Category Archives: Uncategorized

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”

There are many components that contribute to making Mississippi a great place to live. We have clean air, clean water, a right-to-work policy, a relatively low cost of living, and several effective and efficient transportation corridors. In many ways, Mississippi is an economic development director’s dream pitch. Though what an economic developer might not beContinue reading “A Life of Wonderfulness”

How far will you drive for a favorite food item or a meal? My answer is easy: 112 miles. That’s exactly how far I live from New Orleans. I grew up eating in and around the Crescent City. My mother took my brother and me there, often. Her main haunts in those days were Galitoire’s,Continue reading “Road Trip Meals”

I have had a lifelong love-hate relationship with donuts. Actually, “hate” would be the wrong word. I have never hated donuts. No one hates donuts. Donuts are awesome. It’s just that in my younger days I could eat all of the donuts I wanted and easily slip into a pair of 28-inch waist blue jeans.Continue reading “Day-Old Donuts”

My town is still. The roads are quiet. Business is slow. Many people have retreated to their vacation homes for the summer. Some own vacation homes on the beach. All year long they dream of sand, surf, and the smell of salty air. It’s a place where they can get away from the daily grindContinue reading “Porch Retreat”

The Facebook warning stated “Beware of holes in the bottom of your soft-shell crab!” With an opening statement such as that, the author is almost certain to get a click from me. I bit. I have been cooking, serving, or eating soft-shell crab all of my life and I’ve never noticed a hole in theContinue reading “Local Seafood”

I am accustomed to travel challenges, but Hattiesburg to Chicago and back in 36 hours with two stints at one of the world’s largest trade gatherings— The National Restaurant Association Show— is a beast. The return flight to Jackson was a late one, so I called my friend, David Trigiani. “My flight will be inContinue reading “A Late-Night Restoration”

One of the greatest surprises of my adult life is that quicksand hasn’t played a larger role.   As a kid I was a fan of Tarzan. What’s not to like? He lived in a really cool tree house, had a chimpanzee as a pet, and a smoking hot British girlfriend who swung from vinesContinue reading “Quicksand”