Our Facebook fans have asked for healthier holiday recipes and slow cooker recipes, so The Food Factor team has combined both requests into one new video: Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Roast! Cranberries are a perfect fall flavor and are loaded with vitamin C and fiber without lots of calories. Combined with a lean pork roast, you have a wonderful alternative to heavier traditional main dishes. Plus, when you use the slow cooker, your oven is free for other family favorites, like baked sweet potatoes, which would pair perfectly with this dish. Or, serve with brown rice and your favorite veggies. Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Roast 2 1/2 pounds boneless pork roast 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup dried minced onion Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray. Place pork roast in slow cooker. In a mixing bowl, combine the cranberry sauce, honey, and minced onion. Pour over the pork roast. Cook on low for 10-12 hours. Shred and serve. Thanks for our friends at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service for the terrific publication “5 Easy Slow Cooker Meals for Back to School,” where we found this printable recipe. If you love slow cooker recipes, check out our Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken Sliders, Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers, and Baked Potatoes in the Slow Cooker!

JACKSON, Miss. – Oakland Raiders Guard Gabe Jackson and his wife, Eryn Jackson, are opening Mississippi’s first location of The Dapper Doughnut right in the heart of Flowood. Jackson, a Liberty, Miss., native and former Mississippi State University football player is set to open the store in January 2020 at the Lakeland Commons. “Mississippi is home, and we have always wanted to return home and possibly start a business of our own one day,” said Gabe Jackson. “Fortunately, The Dapper Doughnut, has given us the opportunity to finally make that happen.” In preparation for its January 2020 opening, The Dapper Doughnut will be gifting free hot samples at the 21st Annual Christmas In the Park at Winner’s Circle Park on December 7th from 2 to 8 p.m. Find their booth, watch their doughnut-making process and receive a holiday-themed Dapper bag of three hot, mini doughnuts. “The first time we tasted The Dapper Doughnut, it was amazing,” said Jackson. “We knew this delicious innovative idea of a HOT Mini doughnut belonged in the South.” The Dapper Doughnut is always hot, fresh and made right in front of you. They offer a variety of unique flavors such as Bananas Foster, S’mores, Birthday Cake and Blueberry Lemon. The Flowood location will be the first in the company’s history to offer a “Build Your Own Doughnut” option. The Dapper Doughnut also provides customers a selection of extended beverages, coffee and soft-serve frozen desserts. The Dapper Doughnut®, established in 2015, has grown to 31 stores across the United States, Canada and the Dominican Republic, with seven stores to open in 2020. The Dapper Doughnut is a high end, exciting shop for hot mini donuts made fresh to order with the mission to love their customers, team members and community by providing fun memorable experiences with great tasting food.

Whether you’re hosting a party, taking along treats to someone else’s gathering, or you just want to bring some joy and sweetness into your own home, experts say that on-trend flavors evocative of the season will be sure to please friends and family alike. To get inspired, check out special seasonal editions of your favorite ingredients. For example, HERSHEY’s Hot Cocoa Kisses, which were launched last year, were so popular that most stores ran out of them by Thanksgiving. “We know that people love curling up with a cup of hot cocoa during the holidays,” says Heather Seamans, associate brand manager of Holiday at HERSHEY’s. “Now they have more than one way to do that!” Enjoyed on their own, or as an accompaniment to a cup of hot cocoa, you can also incorporate them into this easy recipe for Hot Cocoa Cookie Cups. Hot Cocoa Cookie Cups Brownie bites Marshmallow fluff White, ready to spread frosting Miniature marshmallows Mini Pretzels Hershey’s Kisses Hot Cocoa with Marshmallow Chocolates Buy brownie bites at your favorite bakery Add marshmallow spread equal parts marshmallow fluff and fluffy white ready-to-spread frosting and top with miniature marshmallows. Use half a small pretzel for mug handle Top off with a couple of Hot Cocoa Kisses More holiday recipes and tips can be found at hersheys.com. The good news is that impressive holiday desserts don’t need to be tricky or time consuming to prepare. With easy recipes and on-trend ingredients, you can make fun creations to savor and share. Courtesy of StatePoint Media

Let’s face it; we’d all love to recreate Martha Stewart’s perfect Christmas party featuring a bountiful table filled with homemade delicacies. After watching 24-hour coverage of Food Network holiday dinners, placing a similarly-impressive spread of a glistening turkey, succulent ham, and magnificent sides and desserts before family and friends is on everyone’s wish list. But try as we might, lack of time, imagination, and, all too often, finances, prohibit most of us from carrying out the ideas we’ve glimpsed in magazines and on television cooking shows. Instead of spending the upcoming holidays in the kitchen, why not stop by any number of restaurants and supermarkets for dips, appetizers, party trays, and desserts for parties and Christmas dinner? Almost everything necessary for a Martha-worthy party or dinner can be purchased, and, if you’re lucky, your guests or family won’t know the difference. This creates more time for you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the holidays instead of spending hours in the kitchen. Following is a short list of some of my favorite supermarket and restaurant food items to create the perfect holiday gathering. Call ahead to check policies on take-out, especially when it involves an entire meal. But if you miss the window for a Christmas party or dinner, just extend the holiday merriment to New Year’s Eve! 1. Get the party started – Kroger never disappoints when it’s time for party food shopping. A number of Private Label and Kroger brand appetizers are delicious and inexpensive, including crab dip, which can be placed in a casserole dish, topped with crushed crackers, and served as a hot dip. There’s also gourmet pimento cheese, delicious served warm or cold with a variety of crackers for dipping. A personal favorite is Kroger’s Tex Mex dip. It’s the perfect dip for crudités or crackers. A friend recently recommended Kroger’s Jarlsberg dip, a tangy combination of Jarlsberg cheese, mayonnaise, and onions. The copycat recipe is online if you prefer to make your own version. And complete party tray kits containing sliced ham, cheese, and crackers make compiling an impressive charcuterie board easier than you’d imagined. Another supermarket to check out for party needs is Jackson’s Whole Foods. Shrimp and smoked salmon platters, fig-stuffed brie, and cheese platters are just a few of the delicacies that can be on your party table in minutes. It’s no secret among Mississippians fortunate enough to have a Piggly Wiggly in their midst that this supermarket chain knows how to fry chicken. Luckily, they also create party trays filled with crispy drummettes, wings, and tenders. Trust me, the chicken tray will be remembered long after memories of your party have faded. 2. Holiday central – Primos Café has been Mississippians’ go-to holiday meal and dessert pick-up place for decades. With locations in Flowood, Ridgeland, and Madison, Primos has everything necessary for a memorable party or dinner. From party trays loaded with poboys, finger sandwiches, pasta, chicken tenders, and specialty breads, to Christmas dinner casseroles featuring sweet potatoes, broccoli, and green beans, to name a few, Primos has played a part in thousands of holiday gatherings over the years. 3. When it comes to Christmas dinner, nothing’s easier than getting a trusted supermarket to do the job for you. Whole Foods offers complete turkey, ham and prime rib dinner with all the trimmings to feed groups ranging from small to large. Many other supermarkets with full-service delis, including Ridgeland’s Fresh Market, offer complete Christmas dinners complete with a turkey or ham and traditional sides. Remember to call several days in advance to check prices and ordering cut-off dates. 4. Sweets, sweets, and more sweets – It’s the Christmas season, so dietary restraints should temporarily go out the window. Some of my top picks for holiday sweets and desserts include the Christmas petit fours and berry burg cake at Corner Market (check locations in Hattiesburg, Petal, Ellisville, Laurel, and Vicksburg), Cotton Blues’ cheesecake sold at the Hattiesburg restaurant and in Ramey’s Supermarkets in select locations, Whole Foods’ pecan pie, and a favorite of thousands of Mississippians, Primos’ caramel cake. A friend recently served me a piece of Pepperidge Farm coconut cake – yes, the one seen for decades in the freezer case - and I have to say, it was surprisingly delicious. If you’ve missed the cut-off time to order a dessert, defrost the old standard, place it on a dessert plate, and, just like that, you have a delicious dessert to serve your guests. You also can’t go wrong with Marie Callender’s frozen lattice apple and Southern pecan pies found near the coconut cake. 5. Setting the stage – Table decorations are important, but when the budget has been depleted, look no further than the cut flower section at Wal-Mart or other supermarkets. I recently purchased three bundles of cut fall flowers at Walmart for less than $30 to decorate a large banquet hall. Christmas bouquets will soon be out; an inexpensive, festive way to dress up buffet and dinner tables without going over the budget. As you plan Christmas parties and dinners, remember this important fact. Your family and friends won’t notice or care if you purchased food from a supermarket, deli or restaurant. Being invited to your home to celebrate the season is a personal gift everyone enjoys receiving. So, shop around, place the order, and let others do the cooking so you can enjoy this special time as much as your guests.

