We’ve assembled iconic kitchen tools and serving beauties that draw on all aspects of Southern traditions.
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Same cornbread, different shape
Crisp edged, delicate Southern-style corn sticks won’t crumble like squares of cornbread or require you to necessarily be seated at the dinner table. This pre-seasoned pan that works perfectly in the oven or on a grill over an open flame lets you get your cornbread fix anywhere and anyhow.
Lodge Cornstick Pan, $19 on Surlatable.com
Grating outside the box
What’s better than plain old cheese? Most any Southerner will tell you the answer is pimento cheese spread made with piles of grated cheese. And what’s better for making that than a handsome box grater with 3 sizes of surface pattern and a slicing blade? The answer is still pimento cheese—though not by much.
KitchenAid Gourmet Steel Box Grater, $28 on Amazon.com
Form meets function
The elaborate design of this tripod style trivet is stunning even when not in service—especially when not in service. The elevated surface protects your table and counter surfaces while the cast iron construction makes it sturdy enough for even the heaviest of hams.
Marseille Round Tripod Trivet, $120 on Amazon.com
The world is your oyster, so use your good plates
This oyster plates serve a half dozen oysters with Southern flair. The design is so stunning it could probably make oyster crackers look glam.
9-inch Maine Man Oyster Plate, $14 on Amazon.com
A pitcher you can’t keep your eyes (and hands) off of
Ninth-generation Southerner and cookbook author Rebecca Lang extols HER glass pitcher as one of her most treasured items. It’s easy to understand why. Its simple elegance recalls Sunday suppers from an era when folks still lingered at the table.
Lenox Opal Innocence Carved Pitcher, $60 on Amazon.com
Pretty is as pretty does
This classic soup tureen levels up anything you dish out, from savory bisque to chilled soups. The blue and white porcelain keeps soups at the proper temperature and makes serving a cinch—as well as a proper sight.
Spode Blue Italian 3.6-Quart Tureen, $299 on Wayfair.com
A skillet just like Grandma’s (maybe even better)
Generations of cooks born South of the Mason-Dixon line have relied on cast iron. This set of 2 pre-seasoned pans are a perfect introduction or addition to your set. And if you’re already in love with cast iron, we don’t need to sell you on these as you probably already have them. But if you need another one, here’s the one to get.
Cuisinel Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet 2-Piece Set, $40 on Amazon.com
Serving with style
Imagine just how high you could pile this pretty platter with everything from brisket to fried chicken to enough brownies to feed everyone you know. At nearly 16 inches in length, this oval platter combines a floral motif with chip-resistant porcelain to become one of your workhorse serving pieces.
Lenox Butterfly Meadow Oval Platter, $70 on Amazon.com
How you serve a cocktail reveals much about your character
Few things hold as much instant recognition for a Southerner than a mint julep cup, a vessel that historically contains a certain cocktail on a certain day each year. This defiantly untraditional version is so stunning, you’re going to want to pull it out far, far more frequently than that. We dare say do it whenever you please.
Crystal Mint Julep Cup, $11 on Amazon.com
Stirring up summer
Summers in the South include two iconic sounds: the incessant buzz of mosquitos and the delicate clinking of these elegant, long-handled spoons as they stir sugar into perfectly steeped Southern tea.
Long-Handled Iced Tea Spoons, $9 on Amazon.com
All products featured on Leite’s Culinaria are independently selected by our staff.
