I may be jumping the gun a bit with this post. I know fall hasn't officially arrived yet, but I'm ready for some fall flavors. It's always interesting to observe how my cravings follow the change of seasons. During warm weather seasons, I'm drawn to lighter fare, like salads, veggies, chicken, and fish. Cooler weather finds me craving soups, stews, and casseroles. … [Read more...]
Brown Butter Nectarine and Blueberry Cobbler
If you live in the South, cobbler is in your blood. We Southerners grow up eating the ubiquitous dessert from an early age. Although there are may variations of cobblers, the one that I remember was the Peach Cobbler at Shelaine Restaurant in my hometown. The fresh peaches were baked with a thin, crisp, buttery crust that was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I've never been able to master that type … [Read more...]
Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Sorbet
The Deep South heatwave has hit! We've been in the mid- to upper-90s for a couple of weeks now. I spend my days at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doing technology consulting. This health-promoting agency practices what it preaches and encourages healthy lifestyles for its employees. I'm fortunate in that I can take a couple of 15-minute walks during the day. It's amazing how much … [Read more...]
Peach Pandowdy
In the 1970s, Aberdeen, Mississippi, population 6,000, was fairly slim on eating establishments. Ernie's Fountain Grill enticed idle high school kids to hang out. Adam's Dairy Bar served the best burgers and milkshakes in town. But, Shelaine Restaurant cornered the market on the lunch crowd. On Sundays, the line of churchgoers waiting for the buffet snaked out the door. The Robinson family … [Read more...]
Lemon Icebox Cupcakes
Jim loves lemon desserts. So, being the good partner that I am, I have to gratify his sweet tooth sometimes with some lemony confection. We typically can't have sweets around the house, lest we overindulge. However, every once in a while, boys need some cupcakes. A little overindulgence never hurt anybody, right? Lemon Icebox Pie is the quintessential Southern dessert. Everyone who grew up in … [Read more...]
Banana Cream Pie
Monsoon season has descended on Atlanta, and for the last couple of weeks an endless barrage of rain storms has moved through the area. The sun seems to have forsaken us. I'm a spring kind of guy, and this time of year I crave those 70-degree days filled with sunshine, daffodils, and azaleas. So far this year my weather cravings are somewhat unfulfilled. This week's forecast tells me sun in on … [Read more...]
Peanut Blossom Cookies
It's just not Christmas without some Peanut Blossom Cookies. I'll say right off the bat that I have no claim to this recipe other than the fact that I've eaten my weight in them over the years. Any combination of chocolate and peanut butter in the form of a cookie makes this southern boy very happy, and these cookies are at the top of the list. I decided to post this ubiquitous recipe after … [Read more...]
Banana, Walnut, and Chocolate Focaccia
We recently traveled to New York to attend the wedding of some good friends. Just around the corner from their loft in the Flatiron District, we discovered Eataly, my new favorite spot in the city. The New York Times described it as a "megastore" that "combines elements of a bustling European open market, a Whole-Foods-style supermarket, a high-end food court and a New Age learning center." An … [Read more...]
Pumpkin Pound Cake with Bourbon Caramel Glaze
It's time to start thinking Thanksgiving, so what do you say we start with dessert? How about a Pumpkin Pound Cake with a Bourbon Caramel Glaze? First off, did you ever wonder why it's called a pound cake? I always thought it was because it was made with a pound of butter, but actually the original pound cake recipe called for a pound of each of the four main ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, … [Read more...]
Kiki’s Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
I consider myself somewhat of a chocolate chip cookie aficionado. I’ve cooked and devoured my weight in these cookies over a lifetime, and I'm always on the hunt for the next best recipe. Up until now, no recipe has ever beat the chocolate chip pecan cookies at Alon's Bakery just a few blocks from our house. With these cookies, Alon may have met his match. We spent last weekend at with our … [Read more...]
Flatbreads with Brie and Chipotle Peaches
The shelves of the market where I shop still swell with Georgia and South Carolina peaches and I just keep buying them. I know I've probably overdone the peach thing this season, but I seriously can't get enough of them. So, I'm not apologizing as I post yet another delicious peach recipe. After all, I do live in Georgia, and that's what we do, right? As I thought about peaches, I knew I wanted … [Read more...]
Grilled Peaches with Caramel Pecan Ice Cream
We just got back from a whirlwind Northeast tour: two days in New Jersey to see Jim's family; two days in D.C. to visit our friend Darryl; and two days in New York to see our friends Kevin, Matt, Judy, and Amy. It truly was a city sampler, but we had a blast visiting with old friends. Neil Patrick Harris wowed us with his performance in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway, proving to be the … [Read more...]