At lunch: Pat Branning Lowcountry honors in the new edition of the cookbook

Life has a funny way of taking us where we never thought it would.

When Pat Branning created a collection of recipes as a spiral fundraising for the Episcopal Church of St. Helena in 2009, had no idea he took his life in a whole new direction.

Of course, cooking and stories have always been an important part of life Branning. Weaned traditional southern food and hospitality, loved to cook and entertain, and after graduating from the University of Georgia, began his career as editor of Women for WSB Radio in Atlanta, encourage a daily program for food and entertainment.

When she and her husband moved to Beaufort, he went as a host of educational television from South Carolina to work, and brought his passion for cooking and entertaining throughout. She even wrote on the side for a number of regional publications.

Write a cookbook, not in themselves a route. But she never thought that this book would change his life.

Visionary called "shrimp, cabbage and grits", the collection of small spiral was quickly sold out a success, and decided (taken from a greeting that welcomed him to the island of the Virgin in 1971) Branning, revise the book in one volume more sustainable.

When she began to think of a cover design, I immediately thought of the timeless work of his old friend, the artist Ray Ellis.

If Ellis had not seen in a while, she gathered her courage and called the gallery to inquire about the use of one of his paintings. After learning that the permission to one of these paintings reproduce a substantial fee in order, the director asked to approach him anyway, but hung up without much hope.

But a few days later and the conversation turned director announced, "Ellis said," Give him what he wants! "

Photo Branning chose "Landing Oyster", because he remembered his old house overlooking the river in Beaufort Pleasant Point Plantation on the island of Virgin.

Filled with stories and recipes from your home Lowcountry this new hardcover edition began in 2011 and still a bestseller. His success made him realize that he was still telling stories, and beyond that there is a public to hear.

He also realized that he needed help with the final design and commercial matters. She has a son, Andrew Branning, a designer and photographer in computer science, and jointly launched Branning Publishing, Inc.

The first fruit of their collaboration was "Magnolia, porches, & Sweet Tea", a lifestyle cookbook with the best of art and cuisine of the Lowcountry. It was in 2013 as the first of a planned series of books, created the art and cuisine of the region.

When Ray Ellis died decided last year that the next book in the series Brannings was to be a tribute to the beloved artist. This tribute has had a beautiful new edition of the book he presented his work ", shrimp, cabbage, and liberal."

With the subtitle "The Ray Ellis Edition", presents this lavishly illustrated volume not only the work of Ellis, but also other local artists as well as art by some of the best chefs in the region.

Scattered between art and income only anecdotal vignettes of the history of the region, as well as memories are to have Branning, and receive the reflection about the only way the Lowcountry cooking, and living simply.

Meanwhile, the team of mother and child is

Do not sit, but is already planned for the next book. How Branning sentence, "Lowcountry's a place of infinite stories that rise put myself in time in amazement."

You may not even know where these stories are going to take, but she knows the journey will be delicious.

The book edition Ray Ellis "shrimp, cabbage and grits" by Pat Branning (Branning Publishing, Inc., $ 39.95), in bookstores and specialty shops is a gift. For more information or to buy books online Branning, go to www.patbranning.com.

OYSTERS wide river in the shell

6-12 living oysters (shell) Broad River per person

Reseda sauce (recipe below)

Cocktail Sauce (recipe below)

Freshly cut lemon slices, to serve

Keep opened and refrigerated oysters. Remember they are alive and need to breathe, so never sealed in plastic bags. To open just before serving and kept on ice. Serve with sauce and lemon slices, if you like.

Reseda SALSA

Makes about one-third cup

1.4 cup wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped shallot

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Lemon juice 1 teaspoon

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Cocktail Sauce

Makes about three-quarters cup

Half a cup of tomato sauce

2 tablespoons grated horseradish, plus more for serving (optional)

3-1 / 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Give mixing tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons horseradish, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice in a small bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until needed. You can serve with extra horseradish separately for customers who like hot and spicy sauce.

GREY Nicoise

For 4 people

4 skinless fillets of plaice

Sea salt and black pepper in a mill near

Flour

4 ounces brown butter (recipe below)

1 small bottle of capers

1 oz Nicoise olives, pitted and finely chopped

Diced 2 tomatoes

Juice of 1 lemon

2 oz chopped fresh herbs (tarragon, chives, parsley, chervil)

Bacon Cheese Grits (recipe below)

1 Heat the oven to the building (170-200 ° F). Wash the fish in cold water; pat dry. Season with salt and pepper, dredge in flour and shake off.

2 Melt the butter in a frying pan brown over medium heat. Increase heat to medium-high and fry fish, about 2 minutes per side (depending on thickness). The fish should be dark brown and crispy. Return once.

3 Remove the fish and keep warm in the oven. Add to the pan the capers, olives and tomatoes and cook for 10 seconds. Add the lemon juice and herbs. Insert hot grits on a plate and place the fish on top. Pour over sauce and serve hot.

For the brown butter: Melt half a pound of unsalted butter in a pan and let brown milk solids touch. Set aside until ready to serve. It should be brown and a nutty flavor.

BACON cheese grits

4-6

4 slices bacon Applewood

6 cups of water

6 cups of milk

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups stone ground grains

1 pound grated cheddar white

1 Fry bacon crisp and fat is rendered, remove and covered with paper towels. Cool and crumble.

2 In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil water, milk, salt, pepper and butter. Hitting the beans. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Prepare kettle, bring to a boil and keep at hand, requires adding hot water as fine grains. Keep yourself, so be sure at the bottom of the pot to scrape the bottom of the pan, stirring frequently. Add crumbled cooked bacon and cheese and season with salt and pepper.

3 grits can immediately or prepared in advance and served reheated. To heat, pour the oatmeal in the pan and heat the oven to 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Puffed Apple Pancake

Serves 2-4

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cups diced peeled apples, Granny Smith

Packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons light fixed

Lemon juice 1/2

Half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder

, Lightly beaten 4 large eggs

1 cup half and half

All flour 1 cup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Sal

Powdered sugar in a shaker or sieve size, for dusting

Maple syrup is heated,

1 Place rack in bottom third of oven, preheat to 425 degrees F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and cook, turning as needed, until tender and just to break even begin about 10 minutes. Evenly sprinkle mix brown sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Remove from heat.

2 Place a second skillet or pan 9 x 13 inch heat in the oven for a few minutes. Remove from the oven and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan or pot. Tilt the bottom of the dress and on the sides with butter. Lowest Pour apples in an even layer.

3 whisk together the eggs, half and half, flour, vanilla and a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix well. Pour., The hot mixture over the apples Cook until pancake is puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with warm maple syrup.

Pecan Snowballs

Makes about 36

Unsalted butter softened 1 cup

1 cup powdered sugar divided,

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cream butter and powdered sugar 1/2 cup. Flour, vanilla and nuts. Forms dough round into 1 inch balls and place 1-1 / 2 inch apart on greased plates of the United Nations.

2 Bake 15 minutes or until bottom of cookies are lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes in pans then roll the other half to coat still hot cup of powdered sugar. Cool on rack and store in an airtight container at room temperature.