Time for Carbs

The fact is that carbohydrates are mood lifters. If you are cranky and exhausted — and who isn’t right now? — then don’t poo poo carbs. Give them a try!

When I was fifteen, I left Monrovia, Liberia, for boarding school in New Hampshire. I knew no one in this new country, new climate, my twelfth school in as many grades. Maybe to combat the stress of those changes, one Saturday morning I ate seventeen English Muffin halves. Everyone around me was astonished. Maybe it was a way to procrastinate school work, a way to meet new friends, or possibly just the allure of delicious melting butter in little muffin holes. But really I suspect I craved comfort and didn’t know where to find it. Carbs to the rescue!

When I was thirty I ran a bakery (illegally) out of my house. One hot seller were the English Muffins, all types: plain, raisin, spicy, cheese for hamburger night. I couldn’t keep up with the orders. So yesterday, in need of a mood enhancer, I remembered the English Muffin of long ago, which I haven’t enjoyed in years. I decided their time had returned. So in the spirit of spreading joy, lifting spirits, using my hands and trying to focus, I created a new type of English Muffin with what I found in my refrigerator. Buttermilk and sour cream.

For those of you who have not handled bread dough, the recipe might look long. Do not be alarmed! It is not done in one fell swoop, but in a few shorter steps. You can attend to other things during the process. If you need help, “Dial the Dean.” We are available for tutorials anytime. (Contact HERE to schedule.)

Buttermilk English Muffins

Makes 24

• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast

• 1 tablespoon sugar (or honey or molasses)

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 cup buttermilk 

• 1/3 cup sour cream

• Whole milk

• 4 cups flour

• 1-1/2 tablespoons coarse salt

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp.

• Cornmeal

1. Combine yeast, sugar and water in the bowl of a standing mixer and let sit for about ten minutes, until the yeast has bubbled all over the surface of the water. 

2. Combine the buttermilk and sour cream in a two cup container. Add enough milk (preferably whole) to bring liquid up to 1-3/4 cups. Stir mixture into yeast and water. 

3. Add flour and salt and mix on low speed until dough consolidates. Throw in the butter, half tablespoons at a time, with the mixer running. When the mixture comes together, remove dough from the bowl and place on a floured counter.

4. Hand knead for ten minutes, or as long as you want. Kneading reduces stress, we promise! Knead until dough is no longer sticky. (If the dough is sticky, add a bit more flour on the counter and knead the dough on top to incorporate that flour.)

5. Wash and dry the bowl of the standing mixer. Place the dough into the bowl, cover with a dish towel and let sit at room temp. for an hour or two. When the dough has doubled in bulk, use a rubber spatula to scrape out of the bowl and back onto the cleaned counter. The dough will be sticky again and that is okay. (Alternatively, if you are busy and cannot attend to the dough till later, place the bowl of dough in the refrigerator where it can wait for up to two days).

6. Cover two rimmed baking sheets with cornmeal. Using a serrated knife or pastry scraper, cut dough into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Place 12 balls, spaced apart, on each baking sheet. Using the heel of your hand, press each ball into a disk. Make sure the bottom of each muffin is sitting on plenty of cornmeal. 

7. While the muffins rise one more time (about 30 minutes) heat a few 9” sauté pans over low to low/medium heat. The muffins will be puffy after their rise. Carefully lift each muffin with a spatula and place four in each pan. The cornmeal will still be on the bottom of the dough. Cook each side for 9 minutes. If each side is not lightly brown, keep cooking for 2 -3 more minutes per side. (Alternatively, the muffins can be kept on the baking sheet, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator overnight.)

8. Use a fork to halve the muffins, plunging the tines into their middles, then prying them apart into two. The muffins are now ready for their time in the toaster or under a broiler.  Use plenty of butter. Watch the smiles light up on faces around you, as order is restored in the emotional ecosystem.

Who is the wisest among us all?

