FOOD BY THE BOOK: Siblings try to adjust to haunted house

Nov. 22—In 2020 Covid sent us into our homes and now three years later the theme of the house has cropped up in popular horror literature. There are titles such as "A Haunting on the Hill," by Elizabeth Hand that picks up on Shirley Jackson's original or "The September House" by Carissa Orlando about a woman whose dream home becomes a nightmare. There is also "The Militia House" by John Milas in which a haunted military housing unit built by the Russians in Afghanistan plagues the U.S. soldiers working near it.

Then there is "How to Sell a Haunted House" (Berkley, 2023) by Grady Hendrix. When Louise's parents die in a tragic accident, she returns home to Charleston to help her younger brother Mark with arrangements that include cleaning out and selling their parents' home. Once together again, however, sibling rivalry rears its ugly head. Louise is a successful professional, while Mark has had a series of poor paying jobs and has never left Charleston or their parents, causing endless resentment and jealousy.

It's only when their mother's precious dolls and puppets begin to come alive that Louise and Mark unite to squelch a particularly malevolent puppet named Pupkin who doesn't necessarily want to leave the house. The creep factor in Hendrix's novel has gotten the early attention of filmmakers, just as did his 2020 bestseller, "The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires." Although both works take place in South Carolina, they are not considered Southern Gothic, just plain good horror.

Charleston red rice is the city's own version of red rice dishes popular in Georgia and South Carolina. Pair it with pulled pork and you've got yourself a tasty home-style meal. It might be a good break after all the turkey.

Charleston Red Rice

6 slices thick-cut bacon

16 oz. kielbasa, finely diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 celery ribs, diced

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 cups uncooked long-grain rice

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

2 cups chicken broth or more

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon creole seasoning

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Italian parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fry bacon in a large frying pan until crisp. Remove to paper towels. In same skillet place smoked sausage, onion, pepper, and celery, sautéing until softened. Add garlic and continue cooking one minute. Rinse rice in cold water to remove some of the starch then add to pan and sauté for one minute. Add all remaining ingredients, except parsley, and crumble in the bacon. Mix well and bring to a boil then transfer into a 9x13 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cover dish with foil and bake for approximately thirty minutes. Uncover, add in more chicken broth, if needed, and continue baking 10 minutes of more until rice is tender. Make sure to top with parsley, as it adds a clarifying flavor.

Root Beer Pulled Pork

3-4 lb. pork loin

2 cups root beer

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon sage

Barbecue sauce

Place pork fat side up in slow cooker. Add root beer, spices and enough water to cover the pork. Cook on high until the pork starts to become tender then turn heat to low and continue cooking until it falls apart, about six hours. Remove pork to dish, scrape off fat layer and then shred with forks. Drain liquid from cooker (and discard) and return pork to the pot. Add barbecue sauce of your choice and keep on warm for up to an hour until ready to serve, or serve immediately on buns. Alternately you could change the spices to smoked paprika, cumin, and garlic powder and serve in taco shells or tortillas. Caroline Lindsey, a Charleston food blogger who is the source for this delicious recipe, can be found at https://www.pinchmeimeating.com/slow-cooker-root-beer-pulled-pork.

Reach Melony Carey at foodbythebook@gmail.com