You may recall I was born a Tar Heel and shortly thereafter, began moving all over the place.  Came back to South Carolina about 10 years ago and moved to Kingstree about two years ago.  Although I am super-proud of my southern heritage, I still have much to learn.
For example, when I first moved back, I lived about two hours away from Kingstree.  About this time of year, I began to hear people talk about “The Kingstree Trials.”   It seemed lots of folk were all worked up about them....when they were going, with whom, etc.  My first reaction was, “Well, what in the world happened in Kingstree?  Who is on trial?  Wonder what they did?  When did the crime take place?  Will it get national attention?  It must have been pretty bad for all these folks to be planning to go!”  I had several people giggling as I began to ask questions.  How was I to know it was a popular, well attended horse race/event?
Earlier that year a few of my church ladies had begun to plan what I THOUGHT was the “Corn Ball” to be held in the fellowship hall.   I was a bit surprised there’d be dancin’ in that church.....even if it was in the fellowship hall.  I thought that was just too quaint, a precious, little southern thing and was sure some Norman Rockwell wannabe would be there to paint it.  But how did you dress for a corn ball?  Wear yellow?  Were all the refreshments to be made with corn?  What kind of music is played?  ( I confess I also thought briefly about the old movie, “Children of the Corn” but quickly put it out of my mind!)
Once again, I  gave ‘em something to laugh about as I questioned the upcoming “ball.”  It was a Corn BOIL!  The best corn growers brought their delicious, sweet corn still in the shucks......where a large group gathered to shuck and silk and boil and butter and salt and pepper and YUM, YUM!  The best fresh tomatoes were also sliced thick and served along with the corn.  Add a tall glass of iced tea, homemade with more sugar than tea and this is one ball that doesn’t even need music!  Best of all,  I didn’t even have to find something yellow to wear.  Yellow is just NOT my color.
The next dilemma I sorted out was the difference in a low country shrimp boil and frogmore stew.  I love shrimp (probably in all 50 ways Forrest Gump knows about) but I haven’t come near having a frog leg go down my throat and do not plan on it!  Don’t ask me why!....Divas don’t have answers to everything!  We just know our likes and dislikes.  I think I have thoughts of those frog legs getting resurrected and jumping around in my innards or something.  I dunno!  Anyway, I DID want to go eat shrimp boil with folks but did NOT want to go anywhere to eat frogmore stew!  I thought it might contain MORE than a frog leg......like frogandmore stew or something.... Another lesson learned was that it depends on what region of South Carolina you are in when eating this stuff......which basically makes no sense to me.  
One deacon in our church “got my goat” good more than once.  He KNEW I was not from a huntin’ family and used to tease me incessantly about bringing me or serving me some fresh road kill.  I’d groan and moan and we’d laugh and thoroughly enjoy ourselves.  One Sunday morning, I walked out to the piano and here was a huge jar of his scrumptious hot/sweet pickles on the bench with a label that read, “Fresh Pickled Road Kill.”  I’m sure the congregation wondered what I found so funny as I sat down on the piano bench.  One Christmas Eve, he and his wife insisted we come by and eat some dinner with them after the traditional Christmas Even service.  We did and he served up heaping bowls of this delicious rice and meat dish....seasoned a bit hot....just like I like it!  That stuff was delicious and he kept scooping steaming spoonfuls of it into my bowl.  I was basically chowin’ down on my second or maybe third bowl (well, the bowls were smallish!) when I asked about the recipe.  Bad mistake.  He told me I was eating Bambi!!!  He never let me live that one down and told everyone I didn’t quit eating it.....just gingerly scraped the meatbits aside.  
I recently got tickled while visiting a restaurant that advertises SUFLAY.  Yep, right up there on there menu sign under the barbecue and slaw.  I looked right puzzled the first time I read it and thought I had something else to learn about South Carolina delicacies.  Curious,  I asked the lady behind the counter what it was and she looked at me like I was from another planet.  Told me it was “stuff made with sweet taters”....then it dawned on me, the owners of that establishment are not into french cuisine nor are they interested in souffle!  Hey, it didn’t matter how they spelled it, that stuff was delicious!  
By the way, are you the plain baked sweet tater type?, tater suflay with raisins? marshmallows?  nuts?  How are you serving yours during the holidays?  They are so healthy...just full of nutrition.  I like to believe adding all the “good stuff” just balances it out.  You reckon?
Hey, this reminds me of a recent trip to a new-to-me restaurant right by the airport in Lake City.  I had a delightful visit with the owner and ate the BEST salad greens ever.  I really think I ate the best cucumber slices I’ve ever tasted.  No wonder, they were grown on local farms!!  If at all possible, the food she serves is fresh off the farm.  She told me of her fun times in introducing new foods to these parts.....like tahini, quinoa, hummus, etc.  Now I aint never heard of a tahini, quinoa or hummus farm around here.  Nevertheless, I told her to call it road kill, roll it in cornmeal,  deep fry it and we’d all buy it right up!  ‘Specially if she served it with ketchup.  Wonder if she’s ever attended the Trials!!??  Reckon I should tell her about Frogmore Stew?!
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