“The Dream of Solomon” by Luca Giordano, 17th century oil portraying the king of Israel at the moment God imparts his fabled wisdom.

People who live in wheelchairs know how to live in confinement. Those with limited mobility find ways to connect that most of us never had to consider until now.

Charlie Harry is one of the coolest guys I ever knew. He contracted polio at eighteen. One day he was the star quarterback; the next morning he woke up paralyzed. He told me what went through his mind the morning he discovered he needed help with everything for the rest of his life: “Life just dealt me a terrible blow. Now get on with it.” Charlie was incapable of feeling sorry for himself. He had that rare fabulous quality of making everyone around him feel better. He ran a textile company where five hundred people reported to him. He became a state senator. He married a beauty. He connected to the world (way before the internet) with his Ham Radio. His friends were everywhere. 

By making those around him feel comfortable, Charlie made his handicap irrelevant. Paying close attention to the person he was talking to, he created an atmosphere of calm and fun, lots of it. He was an expert at communication, one on one and throughout the world. The gift Charlie sent Christopher for his eighth birthday? Eight gallons of dehydrated water. Think about it! Imagine the delight an eight year old experiences unpacking that box and discovering what dehydrated water looks like.

Some people have seen it all, even though they have never experienced a plague like today’s. If you are from a culture that values highly the perspective of the elderly, you already know their particular body of wisdom. They know for certain that everything goes up and down, eventually passes. Nothing lasts forever. The elderly are aware we must go through, we cannot go not around. They can step back and observe instead of react. Now is a good time to call your older friends and ask what mattered most to them in their long lives, and other details too. A reciprocal gift of attention, that call.

'The Pasta Principle' for April VIE

“Hassan made pasta like an Italian grandmother, with a mound of flour and an egg in the middle. He rolled the dough into sheets like antique linens, so thin you could almost see through to the other side, with a texture that only a handmade object can obtain.

Hassan was my favorite person in a ll of Africa. He was our cook in Mogadishu, Somalia—the only real chef we hired while living in six countries over eighteen years, and he was an expert at feeding an entire family….”

Read more about Hassan and achieving the perfect pasta at home (plus why it’s worth all the effort) in the latest issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

'Look Your Best Wherever You Go' for March VIE

“The first thing I think about when going to other houses is my shoes. A house party is a time to put on my most beautiful pair. While I sit in your living room, sipping a cocktail, my shoes are enjoying their time in the spotlight. They are not hidden under a table, as they would be in a restaurant. At least among women, shoes are a great conversation starter. They can get half the room onto common ground. They are your pedestal. (But if you feet hurt, you are going to hate your shoes no matter how they look.)'“

Read about Suzanne’s first fashion influences from a childhood in Africa, plus tips for transcending borders with world-class style, in the latest issue of VIE.

'Be Well' for February VIE

“Self Care is ‘the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.’ But this requires us to develop a specific intelligence.

It means listening to your body and letting it guide you, going granular on how you view your emotions, paying careful attention to how you are feeling, asking if you need to take care of yourself, and knowing what that means at that moment. As scientists learn more about the balance between the body and the brain, they have discovered that the mind often acts like an unruly toddler and does not listen. The brain responds to signals from the body, but who among us is trained to pay attention to those signals? Only professional athletes, and even they usually have a team of care specialists working behind the scenes. The brain can easily misinterpret or overrule what the body is saying.

When you realize new patterns have come to life, listening means using this information. Do not ignore what your gut is telling you. When you follow your body’s signals, you develop fluid intelligence. Listen to your body, and then instruct your brain: ‘Hey, it’s OK. We’ve got this! You don’t need to worry; we are safe — so chill out.’”

