Alex Snodgrass and The Defined Dish
We sit in her backyard on this lovely, balmy September day in Dallas, Texas. As I devour my beautifully presented lunch, we talk about how much The Defined Dish has grown since it began at the start...
View ArticleMatt Russo and The Gambling Stick BBQ Trailer
According to Matt Russo, “a gambling stick is an old Appalachian name for a stick used to hang a pig from the limb of a tree. Threaded through the heels of the pig, the stick supports its weight while...
View ArticleErin Donnelly – What Exactly is Kombucha?
Strolling into the Rayback Collective on a bright, sunny morning, I spot an eclectic array of food trucks, bikers sipping coffee around a fire pit, folks clicking laptops at community work tables, and...
View ArticleAshlea Carver Adams – All the Healthy Things
At the height of the pandemic, when grocery staples were in short supply, my husband returned home from the market. He plopped three packages of chicken wings on the kitchen counter. “They were out of...
View ArticlePumpkin in the Kitchen
Colorful trees, crunchy leaves, pretty mums on doorsteps… When the calendar flips to October, I turn to all-things pumpkin. I love the cozy and delicious smells of cinnamon and nutmeg and vanilla...
View ArticleFeast Your Eyes on These Beautiful Cookbooks
As we usher in the season of more cooking and eating and gathering (in small, socially distant groups, of course), I bring you cookbooks. Here are a few favorites for everyday or special cooking. And...
View ArticleFestive Holiday Cookies
I’m somewhat of a cookie monster. I love to bake them, gift them, eat them. Really, what can be better on a cold December morning than holiday cookies and coffee for breakfast? Maybe that’s why—when...
View ArticleCindy Wall – Cooking Through COVID-19
Nowadays, most of us spend more time in the kitchen. Flour and butter are in short supply. Fancy mixers and food processors are tough to find. We take advantage of our extra hours at home to prepare...
View ArticleDate Night Dinners
We’re not big on going out on Valentine’s Day, but we try to make it a special night in. Besides, as a dear friend likes to say, “Every day is Valentine’s Day!” I’m not sure what’s on our menu yet, but...
View ArticleJenny Rosenstrach – Dinner A Love Story
My mission this summer? Pile our dinner plates high with vegetables and plant-based proteins. All the wonderful farm stands around Nashville make my goal easier. And so does Jenny Rosenstrach. Continue...
View ArticleKelly Dallas – Napa Valley Bartender
At Solbar, inside the stunning Solage Resort in Napa Valley, bartender Kelly Dallas placed a concoction in front of me, unlike anything I'd ever seen in a cocktail glass. With swirling bubbles and...
View ArticleWhat Do You Do With a Food Processor?
In 2019, I had more time than ever to cook and experiment in the kitchen. I enjoyed my new hobby and, when my birthday rolled around, I announced I was treating myself to a food processor. Never mind I...
View ArticleAnne Byrn – The Cake Mix Doctor
Long before we met, Anne Byrn's face was familiar to me. In 1999, The Cake Mix Doctor, featuring Anne's smiling image and flavorful ways to create magic with a box of cake mix, sold in Costco, Target,...
View ArticleThe Comfortable Kitchen – A Cookbook Review
I thank Alex Snodgrass for coaxing me back into the kitchen. Through the recipes on her blog, The Defined Dish—which utilize pantry staples and other items I might not otherwise try—I fell in love...
View ArticleKaty McAvoy and Two Summer Mocktails
I’m always excited when restaurants include signature mocktails on their menus. Although I enjoy a good drink with alcohol, sometimes I’d rather skip the spirits. Yes, I can order sparkling water or...
View ArticleKelley Teckman – Food Stylist
A few years ago, I had lunch with an author who was in Nashville to promote her new cookbook. I wondered, after a late night flight, how she’d organized and prepared the dishes she’d cooked on an early...
View ArticleBrett Swayn – Training for Homeless Men
“You can’t spend a weekend with someone seriously ill and grasp what they’re going through,” says Brett Swayn. “I never understood the depths of despair homeless men face….until I was homeless myself.”...
View ArticleAnne Elizabeth McIntosh – Luxury Concierge
Several years ago, Anne Elizabeth McIntosh and I chatted on a sunny Florida beach. Ours was the polite conversation people have when neighboring umbrellas and beach chairs are close to one another....
View ArticleSusansnaps Cookies
In their final days of school, most college seniors celebrate with friends, prepare to start jobs, or plan where their adult lives will take them. But, two weeks shy of her Auburn University...
View ArticleAngela Roberts – Egg Roll in a Bowl
As a young girl, Angela Roberts tagged along with her “fussy grandmother” on outings to the farmer’s market and the local Italian food shop. “My grandmother was ahead of her time, cooking with clean,...
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