July 28, 2018: Celebrating 25 years with Mikel Lane Herrington, my truly better half. This is where it all began. My friend Adele was visiting from New York, coming to town for the Spoleto Festival, which Gian Carlo Menotti had dubbed “The Festival of Joy” that year — joyous for him, probably, because he had rid the festival of his detractors and adversaries, and because the unfinished one-act opera of the 83-year-old...

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July 5, 2018; Savannah, GA: When my “son” Scot Hinson said that he was going to bring a peach pie to our 4th of July festivities, I was reminded of how closely related peaches are to almonds, and how the interior of the peach pit, though slightly poisonous, has an intensely almond flavor. Following historical recipes, I use those little nutty nuggets in my peach ice cream. Mikel, my husband, has taken to using almond milk on his...

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June 12, 2010; New Orleans: It’s been 8 years since I gave this talk at the first BEANS + RICE conference presented by the Historic New Orleans Collection and the Ray Charles Program at Dillard University.  The “Culinary and Cultural Odyssey” was a day-long event featuring talks by scholars, professors, a documentary filmmaker, culinary historians, a grower, a distributor, chefs, an archaeologist, a curator, and food and...

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 17, 2018 For more information, contact: Sarah Bonnoitt, Horry-Georgetown Technical College. 843-655-9214. sarah.bonnoitt@hgtc.edu  John Martin Taylor Donates Personal Book Collection International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach, College of Charleston receive hundreds of publications from revered author’s collection (Myrtle Beach) Culinary historian, author, artist and photographer John Martin Taylor, also known...

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March 24, 2018; Savannah GA: There over 500  varieties of mangoes, but outside the tropics, you rarely see more than a few. I have had insanely delicious mangoes in the Caribbean, Mexico, Africa, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, but I love the so-called Champagne mangoes (left) that are in season now. Also variously known as Ataúlfo,  young, baby, yellow, honey, Adaulfo, or Adolfo, this rich, sweet, smooth-textured variety is grown in Mexico....

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March 7, 2018. Savannah GA: I have written about both asparagus and shad roe (see March 24, 2008)  on the blog before, but when they are both in season (like now!), I cannot resist having as much as possible. I still think my mother’s asparagus recipe (right) is the best.  It promises to “Keep warm — keep crisp — keep green.” And it does. Garnish as you will.  A little butter or olive oil. Hollandaise. Romesco....

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