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.

Watch Latest: S3 E303

26m 46s / TV-G

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.

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.

Honey-Roasted Peanut Crispy Rice Cereal Treats | Kitchen Recipe

30s

Sheri Castle shares her recipe for honey-roasted peanut crispy rice cereal treats. Perfect for your next picnic, the treats are an elevated and personalized take on a recipe Sheri’s been making since she was 4 years old.

Preview | Hey, Honey

30s

Host Sheri Castle is busy as a bee as she prepares honey-roasted peanut crispy rice treats and honey-glazed chicken thighs, plus offers a tip on reviving the crystallized honey in your pantry. She dons a bee suit with beekeeper Mary Garrison to learn why pollinators are so vital, and then makes a spiced honey cake pie with award-winning baker Camille Cogswell.

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