In the true spirit of Southern hospitality, every person involved in the event as a host or a guest will be giving back as they celebrate the local culture. Guests will mingle with industry leaders and celebrities including:

Gail Simmons, Food Writer and Judge on BRAVO’s “Top Chef”
John T. Edge, Food Writer and Director of Southern Foodways Alliance
Sean Brock, Executive Chef, McCrady’s and Husk Restaurants
Ford Fry, Executive Chef, JCT. Kitchen
Kenny Gilbert, Executive Chef, Nipper’s Beach Grille
Kirk Gilbert, Executive Chef, The Inn at Palmetto Bluff
Kevin Gillespie, Executive Chef, Woodfire Grill
Tory McPhail, Executive Chef, Commander’s Palace
Chris Hastings, Executive Chef, Hot & Hot Fish Club
Frank Lee, Executive Chef, Slightly North of Broad
Andrea Reusing, Executive Chef, Lantern
Hugh Acheson, Executive Chef, 5&10
Raj Parr, Wine Director, Michael Mina
Paul Hobbs, Paul Hobbs Winery
Jasmine Hirsch, Hirsch Vineyards and Winery
Dave Miner, Miner Family Vineyards

And many more!

Weekend packages for the days of Friday, November 18-Sunday, November 20 are available for guests to book now including:

Whole Hog Ticket Package: Friday, November 18 – Sunday, November 20; $825 per person. Limited to just 150 guests, this package is sure to put your taste buds in over-drive. The Whole Hog Weekend Package offers multiple culinary experiences for the foodie in you.

As a part of the package you will enjoy:

· Coastal Living Porching Party
· Sip n’ Screen Symposium
· Friday night Potlikker Block Party
· Entry in the “Hair of the Dog” Road Race Saturday morning (don’t worry you don’t need to be a tri-athlete for this one!)
· The Saturday Culinary Festival
· A traditional Oyster Roast Saturday night on the banks of the May River (available only as a part of the Whole Hog Weekend Package)
· After Parties at the Fire Pits with live entertainment Friday and Saturday night
· Sunday Rise & “Shine” breakfast
· Swag Bag (one per couple or single booking)
· $50 of every ticket goes directly to Second Helpings, a Lowcountry organization dedicated to ensuring that no one in our community should have to worry about whether or not they will have enough food to eat today.

Whole Hog and a Bed for your Head Package: Friday, November 18 – Sunday, November 20, 2011; $2750 per couple. Put your taste buds in over-drive with the Whole Hog Weekend events and then retreat and rejuvenate in the comfort of your own private hideaway.

Your package includes:

· 2 nights in a spacious cottage with 1,140 luxurious square feet of indoor/outdoor space
· 2 Whole Hog Ticket Packages
· Access to the #1 Spa in the US & Canada (as voted by the readers of Travel + Leisure), and the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course
· Complimentary kayaking, biking, fishing, bocce, tennis and use of two fitness centers.

*Based on double occupancy, plus taxes and fees. The Whole Hog and a Bed Package must be booked online or by calling 866.706.6565.

For more information about Music To Your Mouth, or to book a ticket for the event visit www.musictoyourmouth.com or call 866.706.6565.

About Palmetto Bluff:

As the largest waterfront property on the East coast, Palmetto Bluff is evolving as a residential community and conservation preserve. Located in Bluffton, SC between Savannah, GA and Hilton Head Island, Palmetto Bluff is characterized by extensive nature preserves, river access and walking trails, a vibrant Village center, distinctive cuisine, Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf, an elegant Inn and Spa managed by Auberge Resorts (named the “#1 Best Resort in the US and Canada” by the readers of Travel + Leisure), and residential neighborhoods. This graceful, comforting world-class destination embodies the romance of the south and offers a luxurious getaway for all. This is the fourth year that Palmetto Bluff has hosted “Music To Your Mouth” pairing live entertainment with celebrity cooking demonstrations and the best food and wine the South has to offer.