If there is only one more bottle of chardonnay you intend to drink, let it be a Ramey. We’ve been tasting chardonnay for decades, and rarely do we get this excited about chardonnay. Perhaps we are numbed by a parade of chardonnays whose producers are either chasing a fad or settling for mediocrity. Haven’t we all had enough chardonnay that is as out of tune as an unused piano? There is nothing out of tune with Ramey’s line of six chardonnays, even though winemaker David Ramey tries to keep his hands off the natural process of turning grapes into wine. A non-interventionist, he steadfastly refuses to fashion a chardonnay into something it’s not meant to be. And, that’s not the case with a cadre of producers who are fond of over-extracting, over-oaking, or over-sweetening their chardonnays. “I don’t think that dry wine with food will ever go out of style,” he said in a recent meeting. “So, we’re going to do what we always do. And, people will follow us.” The Wine Spectator awarded the 2016 Ramey Cellars Hyde Vineyard Chardonnary its seventh most exciting wnes of 2019. Ramey draws grapes from both Sonoma and Napa counties. He calls his chardonnays “neo-Burgundian” – not quite the premier crus that cost more than $100 a bottle, but modernized chardonnays that offer more complexity at half the price. Even at $60 a bottle, Ramey chardonnays are a good value relative to French prices. It’s not as if this brilliant wine scientist hasn’t had a chance to experiment with style. After getting his masters degree in oenology from University of California at Davis, he traveled to Australia and France to get the European approach. But, as he said, it wasn’t easy working under a French owner in Pomerol who didn’t think much of chardonnay, so he came back to the States where he worked alongside Zelma Long at Simi. He also had pioneering stints at Matanzas Creek, Chalk Hill and Rudd before joining is wife in launching Ramey Wine Cellars in 1996. There was a lot of chardonnay under the bridge by the time he perfected his own chardonnay. Now, he uses only native yeasts to give his wines a silky feel and doesn’t filter his wine. He lets his wine go through natural malolactic fermentation and leaves his wine on the lees – spent yeast cells – for an extended time to give his chardonnay more texture. It’s just as the French have done for centuries. “Man has been making wine for over 6,000 years before oenologists came around,” he laments. While many producers, including the touted Chateau Montelena, eschew malolactic fermentation, Ramey embraces it. “ML is not a nefarious plot by winemakers. It’s natural.” We liked the delicacy and freshness of these wines – unlike the over-extracted, buttery chardonnays that will oxidize in just a few years. “The process is not ideological,” he said. “I don’t dictate the style of a chardonnay.” Ramey also disagrees with the trend toward unoaked chardonnay. “There are two things that shape chardonnay: malolactic fermentation and oak. Unoaked chardonnays take away one leg away. No oak is the wrong answer to over-oaked chardonnays. Less oak is the answer.” Ramey also poured us his luscious pinot noirs, a cabernet sauvignon-based Claret, and a premium Bordeaux-grape-blend called Annum. He also makes a complex and textured Sonoma Coast syrah. But it was the chardonnays that remind us that Sonoma County is one of the great areas for this grape variety. These wines are delicious for just sipping but will do well with fish and fowl. Here are the three we liked: Ramey Wine Cellars Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2016 ($42). Ramey Wine Cellars Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay 2015 ($65). Ramey Wine Cellars Rochioli Vineyard Chardonnay 2015 ($65). Yaluma winery Yalumba is the oldest family owned winery in Australia founded in 1849 in the famed Barossa wine growing region. We recently tasted two excellent red wines from Yalumba we recommend. The Yalumba Shiraz Barossa 2017 ($21) is easily identified as shiraz. Aged in only a small amount of new French, Hungarian and American oak, the balance of aging takes place in older versions of these barrels. Fresh blueberry fruit notes with a hint of licorice are wrapped in a medium bodied red wine that is a delight to drink. We especially enjoyed the Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache Barossa 2018 ($21). Aged only in the same older oak barrels as the syrah, the rich fresh fruit flavors of raspberry and plum shine through. If you have a hankering for Grenache you will love this wine. Wine picks Clarendelle Blanc Bordeaux 2018 ($19). A classic white Bordeaux blend of 42 percent semillon, 30 percent sauvignon blanc, and 28 percent muscadelle. This wine is produced by Domaine Clarence Dillon. Clarence Dillon is the owner of iconic Bordeaux luminaries Chateau Haut-Brion and Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion and his firm uses the same oenologists to produce the Clarendelle Blanc. Clarence Dillon also makes a very rare white wine from Chateau Haut-Brion which we recently saw for sale for $850 per bottle! We’re not representing that the Clarendelle is the same quality of the Haut-Brion Blanc, but it is a very good example of a quality white Bordeaux. Very smooth and rich from the dominant semillon grape with pear fruit notes and a hint of nutmeg. A great introduction to the white side of Bordeaux wines. Dry Creek Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Dry Creek Valley 2018 ($20). This is a consistently good offering of outstanding quality for a fair price. Fig and melon notes with a hint of citrus are delivered in a smooth and rich package. The wine is mostly stainless-steel aged but is supplemented by a touch of the sauvignon blanc that is wood aged. A terrific package.

Nothing says fall like the scent of homemade applesauce simmering on the stove. One of the best things about making your own food is the ability to control the spices, amount of sugar, and texture of whatever you’re making. We found small bags of apples on sale for 99 cents each in the produce department of our local grocery store. Imperfect or slightly bruised apples make great applesauce! Here are some of my tried-and-true tips for delicious applesauce: If you like chunky applesauce, don’t chop your apples into small pieces and cook for a shorter amount of time. If you love a richer flavored applesauce, use brown sugar and add nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice to the mix in addition to cinnamon. Try substituting apple juice or apple cider for water as your cooking liquid, but be prepared to reduce your added sugar. In a hurry? Buy pre-sliced apples at the grocery store and cut them up into smaller pieces. Don’t have time to watch a saucepan, cook the applesauce in your slow cooker on low! We followed a printable recipe from North Dakota State University Extension Service. We did add more water and cooked the apples for longer than the recipe called for until we got the texture we wanted. Homemade Applesauce 7 apples, quartered (or put through a corer/slicer) 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup sugar ​Wash and then cut apples in quarters. Apples can be peeled, but fiber will be decreased. Combine apples and water in saucepan. Heat mixture to boiling. Turn heat to low as soon as the water is boiling. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until apples are tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Stir in sugar and heat until sugar is dissolved. Serving suggestion: Add 1 tablespoon cinnamon and stir before serving. You can adjust the amount to your taste preference. Note: Additional sugar can be added to increase sweetness. Brown sugar can be used instead of white. Makes 10 servings. Per 1/2 cup serving: about 70 calories, 0 grams (g) of fat, 18 g carbohydrate, 8 percent of the daily recommendation for vitamin C, and 2 g fiber.

The word “Aladdin” conjures up the character in the folk tale of Middle Eastern origin found in in The Arabian Nights. The addition of “Mediterranean” creates an irresistible picture of mystical, magical food originating from Greece, Spain, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, and other countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Even though we’re located in the Deep South, authentic Mediterranean cuisine is readily available, thanks to Aladdin Mediterranean Grill on Lakeland Drive in Jackson. Situated in the historic Fondren Business District, Aladdin is a favorite spot to enjoy lamb dishes, falafel, baklava, and many other Mediterranean specialties. The exterior may be unassuming, but once diners enter the cozy space filled with mosaics, tapestries, plush seating, and bold colors, they’re immediately transported to Morocco…or possibly the Greek Isles…or maybe Spain. Once the food arrives, aesthetics is forgotten and an immediate journey begins to another place and time far away with delicious, authentic, and perfectly-prepared cuisine. And, by the way, don’t worry if you haven’t mastered the pronunciation of words on the menu like shawarma and taboul. Just remember these two words to get your meat started: “Hummus, please.” I promise, you won’t regret it. The measure of an authentic Mediterranean restaurant is the freshness of the offerings and the balance of seasonings in dishes that recapture the best of a cuisine known for hearty, flavorful dishes. Aladdin offers all that and more, along with a varied menu that contains traditional Mediterranean items along with American specialties with an ethnic touch. To get your Mediterranean food odyssey going, start with the appetizers. As you can tell, I’m going to recommend a serving of hummus dip ($3.95). It’s fresh, creamy, and delightfully tangy. Others worth trying (all in $4.50 range) are baba ganul, musabaha, qudsia, Lebna, and fried kibby. Others with more recognizable names are basmati rice with saffron ($2.50), pickles and olive ($2.50), spinach pie ($4), fried cheese ($5.95), and even American fries ($2.50). Salads start at $2.50 for the regular house version and extend to the $8 range for delicacies like the Greek, Tzeki, Arabic, chicken or beef shawarma, tabouli, and shrimp. Topped with creamy feta cheese, Greek, or other homemade dressings, Aladdin’s salads are a complete meal that are sure to satisfy. Marinated, grilled, and roasted meat is prevalent in Mediterranean food, which may explain its presence on Aladdin’s menu. A variety of sandwiches and entrees are filled with everything from chicken, lamb and beef are tender, delicious, and topped with homemade dressing or sauce. Favorite sandwiches include the traditional gyro ($4.99) filled with thinly sliced lamb and beef and topped with traditional tzatziki sauce; beef or chicken shawarma ($6 range), and American versions of a burger, cheeseburger, or Philly steak sandwich ($5 range). Entrees are served with salad, hummus, rice, and pita bread and include the combination plate of Aladdin’s specialties ($12.99), beef, lula, lamb, or beef kabab ($12 range), lamb chops or shank ($16 range), fried kibby ($10.99), gyra plate ($11.69), hummus with lamb ($10.69), shrimp or tilapia plate ($12 range), and meat grape leaves plate ($9.69). The perfect Mediterranean meal simply cannot end without the addition of a succulent homemade dessert. Aladdin’s lineup doesn’t disappoint, offering delicious baklava, Burma, bird nest, and tiramisu, all in the $2 to $4 range. Aladdin Mediterranean Grill is located at 730 Lakeland Drive in Jackson. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Call 601-366-6033 for more information.

