What are you doing for Memorial Day? This is what the Southern Tastes panelists are planning:

Just about everything is better in summer, and that definitely includes eating. It's time to grill, time for picnics, time to enjoy the abundance of seasonal fruits and vegetables from the garden or local farmers markets. So how do you start the summer, with grilling or with a picnic? We asked the Southern Tastes panelists what they like to do for Memorial Day, and this is what they had to say. Read the full answers online at commercialappeal.com or on the Southern Tastes Facebook page at facebook.com/sotastes.

Deni Reilly, The Majestic Grille

Why choose? We do both. We attend Sunset Symphony with a picnic of cold Gus's Fried Chicken, some nice cheese and a couple of bottles of rosé. Then we normally close the restaurant on Monday, and since we all can't seem to get enough of each other, spend the day grilling out with the staff! We keep it simple with burgers, brats, ribs and lots of beer. Everybody brings a side, dessert or more beer. This year, however, we will be open on Memorial Day and pregaming for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals with all our fantastic Griz regulars! Go Griz!

Bert Smythe, McEwen's, Alchemy

When I was a kid, having a Coca-Cola was a real treat. Memorial Day cookouts with my grandmother always meant Cokes! And my favorite ... potato salad -- mustard-based, of course. And hamburgers -- with mustard. And hot dogs! With mustard. And chocolate cake ... with mustard. I kid. Mustard on chocolate cake is not good. I have tried. This year, we'll all be at Alchemy working on our up-and-coming brunch menu, and if Chef Nick makes burgers for our lunch, there'd better be some mustard! Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

Melissa Petersen, Edible Memphis

Definitely grill. Our "backyard" is a communal rooftop deck with grills, but there isn't a TV to watch the game up there, so it may have to switch to a grilled lunch. We have to keep our priorities straight. Go Griz!

Steve Conley, WKQK 94.1 personality

Personally, I don't think there is anything better in life than being outside on a lovely sunny spring day. The pool is clear blue, the kids are playing in the backyard, and the barbecue grill has a little stream of smoke wafting all over the neighborhood with that delightful smell of slowly cooking ribs, brisket, shoulder ... whatever. I live for that.

Ryan Trimm, Sweet Grass, Sweet Grass Next Door

It has become tradition over the last three-plus years that I close Sweet Grass and take my entire staff camping on the Sunday night of Memorial Day weekend. We caravan to Don Taylor's farm, and I smoke a pig and other accoutrements. We clean up early Monday morning so that we can all hang out with the fam and grill out a little bit more.

Glenda Hastings, Napa Café

Memorial Day in the Smoky Mountains! This place is magical! We camp, and the routine is the same every day: hike, snack, swim, picnic, hike, snack, swim, picnic, and then a hot meal at Miss Lily's Café in Townsend. We bring lots of gourmet cheeses, homemade granola and trail mix, and roasted chicken to make sandwiches. We make trips to Amburn's (local farmers market) in Maryville, where we buy the best fruits and vegetables, breads and jams. The picnic spots are usually out of the hatchback at our secret swimming spot, or the Chimney Tops picnic ground. Even though it would be a dream come true to sit down and have lunch with a bear, it's not really a good idea to carry food on trails.

Jennifer Chandler, cookbook author

Memorial Day is the perfect time for a backyard barbecue with good friends. I love outdoor entertaining because it is casual and fun. Cooking dinner becomes part of the party. Guests mingle with us on the back porch sipping refreshing cocktails while we grill up something delicious to be served, al fresco of course! For the kids, we probably grill burgers or hot dogs but for the grown-ups I like to make something a little more special, like marinated chicken or steaks with a flavorful dry rub. Our sides are either salads or veggies hot off the grill. Dishes with a lot of flavor but easy to prepare, because I want to have fun too!