Learn more about the true meaning of Wellness, and how to implement it, in the latest issue of VIE Magazine HERE…

'The Ultimate House Party' for January VIE

“I visited Tony and Carla in their home in southern France for two summers, and now we are family. We’ve adopted each other. When I need a lift, I tap into the memories of those halcyon days at the Hendra’s place. What could be better than reveling for a week (yes, a full week!) in communal bliss—eating, drinking, swimming, and walking around a charming village, with time for long conversations and hours of cooking? All the while, you’re leaving the frenzy of your trials and tribulations behind, at least for a spell.

A house party host must possess an overflowing heart, a hugely generous spirit (and often, an open pocketbook), boundless energy, and a willingness to carve out time for others. The house party host is the exact opposite of self-centered. The tasks are multiple, but so are the rewards for those of us who have organized house parties and been recipients of these idyllic stays. Making a group of people feel safe and loved, watered and fed for a few days is a fabulous gift….”

Read the rest of the Dean’s How To’s of World-Class Hosting (learned in large part from the Hendras) in the January 2020 issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

'Class is in Session' for VIE December

Wenda Millard, Vice Chairman at MediaLink

Dr. Joan Robinson-Berry, Senior VP of Engineering at Boeing

Jennifer Griffin, National security correspondent of FOX News Channel

Suzanne interviews these plus six other incredible women on their careers, fears, relationships, and lessons learned. The [article] shares their candid advice and perceptions in their own words…

Read the full article via VIE Magazine HERE.

Turkey Talk for November VIE

“It’s time to elevate the ordinariness of the daily dinner. My experience from marriage and mothering, from listening to Charleston Academy students, and from accepting invitations to other people’s houses, is this: If you never use your dining room or you do so infrequently or only on big occasions, and if your family only grazes according to their individual schedules with eyes attached to a screen and not on each other, then you will be sorely disappointed. This goes not only for Thanksgiving but also for decades later. The nightly meal is a small but mighty vehicle of opportunity. Your table can be jam-packed with inspired learning — a classroom for watching and doing — and realizing what to be thankful for: manners, nutrition, and bonds, among other things. Eat enough dinners at the table, and you and yours will become aces at many social skills.”

Suzanne serves up her wisdom for Thanksgiving (and every other meal of the year, big or small) in the November issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

"8 Ways to Get Guests to Remove Their Shoes" for Realtor.com

For Sale on Etsy.com (if you’re into this sort of thing.)

There is no need to be overbearing! #7 comes straight from the Academy — "Rely on witticisms. Rather than asking straight up for guests to remove their shoes, which some may perceive as rude, inject a funny quip to lighten the mood. [We’ve heard a particular phrase you may want to borrow]: ‘We run our house like the TSA. Remove your shoes before you get to the next part, inside.’”

Two exceptions according to the Dean? Kids coming in and out require a basket by the door with a sign that says plainly “SHOES GO HERE!” And yet a good cocktail or dinner party host must avoid asking guests to remove their shoes at all, as what is below the ankle is a major part of the outfit.

Find the full article HERE on Realtor.com…

3 of the "4 Things You Should Never Store Under Your Kitchen Sink -- and 5 You Should" for REAL SIMPLE

“While convenient, [kitchen towels and paper bags] don’t belong under the sink, says Suzanne Pollak. (A leak would ruin them.) Stash them in a nearby closet or another cabinet instead for easy access….

If you want to keep things even simpler, get a few plastic containers or tubs to hold your supplies together, Pollak says. “With containers, you can take out the unit as a whole and easily clean underneath,” she says. Be sure to run the containers through the dishwasher a few times a year. Using clear containers also allows you to easily see what items are nearly used up, so you can stock up before you run out….

There are a few [essential cleaning products'] that you should always have on hand. These include distilled vinegar, Dawn dish soap (in addition to washing pots and pans, you can also use it directly on cabinets to remove built-up grease), and Bar Keepers Friend, says Pollak. Under the kitchen sink is obviously also a convenient place to store sponges, cleaning brushes, and scrubbers. Just be sure to replace them often, as they’re one of the germiest things in your kitchen (gross)—yes, cleaning your sponge is a thing.”

