ’s Tip: Panko breadcrumbs will give the drumsticks a crispier crust
Lightened-Up Mexican Layer Dip Prep: 25 minutes Cook: 7 minutes Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients 2 (6-ounce) containers nonfat Greek yogurt 1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise ¾ cup salsa, plus extra for dipping 1 pound lean ground beef 1 (0.8-ounce) package low sodium taco seasoning 1/4 to 1/3 cup water 1 (15 ounce) can reduced-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained 2 cups shredded lettuce 2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped 11/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese ½ (10-ounce) package Tostitos “Scoops” 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley or cilantro (optional)
Preparation 1. Combine Greek yogurt, mayonnaise and salsa in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate. 2. Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes or until all of the beef is completely browned. Stir in taco seasoning and water; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. 3. Spread Greek yogurt mixture evenly in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Layer with ground beef mixture, black beans, lettuce, tomato and cheese. Place Tostitos Scoops evenly around the edges. Refrigerate until ready to serve or serve immediately. Top with parsley cilantro and serve with salsa, if desired. Chef ’s Tip: This can be made up to 6 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Oatmeal Cookies Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 10 minutes Yield: 2 dozen
1 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
Ingredients
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
Preparation
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1. Preheat the oven 350F.
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2. In a large bowl, beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugars and egg beating until smooth and creamy.
1 egg 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup rolled oats 1 cup crisp rice cereal 1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda and baking powder, mixing well. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in oats, rice cereal, peanut butter, chocolate and vanilla. Mix until combined.
4. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto lightly greased baking sheets (or place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets). Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove to wire racks and let cool.
Southern Spotlight Oxford, Mississippi
Photos by Rush Jagoe Text by Betsy Rhame-Minor Rowan Oak, shown here, is the residence of famous Oxford author, William Faulkner.
a Beacon of Southern Culture and Charm Oxford’s Enchanting Draw
In 1988, Lyn Roberts galleries, author appearances and says. “There’s more to do here than moved to Oxford to attend the lectures at the university, among most major cities.” University of Mississippi School many other things, there was Though Bill May, Alumni of Law and something to Association President of the “Tailgating in Oxford is unlike took a part do every night. University of Mississippi, lives time job Andrews, the in Newton, which is three hours anywhere else in America. at Square director of from Oxford by way of Mississippi It’s a big family reunion.” Books, the Yoknapatawpha back roads, he goes on university -Bill May, independent Arts Council business and to see his daughter, a University of Mississippi bookstore in and The senior, several times a month. His Alumni Association President. town. Once Powerhouse wife and two other daughters also she finished Community attended the university. school, Arts Center, is “We are what you’d call eat Roberts arranged to stay while busier now than when he lived in a up with Ole Miss,” May explains. she figured out a plan. much bigger city. That same sentiment is Nineteen years later she’s “It’s everything Mayberry shared by many of Oxford’s nearly still working there and is now the was but with a New York pace,” he 20,000 residents. It’s the kind of general manager. Wayne Andrews and his FIT TO BE SQUARE. Perhaps the best-known store in Oxford is Square wife moved to Oxford several Books. This independent bookstore is an ode to the Southern literary tradition years ago from Memphis and in Oxford. The red telephone booth is symbolic of Oxford’s heritage. The city they immediately saw their social was named for Oxford, England. Some of the best restaurants in the South, such as SnackBar below, are found just minutes from Oxford’s town square. calendar start to fill up. With art
artsy, open, welcoming place that gets under your skin. “Because of the legacy of William Faulkner, it has sparked an interest. He’s the first writer in the South to write about this corner of the South,” says William Griffith, curator of the Nobel Prize-winning author’s Oxford home, Rowan Oak. “No one had done that before he did. All of the sudden it was OK to write about the South.” Many writers, as well as other visitors, come from all over the world to see Rowan Oak. They will arrange a visit while they’re in town to speak at the university or have a book signing at Square Books. Several notable writers also call Oxford home including
LIFE AT ROWAN OAK. William Faulkner’s residence is now owned by the University of Mississippi, which offers tours of Rowan Oak daily. Above, Faulkner’s bedroom and office are furnished as they were in his day. The notes scribbled on the wall are in Faulkner’s study. It is the outline for A Fable, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1954 and the National Book Award in 1955.
John Grisham, who made his first author appearance at Square Books when his debut novel, A Time to Kill, was published. Today he funds the Renee and John Grisham Southern Writer-in-Residence, an endowment for the English department at the University of Mississippi. Having the university in town is one reason there is such a draw for not just students and writers, but also retirees, artists, filmmakers, musicians, food lovers and readers. Andrews says it’s because
the university attracts diverse people looking for a creative outlet, which keeps the community exciting and helps it grow. All of this, he says, while still maintaining the small-town, Southern atmosphere. “Oxford is a town that identifies itself very strongly as a Southern town. It’s got some signs of the old South,” says Mary Beth Lasseter, associate director of the Southern Foodways Alliance. “There are lots of different aspects to the South and it’s all in one tiny town.”
DINING IN OXFORD Big Bad Breakfast and SnackBar are the brainchild of the 2009 James Beard Best Southern Chef award winner, John Currence. The restuarants, along with Oxford institutions like Ravine and The Taco Shop serve some of the best food in the South. Oxford has s strong culinary tradition and is home to the Southern Foodways Alliance.
A SIMPLE LIFE Willowdale Farm is a throwback to simpler times. Owner Robert Wilson runs a bed and breakfast on his gorgeous 33-acre farm just minutes from downtown Oxford. Wilson, a self-taught craftsman and woodworker, creates custom-made pieces of art. Taylor, MS is known for it’s art community, at left, a sculptor working in the town park.
