>> Taste and Savor
How to Make Steel Cut Oatmeal

How to Make Steel Cut Oatmeal

It's hard to get out of my warm snuggly bed this time of year. My husband, who is so wonderful in SO many ways is extremely persnickety about the cost of heating, (sigh). He likes to turn the heat wayyyyyy down at night. So, basically we sleep in a deep freeze:) This...

How to Make Vegetable Stock – Ten Tips

How to Make Vegetable Stock – Ten Tips

Veg Stock ready for the freezer! Yup, its January. Here in Atlanta we are doing two things almost every day. Complaining about the cold weather, and craving soup. I love to follow the seasons in my kitchen, and as a teaching chef - January is all about soups, stews...

The Favorite Recipe of 2014!

The Favorite Recipe of 2014!

I received an email from a favorite chef today - it recapped her favorite 10 recipes of the year. I liked that idea and thought, "Wonder what my 2014 Friday Four readers liked most?" After a long time of extracting data, (more like 15 minutes but still - ugh), I...

Just for YOU – 2015 Sneak Peak Classes

Just for YOU – 2015 Sneak Peak Classes

Wow! I can tell its time for gifts! I am getting lots of requests for information about 2015 classes. Just for you all, here's a sneak peek at my classes at Cooks Warehouse. The 2015 catalog will be out soon, but for you special folks...for planning...

Pepper Popped and Roasted Nuts

Pepper Popped and Roasted Nuts

Its not often that I am prompted write a blog entry and can grab a glamorous picture from Facebook, attach the recipe to it and post it in about 5 minutes... But HALLELUJAH, this is the day. Brenda took the photo and here I am sharing the recipe. Easy peasy, you can...

Asian Stuffed Baby Bellas Paired with  Pinot Noir

Asian Stuffed Baby Bellas Paired with Pinot Noir

Don't these babies look scrumptious? Oh yeah, they are! Super easy to make, too. These Asian inspired stuffed mushrooms are a super app for a holiday party...but you can eat them for dinner, too. Just use full sized portabellas and whip up a green salad on the side....

NINE Fantastic Uses for Leftover Herbs

NINE Fantastic Uses for Leftover Herbs

Its that time of the year, the time of the year when I start getting lots and lots and LOTS of emails about what to do with leftover herbs. Maybe it's the all the herbs that people buy when they are getting ready for the holidays? Maybe the cold weather inspires...

Holidays, Sweet Treats and Wine – OH MY!

Holidays, Sweet Treats and Wine – OH MY!

What do holidays, sweet treats, and some of your favorite wines have in common? It's a quality that may not pop into your mind immediately, or at least until I mention it - it’s the cozy, rich, toasty aromas of warm baking spices. Just like you,...

Crockpot Pulled Chicken

Crockpot Pulled Chicken

I just googled the phrase, “who invented the crockpot”. This is going to sound really sexist, but of course I thought it HAD to be a woman. Who else but a busy workingwoman would think of a way to quickly create a hot, nourishing dinner deserved by her family?...

The Zen of Zin

The Zen of Zin

Who can resist the fun alliteration of  Zin aka Zinfandel with another “Z” word? Of course – not me! Not only do I love the fun rhyming, Zin was one of the first grapes I discovered. Not as you might suspect, with the sweet blush wine, White Zinfandel, but as...

Hatch Chile Cheese Casserole – Easy and Yum for a Potluck

Hatch Chile Cheese Casserole – Easy and Yum for a Potluck

Just in case you haven't been to a grocery store, picked up a magazine or food section of the newspaper, watched the news or listened to the radio... ITS HATCH CHILE SEASON! Hatch Chiles hail from Hatch, New Mexico and their unique flavor, (and fantastic marketing...

Tasting Summer’s Best Soup and Wine

Tasting Summer’s Best Soup and Wine

Most people are surprised when I tell them that gazpacho was originally made WITHOUT tomatoes. Yes, it’s true. The oldest version of Spanish gazpacho is thought to be from the area around the city of Cordoba, and was made with bread, garlic, oil and water! It was...

How to Host a Rose Tasting

How to Host a Rose Tasting

Crisp, Clean, Floral, Juicy, Berry Good…words that perfectly describe a fun evening of rose with friends. That’s exactly what we did with a diverse group of friends recently. By diverse, I mean we were all over the spectrum of wine lovers – from our gracious host that...

Summer Ripe Tomato Raw Pasta – A Guest Blog by Intern Haley Warren

Summer Ripe Tomato Raw Pasta – A Guest Blog by Intern Haley Warren

Well, unfortunately, this will be my last blog with Chef Nancy. I cannot say enough great things about her and all of the positive experiences I have had! I am going out with a bang and will share with you all one of the best recipes, ever. Chef Nancy made it for a...