The Key Ingredient

Food Series / 3 Seasons

Renowned food writer and cooking teacher Sheri Castle celebrates local ingredients, tracing their journeys from source to kitchen. Sheri introduces us to local farmers, growers, fishermen and chefs and shares approachable home cooking recipes and tips.

26m 46s / TV-G

Field Trip to Moore’s Produce

3m 54s

Sheri visits Moore’s Produce, where she witnesses more than eighty varieties of hot peppers. She chats with owner Stephanie Moore about growing hot peppers in the South, the best varieties for your dishes and when to buy this heat-packing fruit.

Gato Pima with Spiced Yogurt Sauce and Pikliz | Cook Along with Von Diaz

7m 38s

Sheri cooks along with Von Diaz, an Emmy Award-winning documentarian, food historian and author, to create Von’s signature island-inspired dishes. Together, they prepare gato pima, a flavorful deep-fried chili cake, and a spicy pikliz slaw with a tangy yogurt sauce. These recipes highlight bold, vibrant flavors from around the world, creatively blending island culinary traditions with the fiery ki

Roasted Green Chile, Chicken & White Bean Stew | Kitchen Recipe

5m 27s

Sheri Castle shares her recipe for a delicious, warm stew of roasted green chile, chicken and white bean. Roasted green chiles are the star of this hearty, flavorful dish, offering a wonderfully warming experience that will keep you coming back for more.

Candied Jalapeño Cheese Ball | Kitchen Recipe

6m 6s

Sheri Castle creates a candied jalapeño cheese ball, a show-stopping party centerpiece. This delightful blend of creamy cheese and sweet-spicy candied jalapeños is perfect for snacking and sharing. Rolled in crunchy nuts, it’s a flavorful and festive addition to any gathering, combining heat and sweetness for a memorable treat.

Preview | Warming Up to Hot Peppers

30s

Sheri Castle spices up your next potluck with recipes for a candied jalapeño cheese ball and a warm stew of roasted green chile, chicken and white beans. She also shares a tip for roasting peppers right in your kitchen. Sheri visits Moore’s Produce in rural NC to see what it takes to grow hot peppers in the South, then cooks along with Emmy Award-winning documentarian and author Von Diaz.

Fresh Peach and Summer Vegetable Salad with Basil-Lemonade Dressing | Kitchen Recipe

6m 24s

Sheri Castle shares her recipe for a fresh peach and summer vegetable salad dressed in a basil-lemonade vinaigrette. Juicy peaches, crisp veggies and fragrant basil come together for a beautiful, colorful dish that is as delicious as it is stunning. This salad is a perfect showcase of peak summer produce, offering a refreshing, light and flavorful addition to any meal.

Preview | Everything’s Just Peachy

30s

Sheri shares peach recipes, including peach sorbet and fresh peach and summer vegetable salad with basil-lemonade dressing. She stops at peach stands on her way to the coast and reunites with Cheryl Day, cookbook author and founder of Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice, who shows how she bakes her prized peach hand pies. Sheri also shares a tip to prevent peeled peaches from turning brown.

Field Trip with Tia Clark of Casual Crabbing

5m 48s

Sheri Castle heads to Charleston, South Carolina, for an adventure led by Tia Clark of Casual Crabbing. In this hands-on experience, Sheri learns a variety of methods for catching crabs.

Chili Crab | Cook Along with Oscar Johnson and Daryl Cooper

6m 35s

Sheri Castle joins chefs Oscar Johnson and Daryl Cooper to make chili crab, a favorite recipe that leans into the traditions of African American culinary history and family gatherings.

Deviled Crab | Kitchen Recipe

5m 21s

Sheri Castle shares her nostalgic take on deviled crab, a dish she’s loved since childhood. Although she grew up far from the coast, she enjoyed deviled crab at fish camps, casual seafood spots she and her family visited. Baked in crab shells, this dish is a tasty reminder of simpler times.

Warm Crab Dip with Crostini | Kitchen Recipe

5m 24s

Sheri Castle shares her recipe for warm crab and roasted red pepper dip, an easy, elegant dish perfect for parties. Rich and creamy but never heavy, this dip pairs beautifully with homemade crostini seasoned with salt and pepper. Always a crowd favorite, it’s a simpler alternative to crab cakes and delivers deep flavors.

Preview | Crabs Galore

30s

Sheri explores delicious ways to enjoy crab, including deviled crab and warm crab dip with crostini. She then catches crabs off a Charleston river dock with Tia Clark of Casual Crabbing, and Charlotte chefs Oscar Johnson and Daryl Cooper cook one of their favorite crab recipes with her. Sheri also explains the differences between various types of crab meat and their best culinary uses.

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