Taylor Grocery, located in Taylor, MS, is a local hotspot. Customers crowd the dining room seeking the famous fried catfish and nightly entertainment. The Southern Foodways Alliance, which is housed by the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at Ole Miss, is the first center for regional study in the United States. This group of oral historians, documentary filmmakers, writers, chefs and academics see that Southern culture, particularly where food is concerned, is properly studied, documented and celebrated. The organization is in its 13th year. As what SFA does becomes more widely known, the center is finding that some students have started coming to Ole Miss specifically for this program, rather than happening on it after they’ve enrolled. “Food is becoming more and more covered in classes,” Lasseter explains, which makes
sense in a town where the likely to be sustainable and taste independent dining scene is so better. We’re happy to provide a prevalent. “The SFA helps feed the marketplace where small farmers Oxford food scene. Oxford has can make a living and Oxford been a great asset [to the SFA].” citizens can find food and they Part of the food scene is the know where it’s coming from.” Midtown The market Farmer’s The Southern Foodways Alliance, is open on Market held a group of oral historians, Saturdays on Saturday documentary filmmakers, through the end mornings. of October so writers, chefs and academics, fans in town for see that Southern culture, “People a home football particularly where food is want to game can pick eat food something up concerned, is properly studied, that they to eat while documented and celebrated. know is tailgating in the produced in Grove, a spot on a sustainable way,” says Jason campus where celebrating before Hoeksema, assistant professor of and after a game is an art. Sports biology at Ole Miss and board Illustrated has rated tailgating member for the Midtown Farmer’s at Ole Miss as one of “The 100 Market. “If something is local it’s Things You Gotta Do Before You
Graduate”. “Tailgating in Oxford is unlike anywhere else in America,” says May. “It’s a big family reunion.” Though home football games are a big draw, Oxford also gets many visitors throughout the year at events such as the Oxford Film Festival, the Southern Foodways Symposium, the Blues Today Symposium, the Music of the South Conference and the Oxford Conference for the Book. Oxford is named for the English university town of the same name. To pay tribute to the other city across the pond, the Mississippi counterpart owns two red double decker buses that are used to shuttle people around during monthly art gallery crawls, weekend historical tours, home football game days and the arts festival each spring.
The attention that Oxford and the university got in 1962 for the enrollment of James Meredith, the first African American student to attend Ole Miss, seems to have faded into the background. Today, the student body is increasingly diverse. While Oxford still has evidence of the past’s influence, the university is also home to the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation. It’s become a true place for how a state and a community can grow from what it was to what it can be,” says May. “Almost 50 years later this university is helping people coming together.” Oxford and Ole Miss continue to have a strong relationship, each feeding off the other’s strong points. “Oxford is an easy place to
live and it’s an easy place to have a high-quality life,” says Hoeksema. “A traffic jam is if you have to wait behind three cars at a stoplight. That frees up a lot of time to enjoy life.”
Recommended Reading Pick up one of these Oxford favorites suggested by Lyn Roberts of Square Books and William Griffith, curator of Rowan Oak. • • • • •
Sanctuary by William Faulkner As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie Every Day by the Sun by Dean Faulkner Wells
Fall Dinners Made Easy quick & healthy meals for any night of the week By Alison Lewis
Fall is my favorite time of year because it is when the weather finally cools down in the South. It is a busy season with school starting and the onset of new sports and activities, but there is nothing better than delicious aromas of hearty dishes cooking in the kitchen. Try some of my favorite healthy and budget-friendly recipes this fall. The best thing is they won’t take long to prepare which is perfect for hectic weeknights or weekend entertaining.
Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 10 minutes Yield: 4 servings
25-Minute Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients /3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2
2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons sesame oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon canola oil 1½ pounds skirt steak, cut into 1-inch thin slices 2½ cups broccoli florets 1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms ¾ cup bean sprouts
Cooked rice
Preparation 1. Whisk together soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Place steak in a shallow dish or zip-top plastic bag. Pour half of marinade over steak and marinate at least 1 hour up to 8 hours. Reserve remaining marinade for later use. 2. Remove beef from marinade and discard. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over high heat. Add beef and cook 5 minutes or until beef is browned. Add broccoli and reserved marinade and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and bean sprouts and cook 3 minutes more or until heated through and broccoli is crisp-tender. Serve beef mixture over rice, if desired.
Lentil & Vegetable Soup Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 1 hour, 15 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped ¼ teaspoon sea salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 (14 ½ -ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 pound lentils (approximately 1¼ cups) 11 cups low-salt chicken broth 4 fresh thyme sprigs ½ cup dried elbow pasta
Preparation 1. Heat oil in a heavy large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper; sauté until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Simmer until the juices evaporate, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils, mixing well. Add the broth, stirring well. Add the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes. 2. Stir in the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is tender, about 8 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Chef ’s Tip: This versatile soup recipe can quickly turn into many different soups. Substitute vegetable stock to make this soup vegetarian or add cooked, shredded chicken or beef for a hearty vegetable and meat soup
Chipotle-Spiced Pork Chops
Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 5 minutes Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients 1 ½ pounds thinly sliced pork loin chops 1 ½ teaspoons ground chipotle pepper seasoning 1 ½ teaspoons lemon pepper 1 teaspoon sea salt 2 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation 1. Season pork evenly with chipotle seasoning, lemon pepper and salt. 2. Sauté pork in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet and cook over medium-high heat 2 to 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
Shopping List These fastand healthy meals utilize many common pantry ingredients, so you’ll only have to pick up a few items at the grocery store. Print off this helpful list to make shopping as quick and easy as these dinners.
25-Minute Beef and Broccoli
Grocery Items: • Bean sprouts (small package) • Broccoli (one head) • Fresh Ginger (small root) • Mushrooms (8-ounce package) • Skirt Steak (1 1/2 pounds)
Pantry Items: • Soy sauce • Honey • Sesame Oil • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes • Canola Oil
Lentil & Vegetable Soup Grocery Items: • Carrots (2) • Celery (2 stalks) • Garlic (2 cloves) • Onion (medium sized) • Thyme (2 sprigs) • Diced tomatoes (1 can)
• Lentils (1 pound) • Chicken Broth (11 cups) • Elbow Pasta (1/2 cup) Pantry Items: • Olive Oil • Sea Salt • Black Pepper
Chipotle-Spiced Pork Chops Grocery Items: • Pork Loin Chops (1 1/2 pounds)
Pantry Items: • Chipotle Pepper Seasoning • Lemon Pepper • Sea Salt • Olive Oil
The New Craft Beer Tradition With a slew of regional brews popping up in the South, Julep picks the best of the best
Best of the Best: Southern Craft Beers Craft beers have found many fans in the South recently. Small breweries like are popping up in nearly every southern state and larger breweries, such as Yazoo in Tennessee and Lazy Magnolia in Mississippi are expanding. These regional breweries are creating some of the best craft beers available today and making them distinctly southern. In Louisiana, Tin Roof is using local cane syrup to sweeten it’s Vodoo Bengal Ale; Lazy Magnolia Brewery in Mississippi takes fresh southern pecans to flavor their beers and in Kentucky, old bourbon barrels are repurposed to age craft beers. Julep is delving into some of the best craft beers the region has to offer with our guide to Southern brews. They are all unique, small-batch beers guaranteed to excite your taste buds.
