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Low Country Boil…

Serving up a Low Country Boil for family and friends is a fun way to ride out those last days of summer…and there are only a few days left. Fresh corn, shrimp, potatoes and sausage commingle in a spiced-up broth, then are drained and dumped onto newspaper for fun–and easy cleanup; it is the perfect dish for one last sunny, … Continue Reading

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Corn and Crawfish Pie…

Crawfish pie. It is the one and only thing my eight year-old son had on his New Orleans bucket list. He had his hopes set on finding a version as good as–or better than–the pie from Vivian’s Cajun Crawfish Pies at downtown St. Petersburg’s Saturday Morning Market. Her version is chock full of crawfish and veggies bathed in a piping … Continue Reading

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St. Paddy’s Day Soup…

My first St. Patrick’s Day as a vegetarian had me longing for corned beef and cabbage something awful. I missed simmering that aromatic cured meat and pickling spices all day long. I missed the distinct funk of cabbage that wafted through the air. I missed having sandwiches for days. For nostalgia’s sake, I cooked up the cabbage, got the house … Continue Reading

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Red Beans and Rice…

Red Beans & Rice Recipe

Weekly food traditions are a fun way to plan the week. Some of my favorites have been Sandwich Sunday, Meatless Monday, and Taco Tuesday; I’m a sucker for alliteration. During our recent trip to New Orleans, we were introduced to a weekly tradition among the locals that goes back generations: Red Beans and Rice Monday–so much for alliteration on that … Continue Reading

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Posole Verde…

It is a cold January night and my fireplace is just heating up. There is just one more thing that could make this cozy night more perfect: soup. Cold weather is never a prerequisite for soup in my house–I could eat it just about anytime–but an evening like this just begs for it. The question now becomes which kind of … Continue Reading

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Persimmon Butter…

Butter, jelly, jam, preserves, marmalade: you name it, I love to spread it on carbs of some kind. Oddly enough, I had never attempted making any of the aforementioned toast toppers in my own kitchen. I was perfectly happy stocking my fridge with Bonne Maman, St. Dalfour’s, jars we’ve picked up on our travels, and the occasional local jam from … Continue Reading

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My First Taste of Masala…

The date was October 3, 1999. The time was 11:00pm. How could I remember my first taste of masala so clearly? It was my second date–the day after our first date–with my now husband, Ed. After hitting three restaurants in Tampa in a 24-hour span, we decided to explore downtown St. Petersburg to grab a late bite to eat. Back … Continue Reading

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Gnocchi–Hold the Potato…

(Nyoh’-kee) – a dish of little dumplings made from potatoes, semolina, flour, or a combination of the three. There is no mention of ricotta in that definition from Dictionary.com, but there totally should be; the first time I had those pillowy puffs of goodness made from ricotta in lieu of potatoes, my mind. was. blown.

On our first trip to … Continue Reading

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Practically Perfect Pumpkin Bars…

Oh, the pumpkin rush of the season has begun and I am all in. My love of pumpkin isn’t merely reserved for the fall months; I love making pumpkin bread, waffles, muffins, and pancakes all year long. What I don’t do often enough is get creative with those pumpkin goodies. My mind started to wander the other day as I … Continue Reading

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Fridge Foraging…

A lone sweet potato. One pie crust. Half of an onion. Sad, wilted parsley.  Leftover tomato soup. These are the odds and ends I found while rummaging through the refrigerator last week. I admit–much to my chagrin–that I am the queen of wasting food. I stock my fridge with so many ideas: a week’s worth of ideas. Inevitably things pop … Continue Reading

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