Kat Gordon, Muddy's Bake Shop

Thomas and I don't really do a lot for Memorial Day; if we're lucky, we just spend a little quiet time at home with the pups! Our version of picnic/grill-out is a little something we call porchin'. We fix some snacks -- maybe cucumber sammies and some cold chicken -- some sips, and then just enjoy our lovely porch. It's nice to say hello to neighbors, read a little, feed the birds, and just unwind from all the busyness. My summer "sip" of choice is a shortcut-riff of the Porch Swing cocktail at Blue Smoke restaurant in New York, so I call it the Lazy Porch Swing. Mix 4 ounces Simply Lemonade, 1½ ounce Pimm's No. 1, 1½ ounces Hendrick's gin, a splash of 7 Up or Sprite (or whatever's handy). Add cucumber slices and serve over ice. Perfection!

Kelly English, Restaurant Iris, Kelly English Steakhouse

I love a picnic ... one of my first dates with my wife was a picnic near the river. The world kind of stops for a minute during a picnic.

John Vergos, Rendezvous

The thing my wife and I are most looking forward to this Memorial Day weekend is not food -- it's seeing Paul McCartney.

Ron Childers, WMC-TV personality

Memorial Day is just another day for TV folk so Joyce and I usually work that day. However, after my shift I usually throw something simple on the grill like chops or chicken and some grilled veggies. I like to leave a nice dinner for her when she gets home.

Angela Moon, Kirby Wines & Liquors

We are absolute backyard grilling junkies. And we are good with that. Our little slice of paradise is tricked out with pots of flowers, wooden wine crates filled with flowers, even a repurposed Weber grill has a belly full of flowers! My sweetie pie is a master on the Big Green Egg (yes, it does make a difference) so it's either sliders, strips, tenderloin or chicken thighs. I've been on a roasted vegetable kick for a while: fingerling potatoes, carrots, and my favorite, cauliflower, all slathered in olive oil and dusted with whatever herb or spice appeals to me. Lately it's been Penzey's Parisien Bonnes Herbes, a blend of chives, dill, basil, tarragon, chervil and white pepper. I add it at the end of roasting, just before serving. There is nothing like a chilled glass of wine, sitting on the deck, listening to music and grilling. Dorothy was right: it's in your own backyard.

From today's Food section:

Next week is all about meat -- we know what the third weekend in May brings. But this week, our Southern Tastes panelists tell us about their favorite vegetables as our friends Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence from the popular blog chubbyvegetarian.blogspot.com launch their first cookbook, "The Southern Vegetarian." Sign on to our Facebook page at facebook.com/sotastes and tell us about your favorite vegetables.

Steve Conley, WKQK 94.1 personality

How good is eggplant Parmesan? I made some the other night, and my daughter Aimee scarfed it down, then asked, "Daddy, is there meat in this?" So easy and so delicious. And if you really want easy, Costco sells two eggplant parm dinners in a foil tub for less than $10, and it's darn close to as good as mine.

Martha Foose, cookbook author

Spaghetti squash with pesto from "A Southerly Course" is a go-to for me -- especially if I have a mixed crowd of vegetarians and nonvegetarians.

Frank Grisanti, Frank Grisanti Restaurant

My favorite vegetarian dish is fresh eggplant and fried green tomato Parmesan served on fresh sauteed spinach with marinara sauce. Different flavors and textures makes for a super dish.

Margot McNeeley, Project Green Fork

As a non-meat eater, I rely on vegetables for every meal. But I don't like all vegetables (I know, what nerve, right?), and it seems that the ones I don't like are the ones many restaurants put on their menu, like zucchini. Yuck. My all-time favorite has to be potatoes. Guess it's the Irish in me, but I could eat them everyday, every meal. Of course, I don't, or I'd bigger than a house. My other favorite less-starchy vegetables are Brussels sprouts, beets and uncooked carrots. I'm a huge fan of The Chubby Vegetarian blog and can't wait to get my hands on the book!

Ron Childers, WMC-TV 5 personality

Ahhh . this brings back fond memories of the Babylon Café in Midtown back in the late '80s/early '90s. I could be a vegetarian if I could make those dishes every day. I remember their quesadilla "done up." Amazing with the black beans and homemade tahini. My absolute favorite!

Lauren Boggs McHugh, Huey's

I really like a baked potato with butter, cheese and either black beans or kidney beans. I also enjoy a mixed greens salad with kidney beans, boiled eggs, shredded jack cheese, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber and celery, topped with homemade vinaigrette. Of course, more often, I eat a Huey's veggie burger or black bean burger, which can be dressed like any Huey burger.

