My neighbor called me Sunday morning.  "Want to come for lunch?  I've got some lady peas and green beans, and I'm going to fry some chicken thighs."  Bruce is a prodigious cook, so I rarely turn down an invitation, but his offer of fried chicken assured my place at the table. He had also made rice and gravy with tomatoes chopped up in it, "I read in a cookbook that this is an old-fashioned trick, so I decided to try it."  It gave the gravy a nice slightly pink color and touch of sweetness.

We came to the Southern Living parking lot carrying coolers, paper sacks, plastic bags, and even a roasting pan to fetch a very special pre-Memorial day treat--smoked pork butt.  Southern Living's Managing Editor Kenner Patton  organizes the annual smoke-fest as a fund-raiser for the Briarfield, Alabama, volunteer fire department, of which he is a member.  Let me just say that Kenner and his crew produce very fine pork shoulders--fork-tender and juicy with deep, smokey flavor. 

We enjoyed ours for lunch today, with all the fixings--baked beans, slaw, light (white) bread, sweet pickle slices, Coca-Cola Cake, and apple dumplings.  To top it off, Executive Food Editor Scott Jones shared a magnificent bottle of Frank Family Vineyards 2005 Napa Valley Zinfandel.  You may be more accustomed to beer with your butt, but Zin is considered the perfect barbecue wine.  What a wonderful way to celebrate the upcoming weekend. 

At this point, Kenner had been up only 32 hours; he was headed home to start another smoking session for butts to be delivered tomorrow. We didn't get his recipe, but check out the article "Barbecue 101: The Art of Low and Slow" in the June issue of SL.  Or follow this link to award-winning pitmaster Chris Lilly's recipe.

We've had the most beautiful weather this week in B'ham.  I'm hoping the Memorial Day weekend will be more of the same.  I've invited a few friends over and we’re celebrating the holiday with a menu from members of the Seafarer's Yacht Club of Annapolis.  Last May I spent a few days with the Seafarer's as they kicked-off the boating season with their flag-raising ceremony.  This year the ceremony marked the beginning of the club's 50th year.  Once the formal ceremony wraps up,  members host guests for boat outings on the Chesapeake, and a kingly spread of fabulous food at the clubhouse.   If you're lucky enough to join them for the festivities, it's a real treat---they are some of the friendliest, most hospitable folks I’ve met.   Captain Ed Morris (pictured with me on Seascape) and his wife Tanya own sailboat Autumn Mist. Though I didn't have time to go sailing with them, I did have a chance to visit some of the other boats, including the Monoponson II, Naima, and Her Way. 

Wish I was there. .  . I'll channel them through the menu--- Jerk Chicken, Jean's
Potato Salad, deviled eggs, garlic bread, and more.  (Check out the May issue of  Southern Living for the recipes.)  My Alabama group will enjoy fireworks after hours from the patio---not quite as spectacular as colorful starbursts over the Chesapeake, but food fellowship, and friends are enjoyable anywhere.  Let me know what's cookin' at your place for the Summer holidays.

Let’s face it – all brownies are NOT created equal.  There’s a lot of room for wiggle – cakey, fudgy, edge, or center piece.  Brownies are “one of THOSE foods”.  We love the way we love ‘em!  Seriously, I can hardly imagine eating an edge piece of a cake-like brownie.  I’d rather not indulge at all. Guess that makes me a brownie snob?!

Snob or not, I can easily admit to brownies being one of my favorite foods and as such, I want them PERFECT!  The obsession started long ago when I would test out brownie recipes on my family, experimenting with bake time and ingredients.  To this day, my family never let’s me forget the number of times I had them eat brownies just to achieve brownie bliss!

In case you're wondering,BROWNIE BLISS is all about the right combination of pan, batter depth, sugars, and secret ingredients like espresso. My at-home Friday night favorite brownie has a little bourbon and instant espresso.  Take-to-the-party brownies have dark chocolate chunks and get baked in mini muffin pans for bite-sized  perfection.  If I have the time, I like to top these little bites with mocha frosting and chocolate shavings. 

