The Little Things

August 3rd, 2009

Someone, somewhere once said something about “the little things.” I don’t know who it was, why he said it, or what publication it was printed in after he said it. I don’t even know if it was a he. Maybe it was a she who talked about the little things in life. Nevertheless, I know [...]

Family Vacation

July 27th, 2009

Today I leave on a 10-day old-fashioned family road-trip vacation. We are loading up the family truckster and embarking on a 2,500 mile excursion that will take us through Nashville, Asheville, Winston-Salem, and up to Washington D.C. with the ultimate goal of taking my kids to see Paul McCartney in concert. We’ll spend a few [...]

Family Vacation

July 27th, 2009

Today I leave on a 10-day old-fashioned family road-trip vacation. We are loading up the family truckster and embarking on a 2,500 mile excursion that will take us through Nashville, Asheville, Winston-Salem, and up to Washington D.C. with the ultimate goal of taking my kids to see Paul McCartney in concert. We’ll spend a few [...]

The French Laundry II

July 20th, 2009

For years I have said that if I were ever asked to choose a “last meal,” I would select my grandmother’s leg of lamb. With all due respect to my late grandmother, I am amending my last-meal appeal. Sorry, Mam-Maw, my last meal is coming from the French Laundry The beauty of eating a last [...]

The Dinner of A Lifetime

July 6th, 2009

In 2006, I invited three friends to join me at The French Laundry, in Yountville, CA, for what would turn out to be the dinner of a lifetime. The French Laundry is widely considered the nation’s finest restaurant, a reputation it has earned over the course of the last 15 years. I wrote about the [...]

Hunger at Home

June 30th, 2009

For over 25 years, the primary focus of my professional career has been food. In my personal life, food has played a major role, falling just behind faith, family, and friends. I create, prepare, and sell food for a living. When I’m not working, I’m traveling, eating, and writing about traveling and eating. I eat a lot. When [...]

Let the Riots Begin

June 21st, 2009

I’m no Nostradamus, but I am about to make a bold prediction: Within a matter of days this country will witness a take-it-to-the-streets rebellion and massive, frenzied uprising like we have never seen. Be warned: These riotous insurrections will occur instantly, without notice, and will quickly spread across every town and community in this country. [...]

Tennessee Top Ten

June 15th, 2009

My wife and I dropped the kids off at summer camp in Arkansas and then spent a week eating our way through Tennessee (summer camp for adults). Here are the top ten culinary highlights from the journey. 10.) BBQ Memphis— Actually, I had planned on eating bbq in Memphis, but we arrived too late and everything [...]

The Piney Woods Challenge

June 7th, 2009

Yesterday I drove a carload of kids— under the age of 12— on a seven-hour trek that ended in Arkansas’ Ouachita National Forrest so they could attend summer camp. Early on, the van was relatively calm. Most surprising, the van was quiet. I think it’s because my wife packed the snacks. The kids were munching [...]

Praline Bacon

June 1st, 2009

For the last few months I have been hearing about a dish called “Praline Bacon.” It was popping up in conversations, in emails, on websites, and inmagazines. I had never heard of Praline Bacon, so I took these randomoccurrences as a Celestine suggestion, and made a decision to lookinto this strange new food product. Of [...]