Best Newcomers • Saint Somewhere Pays du Soleil, Florida • Tin Roof Voodoo Bengal, Louisiana • Westbrook White Thai, South Carolina
Outside The Box • Cigar City Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Brown Ale, Florida • Craggie Brewing Bourbon Chipotle Porter, North Carolina • RJ Rockers Black Pearl, South Carolina • Skull Coast Sea Witch, South Carolina
Breweries That Give Back • Abita Restoration Ale, Louisiana • Terrapin Georgia Theatre Restoration, Georgia • Sweetwater Water Keep, Georgia
Beers To Drink With Your Girlfriends • Abita Strawberry, Louisiana • Highland Kashmir, North Carolina • Sweetwater Blue, Georgia • Thomas Creek Banana Split Chocolate Stout, South Carolina • Yazoo Hefeweizen, Tennessee
Seasonal Brews • Foothills Sexual Chocolate, North Carolina • Terrapin Pumpkin Fest, Georgia • RJ Rockers Son of a Peach, South Carolina • Pisgah Vortex I , North Carolina
Brews To Stock For The Boys • Cigar City Jai Alai IPA, Florida • Coast Blackbeard Imperial Stout, South Carolina • French Broad WeeHeaviest Scotch Ale, North Carolina • Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, Kentucky
Pass the Beer, Please Why I’d take a beer over wine every time
By Cambron Jewell
Just as every meal has a perfect garnish, so it should have an accompanying libation. For some, it’s a signature cocktail or an aged bottle of wine, but more recently, craft beer has taken its seat at the table. Some would say beer is best left for tailgates and the bar, but I beg to differ. Craft beer has taken my taste buds by storm and there are plenty worthy enough for you to swap your next bottle of wine for a quality craft brew. Over the last two years, I have come to know and understand the world of craft beer. From my first experience with a hoppy, full flavored delight, to my new appreciation of all brews barrelaged, I’ve officially become a craft beer lover. Craft beer can complete a meal, enhance the flavor of food and provide an intense experience that will tantalize your taste buds. Take a sip outside of your comfort zone and like me, you’ll find that craft beer can provide a delightful flavor experience. Everything you know and recognize as “beer” has probably come from clever commercial advertisements featuring the likes of Clydesdales and frogs in a pond. These corporate giants spend millions in advertisements to help disguise the cheap product in the can. Rather than a dull, watered down taste, craft beer is full of flavor and excitement in each sip. Craft beer has four main ingredients: hops, water, barley & yeast (additional ingredients can be added to develop the character of
the beer.) Quality ingredients are the most important step in defining the taste and flavor of a good brew. Unlike craft breweries, many mainstream macrobreweries use low cost adjuncts such as rice and corn instead of barley. It is important to note, the sugars in rice and corn ferment very differently than in barley.
Because of this, the molecules do not break down properly leaving you with a bad headache the day after imbibing. Craft beer’s quality ingredients make for hangover free tomorrow. In the United States, new breweries are popping up at the rate of one per day. The good news is majority of Americans live twenty miles or less from a craft brewery. This is a great opportunity for you to get behind the scenes and look at how quality beer is made and explore new tastes. It might be confusing when trying to pick your first brew. Don’t get overwhelmed. There is something for everyone. Beer comes in a variety of styles. Lambics are fruity or sour, India Pale Ales are hoppy with pine resin taste, Pilsners are light while Saisons have a funky barnyard feel. Hefeweizens even taste like bananas. Beyond styles, brewers get creative in the beer making process sometimes aging beer in spent bourbon, rum or syrah barrels to enhance complexity. Just as some prefer a red wine over a white, you won’t like everything you try but figuring out what suites you can be a lot of fun. You will discover that the creativity that goes into brewing each batch is remarkable. Craft beer can be paired with meals the same way a fine wine can. When paired properly, beer can enhance the flavors of food or bring out even the most miniscule amount of spice to tie a dish together.
Did You Know? • Some craft beers are best when fresh (IPAs), while others only get better with age (Stouts). • The effects of drinking one craft beer equals that of guzzling six macro-brews. • Full of flavor, stout beers were historically brewed with enough nutritional value to substitute a meal when food was short. • Craft beer actually tastes good at room temperature. I dare you to try drinking a cheap lager without cringing.
When trying a new craft beer it is important to consider more than the taste of the beer to understand what you are drinking. First, what is the appearance of the beer. How is it colored? Different styles of beer range in color, hence giving you a better understanding if blindly tasting a brew. To get a better range of the taste consider how the beer smells. What aromatic qualities can you find? Does the taste of the beer have a dominating characteristic when you sip? How does it feel in your mouth? Is it light, heavy, chewy, thin or coarse? How drinkable is the beer? Would you drink a lot of it on a hot day or would you sip it by a fire? These are all questions to ask yourself when deciding to move forward in your beer choice. By understanding how to taste a beer; (Appearance, Aroma, Taste, Mouthfeel Drinkability) you can decide how to pair it with a dish or dinner menu. While a light hoppy beer might suit a bowl of chili, a barrel-aged brew will pair perfectly with chocolate pecan pie. Many restaurants are now incorporating craft beer to give their meals a creative pairing twist. Whether you are stocking the weekend cooler, pairing a dinner or simply looking to broaden your horizons, craft beer has a unique taste for everyone.
