Premieres September 5 on PBS. Check your local listings.

With squash season in full effect, trouble with the twins, staffing issues at the Boiler Room, and a new cookbook overloading her plate, Vivian seeks motherly advice from Mrs. Scarlett and her sister Johna over a Southern classic: squash and onions. Despite nerves, Vivian plays it cool on camera, as Ben and all of Kinston anticipate her appearance on The Today Show.

Vivian’s Cooking Demo

Vivian’s Featured Recipe

Old School Squash and Onions

This Old School Squash and Onions recipe is courtesy Chef Vivian Howard, and is featured in the Stop, Squash and Roll episode of Season 3 of A Chef's Life.

Ingredients

1/3 cup bacon fat
5-6 large sweet onions, halved and sliced thin with the grain
10-12 medium yellow squash, sliced into half moons
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoons salt

Directions

In a 4 quart Dutch oven or 12 inch cast iron pan, melt the bacon fat and add the squash, onions, salt and pepper. Let this cook down over medium heat for about 10 minutes. The squash will release a whole lot of liquid and things will begin to shrink.
Once it’s reduced by about half, lower the heat slightly and start stirring every few minutes. You are looking for a little caramelization on the bottom of the pan, so it’s okay if the vegetables start to stick a bit.
Using a wooden spoon, scrape it all up and stir it in. The mix will continue to shrink and develop color and flavor over a period of about an hour.
Lower your heat after 45 minutes and take the last bit very slow. It’s done when it’s reduced to about 5 cups. It will be a chestnut color, full-flavored and fragrant.

Yield: Serves 8, 5 cups