For centuries, immigrants have been coming to California to live their dream of making a living from West Coast’s fertile soil. Italian immigrants with iconic names like Gallo, Mondavi, Sebastiani, and Martini struck gold with grapes. But their successes weren’t built on pretty labels, celebrity names, or clever marketing schemes that have propelled modern-day wine producers to instant wealth. The success of the immigrants was built on long days of hard work. There is no better representative of this pioneering work ethic than Rolando Herrera, pictured below, who moved permanently from Mexico to California at age 15 to embark on a long, but progressive, journey from dishwasher to winemaker. His winery – aptly named Mi Sueño for “my dream” – is pumping out success after success with each new vintage. It is a testimony to a self-made man who painstakingly tends to the crop and the wine-making. Likewise, Laura Munoz left her close-knit family in Spain to come to the United States at 27 to take a fledgling career in winemaking to new levels at such renown wineries as Cardinale, Lokoya, and now Ehlers Estate. Both are among a wave of foreign winemakers who left the comforts of home to pursue a dream. Their inspirational stories are worthy to share as Thanksgiving nears and we give thanks to the pioneers who toiled to bring food and wine together. Herrera joined his family in the mid-1970s when they moved from their home in El Llano, Mexico, to Northern California in search of a better future. The family returned to Mexico in 1980, but Rolando never gave up his dream to return to California. At age 15, he and his older brother moved to Napa Valley. Although that age seems impossibly young for most of us, Herrera said 15 in Mexico is considered an independent adult. “I was renting a space in a one-bedroom apartment with my brother and 12 people. In a few months, there were 24 of us. But I enrolled in high school and got a job washing dishes,” Herrerra said of his start in California. His first break came when he went to work for Warren Winiarski at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. The legendary winemaker gave the teen-ager a summer job breaking up rocks for a stone wall. When it was time to return to school for his senior year, he personally thanked Winiarski for the opportunity. Winiarski was so impressed that he hired him on the spot to work crush and help in the cellar. “I remember getting a raise and was earning $12 an hour. I thought I had made it to the big leagues. I loved my job, and my coworkers became my best friends,” Hererra recalled. Herrera remained at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars for 10 years, taking college classes at night and eventually becoming Stag’s Leap’s cellar master. Yearning to learn more and advance his skills, he left to take winemaking jobs with Chateau Potelle and Vine Cliff before landing a director of winemaking position with the iconic Paul Hobbs Wines. But he never forgot the generosity of his mentor. Another break came in 1997 when he married Lorena Robledo, whose parents owned more than 350 acres of vineyard land in Napa, Sonoma, and Lake counties. Like Herrera, Lorena’s father immigrated to California as a teen-ager. Herrera bought grapes from Reynaldo Robledo and made 250 cases of his own wine at a crushing facility. After his father-in-law tasted it, he sent Herrera a message. “He said he wanted to buy all of the wine,” Herrera said. “I told him no, but I could give him a palate. Then, he asked, why don’t you make wine for me?” Herrera did, and together, the combined family made wine under the Robledo and Mi Sueño labels. They joined the ranks of several California winemakers from Mexico: Juan Pablo Torres Padilla of Sullivan Rutherford Estate and Pablo Ceja of Ceja Winery. Laura Munoz, pictured right, grew up sharing wine with her father at the dining room table after church in Spain. Her experience with food and wine was so strong that she decided to pursue food and science in college. Despite her father’s concerns, she chose to pursue wine making in Spain and then traveled to New Zealand and Chile to learn more. She said the opportunities in the U.S. are much greater. “People believe in you here and give you a lot of support, but that’s rare in Spain,” she said. She said she misses those family meals in Spain but craves Spanish food when she returns to her home country every other year. “It was hard for me because I’m close to my family. Having those Sunday meals, I miss that,” she said. But now that her parents have visited her in the U.S., they are finally impressed with her success. Like Herrera, Munoz is making some incredible wines to share at the Thanksgiving table. The Mi Sueño wines fetch $40 to $55 a bottle, and they launched an ultra-premium wine that costs $70 to $140. His profit is far more than the $12 an hour he made as a teenager. “I never thought I would be here. Not for one minute,” he said. “I just dreamed of getting a decent job to provide for myself, maybe rent an apartment and buy a car.” Many of his employees are young immigrants, like he once was. “Many of them don’t know my story. But some do and I tell them they can do whatever they set their minds to. Don’t be afraid to dream. Don’t be complacent. Work and hard but also work smart.” Today, he has six children – “five princesses and one champ” – and knows for what to be thankful at Thanksgiving: “God’s generosity to me and my family.” He will be spending his holiday around the table with a big turkey and a big family with big appetites. The Munoz Thanksgiving will be “crazy,” Munoz said. She married an American, but her husband has Mexican blood and his brother is from Indonesia. “Thanksgiving is really interesting here,” she said. The food is a cultural mix, although fried turkey has become a staple at the table. Her contribution is her grandmother’s recipe for natillas, a custard she tops with a cookie. Here are some of their wines: Mi Sueno Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 ($75). Generous cassis and cedar aromas are chased by plum and red currant flavors with a bit of minerality and spice. Big tannins show it can age, but it’s still enjoyable now. Mi Sueno Pugash Vineyard Chardonnay 2016 ($55). Made from mountain-grown grapes, this full-bodied chardonnay has apple aromas and exotic tropical fruit flavors. Ehlers Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 ($55). The merlot in this blend gives the wine nice dimension. Complex with intense aromas of spice, blackberry and blueberries. Red fruit flavors with firm tannins to portend a good future in the cellar. Ehlers Estate Cabernet Franc 2016 ($65). Deep opaque color with intriguing violet and herbs de Provence aroma that are indicative of this grape variety. Full body with big tannins and dark berry flavors.

Getting a delicious and healthy Thanksgiving meal on the table requires careful attention to detail. STARKVILLE, Miss. -- A few, simple preparations can mean the difference between achieving a healthy success or suffering a major disaster during the traditional biggest meal of the year. Courtney Crist, assistant professor of food safety with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said one common mistake in food preparation happens at the very beginning. She recommended not washing the turkey before cooking it. “It is virtually impossible to wash bacteria off the turkey, and liquids that splash during washing could transfer bacteria onto surfaces in your kitchen, other foods and utensils,” Crist said. “Proper cooking will kill bacteria.” Thaw the bird in the refrigerator, under cold water or in the microwave, but never thaw it at room temperature. “Bacteria grow rapidly in the temperature danger zone between 40 and 140 degrees,” she said. “Thaw the bird according to the instructions on the label or by U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines.” And never rely on looks to determine when the turkey is done. “All whole birds and poultry products should be cooked to a minimum of 165 degrees, and your bird is not safe to eat until it reaches this temperature,” Crist said. “Rather than rely on the pop-up thermometer that often comes inserted in the bird, use a probe thermometer to measure doneness and safety at the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the wing and the innermost part of the thigh.” The main dish is not the only item that must be handled and prepared correctly. Crist said clean hands are a must. Hands should be washed frequently with soap and water, especially after handling time raw meat and poultry. Another important element of a safe meal is avoiding cross contamination. “Always separate raw meat and poultry from ready-to-eat foods, and use separate cutting boards, plates and utensils when preparing and serving food,” Crist said. “Keep hot foods hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers or warming trays, and keep cold foods cold by nesting them in bowls of ice or only serving small portions at a time, keeping the rest under refrigeration. “Throw away perishable foods that have been left out at room temperature for more than two hours,” she said. Natasha Haynes, host of the MSU Extension Service video series The Food Factor, said another way to make the Thanksgiving meal a resounding success is to keep it healthy. “The average person will eat about 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day,” Haynes said. “With so many delicious foods available, it’s easy to get carried away and overeat, so portion control is very important.” The cooks can help reduce the calorie count by making small changes to their recipes to make the dishes healthier. “With some recipes, if it calls for a cup of sugar, you can use two-thirds of a cup. If it calls for a half cup of oil, use one-third a cup,” Haynes said. “You can leave salt entirely out of some dishes without detracting from the overall taste, and reduced-fat versions can replace some of the higher-fat ingredients such as cheese, milk and mayonnaise.” There is typically enough stress on Thanksgiving Day just getting the meal on the table at the right time, so reduce anxiety by testing the changes to favorite recipes ahead of time to make sure they produce the desired texture and flavor.

We all know the holidays can bring together family members with a wide variety of opinions. To keep the conversational train on the tracks, try out our table talk cards this holiday season. This is a fun way to get your group to put down their phones and engage with each other. Maybe even throw in a few of your own questions. Make it a tradition in your family. Best of all, these cards don’t have to be put away until the next holiday. You can use them year-round whenever your family gathers around the table. Visit the Extension website to print a PDF of the cards. If children will be a part of your celebrations, have the ingredients on hand for this Thanksgiving “Turkey” Sandwich. Older children can guide younger children in this activity, and maybe your picky eaters will try something new.

