T
FA L L I S S U E T
2022
SOCIAL MEDIA COOKS
BLUE IN THE FACE
MUZ’S PANCAKES
A PIECE OF LAND
Meet Four Facebook Cooks Who Found Their Niche
Robert St. John pays tribute to his Grandmother
North Carolina celebrates Blueberries and so much more
Living the Farm Dream In the Heart of Appalachia
Bon appétit, y’all . Farm to table. Locally sourced. Comfort food. In Mississippi, these aren’t culinary buzzwords. They’re our traditional way of doing things, drawing on recipes and practices that have crossed generations and continents. Come have a seat at our table, and experience the flavors of Mississippi. Learn more at VisitMississippi.org/Flavors. #WanderMS
Cathead Distillery | Jackson, Mississippi
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VISIT MISSISSIPPI
MISSISSIPPI’S WINE & DINE TOWN With everything from Southern cooking to gourmet cuisine, Starkville’s culinary culture is sure to please everyone at your table. Plan your Starkville visit today.
662.323.3322 Starkville.org
With delectable dishes, 45 miles of scenic trails and an array of shopping, it’s no secret why Ridgeland is the perfect setting for your next getaway. This vibrant small town with big city vibes offers tastes and landscapes everyone can delight in.
Make your Ridgeland reservations at www.visitridgeland.com/eat.
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42: SOCIAL MEDIA COOKS
Meet four Southern Facebook cooks who have found success sharing their love of cooking
48: STUDIO MAMA
This Nashville, TN chef puts her heart in the mix feeding some of our best-loved musicians
STORIES 56: THIS PIECE OF LAND
Author Eric Dusenberry writes the stories of those who have found their farm dreams in the Appalachians
62: INTO THE WILD BLUE YONDER Every year, Burgaw, NC throws a party and feeds their guests blueberries
We picked 10 iconic Southern foods and asked chefs around the South to share their recipes
Photograph by m-gucci
70: LET'S EAT!
CHAPTERS EDITORIAL
TO DINE SOUTHERN
PG 8: EDITOR’S LETTER
PG 30: ENTHUSIASTIC SOUTHERNER
PG 11: OUR CONTRIBUTORS
PG 33: GATHERING
Robert St. John pays tribute to his Grandmother’s pancakes–the best in the world.
With so many choices, what makes Southern Food so special?
Louisiana’s International Festival brings together many cultures for a party full of food and fun.
The people who make our stories come to life.
PG 12: MAKING A DIFFERENCE
At Drexel and Honeybee’s, in Brewton, AL, this donation only restaurant, not only feeds the body, but nourishes the soul.
PG 36: ON OUR PL ATE
Eight Row Flint in Houston, TX is changing our idea about the humble taco with their home made tortillas.
PG 38: NOTEWORTHY
At Truth BBQ in Texas, the humble Tater Tot is elevated to a fan favorite in this decadent casserole.
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100
24 SOUTHERN COMFORTS
A ROAD LESS TRAVELED
PG 16: TIPPING HIS HAT
PG 100: THE QUEEN CIT Y
Reggie Sherard founded Nathan Mason hats in Huntsville, AL because he believes hats are not just an accessory, but THE accessory .
PG 20: BY SOUTHERN HANDS You’ll want these finds made by locals.
PG 24: DIGGING DEEP
Andrew Duhon takes his new album on the road and ponders living authentically.
PG 26: LONELY AIN’T EASY
B J Barham of American Aquarium finds inspiration in life’s quieter moments.
88
Explore the rebirth of Mississippi’s second largest city–Meridian.
PG 106: WHERE WE WENT
Mt. Nebo Baptist Church, Nettles’ Death Masks, Clarke County, AL.
SOUTHERN SNAPSHOTS PG 84: NEIGHBORHOOD TRADITION Juneau’s Sandwich Shop has been serving locals in this suburb of New Orleans since 1952.
PG 88: RESIDENT GHOST Do you believe in
FRONT COVER
How do you like your bacon? Photography by Veselova Elena
ghosts? Pendleton, SC does. They invite you to visit.
PG 92: L AY OF THE L AND
Our readers submit photos of their special Southern places and people.
