Bobby Shealy, Real Estate Chef

All my life, food was a big thing in our house. My dad was an avid hunter and fisherman, so fresh game and fish were always in the freezer. Dada (my dad’s father) tended to a very large vegetable garden. I was taught even before I started first grade how to check watermelons and cantaloupes to see if they were ready for picking and what size squash and okra should be before picking. Fresh meat, seafood and vegetables were the staples of my life. 

I come from a long line of good cooks. I remember my great-grandmother, Naomi Bailey Welch (we called her Mama), always had a pot of something smelling glorious on her stove every time I walked in the door. Moms (Mama’s daughter and my grandmother) cooked wonderful roasts and vegetables and red rice and cakes and fried chicken and shrimp—the list goes on. Then, there was my Moma. People called her Snookie. She was a glamorous and beautiful lady, a fabulous cook, and she and Daddy entertained quite often. Moma always catered her own parties and dinners no matter how large the guest list. I remember before parties, she would be making cheese balls and rolling meat- balls, and our housekeeper, Elizabeth, would be peeling pounds of shrimp.

The recipes in this book are an accumulation of over forty years of cooking. I collected some from family and friends. I created some, and I repurposed others to create my own twists. A few were originals that had to be repeated and passed down because they were too good not to share.

I hope these recipes bring as much happiness to my readers’ tables as they have mine. There have been a lot of love, good times, friendships, and relationships cultivated over my food. My wish is that these become traditions for you, too.

“If I can cook it, so can you!”

You can prepare delicious, beautiful meals using quick, easy, and simple shortcuts. Making dishes in advance for the freezer, such as appetizers and dessert, lightens the load on the day of entertaining. Entrees and side dishes can be made a day ahead to avoid the last minute rush in the kitchen. These are some of Bobby’s tricks for entertaining with ease found in his new cookbook, A Taste of Living in Charleston.

“I love to feed people. I love the feeling I get seeing people take pleasure in what I have cooked and planned. It’s a win-win. They get pleasure from eating, and I get pleasure watching them eat what I have created,” says Bobby. “The power of food is far-reaching. It brings people together around a table, bonding and connecting. It is used to celebrate happy times, like weddings and birthdays, and it’s there to provide comfort in sad times.” 

Enjoy recipes like:

• Tomato Grits Casserole

• Wicked Charleston Party Sauce

• Lowcountry Shrimp and Sausage Casserole

• Okra, Shrimp, Sausage, and Chicken Gumbo

• Sweet and Sour Green Beans

• Blackberry Wine Cake

• Dreamsicle Mimosas

Filled with classic tastes of the Lowcountry culled from the family recipe box, and mixed with modern touches, this book is for every host looking to entertain with ease.