The two words just might as well be synonyms. Not only do we eat while we travel, but I travel while I eat. Food brings back memories of where I’d been, even if I’m just in my kitchen.
Eating wild Georgia White Shrimp within minutes of being caught, while on the Lady Jane off St. Simons Island, is a culinary experience not to be missed.
The Lady Jane
It’s a brilliant sunny day off the southern Georgia coast as the Lady Jane moves slowly through the channel. The islands of St. Simons and Jekyll rise above a sea of salt grass. Laughing seagulls – their actual name – swoop through the air behind the ship. “That’s a good sign,” comments Cliff Credle, “They know where the food is.”
The shallow waters of the Atlantic around southern Georgia’s islands exclude any possible invasion of the shrimp beds by large factory ships. Shrimping remains a bastion of small boat fishing operated by individual entrepreneurs.
Crew of the Lady Jane: (clockwise) Capt. Larry Credle, mate Cliff Credle, First Mate John Tyre
These waters are home to the endangered Green Sea Turtle.
When you eat plump wild shrimp you’ll smell and taste the briny difference the moment you peel the shell off a freshly steamed or grilled wild Georgia, preferably, White or Red crustacean.
At Antelope Park, Gweru, Zimbabwe, a dozen journalists take two cats for a walk, actually two lions. Laili and Lewa, barely one year old cubs but already weighing nearly 200 pounds each, play like kittens as they roll around on the ground, licking and nipping each other.
The African Lion and Environmental Research Trust (ALERT), a non-profit founded at Antelope Park, actively pursues a four-stage method to stem the rapid decline of these roaming majestic cats. In less than 30 years, the population of wild African lions has decreased an estimated 85% from 200,000 to 30,000.
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The mission incurs tremendous costs and funding is dependent on donations, volunteers and the income generated by guests at Antelope Park Lodge.
At daybreak, floating over the Sonoran Desert at 6,000 feet in a basket is an awesome way to start the day.
Contrasted against the outline of cactus and brown desert are over a dozen giant multicolored balloons being inflated. They slowly rise like other worldly mushrooms whose spoors invaded the planet.
Liftoff is, well, like floating in air. Except for the occasional blast from the propane jet and sounds of primal glee from adults one would think have experienced it all, the world silently drifts away.
The Sonoran Desert is lush despite receiving an average annual rainfall of 10 inches. In the distance is shockingly blue Lake Pleasant formed in the 1920s by damming the Aqua Fria River.
The Philadelphia Restaurant Revolution started in the mid-1970’s with Chef Georges Perrier’s Le Bec Fin and the opening of the Restaurant School. The city’s culinary wasteland suddenly bloomed with some of America’s most innovative cuisine. Now, finally, the Revolution has broken through to the suburbs. Click the links to read my reviews as Philadelphia Fine Dining Examiner on Examiner.com
Bacalhau á Lagareiro at Massa Pizza & Grill, Ambler, PA
Why would a fine dining Portuguese restaurant want to call itself a pizza parlor? Situated diagonally across from the Ambler Theater, Massa Pizza and Grill is an excellent addition to Ambler’s growing reputation as a foodie destination.
Leila's Bistro, Jenkintown, PA
Leila’s Bistro is where Edith Piaf would dine if she found herself in Philadelphia’s suburbs.
Valley Green Inn, Chestnut Hill, PA
The 160 year old Valley Green Inn could not be more romantic and will make you comfortable with its decor and fare.
clockwise: Duck Quesadillas, Pecan pie w/ice cream, Cedar Hollow Restaurant, Malvern, PA, Crab Cake
Within the past couple years the interior of Cedar Hollow Inn has been nicely remodeled with the main dining room benefiting from a southwest theme. Cobalt blue glasses contrast with the tan/reddish orange wall colors, crisp white table cloths and artistic prints depicting southwestern themes complement the space. Chef Stephen Guiseppe has added good southwestern inspired dishes.
Naturally, center city Philadelphia still shines as a culinary Mecca. Keeping up with Stephen Staar’s numerous and successful concepts is as difficult as keeping up with the Kardashians. Yet the Continental Diner stands out as a hands down favorite for Philadelphia natives.
