Giving thanks for Lowcountry cuisine

It's just days until Thanksgiving, and I have a few thanks to offer in the name of food.

Living in Charleston for 25 years, I have come to deeply appreciate the Lowcountry's historic cuisine and how it evolved from many cultures over time. Some of the food is unique to our coast; some of it is common to the South as a whole. No matter, it continues to be a fascinating journey of discovery.

From she-crab soup to banana pudding, my experience has amounted to a heap of good eating and fellowship over the past quarter-century. Here's a bow to all the people who have graciously shared their food and their table with me.

My applause also goes to the fishermen, farmers and foodmakers of the Lowcountry. They keep on going despite enormous challenges and help us realize that "eating local" really does mean something.

Lastly, I'm very grateful for the opportunity to write this column and to y'all who make it happen every week. Without requests, without the folks who take the time to send in recipes and tell their stories, we wouldn't be here celebrating the subject of food — Southern or otherwise.

Today we're focused on red rice, a dish long associated with the Lowcountry. It's origin may not be exclusive to Charleston since similar dishes are found elsewhere, but its popularity here is never in doubt.

Like so many of our foods, red rice almost certainly has its roots in West African cooking. Food historians believe the dish is an adaptation of "jollof rice," a meat version of a Senegalese rice and fish combination called Ceebu Jen. Slaves brought it to America, although they surely made adjustments depending on the foods available to them here.

There's no "right" way to make red rice — dry or moist, bacon or sausage, more or less tomato — they run the gamut. Most natives have a favorite method or a friend or family member who makes the "best." For me, it was the late Anne Lamble. We'll honor her memory with a big batch on Thursday.

A caller asked for a recipe for red rice in the oven. I would guess that more cooks prepare it on the stovetop in a rice steamer, but it's good to have options.

June Sageser of North Charleston says this is the "best" she's ever eaten. "One of my husband's colleagues shared it years ago and has since left the company, so I have no way of giving proper credit."

Red Rice Casserole

1 pound bulk sausage (Jimmy Dean's recommended)

4 tablespoons bacon drippings

1 cup raw rice

2 cups tomato juice

1 chopped green pepper

2 medium chopped onions

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons margarine

Brown sausage lightly in bacon drippings. Combine with remaining ingredients except margarine in a greased casserole dish. Dot the top with the margarine. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Mary Lee Kirkland of James Island passes along a recipe published here more than a dozen years ago. "I have made this recipe many times and enjoy it," she says.

Oscar Vick's Wadmalaw Sausage Red Rice

1 pound mild bulk sausage

3 cups water

1 bell pepper, diced

3 ounces tomato paste

Dash of hot sauce

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

2 cups raw rice (Uncle Ben's suggested)

1 large onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of crushed rosemary leaves

In a large frying pan, fry the sausage and brown it on all sides. Pour off all grease.

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Return sausage to frying pan and blend in the water and then all the other ingredients. Mix well and bring to a boil.

Pour into casserole dish and cover. Bake for 1 hour or longer, until rice is cooked. Halfway through cooking, gently stir the rice. Shrimp or crabmeat may be added.

Ann Detyens of Mount Pleasant "This is a Paula Deen recipe. I use it quite often. The hot sauce adds just the right zip."

Savannah Red Rice

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped bell pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup diced smoked sausage

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with juice

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 cup uncooked white rice

1 cup water

3 chicken bouillon cubes

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and bell pepper in butter. Add sausage; heat until mixture is slightly browned. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, hot sauce, white rice, water and bouillon cubes. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Cook's notes: "I usually use more smoked sausage. The tomatoes and bouillon have a good deal of salt, so I don't add additional salt."

Here's a bacon-only version from Susan Robertson of Mount Pleasant:

Red Rice

4-5 strips bacon

1 onion chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 medium can diced tomatoes

1 1/4 cans water

Salt and pepper to taste

Dash of Old Bay seasoning

1 cup long-grain raw rice

Fry bacon and remove from pan. Saute onion and celery in grease; add tomatoes, water, salt and pepper, Old Bay and rice. Simmer 10 minutes. Place in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart-deep casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Cook's note: Sliced fresh mushrooms and olives may be added before baking.

Also thanks to Pam Stuart of Summerville and Gloria Kinsey of Edisto Beach.

Rutabaga what?

Melvin Price of Kingstree had asked about a recipe for rutabaga cheesecake. He had one, lost it and would love to have another.

Yvonne Buxton of Ehrhardt supplied this recipe. It's said to be delicious, as strange as it sounds.

Rutabaga Cheesecake

Makes 10-12 servings

3 cups cubed rutabaga

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 2/3 cup fine graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (optional; see cook's note)

1/2 cup cold water

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

3 eggs, separated

1 cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Cook's note: The gelatin adds stiffness, but is optional. Can substitute 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water.

Boil rutabaga in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and puree in blender or whip by hand; cool and place in large bowl with cream cheese; set aside.

Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter. Reserve 1/4 cup and press remainder on bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Chill.

Soften gelatin or cornstarch in cold water in top pan of small double boiler. Add 1/2 cup sugar, salt, milk, and slightly beaten egg yolks. Cook over boiling water, stirring, until slightly thickened. Beat into cream cheese/rutabaga mixture until smooth and blended. Cool.

Beat egg whites until foamy; add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff.

Whip cream and fold into cream cheese/rutabaga mixture; fold in whipped egg whites. Fold in vanilla and orange zest.

Pour into prepared pan, sprinkle with reserved crumbs and chill until firm.

Who's got the recipe?

--Oops, this request got buried in desk paperwork. Stephen Johnson of John's Island would like recipes for frog legs. He's not looking to fry them, preferring a light saute, perhaps with a cream, wine and herb sauce or mushrooms. Or another sauce that won't overwhelm the meat's delicate flavor. (No cream of mushroom soup, please.)

--Alena Carlson of Summerville loves rice pudding and asks for recipes.

--Susan McClellan of North Charleston is fond of elephant ears at the fair, and would like to know how to make them at home.

--A Summerville caller likes the pinto beans in sauce served at Bojangles, and she wondered if someone had a recipe that comes close.

--Still looking: Eileen Miller would like information and recipes about cooking with tofu.

--Also, Peggy Vashina wants make-ahead breakfast casserole dishes that don't contain eggs, as her grandson is allergic to them.

If you're looking for a recipe or have one to share, reach Teresa Taylor at 937-4886, food@postandcourier.com or write The Post and Courier, 134 Columbus St., Charleston, SC 29403. Include a daytime phone number.