Many of us dread surveys of any kind, when Hilton Head Monthly asked more than 100 snackers ages 10 to 80 about their midnight eating habits, they were happy to share.

“Dark chocolate is the best — a little sinful late at night,” one midnight snacker said, while a few naysayers asked skeptically, “Does anybody even entertain the idea of eating anything at midnight anymore?” Predictably, some snackers said that they’re not up at midnight, so we loosened the criteria and granted an earlier time frame.

NAME: Connie Inggs
TITLE: Co-owner of Caretta Coffee Co. 

Question: Caretta Coffee has been open for several months now. How has business been? 

Answer: Business has been amazing! Of course, since Hurricane Matthew, it has slowed down tremendously.

This Recipe Uses Butterscotch Pudding Mix And Doesn’t Require Molasses!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (3.5 ounce) package cookand- serve butterscotch pudding mix
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flou
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

Restaurant manager, Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana

Question: Michael Anthony’s has been a Hilton Head Island institution for more than 14 years. What is the secret? 

Answer: Hospitality. We have always strived to serve the highest quality product with the most professional service possible, but we believe the real secret to success is hospitality. Being able to serve all types of guests and make each one feel comfortable and welcomed is what we specialize in.

Where else can you taste the very best signature dishes of more than 35 Lowcountry restaurants? 

Only at Taste of the Season, held from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa. 

In time to ring in the holidays, the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce’s annual culinary event showcases the variety of the area’s best cuisine and the talents of local world-class chefs, while indulging the foodies of the Lowcountry. Tickets are $65 each, or $95 for Chamber Patron VIP tickets, which include a private area with lounge seating, private bar, and preferred parking. All food is included in ticket prices. Tickets are available by visiting www.hiltonheadblufftonchamber.org. 

The flavor of the pecan is indescribably good — this rich, mildly sweet, slightly crunchy, oval-shaped nut is even better when lightly toasted, and it’s quite addictive. Of course, the minute this delicacy was discovered by European explorers foraging here, they whisked pecans off to the West Indies and Europe. As legend has it, it was delicious enough for Founding Father and President George Washington, who at his Mount Vernon estate planted a pecan sapling given to him as a gift by President Thomas Jefferson, also an avid gardener. This gift was ideal, as I imagine the first president was hard to shop for.

In an era when wine fests and culinary celebrations dot the country like destinations on a smartphone service map, one Lowcountry event has sustained its unmistakably authentic footprint. For its 10th anniversary soiree on Nov. 16-20, Palmetto Bluff’s Music To Your Mouth has quietly ushered in nationally acclaimed chefs, vintners and artisans to the shores of the May River for four days of uninterrupted revelry shared by a refreshingly limited gathering of guests.

(RECIPE SERVES 8-10)

INGREDIENTS

BRINE:

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 gallon water
• 18-to 21-pound turkey, skin intact and boned except for drumsticks
• House seasoning, recipe follows
• Cornbread dressing, recipe follows
• 3- to 4-pound duck, boned
• 3- to 4-pound chicken, boned
• Paprika to taste

“Eat Here or We Both Starve” reads the sign inside Harold’s Diner, a no-frills diner at the intersection of William Hilton Parkway and Singleton Road - an institution since 1974. It’s where loyal customers are constantly vying for spots at the busy counter, fillin out their own order sheets. Names are cried out from the cramped kitchen and orders of towering, mouth-watering burgers are served.