all photographs for this post courtesy of Suzie Richert
Yesterday was cooking demonstration day at the Wytheville Farmers Market and I got to be the Ol’ Rock’n Roll Chef one more time. Folks, I had a blast. I’d like to thank all of you who stopped by to say hello. It is truly gratifying to meet [...]

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Long of leaf, tender of stalk, and beautifully of green,
I rinse your stems with reverent hands
Before chopping and adding to the steam.
A few cups of water, a chunk of country ham, bring it all to boil.
Add some honey and cider vinegar when the liquid starts to roil.
Louisiana Hot Sauce, good sea salt and cracked-black to [...]

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HAD ENOUGH?

GETTIN’ BACK MY COUNTRY

For the last week or so, Hank, Jr.’s song, A Country Boy Can Survive, has been playing over and over in my head. Whereas I was born and bred in the briar patch, nearly 40 years of living in the Washington, DC, suburbs beat the country right out of me. This [...]

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In Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the Mock Turtle sings the praises of “soup of the evening, beautiful soup!” The very word soup conjures up a feeling of soothing comfort. And whereas chilled summer soups are just fine, it is the hearty winter soups that we most identify with.
Soup has been a part of [...]

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I don’t know if the seemingly inordinate number of morning spider webs I’ve been seeing lately means anything, like a hard winter, early frost, or anything like that, but they make some cool photos. Here are a couple for your perusal.

The Grits Mess
Anne tends to eat healthier than I do, particularly when it comes to [...]

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Literally translated, pappa al pomodoro, means “mush of tomato” in Italian. In this country, we know it as Tuscan Bread Soup. Tuscany is in central Italy and has an inland geography  much like our own. The region is noted for its grilled meats and hearty soups. This is the area that produces pecorino cheese and [...]

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