Comforting foods

When the chill of autumn begins to settle over the Grand Strand, our thoughts naturally turn to comfort. A favorite sweater comes down off the shelf; that snuggly throw reappears on the back of the couch; a favorite cabernet sauvignon makes a return to the wine rack. And, of course, we think of comfort food. We begin to crave hearty, filling food. We hunger for dishes that ooze warmth and insulate us for the coming winter.

The definition of 揷omfort food?is as varied among local chefs as the gastronomically delicious and diverse dishes they create. For Darren Smith, owner and chef at Rivertown Bistro in Conway, comfort food is 揳nything that you can relate to. Maybe it brings to mind childhood memories.?A favorite of Smith is pot roast ?with some tweaks. Instead of traditional fare, Smith抯 dish features braised pork roast served with local aromatic rice and succotash. A special autumnal comfort food creation is Smith抯 Seafood Gratin. It is bursting with flavors from the sea: shrimp, lump crab, lobster and crawfish, with mascarpone cheese and a breadcrumb topping. Served with a red pepper sherry cream sauce and cheddar biscuits, one taste of it says comfort.

Comfort also comes from the sea for Laura Heryadi, owner and chef of Indo Thai Sushi & Hibachi in Myrtle Beach. When asked for cozy fare, Heryadi didn抰 hesitate to serve up her Seafood Mor Din Hot Pot. 揂 hot pot is best for the cooler seasons. It is a unique dish, bursting with flavor.?Heryadi抯 Mor Din is a rich m閘ange of Asian flavors, such as sauces of plum and wine, lime leaves and sweet soy. Much like the variety of stuffings or dressings that Americans cherish, variations of hot pots are found all across Asia, from Singapore and Malaysia, to Korea and China.

James Clark, executive chef at WaterScapes at Marina Inn in Grande Dunes, believes comfort food is 揻ood that has the most heart and soul to it. It is food that a family can gather around. I think it is the kind of food that is most important in these troubled times.?Clark marries comfort with the flavors of fall in his Wood Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Aged Mac & Apple Jam. Of note is his choice of pork tenderloin, sourced from Salmon Creek Farms. It is part of a family co-op based in the Pacific Northwest, with the pork being of superior quality and full of flavor.

揫Comfort food] is not necessarily about the looks,?says Curry Martin, chef and owner of Aspen Grille in Myrtle Beach. 揑t抯 all about the flavors; it抯 all about traditional preparation.?Martin says he looks forward to autumn for the quality of oysters and other shellfish, in addition to fantastic root vegetables that begin to appear. Martin抯 Crab and Corn Chowder pairs the taste of late summer corn with sweet crab. 揑t抯 inspired by the area and what抯 available here,?Martin says.

Comfort food is 搒omething that is satisfying, that you know. Often it is a food that you have experience with in a younger life,?says Peter Gennaro III, executive chef at Caf?Amalfi at the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort. Personally, Gennaro finds comfort in meatloaf and pot roast. But, like Chef Smith, Gennaro loves to amp up the flavor by adding red wine and the earthy taste of morel or shiitake mushrooms. For our feature, Gennaro has created his Lobster and Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese. Light in appearance, but rich and intense in flavor, mascarpone cheese pairs with lobster. Gennaro puts it succinctly: 揑t抯 very satisfying.?br /> The following are recipes provided by our talented local chefs.

Lobster and Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese ~ Caf?Amalfi

Ingredients: (Entree, serves 6)
?cup butter
?cup flour
2 cups heavy cream
?pound gruyere cheese
?pound fontina cheese
?pound mascarpone cheese
2 pounds elbow noodles, cooked al dente
Salt and white pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon truffle oil
1 pound knuckle and claw lobster meat
12 large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails off
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 bamboo skewers
6 tablespoons toasted bread crumbs

Preparation:
In a large pot melt butter and whisk in flour; cook until it is a pale roux. Pour in heavy cream. Bring to boil; reduce to simmer. Slowly add cheeses, stirring constantly until sauce is creamy. When cheese is melted, add pasta, stirring to coat each noodle. Season with salt and white pepper; add truffle oil. In a saut?pan, saut?lobster and shrimp in olive oil until shrimp is cooked. Skewer lobster and shrimp on to six skewers, making sure to portion equally. Portion macaroni and cheese into 6 soup cups evenly; top with toasted bread crumbs and seafood skewer.

Fall Squash and Root Vegetables Gratin ~ Rivertown Bistro

Ingredients: (Vegetable, serves 12-16)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 turnips, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 rutabaga, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 butternut squash, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 medium leek, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 parsnip, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup chicken stock, divided
1 cup heavy cream, divided
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups breadcrumbs, divided

Preparation:
Grease two 9-inch pie pans with olive oil. Rub garlic cloves around pans and discard. Layer vegetables and alternate with salt and pepper. Pour half the chicken stock over each pan and cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover, add cream and bake 10 minutes. Top with Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Bake 8-12 minutes until breadcrumbs are golden. Let rest 15 minutes, slice and serve.