If you read my column with any regularity, you know my love of the Mississippi Gulf Coast is strong. However, every now and then I venture further east to Alabama and Florida to enjoy their beautiful beaches. A recent trip to the Gulf Shores area was the perfect antidote to Mississippi's frigid fall temps. A visit to a genuine seafood legend since 1983 was the icing on the cake. Whether you’ve realized it or not, driving in to the Gulf Shores beaches via Highway 59 South, you’ve passed the Original Oyster House Restaurant countless times. It’s been a staple in the Bayou Village Shopping Center, otherwise known as the “Oyster House Boardwalk,” for decades, reigning supreme when other seafood places have come and gone. It’s not only conveniently located, but the food is consistently good. Otherwise, it would have closed or been replaced years ago in the rapidly-growing area and that just hasn’t happened. If you're staying in nearby Orange Beach, it's a short drive down the scenic beachfront. It’s billed as “one of the most successful and longest-running seafood restaurants in South Alabama,” and one look at the menu explains why. The restaurant is open for lunch, but I’ll feature the dinner menu, filled with the usual seafood starters, fried and grilled shrimp, fish, crab, and, of course, its namesake, oysters. Unlike some restaurants found in tourist areas, the Oyster House’s portions are generous, and, best of all, prices are reasonable. That’s reason enough for me to stop by whenever I’m in the area. To get the party started, homemade seafood gumbo (cup-$4.99/bowl-$6.99) filled with crab, fish, shrimp, and bacon-rendered roux is in order. It’s thick, succulent, and hearty enough for a meal if you decide not to go any further. Other shareable appetizers are Captain Bud’s appetizer sample ($11.99) filled with fried pickles, Cajun popcorn shrimp, and crawfish pies; fried pickles with dipping sauce ($6.99), fried crawfish tails ($12.25), alligator bites ($11.99), fried green tomatoes ($7.99), a dozen hushpuppies with dipping sauce ($4.99), crawfish pies ($9.25), crab cakes with remoulade sauce ($11.99), and peel and eat shrimp ($11.99), to name a few. As you might expect from its name, oysters occupy a prominent place on the menu. In fact, an entire menu section is devoted to the savory crustaceans. Items include oysters Rockefeller ($15.99), parmesan garlic oysters ($14.99), Joe and Dave’s favorite ($14.99), oysters on the half shell (market price), and shell shocked oyster sampler ($16.99). If you’re not worried about such things for health reasons (if you’re on vacation, hopefully you’re not), dive into the tempting section entitled “Deep Fried.” It includes some delicacies as fried shrimp ($16.99), soft shell crabs ($21), southern-fried flounder and grits ($17.50), and fried oysters ($18.99). House specialties include, but are not limited to, Joe and Dave’s favorite ($22.99), composed of crab cakes and grilled shrimp; Boardwalk combo ($17.99), filled with stuffed flounder and fried shrimp; Pleasure Island stack ($19.99) made of fried green tomatoes stacked with blackened fish and topped with Parmesan cream sauce and shrimp; shrimper’s delight ($23.50) filled with fried, boiled and stuffed shrimp, fried flounder and a crab cake; Captain’s choice ($18.99) comprised of shrimp scampi, flounder, boiled shrimp, stuffed crab, and whole flounder (market price) stuffed with crab meat dressing. One of my favorite Oyster House dishes, especially when I’m with a group of other shrimp-loving friends, is the ultimate shrimp platter. For $22.25, a feast of fried, stuffed, and boiled shrimp is paired with shrimp scampi. Believe me when I say, you won’t leave hungry. Additional house favorites are shrimp or chicken Alfredo baked pasta ($16.99), butter pecan Mahi ($21.99), shrimp au gratin ($15.99), bourbon grilled chicken ($14.99), and blackened shrimp and grits ($17.99). If beef, not seafood, is your favorite meal, you’ve come to the right place. Choose from among steak and shrimp ($23.99), a petite New York strip served with fried shrimp, and a 12-ounce New York strip ($26.99). Create your own platter by mixing and matching any three seafood choices for $20.50 or two choices for $18.50. Sandwiches are hearty and served with fries and Cole slaw. They include the shrimp poboy ($10.99) and oyster poboy ($12.50), bourbon glazed chicken ($9.99), and cheeseburger ($8.99). I’ve never been able to order dessert after finishing one of Oyster House’s sumptuous seafood meals. However, I was informed by area tourism folks that I’ve missed a treat in the form of the chocolate chip peanut butter pie ($5.99). There’s also key lime pie ($4.99) and other homemade delicacies like bread pudding, cheesecake, and chocolate desserts. The Original Oyster House is located at 701 Gulf Shores Parkway in Gulf Shores, Ala. Winter hours through February are Monday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call 251-948-2445 for more information. Another location is on the Mobile Causeway in Spanish Fort.

As we close in on the mother of all feasts, the last thing on your mind is probably wine. Most likely, you are more focused on where everyone will sit or how you’re going to come up with a menu that satisfies free guests – gluten-free, allergy-free, meat-free. Relax. Breathe. Grab a glass of wine. We got you covered. The least of your worries is wine because it is hard to go wrong with whatever you choose. The traditional turkey is a neutral meat that marries well with many reds and whites. The trimmings are so varied – tart cranberry, sweet yams, creamy gravy – that no one particular wine works. So, it doesn’t matter much – give your guests choices. Having said the sky is the limit, we can tell you about some wines that won’t break the bank when bought in the quantity you’ll need to keep your guests sated. For instance, one of the most overlooked Thanksgiving Day wines is the simple Beaujolais made from gamay grapes. The spirited and flashy nouveau arrives on our shores about this time of the year and sells for under $15, but there are better Beaujolais crus – Morgon, Fleurie, Moulin-a-Vent, and more – that may cost more but will deliver more substance. Dry rosés – also inexpensive – are a great bridge between white and red drinkers, plus they have the acidity and fruit to match just about everything on the traditional holiday table. On our table will be pinot noir, a grape variety that offers a lot of fruit character but also complexity. Unfortunately, pinot noirs from Burgundy, Oregon, and California are not cheap. It may not be the practical choice if you are serving a large crowd. As for the white wines, we are still fans of chardonnay because it complements gravy, potatoes, and turkey – the centerpiece of most plates. Chardonnay can be buttery and oaked, but if this is too much for your palate, look for chardonnay with less oak aging and less malolatic fermentation. If turkey isn’t on the menu, the options are clearer. Lamb and beef, for instance, call for complex cabernet sauvignons or even barolos and Rhone wines. Ham, unfortunately, is a difficult match suited to the likes of a spicy gewurztraminer. Two other pieces of advice: make sure you have enough wine, and consider offering champagne or sparkling wine as a festive aperitif. At a minimum, count on each moderate wine drinker consuming a half bottle of wine, but make it a bottle for serious wine drinkers who will be with you for most of the day. Of course, encourage guests to drink in moderation because nothing good happens when a drunk guest starts an impeachment discussion around the table. Here are 10 wines that will impress your guests: Patz & Hall Dutton Ranch Chardonnay 2017 ($44). This great Sonoma property has been owned by Washington-based Ste. Michelle Wine Estates since 2016, but the focus on quality, single-vineyard chardonnay and pinot noir remains strong. Dutton Ranch fruit is reliable and always top-notch. This version is complex with generous aromas of spice, pears, and cloves. The smooth texture and flavors add tangerine and caramel. Ramey Wine Cellars Rochioli Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2016 ($65). No one does chardonnay better than winemaker Dave Ramey. He is a firm believer of letting each of his single-vineyard chardonnays evolve with little of his intervention. Natural yeasts, sur lies aging, malolactic fermentation combine to create a luxurious, fruit-driven chardonnay with enormous depth and character. Mer Soleil Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay 2017 ($32). The buttery richness of this chardonnay would do well with turkey, gravy and potatoes. Tropical fruit, citrus and spice highlight its profile. J. Lohr Estates Riverstone Chardonnay 2018 ($14). This producer uses nine different clones from the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey to produce a flashy, buttery chardonnay with stone fruit flavors and a hint of citrus and vanilla. Harken Chardonnay 2018 ($15). Reasonably priced, this chardonnay is simple yet rich in an oaky, creamy style with tropical fruit and pear notes. Maggy Hawk Jolie Pinot Noir 2017 ($65). Tony Rynders has a series of expressive pinot noirs from Anderson Valley that we recently discovered. This one is elegant, much like a burgundy, but expressive with black cherry fruit flavors. Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2017 ($48). Floral aromas and rich cherry and plum flavors with a hint of cedar. Full bodied. Frank Family Vineyards Blanc de Blanc 2014 ($55). We first had this sparkling wine at the property several years ago and immediately fell in love with it. The wine rests on its lees for three years and was disgorged earlier this year. The complexity and attention to detail that goes into it accounts for the price, but it’s well worth it as an all-American wine to serve on a special, all-American holiday. Your guests will be impressed. Chateau de Berne Inspiration Rosé 2018 ($22). Provence is the epi-center for rosé and this one in a beautiful bottle would grace any Thanksgiving table. A classic blend of grenache, cinsault and syrah, it shows off bright acidity to match an eclectic choice of food and provides fresh strawberry favors. Raeburn Russian River Vallley Rosé 2018 ($20). This unique rosé is a blend of zinfandel, pinot noir and grenache. Generous raspberry and citrus notes. Wine picks Storypoint Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 ($20). This is a good value in the California cabernet sauvignon market. Blended with some petit sirah, cabernet franc, and other red varietals, it has layered fruit with a bit of residual sugar to give it roundness. Dark fruit character with a dash of mint. B.R. Cohn Sauvignon Blanc 2018 ($15). This steady sauvignon blanc from Sonoma County is a very good value. Citrus, melon and tropical fruit notes abound in a beautiful package. J. L. Chave Mon Coueur Cotes-du-Rhone 2016 ($28). Chave is known as one of the best producers of Northern Rhone Valley wines, so it comes as no surprise that he puts as much effort into his simple Cotes-du-Rhone. This is an outstanding wine worthy of the price. Loaded with ripe plum and blackberry fruit with hints of olives. It is a great wine that would do well with grilled meat – even a steak. Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr have been writing a weekly wine column for more than 30 years. Their web site is moreaboutwine.com.

