Fish in Parchment Paper (en Papillote)
Grilled fish is one of our favorite summer dinners, but not all fish do well cooked over a dry heat. Some fish do better poached or steamed. One way to prepare them is by cooking fish in parchment paper, or…
Basil Tom Collins Cocktail – a low-cal summer cocktail
Getting dressed for the pool last weekend convinced me that it was time to go back on a diet. What a drag. When I'm watching my weight, giving up alcohol is one of the first things I have to do.…
Shirred Duck Eggs with Celery Cream
Shirred eggs... as in, eggs cooked gently in an oven inside ramekins placed in a water bath. Shirred duck eggs... as in, I had the chance to buy a half dozen duck eggs from my CSA last week. Shirred duck…
Monkey Gland Cocktail – Prohibition-era drink
The Monkey Gland cocktail wins the prize for the oddest name and the most interesting origin. According to Ted Haigh's go-to guide, Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, the drink came from the famous Harry's New York Bar in Paris in the…
Pork Tamales with Chile Verde Sauce
Making pork tamales is a multi-day process, so it really lends itself to a weekend kitchen project. It's not hard, but it does take a lot of time. The first day, I marinated my pork roast. The second day, I actually roasted the pork all day. The third day, I actually assembled and made my tamales, including soaking my corn husks and making my masa.
Strawberry Mojitos – a Cuban rum cocktail
Inspired by the fresh mint and new batch of strawberries out of my garden, I'm celebrating the beginning of warm weather with Strawberry Mojitos on my front porch tonight. This also gives me a chance to break out the Centenario Añejo…
Roasted Okra (and grilled okra) – a Healthy Alternative
Forget Red State vs. Blue State. Okra divides this country as surely as any October college football rivalry. You either "get" okra, or you don't. And if you live outside of the South, you probably just don't get it. I know.…
Aviation Cocktail – Great Gatsby-Inspired Friday
With the opening this weekend of Baz Luhrmann's 'Great Gatsby' remake, it seems appropriate to serve up a Prohibition-era cocktail that is visually dazzling - The Aviation Cocktail. This jewel-toned cocktail is made of gin, fresh lemon juice, maraschino liqueur…
Preserved Lemons for a taste of North Africa
One of my favorite local bakeries, Alon's, makes one of my all-time favorite sandwiches - the Tunisian Spicy Tuna. It is a combination of quality canned tuna, potato, hard-boiled egg, capers, harissa sauce and, an unusual ingredient, preserved lemon. If you…
Mint Juleps for Derby Day
It's only the first week in May but already my garden is overrun with spearmint. It's not to the point where it's choking out my carrots or strawberry plants yet, but give it couple of weeks with some steady rain…
Gin Tasting for my Book Club crowd
Here in Decatur, we are a social bunch. My girlfriends and I often get together to share a cocktail or two. Like me, they are pretty adventurous with food and drink so they’re usually up for trying any new cocktail…
Making Cracklin Cornbread
When I finished my lard rendering project, I was left with the cracklins. Cracklins (or cracklings) are crispy bits of fried pork fat. They are pretty much just like the crispy ends of a bacon strip. Not wanting to waste them, I put them in the freezer for later use.