by Rebecca Williams Back in 2021, we made the five-hour journey to the land of pancakes, fudge, bears and wooden everything, aka the Smoky Mountains. I have fond memories of the mountains, specifically the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Fancy Gap area of Virginia. As a child most of our vacations were spent there, with the local antique shops and historical sites being entertainment. The smell of clover became a memory trigger of those days, even still. But there’s something dif

By Sarah Mayson Afterword by Alan Bergo Photography by Alan Bergo Photography by Alan Bergo Across the entire eastern part of North America, the Appalachians, and moving west, there is a plant growing that most would consider an invasive weed. Yet, it is a multi-purpose functional weed. Seems to be an oxymoron but, depending on where you live and your family’s heritage, a person may have different feelings toward said weed. Pokeweed. Pidgeon Berry. Pokeberry. Poke Salad. Pol

Landon Bryant is a Southern storyteller with a large, loyal, and growing following across social media. He's a digital entertainer, comedian, and the author of “Bless Your Heart: A Field Guide to All Things Southern”and “ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, Y'all”, with a new book on the way. His Bless Your Heart 2027 calendar comes out next month. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Southern Living, Garden and Gun, ABC News, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and beyond. L

By Katey Rich The water they call black water is really more the color of strongly steeped tea, or the darkest stripes of a pecan shell. It flows slowly but purposefully around cypress stumps, fallen trees and mossy banks, through a handful of towns but mostly untamed, swampy wilderness. It literally makes Aiken County, the eastern edge of the county is carved by the river boundaries, but often goes unnoticed, hidden beneath the canopy of trees that have protected it since lo

By Katey Rich It’s a tradition unlike any other,” as the CBS broadcast will tell you endlessly the first week in April. But for Aikenites who grew up around The Masters, “tradition” doesn’t really even begin to cover it. Maybe it’s something you notice best when you’re far away. In the years I lived in New York City, The Masters broadcast was like a portal back home. The azaleas and the birdsong, the green grass and the tall pine trees—all of it was what April ought to feel

Written by Katey Rich Photo Creds: SC Film Commission/Disney, Explore Edgefield When the Disney production of That Darn Cat set up camp in Aiken and Edgefield in the early months of 1996, it was a thrilling exposure to Hollywood magic for those of us who had never imagined seeing our quiet hometowns onscreen. As it turns out, the film’s star Christina Ricci was also experiencing something totally new. “That town square was like nothing I had ever seen before,” Ricci, who was

2026 Heart Show February 25- March 1, 2026.

Heirloom Recipe Photo Cred: BMC Photography Maria Key at Charlie's Fish Market (for 3-5 pounds of fish) 3 pounds self-rising cornmeal 3-4 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon black pepper Pat fish dry and coat both sides in the mixture. Fry fish in vegetable oil once it reaches 350 degrees. When the fish begins to float and is golden brown, flip and monitor, making sure the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Photo Cred: BMC Photography

Written by Nick Gallos, Charlie's Fish Market Photo Cred: BMC Photography Ingredients 2 whole fish around 2 lbs. each, i.e.: perch, snapper, sea bass, sheepshead 1/4 -1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 3-4 fresh lemons Salt and pepper Sprigs of fresh dill 1/2 of a small onion (divided between the fish) 2-3 cloves of minced garlic Picking and Dressing Fish When picking out your fish, use your nose first. Fresh fish should have an ocean or briny water smell. After that, let your e

Recipe by Ida Bell Maxwell, Submitted by Frances Chalmers Ingredients 1-pint fresh oysters with their liquid 4 slices bacon 1 onion, finely chopped ½ green bell pepper, chopped 1 cup chicken broth 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon onion powder 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet (for color) Directions Drain oysters and set aside. Fry the bacon until crispy, remove bacon. Add all-purpose flour to bacon grease to

