A Reading Recommendation

My friend Andy Holloman’s novel, Shades of Gray is FREE on Amazon, the E-Version that is.  So if you have a Kindle or Kindle App and really enjoy a well-written, tightly constructed, edge of your seat thriller with a cleverly devised ending (everything that 50 Shades isn’t) then go click here on May 8th and […]

Would you like Cheese Puffs with That?

A few weeks ago we made Parisian style gnocchi to serve with a steak dish.  These are made from Pate Choux (cream puff or eclair style dough) that has been flavored with aromatic herbs and Parmesan cheese, then pushed through a pastry bag with a straight tip into boiling water, poached for about two minutes, […]

The Perfect Margarita

This is from our good friend and the neighbor I wish I had, Barbara Keibel.  Barbara has a great website, Creative Culinary and every Friday she whips up a classic cocktail and shares it with her neighbors in Denver, Colorado.  Later she’ll share it with her readers.  This past Friday she posted the perfect Margarita […]

“Chef, what if you don’t have an Iron?”

New Orleans in August is damn hot and the air-conditioner in this 40 year-old building was struggling.  There were 45 of us crammed into a class room designed for 30.  Eager, arrogant, excited and cocky but most of all we were sweaty.  The first day of culinary school at Delgado Community College, dressed in our […]

Happy 25th Sweetheart

Although our anniversary is still a few weeks away, Amy and I are celebrating this weekend.  We’re headed to Chapel Hill where I’ll teach a cooking class at Southern Season centered around the food in my novel, Doughnuts for Amy.  I swapped favors with a very good friend of mine and he has loaned me […]

Is that Honeysuckle local?

Honeysuckle is in bloom right now.  It seems to be everywhere, if you drive with your windows down, the perfume from this wildflower rushes in with the breeze.  Honeysuckle has such a wonderful aroma and flavor and that flavor can be captured, you just have to pick a lot of the blossoms.  So the other day I […]

Jessica the Carpenter

When I first read Jessica Kristie’s poetry, I was stunned into silence.  Jessica has an incredible, God-given talent to polish, soften and shape a handful of words into three demensional images and breathtaking emotions.  Take a few minutes from your busy day to read Waiting Bridges.  First close your eyes, take a deep breath, then slowly read Waiting Bridges.  Now […]