Despite the heat of Dog Day’s, football season is just around the corner and with that comes the joyous feast called Tailgating. Gumbo is arguably the most popular Tailgating dish and I persuaded Richard Lewis, a genuine son of the South (born in Gulfport, Mississippi and LSU alum) to share his recipe and technique for …
Deep South delicacies are closely tied to tradition and soil. Tomatoes stand almost alone as the most heralded miracle from our gardens. Thomas Jefferson is credited as America’s first pioneer of the tomato, bringing seeds over from England for Monticello’s revolutionary gardens. Tomatoes vary in appearance and taste. Industrialized supermarket tomatoes are tasteless travesties that …
Some things are truly American. Our music-gospel, blues, country, bluegrass, rock, jazz-changed the cultural landscape. Food, American-style, is a multi-cultural, ever-evolving melting pot that welcomes new recipes while honoring tradition. It’s summertime, and outdoor celebrations dot the landscape. Few compare to Independence Day. July 4 is not only the nation’s birthday, but an occasion when …
Summertime down South is a glorious season for culinary adventures. Al fresco dining with friends, a slower pace that provides more time for enjoying lunch while encouraging good conversation between bites and sips. This is no time for sparse menus: salads do have their place but are not the only options. It’s time for some …
Few pleasures are more rewarding than a flavorful cocktail or chilled light wine on a summer evening. The popularity never wanes. Ever-evolving, some become a little trendy which is healthy and normal. There are time-honored rituals that add to the enjoyment. Home entertaining, whether a casual dinner or a big barbeque, merit a bit of …
Some sandwiches qualify as a work of art. Layers of flavor and exciting texture blended with spicing magic become a composite. Memories of favorite foods harken to baby days and the joy of tasting something indescribably delicious. While there are many delights that come to mind, I often yearn for a Soft-shell Crab Sandwich. For …
Someone asked William Faulkner after he was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature why he only wrote about the South? “It’s all I know,” replied the author. Food traditions necessarily connect to place and heritage and mine is Southern. However, life has presented opportunities like travel that broadened the palate. Haute cuisine was experienced after …
The late Jim Sanders was one of a kind: a well-educated man with a Master’s in English, a rural Georgia childhood, a wounded WW II veteran, a French-trained chef, wine importer/retailer, acclaimed restauranteur, wine educator and a skilled raconteur. His wine store in the Buckhead district of Atlanta not only stocked his fine French wines …
Over the years I attended three events that qualified as genuine wine dinners. One was a celebration of Julia Child’s 90th birthday at the Arizona Biltmore. Another was dinner with Masters of Wine at Arnaud’s in New Orleans and the other was a Bordeaux dinner at The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. None were advertised …
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My earliest memories of fish are personal. No market or restaurant come to mind. But patiently trying to hook what lurked under the surface of a nearby creek or pond recalls moments of unrestrained joy. Those baby days were special: before cars and girlfriends there were bicycles and J. C. Higgins Ted Williams rods and …