A white bread tomato sandwich with mayonnaise, salt and pepper could be the official summer food of the N.C. coast, but our Liz Biro offers 10 perfectly acceptable variations on the classic.
Food
Our Coast’s Food: Spring Cheese Straws
Long a staple at social gatherings along the North Carolina coast, cheese straws blend the pungent sharpness of cheddar with a bit of heat from cayenne pepper.
Our Coast’s Food: Giving Rutabagas a Chance
They’re hard as a rock with a decidedly bitter taste, but the humble rutabaga occupies an important place in the culinary history of the Carolina coast, and it deserves recognition.
Our Coast’s Food: The Lure of Oyster Bars
Oyster bars are a staple of North Carolina’s coast with a rich history dating back to the late 1800s, but only a few authentic experiences remain.
Our Coast’s Food: Holiday Cheese Ball
Cheese balls may not immediately come to mind when considering holiday food traditions, but the creamy spheres covered with nuts and served with crackers are a longtime favorite on the North Carolina coast.
Our Coast’s Food: Mullet Roe
An exotic delicacy in many cultures dating back thousands of years and a staple and way of life for North Carolina coastal fishing families since Colonial times, mullet roe has gained new favor among top chefs.
Our Coast’s Food: Odd Pairings
Peanuts in Pepsi, Ritz crackers as a lemon pie crust, fried spot and grits — some food combinations enjoyed on the North Carolina coast may seem a bit weird to outsiders.
Our Coast’s Food: Stuffed Shrimp
Brown shrimp and blue crabs reach their maximum size this time of year. Put them together as a fitting homage to the end of summer.
Our Coast’s Food: The Perfect Crabcake
When it comes to preparing the perfect crab cake, less is more – unless you’re talking about the crab meat.
Coastal Cookbooks You Must Have
Our food writer Liz Biro picks the books that help tell the story of Eastern North Carolina cooking. They are essential reading for anyone who loves our coast, she writes.
Our Coast’s Food: Potato Salad
The Memorial Day weekend is the symbolic start of summer. Liz Biro, our food writer, kicks off the season with a story about a staple of backyard barbecues, church reunions and fish fries.
Our Coast’s Food: Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry shortcake means different things to different people. A tender, split biscuit layered with sugar-macerated berries and fluffy whipped cream is recognized as the traditional version. But they come in many varieties.
Our Coast’s Food: Southern Workhorse
Our food writer Liz Biro takes a loving, personal look at the cast-iron frying pan, a mainstay of any Southern kitchen.
Our Coast’s Food: Cornmeal Dumplings
Cooks on the N.C. coast traditionally add cornmeal dumplings to collard greens but the tasty dollops can also be used to stretch seafood soups, stews and chowders, even when pinching pennies isn’t necessary.
Our Coast’s Food: Keeping It Local
Chef Kyle Lee McKnight helped launch a local foods movement in Wilmington and although he’s no longer working on the N.C. coast, the flavors, traditions and friends from this region still guide his choices.
Our Coast’s Food: Hoppin’ John
Tradition has it that eating black-eyed peas on Jan. 1 guarantees a prosperous new year but proper preparation is key with the dish known as “hoppin’ john.”