Seared Skate w/ Fregola Sarda & lump crabmeat, Tripe w/ Fresh Tomato and Parmigiano Reggiano, Paradiso, Philadelphia, PA
Paradiso Restaurant & Wine Bar at 1627 East Passyunk Avenue, near Tasker Street, is in the heart of South Philly. Yet being at the center of Philadelphia’s Little Italy, home to cheese steaks, pizza and veal parmesan with canned sauce, Paradiso is a haven from the typical Italian-American fare of too many area restaurants.
Check Examiner.com often for my restaurant reviews. You can subscribe either to this blog site or by clicking the link next to my name on one of my reviews.
Gazelle Stew on Sadza, beans in tomato sauce, collard greens & creamed spinach
On any photo safari through Zimbabwe springbok (African gazelle), kudu (large antelope), impala and warthogs are seen by the dozen. Crocodiles make venturing into the rivers for a swim unwise. It does not take that much imagination to realize that these animals, exotic to Western palates, must have been part of the Shona and Ndebele cultural diet.
Marinated Warthog with White Wine BBQ Sauce at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge
Gazelle, warthog and crocodile are still available yet, ironically, they are usually found in either luxury restaurants or an average home in the Townships.
In urban areas the working man or women and students in brightly colored, starched uniforms are more likely to be found in one of four fast food establishments – Chicken Inn®, Pizza Inn®, Bakers Inn® and Creamy Inn® – all serving industrialized products recognizable to anyone in Liverpool or Detroit.
Upon entering the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in swank Scottsdale, AZ, you may be greeted by a pirate.
Michael McClanathan
Depending on the time of day you might hear live music being played at the edge of the golf course on bagpipes by a gentleman with long blond hair in a kilt.
Nelson Garcia-Miranda
Before entering Deseo restaurant you will experience the Kierland’s Artist-in-Residence intently painting.
Scotty
In the lobby of the hotel, you may run into Scotty, the Kierland’s top Dog-in-Residence.
Welcome to the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, “an uncommon experience.”
King and Prince Shrimp and Grits in a Tasso Cream Sauce
The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort on St. Simons Island, Georgia, finesses a classic dish served in every southern dinner elevating Shrimp and Grits to a fine dining star.
It was the end of a pleasant sunny early November day in the now quiet off-season of St. Simons Island, one of Georgia’s premiere barrier island destinations. The elegant 1935 King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort, listed on the National Historic Register and Historic Hotels of America, set a table befitting its Old World heritage. The formal place settings with an array of flatware and crystal stemware lay on starched white linen lit by softly glowing candles. The guests are not what the media would identify as royalty or even VIPs. We’re nearly two dozen jaded, or nearly jaded, travel and food journalists – critics to the core.
Southern Culinary Traditions
We were the guests of The King and Prince. Our four day tour to explore the culinary traditions of southeastern Georgia was organized by Leigh Cort Publicity. Such media trips involve a considerable amount of activity, not the least of which is eating and drinking. To make an impression worthy of an article the fare has to be more than just free.
Tradition versus an Old Standby
Personally my foodie radar was picking up more an old diner standby rather than a fine tradition when the itinerary indicated that dinner would include a Shrimp and Grits cooking demonstration. Google any of a dozen recipes and discover everything from bullion cubes to extra sharp cheddar used to mask tasteless farm raised frozen shrimp mounded on top of instant grits. Believe me I’ve had my full of disappointing versions.
Chef Dwayne Austell and Vinny D’Agostino
It took only a moment after entering the dining room for my nose to detect a subtle aroma of warm smoked meat. It was emanating from the chafing dish that was keeping the sauce at serving temperature. I should have guessed that a Johnson & Wales University graduate Food and Beverage Director, Vinny D’Agostino, and Georgia low country native Sous Chef Dwayne Austell would rise above the ordinary.
