Author: Debbi Covington

One of the advantages of having a lot of friends is celebrating a lot of birthdays! The past couple of months have been a whirlwind of birthday soirees – many of them commemorated at one of our favorite local hot spots, The Old Bull Tavern on West Street. As is custom with the best of friendships, someone unfailingly volunteers to bring a home-baked birthday cake.  

Weddings are so much fun and offer a zillion reasons for pre-nuptial parties. Do you like to dress up in pearls and heels? If so, then this menu has been tailored just for you. A tea party is a great function for a bridesmaid’s event, a wedding shower or even a thank you to the people who have helped you plan and organize your wedding. Very simple to prepare and execute, an afternoon tea can be as casual or as elegant as you desire.

Weddings are so much fun and offer a zillion reasons for pre-nuptial parties. Do you like to dress up in pearls and heels? If so, then this menu has been tailored just for you.

Cool weather makes me crave some of my most favorite comfort foods. At the top of the list are pasta and dark chocolate. Imagine a chilly March evening in front of a roaring fire with a glass of Cabernet and a plate loaded with creamy Salmon Romanoff.

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.