Author Archives: Robert

While walking into a convenience store the other day I noticed a homemade sign posted near the entrance that read, “Do you want to help your state and community recover from the recession faster? BUY LOCAL! Avoid letting your dollars make other states stronger.” Whereas I agree with the general intent of the statement, IContinue reading “Local”

Q: Can a person grow homesick for a place he lived for only 10 weeks? A: Yes. I have been missing Italy lately, specifically Tuscany. I have spent the last two weeks cooking regional Italian dishes for a new supplemental menu at our Italian restaurant, Tabella. While my body has been behind the stove, myContinue reading “Homesick for Italy”

“What is your favorite thing to cook?” That is a question that I have fielded for 25 years. Last night, while cooking for a woman’s 50th birthday in Demopolis, Ala., I was asked the question again. While visiting the host table between courses the guest of honor inquired, “What’s your favorite thing to cook?” “Usually,Continue reading “Chocolate Chip Pancakes”

How many cat head biscuits can a man eat in one sitting? There are two legitimate types of biscuits in this world: City biscuits and country biscuits, all others are derivatives of the two or store-bought imposters. City biscuits are the like the ones my grandmother made. They were small, slightly salty, delicate, and light.Continue reading “Cat Head Biscuits”

The South Mississippi of the 1960s and 1970s— the Mississippi of my childhood— didn’t lend itself to adventurous dining and exotic ingredients. However, there were two locations where my palette was expanded: Trips to New Orleans with my mother, and dinners at my grandmother’s house. My grandmother hosted weekly lunches after church, and went “allContinue reading “Salad”

A few years ago I received a call from the Edwards Street Fellowship Center in my hometown of Hattiesburg, Miss. The small, almost all-volunteer facility feeds over 800 families every month. They were out of food and needed help. I figured the quickest, easiest way to help Edwards Street would be to call my SyscoContinue reading “Extra Table— A Progress Report”

My culinary career has taken me all over the world. I have been in Asia, Europe, Central America, Mexico, and almost every major city in the continental United States from coast to coast. But one of the most exciting and memorable professional experiences I have enjoyed took place in Pascagoula, Miss., just 90 miles fromContinue reading “The U.S.S. Mississippi”

I am blessed with convenience. So much so that I probably take the ease of daily American life for granted. My kids asked for pancakes for breakfast the other day, so I went to the grocery store and bought a pint of buttermilk. It was an effortless and enjoyable experience that took all of 15Continue reading “Bowling for Buttermilk”

This column turns 12-years old this month. For almost a dozen years I have written approximately 750 words each week, never missing a week. That’s almost half of a million words (and almost that many pounds gained and lost, as my weight tends to fluctuate with the seasons and the travel schedule). It’s the sameContinue reading “Milestones, Deadlines, Longman & Eagle”