A showcase of the world’s top equestrians, boiled peanut secrets, and celebrating Southern makers. Welcome to this week’s Talk of the South.
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“I can’t say it’s the worst this year because I’m no longer a fishing guide. But men and women who I trust say it’s been the worst year ever.” —Author Randy Wayne White, on the devastating red tide that has killed hundreds of sea turtles, dolphins, manatees, and other marine life in Southwest Florida.
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The World Equestrian Games will feature eight disciplines, including showjumping. (Photo courtesy of Tryon Resort)
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| North Carolina’s Big Horse Show
If you’re a horse lover, or just love watching world-class athletes at the top of their game, you’ll want to head to Tryon, North Carolina, next month. More than 1,600 horses and riders from some seventy countries will descend on the tiny town (pop. 1,621) to compete in the F.E.I. World Equestrian Games. Like the Olympics, the Games happen every four years and feature the best equine athletes in the world. Unlike the Olympics, spectators in Tryon will also get to see such non-Olympic events as driving, endurance, vaulting, and reining. With three weeks left until the September 11 opening ceremonies, construction of the 1,600-acre Tryon International Equestrian Center is ongoing, but organizers are confident everything will be ready in time for the thirteen-day spectacle. Tickets are still available, as are plenty of volunteer spots. What better way to spend a September day in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains?
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| OUR STYLE DIRECTOR’S PICK OF THE WEEK
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Bamboo dinnerware has been stealing the spotlight from patterned melamine and other indestructible outdoor tabletop goods. It’s just as fun and beautiful but better than plastics for the environment. These plates from designer Xenia Taler are dishwasher-safe, and the line is fun-loving and spirited—just like any tailgate or picnic should be! $50 for set of 4; nordstrom.com
—Haskell Harris
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| COME CELEBRATE IN CHARLESTON WITH US
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We’re hosting an exciting event here in Charleston to honor the winners of our annual Made in the South Awards, and we’d love for you to join us. Scheduled for November 9–10, our Made in the South Weekend will include an intimate concert by G&G favorites Amanda Shires and Aaron Lee Tasjan, “Meet the Maker” conversations at G&G headquarters, and a special dinner recognizing the winners prepared by innovative Southern chef Asha Gomez with cocktails by mixologist Miles Macquarrie. We’re partnering with Volvo Car USA to bring you this unique celebration of Southern artisans. And more good news: Tickets just went on sale today.
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| For fans of boiled peanuts, it’s a special time of year: green peanut season. These freshly harvested, undried peanuts show up in August through about the end of October, and many aficionados consider them the cream of the crop for boiling. “Green peanuts are a Sunday treat when you can find them at their prime,” says cookbook author Matt Lee, who with his brother, Ted, ships boiled peanuts around the country via the Lee Bros. Boiled Peanut Catalogue. “They have this lovely sweetness and also the texture, which is just pearly, resilient, and silky.” For a basic recipe, he recommends using a ¾ cup of salt in a gallon of water, then boiling for about an hour, sampling frequently. Pro tip: When buying green peanuts at the grocery or farmers’ market, look for blonde-colored peanuts—if they’re too brown, they won’t taste as fresh.
For more boiled peanut recipes, read chef Hugh Acheson’s slow-cooker version and chef Asha Gomez’s serrano-spiked take.
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| - Music: I grew up in Memphis, so live music is in my blood. The River City is flush with killer funk, rock, rap, soul, and blues acts, but right now I’m into this folksy troubadour named Mark Edgar Stuart. I’m particularly smitten with his tune “Remote Control.” Mark played bass for years in a great traveling band (the Pawtuckets), helped Alvin Youngblood Hart nab a Grammy, and regularly does session work. On top of all that, he beat cancer. I can’t wait to hear his latest album, Mad at Love, which drops September 28.
- Style: I’m not sure what’s in the water down in Austin, Texas, but a handful of indie brands are currently churning out some of the freshest threads and accessories I’ve come across in a while. As I write this, I’m wearing a couple of them: Criquet's Players Shirt and an automatic Seaholm dive watch. Think Jack Nicklaus meets Jacques Cousteau.
- Art: The world-renowned street artist and Charleston native son Shepard Fairey just last week tagged a fifteen-story building in downtown Sacramento with a detailed mural of Johnny Cash. Why? To bring attention to prison reform. It’s a great tribute to the Man in Black and the power of art to provoke thought.
—Marshall McKinney, Design Director
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| Last week we asked readers, “What’s your favorite gas station snack?” We got a ton of great responses:
My favorite is and always will be pork skins. —Linda R.
An RC Cola and a MoonPie. Or Tom’s peanuts dropped into a Coke. —Kathleen M.
Big Hunk, Krispy Kreme donuts, beef jerky, hot New Mexico potato chips. —Joseph F.
My husband absolutely loves the fried gizzards that he finds at certain gas stations in the rural areas of Mississippi. —Ouida D.
Stuckey’s pecan log roll. Yum! —Sissy M.
No question: boiled peanuts. Corn Nuts if you had to buy something “inside.” —Stephen F.
A soft, fresh honey bun. —Jackie W.
Fig Newtons and a Cheerwine. —Tom M.
Bag of salted peanuts and a Co-Cola. —Cynthia M.
Chick-O-Sticks. —Brad B.
Cheese-cracker-and-peanut-butter Nabs with orange juice. —Bill H.
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August 21
Happy 30th birthday, Kacey Musgraves! Read about her latest, Golden Hour, and our other picks for the year’s best albums so far.
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August 22–26
Arkansas’ Fayetteville Roots Festival takes place in the heart of the Ozarks, and this year features Gillian Welch, Turnpike Troubadours, and Mavis Staples, along with food from Bentonville’s Matthew McClure and Nashville’s Tandy Wilson.
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August 24–26
The 20th annual Sidewalk Film Festival takes over downtown Birmingham, Alabama, with dozens of documentaries, features, shorts, and more.
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