Browsing: Food & Dining

Few fruits are as celebrated in the South as the tomato (Yes, it is a fruit, not a vegetable, by the way).

We have been talking about my favorite places to eat., so, obviously, this is a very subjective story. I have been writing about food in the South for ten years, and I have logged a lot of miles, and hundreds of restaurants.

This is a list of the fine dining restaurants that I have been to more than once, they are all restaurants that have maintained standards over time, and all places that would not hesitate to suggest to friends.

Can you imagine a Sunday table without fried chicken and pan gravy or a steaming bowl of chicken and dumplings?

I have mentioned several times that with so much time on their hands, and so much stress in their lives, people are cooking like never before.

Is the new normal stating to get normal? We have been talking for weeks now of ways people are coping in the kitchen with the pandemic.

I am still enjoying the Cooking and Coping Facebook group and am delighted to see so many people returning to the kitchen, or stepping in for the first time.

The hospitality industry has been hit hard by the Coronavirus, but perhaps the worst of the problem is the unknown.

I am going to add on to last weeks story, if you don’t mind. Just like most people, I am working in the yard, cleaning parts of my little cottage that haven’t been investigated in a long while, and fortunately, working on a few assignments and a book on Southern food ways. But more than anything else I am cooking and baking. And I share everything I cook on my Facebook page. Everything, good and bad.

Many people are turning to the kitchen as a way of dealing with being inside for so long. If you haven’t noticed, social media is flooded with images of the creative things people are doing.

Many of our best restaurants are still open, but there is a new normal. Inside dining is a thing of the past, at least for a while. Curbside, takeout and delivery is what is happening now. To be sure, it is a struggle for the restaurants, but most are doing their best to keep the kitchen going, and, what almost every chef I talked to said, keep their employees getting a check.

Go ahead! Eat you some yard greens.

During World War II, almost every citizen worldwide had some form of a Victory Garden to help support the war effort. Coronavirus outbreak has been compared to a war.

For the last few weeks we have been talking about how to feed your family economically while not skimping on quality or flavor. It is a difficult time to be sure, but spending some time in the kitchen being creative, just might help you feel a little bit better.  

You went to the store in a frenzy last week and grabbed whatever food was available, and now you’re staring into the freezer full of food you just don’t feel like cooking right now. Why did you buy 20 pounds of chicken breast? And what are you supposed to do with yeast anyway?!

Last time we talked about feeding your family on a tight budget. We are living in such uncertain times for a while (and I stress the temporary nature of these hard times). I gave you several general ideas last time, but let’s get specific today, and talk in some detail about dried beans.