Several years ago it seemed I was making stuffed mushrooms every time I turned around. Nearly every party I catered had somebody asking for them. I made sausage and cream cheese stuffed mushrooms, French onion stuffed mushrooms, crab stuffed mushrooms, bacon and...
Stuffed Figs Wrapped in Bacon
If Leslie Anne Tarabella isn’t your personal friend, I’m so sorry. But chin up! Leslie Anne writes these terrific collections of stories that help the rest of the universe understand the Deep South. She’s a hoot, and very insightful. Is there a word for that? In any...
Balsamic Glaze
I absolutely adore balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar and I met in the 1980s and have been best friends ever since. Balsamic vinaigrette is a staple at my house, and I’m a threat to drizzle it on anything at all. (I’m not kidding, I often have it on tomato cheese...
Baked Shrimp Scampi
As long as we’re cooking quick and easy summer food, you need to know about delicious Baked Shrimp Scampi. (You’ll note that this is also a quick and easy blog post.) This recipe is based on the typical North American version of Shrimp Scampi, specifically the one...
Sweet Potato Hummus
I haven’t made Sweet Potato Hummus in a while, and I made it last weekend for a party. It’s one of those things I forget about, and then when I do make it I think, “Why am I not making this all the time?!?” There’s nothing authentic about it, and I don’t care. ...
Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
Ah, barbecue. Barbecue is practically a religion in the South, and Alabama White Barbecue Sauce is quickly becoming a big deal all over. It debuted commercially in Decatur, Alabama at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Que in 1925, but probably predates that. Barbecue in general...
Bloody Mary Shrimp
I know y’all like detailed history lessons and such, but I’m busy this week and you’re just going to have to make do with the condensed version. Here it is: bloody marys have been around since the 1920s; they were probably invented by Fernand Petiot at Harry’s Bar in...
Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches with Orange Mustard
A while back I was in a mixed-age group of local cooks and we were talking about food. I know that’s difficult to imagine, but I swear it’s true. Anyway, the subject of party food came up. Every single one of us agreed that our favorite culinary genre was Southern...
Fresh Corn Salad
We’ve talked before about how seasonally-dependent we all are on fresh-picked, local, Silver Queen corn. Well, last week my favorite fresh corn dealer let it be known that she’d be back in business on Friday at her usual spot--the side road next to the liquor store. ...
Pepper Jelly Glaze for Chicken
I have just discovered something fantastic. It’s a new sauce/glaze for chicken, and I can’t believe I haven’t tried it before. I was cleaning the refrigerator recently and found half a jar of red jalapeno pepper jelly left over from the holidays. I was considering...
Deviled Egg Salad
We had egg salad sandwiches frequently when I was growing up. We also had tuna salad and chicken salad. I liked them all. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I realized you couldn’t eat egg, tuna, or chicken salad from just anyplace. In fact, all of them were...
Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Shrimp
One of my very favorite treats is stuffed Gulf shrimp. Stuffed seafood is definitely a thing all along the Gulf Coast, and stuffed shrimp is a restaurant delicacy. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve happily ordered stuffed shrimp over the years. I know...