BACK TO THE JACK Barbecue teams from coast to coast returned to the Jack Daniel Distillery, the hallowed groud of American whiskey, to smoke, season and sear for the 32nd Annual Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue. The event held in historic Lynchburg, Tennessee is a wildly popular family-friendly festival. For 12 years, I served …
Autumn dining suggests more red wines. The weather is gentle and almost instinctively, the preferred cuisine features heartier dishes. Perhaps some of this is in anticipation of the approaching holiday season when celebratory feasts are important components of ritual and tradition. These are delicious main courses, some could say they are quintessentially American. One is …
My kitchen library encompasses a variety of subjects. Not all are cookbooks. Food sourcing and preparation are on even footing. Fish, whether fresh or saltwater, take on more importance when you have experienced the thrill of the catch, lessons I learned during my baby days. Mother, an accomplished self-taught Southern cook, insisted on fresh everything. …
Hook, Line, and Supper-A Masterful Guide to Fish and Seafood Enjoyment Read More »
According to the always reliable Old Farmer’s Almanac, the 2021 Harvest Moon rises on Monday, September 20. The Moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from Sunday morning through Tuesday morning. Shine on, Harvest Moon! The toils of the growing season are winding down and the rewards may be uncertain if your well-being is …
The Gourmet Highway: Harvest Feasts and Football Food Read More »
Labor Day Weekend, Football & Great Food Labor Day weekend traditionally suggests that summer is winding down, albeit reluctantly. It’s also the first weekend of college football’s kickoff, with big games literally everywhere. I live among good people whose loyalties are different than mine. Quite naturally, they align with Georgia, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Alabama …
Tailgating Time 2021 The late Frank Spence was one of the most gifted raconteurs I ever had the pleasure to know. The ebullient Nashville native, deeply Irish-American, became a familiar face in professional sports with lofty positions as a front office executive with the Atlanta Braves and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. He was attuned to …
Down South, the weather will remain hot for many more weeks. Food choices work best when balanced with the season. The excitement of autumn with harvest festivals and tailgating looms near the horizon, but for now, the lazy days of summer call for fresh seafood and chilled drinks. Really good seafood is available and creative …
Happy Birthday, Julia! Born August 15 in Pasadena, Julia Child lived up to her 6-foot-2 stature. The chef, author and television personality was a towering presence of American gastronomy during the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, and beyond with a signature style that was both exuberant and witty. She introduced average Americans to French cuisine and was …
It’s tomato season and that thought stimulates memories of baby days when I would ride my bike to then unpolluted nearby streams like Peachtree Creek, find a good place under the railroad trestle near Emory University, fish for bream, perch and occasional bass, rewarded with a lunch my mother packed which this time of year …
DOG DAYS DINING The intrigue, charm and folklore of the 40-day period during the summer known as “dog days” continues. Rooted in ancient Greek and Roman history, the centuries have contributed much to the lore. Dog days, a time of extreme heat, happened when Sirius, the Dog Star, rose just before or at the same …