By now, I’m sure you’re thinking that I’m over-the-top about brownies, but I’m not alone in my feelings.  Take our upcoming brownie story (due out in September).  Laughingly, I warned my brownie-loving editor, Shirley Harrington, that once testing started, we would likely have a table-divided – over texture, richness, you name it!   Among our Food Staff, brownies, like so many other foods (cornbread, pound cake, greens, grits), evoke a long list of must-haves.  I was hoping for brownie bliss among the staff, but definitely not holding my breath.  To my uber-amazement, we sailed the base recipe through with rave reviews!!  Next up, it was time to move on to new-fangled brownie concoctions like brownies with blueberries, ginger, candy bars, etc.  This phase of testing definitely sent chills down the spines of the hard-core brownie purists (of which I am one).   Yet, despite moments of BROWNIE INTERRUPTED, we walked away with NEW TWISTS ON AN OLD FAVORITE. 

Whether you’re an edge-lovin’ brownie eater or you prefer fudgy, dense brownies, you will love our recipes in the September issue.  These recipes deserve their place among our BEST EVER BROWNIES!

Cakey or fudgy?  Edge or center - which do you prefer?

Photo courtesy of Anshu_Si at www.flikr.com/photos/anshu_si

Every year this time, I get the urge to have a "celebrate spring" patio party. I like to invite lots of people. But I'm also frugal and a make-it-easy-on-yourself hostess. So this year, I set a budget of $100, and resolved to make most things ahead. I started with ingredients I already had on hand and worked from there.

My love affair with sweet potatoes began in my early twenties.  It started innocently enough with a simple, undressed sweet potato that was simmered and only slightly salted.  The sweet potato was an accompaniment to a spicy ceviche and cut perfectly against the heat of the habañero and soothed my mouth.  As my passion for sweet potatoes grew, so did the number of ways I enjoyed this root vegetable.  Baked in the oven and topped with sour cream and chives, mashed with cilantro and lime juice, roasted and mixed with peppers, olives, and feta—there are too many ways to list.  I began enjoying sweet potatoes on a weekly basis, always in their savory application, staying away from marshmallows, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  And then I discovered sweet potato fries!

OK, I love to find a great deal and save money. Grocery shopping and cooking are a part of my job here at Southern Living. We try to watch our grocery costs as we pass on wonderful recipes that keep the home cooks budget in mind. This is very important to me at home, too.  

What’s salty, crispy, and the hottest new ingredient around?  Potato chips!  Think about the possibilities – crispy chicken, savory casseroles, and tempting desserts.  That’s a day in the life of the Southern Living Test Kitchen. When I first started working with Food For Today (FFT for short), I was a little intimidated by the “guidelines” which include super short ingredient lists (sometimes a max of 4). Delicious, quick, and innovative – it seemed like a challenge I would be up for!  My goals - creatively showcase sponsored ingredients, developing recipes with a Southern flare. How bad could it be to take a food or ingredient you love and dream up new ways to enjoy it? Or take a classic Southern recipe and sub in a new ingredient to give it a fresh twist. Once peanuts came along, I hit my stride. From rice to ice cream or mayonnaise to peanuts, it’s a challenge that will keep me coming back for more.

So, what did I do with a bag of potato chips?  Well, you’ll have to stay tuned for that, but I’ll give you some hints.  I paired potato chips with artichokes, squash, sour cream, chocolate AND ice cream (not all in one recipe, of course!).  I admit - it’s quite an array of ingredients.  By themselves or paired with chocolate - who can resist?!

What would you do with a bag of potato chips…besides snuggling up in front of the TV with a bag of your favorite chips and a great movie?

 Farm-to-table is a huge term these days, but it's rare that we get to see the process start to finish.  I  did a few weeks ago, and it was fun.