GREAT PLATES TAKE TIME

Great Plates

Take Time In the Kitchen with Paul Joseph

STORY BY MATTIA GODDARD PHOTOS BY WES SEWELL PHOTOGRAPHY

Shrimp cocktail shooters with grilled shrimp, avocado, corn, jalapeno, tomatoes, and lime. "We don't get in a hurry for dinner. That's why we have appetizers."

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aul Joseph spends his days at South Georgia Pecan and every night he comes home and hits the kitchen. He loves to unwind by cooking for his wife Judith. Over the last few months, they’ve responsibly isolated themselves. As time has passed and they've learned how to manage their risk and exposure, they have resumed their standing Sunday dinner date with their friends, Phillip and Nancy Feinberg.

Paul comes from a long line of family members in food service, which has produced a family lineage of great cooks. Not only are Paul's brothers and sisters all excellent cooks, but so are his sons. Because his father was in the produce business, Paul was in and out of restaurant kitchens his entire childhood.

His grandmother, who cooked only Lebanese cuisine, lived right next door and taught Paul her most treasured dishes. “Certain recipes that I’ve made over the years remind me of different people in particular. Cooking and eating those old recipes evokes memories.”

These days, Paul and Judith enjoy their time with their granddaughter, fouryear-old Livi. Paul is getting her in the kitchen early so she’ll learn the family recipes and continue the long line of family cooks.

“I enjoy creating something for someone else.” Paul takes his menu choices and food preparation very seriously, all the way down to the presentation on the plate. Every dish out of Paul’s kitchen is artfully arranged, beautiful as well as delicious.

The couple keep their fare healthy - nothing is ever fried. A typical meal at their home is a protein with a salad. Desserts are fruit-based with a light sauce.

Pineapple Jalapeno Sauce

Used for sauce on the main dish, this sauce is versatile and can be used to dress up and spice up many dishes.

¼ cup pineapple

¼ cup cilantro

3 garlic cloves

½ jalapeno

¼ tsp salt

Juice from 1 lime

¼ cup plain greek yogurt

Blend the first 6 ingredients in a food processor.

Stir into yogurt.

The pride in family cooking can get competitive when they go on vacation. They have a large family so cooking dinner for 20 plus people at the beach is the norm. Paul does not choose standard vacation fare, lots of food that goes a long way. Even while feeding all 23 family members he still beautifully designs each person’s plate.

While he loves company to join him while he cooks, Paul admits that sometimes when he's in the zone, folks need to keep out of his way. Judith says he has always been very particular and highly organized. At this point in their 37 years of marriage, Judith has abdicated about 90% of the grocery shopping to him because he knows exactly what he wants and how much of it he needs. She tells the story of hunting high and low for scallions. Until she finally asked an employee she had no idea what they were or where to find them.

When asked if he'd ever considered opening a restaurant he demures and says that he's sure owning a restaurant would kill the joy. Instead, he'd rather enjoy meal prep and delicious healthy food options on his own schedule and at his own pace. Guests to Paul's table know, "We don't get in a hurry for dinner. That's why we have appetizers," he said.

Judith remembers early on in their marriage when they were both working, she'd give Paul a choice, start supper or bathe the baby. That baby is now 34, but that division

of labor stuck with them. Paul has spent subsequent years furthering his knowledge of foods, and the seasonality and combinations of flavors. He is largely self-taught, he watches cooking shows, reads lots of recipes and foodrelated magazines. When they've invited friends for dinner, he begins planning his menu earlier in the week. Every step in the process is carefully planned. The couple keep their fare healthy - nothing is ever fried. A typical meal at their home is a protein with a salad. If he decides to make dessert, it’s fruitbased with a light sauce.

Judith is at the ready to snip herbs from his pots outside. It took a few years of hearing “run outside and snip me some rosemary,” for her to figure out which of the many herbs was thyme. She also is a firm believer in “you cook, I clean.” She always does the cleanup and professes that Paul is not a messy cook so it’s a great tradeoff.

Guests lucky enough to be invited to Paul and Judith's table are in for a delicious experience. Judith says his seafood is probably most popular among their dinner guests. He'll choose his fish from The Oyster Bar downtown; his crowd-pleasers are shrimp, snapper, grouper, and salmon. As an avid bird hunter, Paul cooks turkey, duck, quail, and dove regularly. Life and his menu revolve around bird hunting season.

Like everyone the world over, Paul and Judith have spent far more time at home lately than what they were used to, and as such, Paul has paid attention to variances in food sales. The grocery folks he talks to tell him that ice cream sales during the pandemic have been through the roof. Another clear trend in grocery shopping is the move toward healthier foods, more fresh fruits, and vegetables as well as more expensive foods.

So, for all the folks out there buying more food and cooking at home, Paul Joseph can provide some inspiration for creating beautiful, as well as delicious, plates. But, remember, great plates take time.

This grilled peach dessert is simple with ice cream, drizzled honey, and, of course, pecans.

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