Taste the Southern Flavor Louisiana Brewery sources local ingredients for brews
Text by Rebecca Wilson Photos by Rush Jagoe
Tin Roof began - as many good ideas do - in a bar. Co-founders and childhood friends Charles Caldwell and William McGehee were catching up over drafts in 2008 when they first tossed around the idea of opening a brewery in Baton Rouge. McGehee was attending law school at Louisiana State University (LSU) at the time and Caldwell was searching for a new career. Neither was particularly thrilled with their prospects. A discussion of craft beers, with which McGehee had recently fallen in love with during a summer abroad in Europe, quickly turned into gripes over lack of selection in South Louisiana. Before long, Caldwell and McGehee decided to give a brewery the old college try and the idea for Tin Roof Brewery was born. For nearly two and a half
years, Caldwell and McGehee researched, devised business plans and learned everything they could about beer. “It was really, really tough research,” McGehee remembers with a laugh. Just last fall, Tin Roof brewery opened in an old, un-air conditioned Sears distribution center in Baton Rouge. The name, aptly, refers to the tin roof donning the front of the building. Within months, Tin Roof had produced two microbrews – Voodoo Bengal pale ale and Perfect Tin amber ale – aimed specifically for their South Louisiana customers. “We make the most quality beer with quality ingredients and a handcrafted feel,” says McGehee, “That’s what we’re here to do.” Voodoo Bengal uses locally sourced Louisiana cane syrup to give the pale ale a smooth, sweet
finish. Perfect Tin has toffee and chocolate notes and is a smooth and refreshing medium-bodied beer. “There are too many breweries out there trying to be the next Sam Adams, but we’re not. We’re taking a brew that we love and keeping it local,” says McGehee. Both brews have won faithful followers in Baton Rouge and New Orleans where the beer was only sold on tap in restaurants and bars until recently. In August, the week Julep visited Tin Roof, the brewery had just installed canning equipment and began production on their first cans of beer. The cans are now on store shelves in Baton Rouge and New Orleans area retailers – a fact that excites many LSU fans hoping to tailgate with the brews this fall. And it’s not just the LSU fans that are excited by the Baton
“The (LSU co-branding) Rouge brewery; the university beer really caught us off-guard. We has jumped in on the action, too. were not anticipating to expand The food science program at LSU quite that fast,” explained McGehee. is working with Tin Roof to of Although, he admits, the fer brewery science courses at Tin opportunity to be the first to proRoof. “It’s a great academic oppor- duce a beer in conjunction with a university is appealing. The idea has tunity for LSU students,” says Mcgarnered Gehee, “A some university “There are too many breweries out critithe size of there trying to be the next Sam Adcism as a LSU needs ams, but we’re not. univera program sity prolike this.” We’re taking a brew that we love and moted In keeping it local.” alcohol. addition to -- William McGehee, The beer the brewco-owner Tin Roof Brewery would ery courses, be an LSU and officially Tin Roof licensed product by the univerhave been in talks about producsity – much like t-shirts or bumper ing a special LSU brew that will be licensed and sold by the university. stickers are – and revenues from
the beer will go back to LSU. McGehee said the chance to partner with LSU could not be passed up. “It’s a great opportunity for Tin Roof and opens an entirely separate business for us.” While the details of the LSU brew continue to be negotiated, Tin Roof is gearing up for a busy fall. Cans of both Voodoo Bengal and Perfect Tin have shipped out to stores and LSU classes in the brewery are starting. The next time you find yourself down around Louisiana’s bayous, seek out a craft beer for a change. Or better yet, head down the old warehouse with the Tin Roof for one of the Baton Rouge brewery’s free Friday night tours and beer tasting. It’s the best way to savor the local flavor.
Page 49: Caldwell (left) and McGehee (right) in their Tin Roof Brewery. Tin Roof produces two brews: Voodoo Bengal and Perfect Tin. This page: Visitors can view the distilling equipment at the brewery and stop for a taste. The cans below are now on store shelves in South Louisiana.
The Rebirth of Roots Music
Music journalist Jason Howard offers a preview of this year’s Americana Music Festival By Jason Howard In recent years, much attention has been paid to the homogenization of American culture. Perhaps an inevitable impact of the modern age, with its diverse means of transportation that have created an unparalleled physical mobility, this beast within is nonetheless troubling: we are in danger of losing our roots. Even the South – a region both hailed and reviled over the years for its strong sense of place – characteristics that have marked our literature and music and way of
life, are falling prey to this homogenization phenomenon. Big box stores and strip malls and subdivisions are subsuming our cultural identity. Yet despite this homogenization—or more likely because of it—Americans are increasingly longing for a return to their roots. We haunt the aisles of antique stores searching for vintage china or the perfect buffet. We purchase brand-new wooden tables, and then stain, varnish and distress them to pass them off as heirlooms. We tune in to watch celebrities including Ashley Judd, Tim McGraw
and Gwyneth Paltrow uncover their family trees on NBC’s popular reality show Who Do You Think You Are? These longings are also affecting our musical choices. The country is in the midst of a roots music renaissance, as people across the country are demanding a return to the basics: a guitar, evocative lyrics and a voice that has not been auto-tuned or tampered with in Pro Tools. The Americana radio format is booming. Artists as diverse as Patty Griffin, with her soulful brand of folk music; Calexico, and
their Latin-flavored country rock; and the Carolina Chocolate Drops, one of the last all African-American string bands; are being embraced. Roots music festivals are cropping up across the country, most notably the Americana Music Festival and Conference, which has been hailed as the region’s “Best Music Festival.” Held each year in Nashville, the four-day long event (scheduled for 12-15 October) features over 100 live performances from some of the genre’s most popular artists. This year’s lineup promises not to disappoint, with roots music
legends including the Blind Boys of Alabama, Connie Smith and Marty Stuart appearing alongside popular newcomers including The Civil Wars, a duo that has gained attention this year with their acclaimed debut album Barton Hollow. Julep favorites Matraca Berg and Ben Sollee will also perform in not-tobe-missed showcases. But the highlight of the festival might just be the Americana Music Association Honors and Awards, a star-studded ceremony held at the famed Ryman Auditorium. Nominees in categories such as Album of the Year, Song of the
Year and Artist of the Year include Elizabeth Cook, Mumford and Sons, Robert Plant and Lucinda Williams, with Williams slated to receive the Lifetime Achievement for Songwriter award. Southern rock legend Gregg Allman will be awarded the Lifetime Achievement for Performer accolade. Past award winners include Ryan Bingham (of Crazy Heart fame), Johnny Cash, Roseanne Cash, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Loretta Lynn and Robert Plant. With artistry such as this on display, it is no wonder that Harris has dubbed the Americana Music Festival “the shining star of Nashville and music everywhere.” And in our next issue, Julep will feature behind-the-scenes coverage of this year’s festival and awards show, along with musician interviews and live reviews of several showcase performances. In the meantime, forego that trip to the big-name music and bookstore, and visit your local independent record store instead. Check out awards nominee Justin Townes Earle’s epic Harlem River Blues, Nashville hellraiser Marshall Chapman’s Big Lonesome and Robert Plant’s Band of Joy. Return to your musical roots. You can thank me for it later. Left page: The Avett Brothers showcase at the 2010 Americana Music Festival in Nashville, TN. Photo by Erika Goldring, courtesy of the Americana Music Festival. Top: Rosanne Cash performs at the awards ceremony during the 2010 festival. Photo by Erika Goldring, courtesy of the Americana Music Festival. Below: The Civil Wars play during the 2011 Nominee Party in New York City. Photo by Taylor Hill, courtesy of the Americana Music Festival.
