All the talk in the media of our impending “Southern Freeze 2014” had everyone here in Savannah and the surrounding areas acting like we were going to be snowed in until March. Schools let out at noon yesterday even though the winter weather wasn’t due until evening, a major local employer sent their employees home at noon as well, … Read More
North Meets South – A Beautiful Culinary Affair
North vs. South, it’s an on-going battle, a point of discussion and matter of debate. Sure there are many differences between the regions, the people, lifestyle, and food. One thing that is similar, is an appreciation for the regional foods from each area. Coming up on Saturday January 18th, 2014 will be a celebration, a “culinary affair” of the two … Read More
Watermelon & Feta Salad
At first glance this combination sounds a bit odd. Sweet watermelon with a salty cheese? The swelling popularity of “salted caramel” this and that should be enough to convince anyone that it’s a well-liked flavor pairing. This has been a popular recipe when I’ve used it in my cooking classes. The oddity of the ingredients catches guests attention but it’s … Read More
Red, White and Blueberry Blondies
Tomorrow is Independence Day and let’s face it…we’ve all had enough of the cakes covered with whipped cream and lined up with berries to mimic the American flag. Nothing wrong with it, just that it’s nice to do something different. Dying the cake batter…yup, Red Velvet is popular (don’t get me started…not a fan of it) but really, who wants … Read More
Storing Strawberries
Growing up in southern California we would start getting strawberries as early as February and they’d carry on into the summer. I grew up in the mountains of southern California where the “soil” was actually a porous gray mess of decomposed granite that had very little growth value and required a lot of amendment in order to cultivate a garden. … Read More
The Cookin’ O’ the Green….Grits, that is!
St. Patrick’s Day has once again arrived. Growing up in Southern California the extent to which it was a holiday was pretty much limited to making sure you wore something green to school to prevent being pinched for not having green. Is that still done? I don’t think I’ve heard mention of that in ages! Little did I know that … Read More
The Love of Baking
Chocolate, roses, Champagne, expensive dinners in fancy restaurants…I could keep going on about what people will be doing to celebrate Valentine’s Day today. Each of these of course makes us feel special and appreciated on any day, not just Valentine’s day. However I’m willing to bet that deep down in the recesses of our memory, baking somehow plays a part … Read More
Delicious Destinations–Arabian Nights!
Once again this year I was a guest chef for the gala fundraiser for St. Vincent’s Health system of Jacksonville, FL. The annual event called “Delicious Destinations” is held annually the week following Labor Day weekend at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Last weekend was the 11th year for the annual event and my … Read More
Grilled Summer Corn Salad
This past weekend in my “Fresh from the Market” class here in Savannah, I had a guest who said that “Blue Rhino” is one of his most commonly used ingredients when cooking (in other words he grills everything!). Nothing wrong with that…there are great meals to be had from the grill, not just this time of year but year round. … Read More