In addition to our first dinner by chef Bill Smith, in conjunction with the Project Threadways Symposium, we hosted a second event featuring chef Cheetie Kumar, with small bites by Angie Mosier and dessert from Lisa Donovan. The meal was served in the style of a traditional factory lunch, and included some traditional Southern-style dishes alongside foods with Mexican and Indian influences.
The evening began with Blackberry Farm’s Classic Belgian-Style Ale, accompanied by Angie Mosier’s passed entrees of pork rillette, pimento cheese, a feta snack, beet chow chow, pickled quail egg, and seeded sourdough crackers.
Cheetie’s first course highlighted flavors from across the world, honoring her wide range of culinary influences. A tin can tamale was served alongside roasted poblano and rojo sauce and a toasted cumin buttermilk crema with yogurt paneer and taqueria pickles. The dish was paired with a Burgans Albariño Rias Baixas, a crisp white wine with aromas of ginger, flowers, and tropical fruits.
Our second course was a smothered chicken dinner with rice and peas, creamed greens, and a spring salad and was accompanied by yeast rolls with green garlic butter. A Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling from Colombia Valley was served alongside the course, offering crisp apple flavors and mineral notes.
Lisa Donovan created our dessert course of roasted strawberry hand pies, which were served with Factory Blend Coffee and a Gramona La Cuveé Cava with stone fruit aromas.
We would like to thank Cheetie, Angie, and Lisa for supporting Project Threadways with their generous donations of time and food that fed the soul.
Project Threadways is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that records, studies, and explores the history of the textile industry in The Shoals community, and the American South. Our goal is to accurately and respectfully retell the story of textiles—from farm to finished product—and the way the act of making textiles shaped the lives of the communities and the individuals of those communities. In partnership with the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area and the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture, we collect oral histories, analyze and publish data, and stage events that serve as centers for conversation, exploring the connection between community and the evolving region through the lens of material culture.