Main Ingredient

On Second Thought continues its "Main Ingredient" series in which a chef tells us about his or her essential southern ingredient. 

For Chef Deborah VanTrece, it's okra - a key ingredient she's cooked with since she was a teenager. VanTrece invited us into her restaurant kitchen at Twisted Soul Cookhouse and Pours in Atlanta and prepared succotash with okra.

"On Second Thought" continues its Main Ingredient series in which a chef tells us about his or her essential Southern ingredient. 

For Chef Nolan Wynn, that ingredient is the peanut. He's the executive chef of Banshee in East Atlanta Village, which he co-founded with Faielle Stocco, Peter Chvala and Katie McDonald. "On Second Thought" host Virginia Prescott visited Wynn to learn how to make his savory peanut brittle.

Today's show took a survey of the state, from a blacksmith in Albany to the hidden battle for resources in the American Civil War.

The Civil War calls to mind the epic clash between Union and Confederate soldiers, but skirmishes also took place off the battlefield. The war for food, timber, shelter and control was waged largely on civilians. Historian and Atlanta native Joan Cashin joined "On Second Thought" to discuss her new book, "War Stuff: The Struggle for Human and Environmental Resources in the American Civil War."

"On Second Thought" continues its Main Ingredient series in which a chef tells us about his or her essential Southern ingredient.

For Chef Savannah Sasser, that ingredient is sorghum. "On Second Thought" host Virginia Prescott visited Sasser at The Expat, in Athens, Georgia, where she is executive chef. 

Chef Pat Pascarella trained under Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin in New York, but earned his Southern street cred as executive chef of The Optimist in Atlanta. In 2018, he went on to open The White Bull in Decatur. We caught up with Chef Pat at The White Bull, where he told us his "Main Ingredient."

The White Bull churns its own butter and mills flour from Georgia red wheat. The menu changes to reflect what the restaurant can buy from farmers across the state, so Chef Pat threw a little twist. Instead of the country ham that is the centerpiece on many a Southern Christmas table, he chose Ossabaw pork, from a Spanish breed of pig that evolved in isolation on Ossabaw Island in south Georgia.

"On Second Thought" continues its "Main Ingredient" series in which a chef tells us about his or her essential Southern ingredient.

For Chef Virginia Willis, that's the pear — her favorite fall fruit. Willis, who is also the author of cookbooks including "Lighten Up, Y'all," grew up around her grandparents' pear tree. She invited us into her kitchen for a lesson on how to make pear mostarda and black pepper cream cheese biscuits. Both recipes are in her newest cookbook, "Secrets of the Southern Table," and with her permission, are reprinted below for you to try out at home. 

We launched a new "On Second Thought" series on Tuesday called “Main Ingredient” in which a chef tells us about his or her essential Southern ingredient. Host Virginia Prescott heads into the kitchen with Atlanta-based chef and cookbook author, Todd Richards. He shares with us his love for collard greens.

"Bacon, Collard and Fried Egg Sandwich" by Todd Richards