Southern Living

Turner Spottswood ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Turner Spottswood grew up on Mobile Bay, and she enjoys spending time on the pier being immersed in Southern culture (from brandy Alexanders to jubilees). She combines her adoration for the South and love of the creative field through orchestrating gorgeous photo shoots, like those in “The New Pumpkin Palette” (page 15) and “A Butterfly Haven” (page 20). Chelsea Zimmer SENIOR FOOD STYLIST Originally from New Jersey, Chelsea Zimmer never thought she’d end up in the South. But she took a chance on a food-styling gig in Birmingham in 2015 and has never looked back. She even convinced her mom to move down here. When she’s not in the studio bringing to life stories like “Superfans” (page 80) and “Oktober Feast!” (page 100), she’s spending time with her husband and…

WHAT WE’RE LOVING, SHARING, AND CELEBRATING Moody Welcome Call on grays, dark greens, and purples for a subtly spooky front porch Miller began with an assortment of large heirloom pumpkins in gray and white, placing them down the stairs in an asymmetrical fashion. The party pro then filled in the gaps with deep green gourds as well as green-and-white variegated ones. “I love the way the darker green helps the others to pop and creates some dimension and depth,” she notes. Miller also included a few containers, which she filled with plants like Mexican sage, ornamental kale, and violas for sturdy pops of purple that will look good well into the winter. “It’s a fabulous and unexpected color for this time of year,” she says of the choice. Sunny Centerpiece A zippy autumn arrangement relies…

Pear, Bacon, and Gorgonzola Flatbread ACTIVE 15 MIN. TOTAL 35 MIN. SERVES 4 Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss together 1 cup thinly sliced pear (from 1 medium-size red Anjou pear) and 2 tsp. lemon juice in a small bowl. Place 1 (16 ½- x 4 ½-inch) flatbread on a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded fontina cheese; top with pear and ⅓ cup sliced shallot (from 1 shallot). Bake until cheese is melted, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with ⅓ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, ¼ tsp. flaky sea salt, and ⅛ tsp. black pepper. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. honey; top with ½ cup loosely packed baby arugula and 2 Tbsp. cooked crumbled bacon (from two slices). Slice and serve immediately. Skillet Pork Chops with Caramelized Pears ACTIVE 30…

TWENTY-FOUR years ago, Monika Maeckle bought a small property on the Llano River in Central Texas as an escape from fast-paced San Antonio. A journalist and marketing professional by trade, she didn’t at first realize the value of the location on which she and her husband would later build their ranch. She also had no idea how this decision would eventually transform her life. One October evening a few years later, a friend invited Maeckle to their nearby house, which sat on a watershed with several large cypresses. “All these butterflies dropped from the sky and started to gravitate toward the trees,” she recalls. “Stronger people who could swing a big 12-foot-long pole began trying to capture them, and we waited. By the end of the evening, we’d tagged a couple…

WHEN JAY Mallinckrodt pitched the idea of crafting cast-iron cookware to his wife and business partner, Heather, in 2020, she was hesitant. “I immediately said no,” she recalls with a laugh. “But I finally agreed as long as we made something that we would actually want to use ourselves.” Like many others during the initial throes of the pandemic, their multigenerational family operation, Heartland Enterprises (which specializes in machining parts for jet engines and gas and oil equipment), was seeing a lull. “No one was flying; no one was drilling,” says Jay. “So we had time to try something different.” Unsatisfied with the modern cast-iron and nonstick skillets on the market, the Mallinckrodts sought to create a piece that was easy to use and, above all, meant to last. “There’s such…

SPOTLIGHT Savoring the South A new cookbook celebrates the delicious diversity of our region’s food “So often, we use the term ‘Southern cuisine,’ but when I hear that, it doesn’t tell me enough,” says Asheville, North Carolina, chef Ashleigh Shanti. Her debut cookbook, Our South: Black Food Through My Lens (due out October 15), brings context and complexity to the discussion and honors the contributions of Black cooks. Five chapters feature recipes from distinct areas: Backcountry, Lowcountry, Midlands, Lowlands, and Homeland (which combines many influences and reflects the entirety of Shanti’s journey as a chef). Expect to find straightforward instructions for staples such as cornbread and stewed tomatoes along with inventive dishes like Grilled Sorghum Chicken on a Stick and Hot Collard and Oyster Dip. Most people know Shanti for her James Beard Award-recognized…