December 16, 2022 Christmas is fast approaching and I'm not quite ready-- a lot to do this weekend! For the recipes this week, I definitely have feast food in mind. I've included Lydia Bastanovich's Italian-American meat lasagna recipe; it'll serve a crowd, and can be made and baked in advance, or put together the day of. If you do make it in advance, bring it out to come up to room temperature before re-heating in a low oven. Next, a dish full of fish and seafood that ticks off up to 4 items for your Feast ...Continue Reading

December 9, 2022 My friends at P&J Oyster Company reminded me last week that oyster season is in full swing, pointing out that I've not included oyster recipes lately. Sal & Al, this edition is for you! The manicotti I made this week was absolutely delicious. I may not ever make it again, because I entered the kitchen at 11:00 and didn't leave or sit down again until 4:00, but we really enjoyed them. My pasta had 2 whole eggs in it plus 6 egg yolks, so quite rich! For the oyster recipes this week, the Cream ...Continue Reading

December 2, 2022 I hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving; we broke with tradition and went out to eat and unfortunately the meal wasn't that great. We probably won't do that again. I made a chicken & sausage gumbo with dry roux earlier this week, something I'd never done before. It was delicious and surprisingly light. The technique and recipe will be in the next edition of the magazine, along with a few other recipes lightened up a bit for the new year. Plenty that aren't lightened up, though, including the ...Continue Reading

November 18, 2022 Thanksgiving is here!  If you don't have your menu quite set yet, I have compiled a list of suggestions here. I already cooked Thanksgiving this year, so we're going out to eat. My key ingredient to a tasty Thanksgiving dinner is a basic turkey stock. It simmers on the stove all night, and we wake up to a house already filled with the aromas of Thanksgiving. I use it to flavor everything from green beans to the turkey gravy, and of course to baste the turkey. If there's any left over, ...Continue Reading

November 11, 2022 My usual pet sitter wasn't available to watch our cats when we were out of town last month, so three of my neighbors tag teamed and looked after them. I brought them all some Talavera pottery, and am having them over for dinner this weekend. I'm planning to put together a Mexican feast, with posole, several options for tacos, and a variety of salsas. Maybe a rice pudding for dessert; I don't know that I'm up for flan for 8 this weekend. For the recipes this week, I came across the roast salmon r ...Continue Reading

November 5, 2022 Time change! Really, this time; sorry for the false alarm last week. Alas, I'm no better prepared for early nightfall, but I am looking foward to not having to get up in the dark.  Next week I'll start putting together some ideas for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. I had planned to spend it with my niece in her new house, but airfare is prohibitively expensive this year. She'll be better settled in next year, so we'll reschedule. For the recipes this week, I selected a favorite of m ...Continue Reading

October 21, 2022 Time change! Don't forget to set your clocks back this weekend; I've been trying without much success to stay up a bit later this past week in anticipation of the change. The extra hour will be welcome in the morning, but adjusting to the dark evenings takes me some time. For the recipes this week, I selected a classic beef stew recipe; comfort food for the shorter, darker days. I want hot buttermilk biscuits with my beef stew, something I've not made in a while. Next up, Mulate's decadent crabme ...Continue Reading

October 21, 2022 We really enjoyed our time off over the last couple of weeks, although the vacation got off to a rocky start. I managed to tip my heavy camera tripod over and it landed edge-first on my bare foot; walking non-stop for much distance was a no-go, especially the first few days. We still managed to cover several miles each day, it was just a slow, stop-and-go process. I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things, and owe several people a phone call. For the recipes this week, I selected ...Continue Reading

October 1, 2022 The weather has finally turned, and I bought lima beans, ham hocks, and collard greens today. Soup's on the way. So are we; we're leaving for vacation on Wednesday and will be out of the office until mid-October. For the recipes this week, I went with a fool-proof, kid-friendly, recipe for shrimp from chef Isaac Toups. Next up, a fried pork chop recipe that lightens things up with a bright, fresh salsa over the chops. And finally, one of my favorite flavor combinations, beef and a good ...Continue Reading

September 23, 2022 I tested holiday recipes last weekend and had some friends over for "turkey with all the trimmins' " Sunday evening. All agreed that everything was a winner, which is unusual because they were all making their debut for the first time from paper to stove. I did a whole turkey breast, brined and roasted, over potatoes and collard greens; a cornbread dressing; a pan of roasted veggies; a decadent chocolate custard; and a few others. They'll all show up in the upcoming Holiday 2022 editio ...Continue Reading