Some Like It Hot Video & Blog

Sure, the Southwest gets most of the "cowboy" and "Wild West" credit. But, did you know that the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi — and one of the biggest in the entire country — makes its home in Kissimmee, Florida?

It's called the Silver Spurs Rodeo, and the folks here in Osceola County have been ridin', ropin', and racin' for over a half-century. What started as a "humble gathering of Osceola Country ranchers" in the 40's has grown into a top 50 event sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

Held twice a year, the Silver Spurs Rodeo features all of the classic cowboy events including bareback bronc and bull riding, barrel racing, team and tie-down roping, steer wrestling and even a little mutton bustin' for the kids.

You'll see bull riders and fighters, barrelmen, rodeo clowns, pickupmen (those guys on horses who swing in to pick up riders after they get bucked off) and even rodeo queens.

The Silver Spurs Quadrille is also an event favorite. Described as "square dancing on horseback," the Quadrille consists of eight colorfully-dressed horseback riders weaving, zigzagging and crisscrossing between each other creating . . . well . . . square dancing on horseback.

Those accustomed to staying outside of the ring will find some of the nicest arena facilities in the country. The recently built Silver Spurs Arena greets visitors with 8,300 seats and 12 luxury skyboxes — all in an indoor, climate-controlled environment that plays host to everything from rodeos to concerts.

Don't miss the 122^nd Silver Spur Rodeo Feb. 20-22. Tickets are only $15 (children 10 and under are free) and it's the perfect authentic Southern family getaway.

It's funny to me how the delicious, yet un-fanciest of foods sometimes become such delicacies. Lobster, steak tartare, sushi, etc. were all once considered food for your everyday Joe, but today, they're menu specialties. Cajun food is another good example.

Inspired by French Canadian, Spanish, Indian and English influences, Cajun Country grub began as a poor-man's cuisine — a mixture of this, that and just whatever was available. Early settlers prepared food from what they found organically on the land and in the waters out of necessity to survive: grain, rice, vegetables, fruits, seafood and basically any kind of meat.

These "Acadians" also learned the techniques of using spices. Like tomato, basil and garlic to Italians, onions, celery and bell peppers soon became the holy trinity of Cajun food. Boudin, jambalaya and gumbo are good representatives of the early "throw everything in together, and spice it up" Southern Louisiana style of cooking.

But today, the zing and zang of the often spicy Louisiana dishes is benevolently revered from the West Coast to the East Coast, and around the world.

Crawfish etouffée. Gumbo. Po' boys. Jambalaya. Boiled crawfish. Red beans and rice — it's all in a day's meal in Louisiana. And restaurants like Restaurant August in New Orleans, Mansurs On the Boulevard in Baton Rouge and Café Vermilionville in Lafayette are just a few of the famous Southern Louisiana dining hotspots.

And it's not just the Cajun flavor that get people fired up about Louisiana cuisine; it's the seemingly inevitable celebrations that surround every meal.

Are you ready to kick it Cajun style?

I love the springtime in the South. The dark days of winter become just a memory, and warm weather signals an opportunity to get outside and enjoy an abundance of natural, unique and historical sites. Dogwoods are blossoming; the redbuds are sporting their pinkish-purple blooms. Crawfish and crab boils, fish fries and music festivals are springing-up in every southern state from Arkansas to West Virginia.

But, there may be nothing more inviting on a perfect spring day than a tour through a southern city's beautiful downtown historic district.

I recently came across a unique walking tour in one of the South’s classic beauties, Milledgeville, Georgia. What makes Milledgeville distinct is that it actually served as the capital of Georgia during the Civil War; obviously, history envelops this town as much as the natives' Georgia drawl.

Heck, the city is even in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the only city in the world to require trains to stop at a red light. Can you get anymore unique than that?

In Milledgeville, you can venture back in time with driving and trolley tours of the city's historic district and witness such landmarks such as the original Governor's Mansion, the Old Georgia State Capitol, the Flannery O'Connor Room and the Baldwin County Courthouse, which dates back to 1887.

If driving or riding the trolley is not your thing, a new audio walking tour will be right up your alley. Complete with a map, Mp3 player and guided audio featuring narration, music, sound effects and dramatizations, it just might be the most interactive tour this side of the Mason-Dixon Line.

The audio tour perfect for the tech-savvy traveler and adds that extra element of entertainment for friends and family who tag along. And unlike the trolley tours, the audio tour can be taken anytime of the day and at your own pace, not just on scheduled starting times and stops, leaving plenty of time for shopping and a lot of good eatin.'

For more information on Milledgeville or the walking tours, please call 478-452-4687 or visit www.milledgevillecvb.com and request a visitor's guide.

When you read through our Southern Chef Bios, you can see how frequently our creative Southern chefs combine locally grown ingredients and regional traditions with international flavors. Where did these traditions start? Key Ingredients - America by Food is both a Smithsonian traveling exhibit and a great online journey that takes you through 500 years of American food. The exhibit explores American cuisine as a product of both regional uniqueness and international diversity.

If you have a recipe with special memories attached, you can share your recipe and your story by submitting it online to The American Cookbook Project, a part of the America by Food project.

