High Hampton Inn

Southern Heritage Food Symposium

May 19-21

The Southern Heritage Food Symposium will bring foodies and Southerners together at the historic High Hampton Inn for three days of demonstrations, lectures and tastings. Co-sponsored by the Cashiers Historical Society, this inaugural event will bring in high-profile presenters such as Sheri Castle – professional culinary instructor,

John Fleer of Canyon Kitchen in Lonesome Valley,

Beth Jones – Cashiers Historical Society, and Fred Sauceman – expert on foodways of the central Appalachians.

Attendees can also enjoy additional resort amenities such as a round of golf, game of tennis, or appointment at High Hampton’s European-style spa.

Rates: $320 per night for 2 people. Single: $217 per night for single occupant. Taxes and service fee are additional. This 3-day food symposium package includes lodging, all meals, and fees.

For additional information or to reserve a space at the Symposium, please call (800) 334-2551.

Schedule

Wednesday, May 19 – Evening
5:30-5:45 p.m.	Event opening – Welcome and recognitions by Lane Cook, Symposium Chair
5:45-6:00 p.m.	Event overview and presenter introduction by Sheri Castle
6:00 p.m.	Presentation by John Fleer
	Evening close by Lane Cook

Thursday, May 20 – Morning
8:30-9:00 a.m.	Coffee & Danish
9:00-9:15 a.m.	Welcome by Lane Cook
9:15-9:20a.m.	Presenter introduction by Sheri Castle
9:20-10:15a.m.	Presentation by Fred Sauceman
10:15-10:30 a.m.	Break
10:30-11:30 a.m.	Presentation by Sheri Castle
	Morning close by Lane Cook

Thursday, May 20 – Afternoon
1:30-3:30	Presentation by Beth Jones at the Zachary-Tolbert House

Thursday, May 20 – Evening
5:30-6:00 p.m.	Cocktail social
6:00-6:30 p.m.	Pre-dinner-program – Sheri Castle presenting Food and Film w/ Earl Cruze
6:30-8:30 p.m.	Premier event: Dinner with Jane Nardy and Chef Sean Ruddy

Friday, May 21 – Morning
8:30-9:00 a.m.	Coffee & Danish
9:00-9:15 a.m.	Welcome by Lane Cook
9:15-9:20 a.m.	Presenter introduction by Sheri Castle
9:20a.m.	Presentation by Fred Sauceman
	Event close by Lane Cook

Lecture Topics

Sheri Castle

Lecture Topic: Mountain Food, Southern Food: Iconic Foodways of the Southern Appalachians

Southern food is a broad and generous topic, but not all Southern food is the same. Like the mountains themselves, the regional food of the Southern Appalachians is distinct, definable and worthy of consideration and preservation. Our recipes give us insight into our history. Like mountain folkways, the traditional foodways are both enduring and evolving.

Lecture Topic: Putting Up and Setting By: The High Art of Appalachian Food Preservation

More than any other area in the South, the traditional foodways of the Mountain South were defined by geography and weather. For mountain families, food preservation skills were as critical as their farming and hunting skills, so they mastered the art of preserving food. A look at their methods and recipes give us a look into the heart and soul of traditional mountain life, a history that remains relevant today.

John Fleer

Lecture Topic: Now We're Cooking with Fire: Elemental Cooking in Appalachia Beyond Barbecue

Fleer is researching cooking with natural fires as his next project. His presentation will explore this style of cooking in our indigenous and heritage cuisines. Fleer will intentionally exclude the common notions of barbecue and his presentation will include an entertaining and informative demonstration component.

Beth Jones

Lecture Topic: The Challenges of Getting Food to the Table in 19th Century

Beth Jones provides a wonderful demonstration of just how difficult it was to get food onto the table in generations past. Preparing the soil, planting, tending and gathering were just starters. Then came the need for preparing and preserving. Beth uses her grandmother’s canning pots and some family recipes to demonstrate and produce tastings of a variety of goodies.

Fred Sauceman

Lecture Topic: Appalachian Food Folks

Fred will do a talk on some of his favorite food folks in Appalachia, focusing on their personalities as much as their food. He will profile a variety of individuals: among them barbecue pitmaster and pharmacist Larry Proffitt; tamale lady Clara Robinson; the late Cas Walker, Appalachia’s most colorful grocer; Romie and Zella Mae Britt, creators of Beans All the Way; Pam and Grant Hall, purveyors of the Dip Dog; and sorghum king Arland Johnson. Fred provides photographs of them all, their products, and audio soundbites of several. Fred also can screen his film, “A Red Hot Dog Digest”, or his new one currently under production, entitled “Beans All the Way.”