Summertime is seafood time, and nothing is better than fresh crabmeat served with not much more than fresh vegetables at their peak. Happy summer, y’all! ½ pound lump crabmeat Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup citrus Champagne vinegar ½ cup green...
CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE This is my sister-in-law Rita’s and my daughter Beth’s favorite pound cake. There are several versions of this cake, but this is the recipe that my mother always prepared. It has a sweet, creamy, and smooth texture with a perfect light crust....
Sonny’s Smokehouse may be the quintessential small-town barbecue joint. Don’t even think about getting here by GPS; it won’t work. Don’t look for a flashy sign; there isn’t one, not even a hand-painted sign. The chances are that you’ll have to stop and ask someone...
This recipe is from my friend Elizabeth Heiskell—with a bit of extra heat added and a mixture of cheeses for the crust. 2½ cups all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon red pepper 1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces ¾ cup...
I recently visited my college roommate Kitty Guillory (originally from Tutwiler) in beautiful Colorado, and she served the most amazing chocolate chip cookies made with browned butter. We enjoyed them as we gazed from her glass living room at the beautiful sunset...
If you own a restaurant and your motto is “Best Bugs in the Biz,” it’s a pretty sure bet that it’s all about the crawfish. The Crawdad Hole has been getting it right since 1995. That’s when owner Joe Schowah started selling crawfish in a single-room take-out place,...
In my very first entertaining book, Easy Hospitality, published in the ’90s, I described how to create gold- and silver-leaf eggs for elegant Easter tablescapes. I still enjoy displaying those eggs because they are beautiful and timeless. To create the gold- and...
This unique combination of ingredients makes for a delicious main dish. GRAPEFRUIT AND BROWN SUGAR PORK TENDERLOIN 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 cup fresh grapefruit juice 2 cups grapefruit segments Zest of 1 grapefruit 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika 1 teaspoon...
Create elegant valentine vases from ordinary clear glass containers of various shapes and sizes. Supplies: Clear glass vases of various sizes and shapes Adhesive sizing Small paintbrushes Gold-leaf sheets Stencil brush Gold-leaf sealer With a paintbrush, paint a heart...
These easy and delicious iron skillet dishes are perfect for the cooler days ahead. Enjoy! Turkey Pot Pie 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed 1 pound ground turkey 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 (15-ounce) cans mixed vegetables,...
There are few windmills in Mississippi, wooden shoes are a rarity, and cotton fields are more common than fields abloom with tulips. Hans Brinker would probably never need his silver skates in the Magnolia State. However, should this beloved fictional character ever...
Mississippi Duck Stew 1 cup flour, divided 1 teaspoon garlic salt 1 teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 raw wild or domestic duck breasts, sliced ¾ cup peanut oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 cup chopped celery 1 (16-ounce) package frozen chopped okra,...