Written By Chris Najmola, Executive Chef of The Green Boundary Club Winter Issue 2025 Aiken Hound & Home Magazine Venison Ossobuco Here’s a fun one. You’ll need a bone saw or for your processor to be fluent with the finer cuts, but it will be more than worth the trouble. Alternatively, braising the whole shank is an option, though you’ll miss out on that beautiful bone marrow. In any case, the aroma of a traditional burgundy will fill your home, and hopefully it will become a

Written By Chef Chris Najmola Executive Chef of The Green Boundary Club Aiken Hound & Home Magazine Winter 2025 Issue The Backstrap All right, this is an easy one, and hopefully doesn’t fall too far in the category of common sense for you. I have tried too hard and messed up too much not to preach about the beauty of simplicity. I write this one because it is simple, and though I love every part of the deer, the backstrap is the star of the show for me. If I offer you a cou

Photo Cred: Rebecca Williams Recipe By Chef Christian Carlisle, Owner and Chef of Blue Collard Catering INGREDIENTS 1 pound raw, bulk Italian sausage 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup chopped Vidalia onion 3/4 cup minced celery 2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 pound dove or quail breast* 3 cups hot chicken stock 1 1/2 cups Carolina Gold rice 1 teaspoon hot sauce 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 pounds crushed tomatoes 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper 2 teaspoons black pep

Written by Krista Towns As the sun shines brighter and the days grow longer, summer welcomes the perfect season to enjoy our favorite vegetables —including mushrooms! You’ll likely find an abundant variety of them in South Carolina, both in the woods and on the stands of your farmers markets. Foraged varieties you may spot include chanterelles, oyster and possibly black trumpets. Cultivated varieties like lion’s mane, oyster and maitake are usually available for purchase at

Photo Cred: LUME Media/Daly Pardue Recipe by Sam O'lone, Chef & Owner of The Wildemount Ingredients Quail 2 semi-boneless quail salt & black pepper, to taste 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp butter 1 garlic clove, smashed 1 sprig thyme Plum Pan Sauce 1 fresh plum, diced 1 tsp shallot, minced ½ tsp honey 2 tbsp red wine ¼ cup chicken stock ½ tbsp butter (to finish) Pinch of salt Cinnamon-Lemon Brussels Sprouts ½ cup Brussels sprouts, halved 1 tsp olive oil Pinch ground cinnamon ½ tsp l

Katey Rich remembers Aiken snow days.

Provided by Neon Fig Aiken, SC Christmas morning brunch as become a tradition for many people. Curated by nationally recognized Chef Marvin Sterling III, of Aiken's top brunch destination Neon Fig, this savory salmon bake will make you the star of the event on Christmas morning (or any morning for that matter)! Yield: 4 servings 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2⁄3 cup thinly sliced shallot 12 cherry tomatoes 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt 3⁄4 cup heavy cream 1⁄3 cup sour cream 1 ta

Jamie with her brother 1995. On a crisp fall night driving down an old game management road in Edgefield County, we ease off to the side near a creek and shut off the truck. It’s quiet and so dark there’s not a star in the sky. Silence breaks when the coon dogs rustle around inside their dog box, excited about going to work. We climb out the truck and walk to the tailgate to a pair of anxious hounds, a Treeing Walker (Molly) and a Black and Tan (Ellie). They leap from the tai

My name is Joey Lucero and I hunt wild hogs with dogs and a knife. Feral hogs wreak havoc on the topography of South Carolina. From damaging crops and native plants, to injuring or killing livestock, hogs wreak havoc, and their rapid reproduction rate make them difficult to control. Joey Lucero SCDNR does a great job protecting species, but due to the large population of wild hogs, there is no limit or season on private land. Hog hunters and their dogs are the primary regula

Support the Fermata Club here! Aiken Swiftie? Grab your "Aiken Era" mug here! It had been 60 years since the Fermata School for Girls last taught the daughters of America’s finest families about everything they’d need to know to enter high society, from cooking to horseback riding. But on monthly weeknights in the late ’90s, in that wide wood and stucco gymnasium that had once been state of the art, I was still there being taught the foxtrot and the waltz. The Fermata Club, f