Sometimes, the side dishes are the best part of the meal. That’s where this comes from. I had a meal restaurant meal that was generally unremarkable, but for a dish ordered for the table as something of an afterthought. It inspired me. That dish was a slightly overwrought, oddly-shaped plate with a small swipe of béchamel sauce topped with roasted sweet potatoes and a … [Read more...] about Sweet Potato and Country Ham Gratin
Banana Brown Butter Bars
I’ll be completely honest here. I like banana bread, and this Bananas Foster Pound Cake is a champion. I like banana in cookies too. But I don’t much like a banana. Not straight up, right out of the peel. I think it is a texture thing. So I don’t really have bananas hanging around my house going brown just waiting to be turned into a delicious baked good. That is to … [Read more...] about Banana Brown Butter Bars
Brie Dip with Walnut Honey
As you’ve probably figured out by now, I have a thing about snacks. I love eating little bites of lots of things, and I love to entertain in a social, mobile way so people can enjoy delicious food but also mix and mingle with everyone in the room. I literally wrote the book on Southern Snacks. But not all my snacks are strictly Southern. The recipe here is for my favorite kind … [Read more...] about Brie Dip with Walnut Honey
Cane Syrup Pie
In the pantheon of Southern sweeteners, cane syrup ranks high for me. There is this earthy caramel note I adore. Cane syrup is made from a sugar cane breed, ribbon cane, that grows in the South. There are now farmers creating fantastic cane syrups using traditional methods that are well worth seeking out, and the more widely available Steen’s cane syrup is deep and … [Read more...] about Cane Syrup Pie
Glazed Double Almond Bars
I’m returning to a classic here. These are neither hip or new or with some special twist, they are just a recipe I have been making for years and return to when I need a little comfort. I love the old-fashioned taste of almond paste. I don’t now why exactly I say old fashioned, there is just something reminiscent about the rich, grainy, almond-y taste to me. I have no … [Read more...] about Glazed Double Almond Bars
