Behind the Kitchen Door

Pull up a front porch rocker and fix yourself a tall glass of sweet tea as I welcome you to this special place for all occasions.

Peninsula Grill Coconut Cake, photograph is courtesy of the Peninsula Grill

Welcome to my new Cookbook Club, Behind the Kitchen Door. Each week, I will send recipes I’ve learned and loved through the years to paid subscribers and Founding Members in appreciation for your support. It’s my way of saying “thank you.” If you are not already a member, you are welcome to subscribe and join us on the journey.

My History

Shrimp, Collards, and Grits is my best-selling cookbook series I founded in 2010. That’s probably how you met me. You might be a former subscriber to Shrimp, Collards and Grits magazine, or you’ve seen me in Charleston Style and Design magazine, The Local Palate, Deep South, or even Pink magazine.

Since then, The Diary of a Southern Food Writer has evolved into a group of passionate, opinionated food enthusiasts with a drive to dive deep into the culture of the SC Lowcountry. I love learning along with you, working with historians, journalists, practiced home cooks, and professional chefs.

I take seriously my responsibility to produce features that are useful, interesting, and accurate. I’m as open to your stories of wacky tales in the kitchen as I am to a story on fraud in the seafood industry.

Whatever your interests, you will learn new recipes, techniques, and thought-provoking perspectives on food and culture. You can reach me through “Chat” on my Substack or at pat@patbranning.com. Let’s get started!

Front Porches and Sweet Tea

Nothing more defines the heart and soul of a Southern home than the front porch and momma’s cooking. It’s the place for visiting with neighbors walking by and for cooling down on a hot summer afternoon with a tall glass of sweet tea. Anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line, you know our tea is sweet. It’s as basic to our way of life as our beloved magnolia trees. I think we should name it the “Sweet Tea Line.”

In my mother’s day, they shared recipes passed down from generations of great cooks, family, and friends. No internet back then. Recipes became cherished keepsakes that linked us to dear friends and became part of our family’s rich history.

Let’s gather on our virtual front porch where we can kick off our shoes, swap ideas, stories, and learn from one another. Let’s meet here once a week.

Cooking and the Internet

Cooking is a creative process of endless possibilities and now we can scour the internet for just about anything. But watch out! There is an impressive collection of unverified food blogs and AI-generated recipes. If you find a recipe from Allrecipes, run for the hills. They may work, but they are not always the best.

When I Googled the Allrecipes for Coconut Cake to verify what I am telling you is true, it calls for frozen whipped topping, which will work, but not when there are fabulous recipes with lemon curd between the layers and Irish butter with vanilla bean paste in the icing.

The fun of cooking is in the creativity and striving for something delicious. Otherwise, get one at the grocery store. A coconut cake without a cozy blanket of sweetened, shredded goodness is not a real coconut cake. It should be a spectacular taste of heaven! If I make something, I want it to be good or maybe even great.

There is a process for finding the best recipes. You want to look for results that are way more curated. They are the sources you can trust. So when I search for a recipe, I always preface the recipe with the source, such as “Bon Appétit Coconut Cake,” “The Local Palate Coconut Cake,” or “New York Times Coconut Cake,” and so on. You will be a lot happier with the results. Then add your personal touches.

Coconut Cake in the Lowcountry

The incredible Ultimate Coconut Cake, from Charleston’s Peninsula Grill, is a featured recipe this week. It’s their most popular menu item, dessert or otherwise.

I have been calling it Margaret’s Cake because the first time I ever experienced this cake was while enjoying dinner there years ago. We liked it so much that we had it made by our local chef for her wedding cake. It’s more than just dessert. It’s a valuable part of our history.

If the city could give a key to a cake, they might bestow the honor upon this one.