Category Archives: Uncategorized

    1 pound  sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded 1 pound Swiss cheese, finely shredded 1 tsp dry mustard 1 /4 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1 /4 tsp hot sauce 1 /2 tsp fresh minced garlic 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 cup dark beer   Place all ingredients into bowl of electric mixer andContinue reading “Kentucky Beer Cheese”

  During a six-month journey through 17 European countries I ate breakfast in many different locales. When we were on a fast-paced leg of the journey, and I only had one morning in a certain town or country, I would hit the streets and try to find the best bakery in the neighborhood or vicinity.Continue reading “World-Class Croissants & Mardi Gras”

  Sometimes it’s the smallest things that make a huge difference. When our second restaurant, Crescent City Grill, opened, we added a roast beef po-boy to the menu. I patterned it after the roast beef po-boys I had eaten all of my life in New Orleans. Actually, that’s not 100% accurate. I patterned it afterContinue reading “Pass the Pickles”

When I got in my truck to drive to work this morning, the temperature gauge read 27 degrees. Somehow a Mississippi 27 seems colder than a Colorado or New York 27. Maybe it’s the humidity. Maybe it’s that I’m wearing Mississippi clothes and not Colorado clothes. Driving to work I began to think about howContinue reading “Food + Weather”

    On December 27, 1987 the world was much different than it is today. The Berlin Wall was still standing, so were the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Cellular phones— for the few who might have had one— were large and hard-wired to automobiles (unless you carried one around in a largeContinue reading “One Score and Five Years Ago…”

      When I opened the door to my office the other day the aroma hit me right away.  It took about two seconds to decipher the origin of the smoky fragrance and I hoped it was coming from the room that houses my desk in the back of the building.   The officeContinue reading “The Perfect Gift”

    Quick, what was the most memorable Christmas present you ever received?   Time’s up. What was it? A watch? A new bicycle? A trip to a far and exotic land?   As I sit here at my desk, looking back on 51 Christmases, the answer that popped into my head immediately was notContinue reading “Easy Bake 2012”

    During the holiday season we think of food. Maybe I should restate that. During the holiday season I think of food. Over the 12 years I’ve been writing this column, the subject matter around this time of year always centers on holiday food. I have written long treatises about adding marshmallows to sweetContinue reading “Hunger Knows No Season”

  What makes a good trip? Whether one is traveling a few hundred miles from home or overseas, there are certain key factors that make a trip enjoyable, productive, and successful. Location? Absolutely. A trip to North Dakota in February is probably not going to be as enjoyable as an April visit to Mikonos. IsContinue reading “Travel”