Wild Shrimp and Tasso Ham
Quality ingredients are essential for a great dish and there is no comparison between farm raised and wild shrimp. Fortunately, much of America’s shrimp is wild and the package will be labeled appropriately. The high tides and lush nutrient rich salt marshes of low country and barrier islands provide an excellent clean environment for Georgia’s abundant shrimp. The Georgia White Shrimp is especially plump, meaty and flavorful. Yet the secret to Chef Austell’s outstanding Shrimp and Grits is the addition of smoky, cured Tasso ham – an essential ingredient in much of southern cajun cuisine. What is actually a pork butt rather than a ham gives the cajun spiced light cream sauce a rich flavor that lingers in the mouth.
The Recipe – for 2 servings
Ingredients:
• 2 cups heavy cream
2/3rd cup diced Tasso ham
1/2 cup fresh or frozen kernel corn
1/2 cup seeded diced tomatoes
4 Tablespoons diced green onions
4 to 6 ounces fresh shelled wild shrimp
2 Tablespoons cajun seasoning mix
1/2 cup grated asiago cheese
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
cooked grits
Preparation:
First prepare grits using the best recipe I know for Creamy Stone Ground Grits
Add just enough olive oil to lightly cover the bottom of two saute pans and heat over medium setting.
In one pan add the shrimp and cajun seasoning. Saute no more than 5 minutes. Overcooking results in tough shrimp.
In the second pan add the ham and corn and saute for a couple minutes. Add the tomatoes and green onions, combine and saute a few minutes more. Add the heavy cream and asiago cheese. Bring to a simmer and cook for two minutes.
Combine the shrimp and all the pan juices into the sauce.
Serve over the prepared grits.
Wine Pairing
Vinny D’Agostino, a sommelier as well, paired the entree with a nice Georgia Chardonnay from Frogtown Cellars. The minimal acidity of a Chardonnay, preferably unoaked, works well with the creamy sauce. A California or Washington State Chardonnay would be a fine substitute since Georgia wines are not widely distributed.
Even if you’re not dining a few hundred feet from the ocean, this fine recipe from the King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort can conjure memories of warm lazy days under Spanish Moss dripping oak trees and sea gulls laughing overhead.
Whizzing by on the bus in the dusty southern rural countryside a women flashes a big smile as I snap a picture through the windshield.
5th grade girles at the Hartzell School
If the future of a nation is in its youth, a visit to two rural schools confirms for me the resourceful exuberance of Zimbabwe’s young generation.
A young student at the Hartzell School in Mutare takes a break from his chore hoeing kale at the school’s vegetable plot to give me a wave.
The tables are turned as a student with a smartphone photographs the travel journalist while I snap away.
These were the facial expressions I encountered as I toured this beautiful land for two weeks in October, not the quizzical expressions of mild shock when I informed American acquaintances of my travel plans.
Spread out over the heart of downtown Columbia yet anchored at the University of Missouri’s Peace Park, the Roots, Blues and BBQ Festival offers both music and food enthusiasts something to crow about.
Ernie asked Chester Gould if he’d autograph his wall and the result was the original poster sized sketch of the iconic 1930s sleuth that graces the entrance to Ernie’s Cafe and Steakhouse.
beer flights at Flat Branch Pub & Brewing
The names of 38 beers are printed around the border of Flat Branch Pub and Brewing but their beer menu lists over 100.
Firelight Pizza Company
When was the last time you came across a portable wood fired brick oven on a city street?
Sparky's Ice Cream
Unfortunately Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream, 21 S. Ninth Street, known for their very small batch exotic flavored creations, sold out of their Brown Sugar Chocolate Cicada Ice Cream.
Peanut Butter & Bacon Mashed Potatoes at Bleu
Peanut Butter & Bacon Mashed Potatoes was inspired – three simple ingredients taken to new and delicious heights for the simple reason “why not.”
It’s a brilliant sunny day off the southern Georgia coast as the Lady Jane moves slowly through the channel. The islands of St. Simons and Jekyll rise above a sea of salt grass. Laughing seagulls – their actual name – swoop through the air behind the ship. “That’s a good sign,” comments Cliff Credle, “They know where the food is.”
These waters are home to the endangered Green Sea Turtle.
Travel with Pen and Palate 
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