Better Than Sliced BreadSummertime is about the only time my husband offers to cook. I don't know what it is about warm weather that brings out his inner hunter/provider, but when he asks what we are having for dinner, if I tell him …
Tofu If You DoMy first experience with tofu was not altogether pleasant. I decided to tackle tofu with no previous research. I opened the package and set the formed block on the counter. Eyeing it suspiciously, I thought, "It looks like a giant …
Hospitality for Less"If there is any concept worth restoring to its original depth and evocative potential, it is the concept of hospitality," wrote Henri Nouwen in his 1975 book "Reaching Out." As a young couple on a budget, my husband, Mason, and …
The Ultimate Layer CakeSummer is full of occasions to get together: a backyard barbecue here, a potluck there, your third step-cousin twice removed's 29th birthday (for the fourth year in a row). It seems people are always clamoring for your time, your attention …
Ryals Goat DairyI frequently hit the Mississippi Farmer's Market on Saturdays with the Child. We go to see friends, as well as stock up on fruits, veggies and other necessary items like yard art. We tend to stick to a routine, buying …
Get It FreshNothing beats farm- or garden-fresh produce for flavor and nutrition. Lucky for Jacksonians, the area has a number of venues where local growers sell in-season and organic produce and, in some cases, organic meats and eggs.
The Simple Majesty of the BLTSome things just go together: peanut butter and jelly, bagels and lox, mushrooms and wine, chicken and rosemary, Scotch and ice ... you get the point. But if there was a museum of great food pairings, the prime spot in …
Fast, Light and HealthyAn Italian frittata is economical and delicious. Easily made with almost any fresh vegetable, it's even better with last night's leftover sautéed veggies. Similar to a Western omelet in taste and texture, it's Italy's version of the omelet, usually made …
Mayonnaise Comes to JacksonIt's difficult for to imagine mayonnaise as exotic at all, but Eudora Welty remembers its advent in Jackson as an <i>event</i>.
Lady Liberty Wants CupcakesCupcakes have become all the rage. Once synonymous with children's birthday parties, boutique-style bakeries specializing in gourmet cupcakes are popping up steadily.
Grilled Margherita PizzaThis 4th of July, add a new item to your usual hotdog and hamburger grill menu. Grilled pizza is versatile, fresh and easy, and is a delicious vegetarian option for your holiday feast.
Mimi's Kitchen GardenOptimal health requires more than just nutritious food for the body. It also requires food for the soul. Art—whether music, painting or studying nature—is soul food, and so is enjoying friends and family.
The Whole HogJames Villas, along with Laurie Colwin, was an early icon of mine in the field of food writing. His <i>Villas at Table</i> (1998) was a long-time companion. As a matter of fact, his essay on sardines in that work inspired …
Cooking for DadI have always heard that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. If that's true, Father's Day will be littered with messy kitchens and burned cookies.
Mississippi Produce 101From now until October (maybe a little later in the southern third of the state), Mississippi roadsides will be peppered with local fruit and vegetable stands. Many of them also sell home-canned goods such as pickles, jellies and sauces. If …