Read the rest of the article by Kelsey Ogletree via Real Simple HERE!

"Walking into a Perfume Bottle" for October VIE

“A ballroom needs structure to contain its empty party space, and a garden ballroom is no different. Four ‘walls’ were a way of containing the area but open to the sky where anything seemed possible: a place for sitting still or dancing among a crowd. One wall was an avenue of thirteen twenty-foot holly trees, and another was a line of five black cement pillars with gigantic pots of pink sasanqua trees shaped like umbrellas. (This was the view from the kitchen table.) Two clipped hedges formed the north and south walls. Four pots of standard orange trees stood in the corners. Ballrooms look grand with a piece of art, so we installed a sculpture — a seven-foot-long hippopotamus bench made of Pennsylvania granite….”

Suzanne writes of her time spent living in the Elizabeth Barnwell Gough house (c. 1780) in Beaufort SC, where she restored the gardens to their original glory with her signature nod to modern. In case any readers are like us — faced with fallen trees and perhaps a future blank slate in your backyard, desperately needing the ultimate yard inspiration after Hurricane Dorian — read the rest of this article in the October issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

"A Culture of Your Own" for VIE September

“There are two things I know for sure. First, never sacrifice your personality for someone else’s idea of ‘perfection.’ You have your own background, beliefs, and set of influences. I have mine. Yours and mine are different, and that is what makes life interesting — to identify what makes us unique and discover what we can each bring to the table, our community, our world. But remember the second thing I know for sure: personal culture has nothing to do with Instagram likes….”

Read the rest of Suzanne’s article, explaining how to develop a personal culture all one’s own, in the latest issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

"The Architecture of Dinner Party" for August VIE

George Best & his signature champagne stack, 1968. (We won’t tell you NOT to try this at home!)

“If you are asking yourself, Why bother? Let’s just go to a restaurant, STOP! The delights of a private dinner party cannot be replicated in the public arena. No waiting, no crowds, no loud party next to you. No feeling that you have to give up your table before you’re finished talking or eating dessert. At home, you can linger as long as you want under flickering candlelight. You can set your own pace, free from any pressure to give up your seats to those waiting.

You can and should move your guests wherever you please. Summer is for drinks on the balcony and dinner in the garden. Winter means cozy cocktails by the fire and dinner in the candlelit dining room. Spaces help set up moments that soothe, excite, and seduce, creating an atmosphere for meaningful conversation...”

Read the rest of Suzanne’s latest article for VIE Magazine, all about the careful construction of a good old-fashioned dinner party, HERE on their site!

"An Authentic Voice" for July VIE

“Corene” by Jonathan Green (1995)

“What makes very young people able to turn passions into a living, marrying their gifts with the discipline to create their life’s work? How can they know so early, possessing the confidence and necessary focus to keep them on their path? I dreamed of being a painter but derailed in college, distracted by thoughts like, If I am not Picasso, is it worth it? If my work is not going to hang in the Met, what does that say about me? In I am not ‘in,’ then can I still keep going forward and not give a damn what anybody thinks?

Jonathan Green knew in his very being the irrelevant nonsense of those distractions, which don’t mean a thing at the beginning of a career — or maybe ever. That’s why I love him. He actively chose to master one field (actually three: painting, fashion design, and the social graces) instead of being a jack-of-all-trades.”

Read more about Charleston-based painter Jonathan Green in Suzanne’s latest article for VIE Magazine HERE…

Charleston Academy in Cosmopolitan

“And remember: In a sea of square-shaped biscuits, always make a heart-shaped one.” -T.A.

In her article “This Instagrammable Hotel Will Make You Forget Literally All Your Responsibilities,” Taylor Andrews writes about “errrything you have to do when you stay at The Beach Club, no matter what time of year you go….”

