I love sharing Birmingham with friends. I love just as much when friends share their own special places with me--opening my eyes to something I don't see every day. My husband, Rick, and I recently spent about 44 hours in Asheville, North Carolina, with our friends April and Sid and Bob and Tondee. April was … Continue reading 44 Hours (approximately) in Asheville, NC
When women help other women succeed, good things happen. Tasty things do, too. This year, $10,000 in scholarships and awards from a group of women leaders in our food community will help four college students pursue their food-science studies, three high schools better serve their culinary-arts students, Jones Valley Teaching Farm connect with more kids, … Continue reading Come to the Table
Here are the books I brought to WBRC Fox 6 on July 2. There's a long look at To Kill a Mockingbird, a World War II novel by one of the best writers of our time, a highly personal novel by Southern writer Silas House and a creepy thriller that is beach-perfect. Why To Kill … Continue reading Fox 6 Books: July
I sat down with brick & tin chef-owner Mauricio Papapietro to talk about his food philosophy, his background in the kitchens of Chris Hastings and Frank Stitt, his relationships with local and regional farmers and the power of the heirloom tomato. You can read the entire store here on Alabama NewsCenter. One thing you should know … Continue reading Local Flavor at brick & tin
Sugar cookies + artists = some delicious awesomeness. On a recent rainy afternoon, my daughters and I made geode and agate cookies, and we had an absolute blast. We used a simple sugar cookie recipe from PureWow (I'll include it below), Alton Brown's royal icing (recipe below), some clear rock candy (which I bought at … Continue reading Edible Art: Geode and Agate Cookies
Summer's here. And I couldn't be happier. Well, maybe I could. I most definitely could if I were at St. George Island. With a good book in one hand, a fun drink in the other and my family nearby. To celebrate the season, I'm going to put together my own summer edit with books, drinks, … Continue reading The Summer Edit: Books, Food, Drinks and Fun
It seems especially appropriate that Rodney and Stephanie Wilson serve soul food at their downtown Anniston restaurant. Just getting to the point of owning their own place took a lot of faith. Several years ago, Rodney began experiencing kidney failure. He ended up having a transplant and then needed to find another job. He had … Continue reading Food with Soul
The '80s called, and they want their crystal faucet knobs back. Especially this one with its off-kilter label. Here's my new rule: I'm going to tackle at least one update each month around my house. And once a year, I'm going to take the "Swedish Death Cleaning" approach to my space (especially my closet). This is where … Continue reading Three-Minute (at Most!) Bathroom Update
When my family requests something specific for dinner, I almost always comply. Cooking for my husband and kids is one of my favorite ways of showing how much I love them. Sometimes, though, the requests are bigger than other times. Melissa Clark's Black Bean Chorizo Casserole with Pickled Onions is a big ask. This recipe, … Continue reading Dinner at My House: Black Bean Chorizo Casserole with Pickled Onions
From the Black Belt to the Wiregrass to The Shoals, we crisscrossed our great state stopping only for pork ribs. It was heaven on earth for a Southern food lover. I was on a tasty mission to discover Alabama’s best pork ribs with two other judges – Daniel Tubbs, an Alabama pig farmer, and Bob … Continue reading A Pork Rib Tour of Alabama
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