Category Archives: Uncategorized

After 18 years of parenting I assumed that I had encountered every emotion that goes along with the job. There is the sheer joy and elation that occurs during birth in the maternity room at the hospital, the first word, the first time a daughter says, “daddy,” the pride that is involved when she standsContinue reading “Notes From A 25% Ham Disciple”

There was absolutely nothing I wanted to watch on any of the 700 channels I receive as a part of my television viewing package. Nevertheless, I kept a death grip on the remote and continued to flip through channels, mindlessly, hopeful that something would catch my interest. Somewhere in the 200s a program on oneContinue reading “The Perfect Eating Machine”

This past weekend I was in Starkville, Mississippi to visit my daughter— a freshman in college— and to catch a football game. Sunday morning my friend Steve and I ventured out for breakfast. I knew it was going to be a challenge on a busy game weekend to find a place that wasn’t packed, andContinue reading “The Liar’s Table”

At a dinner party at my friend Beth’s house several years ago I was visiting with my lifelong friend Tommy. We were standing at the kitchen island taking about kids, business, and sports while taking turns carving up a block of cream cheese that had some type of sweet pepper sauce on it accompanied byContinue reading “It Ain’t A Party Until Someone Breaks Out A Block Of Cream Cheese”

The American culinary scene lost a true icon last week. Legendary Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme was an original: an innovator, an uber-talented chef, a larger-than-life television personality, a best-selling author, a successful restaurateur and a crack marketer and businessman. It’s hard to imagine these days, but prior to 1980, one couldn’t have a “legitimate” restaurantContinue reading “Chef Paul”

Theme restaurants seem to be on the wane. Most of them reached their peak in the 1990s. Though it’s probably considered a theme restaurant today, Hard Rock Café was a legit independent in London in the 1970s when a couple of ex-pats— who were having trouble finding a good hamburger— opened up a small American/rock-and-rollContinue reading “Round-Table Restaurants”

Everyone has “that friend” who is distinctively unique, opinionated, not afraid to speak his/her mind, and not afraid to call someone out— and to tell them about it— when they think they are wrong. I married a person like that. I also have a friend like that. “That friend” for me is David Trigiani, andContinue reading “Trigiani”

Question of the day: Is there ever a social situation where its OK to lick one’s fingers?

Of all of the interesting and evocative aromas in the world, campfires and the smell of a fireplace are easily in my top five. There is something that appeals to the hundreds of thousands of years of my primal heredity in me that loves the smell of fire. As the weather begins to cool weContinue reading “Gather 'Round the Campfire”