Crab boil, shrimp boil, crawfish boil, seafood boil: walk down the spice aisle in the South and you’ll find a wall of bags, boxes and bottles that all promise the same thing. The good news is they’re more alike than different. The real choices are the format (powder, bag or liquid), the heat level, and…
Cheese grits are about as Southern as breakfast gets: a pot of creamy grits with cheese stirred in at the end until it melts. They show up next to eggs at breakfast, under shrimp at dinner, and in a baking dish at every holiday potluck. Here’s what cheese grits are, which cheese to use, and…
Grits are ground dried corn, simmered with water or milk into a thick, creamy porridge. If you grew up in the South, they’re as ordinary as toast. If you didn’t, they can be a mystery on a breakfast menu. Here’s what grits are made of, the different kinds, how people eat them, and how they…
The difference between stone-ground, quick and instant grits, white vs. yellow, and some of the best-known Lowcountry grits brands.
How Charleston, Cajun, New Orleans and Southern-style shrimp and grits differ, from simple butter-and-shrimp to spicy andouille and Creole sauce.
What shrimp and grits is, how it started as a Charleston breakfast, and how it became one of the most famous dishes in the South.
Ways to change up a low country boil: adding crab legs, making it in the oven or on a sheet pan, or cooking it in foil packets on the grill.
A complete low country boil checklist: equipment, ingredients, table setup and cleanup supplies, so nothing gets forgotten.
Which seasoning to use for a low country boil: Old Bay, Zatarain’s crab boil, or a homemade blend, and how to get more flavor into the pot.
What size pot you need for a low country boil, why a strainer basket matters, and how to choose an outdoor propane burner.