Staff reports | Raise a glass and send wishes of tasty sugarplums, flaky biscuits, creamy grits, fresh shrimp and dessert delights to Charleston’s doyenne of Southern cooking, Nathalie Dupree, who turned 80 just before Christmas.
Photo by Ruta Smith, Charleston City Paper.
Her birthday milestone has been celebrated far and wide — from a big October celebrity foodie bash in New York at the James Beard House to appearances across the South for signings of a new cookbook, Nathalie Dupree’s Favorite Stories and Recipes.
But on her actual birthday, Dec. 23, came a new honor — “Nathalie Dupree Day” — following a proclamation by Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg, who recognized her as “a North Star for the culinary revival and recognition of Southern cooking canons, a mentor, activist, icon, and influencer.”
The proclamation recognized how Dupree, who has won several James Beard awards as well as international cuisine honors, helped put Charleston on the food map when she moved here about 20 years ago with husband and historian Jack Bass.
“Her influence and connections in the international and regional food world brought about the spotlight on Charleston, where its food, chefs, farmers, shrimpers and fishermen basked in the light of her generous and heartfelt pride,” the proclamation says.
Author of 15 cookbooks and host of more than 300 television shows, Dupree continues to nurture Southern cooking. She’s the founding chair of the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, a founder of the Southern Foodways Alliance and founder of two chapters of Les Dames d’Escoffier, an international philanthropic organization that selected her as a “Grande Dame” in 2011.
- Read some tips from her recent book, courtesy of the Charleston City Paper.
In recent news briefs:
Early birthday wishes. Happy 247th birthday to the Charleston Museum, which celebrates on January 12. As a gift to the community, the museum will admit one child for free with the purchase of adult admission! Even more: The museum’s director, Carl Borick, will talk about the history of the museum, known as America’s First Museum, at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 10. More.
Abortion ban proposal to get hot. Statehouse Report’s Lindsay Street reports the state Senate is readying for a second showdown in two years over a bill seeking to restrict access to abortions in South Carolina. And while this new bill is different and under different circumstances, some on both sides of the hot-button issue are still looking to 2018 for lessons. Read more of her story.
It is actually getting hotter. An analysis by The Post and Courier found that seven of the hottest years on record for Charleston occurred in the last 10 years. And weather forecasters say that trend will continue. (Think of what it means in Columbia, which may be the hottest city in the state, for various reasons.) Read more.
Fees rising at state parks. State park admissions are increasing around the state in 2020. All 47 state parks will see changes, according to service staff. Park admissions will be going up by a few dollars per person with $3 per adult being the highest increase. The annual pass options have changed, but the highest level costs the same at $99. Read more.
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