In each episode of The Key Ingredient with Sheri Castle, the renowned food writer and cooking teacher features one local ingredient, tracing its journey from source to kitchen. Sheri will introduce us to local farmers, growers, fisherman and chefs and share approachable home cooking recipes and tips. Join Sheri each week to learn the stories behind some of North Carolina's most beloved ingredients.
The Key Ingredient with Sheri Castle is now streaming at video.pbsnc.org and on the PBS Video app.
Sheri Castle, award-winning food writer and cooking teacher, is known for melding culinary expertise, storytelling and humor, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal. Her creative, well-crafted recipes and practical advice inspire people to cook with confidence and enthusiasm. She's written a tall stack of cookbooks and her work appears in dozens of magazines. In 2019, the Southern Foodways Alliance named Sheri among Twenty Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.
Sheri says that she's fueled by great ingredients and the endless pursuit of intriguing stories, usually about the role that food plays in our lives, families, communities and culture.
When she steps away from the kitchen or a local farm, Sheri enjoys spending quiet time at her home near Chapel Hill. She hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
Sheri says some helpful tips on how to perfectly roast your pumpkin seeds.
Special Holiday Recipe
Sheri prepares a fluffy white coconut layer cake, perfect for the holidays. This is a beautiful cake that glistens with mounds of fluffy coconut. It resembles an edible snow globe, and it’s much easier to make than it looks!
A Candy Roaster pumpkin purée shines in Ashley Capps' stunning custard dessert, perfect for beautiful garnishes.
This is an impressive entree, fancy enough to star in a Thanksgiving feast, but simple enough to prepare all season.
This gorgeous composed salad, assembled on a serving platter instead of tossed in a bowl, features spice-roasted pumpkin wedges.
Sheri and Joe Kwon prepare a new-fangled variation on old-fashioned stuffed cabbage rolls, hearty comfort food.
Every cook needs a go-to vegetable soup in their repertoire. This one is flavorful, colorful, and keeps well for a few days.
This slaw is dressed with a deeply flavorful marinade instead of bound with mayonnaise and keeps beautifully for days.
Erika Council, founder of Bomb Biscuit Company in Atlanta, makes biscuits that are the envy of bakers around the world.
Prepared in individual servings, this dessert is sure to surprise and delight.
Buttermilk flavors and tenderizes the skirt steak, paired well with a great wedge salad and creamy buttermilk dressing.
Meherwan Irani shares his Apple Sabzi, a recipe that reminds him of home and the great cooks in his family.
Sheri presents one of her favorite cakes, perfectly served with its simple glaze & made more delectable with whipped cream and apple cider caramel.
This one pan chicken and apples dish highlights flavorful baking apples easily found in your local grocery store.
Keia Mastrianni's recipe for this elegant, impressive pie features sophisticated flavors and textures and the playful disposition of a classic PB&J sandwich.
A crunchy broccoli salad, a crisp pasta salad & old-fashioned poppyseed dressing, put over the top with the earthy sweetness of muscadines.
Inspired by countryside recipes in the Umbria region of Italy, this dish pairs perfectly with mustard, cheese and good bread for a delicious meal.
Jamie’s recipe is redemptive succotash, a feast for the eyes and palate, full of color, texture, and flavor.
Sheri makes her Hoppin’ John—an iconic Southern dish—like risotto, creating a large pot of creamy rice and field peas studded with sausage.
This salad is as beautiful as it is delicious, the best of late summer on a platter.
Jamie Davis shares his recipe for refined and easy roasted oysters, topped with a generous dollop of delicious spiced butter.
Fried oysters are delightfully easy to prepare at home with this recipe from Sheri.
Benne seeds add flavor to this simple Southern-style stew without overwhelming the oysters.
A delightful pound cake with enough flavor and character to serve solo or with the Blackberries and Peaches in Sweet Basil Syrup.
Sheri shares her secrets to great cornbread and a honey butter topping that steals the show.
Cheetie Kumar shows Sheri her recipe for this fragrant, beautiful and tempting meal.
Each week, Sheri invites a local chef to explore their connection to local ingredients and to share their own special recipe with us. Learn more about our featured guests below.
Emmy® award-winning Executive Producer Heather Burgiss has been telling the stories of her beloved adopted home state of North Carolina and developing new series and shows for both digital and broadcast at PBS NC since 2000.
In The Key Ingredient with Sheri Castle, Heather leads the development, writing and direction of this modern "stand and stir" with Sheri Castle, exploring ingredients from the ground up with farmers, producers and recipes in the kitchen. In casting and storylines, Heather seeks out unique, diverse voices to give the audience a deeper glimpse and connection into the subject at hand.
When she's not storytelling, Heather enjoys the outdoors with her husband, three sons and good dogs, Ruby and Beau.
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