Clay and I both love freshly cooked shrimp, which results in this versatile crustacean making its way to the centerpiece of many of our weekly entrees. We grill them for salads, stir-fry them with bok choy and Asian greens, brush them with BBQ sauce, add…

Shrimp and grits is thought to have originated in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, having been known as “breakfast grits”, by fisherman and laborers who found this an economical and hearty dish to sustain them during their long days. This basic meal gained in popularity and soon…

If you want to add a little “Southern flare” to your menu, the addition of some chow chow will definitely do the trick. Many food historians believe that this condiment found its way to the American South during the late 18th century via the Acadians…

Zydeco is a festive fusion of musical genres, cultural influences, and sounds of celebrations. It is colorfully expressed through a melange of music styles-including Blues, Caribbean, and Gospel-and most often use an accordion, washboard, and guitar as lead acoustics. Originally performed at home parties, dance…

It can be said that succotash is very, very, American. The Native Americans originally introduced this melange of vegetables and legumes to the colonists in the early 17th century, as many of the items-especially corn-were unknown to them, having never been produced in Europe. The…

Pickapeppa, (also known as “Jerk Marinade” or “Jamaican Ketchup”), is a staple in many Southern pantries. Clay’s Mom used it for a variety of things, including spooning it over soften cream cheese to make a quick appetizer served with crackers, or as a sauce or…

Green bean soup was one of my favorites while growing up in western Nebraska. During early fall we would harvest a bounty of fresh green beans and dill from our summer garden, and it seemed there was always, (at minimum), a ten-pound bag of potatoes…

I love the taste of rye bread. It has a deep, lightly roasted flavor with a faint earthy aroma, especially when it’s warm goodness wafts from the oven or it’s just been toasted and slathered with softened butter! Mmmm! … Ok, I’m back. I just…

These tasty little packages have many aliases across the Midwest. Whether you call them a krautburger, runza, bierock, krautrunz, or kraut pirok, these delicious yeast-bread envelopes are most commonly filled with a combination of sautéed onions, cabbage and/or sauerkraut, ground beef, and simple seasonings of…

I would guess that everyone loves at least one tradition. The BBQ on the 4th of July, the mint julep during the Kentucky Derby, the turkey-and each guest’s requisite sides-on Thanksgiving, can all conjure up heart-warming memories while simultaneously placing smiles on our faces. Fond…