My guilty pleasure when I travel is exploring different cultures through food and drink. I feel it’s a way to connect with people, have good conversation and a great time.
My family visited as much of the Savannah, GA and Tybee Island area as we could, and we accidentally turned our beach vacation into a foodie vacation by wining and dining at some of Savannah’s most beloved and historic restaurants.
During these trips my family has spent over an hour in waiting to make dinner reservations at celebrity chef Paula Deen’s restaurant, Lady & Sons. We have also indulged in Southern cooking and delicious cocktails at the same pirate house where an author was inspired to write a book “Treasure Island.” From this I have picked up some neat ways to make Southern aperitif’s and comforting drinks.
Savannah Iced Tea
Built in 1753, the Pirates’ House is a historic restaurant and tavern that boasts a lot of interesting stories, good food and even better drink. Although this drink is new tradition to the area, it is a favorite amongst locals and tourists.
1 part Absolut Wild Berry vodka
1 part peach schnapps
2 parts sweet tea
A spritz of Diet Coke
Fried Pickles
I’m fairly certain that if Snooki took a vacation to the south, she would eat fried pickles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I know it sounds gross and packed with everything that is bad for you, but I’ve found fried pickles to be a Southern comfort food. The slightly healthier alternative to fried pickles is oven-baked pickles.
½ cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 jar of sliced pickles
Drain your jar of pickles and pat them dry with paper towel. Toss the pickles into a mixture of your dry ingredients. Place the pickles on a cookie sheet and spray them with cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes.
Sweet Potato Fries
Ever since I was a kid, sweet potatoes have always been my guilty pleasure. In Savannah, I had the opportunity to try everything from a sweet potato soufflé to sweet potato mayonnaise. For a quick treat that will put a little South in your mouth, just chop up some sweet potatoes, sprinkle them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake them in the oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Don’t forget to turn them occasionally.
Sources:
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/