Melissa Petersen, Edible Memphis

I don't think it's in the book, but Justin's version of the cashew noodle salad from Whole Foods is a favorite vegetarian dish. I add a little sauteed broccolini to make it a meal. However, I also adore anything with beets ... or cauliflower ... or fava beans.

Ben Smith, Tsunami

My wife, Colleen, who does most of the menu planning at home, always includes at least one vegetarian meal a week. By not making a big deal about it with the kids, we hope to instill in them the importance of a well-rounded diet that doesn't always have to include an animal base protein. We focus on flavor first and foremost. And as long as we are using fresh, local in-season produce, we know that the nutritional aspect just naturally follows. After years of making spontaneous meals out of whatever ingredients I bring home from work, Colleen has gotten very good at the "Mystery Basket" challenge. I reckon she could teach the folks on "Chopped" a thing or two. Here's a vegetarian dish I like to dredge up when grilling season starts up again (see recipe at end of questions).

John Vergos, Rendezvous

My vegetarian daughter turned us all on to veggie sprinkles as a substitute for ground beef in tacos, enchiladas, and even spaghetti sauce.

Kat Gordon, Muddy's Bake Shop

I adore everything I've ever cooked from Deborah Madison's "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone." One of my favorite veggie-yummies is lemon asparagus linguine with fresh thyme. Also, pretty much any kind of lentil soup, roasted winter vegetables (dash of sea salt, olive oil, and chopped fresh herbs -- so easy and delicious), Brussels sprouts, and frittatas. I heart fruits and veggies!

Jennifer Chandler, cookbook author

Love my veggies! And I am so excited to get a copy of "The Southern Vegetarian"! Justin photographed my last book, and during that process I got to eat some of his yummy meatless dishes. In fact, he and my friend Nevada Presley of Get Fresh Memphis inspired me to go meatless for a month back in September. After that month, I felt great and now try to eat vegetarian several days a week. I post a "Meatless Monday" recipe every Monday on my blog, cookwithjennifer.com. I would have to say that veggie burgers are one of my family's favorite meatless meals. Here's my version of my friend Nevada's Black Bean Burger recipe (see it below). My kids love it with guacamole on top!

Black Bean Burgers

Serves 4.

1 can (15-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper (about 1/2 green pepper)

1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion (about 1/2 small onion)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 1/2 tablespoons cumin

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1/2 cup rolled oats

Vegetable oil, for the grates

4 hamburger buns, split

2 ripe avocados, pits removed and sliced

In a medium bowl mash the black beans with a fork until thick and pasty. Place the green bell pepper, onion, and garlic in food processor and process until puréed. Place the mixture into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and press to strain the liquid. Add to the beans and stir to combine.

In a small bowl stir together the egg, chili powder, cumin, and hot sauce. Add the egg mixture and the oats to the beans and stir until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide into four patties, each about 3/4-inch thick. Cover, place in the refrigerator, and chill for at least an hour and as long as overnight.

Preheat a clean grill to medium high for 8 to 10 minutes with the lid closed. Lightly brush the grates with oil.

Place the burgers on the grill. Close the lid and cook, turning once, until golden brown and warmed through, about 5 to 6 minutes on each side. About 1 minute before the burgers are done, place the buns, cut-side down, on the grill and cook until lightly toasted.

To serve, place each burger inside a bun and garnish with avocado slices. Serve immediately. Note: Do not be tempted to skip the step of draining the puréed vegetables. That extra moisture makes the black bean burgers too sticky to be grilled.

Source: Jennifer Chandler

Szechwan Eggplant

Serves 6.

4 pounds eggplant

2 teaspoons Szechwan pepper salt (see note)

1/2 cup soy sauce

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

¼ cup fresh chopped ginger

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 teaspoon chili flakes

¼ cup peanut oil

Cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch slices if using large ones. Or cut in half lengthwise if using Asian eggplant. Mix the Szechwan pepper salt with the remaining ingredients and toss well. Allow to sit for a few minutes then grill over a medium hot grill until tender, but still al dente.

