Last weekend I went to Franklin, N.C. for the Siler Family Meeting. For 160 consecutive years, the Siler Family has been gathering on the first Saturday of August to enjoy family, fellowship and most importantly food. I began attending this meeting with my grandmother...
Chef Nancy and I both share a fondness for cheese and often joke that we could easily become "Cheeseatarians". This is the one food that I crave more often than any other. So, it was with great pleasure, that I received a gift of several different cheeses, that were...
Yesterday I did a FUN Cooks Warehouse Class at the New Whole Foods in Marietta. (Cooks is opening a NEW store in September - next to Whole Foods.) My intrepid helpers, (Brenda, George, Bobby and Suzanne), and I showed the class how to make a variety of delicious and...
This week, Chef Nancy and I had the pleasure of participating in a health fair at the King and Spalding Law Firm. We had a great time meeting many people and giving them some healthy eating tips. After all of the meet and greets, book signings etc... that we have...
It is the season to pick up goodies from a garden or farmers market! I love fresh fruits and vegetables during this time of year for that reason alone. How fun is it to talk to the farmer at the market and really find out how he grew the okra? Or take your child (like...
Last night, Chef Nancy and I had the pleasure of hosting a group of executives from The Coca-Cola Company for a hands on cooking class at the Cancer Wellness Center. This internationally diverse group of people were in town for meetings and of course a little fun....
I don't know about you - but I have difficulty spending lots of time in front of the stove when the weather is HOT! Here's an easy and delicious salad that will keep you out of the kitchen, and allow you to spend time with the family! Full of cool seasonal...
Recently, I received news of the death of a dear woman, Ignes Pellis. Ignes was my family's housekeeper during my childhood in Brazil. Ignes did much more than keep our house neat and tidy. She took care of us by being a friend, companion, interpreter, babysitter and...
I had the pleasure of traveling to Italy for the first time this summer. This trip exceeded all of my expectations. From the ancient history of Rome, to the rolling hills of Tuscany and finally to the glorious canals of Venice. It was all breathtaking and awe...
We had a cooking demo at Cancer Wellness this week that focused on food and inflammation. It was a wonderful cooking demo! We had a great turnout (55 people) and Chef Nancy and I worked in collaboration with another collegue, David Hobbs (the accupuncturist at Cancer...
Last week, I had the pleasure of teaching a quick cooking class to the women of the Highlands NC Garden Club. We tossed up several delicious salads and served them along with some mint green tea and a mini lemon yogurt cupcake. I was surprised at so many of the group...
Chef Nancy and I do the majority of our cooking at the Cancer Wellness Center, and like to provide the staff and sometimes a patient or two, to a salad for lunch on the days we are there. Most often our salads are spontaneous creations, built from leftovers and items...
I love trying new foods in the spring. Whether I am going to farmers markets, growing them in my garden, or buying them in a store, it is a great time to expand my palate. Here are a few that I have tried recently. Chef Nancy always encourages me to make one big meal...
The first time I met Lisa Vingerling, was with Jimmy Rumba. Yes, that’s his name, Jimmy Rumba. He was teaching a party of twenty young, beautiful women how to Salsa Dance. Some women had long hair, some short and some none at all. But everyone was grooving and moving...
I recently traveled with family to Chatanooga, TN for a weekend spring break getaway. As a good mother should, I dutifully followed my husband and kids to the Tennessee Aquarium, RockCity! and The Chickamauga Battlefield. Seeing with the new eyes of my children, I...