Project Runway Star Boosts Southern Roots
Julep caught up with the up-and-coming fashion designer for a peek into her world of fashion, reality show bickering and Heidi Klum By Rebecca Wilson Southern starlet, Laura Kathleen Planck is turning heads among the fashion set. As one of the top contenders of this season’s Project Runway, she has wowed the judges with her high fashion looks. In her hometown of St. Louis, M.O., Planck has won praise for her ready-to-wear fashion line, Laura Kathleen Designs. For a young designer, all the pieces of a great fashion career are just beginning to be sewn together. “Being on the show (Project Runway) is really exciting because it solidifies and acknowledges all the hard work we do,” says Planck, “And then it is so nice to win (a challenge) and have that feeling that all that hard work is worth it.” Planck, a graduate of Western Kentucky University with a degree in Design, Merchandizing and Textiles, started her own fashion line when she was just 23. Based in St. Louis, Laura Kathleen Designs showcases Planck’s glamorous style with long maxi dresses, 70’s – inspired wide leg pants and smart blazers. “I’m inspired by vintage
silhouettes and that vintage glam. It’s no secret that I’m in love with Marilyn Monroe and all those old black and white photos of pinups, so I take a little inspiration from that,” says Planck, “I modernize it by pairing [my designs] with different color palettes. So it’s very glammy aesthetic. I’m a glammy girl.” Although Planck is inspired by vintage glam, Project Runway is a show that often forces contestants to design under bizarre parameters. Planck shined in the second episode, winning the outdoor runway challenge to design for stilt walkers with a dramatic red gown. “It was great to win the Project Runway outdoor [stilt] runway challenge because it was the first time Project Runway has done that challenge,” said Planck.
With an early win under her fashionable belt, Planck has continued to prove her skill and creativity on the show. She won praise, and a spot in the coveted top three, with her yellow and cream chiffon gown that was inspired by artwork from students at the Harlem School of the Arts. “I think the challenges believe it or not make it a little easier to be inspired,” Planck says, “Because it’s like here are your guidelines, this is what you can use and this is the purpose it should serve. So they kind of map it all out for you. I think it actually makes that process easier.” This season of Project Runway is nearing the end and fans of Planck are waiting anxiously to see if she will be named among the top three contestants chosen to create a collection to for New York Fashion Week. Planck cannot discuss the outcome of the show, but she does talk about a
new collection that she has been “I have a lot of inspiration designing– one she says has been from the Southern modesty where influenced by her eventful year. women still like to be sexy, but “It’s been emotional journey you have to show the right parts or that I’ve been going through in else it becomes trashy. I think that the past year. I think emotions that’s something that I definitely get are the best thing to pull from as from the south. You don’t bare it a designer. all, give a little “I have a lot of inspiration And if you teaser that still from the Southern modesty where really look leaves people and listen and women still like to be sexy, but you imagining,” have to show the right parts or else it kind of let it Planck said. becomes trashy.” circle what’s Once -Laura Planck, fashion going on, it the whirlwind designer for Laura Kathleen Designs can lead you of Project down really Runway wraps neat paths,” Planck said. up, Planck plans to return to St. Her latest collection features Louis to continue to build her body-skimming designs in black fashion line. With a new collection and neutrals with strong hardware to produce, she hopes that Laura elements. It’s a sophisticated look Kathleen Designs will begin to for Planck who always impresses manufacture locally soon. Keeping with her well-constructed and her business local and creating jobs wearable designs. in the St. Louis community remains
a priority for Planck. On top of it all, Planck teaches a fashion design course at a local high school to help budding designers learn the craft. Her advice to the students is simple “You’re always going to get rejected somewhere, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t great. There is a lot of rejection before there is a door opening,” says Planck. “It took me four times trying out for Project Runway before making it.” With grace and composure like this, it should be no surprise that she has southern roots. Above and right: Laura Planck’s designs from her latest collection feature a neutral color palette and geometric hardware. Previous page: Laura Kathleen Planck, a contestant on Project Runway and designer of Laura Kathleen Designs.
Christian Siriano presents during the 2011 Nashville Fashion Week. Above, other designers from the 2011 Show.
Betsy Johnson
Leona
Steven Oo
Fashion Week Coming To A City Near You By Christy Lorio Fashion Weeks have long been associated with major cities -Milan, New York and Paris -- where the shows are kin to the Super Bowl for the stylish set. Although that is quickly changing. More and more cities are adopting the idea of fashion week and using the shows to highlight local designers. In no place is this more true than the South. As many at 15 cities in our region host some sort of fashion showcase, introducing new designers to eager audiences. “The South is full of girls like me who are constantly reading blogs and fashion websites and checking Twitter and Facebook,” says Lindsay Byars, author of the blog Penny Loves Charlie “I know
what the trends are, I know the coolest brands, I watch what goes on at New York Fashion Week, and I want to be a part of it.” Accessibility is a large part of the draw to these regional fashion shows. Suddenly, trendsetting fashion and design is right down the street, not thousands of miles away. “New York (Fashion Week) is in a league of its own,” said Mallory Dominigue, assistive creative director of Fashion Week New Orleans. “The appeal of New York is the exclusivity. If too many people could go it wouldn’t be cool but regional markets offers an outlet to be a part of a fashion week versus just looking at pictures online. They really bring fashion to the people”. These regional fashion
shows and events have been met with great success. The popularity of Southern-based designers is rapidly growing on a national level. Open up a magazine and you’ll see Alabama-based Billy Reid and his various collaborations with Levi’s and K-Swiss, in addition to his namesake line. Or flip on the TV and you’ll be treated to a laundry list of designers from below the Mason-Dixon line on shows like Project Runway (such as Laura Kathleen Planck). Regional markets help gain exposure not only for the designers themselves, but everyone involved from the makeup artists to the producers and the models. Cindy Wall, of Creative Co-op Nashville – the group that hosts Nashville Fashion Week – stresses that the main focus for Nashville’s fashion
week is to celebrate the city’s The success is a testament creative forces. Whether it be the to the talent and hard work of designers, photographers, hair and local designers. Lindsay Carter, makeup artists, the designer “There is a ton of work stylists or behind the that goes into actually making local retailers, clothing line Nashville Troubadour, a business happen – fittings, Fashion Week worked for production, trade shows, sales, was created years to get delivery, branding, making sure to showcase her line off you’re product is what the market local talent. the ground. wants, and finance. It’s not a Wall says that She was cheap business! So there is a lot the Creative finally able Co-op wants to break into to think about besides just the to support show, that is if you want to have a the fashion a thriving business, rather than just putting scene when fashion she was on a performance.” community. selected to -Lindsay Carter, fashion designer In order to participate in foster the next an emerging generation of designer artists. competition In New Orleans, fashion is at the 2009 Charleston Fashion a hot market. Since the Crescent Week. Since then, she has become a City hosted inaugural fashion featured designer at the show which weeks in March of 2010, the city has embraced the fashion industry. In recent months, New Orleans has seen an explosion of new designers and infastructure to support them. Andi Eaton, creative director for New Orleans Fashion Week (NOLAFW) thinks the benefits of hosting a fashion week are twofold: first, these shows give emerging designers the opportunity to reach out to a new audience, grow retails sales and gain media exposure. Secondly, the tourism increase in conjunction with these shows is incredible. The events in New Orleans continue to grow. Recently, one fashion week hosted big events for the city, even bringing in Kanye West and Mary J. Blige to preform. The fashion shows are successful for designers and models, too. Many of landed contracts and expanded because of the local showcases.
