You know it’s spring when the farmer’s markets and local grocery stores start putting out big, fat, beautiful strawberries. I picked some up the other day, and found that they were a little tart for my taste. Luckily, I have a quick and easy remedy for that:...
Marinated Cheese
Of course you’ll need to take an easy, affordable, and festive hors d'oeuvre someplace this holiday season. I’ve got a really, really good one for you. I’ll be quick. I know you’re busy, and so am I. I first stumbled upon this Marinated Cheese recipe in a magazine,...
Grape Salsa
It’s summertime, y’all! And I have an easy and refreshing summertime snack for you: Grape Salsa. I served this Friday night at the Eastern Shore Art Center, and it seems many people had never heard of Grape Salsa. At first some people were confused. One sweet woman in...
Boiled Peanuts
I adore boiled peanuts. They’re salty, spicy, delicious, and a bit of a litmus test. You say you don't like them? Then you must not be from around here. I can accept that boiled peanuts aren't a universal favorite, I guess, but why are some people so dismissive of...
Really Good Pimento Cheese
Unlike foie gras, veal tartare, and the still-beating hearts of cobras, as delicacies go, there is nothing controversial about pimento cheese. The only question at all is whether it’s good or bad. Bad pimento cheese is, of course, an abomination, but good pimento...
Watermelon Salsa
The other day I heard someone say that they don’t like watermelon. Now I can’t for the life of me remember who it was--maybe I’ve blotted them from my memory altogether? I mean, who ever heard of such a thing? I adore watermelon, I always have, and I assume you do,...
The Best Ricotta Dip, Plus All-Purpose Ricotta Filling
Oooooh! Ooooooh! Have I ever got a dandy recipe for you! But first, let me explain: A while back I ran across a recipe I very much wanted to try. It was a whipped ricotta dip with rosemary for bread and vegetables. So quick and easy, I just knew it would be right up...
Bacon-Wrapped Drumsticks
You’re welcome! I’m about to tell you a little about these marvelous chicken legs, including why should you make them today, and why you should save the recipe forever, and why you ought to make them all the time going forward. I mean, obviously, of course,...
Fresh Kumquat Cake
It’s that time again: the end of the kumquat season is here on the Gulf Coast! These dandy little citrus fruits are still weighing down trees all over the place, last year’s hurricanes and this year’s Arctic blast be damned. My friend Gina messaged me yesterday and...
Valentine’s Day Cookies
I don’t know when our family started the sweet tradition of making these cookies every Valentine’s Day, but I assume it was well before I was born. My Nana made them. My mother made them, too--actually, she still does--and now we all make them. I know that today and...
Deviled Ham, and a Word on Ham Bones
Eternity is a ham and two people. --Dorothy Parker By the same token, I assume I’m not the only one with leftover ham? Honestly, I don’t understand people who cook a turkey at Christmas. Didn’t they just do that a month ago? How can they possibly want turkey AGAIN? To...
It’s Not Too Late to Make Fudge!
It’s not too late to make this quick and easy fudge!