And Then There Were Four… A Bit of History: After living in South Carolina for 14 years, I finally realized how deficient my knowledge surrounding BBQ sauce is. While hotly debated, most BBQ experts and websites recognize at least six main types of regional BBQ sauces. South Carolina proudly crafts four of these main sauce…
A Drupy Salad… A Bit of History: With over 200 varieties, plums grow on every continent except Antartica. In addition, historians believe plums number among the first human-cultivated fruits. Botanists classify plums as drupes or a stone fruit. While, a droopy salad never sounds appealing, my “drupy” recipe for Plum & Summer Vegetable Bulgur Salad…
“A Sensation of a Salad…” A Bit of History: Julia Child succinctly and perfectly sums up a Caesar Salad, as “A Sensation of a Salad.” Julia Child had the pleasure of enjoying many cuisines and restaurants during her time. One such memory involves her experience at the Hotel Caesar in Tijuana, Mexico. Caesar’s restaurant, located…
Do You Know the Muffin Woman? A Bit of History: I happen to know the muffin woman very well, as she is my great-aunt Carol. As a child, whenever we visited her home she always made me blueberry muffins, which I considered her secret super power. Each time I enjoy one of these delectable treats,…
A Twist on Southern Tomato Pie A Bit of History: Before moving to the Southeast portion of the US, pizza remained my only experience with any sort of tomato pie. However, in the South, tomato pie consists of a pie shell stuffed with tomatoes, cheese, and layered with mayonnaise. Mrs. Rose Welsh, of Maryland, authored…
For Courage & Valor… A Bit of History: Dill appears throughout history as a remedy, in culinary uses, to ward off witchcraft, and even given to Roman gladiators to evoke courage and valor. According to the Herb Society of America, Egyptians documented the use of dill in medicine nearly 5,000 years ago. In addition, archeologists…
Muppets Smoothie A Bit of History I told my family, “call me in the morning when you wake up and I’ll make you a smoothie”! I was really channeling the lyrics of the Muppet Show: Put the Lime in the Coconut song. Although, the original song and lyrics belong to the Harry Nilsson, we love…
It’s A Whopper… A Bit of History: Ten years ago, Scott Robb of Alaska, claimed a new Guinness Book of World Records for the heaviest cabbage. The whopper green cabbage tipped the scales at 138.25 lb. That’s a lot of Rainbow Asian-Inspired Cabbage Salad! In contrast, a typical garden green cabbage weighs a mere 1-2…
You Can’t Beet These… A Bit of History: Back in the early 1970s, a “veggie burger” indicated a meat patty topped with a few token vegetables. However, in the early 1980s, changes appeared on the culinary horizon. While disputes rage over who deserves credit for the first veggie burger. Both the Smithsonian Magazine and Wikipedia,…
“There & Back Again” for Hobbit Cake A Bit of History: I freely admit that I eat like a hobbit! While I don’t quite fit in all 7 daily hobbit meals, I do give it a solid go. The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings have consistently topped my favorite book list since childhood….