I put in four cucumber plants this spring. I went with Burpless Hybrid English cucumbers. I had done well with these longer cucumbers (they grow to almost a foot) several years ago but couldn’t find them again until this spring. I was excited - at first. Then my vines looked like they had petered out in mid-summer, and I was most disappointed. I had counted on at least a few fresh cukes from my … [Read more...]

  The internationally famous wild game chef, Ed Morris, sent me a recipe that he claims is good enough to recommend. Hamburger Bar-b-que. Ed’s secret is celery. Yes, celery, that inconspicuous vegetable that lends so much flavor to everything it seasons. Ed says to take 2 pounds of ground beef (my hunch is that ground venison would also be dynamite) and 1 cup of chopped celery. Brown … [Read more...]

  Rarely do Nancy and I go to Bonefish without ordering a platter of Bang Bang Shrimp. Sometimes we’ll get two orders and eat the shrimp as an entrée, then pair it with a salad or crab cake. But no question, Bang Bang Shrimp has a lot of bang for the buck and the flavor is delightful. Recently, I was trying to squeeze some seafood into our weekly menu and found some Jumbo Shrimp on … [Read more...]

  I was raised on grits. There was a bowl of grits on Mama Ida’s dining table in Raleigh at every meal. We had hot grits in the morning, leftover cold grits at lunch and then more hot grits at dinner. It was our starch, rather than potatoes, and I loved grits. I can’t understand why some people don’t like grits. They are rather bland and mild tasting, enhanced greatly with salt and … [Read more...]

When  squash comes in, it really comes in. Four squash plants can keep the crisper drawer of a refrigerator packed to the gills. Like Bubba in Forest Gump, “There is Fried Squash, Steamed Squash, Squash and Onions, Sautéed Squash, Squash and Tomatoes, Squash and Limas, Pickled Squash, Squash and Grits and the list goes on.” An often overlooked away to serve squash happens to be one of my … [Read more...]

The best Corn Dogs I have ever eaten came from a small stand just outside the grand-stand entrance to the West Virginia State Fair. Over the years, I made it a point to order one (or two) every time I went. These weren’t frozen, micro-waved Corn Dogs. They deep-fried them on the spot and sometimes there was quite a line waiting. But it was worth the wait for the piping hot, sweet, delicious … [Read more...]

  My mom used to make Seven Layer Bars, especially if company was coming. These sweet morsels are to die for – rich, creamy, chocolaty and delicious. I thought about Mom and those bars recently and decided to make a batch.  As expected, each and every one was wolfed down and an order is now on the table for more, any time I want to make a batch. Seven Layer Bars can serve as dessert … [Read more...]

  Tuna salad is always a great lunch option – tasty, very healthy and diet friendly. On a recent visit at Wal-Mart I looked for some tuna, preferably packed in oil, which delivers more flavor, and I found what I was looking for - Solid  White Albacore Star Kist Tuna packed in Vegetable Oil. I bought 2 large cans for about four-bucks each. I have found – by the way – if you pay more for … [Read more...]