I recently had (gasp!) new comments on a very old, abandoned blog of mine. 

No, not this one, though the accusation is fair.

Back when I was in culinary school, and not otherwise present on social media, I decided to keep my family and friends up to speed via weird, spor...

My arms are covered in scars.  Some are fresh and pink.  Some are years old, but forever a part of me. 

People who don't know me, or who aren't familiar with my work, sometimes wonder about them - and me.  But food industry folks always know, these marks are b...

Here in the Deep South, people may be Catholic or Baptist, or die hard SEC football fans, but the unedited truth is, food is our religion. It is the heart and soul of all we do, from birth to death, in every consolation and celebration, it brings us together and solid...

It is difficult to cook single meals on a regular basis. It can be more work than it's worth, more expensive than grabbing something on the go, and good luck purchasing only enough fresh ginger or paprika to try out a new recipe without being saddled with the task of f...

Not to be cliche, but it's a conflicted time of year, isn't it?  A lot of us struggle financially, and just in the day to day stress of it all.  Emotions run high. The holidays, the year drawing to a close, they can bring into focus things we somehow manage to sweep in...

These are devisive times- from social rights to foreign policy, morality to dress codes, there is something for everyone to protest.
Though it may not change the course of world events, I come across people on a daily basis who speak with as much conviction about food...

(The before)

It took a long time to find this space. Not only a roof under which to place my business, but this little beach town, among these quirky, talented, resilient people. And THIS - this space in my head and heart, in this life that inspires and serves me, and a...

There has been a recent trend in public conversation and social media toward more transparency about the struggles of the service industry lifestyle and its effects on us as professionals and individuals. It's a trend I feel is decades overdue- there is so much they do...

There are some things to which people in my line of business may or may not admit.  We are, after all, prideful and tough. Untouchable.  

But for me, sharing is the motivation behind most of what I do in the kitchen. So today, for better or worse, I choose to...

Today I flew from New Orleans to Portland.

 I saw an alligator crossing a major thoroughfare on the way to the airport, at 3a.m. I got a full pat down going through security.  A woman next to me on the flight had her ferret with her.  I watched the remnants of Hurricane...