Author Archives: Robert

Small-Town Pancakes I love living in the South. As far as my literary agent in New York is concerned, I live in a small Southern town. In reality, I live in a medium-to-large-sized town by Southern standards. Whether my metropolitan area is large, medium, or small, there are two events each year that make meContinue reading “Southern Advice”

Mississippi is full of unsung heroes. The problem with unsung heroes is inherent in the name. they mostly go unsung. The high-profile types get a lot of credit- all deserved- for helping others. There are tens of thousands of unrewarded heroes out there who fall between the cracks. Not as long as I have theseContinue reading “Unsung Heroes”

True story: A woman once called the Butterball Hotline to find out how long it would take to roast her turkey. The hotline worker asked how much the bird weighed. The woman responded, “I don’t know, it’s still running around outside.” The holidays offer no respite for idiots. The following are actual questions asked ofContinue reading “Butterball Hotline”

Mississippi’s literary history is well documented and recognized nationwide, from Mr. Faulkner to Walker Percy, Willie Morris, Eudora Welty, and John Grisham. The blues were invented here and musicians from Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Willie Dixon, and Robert Johnson have called Mississippi home. The father of Country music, Jimmy Rogers, along with Faith Hill, CharlieContinue reading “The Mississippi Culinary Hall of Fame”

It’s cookbook testing time, again. Last week I started a new diet. This week I started the recipe-testing phase for a new cookbook. Testing recipes and watching calories go together like the New Orleans Saints and the Super Bowl, never the twain shall meet. Last spring I signed a three-book deal with Hyperion books inContinue reading “Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go On A Diet….”

Last week I invited my eight-year old daughter on a date. It was the first in what I hope will become a quarterly event. No mom, no wife, no brother, no son, just my daughter and me. Earlier in the day I made a reservation at the Purple Parrot Café. I told them to giveContinue reading “A Different Kind of Date”

Last week I was the featured speaker at a ladies luncheon club. A nice-sized group of 50 ladies were in attendance. The meeting was held in the formal living room of a stately 100-year old home in Brookhaven. Before the speech, the ladies were served tea, cheese straws, and finger sandwiches. It was a TripleContinue reading “A Formal Afternoon at the Triple-L Ranch”

My four-year old son used to be an extremely rowdy restaurant customer. Early on, he screamed like a banshee while eating in restaurants. Later, during his terrible twos, he graduated to holding conversations with customers seated at surrounding tables while they were hopelessly trying to finish their meal. Today, in terms of enjoying a peacefulContinue reading “Bathroomitis and the Joys of Lavender Soap”

Last week Austin Leslie, the creator of Creole-Soul food and a true New Orleans culinary journeyman, died in Atlanta. He was 71. Leslie, who most recently manned the stoves at Pampy’s Creole Kitchen, was best known for his groundbreaking Creole Soul-food restaurant Chez Helene and his world-class fried chicken. I met Leslie while he wasContinue reading “The Loss of A Legend”