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EDITOR’S LETTER
What makes Southern food so special? We belive it’s the people who cook it. Southern food is not just a joining–it’s more of a collision–of cultures. It’s those same cultures and traditions, both good and bad, that keep it alive. There are many cultures that directly contributed to Southern food, but the biggest influence was left by Native Americans (corn, preservation with salt pork), slaves (seeds like okra and black-eyed peas), and Europeans (pork). Who doesn’t enjoy a meal with these things? Bacon, anyone? The South has always been dependent on farming. We grow gardens and share produce. Grandaddy always had a large garden, much larger than his family of six needed, but it was known in their small community that if you needed it, you could go help yourself to anything from his garden. He was not alone in this community spirit. Survival was key to South-
“WELL SOUTHERNERS LIKE TO EAT WELL. YOU SEE, IT’S AN EVENT WHEN IT’S DONE RIGHT” Stan Shaw
ern cuisine. But that survival includes the community. Think of the affect the culture of BBQ has had on our lives and how it came about. Families raised their hogs together and shared the chore
of slaughter and preserving. Friends were invited, meals were shared. These parties helped to create long lasting friendships within the community. Men exchanged farming and hunting techniques, women cooked together and exchanged recipes. Children formed lifelong bonds. Communities flourished. In this, our annual Southern Food Culture issue, we find that things really haven’t changed all that much¬. We may not be struggling to survive in the country like our ancestors, but we still love a good party and we still love to cook and garden. We are glad to see the party spirit is still alive and well at a very big party with more than 40,000 “friends” at the Blueberry Festival in Burgaw, North Carolina. All things blueberry and much more. While our kitchens are modern and we have any food available at our fingertips, we still yearn for the taste of home. Facebook users have discovered several cooks on their feeds who will gladly share their advice (cooking, life, and spiritual). These cooks are surprised at their own popularity, but we love their feeds. It’s like old home week when we watch them. And the food is great, too. There’s much more in our pages, so we hope you enjoy the recipes, the stories of people returning to their roots and all the places to visit. The future of Southern food looks good. Traditions will be saved by sharing and our cuisine will continue to evolve as new cultures are introduced into our lives. After all, we are a melting pot of cultures, and our cuisine reflects it.
Scott Speakes // Publisher
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Genie Gaither Jones // Editor-in-Chief
Photograph by Penny Aligood
Explore the South In each issue of okra you’ll find inspiring stories about the people, places and cultures that shape the South without sacrificing the traditional essence of the Southern identity. SUBSCRIBE TODAY @ OKRAMAGAZINE.COM
STAFF
Scott Speakes Publisher Genie Gaither Jones Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Cashwell Design Director Robert St. John J. M. McSpadden Liesel Schmidt Contributing Editors Richard L. Jones Copy Editor
Advertising Sales Specialists Brittany Sanders brmcdonald45@gmail.com Scott Speakes scott@okramagazine.com
CONNECT WITH US facebook.com/okramagazine @okramag contact@okramagazine.com
Published by Southbound Publishing, Inc.
okramagazine.com
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CONTRIBUTORS JENNIFER STEWART KORNEGAY is a freelance writer and editor based in Montgomery, AL. Her work has appeared in Garden & Gun, Southern Living, The Bitter Southerner, The Local Palate, thekitchn.com, Bake From Scratch, Paste, Travel&Leisure. com, Nashville Lifestyles, Birmingham magazine, Alabama magazine, Georgia Magazine, Alabama Living magazine and more. She’s interested in everything, will write about almost anything but most often reports on Southern culture, food and travel. jenniferkornegay.com DEBORAH BURST is a New Orleans native, author, and award winning writer/photographer with a portfolio of more than a thousand articles and photos including national covers. She has written five travel/photo books featuring the South, its people, critters, landscapes, mystical legends and historic architecture. From hidden graveyards to the shrouded bayous and forests, Deb gives a voice to all. deborahburst.com
ERIC DUSENBERY utilizes the power of the still photograph and frequently uses the traditions of the large format film camera for editorial, documentary and commissioned projects. With a B.A. Cinema & Photography from Southern Illinois University, his photography has been widely exhibited and his work has appeared in numerous national publications. He is an award-winning journalist, speaker, author/photographer of two books and is the recipient of several grants and sponsorships to produce documentary projects that tell stories to preserve the human spirit. Dusenbery is concurrently working on two documentary projects about rural and small town cultural studies and industrial diversity. ROY SCOTT retired as Clemson University’s director of Public Service Marketing in 2010. He was the executive producer of the popular South Carolina ETV Radio program, Your Day, and hosted on-air features about Southern people, places and history. In addition, he executive-produced the public television nature program, Expeditions with Patrick McMillan, and the travel series, Your Day On the Road. An Air Force veteran, Roy enjoys his volunteer work with military veterans and their families.
