And now to focus on the humble side dish. It’s easy to spend a lot of thought and time on a showstopping main, or to build a meal around it. But a delicious side dish can make a meal special, and I even think it’s worth building the rest of the meal around a dish like this creamy orzo. Its great beside a simple roasted chicken or pork tenderloin, but you can serve it as the … [Read more...] about Roasted Garlic and Spinach Orzo
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Baby Potatoes in Garlic and Thyme Cream
The little baby potatoes I find at the farmers market are perfectly delicious, lovingly grown by local farmers. I frequently buy them when I am at the market planning a meal – great pastured steaks or burgers or freshly made sausages, whatever gorgeous vegetables are in season (asparagus, radishes, beautiful lettuces at this time of year) and some great fruit (strawberries … [Read more...] about Baby Potatoes in Garlic and Thyme Cream
Shrimp and Chorizo One Pot Pasta
The dark, chilly days of winter can bring on this sort of pall and lack of energy (or maybe that’s just this Southerner that doesn’t do well in the cold). I don’t feel as energized, motivated or creative. But mostly, more time in the house means more mess and more mess is more frustration. So a one pot, low mess, fewer dirty dishes dinner is just the thing. But that doesn’t … [Read more...] about Shrimp and Chorizo One Pot Pasta
Savory Oat Skirlie
I had a little cookbook years ago titled something like A Little Book of Scottish Recipes. I assume it must have been a gift or maybe I picked it up in a gift shop on a trip to Scotland. I don’t know what happened to it, but I don’t seem to own it anymore. It had a recipe for skirlie (though honestly, I’d forgotten the name) and it became a regular dinner for me when I was … [Read more...] about Savory Oat Skirlie
Savory Butternut and Sage Cheesecake
Savory cheesecake is a thing. A few years ago, in support of my cookbook Southern Snacks, I appeared on Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family show to make my country ham cheesecake, and everyone was rather surprised (and dubious) of the concept. I won them over however. I love a savory cheesecake – it’s a fabulous party piece. It serves a crowd, can be made ahead, and with … [Read more...] about Savory Butternut and Sage Cheesecake
