PB Cooks

Thanks to of for this timely piece on how the pandemic has influenced the way we consume wine. From the beginning we have offered restaurant quality wine pairings with our custom event menus. It’s just one more way we offer a restaurant experience without having to leave home. Thanks also of for all of the expert wine pairings. And shoutout to of for making both us look damn good.

Posted • With the pandemic came a high demand for budget-friendly wines, and local experts noticed customers’ had a newfound interest in the types of vino they were drinking.

Sommeliers and wine experts decided to give the people what they wanted.

Edmund’s Oast Exchange GM Sarah O’Kelley made her sommelier school virtual. Graft owners Miles White and Femi Oyediran launched an intriguing wine newsletter. And, chef Phil Brenner teamed up with Vintage Lounge co-owner Nathan Wheeler to bring unique wine pairings to at-home private dinners.

Link in bio for full story.

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Thanks again to of for this timely piece on how the pandemic has influenced the way we consume wine. Since we started, has been providing restaurant quality wine pairings for our custom event menus. It’s just one more way you can have a restaurant experience without ever having to leave home.

Thanks to at for all of the expert pairing recommendations. And shoutout to of for making the two of us look so damn good.

I don’t source products simply because they’re local. They have to be 1. delicious on their own and also 2. elevate the dish they’re added to. Here are two of my favorites that check off all the boxes:

za’atar is so versatile. Here it finishes the whipped sheep’s milk ricotta with focaccia. I love it on hummus, roast chicken, grilled fish and those big summer tomato salads.

hot honey is just a really balanced product. It’s a sneaky way to get some sweet heat into a dish without going full honey or chili oil. Put it on baked fruit desserts, grilled fish collars or over a tangy cheese like feta.

When I’m cooking for friends it isn’t work, it’s actually my favorite kind of dinner party. These are a few shots of a birthday dinner for .k at the home of my good friend and talented photog . In the coming weeks I’ll be highlighting some of my go-to local purveyors and products that help make our dinners unique.

Snapshots from a private dinner party in Charleston back in August. The client requested a menu inspired by the simple yet delicious flavors of Italy using the perfect late summer produce we have in the Lowcountry. Getting things started with an always impressive cheese board from and an appetizer of local canary melon and cantaloupe with prosciutto, mint and ricotta salata. Then a salad of local peaches and heirloom tomatoes with mozzarella, basil, Tuscan olio nuovo and rosé vinegar. The entreé was a simple pasta with homemade heirloom tomato sauce, zucchini, herby breadcrumbs and the best local shrimp from . Dessert was a stunner: chocolate hazelnut mousse cake with cherry compote and pistachio gelato. Molto bene indeed. @ Charleston, South Carolina

Everything farms brings to the farmers market is special. Including these chive blossoms. Toss the flowers in your dips for crudites, garnish salads and egg dishes, you can even pickle them to preserve that delicate, light onion flavor. And when someone asks where you found them just say you "went foraging."

Get em' while you can. Spring onions are the ideal aromatic base for lighter spring/summer dishes. Use the bulbs for cooking in place of white or yellow onions or in raw preparations in place of red onions. Slice the green tops for garnish on...everything. These perfect specimens come courtesy of the stand at the Marion Square Farmers Market . @ Charleston, South Carolina

For home cooks, learning to make fresh pasta can be hard. Fortunately sourcing fresh pasta locally is easy thanks to . Find them at the Marion Square Farmers Market on Saturdays or at a handful of excellent retail locations like on Sullivan's (shout out to Lesley and ).

Sourced right from the Marion Square Farmers Market, we use Sea Island red peas from for this dish. The peas are slowly cooked with bay leaf and whole garlic clove until just creamy inside. The freshest local shrimp from are gently warmed in the drained peas along with some lemon and fresh marjoram and new season Tuscan olive oil. The finished dish is a creamy, herby and deceptively simple starter for any meal. @ Charleston, South Carolina

Sautéed Lacinato kale with garlic, chili flake and benne seed. Cook your garlic and chili flake in the evoo to create a flavored oil for the kale to sautée in. The secret to not burning garlic...keep your eyes on the prize and your heat on medium. Too hot and you've got bitter, burnt garlic. Look away and you risk missing that magic moment when the edges of your garlic turn golden. That's when you know it's time to add the kale. Cook down until soft but the kale retains a bit of crunch. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and some toasted benne seeds. @ Charleston, South Carolina

1 pan. Dinner for 2. 30 minutes. Crispy cast iron chicken thighs with fennel, leeks and garlic. Render the thighs until you get that crispy skin, remove from the pan and sautée your diced leeks, sliced fennel and crushed garlic cloves in a bit of the remaining chicken fat. Reunite your chicken with the veggies for a 10 minute party in the oven. Finish with lemon juice, maybe some hot pepper vinegar, verjus or chili oil.

Sprucing up this batch of roasted asparagus with spring onion, lemon, green garlic and cured egg yolk. We weren't kidding when we suggested grating cured egg yolk in place of parmesan cheese atop any dish. There's no better way to achieve a unique, salty, umami flavor.