What's in a Cajun?Having spent a large portion of my life in South Louisiana, I have eaten some of the best food on Earth, particularly red beans and rice. I have already had the best red beans and rice ever, but that hasn't …
Restaurants and RelaxationShe's taken care of you all your life, made sure you were clean, fed, clothed and loved. She's your mother. Even if you frequently tell her thanks, that you love her more and more with each passing day, and take …
Making The Nasty GoodI've been trying to ignore the pitiful looks and all-out begging from my 7th-grade Open Doors students (most of whom I taught last year as 6th-graders) all school year. I thought that eventually they would forget about it, but the …
‘I Am Not Drinking Merlot!'I don't know if it's residual hype in the wake of the movie "Sideways," or if it's because the medical world has declared that red wine, especially from thin-skinned grapes like Pinot Noir, is good for your heart … but …
Not One But ManyOnion. It's almost a palindrome, a word that's spelled the same backwards and forwards, like did, dad, peep, mom. And we who enjoy sweet onions realize there's nothing oxymoronic there, as in combining two contradictory terms. These members of the …
Under The Southern SunA hands-on cooking class titled "Under the Tuscan Sun"—me? Sure, why not? I'd be fine. I wouldn't make a fool out of myself. Would I? Not if I could get my hands to loosen their tight grip on the steering …
BeerTalk: The Belgians Are Coming!Belgian beers are renowned around the world for their excellent quality, complexity and taste, as well as their rich history and the sheer variety of brands and styles available. While there are two major brewery conglomerates in Belgium, InBev and …
Let Me Eat CakeMy Mammaw, my Momma's momma, is not a cook. She never enjoyed it, so when she was in her mid-70s, she figured she had better things to do with her time. Her kitchen was officially closed. After that, she didn't …
Petite Sirah Is No WimpThere has been a long debate about the origin of Petite Sirah, a somewhat obscure grape varietal. It was once said to be related to the great Rhone varietal, Syrah. Later the belief was that it was, in fact, Durif, …
BoozeTalk: Amber VanillaIn the 1840s, "Bourbon" was just a riverside county in Kentucky. Something set the place apart, though: the spirit it sent out of port. So distinct was this amber-hued hooch that downriver drinkers simply called it by the county's name, …
March Out To EatMetro area restaurants wait to wait upon you, at indoor and outdoor tables as spring approaches. Since you might like to try something new as you take your mind off the workplace and the yard or garden, here's what I've …
The River Runs Through ItMost everyone is familiar with the names of the big wine regions in California: Napa, Sonoma, Central Coast, etc., but what about the smaller AVAs (Approved Viticultural Areas)? Within Sonoma lies a little AVA called Russian River Valley, which is …
High On The HogI've eaten bar-b-que all over the world, and with the exception of some I had in Utah, none of it tasted bad. Bar-b-que starts at good no matter what and goes up to best, whether you spell it barbecue like …
What Brown Did for MeMy mother recently apologized to me for a portion of my childhood—her cooking. When I think of a 1970s kitchen, I don't recall the gold and avocado green appliances; I remember all of the brown food that mother cooked. For …
Body/Soul: God's Green AcreThe first time I saw it, I thought it was too ugly to eat. Really. A bundle stood tall on the back of the Rainbow Whole Foods produce counter—huge dark green/blue/gray leaves with purple veins and fleshy bulges all over …