J. M. MCSPADDEN is a freelance writer and music enthusiast whose work has appeared online at theflamestillburns.com, and at mbird.com, a journal that examines faith in the real world. His love for roots music led to a gig at nodepression.com, where he reported on live music from The Birchmere, the famed music hall in Washington, DC. He is fascinated with the way words and music impact our lives and can be used as a vehicle for healing. Host of The Village Night Owl podcast, an interview show featuring musical artists, he lives in Virginia with his wife Suzanne where he is at work on his first novel. MARIANNE LEEK is a retired high school educator who continues to teach part-time at Tri-County Community College. She lives with her husband in western North Carolina, where she spends much of her free time enjoying the outdoors. Her work can be found in The Bitter Southerner.
11
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
“ LISA AND FREDDIE ARE BOTH CONCERNED WITH PEOPLE’S PRIDE AND DON’T WANT ANYONE TO FEEL EMBARRASSED BY THEIR CIRCUMSTANCE.
“
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feeding the need
A D O N A T I O N O N LY R E S T A U R A N T W H E R E A L L A R E W E LCO M E D Written and Photographed by Julian Brunt
Drexell and Honeybee’s isn’t very different in many ways from many small-
important idea, and a fundamental part of humanity; people sharing food and
town restaurants you will find across the South. It’s a very pleasant place,
friendship in a common space.
newly remodeled by the owners, Lisa and Freddie McMillan, with high wooden
While I was there, three visitors from Mobile came in. The restaurant was
ceilings, plenty of tables and a few booths, and black and white tile floors. The
closed, but Lisa seated the guests and made a quick snack of tuna fish and
atmosphere is pleasant, almost like walking into a good friend’s kitchen, and
crackers for them anyway. That’s just the kind of place this is.
Lisa and Freddie are as pleasant and cordial as any hosts you will find. I can’t
There is a donation box, looking like an old telephone booth, for privacy
help but use the Hemingway title, a clean well-lighted place, to describe this
purposes, so you can make any size donation you like or can afford. Freddie
restaurant. It is charming, spotlessly clean, and comfortable.
told me that almost everyone makes a donation of some sort, and it works well
Brewton is a shadow of what it once was, like so many small farm towns,
enough to keep this place open. But Lisa and Freddie are both concerned with
the agricultural economy has just slipped away. The town center is lined with
people’s pride and don’t want anyone to feel embarrassed by their circum-
brick buildings, some two stories high, but most seem vacant. It isn’t hard to
stance. A ploy they have used before, when someone looks uncomfortable, is
imagine how busy this place must have been with wagons and horses, and lat-
to tell them that if they can name the musical artist who is playing (someone
er model T cars, and later still family station wagons and pickup trucks lining
pretty obvious, like Nat King Cole), the meal is on the house.
the streets, and the shops busy and prosperous. But times have changed. But
I have known a lot of restaurant people in my many years as a food writer, fa-
there are still plenty of people out and about, so Brewton still retains some of
mous chefs, cooks trying to make their way in a very competitive business, but
its original charm, it’s just slowed down in its old age.
I have never meet two people more concerned with humanity, and the com-
Drexell and Honeybee’s serves its Southern style food from a help yourself
mon good. The entire time I spoke with the two owners, their only concerns
buffet. In the old days, if a small southern town had a restaurant, a diner re-
were with their customers–people from all walks of life that come through
ally, the food they served would be almost exactly what you would have found
their doors needing to be fed. This is a business model most business minded
at home, at least on Sunday, and that is what you will get here as well. You
experts would laugh at, but it works, and you just can’t help but think that per-
can expect to find fried chicken, meatloaf, chicken pot pie, barbecued ribs
haps there is some hope for humanity, as long as there are good folks like Lisa
and sides like macaroni and cheese, cabbage, and fried okra, plus yeast rolls
and Freddie around. One hundred percent of donations go to the operational
and bread pudding. It’s all homemade and absolutely delicious. If you are a
cost of feeding the hungry.
Southerner of a certain age, you are going to feel nostalgic for grandmom’s Sunday table.
