Clocking in at 564 pages, Vivian Howard’s new (and first) cookbook, Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South, is by far the largest cookbook I own that is not a compilation. Vivian, friend and collaborator on our Friends of the Café fundraiser dinner, has created a modern American classic book… Read on

Thanksgiving is a holiday rich with memories, traditions, and foods we only eat this time of year. For about two days leading up to Thanksgiving dinner, I can guarantee that there is nearly always something either going into or coming out of my oven, and aromas both sweet and savory waft throughout the house. Our friends… Read on

A few months ago, I spent a couple of days with friends at Gray Bear Lodge in Hohenwald, Tennessee. While there—in addition to the yoga sessions, sauna time, tub soaks, and hikes—I was treated to a (mini) juice cleanse for a few days. And though I recommend consulting your doctor before embarking on your own… Read on

Last Friday night, we hosted our second “Friends of the Café” dinner, which also served as our first Piggy Bank Dinner fundraiser for the Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA). Chef Vivian Howard of Chef & the Farmer restaurant and the Peabody-award winning television series A Chef’s Life traveled to The Factory from North Carolina for an evening of delicious food, cocktails, much… Read on

Blueberries have made their way to peak season here in Alabama. While they have many health benefits, their taste and convenience are equally valuable. Ever since Maggie and I planted a bush in the backyard, there are days that we eat them by the handful. We’ve been serving a variety from our local farmers’ market… Read on

I feel a certain kinship with Vivian Howard, even though we’ve never met. We both left home at an early age, finding big lives and successful living elsewhere; we also both followed our inspirations as they directed us back to our regional homes, where we’ve found hard-won fulfillment. Vivian works with food as her medium,… Read on

“Okra flower and okra” from Root to Leaf: A Southern Chef Cooks through the Seasons by Steven Satterfield.   “Let things taste of what they are.” —Alice Waters  August produces an abundance of fresh vegetables from the garden, at farmers markets, and on the menu at local eateries. Popular in our community this season are corn, tomatoes,… Read on

From top left: Hable Suns Apron, Camellia Etched Dinner Plate from Alabama Chanin x Heath Ceramics, Cornbread Sticks from Alabama Studio Style, Cocktail Napkins in Natural, Stenciled Pumpkin Pie, David Mellor Pride 5-Piece Stainless Set, Sparkling Manhattan  “Forever on Thanksgiving the heart will find the pathway home.” – Wilbur D. Nesbit  We encourage celebrating safely this holiday season… Read on

“Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.” ― May Sarton  August 8th was National Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day. And if you are like us, you still have few zucchinis left from your… Read on

“This is the power of gathering: it inspires us delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive.” – Alice Waters  As a company and as a community, we have always found joy in communion and welcoming others to our table. Our friend John T. Edge recently wrote, “In previous… Read on

As we write this post our national food and beverage industry is in free-fall. Restaurants and bars, shuttered in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, have laid off an unknown number of staff and servers across the country. We feel deeply what our friend Brooks Reitz wrote yesterday, “Uncharted waters. We have been gut punched,… Read on

“Be present in all things and thankful for all things.” ― Maya Angelou Next Thursday is Thanksgiving for us and our readers in the U.S.A., and we are already looking forward to a day spent with family and friends. In anticipation of the delicious food that accompanies this yearly gathering, this week we share Thanksgiving-table-worthy… Read on

“What’s more important than recipes is how we think about food, and a good cookbook should open up a new way of doing just that.” ― Michael Symon October is National Cookbook Month. In observance, this week we share just a few of our favorite contemporary cookbooks. We hope that they will encourage you to… Read on

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” ― John Lubbock, The Use of Life Summer is in full swing here in Alabama… Read on

“Food is everything we are. It is an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.” ― Anthony Bourdain This Thursday kicks off The Gathering at The Factory, and next week, we welcome the community for the first annual… Read on

The Slow Food movement and its principles have inspired Alabama Chanin’s commitment to slow fashion. We take their mission of Good, Clean, Fair to heart, as we attempt to make responsibly, grow connections in our community, and espouse sustainable practices. In order to further these beliefs, we look to build relationships with others who want… Read on