And guess what #7 on her list happens to be? “Learn how to throw a Southern Dinner Party. [The Dean] taught us how to throw a proper dinner party that included creating the perfect fluffy biscuit and shrimp and grits, but you can organize any sort of etiquette or cooking event with her if you’re interested in a different kind of Saturday-night rendezvous.”

We loved having Ms. Andrews visit while in town. Read her complete list via Cosmopolitan HERE!

Style Blooms Eternal at the Chelsea Flower Show for June VIE

Queen Elizabeth II at the Chelsea Flower Show. Photo: Prima

“What is it that makes this flower show so special? It’s more than queens and duchesses. Designs, such as one suspended in air in 2011 and one made of three hundred thousand individually crocheted poppies in 2016, are not simply a passive art experience. The attendees of the flower show become active participants. Our visual sense takes in the exhibits like we do the portraits at the Tate or the National Portrait Gallery; beyond our eyes, our imaginations might leap into action and plot changes to our gardens. Some people take it a step further and become part of the show by wearing fashions with a theme. How many times can adults wear their inner passions without looking loony? How many opportunities do we have to be fierce, fabulous, and maybe a tiny bit frivolous? The show is the venue to see the intermingling of artistic visions: the flowers, the garden design, the crowd, and the fashion choices. It is like a natural museum come to life — a living exhibit and a contemporary art installation all at once.”

Read more about the Chelsea Flower Show HERE via VIE Magazine!

"There's No Place Like Home (And By That I Mean Yours)" for May VIE

“The houses I’ve lived in — and there have been many — meant everything to me. They’ve alternated between a calm oasis I refused to leave in the midst of chaos to party palaces where I couldn’t get anyone to exit on time. Growing up, my dipolmatic family met everyone through our homes in Afria. For eighteen years, we threw weekly dinners with every nationality seated at the table; our biannual parties for hundreds lasted all night. As an adult, my houses have been my most valuable assets. I used them to design the life I wanted at different times. My taste developed by organizing interiors and gardens. I used our rooms to add value, conjure joy, and help create more meaningful lives. I want every cubic inch to give its all….” - Suzanne Pollak

Read more about the Charleston Academy — what we do, how we do it, and why exactly — according the Dean herself, in the May issue of VIE Magazine HERE!

The Modern-Day Mary Poppins for April VIE

“Meet Dennise Church — part modern-day Mary Poppins, part house whisperer, part intuitive soul seer who knows when someone needs their hand held spiritually. She flies around the country organizing, advising, and even putting clients to work as she sees fit, transforming and working her magic in ways that a life or business coach does not. Her specialty is making people feel differently about their living spaces, helping them to find stability in the midst of the turmoil in the world….”

Read more about the Dean’s personal M.P. in the latest issue of VIE HERE.

C2C for March issue of VIE

“The Charleston to Charleston Literary Festival (C2C) is a collaboration between the Charleston Farmhouse in Sussex, England — home to the the thirty-year-old Charleston Festival — which is well known all over Europe — and the Charleston Library Society (CLS) in Charleston, South Carolina. The latter hosts two dozen well-known speakers and authors over fourteen days every November in two historic landmark locations downtown: the elegant Charleston Library Society (the oldest cultural institution in the South the second oldest lending library in the country) and our nation’s oldest theater, the Dock Street Theatre….”

Read more about C2C in The Literati Salon: A Festival for Intellects, Great Minds, and Engaging Conversation, by Suzanne Pollak, VIE March 2019, HERE!

Taking on #Towelgate for Town & Country

“All humor and Twitter one-upmanship aside, how many towels does one need to own? Is the count influenced by how many times you use them before washing? And what of the guest towel vs hand towel debate?

For answers, we turned to a doyenne of the domestic arts—Suzanne Pollak, who runs the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits—and asked for her thoughts on Ali’s bathroom arithmetic…”

Read the article by Liz Krieger regarding #Towelgate and the Dean’s final word on the subject, via T&C HERE…