Between Thanksgiving through to the new year over 144 holidays are celebrated around the world. As the earth settles into rest, and the natural world slows down, cultures everywhere give thanks to harvest, family, health, and spirit. I am blessed to have a circle of friends that broadens my celebrations outside of my own family traditions. I love to immerse myself into someone else’s culture. Taking the backseat as an observer and appreciating the moment and rituals. My good friend (Aviva) and her father (Papa) offer one of their nights of Hanukah to celebrate with friends and share in some t ..read more

On the back end of Covid I took a trip out to a local creamery where Kevin and Shelby Lussier and their crew have been steadily producing cheese. And they come by it honestly, the family dairy farm sits right around the corner. I wrote an article for a beautiful local publication, Edible, that tells food stories about the culinary and agriculture industry in North Central Florida. Come see how Hawthorne Creek Creamery survived a really tough time for farmers everywhere, and designed a plan to break into the local retail market ..read more

The puree of squash in this helps to add a hearty consistency to the broth while also sweetening just a tad. If you are going to freeze this soup (I recommend doubling this recipe just for that) omit the sour cream until you reheat to serve. INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 18 ounce cooked squash puree (will thicken so use more or less for how thick you want it) 2 cups can black beans, rinsed and drained 2 cups corn kernels (I used frozen fire-roasted if not fresh) 1 pint tomato sauc ..read more

Tomato soup and grilled cheese. While I would gladly eat this year round it really shines in the colder months. Less is growing but all the work put into canning a tomato harvest and processing basil in spring makes the effort so worth it. Fresh and bright. Hearty and comforting. Grill up some cheese and get to dunking. Tomatoes have a really short and early growing season here so don’t blink. The Family Garden, a local organic farm always has a bulk tomato sale where you can get 100lbs of tomatoes if you wish. He grows this very hearty slicing tomato variety that has big yields. Perfect for ..read more

Sheet Pan Chicken Pot Pie Ingredients: 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pulled 4 cups mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, corn, green beans), frozen or fresh 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 4 cups chicken broth 1 cup milk Salt and pepper to taste 1 tsp dried thyme 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed if frozen 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash) Instructions: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). In a large mixing bowl, toss diced chicken and mixed vegetables with a bit of salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour to create a roux, c ..read more

I have a seen a few food writing mentors create southern food lists to try and almost every time I find something new. Southern food, with its very complex quilt of origins, has been influenced by many cultures since colonization. It can be often found that recipes in south can vary from town to town, farm to farm, house to house. We also have little pockets speckled throughout the south where dishes are so attached to a place they rarely are found outside of that area. This list has been pulled from many other lists, but is heavily influenced by David Shields, a southern food historian and w ..read more

This isn’t a typical chocolate chip cookies post where I tell you I have the best recipe. Because I just don’t. There are not only tons of recipes, but people love these cookies in very specific ways. I have at least a dozen recipes for chocolate chip cookies. I think they are all amazing they are just used for specific scenarios. But there is one I go back to regularly because it is the most universal recipe I have. Three things I think make these Chocolate Chip Cookies next level is browning the butter, using two different chocolates, and adding flaked sea salt. This might become your new f ..read more

Mornings are tough! Let’s face it, we don’t have time to wake up like we want to. If you are like me you are usually rushed out of bed. I had to find something that was fast and satiating. A while back I created my whole morning routine around starting my day with gratitude, intention, and health. Through trial and error I found what I believe to be was the best routine for me. I share this in hopes you too can curtail a morning routine that sets your day strong. So when the alarm goes off I get up and go to the kitchen and start the kettle for tea or coffee, turn on the oven to warm up the ca ..read more

I love capers. The little salty and tangy liquid filled bobbles that burst when bit into. Perfect for balancing a cream sauce or used as a briney addition to a martini, When I discovered nasturtiums I immediately fell in love with its peppery sweet nectar flowers. The seeds are hard to find sometimes on nasturtiums, you do have to hunt for them under the big silver dollar lily pad leaves and vibrant beautiful flowers. Discovering these seed pods led me to a secret ingredient. We don’t grow capers well here in the south, but we can grow nasturtiums. That doesn’t mean we don’t get the option to ..read more

Sometimes you just need more pie. Especially if you make good ones, people will just start showing up. So pull out the the sheet pans and feed them! Here’s the thing about slab pies, you don’t really need a special recipe. Just double your time honored passed down recipe and breathe new life into it via a sheet pan. *cook times will most likely need to be adjusted. Tomato pie This savory pie is a crowd pleaser. Tomato season is when we are all clamoring to get outside which means BBQ’s. Bring this to your next one and you’ll be invited back next year. Layers of vine ripe tomatoes, fresh basil ..read more