Drexell and Honeybee’s is a little bit off the beaten path, maybe thirty minutes from Interstate 65, but it is a pleasant drive through gently rolling hills
But in one very important way, Drexell and Honeybee’s is very different in-
and it always feels good to get out in the country again. You are going to be
deed. Walk in, grab a plate, and take one entrée, two sides, bread, and dessert,
delighted to meet, Lisa and Freddie McMillan and you are going to enjoy a very
find a table and sit with your family or friends and enjoy a classic Deep South
fine meal and, no matter the size of the donation you make, you are going to
meal. When you are done, just get up and go. What? Where’s the waitstaff with
feel better about the world when you leave.
the ticket? Where the heck is the cash register? Its all free. Lisa and Freddie call it a “donation only restaurant where all are welcomed.” The basic premise is that hungry people need to be fed, and that people
Drexell and Honeybee’s 109 Lee Street
should come together around a table and share not only food, but conversation
Brewton, AL
as well. Freddie told me that in the four years since they opened, they have
251-727-2411
seen people coming together and getting along in ways that they previously
Tuesday – Thursday 11 am to 1 pm
did not. Total strangers might start up a conversation or share a table. It’s an
drexellandhoneybees.com
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ALL OUT Dine. ALL OUT Unwind.
We’re constantly crafting ways to create memorable moments. From refined cuisine to a family friendly scene, discover new and delicious experiences in Columbus. Come see why we were named “GEORGIA’S COOL CAT CITY” by Forbes.
VisitColumbusGA.com
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CHAPTER 1
SOUTHERN COMFORTS
15
Photo: Andrew Shurtleff
S T Y L E
WITH A TIP OF THE HAT FOR “THE HAT DUDE” HATS AREN’T MERELY AN ACCESSORY— THEY “ARE” THE ACCESSORY Written by Liesel Schmidt / Photography Courtesy of Reggie Sherard For Reggie Sherard, hats aren’t merely an accessory—they are the accessory.
By July of 2021, serendipity stepped in to give him the nudge he needed
They’re a way of life and an expression of self, an attitude, and a symbol of
to take things to the next level. “I was visiting my home city of Huntsville,
character. Generations of men have worn hats in his family, and the tradition
Alabama, and I stopped at the local mall, Parkway Place Mall,” Sherard says.
continued with the Alabama native even as a young man. Known more by
“I was walking around, looking to see what new stores they had, and I came
his nickname of “the hat dude” than he was by his actual name as he went
across a pop-up space. I immediately felt it was time to step out and take
through school, the path his life eventually took may have been written in the
my hats public to see what happened. I opened up as a pop-up hat shop in
stars—and now, it’s written in the band of
September of 2021 with the intention of it
a hat.
being a 30-day pop up, but 30 led to 60
The story itself starts, of course, with a hat.
days. Then 60 led to 90 days, and things
A fedora, to be more precise. As an adult,
didn’t slow down. So much so that I was
Sherard found a lack of options when it
able to hire two people to help with the hol-
came to finding fedoras that would fit him,
iday rush of orders. By the end of the year, I
and when he did, those available seemed
knew I had to decide whether I was going to
less than inspiring to him. “I wanted more
shut down the pop-up space and fully go on-
hats, but the color and design options were
line or find a permanent space in Huntsville.
very scarce,” he says. Living in Washington,
Considering all of the people that stopped
DC, in 2018, he took matters into his own
by to say they were happy I was there, and
hands and enlisted the help of a milliner
that Huntsville and the surrounding area
and former hat store owner. “I asked him to
needed a hat shop, I decided to open up a
teach me how to make hats myself, and he showed me the process of creating them,”
permanent space in the mall.”
Reggie Sherard
In February 2022, Nathan Mason hats was launched as a permanent location, and
says Sherard. With essentially a mere eight hours of training, Sherard learned the basics of
since then, the company has proven its staying power as both an online cus-
millinery—and he walked away with his interest sparked to learn even more.
tom hat maker as well as a brick-and-mortar milliner. What makes the compa-
He spent many hours researching and learning the art of hat making on his
ny so special is, of course, the product—but also the passion and inspiration
own, as well as learning the history and culture of millinery, which naturally
behind it. “My family are a great inspiration to me,” says Sherard, who arrived
led to making custom hats for himself. “I would wear them out, and people
at the moniker of Nathan Mason by combining the names of his three sons.
took notice and inquired about whatever hat I was wearing,” he recalls. “A few
“I wanted to build something that I can pass on to them, a legacy to leave
people bought them right off my head. So once that happened a few times, a
behind. My love for the art of hat making is inspired by things and people I
lightbulb came on. I started advertising custom hats to friends, family, and via
see. Finding out someone’s story inspires me in creating a hat specifically for
social media. It was a slow start, but that slow pace of things was beneficial to
them and customized to them.”
me because I still needed to perfect my craft, as I was still learning.”