Eating seasonal vegetables helps you get the most nutritional bang for your buck. Brussels sprouts are wildly popular right now and are easy to prepare. Roasting Brussels sprouts helps bring out their natural sweet and nutty flavors. The recipe we used calls for a drizzle of lemon juice. I’ve also seen recipes with maple syrup, or a balsamic vinegar reduction drizzled over the cooked sprouts, but this recipe is perfect for folks avoiding sugar. We used this printable recipe from Oregon State University Extension’s Food Hero program. Note: the recipe calls for 1 pound, 8 ounces of sprouts, or 1.5 pounds. The small mesh bags in the vegetable section are usually 1 pound, but in the store’s refrigerated section we found a 1.5 pound bag of Brussels sprouts that were washed and ready to cook! We trimmed the ends a little and cut larger ones in half. Roasted Brussels Sprouts 1 pound, 8 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and ready to use 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1-1/2 teaspoon lemon juice ​Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut large Brussels sprouts in half from top to bottom, leave smaller ones whole. Trim off base from each sprout. Place Brussels sprouts in a large mixing bowl. Add oil and stir to coat. Add salt and pepper and stir until well coated with seasonings. Spray a sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Place vegetables in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Roast in a preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time. The Brussels sprouts should be caramelized to a medium brown. Remove from the oven and drizzle with lemon juice. Stir to distribute lemon juice evenly. Makes about 12 half-cup portions. How do you incorporate seasonal produce in your meal plans? We’d love to hear from you. Share on social media!

When most families think of holiday cooking, they typically picture baked goods and time spent in the kitchen near the oven. This year, you can take your seasonal meal prep outdoors with cooking methods often overlooked during the winter: grilling and smoking. As one of the most popular dishes during the holidays, turkey is an easy way start creating festive flavors using a grill or smoker. To help keep your bird tasty and juicy, this Art of the Turkey Brine requires just a few simple ingredients before transferring the turkey to the grill. Pair it with this Sweet ’n’ Savory Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing that combines a soft, familiar interior with crispy edges. If you’re aiming to create dishes like these in your own backyard this season, head to a destination like Ace Hardware for all your grilling essentials and holiday inspiration. With 72% of U.S. households located within 15 minutes of an Ace store and products from Big Green Egg, Traeger and Weber all under one roof, it’s a helpful place to take your holiday meals to the next level. Find more ideas to change the way you think about holiday cooking at acehardware.com. Art of the Turkey Brine Recipe courtesy of chef Jason K. Morse of 5280 Culinary and Ace Hardware Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: About 2 hours, allow 2-3 to cool Servings: 6-8 1/3 package 5280 Culinary Brine mix 2 quarts water, plus additional for cooling and covering turkey, divided Ice 6-8 pounds turkey breast with rib cage, cleaned 1 (5 gallon) Ace Hardware bucket and lid In pan, mix brine with water. Heat to high 5 minutes to dissolve sugar and salt. Cool brine mixture; add ice water and mix well. Place turkey in bucket and cover with water and brine. Place bucket in refrigerator or cooler. Brine 45 minutes per pound. Remove turkey from brine. Heat wood fire grill to 350 degrees F. Cook turkey 20 minutes then turn temperature to 275 degrees F. Cook 1 hour, 40 minutes until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F. Allow turkey to rest about 15 minutes prior to carving to allow juices to settle. Sweet ’n’ Savory Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing Recipe courtesy of chef Jason K. Morse of 5280 Culinary and Ace Hardware Prep time: 15 minutes, plus 1 day for drying Cook time: 20-25 minutes Servings: 10-12 1 package cornbread 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, ground 1/2 cup carrots, peeled and diced 1/2 cup celery with leaves, diced 1/2 cup yellow onion, peeled and diced 1/4 cup dried blueberries 1/2 cup dried apples 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, crushed Barbecue rub 1-2 cups low-sodium chicken stock Non-stick cooking spray Cook cornbread according to package instructions; allow to cool. Leave uncovered and let dry one day. Break into medium pieces. Heat wood fire grill to 350 degrees F. Heat medium skillet and add sausage. Cook until half done and fat is rendered. Add carrots, celery, onion, blueberries, apples and garlic. Saute until caramelized. Add cornbread pieces and stir to combine. Add chicken stock until slightly wet or pasty; stir well to combine. Season, to taste, with barbecue rub and transfer stuffing from skillet to pan lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Grill, uncovered, 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Internal temperature should reach 155 degrees F when fully cooked.

The Salvation Army will be collecting turkeys to be handed out in their social services department. These turkeys will provide meals for families who cannot afford to purchase one for the holidays. Swing by the Kroger on I-55 N in Jackson between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and donate a turkey or two for a hungry family, and join the #FightForGood this season. The Salvation Army is also looking for bell ringers this season. Our new system makes it easier than ever to sign up to ring a bell at on of our iconic red kettles, and every hour you ring provides much needed funds for Salvation Army programs right here in Jackson. By taking one day shift or ringing, your group can provide a week's worth of shelter for a family in need. Sign up here.

Thanksgiving is a time when family and friends gather to give thanks. Chef, food personality, and founder of My Diary of Us created a delicious menu for Thanksgiving that is sure to wow friends and family. “I created this menu with the idea of loved ones gathered in the kitchen helping to prepare a special Thanksgiving meal to share together,” Leigh Ann explains. “This menu is perfect for large family gatherings that you may be hosting, but also is makes a potluck offering for a party or dinner throughout the holidays. Each recipe is unique, but simple enough to make in any kitchen. This special Thanksgiving menu is one of my favorites because not only are the recipes simple enough to make in any kitchen, but they beautiful and really delicious too. Bring the warmth of the holiday season into your home with these three festive recipes!” My Rosemary Pomegranate Maple Glazed Turkey is easy to make and is topped with a rosemary infused pomegranate glaze that takes this roasted turkey to a whole new level. It pairs perfectly with my savory twist on a sweet potato casserole that is a must try this Thanksgiving. I created a Chipotle Sweet Potato Casserole that is topped with a decadent sourdough sage and pecan bread crumb topping that will wow your guests and have them asking for seconds! To round off the menu, I like to serve my Brussels Sprout, Sausage, and Apple Rice Stuffing. This rice stuffing is a great alternative to the classic stuffing, especially if you have gluten sensitive family members, and each bite tastes just like the holidays! Rosemary Pomegranate Maple Glazed Roasted Turkey 1 (13-16 pound) turkey 4 tablespoons Kosher salt 2 tablespoons black pepper For the glaze: 2 cups pomegranate juice 1/2 cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon black pepper 2 sprigs fresh rosemary Rub turkey down on all sides with salt and pepper liberally, including the inside of the bird. Let sit uncovered in the fridge overnight, or at least 4 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Let turkey sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before baking while the oven preheats. Bake for 2-1/2 to 3 hours until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. While the turkey bakes, make the rosemary pomegranate glaze by combining pomegranate juice, maple syrup, pepper, and rosemary sprigs in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let reduce by half until slightly thickened. Uncover the turkey for the last 20 minutes of cooking a brush a liberal amount of the pomegranate glaze all over the turkey. Brush a second coat of the glaze on the turkey if desired. Serve with extra glaze. Savory Chipotle Sweet Potato Casserole with Sourdough Sage Pecan Bread Crumb Topping 5 cups peeled and steamed or roasted sweet potatoes (4-5 potatoes) 1 stick melted butter 2-1/2 tablespoons finely diced chipotle peppers in adobo, plus 1 teaspoon of the chipotle pepper liquid 1-1/2 tablespoons salt 1 teaspoon pepper 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 2 teaspoons honey For the topping: 1/2 stick melted butter 2 cups stale sourdough bread, crumbled 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped 1 cup pecans, chopped 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand mixer or large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, butter, chipotle peppers, eggs, milk, and honey. Mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Place whipped chipotle sweet potatoes into a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread into an even layer. Make bread crumb topped by mixing together melted butter with bread, sage, pecans, salt, and pepper. Spread the mixture evenly on top of the sweet potatoes. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cooked through and topping is golden brown. Brussels Sprout, Apple, and Sausage Rice Stuffing 1 pound pork breakfast sausage or sausage of choice 1/2 cup celery, diced 1/2 cup onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup fennel, diced 1/2 cup apple, diced 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped 1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped 1 tablespoon Kosher salt, plus one teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon 1 tablespoon avocado oil 1 tablespoon butter 4 cups cooked wild rice 2 cups Brussels sprouts, stems removed and cut in half Add sausage to a large skillet and cook until browned. Remove from the skillet and drain any excess grease on a paper towel lined plate. Add oil and butter to the skillet and place Brussels sprouts cut side down and let sear for 2 minutes without touching. Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Once the cut side is browned, sauté for another 2 minutes until Brussels are bright green but still have some bite. Remove them from the skillet. Add celery, onion, garlic, fennel, and apple to the skillet and season with 1/2 tablespoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and sauté until the veggies become tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add in fresh herbs and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add sausage back into the skillet and along with the cooked wild rice and cooked Brussels sprouts. Season with the rest of the salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook another 2-3 minutes until flavors have combined well and serve immediately. *Note: You can also stuff the turkey with this stuffing. Recipes and photos reprinted with permission of Leigh Ann Chatagnier/www.MyDiaryofUs.com

