Somewhere South

Food Series / 1 Season

Host and award-winning chef Vivian Howard digs deeper into the lesser-known roots of Southern food, Southern cooking, and Southern living. Each episode of “Somewhere South” explores the connectivity of a single dish, and the ways people of different backgrounds interpret that dish while expressing the complex values, identities, and histories that make up the American South.

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Samurai Cowboys

1m 1s

Brothers and restaurateurs Tatsu and Shion Aikawa are self-proclaimed 'samurai cowboys.' They take Vivian on a tour of their favorite barbecue joints in Lockhart, the barbecue capital of the Lone Star State. The trio feast on a picnic spread reminiscent of the brothers' personal foodways inspired by the barbecue traditions of Japan and Texas.

BBQ for Breakfast

2m 1s

When self-proclaimed "soul food scholar" Adrian Miller visits eastern North Carolina on a barbecue expedition for his new book, Vivian takes him to Sid's, a Saturday-only barbecue spot that does whole hog in the region's famous style.

All the Greens

2m 37s

Cookbook author Von Diaz takes Vivian Howard to the Your Dekalb Farmers Market in Dekalb County, Ga., north of Atlanta. They explore all the greens at the market from raw in the produce aisle and to sauteed and cooked on the hot bar.

Real Deal Cornbread

2m 22s

Glenn and Dorsey Hunt are known for their collard sandwiches, which makes them among the most popular food vendors at the annual Lumbee Homecoming in Pembroke, N.C. Desite being busy, they were happy to show their collard sandwich operation to Vivian Howard.

Puerto Rican Pickle

2m 9s

Chef Anges Marrero, a Puerto Rican chef who now calls Lexington, Kentucky home, shows Vivian Howard how she makes catfish escabeche. Agnes Marrero is the executive chef at Smithtown Seafood in Lexington.

Pickle Game On

2m 42s

Chefs Meherwan Irani, Cheetie Kumar, Samantha Fore and Farhan Momin, along with Eater writer Sonia Chopra, explain Indian pickle traditions to Vivian Howard while sampling a variety at Irani's Chai Pani restaurant in Asheville, N.C.

Preview: American as Hand Pie

30s

Vivian’s crash course in mass producing hand pies inspires her to revisit the applejacks of her youth. Her journey includes a trip to West Virginia for a taste of their signature pepperoni rolls and a look at the world’s most popular hand pie — the empanada. Premieres March 27, 2020.

Preview: What a Pickle

30s

Vivian is asked to lecture on chow chow, a quintessentially Southern relish, at Asheville’s first ever Chow Chow Festival. From there, her preservation education dives into Indian and Sri Lankan pickles, Puerto Rican escabeche and Korean kimchi.

Preview: It's a Greens Thing

30s

At the Lumbee tribe’s annual homecoming, Vivian samples their famous collard sandwich and learns the roots of Southern hospitality. On a trip to Clarkston, Ga., Vivian meets a group of refugee farmers who grows greens that remind them of home. Premieres April 24.

Preview: How Do You ‘Cue?

30s

Every Southerner has a particular way they cook and eat barbecue. While Vivian knows North Carolina’s tradition of whole hog barbecue, she travels to Florida for smoked mullet and Texas for barbecue with Japanese and Mexican twists.

Preview: Dumpling Dilemma

30s

A charity dinner and a trip to the Mississippi Delta and farther south reminds Vivian that not all dumplings are the same. But whether filled with minced meat, chopped veggies, or nothing at all, dumplings stretch our ingredients and our imagination. Premieres April 10.

The Southern Chinese Americans of the Mississippi Delta

51s

In Clarksdale, Mississippi, Carol Chinn and Sally Chow share their "grocery stories" as the first generation of Southern Chinese American families in the Mississippi Delta. While dumplings are a huge labor of love, Carol recalls that her first American pot roast spurred a strong reaction out of her family.

A Dumpling Debate Ensues

56s

At an East Meets West dinner in North Carolina, Chef Edward Lee and Vivian can't quite figure out how to define a dumpling. A debate ensues as they discuss the Asian dumplings of the royal courts versus the dumpling of Southern comfort food.

The Many Wonders of Schmaltz

1m 22s

The many wonders of schmaltz render Vivian speechless. In Jackson, Mississippi, home cooks Petra Kay, Susan Hart and Alli Parshall discuss the history of Jewish ingredients and why they're so healing.

Soul Food with Mashama

2m 27s

Vivian heads down to Savannah, GA to visit friend and award-winning chef Mashama Bailey. While there, she samples Mashama's decadent grits and foie gras as Mashama shares her definition of soul food.

A Lil TeeTee

2m 32s

Gullah chef BJ Dennis takes Vivian to Hannibal's a Black-owned restaurant in Charleston. While there, Vivian samples a variety of grits dishes and talks with owner Saphia Huger about how gentrification has influenced her clientel.

Mexico Meets the South at the North Carolina Farmers Market

2m 23s

At the North Carolina State Farmers Market, up-and-coming chef Oscar Diaz shops for his favorite ingredients. He shares the seasonal ingredients that inspire him, and how his version of authentic cuisine is rooted in both Mexico and the South.

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