My Grandma Walton loved the art of hospitality and made it her personal mission to teach me those skills. As the first grandchild I had her undivided attention for a few years. During this time I had more than my fair share of tea parties and lessons in manners. Grandma taught me the magic of polishing silver and I fondly remember "helping" with the chores when I visited her ...
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Fresh Gazpacho
I recently realized when teaching a cooking class for kids that this recipe should probably be called: Tomato Smoothie. This new name brings about a more refreshing mindset to match the lighter flavors this chilled soup possesses. Unlike other gazpacho recipes this is not heavy with the flavors of bell pepper, celery, or garlic. Sometimes I add fresh sweet onion to the ...
Grilled Okra
It is interesting how polarizing some vegetables can be. Okra seems to be one of the best examples of this. Just mention it by name and some will double over with melodramatic displays of distaste. Then there are those- like me who respond with affection for these pods. It seems that a major factor for okra affection is how you prepare it. Okra is unique in that it has a ...
Elote- Grilled Corn
I love my job. Yes, it involves a lot of dishwashing and isn't always easy but most of the time it is really a lot of fun. Probably my favorite (and also the most challenging) part of what I do is planning "Tasty Travel" trips. Our years working as V.I.P. tour guides at Disney were the perfect training. Chris and I go to great lengths to put together delicious and wonderful ...
Local Flavors- Farm Fresh Potato Salad
Last weekend was the official open of the Tallahassee Farmer's Market for the season. No, it wasn't actually closed prior to that but historically this date marks the "kick-off" into the first, bountiful phase of summer harvest. To prepare for this event the farmers asked me to come out and do a cooking demonstration with their "fresh picks". I loved the suspense of waiting ...