Chef Carla Hall Fauna Foodworks will present Supper with Chef Carla Hall and Chef Enrika Williams on Friday, November 22, at 5:30 pm at the Smith-Robertson Cultural Museum in Jackson. The intimate dinner and its menu is inspired by local recipes that are featured in Chef Hall’s latest cookbook, Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration. VIP guests will receive a signed copy of the cookbook and will get to chat with Chef Hall during a cocktail reception prior to the dinner. This event is open to the public, but tickets are limited and can be purchased through Eventbrite. For more information, contact Chef Enrika Williams at 404-512.8499. Supper with Chef Carla Hall and Chef Enrika Williams is sponsored in part by Bloom with Abigail, Poised Consultancy, and Visit Jackson. Hall is best known as a former co-host of ABC’s Emmy award-winning, popular lifestyle series “The Chew” and for her time on Top Chef and Top Chef All-Stars. She currently appears on ABC’s Strahan and Sara. Chef Hall’s 10-day pilgrimage through the South while writing her book brought her to places like Jackson, Miss., (Sugar’s Place), Charleston, Savannah, Birmingham, and her hometown of Nashville. Chef Enrika Williams is the chef and owner of Fauna Foodworks, one of the original vendors at Cultivation Food Hall in The District in Eastover. Currently, Williams is expanding the Fauna Foodworks brand by hosting and launching a new concept dinner series, consulting, and private event catering. Williams was a featured chef on FOX network’s television show Hotel Hell with Gordon Ramsay as an executive chef/consultant for the Historic Hotel Chester in Starkville, Mississippi.

After listing friends’ and readers’ top picks for steaks in the central and northern part of the state, it’s time to turn the focus on south Mississippi. With its close proximity to the Gulf Coast, it’s an area best known for seafood, but believe me when I say, great steakhouses are plentiful. If the sight of chickens and other animals roaming outside combined with a scenic river view is your idea of atmospheric dining, Cowboy Jim’s Riverside Restaurant is your kind of place. Located in the Lone Star community between Collins and Prentiss, Cowboy Jim’s (pictured below) is a sprawling lodge-like building on the banks of the Bouie River filled with antique and vintage items of every description. The rooms are particularly festive at Christmas, when decorations and lights abound. But it’s the mammoth grilled steaks, including the restaurant’s famous rib-eyes and t-bones, that pack ‘em in every night they’re open. Cowboy Jim’s is located at 186 Highway 35 in Prentiss; hours are 4 to 9 p.m. on Thursday and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. It’s a cash-only place, so come prepared. A little further west, The Caboose in McComb is the city’s steak mecca. Located in an historic building in McComb’s downtown depot district, the upscale eatery’s steaks include hand-cut rib-eyes, New York strip and filet mignon, along with everything needed for a memorable steak dinner. Visit The Caboose at 131 Front Street in McComb. Lunch hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.to 1:15 pm; dinner hours are 4 to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Call 601-684-9191 for more information. A restaurant with the words “fish house” in its name wouldn’t be the first place I’d head for a steak. Smith County friends swear Luckey’s Fish House in Mize, pictured below, serves the best steaks around in a place typically known for its giant watermelons and namesake festival. Fried catfish, other seafood, and a buffet are well-represented on the menu, but so are flat iron steaks and medium to large ribeyes. Don’t expect fine dining, but if delicious steaks are the ultimate goal, Luckey’s is worth checking out. The restaurant is located at 17804 Highway 35 in Mize. Hours are 5 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. Call 601-782-5590 to find out more. I previously mentioned Hattiesburg’s Sully’s, so I’ll skip on down to the Gulf Coast. In an area where seafood reigns supreme, it’s hard to imagine great steaks are plentiful, friends attest to this fact. I’ve dined at downtown Gulfport’s Rack House, and, yes, its steaks are divine. You’ll find everything from petite filets to giant Delmonico ribeyes and porterhouse. I can’t visit the Coast without sampling seafood, so my go-to is surf and turf. It’s a 12-ounce strip steak topped with lump crab meat, Royal Reds, and other seafood in a white wine cream sauce. Sample Rack House’s steak and other delicacies on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The Rack House’s location is 1301 26th Avenue in downtown Gulfport; contact number is 228- 206-2744. A friend sent in a notice about a “secret” steak in Pascagoula in Jackson County. She went so far as to call it the “best secret ever.” As a result, Brady’s is a required stop the next time I travel south. Offering outside dining and panoramic views of the Pascagoula River, Brady’s menu is as impressive as the view. Besides the expected seafood offerings, steaks run the gamut from filet mignon to 14-ounce ribeyes. No doubt, the secret will soon by out about Brady’s steaks. Brady’s is located at 3801 Magnolia Street in Pascagoula. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; until 10 p.m. on weekends. Call 228-205-3749 to find out more. Last, exploring the north Biloxi community of Wool Market to sample what has been called the best poboys on the Coast at Taranto’s Crawfish, Po’boy, and Seafood has been on my culinary bucket list for some time. I mean, checking out a place named Wool Market is reason enough. A friend clued me in on another “best of” at the unassuming place – Taranto’s grilled steaks are right up there with its poboys. I checked out the menu overflowing with seafood and poboys, and, yes, there’s a respectable lineup of steaks, including ribeyes and my favorite surf and turf. There’s even a ribeye poboy which looks as appetizing as my go-to fried shrimp. Check out Taranto’s the next time you’re nearby; it’s located at 12404 John Lee Road in Biloxi; hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call 228-392-0990 to find out more.

