Author: sswagler
Fox 6 Books: May
Here's what I brought to WBRC Fox 6 in May. Read and learn with some works of informative nonfiction. One is set right here at home. Then there’s some fiction … because fiction is awesome. Showdown at Rickwood: Ray Caldwell, Dizzy Dean and the Early Years of America’s Oldest Ball Park by Art Black will surely [...]
More Than Just Sweet Treats at Big Spoon Creamery
The small-batch, artisanal ice cream at Big Spoon Creamery is every bit as awesome as people say. It’s deliciously inventive with quality ingredients: goat cheese with strawberry-hibiscus jam, fresh mint chip with Valrhona chocolate chips. Many of these ingredients are locally sourced, supporting area makers and farmers like Stone Hollow Farmstead (where they get the [...]
Dine Out and Make a Difference
On Thursday, April 25, your dining dollars will make a big difference to a lot of people—if you’re eating at the right places. Dining Out For Life will involve more than 30 local restaurants that are committed to making our community better, including Bottega Café, Crestwood Coffee Co., El Barrio Restaurante Y Bar, 5 Point [...]
Fox 6 Books: April
Here's what I brought to WBRC Fox 6 on April 2: Two of these books—one for adults and one for kids—are by local authors! Then there’s an important book about African-Americans and our country's history and a moving novel about some brave young women set in India. Glory Road, the new novel by Birmingham author Lauren K. Denton, is about [...]
All Kinds of Goodness at Ashley Mac’s
Lots of people want to make a living doing what they love. Ashley McMakin made that dream a reality with her Ashley Mac’s cafés, catering and gourmet-to-go business. It all started with her hobby of cooking for those she loves. McMakin grew up in a large, food-loving family, and she learned to cook alongside her [...]
Charleston Charm
I took a quick trip to Charleston, South Carolina a few weeks ago—so quick, in fact, that I was very limited in what I could do. So it was two days of food and drinks and then some solitude in my very favorite place. I usually spend some time shopping on King Street. I also [...]
Fox 6 Books: March
Here's what I brought to WBRC Fox 6 on March 5: Two of these books—one fiction and one not—are about spies. Then there’s a cookbook of sweets by a local author and a literary thriller—perfect for vacation reading. Transcription is by Kate Atkinson, one of my favorite authors who wrote Life After Life (one of my favorite books [...]
Celebrating an Unsung Hero of Birmingham’s Food Scene
I had the absolute honor of helping out with Alabama NewsCenter's awesome coverage of food-related stories to celebrate Black History Month and the contributions of African-American cooks and chefs to our state's rich food scene (current and past). One of my favorite pieces was about Juliette Flenoury, a name we all should know. My editor [...]
Fox 6 Books: February
Happening now! Here's what I brought to WBRC Fox 6 on February 5: a fun children’s book about some important Birmingham history by a local writer; an unusual salute to the Tuskegee Airmen during Black History Month; and hot, new (I mean brand-new) fiction. Meet Miss Fancy is a heartwarming story by Irene Latham with illustrations with illustrations John [...]
Central has Become Essential to Montgomery’s Downtown Food Scene
In downtown Montgomery, steps from the reclaimed riverfront and right in the middle of an important past, a restaurant called Central is delighting guests with inventive dishes and gracious hospitality. Central is named for the old central warehouse area, now a hip and happening entertainment district of restaurants, hotels, bars and museums. Common Bond Brewers [...]