Chow-Chow & Soul™

Now I know some of you think I may be immune to kitchen faux pas, but believe me every now and then I experience an oops. I’ve been in a NOLA state of mind from Mardi Gras posts on social media, food photos from chefs and food enthusiasts and chats about culinary doyenne Leah Chase. […]

It’s all about hearts, the symbol of love. I ♥ you, you’re my sweetheart, my heart beats for you, you’re my heartthrob, and without you I’m heartbroken. Celebrate loving and being loved with this mouthwatering heart-healthy dessert. I know it looks indulgent, but it isn’t. Lemon Pound Cake 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking […]

If you’re hosting the holiday meal, it‘s time to give serious thought to prep and cooking of the turkey if you’re dishing up a menu of turkey plus the fixins’. One of the biggest snafus that can come with the signature meal is failure to completely thaw the turkey. To avoid facing the icy challenge […]

According to the food calendar, we are in the midst of National Pasta Month. In my book pasta is always good from mac ‘n cheese, to ravioli to spaghetti with meat sauce, you can’t go wrong with pasta. This robust red sauce is one to keep on hand– I usually make a double batch keeping […]

Our family has had a couple of pitmasters that know what to do with a slab of ribs—my brother Tony and Uncle Ellie.  Uncle Ellie is now throwing down and grilling with friends and family in heaven, but we do have finger-lickin’ memories of ‘cue from Ellie’s grill. The family specialties include pork and lamb […]

It’s National Soul Food Month and folks must look toward eating and being healthier. There is greater awareness of the many health challenges faced by African Americans—diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity.  We need to increase consumption of many traditional soul foods. The foods are not unhealthy, it’s how we adorn the food […]

I’ve heard a lot of chatter about soul food and health. Some folks have even banished it from their diets. As a soul food enthusiast and one who celebrates the heritage and history of these foods and their contribution to the American menu, I reached out to a health pro for the 411 to set […]

June is National Soul Food Month. This is the 15th annual celebration of the heritage and foodways of African Americans and peoples from the African diaspora. The yearly recognition grew out of the 2001 Chicago area conference hosted by the Culinary Historians of Chicago. In working on the conference, I realized we needed to celebrate […]

You know I come from a family of really good cooks and bakers. My interest and affection for creating good things to eat is in my genes. Today is National Apple Pie Day but in our family apple pie can show up almost any day. This pie is good stand alone, add  ice cream and […]

I get a lot of questions about food –how to cook, what to cook, what’s for dinner and what’s on my family menu for the holiday of the month. One of the most consistent threads in these chats is the cook’s time. Keeping an eye on the cook’s time management I often look for dishes, […]