Browsing: Food & Dining

It’s curious, the cuts of beef, pork, chicken and even turkey that many thought undesirable, have almost always been cherished by the poor.  Somehow people got the idea that if it had bone in it, then it wasn’t good. In fact, the opposite is true. Bone in is always better.  Things like pork cheeks and feet, ox tails, chicken and turkey necks and, my all time favorite, chicken wings 

The name derives from the Irish Gaelic phrase, “cal ceannann,” meaning white headed cabbage. Although colcannon is traditionally made with cabbage or kale, I like to add a Southern twist and make it with collard greens. As I have said many times, if you want to make good collard greens you have to start with a good stock. Lord forbid that you use nothing but water, your results will be most unsatisfactory!

We are sort of in between seasons, so it’s hard to cook something that feels timely. It’s a little late for a hearty soup, stew or gumbo, and not quite grilling season either. My fall-back position is always seafood. It’s not too light and not too heavy but can be warming (on a gray day) and there are lots of simple and affordable recipes.  

Another popular, and relatively easy way to preserve food is by canning. If you are savvy enough to go to the local farmer’s market for fresh produce, you can enjoy those great vine ripened tomatoes all year long if you “put up,” or can a dozen jars or more. The same goes for a special vegetable your grocery store might have on sale. Stock up and you will have plenty even through the winter months. 

Is there any better comfort food than pasta? It’s warm, filling and delicious. If you get it right! You can use dried or fresh, but there are certainly easier ways to prepare a pasta dish than by making the pasta from scratch. Dried takes a little longer to cook, and fresh (bought fresh at the grocery) is much quicker, and both prefer different kind of sauces. Dried pasta (80% of pasta eaten in Italy is dried) pairs best with a hearty sauce, like a Bolognaise, while fresh pasta likes a more delicate sauce, maybe even just garlic butter and parmesan Reggiano. 

“D’Shareables” help make this Downtown Tupelo breakfast experience unique: Fried green tomatoes, deviled eggs, and loaded tater tots are just a few of these shareable options.

My father grew up very poor, and one of his life goals was to be able to eat steak whenever he wanted to (a goal he achieved!). So, as you might guess, there was a lot of grilling going on at my house when I was growing up. But over the years my love of beef has waned, and I am at the point now were cranking up the grill for steaks is a pretty rare occurrence. 

My go to recipe for feeding a crowd has always been jambalaya. It’s a simple recipe, inexpensive and delicious, and if you are not from this part of the South, maybe even a little exotic. Veggies, rice, sausage and spices, that’s pretty much it. 

Southern Living Magazine recently named H.D. Gibbes & Sons of Learned, Mississippi, one of The Most Legendary Steakhouses in the…

Finally, the rain and cold, gloomy air are gone, and the sun is shining pretty bright in Belhaven District. The…

Traditionally, we celebrate Mardi Gras with, most famously, King Cake, beignets, pecan pralines but also jambalaya, gumbo, etouffée. I don’t always like to stick with tradition and decided to take a look at what foods the Italians serve for this special day. Castagnole, chiacchiere, and Migliaccio are three of the most common, all dishes I have never heard of, but I am always up for a culinary challenge.

I live just a few blocks from Desporte’s Seafood shop, a family business that has been around for generations, and I go there as often as I can. I love fresh seafood, but crab has to be my favorite, especially well-made crab cakes. What do I mean by well made? Simple, cakes that have a minimum of breadcrumbs and are reasonable seasoned. 

I saw a Food Network photo of an Italian sub the other day and I just can’t get it out of my mind. It has become a craving. I only know of two restaurants that serve a good sub and that’s Sicilian II and the Italian Terrace. Both are a good drive from my house, so the next best option is to make one myself.

Fried rice balls, arancini, may not sound very interesting, but the folks in Sicily turned this simple idea into something pretty wonderful. Arancini are made with leftover risotto, formed into balls, and stuffed with almost anything you might think of, and then fried crispy brown, so that they look like little oranges, thus the name, arancini and they are a delight. 

I love making homemade food stuffs, like jams and jellies, but my favorite are condiments, and I have a special affinity for mayonnaise. The French claim to have invented the sauce (yes, mayo is a classic French sauce!), but the Spanish contest that claim.

I am sure you have noticed that I talk a lot about pasta, especially when it’s chilly outside. There is just nothing as filling and warming as a big bowl of toothsome pasta. It is comfort food at its best.