Summer is a great time for salads. This refreshing combination of watermelon, tomatoes, mint and feta is a winner.

Brining meats is a great way to add flavor and moisture

Everyone loves pasta! It just makes you feel good. We have recently discovered the beautiful and delicious pastas made by Stephanie Fees in Lynchburg, VA. Her company, Scratch Pasta, uses Virginia grown wheat in the campanelle. It is toothsome and tasty! This recipe for Italian sausage and peppers over campanelle uses peppers in sauce from […]

Like many of you I have been participating in virtual happy hours with my friends from near and far. It is a great way to connect and boost our spirits. We all have our go-to drinks. At a time when we’re all suffering from cabin fever why not try something new? Here are a few […]

Changing a sauce or marinade in a menu can make your old stand bys taste fresh and new.

Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Because of the COVID quarantine many of us will not be able to share the special day with our mothers. What we can celebrate are the dishes that we grew up with that make us feel good. My mother is an excellent cook, and I learned a lot […]

We are living in a surreal world right now. It is comforting to gather around the table to enjoy meals as a family. I find cooking to be very therapeutic, especially now. I have been making an extra effort to support my local fishmonger and use as many Appalachian ingredients as I can . With […]

Cooking with local ingredients is healthy and fun.

Shake up your holiday baking this year! Do a little of the unexpected.

This is not a new idea. My grandfather used to add a pinch of salt to his beer. I thought this was disgusting as a kid. He was smart. Salt smooths out the hoppy bitterness of beer. People love dirty martinis for a reason. The saltiness of the olive brine cuts the sharpness of the […]