South magazine: What’s your number one piece of advice for students about to embark on a career in the film industry?

Ray Liotta: I think that they should continue studying. I think it’s important to keep honing your craft, so when the time does come you’re ready for it. There are some great teachers out there.

SM: You got your big break at 30 years old, what kept you motivated?

RL: Well, I started out doing a soap opera, so I was working, but I always just felt like something bigger was going to happen. And maybe it wasn’t happening when I wanted it to happen, but I’ve always studied. Even when I went out to Los Angeles, and I had this soap under my belt, I took my own advice and had a great teacher and just kept working at it, and working at it, working, waiting for the time. Cause if you hang in there long enough it’s going to happen. It just might not happen the way you want it.

SM: It happened to you in quite a big way.

RL: I had no preconceptions. You know, right away you want to go off and do a movie with Martin Scorsese. I was lucky enough to do that, but it took time. When it did happen to me, a lot of doors opened for me to do other movies. So that was good.

SM: What is it like to play such an iconic character so early in your career?

RL: Well, at the time it wasn’t. At the time it was just a movie that opened that some people appreciated and some people didn’t. It didn’t do huge business, but now after 25 years, or a little longer, it’s something that everybody knows. I have kids ten, twelve years old come up to me about it, and so either their dad or someone turned them on to it. It has a life that keeps going.

SM: What can people expect from Son of No One tonight?
RL: It’s with Channing Tatum and Al Pacino, myself, Katie Holmes, Tracy Morgan, and it’s a really interesting cop drama. Something happens and the audience doesn’t know and they kind of have to put it all together, so it’s a little who done it. It’s really good.

SM: How do want the audience to react to the film?

RL: Just like all of them, to be entertained.

SM: It’s that simple?

RL: [Laughs] Yeah, yeah it is.

Check out the complete interview in an upcoming issue of South magazine.

Brian Jordan is a man of many talents, not only on the field but on screen as well. Jordan, who played for both the MLB and the NFL, turned his focus to television in 2009 when he joined FOX Sports South as an analyst on Braves LIVE. Along with contributing to programs on ESPN and Comcast Sports South, Jordan has also made a guest appearance on The Young and the Restless and won two Emmy Awards for sports casting. But his aptitudes don’t stop there. Jordan began displaying a talent for writing in 2005 when he released his first children’s book, I Told You I Can Play, followed by Overcoming the Fear of the Baseball in 2010. Jordan has two more books slated for release in the upcoming year.
You can catch Jordan Saturday, November 19, at the annual Savannah Children’s Book Festival being held in Forsyth Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Christy Divine, marketing director for Live Oak Public Libraries, says that while having a sports professional at the festival is a huge draw for parents and children alike, Jordan will be focused on reading. “His books send a great message and we’re excited to have him this year. He’ll be doing a reading as well as signing autographs,” says Divine.

The Children’s Book Festival, now in its eighth year, attracts about 30,000 people, quite a jump from the 8,000 they saw their first year. “We were aware that there weren’t a lot of family events eight years ago, and we knew we wanted to spread literacy in the community, so what better way to do that than stage an event in Forsyth Park?” says Divine.

Divine explains that along with the featured coastal authors set to appear, they also wanted to bring together a group of authors people normally wouldn’t get the chance to see. The festival will feature over a dozen authors from around the country, including Alyssa Capucilli, who has over six million books in print and Michael Buckley, author of the NERD books. Host and writer for NOVA, “Dino” Don Lessem, who has written more than 20 books on dinosaurs, will also be on hand at the festival. Child authors Miles and William Rabun, who wrote My Grandma’s Backyard, a book about two boys’ adventures with their grandma, will also be in attendance. Susan Lee, public relations coordinator for the library, says the staff is looking forward to seeing what the authors have to offer. “We can’t help but be excited about all of our guests. It’s difficult to know who will have the most appeal because, just as with adults, children’s interests vary widely,” says Lee.

