Soups on at SCHC class Monday night

Published 8:36 pm Friday, January 20, 2017

Sharing a meal brings families and friends together, but in order to sit down and dine, food has to be prepared.

Chef William Furlong has been offering cooking workshops at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center since 2012 and has been the instructor for more than 20 classes.

On Monday, he will be back at it when he leads a William’s Winter Soup Workshop.

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“I drew some inspiration from friends for this class. My best friend and regular assistant at my classes, Lucy Phillips Priddy, will demonstrate her Spicy Sausage and Lentil Soup, and I will be demonstrating my good friend, Christy Scheuer’s, Chicken Soup. It has an Asian twist on the traditional chicken noodle. I will also be demonstrating my Chicken and Dumplings soup recipe,” Furlong said, adding all of the recipes are perfect for this time of year.

Furlong served as the executive chef at Two Zero Eight South Lamar, in Oxford before moving to Vicksburg. He has worked as the director of food and beverage at Lady Luck Casino and is currently the general manager of the Newk’s Eatery in Vicksburg.

Furlong said his cooking workshops at the SCHF have evolved through the years, but one thing remains the same, they are all about the participants.

“I want every attendee to be as hands on as they would like. Obviously, it isn’t practical for each student to make four pots of soup each, but the prep and chopping are the perfect time to share some chopping technique and show students how to improve their knife skills. It is also is a good time to show how to prioritize the steps of the recipe. I don’t rush through things like Rachel Ray, but I show short cuts and industry habits that make things easier,” he said.

Cooking workshops with Furlong also include a discussion about the recipes and a demonstration on ways to alter or personalize them, he said.

But the best part of each class is the tasting.

“The most important part of each workshop is tasting the food. In some classes, like the soup workshop, we will sample as each recipe is completed. Other workshops, like the holiday appetizers workshop, we complete the recipes and sample at the end, and I always have a snack at the beginning of the class for those coming right from work.”

Furlong said he enjoys being an instructor for the cooking workshops at the SCHC.

“I love that these cooking classes bring together people of different backgrounds for a few hours to enjoy something they all have in common, the appreciation for good food and a good time,” he said.

William’s Winter Soup Workshop will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and registration is $30 for members and $35 for nonmembers.

Space is limited and reservations are required.

For more information, call 601-631-2997 or email info@southernculture.org.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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