Seafood Mor Din Hot Pot ~ Indo Thai Sushi & Hibachi

Ingredients: (Entr閑, serves 2)
8 ounces oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
8 ounces white fish, cubed
2 mussels
4 shrimp
3 scallops
4 ounces squid tubes
1 portion crab meat
2 ounces carrot, sliced
2 ounces celery, sliced
2 ounces water chestnuts, sliced
2 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 ounces baby corn on the cob
12 ounces chicken broth
3 tablespoons brown sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sherry
1 teaspoon sweet soy sauce
1 lime leaf
1 ounce ginger, sliced
5 basil leaves
1 teaspoon soybean sauce
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1 pickled plum
Clear cellophane noodles

Preparation:
Add 8 ounces oil to a hot pan with the garlic. Stir until fragrant. Add all meats and vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add broth, brown sauce, sugar, sherry, soy sauce and lime leaf. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to get up all the goodies. Pour all remaining ingredients in the pot, throw on the lid and bring to a boil Serve and enjoy!

Wood Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Aged Mac & Apple Jam ~ WaterScapes at Marina Inn

For the Pork
Ingredients: (Entr閑, serves 4)
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 fresh pork tenderloins

Preparation:
Mix herbs, garlic and olive oil together and coat the pork tenderloins. Cover and place in the refrigerator; marinate up to three days. Once you are ready to cook, remove any excess oil, season with salt and pepper and place on a hot charcoal or wood grill. Cook 9-12 minutes, turning about every 2 minutes. The pork should be medium to medium-well.

For the Apple Jam
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
3 Granny Smith apples, small dice
2 shallots, minced
?cup sugar
?cup Apple Jack brandy
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped thyme

Preparation:
In a hot heavy-bottom sauce pan add butter, diced apples and shallots and allow to cook 3-5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except thyme, and cook until jam becomes slightly thick. Pull off the heat, add thyme and cool. Can be refrigerated up to three weeks.

For the Mac
Ingredients:
?pound butter
?pound all-purpose flour
2 quarts milk
?pound aged white Cheddar cheese, grated and divided
?pound fontina or gruyere cheese, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 pound ditalini pasta, cooked al dente
?cup bread crumbs

Preparation:
First melt butter in a heavy-bottom saucepan; add flour to make a roux. Blend in milk and cook, stirring often, at least 20 minutes. Add all the cheese, but reserve about 3 tablespoons of the Cheddar. Stir until cheese has melted; season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Mix cooked ditalini with the cheese sauce; place into an oven-safe dish. In a bowl mix the bread crumbs and remaining Cheddar cheese; sprinkle on top of pasta mixture. Place in a pre-heated 350-degree oven and bake 15 minutes.

Crab and Corn Chowder ~ Aspen Grille

Ingredients: (Soup, serves 15)
2 cups diced onion
2 cups diced carrot
2 cups diced celery
?cup olive oil
4 cups diced Yukon gold potatoes
2 cups fresh corn
?cup finely chopped fresh parsley
?cup fresh thyme leaves
?pound butter
?pound flour, unsalted
1 gallons milk
1 quart fish or shrimp stock
1 can back fin crab meat
Salt and pepper, to taste
?cup sherry

Preparation:
Sweat onions, carrots and celery in olive oil in a soup or stock pot until onions are translucent. Add potatoes, corn, parsley and thyme. In a separate pot melt butter and whisk in flour to make a roux. Cook roux until a light nut brown color. Whisk in milk and stock. Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Pour liquid into pot with solid ingredients. Add crab meat, salt, pepper and sherry. Simmer 30 minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve.

Coleslaw ~ Salt Creek Cafe

Ingredients: (Salad, serves 12)
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
?cup sugar
?teaspoon ground black pepper
?cup whole milk
?cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 ?teaspoons lemon juice
1 pound chopped cabbage

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients except cabbage in a large mixing bowl. Add cabbage and thoroughly incorporate dressing. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.燬tir again before serving.

Rosemary Cornbread ~ House of Blues

Ingredients: (Bread, makes 10 2-inch pans)
1 pound frozen corn
1 ounce rosemary, chopped
5 cups heavy cream
1 box cornbread mix
6 ounces red pepper
10 eggs
4 ounces minced shallots
Granulated sugar

Preparation:
Blend together all ingredients except sugar. Spray 2-inch pans and coat the bottoms only with granulated sugar. Pour batter in pans. Bake in a 250-degree convection oven on low fan for 2 ?hours. Remove from oven and cool on cooling rack.

Meatloaf ~ Damon抯 Grill

Ingredients: (Entr閑, serves 4)
?teaspoon granulated garlic
Salt and black pepper, to taste
?teaspoon ground sage
1 egg
1 pound ground beef
?medium potato, shredded
?green bell pepper, chopped fine
2 tablespoons chopped onion
Barbecue sauce, as needed

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine spices and egg. Whisk until well-blended. Add remaining ingredients and knead until thoroughly mixed. Place into loaf pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover the loaf and cover with barbecue sauce. Bake an additional 15 minutes or to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Let rest 5 minutes, slice and serve.