Earlier this fall, we interviewed Doug Ducap, of the extraordinary food blog, Hugging the Coast.  Doug shares both culture and recipes about the Southern U.S. on Hugging the Cast - I look forward to each new post he has! This month, Hugging the Coast celebrates being one year old - congratulations! Doug is also the Food Editor of NowPublic.com, a participatory network for information junkies that was named one of the top 50 websites by Time magazine.

I asked Doug to create an exclusive recipe for our Wandering Educators for the holiday season - and he came back with two! Lucky, Lucky us...Here's what he had to say...

Doug Ducap, Hugging the Coast: 

One recipe just didn't seem like enough, so I developed two for you: a
historically-influenced dessert and a party nosh (suitable for Christmas
and New Year's)

***Carolina Christmas Pomegranate Milk Pie***

Believe it or not, Charleston, SC and pomegranates go way back.

Before there was even a United States, there were pomegranates. The Spanish conquistadors introduced them to the New World in Mexico, California, and Florida. The English later cultivated pomegranates in the warmer American colonies, with the area around Charleston being a particularly successful producer. In 1764, the renowned early American botanist John Bartram was known to have received at his home in Pennsylvania a barrel of pomegranates and oranges from a correspondent in Charleston.

And it goes without saying that Charleston and grits go way back, too!

This simple and deliciously creamy pie is made with the basic staples
(eggs, milk, yellow corn grits), but with the addition of a couple of colonial-era treats – pomegranate and coconut – that would have made a holiday dessert special. The top is decorated with mint leaf 'pine needles', a mint and pomegranate 'holly' cluster, and powdered sugar 'snow' on the 'hilltops' – something we in the aptly named Lowcountry don't have!

Special thanks to Sam of Greek Food Recipes and Reflections for his
inspiring Galatopita recipe!

1 large pomegranate
5 cups milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup yellow grits, "quick"-type (not instant)
1 tsp ground coriander
3 eggs, well beaten
Cooking spray
3/4 cup (approx.) sweetened flaked coconut
1 Tbsp honey
Mint leaves (optional)
Powdered sugar (optional)

Cut the pomegranate and remove the arils. Measure 1 cup of arils and set
the remainder aside for decoration. Preheat the over to 350 degrees.

In a large saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat to a near boil. Add the
butter, sugar, and salt and stir until melted. Whisk in the grits and cook
over medium-low heat, stirring often, until grits have begun to thicken
(about 7 - 10 minutes.) Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the
coriander, and allow the grits to cool for a few minutes.

Drizzle in the beaten eggs a little at a time, whisking to incorporate them
completely before adding more.

Generously coat the bottom and sides of a 10-inch spring form pan (see
Cook's Note) with cooking spray and shake in the flaked coconut, turning
the pan to coat the sides. Gently pour in half of the grit batter, spreading
carefully with a spatula if necessary. Sprinkle the pomegranate arils
evenly over the batter, then pour in the remaining batter, smoothing it to the
edges if necessary.

Bake for 1 to 1-1/2 hours (depending on the type of pan) or until top is
golden brown and puffy. Turn off heat and allow pan to remain in oven for
an additional 15 minutes. Remove and place on a rack. Top will deflate and
leave an uneven surface; this is normal. Let cool completely before
refrigerating or decorating.

To decorate: mix the honey with a little warm water and brush the honey on
top (if you plan to dust the 'hilltops' with powdered sugar, only brush the
honey in the 'valleys'.) Top with the remaining pomegranate arils and
finely-cut mint leaves, if using. Serves 8 - 12

Cook's Note: You can also make this in a deep pie pan, but you may need to
shorten the cooking time.

***Crispy Benne Seed Party Bites with Louisiana Honey Mustard***

There are certain words that mark me as a 'Comeyah'  (i.e., someone who's
just 'come here', as opposed to a 'Beenyah') in the South Carolina
Lowcountry. I still say 'Autumn' instead of 'Fall', for example, and
'scallion' instead of 'green onion'. However, I am making some progress in
one important area: I'm getting a lot better at remembering to say 'benne'
instead of 'sesame'.

Folks here refer to the seeds by their African name, and use them in such
local goodies as the thin, sweet benne seed wafers that are a staple of
holiday entertaining. This recipe combines versatile benne seeds with
savory Southern flavors for a deliciously addictive appetizer or cocktail snack.
Best of all, they'll save you time in the kitchen, since you're not making
one at a time, but sixteen at a time!

Even though these are fried, they're light and not at all greasy, and
because they're so thin they don't require very much oil. They're perfect
paired with the spicy Louisiana Honey Mustard dipping sauce, but would also
be nice with a mild barbeque sauce.

For the honey mustard dipping sauce:

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp hot pepper sauce (such as Crystal or Trappey's)
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients and chill. This recipe can be doubled.

For the Party Bites:

2 scallions, minced
1/4 cup green pepper, minced
1/4 cup celery, minced
1-1/4 lb lean ground pork
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
12 egg roll wrappers
1 large egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water
Sesame seeds
Canola or vegetable oil for frying

Thoroughly combine the first nine ingredients (scallions through peanuts)
in a bowl, and divide into six roughly equal parts.

On a lightly floured or non-stick surface (I use a silicone baking mat),
lay out two egg roll wrappers (keep the remainder in plastic or under a lightly
dampened paper towel.)

Brush the surface of both wrappers with beaten egg. Spread one-sixth of the
meat mixture evenly over one of the wrappers (a fork works well for this),
then lay the other wrapper (egg side down) on top. Gently press down on the
surface to remove air pockets. Brush the top with additional egg, sprinkle
generously with sesame seeds, and press down lightly to help seeds adhere.

Cut the wrapper cross-wise into four squares, then cut each square diagonally to make four triangles. Use the knife blade to lift the triangles, and place them seed-side down (it'll make them easier to pick up again) on a cookie sheet or tray. Cover with plastic while you repeat with the other egg roll wrappers.

In a skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of oil over medium-high heat to 360
degrees, or until the tip of a chopstick inserted into the oil sends up a
steady stream of little bubbles. Gently place several of the triangles in
the oil, taking care not to crowd the pan so the oil temperature doesn't
drop too much (low oil temp is the main cause of 'greasy' fried foods.)

When just golden, turn and brown the other side (watch closely as these
cook very quickly.) Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining
triangles. Makes 96 party bites.

WE: Thanks so much, Doug - these recipes sound delicious! I can't wait to make them. For more information on Doug's original recipes and much, much more, please see: www.HuggingtheCoast.com