Tailgating and Tea

I recently returned from a trip which included giving a cooking class at A Southern Season. For those of you who live anywhere near Chapel Hill, SC, A Southern Season is a Must Visit Place. They not only have a wonderful selection of teas, but also a wonderful selection of specialty foods , kitchen tools, and culinary appliances. It is the Home Depot of the Food World!

While in Chapel Hill, I had the pleasure to stay with longtime friend Anna and her husband Mike. They treated me to a wonderful al fresco dinner on their deck the night before my class. I just thought I would feature Mike's (yes Mike's) handy work outside while Anna was busy fixing us a delicious dinner. The picture below doesn't show the lantern with a candle inside hanging from their beautiful eucalyptus tree that drapes their deck!  I wish I had a picture of the dinner that I was treated to.

The next morning it was off to A Southern Season for my Southern Tailgate Tea Party! Along with being a great culinary store, they also have a wonderful Viking cooking school.  I was invited to teach at CLASS (Culinary Lessons at A Southern Season) again in late August.  The theme was A Southern Tailgate Tea Party and Iced Tea.  The recipes came from Tea with a Twist and the history of iced tea in America came from The World in Your Teacup.   The United States has quite a bit of tea history beyond the Boston Tea Party.  Most people don't realize that the Boston Tea Party was not the first tea revolt.

Their venue has a really great setup with elevated seating and tables that have silverware setup. 

They also have a two big mirrors and cameras set up with 2 large screens on either side of the mirrors for closeups shots.

The staff is really great to work with as well.  They have prepped so much that it is easy to come in and demo and talk about your recipes and expertise. 

Here is the recipe for

Cheesey Cornbread Sausage Balls

-perfect for tailgating

1 lb package of breakfast sausage

1 1/2 cups self rising cornmeal mix

10 oz freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, do not use pre-grated

4 oz jar pimentos drained and chopped

¼ cup chopped jalapenos in jar

Dash of hot sauce



Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all the ingredients together with hands in a large bowl until well blended. Use a 1 ½ inch scoop and form balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet with sides and bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly brown. Sausage balls may be frozen uncooked or cooked.

Thanks so much to Anna and Mike for hosting me and to the staff at A Southern Season especially Marilyn Markel and Caroline Cahan!

Happy Sipping & Tailgating, Lisa