Vidalia Spread

I grew up in Vidalia country and enjoy the famous sweet onions in nearly everything. I still get excited to see the first green tops peeping through the sandy soil, a hint of the coming onion season. This ultra-rich dip, served warm, is always a part of my menu when friends visit.

Spicy Icebox Pickles

Spicy Icebox Pickles

Icebox refers to pickles that stay in the refrigerator, instead of those that are canned and ready for months of storage in your pantry. These pickles are fresh and crisp, all while being very easy to make. For the thinnest slices of cucumbers, try using a mandoline.

Heirloom Tomato Sandwich Bites

Baby showers, garden clubs, and summer parties just got better with these little, bitty open-faced tomato sandwiches. If possible, use different colors of heirloom tomatoes to really make them showstopping. Don’t let the tomato and bread scraps go to waste. Make a summer panzanella.

Atlantic Shrimp and Grits

Atlantic Shrimp and Grits

I fell in love with shrimp and grits while living in Charleston, South Carolina, where I attended culinary school. On trips back home to Georgia, I’d bring a cooler of fresh shrimp. My grandmother Tom would stand on one side of the stove stirring the grits while I peeled the shrimp on the other side.…

Apricot and Honeyed Pecan Bites

Apricot and Honeyed Pecan Bites

One-bite appetizers allow people to mingle freely and nibble and are ideally passed at parties as guests are just arriving. Dainty yet satisfying, these are easy to eat and beautiful on a serving platter. The cheese should be sliced to fit neatly on top of the apricots. When herbs are starting to flower in the…

Brazilian Fried Chicken

Supposedly the first ruler of Brazil often requested this peasant fried chicken dish, frango á passarinho, instead of the royal dishes he was usually offered. Walk into a bar in Brazil for happy hour and the menu will likely include a version of frango á passarinho, still popular today. It is time-consuming to cut a…