Just because a dish has been around for a couple of hundred years, doesn’t mean I can’t fiddle with it, right? The modern version of what we call Eggplant Parmesan appeared in the Italian aristocrat/gourmand Ippolito Cavalcanti's cookbook, Cucina Teorico-Pratica,...
Weeknight Dinners
Pineapple Fried Rice
I should warn those of you who are looking for genuine Thai food that this Pineapple Fried Rice isn’t especially authentic. This is a recipe I cobbled together from many different sources, and then adapted it to our US Gulf Coast pantries. It’s delicious, though. We...
Meatloaf Cottage Pie
I’m still fielding recipe requests, and this recipe has not only been requested, it was the source of much amusement in the catering shop. Meatloaf Cottage Pie is very, very, tasty, please don’t get me wrong. I will happily eat it any day of the week and lots of our...
Creole Pot Roast with Tomato and Onion Gravy
Not all Creole food is spicy hot, but you can count on it to be well-seasoned and full of flavor, and this insanely easy pot roast is no exception. Laced with Italian seasoning, marjoram, and a hint of ground cloves, I promise you’ll wonder where this pot roast has...
Balsamic Onion Burgers
Growing up we had a terrific restaurant in town called The Saratoga Trunk. They had pastas, salads, steaks, and some seafood, but in my mind the real standouts were the burgers. The menu itself wasn’t huge, and I don’t know how many burgers were on the menu, but it...
Pork Tenderloin with Pickapeppa Glaze and Pineapple Salsa
If you're not familiar with Pickapeppa Sauce, you’re in for a treat. Affectionately referred to as Jamaican ketchup, Pickapeppa is a tangy and mildly spicy concoction--from where else? Jamaica!--that we drizzle on all sorts of things here, from steak to jambalaya....
Spicy Sausage in Tomato Basil Cream
Spicy Sausage in Tomato Basil Cream has been a house favorite here for many years. Lots of our friends are familiar with it because I’ve served it to dinner guests numerous times. It’s easy to make, it doesn’t take long, and calls for ingredients I nearly always have...
Salmon Croquettes with Mustard Sauce
All the home cooking going on this year seems to have sparked a renewed interest in an old Southern staple, the salmon croquette. I’ve seen them recently on cooking shows, I’ve participated in more than one Facebook discussion about them, and even Roy Blount, Jr. was...
Black Bean Enchiladas with Salsa Fresca
Black Bean Enchiladas have been a staple at my house for my entire adult life. I learned to love freshly made Tex-Mex food at the original Winslow's Cafe in Fairhope, Alabama, when I was a kid and I've never looked back. It would be years before we got an actual...
Drip Beef, Plus a Quick and Easy Ragù
Drip beef, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love the way I can fling a measly few ingredients into the slow cooker and then wander off, oblivious. I love the way you cook yourself--with absolutely no help from me--for hours and hours on end. I love the way...
Kale, White Bean, And Sausage Soup
I first made this soup ages ago when I needed to use up some kale. Now, I’m not especially fond of kale, in fact I pretty much loathe all cooked greens. What I am inordinately fond of is beautiful produce, and I have been known to bring home all sorts of pretty...
Creole Spaghetti?
This is the spaghetti I grew up on. Trust me, it’s comfort food at its very finest. I’ve cooked it for my family forever, and my youngest daughter will eat no other without complaint. She even asked me to tell you all that this is the best spaghetti ever, and she personally cannot possibly eat spaghetti anywhere but home without significant disappointment. It’s not your typical spaghetti, and she’s made more than a few converts over the years by dragging home friends when she knew it was on the menu.