Page 78 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2020

ULTIMATE
GUIDE
TASTEFUL
Blueberry Compote.
Rule Breaking
When eating a classic dish that brings a sharp sense of nostalgia, I think, “How could I make this t into ne dining without disrespecting it and maintaining the integrity of each ingredient?” For example, a while back I wanted to make a carrot cake, but I also wanted panna cotta. I found a way to combine both, but made sure each element stayed true when it came to avor and texture. I tried this dessert out on my family one evening and I can recall them staring at it as if it was a kind of science experiment.
I told them to just pick up the fork and trust me. The look of surprise on their faces made me light up because I knew the rst thought was “carrot cake” even thought it looked almost nothing like one.
At Field’s, I enjoy taking traditional dishes and desserts and making them into something new. We’ve had
story and photos by Lauren Jo rion
In the South, tradition is king. With that, I have always teetered on the edge of traditional and “new,” but recently I decided
to take the plunge and drive straight into the “new.” You might be confused as to what
I mean, but in the South, traditions are respected and unwavering. Yes, traditions should be respected, but what
if we can take something traditional and make it interesting, while still preserving the integrity of said thing?
Carrot Cake.
Lemon Meringue Tart.
the essence of tradition, but I also love
to tantalize tastebuds and make people question why something can’t look a little di erent sometimes. Who says pies have to be in uniform slices? As long as it tastes great and it provides a sense of nostalgic comfort, I have done my job. There’s nothing wrong with being a tasteful rule breaker!
a few skeptics, but once we tell them, “Just trust us,” they never regret it. I remember one evening when a guest ordered my version of a Blueberry Pie and was distraught when something that did not look like
a pie arrived at his table. I told him to spoon a little bit of each element onto his fork. He looked at me and said he was ba ed as to how this looked nothing like a blueberry pie, yet tasted just like one. As mentioned before, I love
78 | November 2020
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