Custom cuisine
04 Mar 2020
Chef Teddy Folkman reinvents himself at Timbers Kiawah
By Jenny Peterson
To watch Chef Teddy Folkman in the kitchen is to watch an artist.
His love for cooking is clear – he’ll tell you about the inspiration for a dish, and launch into the history of the ingredients, when he first tried it, and when he mastered it, and when fell in love with it.
The New York-born chef— who appeared on Food Network’s Throwdown with Bobby Flay and former owner of Granville Moore’s in Washington, D.C.—is now at the culinary helm of the Timbers Kiawah Ocean Club & Residences, serving as the exclusive food & beverage manager.
Chef Teddy, who visited Charleston with his wife for over a decade before moving to the Lowcountry, has been given free reign and unlimited creative control at Timbers Kiawah, crafting unique menus and unforgettable dining experiences for residents, their families and their guests.
One of Chef Teddy’s favorite hobbies is walking through the local farmers market and surveying the colorful fresh produce that he incorporates into his cooking at the oceanfront poolside al fresco Beach Club and inside the private residences.
In this unique culinary role, Chef Teddy satisfies the desires of all Timbers Kiawah residents, whether it’s the need to relax and unwind with a familiar dish or bring people together with seasonal, weekly Lowcountry boils and BBQs on the community lawn.
Chef Teddy has even created an option for cooking enthusiasts to make meals at home by providing a box of fresh, curated ingredients delivered to residents’ doors. The boxes have included everything from braised lamb shank to cheddar grits.
“At Timbers Kiawah, my skills are for a defined audience who provide instant feedback, and it allows the staff to be more creative and think outside the box. As a chef, you always want to be challenged to recreate and re-imagine certain dishes. My inspiration is the environment around me,” he said.
His latest venture? A special IPA beer for Timbers Kiawah that Chef Teddy helped create, crafted at a brewery in the foothills of North Carolina.
“The Timbers Kiawah IPA is a straightforward IPA that goes with anything from a salmon BLT to a shrimp burger and will pair well with pimento cheese,” he said.
Chef Teddy animatedly talks about how food and beverages can complement one another and was a five-time speaker at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado.
He is in the “exploratory phase” of creating an exclusive Timbers Kiawah line of whiskey and wine.
Whether he’s at the helm of a restaurant, cooking for an intimate group or creating the perfect brew, Folkman is always eager to promote the culinary arts and inspire others with his journey.
In Washington, D.C., he was involved in a non-profit called Brain Food, which taught culinary arts to inner city teens. He is currently volunteering at One80Place in downtown Charleston to teach culinary classes to adults who are trying to turn their lives around.
“The image of chefs has changed completely from when I started. Cooking at a bar or restaurant was something you did when you couldn’t get a “real” job. Now chefs are rock stars,” he said. “One thing that doesn’t change, though, is that when you get a really great product and treat it with respect, you get a wonderful end result.”
For more information about Timbers Kiawah, visit www.timberskiawah.com.
From Chef Teddy’s Kitchen
PIMENTO CHEESE
Yield, 2.5lbs
Ingredients Quantity Measurement
Pimentos, Diced 1 Cup
Cheddar Cheese, Shredded 1 Lb
Duke’s Mayonnaise 1 Cup
Cream Cheese, Softened 1/2 Cup
Dried Chili Flakes 1 Tbsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Method
1. In a large mixing bowl, place the cheddar cheese in an even layer
2. Scatter the cream cheese, pimentos, mayonnaise and chili flakes over the cheddar cheese
3. Using a spatula, mix the pimento cheese until it is smooth and spreadable, about 1 1/2 minutes
4. Transfer the pimento cheese to a container and refrigerate for 24 hours
5. Serve cold
