Main Course

When my daughter LuLu and I stumbled upon Main Street Kitchen in Walnut Creek this past Saturday something drew us in. It wasn’t just the delicious aroma drifting out to the adjacent sidewalk, or the bright blue umbrellas inviting al fresco dining. It wasn’t the warm ambient light glowing inside or the blackboard touting brunch. I am […]

Pasta Carbonara ~ it’s like having eggs and bacon for dinner in a most delicious way! I’d even go so far as to call it “comfort food”! We all know bacon makes everything better and this dish has just enough to lift the flavor and not be too unhealthy! Moving from winter into spring we […]

Fresh and dried herbs are swell additions to many foods, recipes and dishes. How to use herbs is something many of us are familiar with. Some of you may use herbs everyday and many of you may be uncertain how to incorporate them into your meals. If you grow herbs you are more than likely […]

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PickedAtPeak #CollectiveBias Eggplant Parmigiana can easily be categorized as Italian soul food or family comfort food. One of southern Italy’s most famous dishes, typical of the Campania region but also popular on the Isle of Sicily. Hearty and rustic, […]

Lobster – I love it anytime, but there is something about digging into that sweet, succulent meat while visiting Maine! It could be the fragrance of the salt air, the cool temps in July or the daily ritual of observing the many lobster boats fishing the coastlines that make the occasion feel more special. Steamed […]

OIL & HONEY EDITION Today I am sharing some honey facts with you! You may be surprised at the many benefits of honey. I’m not referring to a bottle or jar of honey you purchase in a big box store…no, no, NO! To be certain you are eating or using pure honey you should purchase […]

I served shrimp & grits last night for dinner. It is a quick and easy “southern gourmet” meal so I had to repost the story and recipe because you need to make this! This dish traditionally was served for breakfast to shrimpers coming into shore after long weeks at sea, but it’s […]

Coctel de Camarones -this is without a doubt one of my absolute favorite dishes. As the weather is heating up here in North Carolina I’m dreaming of digging into one of these. When I take a bite and close my eyes I am transformed to a gorgeous ocean view with sea breezes blowing through my […]

I’ve attended several food conferences in the last few years but my time at Food Wine Conference 2016 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando proved to be the best one yet! You want to know why? I felt a deep sense of community at this conference unlike any other. There were a few perks for […]

It’s the little things……“It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.” ― Arthur Conan Doyle, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. Don’t misunderstand me The Food and Wine Conference, that will take place in Orlando May 13-15 is anything but little! I am super excited to be attending […]

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MySignatureDish #CollectiveBias This recipe is my new favorite! I am hooked on this creamy polenta with wild mushrooms, goat cheese and pistachios. I am making it on the average of once a week! A bit crazy, I know, […]

Hey y’all it’s National Pancake Day! My radar is resounding “Pancakes for Dinner”. These tender stacks spread with butter and drizzled or drowned in syrup are referred to by many names. Pancakes, hotcakes, flapjacks, griddle cakes, and crepes – depending on where you hail from. When will you eat pancakes today? Where will you put away a […]

When it comes to the holidays I want the picture perfect setting. Visions of sugarplums dance in my head and I dream of scrumptious meals abundantly spread on a well appointed, gorgeously decorated table, friends and family gaily gathered near a crackling fire, a giant, twinkling tree, and snow flakes gently falling. Wouldn’t it be fantastic […]

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HolidayPairings #CollectiveBias The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older. I don’t need to tell you that the holidays are upon us…..we all know this. Entertaining plays a significant role during the holidays. I don’t […]

I have finally settled into my new home and more importantly my new office. I have missed blogging something fierce and hope to jump in with both feet this week and knock out some stuff I’ve been storing in my head! I posed a question on my FB page asking what you might want to see […]

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #JuicyGrilledCornish #CollectiveBias Grilling is my all time favorite way to prepare a meal. I suppose it’s because~ 1. It takes place outside 2.The food consistently has a wonderful flavor 3. No mess in the kitchen 4. It’s FUN! […]

In mid-July I traveled to New York City for the BlogHer15 conference. The conference schedule is non-stop but I found that I had a few free hours midweek to explore the city. Having lived in NYC for a couple of years, back in the day, I wasn’t interested in merely pounding the pavement and hitting all […]

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a walking food tour in Charlotte, N.C. My daughter was visiting from Napa, where we had taken a food tour back in January. She suggested a local tour in North Carolina and since I thoroughly enjoy these kinds of “tours” I hooked us up with Tour de Food – […]

Growing up in southeast Texas right on the Louisiana border I developed a taste for cajun and creole dishes at an early age . My Dad could take lots of heat, my mom, not so much and I fall somewhere in the middle, leaning towards the hot side. Shrimp, preferably gulf shrimp, are one of […]

While working on developing a recipe for the Sustainable Seafood Blog Project I visited the seafood department of my local Whole Foods. If you read the SSBP post you know I pay particular attention to where my seafood comes from as well as how it was caught. I found these fresh, east coast mussels had just […]