Gullah culture on display at event

Maybe it was the foot-stomping, hand-clapping, praise-house singing and music. Or plates brimming with the earthy foods of the Lowcountry, like field peas with smoked pig tail and sausage and shrimp perloo.

Something made people feel mighty good at the Gullah Tribute Luncheon.

Friday's event at the BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival sprung a impromptu auction for the festival's designated charities, Louie's Kids and Slow Food Charleston.

Twenty or so brightly colored straw hats hung from the back wall of the stage, painted and decorated in the style of celebrated artist and Lowcountry native Jonathan Green, who was there. He suggested the fetching hats might fetch some money, and he was willing to sign each one.

Green was right. Event planner Mitchell Crosby took the stage and one by one, pitched the hats to enthusiastic bidding. "Don't forget, the Kentucky Derby is coming up," Crosby said while showing off an apple red model with large white polka dots. "This one is a powerful hat."

The hat went to Kelly Skelly of Charleston for $180, one of several that sold for more than $100. The auction appeared on pace to raise about $1,000.

Attended by about 300 people, the luncheon also honored local cooks Charlotte Jenkins of Gullah Cuisine, Martha Lou Gadsden of Martha Lou's Kitchen, Alluette Jones-Smalls of Alluette's Jazz Cafe, Mary Ravenell of Huger's, April Mazick of Joe's Catering and Kevin Mitchell of the Culinary Institute of Charleston.

They cooked alongside nationally known guest chefs Matt Lee and Ted Lee, Frank Stitt, Marvin Woods and Donald Link. At five stations in the main tent, they served up a veritable feast.

Gullah and Geechee, explained host and Channel 5 television anchor Ann McGill, refers to the language and culture of former slaves who settled on South Carolina's sea islands. Their relative isolation allowed their traditions to be preserved into the 20th century.

The four-person group De Gullah Singers sang spirituals to their own percussion instruments -- a washboard, tambourine and a bell.

The luncheon also launched a new cookbook, "Gullah Cuisine -- By Land and by Sea," with Jenkins' recipes and Green's artwork. William Baldwin contributes the narrative and Mic Smith the photography. The publisher is Evening Post Books, a division of Evening Post Publishing Co.

Earlier, a few hundred people gathered in the cool morning air in front of the Francis Marion Hotel for the festival's fifth anniversary opening ceremonies. It also began with a musical "stomp" -- five Burke High School students beating the bottoms of four metal trash cans and a heavy-duty plastic pail.

One by one, every local chef participating in the festival was called to stand as a group on bleachers. White jackets numbered five or six deep and about 20 across.

Festival Chairman Rick Widman thanked Mayor Joe Riley, "who believed in this festival from day one." Riley, in turn, thanked the core organizers who he said made the festival a "destination event" and gave a boost to the local economy.

"We've become known for our food and wine," Riley told the assembly. "It is an art. These are creative people."

Charleston Grill General Manager Mickey Bakst was honored with the 2010 Laura Hewitt Culinary Legend Award.

Circa 1886 Executive Chef Marc Collins received the first individual chef award, named in his honor. "Because of Marc, we have the Wine and Food Festival," said festival Director Angel Postell.

Randall Goldman of Patrick Properties announced that FISH Executive Chef Nico Romo has been designated Master Chef of France, one of only 54 in the United States. The French-born Romo, 30, is the youngest person to be honored by the Association of the Master Chefs of France.