is not an easy feat. “Just because you have a fashion show doesn’t mean all the sudden you are good to go,” Carter says. “There is a ton of work that goes into actually making a business happen – fittings, production, trade shows, sales, delivery, branding, making sure you’re product is what the market wants, and finance. It’s not a cheap business! So there is a lot to think about besides just the show, that is if you want to have a business, rather than just putting on a performance.” She says that being embraced by the Charleston Fashion Week helped her business and deepened her connection to her beloved city. Cater, along with hundreds of other southern designers are already preparing for the next show.
Left: Nashville Mayor Karl Dean (far right) attends Nashville Fashion Week Events. Below: Backstage at the Fashion Week, racks of clothes overlook downtown. All photos courtesy of Nashville Fashion Week.
Amanda Valentine ‘s runway show during the 2011 Nashville Fashion Week
A CONVERSATIONZ
Z
Appalachian Novelist Lee Smith By Jason Howard
which provokes an even greater roar from the crowd. One would be mistaken to consider this a perfor In the realm of American literature, awardmance. Although her charisma and stage presence is winning novelist Lee Smith occupies an exceptional undeniable, those who know her can attest that this is position. Rare is the writer who is both beloved and the authentic Smith: animated and void of pretense. respected, terms that are usually considered mutually Born in the coal-mining town of Grundy, exclusive in the publishing world, but over the years Virginia, in 1944, Smith spent her childhood observshe has managed to become both with her sense of ing and eavesdropping on customers in her father’s place and down-home characters. dime store—a perfect laboratory for an aspiring writer. There’s the hardscrabble Appalachian MounA self-confessed “deeply weird” child, she wrote her tains of Ivy Rowe in Fair and Tender Ladies, and the first story when she was nine or ten, a tale in which North Carolina Piedmont of Molly Petree in On Agate she imagined Adlai Stevenson and Jane Russell becomHill. Then there’s the Southern odyssey of Florida ing Mormons and moving west together in a covered Grace Shepherd and her father, a snake-handling wagon. These themes of glamor and flight and religion preacher, in Saving Grace, and the Hoot Owl Holstill show up in her work today. ler home of the Cantrell family in Oral History. Such Two years after graduating from Hollins Colworks have garnered her mounds of critical acclaim lege (along with fellow scribe Annie Dillard) in 1966, and comparisons to legendary Southern wordsmiths Smith published her first novel, The Last Day the including Eudora Welty, William Faulkner and FlanDogbushes Bloomed. Although her second novel, nery O’Connor, not to mention accolades ranging from Something in the Wind, was well received when it aptwo O. Henry Awards to the Academy Award in Ficpeared three years later, it was not until the release of tion from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Fancy Strut in 1973 that critics and readers finally be But what has most endeared Smith to her gan to take notice. Twelve more novels have followed faithful readers is her natural grace and unparalleled since, along with four collections of short stories, the generosity. Through countless interviews, readings and most recent of which is Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed public appearances, her fans feel like they know her Stranger, published in 2010 and released in paperback personally, and with good reason. When she takes to earlier this year. the stage to give a reading, she charms the audience Now, as Smith is putting the finishing touches with her inviting, conversational voice and infectious, on her as-yet untitled thirteenth novel, she talks to uninhibited laugh. Julep from her summer home in Maine with her eyes A recent reading at the Appalachian Writfixed on an approaching fogbank. ers Workshop, an annual gathering held during the dog days of summer on the campus of the Hindman *** Settlement School in Eastern Kentucky, offers a typical Smith anecdote. While reading an essay in front of a Julep: How has your writing evolved over the years? packed room, she abruptly stops in mid-sentence to relate a childhood tale about visiting her maternal grand- Lee Smith: My first novel was a coming of age story, as mother in Baltimore. As she describes various family I think about ninety percent of all first novels are, and members who were present, the audience whoops and it was about a weird, imaginative only child—exactly cackles, and Smith herself is overcome with laughter, the kind of child I was—who is very good at creating
an imaginary world and living in it, and in this way she doesn’t have to face some of the unpleasant things going on in her family.
again] And she said, I have taken the step to make sure that nobody in this town ever reads that book.
