Taste of the Low Country

February 23, 2009 "Low Country Cuisine" is a style of cooking that utilizes local ingredients such as Carolina rice, stone-ground grits, shrimp, blue crab, grouper and country ham, in traditional recipes handed down from the Gullah community of the southeastern coastal states, says the executive chef at the Grand Dunes in Myrtle Beach. "The Gullah are known for preserving more of their African linguistic and cultural heritage than any other African American community in the United States."

Chef Rodney has taken "Low Country Cuisine" to a new level with innovative interpretations of these traditional dishes and uses locally sourced ingredients, sustainable meat, fish and seafood as well as regionally grown produce to enhance the taste and quality of cuisine.

Spirit Airlines (www.spiritair.com) is now flying daily from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Myrtle Beach. But if you cannot hop a plane to enjoy the chef's cooking, Chef Rodney says you can try this Low Country recipe at home:

MEET CHEF RODNEY TALLADA
12 noon to 2 pm
Wednesday, February 25
Williams-Sonoma
900 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago
About Chef Rodney Tallada, Executive Chef at the Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach:
He was introduced to "Low Country Cuisine" nine years ago when he moved to the Myrtle Beach area. His love of the area and the cuisine helped him develop his extensive knowledge of the "Low Country Cuisine." Chef Rodney is a member of the American Culinary Federation and has won several awards in the Taste of the Tidelands, including the Grand Award and has won 3 silver and 3 bronze medals in ACF hot food competitions over the last 6 years.