Among the many authors, the festival will include two new features this year. The Book Walk encourages families to enjoy a story page-by-page throughout the park. And for the older kids, Kyle Puttkammer from Galaxy Comics and creator of superheroes Galaxy Man and Cosmic Girl will be hosting the graphics novels and comic book area. This year, the Georgia Center for the Book will present award-winning author Eric Litwin, whose book Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes is on their list of 25 Books All Young Georgians Should Read. Children will also be able to experience stories from around the world at the international tent, which will feature a variety of musical performances and storytelling.

The term taxidermy means just that: taxiing—or moving—the dermis. That said, it’s a lot tougher than just draping skin. “It’s no lazy man’s profession,” Scott notes. “Let’s clear that up right now. During deer season, I’m here 24/7. Then I get a little break. Then it’s turkey season.” According to Scott, clients are people seeking to relive the thrill of the hunt. “It’s like a 3-D memory. Photos just aren’t the same,” he says. Hence, Soggy Bottom’s motto is “The moment lives … Forever.” Scott credits his grandfather, a charter boat captain, for fostering his love of hunting and the outdoors, ultimately leading him to open Soggy Bottom 10 years ago. Scott’s first mount was a squirrel. “Most people start with a squirrel because they’re easy to obtain and they’re an easy first mount. It’s not until you get good that you realize how difficult it is to get a squirrel right,” he explains.

Scott’s proudest moment came when he was recognized at a major taxidermy association show for a boar’s head mount, meriting the Best Game Head award as well as a slew of other ribbons. Unlike, say, for a mechanic, there is no specific taxidermy tool kit. Unwilling to reveal too many trade secrets, Scott does say you can’t do it without needle and thread or glue. “You have to be able to sew.” It also helps to have a cast-iron stomach. “Blood and guts don’t bother me much,” he says. One unique service of Scott’s is booking African safari hunts. Occasionally, clients hire him to accompany them to Africa. Scott prefers those assignments to the Georgia fare. “They’re more challenging,” he says.
Prices, local to exotic, range anywhere from $125 for a turkey fan of tail feathers to $30,000 for a full-size elephant.

The Lay of the Land

Driving in, the only paved road beyond the entrance gate is the one that leads to the lodge, an anchor for the compound of cabins, which collectively houses 40 people in the 20 private rooms with private baths.
Just in front of the lodge, forest green golf carts line up next to a loose mess of bikes, all for guests to enjoy, while pristine, longleaf pines quietly overlook. A fishing dock stretches over the bluff of the Cumberland River where the sun sets in spectacular form.
Relics of the property’s history are intricately woven throughout, says Amy Kutrufis, the reservationist who has worked with Cabin Bluff in various forms over the last 40 years.
“Look up,” Kutrufis says, stepping through the main thrust of the lodge.
A mounted, 13-foot alligator hangs out on the ceiling, upside down, its mouth open in a big, toothy grin. Coffin’s cousin, Alfred Jones Sr., shot it on his honeymoon in 1930.
Other catches, fowl and wild boar, are stationed on and around the stone fireplace that is captured in an archival photo on the wall. Coffin, his wife and guests, President and Mrs. Calvin Coolidge, relaxed in this very spot, after having had what Kutrufis says was a “sumptuous dinner fit for 100 men.”
There’s an original wagon wheel chandelier that hangs among two modern skylights and handsome leather sofas and chairs, giving a preview of the crux of old and new that prevails across Cabin Bluff. Thick wooden latches close heavy wooden doors while local history books rest on top of small writing desks with legs of local timber. Hand-carved headboards position beds in rooms with similar mirror frames and jacket pegs, virtually undetected on the natural color of the walls. In acts of ongoing preservation, much of the wood is sourced from the property itself, chopped and put to use after a break or fall. But don’t let this seemingly rustic setting fool you: modern amenities, Wi-Fi, satellite TV and refrigerators stocked with gourmet snacks belie, to create an underbelly of comfort, minus the distraction. There’s an unruffled elegance to it all

