Author: Debbi Covington

Corned beef is a long-standing American St. Patrick’s Day tradition. In Ireland, the St. Patrick’s Day meal would most likely be ham and cabbage. Corned beef is a beef brisket or round roast cured in brine which leaves the beef bright red and flavorful.

MARDI GRAS is Fat Tuesday! It’s the last night of eating rich and fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season which begins the next day on Ash Wednesday. Fat Tuesday is sometimes referred to as Shrove Tuesday — from the word “shrive” meaning “confess.” This week’s recipes are perfect for a Mardi Gras themed party.

“Anyway, like I was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that’s about it.” – Bubba

It’s hard to believe that twenty years have passed since the award-winning Forrest Gump was filmed here in our little coastal town of Beaufort, South Carolina. We’re celebrating! Join members of the Beaufort Film Society at a special screening of Forrest Gump followed by a moderated discussion about the making of the movie on Friday, February 14 at 7pm.

If these yummy-looking sandwich photos have caught your fancy and you’re thinking that you might be feeling kind of cheesy, before you even start to read this column, take a stick of salted butter out of the refrigerator so it can come to room temperature. Go ahead and do it. If you don’t, when your stomach starts growling and you have to wait, you’ll wish you had. I’ll explain why later.

It’s the day after Christmas and I’m holed up at my computer, still in my pajamas, sipping on hot cinnamon tea from my Cindy Lou Who mug. Vince’s mother headed home to Florence a couple of hours ago. Vince, who has been trapped at home since December 23rd, flew out of the house right behind her to hang out with his friends.

 It’s December 11th (the day before my 50th birthday, no less) and I just realized that I haven’t written our Christmas cards yet. What happened to the summer? The past few months have been a whirlwind. I’ve been swamped with catering jobs, cookbook signings, deadlines and paperwork. I guess time flies when you’re having fun! Our home is actually decorated and we’ve been doing a bit of holiday entertaining.

Your December wedding day was perfect! The ceremony was romantic. The flowers were gorgeous. The reception was wonderful. The food was amazing. The band was fabulous. The cake was delicious. The weather was beautiful. It all just went by too fast! With all of the effort that goes into planning a wedding, why should it end with the toss of a bouquet and a quick getaway?

Throughout history, every society has celebrated the end of the harvest. Many have set aside a day of thanks. In 1941, Thanksgiving Day became a national holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. It’s the one day of the year that we Americans can consume an abundance of food without a second thought about calories! The recipes this week are all Thanksgiving side dishes. Team a couple (or all) of them with a roasted turkey for a modern twist on a traditional Thanksgiving menu. All you’ll need to add is a pumpkin pie topped with sweetened whipped cream for a grand finale. Happy Thanksgiving!

Nothing in the world smells quite like sourdough bread does when it’s baking. My mother was the Queen of Sourdough Bread in my hometown of Wilson, North Carolina. It was her ministry. If someone was sick, she sent them a loaf of her freshly baked bread. If someone had a birthday, she sent them a loaf of her bread. Baptist ministers have preached sermons about her bread. Her bread has even been used for Communion.