… the role of the architect, or the designer, is that of a very good, thoughtful host, all of whose energy goes into trying to anticipate the needs of his guests—those who enter the building and use the objects in it. – Charles Eames A place at the table. What does that mean?  It means… Read on

“The table is a meeting place, a gathering ground, the source of sustenance and nourishment, festivity, safety, and satisfaction. A person cooking is a person giving: Even the simplest food is a gift.” – Laurie Colwin Last week, The James Beard Foundation held their annual awards ceremony (it’s like the Oscar’s for the food world)…. Read on

Cathead Distillery has been on our radar for many years. They sponsored one our very first Friends of the Café dinners with Vivian Howard in 2014, and we made a hand-sewn banner for them to use at special events. This spring, we’re partnering with them and Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. for a special Cocktail Workshop… Read on

You might have noticed that, while the mainstream culinary world might still be considered a bit of a boys’ club, more and more women are working their asses off to earn their spots in the food world. Take, for example, the ladies behind Cherry Bombe, a biannual magazine founded by Kerry Diamond and Claudia Wu,… Read on

Alabama Chanin hosted our very first Friends of the Café Dinner in May of 2014, and since then we’ve experienced meals and enjoyed gatherings that were nothing short of magical. In retrospect, we almost cannot believe the lineup of talented chefs who have graciously donated their time for these special fundraisers: Sean Brock, Ashley Christensen,… Read on

If you follow along on the Journal, you know that Alabama Chanin is a long-time supporter of the Southern Foodways Alliance. Over the years, we have joined together for countless partnerships, events, and projects: Natalie barbequed dresses for their 2012 Symposium; we created an apron in their honor; we even supplied costumes for their collard… Read on

I looked down at my calendar recently and was stunned to realize: this year is almost over. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was thinking summer vacations and tomato sandwiches. Now, I have to shift gears and get into holiday mode—quickly. It seems the older I get, the more I seem to… Read on

Last year, we launched our Friends of the Café Dinner and Factory Chef Series, which was quickly established as part of our Makeshift initiative. As with most things here at Alabama Chanin, the idea evolved over time from an interesting idea into something bigger. In 2015, we are continuing to host Friends of the Café… Read on

Based in Charleston, South Carolina, The Local Palate is a food culture publication that celebrates the region’s best culinary figures, recipes, and processes. The magazine has recently launched their digital presence, resulting in a beautiful, easy-to-navigate, and delicious website. From The Local Palate website: Food in the south is intrinsically connected to life in the… Read on

The importance of Black women in American life, culture, democracy, and history is undeniable. Even as recent years have brought some recognition, Black women’s contributions remain underappreciated or unspoken.  We still have a long way to go. But these women inspire us to continue the journey toward freedom and equality for all. This month, in… Read on

“Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.” ― Maya Angelou  Our #womenwhoinspire series on the Journal is an ever-growing collection of posts about inspirational women whose selfless actions, harrowing stories, and good works have bettered their communities and society as a whole. Expanding on this theme of amazing women, this… Read on

In 2017 and on a trip to New York City, I visited the Brooklyn Museum to view Georgia O’Keeffe: Living Modern. It was a beautiful spring day and before the thought of social distancing would come to rule our world. I was with a friend; we weren’t in a hurry.  As I passed the entrance… Read on

“Canning is a whole world of a thing to do. It requires that you get out of your head. It’s a Zen thing.” ― Debby Bull, Blue Jelly: Lost Love & the Lessons of Canning This year was the first time The Factory Café offered a series of Canning Workshops, teaching all attendees the heritage-skill of… Read on

“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others.” ― Bob Hope The signs of a Christmas season in full swing are all around us: homes and Christmas trees are decorated with colorful lights, dinner menus are underway, presents are wrapped, suitcases are packed, and guest rooms are ready for family… Read on

Most every family has a host of Thanksgiving traditions and closely held recipes. Still, there is plenty of room for experimentation while still keeping up family rituals. Our friends at Local Palate, a print and online publication focusing on Southern culinary history and culture, share this recipe for a turkey dry rub. It is a… Read on

Part of the excitement of living in The Shoals is seeing how the area has changed over the years. Though we have such an impressive collection of musicians in the area—musicians who have been an important part of the American musical landscape—when I was young, it was difficult to find a place to hear live… Read on