Written by: Melanie Simon

“Really, my art is no different from other nonobjective artists,” Stromberg says. “I’m about process and exploring, just like them. My work is just more dramatic—almost like performance art. I enjoy the challenge of non-conventional materials.” One thing that separates him from other artists, he admits, is that he only has a matter of seconds during which he has control over whatever combustible substance he happens to be working with. Consequently, there’s a lot more exhaustive planning, beforehand, from acquiring his mercurial materials before finally using them. The next tempestuous force he wants to conquer is the ocean, hoping to manipulate its crushing pressure on steel and aluminum plates.

Stromberg draws inspiration from all around him, embracing everything from TV, movies, stories, to historic reference. Nevertheless, it’s not hard to fathom that he always had an interest in pyrotechnics. Of course, he also looks back to the old masters. He references da Vinci, who he says was actually a kind of arms designer, drafting early plans for helicopters and tanks at the behest of kings seeking an edge in battle. Stromberg is a foundations professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design. He reconciles his unique artistic vision with the rigidity of teaching by insisting that his students “play” instead of “work” because, in his opinion, that’s the only way for them to truly find themselves in their art. “I tell them that there is no practice, only the process of making art itself. That’s your practice right there: process. They either love me or they hate me,” he laughs. He believes artists should strive, like practitioners from the Baroque period, to elevate the heart, mind and spirit, and to get people to ask questions. “That’s what I try and pass on to my students. And that’s what school is for: to teach them to communicate better.” He concludes with this final self-assessment: “It’s all about a journey or adventure but always with a lot of testing, training and exhaustive research. When I complete a piece of work, it’s not far removed from a traditional landscape, or a painting of a horse. At the end of the day, I have a document record.”

Images by John Fulton
Read more on our August/September Issue now!

SM: You grew up here. How has a Southern upbringing helped you?
TA: You know, I’ve really appreciated a Georgia upbringing because in all parts of the world and country, they may not have appreciated me, they may not have appreciated the message of the music, they may not have appreciated my reputation, but they’ve all appreciated the good manners I learned as a Southern boy. My mama raised me all right, and that transfers very well. Everybody likes that.

SM: Your stint in rehab, where you infamously met Lindsay Lohan and battled addiction, made national news for quite a few months, if not years. Was it hard to have your personal problems broadcasted?
TA: It was a double-edged sword. It was horrifying and embarrassing. I went from walking in the park to running in the lion’s den. In hindsight, it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me because it made me realize you can’t hide behind [anything]. All of my [stuff] out there. This is what I did. What are you going to say about me? It helped me realize how sideways life can go. I saw it firsthand just explode. And it took a long time to get over that personally, professionally.

SM: What was the real deal with Lindsay?
TA: We dated for a while. I didn’t ever admit that at the time because I was going through a divorce, but it’s very much in the open now. It was jaw-dropping because our band was just starting to break and then suddenly there is this whole other level of celebrity. It freaked me out that people would jump out of bushes and follow you in cars. I was bewildered. How do you live in this bubble? How does that go on? They chased me all over Atlanta one time.

SM: What did that do to your life, personally and professionally?
TA: I’ll tell you what it did. I had so many offers, for lots of money, to sell stories, to sell pictures, and I sat back, and Scott [Michael] and I talked; and if you look back in history, you’ll see I did two interviews, period. I said, “You’ve got to knock this off. You’re not getting anything out of me.” I literally had seven figures thrown at me, and I said, “You know what, I will never be taken seriously as a musician if I’m Lindsay Lohan’s flavor of the day, or three months, or whatever.” So we had to sit on a lot of music—for a year—to separate me from that.

Images by Andy Silvers | Hair by Nick Gorlesky
Read more on our August/September Issue now!