Category Archives: Weekly Column

I have often wondered what it must have been like to have attended the Beatles first live performance as a group at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in 1961. I would have loved to have been in the gallery on the 18th green at Tiger Woods’ first PGA win at the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational.Continue reading “Next Up in New Orleans”

For the 25 years I have written in this space I have always reserved the final column inches of the year to reflect on the top 10 meals I enjoyed over the previous 12 months. Here is this year’s list. Honorable Mentions Poke Bowl, Oka, Barberino-Tavarnelle, Tuscany— the best poke I have ever eaten wasContinue reading “Robert’s Top 10 of 2023”

Everyone has a favorite holiday. Many of my friends are partial to Halloween. They have fond memories of trick-or-treating through the neighborhoods of their youth and still dress in costume every time October 31st rolls around. Several people I know are fond of Thanksgiving, mostly because hunting season is cranking up and the deer campContinue reading “The Currency of Christmas”

Let’s talk about failures. The holiday season may seem like a peculiar time to air personal disappointments but stick with me. My father died when I was a small child. An even more unorthodox way to begin an inspirational pre-Christmas column, but that event still holds as the worst thing that ever happened to me.Continue reading “Not Your Typical, Everyday, Run-Of-The-Mill Christmas Message”

They buried my cousin last week. He was sent to his reward with full military honors in one of the more unique funeral services I have attended, but we’ll cover those details further down the page. Let’s look at the man. Jim Longino was a distant cousin. Neither of us ever knew exactly how weContinue reading “Cousin Jim”

It is said that Texans have an unparalleled pride for their state. My wife grew up there and my father-in-law is from there. Though I find it hard to believe any Texan would have more affection for their state than I have for mine. I love Mississippi. I could spend my remaining column inches listingContinue reading “Mississippians Feeding Mississippians”

There are a lot of factors that go into the process of writing, testing, re-testing, editing, photographing, re-editing, styling, re-re-editing, publishing, marketing, and distributing a cookbook. It’s a process I’ve become quite familiar with over the past two decades. Though the word “factors” is slightly misleading. The correct terminology should be “people.” My latest cookbook,Continue reading “It Takes a Village (or at least a dedicated team)”

BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, TUSCANY— It could be said— and probably has often been said— that I am a slow learner. It took me almost 40 years to even get an inkling of meaning and purpose in my life. It’s not that I was wandering around aimlessly for four decades. I was set on my career path andContinue reading “All In the Family”

BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE— This week will mark the final week of my most recent work stint in Italy. I host tours in this country, and a few other European countries, 10-12 weeks out of the year. This seven-week, five-tour journey started in Rome before meeting my first group in Sicily. After that tour was complete, I flewContinue reading “From A Hot Dog Cart”