On a Sunday in March of 2019, chef Raquel Ervin gathered together nearly 100 friends and family at the Hoover Randle Home & Gardens knowing full well, at some point that evening, they would be disappointed. They were there for a watch party—to see Ervin and her sister Regina and niece Alexandria compete on Food … Continue reading Moving Forward: Chef Raquel Ervin Pivots to a Food Truck
Save the Restaurants We Love
I just got a text from my friend George Sarris who owns The Fish Market Restaurant on Birmingham's Southside. George's restaurant has a special place in my heart. When our kids were young, Rick and I had a weekly date night there. That was at the old place--the one that looked like a big styrofoam … Continue reading Save the Restaurants We Love
Farm Market Easy Dinner
What to do with our beautiful abundance of farm-fresh peppers and tomatoes? Add some potatoes and fragrant green curry broth to them. Then put an egg on it. After doing the fantastically easy drive-thru farmers' market at Pepper Place, I was looking to make something special with my plump, beautiful cherry tomatoes from Penton Farms … Continue reading Farm Market Easy Dinner
Fox 6 Books July 2020
These are the books I featured on WBRC Fox 6 this month. You can see the segment here. One eerily mirrors the time we are in right now. We also have a fascinating look at Winston Churchill from bestselling author Erik Larson, a book prescription for children and a way to breathe easier.  The End … Continue reading Fox 6 Books July 2020
Prescribing Books
Lots of Alabama’s pediatricians are prescribing Pete the Cat. We’re talking about Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses, to be exact. It’s a children’s book by Kimberly and James Dean, and it’s being prescribed by pediatric healthcare providers statewide as part of Reach Out and Read-Alabama’s 11th annual Rx for Summer Reading campaign to encourage families … Continue reading Prescribing Books
Full Moon Shines Across Our State
During times of unimaginable uncertainty in the restaurant industry, Full Moon Bar-B-Que continues to cook. Low and slow, of course. But steady, too. Even during a pandemic, it seems, people still want their ‘que. In the 23 years since the Maluff brothers—David and Joe—purchased Full Moon Bar-B-Que from Pat James, they have grown the business … Continue reading Full Moon Shines Across Our State
U-Pick Lavender
The u-pick opportunities in Alabama abound—strawberries, blueberries, sunflowers, muscadines, tomatoes, pumpkins and even Christmas trees. Now add fragrant lavender to that fun list. Lavender Wynde Farm in Harvest, located in the rolling foothills north of Huntsville, is inviting the public to the farm to pick their own lavender Friday and Saturday, June 12 and 13, … Continue reading U-Pick Lavender
Fox 6 Books: June
These are the books I featured on WBRC Fox 6 this month. You'll find nonfiction with Harper Lee, timely historical fiction, a usable guide to important self-care and a twisty thriller set in Germany. A note for right now: I want you to have access to great reads from your home. While our access to books … Continue reading Fox 6 Books: June
Virtual 5K = Real Results
Run, walk (or skip, for that matter) to benefit service industry workers. A virtual 5K can make a real difference to local hospitality workers right now. COVID-19 has hit Alabama’s restaurant and hospitality industry hard, and thousands of service industry workers across our state have seen their hours reduced or have lost their jobs altogether. … Continue reading Virtual 5K = Real Results
Fox 6 Books: May
These are the books I featured on WBRC Fox 6 this month. I think they are perfect for right now: fiction that you can get lost in, an important picture book for young readers, a way to cope with anxiety and a cookbook to remind us of better days. A note for right now: I want … Continue reading Fox 6 Books: May