Zinfandel is considered to be America’s red grape, although its origin is hardly American. Thanks to the advent of DNA grape analysis, zinfandel’s origin was first traced to the grape variety primitive grown in southern Italy and then more recently to the Adriatic region. None of this really should come as a surprise because the New World countries depended on Europe for agricultural products. Zinfandel didn’t just happen – it came from somewhere else. Nonetheless, as the all-American holiday Thanksgiving approaches and colder temperatures set in, zinfandel becomes a popular choice for wine enthusiasts. Popular among Italian immigrants who came to California to make wine, zinfandel would have faded after Prohibition if it were not for blush wines made from zinfandel. When these faddish sugar bombs became popular, winemakers renewed their interest in the grape variety. At one time, white zinfandel was outselling red zinfandel six-fold. Today, that gap has narrowed dramatically and red zinfandels have developed a cult following. Zinfandel is often the base wine in California blends, a hot market nowadays. Many people don’t realize that Prisoner, for instance, is zinfandel based. And its popularity has spawned an amazing number of copycats. We admire the California producers – Turley, Biale, Renwood, Marietta, Cline, Dry Creek Vineyards, Edmeades -- who have made zinfandel their priority. Many of the best zinfandels come from gnarly, phylloxera-resistant vineyards as old as 35 years. Much of California’s lucrative zinfandel market is centered in Sonoma County and Lodi where warmer temperatures produce ripe grapes. You don’t see the grape farmed in northern climates, such as the Pacific Northwest. Riper grapes mean more sugar; more sugar means more alcohol. Most zinfandels boast an alcohol content of 16 percent or more. A few glasses of zinfandel will make you light-headed faster than if you consume the same amount of, say, chardonnay. Beware! Zinfandel flavors can be very ripe and grapey, but many California winemakers today are making more balanced zinfandels with tannins and acidity to offset the ripe fruit flavors. These are great wines to serve with ribs, hamburgers, and pizza. Anything with a sweet sauce will pair nicely with zinfandel. Here are a few zinfandels we recently enjoyed: Shooting Star Lake County Zinfandel 2017 ($15).  This is a value-priced zinfandel with easy, ripe dark berry flavors and hints of spice and chocolate. Medium in body, it begs for a second glass. The Federalist Dry Creek Zinfandel 2016 ($18). This producer makes several zinfandels in different appellations, but we best enjoyed this heady monster from Dry Creek Valley. Six blocks of grapes were fermented separately, then aged for 16 months in oak.  Cherry aromas with a hint of spice are followed by bright berry flavors and hints of spice and cocoa. Mettler Family Vineyards Epicenter Old Vine Zinfandel 2017 ($25). Tapping into grapes from the Lodi appellation, this historic property has a big and delicious zinfandel with moderate oak influence. Plum and ripe blackberry flavors with firm tannins and hints of anise, toasted oak, vanilla and tobacco. Edmeades Mendocino Zinfandel 2016 ($20). Winemaker David Ready Jr. adds petite sirah and syrah to make a splashy zinfandel from California’s northern climes. Luscious blackberry and red currant flavors with a hint of cloves. Cline Ancient Vines Contra Costa Zinfandel 2017 ($20). The Cline family has amassed an impressive collection of 100-year-old vineyards that have produced fruit for some of the best and biggest zinfandels in California. The 2017 has ripe red fruit character with a good dose of spice and coffee. Saldo California Zinfandel 2017 ($32). Produced by the wildly popular Prisoner Wine Co., this zinfandel is blended with syrah and petite sirah to create a delicious and juicy wine with classic blackberry and cherry flavors with a hint of chocolate. Dutcher Crossing Russian River Valley Bacigalupi Zinfandel 2016 ($37). We liked this firm but reasonably complex zinfandel from the Russian River Valley. Generous raspberry and black cherry aromas mingle with blackberry and cherry flavors with oak-inspired hints of spice and vanilla. Excellent finish. Bear Flag Zinfandel 2016 ($30). Good structure and full body. Juicy blueberry and blackberry fruit with hints of spice and vanilla. Blended with petite sirah and teroldego grapes. Full-bodied, it would be great with a meat-based stew. The Seven Deadly Zins Lodi 2016 ($20).  Made by Michael David, this jammy and full-bodied zinfandel uses old-vine grapes from Lodi.  Blackberry and dark cherry flavors with oak-driven layers of spice, vanilla and chocolate. Writer’s Block Lake County Zinfandel 2016 ($18).   Ripe black cherry and blackberry flavors with soft mouthfeel and hints of tea. Boxwood Vineyards We recently met with Jessica Chivers-Wilson of Boxwood Winery in Middleburg, Va., to taste their new current releases. Although primarily known for their red wines. we enjoyed the Boxwood Estate Sauvignon Blanc Middleburg Virginia 2108 ($20). Blended with 18 percent of the rare sauvignon gris grape, this interesting Bordeaux blend presented bright citrus fruit, a streak of minerals and an elegant creamy finish. We tasted three red Bordeaux-like blends that impressed us with their quality. The Boxwood Estate Trellis Middleburg Virginia 2016 ($23) is a cabernet-franc-dominated blend with 21 percent cabernet sauvignon, 12 percent petite verdot, and 10 percent merlot. Aged in used French oak barrels, this wine displayed bright fruit with wild cherry and pomegranate notes, and a hint of oak. A bit mellower was the Boxwood Estate Topiary Middleburg Virginia 2106 ($30) with its blend of merlot, cabernet franc and petite verdot. Nice cherry notes a hint of oak and soft tannins make this wine drinkable now. We especially enjoyed the Boxwood Estate Red Reserve 2015 ($45) 10th anniversary vintage, which displayed notes of luscious cherry chocolate soft tannins and a mild oak frame. It is 48 percent cabernet franc, 25 percent merlot, 22 percent cabernet sauvignon and 5 percent petite verdot. This wine should age well for at least several years. Wine picks Talo Primitivo Di Manduria  San Marzano 2017 ($18). This is a terrific value wine from the Puglia region of Italy. Bright berry and black cherry fruit expression in a very deep and rich accessible package. Try with red meats and red-sauced pasta dishes Capensis Chardonnay Western Cape South Africa 2015 ($80). This is only the third vintage of this stellar chardonnay. Sourced from four vineyards, these bottles present a luscious white wine made entirely from chardonnay grapes aged in French oak for 10 months. Very ripe fruit with lemon curd notes and bright acidity define this chardonnay. Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr have been writing a weekly wine column for more than 30 years. Visit moreaboutwine.com to read more.

Sweet potatoes and yams. They’re the same thing, right? Not really. They look and taste different. Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are sweeter with a smooth, thin skin. They are short and blocky with tapered ends. U.S.-grown sweet potatoes usually are copper, rose, red or purple with orange, white, or purple flesh. Yams (Dioscorea sp.) are starchy with a rough, scaly skin. They are longer and more cylindrical with protruding flesh that some call “toes.” They can range from Irish potato-size to 5 feet long and weigh up to 100 pounds. They are also botanically different. Sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family of plants, called the Convolvulaceae family. Yams belong to a different family, called Dioscoreaceae. The edible parts of sweet potatoes are called roots, and yams are classified as tubers. Sweet potato plants are more prolific, producing 4-10 roots per plant. Yams produce just 1-5 tubers per plant. You won’t find many true yams in U.S. grocery stores because they require specific growing conditions found in the Caribbean. Yams are commonly grown in Africa, South America, and Central America. Although you can find canned potatoes that are marketed as yams, you’ll notice that they are also labeled as sweet potatoes and the first ingredient is sweet potatoes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires this dual labeling when sweet potatoes are labeled as yams. You can read more about how the terms sweet potato and yam became interchangeable in an article by our friends at North Carolina State University Extension. Both are very nutritious, providing a variety of vitamins and minerals. Sweet potatoes have properties that medical professionals believe can help protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease. Diabetics can safely add sweet potatoes to their diets because of the roots’ low glycemic index. Sweet potatoes and yams aren’t just great during the holidays. They are a great choice for year-round recipes. You can make everything from soups to breads. And you can even support Mississippi farmers, who grow sweet potatoes. Vardaman, Mississippi, is billed as the sweet potato capital of the world and is one of the nation’s top producers of the agricultural commodity. Try one or both of these The Food Factor sweet potato recipes tonight or for your holiday gatherings. Maple Sweet Potatoes Easy Roasted Veggies Learn more about Mississippi sweet potatoes and discover recipes to try on the Mississippi Sweet Potato Council website. Our friends at Texas A&M Agrilife Extension have more information about the differences between sweet potatoes and yams along with a few recipes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture SNAP-Ed Connection website has resources for learning and teaching about sweet potatoes and yams. You also can find recipes to try.

GULFPORT, Miss. – Five local chefs battled for the Top Culinary Gladiator position at the 37th annual Chefs of the Coast Food & Wine Gala on October 20th at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center in Biloxi. Milton Joachim, chef at Charred: A Steak & Oyster Bar in Ocean Springs, took home the title from the inaugural Culinary Gladiator Battle, pictured right. Island View Casino Resort’s Charley Bowers placed second, and Shaggy’s Chef Scott Duplantis placed third. The Culinary Gladiator Battle is a mystery basket competition, requiring competitors to prepare judges’ plates from the items in the basket along with produce and seasonings of choice from a shared pantry. The chefs had less than an hour to prepare the dishes. Other competition chefs included Selene Puga of Sophi’s Mediterranean in Biloxi, and Trey Cowan, Island View Casino Resort. “The Culinary Gladiator Battle is similar to the national competitions that test the chefs’ skills under pressure,” said Demetrio Marquez, Mississippi Coast Restaurant & Beverage Association Board member and competition coordinator. “We plan to make the Gladiator Battle an ongoing competition to be held throughout the year with the final battle taking place at the 2020 Chefs of the Coast.” This year’s Top Culinary Gladiator took home a gladiator helmet trophy and red chef coat. Second and third place winners were presented with medals. The Mississippi Coast Restaurant & Beverage Association has been the voice of the local restaurant industry for more than 35 years, supporting the industry through government representation, education, and mentorship. The Coast Restaurant Association aims to provide assistance to local high school culinary programs and scholarships to culinary students attending Mississippi colleges and community outreach programs. We are a 501(C)(6) organization.

Island View Casino Resort was a recipient of the 2019 Partnership Award, presented at the 37th annual Chefs of the Coast Food & Wine Gala on October 20th in Biloxi. GULPORT, Miss. – The Mississippi Coast Restaurant & Beverage Association recognized three local restaurants with the 2019 Partnership Award. The awards were presented on October 20th at the 37th annual Chefs of the Coast Food & Wine Gala. Scranton’s Restaurant, Stinson Group, and Island View Casino Resort were honored with the award, a glass flame-shaped trophy. This is the first year the Coast Restaurant Association has presented this award. “The Partnership Award is in the shape of a flame, and this is symbolic in that these award recipients have worked with us over the past several years to keep Chefs of the Coast on the map as the premiere food and wine event on the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” said Susan Perkins, executive director of the Mississippi Coast Restaurant & Beverage Association. “Our Association works for the local restaurants, and these three recipents have helped us keep the flame burning all these years.” Scranton’s Restaurant is located in Pascagoula and has been in business since 1982. Stinson Group includes The Reef in Biloxi and Salute Italian & Seafood Restaurant in Gulfport. Island View Casino Resort is located in Gulfport. All have participated in Chefs of the Coast and have been members of the Association since opening their doors. The Mississippi Coast Restaurant & Beverage Association has been the voice of the local restaurant industry for more than 35 years, supporting the industry through government representation, education, and mentorship. The Coast Restaurant Association aims to provide assistance to local high school culinary programs and scholarships to culinary students attending Mississippi colleges and community outreach programs. We are a 501(C)(6) organization.

