Get Back on That Horse!
“Goodnight John. Goodnight Tommy. Oh, and in the morning, before you get out of bed make sure you shake out your shoes real hard before you put them on, just in case a scorpion crawled in during the night. And if one does comes out, squash it with your shoe. I love you.” And with […]
Would You Like to See my Cleaver Collection?
We’re a peculiar lot. Professional cooks often have quirks and idiosyncrasies that most rational people would find perhaps, circumspect. Yet we earn those quirks sincerely. It comes with our territory. Long hours in a brutal environment, late night trips to the emergency room and looking at all those tattoos and piercings can make anyone a […]
A High Note
Finally the rain had abated. The last four or five Saturday mornings have been awash in combinations of rain, lightning, wind and thunder. However, this past weekend the biggest meteorological threat was sunburn. We all slept in to what I consider late, 7:30 for the adults, 9:00 for the teenagers. After sharing coffee and […]
Dear God,
It’s been six months and you know how your people love milestones and I guess I’m no different. So I’m writing to say thank you. I know I promised I was going to do some things better but I don’t feel like I’ve followed through. I promise I’m trying. I apologize for not coming to […]
Solo, Page 49
I can’t remember being shy even though my Mom swore up and down that I was. I usually sat in the front of the class, didn’t mind speaking up, raised my hand often and volunteered when needed. As an English Lit major, it was not uncommon for me to recite Byron, Shakespeare or a give […]
Goodbye Melet
I’ve done plenty of tough things in my life and being a Dad is definitely the hardest; the job description changes almost daily. As both parents and children grow and evolve so do the challenges of parenting. Yet I’ve known folks that have made it look easy and Melet Antonakos was one of those […]
Goliath vs. David
Want to compete in a big time BBQ contest? $275.00 is all it takes to enter the NC BBQ Championships and that gets you a 25 by 30 foot piece of grass with water and electricity. The only thing left to pay for is meat, fire, spice and beer. A few days prior to […]
“You’re gonna love my stove!”
Our friend was leaning into our car window, grinning from ear to ear. Just a week earlier he was the winning bidder for a dinner that my wife and I donated as a fundraiser for our church. His mind was racing with the expectation of a memorable meal and Amy and I were excited […]
Operation #Cronut
By now the entire food world has heard of and salivated over a Cronut. It’s a doughnut made from croissant dough, says Chef Dominique Ansel, owner of Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York’s SoHo district. Now Chef Ansel is no flash in the pan; for many years he was Daniel Boulud’s pastry chef and if […]
Goodbye Pip
It was just another late Spring afternoon, the warm May breeze had our neighborhood’s flowers dancing and our minds on thoughts of a summer filled with a lot of nothing. The four of us were walking home from the pool when Holly said we were being followed. We looked back and saw an obviously lost, […]