It's nice to have a really hearty, hot dip as part of the spread when the ravenous football hordes are hungry. This is a jazzed up version of a classic sausage dip recipe, with warm, winter flavor. Zesty Italian sausage with the bite of fennel is paired with woodsy sage and creamy, nutty fontina cheese, with a little kick of salty Parmesan to round it out. Don’t skimp on the … [Read more...] about Italian Sausage Dip with Fontina and Sage
Snacks And Starters
Bacon Crackers
Making homemade crackers is one of the little culinary secrets I love so much. It never occurs to most people that making your own is something that can or would be done. But it is easy to do and pretty impressive when you serve homemade crackers. It took me awhile to get where I wanted to go with making my own crackers. I read and sampled a lot of … [Read more...] about Bacon Crackers
Cookies for the King (Banana Cookies with a Peanut Butter Glaze)
January 8th is Elvis’s birthday. If you grew up in Memphis, you know that. For my 25th birthday (quite a few years ago, and not in January), I had a big party. At Graceland. The party was in the large lobby of the ticket pavilion, decorated (by Graceland) in pink, black and turquoise balloons. We ate barbecue and danced to an amazing retro band called The Bouffants. It … [Read more...] about Cookies for the King (Banana Cookies with a Peanut Butter Glaze)
Omelets in the Bag
Bag omelets, as we call them, are a favorite project for my family. The family legend behind this is that my Dad was watching some sort of hunting and fishing outdoor program on a Sunday afternoon and they demonstrated these as a campfire cooking idea. Dad called my Mom into watch, and they were so intrigued, they made them that night. Well, they couldn’t stop talking about … [Read more...] about Omelets in the Bag
Milk Punch and Cookies
Milk Punch has roots in New Orleans, with a history as a hair-of-the-dog remedy. In fact, my best milk punch memory is enjoying a bit too much at a wonderful wedding brunch in New Orleans. And now, that bride makes milk punch for a Christmas party every year. I have to admit though, I make it differently from my friend. I’ve had milk punch that is just milk and bourbon … [Read more...] about Milk Punch and Cookies