The creation process is, of course, part of the magic, and what sets the hats
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SOUTHERN COMFORTS
“LIVE YOUR LIFE. DO YOUR WORK. THEN TAKE YOUR HAT.” Henry David Thoreau
apart from anything mass-produced. “I start with a blank fur felt made of rabbit, a rabbit and beaver mix, 100 percent beaver, or Ecuadorian hand-woven straw,” Sherard says. “The first step is to measure the customer’s head to get the accurate size. Next, I steam the fur felt so I can stretch it over a hat block customized to the customer’s head size. Hat blocking requires me to stretch the hat body over the hat block, allowing it to dry for 48 hours. Next, we cut the brim down to the customer’s desired size before sanding the hat for a smooth finish. We then sew in the sweat band and a hat band on the outside. Finally, we shape the crown to the customer’s desired shape.” Quality is paramount with each Nathan Mason hat, something that is clear in the attention to detail and the extremely hands-on processes used to create every piece, as well as the materials. “Our handmade hats use high-quality fur felt material, which is not the same as most mass-produced hats that are made of wool or wool blend, so you can definitely see and feel the difference in what we create,” says Sherard. In Sherard’s estimation, those handmade works of art he creates are perfect for anyone—even someone who may not have ever pictured themselves wearing a hat. “Because I make custom hats of all varieties for different types of people, it’s perfect for literally anyone,” he says. “Everyone’s idea of a custom hat is different, and I create what they imagine. When someone tells me they are not a ‘hat person,’ what they are really saying is that they just haven’t found the perfect hat. I love proving to people that they’re wrong. There’s a hat for everybody. Take a chance and let me prove it to you by helping you create the perfect custom hat just for you.” The future looks good and plans for the company include scaling the business by offering other hat styles in addition to their signature fedoras as well as a clothing line and grooming products. Sherard also plans to do more pop-up shops in other cities across Alabama and offer hat making beginner classes. If you are in the Huntsville area, you can find Nathan Mason Hats at Parkway Place Mall, 2801 South Memorial Pkwy, Suite 164, Huntsville, AL 35801. For more information: nathanmasonhats.com
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GENERATIONS OF MEN HAVE WORN HATS IN HIS FAMILY, AND THE TRADITION CONTINUED WITH THE ALABAMA NATIVE EVEN AS A YOUNG MAN, EARNING HIM THE NICKNAME OF “THE HAT DUDE” 19
SOUTHERN COMFORTS
F O O D
M A M A’ S S E C R E T S A business is only as successful as its products, and for Mama’s Sefor the product as Irma herself. crets, success has been written on the wall (or in the dough) since “Beverlye used to make cookies commercially and has a ‘taster’s before it was even officially a company. Created from a recipe that has tongue,’ meaning she can pick out any ingredients in a product or been loved for generations, the cookies that now bear the know which flavors to add to a product to make it taste logo have been a passion project for owners David Brooks exceptional,” says David. “When we took over Mama’s and his wife, Beverlye Brady Brooks. “Our good friend, Secrets last year, we made sure that we could replicate Irma Robinson, use to make these cookies by hand from the exact flavor that our customers had been used to. her grandmother’s recipe and share them with friends, Once we had perfected that process, we started tinkerbring them to church functions, and make them wheneving with other flavors. So far, we have added chocolate, er people requested them—which was almost constantlemon, and peppermint to the lineup. We are currently ly!” says David. “She called them ‘secrets’ instead of working on several more flavors, including a toffee secret cookies because she used to hide under the bed and and a few more surprises.” eat them growing up so that no one would see her (until Still based in Opelika, Mama’s Secrets are quintessenthe powdered sugar gave her away). When my wife and tially Southern—from its roots to its production. “Being I got married, we served the cookies at our wedding and able to produce and develop this amazing product in the when it was over, we saw people stuffing the leftovers South gives us great inspiration and joy,” says David. David Brooks into bags, purses, or anything else they could get their “We want to continue creating products that are ‘Southhands on to take them home.” ern Inspirations,’ from mint julip cookies to shortbread.” Officially started in 2015, “after years of poking, prodding and encourAvailable at over 200 retailers throughout the Southeast and as far aging Irma to make them,” as David recalls. Robinson used Beverlye’s away as Maine and California, Mama’s Secrets are also available online commercial bakery in Opelika, Alabama, as the birthplace of the busiat mamassecretcookies.com. Boasting a great deal of return customers, ness, using her grandmother’s recipe. They took their first batches to the cookies are clearly loved—and great for any occasion. “We have the Atlanta Gourmet Gift show in 2016 and won “Best in Category” actually heard of people sitting down with a bag and finishing them and the rest, as they say, is history. Seven years later, the Brooks now off in one sitting.” own and operate the company—and they have every bit as much love Written by Liesel Schmidt
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