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...]
Pita Pockets with Lobster Tarragon Salad
We've traveled to many places around the globe, and Provincetown, Massachusetts on the tip of Cape Cod is still our favorite of all vacation spots. In fact, we'd like to live there part-time at some point in our lives. We've spent many summer vacations in P'town, but this fall, we're taking a two-week road trip there, three dogs in tow, for a couple of weeks. While we're there, we're going to … [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...]
Seared Scallops with Pea Pesto
Every summer our family hit the road in our 1965 sky blue Pontiac Catalina for a family vacation. One year our destination was the Great Smoky Mountains with stops in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Fontana Dam. On another trip, we followed my Aunt Sarah and Uncle Vernon and their popup camper to the mountains of North Georgia. Six Flags over Texas highlighted another trip. Perhaps my favorite … [Read more...]
Crab Cake Club Sandwich
I've been an East Coast guy for a good part of my life, but the West Coast has always had a subtle pull for me. Perhaps part of the draw has something to do with my love of the 60s music scene in California. The Bay Area was the epicenter of 60s rock music with the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, and the Grateful Dead. Down the coast in Los Angeles, the music scene was hot as well. The … [Read more...]
Shallot Dill Salmon with Potato Webs
Do you ever feel like a salmon swimming against the current? The last couple of weeks have felt like that to me. I've been only moderately successful at managing my to-do list as life continues flying by. I'm not complaining, mind you. My life is quite wonderful in most respects, but I have been somewhat remiss in attending to the blog. My day job has been busier than usual, and two out-of-town … [Read more...]
Shrimp & Corn Chowder
Punxsutawney Phil seems to have gotten it right this year. He saw his shadow on Groundhog Day, and an early spring is nowhere to be seen in my neck of the woods. In Atlanta, February can bring the occasional spring day in the 60s or 70s. Daffodils begin poking their heads through the soil and the forsythia bursts into a wash of yellow. Well, that's not happening this year. We've had nothing but … [Read more...]
Hong Kong-Style Sea Bass
Hong Kong is one of the most vibrant cities I've ever visited. A couple of years ago, we took an Asian cruise beginning in Singapore and culminating with a 3-day stay in Hong Kong. The bustling metropolis combines East and West in a fascinating way. A shopper's paradise, this city offers fantastic deals on everything from electronics to jewelry to custom made clothes. The topography of this … [Read more...]
Tom Yum Goong (Hot and Sour Seafood Soup)
Last weekend I had another fun experience cooking with a friend. This time I welcomed my Thai friend, Su, and her friend Elle into our home and most importantly into our kitchen. Su and I worked together many years ago before she married and moved back to Bangkok. She taught me almost everything I know about Thai cooking, and we enjoyed many Thai meals together. We lost touch for many years, … [Read more...]
Thai Salmon with Ginger and Shitake Mushrooms
I have mixed feelings about the change of seasons. I'm a spring/summer kind of guy, and I always suffer a little melancholy as September rolls around. Summer vacations are over, and Atlanta traffic indicates kids are back in school. I can't describe it, but there's something in the air that changes this time of year. We're still warm in Atlanta, but maybe it's the angle of the sun and the clearer … [Read more...]
Lobster, Avocado, and Mango Stack
Jim and I have traveled all over the world and although we've been to many exciting destinations, we both agree that Provincetown, Massachusetts remains our very favorite vacation spot. This totally preserved New England town, brimming with history, sits at the very tip of Cape Cod. In 1620, at the end of a 60-day journey on the Mayflower, the pilgrims sighted land and first anchored in what … [Read more...]
Grilled Asparagus and Artichoke Salad with Shrimp and Lemon Tarragon Aioli
When was the last time you had an artichoke? They sure are a lot of trouble but so worth it when you put that last bite of the heart dipped in butter or aioli into your mouth. A form of a thistle, the artichoke comes from the flower bud of the plant before the flower comes into bloom. The wild form of the plant called cardoon, traces back as a food to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Today, … [Read more...]