The Dessert Issue: Our Carolina Cakes. Banana Pudding: An Ode to a Southern Classic. 13 Sweet Spots Across the State.
FEATURES
Carolina Cakes by Michael Graff
Photography by Matt Hulsman
Recipes developed by Wendy Perry and Teresa Williford
In this issue, you will see cakes that nobody else has ever made, cakes that only a North Carolinian can appreciate. We asked our recipe developer, Wendy Perry, to create five quintessential North Carolina cakes. So she rounded up a few of our food traditions – Krispy Kreme, country ham, pimento cheese, Nabs, and Pepsi – and created five new cakes with that old Carolina soul.
- The Krispy Kreme Cake
- The Maple Syrup & Country Ham Cake
- The Pimento Cheese Cake
- The Nabs Cake
- The Pespi ‘N’ Peanuts Cake
- Web Exclusive: Click here to download recipe cards for all five of our Carolina Cakes.
- Web Exclusive Video: Come along as recipe testers and food designers Wendy Perry and Teresa Williford prepare our Carolina Cakes for this issue’s photo shoot.
Gimme Some Sugar by Sandy Lang
Photography by Peter Frank Edwards
Oh, what a sweet adventure. This sugary story could have started in any number of towns. With just a trifle of effort, it’s possible to discover independent, local bakeries in North Carolina offering hot doughnuts at dawn or slices of cheesecake at near midnight. You can find regional recipes and countless variations of baked delights across the state, from fresh apple pie along the Blue Ridge Parkway to cream puffs on the coast.
- The Sisters McMullen in Asheville
- Mountain Pie Company in Hendersonville
- Jimmie’s Sweets in Matthews
- Rosebriar in Albemarle
- Hayes Barton Café & Dessertery in Raleigh
- Bread of Heaven Bakery in Goldsboro
- Cheesecakes by Alex in Greensboro
- Paul’s Pastry Shop in Burlington
- Seaside Cheesecake Dessert Shoppe in Morehead City
- Savannah Red in Charlotte
- Bailey Café in Bailey
- The Bakehouse in Aberdeen
- Sugar on Front Street in Wilmington
Banana Pudding by Tommy Tomlinson
Photography by Matt Hulsman
It’s a simple dish built in layers, rich and comforting, reflecting the foundation of a satisfying Southern life.
The Civil War: A War of Songs by Philip Gerard
(Volume two, Part two)
From battlefields to minstrel shows, music becomes a rallying cry of loyalty and motivation. But as deaths and hopelessness mount, the songs convey a haunting sense of loss.
DEPARTMENTS
Welcome
From Scratch by Elizabeth Hudson
Photography by Whitebox Weddings
Our State Quiz
Carolina Courts by Alan Hodge
Photography by Wesley Harkins
With distinguished architecture and prominent placement in our towns, courthouses symbolize our state’s commitment to justice.
Humor
Taste the Difference by Daniel Wallace
Illustrated by Daniel Wallace
Carolina Culture
Resurrecting a Sound by David Menconi
Photography by Geoff Wood
Old Hat Records in Raleigh doesn’t search for cutting-edge music. Instead, the label revives what the industry and its listeners forgot.
Rediscovering Riddle by Janet Hurley
Photography by Matt Rose
This month, the Burnsville community honors the legacy of a native son whose talented ear shaped the sound of country music.
- Web Exclusive: The Traditional Voices Group collects, documents, and preserves the cultural traditions and musical heritage of the Toe River Valley. They group hosts Riddlefest. Click here to see a collection of mountain stories preserved by the group.
Cultural Clearinghouse by John Murawski
Photography by Lissa Gotwals
When customers make a purchase at The Regulator Bookshop in Durham, they also make a commitment to a local store with a national reputation.
Scenes and Songs by Abbey Dean
Photography by Michael Morel
The Asheville Symphony Orchestra and Asheville Art Museum marry their artistic mediums for a performance of Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony No. 6.
Tar Heel Town
Beech Mountain by Leigh Ann Henion
Photography by Cheryl Zibisky
A former mayor named Fred and his trusted neighbors make the highest town east of the Rockies work.
Tar Heel History
Lighter Than Air by Earl Swift
Photography courtesy of Courtney Gonzalez
When German U-boats began to hound Allied forces, the Navy took to the sky and constructed an air station in Weeksville that built blimps – soft, quiet fighters that helped turn the Battle of the Atlantic and lift the nation to victory.
Good Food
Lunch and a Legacy by Maria Johnson
Photography by Joey and Jessica Seawell
At Neal’s Deli in Carrboro, Matt and Sheila Neal carve their own slice of culinary history.
Chef & the Farmer by Eric Burnette
Photography by Zach Frailey
In small-town Kinston, one New York couple’s big-city ambition finds a home and helps fuel this restaurant’s successful start.
The Inn on Mill Creek by Abbey Dean
Photography by Matt Rose
At an Asheville-area bed and breakfast, waking up is a delicious dream.
Recipes
Carolina Gardening
Natural Host by Jill Gerard
Photography by Stacey Haines and Millie Holloman
When visitors picnic under the live oak in Wilmington’s Airlie Gardens, they carry on a social legacy a century in the making.
Dates & Events
Five Things Every North Carolinian Should Do This Month by Taylor Rankin and Carson Blackwelder
“Buy a book and stop a crook” in Lumberton, sample North Carolina wines at the Stanley County Winter Wine Festival, get to know Tarboro while taking a walk through the 45 blocks of its Historic District, take in a concert at the Flat Rock Playhouse, and indulge in the sweetness of the Carolina Chocolate Festival in Morehead City.
Tar Heel Image
Boone Barnyard by Drew Sumrell of Boone
On a cold, winter morning, the earth lies dormant beneath frosty crystals and waits for the warmth of the sun.