It was named The Last Day the Dogbushes Bloomed—a dogbush just being the name of the bush that her And I said, Well what have you done? dog sat under. Everything had her own terminology and her own sort of language and viewpoint. But I And she said, Well, your father has promised not to order the book for the dime store!—which was the did make up the plot, because actually in the book only place in town that you could buy a book. And the family is breaking apart because the mother has she said, I have spoken to Lillian Elkins—that was her fallen in love with another man and she’s run off best friend, who was the librarian—and she said, And with him. And so I made this up out of whole cloth. Lillian’s not going to order the book either, so nobody My parents had at that point been happily married will ever read it. for thirty years at least, and so I had to make up And then these something that would “I think I was the first one who just decided to things came to pass— give enough conflict identify myself publicly as an Appalachian writer it was absolutely true. there, and that’s what I because I feel like there’s a big difference between It was just a riot, and put in, and my mother the image that comes to most people’s mind when of course my own got so upset at me. When somebody says Southern writer and Appalachian first experience of I called her [the book] censorship was right was already in proofs, and writer.” at home. [laughs] I’ll never forget—I had -- Lee Smith gotten married right after Julep: That’s apropos college [to first husband since this is Banned Books Week. James Seay, a poet and teacher] and I was living up in Lexington, Virginia, and we were caretaking this LS: Well, it was funny because the next book she didn’t old house. And I was calling her from this old house like either because it had sex in it. So after that, she just because I had sent her the book but I hadn’t heard simply quit reading them and then was much happier. from her. Which was fine with me! And I said, Mama, did you get the book? Julep: You’re known nationally, but also as a Southern author and as an Appalachian author—terms you And she said, Yes I did. haven’t shied away from using. Do you feel a sense of responsibility with those labels to portray the region in And I said, Well, how did you like it? a certain way? And she said, Not very much. In fact I have gone out LS: Yes I do, and I think I was the first one who just and thrown it in the river. [laughs uproariously] decided to identify myself publicly as an Appalachian writer because I feel like there’s a big difference And I said, Well what is the matter with it? between the image that comes to most people’s mind when somebody says Southern writer and Appalachian And she said, Everybody in this town is gonna think writer. And I mean, I’ll never forget when I was in that I have run off with a man. college and had signed up for a course in Southern And I said, Well Mama, obviously you haven’t—you’re literature, and the first thing we read was three still there and they’ve known you all this time, all these books by Faulkner—which I loved, but as far as I was concerned they might as well have been set in France years. or Russia or anywhere, because that Deep South, that Mississippi South was so radically different in many She said, It won’t make a bit of difference! [laughs
ways from our Appalachian South. I loved it, but there were very few ways in which I identified with it. So I just started calling myself an Appalachian writer from the get-go and stuck to it, and I’m proud of that. Julep: Nowadays America is becoming more and more homogenized. Do you see this happening in the South, and if so is it affecting the region’s literature?
nearly as homogenized, and the South is not nearly as homogenized, as I feared when I first began to start thinking about all this. I think rather that the rest of the country has become a little bit Appalachianized. I’m serious—when you see what’s happened with the enormous popularity of country music and of NASCAR and Southern cooking, and all these kinds of trendy, comfort-food restaurants. I think a lot of our ideas and ways of being have gone into the rest of the culture.
LS: This is something that I have been sort of powerfully energized by, my feeling of becoming homogenized and my fear of our region becoming Julep: Right. And I know that you’re encouraged by the homogenized. And I think the first time it really hit Americana movement in music, and by so many other me was—I writers and musicians guess for some out there who are time I had been doing the same taking a relative thing to preserve the around Grundy culture. and Buchanan County LS: Absolutely, and I [Virginia] and think that’s another collecting songs thing that has and old court happened along with records and our perception of diaries, and homogenization. For just all kinds instance, something of Appalachia like an indisputable lore and legend fact like every mall in and history that the country has got really interested the same stores. But, me, because I along with that, there just felt like that is this increasing Lee Smith has published several books in the past few years. Mrs. Darcy and it was going to effort everywhere for the Blue-Eyed Stranger, a collection of short stories was published in 2010 be lost—it was people to preserve and released in paperback this spring. A novel, On Agate Hill, was published just going to be their own traditions, in 2006. absorbed into whatever they may this march of us be. And of course in all towards sameness which we seem to be engaged in. Appalachia, every town now has got their Coal Days or Wooly Worm Festival or heritage weekend, and I then began to think, Okay, I’m going to use this closet everybody understands the need to do oral histories, to full of material, and I’m just going to start writing, and do local histories, to celebrate what makes us different I’m going to write a novel to really document the way from everybody else. And every single little town is it was—the way it had been. I got really energized, doing it. and that’s when I wrote Oral History, with the aim of trying to document the language, as well as the history When I was a child, we all had the idea that we were and the kind of people who used to live there, and the going to be sent away to get culture. The idea was animals and the way the mountains were. that there was no culture where we were. Now I think everybody does understand and appreciate their own So I have felt very strongly about this for a long time. culture, and of course that’s true for other ethnic But I tell you: I think the Appalachian region is not groups all over the country. Everyone is trying to
preserve their own special language and history. Julep: You’ve spent a lot of time outside the region, too. You’re in Maine right now as we speak, and I know you’re fond of Key West, so how have these places influenced your writing? LS: I think one thing that has been probably formative for me, actually, is the fact that although I did grow up in Grundy in this great big and very close family, and it was such an isolated little town, my mother was an outsider. She had come there from Chincoteague Island [Virginia], from just a radically different kind of culture and from a very educated kind of family, which had sort fallen on hard times and lost their money. But nevertheless she had ideas of travel and kind of other places, and so she brought that kind of element into our family. I think that tendency has been in my mind, and then with my second marriage [to award-winning journalist Hal Crowther], I really married a traveling man, because Hal has lived everywhere as a journalist and been everywhere, and I think it’s been good for me. To go back to the first very question—the problem that comes up if you are a person who’s going to be a lifelong writer is that before you’re done writing you’re going to have used up your life. [laughs] But because I have been somebody who was lucky enough to have a little sense of travel in her life, I have been exposed to some other ideas and places, and
I think that’s helped me conceive of other kinds of stories and otherwise be able to really envisage other places. One of my very favorite quotes about writing is Anne Tyler’s, who said, “I write because I want to have more than one life.” And I think that becomes true, too, because you do often sort of write through the great traumas and dramas of your own life and the
