For Valentine’s Day, one can never go wrong with chocolate. I have a decadent dessert for you that gives you a double dose of chocolate -- intense bittersweet chocolate mousse in a chocolate filigreed cup.

This versatile root vegetable is a fundamental southern food, finding itself on many a menu throughout the state and walking the diverse flavor profile line between sweet and savory.

Cheese straws are part of the Southern experience. A staple in Southern entertaining, the cheese straw is mandatory at receptions, showers, and potlucks, and at Christmas time, the straw invariably finds its way into decorated tins for gift-giving. Most every Southerner’s grandmother had a recipe for cheese straws, usually handwritten on a 3- x 5-inch […]

After enjoying the requisite turkey and stuffing with giblet gravy, sweet potato casserole, the ubiquitous green bean casserole, optional ham, and buttery rolls, Rosie is foregoing the pumpkin pie this year.

Fall fruits are at their peak and there’s nothing better than buttery pears -- slightly floral with subtle citrus notes, delicate on your tongue, and overflowing with sweet juiciness. I have a trio of pear recipes

In culinary terms, “a la Caprese” denotes a preparation of some of the most notable ingredients in Italian cuisine - tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil, which, not coincidentally, represent the colors of the Italian flag.

July through August finds me coming up with all sorts of fig recipes to accommodate the deluge of figs from my prolific trees. I’ve made fig ice cream, fig newtons, sticky figgy buns, fig sauce, fig tarts, and all manner of fig appetizers, but I think my all-time favorite is my “figcaccia,” a focaccia with […]

I always like it when whatever I’m cooking comes with a history, and the Limousin area has an interesting story to tell. One can prepare an entire meal from Limousin and its capital, Limoges.

When the temperatures outside start rising, I start cooling off with light, bright, and refreshing salads, and nothing cools like a cucumber. A cool cucumber is the perfect foil for hot weather and hot food.

With the weather warming up, Rosie tend to lighten up my meals and turn to the ever-versatile salad. Her celery salad offers sweet, sour, heat, crunch, bitter, and salty all in one bite. It’s a side dish that shines.

When springtime rolls around, Rosie Hawthorne looks for light, colorful meals.  These seared scallops served with a cauliflower purée and a bright vegetable medley fit the bill perfectly.

To be honest, I’ve never been much of a breakfast person; however, I make an exception for these waffles with fruit syrup. They are made with yeast, so start the batter the night before and let it rise overnight.