Save the excess marinade and toss the grilled eggplant in that just before serving. Note: To make the Szechwan pepper salt, place equal parts kosher salt and Szechwan peppercorns in a dry skillet. Lightly toast over medium heat, tossing the pan, until aromatic and just beginning to smoke.

Source: Ben Smith

I want all the Southern Tastes Facebook followers to be able to read what our panelists have to say, so I'll post their responses here, on Whining & Dining. Feel free to comment here or on the Facebook page.

I'm so excited that Memphis is named one of Southern Living's "South's Tastiest Towns." The town with the most votes wins, and right now we're in third place, behind Durham and Asheville, N.C.

Come on. Let's vote!

Here's the link to voting for Memphis: http://www.southernliving.com/travel/souths-tastiest-towns-memphis-00417000081030/

And here's the story. Be sure to come to Hog & Hominy Thursday from 4-7 p.m. for a Get Out the Vote party. Details are at the end of the story.

By Jennifer Biggs

Here's my story from today's paper about the big bad fun coming up in Oxford, starting tonight. Here's the menu for the first week. Eli Kirshtein of Atlanta (and "Top Chef") is preparing Israeli street food. Who's going?

By Jennifer Biggs

Join Angela Moon with Kirby Wines & Liquors and me tonight at 7 p.m. We'll be drinking a festive Italian bubbly, and we'd love to visit with you. See you then.

 

I'm no fan of most of the "fast-casual" restaurant where you walk through the line, pick your food and have it waiting for you at the end. A cafeteria has its place, but it's a cafeteria. Still, I love Panda Express and have been several times to the one that opened a couple of months ago on Germantown Parkway.

The Black Pepper Chicken is my favorite dish. You order two entrees at Panda Express, so I usually get two BPCs with a side of vegetables, make rice at home (I like basmati or jasmine), then make three or even four meals from the one order, which costs around $7.50. I freeze them as small meals and grab them to take to work on busy days, because here's the great thing: The BPC has around 220 calories per order. (The fried stuff in the back clamshell is no healthier than any other fried Chinese food.)

It's a chain, but now and again I indulge. (Speaking of chains, I grabbed a quick meal with my daughter in Nashville last weekend and we ate at the Cheesecake Factory because she only had an hour for lunch. My salmon was great, and the menu at that place is huge.)

How lucky we are to have Marc Mondavi joining us for our wine tasting at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6. I'm going to put links here for the tech sheets and a link to the website, so you can learn a little more about the wines before we taste.

Here's something impressive: Marc Mondavi is a water witch--he can douse for water. They say his skill at this is mighty impressive, and he'll tell us about that, too. You can noodle around here http://www.thediviningrod.com/ (look under the "story") to get some background.

Link to the cabernet sauvignon tech sheet: http://www.thediviningrod.com/product-i14456-c0-2010_Alexander_Valley_Cabernet_Sauvignon.aspx

To the chardonnay tech sheet: http://www.thediviningrod.com/product-i14457-c0-2010_Santa_Lucia_Highlands_Chardonnay.aspx

Join us tonight--we'll have a great time.

 

First--we're moving the wine tastings back to Thursday, starting next week.

Second, Marc Mondavi will be online with us next week to talk about two of his wines, The Divining Rod Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 and Chardonnay 2010. Pick up either or both and sign on at 7 p..m. on THURSDAY, Dec. 6, to talk with Marc about his wines.

Here's a link to the book about how he divines for water.

http://publ.com/rfVQrcp#/18/

For newbies: You go buy the wine at your favorite store (the major ones should have this). Go home, grab a bite to eat or put on your slippers--whatever you want to do, because you're in your own home--and sign on here at 7 p.m. to join the conversation.

I have plans for Whining & Dining, but having a plan and having time to implement it are two different things. This site will remain and it will be active again in the weeks to come, and it's still the place for our wine tastings, too.

Meanwhile, join us at www.facebook.com/sotastes. There are several posts most days, links to our stories and to other stories we think you'll like, and you can comment and interact with other readers.

Today -- like most Wednesdays -- we're givng away free cookbooks. Come on over and join in.