Three couples + Pawley’s Island= fabulous beach trip. And the eats were pretty incredible, too!
There was an attempt to document the feasts we had –
Boys night cooking: surf and turf with steak filets and white wine shrimp.
Girls night cooking: crab cakes, shrimp and grits, and spinach salad with goat cheese and lemon vinaigrette.
(Yes, we had shrimp both nights. Had to take advantage of the island’s fresh locally caught seafood!)
The pictures were haphazardly taken in the midst of our evening bacchanalian, so they aren’t really clear or centered….I’m calling it abstract art 
A couple firsts for me at our beach dinner party:
- This was my first time making crab cakes, and they were really easy and really tasty! I swear the ones we made were better than any restaurant crab cakes I’ve had. I think it was the sauteed red peppers and onions we added. I don’t feel like posting the whole recipe, but if you want it, tell me in the comments and I will e-mail it to you!
- I am from the South, but I did not grow up eating grits. I grew up around Atlanta, which is not really southern in the way that Savannah and Charleston are, but still…everyone in the Southeast eats grits. I was almost 20-years-old when I tried them for the first time, and I wasn’t until last weekend that I actually had shrimp and grits. I mean, I have had shrimp, I have had grits, and now I have finally had them together. And they make me this happy:
Or maybe that was the wine. Whatever.
What is the traditional cuisine where you are from, and do you like it? The problem with most traditional Southern food is that everything is fried or cooked in grease. But I’m all about some sweet potatoes, okra, collard greens, and corn bread prepared my way 
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I’m originally from Maryland and one of the big things there is Blue Crab. That and crabcakes, both of which are delicious!
Not a fan of southern food. The only southern thing that I really like is boiled peanuts. I’d never tried them until I moved to Atlanta.
I would love the recipe if you are willing to share it!
I am from the Midwest where casseroles/hot dish are all the rage. While I do love a good Tater Tot Hot Dish, I think my tastebuds would fit in better in the SW!
ahhh im going to pawleys island next week w. the girlS!!! i cannot wait!
awesome!! this is the perfect time to hit up the beach….warm and sunny, but not too hot. have fun!
Wine tends to make me that happy too! Weird!
Love the Southern food… a cuisine I haven’t a clue on how to cook. I’m from a really small town up north (Michigan) and we generally eat a lot of Scandanavian food and meat/potatoes type meals. All of which is very bland. Now that I live in Colorado I can find my type of food items basically anywhere!
I would actually love that crab cake recipe if you get a chance to send it! Thanks, girl!
I’ve never tried grits! Only recently did I try okra and corn bread and loved them though!
Love it!!!
I’m so jealous of your beach time..Your couples weekend and dinners sound amazing! I would love to get the crab cakes recipe too. I think I would totally enjoy the shrimp and grits, so one day when I’m home, we will have a cookin’ party!
I love Miami food!!! Cuban food is amazing, but also all the fresh produce from the sunny farms around SoFla make the best milkshakes!
I think it’s really cute that you had a girl’s night of cooking and a guy’s night of cooking. It’s a fun way of splitting up the cooking duties.
Crabcakes are one of life’s best things ever. I grew up in a town that was mostly Eastern European ancestry so we had a lot of that type of food growing up. Delish and hardy!
I’m originally from Eastern Long Island so I guess I would have to say fish is what my area is known for. I love fresh fish!
I’m from the South too, and I’ve learned to love cheese grits and collards.
I had never tried shrimp and grits either until spring break when my friends and I went to Charleston! I had a bite of someone’s at a restaurant and it was pretty tasty. I’m with you though, being from the South there is lots of fried/greasy foods and that just doesn’t appeal to me. Loove sweet potaters though
Sounds like a fab beach trip. I miss the beach so much! I’ve never had shrimp and grits together, either. Looks delish, though.
In St. Louis, the famous dishes are gooey butter cake and toasted (fried) ravioli. Hmm, need I mention this area has a TON of dietitians, haha!
I never had shrimp & grits either, until I met Michael. I now know what I was missing out on, it’s soo good! Especially w. stone ground Charleston grits!