The touring exhibit will appear in these tasty Southern locations this year:

Elloree Heritage Museum and Cultural Center      Elloree, SC     6/27/2008-8/10/2008

Vienna Historic Preservation Society       Vienna, GA     6/28/2008-8/10/2008

Belton Area Museum Association       Belton, SC     8/15/2008-10/5/2008

Cherokee Regional Library       LaFayette, GA     8/16/2008-8/28/2008

Gilmer County Public Library      Ellijay, GA     10/4/2008-11/16/2008

National Bean Market Museum       Lake City, SC     10/24/2008-12/21/2008

Make plans to visit Louisville, Kentucky in February and attend the Find Greatness Within Series held every Sunday in February, the series will highlight African American heritage, music, storytelling and expressions of unity. Each of the four programs will feature a performance and interactive audience activity that focuses on significant elements of African American history.

Those elements are then translated into one of the Center's six core values – respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, giving and spirituality – to demonstrate how they play a role in finding the greatness within ourselves. For more information or tickets on the series, visit www.alicenter.org.

Visit Kentucky Trip Ideas to discover other great Blue Grass State attractions.  You can also read Southern Living magazine articles about Louisville, Kentucky and other Kentucky destinations on Travel South USA's new Travel Talk page at http://www.travelsouthusa.com/travel-talk.

One of my blog friends asked me the other day “What is Lowcountry Cuisine Anyway?”  Well, I’m no expert, but my definition is cooking that features ingredients predominantly found in South Carolina’s Low Country (as in geography) including Charleston and Savannah.  It’s the stuff Pat Conroy must have been eating when he wrote Prince of Tides (one of my favorite books, but not my favorite movie…in my opinion, the book is almost always better.  For favorite movie, see: Steel Magnolias.)  I digress…Lowcountry cooking has a strong French influence, is full of seafood and reminds you a whole lot of its kissin’ cousin, Cajun cooking.  As someone once told me, “it is the food of the water”

Wikipedia also educated me on some foods that, while some are new to me, are traditionally part of Lowcountry cuisine include She-crab Soup, Sweet Potato & Crab Soup, Charleston Red Rice, Hoppin’ John, Frogmore Stew, Perlau, Oyster Roast, Crab Cakes or Shrimp & Grits. 

With that, here’s a recipe for Frogmore Stew which, according to the South Carolina Encyclopedia, originated in the Frogmore community on St. Helena Island near Beaufort. 

Until next time, enjoy!

In its December issue, Southern Living magazine spotlights two North Carolina eateries for their talent in making one of my favorite indulgences - banana pudding.  Gary’s Bar-B-Q in China Grove and Clara Marie’s Authentic Southern Bakery, located at the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market, are both featured for their mastery of this Southern specialty. 

I’ve been meaning to plan a trip to Greensboro.  Did you know that Greensboro is the home of Replacements Ltd.?  For those of you unfamiliar with them, they are the largest selection of old & new dinnerware, china and crystal.  Replacements Ltd is a great place to visit online if you are looking for collectibles or if your china or crystal pattern has been retired, and you need a replacement piece.

Greensboro is also  a furniture shopper’s dream come true.  You can visit Boyles Furniture, Thomasville and Drexel Heritage all in one day.

If history is your thing, you could tour the city’s historic sites including Guilford College, Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, the Greensboro Historical Museum, the Blandwood Mansion and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. 

Last but certainly not least, NASCAR fans can visit the museum that honors the seven-time Winston Cup Champion Richard Petty at the Richard Petty Museum. 

But back to where I started, banana pudding…send me your favorite recipes while I do some web surfing on its history.  I’m pretty darn sure, like all things wonderful in my life, it started in the South.

Until Next Time…

OK travelers from near and far…Now that I’ve given you the scoop on where I think it is hot to shop in Atlanta, it is play time. 

First stop, the Georgia Aquarium.  The new Georgia Aquarium is one of the world's largest with over 55,000 animals from 500 different species! It is located across from the CNN Center and Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta.  The Georgia Aquarium has timed ticketing (meaning they assign you a time to enter), so I recommend buying tickets in advance. This can be done on their Web site or by phone (404-581-4444).

Next, have a “coke and a smile” at the World of Coke.  Can you imagine?  A 7 foot polar bear, 62,000 square feet and 1,200 artifacts all about the world’s best-known soft drink!   Not to mention all the free coke you can drink.  Very cool.

Now it’s time for my other favorite cool beverage at the Atlanta Brewing Company.  Founded in 1993, the Atlanta Brewing Company (ABC) is the oldest operational brewery in the state of Georgia. Atlanta Brewing Company hosts a tour and tasting every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from 5pm to 7pm with live, local music on Wednesday and Friday. Usually, four to six beers, including seasonals, are offered on tap at the tasting. The brewery tour is highly informative and educational.

Finally, how about some food?  Atlanta is full of fabulous eateries.  You name it, they’ve got it.   My personal favorites?  Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Alexander’s and The Varsity Downtown.  But this is just the tip of the iceberg.  As hot as shopping is in Atlanta, the cuisine is even hotter.  Start by checking out Travel South’s list.  Than get out there, try everything and then tell me about it.

Until next time…