problems of your own past or whatever, so what are you going to do? Well, at this point I began to feel very liberated, because I began to realize that I could be anybody I wanted. There’s a kind of prison of the self in which the young writer is trapped, and when you kind of get beyond that it really is very liberating, to feel that you can explore your interests. If you’re interested in the Civil War, you can learn all about and you can write a Civil War novel and you can be there. If you’re interested in—say when I got really interested in serpent-handling believers. Okay, you can do that. You can do things that are beyond your own experience and beyond your own region, and so I have felt lucky in that regard. Julep: Your most recently published book was the short story collection Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger. What are you working on now? LS: This is so funny that you would call me today because I just wrote the last page of my novel. Julep: Congratulations. LS: Which is not to say that it won’t change a million times, probably. I don’t think this last page will change, but there’s going to be a lot of changes, I know, within the book. But again, it’s the great pleasure that comes with writing, that we are able to pursue whatever interests we may have, and I have always been completely fascinated by Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, and so this is a book in which Zelda is one of the major characters. It is set in the mental hospital—Highland Hospital in Asheville—where Zelda spent most of the last fourteen years of her life, and it’s a hospital that I know really, really well. It’s closed now, but my father was in that hospital, and many years after that my son Josh was there for four years, as an inpatient and also in their halfway house kind of program for schizophrenics. I’ve also been, because of my involvement with mental illness, really interested in the history of it, in how they used to consider these illnesses and treat them. And Highland Hospital was one of the premier hospitals in the country, and had a very unusual physician as its head, Dr. Robert Carroll, and he had them all putting on theatricals and doing Shakespeare down in the park. His wife was a world-famous concert
pianist, and they would recitals and they would have dress-up dances—they would have all these kinds of things going on all the time. And so it was a very, very interesting place. So this book is about Zelda and a group of other people who are there in the hospital at the same time. And well—do you know how she died? Julep: No. LS: Oh my God! Well. She died in a fire at Highland Hospital in 1948. Nine women died because they were locked in the whole top floor of one of the buildings really for their own safety because they were in the middle of this course of shock treatment. So they couldn’t get out and nobody could get to them. And at that time [Zelda] still had a sort of a fantasy of becoming a famous ballet dancer, although she was 48 at that point. Her body was recognized only by a charred ballet slipper, which is an incredible image. But it’s also just an examination into illusion and reality, and it turns out to be all about art, I think, because she was not only a dancer, but she was a wonderful oil painter and did a lot of wonderful paintings when she was there, too. So it’s just a lot about sort of art and madness and that kind of relationship: back-and-forth. It starts in 1936 when she was first admitted and ends in the fire in 1948, and encompasses just really interesting things going on in that field such as lobotomy and eugenics [and] forced sterilizations of people who were considered promiscuous or too wild or just whatever it might have happened to be. So I don’t know what I’m going to name it. Julep: You’ve been working on it for a while, haven’t you? LS: I have—I’ve been working on it for about four years. And I think that’s sort of for me the big difference between what you write when you’re starting out as a writer. I mean, I think all of us get into because we really have a story to tell and just something that comes from us—you know, our own lives, our own psychological necessities and so on. And then later, maybe the love of story itself perhaps takes over a little bit—when you calm down a little bit, if you ever do. [laughs]
Photos and Text by Rebecca Wilson
Take Me To The Mountains A trip to the Smoky Mountains could not be more breathtaking than in the fall. The mountains that straddle the border between Tennessee and North Carolina are known for their gorgeous views year-round, but autumn is the season is when they really shine. The turning leaves, blue skies and crisp temperatures are the essence of this season and there is no better place to appreciate fall’s glory than at The Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We’ve created the perfect itinerary for a weekend jaunt to the mountains. It’s a trip filled with adventurous outdoor exploring, relaxing rejuvenation and plenty of fall celebrations.
Day 1
The quaint town of Gatlinburg, T.N., looks like it belongs in a bygone era. The narrow streets and walkways are filled with nostalgic shops and restaurants that seem to have been lifted straight from a Norman Rockwell scene. Take time walk the charming main street of Gatlinburg. Stop in one of the many candy stores for a sample of rich fudge or chewy taffy and scout the many art galleries for originial works by local artists. Check out the Gatlinburg Aquarium downtown -- it’s one of the best in the country and definitely worth a visit. After you’ve meandered through town, head up to your chalet on the mountain. Renting a little chalet for the weekend is an affordable way to experience the mountain life -- especially if you are traveling with friends. Most chalets include beautiful decks with hot tubs to enjoy the scenery on crisp autumn evenings. For dinner, head back down the mountain to The Park Grill Steakhouse, a restaurant with a decidedly mountain feel. Located on the edge of town, this gem strikes a perfect balance of upscale food and calm atmosphere. Try one of their terrific trout or steak dinners and enjoy the the soothing piano in the background. You’ll want to rest up tonight, for tomorrow will be a busy day.
Day 2
Today is the day to explore the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one of the largest national parks in the country. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers more than 800 miles of trails and 700 miles of streams full of incredible views and adventures. The hard part is picking where to start. Pack a picnic lunch and head down to the base of the park to enjoy a trail by the creek. There are wellmarked hiking paths dotted with beautiful bridges and gorgeous views begging to be explored. They are the perfect way to work up an appetite. If you’re really feeling adventurous, contact one of the many cycling or fishing companies for a day you’ll never forget. In the afternoon, hop in the car and drive up to Clingman’s Dome Tower. It’ts the highest point of the Great Smoky National Park and the highest point in Tennessee. The views from the top are incredible, as are the sights on the way up. The winding road to the top is filled with gorgeous resting points and makes for
an enjoyable ride. Be sure to keep your eyes peel for wildlife. Bears are common in the area, as well as a host of smaller animals. During our visit, Julep spotted a young bear cub eating by the side of the road. If you do spot wildlife, be sure to keep a safe distance. Once at the top, a half-mile uphill hike to the peak will surely get your heart racing. Stop for a drink and snack at the store near the beginning of the trail. After a long day of sightseeing and hiking, take it easy tonight. Head back downtown and enjoy one of the festivals that take place nearly every weekend in the fall. There are so many things to do in Gatlinburg and The Great Smoky Mountain National Park that you won’t be able to fit it into one trip. The beauty of this national treasure, is that each season lends itself to new adventures in the park. Head back in the summer for whitewater rafting, or enjoy the ski slopes in the winter. There is something for everyone to enjoy here.
Planning A Visit? Check out these recommended accomodations, restaurants and activities EAT The Park Grill Steakhouse Smoky Mountain Brewery The Pancake Pantry STAY Chalet Village Mountain Laurel Chalets SEE Ripley Aquarium of the Smokies The Great Smoky National Park
Majestic Beauty
There is no shotage breathtaking views in The Great Smoky National Park. It’s easy to see why this is the most visited national park in the country. Autumn is the ideal time to visit the thousands of acres of moutain forest in all it’s colorful glory.
Coming up in the Holiday issue... • Delicious Desserts • DIY Gift Guides • Easy Holiday Hosting Tips
...and so much more!