I’m a mom, cook, author, occasional TV host, and restaurant owner from Deep Run, North Carolina. I work to blend family, food and storytelling in a way that touches people and reminds them of where they came from. The process of it all is generally a bit messy for me, but it’s been an interesting and rewarding journey so far.
This is what happens when fresh figs meet caramelized onions, goat cheese, and a little brown sugar and orange. The figs get tossed with orange zest and juice, then stirred into those R-Rated Onions before getting topped with crumbled goat cheese and baked until everything's warm and bubbling. The goat cheese stays creamy and distinct rather than melting into oblivion, which is exactly what you want. Finish it with roasted pecans and let it cool just enough so you don't burn your mouth scooping it onto the best crostini you can toast. And if you really want to go for it, toast those crostini in bacon fat.
This is the dip that made upstairs parties at Chef and the Farmer less of a headache and more of a reason to smile. It starts with those R-Rated Onions you just made, then gets a hit of balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce for tang and depth. Mixed into cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo, it becomes something lighter and more addictive than that French onion packet dip we all grew up with. The best part? It tastes even better the next day, so make it ahead and let it hang out in the fridge until you're ready to serve. Crown it with fresh chives and grab your favorite potato chips—this one disappears fast.
The secret to truly caramelized onions isn't a secret at all—it's time and the right setup. You need a heavy-bottomed skillet, a good amount of onions to create steam and prevent burning, and about an hour of gentle cooking. Slice them with the grain from root to stem, then let them move through their stages: raw, wilted, sweaty, soft, light brown, and finally that deep mahogany color. You don't have to babysit them the entire time—just stir occasionally, scrape up those caramelized bits, and resist cranking up the heat. When you're left with a soft, creamy, fragrant pile of deeply browned onions, you'll understand why they're worth the wait.
This smoked corn mayo started as the secret weapon on my Elbow-Lick Tomato Sandwich, but it's become something I keep on hand all summer long. Blanched corn gets smoked until it's honey-colored in spots, then half of it goes into the blender with egg yolks, lemon juice, garlic, and a touch of cayenne to make a smooth, emulsified mayo. The rest gets stirred in for texture and bursts of sweet, smoky corn flavor. It's perfect slathered on a tomato sandwich, served with sweet potato fries, or thinned out with buttermilk and mixed with fresh corn to make a dip. Once you make it, you'll find excuses to put it on everything.
Roasted grapes were one of the first things that made me realize the oven could transform something sweet into something savory. I'd been roasting regular grapes for years before I finally tried it with muscadines, thinking the skins would be too tough and tannic. I was wrong. The skin holds its shape but loses its chew, and the flesh becomes pure jammy muscadine essence. Paired with caramelized Brussels sprouts, link sausage, and a bright Dijon-lemon dressing, this sheet pan dinner hits every taste we have—sweet, salty, bitter, sour, umami. It's perfect in early fall with roast meats, on its own, or next to a bowl of greens. Just don't skip scraping up all that caramelized goodness from the pan.
The cheese ball is such a cliché that it's actually become cool again—right up there with pigs in a blanket and baked potatoes. And whether it's socially acceptable or not, when you put one out at a party, people hover over it like it's a crystal ball. This version combines blue cheese, goat cheese, cream cheese, and butter with chopped dates, scallions, and hot sauce, then gets rolled in salt-and-butter-roasted pecans and fresh parsley. The key is bringing it out at least thirty minutes before serving so it's spreadable and all those flavors can really come through. Keep your crackers simple—sea salt or plain is the way to go. And consider doubling the recipe because a fully formed cheese ball freezes and travels beautifully.
“Howard brings that same storyteller sensibility—paired with serious restaurant-honed kitchen chops—to teach home cooks easily achievable building block recipes and techniques that lend an extra level of pleasure to the simplest dishes, while letting the ingredients shine through.”
“Howard’s enthusiastic exploration of her life in and out of the kitchen shows her at her best and most delightful.”
“I’ve been mentioned in the same sentence as Ina Garten and finally feel like I’ve made it,” said Vivian.
Visit Handy & Hot at 68 Wentworth Street, Charleston, SC.
It has everything you need for a delicious damn time.
It’s the one ingredient always in Vivian’s fridge. Red Weapons and their flavor hero friends are the subject of Vivian’s next book — This Will Make It Taste Good — out October 2020.
If you like earnest food programming that’s not just straight chef-worship, or if you need to alleviate some cabin fever and appreciate the tiny treasures of humanity, watch this.
In her new show, Somewhere South, Howard steps instead into the role of host, taking viewers on a journey through the history of Southern food and placing those foods into their context in the modern South. By exploring the food that people in the South are making, Howard aims to paint a portrait of the communities we are all a part of and to highlight the ways in which where we come from directly influence who we are.
This Will Make It Taste Good is due out in October 2020.
We have been doing something excellent in a place you don’t expect.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we have had to postpone our Premiere Party for Somewhere South. Please join us Friday nights at 9pm EST on PBS beginning March 27th.
