South Carolina Dinner
Chicken bog is a type of pilau, probably African in origin. This particular type of pilau is found only in South Carolina low country cooking; however it is similar to Cajun jambalaya and other pilaf dishes. We used a turkey smoked sausage to cut down on the fat. The recipe above was very good. Definitely going into my recipe collection!
Boiled peanuts are the official state snack. I had several cans on hand from when my mother traveled south and sent me some. To make your own, you have to have access to raw, green peanuts which are hard find outside of the southeast. If you can't find canned boiled peanuts at your local Walmart (sometimes carries a pretty good selection of southern food), maybe try a specialized Asian foods store. My sister finds them fresh boiled at a local Asian market. They contain sugar so are a little sweeter than what you would find down South. Boiled peanuts are a popular street food in places like the Philippines and Thailand.
Fried okra is a side dish very common throughout the southeast. We grew our own okra this year so we had fresh okra to fry. I have seen breaded okra in the frozen food section of Walmart. The kids loved it!
Sweet tea is the official hospitality beverage of South Carolina.
French Huguenots settled in South Carolina early in our nation's history. The Carolina colony established religious freedom for many groups like the Huguenots, Quakers, and even Jews in order to attract more colonists. Huguenot torte is named after the Huguenot Tavern in Charleston where it was first made. When I served it, I realized I forgot to add the vanilla. They all loved it anyway! My oldest son even asked if he could have that for his next birthday instead of a regular cake.
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