My decision to highlight some of the best steak houses in Mississippi was cause for concern. The thought of readers disagreeing or questioning the absence of their favorite steak restaurant gave me pause. However, response was positive after the first installment, and many wrote to say they planned to visit some of the north Mississippi places I mentioned. This week, I’ll focus on some – not all – of the best locally-owned steak restaurants in the Jackson metro area. There’s no way I can list them all, but here are a few on my and others’ top places to enjoy a steak dinner. I’ll start with an “oldie but goodie.” Tico’s has been around for nearly 30 years on County Line Road. Always packed with lawmakers during the legislative session and die-hard fans year-round, Tico’s sticks to what it knows best: steaks. Sure, there’s a choice of seafood and appealing appetizers and sides, but it’s the lineup of ribeyes, filets, and the restaurant’s mammoth 24-ounce porterhouse that packs ‘em in. Tico’s is located at 1536 E. County Line Rd. in Ridgeland; call 601-956-1030 for more information. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 4:30 to 10 p.m. On the other end of the spectrum, upscale Koestler Prime opened last year in Highland Colony in Ridgeland in the former Ruth’s Chris Steak location. The owners brought a new name along with decades of steakhouse experience to a new location. Appetizers, seafood, chicken, veal, lamb, and the piece de resistance, sizzling steaks topped with a variety of seafood and sauces make this a prime place to dine. Koestler Prime is located at 1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 6001 in Ridgeland at the Renaissance. Hours are Monday through Saturday; doors open at 4:30 p.m. Call 601-957-3753 for more information. On the other side of town, The Steakhouse at McLain’s Lodge in Brandon is almost as big of a draw as the sprawling compound’s many attractions. From elk tenderloin steak to the popular McLain steak special, there’s a full lineup of beef, seafood, sides and appetizers on the menu. The Steakhouse at McLain’s Lodge is located at 874 Holly Bush Road in Brandon. The restaurant opens at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call 601-829-1101. Another Jackson-area favorite is Kathryn’s. Opened in 1979 as Brandi’s Steakhouse on Spillway Road, the restaurant moved to the current Ridgeland location and changed its name in 1989. Ranging from filets to ribeyes and everything in between, the restaurant consistently offers a memorable steak dinner with all the trimmings. Kathryn’s is located at 6800 Old Canton Road. Dinner is served Monday through Thursday, 5-9:30 p.m., until 10:30 p.m. on weekends, and 5 to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Call 601-956-2803 to make a reservation. Consistently on “best of” lists, Ely’s Restaurant is a perfect date-night spot to enjoy a juicy steak. Overlooking the lights of downtown Ridgeland from its second floor location, Ely’s hand-cut steaks run the gamut from petite 8-ounce filets to large cowboy ribeyes. Gourmet sides are almost, but not quite, as delicious as the steaks. Check it out at 115 W. Jackson Street, Suite 2E; dining room opens at 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The last recommendation from friends is MM Shapley’s. Another locally-owned spot, it serves a variety of sizzling steaks in an upscale, yet cozy environment. Hand-cut and house-aged filet mignons and porterhouses (and everything in between) are topped with Shapley’s famous beef reduction sauce and served with its signature hand-cut fries, along with anything else required for a truly outstanding steak dinner. The restaurant is located 868 Centre Street in Ridgeland; call 60-957-8000 to find out more.

Several years ago we had the opportunity to taste the wines of Greywacke, a New Zealand producer in the Marlborough region, with winemaker Kevin Judd. The long-time winemaker at Cloudy Bay Winery, Judd was introducing his wines to America when we met him. More recently we were able to catch up with Greywacke’s recent releases with Richard Ellis, who concentrates his energies on winery operations and marketing. The U.S. is Greywacke’s second largest market behind the United Kingdom. Greywacke’s wines are set apart from the ocean of New Zealand sauvignon blanc imported into the U.S. by price and quality. Many of the New Zealand major brands currently available to US consumers fall price-wise into the lower to mid-teens. Greywacke’s sauvignon blanc costs $25 to $30. Ellis said that Greywacke pays their grape growers a premium to limit yields and undertake leaf pulling to produce higher quality harvests. Most Marlborough sauvignon vineyards yield 6 tons per acre while growers for Greywacke produce 4 tons per acre. Ellis said Greywacke is looking for more golden colors in their grapes rather than green to reduce the bell pepper and intense grapefruit notes that characterizes some New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Greywacke produces two significantly different sauvignon blancs. The Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2018 ($26) is aged in almost all stainless steel and is somewhat similar to the traditional grapefruit style. However, the citrus notes are more in balance with some peach flavors and only a hint of grapefruit. Ellis commented that the wine is “more subtle, more restrained. …doesn’t leap out of the glass and punch you in the nose” Well said. The Greywacke Wild Sauvignon Marlborough 2015 ($31), on the other hand, is aged in old French barriques and only the yeasts present on the grapes at harvest are used to ferment the juice. The outcome is a different sauvignon blanc that is reminiscent of a well-made grand cru Bordeaux. The “Wild Yeast” displays ripe peach and elegant toast notes with a delightful creamy mouth feel and finish. Marlborough is not known for its chardonnay production but Greywacke makes a very credible one from its grapes. With the Greywacke Chardonnay Marlborough 2014 ($42) the very ripe chardonnay grapes were vinified in French oak barriques using only indigenous yeasts. The result is a savory wine exhibiting peach, citrus and some smoke notes that create a tasty wine. New Zealand is becoming better known for its pinot noirs and with good reason. The Greywacke Pinot Noir Marlborough is grown in hillside vineyards over a long cool growing season. Ripe cherry and plum elements dominate the wine with interesting spice notes present as well. New grapes in Bordeaux Global warming has opened the door to additional grape varieties in Bordeaux. The General Assembly of Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Superieur have approved a new list of grape varieties that, if passed by the INAO, will help growers adapt to changing climate with hardier stock. The present collection of six grape varieties will expanded by seven more varieties. The reds included arinarnoa, castets, marselan and tourigna nacional; the whites include alvarinho, liliorila and petit manseng. If approved, these secondary varieties cannot make up more than 5 percent of the vineyards or 10 percent of any blend. Furthermore, these grapes cannot be listed on the label. It is not surprising that growers are seeing a dramatic impact from the changing weather patterns. Grapes that flourished decades ago aren’t producing the same results as temperatures warm. Grapes are being picked later in the year and are loaded with sugar. The results are riper and more alcoholic wines. We doubt we’ll see much change in the blends of first growths, but AOC and Bordeaux Superieur wines will quickly adopt these varieties. Yet, even they are planted next year, it will be several years before the new vines produce usable grapes. Touriga nacional is a variety that does very well in Portugal. Alvarinho is another name for Spain’s popular albarino grape. Arinarnoa is a cross between tannat and cabernet sauvignon. Marselan is also a cross but between cabernet sauvignon and grenache. Petit manseng is grown in France along the Spanish border. Wine picks Shooting Star Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 ($16). This reasonably priced cabernet sauvignon packs a lot of punch for the price. Fresh fruit character with notes of plums and black cherries with a hint of tobacco. Garofoli Podium Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesu 2016 ($26). We loved this single-vineyard verdicchio from the Marche region of eastern Italy. The area sits between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea, so there is a cooling maritime influence on the vineyards. Fermented on the lees for eight months, it has a creamy mouthfeel balanced with good acidity. Complex and ageable, Citrus and pear notes with a bit of minerality. Very impressive. Gundlach Bundschu Estate Vineyard Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 ($55). This massive, full-bodied cabernet is packed with dark fruit flavors and layered with nuances of baking spices. Lingering raspberry aromas. Firm tannins and fresh acidity give it promises of a long future, yet it can be enjoyed now with a beef or lamb dinner. Domaine Eugene Carrel et Fils Jongieux Blanc ($13). There is a small wine-growing region in eastern France between lakes and mountains called Savoie (Savoy). Little of the wine made in the rugged foothills of the Alps makes it out of the country, which is a shame. We absolutely loved this lovely wine made from hand-picked jacquere grapes. Round and juicy pear flavors with a touch of minerality and a long, delicious finish. Jongieux is one of the villages there. Sea Slopes Fort Ross Winery Chardonnay 2017 ($30). Rich and generous peach and lemon notes with a a hint of mineral and toast in the bouquet. Delicious.

St. Martin High School culinary students won first place in the Chefs of the Coast Cooking Competition on October 20th in Biloxi. GULFPORT, Miss. - Culinary students from four local high schools competed at the 37th annual Chefs of the Coast Food & Wine Gala, hosted by the Mississippi Coast Restaurant & Beverage Association on October 20th at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center in Biloxi. Participating schools included Biloxi, Gulfport, Moss Point, and St. Martin high schools. St. Martin High School placed first in the cooking competition, winning a trophy, student medals, and a $500 cash stipend supporting the school’s culinary program. Second place winner was Moss Point High School, and Biloxi High School placed third. Second and third placed students received medals, and all participating schools received $250 cash stipends for their culinary programs. “This is the third year the Coast Restaurant Association has hosted the high school cooking competition during Chefs of the Coast, and it’s an excellent learning experience for these students, as they get to work alongside a professional chef in a competition setting,” said Susan Perkins, executive director, Mississippi Coast Restaurant & Beverage Association. “Community support for these programs is important. These students are the future workforce of the restaurant and hospitality industry.” The Mississippi Coast Restaurant & Beverage Association has been the voice of the local restaurant industry for more than 35 years, supporting the industry through government representation, education, and mentorship. The Coast Restaurant Association aims to provide assistance to local high school culinary programs and scholarships to culinary students attending Mississippi colleges and community outreach programs. We are a 501(C)(6) organization.