Browsing: Recipes

The fireworks have faded, the lawn chairs are folded, and the last sparkler has burned out. But if your Fourth of July was anything like ours, the celebration isn’t quite over. It’s sitting in your refrigerator, waiting for one more delicious meal.

Hydration, Hydration, Hydration! That is the name of the game in the Mississippi summer. Not only are temperatures soaring, but the humidity has been cranked up a notch. Couple these things with spending more time outdoors both for yardwork and for recreation and that is a recipe for heat-related illness. Staying hydrated isn’t just about quenching your thirst. It is one of the simplest and most effective ways to stay healthy all summer long. But don’t wait until you get thirsty. Hydrating early and often is a much more effective strategy when working or playing outdoors. 

There is something special about the foods we associate with our fathers. It may be a recipe they perfected over decades, a meal he cooked only on weekends, or the simple dishes he always requested when the family gathered around the table.

Peaches and summertime are a perfect pair. The fuzzy, sun-kissed fruit is loved for its sweet, juicy bite and bright, floral aroma. For many, sinking your teeth into a ripe peach over the sink or out in front of you while the sweet, tangy juice drips down your hands is a quintessential summer experience. And peaches taste even better when they’re grown in Mississippi.

There is a certain point in a Mississippi summer when tomatoes stop being a side dish and become the whole reason for the meal.

As the weather warms up and the days get longer here in Mississippi, the calendar starts to fill up with backyard barbecues, porch dinners, and casual get-togethers. A go-to side dish makes the perfect addition to these gatherings. When I’m building a side-dish to bring to an event, I look for crowd pleasing flavors that highlight in-season produce. Both jalapeños and sweet corn are showing up on farmer’s market shelves in May and June. 

Have you ever noticed how Sundays seem to move at a different pace?

Not slower in a lazy way, but steadier. Like the day knows it doesn’t need to prove anything. It just unfolds—quietly, gently—asking only that you show up for it.

If Mississippi had an official comfort food of the internet era, Mississippi Pot Roast would be a strong contender. It’s rich, savory, ridiculously easy to make, and somehow tastes like you spent all afternoon in the kitchen—even though your slow cooker did most of the work.

March is an exciting time to be in the kitchen. Hints of spring begin to appear in the grocery store and farmer’s markets begin to pop up in communities. Utilizing this in-season produce is a delicious way to save money and support local farmers. While available year-round, carrots really shine in spring when they are tender, naturally sweet, and often sold with their green tops attached. Those greens aren’t just pretty, they are edible and perfect for turning into a flavorful carrot top chimichurri. 

One of my favorite things in the world is a good, made from scratch pizza. As far as I am concerned the chains, the ones that deliver, just don’t get it. Hands down, the best has got to be Sicilian II on Pass Road in Biloxi and that’s not just for pizza, everything they serve is just great. The Sicilian Greek salad is amazing, as is the stuffed manicotti, the linguine, and calzone. You just can’t go wrong at Sicilian II, but the pizza is a must, it is life changing.

The New England Patriots are set to take on the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday’s Super Bowl LX showdown. The Super Bowl is expected to be watched by around 130 million people worldwide, with 1 in 4 Americans being more interested in the food than the actual game. The Super Bowl is considered the second-largest eating day of the year, with billions spent on wings, dips, and snacks, making it crucial for party hosts.

After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, my house, kitchen, and nutrition often need a reset. I’m looking for warm, comforting, low-energy ways to nourish my body and get the new year off to a veggie packed start. The holidays are wonderful. They are full of family and yummy foods. But these foods are often very rich and low in fiber which leave me feeling sluggish and in need of some lighter fare that is still comforting and low effort.  Soups are a perfect way to tick all these boxes. Soups are warming, comforting, a great way to use up veggies from the fridge and don’t take a lot of active cooking time. My favorite soup in the new year is a hearty lentil vegetable soup.

Seafood in Mississippi is still very fresh in December. Many popular Gulf species are in or near their peak season.…

Thanksgiving has a way of bringing out the classic comfort foods like mashed potatoes laden with butter, marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole, and thick, rich gravy. But what if the side dishes could deliver all that warmth and nostalgia without the post-meal sluggishness? This year, give your table a refresh with vibrant, lighter sides that celebrate seasonal produce and deep Southern flavor. 

You might not think of apples as a native crop to Mississippi. Yet, our ancestors, living on homesteads from the Delta to the Gulf Coast, would have enjoyed apple varieties adapted to their specific climate. Your great-great-grandparents would never have seen or recognized today’s popular apples, such as Red Delicious or Granny Smith. Thanks to fruit explorers and orchardists, some of Mississippi’s heirloom apples are making a comeback. 

In Mississippi, summer doesn’t give up easily. The afternoons are still sweltering, but just this week I have started to notice a faint crispness in the morning air. Fall is on its way and that change of season felt especially sweet when a friend left me a basket of homegrown pears on my clinic doorstep. Their golden skins freckled and fragrant. After enjoying a few fresh, I turned the rest into smooth and spicy pear butter, filling the kitchen with the scent of cinnamon and simmering fruit.