It was a special weekend morning when my mother would wake us up to a breakfast of pancakes. Knowing that she had a voracious eater on her hands, she'd take out her griddle and whip up a double batch of batter, knowing that it would take at least a couple of stacks to satisfy my appetite. I'd slather my pancakes with melted butter and syrup from a brown bottle in the shape of a woman. Mrs. … [Read more...]
Black-Eyed Pea and Collard Stew with Turkey Sausage
My grandmother's screened back porch was an adjunct to the kitchen. A red and white plastic gingham tablecloth covered a wooden table that served as overflow refrigerator space during cold weather months. I'd frequently see an apple pie, coconut cake, or some such dessert stored there. A white wicker rocker with a thick cushion sat in the corner, and an antique butter churn used for fermenting … [Read more...]
Roasted Acorn Squash and Brussels Sprouts Salad
When we remodeled our house four years ago, I dedicated a large kitchen cabinet for cookbooks. At the time, my collection all but filled the space. Over the last few years, my obsession with buying cookbooks and food magazines has the cabinet bulging at the seams. Many of the books get a quick look and become lost in the collection. Others keep my attention and end up with dog-eared pages and … [Read more...]
Mediterranean Garbanzo Bean Soup
Yesterday was one of those cool, gray, drizzly days that make you want to stay in and cook a big pot of soup, so I seized the opportunity and did just that. Being married to an Italian, I have to cater regularly to his taste buds, so what better type of soup to prepare than a Mediterranean one? Santa Claus brought me an electric pressure cooker a couple of years ago, and since then I've become … [Read more...]
Salmon Burgers with Pickled Onion and Lemon Garlic Mayo
As a child, I always got excited about burgers. Whenever it was burger night during the summer, my parents ceded grill duty to me. Being the budding epicure that I was at the time, I'd practice meticulous grilling techniques, making sure the charcoals burned just the right amount of time to avoid flare-ups. I'd flip the burgers with perfect timing, so they had prominent grill marks, but were never … [Read more...]
Pizza Margherita
The end of summer is closing in, and I'm desperately trying to ingest as many local, organic tomatoes as I possibly can. I eat tomatoes all year round, but supermarket tomatoes pale in comparison to the ones I get at my neighborhood farmer's market. One of the farmers grows at least seven or eight varieties, and he can tell you details about the flavor profile of each one and offer the perfect use … [Read more...]
“Fried” Chicken, Okra and Tomato Corn Cakes, and Chipotle Peaches
My family called me a bean pole when I was growing up. When I was in high school, I was 6'1" tall, and I weighed in at a whopping 130 pounds. I got all the jokes, including "when you turn sideways you disappear" and "you have to run around in the shower to get wet"! Obviously, I was blessed with an over-the-top metabolism because I had a ravenous appetite. From the time I came home from school … [Read more...]
Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Figs and Red Onion
Fig season is here, and when I saw big, plump, black mission figs on the market shelves last weekend I had to buy some. I've said before that figs are not my most favorite fruit. I've never really enjoyed them raw, but last year I made grilled lamb chops with roasted figs and my opinion of them shifted. Something about the roasted figs in a savory dish changed my mind. Sweet and savory dishes … [Read more...]
Grilled Seafood Skewers with Tomato Basil Butter
I lived in Jacksonville, Florida for a couple of years early in my career. One of the things I remember most about those days was the access to fresh-out-of-the-water seafood. I frequented a small market where everything in the store was right off the boat, and there wasn't a trace of fish smell. The owner always had fresh jumbo shrimp, scallops, grouper, and snapper displayed beautifully on ice. … [Read more...]
Horseradish-Crusted Strip Steaks
We're just back from a marathon drive up the West Coast. We started in Los Angeles and drove along US 1 to Brookings, Oregon in 8 days, stopping somewhere different every night. Whew! Marathon is an understatement, but it was an amazing drive with lots of windy, curvy ups and downs and incredible vistas. One of our stops was the Hearst Castle in San Simeon. Built by American publishing magnate, … [Read more...]
Calzones with Smoked Chicken, Collards, and Pimento Cheese
There's nothing better than something smoked for the Fourth of July. It doesn't matter whether you're making ribs, pulled pork, salmon, or chicken; it's just not the 4th without some form of outdoor cooking. Whenever I fire up the smoker, I make enough of whatever I'm cooking to last for several meals. Last week I smoked a couple of chickens with plans to make a Summer Pizza with Smoked … [Read more...]
Summer Pizza with Smoked Chicken
I have a confession to make. I'm an occasional QVC shopper. There...I said it. I'm somewhat obsessed with kitchen gadgets; Jim says my pantry looks like a Williams-Sonoma store. My friends all tease me, but in my defense, I use every item that I've bought, with very few exceptions. I've been smoking on a Big Green Egg for years, but it's a bit of a production to prepare and cook on it. In a … [Read more...]