Ham bones are a traditional flavoring for beans, and I remember my mother making pinto or navy beans cooked with ham and onions and served with cornbread. It was simple, homey food that warmed the belly and was easy on the budget. We use ham bones in soups and beans, and save the large ham [...]
Jambalaya with Shrimp, Chicken, Andouille, and Ham and a Giveaway
I don’t have any Creole or Cajun relatives (that I know of), so for authentic recipes I turn to some of my favorite cookbooks. Emeril calls this particular recipe his “Clean Out the Ice Box and Freezer” Jambalaya, my kind of food, particularly now because after the holidays and fall harvest we have a freezer [...]
New England Clam Chowder

New England clam chowder ranks in my Top 10 list of comfort foods, and it’s one of my favorite things to order in seafood restaurants. Recipes for clam chowder are hotly contested, and if you get into a discussion about chowder with New Englanders you are likely to get a wide variety of opinions on [...]
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup with Five Peppers and Ham

It’s May and I want to dream about picnics and cooking outdoors. We thought summer was well on it’s way when temperatures climbed into the 80s a couple weeks ago, then we were startled with the cold front that came through yesterday bringing lots of rain and dropping temperatures back into the 40s. Everything is [...]
Slow Cooker Four Bean Baked Beans
When I was growing up, baked beans were a delicious part of all our cook outs and potlucks. Cans of pork and beans were mixed with ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and onions, then baked in the oven. Sometimes strips of bacon were laid on top, creating a smoky aroma and flavor that reminds me [...]
Classic Spaghetti Carbonara
I’m certainly not the first food blogger to reference Marcella Hazan, and I think I can safely predict that I will not be the last. She is considered one of the foremost authorities on Italian cuisine, and her book Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking is one that I constantly turn to when cooking Italian dishes. [...]
Pork Medallions with Balsamic-Honey Glaze
This is another dish that is elegant enough to serve guests, yet is easy and quick enough for a weeknight meal. The glaze adds some incredible flavor with the balsamic vinegar, honey, and rosemary. Use slightly less honey with an older, sweeter balsamic vinegar, and slightly more with a younger balsamic vinegar. If you really [...]
Southern Sausage Gravy
This is the next recipe in the Southern Country Breakfast series. Sausage gravy is a Southern tradition that my family has indulged in for many years. Now that we are all watching our waistlines, we only have it for family get-togethers, but it always tastes yummy and brings back wonderful memories of the big country [...]













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