Christmas is my favorite holiday for more reasons than I can count, and for once not even focused on the edible aspects of the celebrations. Don't get me wrong --- I adore the cookies (making/baking/eating/sharing) and the fruitcake (not ironic; I really do!) and the eggnog (even in an occasional over-the-top latte) and the signature confections ...
Good Times and Special Events
Pableaux Johnson and His Red Beans Road Show
Can you see how much fun we all had back in July of this year, getting in the kitchen with my friend Pableaux Johnson for his Red Beans Road Show, Crook's Corner Edition? My friend Kate Medley took this in the gloriously flower-filled herbaceous, and hubcap-blessed dooryard of Crook's, on the corner where Chapel Hill turns into Carrboro and ...
Deviled Eggs: The Party Perfect, People-Pleasing Food
Whenever I am starting a menu for a gathering at our home, be it dinner or snacks, family or company, sultry summer or chilly wintertime, the first thing on my list is deviled eggs. I love them, but I don't make them only for my own satisfaction. They are simple to make, beloved by guests of all ages, wonderful made ahead or at the last minute, ...
Nancie’s Favorite Fourth of July Cake
Need an easy-to-make, easy-to-take cake for Fourth of July celebrations? Here's just what you need! My Red, White, and Blueberry 4th of July Cake, baked in a square cake pan, covered with vanilla frosting and decked out in the Red, White, and Blue! Fun, easy, and so delicious --- Ready, Set, BAKE! This Red White and Blueberry 4th of July Cake ...
Happy Pi(e) Day to You!
I love celebrations, humor, easy math and geometry, treats, strawberries, and pie, so this is my kind of day. Pi Day, also known (with tongue in cheek) as Pi(e) Day by the under-appreciated community of people who look for reasons to smile and enjoy this extraordinary ever-fascinating world. I remember a few things from high school math class, ...
Thai Coconut Ice Cream with Caramelized Pineapple: A Sweet Vegan Treat!
This beautiful photograph graces my new cookbook, Simply Vegetarian Thai Cooking: 125 Real Thai Recipes, but I assure you it is not how I serve luscious coconut ice cream at home. I love the beautiful way professional food photographers and food stylists present food, just as I love the atmospheric travel scenes in fashion magazines, and the ...
Happy Pi-Day! 3-14-15 via Ronni Lundy’s Sorghum Pecan Pie
What a lucky week for me: I was pondering which pie to make in honor and celebration of National Pi Day 2015, and the answer arrived in my mail box. I received a review copy of the brand new book by my friend Ronni Lundy, entitled Sorghum's Savor. Published by University of Florida Press, this book lets Ronni share the story of this heirloom ...
Turkey Bone Gumbo: Leftovers as Pleasures and Treasures
Leftovers. A word with negative connotations to many, but not to me. To some folks, the fridge-filling presence of something as big and challengingas the rest of the Thanksgiving turkey, or remains of the ham, or a mostly-finished rotisserie chicken is a burden, but consider revising that attitude. I see such items as a head start on a brand-new ...
Savoring “Pimento Cheese: The Cookbook” by Perre Coleman Magness
Just in time for holiday feasting, snacking, sharing, and celebrating, this smart, inviting new cookbook by my friend Perre Coleman Magness will be ...
Summer Plum Torte, Easy and Elegant
What a treasure! One layer of luscious but simple plum-studded goodness, simple to make and a pleasure to share. No wonder it's the New York Times's most beloved and requested recipe! You need Summer Plum Torte in your repertoire, to vary and enjoy all year long! I love Lottie + Doof, a blog by a Chicago-based food writer and photographer ...