Drink
Match Made in (Mouthwatering) Heaven
One great thing about high-gravity beer is that (much like its higher-alcohol cousin, wine) it pairs wonderfully with food. And as with pairing food and wine, there are some general …
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Sweet, Sweet Beer
“I’d kill everyone in this room for one drop of sweet, sweet beer.” —Homer Simpson
Business
Apron Strings to Executive Chef
Nick Wallace told me stories as we drove to Edwards in April. There were gardens to see and people to meet, and all of them had a history.
Business
Craig Noone's Unfinished Business
People leave unfinished business. Sometimes they just move on to other projects. Or they meet with tragedy, leaving others to complete the unfinished business. It is the living who follow …
Everything's Better On a Stick
What is it about the simple act of putting something on a stick that just makes it irresistible? Is it the convenience of having an easy way to transport food …
Happy Delicious Birthday to You
A little over a year ago, I got a call from Jackson Free Press Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd asking if I had heard about the new restaurant called Parlor Market being …
New Football Year Resolutions
All that hoopla back at the first of January was just practice. The real new year starts now with the beginning of football season, when everyone is undefeated and hope …
Cooking
Farm To Table
It sounds like such a simple concept. Farmers grow food; restaurants cook and serve food; customers eat food. If only it were that simple. Competing forces of regulation, supply and …
Pop-up in Paradise
Jimmy Buffet sang about them. Wimpy ate 'em with abandon (and would gladly pay you Tuesday for one today), and 86 percent of Americans ordered at least one last year.
Restraint and Love
Ordering "bangers and mash" is cooler than asking a waiter for sausage and mashed potatoes. Way cooler. Kind of like it's cooler to get fish and chips instead of fried …
O' Me, O' My, O' Tux
I hate to admit it, but I've been marching with a krewe for about 15 years, and I've never taken the time to learn its origin story. So when my …
‘Will You Marry Me?'
When it comes to marriage proposals that are pure genius, I have just one word for you: speakerphone. That's right ladies and gents, Mr. Romantic here proposed to his lovely …
DIY (WLOH*) Wedding Food
*With Lots of Help
Asking me about "do-it-yourself" wedding food is about the equivalent of asking Dr. Peter Casano about how to pull off a DIY removal of nasal polyps, but I'll give it …
A Bit of Christmas Drama
When I was a little boy, my father commenced our family custom of preparing a standing rib roast with Yorkshire pudding for our Christmas meal, along with mashed potatoes and …
Don't Panic, It's Just a Big Bird
Take a deep breath and step away from the turkey. Now exhale slowly, and let's take stock of the situation. You have been awarded/punished/tested with the job of preparing the …
You Can't Imagine
I was enjoying my late morning leisure. The kids were in school, and Kitty was at her office. This was Tom Time. I was nestled into the sofa, Café Cubano …
Change is Good
I usually talk about the pleasures of meat. I love meaty good meatness. But today, I diverge. Today's recipe is vegetarian. It could even be made vegan by substituting olive …
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Tom's Food Diversity Quiz
When I got this assignment, I thought, "No problem. Food diversity sounds pretty simple. I'll hit some soul-food joints, some fish houses, a taqueria or two and put on a …
Happiness in a Shell
Scallops are one of those decadent delicacies that never fail to satisfy me—the silky texture, the milky color, the smell, just like the beach after a rainstorm—just perfect. And they …
The Simple Majesty of the BLT
Some things just go together: peanut butter and jelly, bagels and lox, mushrooms and wine, chicken and rosemary, Scotch and ice ... you get the point. But if there was …
Step Away from the Grill
Certain holidays and occasions demand specific foods, while others offer mere guidelines. For example, turkey is a universal absolute for Thanksgiving and some form of cake is a requirement for …
Leaping into Spring
It's difficult to write about spring food when it's wet and cold outside—when the groundhog is predicting that a lovely, warm spring is not "right around the corner." Because of …
‘Poor People' Food
Eating at a brasserie in New Orleans a few weeks ago got me thinking about what food writers like to call "rustic" cuisine. Food writers tend to shy away from …
Guinness and Grits
For the past 13 years, I have marched with the O' Tux Society in Mal's St. Paddy's Parade, save for one when I had to attend a Boy Scout camping …
Advice for Gents on Valentine's Day
Trust me, guys, you need to learn a new dish. Lucky for you, I have just the answer. This recipe has everything you need to sweep your lady off her …
Party Food, New Orleans Style
The Super Bowl. It is the High Holy Day for football fans across the world. It causes a statistically significant increase in the consumption of chicken wings and avocados that …
Bowl of Red
When the weatherman started talking about snow in Jackson, my wife got busy gathering up blankets and throws. Nine-year-old Zak sat by the window keeping a keen eye on the …
Ice Cream Sandwiches for Grover
"Sesame Street" used to have a segment in which über-friendly voices sang a little song about a group of objects.
